Hack

With Zipit, who needs a netbook?

[Hunter Davis] keeps rolling out the hacks for the Zipit. In the past he showed us how to run DOSbox, and then how to get NES emulation working on this tiny device. Now he’s got Linux kernel 2.6.29 running Fluxbox with mouse (newly added), audio, and WiFi functionality. Follow his step-by-step flashing instructions to load the kernel into the Zipit. Once flashed, a partitioned microSD card servers as the filesystem and swap.
Who needs a 10.1 inch screen or an Atom processor when you can get this 2.8″ QVGA beauty with an XScale processor for around $40?
[Thanks Matt]…


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Hack

How to replace a Netgear router antenna

a.ntivir.us wanted to use a different antenna for their Netgear mbr624gu WiFi router. Unfortunately, this model comes with an antenna that is not removable. As with other antenna retrofits, this involves no soldering. But because there is already a mounting area for an antenna, no case altering is needed either. After opening the router with a Torx driver it was discovered that the non-removable antenna was connected to the board with a mini rf connector (U.FL). The antenna and its mounting bracket were removed and a U.FL to RP-SMA adapter was put in its place using a washer to…


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Tech Support

Iphone the Next Wonder of the World or Just a Flop?

Pocket Porn on the Iphone
The big screen fast internet connection combined with its user friendliness, makes lots of users attracted to the iPhone.
Men en stor skjerm, rask internett-tilkobling og brukervennlighet er det ikke bare mobilbrukere verden over som blir tiltrukket av iPhone.
The leading content providers for porn has according to Time Magazine embraced the iPhone to be the dream come through for pocket pornography. They are just looking forward to the iPhone firmware 2.0 that with 3G will have more speed than its predecessor.
iPhone is the most user-friendly telephone in the market and suited best…

Hack

Multi-screen video with Ipod

[Marco Tempest] has developed some software called MultiVid that allows synchronized video across multiple iPhone or iPod Touch devices. For this to work, all of the devices must be connected to the same WiFi network. Playback can be controlled from any one of the iPhones/iPod Touches or from the Mac running the controller software. There is of course the option of connecting to larger monitors through a video output cable. The app also supports OSC. We’ve embedded the example video as well as a video detailing the software setup after the break.

The client software is available at the…


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Hack

Wireless electricity

[Eric Giler] has a talk available over at TED that discusses and demos delivering electricity without wires. Called WiTricity, these methods were developed by a team at MIT a few years ago who were working off of the concepts of Nicolai Tesla. The facts shared about our current energy delivery system are a bit shocking; we’ve spent over $1 trillion in infrastructure and produce more than 40 billion disposable batteries each year.
The demonstration in the video starts about 6:30 into it. At first we see a flat panel television powered wirelessly from about 6 feet away, then the…


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Hack

WiFi Mapping with a smartphone

Not so long ago, mapping WiFi required a laptop, GPS, a big antenna and Kismet/NetStumbler. Today’s smartphones have replaced even this task. For those of us running a GPS and WiFi equipped Windows Mobile phone, WiFiFoFum is an excellent and simple solution, as well as a great companion for installing an AP. Start up WiFiFoFum, put your phone on the dash and let it collect the locations of the APs you find while driving around. You can then save the file in several formats: XML, txt, Wi-scan, POI Database, MemoryMap, Netstumbler, and even as a KML File for Google…


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Hack

HTPC inside a cellular phone

Reader [Jani] always wanted to throw a PC into an old school cell phone. He based this around the extremely small Commell LS-371 motherboard which measures just 146×101 mm (~5.9×4 in). He found room behind an existing access door for a DVI connector and audio in/out.  He even incorporated an OLED screen, secondary sound card for “speakerphone”, and a WiFi connector into the handset. Things start to get interesting when he decided the SSD was too large and needed to be removed from its case. The one thing that seems to be missing here is an IR receiver for…


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Hack

Nokia Booklet and N900

Nokia is current one of the leading phone providers and intends to jump higher on the scale with the Nokie N900 powered by Maemo. But what wasn’t expected was for Nokia to step into the netbook pool. Called the Booklet 3G, it sports 10.1 inch high(er) resolution display with HDMI output. For connectivity you can take your pick of 3G, WiFi, and Bluetooth. All wrapped up in Windows 7 with a whopping 12 hour battery! However, the problem with all these features is the price tag might eat a hefty hole into your pocket book. That’s not going to…


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Hack

Tunneling IP traffic over ICMP

We all hate it when we find an unencrypted WiFi network at our favorite coffee shop, restaurant, airport, or other venue, only to discover that there are traffic restrictions. Most limited networks allow HTTP and HTTPS traffic only, or so is the common misconception. In the majority of cases, ICMP traffic is also allowed, permitting the users to ping websites and IP addresses. You may be asking, “Ok, so why does that matter?” Well, all of your IP traffic can be piped through an ICMP tunnel, disguising all your surfing as simple ping packets. [Thomer] has a detailed guide…


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Hack

WiFi spectrum analyzer

[Tim] noticed a 2.4Ghz WiFi spectrum analyzer on thinkgeek a while ago and got curious.  He knew that the spectrum analyzers with which he was familiar were giant expensive units, so he got curious what this little dongle was. It turns out, it really wasn’t much at all. Just a simple wireless receiver. He decided that rather than spending the $399 for one, he would toss one together using an Xbee. His total cost ended up at roughly $50 for basically the same unit. While he doesn’t give a schematic, you can download his source code on the site.



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Hack

Tiny bluetooth teardown

The folks at SparkFun were startled by how small USB bluetooth adapters had become so they split one open. They noted a few interesting design features. It has a small folded trace antenna on the board edge. The metal USB housing acts as the RF shield. The bluetooth IC is an AS3620QA. Now we wonder what those tiny Buffalo drives look like inside.
Related: Eye-Fi teardown, storage/WiFi in an SD card



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Hack

Various Cantenna builds

Here is a classic project used to increase wireless signal strength. Cantennas focus using a waveguide very much like a magnifying glass focuses light. [Robert] made a Natural Light beer cantenna, pictured in the upper left. His approach used three beer cans, a paper towel holder, and a shower curtain rod. On the tipline, he noted a signal boost from 11Mbps to 54Mbps. This is certainly something we can hack together if our room lacks adequate signal. Read about parabolic and seeking versions after the break.

The lower right image is an example of a parabolic soup cantenna constructed…


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