May 7, 2021
clamshell, console modding, Nintendo Hacks, trimmed, wii portable

Pocket Sized Wii Sets The Bar For Portable Builds

Over the last few years we’ve seen several projects that convert Nintendo’s Wii into a handheld console by way of a “trimming”, wherein the system’s motherboard is literally cut down to a fraction of its original size. This is made possible due to the fact that the majority of the console’s critical components were physically […]

May 3, 2021
Burt Rutan, Current Events, Engineering, Hackaday Columns, hypersonic, Scaled Composites Stratolaunch, spaceplane, SpaceShipOne, Stratolaunch, Transportation Hacks

After Years Of Uncertainty, Stratolaunch Flies Again

When Paul Allen founded Stratolaunch in 2011, the hope was to make access to space cheaper and faster. The company’s massive carrier aircraft, the largest plane by wingspan ever to be built, would be able to carry rocket-powered vehicles up into the thin upper atmosphere on short notice under the power of its conventional jet […]

May 2, 2021
classic hacks, flash storage, ipod, ipod hacks, ipod nano, Rockbox

An Epic Quest To Put More Music On An IPod Nano 3G

While many would argue that the original iPod is the most iconic entry in the long and diverse line of digital audio players that Apple released over the years, there must certainly be some consideration for the third generation (3G) iPod Nano. It’s a device that was ahead of its time in many ways, and […]

April 29, 2021
canbus, car hacks, dashboard, digital display, LED Hacks, led ring, miata, Microcontrollers, RGB LED

RGB LED Rings Teach Old Dash New Tricks

We’ve seen several so-called “digital dash” upgrades over the years that either augment, or completely replace, a vehicle’s original dashboard indicators with new displays. Whether its seven segment LEDs or a full-on graphical interface powered by the Raspberry Pi, the end result is the same: a dashboard that looks wildly different than it did when […]

April 28, 2021
high voltage, Plasma Channel, Science, static electricity, van de graaff

Supersized Van De Graaff Generator Packs A Punch

The Van de Graaff generator is a staple of science museums, to the point that even if the average person might not know its name, there’s an excellent chance they’ll be familiar with the “metal ball that makes your hair stand up” description. That’s partly because they’re a fairly safe way to show off high […]

April 16, 2021
bluetooth, bluetooth keyboard, ESP32, guitar pedal, hands free, Microcontrollers, page turner, Peripherals Hacks, woodworking

The Beat Goes On With This ESP32 Page Turner

Looking for a hands-free way to page through sheet music on an iPad, [The_Larch] came up with this simple Bluetooth input device based on the ESP32. The microcontroller just needed to have two switches wired into the GPIO pins, in this case the same heavy-duty plungers you’d find on a guitar pedal, and a USB […]

April 1, 2021
3D printed parts, classic hacks, Engine Hacks, heat engine, stirling engine, water cooled

Spinning Up A Water Cooled 3D Printed Stirling Engine

The Stirling external combustion engine has fascinated gear heads since its inception, and while the technology has never enjoyed widespread commercialization, there’s a vibrant community of tinkerers who build and test their own takes on the idea. [Leo Fernekes] has been working on a small Stirling engine made from 3D printed parts and common hardware […]

March 29, 2021
adapter, bluetooth, DualShock, gamecube, Nintendo Hacks, playstation 3, Playstation Hacks

Bluetooth PS3 Controllers Modernize The Nintendo GameCube

While the PlayStation 3 and Gamecube come from opposing sides of the aisle, and in fact aren’t even from the same generation of hardware, this DIY adapter built by [Jeannot] allows Nintendo’s console to use Sony’s Bluetooth controllers with surprisingly little fuss. This might seem unnecessary given the fact that Nintendo put out an official […]

March 16, 2021
buffer overflow, copy protection, drm, exploit, Playstation, Playstation Hacks, Software Hacks

PlayStation Unlocked With New Software Hack

The original PlayStation might be pushing 30 years old now, but that doesn’t mean hackers have given up on chipping away at it. A new exploit released by [Marcos Del Sol Vives] allows users to run copied games on all but the earliest hardware revisions of this classic console, and all you need to trigger […]

March 15, 2021
arctic, Arctic exploration, Coast Guard, ebay, icebreaker, News, spare parts, Transportation Hacks

Rare Diode Threatens Coast Guard’s Arctic Ambitions

The United States Coast Guard heavy icebreaker Polar Star is literally a one-of-a-kind ship. After its sister Polar Sea was deactivated in 2010 it became the most powerful icebreaker in the fleet, and one of only two US icebreakers capable of operating in the treacherous polar regions. The vessel is critical to protecting America’s scientific […]

March 14, 2021
electric scooter, mosfet, motor controller, PCB repair, repair, Repair Hacks, Transportation Hacks

Putting The Magic Smoke Back In A Cooked Scooter

When [Vitor Melon] found out there was a custom firmware (CFW) available for his Xiaomi Mijia M365 Pro electric scooter that would increase his top end speed, naturally he installed it. Who wouldn’t want a little more performance out their hardware? But while the new firmware got the scooter running even better than stock, he […]

March 12, 2021
car hacking, classic car, OBD, pi zero, Raspberry Pi, touch screen, Transportation Hacks

Raspberry Pi Hitches A Ride In A 1989 BMW Dashboard

It probably won’t surprise you to find out that a 1989 BMW 325i doesn’t have much in the way of electronic gadgetry onboard. In fact, what passes for an in-dash “computer” in this vintage Beemer is just a digital clock with a rudimentary calendar function. Not content to waste his precious dashboard space any longer, […]

February 21, 2021
3d Printer hacks, apple II, Apple IIc, baud, ender 3, Retrocomputing, serial port, unity

Apple II Talks To 3D Printer With A Little Modern Help

Controlling most desktop 3D printers is as easy as sending them G-code commands over a serial connection. As you might expect, it takes a relatively quick machine to fire off the commands fast enough for a good-quality print. But what if you weren’t so picky? If speed isn’t a concern, what’s the practical limit on […]

February 20, 2021
helicopter, mars, mars rover, open source, Perseverance, Science, Space

A Look At The “Risky” Tech In NASA’s Martian Helicopter

On February 18th, the Perseverance rover safely touched down on the Martian surface. In the coming days and weeks, the wide array of instruments and scientific payloads tucked aboard the robotic explorer will spring to life; allowing us to learn more about the Red Planet. With a little luck, it may even bring us closer […]

February 17, 2021
computer hacks, cyberpunk, portable computer, Raspberry Pi, rugged raspberry pi, ruggedized

This Stackable Pi Portable Is Ready To Rumble

The proliferation of desktop 3D printing and powerful single-board computers like the Raspberry Pi has given rise to an absolute explosion of small bespoke computing devices. Whether or not you think these cobbled together devices are close enough to Gibson’s original vision to call them cyberdecks, it’s a remarkable shift from the norm that brings […]

February 13, 2021
commercial space, Current Events, Europa, Falcon Heavy, Featured, nasa, sls, Space, Space Launch System, SpaceX

Europa Decision Delivers Crushing Blow To NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS)

These days, NASA deciding to launch one of their future missions on a commercial rocket is hardly a surprise. After all, the agency is now willing to fly their astronauts on boosters and spacecraft built and operated by SpaceX. Increased competition has made getting to space cheaper and easier than ever before, so it’s only […]

February 7, 2021
classic hacks, game boy advance, gba, Nintendo Game Boy Hacks, TP4056, USB C

GBA Gets Homebrew USB-C Charging Upgrade

Sure there are pre-made kits to add a rechargeable battery and USB-C compatibility to Nintendo’s venerable Game Boy Advance, but [HorstBaerbel] thought he could throw together something similar for a fraction of the price. Plus, he wouldn’t have to wait on shipping. The end result might not be quite as polished, but it’s certainly impressive […]

February 6, 2021
blackberry, communicator, featherwing, handhelds hacks, LoRa, qwerty, Wireless Hacks

LoRa Messenger Does Its Best BlackBerry Impression

While the de facto smartphone design ultimately went in a different direction, there’s no denying the classic BlackBerry layout offered some compelling advantages. It was a gadget primarily designed to send and receive emails and text messages, and it showed. So is it really any wonder [MSG] would build his pocket-sized LoRa messengers in its […]

February 5, 2021
3D printed parts, air cannon, launcher, Meme, pneumatic, Weapons Hacks

Twisted Tea Launcher Refreshes At 104 MPH

A few weeks ago, a video went viral on social media that depicted a rather unsavory individual receiving what could be described as a “percussive reminder” of social norms courtesy of a bystander armed with a can of Twisted Tea. The video served as inspiration for many a meme, but perhaps none more technically intricate […]

February 3, 2021
accellerometer, BEC, camera gimbal, digital cameras hacks, drone, drone hacks, gimbal, quadcopter, salvage

Orphaned Gimbal Gets Second Chance To Fly

A reality of flying RC aircraft is that at some point, one of your birds is going to fall in the line of duty. It could get lost in the clouds never to be seen again, or perhaps it will become suddenly reacquainted with terra firma. Whatever the reason, your overall enjoyment of the hobby […]

Author: Tom Nardi

Pocket Sized Wii Sets The Bar For Portable Builds

After Years Of Uncertainty, Stratolaunch Flies Again

An Epic Quest To Put More Music On An IPod Nano 3G

RGB LED Rings Teach Old Dash New Tricks

Supersized Van De Graaff Generator Packs A Punch

The Beat Goes On With This ESP32 Page Turner

Spinning Up A Water Cooled 3D Printed Stirling Engine

Bluetooth PS3 Controllers Modernize The Nintendo GameCube

PlayStation Unlocked With New Software Hack

Rare Diode Threatens Coast Guard’s Arctic Ambitions

Putting The Magic Smoke Back In A Cooked Scooter

Raspberry Pi Hitches A Ride In A 1989 BMW Dashboard

Apple II Talks To 3D Printer With A Little Modern Help

A Look At The “Risky” Tech In NASA’s Martian Helicopter

This Stackable Pi Portable Is Ready To Rumble

Europa Decision Delivers Crushing Blow To NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS)

GBA Gets Homebrew USB-C Charging Upgrade

LoRa Messenger Does Its Best BlackBerry Impression

Twisted Tea Launcher Refreshes At 104 MPH

Orphaned Gimbal Gets Second Chance To Fly

This YouTuber Turned an Apple AirTag into a Slim Wallet Tracker

ExpressVPN for Android | DroidViews

Pocket Sized Wii Sets The Bar For Portable Builds