Build your own or make a mod? Leave
a comment on the original project
page: makezine.com/go/element-14-
magic-gif-ball
every day? Will I find true love next Monday?
The GIFs are set to loop twice, since most are
so short that they usually finish by the time the
user is done shaking. Shaking the ball
during a currently playing reply won’t
interrupt it, so if you want that mode
of operation you’ll have to tweak
the code to your liking.
You might also notice that the
charging port is not externally
accessible, which means it’ll have
to be popped open to recharge. Is
this silly? Yes. But I’ve shown the MGB
to most of my friends and family, and there’s
still plenty of charge left months later. It’s not
exactly a daily use fortune-teller anyhow.
I’ve also pondered a few possible upgrades you
may wish to explore:
•
Simplify it. I went with the Pi as it was the least
hassle to prove this as a concept, but this could
be adapted to run via an ESP32, Teensy 4.0, or
the new Pi Pico!
•
Unlimited GIFs! It shouldn’t be unreasonable
to pull GIFs down via Giphy or another meme-
tastic API, but you’ll need to make sure your
MGB has a constant internet connection.
•
Cleaner power. Break up the smooth,
portless surface with a handy jack for
charging, or add another switch to
trigger a safe shutdown.
•
Cut corners. Did you know mini
round LCDs are a thing now?
Check out Pimoroni PIM570, for
example. One of those would make
an awesome display that matches
the original aesthetic even better.
•
DIY the enclosure. This project could
easily be stuffed into a DIY Christmas
ornament, hamster ball, or original 8-Ball.
•
Amp it up. We’ve got all this processing power,
why not have the MGB respond with full-
fledged video clips? Perhaps for version 2...
make.co
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