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How To: Make a Working Speaker Using Only a Magnet, Wire, and Masking Tape

Duct tape is the king of all household items. You can use duct tape for practically anything, like this sweet wallet. But duct tape isn't the only crafty tape out there; masking tape holds its own, too.

How To: Make a Super Cheap One-Way Check Valve

If you're going to build yourself a water gun to cool down this summer, or maybe just a useful water pump, you'll need some check valves. However, the most expensive parts of a water pump or DIY super soaker are usually the check valves. So, let's make some from scratch for as little as $0.35 each.

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: 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: 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: Solder with a lighter

This video teaches how to solder two wires using a lighter in simple steps. First strip together two ends of a wire by removing their outer cover. Now take a lighter and start heating the wire ends. Heat the wires till it starts melting. When its starting to melt use another thin wire or rod and rub the wires so that the wires sticks tightly. Finish when the wires are soldered perfectly.

How To: Increase the speed of an electric toothbrush motor

Need to rev up the speed of that electric toothbrush? Try using some rare earth magnets to increase the speed of an electric motor. Increase the speed of an electric toothbrush motor.

How To: Use a breadboard, also known as a protoboard

This two-part video introduces you to the breadboard, also called a protoboard, used to build electronic circuits without soldering. The first part of this presentation describes the features of a breadboard.

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 an electric toothbrush out of a vibrator

Can't afford a real electric toothbrush? Have one too many vibrating dildos lying around the house? Well, just tape your toothbrush to one of those suckers and start brushing!

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: Understand capacitors and replace broken ones on circuit boards

The capacitor is one of the most recognizable and important electronic components, and a part of nearly every electronic device. This video will teach you the basics of capacitor theory and then teach you how to replace a faulty or broken on on a circuit board. This skill will help you fix all sorts of devices you thought were dead forever; try it out!

How To: Mod a Sony Walkman Cassette Player into a Retro Apple iPod Case

Another media player bites the dust. First, we saw the extinction of the phonograph and gramophone. Then came the fall of eight-track tapes. Even modern record players became more and more obsolete, with DJs switching over to the world of digital music. And today— the end of cassette players! What's next? Compact discs?

How To: Build an enclosure box for your electronics projects

If you want user friendly electronics projects, you'll need to build an enclosure case around it. Not only will this help it look cool, you can also protect it from dust, water or other kind of damage. This tutorial shows you how to make a great looking user intereface and enclosure box for your electronics projects.

How To: Make cheap WiFi antenna booster

Patrick Norton Shows you how to make a simple WiFi antenna booster. This booster is a parabolic reflector made to focus a signal so it is stronger and can project farther. This is perfect if your wireless router is awkward and cannot broadcast a wifi signal to the far reaches of your home. This is called the windsurfer.

How To: Hack a WiFi USB Adapter for Better Reception

This video tutorial demonstrates a simple hack for improving the WiFi reception of a USB adapter. To replicate this hack yourself, you'll need the following materials: (1) a WiFi USB adapter, (2) a USB extension cable, (3) a metal strainer, and (4) a pair of scissors. For detailed, step-by-step instructions on improving your WiFi adapter's signal levels, watch this how-to video.

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: 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 solar-powered plastic bottle toy car

Watch and learn how to make this awesome DIY toy car that runs off solar power. This makeshift mini-vehicle is made from a plastic bottle, small motor, tires, supports and a solar panel. See if you can replicate this interesting solar toy, or see if you can come up with a better and cheaper design!

How To: Make a simple lemon battery

This video will show you how to make a lemon battery. You use a copper penny and a zinc coated nail to create a circuit.

How To: Program a Wiimote using the GlovePie GUI

You can connect your Nintendo Wii Wiimote to your PC using GlovePie input emulation software and a bluetooth connection. Learn how to program the buttons and directional pad on your Wiimote using GlovePie's GUI interface.

How To: Program a Wiimote speaker with GlovePie

You can connect your Nintendo Wii Wiimote to your PC using GlovePie input emulation software and a bluetooth connection. Learn how you can program GlovePie scripts that will emit sounds from the Wiimote's built in speaker.

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: 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: 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: 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: 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: Repair or Replace Your Broken Headphone Jacks

If you haven't met a person that's broken a pair of headphones, you might need to get out more. No matter how expensive or cheap a pair of headphones are, the sound can get buggy, the wire can get cut, or the headphone jack itself can be broken or ripped off the cord. But instead of buying a new set of headphones or borrowing the ones from your cousin with the earwax problem, you can easily fix it yourself.

How To: Make a homemade fractal antenna for HD and digital TV reception

Want great reception? Then a fractal antenna may be your answer. And you can make one yourself, right at home! Fractal antennas uses a fractal design to maximize the perimeter of the material that can receive and transmit electromagnetic radiation within a given total surface area or volume. Sounds complicated, right? Not after you watch this DIY video. Just follow along and see how one is built!

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 a CCTV camera for your computer and television

See how to hack a wireless CCTV (closed circuit television) camera to show your Windows or Linux PC desktop on your 42-inch plasma television. This is a homemade hack that's easy with good quality picture. Doing this mod can save you money, unless you don't have a CCTV camera laying around.

How To: Make a Powerful Handheld Rocket Launcher from PVC and Sprinkler Parts

Take everyday sprinkler parts and form them into a high pressure rocket launcher that will shoot paper rockets nearly 300 feet!!! It's cheap to make and a lot of fun!

HowTo: Make Your Own Tron Costume With Electroluminescent Wire

Want to make your own sexy (or not) Tron costume like designer Syuzi's? All you need is a black body suit and some electroluminescent wire. The bodysuit is easy, but as for the electroluminescent wire, you'll need Adafruit for that:

HowTo: Hack Together Your Own TSA Scanner

TSA agents are having a little too much fun, it's time for the rest of us to join in. More complicated (and more promising) than the see-thru video trick, Jeri Elsworth gives instructions for building your own hand-held TSA see-thru scanner with a $3 feed horn and some (admittedly hefty) technical know-how.

How To: Use perfboard prototyping for your electronics projects

Perfboard, or perforated board, is a simple board with evenly spaced holes and lined with metal which can be soldered on one side. The holes let you set up a board with circuits and wires as you need them for your own project. This tutorial shows you everything you need to know to build electronics on your own perfboard.

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: Zap and revive old NiCad batteries with a mig welder

Nicad batteries often die in such a way that they won't take a charge and have zero voltage. This usually means they're shorted out by crystal dendrite growth. Here's a method of bringing them back to life by zapping those shorted crystal dendrites away with too much current and/or voltage. We'll use a welder as a power source. You could also use a car battery, a DC powersupply, or almost anything with some voltage. Charged-up capacitors are popular for this because you can get a very fast pu...

How To: Build a USB flashdrive eraser

Moujan, from PopSiren, transforms a boring USB drive into a master of disguise with the help of an eraser!

How To: Make a Custom USB Drive

I use a lighter as a case for my USB drive and it came out pretty cool. Watch to see how I made it. Video: .