Active Other Devices Posts
How To: Run Boxee on an AppleTV Using a Patch Stick
By loading Boxee onto your AppleTV, you can use it to watch content from Hulu, Comedy Central, CBS and other streaming TV websites. You can also play Internet radio, listen to your mp3s and view your photo library without ever having to go near iTunes. All you need is a patch stick with the right program installed, run it, and then update the Boxee software from the Apple TV system.
How To: Hack someone's web cam or online security camera
This tutorial will let you hack into a wide selection of web cams and online security cameras. The hack is actually quite easy, and is best done with a browser like Mozilla Firefox. Navigate to Google in your browser, and then type in "inurl:viewerframe?mode+refresh". This piece of code will open up a list of active webcams. Then just surf through your choices and watch whatever you want. You can even change the camera angle and zoom in and out of the picture!
How To: Repair headphones by soldering
Teaching the basics of soldering, you should be able to learn how to fix broken headphones. There should be two wires protected by a covering, one which is a silvery metal and an orange wire which is your copper wire. Taking the plate for your speakers, there should be two connections where the wires belong. Using your soldering material, melt some onto your soldering gun and apply it to the two sites of the connection on your speaker plate. Place your wires on the correct areas and carefully...
Coming Soon: Spy Video Glasses with Real Time Streaming to... Facebook?
Lady Gaga and Polaroid's upcoming Grey Label Camera Glasses can record video and snap pictures, but who really wants to show the world what they're up too on those mini LCD screens? It's nothing more than a fancy gimmick between a pop star and a failing company. Isn't the intention of camera glasses to capture things around you as they are? Drawing attention to yourself with clunky video-displaying eyewear kind of defeats the purpose, but that's why they're "fashion" glasses and not practical...
How To: Create a radiation detector using a digital camera and a plastic scintillator
If you're interested in creating a dosimeter using simple tools, take a look at this video. Using a digital camera, a plastic scintillator, and some tape a radiation dosimeter can be crafted allowing for radiation information to be collected with simple materials.
How To: Repair the Vivitar 285's Flash Foot
In this tutorial, we learn how to repair the Vivitar 285's Flash Foot. First, remove the flash foot using a soldering iron. Melt the solder just enough, don't ruin the wires or the backing. Now, set the iron down and then short the wires out, you will see the flash go off when you do this. Trim of the exposed wire from the end, then wrap a small amount of electrical tape around the wires. After this, you will repair the metal around where the wires were connected. Then, solder the wires back ...
How To: Make a persistence of vision device
Make a cool indoor decoration with the persistence of vision (POV) kit. While the first part of the video is a demenstration of what the POV kit does, in the second half of the video, Bre Pettis shows you how to make one.
How To: Build a universal motion alarm to protect your home
This video shows us the method to make a universal motion alarm to protect your home. You will need a reed switch with an alternating contact, a 9V battery with a battery clip, a switch, a buzzer, a small plastic box and a magnet. When a magnet is brought near the reed switch, it switches to the other contact and the switch is open. If the magnet is removed, the switch is closed and the buzzer starts ringing. Make the circuit with correct polarity for battery and the buzzer. Make a hole in th...
How To: Build a Small DIY Hydrogen Fuel Cell Science Experiment
The hydrogen fuel cell has great potential to replace carbon-based fuels in our vehicle fleets and stave off global warming. It's a difficult concept intellectually, so why not make this fun little science experiment to try it out for yourself? Yes, by following these simple instructions you can make a small hydrogen fuel cell at home that will even power some devices!
How To: Troubleshoot Common Problems with a CD Player
CD players are largely a thing of the past, but their audio quality is still top-notch. If your old CD player is broken, watch this video for ideas on ways to troubleshoot common CD player problems and repair them.
How To: Replace ink cartridges in an Epson Artisan
We all know how frustrating it can be to replace ink cartridges in a printer. With the Epson Artisan printer, the task is simple and easy. The hardest part about replacing the cartridge is selecting the correct one. Even this job is made easy by the numbers on the cartridge casings. Simply pull off the tab before replacing, pop in the new one until it clicks, and you're ready to start printing whatever your heart desires. Exceed your vision!
How To: Graph Mario on a TI-83 Calculator
When it comes to graphing and comparing functions, the TI-83 graphing calculator is the end-all device for math and science students. But one of the most entertaining aspects of Texas Instruments' powerful algebraic and trigonometric calculator is not the equations themselves, but rather the art that can be "equated" on them—just think of them as the mathematical equivalent of the Etch A Sketch.
How To: Use Quick Connect Wireless with Epson projectors
In this tutorial, we learn how to use Quick Connect Wireless with Epson Projectors. First, make sure you have one cable connected to the projector and one cable connected to the computer with a USB streamline. This makes it much easier and more efficient to plug in your projector. As soon as you plug this in, you will see a message appear on your notebook, then the screen will star to appear on the projector as it does on the notebook. It will take a few seconds, depending on the monitor and ...
How To: Use magnetic card readers and writers with your PC
Magnetic card readers can make e-transactions far simpler, especially for people who are running their own small business. You can also watch this video to learn about card writers, which can let you create your own magnetic cards (such as a membership card) to track your customers' activity.
News: Japan's Flying, Tumbling Reconnaissance Sphere Soars at 37 MPH
Flying orbs. At first, you might think of the Tall Man and his army of flying sentinel spheres, equipped with zombie brains and a mini-arsenal of saw blades, drill bits and shooting lasers. But these flying orbs weren't conceived from the evil mind of a superhuman mortician—they were designed by Fumiyuki Sato, a researcher at the Japanese Defense Ministry's Technical Research and Development Institute—for something other than deadly deeds.
How To: Begin circuit bending
Looking to get into the weird world of circuit bending? In this four part video tutorial geared towards beginners, learn in thirty minutes how to circuit bend. Tools you will need include a soddering iron with innerchangeable tips (thin pencil preferred), thin sodder, hook-up wire, a wire cutter, a wire stripper, a drill with drill bits, plyers (needle nose included), and screw drivers of various small sizes. Other useful tools include cresent wrenches for toggle switches, jewelers files, & a...
How To: Navigate and use the user interface on an Apple iPad
Whether you're the proud owner of a brand new Apple iPad or are merely considering picking one up, you're sure to appreciate this video tutorial, which presents a complete overview of how to use the mobile device's user interface. For more information, including detailed, step-by-step instructions, watch this iPad user's guide.
How To: Make your own air conditioner
Step by step instructions on how to make an air conditioner using parts that cost less than $40.
How To: Remove CD scratches with a banana
Instead of using that banana to make another how to put on a condom video, learn how to remove CD scratches with it.
How To: Set up and use the Sony Internet TV Blu-ray Disc player (NSZ-GT1 / Google TV)
If you've already gotten your hands on Sony's Internet TV Blu-ray Disc Player, powered by Google TV, then you know how powerful this thing is. But if you're thinking of getting one soon, this video series will help you learn what you'll be getting yourself into.
How To: Make a laser out of a lighter
Kipkay has a new cool project for you. In this video, you'll learn how to make a laser out of a lighter. All you need to do is a cheap butane lighter. Any one will do, including one bought from a convenience store. Just watch this how-to video, and you'll be playing with your laser pointer in no time at all!
How To: Add Mic Input and Headphones Output to Samsung HMX-T10 Camcorder
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.
How To: Use a CRT oscilloscope
Wondering how to use an old-timey oscilloscope? Learn how with this video tutorial, which offers step-by-step instructions on setting up and adjusting an old cathode ray tube oscilloscope for the measurment of signals. For more information, or to get started using your own oscilloscope, take a look.
News: Copycat Apple Stores Emerge in China (Don't Let Them Fool You!)
It's no secret that Apple has retail stores in China, along with a large amount of Premium and Authorized Resellers. But a recent post by blogger BirdAbroad has caused quite a commotion in the world of all things Apple, claiming that in her home city of Kunming, there is another breed of Apple Store locations... "Un"Authorized ones.
News: FakeTV Keeps Burglars Away by Mimicking Television Light and Scene Changes
In the last decade, burglary rates in the United States have fluctuated little with over 2 million burglaries each year. In 2009, nearly three quarters of all burglaries were from residential properties, with over sixty percent being forcible entry. But we all know burglars don't like confrontation—they prefer breaking into apartments and houses when its owners are away. And that's why it's a must for apartment dwellers and homeowners to be on the defensive, even when they're not home.
News: The World's First Teensy, Weensy 3D Printed Bikini
For the hefty price of $200 and up, you can be the proud owner of the world's first 3D printed bikini. And not just the first bikini, but reportedly the first functional and affordable item of ready-to-wear 3D printed clothing on the market. Created by Continuum Fashion, the N12 3D printed bikini is revolutionary because it addresses the technical challenge of creating flexible "textiles" with 3D printed material. The bikini is made of a material called Nylon 12, which is entirely waterproof.
Tactile Communication: The Tickle-Me iPhone & Remote French Kissing
In recent years, communication has become more intimate with the advent of applications like Skype and FaceTime, but what about the longing for actual physical contact? What if you could feel a loved one's hand, or even exchange a kiss? Impossible, right?
News: New Biometric Device Steals Fingerprints from 6 Feet Away
Dactyloscopy isn’t going anywhere. Forensic science has much relied on fingerprinting as a means of identification, largely because of the massive amount of fingerprints stored in the FBI’s biometric database (IAFIS), which houses over 150,000 million prints. And thanks to the departure of messy ink-stained fingertips, biometric analysis isn’t just for solving crimes anymore.
How To: Use a metal detector to find gold and gold nuggets
This video will show you how to use a metal detector to look for gold. There are gold nuggets in rivers and hillsides all over the United States, waiting for you to find them. With the proper equipment and a little know how, you can strike gold!
Amazing Invention of the Day: The Fastidious Icky Goo Scooper
Outstanding advancements in medicine and super creepy Androids aren't the only jaw-dropping inventions out there. Every once in a while, an incredibly random—and at first glance, seemingly useless—device comes along and strikes a chord of strangely deep satisfaction. Behold, the SWITL, a mysterious goo-scraper robot hand created by factory equipment manufacturer Furukawa Kikou: From what I can glean from a very rough Google translation, it sounds like the SWITL was developed for food producti...
How To: Make a night vision device
Ever wish you could see in the dark? Well, you can't but this how-to will show you a way to build a device to help you out. You will need light polarizors, a flashlight, and a digital camera. Make an infrared night vision device, just follow along with the steps in this video tutorial. Now you can see at night!
News: The Stupid Orchestra
How can an orchestra be stupid, one may ask? Well, when musically measuring a toaster next to a cello, one device certainly comes across as inherently… dumber. Think 200 vintage vacuum cleaners, blenders and washing machines assembled into a whirling, ringing, humming cacophony of daily function. It's not exactly music to the ears, but a kind of robotic harmony is formed.
News: The Anti-Cheater Hidden Camera Wall Hook
WonderHowTo loves gadgets. We also tend to enjoy getting our hands (just a little bit) dirty. So, naturally, Brando's Wall Hook Coat Hanger Camcorder is the latest gadget to excite. Disguised as a coat hanger, the device is actually a camera triggered by motion detection. And paired with the see-all glass doorknob, your significant other ain't getting away with nothing...
How To: Play tetris on a simple Canon calculator
This "how to" works with some Canon calculators. By entering a specific code you can play a very simple form of the classic video game Tetris! Have Fun :) Play tetris on a simple Canon calculator.
How To: Transform Multiple Screens into One Big Virtual Display
The Junkyard Jumbotron is an amazing project that allows a collection of random web browser enabled displays—laptops, smartphones or tablets—to share a single image split across the group, creating one large virtual display. Created by Rick Borovoy at MIT's Center for Future Civic Media, the app is completely free and open, meaning you can do it yourself in a matter of minutes. It works like this:
News: Print Yourself in 3D
Since the early genesis of the brilliant Microsoft Kinect hack, inventive applications have been popping up nonstop. One of the most fascinating projects to surface recently falls within the realm of 3D printing. "Fabricate Yourself"—a hack presented at the Tangible, Embedded and Embodied Interaction Conference in January—allows users to pose in front of an Xbox Kinect, which then converts a captured image into a 3D printable file. What does this mean exactly? Think Han Solo trapped in carbon...
Size Matters: World's Largest Touchscreen Hacked Together with Ordinary Hardware
It's gigantic! It can handle over 100 simultaneous touch points! It has a curvature of 135 degrees! And best of all, it is not the newest, insanely expensive gadget to hit the market. Instead, this touchscreen was hacked together with a bunch of PCs, video cameras, projectors and cheap infrared illuminators at the University of Groningen, in the Netherlands. It works like this: "The cameras, illuminators and projectors are all placed behind a large, cylindrical screen (formally used as a 3D t...
How To: Skip commercials with your Comcast DVR remote control
In this tutorial, we learn how to skip commercials with your Comcast DVR remote control. First, press the cable button, then press and hold the set up button until the cable button blinks twice. Now, enter in "994" on your remote. After this, the cable button will blink twice again. Now, press the setup button again and type in "00173", then press a button you don't use a lot. Now, the cable button will blink again. Now, turn on a show you have recorded and it will just through the commercial...
How To: Make a bristlebot (toothbrush robot, get it?)
The BristleBot is a simple and tiny robot with an agenda. The ingredients? One toothbrush, a battery, and a pager motor. The result? Serious fun. The BristleBot is our take on the popular vibrobot, a simple category of robot that is controlled by a single vibrating (eccentric) motor.
How To: Use Huluplus to watch movies and shows on the Roku Digital Video Player
The Roku Digital Video Player is one of the best of the net-video-streaming boxes to come out over the last few years, and now is partnered with Hulu to offer Huluplus on it's devices. This video will show you how to use Huluplus on a Roku to watch all your favorite Hulu content quickly and easily.