Hot Hacks, Mods & Circuitry Posts
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: Light a light bulb with a potato battery
Following on from Edison's first lightblub moment back in 1879, the OU's Stephen Serjeant experiments with an alternative power source - the humble potato. Create a potato batter with a couple of screws and a light bulb.
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 plastic wrap, and a plastic cup. Remember, this is illegal, and shown only for educational purposes.
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 laser microphone
Listen to conversations over long distances with a homemade laser listening device. All you'll need is a laser pointer, tripod, old pair of headphones, photocell, a recording device, and the step-by-step instructions in this how-to video. The creator of this video tutorial does not mention the need for sophisticated software. But the principle is quite sound. If you can figure it out, you can eavesdrop and spy on whoever.
How To: Hack a local wifi internet connection with your PSP
Play remotely with all your friends, stream videos and music from the Internet or even check your Facebook and email - all with your PSP. The PSP has Internet capability, but not every network will be available to you at all times. Here is how you can hack any wifi connection with your PSP.
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: 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: 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: 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 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: 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: 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: Make a DIY vehicle immobilizer to stop car thieves
We all know the G-spot as that sensitive area that drives women crazy, but for auto enthusiasts, it has a whole new meaning. The G-Spot, designed by Daniel Davies, is a vehicle immobilizer, which keeps your vehicles safe from car thieves. And you don't need to pay a huge amount of money to get one, either! You can make on yourself, right at home, provided you have all the right materials.
How To: Build a one-string electric bass guitar
MAKE and Kipkay brings the do-it-yourself mindset to all the technology in your life. Make Magazine celebrates your right to tweak, hack, and bend any technology to your own will.
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?
News: Teens Pulled Over in Their Almost Street Legal (And Totally Cool) DIY Wooden Car
Getting pulled over sucks, even when you're in a normal car. Just imagine how these teenagers felt when they were pulled over for driving their wooden car without a license! They also got a citation for not having a speedometer or side indicator lights, but if that's all that's keeping their DIY vehicle from being street legal, I'm already impressed. Photo by WTF.nl/Zaanstreek-Waterland Police
How To: Make an LED or a light emitting diode
Take a tour through the world of the light-emitting diode. Learn - who invented it, how to use it, and how to make your own.
How To: Run USB through the phone lines
Take a look at this instructional video and learn how to run a USB cable through existing phone cords. You'll need two phone jacks, a USB extender, and a phone cord. Although dual jacks are featured in this video tutorial, single jacks are preferred. The process is fairly simple, what you need to do is open up the jack and cut the USB extender in half. Strip to the multicolored wires and match up the the wires with the opened phone jack's, all except for the white wire which will go to the ye...
How To: Place Your Electrical Socket Safely in the Wall If It Was Pulled Out
Hello! This post is about the electrical socket. Imagine that somebody pulled the cable out of the possible protection outlet too fast? The result can be seen on the following photo. What to do next? Step 1: Preparation
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 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.
How To: Increase the range of a USB Bluetooth adapter with a high performance antenna
Watch this amazing USB Bluetooth adapter hack from Kipkay. It's easy and effective, plus it will work with other wireless devices, too. Bluetooth works on a 2.4GHz short wavelength radio frequency, but it's only effective over short distances. Well, Kipkay's going to show you how to increase the range by swapping out the antenna in the bluetooth adapter with a HyperGain 2.4GHz high performance antenna.
How To: Set up an HF portable radio while hiking
We will be setting up a portable radio in the mountains. It will be established in a clearing with available rocks for setup. The equipment we will be using is a Yaso radio with microphone and headphone, coaxial cable, slight line and weight, 13.5 battery pack, 2o and 40 meter antenna, pen and paper to record contacts.
How To: Use a wire wrap tool instead of soldering
This video offers instructions on how to use a wire wrap (or wirewrap) tool, an excellent and underrated alternative to soldering. It's particularly useful when prototyping as wirewraps can be undone quickly using the short end of the tool (though this particular process isn't demonstrated in the video). See how to connect a 4-legged RGB LED to header pins, a job that is particularly obnoxious to accomplish using solder and an iron, using 30-gauge wire and the tool. For more information, and ...
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 Solar-Powered Fan Hat
It's hot this summer, but it's not that easy to cool down when you're on the go. You can't take an air conditioner with you, and a handheld fan will just tire you out, so you'll need to find more creative ways to cool down when you're on the go. One of these ways is a DIY solar-powered fan baseball cap.
How To: Make the Scariac (A Poor Man's Variable Power Controller)
Mixing water and electricity is extremely risky and potentially lethal, yet that's exactly what I did with the Scariac. In its simplest form, the Scariac is just a glorified version of two wires in a bucket of water, but it's actually one of the cheapest power controllers you can make.
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: Convert Your Classic Game Boy into a Powerhouse Emulator That Plays Practically Any Retro Game
If you've got old game consoles lying around and aren't sure what to do with them, there's no shortage of projects you can undertake. From turning a Game Boy and Wii Remote into an Android phone gamepad to combining a GameCube and N64 to make a hybrid console, there's something for everyone.
How To: Hack an Old Game Boy and Wii Remote into an Awesome Android Phone Gamepad
Google Play has no shortage of Nintendo emulators: SuperGNES (Super Nintendo)
How To: It's Raining Sweets and Treats! How to Make Your Own Pneumatic Candy Cannon
In this project, you'll learn how to re-purpose low-cost sprinkler parts into a high-powered CANDY CANNON. Be the coolest person on the block by building a pneumatic device that will launch candy 100 feet in the air—you can make it rain down all kinds of sugary treats!!!
News: Artist Uses 300 Apples to Power 30 LEDs for 1 Electrified Fruit Battery Science Experiment
You've probably seen the classic fruit battery science experiment a thousand times, but I doubt you've ever seen it turned into an art project! Photographer Caleb Charland uses everyday objects like apples, coins and vinegar to create makeshift batteries, then takes these gorgeous long exposure photos. For the apple tree photo, Charland got about 5 volts for every 10 apples, so he had to wire 300 apples to power the lamp for several hours. He used a zinc-coated galvanized nail and copper wire...
How To: Make DIY conductive glass with Stannous Fluoride and toothpaste
Glass normally doesn't conduct electricity, but there are all sorts of cosmetic and industrial applications for conductive glass. There are easy and hard ways to make it. This video will show you one so easy you can do it at home with only four ingredients: glass, Stannous Chloride, toothpaste, and alcohol.
How To: Make a Gauss gun out of magnets and a steel bar
To make a Gauss gun, all you need is a piece of metal rail, two magnets and steel ball bearings that fit on the rail. Then rig it up, and you have your own magnet-powered gun that shoots ball bearings!
News: Brain-Computer Interface Gives New Meaning to "Mind Control"
Can a well-directed thought be as good as a mouse click? With an Emotiv EPOC headset, the answer is yes. And then some. Though Emotiv describe their device as a "high-resolution, neuro-signal acquisition and processing wireless neuroheadset," we're quite content to call it a thinking cap.
How To: Construct a "rumble mouse"
This video demonstrates a project taken from "Make" magazine. Viewers will learn how to modify an ordinary computer mouse with a vibration unit for use with PC games, similar to the rumble controllers sold for video-game consoles, to make gaming more fun.
How To: Solder a wire to the pin of an IC chip
This short video tutorial presents a step by step method for soldering a wire to a pin of an IC chip.
How To: Circuit hack and mod
In this video, we explain some techniques for getting electronic circuits to do things they weren't designed for. As an example, use a speaker phone as a speaker. Hacking items into better or different devices is way cool DIY circuitry. These are ideas of electronics that are cool to splice, rip apart and use recycled electronics for new projects.