DIY

Looking for a cheap way to keep your iPhone vertical on your desk, but don't feel like bending a bunch of paperclips? If you have a Mini DV tape case handy, look no further. It turns out that they make a surprisingly good stand that works just as well in a pinch.

Even with the iPhone 3GS's shiny new 3 megapixel camera, we still see some complaints about the lack of a flash bulb on the iPhone. Ryan wanted one so badly that he decided to make his own out of a Mophie JuicePack. He simply cut it open, connected a bright white LED and a tiny switch, and now he can add a little light whenever he needs to take a picture just by holding down a button on the case. You can check out a step-by-step guide to make your own at his website.
[via CrunchGear]

Matt, an industrial designer, used two scraps of walnut and an old Magnavox horn speaker to make his own audio dock for his iPhone 3G. By carving out a dock in the front, a hole in the back for the speaker to go in, and a channel between them on the inside, he was able to create his own DIY audio dock. It just might be the coolest DIY iPhone project in history. Video after the break.

We've seen some pretty cool DIY projects, but this one might take the cake. It involves a (previously) completely functional speaker dock and a retro rotary phone. it's a pretty simple project, and it functions as a real speaker dock when it's done. Supposedly a version with a microphone in the headset has been made that really works with the iPhone to make calls using a customized app. Video after the break.

Are coasters not enough iPhone for your living room? One user decided to take his iPhone fetish to a new level by constructing his own iPhone coffee table. Not only is it a giant iPhone made of cardboard, but it has icon coasters, too. There is no tutorial at this time, but it's still pretty cool. [via iLounge]

Here's something you might try next time you're stuck on a plane for a few hours. Someone over at Holdenmumps.to came up with an ingenious method for holding your iPhone for movie watching on a plane using the airsickness bag attached to the seat back in front of them. Just tear a rectangle in the bottom big enough for you to see the screen and a hole for the headphone jack and ta-da! You have an adjustable iPhone holder.
[Hodenmumps via Gizmodo]

Need something to hold up your iPhone or iPod touch but don't feel like spending a pile of money for it? If you're the DIY type then you might want to check this out. Geeky Gadgets has posted complete instructions on how to make your own DIY dock using nothing more than a sheet of A4 cardboard, some sharp scissors or a craft knife, a printer and the dock cable that came with your iPhone. Video after the break.

Need a dock for that iPhone or iPhone 3G but don't want to drop the $30 Apple wants you to spend on a white piece of plastic? Perhaps you'd rather go the more self-gratifying route. A clever person on YouTube has devised a simple DIY dock using nothing more than the connector cable and some binder clips. Video after the break.

The iPhone's camera has been used for a number of creative uses, from taking close-up shots, to using it as a webcam, to just making cool pictures, to using it to make to-do lists, or even as a scanner of sorts. As for scanning documents, getting a clear shot is difficult, but one user found a clever way of getting the clearest images of documents possible by rigging up the iPhone Document Scanner.

So you did it. You've had your iPhone 3G for less than a month and you went and busted your iPhone's screen. As though that weren't enough, the people at the Apple Store are refusing to fix it for you for free. Well, not to fear. Brando has released a "replacement LCD Display for your iPhone 3G," complete with touch panel. With this kit and a little DIY ingenuity, you can now replace your screen unit yourself.