Hot Gadget Hacks How-Tos
How To: Reveal blocked numbers
HouseholdHacker reveals the trick to seeing blocked numbers. Find out who is prank calling you or catch a secret admirer with Trap Call: http://www.trapcall.com
How To: Feed your cat while you are away with a VCR cat feeder
John Park poses a kitty conundrum: Who's going to feed the cat while you're on vacation? Using a motor from an old VCR, he creates an automated feline feeder. While building this Make: magazine project, John learned that newer VCRs have safeguard technology, limiting access to the motor. Watch John as he demonstrates his solutions to this challenge.
How To: Cheat at Rubik's cube with CubeCheater iPhone app
The CubeCheater iPhone app takes pictures of Rubik's cubes and shows you how to solve them. This is a brand new iPhone application that takes a picture of your Rubik's cube and then solves it for you, step by step. Solve your cube in 0.01 seconds, easy.
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: Make a 200mw burning laser
Don't use a perfectly good DVD burner to get your laser that will pop balloons, light matches, and burn stuff. Just buy a laser diode at mfgcn.com and also a laser housing, and you won't be tearing a computer DVD player apart. This is the easy way to make a 200mW burning DVD laser. Use a Mini Maglite and some rechargeable batteries so you don't burn out the laser.
How To: Get 6 AAAA batteries from a 9V battery
Take apart a 9V battery and turn it in to Six AAA batteries. This way you save money. amazing science experiment trick. This is a simple battery deconstruction that results in a 9 volt battery's dissection into six AAAA batteries. They are not AA or AAA, but a kind you won't find at Radio Shack.
How To: Make an LED or a light emitting diode
Take a tour through the world of the light-emitting diode. Learn - who invented it, how to use it, and how to make your own.
How To: Make a laundry detergent lamp
A nifty step-by-step guide to making your very own laundry detergent lamp. Upcycle that recyclable detergent bottle and gain a swell lighting fixture for your home! This involves some basic circuitry and wiring of a cheap lamp fixture. You use the laundry detergent bottle as the base of the lamp. It's a bit arts & crafts project and a bit conservation! Help our mother nature with this nifty at-home craft decoration project!
How To: Turn a flatbed scanner into a camera
Want to take an ordinary flatbed scanner and turn it into a camera (that takes some pretty wild photos)? You can and, with the help of this video tutorial from MAKE, you will. For detailed, but simple, step-by-step instructions on assembling your own flatbed scanner camera, take a look at this how-to video!
How To: Hack a satellite dish into a WiFi signal booster
There are many ways to recycle a satellite dish and this is one of them. In this video tutorial, you'll learn how to hack an old satellite dish into a biquad WiFi antenna. For detailed, step-by-step instructions on building your own audio signal booster, take a look!
How To: Import Excel to a MySQL database with cPanel
This data management tutorial shows you how to take a Microsoft Excel Spreadsheet and import it into a MySQL Database using CSV files and PHPMyAdmin in cPanel. Being able to move data from Excel to MySQL is an important part of database content management, so if you use cPanel to manage your databases, you'll want to watch and learn how to import Excel spreadsheets into your MysQL databases.
How To: Upload Moodle to your server via Webmin
Interested in teaching an online course using your own server but can't quite figure out how to install everything you'll need? This video demonstrates how to install Moodle, the free, open source course management utility, to your server via the Webmin interface. For step-by-step instructions, take a look.
How To: Anonymize your emails with the MixMaster remailer
Email is one of the least private and least secure forms of communication, although few people realize this. MixMaster is one way to allow secure, anonymous communication even over the very public medium of email. This tutorial will get you started with MixMaster quickly and easily.
How To: Hack a transistor radio to hear Air Traffic Control
Normally, when standing outside your local regional airport, you'd need a special radio or scanner to pick up the transmissions coming from that Air Traffic Control tower. Well, not anymore.
How To: Build a cheap perpetual energy generator (FAUX-TO)
F for FAKE. This video has been labeled a "Faux-To". Commonly contested as bogus science, we believe this video to be a hoax. What's your opinion? Comment below.
How To: Activate a used iPhone at AT&T
This video from AT&T describes the process for giving your original iPhone to someone else when you buy iPhone 3G.
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 umbrella parabolic microphone
Here's a an easy to make, dollar store DIY spy microphone that lets you listen from afar and bring the sounds up close. From Make Magazine Volume 14
How To: Access free WiFi by making your own antenna
With a few simple supplies you can create a wifi antenna with 15db gain.
How To: Build a pulse motor
See how to build a pulse motor with just one transistor and one diode.
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: Refill printer cartridges for just five bucks
Printers are one of the most popular home and office tools in the world, because they are inexpensive, yet highly versatile, but the ink costs more than the printers in some cases. Well, learn how you can refill those cartridges at home right now for only five dollars.
How To: Make the coil for the Bedini motor
See how to make a simple bifilar coil for the Bedini motor, otherwise called the SSG or schoolgirl motor. The Bedini motor can create some free energy. Watch this video tutorial and learn how to build a coil for the Bedini motor.
How To: Make an External Antenna for Your Cell Phone
Dr. Kiki, from popSiren, solves the age old cellphone reception question. The Rad Scientist has moved into a cell reception twilight zone. Lucky for her, she's well-versed in antenna-making!
How To: Solder an SOT23 component with a point-to-point method
In this soldering tip video brought to you by BEST, Inc. Norman Mier demonstrates the installation and soldering of an SOT23 component using a point-to-point lead-free soldering technique.
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: 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: Use TerraServer to get satellite images
Have you ever wanted to see an aerial photo of your house? Your school? Your office? The White House? Terraserver is a free resource that allows you to do just that.
How To: Download and install applications using Safari
Learn to add new applications to your Mac in this easy to follow tutorial. This video demonstrates how to download and install applications to your Mac using the Safari browser.
How To: Speed up Firefox with FasterFox
Learn how to increase the speed of the Firefox web browser using the FasterFox add-on.
How To: Build a laser motion sensor mouse trap
Mice, cute as they may be, are an unwelcome visitor in many a home. This video tutorial provides step by step instructions on how to hack a wireless electronic laser mouse trap from an automatic garage door opener and a computer mouse. Find out where those little pests are going. Watch this video tutorial and learn how to build a laser motion detector mouse trap.
How To: Check & fix your address on Google Maps
Now you can make sure your home address is in the right location on Google Maps. If it's not, you can move it to the correct spot. Try it at maps.google.com!!
How To: Make a clock projector
Time flies. Particularly when it's projected. The magical box in this how-to uses light and mirrors to project the image of a working clock face on any wall. To build your own working clock projector, you'll need the following materials: a mirror, a jeweler's loupe, a clock and a flashlight. For detailed, step-by-step instructions on the assembly process, and to get started on this Daliesque hack yourself, take a look!
How To: Hack websites with SQL injection
For Infinity Exists Full Disclosure's first Website Hacking episode, we demonstrate how to exploit a security vulnerability occurring in a website's database to extract password hashes. Sql (Structured Query Language) is a computer language designed for the retrieval and management of data in a system's database. The Attack, known as Sql Injection, manipulates Sql statements before they are sent to the Sql Server, allowing the Attacker to create, change, or retrieve data stored in the database.
How To: Hack MD5 passwords
This episode of Full Disclosure demonstrates how to hack/crack MD5 password hashes. MD5 (Message-Digest algorithm 5) is a hash function commonly used by websites to encrypt passwords. MD5 is a one-way hash; therefore, to crack the password you most try every possible dictionary word and if that does not work, every possible letter/number/symbol combination. The programs used to crack the passwords are Cain and MDCrack-NG.
How To: Avoid phishing attempts
See what phishing (attempts to steal your online information with fraudulent email and webpages) is all about and read the tips on how to avoid becoming the next victim. In this example a HSBC bank phishing attempt is displayed.
How To: Type capital letters on your iPhone
If you can customize your ringtones, you should know how to use capital letters! It’s so simple and easy, and in this video you will learn how to capitalize important names and proper nouns. Watch these two quick steps to successfully capitalize letters on your iPhone. Grammar never looked so good. Type capital letters on your iPhone.
How To: Flash the firmware on your iPhone
I have never had any device that is easier to update the firmware than my iPhone. For anyone who may not be sure, firmware is basically the 'software' that runs a device's hardware. That's the easiest way I can think of to put it.
How To: Take apart an Etch a Sketch
Before I built the mechanics for my laser cutter I was planning on using the etch a sketch since the pulleys where already there. I accidentally cut the wires while taking it apart, so I made it from scratch (much bigger too). But I figured I'd post this in case you want a small laser cutter and need to learn how to take apart an etch a sketch. It was a bit tricky. The tought part was trying to take off the case. What you need to do is to pry the red off of the black, not the other way around.
How To: Eavesdrop on a Bluetooth headset
Few Bluetooth users realize that Bluetooth headsets can be hacked or otherwise exploited to a remote attacker the ability to record and inject audio through the headset while the device is not in an active call. SANS Institute author and senior instructor Joshua Wright demonstrates, and explains, the security vulnerability in this how-to. For more information, including step-by-step instructions on how you can replicate this hack yourself, take a look.