Hot Hacks, Mods & Circuitry Posts
News: Turn your monitor into a hi-voltage Kitty fence
The unrestrained joy of How-To cleverness. This subversive video shows you how to transform that old CRT monitor into a 30,000 volt fence.
How To: Use Agilent's probes for oscilloscopes
In this brief video tutorial, you'll see how to properly use Agilent's InfiniiMax Active Probes for oscilloscopes, with multiple probe heads to connect to your high speed signals under various probing use models. First, begin by learning to use Agilent's Browser Probe Head under both handheld and probe stand use models. Also, see the use of their Solder-In Probe Head and the Socketed Probe Head. Then they conclude by showing how to use the SMA Probe Head.
How To: Turn a laser into a burning laser
This video tutorial from Shooting Eggs demonstrates a hack that will allow you to convert a cheap 5 mW green laser pen into a 100 mW monster. Watch out, don't burn your carpet! Check out this hacking how-to and learn how to build your own high-powered laser on the cheap.
How To: Make a speaker out of a tissue box
In an old video posted on YouTube, about how to make a speaker in a tissue box, they got a Kleenex box, foil, motor, and battery. Of course the motor ran off the battery and it made a sound, but there's no way to just plug in the audio jack from your Apple iPhone into the Kleenex box where it's contacts obviously aren't going to touch any electrical contacts and have it work. It's not possible.
How To: Hack a Wii controller into a personal flight recorder
John Park from Make Magazine hacks a Nintendo Wii controller and turns it into a personal flight recorder that can sense and measure the stomach-churning G forces of roller coasters and other high-speed, high-risk activities.
How To: Make a wallet from a computer keyboard
Don't throw away that old keyboard! You can make a sweet wallet with the circuit sheets inside! Inspired by this Instructables project. Hack together your own cool wallet with this mod video.
News: Make a lemon battery
The lemon battery has a rich history in many elementary science classes as a great example of an electrochemical reaction.
How To: Solder for electronics and other repairs
Learn how to solder. Whether you like to tinker with electronics or do your own plumbing repairs, soldering metal is an essential skill. Plus, it's kinda fun.
News: Make an Eggstractor to peel boiled eggs
Rube Goldberg meets Cool Hand Luke. Arguably pointless. Arguably quite satisfying.
News: Hack a 12 volt battery
This video is revelatory. Here is the good news. If you have devices that rely on 1.5 volt button cell batteries, this tutorial from KipKay will save you $40.00.
News: Crank charge batteries
[community/members/babblin5/ Babblin5] is a tenacious tinkerer. Here he shows us HowTo get a dead battery running again. How?
News: Remotely shut down a computer with a cell phone
There is something reassuring about the calm competence of Tinkernut.
News: Make a homopolar motor
Weekend fun. Foolproof. An ingenious melange of idiocy, electrical currents, arts and crafts.
News: Bust a co-worker for pinching your Altoids
Both petty and fun, this tutorial requires only double stick tape, an Altoids tin, a Hallmark greeting card, and a primal sense of justice.
How To: Build a Leyden jar and use a capacitor
Simple yet effective, capacitors come in a dizzying array of forms and materials, vital to so many circuits for storage, timing, and filtration - the mighty capacitor!
How To: Build a hovercraft
Check out this Mad Science Experiment with Jason Young and Sean McMains on how to build a hovercraft and send unsuspecting children hurtling down the street on it. To make this cheap and amazing hovercraft, you'll need some wood, plastic sheeting and a leaf blower. This makes a great weekend project for the whole family to enjoy.
How To: Remotely Bug Hacked Bluetooth Headsets
Tinkernut presents the Bluetooth headset hack! This video shows one of the vulnerabilities of some bluetooth headsets. To prevent this vulnerability, it's best to invest a little more money into a more secure headset and making sure your headset is turned off when not in use. You can find all of the links and scripts used in this video, as well as find answers to questions you may have at the link below:
How To: Make a parabolic WiFi booster with aluminum foil
Paper rolls in a circle to close modem will help to increase the interference WiFi up a lot. This helps to increase your WiFI range and signal strength is low. This is a parabolic antenna to reflect the signal in the direction of your laptop.
How To: Hack together a Star Wars light saber
Systm presents this detailed tutorial on how to make a custom Star Wars style light saber. Luke, Darth and Obi-Wan's Lightsabers were pieced out of junk piles. David shows you how to build exact replicas and an original design from The Custom Saber Shop. Then he picks a fight with Patrick.
How To: Build USB power chargers
From Systm learn how to build a USB battery supply that can charge your cell phone.
How To: Solder together a headphone amp with an Altoids can
Turn an Altoids can into an outstanding headphones amp. Learn to solder by building yourself the most excellent Chu Moy headphone amp. It sounds great but cheap enough to give away as holiday stocking stuffers.
How To: Install Super Mario on your TI-84 calculator
Does your calculator just crunch numbers? Boring no longer. Mod your calculator into a fun video game console by installing Super Mario.
How To: Hack a UPS with a car battery
Find the ins and outs to UPS hacking in this video from Systm! And were not talking about the parcel service here—we're talking about your UPS system—your uninterruptible power supply, which can be pretty weak. That's why you should hack the tiny battery out of it and replace it with a giant car battery! Your UPS will last a lot longer, which is important when it comes to power outages. Though Systm doesn't recommend swapping out batteries, they do walk you through the process so you get it d...
How To: Remove DVD protection to rip to your computer
The free version of DVD Fab allows you not only to rip DVD's to your computer, but it also removes any regional or right protection from the DVD as it's ripping. Then you can use VLC to play back the DVD's.
How To: Make a USB motion detector
See how to make a USB motion detector with KipKay and MAKE Magazine! Find out how to turn your PC into an ambush multimedia presenter! Kipkay loves his gadgets! This is combination of a motion detector, a USB interface cable, and a laptop computer.
How To: Make a cosmic nightlight with LEDs and resin
See how to make a cosmic nightlight with LEDs and resin with KipKay and MAKE Magazine! Find out how to make a glittering LED constellation jammed in resin!! Kipkay loves his gadgets! This is perfect for moody, cosmic, night light for the nightstand. This is a two-part video tutorial.
How To: Make a bytelight from memory chips and a lamp
See how to make a bytelight from memory chips and a lamp with KipKay and MAKE Magazine! Find out how to make a high-tech mood light from a fluorescent lamp and a bunch of old memory chips! Kipkay loves his gadgets! This is perfect for mood lighting.
How To: Make a portable spy scope cellphone camera
See how to make a portable spy scope cell phone camera with KipKay and MAKE Magazine! Find out how to use a cellphone camera for espionage that captures long-distance secret activities! Kipkay loves his spy gadgets! This portable cell phone camera spy scope is the perfect way to spy on your neighbors!
How To: Make a simple laser communicator
See how to make a simple laser communicator with KipKay and MAKE Magazine! Find out how to secretly shoot your voice across the room in stealth mode on the beam of a laser! Kipkay loves his lasers! A simple laser communication device is the perfect way to talk across the room.
How To: Make a talking booby trap
Having trouble with people snatching your stuff? Did someone take your lunch from the company fridge? Here is an inexpensive, sneaky gizmo you can make to keep those sticky fingers away. This is a junk drawer hack from Make Magazine's Kipkay. It's activated when an item is moved from it, triggering a clothes pin to close and activate the voice command. See how to make a talking booby track in this video tutorial with KipKay!
How To: Build a pole-mounted aerial photography and video rig
Get a bird's-eye-view of the world with this Pole Mounted Aerial Rig for photography and video. This is a Make Magazine Weekend Project with Kipkay. This rig lets you see the world from above, and take beautiful photos and videos for any project. See how to build a pole-mounted aerial photography and video rig with Kip Kay!
How To: Feed your cat while you are away with a VCR cat feeder
John Park poses a kitty conundrum: Who's going to feed the cat while you're on vacation? Using a motor from an old VCR, he creates an automated feline feeder. While building this Make: magazine project, John learned that newer VCRs have safeguard technology, limiting access to the motor. Watch John as he demonstrates his solutions to this challenge.
How To: Make a potato powered clock MacGyver style
In this video we manage to power a clock with nothing but two potatoes. In order to make this you will need two potatoes, a triple A battery powered clock, bare wire, galvanized nails, and leads, which you can find at radio shack. The clock is powered by the potato battery.
How To: Hack a PlayStation monitor into a digital television
Hack a PlayStation monitor into a digital television! Get that old PS1 out of the closet and dust it off, because the switch to digital television is coming soon, and you need a DTV, so why not put that PlayStation One to use? You can build a digital television from a new set top digital converter box and that PSone video monitor, plain and simple. It's easy! Don't forget that forty dollar coupon though from the government for the purchase of the digital converter box.
How To: Prep a thermocouple for a printed circuit board
How to prepare a thermocouple for attachment to a printed circuit board (PCB) for profiling a reflow or wave soldering system. This is advanced PCB circuitry and you need to watch all videos in the series to understand all the steps of wiring a printed circuit board entails.
How To: Wire an LED Police light bar system
This is my homemade led light system. The main unit has a total of 228 LED's, the corners are using super wide angle LED's to maximize visibility. There are also 48 LED mini lightbar, 5x 16 LED mini modules.
How To: Repair cooling fans in power supplies, video cards etc
Here's a quick and simple way to repair small cooling fans and extend their life. It's a video made with a how-to article from http://beecherbowers.com This is a delicate mr. fixit tutorial. Clean the fan so that it runs smooth and quiet. You need oil to do this repair.
How To: Convert a high power supply with an adapter supply
Hate those cheap multi-adapter power supplies that only provide up to 500ma of power? Here's how to use one high-output power supply (up to 3.5A in this case) to run all of your power hungry gadgets, like laptops, LCD monitors, etc...
How To: DIY a portable handheld Nintendo 64
Nintendo 64. It's the classic video game console and probably houses a bunch of your fond childhood memories. Well, now you can relive those tender moments AND play Super Mario Brothers on the go by hacking your Nintendo 64 just a wee bit.