Maximum PC hack RSS Feed

Windows 7 Activation Bypassed (Yes Again) for Keyless Activation

Justin Kerr — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 11:15:45 -0600

It has long been said that software activation merely inconveniences and punishes honest customers, while pirates rarely have to deal with the same restrictions. It was true in the past, and it has been proven true again today with new reports from the pirate community claiming that the Windows 7 online activation has been successfully bypassed (yet again). Not only do those using the new crack not have to activate, but they don't even need a CD key at all. The crack apparently nullifies sppcompai.dll, and even takes care of those pesky popup reminders that would normally keep nagging you to activate.

The most unfortunate part of this story however, is the fact that the crack seems to take advantage of the leniency of the activation mechanism which was tweaked in Windows 7 to try and reduce false-positives or accidental activation errors. We can only hope that Microsoft's response to this hack will be even handed, and not encourage them to tighten up the activation process so much so that it makes it harder on legitimate purchasers or upgraders.

Have you had any "unfortunate" experiences with online activation? Feel free to share them below.

Accelerometer Hack Turns Dell Mini 9 into Cheap Windows Tablet

Paul Lilly — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 10:19:20 -0600

Correction: It was MyDellMini.com poster Rock99Rock who made the accelerometer hack. We appologize for the confusion.

With the release of Windows 7, tablet PCs are drawing a ton of attention, and if you don't mind getting your hands dirty inside a Dell Mini 9 netbook, you can roll your own.

The hack comes courtesy of Rob928 from MyDellMini.com and involves stripping off the lid, trimming down the hinges, and other somewhat scary tasks when dealing with electronics. The end result is that Rob928 was able to fuse a Dell Vostro A90 with a Hoda Technology solderless touchscreen kit. He also tossed in an accelerometer for good measure giving the homebrewed tablet the ability to automatically rotate the screen.

It's not easy, nor is it for the faint of heart, but for anyone willing to follow in Rob928's footsteps, this is one of the coolest mods we've seen in awhile.

Worklog
Video

Image Credit: mydellmini.com Rob928

65,000 Time Warner Customers Exposed to Vulnerabilities

Paul Lilly — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 08:55:36 -0500

Yikes - it was discovered that a vulnerability in a Time Warner cable modem and WiFi router being used by 65,000 customers makes it possible for a hacker to remotely access the device's administrative menu and wreak havoc, To deal with the problem, Time Warner said it hopes to have updated firmware from the router manufacture to push out to customers soon.

"We were aware of the problem last week and have been working on it since," said Time Warner spokesman Alex Dudley.

The security snafu affects Time Warner's SMC014 series combo modem/WiFi router and was discovered by blogger David Chen, who writes for chenosaurus.com. Chen said he was trying to help a friend change the settings on his cable model when he discovered Time Warner had hidden some admin functions using JavaScript code. All he had to do was disable JavaScript in his browser and he could see those functions, including a tool to dump the router's config file displaying the admin login and password.

"From within your own network, an intruder can eavesdrop on sensitive data being sent over the Internet and even worse, they can manipulate the DNS address to point trusted sites to malicious servers to perform man-in-the-middle attacks," Chen wrote on his blog. "Someone skilled enough can possibly even modify and install a new firmware onto the router, which can then automatically scan and infect other routers automatically."

Time Warner said it is working to find out if the same or a similar vulnerability also affects other models.

Image Credit: SMC via Wired.com

9 Kick-Ass DIY Projects to Get Your Hack On

Alex Castle, Norman Chan, and Florence Ion — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 10:00:00 -0500

These 9 amazing DIY projects will give new meaning to your old hardware

Techies are too often tempted by the lure of new technology, leaving perfectly good hardware drifting in the wake of compulsive upgrading. And while we love getting new gadgets as much as the next geek, we also like how a new purchase gives us the opportunity to take apart and tinker with our older gear in the Lab. Whether it’s by soldering circuit boards or loading open-source firmware, we pride ourselves on being able to stretch the lifespan of older electronics by performing undocumented (and sometimes warranty-breaking) hardware hacks.

The projects we’ve included here range from relatively safe software tweaks to more challenging technical exercises. You’ll learn how to bend USB connections to your will and imbue home routers and digital cameras with robust new features. We’ve also taken some inspiration from projects we’ve seen online, including building a blue laser gun and making a digital picture frame you can mount on the wall of your office. These hacks will help you showcase your craftiness and give you a better understanding of how your electronics work. And the best part is that your old hardware will be faster, cooler, and more awesome afterward.

So, let’s get hacking!

Power Everything with USB

A simple first modification for budding do-it-yourselfers is to alter a non-USB gadget so that it can be run off of USB power from your computer. This mod is fairly easy to perform and is an important part of many more-complicated DIY projects, such as the USB charger on the next page. Here, we show you how to use USB to power a desk fan and book-light lamp.

First, a quick primer on USB power. Any USB cable (2.0 or 1.0) is composed of four wires—two for data and two for electricity. The power is delivered across the outer two pins—a +5-volt wire and a ground. USB connectors are configured to provide 100 milliamps of current through these pins when in “low-power” mode or 500 milliamps in “high-power” mode. Although some USB connectors will provide maximum power without any questions asked, most won’t unless the USB device requests high power using the proper protocols. Most USB hacks aren’t that sophisticated, and are therefore limited to about 100-200 milliamps of current.

One last warning: An improper USB mod that results in a short circuit can fry your USB port or even your motherboard. So make absolutely sure that all wires are spliced correctly and that any exposed copper is covered with electrical tape or heat-shrink tubing.

Case-Fan Desk-Fan

Our first project is to turn a case fan into one we can use on our desk to keep us cool as we work. All that’s needed is a 5-volt case fan (preferably with grill) and an unused USB cable.

(image A)

First, you’ll have to expose the four internal wires in your old USB cable, so snip it near the end furthest from the connector for the PC, and use a razor blade or other sharp knife to cut back the outer, rubber coating. Pull back the foil insulation, and locate the four wires inside. You should see red, black, white, and green wires inside (image A). Using a knife or wire strippers, expose the ends of the red and black wires.

(image B)

Your case fan should have two wires—one red and one black—terminating in a Molex power connector. Snip and strip the wires (image B). Following convention, the red wire is positive, and the black is ground—just like in the USB cable.

(image C)

Simply twist the exposed ends of the red wires together, solder, and cover with electrical tape or heat-shrink tubing to prevent the wires from shorting (Image C). Do the same for the black wires. Just like that, you have a USB-powered fan for your desk. If you want to get fancy, make a fan stand out of a bent coat hanger.

Book-Light Case-Light

Using very much the same procedure as above, you can convert an old battery-powered reading light into a USB-powered lamp to illuminate the back of your case. All you need to do is find an LED reading lamp that uses around 5 volts (the equivalent of about three AAA batteries) and open it up with a screwdriver. Under the battery compartment, you should find a red and black wire (image D).

(image D)

Splice the two wires to the wires in a USB cable, just like with the fan, then put the battery cover back on the lamp, chipping out a hole big enough to feed the USB cable through. Slap a strip of poster tape on the bottom, plant it on the back of your case, and plug it in.

Create a Battery-Powered USB Charger

Nothing can ruin a nerd outing faster than a catastrophic battery failure in one of your vital gadgets. Fortunately, although you may not always have access to an outlet and a wall-wart to recharge, it’s possible to create an emergency backup battery that fits inside a common Altoids tin and can power your toys for at least a few extra minutes—all for just a couple of bucks.

Gather the Parts

First, you’ll need to find a suitable casing for your USB charger. A perennial favorite of amateur gadgeteers: Altoids-style tin boxes. They’re cheap, sturdy, and relatively attractive. The traditional tin, about as big as a deck of cards, provides ample room for the components we’ll be using, but if you’re ambitious, it’s also possible to cram them into the newer, small Altoids tins.

In addition to the tin, you’ll also need the following parts. The total cost of parts (sans tools) should be only a few dollars, but you’ll either have to do some scavenging or place an order online to get some of the components.

A 9V battery clip
A +5V voltage regulator
A female USB connector
A 9V battery
Insulated copper wire
Soldering equipment
A Dremel tool

Cut the Altoids Tin

To start, we need to make a hole in the side of the tin big enough to hold the female USB connector (image A). When done, this is where you’ll plug in your gadgets; it will be the only visible difference between your charger and a run-of-the-mill Altoids tin. Make the hole on one of the narrow ends of the tin, a little to the left or right of center. We used a Dremel to make our hole, though you can also do it with a drill or a hand file. Try to make the hole just big enough for the connector to fit into, and no bigger.

(image A)

Wire the Circuit

Next, we’ll need to put together the circuit that will allow us to charge USB devices (which need about 5 volts) with a 9-volt battery. If electrical engineering sends you into a cold sweat, don’t worry; this is about as simple as a circuit can get. We’ll be connecting the positive (red) wire from the battery clip to the Vin pin on the voltage regulator, and the Vout pin to the +5V pin on the USB connector. We’ll also connect the ground wire from the battery clip to the ground pin on the regulator and the USB connector. Confused? Just solder everything together according to the diagram (image B).

Complete the Package

After you’re done soldering, wrap the connections in electrical tape so they don’t short out as we install the circuit in
the tin casing. Since both the battery clip and voltage regulator are smaller than the USB connector, you should be able to feed them through the hole first, and then fit the USB connector into it so that the lip of the connector rests on the edge of the hole. Once you’ve got everything tucked neatly into the case, with the voltage regulator sitting beside the connector, use some hot glue or epoxy to hold the wires in place.

(image B)

Get Stereoscopic 3D with Your Existing Hardware

Stereoscopic 3D is the Next Big Thing™ for PC gaming, at least if you believe Nvidia’s marketing department. But not everyone has $200 to spend on Nvidia’s 3D Vision kit, let alone a new 120Hz LCD monitor required to display it. Thankfully, there’s a way for you to play your games in 3D without buying any expensive new hardware. Nvidia’s 3D Vision drivers actually include an anaglyph mode so you can experience 3D gaming with red/cyan 3D glasses. The one caveat: This method only works if you have an Nvidia GPU and are running Windows Vista or Windows 7. Here’s how to get anaglyph 3D up and running in less than 10 minutes.

Download the Drivers

First, you need to download Nvidia’s 3D Vision drivers. Head over to the download page (http://www.nvidia.com/Download/index.aspx?lang=en-us) and select 3D Vision as the product type, along with your operating system. If you aren’t running Nvidia’s latest GeForce videocard drivers (version 186.18 at press time), you’ll have to download and install those, as well.

Turn on 3D Vision

After you’ve installed the 3D Vision drivers, launch the Nvidia Control Panel from the Windows Control Panel menu. You should see a section labeled Stereoscopic 3D. Expand that menu and click “Enable Stereoscopic 3D.”

Enable Anaglyph Mode

In the following pop-up window, click “Enable 3D Vision Discover.” This is the option that switches Nvidia’s 3D Vision settings from 120Hz shutter-based 3D to anaglyph (red/cyan) that can run on any normal 60Hz monitor.

Rock the Retro 3D Glasses

The next time you launch a 3D Vision–compatible game, you’ll be able to play it in 3D with any pair of generic red/cyan glasses—the set Intel gave away for viewing this year’s 3D ads during Super Bowl works perfectly, for example. You can also purchase a pair for less than $2 online (http://www.3dstereo.com/viewmaster/gla.html). During gameplay, you can toggle anaglyph view with the Ctrl+T shortcut.

Since anaglyph 3D is based on color filters, games can lose a bit of their vibrancy when you’re playing in this 3D mode. Left 4 Dead, for example, works wonderfully, but games with lots of red and blue color tones (like Team Fortress 2) do not. We recommend adjusting the 3D depth with Ctrl+F3 and Ctrl+F4 to find the best level of comfort for you.

Control Your PC with a Wii Remote

While some of us who jumped on the Wii bandwagon have a great time with Super Mario Galaxy and Cooking Mama, there are undoubtedly a few regretful gamers who just can’t get the hang of Nintendo’s waggle-based gaming console. But there’s no need to chuck that Wii out the window yet—you can use the Wii Remote as a wireless pointer for your PC!

Find a Compatible Bluetooth Adapter

The Wii Remote uses Bluetooth to connect to the Wii, but Windows will also recognize it as a Human Interface Device. To connect the Wii Remote to your PC, you’ll need a compatible Bluetooth receiver. Most new laptops have integrated Bluetooth, but you can also purchase a USB Bluetooth receiver online for less than $25. Check the Wii Brew wiki (http://wiibrew.org/wiki/List_of_Working_Bluetooth_Devices) for a list of compatible adapters.

Pair the Wii Remote with Your PC

We paired the Wii Remote with our Dell laptop using the “Add Bluetooth Device” option in the Windows Control Panel. For the laptop to recognize the controller, we also had to press the red sync button in the Wii Remote’s battery compartment. Your PC should detect it as Nintendo RVL-CNT-01. No Bluetooth passkey should be required.

Run WiinRemote Software

Now, download and launch the latest version of WiinRemote (http://onakasuita.org/wii/index-e.html). If you successfully paired your Wii Remote, the program will let you calibrate the motion sensor and assign buttons. By default, the program uses the controller’s gyroscope to control your mouse cursor. The Wii Nunchuck peripheral’s analog stick will also control mouse movement. You can achieve more accurate control by activating the IR sensor, but you’ll need to mount two infrared light sources above your monitor for this to work. The Wii’s IR light bar is suitable, and we powered it by splicing its proprietary plug into a USB cable.

Add DSLR Features to Your Canon Point-and-Shoot Digicam

We love point-and-shoot pocket cameras for their small size and ease of use, but we lament their relatively paltry feature sets when compared to more expensive DSLR models. The good news, for owners of the popular Canon PowerShot cameras, is that your consumer-grade gadget can be upgraded with custom software to endow it with professional features like RAW image recording and live histogram feedback. CHDK (Canon Hack Development Kit, http://chdk.wikia.com/wiki/CHDK) is an easy-to-install software package created by a savvy group of programmers to supercharge the Canon PowerShot. We show you how to safely install and configure this free firmware add-on with no risk to your camera.

Find the Right Software

Download the version of CHDK software that’s appropriate for your Canon PowerShot. CHDK only works with a camera using Canon’s Digic II or newer image sensor—any PowerShot made after 2005 should work. To find the right download, you’ll have to first find your existing firmware version number. Using Notepad or any other text-editing tool, create and save an empty file named ver.req. You’ll have to disable the “Hide extensions for known file types” setting under Windows Explorer’s Folder Options in order to change the file extension to .req.

Using a USB card reader, drop this file into the root directory of your SD card (not while the card is in the camera). Put the card back in your camera, turn on the camera under playback mode, and press the “set” and “disp.” buttons together. If done properly, the camera should display the firmware version number, i.e., Firmware Ver GM1.00C.

Next, head over to the CHDK download site (http://mighty-hoernsche.de/) and find your camera model and firmware version. Download the corresponding Zip file under the column labeled Complete.

Load CHDK

With your SD card back in a card reader and connected to your PC, extract the entire contents of the software package into the root directory of the card. Now you’re ready to run the CHDK software. Put the card back in your camera again and turn on your camera under playback mode (the lens should be retracted). Hit the Menu button, and scroll down to the bottom of the first menu tab. You should see an option for “firm update.” Select this and choose Yes when prompted. This is an entirely safe process since CHDK installs additional software instead of replacing the existing firmware in your camera.

CHDK should automatically load in a few seconds and display its logo. You can now switch the camera to capture mode to begin using the new features. Keep in mind that since your core firmware hasn’t actually been modified, CHDK will be disabled every time you turn off your camera, and you’ll have to manually enable it with every boot. We’ll go over how to make CHDK automatically boot later.

Configure the New Features

The first thing you’ll notice with CHDK enabled is that the onscreen display (OSD) shows new information, including the remaining battery life as a percentage, focus distance in meters, and a digital clock.

To enter the special CHDK menu, you need to enter Alt mode by pressing the Shortcut button on your camera (this button is later configurable). When in Alt mode, you’ll see an <ALT> indicator at the bottom of the OSD. Pressing the Menu button will bring up the CHDK menu, where you can enable a live histogram, zebra stripes (to indicate overexposure), and turn on RAW recording mode. The available feature set depends on your PowerShot model, so check the official CHDK wiki (http://chdk.wikia.com/wiki/CHDK_firmware_usage) for more information.

Boot CHDK at Startup

If you don’t want to manually load CHDK every time you use your camera, you can set it to auto-load, as long as your SD card is smaller than 2GB and not formatted for FAT32 (most aren’t by default). From the same Zip file you downloaded earlier, copy the PS.fir and DISKBOOT.bin files to the root directory of your SD card. Enter the CHDK menu using Alt mode and navigate to Miscellaneous Stuff. Select “Make Card Bootable” and hit the set button. Take out the SD card and slide its physical locking mechanism into the “lock” position. The next time you turn on the camera, CHDK should automatically start up as well.

Make a Working Laser Phaser

As a kid, did you ever run around your back yard waving a plastic toy gun around and making “pew pew” noises? Did you ever wish that toy gun could shoot an actual laser beam? Well, you’re a grown up now, and it’s time to make your dreams come true. We’re going to show you how to implant a real, high-powered blue laser into a plastic Star Trek Phaser.

This is a long exposure shot in a dark room. Your results may vary.

But before we tell you how to make it, we need to stress that this how-to is showing you how to take a perfectly good toy and turn it into something that is absolutely, unequivocally NOT A TOY. The blue laser used in this guide can burn electrical tape and pop balloons, which means that it’s also strong enough to do some extreme eye damage to anyone unlucky enough to catch a stray reflection. Because of this, always wear proper eye protection while using the laser, and NEVER point the laser at another person.

Get a Laser

There are two ways you can get the blue laser you’ll need for your phaser—you can buy one on the Internet for about $30, or you can salvage one from an old Blu-ray or HD DVD player. If you opt for the scavenged laser, be forewarned: You’ll have to build your own driver circuit, a task that’s pretty easy by circuit-building standards, but not for someone who doesn’t know his way around a soldering iron.

Prepare the Phaser

You’ll need a plastic gun to put the laser in. We bought a retro Star Trek phaser on eBay for $30, but there’s no reason you couldn’t do basically the same thing to a different toy. To prepare the toy phaser, you’ll need to make a couple of easy modifications using pliers and a rotary tool, such as a Dremel. First, widen the battery compartment so it can fit a 9-volt battery, instead of two AAs. Do this by pulling out the battery contacts with your pliers, then using the rotary tool to grind away all of the plastic protrusions inside the battery case. Also drill a hole that you can feed the wires from the 9V battery clip through.

Replace the Internals

Next, remove the light bulb from its black plastic clip, and grind down the clip so that the side opposite the two prongs is totally flat. If you remove the metal cap that covers the acrylic laser lens, the laser will fit perfectly into the hole in the clip. Now hot glue the black plastic clip into the “barrel” of the phaser, and grind out anything in the front of the phaser that would keep the laser housing from fitting in behind it. Connect the laser to the battery so it turns on, align it so that it’s straight, and glue it into position.

Finally, fix your switch into the trigger hole of the phaser, and use wires to complete the circuit between the battery, the switch, and the driver circuit. Use a little hot glue to stick everything in place, and reconnect the two halves of the phaser. The laser will burn many dark-colored items, including electrical tape and some black plastic, and it can also pop balloons. Blue lasers are hard to see in the air, even at high power, so if you want to see the beam, use some sort of particles in the air, such as smoke or fog. Have fun, and remember to be safe.

Upgrade Your Router to Manage Home Network Traffic

Third-party router software has been around for a while, but we can’t help but keep recommending it to users who want to add undocumented features to their home network. Our favorite router firmware package is still Tomato (http://www.polarcloud.com/tomato), which we favor for its compatibility with a wide range of router brands and models, user-friendly interface, and powerful feature set. We’ll show you how to upgrade your router’s firmware to the newest version of Tomato and then configure the Quality of Service settings to manage your network traffic.

Install Tomato Firmware

First, you need to make sure your router is supported by Tomato. The Linksys WRT54G-series routers work best, but some Buffalo and Asus routers also work. Check the Tomato FAQ (http://www.polarcloud.com/tomatofaq#what_will_this_run_on) to see if your router model and version number is supported. Download the latest firmware package (version 1.25 at press time) and extract its files with 7-Zip (www.7-zip.org). Access your router’s administration page with its gateway address (default is 192.168.1.1) and find the Firmware Upgrade section. Choose the firmware .bin file that matches your router and begin the upgrade process. Tomato will automatically transfer your router settings over so you don’t have to reconfigure the basic settings (image A).

(image A)

Configure Quality of Service

Quality of Service lets you manage the different types of data packets as they are routed around your home network and to your service provider. Internet surfing, gaming, VoIP, and BitTorrent traffic can all be prioritized so you can run web services simultaneously without clogging your bandwidth. There’s no one set of settings that will work for everyone, but we’ll give you the basics for you to get started.

QoS works by classifying network traffic types and then ordering those classes for bandwidth prioritization. First, you have to determine your connection’s maximum uplink bandwidth (since upload traffic is the source of most connection clutter). We used Speedtest.net to find our upload cap, and put that bitrate number under Max Bandwidth (image B).

(image B)

Next, you’ll have to configure the upper and lower bandwidth bounds for each class of packet. By default, the “Highest” class has a range of 80 to 100 percent. This means that packets ranked in this class will always claim at least 80 percent of your bandwidth. The “Lowest” class, on the other hand, has a range of 2 to 95 percent. This means packets under this class will at most claim 95 percent of your bandwidth, if it’s available. Higher ranked classes should be reserved for services that require steady connections, like gaming and VoIP, while lower priority classes should be reserved for normal web surfing, downloads, and peer to peer networks like BitTorrent.

(image C)

Under the Classification menu, you’ll have to assign specific services to class rankings (image C). You can identify services based on their network protocol type, port, or packet size. You can even use MAC addresses and local IPs to relegate one user on your home network to a specific prioritization class. This is where trial and error will help, and we recommend that you utilize Tomato’s Graphs feature to show you what effect your configuration has on your current traffic. We also recommend referencing the Tomato wiki (http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Tomato_%28firmware%29) for further clarification on all of the firmware’s varied settings.

Turn Your iPod into a Mini-PDA

For most people, an MP3 player serves a pretty narrow purpose: It plays music, maybe a video here or there if you’ve got a newer model, and might have a handful of applications. All in all, though, MP3 players are rarely treated as anything more than tiny, portable jukeboxes, which is a shame, because as gadgets they’ve got the potential for so much more. That’s why we’re going to show you how to install custom Rockbox firmware—to add support for new codecs, gapless playback, and even Doom on your MP3 player.

Rockbox is open-source replacement firmware for MP3 players. It supports a wide range of players, including many (but not all) players from Apple, Archos, Cowon, iRiver, Olympus, SanDisk, and Toshiba. Before reading any further, check out the chart at the top of the Rockbox homepage (www.rockbox.org) to see whether your specific model is supported. If it’s not, you are sadly out of luck, for the time being.

Install Rockbox

First, you’ll need to go to the Rockbox website and download the Rockbox utility (http://www.rockbox.org/twiki/bin/view/Main/RockboxUtility#Download), which includes an automatic installer tool that works with any of the supported MP3 players.

Simply run the utility, and it will automatically detect that this is the first time it’s been run and ask if you want to install Rockbox on a new device. Plug your device into your computer, then select whichever drive letter has been assigned to it, and specify what model it is (image A). Click OK.

(image A)

The Rockbox utility will now allow you to customize your Rockbox installation. Generally, clicking Complete Installation is advisable, as it will also install the full set of extra plugins to allow you to get the most out of your hacked MP3 player.

Sit tight for a bit while the installation completes, then select whichever theme you want installed on your MP3 player (image B). You’ve now got a hacked MP3 player. You can change your theme whenever you want to, using the Rockbox utility. Read the Rockbox documentation for your player to find out how you can customize it using the extensive options menu.

(image B)

Rockbox's Notable Features

Advanced Media Playback

Rockbox allows you to expand the functionality of your MP3 player in several core ways. For instance, with Rockbox firmware, an old iPod Photo (the one before the iPod Video) is actually capable of playing .mpeg video files. Many players can play music and video in more formats and containers than are supported by default, such as FLAC and Matroska. Additionally, Rockbox can add voice to menus, and supports voice recognition, to make it easier for people with impaired vision to use an MP3 player.

Apps, Apps, Apps

With Rockbox, you get access to an enormous catalog of apps (most of them written by hobbyists) that you can load onto your player for added functionality or just to have some fun. The standard Rockbox install includes a bunch of apps and games, including classics like Minesweeper and Sudoku.

Doom

Did we mention that you can play Doom? On a funky, old-school iPod? Sure, trying to play Doom on a grayscale iPod screen is enough to make your eyes commit ritual seppuku, but the novelty factor alone is sure to keep you blasting demons with a click-wheel for a few minutes at least. Remember that nerd-cred thing? This is how you get it.

Build a Netbook Picture Frame

Considering that netbooks get outdated by model refreshes every few months, it’s quite likely you’ll find yourself with an old netbook lying around the house, catching dust. But there’s no need to let it go to waste. Instead, turn it into a Wi-Fi-enabled digital picture frame! We used an old Acer Aspire One for this project, but it should work with most netbooks.

Disassemble the Netbook

The disassembly process will be different for each netbook model, but generally, you need to remove all the screws on the netbook’s underside (which are sometimes hidden under rubber pads) to free the motherboard from its plastic shell. Be careful not to cut any wires, and make note of where you disconnect cables. The important components to extract intact are the motherboard, hard drive, Wi-Fi card, and LCD screen, of course. We also kept the small daughterboard, which houses two extra USB ports and the power button (image A).

(image A)

Choose a Frame

It took us quite a bit of time to decide on where to purchase a frame and how the LCD would be fitted inside. We unsuccessfully searched for a premade shadowbox frame that matched the dimensions of our netbook’s 8x4.5-inch LCD panel, an unorthodox size for picture frames. You may have more luck with your own netbook (check http://www.frameplace.com/xshdboxs.htm for cheap shadow box frames), but we had to have our frame custom made at a local shop for $100.

(image B)

After a week, we had a custom-made frame with the LCD in place. We ordered a glassless, simple black frame with about three inches of allowance in the back for whatever hardware tweaking was necessary. The frame specialists were kind enough to seal in the LCD panel with a piece of cardboard, while making sure the LCD ribbon was still accessible (image B).

Assemble the Frame

With a well-made, well-measured frame, the actual assembly of the photo frame shouldn’t be much of a challenge. First, make sure all of the motherboard cables are attached, including the LCD ribbon, the HDD SATA cable, the connection to the I/O board (if there is one), and the power cable. To mount the motherboard into the case, you’ll need to create some small spacers so that it doesn’t sit directly on the LCD screen’s backing. You can use whatever’s handy; we cut ours out of dense packing foam. With a netbook motherboard, heat shouldn’t be much of an issue, but just in case try to place the spacers under screw holes near the corners, away from the CPU. To fix everything in place permanently, glue the spacers to the frame and use pins through the screw holes to hold the motherboard down.

(image C)

The Wi-Fi card attached to your motherboard should have two wires attached to it. The card needs these antenna wires to function, so make sure they’re secured inside the frame, with the ends taped down at least six inches apart. You can use additional foam spacers on the corners of the motherboard to hold the I/O board and HDD in place, or you can screw them to the back edge of the frame (image C).

Set up the Slide Show Software

To configure your picture frame, plug a USB keyboard and mouse into the motherboard (alternately, you could do your entire software configuration on the netbook before you take it apart). Remove any unnecessary software, such as image editors, office suites, and antivirus applications, and sweep your hard drive. You’ll also need to download and install a slide show application to display photos you have stored on either your hard drive or USB thumb drive, or accessed via an RSS feed.

We used Flickr as our photo storing service; we chose this service because you can update your feed remotely, from almost any Internet-capable device that can send picture attachments. There are actually several programs that can run a Flickr slide show, though we picked Google Photo Screensaver (http://pack.google.com/screensaver.html).

Once you’ve downloaded and installed the screensaver, either run the application straight from the installer or right-click your Desktop and select Properties. Then, under the Screen Saver tab, choose Google Photos Screensaver and go into Settings. From here, you can configure whether to stream your photos from a list of RSS feeds, Picasa, or a specific folder on your computer.

To run the screensaver from Flickr, go to your photo stream (flickr.com/photos/yourusername), scroll down to the bottom of the page, and find the RSS icon. Copy the RSS address and paste it under the Configure option in your Google Photos Screensaver preferences. Click OK, and you’re all set up.

In addition to the slide show, you can set your frame up as a digital wall clock, have it stream daily headlines from a news RSS feed, or hook it up to a set of speakers and run an Internet radio portal. To control the frame, you can hook up a wireless keyboard and mouse. Our netbook had Bluetooth capabilities, so we used Bluetooth peripherals, including the Wii Remote!

How-To: Hack Your Android G1 Phone

Paul Lilly — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 10:00:00 -0500

Remember when T-Mobile's G1 was being billed as a potential iPhone killer? Powered by Google's Android platform, the open-source mobile OS was supposed to usher in the end of the iPhone OS era, and who knows, maybe someday it still will. But it won't be on the G1 (otherwise known as the HTC Dream), the chunky alternative that misses the mark of mobile greatness.

But while the G1 might leave a lot to be desired out of the box, power users who aren't afraid to take matters into their own hands have the ability to significantly enhance the handset's capabilities. On the following pages, we're going to show you how to hack your G1 the easy way so you can do things with your phone that other G1 owners only wish they could, like install apps to an SD card. And for you old school traditionalists who like to get your hands dirty, we'll also show how you to root your G1 the old fashioned way and wade through all the necessary code step-by-painstaking-step. After it's all said and done, we'll cover some of the most popular third-party ROMs and tell you which one we're rolling with.

Reasons to Root

First, you have to understand what it means to 'root' your phone. Google's open-source Android platform is based around a Linux kernel. In the Linux world, root access is similar to having administrative rights on a Windows install, and by rooting your phone, you're giving yourself permission to poke around Linux (in this case, Android) willy nilly.

There are several reasons to root your G1, not the least of which is the same sort of satisfaction you'll get that comes from building your own PC versus buying a pre-built rig. But there are more than just bragging rights and a self-acknowledged 'Job well done' at stake.

Image Credit: SanDisk

One of the biggest benefits of hacking your G1 is so you can bypass the handset's meager memory limits and install applications directly onto your SD card. This isn't something that's possible on a G1's stock firmware, which forces you to make do with a paltry 70MB or so of leftover internal flash memory. With roughly 10,000 apps available through the Android Market, it doesn't take long to fill up your phone, especially if you're into gaming. Many had hoped the much anticipated 'Cupcake' (version 1.5) firmware update would address this shortcoming, but it didn't. Even worse, HTC's shortsightedness could potentially leave G1 owners stranded at Android 1.5, as there's chatter of future updates being too large to fit on the internal flash memory. But with a rooted phone, you needn't worry about such nonsense and can point and laugh at the chumps who have used up all of their phone's internal storage and must uninstall an application before trying out a new one.

In addition to what you'll find on the Android Market, there are a bunch of apps that have been developed specifically with root users in mind. WiFi tethering is probably the most common, which allows you to connect your laptop to your G1 and access the internet through your phone. This comes in handy should you find yourself in a WiFi deadzone.

Other reasons to root include being able to test drive new Android updates before they've officially been made available to the public, the ability to customize your own boot image, you can create a full backup of your phone, install a full-blown Linux distro, and rock out with other root-specific applications, among other uses.

Reasons not to Root

As with any kind of unofficial modification, if something goes wrong, you're on your own. Nobody's going to replace your phone should you manage to turn it into a pricey paperweight, though the risk of something like this actually happening is pretty slim if you take your time and do things right. You're also putting yourself in a position to rely on third-party ROM developers for future updates. Instability and quirky behavior might also rear their ugly mugs, and depending on which ROM you install, certain functions might be disabled

Still ready to root? Let's get started!

Prep Your G1

We're not going to muck with your SD card during the rooting process, but it's still a good idea to back up any data you'd rather not lose. Later on, we'll be formatting your SD card anyway, so you might as well transfer any music, photos, and other files you want to keep safe to your PC. Also be prepared to re-enter your contacts if they're not synced with Gmail.

If your PC is equipped with a memory card reader, you can simply slide in your SD card and transfer files that way. Otherwise, use the G1's included USB cable and attach the phone to your PC, select 'Mount,' and proceed with your manual backup.

Now that you've backed up your SD card, it's time to make room for the ROM installation that comes included with the one-click root application. You'll need about 9-10MB of free space on your G1's internal memory, so start uninstalling applications if necessary. Once you flash your G1, all your apps will be wiped clean, so now would be a good time to make a note of any software you'll want to re-download and install once you're up and running again.

The So Called 'One-Click' Root Method

Rooting your G1 has never been easier, but it's certainly been harder. If you've been scared off in the past, you're in luck - a relatively new app, called "Recovery Flasher," has turned what used to be a complicated process into a painless task so easy even your cell-phone toting grandmother would have little trouble getting the job done. And it works even if you've already installed Google's Cupcake firmware, officially known as Android 1.5 (using the old method, you would first need to downgrade to a previous firmware).

Up until recently, Recovery Flasher was available through the Android Market, but Google has since pulled the app. Moreover, Google patched up the security exploit the app was using to root your phone, but there's a newer version that works as of this writing. To install it, you'll first need to configure your G1 to allow applications to run from outside the Android Market. Click the Menu button, then go to Settings, Applications, and check/enable Unknown Sources.

Next, open up your G1's browser and type in http://zenthought.org/system/files/asset/2/flashrec-1.1.1-20090908.apk, which should automatically download the Recovery Flasher package. If not,, navigate to http://zenthought.org/content/project/flashrec and manually click on the download link.

Once you've downloaded Recovery Flasher, install the app and open it up. You should now see the above screenshot. Tap on 'Backup Recovery Image,' then tap 'Download Recovery Image.' Once it's finished downloading, tap 'Flash Recovery Image.'

Congratulations, you've just rooted your phone!

The Complicated Root Method

Should Google find a way to block the above method from working, you can still root your G1, it's just going to take a few more steps and a lot more patience. And if you already have Cupcake (firmware 1.5) installed, you'll first need to downgrade to a previous build. Here's how to do that.

Downgrade Your Firmware

Connect your G1 to your PC, mount the SD card, then right-click the removable drive under My Computer. Format the card using FAT32 as the file system. Alternately, you can plug your SD card into your PC's media card reader and format it that way.
Download the HTC Dream RC29 image file from here. Unzip the file you just downloaded and copy the DREAMING.nbh file over to your SD card. Note that this is for G1 phones purchased in the U.S.; if you live in the U.K., follow the same steps, but use this RC7 image file instead.
Turn your phone off and make sure the SD card is inserted into the G1. Turn the G1 back on, but do so by holding down the Camera button found on the unit's side and press the Power button.
You should now be entering the G1's bootloader mode. At first you'll see a rainbow of colors. Keep holding the Camera button down until the screen turns a grayish-white. Now just follow the on-screen instructions to flash your G1.
Reboot by pressing Talk+Menu+Power.

Root Your Phone

Now that you've gone back to a pre-Cupcake state, you're ready to root your G1 and shed the shackles of the stock firmware, but first we need to install a special boot menu with advanced options. Start by again connecting your G1 to your PC and mounting the SD card, then download CyanongenMod's Recovery Image found here and copy it over.
Fire up the Android Market app, search for Terminal Emulator, then download and install.
Next, search for Telnet, then download and install.
This next step is pretty tricky, so make sure you follow along closely. Power down your phone, then turn it back on. Once it finishes loading, slide out the keyboard and tap anywhere on the main screen. Make sure no icons or menus are highlighted, then hit the return key. Wait for a second, then hit return again. Nothing should happen, which is a good thing. Next, type telnetd and hit return. As you do this, it will bring up your Contacts menu, but don't be alarmed, this is normal. Finally, hit the home key, then fire up the Telnet application you downloaded in step 5.
In the Telnet application, tap Connect to Server. This should bring up a black screen with a bunch of symbols. Now type the following bolded entries, making note of spaces:
- mount -o rw,remount -t yaffs2 /dev/block/mtdblock3 /system (makes the system folder writable)
- cd sdcard (changes the directory to your SD card)
- flash_image recovery cm-recovery- 1.4.img (flashes and replaces the G1's stock recovery image with one that contains more end-user options)
- cat cm- recovery-1.4.img > /system/recovery.img (copies the cm-recovery image file to the system directory)

Congratulations, you've just rooted your phone! You're almost ready to install third-party ROMs, but first, we need to update the G1's Second Program Loader (SPL) and Radio. The SPL works as part of the G1's bootloader and performs a variety of tasks, including manipulating data in the handset's internal memory. But most importantly, the SPL makes it possible to flash certain third-party ROMs and apply other hacks. And the Radio controls the G1's WiFi, 3G, Bluetooth, and other communication protocols.

WARNING! - Follow these steps in order. You could potentially brick your phone by updating the SPL before the Radio.

Update the Radio

Download the latest Radio from here (62.50S.20.17H_2.22.19.26I), then copy the ZIP file over to your SD card and rename it update.zip.
Power down your phone and wait for it to turn completely off.
Hold the Home key and press the Power button to boot into the Recovery Mode you installed earlier.
Use the scroll wheel to select [Alt+S] apply sdcard:update.zip, or slide out the keyboard and press Alt+S.
When prompted, press Home+Back to complete the process.
Press Home+Back again to reboot your phone.
You can verify that the Radio installed correctly by pressing the Menu button, select Settings, and tap About Phone. Scroll down to Baseband version and note the numbers being displayed. If you followed these steps correctly, the second half should read 2.22.19.26I.

Update the SPL

There are two popular SPLs you can choose from. The first is Hard SPL (available here), which will allow you to install just about any ROM out there. The second is Haykuro's SPL (1.33.2005, available here), which you'll need if you plan to install certain Hero-based ROMs. Haykuro's would seem the obvious choice, then, until you realize that installing it on an incompatible mainboard will likely brick your G1.

To check your mainboard version, plug your G1 into your PC, mount the SD card, and delete DREAIMG.nbh. Detach and power down your G1. Hold down the Camera button and press Power. In just a few seconds, you should see a multi-colored screen. On the top-left corner is where you'll find what version mainboard your G1 uses. If it says DVT, you'll need to use Hard SPL or there's a good chance you'll destroy your phone. If it says PVT, you can safely install Haykuro's SPL, but if you want to play it safe, stick with Hard SPL anyway.

Hard SPL Update

Download Hard SPL from the link above. Copy the ZIP file over to your SD card and rename it update.zip (overwrite or delete the existing update.zip that's already on there from when you installed the Radio).
Disconnect the G1 from your PC and power down your phone.
Hold the Home key and press the Power button to boot into Recovery Mode.
Use the scroll wheel to select [Alt+W] wipe data/factory reset, or slide out the keyboard and press Alt+W.
Use the scroll wheel to select [Alt+S] apply sdcard:update.zip, or slide out the keyboard and press Alt+S.
When prompted, press Home+Back to complete the process.
Press Home+Back again to reboot your phone.

Haykuro SPL Update

Download Haykuro's SPL from the link above and copy the ZIP file over to your SD card.
Haykuro's SPL update also requires that you flash a third-party ROM before your phone will boot. Any ROM should work, but for this example, download one of CyanogenMod's ROMs from here (we recommend the latest stable release, update-cm-4.0.4-signed.zip). Copy the file over to your SD card and rename it update.zip (overwrite or delete the existing update.zip that's already on there from when you installed the Radio).
Disconnect the G1 from your PC and power down your phone.
Hold the Home key and press the Power button to boot into Recovery Mode.
Use the scroll wheel to select [Alt+W] wipe data/factory reset, or slide out the keyboard and press Alt+W.
Use the scroll wheel to select [Alt+A] apply any zip from sd, or slide out the keyboard and press Alt+A. Select SDCARD:spl-signed.zip (this will install Haykuro's SPL).
When prompted, press Home+Back to complete the process. You should now be back in the Recovery Console.
Use the scroll wheel to select [Alt+S] apply sdcard:update.zip, or slide out the keyboard and press Alt+S. This will install the ROM you downloaded above.
When prompted, press Home+Back to reboot.

Installing a ROM

Now that you've rooted your G1, it's time for the fun part. There are tons of third-party ROMs to choose from, and luckily they all install the same way.

First, figure out which ROM you want to install and download it. For this example, we're going to use CyanogenMod 4.0.4. Download the ROM file (in ZIP format) here.
Connect the G1 to your PC, mount the SD card, and copy the downloaded ZIP to your SD card. Rename the file update.zip.
Disconnect your G1 from your PC and power down the phone. Next, hold down the Home key and press the Power button to enter Recovery mode.
Use the G1's scroll wheel to select [Alt+W] wipe data/factory reset, or slide out the keyboard and press Alt+W.
Now you're ready to flash your new ROM. Use the scroll wheel to select [Alt+S] apply sdcard:update.zip, or slide out the keyboard and press Alt+S.
Once the new ROM has been flashed, select or press Home+Back to reboot your phone and enjoy your new modified OS!

Note that it can take several minutes to boot your phone following the installation of a third-party ROM. Don't worry, this is normal for just about every ROM out there, and subsequent boots should load normally.

Partition Your SD Card

Now that you've rooted your G1 and installed a ROM, the next order of business is to partition your SD card. This is necessary to install certain applications, such as WiFi tethering and other handy utilities. The process can be surprisingly overwhelming, but XDA forum member 51dusty has written a script that does most of the dirty so you don't have to. Here's what you need to do:

Download sdparted.txt from here and transfer it over to your SD card.
Power down your G1, then hold the Home key while pressing the Power button. This will put you into Recovery Mode.
Use your scroll wheel to select [Alt+X] go to console, or slide out the keyboard and press Alt+X.
Press enter when prompted. You should now see / #
Type mount /sdcard and press enter.
Type mv /sdcard/sdparted.txt /sbin/sdparted and press enter.
Type chmod 755 /sbin/sdparted and press enter.
Type sdparted -efs ext4 and follow the prompts. When asked if you want to continue, hold down the up arrow and press Y. This is case sensitive, so if you type a lowercase y, it will abort the script.
When the script finishes running, type reboot and hit enter to reboot your phone.

And that's it! Whether you took the easy route and and rooted your G1 through a few simple clicks or opted to get down and dirty with the more complicated method, you're now ready to start experimenting with different third party ROMs. To give you a head start, we took a few of the more popular ROMs out for a spin, each one representing a different approach to Android. Here are our impressions of each.

JACxHEROSkiv v2.1

If you're aiming for a fresh look altogether, this custom ROM seemingly transforms your G1 into an HTC Hero phone, which isn't too surprising considering it's based on the latest Hero build.

From a usability standpoint, JACxHEROSkiv is to Android what Flock is to web browsers. That is to say its strength lies in the heavy emphasis it puts into social networking. During setup, you're prompted to enter login info for Twitter, Flickr, Plurk, and Facebook, and you'll have easy access to each one.

JACxHEROSkiv comes with a boatload of widgets to choose from, and we especially like the Twitter app. The Twitter widget takes up a sizable portion of the screen, but offers up scrollable updates and a text box to update your own Twitter status.

Other notable features include a comfortably- sized on-screen keyboard and some advanced camera controls (ISO, zoom, etc.), but all this functionality comes at the expense of performance. Navigating ranges from irritatingly poky to sometimes snappy, but never 100 percent consistent. If future versions manage to iron out the bugs, this could be a real winner, but as it stands, only social networking nuts and those with Hero-envy need apply.

Download

xROM v1.5r4 by JAC/Manup456

Image Credit: XDA-Developers forum justanothercrowd

One of the snazzier-looking ROMs currently making the rounds is xROM. Sporting a metallic black theme, xROM kicks the aesthetics up several notches, but it's not all about eye-candy. This third-party firmware addresses one of the G1's biggest shortcomings by adding multi-touch support, which, among other things, allows you to zoom in and out of web pages by pinching the screen.

xROM also borrows some features from Google's upcoming Android 2.0 update codenamed Donut, such as a power widget and battery usage meter. When pressing the Menu button to wake the phone out of sleep mode, you'll see a toolbar at the bottom giving you access to a small handful of functions without fully unlocking the phone. For the most part, toolbar support is still being developed, but you can mash the battery icon so that the next time you wake the phone, you'll be greeted by a large battery icon displaying how much power is remaining.

Some advanced options include the ability to create submenus in the All Programs list, set the number of side-scrollable home screens from 2 to 10, and create and restore configuration backups.

We also have to give props to xROM for its overall stability and speed. Many third party ROMs suffer from fairly frequent 'Force Close' errors, but that wasn't the case with xROM. It also felt faster than Android 1.5 in everything from browsing on non-3G `networks to navigating menus. If we had to pick just one third-party to permanently replace Cupcake, this would be the one.

Download

CyanogenMod 4.1.8

Arguably the most popular third-party mod out there, CyanogenMod keeps it conservative when it comes to UI enhancements and instead focuses most of its attention to the underlying code. This latest version is built around Android 1.6 and is currently classified as an 'experimental' build, which is another way of calling it a beta release. We typically don't recommend beta software for day-to- day use, but we didn't encounter too many instability issues with 4.1.8 installed. And the last stable release (4.0.4) is built around 'old' code (Android 1.5).

CyanongenMod also gives you more Home screens to play with -- five to be exact --, but you can't change this number like you can with xROM. You also can't use the built-in camcorder, which has been a continual thorn throughout CyanongenMod's development.

While we prefer xROM overall, users looking for mostly a standard replacement to the stock Android install will be happy with CyanogenMod. It's faster, stable, and actively being worked on, which isn't always the case with many third-party ROMs. Power users, on the other hand, will want to pass this one up.

Download

This Hack Lets You Use Google for Real-Time Search

Paul Lilly — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 13:00:00 -0500

Think you're already a black belt in Google-Fu? Get ready to kick it up a notch with a real-time search hack that will have you round-housing the web with more precise searches.

Google already gives you a bit of fine-tune control by allowing you to limit search results by time frame, but you can only choose between 'Any time,' 'Past year,' 'Past week,' 'Recent results,' and 'Past 24 hours.' That means if you want to search for articles that were crawled just minutes ago -- or even a second ago -- it's Twitter or bust. Until now.

Omgili blog discovered that if you change a specific parameter in the URL, you can have Google display search results for the past minute or second. The parameter in question is qdr.d, which the blog surmises stands for Query Date Range (we won't argue). Let's take a look at an example:

http://www.google.com/search?q=intel&hl=en&rlz=1C1GGLS_enUS340US342&tbo=1&tbs=qdr:d

The above URL spits out search results for Intel that were posted within the last 24 hours, but if we wanted to narrow down further, we could search for results posted in the last few minutes by changing the qdr:d string to qdr:n, and for the past second, we'd change it to qdr:s.

Minutes
http://www.google.com/search?q=intel&hl=en&rlz=1C1GGLS_enUS340US342&tbo=1&tbs=qdr:n

Second
http://www.google.com/search?q=intel&hl=en&rlz=1C1GGLS_enUS340US342&tbo=1&tbs=qdr:s

It's not too often that the 'Second' search will come in handy, but if you wanted to expand it a bit to the past 30 seconds, you'd change the parameter to qdr:s30. You can do the same with minutes, just enter a number afterward.

Murphy's Law: Behold the Open Power of Chumby!

David Murphy — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 17:30:40 -0500

At first, I just didn't get it--the Chumby, that is. This little LCD display wrapped in a hug of padding looked like a bizarre cross between my car's antiquated GPS device, the throw-up of an OSX dashboard, and a big plushy hunk of love. To its genius, that's exactly what the Chumby is... and so much more. And did I mention that it's open-source as well?

Contrary to most of the open-source hardware projects I've mentioned on Maximum PC, the Chumby is ready for your attention the moment you pop it out of the box. But that doesn't mean that you can't tweak and tinker beyond its simplistic exterior. Although cracking open the soft, loveable digital toy will violate your warranty, the official Chumby site is more than happy to give you a listing of the device's full hardware and accompanying schematics. From there, only your conscience toward ripping open friendly, plush, communication devices stands in your way of complete hardware transcendence.

If hardware hacking isn't your thing, however, the second best part of the Chumby is the comprehensive list of software widgets that you can display and interact with on the device. To find these, you can go the official route and download apps directly off of Chumby's main site or you can scour the internet for custom, USB-deployable software to stick into your device.

Is the Chumby ultimately fun to use? Well... yes and no. I must confess, I gave solid thought to replacing my standing alarm clock with a Chumby. But the more I downloaded apps, the more I realized that the Chumby was inherently giving me much of the functionality that's already ingrained into my daily routine.

For example, do I need a Chumby to tell me the latest New York Times news? No. For that, there's my iPhone, my RSS feeds, my Web browser, et cetera. Do I need the latest round of images from I Can Has Cheezburger displayed on this desk-side device? Not really, but the case gains some ammunition. Do I want to scroll through my email on my Chumby? I could, but the touchscreen functionality is just slightly quirky enough to make me want to prod at a mobile phone instead.

But then... then there are the neat community widgets. I can display a live feed of the San Diego Zoo's panda enclosure on the Chumby (Shamu the whale, too!). And, of course, there's the Chumby WiFi Sniffer--perfect for seeing what your wireless-leeching neighbors are up to on your connection. True geeks will appreciate the Server Uptime widget, which checks the status of your Linux server and sounds a large, red alarm if it can't connect to your system. Perhaps best of all, a Chumby forum user is actively testing a new widget that transforms the Chumby into a full-fledged iTunes Remote.

Users aren't just hacking the Chumby's internal components and software. Aspiring designers are creating full, artistic frameworks for the squishy Chumby to rest in (or wear). The more mad scientist-like developers are finding ways to integrate the Chumby's Wi-Fi capabilities and accelerometer as the brain of larger projects, including toy car navigation, vehicle tracking, automated home lighting... and that's about it.

One of the larger issues surrounding this community-driven device is its lack of a rabid, enthusiast (and sizeable) fan base. Just survey the message boards. There's a gap of months between the first and last posts on the primary Chumby "Widgets" forum. I realize that's the most unscientific measurement of interest one can make, but it actually holds a little more weight given that Chumby actively promotes and collects third-party widgets on the official site. In a sense, this is the Chumby App Store. And unlike Apple's variety, where one can grab an near-infinite number of applications and games on an ever-increasing basis, Chumby development--especially from hacking community--doesn't seem to be as widespread as one would assume for such an open device.

That's the biggest shame of all, because the Chumby is actually a compelling little product. Its build-in functionality is akin to an alarm clock, a miniature display, and steroids mixed with a beanbag chair. Beyond that, the possibilities for modifying its Linux-based interior (or cute-based exterior) appear endless in construction and complexity. I'd much rather hack around on a Chumby than an Arduino controller, which makes it a shame that Chumby development seems to have dropped off since its early 2008 launch. Here's hoping the new deal that puts Chumby widgets into Broadcom televisions, set-top boxes, and Blu-ray players will encourage some additional interest in this lonely little octopus. But I fear that advancements in mobile technology might have singlehanded eclipsed the need for a $200, widget-based device.

David Murphy (@ Acererak) is a technology journalist and former Maximum PC editor. He writes weekly columns about the wide world of open-source as well as weekly roundups of awesome, freebie software. Befriend him on Twitter, especially if you have an awesome app or game you're dying to recommend!

Murphy's Law: How About an Open-Source Beer Machine... and More!

David Murphy — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 20:30:00 -0500

Open-source beer. Were it only as easy as walking to the store and picking up a free case of alcoholic something that's been built and licensed by a team of geeks. At the very least, we can all can build our own booze-making machines following a handy set of open-source software and hardware instructions. But the fun doesn't stop there.

What is open-source hardware? I've chatted about this before. In short, open-source hardware is be a combination of software code and hardware instructions (or, really, just the latter) that's given to you for a set price (not necessarily "free as in beer") and license for use. You're free to use the instructions to develop carbon copies of that which you wish to build, or create derivative works of said hardware, provided you offer up your diagrams/code/instructions under the same licensing as you received it.

Now that's out of the way, here are a few of the latest OSH projects to get your mind--or hops--churning!

The Halfluck Automated Brewing System (HABS)

Provided you have no fear of blowing up your house or apartment due to a fatal misstep in the beer generation process, the HABS is an ingenious homebrew (tee-hee) combination of physical hardware and microcontroller. The former holds your wort as it boils and ferments its way into delicious, over-21 goodness. The latter is the brains of your automatic brewing system, reducing your need to check up on your savory concoction as much as your normally would during the brewing process. You still have to perform a number of tasks during the beer's actual creation--this doesn't churn and bottle your adult Kool-Aid for you--but it's nevertheless a neat way to integrate a geek's three favorite hobbies: open-source, hacking, and drinking.

Parts List:

1 x Arduino Based Microcontroller (ATmega328P Chip)

1 x HD44780-based LCD & Serial Board

2 x Temperature Sensors (DS18B20)

4 x Push Buttons (Normally Open)

4 x Solid State Relays (SSR)

1 x 2400w Heater Element

1 x Float Switch

2 x Perastaltic Pumps

1 x Spit Motor

Cupcake CNC

Once you've mastered the ability to get yourself drunk via a self-built machine, you're ready to take on the next big task: a 3D printer. It's not quite like what might first come to mind when you hear that phrase--you're probably envisioning a little World of Warcraft figurine or something, right? Similar concept, different materials. The Figureprint Warcraft miniatures are built using successive stacks of super-thin layers of plaster. Cupcake CNC builds its models with thin strings of extruded plastic, almost like a crazy-precise hot glue gun. The model detail ends up being less than what you'd find in commercial 3D printing environments; so is the price. At $750 for a basic parts kit (or whatever price you pay to acquire the various parts yourself), that's a low, low cost for 3D printing technology in your own home.

Parts List:

...lots. Just trust me on this one.

The WTF Counter

I wish I had one of these growing up. Moving from the realm of the super-difficult to the super-fun, this open-source project is exactly what the title describes. Mash the button of the WTF counter and a processing application will add your utterance to a daily counter, which can then be displayed via a common HTTP interface. All you need is a big ol', imposing button, an Arduino controller, and a little bit of know-how to understand how to make this all come together in one glorious, awe-inspiring moment. Push the button, Frank.

Potential Upgrades:

Working horn. Scrolling LED display. Giant panel of buttons for other expressions.

Parts List:

Arduino controller

Button

Wiring

Semitone Diamond

For the domestic geek, the Semitone Diamond is an open-source digital light dimmer. Although your exact configuration can vary, the functionality built into the dimmer's firmware is quite extensive for the miniature controller in which it rests. You can watch and edit the real-time values of up to 20 individual channels of lighting via a DMX interface. From there, you can mix-and-match the values of any number of your lights to create and save specific scenes. An included timer will raise or lower any of your scenes depending on the requirements you specify, and you can create up to 10 of these little light patterns. The Semitone Diamond even comes with support for an IR remote, provided you build in the hardware to receive the commands.

Parts List (includes):

20x2 industry standard character LCD (Hitachi HD44780 or compatible controller)

infrared remote control receiver

push-buttons

rotary encoder

LEDs

Ronja

For the long-range geek, Ronja is a device that transmits and receives data using beams of light across distances of up to 1.2 miles. Why is that awesome? Because the signals you send are the equivalent of a 10 Mbps Ethernet connection. That's not super-speedy, but given the sheer distance you're powering your little network, one can't complain--it sure beats stringing over a mile of Ethernet cable, eh? The only bummer comes in the building of said Ronja network, as you're not only creating the optical transceivers from scratch, but you also have to create the base station that converts the signal into an Ethernet-ready connection. Expect to spend a bit of time (70+ hours) with this project. But, hey, bragging to your friends about your mile-long network should certainly win you a free open-source beer or two.

Parts List:

∞, but it sure looks cool, doesn't it?

David Murphy (@ Acererak) is a technology journalist and former Maximum PC editor. He writes weekly columns about the wide world of open-source and roundups of awesome, freebie software. Shoot him a message via Twitter, especially if you have an awesome app or game you're dying to recommend!

Maximum PC hack RSS Feed

Windows 7 Activation Bypassed (Yes Again) for Keyless Activation

Accelerometer Hack Turns Dell Mini 9 into Cheap Windows Tablet

65,000 Time Warner Customers Exposed to Vulnerabilities

9 Kick-Ass DIY Projects to Get Your Hack On

These 9 amazing DIY projects will give new meaning to your old hardware

Power Everything with USB

Case-Fan Desk-Fan

Book-Light Case-Light

Create a Battery-Powered USB Charger

Gather the Parts

Cut the Altoids Tin

Wire the Circuit

Complete the Package

Get Stereoscopic 3D with Your Existing Hardware

Download the Drivers

Turn on 3D Vision

Enable Anaglyph Mode

Rock the Retro 3D Glasses

Control Your PC with a Wii Remote

Find a Compatible Bluetooth Adapter

Pair the Wii Remote with Your PC

Run WiinRemote Software

Add DSLR Features to Your Canon Point-and-Shoot Digicam

Find the Right Software

Load CHDK

Configure the New Features

Boot CHDK at Startup

Make a Working Laser Phaser

Get a Laser

Prepare the Phaser

Replace the Internals

Upgrade Your Router to Manage Home Network Traffic

Install Tomato Firmware

Configure Quality of Service

Turn Your iPod into a Mini-PDA

Install Rockbox

Rockbox's Notable Features

Build a Netbook Picture Frame

Disassemble the Netbook

Choose a Frame

Assemble the Frame

Set up the Slide Show Software

How-To: Hack Your Android G1 Phone

Reasons to Root

Reasons not to Root

Prep Your G1

The So Called 'One-Click' Root Method

The Complicated Root Method

Update the Radio

Update the SPL

Installing a ROM

Partition Your SD Card

JACxHEROSkiv v2.1

xROM v1.5r4 by JAC/Manup456

CyanogenMod 4.1.8

Further Reading and Resources

This Hack Lets You Use Google for Real-Time Search

Murphy's Law: Behold the Open Power of Chumby!

Murphy's Law: How About an Open-Source Beer Machine... and More!

The Halfluck Automated Brewing System (HABS)

Cupcake CNC

Parts List:

The WTF Counter

Potential Upgrades:

Parts List:

Semitone Diamond

Parts List (includes):

Ronja

Parts List: