While hackers know and love the Raspberry Pi, many don't know of its cheaper cousin, the microcontroller. Unlike a Pi, which can be used more or less like a regular computer, microcontrollers like the Wi-Fi connected ESP8266 require some necessary programming skill to master. ...more
Since the invention of the mechanical clock, enclosure of the commons, and proletarianization of labor, the alarm clock has been the bane of our existence. While not actually evil, it does represent the constant and uncompromising glare of our owners shaking a patronizing fing ...more
A deck of cards may be a magician's best way to demonstrate his or her's sleight of hand, but for the prankster, it's the perfect way to deliver a shocking 300 volts of electricity! And that's exactly what I'm going to show you how to do today. Stuart Edge used it in his "Elec ...more
Open up your mobile phone and solder on a light sensing resistor to make an alarm go off when the phone is in the light. Possible uses?
The electric air freshener is one of those devices that seems like it could only have one possible function, but can actually be repurposed in a few different ways. If you're looking for a practical use, you can turn it into a bug killer, but it's also perfect for pranks. Wit ...more
What's the first thing you would do once you realized you were lost in, say, a desert? If you're like me, you would immediately pull out your cell phone and start dialing every number. But what if you have no service? What if your battery is dead? If you make this survival so ...more
I've come across a few very stubborn Xbox consoles in my day. A previous Null Byte demonstrated how to fix the Xbox with just eight pennies and some electrical tape. But if you've got one of those hell-born boxes that just refuses to be fixed in any way, shape, or form, there ...more
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 ele ...more
It turns out that the popularity of soft circuit electronics has leaked out of the interwebs and into the hands of the U.S. military. Soft circuit electronics allow you to literally sew electronics circuits into fabric using flexible conductive thread instead of wire. Soft cir ...more
In this tutorial, we learn how to fix a convergence problem on your rear projection TV. First, go to the menu on your television and see if you can fix the convergence through this. If this doesn't work, then try replacing the STK IC's that are inside of the TV. This will requ ...more
Charge your cell phone, mp3 player or other USB-equipped device with the power of the Sun! All you need is a 6-volt solar panel and a female USB cable. Solder them together (this video demonstrates how), and then you have a solar powered USB charger!
This is the cheapest device to gather interviews as a small, easy-to-carry recorder. I started to use it for preproduction and film documentation after I bought it in a Polish discount shop for about 100 Euro. The only problem was very poor sound quality. I decided to mod the ...more
How do you make a 1950 Studebaker even cooler? By installing an iPod Nano in the dashboard, of course! The folks over at MAYA Design hacked their way to a touch-controlled sound system with this project they've dubbed the "Nano-Baker" (or "Stude-iPod") using a pair of Apple ea ...more
In this "super" video tutorial, you'll learn how to convert a Super Nintendo controller to PC controller. Now, dig deep into your garage and pull out those old SNES pads (or controllers) and get ready for some "super" modding! This Super NES hack will convert the controller t ...more
Performing a proper dump and flash on an XBox 360 disc drive should not be attempted by those without advanced technical knowledge, including how to solder and work with computer hardware. If you want to though, you could not hope for a much better set of instructions than thi ...more
Are you addicted to Google Reader? If so, you may be looking for an even faster way to scroll through all of your favorite RSS feeds. Well, Matt Richardson has the solution… It's called the Google Reader Pedal and it makes it easier to read the hottest news without ever touch ...more
Take your old electronics and make them scream with glitchy goodness. This an extremely easy project and makes a great project for first-time solderers. Circuit bending involves taking electronic devices that make multiple sounds and wiring in switches to set off glitches or l ...more
No matter how many PSAs are published on the topic, studies continue to show that we are generally terrible at creating secure passwords and PINs. Using the same password (or variations of it) for multiple sites is another huge no-no that the majority of people ignore, and eve ...more
In this video, we learn how to make the world's loudest alarm clock. If your alarm clock does not wake you up, this is for you! First, you will need to take apart your alarm clock and find the wires that are connected to the tiny speaker that is inside of it. After this, grab ...more
Remember the Power Pwn, the clever little hacking tool disguised as a power strip? It's great in theory, but with a $1,295 price tag, it definitely doesn't fit into most people's budgets. But what if you could make your own for a fraction of the cost? That's exactly what the ...more
If your PS3 is YLOD (flashing the Yellow/Red/Green Light Of Death), try sticking it in the oven. Why does this work? Instructables user formulajake88 explains what causes YLOD and why the oven re-flow method will (likely) work: "There are several prevailing theories, includin ...more
It's Monday, and once again it's time to highlight some of the community submissions posted to the Math Craft corkboard. In addition, I thought we'd take a look at having fun with the geometrical properties of polygons and circles by using one of the best circles I know, the p ...more
There are plenty of times when it would be nice to be able to give other drivers a piece of your mind, or let them know you're having car trouble so they go around instead of riding your bumper. While there are several gestures that can certainly get the point across, none of ...more
In this video the man describes of the circuit bending of Yamaha pss 140 synthesizer. This is a good model it's a FM synthesizers. It got many songs , many cool rhythms,nice trumpets and it is working real nice.Here he states that it is important for power supply or else we do ...more
Watch this three-part series on how to assemble battery cells for your radio controlled vehicle. First, see what is needed to assemble cells and to get them glued. Second, see how to solder an entire NiMH and NiCad LiPo cell pack. Then, see how to test the packs and do some ...more
The days of trundling hoops, hopscotch and painted wooden rocking horses are long since past. The latest trend in toys? Biofeedback. Electroencephalography. A decade into the 21st century, the toy market is awash in products that incorporate functional neural sensors. One suc ...more
In this video, we learn how to make your own solar panel.The amorphous solar glass is the cheapest but it's also the least efficient. You can do anything you want with these and they are durable. The hexagon cells are the most efficient and most expensive as well. The poly cry ...more
Oh no... your precious iPhone is in shambles. Maybe you shattered your screen after a crazy night of celebrating, or maybe your two-year-old jabbed a toy into your iPhone's charging port, completely destroying it in the process. Now what? Do you take it to a repair shop, or go ...more
If you've never heard of geocaching, it's kind of a grown-up treasure hunt you play everywhere in the world. GPS coordinates are given as clues and the players must find the cache box. There is usually a log book to write your name and a small toy or present to collect. The l ...more
A flashlight is one of those things you rarely need, but hardly ever have when you do. The normal-sized ones are unwieldy to carry around, and the small ones that you keep in a purse or car are easy to lose. You can solve both of those problems and get the best of both worlds ...more
WonderHowTo is made up niche communities called Worlds. If you've yet to join one (or create your own), get a taste below of what's going on in the community. Check in every Wednesday for a roundup of new activities and projects. This week: mathematical sculptures, burning Xb ...more
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 kno ...more
Starting with the original HTC One and now present on the new Nexus 6, dual speakers allow for smartphones to pump out true stereo sound. OnePlus, however, kept their speakers on the bottom of the device and use different sound drivers for each to produce great sound quality, ...more
Leeann of Hierchiss explains how to turn a TV into an oscilloscope. Turn the TV on and make sure it works. First, unplug the power. Take the back off the television. Cut the four picture wires that attach to the circuit board. Strip the ends of the wires. Tape the remaining wi ...more
Watch as Kipkay from MAKE Magazine shows you how to make something really cool for the office, with parts from RadioShack. One of the original practical jokes is the gravity activated subwoofer simulator, or better known as the Whoopee Cushion. See how to make a high tech pran ...more
If you have ever found yourself working on a car project at your home and ran out of fuses, this tutorial is for you. Instead of going out and paying around $30 to $40, make your very own. It's wasy and saves you time and money. If you need instructions on how to do this they ...more
Two years ago, driven by a good friend of mine i decided to give it a try on timelapse photography. I had a DSLR camera but didn't had an intervalometer, so i assembled a small electronic circuit on top of an Arduino Uno, made some basic code and did my first timelapse movie. ...more
The new MacBook Air from Apple may be one of the thinnest notebooks on the market, but don't let its size full you— it's a fortress, an impenetrable laptop designed to discourage user modifications, just like the Apple iPad. So, if you were thinking about upgrading your RAM, ...more
Televisions are an amazing innovation that allow for endless hours of entertainment and information dissemination, but sometimes you just want them off! Make a TV remote jammer as a joke, to get a few hours of quite or just for fun. Tired of remote control jockeys speeding th ...more
In this tutorial, we learn how to take apart an iPod Nano 3rd generation for repair. First remove the back casing using a guitar pick. Next, use a flat tool to lift up the battery carefully and remove it from the casing. You will see three wires that lead to the launch board, ...more
There was a dynamic mic in my junk box, but without any stand or connection cable. I needed a high-quality microphone to narrate my project videos, so I had to think of a way to build a stand for the mic. This is what I came up with. Video: . I used a 2GB sound recorder for wi ...more
Materials needed: Altoid mint tin, 9 volt batter and connector, switch, 7812 voltage regulator, 12 volt computer fan, carbon filter and 2 pieces of screen. Wire the battery connectors. Solder all of the following: Negative connector to the switch, wire to the switch, ground wi ...more
Watch this video from This Old House to learn how to install a utility sink. Steps: 1. Turn off water 2. Cut section from existing drain pipe and install a new Wye-fitting 3. Assemble PVC pipe and fittings for new drain/vent system 4. Glue drain/vent system to existing vent s ...more
Watch this video tutorial to learn how to troubleshoot central heating problems. Step 1: If you have no heat at all, check that the thermostat hasn't been set too low. The boiler will only work if the heating has been set higher than room temperature. There may also be a prob ...more
This video by makemagazine demonstrates a weekend project on how to make a LED light brick. The materials required for this project are listed on the link to the make magazine page in the info box or it can be orders as a kit from the make magazine store. Take the PCB (printed ...more
Watch as a seasoned DIYer demonstrates the steps necessary to sweat (join and solder) copper pipes, including how to prepare them, what tools to use, and how to fix any mistakes you may make, in this free online video about home repair. Part 1 of 16 - How to Sweat copper pipes ...more
Throughout the meticulous and dexterous process of jewelry making, when you get to the end of your bracelet or necklace, there's a feeling of accomplishment and satisfaction. But to seal the deal, you need to crimp. Crimping is a necessary process for the ends of your homemade ...more
While Leap Motion has given makers a DIY solution for building their own augmented reality headset with Project North Star, a self-described "AR wonk" has taken the blueprints one step further by creating an untethered version. Noah Zerkin, a research and development project ...more
Add instant art school style to your outfit by crafting this propeller Steampunk brass ring. Steampunk style, which fuses Victorian/industrial age style with anachronisms like old watch parts and propellers, is on trend right now with Hollywood as well as the indie craft scene ...more
In this tutorial, we learn how to install a car alarm on a Viper 5900. First, read your manual and figure out which wires go where, then label them so you don't confuse them. Next, grab all the tools you will need and have them prepared and ready. After this, find the electric ...more
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 ele ...more
Watch this video from This Old House to learn how to install an air valve for a hot-water heating system. Steps: 1. Turn off water leading to the boiler. 2. Mark the pipe for cutting, which allows the installation of the air valve. 3. Use reciprocating saw to cut out section ...more
Watch this video from This Old House to learn how to create zones in a hot water system. Steps: 1 Turn off cold-water line to boiler; shut the electricity to boiler. 2 Drain water from boiler, if there’s no floor drain remove water with electric pump. 3 Cut copper pipe coming ...more
A blinky bug is a small electro-mechanical insect that responds to stimulus, such as movement, vibrations, or air current, by blinking its LED eyes. This video will show you how to make a blinky bug for under 6 dollars and without having to solder.
Watch this video from This Old House to learn how to fix a sweating toilet. Steps: 1. Turn off water and drain the pipes. 2. Cut a tee-fitting into a nearby hot-water water pipe. 3. Dry-assemble the various copper pipes and fittings to the anti-sweat valve. 4. Solder together ...more
Watch this video from This Old House to learn how to vent a bathroom fan. Steps:1. Screw the humidifier to a wall near the furnace. 2. Cut away insulation from the duct using a utility knife. 3. Position the hole-cutting template onto side of duct. 4. Drill pilot hole through ...more
In this video series, watch as professional sound engineer Kip Bradford teaches how to make and repair audio cables. Learn the tools needed to repair and make audio cables, learn what kind of solder to use, learn the types of connectors and wires to use, how to solder audio ca ...more
Steps: 1. Turn off water and power to water heater. 2. Use garden hose to drain water from heater's tank. 3. Cut copper pipe just above the corroded connection using a tubing cutter. 4. Use two pipe wrenches to loosen the old union. 5. Remove the old union from the steel pipe ...more
Watch this video from This Old House to learn how to install a frost proof faucet. Steps: 1. Turn off the water and drain the old hose faucet, also called the sillcock. 2. Use emery cloth to clean the copper water pipe leading to the hose faucet. 3. Cut the pipe using a tubin ...more
Old Hard Drive + MP3 player = Music This equation just doesn't make sense. If you're an iPod addict, the HD element is redundant! Well, take a second look at what constitutes a speaker and what a hard drive is made of. They are more alike than you'd think. Rip apart a junked ...more