Hot Gadget Hacks How-Tos

How To: Make a talking booby trap

Having trouble with people snatching your stuff? Did someone take your lunch from the company fridge? Here is an inexpensive, sneaky gizmo you can make to keep those sticky fingers away. This is a junk drawer hack from Make Magazine's Kipkay. It's activated when an item is moved from it, triggering a clothes pin to close and activate the voice command. See how to make a talking booby track in this video tutorial with KipKay!

How To: Make a DTV antenna & a steadicam

Learn how to make a DTV antenna & a steadicam. Digital converter box? Check! Great reception? Not so much. John Park shows how to take a fistful of wire coat hangers and make a TV antenna that gives great digital reception. While he’s at it, he also makes a video camera stabilizer using metal piping and counterbalance weight; great for at-home moviemaking.

How To: Tether the iPhone into a wireless router

One of the coolest feature of the 3G iPhone is the high speed, always on, Internet connection. Having a constant connection to the Internet is pretty much a must have for any dot com mogul. The main problem with the iPhone is the screen is too small to do any serious Web surfing. Yes, it’s great for Twitter or checking up on emails but blogging from it is an exercise in frustration. Fortunately, there is a way to extend that 3G connection onto your laptop by turning your iPhone into a wireles...

How To: Build an eBay affiliate partner site from scratch

Do some niche research for your eBay affiliate site in these video tutorials, and see how to build an eBay affiliate partner site from scratch. Learn how to drill down into eBay Pulse and search for untapped niches. Finding a niche for your eBay affiliate site might seem daunting, but it's not. Also, learn about the Google Keyword tool and Wordtracker keyword tool along with a basic Google search to determine traffic levels and how easy it is to rank for a given keyword.

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: Hack a PlayStation monitor into a digital television

Hack a PlayStation monitor into a digital television! Get that old PS1 out of the closet and dust it off, because the switch to digital television is coming soon, and you need a DTV, so why not put that PlayStation One to use? You can build a digital television from a new set top digital converter box and that PSone video monitor, plain and simple. It's easy! Don't forget that forty dollar coupon though from the government for the purchase of the digital converter box.

How To: Circuit hack and mod

In this video, we explain some techniques for getting electronic circuits to do things they weren't designed for. As an example, use a speaker phone as a speaker. Hacking items into better or different devices is way cool DIY circuitry. These are ideas of electronics that are cool to splice, rip apart and use recycled electronics for new projects.

How To: Avoid spam email

Make it harder for spammers to clog your inbox with ads and scams. Learn how to avoid spam email with this Howcast video. You will need a secondary email address, a keen eye, and an anti-spam program. Tip: Never click on links in spam email - including "unsubscribe" links, and never, ever reply!

How To: Make a cone record player

If you're record player doesn't work anymore, but it still turns, then this is the perfect solution for you. The video show you how to make a cone record player. It's also a neat trick for playing your records with out a record player, instead of a regular phonograph needle.

How To: Get on a site that's been blocked by your employer

Don’t you just hate it when you try to go on a website while you’re at work—and find out your boss has blocked it? Here’s how to thwart The Man. With these tips, you'll be able to check your facebook or myspace at work (or whatever sites your employer may be blocked). All you need is access to google. Did you know? According to one survey, 78% of employers block employee access to pornography, 47% block gambling sites, 20% block shopping and auction sites, and 4% block news sites.

How To: Avoid computer viruses

At least with a stomach virus you may drop a few pounds; a virtual virus just screws up your computer. Take these precautions to avoid problems. You will need anti-virus software, spyware, a firewall, and a healthy dose of skepticism. You can find free safety software on the internet.