This video shows how vulnerable an RFID credit card is because it’s not very well encrypted signals. I am sure the makers of RFID credit cards will change this soon but until then, make sure to keep your RFID credit cards in your metal business case or an Altoids can. Great thing, I am still old-school and haven’t used an RFID credit card.[via] Consumerist

Check out this cool little hack, it’s an open-source motor controller for an electric bike. There’s no pictures of a finished version but can’t wait to see this circuit in action!

n brief the PicOx is a PicAxe 08M based digital Controller that performs an ADC of a Hall-effect throttle and an ADC of a Hall-based current sensor. These two parameters determine the “Mark” value of a 15Khz PWM signal that does the switching to the Output stage. At the end of the project the Controller can sustain 48V @ 75 Amps repeatedly for approx 5 second bursts and is really only limited by the In-Line breaker that cuts the supply voltage, though the entire system’s overall design objective is met reliably at 48V 50Amp operation…

via HackedGadgets

Click Here to View in Full Screen Mode

Here’s a funny cheap lie detector you can make. I don’t know if it really works since there’s no circuit diagrams but you can find lots of lie detector circuit diagrams on the internet like this one I found in about 5 seconds:

Yes, these lie detectors probably won’t work on cats, maybe try dogs.

via dailyapps

The other day, my home had power-outage for like 6 hours. I could go buy a UPS (Uninterruptible Power Supply), or I can make my own UPS using a car battery.

Well, I am just hoping this DIY UPS lasts 6 hours so I can keep using my spare laptop, which shouldn’t need that much power anyways to run off the UPS. But if I tried to run my desktop PC, it’d probably last only 2-3 hours at most, maybe even less.

This DIY is for 220 Volts so you will have to make some calculations to make sure you are providing the correct number of invertors and etc…etc… Btw, if you do use it for powering up your laptop, you don’t need an invertor as most laptops are around 12VDC anyways, which is what car batteries are at. (But you will need to hack an adaptor to the laptop for sure)

In this article we look at how you can cobble together a 220 Volt power supply using components you can buy at your local automotive store. But first it is important to understand a few basics about batteries, and how to convert 12 Volt DC battery supplied electricity into 220 Volt AC current that your household appliances can use.

A twelve Volt battery is a storage device that, when charged, stores electricity in chemical structures that can reverse and release electricity if required. Batteries are typically rated in Amp Hours (AH) - ie how many Amps for how many hours the battery will perform. An inverter is a device which can take the DC current from a battery and convert it into 220V AC current for your appliances.

To calculate how many batteries you need, and how big an inverter is quite simple. Investigate the specification plates on the back of each appliance. In the case of my laptop, the power supply is a 90W unit.

For an inverter one can work on a rule of thumb that to produce 100W will require approximately 10 Amps, hence in reality the lap top requires about 10 AH of battery life per hour. With a 90 AH battery one can therefore expect about 9 hours of power before the battery provides too little current to keep the inverter going. But it is not this simple.

[via] scienceinafrica

Check out some of these really cool ways you can make your own Laptop stands. My favorite is as seen above, the wine corks and PVC pipe stand.

Btw, these are really great ways to make your laptop live longer. Without any space between the desk and the laptop, you are practically killing and overheating your laptop. Most people don’t realize this until they overheat their laptops and it’s too late. I actually use a Laptop Chiller from Target, which is basically a Laptop Stand with a built-in USB fan that also drives out hot air through the back.

[via] Lifehacker

Well, this one is no-brainer really, but if you didn’t think of it before, now you know how to make guitar picks out of credit cards.

Definitely a great way to save you some extra bucks while re-using your credit cards or fake credits you receive in the mail.

via gearfuse

Sorry guys, today I am going to have to do some serious coding over at SiteHoppin.com for our new Beer Stock Market, but here’s a plethora of DIYs and HOWTOs you can check out until tomorrow:

Howto: Configure the Windows 2008 Server Core Screensaver Activation Period

DIY planetarium projectors & museum from Make

Diy Plush - funky product

RipDev discovers how to activate iPhone Screen Shots

DIY Photoshop - Creating That Dave Hill Look

How to Avoid “The Six Deadly Sins of DIY Projects”

Howto migrate from Thunderbird to Evolution

DIY Drones

DIY Homopolar Motor

Make a duct tape top hat - This one is cool.

Star Wars DIY Lightsaber Kit

DIY Flash Diffuser - Airline Barf Bags

HowTo: Install Firefox 3 Beta 4 in Debian

DIY macro ring lights from Make

If you got Firefox, simply select all the links above->right click->Open Links in New Tabs and enjoy!

This is a paid review on ReviewMe.

Check out Frontier Labels for your next graphics job, whether that’s preparing a sample for your next client meeting or it’s for your mom-and-pop online store.

It looks like they’ve got a wide range of sizes for your next project that requires labels. I am even thinking of ordering one of their free samples for my websites.

Looks like they have some great pressure sensitive machines. I tell ya, I’ve tried some printing companies and it came out horrible. Frontier Labels allow you to get free samples so it looks like you got nothin’ to lose on that part. It’s a great thing when companies stand behind their products simply by offering samples. Which, I might add, these labels probably get used a lot for another sample.

They also offer Artwork help, which means they are probably not another online mom-and-pop store. This company has been around since 2004, most likely a great company to get your labels done.

Another great feature is their automated Instant Quote, so you can find out how much it’s going to cost you.

Lastly, they do offer 1-day shipping, which would probably most critical in the labels business.

Has anyone tried this company? If so, please leave a comment.

Check out http://www.frontierlabel.com here.

This one deserves our attention due to the fact that the creator is ‘masked’ to protect his online identity. Just kidding, this DIY is about how to make an NES Game Cartridge, (that’s right, I bet you got one of those in your garage somewhere) into a HarmoNESica.

Basically, it’s a Harmonica, but you can make it look cool. These days, people will making anything out of NES controllers, cables, and now…cartridges.

Watch the video if you want to see it in action. (Looks like he made this to promote his favorite NFL team.)

Click Here to View in Full Screen Mode

That’s a NES cartridge and a harmonica. I think you know where this is going. This is going exactly where the intersection of nostalgia and commercialism should have gone like ten freaking years ago. I’ve googled all sorts of combinations like “NES harmonica” and “nintendo harmonica” and “NES cartridge instrument” and I can’t find anything like this. Everybody talks about blowing on the game like a harmonica, but as far as I know I’m the first person on the Internet to actually use a harmonica.

Mint chocolate chip ice cream provided for scale.

I began my journey with what I thought was a solid plan. I had a cart I was willing to bust open, I had a harmonica I had purchased specifically to be busted open, and I had a brand-new Dremel to bring the magic. There’s also a package of Dremel drill bits and a bag of #4-40 3/4″ bolts with included nuts…

[via] monthenorium.nfshost.com

Related Posts on Zedomax.com:

NES Wallet!?!

NES PC?!?

Related Posts on Zedomax’s Friends’ Blogs:

NES Espresso Machine….yummy…

NES MP3 and Speakers…lol

NES Clock! - I like this one a lot…very functional…

NES Zelda Cartridge harddrive…that’s right…HardDRIVE!?!

Do you know of any other NES hacks or DIYs?  Leave a comment and we will add yours.