Hot Hacks, Mods & Circuitry Posts
How To: Apply Ohm's Law to your electronics projects
Calculating resistance and power isn't hard... and, as David explains, knowing Ohm's Law and the Power Triangle can be darn useful when you're designing a project, sorting out power supply issues, or want to keep from burning your car down.
How To: Get the right geek tools for your workbench
Take a peek at the tools and equipment Patrick Norton and David Randolph have acquired over the years as they walk you through the must have gadgets every geek should have on their workbench.
How To: Make acrylic LED neon party lights and signs
This video compilation shows you how to create various LED and fiber optic hacks and projects the average Joe can assemble to create one hell of an awesome, wild party.
How To: Make a Jacob's Ladder illusion cassette tape toy
Watch this video to learn how to hack together your own Jacob's Ladder optical illusion cassette tape toy.
How To: Hack an iPhone headphone adaptor
Watch this video to learn an easy and inexpensive way to make an iPhone headphone adaptor. Once you make the adaptor, you can use any set of headphones or even a car input jack.
How To: Customize your computer by installing a case window
Watch this mod video to learn how to install your own window into your computer case or tower using simple tools and cast acrylic. Follow the easy steps to cut a basic shape or get creative and cut your own shape.
How To: Electrocute that hotdog
Here's how to electrocute a hot dog Redneck style, in under 30 seconds. You need a power cord, some nails and a hotdog to cook or rather heat the meat. This also works with sausages. Be careful, electrocution kills!
How To: Make your own laser light show
Make your own simple laser light show using a laser pointer and a sub woofer.
How To: Make a soldering iron out of a graphite pencil and jumper cables
Now this is one how-to video you probably don't come across often. While most jewelry makers and welders probably purchase their soldering irons, it's actually possible to make your own soldering iron out of graphite pencil, car battery and jumper cables. We know it sounds like you're going to end up lit up like those much-parodied dads trying to set up Christmas lights on the rooftop during the holidays, but this process actually works quite well.
How To: Build a laser motion sensor mouse trap
Mice, cute as they may be, are an unwelcome visitor in many a home. This video tutorial provides step by step instructions on how to hack a wireless electronic laser mouse trap from an automatic garage door opener and a computer mouse. Find out where those little pests are going. Watch this video tutorial and learn how to build a laser motion detector mouse trap.
How To: Build a long-lasting hydrogen generator
This how-to video offers step by step instructions for how to build a stainless steel hydrogen generator for $15 dollars. You will need six stainless steel outlet covers with weather seal, 4 screws and nuts, 12 nylon washers and silicone. Learn how to make this hydrogen generator by watching this instructional video.
How To: Install a multi-channel power supply for a CCTV
This Video demonstrates how to install multi channel (4,8,16) power supply for security camera and CCTV installation.
How To: Turn your stereo into an iPod stereo
This video gives you the simple steps of turning your ordinary stereo into an iPod stereo with just a headphone jack.
How To: Make a safe out of a speaker
Transform your old stereo cabinet speakers into a secret, lockable safe.
How To: Make a USB crystal ball light
Make a crystal LED light from the chemicals in a cold compress that runs on USB power.
How To: Make a Leyden jar static electricity capacitor
Build an old static electricity capacitor which will shock the electricity of your TV or computer screen. The full discharge of this Leyden jar can be deadly. Make it smaller if you want to try with your kids.
How To: Build an android head for $30
This android can talk, listen,and, with some tuning with a voice recognizer software, it will open and close many different applications.
How To: Make an Eggstractor to peel boiled eggs
Very useful way to peel an boiled egg. With this homemade gadget you can peel over 50 eggs in a minute.
How To: Make a homemade anti-gravity toy (FAKE?)
F for FAKE. This video has been labeled a "Faux-To". Commonly contested as bogus science, we believe this video to be a hoax. What's your opinion? Comment below.
How To: Build a beer cooling machine
Build a machine that will cool beer in as fast as 6 seconds using an Airduster can of compressed air.
How To: Test any TV remote
Simple test using a cell phone camera to test to see if any TV remote or other infra-red device is working. Test any TV remote.
How To: Make your own PS3 sixaxis-style USB controller
How to make your own "PS3 6-axis controller" style BASIC-programmable USB device.
How To: Make a CAT 5 LAN cable
Directions on creating a LAN cable with an RJ45 cable
How To: Increase your wireless signal strength with a soda can
In this movie is going to teach you how to increase your wireless signal strength with a soda can. Cut the aluminum can in half to create a parabolic shape. Then fit the can around the WiFi antenna to help boost the signal's strength and direct it towards your wireless computers or laptops.
How To: Make an LED sign
Learn how to make a sign using a large perforated board and about 50 LEDs. Looks
How To: Make a cheap heads-up display (HUD)
It may be intended as a toy, but this gizmo can be hacked for more than just watching a remote-controlled car's video spy cam. This HUD (heads-up display) comes with the Wild Planet Spy Gear Video Car, but it's said that you can purchase the video headset separately. And it's not really a HUD, because you can't see through the video images, but it's close enough to be handy for all sorts of things, like computers, iPods, robots, wireless cameras, and gaming. Who wouldn't like to Call of Duty ...
How To: Hack a camera into a taser
Build your own cheap taser with an old camera and some plastic. These guys even show you the final product's effects on each other.
How To: Shut off your alarm clock with a light phaser
We'll base the project around a digital clock radio and a light gun for gaming; huge selections of both of these are available inexpensively second-hand, with many beautiful and well-designed examples. To enable our FPSI (First Person Shooter Interface), we'll outfit the gun with five tilt sensors, arranged at different angles on a small circuit board. A cable tethers the gun to the clock and carries your tilt and trigger signals to the clock's time and alarm control button contacts.
How To: Transform a camera into a taser
This is a long form tutorial on exactly how to disassemble the disposable camera to make a shocking taser. Make a tazer or taser using simple things at like a disposable camera and some simple hack sense. This prank is great to pull on an unassuming friend. Transform a camera into a taser.
How To: Make a taser for cheap with a camera
This is a pretty intense tazer (or taser) construction using a disposable camera and some hard core circuitry.
How To: Make an iPod charger with an Altoids tin can and USB
This video shows you how to make an Altoids tin can USB charger for your ipod. Be patient, these guys are apparently learning as they go, but you'll eventually get it.
How To: Hack together a gun attachment for the Wii
These are two gun designs that can be used with the wiimote. Both are pretty easy to make, and modify. Let me know what you think.
How To: Build a computer controlled party light
Build a computer controller party light that is effected by music.
How To: Make a USB smoke absorber
This hack with a USB fan uses activated charcoal to clean air of harmful smoke. Now you can have a cigarette while using the computer and not worry about smoking up the room. Make a USB smoke absorber.
How To: Brighten a lightbulb
Hit the lightbulb with a rubber ball and it will magically become brighter. Anybody know how this works?
How To: Make USB air conditioning
Wondering how to most effectively combine ice cubes and a simple USB-powered computer fan into a fully functioning air conditioning system? In this video tutorial, you'll learn how to hack a coffee can and USB-powered fan into a simple, but effective, air conditioning unit. For detailed instructions on hacking together your own tin-can AC unit, watch this über-short how-to.
How To: Make a USB flashlight
Use a few simple household items to make a flashlight powered by you computer through the USB port.
How To: Hack Software & Run a Trial Program Forever
With this video tutorial, you'll learn how to hack demo versions of applications such that they'll run indefinitely. You'll just need to modify the date and time on your computer. Learn how to use trials of programs without them ever expiring instead of buying the real thing with the hack outlined in this how-to video.
How To: Hack a cheap multi-touch whiteboard using the Wiimote
Using infrared (IR) light pens and the Wii Remote, it is possible to create very low-cost multi-point interactive whiteboards and multi-point tablet displays. Johnny Chung Lee, Carnegie Mellon University. The software can be downloaded at http://johnnylee.net
How To: Hack iPhone jack to support headphones
As any informed PopSci reader will know, the iPhone is definitely a game-changing piece of hardware, but it's not without its problems. Chief among those nagging little imperfections, for me, was the recessed headphone hack that rejected any headphones but Apple's trademark gleaming white buds. Apple's 'phones aren't that bad, but my Shure in-ear pair is better for blocking out noise on the subway (and my Grado SR60s are better for listening at home). Thankfully, an easy solution to this prob...