Hacks, Mods & Circuitry How-Tos
How To: Make a high-tech spy stethoscope
A stethoscope, often considered the symbol of a doctor's profession, but also used by safe-crackers and auto mechanics to hear sounds that otherwise couldn't be heard. Well, it's time to make a high-tech electronic spy stethoscope with Kip Kay in this gadget video tutorial, for only twenty-five bucks! You can hear and record heartbeats with this spy gadget, or even listen through walls!
How To: Wire a 555 timer chip for PWM
This demonstrates how to wire a 555 timer chip for Pulse Width Modulation. Items used: solderless breadboard, 555 chip, 510 ohm resistor, 100k ohm variable resistor, 1 RGB LED at 20-25ma, wires, and 9v battery. And those vertical lines are what i mean in terms of what you can see only on the camera. You can see the led light of course without the camera.
How To: Solder a resistor to an LED
A basic instruction for electronic enthusiasts. I use an RGB LED and a 510 ohm resistor as I may change from 6 to 9 volts later, but with my LEDs i could go as low as 330 ohms. I sacrifice some brightness for the sake of longer life. To choose your resistor, the value in ohms = voltage of your batteries or power supply / (as in divided by) the amperage that your LED needs to run.
How To: Make your own DIY film projector
Finding a film projector for those who still shoot film, or those who still house film can be tough. They're either sparce or extremely expensive. In this six part tutorial, learn how to make your own DIY homemade film projector for your home without shelling out tons of cash. This presentation is hosted by Dan Mikesell at Pratt Institute.
How To: Make a silicone rubber layer for a multitouch display
This is the edited version of the video that I shoot while preparing the silicone rubber layer for my homemade multitouch display. The original video is nearly two hours long so I speed up it and edited with some useful informations as titles. I hope it may help anyone who's going to prepare a similar compliant surface.
How To: Make a simple green laser projector
Here's how to make a simple green laser projector using a DC motor, pipes, and epoxy.
How To: Hack into encrypted computer data
Xeni visits the offices of the Electronic Frontier Foundation and speaks with Jake Appelbaum and Bill Paul, two of the authors of a security research paper that shows how your computer's memory can be tricked into revealing data you thought was safely encrypted, and out of the reach of others. Hack into encrypted computer data.
How To: Make an almost free multitouch pad
A simple multitouch pad made from a plastic bag, some dyed water, and a camera.
How To: Turn an ordinary hardback book into a PDA notebook
Check out this video from Make Magazine! Forget the Macbook air, there's a new lightweight portable in town - join our new video Maker (Kip Kay) as he shows you how to turn a modified hardback book in to a PDA powered "laptop" with keyboard. This will make you the cool guy in school. Just wait and see. Everyone will be your friend.
How To: Make an electric motor with junk from your drawer
Creating an electric, homopolar motor with junk from your drawer. Make an electric motor with junk from your drawer.
How To: Make a penny alcohol stove
Check out this how-to guide on constructing a penny-stove. This video will take you through each small step of making the penny alcohol stove for camping or just for the garage.
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: Make a pocket LED cube
This week, Bre Pettis teams up with Mitch Altman and George Shammas to make a little 3x3x3 cube made of little LED lights that you can program with any kind of animation that you like.
How To: Build a powerful tazer from a disposable camera
This video will give you shocking results. Find out how to make a couple of alterations using paper clips and a screwdriver to turn a disposable camera into a taser.
How To: Hack together a TV remote
This video teaches you how to make a device to control your TV without using the remote.
How To: Convert headphones into a PC microphone
A video that shows how to convert an ordinary headphone into a mic.
How To: Make a USB fan out of old CDs
Sweaty summer day by the computer? Office A/C broke? Watch this how-to video! You can make a simple USB fan using a compact disc, a USB cable, and a small fan motor. It's quick and easy! Don't suffer from the heat. Watch this video tutorial and with these circuitry tips, build a simple USB fan out of some old CDs.
How To: Make a car photo light up in a picture frame
Hack a car photo to be a really awesome decorative object for your home or office at a very low cost. It's also really fun to make! All it takes is a few LED lights and a 9V battery.
How To: Hand solder QFN components using SchmartBoard
Hand soldering a QFN component is almost impossible unless you have the right tools. Among these tools is the SchmartBoard|ez prototyping board. Here we hand solder a .5mm QFN component.
How To: Desolder a PCB using a lighter
This method is good for replacing SMD chips without damaging other IC's. See how to desolder using a lighter.
How To: Change the LED color on an optical computer mouse
This step-by-step instructional video shows how to change the color of your optical mouse's LED light.
How To: Build an infrared pen
This video is a detailed description of how to make an IR pen. It even shows a diagram and how it works!
How To: Test an LED bulb with a multimeter
A cool way to test a LED bulb emitter! Plug it in to your multimeter and see it light up. It's really cool!
How To: Build an infrared pen cheaply
Build an infrared pen fast, cheap and easy, just check out this how-to video! There's no need to solder anything. You need scissors, tweezers, an infrared LED, and a light LED pen. Check out this video tutorial and make a fancy infrared pen.
How To: Make an LED sign using flatheaded LED strips
This OzLabs video demonstrates how to build an LED sign using their flatheaded LED strips.
How To: Jam Internet signals
This tutorial illustrates how a wireless pinhole spy video camera can jam wireless internet or WiFi signals.
How To: Make a mini ghetto spy car
Using a wireless video camera and an RC Car or Truck, you can make a working spy car that transmits live video to a nearby TV or computer.
How To: Make an LED glowstick
This shows the simple steps to making some sweet and strong led glowsticks.
How To: Power a one-watt high power LED
This video tutorial from OzLabs will show you how power the one-watt high powered LED using 120 volt source using a 12 volt adapter.
How To: Turn your webcam into a magnifier
Hack your webcam into a magnifier by adjusting the focus lens Turn your webcam into a magnifier.
How To: Make a coin battery
Sure you could take $2.50 and just buy some batteries, but how much fun would that be? Watch this video to learn how to make a coin battery.
How To: Make a desktop fan from computer parts
Don't throw out those old components. Here's how to make a USB-powered fan out of old computer parts.
How To: Make a USB mini fridge
With a little circuitry, you can find exactly what you need to make a very "cool" USB powered Mini Fridge. Just check out this how-to video. This cooler is perfect for keeping your drinks cool while gaming or at the office. Watch this video tutorial and learn how to build a USB mini fridge. Make a USB mini fridge.
How To: Understand holography & holograms
This is a older VHS, remastered version of my introduction to holography in which Thomas Grillo demonstrates two holographic optical table layouts for making transmission master, and reflection copy holograms. Recorded by Thomas Grillo in 1997 at Parallax Holograms Studios in Mississippi.
How To: Make a wallet out of a computer keyboard.
I show you how to hack your old keyboard to make a wallet in minutes.
How To: Build a Cheap USB Spy Telescope to Take Covert Digital Photos from Far Away
The first thing anybody really thinks about after watching Rear Window is how much they want their own telephoto lens. These days, they aren't cheap, so how do you go about spying on your neighbors without putting down so much dough?
How To: Make a joule thief circuit to extract battery power
This week, Windell Oskay of Evil Mad Scientist Laboratories joins me to teach you how to make a super clever little circuit called the Joule Thief! The Joule Thief allows you to squeeze the life out of what most people think of as "dead" batteries!
How To: Cheat at Guitar Hero with a show controller
Cheating At Guitar Hero: An introduction to show controllers, by David Randolph from Systm.
How To: Make a WiFi truck
We've got half a day of wiring to build the Wireless Access Truck out of an EVDO modem, a Wilson Electronics Cell Phone Booster, a 12V Mini ITX PC and a WiFi adapter... Hit it.
How To: Generate hydrogen with electrolysis
Car + Hydrogen = Better Mileage? We're not quite ready to drop the cash on one of those under hood mileage boosters being sold all over the web...but using water electrolysis to produce Hydrogen sounded like a good first step!