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• Toolbox Mod Makes the Wii Ultra Portable

  - by Jason Fitzpatrick

  Given the social nature of most Wii games, modifying a toolbox to serve as a Wii briefcase to make toting it to a friend’s house easy is only fitting. Courtesy of tinker SpicaJames, we find this simple but effective toolbox modification. James originally started his search by investigating getting a Pelican case for his Wii and accessories. When he found the $125 price tag prohibitive (as many of us would for such a side project) he sought out alternatives. A cheap $12 toolbox, a little impact foam, and some handy work with a pair of tin snips to cut out shapes for the Wiimotes, and he had a super cheap and easy to pack and unpack Wii briefcase. Hit up the link below to check out the pictures of his build. Wii Briefcase (translated by Google Translate) [via Hack A Day] Can Dust Actually Damage My Computer? What To Do If You Get a Virus on Your Computer Why Enabling “Do Not Track” Doesn’t Stop You From Being Tracked

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• Rasbperry Pi Mod Offers One Button Audiobook Playback

  - by Jason Fitzpatrick

  How do you design an audiobook player for an elderly book lover who doesn’t want to wrestle with new technology? Simple and with a single button interface is a great place to start. This clever and thoughtful build comes to us courtesy of tinker Michael Clemens. His wife’s grandmother, in her 90s, is visually impaired but still loves to take in books via audiobooks. In an effort to make modern MP3 audiobooks accessible to her, Michael built a dedicated audiobook reader based off Rasbperry Pi and programmed it to use a single button. The system boots, loads the audiobook it finds on the attached USB drive, and loads up its track position from memory. Press the button to resume play or, for a refresher, hold the button for four seconds to start the track over. While you may not be in the market for a one-button audiobook player for an elderly relative, the same simple design could be easily adopted, via new scripts, to another function. Hit up the link below to read more about the build. The One Button Audiobook Player [via Hack A Day] How To Play DVDs on Windows 8 6 Start Menu Replacements for Windows 8 What Is the Purpose of the “Do Not Cover This Hole” Hole on Hard Drives?

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• Turn the Cables from Your Gaming or Electronics Setup into a Wall-Based Work of Art

  - by Asian Angel

  When it comes to gaming setups or our favorite electronics, there are always lots of cables to deal with. Now you could just bundle those cables up and try to hide them as best you can or you could turn them into a work of art… You can see additional pictures and find out how to set up your own wall-based work of art with those cables by visiting the blog post linked below. Feature Friday: Cords Away [via There I Fixed It] Here’s How to Download Windows 8 Release Preview Right Now HTG Explains: Why Linux Doesn’t Need Defragmenting How to Convert News Feeds to Ebooks with Calibre

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• Cool a Computer with Toilet Water

  - by Jason Fitzpatrick

  When most people opt to use water cooling they put together tidy coolant reservoirs complete with ambient lighting and the like. This build involves a hole in the wall and the tank of a functioning toilet. The design, courtesy of Jeff Gagnon, is unconventional, but effective. Opposite of his wall-mounted PC is a bathroom. In that bathroom he has a coolant pump in the tank of the toilet. Using the toilet tank as a thermal sink he keeps the CPU at a nice chilly 66F. Hit up the link below for more pictures, including a peek inside his hacked together toilet-tank cooling rig. How to Cool a PC with Toilet Water [Extreme Tech] How to Sync Your Media Across Your Entire House with XBMC How to Own Your Own Website (Even If You Can’t Build One) Pt 2 How to Own Your Own Website (Even If You Can’t Build One) Pt 1

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• Geek Chess: Nixie Tubes as Board Pieces [Video]

  - by Jason Fitzpatrick

  We’ve seen some geeky chessboards in our day, but this board is a masterpiece of geekiness. Check out the video to see the Nixie tubes in action. Courtesy of a tinker named Tony, we find this delightfully analog and geeky chess set. He writes: This developed as a spinoff from the hardware and controllers I’m designing for a range of nixie clocks and watches as a ‘simple’ project that wouldn’t need much software to complete it. All visible parts are made from materials contemporary with Nixie technology and no modern plastics or resins are used anywhere in its’ consruction (other than the electronic components and PCBs). The board and pieces are machined from phenolic resin laminate and assembled using brass fittings. The brown base pieces have been filled and wiped with gold and silver engravers wax, giving a ‘worn gilding’ appearance. The displays are ex-Soviet Nixie gas display tubes, manufactured in the early 1980s. No Chinese LEDs here… How to Banish Duplicate Photos with VisiPic How to Make Your Laptop Choose a Wired Connection Instead of Wireless HTG Explains: What Is Two-Factor Authentication and Should I Be Using It?

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• Remote Control Holder Mod Stores Tablet Close At Hand

  - by Jason Fitzpatrick

  If you spend most of your iPad time lounging on your couch or in bed, this simple IKEA hack will keep your favorite tablet stowed right at your finger tips. IKEA’s inexpensive remote control holder, the $4.99 Flort, is easy to hack from a remote holster into an tablet holder. You simply flip it around, sew up the edge of the back flap, and holster your tablet in it–your tablet fits all the way inside, in the above image the iPad is tucked in semi-precariously to demonstrate it sliding inside. Hit up the link below for step-by-step pictures. Smartest Way to Store Your iPad for $4.99 [IKEAHackers] HTG Explains: When Do You Need to Update Your Drivers? How to Make the Kindle Fire Silk Browser *Actually* Fast! Amazon’s New Kindle Fire Tablet: the How-To Geek Review

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• Repurpose a Kobo Reader as a Weather Station

  - by Jason Fitzpatrick

  Last month we showed you a clever hack that converted an old Kindle into a weather station; this new hack uses a Kobo ebook reader (cheaper hardware) and ditches the external server (less overhead). Even better, this new hack is simpler to deploy. You’ll need a Kobo unit, a free installer bundle courtesy of Kevin Short over at the MobileRead forums, and a few minutes to toggle on telnet access to your Kobo and run the installer. Hit up the link below to read more about the self-contained mod. Kobo Wi-Fi Weather Forecast [via Hack A Day] Can Dust Actually Damage My Computer? What To Do If You Get a Virus on Your Computer Why Enabling “Do Not Track” Doesn’t Stop You From Being Tracked

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• Repurpose Old Phones As Intercoms

  - by Jason Fitzpatrick

  If you’ve got some old wired telephones laying around for want of a project, this simple hack turns two wired phones into an intercom. Over at Hack A Day, Caleb Kraft shares his simple phone hack inspired by his VW bus. He writes: In case you haven’t noticed from my many comments on the subject, I drive a VW bus. It is a 1976 Westfalia camper with sage green paint and green plaid upholstery. I absolutely love it and so does the rest of my family. We go for drives in the country as well as camping regularly. We have found that the kids have a hard time communicating with us while we’re going higher speeds. These things aren’t the quietest automobiles in the world. Pushing this bread loaf shaped hunk of steel down the road with an engine that might top out at 75hp results in wind noise, engine noise, and of course, vibration. I decided to employ a really old hack to put two functional telephones in the bus so my kids can talk to my wife (or whoever the passenger is) without screaming quite so loud. This hack is extremely easy, fairly cheap, and can be done in just a few minutes. The result is a functional intercom that you could use pretty much anywhere! For more pics of his setup (and a neat video of his rather retro ride), check out the link below. Hack Your Kindle for Easy Font Customization HTG Explains: What Is RSS and How Can I Benefit From Using It? HTG Explains: Why You Only Have to Wipe a Disk Once to Erase It

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• IKEA Lamps Hacked into Flexible Speaker Mounts

  - by Jason Fitzpatrick

  This simple hack combines the swing arms of two IKEA work lamps with a set of computer speakers for flexible and easily adjustable sound. IKEAHackers reader Bill Dwyer wanted an easy way to get the speakers off his desk but still be able to easily adjust them. By hacking apart two IKEA work lamps (he removed the light assembly and snipped the wires off) he was able to attach his computer speakers to the arms and, in the process, get them off the desk. The arms make it super simple to adjust the speakers exactly where he wants them, including towards other parts of his office/apartment. Hit up the link below to check out more pictures and read Bill’s instructions. Very Flexible Computer Speaker Mounts [IKEAHackers] Use Your Android Phone to Comparison Shop: 4 Scanner Apps Reviewed How to Run Android Apps on Your Desktop the Easy Way HTG Explains: Do You Really Need to Defrag Your PC?

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• Weekend Project: Make Your Own Ferromagnetic Fluid

  - by Jason Fitzpatrick

  Experiments this simple and fun give you no reason to leave all science-based goofing off to the professionals: whip up a beaker of ferromagnetic fluid to capture magnetic waves in motion. The premise is simple: by combing a viscous liquid (in this case vegetable oil) with a magnetic powder (in this case MICR copy toner) and introducing a strong magnetic source (such as neodymium rare earth magnets), you can actually see the magnetic waves in physical space. It’s like the old magnetic filings on the table top trick, but in 3D. Check out the video above to see how you can mix up a batch of your own. How to Make Magnetic Fluid [YouTube] What Is the Purpose of the “Do Not Cover This Hole” Hole on Hard Drives? How To Log Into The Desktop, Add a Start Menu, and Disable Hot Corners in Windows 8 HTG Explains: Why You Shouldn’t Use a Task Killer On Android

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• Hack a Nintendo Zapper into a Real Life Laser Blaster

  - by Jason Fitzpatrick

  Why settle for zapping ducks on the screen when you could be popping balloons and lighting matches on fire? This awesome (but rather dangerous) hack turns an old Nintendo zapper into a legitimate laser gun. Courtesy of the tinkers over at North Street Labs, we’re treated to a Nintendo zapper overhaul that replaces the guts with a powerful 2W blue laser, a battery pack, and a keyed safety switch. Check out the video below to see the laser blaster in action: For more information on the build and a pile of more-than-merited safety warnings, hit up the link below. Nintendo Zapper 2W+ Laser [via Boing Boing] 8 Deadly Commands You Should Never Run on Linux 14 Special Google Searches That Show Instant Answers How To Create a Customized Windows 7 Installation Disc With Integrated Updates

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• Hack a Wireless Doorbell for Customizable Ring Tones

  - by Jason Fitzpatrick

  When it comes to door bells, why limit yourself to a simple bell toll when you could be alerted to visitors by the Super Mario Bros. theme? This customizable doorbell hack brings ring tones to your front door. Check out the video above to see it assembled and in action, then hit up the link below for the wiring diagrams and step-by-step instructions. How to Add Custom Ringtones to a Wireless Doorbell [via Hacked Gadgets] How To Use USB Drives With the Nexus 7 and Other Android Devices Why Does 64-Bit Windows Need a Separate “Program Files (x86)” Folder? Why Your Android Phone Isn’t Getting Operating System Updates and What You Can Do About It

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• CircuitLab Offers Easy Circuit Building on the Web and iPad

  - by Jason Fitzpatrick

  If you like to sketch out your circuit designs rapidly, cleanly, and on the web or your iPad, CircuitLab makes it dead simple. The free tool includes an easy drag-and-drop interface, circuit analysis, easy printing, and more. Watch the video above to see the creators of CircuitLab whipping up a simple circuit to showcase the app, then hit up the link below to try it out. CircuitLab [via Hacked Gadgets] How to Make Your Laptop Choose a Wired Connection Instead of Wireless HTG Explains: What Is Two-Factor Authentication and Should I Be Using It? HTG Explains: What Is Windows RT and What Does It Mean To Me?

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• Modded Portal Gun Levitates a Companion Cube [Video]

  - by Jason Fitzpatrick

  This cleverly designed Portal gun prop levitates a model Companion Cube; the whole setup just begs to be paired with a Halloween costume. Courtesy of Caleb over at Hack A Day: I was out to lunch with a couple friends, brainstorming ideas for fun projects when one of them says “Wouldn’t it be cool if we could build a working gravity gun?”. We all immediately concurred that while it would in fact be cool, it is also a silly proposition. However, only a few seconds later, I realized we could do a display piece that emulated this concept very easily. Floating magnetic globes have been around for quite some time. I determined I would tear the guts out of a stock floating globe and mount it on a portal gun, since they’re easier to find than a gravity gun. I would also build a custom companion cube to be the correct size and weight necessary. Watch the video above and then check out the link below for more information on the build. HTG Explains: What is the Windows Page File and Should You Disable It? How To Get a Better Wireless Signal and Reduce Wireless Network Interference How To Troubleshoot Internet Connection Problems

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• How to Shoot Liquid Flows [Photography]

  - by Jason Fitzpatrick

  If you thought water drops frozen in time were neat, this tutorial shows you how to capture the flow of colored liquids dropped into water–the effects are quite eye catching. The process combines a small tank of water, heavy cream with dye mixed in, and of course some off-camera flashes and a DSLR. Hit up the link below to see the full setup and some beautiful photos. How To Shoot a Liquid Flow [DIYPhotography] How to Use an Xbox 360 Controller On Your Windows PC Download the Official How-To Geek Trivia App for Windows 8 How to Banish Duplicate Photos with VisiPic

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• Old Lock Retrofitted for Wireless and Key-free Entry

  - by Jason Fitzpatrick

  What do you do if the old key your landlord gave you is poor fit for your apartment’s lock? If you’re the geeky sort, you build a wireless unlocking module to do the work for you. Instructables user Rybitski writes: The key to my apartment never worked quite right because it is a copy of a copy of a copy. I am fairly certain that the dead bolt is original to the building and the property manager seems to have lost the original key years ago. As a result unlocking the door was always a pain. Changing the lock wasn’t an option, but eliminating the need to use a key was. To that end, he built the device seen in the video above. An Arduino Uno drives a servo which in turn opens the deadbolt. The whole thing is controlled by a simple wireless key fob. Hit up the link below for the full build guide including code. Key Fob Deadbolt [via Hack A Day] How To Delete, Move, or Rename Locked Files in Windows HTG Explains: Why Screen Savers Are No Longer Necessary 6 Ways Windows 8 Is More Secure Than Windows 7

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• Terminator Skull Crafted from Dollar Store Parts [Video]

  - by Jason Fitzpatrick

  Earlier this year we shared an Iron Man prop build made from Dollar Store parts. The same Dollar Store tinker is at it again, this time building a Terminator endoskull. James Bruton has a sort of mad tinker knack for finding odds and ends at the Dollar Store and mashing them together into novel creations. In the video below, he shows how he took a pile of random junk from the store (plastic bowls, cheap computer speakers, even the packaging the junk came in) and turned it into a surprisingly polished Terminator skull. Hit up the link below for the build in photo-tutorial format. Dollar Store Terminator Endoskull Build [via Make] How to Banish Duplicate Photos with VisiPic How to Make Your Laptop Choose a Wired Connection Instead of Wireless HTG Explains: What Is Two-Factor Authentication and Should I Be Using It?

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• How to Turn a Match into a Miniature Rocket [Video]

  - by Jason Fitzpatrick

  If you’re looking for a novel little stunt to impress your friends this Fourth of July, these tiny matchstick rockets are a cheap and easy trick to pull out of your sleeve. Courtesy of Grathio Labs, all you’ll need is a book of matches, a pin, a paper clip, and some aluminum foil. Watch the video to see how it all comes together: As always, play safely with the fun-but-potentially-dangerous projects we share. [via Make] How to Use an Xbox 360 Controller On Your Windows PC Download the Official How-To Geek Trivia App for Windows 8 How to Banish Duplicate Photos with VisiPic

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• Convert Your Workspace to Standing Height for $22

  - by Jason Fitzpatrick

  If you’d love to try out a standing workstation but you don’t want to shell out $$$ to buy or build one, this simple $22 project will raise up your workspace surface on the cheap. All you need is a LACK side table, some shelf brackets, a shelf, and some screws. The side table goes on your desk, the monitors go on the side table, and the keyboard and mouse go on the shelf (mounted to the brackets that have been positioned at the perfect height for your forearms). Hit up the link below for more pictures, tips, and a downloadable build guide. IKEA Standing Desk for $22 [via Unpluggd] How to Banish Duplicate Photos with VisiPic How to Make Your Laptop Choose a Wired Connection Instead of Wireless HTG Explains: What Is Two-Factor Authentication and Should I Be Using It?

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• Upgrade a Retro Corded Mouse with Wireless Bluetooth Connectivity

  - by Jason Fitzpatrick

  If there’s a beloved retro mouse gathering dust in your office closet for want of wireless connectivity, this detailed tutorial will guide you through upgrading the guts to turn your corded mouse into a Bluetooth model. If you’re handy with a soldering iron and not afraid to hack apart the guts of a modern but inexpensive Bluetooth mouse, you should have no trouble digging right into this project. The end result is a modern mouse packed inside the casing of your old mouse–same old look and feel, brand new engine inside. Hit up the link below to check out the full tutorial. Retro Wireless Apple Mouse [via Lifehacker] HTG Explains: Is ReadyBoost Worth Using? HTG Explains: What The Windows Event Viewer Is and How You Can Use It HTG Explains: How Windows Uses The Task Scheduler for System Tasks

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• Add Custom Color Changing RGB LED Lighting to Your Next Project

  - by Jason Fitzpatrick

  While this specific project is a really neat back-lit bookcase with customizable LED lights galore, you could easily add the exact same setup to just about anything you wanted to give some LED love. The core of the project is a set of addressable LED modules, an Arduino board, and a simple bit of code. You could use it to make a 70s style mood lighting box, add color changing accents to your media room, or any other number of fun projects just by cloning this project and extending/shortening the wires where appropriate. The control module allows for solid colors, multi-colors, and animations. Hit up the link below for more information including the source code. ExpeditInvaders [via IKEAHacker] HTG Explains: What The Windows Event Viewer Is and How You Can Use It HTG Explains: How Windows Uses The Task Scheduler for System Tasks HTG Explains: Why Do Hard Drives Show the Wrong Capacity in Windows?

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• AllSparkCube Packs 4,096 LEDs into a Giant Computer Controlled Display

  - by Jason Fitzpatrick

  LED matrix cubes are nothing new, but this 16x16x16 monster towers over the tiny 4x4x4 desktop variety. Check out the video to see it in action. Sound warning: the music starts off very loud and bass-filled; we’d recommend turning down the speakers if you’re watching from your cube. So what compels someone to build a giant LED cube driven by over a dozen Arduino shields? If you’re the employees at Adaptive Computing, you do it to dazzles crowds and show off your organizational skills: Every time I talk about the All Spark Cube people ask “so what does it do?” The features of the All Spark are the reason it was built and sponsored by Adaptive Computing. The Cube was built to catch peoples’ attention and to demonstrate how Adaptive can take a chaotic mess and inject order, structure and efficiency. We wrote several examples of how the All Spark Cube can demonstrate the effectiveness of a complex data center. If you’re interested in building a monster of your own, hit up the link below for more information, schematics, and videos. How Hackers Can Disguise Malicious Programs With Fake File Extensions Can Dust Actually Damage My Computer? What To Do If You Get a Virus on Your Computer

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• Weekend Project: Build a Fireball Launcher

  - by Jason Fitzpatrick

  What’s more fun than playing with fire? Shooting it from your hands. Put on your robe and wizard hat, make a stop at the hardware store, and spend the weekend trying to convince your friends you’ve acquired supernatural powers. Over at MAKE Magazine, Joel Johnson explains the impetus for his project: A stalwart of close-quarter magicians for years, the electronic flash gun is a simple device: a battery-powered, hand-held ignitor that uses a “glo-plug” to light a bit of flash paper and cotton, shooting a fireball a few feet into the air. You can buy one from most magic shops for around $50, but if you build one on your own, you’ll not only save a few bucks, you’ll also learn how easy it is to add fire effects to almost any electronics project. (And what gadget couldn’t stand a little more spurting flame?) The parts list is minimal but the end effect is pretty fantastic. Hit up the link below for the full build guide, plenty of warnings, and a weekend project that’s sure to impress. How to Own Your Own Website (Even If You Can’t Build One) Pt 3 How to Sync Your Media Across Your Entire House with XBMC How to Own Your Own Website (Even If You Can’t Build One) Pt 2

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• Take Camera Phone Macro Photos with a Cheap Laser Pointer Lens

  - by Jason Fitzpatrick

  Inside those cheap laser pointers you see in the grocery store checkout line there’s a handy little plastic lens that, when slapped on your phone’s camera, makes it easy to take macro photographs. In this tutorial, they take the lens from a laser point and secure it using tape and a bobby pin. An alternative method to achieve the same end (and with a higher quality lens) is to dismantle a CD/DVD drive to source the lens and use painter’s tape to hold the lens in place–this is the technique I used several years ago, check out the tutorial video here. Laser Pointer Macro Lens [via Apartment Therapy] How to Get Pro Features in Windows Home Versions with Third Party Tools HTG Explains: Is ReadyBoost Worth Using? HTG Explains: What The Windows Event Viewer Is and How You Can Use It

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• Turn a Kindle into a Weather Display Station

  - by Jason Fitzpatrick

  The e-ink display, network connectivity, and low-power consumption of Kindle ebook readers make them a perfect candidate for an infrequently refreshed high-visibility display–like a weather display. Read on to see how to hack a Kindle to serve up the local weather. Tinker and hardware hacker Matt Petroff hacked his Kindle to accept input from a web server and then, graciously and in the spirit of geeky projects everywhere, shared his source code. He explains the heart of the project: The server side of the system uses shell and Python scripts to convert weather forecast data into an image for the Kindle. The scripts first download and parse forecast data from NOAA via the National Digital Forecast Database XML/SOAP Service. After parsing the data, the data then needs to be converted into an image. This is accomplished by preprocessing a specially crafted SVG file to insert temperatures, forecast symbols, and days of the week. This SVG is then rendered as a PNG using rsvg-convert and converted to a grayscale, no transparency color space as required by the Kindle using pngcrush. Finally, it is copied to a public location on the web server. The Kindle is set to refresh twice a day (you could easily tweak the scripts for a more frequent refresh) and displays the forecast as seen in the photo above–with crisp and easy to read text and icons. Hit up the link below for more information and the project’s source code. How To Create a Customized Windows 7 Installation Disc With Integrated Updates How to Get Pro Features in Windows Home Versions with Third Party Tools HTG Explains: Is ReadyBoost Worth Using?

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