Hot Hacks, Mods & Circuitry Posts


How To: Mod a Sony Walkman Cassette Player into a Retro Apple iPod Case
Another media player bites the dust. First, we saw the extinction of the phonograph and gramophone. Then came the fall of eight-track tapes. Even modern record players became more and more obsolete, with DJs switching over to the world of digital music. And today— the end of cassette players! What's next? Compact discs?

How To: Fix Dead Lithium-Ion Batteries That Won't Hold a Charge Anymore
"What is dead may never die." That's easily one of the best lines (and episode title) from HBO's Game of Thrones series. While the saying may ring true for the Ironborn, it's not quite as catchy when it comes to batteries.

How To: Hack your electricity meter
This video will show you what you'll need to know to hack a digital electric meter. You'll need 2 magnets, one much bigger than the other, an AC adaptor that you'll cut into pieces, or some speaker wire, distilled water, electrical tape, a knife, some plascic wrap, and a plastic cup. Remember, this is illegal, and shown only for educational purposes.

How To: 10 Unique & Practical Ways to Repurpose Your Old Hard Disk Drives
At one point in the '90s, about fifty percent of the CDs produced worldwide had an AOL logo. About fifty percent of the CDs in my home still have that AOL promise of 500 free hours on them. Though they never got me to join their internet service, I did get a lifetime supply of coasters. Thanks to the rise of high-speed internet access and bigger and better hard drives, there's no reason for companies to snail mail any more of those obnoxious plastic discs.

News: Infrared LEDs Protect Your License Plate Number from Police Cams
Got a knack for speeding? Like running red lights? Believe or not, the police have better things to be doing than pulling you over, like catching real criminals. That's why more and more cameras are popping up at known speeding zones and on street corners—so the cops can clean up the streets, compared to just ticketing them.

How To: Hack a coin operated laundry machine
Man, it's laundry day and once again you have NO quarters. Well, check out this video and you'll never need quarters again. This how-to shows how to pick the lock on a coin operated laundry machine and then rig it up so you'll never need to pay again. Sweeeet.

How To: Hack a satellite dish into a WiFi signal booster
There are many ways to recycle a satellite dish and this is one of them. In this video tutorial, you'll learn how to hack an old satellite dish into a biquad WiFi antenna. For detailed, step-by-step instructions on building your own audio signal booster, take a look!

How To: Build a low cost portable hamstick antenna
If you're looking for a low cost solution for a portable hamstick antenna pole for your ham radio, then check out this video.

How To: Make an AC Arc Welder Using Parts from an Old Microwave, Part 1
In a previous article, I demonstrated an Arc Welder made using parts from old microwave ovens. Video: .

How To: Make an Infrared Mask to Hide Your Face from Cameras
This how-to video shows how you can hack a standard baseball cap into a cool invisible IR mask to hide your face from cameras anywhere, and look perfectly normal to the human eye! You have to admire a technically accomplished hacker. Now don't go out a rob a bank or anything. Watch this video tutorial and learn how to camera-proof your face with a creepy infrared mask.

How To: Build a mini hovercraft with household items
Learn how to build a mini hovercraft. With a few items found in almost any desk or tool drawer, you can make your very own mini hovercraft capable of gliding over any flat surface.

How To: Make a "Shocking" Deck of Prank Playing Cards Packed with 330 Volts of Electricity
A deck of cards may be a magician's best way to demonstrate his or her's sleight of hand, but for the prankster, it's the perfect way to deliver a shocking 300 volts of electricity! And that's exactly what I'm going to show you how to do today. Stuart Edge used it in his "Electric Shock Kissing Prank" to show the ladies how a man can really put the sparks in a kiss.

How To: Hack into live, public security cameras and web cams
In this Electronics video tutorial you will learn how to hack into live, public security cameras and web cams using Google without the owner even knowing this is happening. The video claims that there is nothing illegal about this. Type ‘inurl:/view/index.shtml’ in to Google search bar. IP addresses starting with numbers are those of cams. So, click those. You may need to install ‘active X’. Go ahead and install it. Click on any cam IP and you can view the picture in that cam. You can...

How To: Eavesdrop from a Distance with This DIY Parabolic "Spy" Microphone
Want to find out if your neighbors are talking about you? You could always hack their webcam or turn your iPhone into a secret spy camera, but unless you have a key to their house, that could be tricky to do without getting caught.

How To: Quick-N-Dirty Circuit Board Repair: How to Patch Faded or Corroded Traces with Pencil Lead
You may already know that you can build a functional circuit on a sheet of paper with the graphite from a pencil, but you'd probably never think of using it to fix an electronic device. This same principle can be used to bring back a bricked phone, but can also repair a damaged or corroded trace in a printed circuit board. Redditor 404ClueNotFound spilled water on his favorite computer keyboard (like so many of us have done before). The damage was minimal, but after drying it out, one key sti...

How To: Get your PSP hooked up to the Internet without needing wifi
If you can't get access to a wifi hotspot or an Internet connection with your PSP, you can use this method to get online. You will need access to a computer that is online, and a USB cord that can connect the computer to your PSP. Then, open up the command prompt on your computer, configure your IP and then add your PSP as a device on the network. This method uses the DNS method of getting to the Internet rather than having to hack a wifi connection.

How To: Hack a Vending Machine in 3 Easy Steps
How to get a vending machine to pay you for its goodies, instead of you paying for them. First off, find a older vending machine, and insert your dollar bill as you normally would. Once you have entered it, you can select which ever item you want. Then quickly, before the item dispenses, hold up on the gate to prevent the item from falling. When it falls, it should rest on the back of the gate you're holding up—don't let go yet. After a long wait, the vending machine will think nothing dispen...

How To: Extract an RFID chip from a card & make it wearable
Here's how to remove the RFID chip and antenna from a London Oyster travelcard. You can then put it in anything you want. You need a jar and acetone.

How To: Convert Your Old Apple iMac G4 into a Cable-Ready HDTV
Most of us have traded our desktop systems for laptops, tablets, and mobile devices, meaning there's a lot of outdated hardware sitting in attics. Want to give your old computer a new purpose? Matthew Chappee turned his iMac G4 into an HDTV using the guide by Dremel Junkie. One thing to note before you take on this project yourself is that if you want to use it to watch cable, you'll need a converter box to get around the MPAA's HDCP restriction. But, a converter box is considerably less expe...

How To: Build a high-powered air cannon that shoots rolled up T-shirts
Remember The Simpsons episode where Maude Flanders died? Do you remember how she died? Well, here's a hint… it has to do with this Kipkay tutorial.

How To: Build a simple carboard magnet generator
Build this ultra-simple AC electric generator from magnets, wire, and cardboard. (And a big nail!) Light a small lightbulb, or flash a red LED.

How To: Prep through hole component for solder installation
In this soldering tip video brought to you by BEST, Inc. Norman Mier demonstrates the through-hole preparation pliers method with lead-free solder.

HowTo: Make Your Own Tron Costume With Electroluminescent Wire
Want to make your own sexy (or not) Tron costume like designer Syuzi's? All you need is a black body suit and some electroluminescent wire. The bodysuit is easy, but as for the electroluminescent wire, you'll need Adafruit for that:

How To: Make a DIY microphone from two razor blades and a pencil
Now this is a DIY microphone. It turns out all you need to make a quasi-functional mic is a pair of razor blades, a pencil, some tupperware, and clips to run the signal from the razor blades to a resistor. Watch this video to learn how to make this awesome DIY mic and never find yourself silenced again.

How To: Build a power supply for electroluminescent (EL) wire and displays
Electroluminescent devices need electricity to light up, clearly, so if you're working on an EL project building a proper power supply is crucial. In this video you'll learn how to make a DIY power supply for your EL projects that is safe, effective, and cheap.

How To: Make a floppy disk USB flash drive
Here is a video tutorial on how to make a USB Drive from a Floppy Disk.

How To: Turn a laptop touch pad into a mini graphics tablet
TOUCHPAD HACK - This video tutorial shows how to transform a touchpad into a useful mini graphics tablet with some simple, everyday items. You will need a 1.5V battery, a small ball bearing, and a Philips head screwdriver. Watch this video tutorial and learn how to transform a touch pad into a miniature graphics tablet.

How To: Make a PVC Hand Pump to Move Water, Compress Air, & Create Vacuum
When you're using vacuum power, moving water, or compressing air, it's more than likely being done with some sort of pump. I'll be needing a pump for some of my future projects, so in this tutorial, I'll be showing you how to make your own customizable PVC hand pump that will let you do all three.

How To: Make a satellite dish Wi-Fi antenna for free internet
Need internet but don't want to pay? Well, try lusting of those around you by picking up their Wi-Fi signal. Live out in the boondocks? No problem… if you have an old satellite dish laying around.

How To: Hack Smart Cards for satellite TVs
Notorious hacker Chris Tarnovsky opens his underground laboratory to WIRED, providing a peek into the world of satellite television smart-card hacking. This complicated process involves nail polish, a pin head and various acids -- so don't try this at home (unless you're Chris Tarnovsky)! Chances are you won't even know what's going on here, but that's not going to stop you from watching this video tutorial on how to reverse-engineer a satellite TV smart card, is it?

How To: Make a Super Secret Batman-Style Bust Switch for Your Batcave (Or Just Your Lights)
Remember the 1960's American television series Batman, with Adam West as Bruce Wayne? It was waaaaay before my time. The caped crusader that I'm more familiar with is actually this one... When I first heard of Adam West, it was him doing the Batusi on The Simpsons. I had no idea what was going on, so I looked up Adam West and his sensual dance and found myself face to face with the 1960's Batman.

How To: Hack a laser pointer into a burning laser
It's not just for annoying cats, anymore. You can upgrade your laser pointers and turn them into an actual burning laser! This tutorial by Kip Kay shows you how to mod a basic laser pointer into a higher powered laser.

News: Recycle an old satellite dish into a WiFi booster
Struggling to keep up your wireless signal? If you're struggling to stream Hulu from the backyard DocZee's got an idea.

How To: Block RFID Signals, Build an RFID Reader Detector, and Make Custom RFID Tags
RFID chips are everywhere. They're in passports, credit cards, and tons of items you've bought in the last 5 years or so. Big retailers like Walmart started using tracking products with RFID as early as 2004, and today, they're used in everything from mobile payments to hospital record systems. Chances are, unless you're a hermit (in which case you wouldn't be reading this anyway), there's an RFID tag within a few feet of you. Photo by sridgway

How To: Hack RFID enabled credit card & steal money for cheap
Identity theft is a huge problem and one of he fastest growing crimes in America. A number of credit card companies now issue credit cards with embedded RFIDs (radio frequency ID tags), with promises of enhanced security and speedy transactions.

How To: Boost your car remote's range
You can learn how to boost your car remote's range and you need a small screwdriver. Locate the antenna, sand the top surface of the antenna, and do not forget when you are done to close the remote up. This is another great video by Kipkay.

How To: Mod Your Old iPod 30-Pin Dock into a Bluetooth Speaker for Your iPhone 5
If you bought the new iPhone 5, you've probably been less than thrilled with the lack of cases and accessories that you can use it with. Docks are no exception—users were disappointed to learn that Apple has no plans to even make one for the newest addition to the Apple family.

How To: Make a working wire tracer with spare parts
You probably won't be using a wire tracer very often, but if you do need it for some reason - save the money and make your own! This tracer is made solely out of spare parts that you probably already have in your garage or basement. So, follow along and get started.

HowTo: Trigger Green Traffic Lights
Scenario: it's late at night, the roads are completely empty and you are stuck at the longest light ever. Solution: don't run a red- change it to green yourself. Avoid a ticket, save yourself some time (and perhaps a little gas).

How To: Solder with a lighter
This video teaches how to solder two wires using a lighter in simple steps. First strip together two ends of a wire by removing their outer cover. Now take a lighter and start heating the wire ends. Heat the wires till it starts melting. When its starting to melt use another thin wire or rod and rub the wires so that the wires sticks tightly. Finish when the wires are soldered perfectly.