Psst! Want to Hack Your Hardware? Here's How!
Posted 06/04/08 at 10:15:45 AM by Norman Chan
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Novice: Stealth Your Cables
The unkempt mess of cords and cables under any power user’s desk is a horrific no-man’s-land of dust and disarray. The easiest way to sheathe and organize computer cords is to use foam pipe-insulation. We found a 6-foot-long tube at a local hardware store for less than $2!
Start by deciding which cables to bundle together. Power cables should never be bundled with audio or video cables, since AC current distorts sound and video signals. We recommend grouping your USB and peripheral cables, your power and network cables, and your speaker cables separately.
Measure and cut off a section of insulation tube that’s long enough to house your cables while leaving about a foot of slack at each end. Some tubes are precut or perforated along their ridges, while others will have to be sliced open like a hot dog bun. Lay the bundled cables down along the length of the foam tube. When you release the walls of the tube, they will envelop the cables, keeping them out of sight.
The great thing about these tubes is that the cables can “exit” at any point, so they don’t all have to come out at one end. Use some strong tape or staples to affix the tube underneath your desk. Who knew cable management could be so easy?!
Journeyman: Make a Wi-Fi Extender
Plagued by unreliable Wi-Fi connectivity? We’ve found a cheap and relatively easy way to boost a wireless router’s signal strength by creating a simple parabolic reflector dish to direct Wi-Fi signals to your intended receivers.
All you need is some paper, foil, scissors, glue, and a cutout template that you can find at www.freeantennas.com/projects/template2/ (image A). This Windsurfer antenna design focuses your router’s signals in one direction, which not only helps increase your signal by about 10dB but also improves your wireless privacy by reducing the amount of stray signal headed toward nosy neighbors.
Print out the template on a sheet of regular paper. You can actually scale the image to a larger size—while maintaining the relative dimensions—for a stronger focus. First, cut out the template pieces (images B), then use a glue stick to affix foil to the front of each piece. Use a knife to make cuts on the indicated slits and bend the reflector to fit the six tabs into the respective holes.
Slide the booster over the existing antenna of your router and point it in the desired direction (image C). Your results may vary depending on the build quality of your reflector, and making two dishes will give you better boost if your router has two antennas. Use a free network-performance measurement tool such as NetStumbler (www.netstumbler.com) or Qcheck (http://tinyurl.com/3csl3l) to test your router’s throughput.
Next: Half-Baked Hacks - Please Don't Try These
Tracking
Submitted by PhoneyVirus on Fri, 09/04/2009 - 6:49pm
You got to love Hardware Hacks
Audigy2
Submitted by Keith E. Whisman on Mon, 07/21/2008 - 2:13pm
Does the Audigy2 share the same pin arrangement as the Xfi?
Pocket PC display
Submitted by beef_wellington on Tue, 07/08/2008 - 7:40pm
Very nice my Dell Axim has been collecting dust for quite some time now and I was about to buy one of those programable LCD displays to show my temps during gaming sessions. Finding a new use for an old tool is one of the most satisfying feelings. Thanks Norm
charging station
Submitted by Shalbatana on Tue, 07/08/2008 - 7:27am
Just as another option, at the auto store you can buy one of those no-slip mats, that are made to go on your dashboard. They have a relatively "tacky" no slip feature that if used on your charging station box would prevent things from falling or bumping around should the box get knocked.
I'm still brainstorming how to make custom cradles for everything.
_______________________________
"There's no time like the future."
Submitted by simonlarano on Fri, 07/04/2008 - 3:58pm
I recently took my first steps in soundproofing my already quiet XPS 420 case. I purchased Dynamat Extreme (top of the line name, top of the line results) and it was a snap to install. The noise from vibration of my HDD is greatly reduced, and the relatively cheap modification was definitely worth it.
Submitted by boottoob on Mon, 06/09/2008 - 3:28pm
The x-fi hack was in the July 2006 issue. It bears repeating but it is unfortunate that creative doesn't make, list or provide a link for a cable to convert their outputs for front panel use. They'd sell for sure.
js
founding reader
Alternative?
Submitted by chaos.13037 on Sat, 06/07/2008 - 7:49am
"A roll of linerless rubber splicer tape will do the job and is available at Home Depot for $3 a pop."
Is that just electrical tape without adhesive?
Cause I have electrical tape but not "linerless rubber splicer tape".
Submitted by nduanetesh on Wed, 06/04/2008 - 9:13pm
This is pretty much a great article. I was just thinking the other day about how MaxPC has gotten away from it's old school roots of hardware hacks. Great to see you guys bringing something like this back.
In the "Create a Charging Station" section, you seem to imply sloths are...messy? "Just because you’re a gadget junkie doesn’t mean you have to be a sloth." Urm. What? Sloths are known for being very slow. Did you mean to say "slob"?
Teh splatted kitteh.
Submitted by Lodis4 on Wed, 06/04/2008 - 2:08pm
The splatted kitteh was the best, my apologies to TheMurph.
All media readers are not created equal...
Submitted by Marcus_Soperus on Wed, 06/04/2008 - 1:33pm
Some media readers use a removable USB Type A/Type B cable that is designed to plug into a USB port on the rear of the system (or an internal port on a USB add-on card). However, if you buy one of these and you have a spare USB header on the motherboard, follow Gordon's advice to convert a spare USB port rear bracket into an internal adapter and you're all set: http://www.maximumpc.com/article/how_to_make_an_internal_usb_adapter
When you shop for a media reader, make sure it also works with the media types you want to use. One potential concern right now is the popular SDHC format used for 4GB and larger SD-type cards. You must make sure your reader (and your digital camera or other device) can read them.
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It's amazing how illogical a business built on binary logic can be.
Submitted by Shalbatana on Wed, 06/04/2008 - 9:26am
Now you've gone and done it.
Just go ahead and give me MORE projects to immerse myself in that will take me away from the things I SHOULD be doing!
You've sparked my imagination!
Thanks tremendously for this.There's no time like the future.
Submitted by Keith E. Whisman on Wed, 06/04/2008 - 11:14am
Um I loved this article when I read it in the magazine last night on the toilet. Why is this article in the News section though? Shouldn't this be in the From The Mag section? Oh well I'm sure the missing Podcast has something to do with this.
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