Ben Heck Gives Exclusive Home Tour of His 'Mod Cave' in Special Edition of element14's 'The Ben Heck Show'

CHICAGO, Dec. 6, 2010 /PRNewswire/ -- element14, a collaborative social community and electronics store for design engineers and electronics enthusiasts, and modding guru Benjamin J. Heckendorn, a.k.a. Ben Heck, are debuting a special episode of "The Ben Heck Show" today that takes viewers on an exclusive tour of Ben's "mod cave" where he masterminds his ingenious ideas.

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20101206/CG12692)

"This episode is like MTV's 'Cribs,' only my home is not as extravagant as the celebrities' mansions," joked Ben Heck. "It is, however, my creative oasis and it's where I've been able to turn my hobby into a full-time gig. I'm excited to open my doors to show viewers just where all my ideas begin and what inspires me to turn ordinary products into something bigger and better."

During the tour, Ben shows viewers some of his favorite projects, including his infamous Bill Paxton pinball machine and his very first mod of a portable Atari that he built in 2000. He also gives viewers a sneak peek of his new off-site workshop where more complex projects will be built, and then takes them on a journey through a fairly typical day in the life of Ben Heck – from building prototype projects to installing pinball machines for friends.

In addition, Ben reveals his highly-anticipated signature Xbox 360 laptop that he built during the first six episodes of the show. Fans were able to register online since the debut of the show in September for a chance to win this "big build," and one lucky winner will be announced during the next episode on Dec. 20.

New Mobile Viewing Option

element14 has expanded viewing capabilities for "The Ben Heck Show" with its newly updated mobile app, element14 Everywhere, which allows electronics enthusiasts and design engineers using popular mobile devices to stay connected to element14 from anywhere around the globe.

"With the new element14 Everywhere app, Ben's fans can view all their favorite episodes while on the go using their mobile devices," said Alisha Mowbray, senior vice president of marketing, element14. "They can also access the element14 community to find discussions about the latest technologies, connect with engineers, or get expert advice on their design projects. This is the future of electronic design collaboration." 

About "The Ben Heck Show"

"The Ben Heck Show" is a bi-weekly online television series dedicated to the science, art and mindset of system and hardware modders with a global audience of design engineers, students and electronic enthusiasts (e.g., tech geeks). Each episode spotlights Ben's mods of popular electronic devices. Sponsored exclusively by element14 and produced by leading Internet TV network Revision3, the show educates viewers on the underlying technology powering each of Ben's featured projects, offering his unique insight regarding hardware modification techniques, tools and design tips.

About element14

element14 is the first collaborative community, research portal and store  for design engineers and enthusiasts.  The website provides product data, design tools, technology information and top brand components to seamlessly facilitate the design process; users can consult industry experts and collaborate with peers around the globe. element14 is sponsored by Premier Farnell plc (LSE: pfl), a leader in multi-channel distribution and specialty services for electronic design engineers, trading throughout the Americas (Newark), Europe (Farnell) and Asia Pacific (element14). The company has group sales of 795.3m pounds sterling and over 4,100 employees globally.

SOURCE element14