Hot Gadget Hacks Posts
How To: Beat level 14 of Angry Birds Seasons with three stars
Beat the fourteenth level of Angry Birds Seasons with three stars! On December 1st, Rovio released their version of an advent calendar—Angry Birds Seasons (aka "Angry Birds Christmas"). Each day leading up to the Christmas holiday, a new level will become available to Angry Birds enthusiasts worldwide. Stuck? No problem: YouTube's 23hathman has pledged to post a three-star walkthrough for each of the game's levels. In this, the December 14th installment, we learn how to beat level 14.
How To: Build a simple one-string electric guitar called a Diddley Bow
If you've ever seen It Might Get Loud, you probably remember the part where Jack White makes a one-string guitar out of household scraps. This type of guitar is called a Diddley Bow, after Bo Diddley, and is about the simplest and easiest electric guitar you can make. Watch this video to learn how.
How To: Build a blue laser ray gun that will burn things magnificently
If you've ever seen Goldfinger you've probably wondered when we're going to get access to lasers that could cut a man in half. This might be it. Watch on to learn how you can, with some electrical engineering skills, make a DIY blue death ray laser gun that will cut through all kinds of stuff. No word on whether it works on British secret agents.
How To: Remove unwanted personal information from Google
Recently, China shut down access to Google in the country because their Propaganda Minister didn't like the results when he Googled himself. Since you probably can't do that, watch this video for tips on how you can keep information about yourself off of Google. The key: if you don't want it to be shared, don't put it online.
How To: Set up Find My iPhone for free on any iOS 4.2 device
Find My iPhone is one of the best Apps of all, allowing you to find your iPhone no matter where it is, lost or stolen. This video will show you how to install and set it up on any iPhone or iOS 4.2 device, even those not technically supported by the newest free release of the software.
How To: Set custom text messages ringtones for contacts on the iPhone
It took all the way until firmware version 4.2 for Apple to add a function to the iPhone that's been present on other phones for years: the ability to set custom ringtones / sounds for text messages from different contacts. This video will show you how quick and easy it is to set this up on the new firmware.
How To: Beat level 12 of Angry Birds Seasons with three stars using only 2 birds
This is an amazing feat if you can pull it off— getting three stars in the twelfth level of Angry Birds Seasons— using only TWO birds! If you thought you needed three birds to compete the task, you were wrong— it can be done with with only TWO slingshotted birds! Check out all of the other videos from 23hathman's Angry Birds Seasons walkthroughs.
How To: Make a high speed photography trigger with an Arduino
High speed photos are very artistic and look awesome, but taking them without special equipment is nearly impossible. Without this hack and an Arduino, that is. This video will teach you how to use an Arduino and other electronic components to make a DIY high speed photo trigger and take more awesome shots.
How To: Use an Arduino to make a proximity-sensing Jack-o'-Lantern with LED lights
The Arduino Ethernet Shield is a wonderful device for DIY electronics projects, and this project is really creative and awesome. In this video you will learn how to use an Arduino, a promixity sensor, and some LED lights to make a proximity-sensing, LED-lit, evil Jack-o'-Lantern that will terrorize your neighborhood and probably get stolen if you don't watch it like a hawk.
How To: Build an analog internet meter out of an Arduino Ethernet Shield
The internet has created amazing new standards for how closely information can be followed. If you want a portable analog unit that will monitor one important piece of online info continuously and have some DIY electrical knowhow, watch this video. It will show you how to use an Arduino Ethernet Shield to make an internet meter to monitor email, stocks, and other online info on a simple analog display. You will need to know some PHP to make this work.
How To: Use advanced features of the Amazon Kindle 2, like bookmarking and annotation
The Amazon Kindle 2 has changed the way millions of people read books, but many of you aren't taking full advantage of your device's many advanced features. This video will show you how to use some advanced features of the Kindle 2, including how to highlight text, annotate text, and add a bookmark.
How To: Disassemble an HTC Touch HD (Blackstone), replace the LCD and digitizer
The HTC Touch HD is a nice handset, and like most smarphones devastatingly expensive to fix if something goes wrong and you don't have the knowledge from this video. It will teach you how to disassemble your Touch HD (or Blackstone) for the purpose of replacing the screen and digitizer, two things you too are likely to have to do in the lifespan of your phone.
How To: Disassemble a Nokia N97 smartphone
The Nokia N97 is more than a year old, making it practically a grandad in cell phone terms, but it's still a great unit. If yours is having problems and you want to inspect it's internals, watch this video for a guide to disassembling the device completely.
How To: Replace the screen on a Lenovo X60 / X61Thinkpad tablet PC
Tablet PC's have changed the way people work, but they are just as hard to fix when they break as normal PC's, if not harder. This video will show you how to replace the screen on a Lenovo X60 / X61 Thinkpad tablet PC. Replace the screen on a Lenovo X60 / X61Thinkpad tablet PC.
How To: Jailbreak and unlock any 3G + iPhone on iOS 4.1 / 4.2.1 with Redsn0w
Jailbreaking and unlocking the iPhone is the first thing most users should do if they're going to derive maximum use and enjoyment from their device. This video will show you how to use Redsn0w and this firmware to jailbreak and unlock any 3G or 3GS with 6.15.00 baseband or iPhone 4 on 01.59.00.
How To: Beat level 1-20 of Angry Birds with three stars
Want to beat level 1-20 of Angry Birds with three stars? Learn how with this quick video walkthrough. While this guide is geared toward iPhone and iPod Touch users in particular, the basic technique will, of course, be the same for the Android version of the game. For all of the details, and to learn how to defeat Theme 1, Level 20 of Rovio's Angry Birds for yourself, take a peep.
How To: Play any Java game like Runescape on an Android phone
Teamviewer is a handy program for viewing what's going on on a distant computer remotely, but now it can also be used to play games like WoW and Runescape on your Android phone! This video will teach you how to do it. You'll need this for your phone and this for your computer.
How To: Unlock an iOS 4.2.1 / 4.1 iPhone 3G / 3GS by flashing the baseband to 6.15
Unlocking the iPhone can save you a ton of money and irritation by getting you off AT&T and onto a better service provider. One way to do that is flashing the baseband to one that works on the iPad, and this video will show you how to do using Redsn0w that, provided you're working from a iOS 4.2.1 / 4.1 equipped iPhone 3G / 3GS on baseband 5.14 or 5.15 (about to be 6.15 when you're done).
How To: Unlock / "Jailbreak" a Windows Phone 7 w/ ChevronWP7 to install ringtones etc.
The Windows Phone 7 platform has been out long enough now that hackers the world over have had ample time to play with it, and the fruits of their labors are coming fast and thick now. This video will teach you how to unlock or "jailbreak" (misnomer in this case) your Windows Phone 7 with ChevronWP7 so you can install custom ringtones and perform other power-user functions. You'll also need the certificate for it, ringtone manager, and the Windows Phone Developer Tools.
How To: Beat Angry Birds Seasons... One Day at a Time (25 Days of Christmas)
It's December 11th. Only 14 days left until Christmas. But today is something more than just a countdown date for the quintessential holiday—it's Angry Birds Day, which marks the one-year anniversary of the popular mobile video game.
How To: Make websites default to their SSL versions with HTTPS Everywhere
If you're paranoid about the security on your web-browsing activities, fear not. This Firefox add-on, called HTTPS Everywhere, was created by the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) to help you protect you from curious sites. Installing this add-on will make most websites default to the more secure version.
How To: Get YouTube video alerts for Google Chrome
Not keeping up with the latest viral YouTube videos? Not to worry. If you're using the Google Chrome browser, just use the YouTube Feed Google Chrome Extension. It'll keep you up to date and fully subscribed to all your favorite YouTube channels.
How To: Use the CacheViewer Firefox Add-on to Navigate Your Cache
We've all been there, where we're trying to find that one thing in our cache but it's just eluding us. There's an easy and free solution to this pressing issue. Just use this Firefox add-on CacheViewer to manage and navigate your cache.
How To: Get Google's old image search layout back
Are you kind of befuddled by the new Google image search layout, with its grid features and lack of context? Well, you can revert back to the old format if you don't like the change. In this video, Veronica shows you exactly how to get the old Google image search results you know and love.
HowTo: Hack an iPod Touch Into an iPhone
The iPhone and iPod touch are nearly identical devices, especially now that Apple has added a front-facing camera to the iPod touch. All that's missing is the phone part. With the help of Lifehacker and apps like Skype and Line2, you can save some money by turning your iPod Touch into an iPhone, without the need to jailbreak.
How To: Hack USB devices into parts for your electronics projects
USB devices are ubiquitous and cheap nowadays, which means they make great raw materials for hacking and electronics projects. This video will show you how you use a USB host shield to hack USB devices and use them with MIDI controllers, game controllers, and other devices.
How To: Use the Viber App to make free VOIP calls on the iPhone
Sure, the iPhone is a phone, but why use your phone service to call people when VOIP is cheaper? This video will teach you how to use a new App called Viber to make free VOIP calls on the iPhone.
News: Cute Japanese Girls Use Google To Try On Clothes
A group of four giggly Japanese girls put on a digital fashion show with a projector and Google image search. Clever ad spot for Google Japan, directed by Wieden+Kennedy Tokyo. More from Wieden+Kennedy:
HowTo: Cure Burnt Fingers With Your Earlobes & More Life Hacks
From Lifehacker's Tips Box, four short-cuts to life's small problems, urawaza-style: No Iron?
How To: Fix 6.15.00-baseband battery issues on an Ultrasn0w-unlocked iPhone
Battery draining super quickly after flashing your iPhone to 6.15.00? This video will teach you everything you need to know to resolve the problem. For more information, including detailed, step-by-step instructions on how to try this fix for yourself, watch this hacker's how-to.
How To: Fix any Redsn0w error when jailbreaking an iOS 4.2.1 mobile device
Faced with an error when jailbreaking your iOS 4.2.1 iPhone, iPod Touch or iPad? This video will teach you everything you need to know to resolve it. For more information, including detailed, step-by-step instructions on how to start troubleshooting your own Redsn0w problems, watch this hacker's how-to.
How To: Fix a 3194 when restoring a jailbroken iPhone in iTunes
Faced with an 3194 error? There's no need to worry. This video will teach you everything you need to know to resolve it. For more information, including detailed, step-by-step instructions on how to try this fix for yourself, watch this hacker's how-to.
How To: Restore a 6.15.00 Apple iPhone 3Gs/3G to iOS 4.1
Accidentally bricked your iPhone? This video will teach you everything you need to know to resolve the issue. For more information, including detailed, step-by-step instructions on how to try this fix for yourself, watch this hacker's how-to.
How To: Fix a 1015 error when restoring an iPhone with iReb
Faced with an 1015 error? This video will teach you everything you'll need to know to resolve it. For more information, including detailed, step-by-step instructions on how to try this fix for yourself, watch this hacker's how-to.
How To: Convert a ZIP archive into an IPSW file on a Microsoft Windows PC
Turn a ZIP file into an Apple-compatible IPSW! This video will teach you everything you need to know to load custom firmware onto your iPhone, iPad or iPod Touch. For more information, including detailed, step-by-step instructions, and to try it out for yourself, watch this hacker's how-to.
How To: Reset the password on an iPhone, iPad or iPod Touch
Remove the password on any iOS mobile device! This video will teach you everything you need to know to remove the log-in pass code from your iPhone, iPad or iPod Touch. For more information, including detailed, step-by-step instructions, and to try it out for yourself, watch this hacker's how-to.
How To: Use multitasking on an Apple iPhone 3G or iPod Touch 2G
Interested in using multitasking on your iPhone 3G or second-generation iPod Touch? This iPhone hacker's how-to will teach you everything you need to know. For more information, including detailed, step-by-step instructions, and to learn how to enable multitasking on your own iPhone or iPod Touch, take a look.
How To: Boot a tethered iOS 4.2.1 iPhone, iPod Touch or iPad with Redsn0w 0.9.6b4
Boot your tethered Apple iOS 4.2.1 or 4.2 device with the Redsn0w 0.9.6b4 jailbreak tool! This technique is reported to stop Cydia from crashing. For more information, including detailed, step-by-step instructions, and to learn how to boot a tethered Apple mobile device yourself, take a look.
How To: Jailbreak an iOS 4.2.1 or 4.2 iPhone, iPad or iPod Touch with Redsn0w 0.9.6b4
Learn how to jailbreak ANY iOS 4.2.1 device with this five-minute how-to. Whether this is your first time jailbreaking an Apple mobile device or you're a seasoned pro merely unaquainted with Redsn0w 0.9.6b4, the process is dead simple. And this clip will teach you everything you'll need to know.
How To: Kill multiple apps at once when multitasking on an iPhone, iPad or iPod Touch
Is your Apple mobile device feeling a little sluggish? You may have multiple tasks running in the background. This guide demonstrates how to shut down two or more applications at once on an iOS 4+ (e.g., iOS 4.1, iOS 4.2) Apple mobile device.