Hacks, Mods & Circuitry Features

How To: Make a hack pack

This video tutorial belongs to the Electronics category which is going to show you how to make a hack pack. This is basically turning a notebook in to something that you can take literally anywhere. Here you will learn how to create a video streaming hack pack to carry around with you and be able to do live internet shows anywhere. For this you will need a netbook, Sony PSP, mobile Wi-Fi thumbstick, microphone and a webcam with Velcro or adhesive. Plug in the mobile Wi-Fi stick for internet c...

How To: Deter Data Thieves from Stealing Your Flash Drive by Disguising It as a Broken USB Cable

Having a flash drive is more or less a must, but the biggest downside is that they often get stolen, and it's not hard to figure out why. They're small, so they easily fit into pockets, and a lot of people store valuable information on them. Want to pretty much guarantee no one takes yours? Disguise it as a broken USB cable like Windell Oskay of Evil Mad Science Labs so it just looks like a piece of junk to would-be thieves. The materials are pretty simple: a flash drive (the smaller the bett...

DIY Portable Power Pack: Turn Your Backpack into a Solar-Powered Gadget Charger

A smartphone is pretty much useless with a dead battery. When you're out and about, it can be hard to find a place to plug in (if you remembered your charger, that is). But this DIY solar panel backpack made by electrical engineer Theodore Protasiewicz will help you use the scorching sun to your advantage and make sure that your gadgets are always ready to go. Theodore started with just a normal backpack, some solar panels, 18 gauge wire, and a USB port and hacked it into a traveling solar ch...

How To: Use an oscilloscope

Oscilloscopes visualize electronic signals. This information can be useful for tests, debugging, and reverse engineering. If you work with electronic circuitry, being able to use an oscilloscope is a must have skill. Here Bre Pettis and Make Magazine hook you up with great tips.

News: Super Tiny (And Cheap) DSLR Intervalometer for Time-Lapse Photography

If you're lucky, your digital camera has a built-in intervalometer that lets you operate the shutter regularly at set intervals over a period of time. Why would you be lucky? Because you can create some very awesome time-lapse videos, like the horribly beautiful eruption of a volcano or vivid star trails in the night sky. You can capture the stunning display of the northern lights or even document the rotting of your favorite fruit.

How To: Circuit bend a toy piano

How to circuit bend a 80's Radio Shack toy synthesizer. Open up any device and play around with the internal audio devices. Circuit bending is done on mostly old cheap toys. This is a circuit bend demonstration on a toy piano. Get out your soldering iron and rip open toys. This takes some circuit board fiddling.

How To: Build the motor mount for a CNC router

A CNC router machine is probably the most useful tool a hobbyist can own, but the price for a CNC machine on the market is way more than the average hobbyist is willing to spend. You can build your own CNC with very basic tools, little knowledge of machinery, mechanics, or electronics, but be warned, these machines are inherently dangerous, so wear the proper protection and use common sense. At the very least, read the instructions and precautions on every tool you use.

How To: Make Trippy EL Wire Headphones That Dance to the Beat of Your Music

At one time or another, we've all enjoyed the visualizations that came stock in Windows Media Player. I remember spending hours listening to my favorite album, putting the graphic equalizer on full screen, and getting lost in the flurry of colors that would dance across the screen. Well, now thanks to the imaginative mind of Instructables user yardleydobon, you can now recreate this rainbow-colored music visualizer right on top of your freaking head—with these trippy EL wire headphones, which...

How To: Make an infrared heart sensor

This video shows how to create an infrared heart sensor using an Arduino controller, a couple of resistors, and an infrared light emitter and detector. This device will be used on the subject's finger, detecting the amount of blood which is flowing through the subject's finger. The amount of oxygenation of the blood is shown in the finger, which will cause the infrared light to reflect off the skin and to the transmitter which is close by. The fluctuations of oxygenation are picked up by the ...

How To: Solder piezo

This tutorial demonstrates the correct way to solder wires to a piezoelectric sensor. First, the stripped wires are tinned (coated with a thin layer of solder). Then the piezoelectric sensor, held in a small adjustable clip, is heated briefly, and two drops of solder placed where the wires are to be attached. Finally, the tinned ends of the wires are placed in contact with the soldered areas of the piezoelectric sensor, and the solder heated to fix the wires in place.

How To: Hook up an iPod to a laser

Combine your iPod and a laser to send your music on the beam. Easy project that anyone can do, with the help of a little soldering. You will need your iPod, a solar cell, a laser, and a soldering tool. Watch this video circuitry tutorial and learn how to hook up an iPod to a laser for a laser-wired music experience.