(Comments posted on the video page indicate that this procedure works for many of the Panasonic digital cameras–happy cleaning!)

My Panasonic FX37 is a great camera. Fast, wide-angle lens, (f/2.8, 25mm equivalent) in a compact package with all the modern features (image stabilization, HD video, facial recognition, etc). And it takes really nice photos. However there is one downside: its sensor seems to attract dust, which is especially noticeable when zooming in on a bright object (such as the sky).

I’m not sure if this is a matter of the case being poorly sealed compared to other pocket cameras, but it is frustrating. Thankfully, the remedy is fast and simple: by removing a few small screws, you are able to access the sensor inside the camera. A few bursts of air and a quick reassembly is all it takes to be snapping photos like the camera is brand new.

I made a quick video tutorial of how to access and clean the sensor– the entire process takes less than 10 minutes. Make things smoother on yourself by getting the tools together before starting the process. You don’t want to leave the case open any longer than necessary.

Here’s what you’ll need: Mini screwdrivers • Blower or compressed air •Lint-free cloth • Receptacles for screws and parts • Clean workspace.

Be careful disassembling your camera. This will almost surely void your warranty (a warranty that probably can be used to have the company clean the sensor for you), so be certain that you are willing to risk breaking your camera forever. I take no responsibility for any damage incurred following these instructions. Now, go clean that sensor!

The upcoming Iron Man sequel features an updated suit of armor, and now you can make a miniaturized paper version for yourself. It is a bit more complicated than beginner papercraft projects and doesn’t have a list of instructions, so make sure to keep your printer ink refreshed if you have to start over. Get the printout here.

Also, the Mark V armor (the suitcase one – how much must that weigh??) is papercrafted too. Check it out.

Speaking of Iron Man: check out the article I wrote in the current issue of WIRED magazine: Geek Justice League: Caped Crusader Billionaires We’d Like to See. A fun piece to go along with the soon-to-premiere Iron Man 2 movie. As a big comic fanatic growing up, getting to write about superheroes is still amazingly fun. And I love that Wired illustrated the “geeks” very closely to the descriptions I submitted for them. Enjoy!

A simpler but no less geekily awesome paper project is the Geoff Peterson “Cubee.” Anyone who’s been keeping up with Mythbusters’ Grant Imahara or watching the Craig Ferguson show know that Grant recently made a robot sidekick for Craig, named Geoff Peterson. It’s a work of comedic and robotic art. And now you can pay homage to a great late night talk show moment by making your own paper version. Get the file here.

Combining RC aircraft and video cameras is as instinctual as putting berries on your cereal. And as manufacturers come out with higher quality lenses and sensors, while shrinking camera size and weight, some pretty impressive (and expensive) rigs have been assembled to capture aerial footage.

However the iPhone does not seem like a good fit for a project like this. Light: yes. Fragile: very. Important to your daily life: completely. Watch as this unlucky (or perhaps, very lucky) fellow flies his iPhone-equipped airplane into a light post. Hilarity!

When I tried to shoot some nice aerial video from my iPhone equipped rc-plane I accidently crashed into a lamppost.
My aeroplane was totally smashed but my iPhone fortunately survived and captured everything on video!

I’m flying over Löberöd in south of Sweden.

Of course, done right the footage from RC aircraft can be downright cinematographic.

This video, while not aerial, shows the workings of a pretty badass flying rig equipped with a Canon G10, and shot on one of my favorite DSLRs for video, the Canon 7D (although I’m starting to like the T2i a lot – the price and quality is undeniable).

If you haven’t had a chance to watch one of the best TV shows of all time (personal opinion), set your Tivos and Comcast DVRs to Science Channel for an early-morning Catch It Keep It marathon. Starting at 6am EST, you can see all ten episodes of the phenomenal first season back to back.

Watch as Zach and I torment three hopeful builders by dangling their prize in front of a myriad of massive and massively destructive mechanisms. Lots of great engineering, physics, science and smashing demonstrations done in fun ways. Rooftop ramps, flying cars, thermite, steam rollers and more!

And if you miss it here, you can always catch it via iTunes or Amazon.

Now you can catch any episodes you missed the first time around. Watch me and Zach challenge a team of contestants to build something that can save their prize from near-certain devastation. And at the end, I get to see if I’m able to beat my own “method of destruction” too. Full of fun science, physics, engineering and destruction. 10 great episodes. Science Channel.

• iTunes: Catch It Keep It: Season One (will open iTunes)
• Amazon: Catch It Keep It: Season One (watch online or download)

Steadycam test 2 – before and after from Nathan Carrick on Vimeo.

Shaky footage can be one of the biggest killers when shooting video. As cameras get smaller, and zoom ability gets more powerful, the effect of shake is multiplied greatly. This can still be fine for everyday, “snapshot” use – but to capture footage for any semi-serious use, you need to brace your camera against the jitters.

A way to retain mobility while combating shake is to move the center of gravity of the camera to a point that is not in line with the lens. This is the basic idea behind the steadicam, a mounting rig that is used by many professional camera operators. Typically, a counterweight is affixed to the camera at a certain distance via a mounting bracket. The length of the bracket and the heft of the counterweight are set for the specific style of shooting that you want to do. The displaced center of gravity helps nullify the small jitters from shaking the lens, and the added mass of the setup also helps keep the motion more fluid and less herky-jerky.

Normally, you’ll see high-end steadicams that have a nearly frictionless joint (gimbal) that allows the camera to remain steady as the rig twists, turns, and tilts. But satisfying results can be had with a simple unit that uses just the counterweight alone.

Johnny Chung Lee has a start-to-finish writeup on his site steadycam.org on how to build a $14 steadycam with everyday items. The gist: two short lengths of steel pipe are combined in a sideways T, one side for a handle, the vertical piece to hold the camera at top and the counterweight below. A small weight is affixed on the bottom, the camera is connected to the top with a modified endcap that has a mounting bolt in it, and voila: DIY steadicam.

DOIT reader Nathan Carrick sent me some photos and videos of his assembly of this project, and a before/after video of the results (the inspiration for this post). I’m impressed – you can see how this improves the quality and creates a smoother looking result.

Nathan's PVC endcap for the DIY Steadycam. The 1/4" mounting bolt on top is the standard size all cameras use.

“You’ve gotta see it to believe it” means less and less as we take each step into a digitally manipulatable future that is nearly impossible to distinguish from the real thing.

Need to film a visit to Vegas? NYC? Moscow? Green screen it! As evidenced by the above demo reel, we’re now at a point where the television and movie images that look and feel so very real are as fake as science fiction. Even as someone who works in the entertainment industry, I’m blown away, and maybe even saddened a little by these illusions be revealed to me – I truly thought Hiro from Heroes was IN Times Square. But it is a testament to the acting abilities and the special effects capabilities that we have available today.

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Jump into your weekend with some DIY projects. Here are a few of my favorite ones that I’ve posted here. Remember to take pics and send them to me too.

How to Build a Temporary Wood-fired Brick Pizza Oven with Cheap, Easy to Find Materials
(and Make Your Own Wooden Pizza Peel (Paddle))

Near-Space DIY Aerial Photography for $150

How to Make A Digital Pinhole Camera – Fast, Cheap and Easy

Arduino RC Controlled Lawnmower Project

Build a Six-Wheel-Drive ATV for Go Anywhere Fun

Build Your Own Camera Gyro-Stabilizer With a Spare Hard Drive

DIY Electronic Drum Pads for Less Than $30

Bike Repairs Made Easy With the DIY Bike Repair Stand
Then Tune Up Your Bike: Adjusting the Derailleurs

As a pizza making fanatic, I love visiting well-regarded pizzerias to observe and sample their handiwork, learn some tips, and gather inspiration. During my recent travels to New York City, I set out on a pilgrimage to eat at some of the top pizza on this side of the Atlantic.

My pizza safari focused primarily on Neapolitan pizza, a style that I absolutely fell in love with during a visit to Naples in 2003. A blazing hot wood fired oven cooks the pizza in 2-3 minutes (sometimes faster), leaving a slightly charred edge and bottom, but springy and chewy in the middle of the crust. For ease of comparison (and personal preference), I stuck to the basic and classic “marinara” style: sauce, basil, garlic.

In seven days I visited six pizzerias. There are many NY spots still on my list, including Di Fara, Luzzo, Lucali, Totonnos (Coney Island, closed for renovation – I unknowingly tried to go there), Roberta’s, Salvatore’s (Staten Island), among others.

The most surprising discovery on my trip is that while the wood-fired oven is a staple for good pizza, it is not the only fuel found. Some of the top rated spots in NY use coal burning, oil burning, or even electric ovens. Secondly, the reputation of the location’s oven doesn’t always correspond with the outcome of the pizza. You’ll see this in my notes below. And, the locations that touted their use of fresh, organic ingredients stood out for the richness of their pies.

I made a quick video for each spot, to preserve the memory, show the ambiance, and take a good look at the all-so-important pizza oven. Here are the six place I visited and some of my notes. Enjoy!

Even though the odds of getting to see the darkness of space in person are slim - just over 500 people have traveled into space - it’s possible to still see it through the lens of your camera with a small assembly project and a few cheaply obtained materials. Including a styrofoam beer cooler.

A team of students from MIT recently set a goal to capture some photos of the curvature of the earth. Their off-the-shelf project cost them approximately $150, and the results have garnered them attention from CNN, Fox, ABC and more. Here’s how they made it:

Equipment Used in the Launch Capsule

One of the amazing parts of this project is that there were only two small modifications needed on the materials: The camera used was selected for its ability to use a timed shutter script through the CHDK firmware update (I use this same setup for most of my timelapse films), and the styrofoam cooler allowed for lightweight thermal insulation which can be easily cut to allow the lens of the camera to stick through.

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