zedomax.com &#187; Computer

Looking for a great Christmas gift for your whiz kid? Here’s a great DIY that shows you how to make a solar powered ball robot. Of course, there exactly isn’t a kit for this but all the parts are easily findable so it might actually work better than any other gift you can buy off the shelf.

This technology of using minimal electronics and simple mechanical design is call BEAM robotics.

The Miniball itself was originally invented by Richard Weait of North York, Toronto.The Miniball is a amazing robot – it uses a simple circuit and the robot itself proves to be very capable, rarely getting stuck. The Miniball is mechanically complex and electronically simple. (But don’t worry – the mechanical part is still pretty easy)

In this case, we aren’t going to build the original Miniball, but a smaller, more basic wannabe version. This robot is extremely simple and can take a beginner less than 2 hours to build.

Robot DIY – How to Make a Solar Powered Ball Robot!

Brought to you by: Zedomax.com

USB DIY – How to Make Your Own DIY USB Motion Controller!

max — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 23:56:00 +0000

USB DIY – How to Make Your Own DIY USB Motion Controller!

There’s a slew of great USB motion controllers now on the market you can buy but for those of you hackers and DIYers who enjoy the challenge of making one, go ahead and refer to this site on how to make your own DIY USB motion controller. (Of course, don’t forget we made one couple years back before the days of Wii)

This is the schematics for a PIC USB gamepad that I have built in a steering wheel shell. The code for the firmware was written in PicBasic Pro and it implements a HID USB device with 2 axes and 4 buttons (only 2 buttons connected in the prototype). The device is detected by Windows XP/Vista as a standard USB gamepad and can be used with many games and applications.

via make

Brought to you by: Zedomax.com

HDTV Hack – How to Connect your Computer to HDTV Wirelessly

max — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 18:33:38 +0000

For those of you looking to ways to hook up your desktop to your HDTV wirelessly using either HDMI digital connection or standard analog VGA, there IS a way, you can use Atlona’s AT-HDAir product which is a USB HDMI/VGA wireless converter. The unit also supports audio for HDMI connections as of recently (see press release), which means you will no longer need cables nor have your desktop close to your HDTV in order to watch crisp, clear 720P YouTube videos.

As for me, I have been looking for a solution like this one as I have most of my desktops just far enough away where cables will not be an option. I do have a netbook that I thought about hooking up to my HDTV but the CPUs on netbooks are still lacking and I can’t truly stream 720P videos from the internet with an Intel Atom 1.6Ghz processor.

Press Release

For Release 9 a.m. PST

November 17, 2009

Atlona Technologies officially releases the new wireless USB to HDMI or VGA adapter, now with Audio.

Atlona Technologies officially releases the new wireless USB to HDMI or VGA adapter, the AT-HDAIR, now with Audio.

Atlona Technologies has been known for their innovative product lines as well as constantly paving the way for new and updated technology in the AV world. With the introduction of the HDAiR, a wireless USB to HDMI or VGA converter, earlier this year, Atlona has caused quite a stir among computer users looking to integrate their computers into their HD audio video systems. After its release, users from around the world responded to Atlona’s customer survey asking what additional features could make the HDAiR even better. The overall consensus was to add audio support. Atlona has responded by releasing the all new HDAiR with the ability to output audio in both 3.5mm analog, as well as embedded on the HDMI output.

Compatible with both XP, Vista, and Windows 7, this one of a kind device will allow users to connect any USB enabled computer or laptop wirelessly, to any HDTV or projector via VGA or HDMI. This unit wirelessly transmits high resolution signal from a small USB adaptor connected to a computer, to a receiver unit placed next to the display, making it perfect for taking the traditionally personal computing experience and making it a communal experience.
Like the older model AT-HDAiR, this newer model with audio still uses chipsets developed by Wisair to transmit USB protocol over Ultra wide band (UWB) frequencies.

The new AT-HDAiR, is capable of extending any computer wirelessly from the display at lengths up to 30ft with HDTV resolutions up to 720p or PC and VESA resolutions at 1440×1050. Both HDMI and VGA output connections are active at the same time, therefore HDAiR receiver could be used to power up 2 displays at the same time with identical content. The latest addition to this wireless adapter is that is now able to output digital audio through the HDMI as well as a 3.5mm stereo jack. With the addition of audio to this new version, the HDAiR is perfect for viewing continuously popular streaming media from HULU or Youtube, as well as computer based leaning programs such as Rosetta Stone or Lynda online training.

With quick and easy installation, the all new HDAiR with Audio opens up a word of possibilities. For home, business, and educational users providing a cost effective and convenient solution to integrate PC’s and laptops into HD audio video systems.

Atlona’s all new AT-HDAiR with audio is officially available just in time for the holidays with an MSRP of $219.00.

Brought to you by: Zedomax.com

HDTV Hack – How to Connect your Computer to HDTV Wirelessly

Chrome OS DIY – How to Install Google Chrome OS!

max — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 02:09:42 +0000

For those of you who can’t wait until Google comes out with automated installation ISO, you might want to try building one yourself by following these instructions here.

You will need a linux-based computer to generate the images though. (or the compiler equivalent in Windows or Mac)

I will try installing Google Chrome OS on my netbook later this week, perhaps have a DIY post on that soon so…

For now, there’s instructions for burning the Chrome OS images to a USB Flash Drive, harddisk, or a VMware virtual machine. I will have to try the USB flash drive, that might be the most portable way to go.

Although I have been excited with Windows 7 lately, having Google Chrome OS run on my netbook might even be more exciting as I’ve had some speed issues with my Eee PC.

Well, I just wish I could make my netbook run a bit faster without changing in hardware but Google Chrome OS certainly could achieve that and more.

Brought to you by: Zedomax.com

Chrome OS DIY – How to Install Google Chrome OS!

Google Chrome Open Source Operating System!

max — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 02:01:36 +0000

Google Chrome Open Source Operating System!

Google has shed some new light on their Google Chrome operating system, which we have been hearing about for months now. Currently the Chrome OS supports netbooks, especifically an EEE PC. (you can download the source here)

According to TechCrunch:

We’re not going to go into too much detail about going to market today. We’re working on the software right now, but we are also working with manufacturers on the hardware level. For example, we only support solid-state drives and certain types of WiFi cards.

Well, there should be someone hacking it real soon and hopefully we can get hands on a how-to install article soon.

via zedomax.net

Brought to you by: Zedomax.com

DSLR DIY – How to Make an Intervalometer for Canon or Nikon!

max — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 00:30:54 +0000

Intervalometer can be used in DSLR photography to take time-lapse shots. You can buy one of these Intervalometers off the shelf for anywhere between $60 to $200+ but if you got some programming and soldering skills, you might be interested in learning to make one yourself.

Circuit schematics, code, and whole bunch of images are included in this DIY to help you make the intervalometer for your Canon or Nikon DSLR camera.

This instructable is teaches you how to make an intervalometer that can be used with virtually any camera. It has been tested with Canon and Nikon cameras, but making adapter cables for other cameras is just a matter of figuring out the camera pinout.
It’s also available as a kit so you might want to go that route if you are not familiar with programming an AVR.

This intervalometer has the following features:

Intervalometer mode with options to change delay time and exposure time

Sensor mode with built in light sensor and connector for external sensor input

Manual mode allows intervalometer to act like a simple remote cable

Integrated 2×12 LCD display

Fully optically isolated interface to camera

Total package is roughly 1″ x 2.5″ x 3″ finished

Electronics small enough to fit in a mint box

Source code is available for download so that you can change programming as desired

Available as a kit from www.ottercreekdesign.com

DSLR DIY – How to Make an Intervalometer for Canon or Nikon!

Brought to you by: Zedomax.com

DIY Accelerometer Controlled Marble Maze!

max — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 20:20:46 +0000

DIY Accelerometer Controlled Marble Maze!

Here’s a rather very interesting DIY project that involves a marble maze controlled by a wireless accelerometer housed in a Wii Steering Wheel unit. Brilliant!

I purchased the Wii steering wheel unaware that an additional button is mounted to the back for the “B” controller input. At first I considered removing this button to prevent users from getting confused but decided to utilize it instead. During testing I found it awkward and difficult to hand off the controller or put it down without the maze going crazy as it continued to follow the accelerometer’s measurements. I decided that a “dead-mans” switch would be a useful addition so that the maze would only accept input when the button is held down. This allowed the controller to be handled without causing the maze to move unless desired.

via hackedgadgets

Brought to you by: Zedomax.com

Earthquake DIY – How to Make a Seismic Earthquake Detector/Reflector!

max — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 01:23:18 +0000

Here’s a rather cool device you can make to let you know when there’s an earthquake anywhere around the world using Arduino and RSS feeds from USGS.gov.

Basically, the device will simulate the intensity of earthquake’s magnitude through vibrations. For seismic scientists and reporters who specialize in earthquakes, this could be pivotal in launching an emergency campaign.

As a Californian who witnessed one of the biggest SF Bay Area earthquakes in 1989 (and lived through it), I can see the value of this gadget. Plus, most big earthquakes hit after a series of small/medium ones, meaning this could potentially alarm people of upcoming earthquake too. I still remember the day when my parent’s house rocked back and forth about 1-2 feet like if I were on a boat or something for full 20 seconds. I didn’t know it was an earthquake at the time until afterwards, that was not a lot of fun as I immigrated to the US like 3 months before it.

Even today, I know there’s another big earthquake coming to San Francisco Bay Area, my prediction is around 2070 though, I think they hit this area every 90 or so years.

This project has two strands, a software and a hardware component. The aim is to build a device which responds to earthquakes being reported in near-real time via the USGS RSS feeds. The device responds by illustrating the magnitude of the reported earthquake via two fairly chunky vibration motors of the kind used in video game controllers. The device is connected to a PC via a virtual com port over USB (thanks to an on board Arduino). On the PC, an application sits there checking the RSS feed periodically and when a new event it posted to the RSS feed, the desktop app parses the data out of it and presents the magnitude of the quake to the Arduino which interpreters this as rate at which to activate the vibration motors.

Earthquake DIY – How to Make a Seismic Earthquake Detector/Reflector!

Brought to you by: Zedomax.com

LCD DIY – How to Use an LCD Monitor as a HDTV!

max — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 22:57:15 +0000

It’s very easy to use a computer LCD monitor (with DVI inputs) as TV by simply plugging in an HDMI to DVI cable. Of course, you will need a separate sound system/speakers unless your LCD comes with speakers too.

Of course, it’s also easy to do the reverse, using your HDTV as computer screen, you will just need an HDMI cable from your graphic card to the HDTV. (all HDTVs have HDMI inputs)

LCD TVs have come down in price, but not enough. If you have a cable box, than your tv tuner is in the that box, not in the tv, so then why buy a tv with a tuner you will never use? Believe it or not you can save almost $200 when you buy a computer monitor instead of a tv.

Also see what is HDMI here.

LCD DIY – How to Use an LCD Monitor as a HDTV!

Brought to you by: Zedomax.com

“Your credit balance is over the limit” – Vodafone & Verizon E-Mail Virus/Spyware!

max — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 20:26:27 +0000

Here’s a quick alert for those of you on Vodafone or Verizon getting e-mails such as “Your credit balance is over the limit”. I guess it’s an e-mail scam to download some malware to your computer so just mark it SPAM!

Anyone who does happen to download the so called Balance Checker will open up a backdoor in their computer where other malicious software can be downloaded from the Zbot botnet.

“There is a danger that unsuspecting mobile phone owners might fall for the trap, perhaps convinced by the use of Vodafone’s logo which is embedded in the email, and launch the file attachment, thus infecting their computers” said Graham Cluley, senior technology consultant at Sophos,

The version of this Trojan is detected by Sophos’ products as Mal/Zbot-P.

The Zbot botnet is infamous for capturing online banking details and emptying bank accounts, which can be highly lucrative for the spammers.

via geekwithlaptop

Brought to you by: Zedomax.com

“Your credit balance is over the limit” – Vodafone & Verizon E-Mail Virus/Spyware!

iMac G4 Hack – DIY iMac G4 Touch Screen!

max — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 08:21:47 +0000

iMac G4 Hack – DIY iMac G4 Touch Screen!

Looking for a cool way to hack your iMac G4 into a touchscreen computer? Look no more, here’s a DIY iMac G4 touchscreen! The author even hacked a Windows 7 into a PowerPC machine, I don’t know how he did that. (I guess you can install Win 7 on PowerPC CPUs??? Will have a post on that soon too then!)

Way cool!

I added the original speakers connected to a Griffin Power Wave Adapter and now I finally have an updated iMac G4 on my desk. It’s connected to a dual booting Windows 7 / Mac OSX Dual Core machine.

via hackedgadgets

Brought to you by: Zedomax.com

Windows 7 Hack – Windows 7 Activation Hacked!

max — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 07:43:21 +0000

This is sorta old news already but I guess Windows 7 activation was hacked within days of Windows 7 official release:

According to Windows enthusiast site Neowin, one of the first to report the crack, a Lenovo disk image of Windows 7 leaked to a Chinese Web site, then moved to English-language domains. Pirates proceeded to retrieve the master OEM key and the OEM activation certificate from the .iso file. Microsoft lets major computer makers like Lenovo, Dell and Hewlett-Packard pre-activate new PCs at the factory to save customers the hassle, and provides OEM master keys for that purpose.

Windows 7 uses an updated activation scheme, dubbed OEM Activation 2.1, which is an updated version of the activation software that first appeared in Windows Vista. The technology, ironically, has been the focus of a Microsoft lawsuit filed last January against a former employee charged with stealing company documents related to the anti-piracy software that computer makers use to lock Windows to their PCs.

My advice? You probably will want to get the official version because a lot of those hacked Windows 7 versions might potentially come with a Trojan horse.

Brought to you by: Zedomax.com

Windows 7 Hack – Windows 7 Activation Hacked!

RFID Hack – How to Make an RFID Music Selector!

max — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 02:00:59 +0000

For RFID modders, here’s a great DIY to refer to, an RFID application that involves selecting your favorite music using RFID modules! I know some of you are working on RFID projects, this one should be very helpful indeed.

The RFiDJ project is my first attempt at an application in Imperceptible Computing. After work I like to listen to music/radio for a bit to unwind. This usually involves logging into my HTPC and selecting a playlist. For this project I attempted to change how I interact with my music and HTPC. Using RFID tags and photo frame coasters I am attempting to simplify the interface to my music.

via hackedgadgets

Brought to you by: Zedomax.com

RFID Hack – How to Make an RFID Music Selector!

Sonar DIY – How to Make Sonar-Like Radar Visualizer for an Ultrasonic Scanner!

max — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 22:52:13 +0000

Good morning! Here’s a rather interesting DIY that shows you how to make a sonar-like radar visualizer for an ultrasonic scanner. Now, I think this could easily be applied to other types of scanners including infrared, radio, etc…etc… Great!

First things first, we need to build our circuit. This is the easy bit! We’ll be using the Arduino to control a servo that will rotate our sensor around 180 degrees. The Arduino will then send the value from the sensor along with the current angle of the servo to the serial port.

via make

Brought to you by: Zedomax.com

Sonar DIY – How to Make Sonar-Like Radar Visualizer for an Ultrasonic Scanner!

LED Hack – How to Make a Remote-Controlled RGB LED Mood Light!

max — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 19:34:41 +0000

Like LED hacking? Here’s another rather interesting LED hack involving a remote-controlled RGB LED mood light. Awesome!

With this thing I can control the colour of a bright light into many different colours using the three fundamentals colours : red green and blue. Adding them toghether with different intensity can yeld very great a range of colours from the visible spectrum.

Also check out our Top 30 LED DIY projects here.

LED Hack – How to Make a Remote-Controlled RGB LED Mood Light!

Brought to you by: Zedomax.com

Track all of your stuff

David Allen — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 16:00:59 +0000

Check out this from Zoombak device and its app, these can be placed in almost anything and see what is happening to your stuff.

It is pretty cool really, as you are able to track it on-line and see where your car, kids or wife are at any time.

Technical Details – Its portability allows you to use it in your car as well as in other vehicles such as motorcycles, ATVs, boats and bicycles. Pinpoint your car’s real-time location on-demand anywhere within nationwide coverage area online or through a live, toll-free customer care. Create up to 10 customized zones and get notified by text message and/or email when your car leaves or enters the zone. Gives you your car’s current position and location history. Locator device, AC Wall Charger, Portable Car Charger, Installation Bracket, User Guide. 30-Day Risk -Free Guarantee, 1-year Manufacturer’s Warranty. Priced at around $100.

Source [Techna Bob]

Brought to you by: Zedomax.com

Track all of your stuff

Radar/Laser Detector DIY – How to Make a LIDAR Gun Simulator!

max — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 23:29:24 +0000

With advances in radar/laser detectors that can detect cops from miles away, police officers have been using radar/laser guns that are more sophisticated so they cannot be detected with some of the older radar/laser detectors.

By learning how to make a LIDAR gun simulator, you will be able to actually test whether your current radar/laser detector can detect them all, perhaps saving you some money in the future from getting tickets.

Of course, my advice is just to drive slow enough that you don’t get tickets. In my experience, cops don’t give you a ticket unless you are going at least 15MPH above speed limit and perhaps driving a bit crazy such as weaving in and out of lanes or cutting off other innocent drivers for no reason.

Also, don’t forget you can get PhantomAlert, which is a software add-on for your GPS and lets you know where the cops are.

Brought to you by: Zedomax.com

Radar/Laser Detector DIY – How to Make a LIDAR Gun Simulator!

Windows 7 Not Working Well for Netbooks?

max — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 21:08:05 +0000

In my recent testing of Windows 7 Ultimate with a Triple-Core AMD and 4GB of memory, it performed flawlessly for installing all my XP/Vista programs plus ran about 3-5X faster for rendering HD videos. Well, it seems like Windows 7 has been reported to not work well with netbooks.

This figure is somewhat surprising actually as Microsoft hasn’t tried to keep that fact hidden; indeed they have openly said that Windows 7 starter edition won’t be able to do everything.

The problem seems to lie in the fact that most of the new netbooks on sale are running with the starter edition and upgrading to the more sophisticated Windows 7 Home Premium version is going to cost somewhere in the region of $80, something than many are not happy to pay.

Plus, most of these netbooks are coming with starter editions, meaning the users have to pay for an upgrade.

I don’t think it’s a big hurdle for those of you who know how to downgrade to XP, I don’t really see any advantages of running Windows 7 on netbooks anyways. With limitations in hardware, netbooks weren’t designed for full computing but rather for simply web browsing and things you need to get done on the go.

Of course, for me, I will be getting a slightly beefed up version of ASUS EEE PC netbooks, which is the 13.3″ ASUS UL30A with 12 hours of battery life, 4GB of memory, and a Intel Dual-Core ULV processor.

Brought to you by: Zedomax.com

Windows 7 Not Working Well for Netbooks?

Windows 7 DIY – How to Run 1680×1050 in Windows 7!

max — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 08:50:20 +0000

To run 1680×1050 resolution (which is typical of 20″ and 22″ LCDs) on your Windows 7, you will need to connect your LCD via an HDMI/DVI cable.

If your computer has HDMI output, you can get this HDMI to DVI cable. If your computer has DVI output, then simply connect DVI to your LCD. (you can get DVI to DVI cable here if you don’t have one)

Windows 7 doesn’t support 1680×1050 without a digital connection, meaning a VGA connection won’t get you the native resolution of your LCD even if you install the drivers. (This is only in Windows 7, XP and Vista supports it on analog too.)

If you don’t have HDMI/DVI outputs on your computer, get an aftermarket graphic card such as Nvidia GeForce 9800. (that is the only way if you want to run Windows 7)

Of course, your LCD monitor must have either a HDMI or DVI input, most have DVI so…

Once you got those digital connections going, you should see an option in Windows 7 to be able to set the screen resolution to the monitor’s native resolution. Yey, problem solved!

Brought to you by: Zedomax.com

Windows 7 DIY – How to Run 1680×1050 in Windows 7!

HD DIY – How to Render 1080P HD Videos!

max — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 03:40:30 +0000

With my recent purchase of the new Canon 7D, I have been rendering HD videos for days on my old XP computer. Well, it turns out rendering is completely useless for HD movies longer than like 10 minutes.

If your computer freezes while rendering using programs like Sony Vegas Pro or Adobe Premier, it’s probably your computer hardware.

You will want to use 64-bit versions of any video editing software in order to render videos faster and in reasonable time.

Plus, Windows XP only supports upto 4GB of memory (and for some AMD processors even less). Even with a 4GB Windows XP setup I had, rendering came to a crawl and never rendered completely.

So, I had a 64-bit Triple-Core AMD with 4Ghz that was running Ubuntu. I decided to install Windows 7 64-bit version coupled with Sony Vegas Pro 9.0 64-bit version.

For Windows operating systems, you will need either Vista or Windows 7 to take full advantage of extra memory you have on your computer.

For decent rendering, I recommend at least 4 gigabytes of memory and perhaps 8 gigs if you can afford it.

Anyways, I just got the new Windows 7 64-bit plus Sony Vegas Pro 9.0 64-bit working flawlessly. Also, I am very impressed with Windows 7 as this is the very first time I am using it. I like how Windows 7 is more compatible with my older XP programs plus you can use most of Vista drivers for hardware.

Now, I can finally start rendering 1080P HD videos and make long movies too.

Whether I am uploading them to YouTube or making a home DVD, having the right hardware makes sense if you are going to render 1080P HD videos.

Of course, 32-bit machines will do short clips well, they just can’t handle the long ones.

Well, I hope that helps you. If you are having trouble with rendering HD videos, try upgrading your operating system to a 64-bit OS and the software also. (minimum Dual-Core CPU and 4GB of memory)

Brought to you by: Zedomax.com

HD DIY – How to Render 1080P HD Videos!

Hard Disk Life and How to Maximize Hard Disk Life!

max — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 12:03:24 +0000

I’ve always wondered how long a hard disk’s life is if you left it on 24 hours a day (which I do with some of my server computers).

Well on average, according to this site,

The average service life of a hard disk is usually given as “5 years or 20,000 hours.” This means if a hard disk operates 24 hours a day, you will need to replace your drive with a new one every 1.5 to 2 years. (For specification details, refer to your hard disk drive’s user manual.)
The measure of service life used by most hard disk manufacturers is “mean time between failures” (MTBF)*1 (usually quoted at between 300,000 to 500,000 hours). The ratings (for expected service life) used by PC makers are more conservative, as they are based more closely on “real world” usage conditions. Since expected service life and MTBF figures can differ by hundreds of thousands of hours, we recommend you use the expected service life value. For example, the usual service life of a 2.5 inch drive will be almost 5 years or 20,000 hours, if used at the temperatures specified for your PL. However, if a drive is operated continuously, i.e. 24 hours a day, its service life will be shorter.

Also, there’s a way to put your hard disk under sleep mode on most operating systems, I suggest you to turn that on:

I see no reasons why you should leave your hard disks on if you have left your computer for couple minutes or even hours.

For Windows operating systems, go to ScreenSaver->Power then set “Turn off hard disks” to “After 3 mins” so you save both power and your hard disk life. Also digitgeek.com has a great article on maximizing more life out of your hard drive.

Brought to you by: Zedomax.com

Hard Disk Life and How to Maximize Hard Disk Life!

3-in-1 Washing Machine USB Hub

tdomf_85257 — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 09:59:15 +0000

Max’s Note: Here’s a really cool USB hub that looks like a washing machine! Brilliant!

Here’s an odd combination of gadgets to keep for your desk. It’s not that combining a hub and clock is all that appalling, it’s more the washing machine style shape. It’s not only a USB hub and a clock, but a card reader as well. It supports XD, M2, T-Flash, SD, MMC and MS card. Available for $11.69 at Uxsight.com.

via Source

Brought to you by: Zedomax.com

3-in-1 Washing Machine USB Hub

Circuit DIY – How to Make PCB with an EAGLE schematic!

max — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 08:57:59 +0000

Here’s a great tutorial showing you how to make a PCB with an eagle schematic. I am sure most of your PCB experts know how to do this but for those of you dummies who can’t, this is invaluable free lessons.

In this instructable, we’ll make a printed circuit board from that schematic

I guess I should say that we’ll make a PCB DESIGN ; making the physical board is a different task, and there are a lot of tutorials on the net (and even some instructables) on making the board after you have the design.

Circuit DIY – How to Make PCB with an EAGLE schematic!

Brought to you by: Zedomax.com

Cheap HDMI to DVI Cable!

max — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 22:39:39 +0000

Here’s a really cheap HDMI to DVI cable for those of you who want to connect your computer/laptop to your monitor that has an input for DVI but not HDMI.

I think this is the cheapest I found right now at less than $1.

Btw, you don’t need to shell out like $40 to $60 at your local Best Buy, these cables to the same thing. So long as they are digital, you won’t see any improvements by using better cables. (unless you have a TON of eletromagnetic interference, then it might make a slight difference)

In the analog days, you needed good cables with good eletromagnetic shielding but in digital, you don’t.

Brought to you by: Zedomax.com

Cheap HDMI to DVI Cable!

Light from water

David Allen — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 21:00:18 +0000

It seems to be something that is quite impossible but it is clear to see that this is something that is not only possible, but practical too. This is especially brilliant when it comes to camping or for just having some outside light.

What makes this gadget even more exciting it that the whole thing is solar powered, so just leave the lid outside where it can get plenty of sun and that’s it.

The only thing about this is that you have to get your own bottle, but that’s not too hard is it.

Features:

•Safe, tough, fully sealed light system

•Four super-bright white LEDs

•High output solar panel charges fast

•Fits all standard 2.25″ diameter bottles, including Nalgene, Camelbak and GSI

•Weatherproof

•Daylight sensor turns it off automatically

•Weighs just 2.6 ounces

•Note: water bottle not included, you must furnish your own

Priced at $19.99

Source [Think Geek]

Brought to you by: Zedomax.com

Light from water

Windows XP Hack – How to Downgrade to Windows XP When You Get BSOD(Blue Screen of Death) on Boot-up!

max — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 20:18:33 +0000

Recently, my old Acer Aspire X3200 that I’ve bought couple months back needed to be installed with Windows XP because it had more power and memory than my current HP desktop, which is REALLY OLD! I used to have a Ubuntu on it (because I gave up installing Windows XP before) but I finally figured out how to install Windows.

The problem was mainly because my old Windows XP CD doesn’t include the new SATA harddrive drivers for installation, which the Acer Aspire X3200 comes with.

I found that the Acer Aspire X3200 uses an integrated Nvidia card which includes the display, harddisk drivers, and more. I simply downloaded the NForce drivers. Install the .exe file onto a file folder but don’t install the drivers itself.

You will need your existing Windows XP CD, nLite, and download the Nvidia drivers mentioned above. (Also, you can download Windows SP2 to integrate it into your Windows XP CD if it’s OLD like mine.)

First, open up nLite and locate your Windows XP installation:

For me, it was my CD disk:

Next, nLite will ask you which folder to save all the modifications, just make a new folder and choose that.

nLite will then proceed to copy your existing Windows XP copy, just let it do its job for about 10 minutes.

Once your Windows CD is copied, you will find a bunch of options.

For most, you can choose “Drivers” and “Bootable ISO”, I’ve also added “Service Pack” so I can add SP2 to my old Windows CD disk.

If you click “Next”, you will get prompts to find your Service Pack, simply choose the .exe service pack file you downloaded.

Once that’s installed you will come up to a screen where you can add drivers needed for your computer hardware. For me, I installed all the Nvidia drivers.

Next, you can simply create an image by clicking on “Make ISO”.

My image ended up around 800MB so I simply burned it on a DVD but if you want, you can probably take some stuff out of the CD (by customizing it) and burn it to CD.

Boot up and you should be welcomed!

Also, if you have another problem where your driver is set up to RAID, you might be able to skip all the steps above by simply setting up your harddisk as IDE. (See more here on how to downgrade to Windows XP. – also here

Brought to you by: Zedomax.com

Windows XP Hack – How to Downgrade to Windows XP When You Get BSOD(Blue Screen of Death) on Boot-up!

This is the lightest dress

David Allen — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 20:00:20 +0000

There are plenty of terms used to compliment the way that women dress and the one most appropriate to this dress would have to be, glowing, wouldn’t you say!

This dress has a full twenty four thousand LED’s installed into it; a neat feature is that instead of having one large battery it uses several iPod batteries.

Source [Wired]

Brought to you by: Zedomax.com

This is the lightest dress

Palm Pre Hack – How to Mount a Custom Palm Pre Touchstone Mount for your Car!

max — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 04:33:48 +0000

Here’s a rather cool DIY that shows you how to mount a custom Palm Pre Touchstone Mount for your car. I think this goes well with Sprint’s on-board voice directions GPS program although I still prefer GoogleMaps as it seems more accurate.

So you’ve been dying to get a Touchstone and put in in the car. You get one only to find out it doesn’t work in the car! As a former professional car audio installer, I’ve got that problem solved and here’s how.

via palmpre-hacks

Brought to you by: Zedomax.com

Palm Pre Hack – How to Mount a Custom Palm Pre Touchstone Mount for your Car!

GoogleMaps Hack – DIY Exercise Bike uses GoogleMaps as Virtual Map!

max — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 01:08:28 +0000

GoogleMaps Hack – DIY Exercise Bike uses GoogleMaps as Virtual Map!

Here’s a rather cool hack where the hacker uses his bike as a GoogleMaps Virtual Map. Using Vuzix iWear as display device while he’s cycling (around the world) on GoogleMaps, this simple hack shows how far GoogleMaps Street View can be applied for adding a little fun to your next workouts.

It’s still in the works but kudos for what he has done so far! Brilliant hack!

Pragmatically explained, it means that I don’t have to sit in the darkness or stare at my garage door while I’m huffing away. Hopefully once this is done, I’ll be able to spend a few nights a week pedalling away downstairs and work my way across the US or Australia over the course of the year. The irony of this project is, well, while it’s supposed to help me entain myself while using the exercise bike, the project itself has been keeping me from exercising. Oh well.

via hackaday

Brought to you by: Zedomax.com

LED Light activated by gravity

David Allen — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 17:00:23 +0000

When you light in an emergency all this little lamp needs is a bit of a tip and you get instant light, it could not be easier than that could it.

Features – For boat, car, camping, picnic, garage, kitchen or workshop, Attaches easily to a baseball cap, Just tip on/off, Extreme durability, Super bright long-life LED (50,000+ hrs), Water resistant, EZ flex grips, Ergonomic design and Replaceable battery included. Priced at $9.99

Source [Hammacher Schlemmer]

Brought to you by: Zedomax.com

LED Light activated by gravity

Does grass make it green?

David Allen — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 14:00:54 +0000

Computers and accessories are not really ever going to be green, they use all sorts of plastics, metals, the components have travel all around the world, and then there is the amount of power consumed by the device.
However, it seems that the artist Hanaoka from Japan has found the answer, you do not change the way that the computer is being made, just add a bit of grass for instant green appeal and it doesn’t even have to be a computer either this greening can be added to almost anything even my Land Rover!
This may a gimmick or joke, but there is a good idea at the end of it, because half the proceeds from the sale of these items goes to a group that help green up schools in Osaka.
Source [Techna Bob]

Brought to you by: Zedomax.com

Does grass make it green?

Network DIY – How to Make an RJ-45 Ethernet Cable Tester!

max — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 23:14:36 +0000

As a self-claimed network technician, I did a whole 5,000 square foot building with Ethernet Cat-6 cables almost 8 years ago. Well, since then I am glad I never had to use an ethernet cable tester but for those of you looking to save some money on this RJ-45 cable tester, you can make your own.

We are going to make DIY RJ45 Cable tester for incredible cheap.As you know cable testers are really expensive insturments and for people who always works with network it is an essential part.
I will try to help you to build one of them with basic electronic ways.

Network DIY – How to Make an RJ-45 Ethernet Cable Tester!

Brought to you by: Zedomax.com

OS Calculators in reality

David Allen — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 15:00:18 +0000

Most people must have seen the calculators that come with Windows and Mac operating systems.

Well they are in reality, or rather what they would look like in reality.

Source [Mint Pass]

Brought to you by: Zedomax.com

OS Calculators in reality

USB 3.0 Flash Drives coming soon!

max — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 04:16:42 +0000

The word on the street is that USB 3.0 flash drives are coming soon near December(that’s next month!). Thanks Greg for the tip!

Wouldn’t you love to have a USB flash drive that could copy files at the rate of 200MB per second? Using a separate UAS Protocol driver with a USB 3.0 port this SuperSpeed drive can reach up to 320MB/sec transfer speeds.

Wow.

It’s a bit large, but hell, who cares. Size is 95 x 37 x13.5 mm The USB 3.0 USB flash drive will be shipping with 32GB, 64GB and 128GB sizes. No word on price, but let me give you an idea…at the time of this writing, Super Talent offers their USB 2.0 32GB drive for $95 MSRP. So you could only imagine what the USB 3.0 Flash Drive would cost.

The new USB 3.0 flash drive is backward compatible to USB 2.0 and will obviously work at those slower speeds. It’s also worth noting the USB 3.0 transfer rates will only be obtain via USB 3.0 ports and USB 3.0 bus.

via getusb

Brought to you by: Zedomax.com

USB 3.0 Flash Drives coming soon!

LED Hack – How to Make (Google)Voice Activated LED Signs!

max — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 02:07:48 +0000

LED Hack – How to Make (Google)Voice Activated LED Signs!

Here’s a really cool hack that uses GoogleVoice to translate voice into words and to his LED sign. This should save a lot of time anytime you want to change the message on your LED sign. Brilliant!

I made the LED sign following instructions from this tutorial on Nerdkits.com. The hardware is some LED’s, a nerdkit, a piece of cardboard and a bit of wire that I got from some Cat 5 cable laying around. I cut out the cardboard and printed a grid to help me lay out the LED’s. I think mine were 1 cm apart. The soldering took forever and it was the first real time I did any soldering so it looks kinda crappy. Oh well. It works. The sign itself is powered by a 9 volt battery and receives data from my laptop through the serial port via a USB adapter. All that stuff was included in the Nerdkit when I bought it. The microcontroller is running code from the tutorial I mentioned earlier. One of these days I’m going to make an enclosure for this thing.

via hackedgadgets

Brought to you by: Zedomax.com

Eco Friendly and Green Laptop Bags!

max — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 19:08:14 +0000

Cool eco-friendly and green laptops bags!

For those of you looking for eco-friendly/green alternatives to laptop sleeves, you might be interested in these eco laptop sleeves from Badget Bag. Of course, don’t forget, you can probably make one yourself too with duct tape or even newspaper.

via keetsa

Brought to you by: Zedomax.com

Eco Friendly and Green Laptop Bags!

Spread some Xmas cheer

David Allen — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 14:00:44 +0000

If you live in a cold and damp country like I do (its midday and the temperature as reached 6 degrees) you often find that your knuckles get very cold.

However, having seen these gloves they are the answer to my prayers, no longer will have to sit around cold hands.

There is an issue here though, these gloves plug into the USB ports so when there is a knock at the door and your forget these are on your hands then you are taking your laptop with you or part of way before it falls to the floor.

Features: Cut finger design allows your fingers to take action/typing easily, Defrosting your hands for gaming, typing and mouse controlling. Glove made of wool and connects individually to a USB port. Works under any device with USB port, e.g. PC, Mac, PlayStation or Xbox 360. Each glove built-in warming pad, Maximum temp: 52 ~ 53°C (126°F), Dimension: 10 x 13cm (approx.) and Weight: 90g. Priced at $19.

Source [Geek Alerts]

Brought to you by: Zedomax.com

Spread some Xmas cheer

Multi-Touch DIY – How to Make your Own Multi-Touch Table!

max — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 05:59:00 +0000

Here’s a rather cool DIY interactive Multi-touch display project that you can learn to make also. I like this multi-touch project as the display is actually not LCD but a projected screen on a whiteboard.

This rules as I think projected LCDs are slightly more safer for child use, spills, and whatnot.

Also, don’t forget about Ideum’s 100-inch multi-touch table, how to turn an HD TV into multi-touch table, and more on how to build a multi-touch table using regular LCDs too.

Between the Apple iPhone and Microsoft’s interactive table, multi-touch displays are all the rage. This instructable will show you how to turn your lcd projector into an interactive multi-touch display table using a few cheap components readily available from the hardware store.

Multi-Touch DIY – How to Make your Own Multi-Touch Table!

Brought to you by: Zedomax.com

DIY Croc-Skin USB Flash Drive!

max — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 03:05:42 +0000

Here’s a rather interesting design of a USB Flash drive that involves a croc-skin craftpaper. You can order one for $10 from the DIYer. Very good indeed for people who might need something matching their bags.

This DIY item was done on a used 512MB SanDisk Cruzer Micro USB Flash Drive. It features a pink faux croc skin outer layer topped with a glossy finish.

via pretty-lil-things

Brought to you by: Zedomax.com

DIY Croc-Skin USB Flash Drive!

Snow Leopard Updates will Kill Hackintosh Netbooks with Atom Processors!

max — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 20:41:24 +0000

I have no idea why Apple wants to have such a tight grip on their products, even controlling down to the processors you can use on their operating systems. A lot of people have been using Apple operating systems on x86 and non-Apple CPUs, which I see a big market for Apple. Well, I hope they realize their lesson someday, one of the main reasons Apple went sour in the 90s is because Apple had a tight grip on the software industry. I remember I bought a PC simply because there were so many more options such as different hardware/software, you name it.

Well, I still haven’t bought an Apple in my whole lifetime, guess that “adds” to their growing empire. :p

There are more than a few folk out there who believe that by releasing the new non Atom compatible updates, Apple is attempting to kill off the Hackintosh Netbook community.

This could well be something they might be keen to do, especially if the rumoured soon to make an appearance Apple Tablet is on its way.

Of course this is all speculation but the advice from StellaRolla, according to a report in Wired, is that if you have a Hackintosh don’t try and download the updates or your Hackintosh will break, at the moment anyway.

via geekwithlaptop

Brought to you by: Zedomax.com

Snow Leopard Updates will Kill Hackintosh Netbooks with Atom Processors!

Dell Mini Hack – How to Add an Accelerometer!

max — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 17:38:41 +0000

There’s an easy way to hack your hacked touchscreen Dell Mini with a Wireless Motion Controller so your netbook can sense directions using its accelerometer and auto-rotate the screen.

You can follow step-by-step directions over here. Of course, don’t forget about the Dell Mini GPS Hack over here.

iRotate enables you to use a key-combination to rotate your screen, in this case CTRL+ALT+DIRECTIONAL ARROW is the combination in play here. Xpadder enables you to map keys to controller buttons from a gamepad. The idea is to have Xpadder sense a change in orientation, and program it to press the correct key-combination used in iRotate, in order to rotate the screen accordingly.

via laptoppimp

Brought to you by: Zedomax.com

Dell Mini Hack – How to Add an Accelerometer!

The OpenOffice Mouse

David Allen — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 17:00:31 +0000

This is cool piece of design, and it is no wind up either just check out the OpenOffice website to make doubly sure.

It has eighteen programmable buttons, which is just what you need on a mouse.

You can just imagine using it for a few hours and not being able to move your hand afterwards.

Features – 18 programmable mouse buttons with double-click functionality, Three different button modes: Key, Key press, and Macro, Analog Xbox 360-style joystick with optional 4, 8, and 16-key command modes, Clickable scroll wheel, 512k of flash memory, 63 on-mouse application profiles with hardware, software, and auto switching capability, 1024-character macro support. Open source support software for creating, managing, and customizing application profiles, Import and export of custom profiles in XML format, Optional audio notification of profile switching with customizable wave files, PDF export of profile button assignments, Adjustable resolution from 400 to 1,600 CPI and 20 default profiles for popular games and applications, including OpenOffice.org 3.1, Adobe Photoshop, the Gnu Image Manipulation Program, World of Warcraft, and the Call of Duty series. Priced at $74.99.

Source [Boing Boing]

Brought to you by: Zedomax.com

The OpenOffice Mouse

DIY Servo Robot!

max — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 22:40:28 +0000

Here’s a really cool DIY Servo robot built with *very* expensive servos, at $200-300 each! Of course, you can buy a similar consumer product like G-Robot from Japan here too.

First post here but figured I would share my most recent work; an RX-64 servo based custom humanoid robot named Giger. This bot was designed in Autodesk Inventor, and machined from 5052 alloy aircraft aluminum using a Sherline 2000 CNC and some work from Big Blue Saw. He stands 62cm tall, weighs about 5kg and uses a total of 16x RX-64s and 8x RX-28s. Video shown is rough initial progress, walking gait still needs a lot of work and the IMU data needs to be integrated for dynamic balancing.

via engadget

Watch the video of this DIY Servo Robot:

Brought to you by: Zedomax.com

DIY Servo Robot!

LCD Hack – How to Fix Broken Backlights with Lightbulb and Old CRT Monitor Case!

max — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 22:49:33 +0000

Broken LCD? You might want to check out if your LCD is really broken of if it’s just its backlight. If its just a backlight problem, you should try reviving it using a lightbulb and an old CRT monitor case as this DIY shows you how. I think this could come in very handy for sheezy.

Fix any broken LCD backlight with an ordinary light bulb and a dead CRT monitor. Broken LCD monitors basically come in three categories: 1) Cracked LCD panel, rendering the unit completely worthless 2) Backlight problem 3) Power supply problem If it’s a backlight or power supply problem, it can be fixed. Usually, the problem stems from the high voltage inverter circuitry, either bad power transistors, capacitors, or thermal stress on the circuit board leading to broken solder joints. But fixing these problems can often be a short term solution. The bulbs themselves have a limited lifespan, and the high voltage power supplies are prone to failure. The panels themselves almost always outlive the backlights and high voltage power supplies. The 17″ Dell LCD monitor I found was no exception. When I first plugged it in, it would cycle power on and off continuously, with a notable burning smell. Further inspection revealed a fried power transistor. When i replaced it, the monitor stayed on, but the backlight would flicker on and off, then finally shut off after a few seconds.. The panel was good, but trying to fix the backlight with the proper parts wasn’t really worth it. But maybe I could still save it, or even make it better. After all, it’s just a light. Lights should be user-replaceable things anyway. I mean, a Lite-Brite was the cheapest toy, yet you could at least change the bulb. So here’s the result of my experiment, with help from an old CRT monitor:

LCD Hack – How to Fix Broken Backlights with Lightbulb and Old CRT Monitor Case!

Brought to you by: Zedomax.com

X-Men Hack – How to Make a Handheld Flame Thrower!

max — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 19:39:26 +0000

X-Men Hack – How to Make a Handheld Flame Thrower!

Check out this awesome hack that involves a handheld flame thrower. There’s some schematics and build details here. The X-men-like handheld flame thrower uses hand gestures to control the amount of flame you want. I think this is way cool that you can build such a dangerous device but just make sure if you are going to build one, you know exactly what you are doing as even small mistakes could possibly burn your hand off. (so have a fire extinguisher nearby)

Prometheus is version 3 of the Pyro System. This is the culmination of about 6 months of thought and 2 months of building during whatever spare time I could find. This is just a basic demo video. I’ll be uploading a detail video with some design and component discussion later.

via make

Brought to you by: Zedomax.com

Firefox DIY – How to Auto Hide the Status Bar!

max — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 08:45:37 +0000

Did you know you can download the autoHideStatusbar Firefox experimental extension to auto hide the annoying status bar once its done loading a website?

Well, now you do!

via howtogeek

Brought to you by: Zedomax.com

Firefox DIY – How to Auto Hide the Status Bar!

Ubuntu Hack – How to Restore GRUB Boot Loader After Installing Windows!

max — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 06:41:14 +0000

Here’s a quick one, how to restore GRUB boot loader after installing Windows for those of you Ubuntu users. I used to know how to do this but keep forgetting, hence the point of this post.

This tutorial will explain how to restore Grub after installing Windows 7/Vista/Xp.If you are using dual boot PC with windows,Ubuntu for some reason you reinstall your windows now you may not see your grub 2 is loading because your windows installation might have been over written MBR (Master boot record).

via ubuntugeek

Brought to you by: Zedomax.com

Ubuntu Hack – How to Restore GRUB Boot Loader After Installing Windows!

Lock Hack – How to Make a “Secret Knock” Detecting Door Lock!

max — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 02:30:32 +0000

Here’s an awesome lock hack that uses Arduino to create a door lock that can detect your “secret knocks” to open the door. I like everything except that people might be able to hide nearby and hear your “secret knock”. Regardless of practicality, this is a really awesome hack, perhaps the best door lock hack I’ve seen in awhile.

Seeeeecret knocks? And if we could detect a secret knock, shouldn’t it unlock a door? If you can’t tell by looking this was cobbled together from spare stuff around the lab, it’s not much more than a piezo speaker, a tiny gear reduction motor, and an Arduino. And PVC pipe.

See video of the secret knock detecting door lock in action here:

Lock Hack – How to Make a “Secret Knock” Detecting Door Lock!

via gizmodo

Brought to you by: Zedomax.com

Internet Broadband Speeds and Costs around the World!

max — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 19:44:17 +0000

Check out this chart that shows average internet broadband speeds and costs around the world where the US falling a lot behind. Like I said in previous posts, we really need something happening, this is just way too slow, nevermind the cost. via gizmodo

Brought to you by: Zedomax.com

Internet Broadband Speeds and Costs around the World!

Light Hack – How to Add Auto-Off Switch to a Tap Light!

max — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 17:35:03 +0000

You know those cheap tap lights you can get? Well, the here’s how to add an auto-off switch so you can use it as a bright night light that shuts off automatically or even a reading light. Whatever the case, adding an auto-off switch will make your battery on the tap light last much longer too.

My wife always forgets to turn lights off and I knew I had to install these in our closets with a auto-off feature!