Hot Hacks, Mods & Circuitry Posts
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 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: Recharge non-rechargeable alkaline batteries
Can you recharge non-rechargeable alkaline batteries? Yes you can! Gary Cutlack from techdigest.tv risks chemical burns to demonstrate.
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: 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: 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: Use the Wiimote's IR function to emulate a mouse
You can connect your Nintendo Wii Wiimote to your PC using GlovePie input emulation software and a bluetooth connection. See how to program scripts in Glovepie to use the infra-red sensor on the Wiimote to move the mouse cursor.
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: Open a power supply without destroying a transformer
First of all, please DO NOT attempt to open any power supply and tweak what's inside unless you know what you're doing and/or are a professional. With that said, this circuitry video will teach you how to crack open a wall transformer power supply without destroying the transformer.
How To: Make a sneaky, snake spy camera that records video
Snake cams have become the epitome of high-tech gadgets on television and in movies. In 24, Jack Bauer is always using a snake camera to check for terrorists on the other side of the door. The video game Splinter Cell has made the snake cam an integral part to Sam Fisher's arsenal. And almost every spy movie features its use at one point or another.
How To: Make a Dandelion Lamp Using LEDs, Optical Fibers, and Straws
Albert Einstein once said, "We know less than one thousandth of one percent of what nature has to reveal to us."
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: 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.
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: Hack a 20-Year-Old "Brick" Phone into a Digital Cell You Can Text On
The cell phone has come a long way. The very first "mobile devices" were made and used by the military in the late 1930s, with the first commercial mobile telephone service introduced by Bell in 1946. These devices were hardly what we'd call mobile today—some took up the whole trunk of a car, and others had to be carried on your back in a heavy bag.
How To: Hack an Old LCD Monitor into a Secret Computer Screen That Only You Can See
No matter your reason, if you want to hide what's on your computer screen from prying eyes, there are plenty of ways to do it. You can get a privacy filter, install a panic button for your browser, or just develop super fast reflexes. But all it takes is the right angle or a too-slow reaction to blow your cover.
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.
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.
News: Mod a flashlight into an IR night vision light
Record stealthily, in the dark. This hack is simple and will turn any LED flashlight into an infrared night vision light you can use with any video camera.
How To: Build an analog light organ (a colorful sound-to-light circuit)
Before there was digital music and fancy computers and music software, people use to employ the power of the electric color organ (now more commonly known as the "light organ") to add some visuals in sync with their music. MAKE shows you how to build your own sound-to-like circuit— your very own light organ!
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: Turn an Automatic Air Freshener Dispenser into a Silly String Launcher
The electric air freshener is one of those devices that seems like it could only have one possible function, but can actually be repurposed in a few different ways. If you're looking for a practical use, you can turn it into a bug killer, but it's also perfect for pranks.
HowTo: Make a Trippy 3D Animated LED Cube
chrof Instructables boasts: "This is the most comprehensive step-by-step guide to build an 8x8x8 Led Cube ever published on the intertubes. It will teach you everything from theory of operation, how to build the cube, to the inner workings of the software."
How To: Do Fun Things in Notepad, Notepad++, and .Bat Files
Over the last few months I have been getting more and more into computers over the last few months, and I discovered my new favorite thing to do..... notepad stuff!
How To: Build a Solar-Powered Mini-Synthesizer Wristwatch
There's nothing worse than when you come up with a brilliant idea while you're busy with other things and then promptly forget it. Whether it's the perfect ending for your novel or a comeback you should've said during that argument with your roommate last week, it's always annoying.
How To: Forget Chimes—Make Your Doorbell Send You Text Alerts Whenever Someone Rings It
Want to know when you have a visitor, even if you're not home? You could always set up a security system and live-stream it with your iPhone. But if you don't have a spare iPhone, or just don't want to go to the trouble, this simple hack will add text message alerts to your doorbell so that it lets you know when someone's there.
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: Hack Your Old Computer Mouse into Retro Wireless Bluetooth Mouse!
Since most devices these days are mobile and wireless, a lot of people have a bunch of old hardware from a decade or two ago sitting around unused, just wasting away in dusty boxes. Look familiar?
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: 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 Spot Welder for Cheap!
A typical resistance spot welder can range in price from about $200-$800, but with a little resourcefulness and a bit of free time, you can make one like this for about $10 or less.
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: 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: DIY Stick Welder from Old Microwave Parts
Lurking inside your old junk microwave is an abundance of useful parts that can let you melt metal, spot weld, and make electrifying Jacob's ladders. You can even make a powerful AC arc welder, perfect for making hard-to-solve puzzles and even makeshift weapons for the zombie apocalypse.
How To: Program Wiimote buttons with GlovePie
Learn how to program basic script in GlovePie to allow your Nintendo Wii Wiimote to function as an input device on your PC. Using GlovePie input emulation software and a bluetooth connection you can connect your Wiimote to your PC.
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 transistor radio to hear Air Traffic Control
Normally, when standing outside your local regional airport, you'd need a special radio or scanner to pick up the transmissions coming from that Air Traffic Control tower. Well, not anymore.
How To: Hack Your Mini-Fridge into a Vending Machine to Take Care of Freeloading Friends at Your Next Party
It always sounds like a good idea to throw a party... until the party gets there. Next thing you know, you're running around hiding anything breakable, and once everyone leaves, you're stuck cleaning up the mess. But the worst part is footing the bill for everything, and if you don't charge at the door, your chances of getting anyone to chip in are slim to none once the party starts.
How To: Build a radar from cheap satellite dish parts or a toy radar gun
Radar has made much of modern life possible, and if you're into building your own electronics building one is a fun and useful project. Watch this video for instructions on how to build your own simple radar out of cheap spare parts from a satellite dish or a toy radar gun.
How To: Hack condoms — useful and useless everyday latex mods
Kipkay never fails to impress, and this so-called "condom hack pack" is no exception. Who knew there were so many useful uses for a condom besides the obvious! In this Kipkay two-part video, learn how to hack condoms for nine different uses.
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