Turn almost anything into a gamepad or keyboard with MagicKey

If you grew up in the '80s or '90s, the gifts at the top of your annual Christmas and Hanukkah lists likely included the OG Nintendo Gameboy, Mighty Morphin Power Rangers action figures, a Furby, and — of course — Beanie Babies. Well, meet the gadget that's about to nab the highest spot on your adult self's holiday wishlist: SunFounder's MagicKey 3-in-1 DIY MIDI Gamepad Keyboard.

Based on the Atmel ATmega32U4, a low-power microcontroller, this multifunction, expertly crafted board is able to turn anything conductive into the keys that operate your functional plaything. Got an orange or a couple empty soda cans lying around your house? You can use the MagicKey's MIDI function to build a compact system that does things like play music or control your favorite video game. With the board's buttons, the 15 included alligator clips, or the pin headers all available for use as your inputs, you've got so many options with which to toy around. Read more...