Filed under: google hacks, news

The webcast for Google's new Chrome browser starts at 11PDT. The browser is supposed to feature better memory management. Right now they're opening with Led Zeppelin and Queen, so I guess it's supposed to be rockin' as well. Download it for Windows here. Chromium source available here.Read | Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Filed under: misc hacks, peripherals hacks, daily

[ERASME] built this interactive globe interface for an exhibit on Inuit people and their land. The goal was to have a tactile input device to Google Earth data. The unit is composed of a half globe for location selection, a touch pad for layer selection, and a Wiimote for view changes.They had to develop their own driving application for Google Earth as none exists for Linux. The software, called KeyEvents takes inputs from all the devices and mimics keyboard and mouse control in Google Earth.

There is much more information on how they got the pieces to work together, as well as some videos in french showing the device working. One thing that stands out though is that they decided to use direct association on their Wiimote, thus stopping rogue Wiimotes from gaining control. Who would carry a Wiimote around just to hijack public displays? We would.

[thanks Leucos]Read | Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Filed under: misc hacks, daily

[Mark Roy] designed this fine RGB LED desktop clock. It uses a PIC16F877A microcontroller and a DS1307N Real Time Clock. There is a ring of 12 RGB LEDs around the perimeter. Hours are indicated in red, minutes green, and seconds blue. If the hands overlap, the colors are mixed. Three buttons are used to set the time and it can run on as little as 0.7volts. You can find out more about the project on Stellar Core. He has plans to kit it in the future.Read | Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Filed under: misc hacks, daily

[Cliff Miller] pointed out this incredible project from 2004. [John Pultorak]'s journey began in late 2000 when he decided to build a 60's or 70's era minicomputer. While gathering technical documentation, he found some interesting information on the Apollo Guidance Computer and felt that was the way to go. The AGC was the first integrated circuit computer ever built. Designed by MIT in 1964 it was constructed from ~5000 ICs, almost all 3-input NOR gates. [John]'s version uses late 1960's 74LS TTL logic which gains him a 10 to 1 reduction in the number of ICs. A good thing when you have to do ~15K wirewrap connections. He also used flipflops and register chips instead of building everything from NOR gates. [John] essentially built the AGC three times: First, he coded a simulator in C++. Then, he imported the logic design into CircuitMaker to verify that it would actually work. Finally, he built the 3 by 5foot machine. He's provided an amazing amount of documentation for anyone that wants to explore this device and the overview alone is well worth a look.Read | Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Filed under: gameboy hacks, peripherals hacks, daily

Reader [John Grayson], known for his multiconsole portable, has constructed a brand new portable. Not liking the controls or the tethered nature of retro TV games he decided to build a modular portable system. He built a custom system that uses cartridges created from TV game systems. The device has a 5.4" screen and two Canon batteries for 4.5 hours of play.Read | Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Filed under: cellphones hacks, news

Engadget has a full gallery of the new HTC Dream, the first production phone running Android. It will be available on T-Mobile some time this Fall (missing features notwithstanding).Read | Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Filed under: news

MySpace users are very familiar with the visage of their first "friend" and MySpace cofounder [Tom Anderson], but did you ever wonder what he used to do before he became everyone's friend? TechCrunch's investigative reporting revealed that [Tom] was a hacker in the eighties who hacked into the Chase Manhattan Bank computer system, which attracted the attention of the FBI. Under the handle "Lord Flathead", he became the leader of a black hat hacker group by the time he was fourteen. His activities (along with those of other hackers) led to one of the largest FBI raids in California history. Because he was a minor at the time, he was not arrested, but put on probation in exchange for an agreement to stop committing computer crimes. This definitely makes having [Tom Anderson] on your friends list just a bit more interesting, doesn't it?

[via Digg]Read | Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Filed under: misc hacks, daily

[David Steeman] sent us this project. He uses a consumer scale to measure rocket engine thrust. He wanted to be able to map the thrust curve of his homemade rocket motors to determine whether they are meeting the design goals. It does this by measuring the force applied by the rocket engine via a microcontroller that records it in a text file on a computer. He then analyzes this data in an Excel spreadsheet.

The sensors were harvested from a consumer scale while the rest of the electronics were built by hand. He's using a PIC 18F2550 microcontroller which has a built in USB interface. He has breakdowns of each piece with detailed information on how it works as well as some nice pictures. There is also a list of future improvements that he would like to do such as increasing sample speed, integrating it with the ignition, and decreasing the physical size. Files for the schematic, firmware, and excel spreadsheet are available for download at the bottom of the page, so keep scrolling down.Read | Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Filed under: misc hacks, news

[Adam] and [Jamie] from Mythbusters built a paintball gun with 1100 barrels as some graphics card marketing gimmick. It's a formidable beast, but we're sure it takes forever to prep.

[via Laughing Squid]Read | Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Filed under: pcs hacks

We've been watching the progress of the Space Cube since 2004, but PC Pro managed to get their hands on it first. Developed by the Shimafuji Corporation, it comes with 16 megabytes of flash memory and a version of Red Hat is run off a 1 gigabyte CompactFlash card. The design of the Space Cube is pretty minimal, but it's got the basics down, from a USB port to a VGA output and a D-SUB RS232 input, and even an Ethernet port. The most interesting thing about it is the Space Wire port, which is a proprietary interface use by NASA, the ESA, and JAXA for outer space. Unfortunately for working hackers, this ingenious micro-computer will set you back about £1,500.

[via NOTCOT]Read | Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Filed under: news, solar hacks

Producing ice without electricity just got a lot easier thanks to these engineering students from San Jose State University. Their system uses solar heat to facilitate evaporation of a coolant. When the sun goes down and the coolant turns back to liquid, its temperature drops drastically due to extreme pressure differences. The unit can produce 14 pounds of ice per day with zero carbon footprint. It has no moving parts and an entirely sealed system, this should mean that the only maintenance necessary would be keeping the unit clean.
[via DVICE]Read | Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Filed under: news

Today, Comcast updated their Acceptable Use Policy to cover exactly what they feel is "excessive use". When the Comcast cap starts October 1st, they will contact people breaking the 250GB per month transfer limit and ask them to curb their usage. While it'll be hard for most people to hit this limit, we still wonder if policing 0.1% of the customer base is worth the effort. At least Comcast has bothered to state the limit instead of just secretly rewriting the meaning of the word "unlimited" like some providers.

[via DSLReports]

[photo: monoglot]Read | Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Filed under: handhelds hacks

This is another fine project to come out of the benheck forums. [sam_thornley] built this portable game system last Fall. It uses the guts of a JAKKS Namco TV arcade stick. The composite signal from the board is connected to a 2.5" Intec screen with a CCFL backlight. Four rechargable AA batteries are in the case for 2.5 hours of play. It doesn't have sound, but he says the TV games' sound pales to the original anyway. It's certainly a nice compact build in a regular project box.

[via Engadget]Read | Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Filed under: digital audio hacks

OObject compiled a list of 16 circuit bent kids' toys found on YouTube. There's a broad range here: from Speak & Spells, to Pikachus, to Game Boys, and even the odd vinyl based toy. It's an interesting list, but you won't find a single soothing sound in the group.

[via Gizmodo]Read | Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Filed under: handhelds hacks, news

You should be able to get your hands on your Wiz as soon as October. The Wiz, also known as the GP3X is the highly anticipated follow up to the GP2X, a handheld game system that runs linux. Sporting a 533 MHz ARM processor, 64 MB of RAM, a 2.8 inch OLED display, 5 hour battery life, and 16 GB of storage, its a heck of a deal. Where else can you get a portable with those specs, bundled with Flash player 7, DivX, Xvid, and MPEG playback for $179?

These units are supposed to be as hackable as the previous version. We've seen GPS and USB ports added as well as qtopia and Windows 95 run on them.

Correction: the 16GB of storage on the Engadget site is a typo. This unit comes with 1GB.

[via Engadget]Read | Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Filed under: cellphones hacks, digital cameras hacks

The camera lens on the iPhone is much like any other cameraphone lens in the fact that the lens has a fixed minimum and maximum focus length. If you want to get a little closer to your subject, you just might want to give [eastrain's] macro camera mod a try.

According to [eastrain] both first and second generation iPhone cameras have a screw type focus ring that has been glued to infinity from the factory. This was probably set so that 99% of your photos were roughly in focus.

Gaining access to the camera lens requires the disassembly of your phone and will undoubtedly void any type of warranty you may have had. Once the lens is in view you will need to break the 2 glue points that hold the lens at its current position.

Using needle nose pliers you can then rotate the lens counter clockwise to increase the zoom or clockwise to decrease it. Enabling the built in camera app allows you to see in real time your changes. When you're satisfied, just put everything back together. Of course the next step should be an externally mounted ring to allow manual zooming on the fly.Read | Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Filed under: misc hacks, digital audio hacks

It's been a long time coming but that highly sought after open source mixer, the aurora224 is now available for purchase on the company's website. The aurora mixer is a fully programmable USB mixer complete with 24 back lit knobs, 2 faders, and a single crossfader.

While the instructions on how to assemble your own mixer from scratch have been available for sometime now, many wanted a kit complete with everything needed to avoid having to source the parts themselves.

The aurora mixer is available in 2 versions, a fully assembled turn key deck and a DIY kit that requires the use of a soldering iron and the ability to follow directions.

So, if you've wanted to build your own aurora mixer but never knew where to start, this may be your lucky day. Don't wait too long as you have until September 1st to get your order in.Read | Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Filed under: misc hacks, peripherals hacks, daily

[Jon Bennett] sent us this link to his Wifi Robot. After playing with a Linksys WRT54GL router, he was inspired to build something that would utilize this embedded Linux system. Using a thrift store R/C truck, he built a wireless robot rover. This thing can be controlled over the internet, or by laptop with a range of about 500 meters.

The router has been modified to have 2 Serial ports and a 1GB SD Card. It connects to a micro controller, which could be an Arduino or AVR Butterfly. He has supplied information for both. The truck has been mostly gutted, leaving only the chassis and electronics. He had to beef up some of the truck electronics when they fried under the load. The entire unit is powered by a pair of 7.2 Volt 3800 mAh battery packs. The most important thing on the list though, is the horn. You can honk the horn while you are driving this thing around.

The site supplies tons of information including pictures of his build, videos of it in action, speed tests, schematics, software downloads, and resource links. Great job [Jon].Read | Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Filed under: cellphones hacks, news, security hacks

[greenmymac] on the MacRumors forums recently exposed a security flaw that allows anyone full access to a locked iPhone running firmware version 2.0.2. The flaw works by entering the emergency call menu of a locked iPhone, and double tapping the home button. This opens the iPhone's Favorites menu, allowing anyone in your Favorites to be called. From here, an attacker has access to your SMS messages and potentially your email or Safari browser. While we are sure that Apple has a patch for this flaw on the way in the next firmware update, there is a temporary way to secure your locked iPhone. Simply enter the Settings menu on your iPhone and enter General > Home Button and select "Home" or "iPod". Now when you double tap your home button, it will navigate to either your home screen or the iPod screen. While this fix might be annoying for some, as of right now it seems like the only way to secure your locked iPhone.

[photo: Refracted Moments[TM]]

[via Gizmodo]Read | Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Filed under: downloads hacks

During the last day the web has been abuzz about Mozilla Labs' Ubiquity. It's an addon for Firefox that can help you streamline how you get things done on the web. In the example above, they show constructing an email with a map and reviews using mostly keyboard driven input. The addon is quick to install and we think you'll find it saving you a lot of time on tasks you'd normally hit the search box for. In the popup, you can do quick Wikipedia lookups, define words, translate, perform calculations, and many other operations. You can email a page to someone by just typing three words. The best part is: anyone can write a command that will expand Ubiquity's function. Greasemonkey helped fix broken websites and we think Ubiquity will help make interactions between sites much easier. We can't wait to see what clever uses people come up with.Read | Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments