Eavesdropping from a distance can be tricky because it usually requires some sort of bug or transmitter. It's easy to transmit audio through lasers, but you can also use lasers to build a microphone that picks up audio from a distance. LucidScience built the Laser Spy System for about $20. To make your own, you'll need a cheap laser pointer, an NPN phototransistor, a headphone amp, and a few other small pieces listed below. A light-to-sound circuit is installed in a small plastic box with the...
As dedicated bicyclists are well aware, riding can be very dangerous. Now that daylights savings time has ended in the United States, darkness appears quicker, and the night is especially dangerous for cyclists because of the low visibility that drivers have. Not only is darkness a danger, but also fog, blizzards, and heavy rain—all wreaking havoc on the vision. To combat this, bikers attach reflectors: clear front reflectors, red rear reflectors, amber pedal reflectors, and clear side reflec...
Doorbells are useful and all, but most of them are boring as hell. They use the same old generic sounds to let you know when guests have arrived, as demonstrated below.
It's good to password-protect your PC to make sure that your personal files, folders, and important documents are safe and can't be modified without your permission. Though, entering the password all of the time before using your computer might frustrate you.
If you have the international version of the Samsung Galaxy S2 (I9100) and are sick and tired of waiting for the Jelly Bean update to hit your device, you're in luck—XDA-Developers member izap has leaked what appears to be the final version of Android 4.1.2 for the S2.
Whether it's forgetting your driver's license or misplacing your cell phone, forgetting things at home can be a pain in the butt. Car keys, wallet, purse, papers, sunglasses—the list can go on. Sometimes I even surprise myself at the important things I forget... Oops.
It's tough out there on the battlefield, especially when your stuck in the trenches and your comrades are dropping like flies. There's no hope. At least, until the next airsoft battle.
Rooting your device gives you all-powerful administrative access to your phone and its system settings. Of course, with such power comes great responsibility, and sometimes that responsibility becomes to burdensome or just plain unnecessary.
Samsung's Galaxy Note and Note II phablets have been hailed for their large displays and responsive systems, making them ideal for gaming and movie watching. But if you've recently upgraded to Jelly Bean (Android 4.1) from Ice Cream Sandwich (4.0), you'll be sad to know that some Android devices running Jelly Bean no longer support Adobe Flash Player.
Windows 8 the biggest update to Windows yet. The new gesture-friendly version replaces the aging start menu with a dynamic new Start Screen, complete with live tiles that give you a glimpse into your apps before you launch them, not unlike the new Windows phones. With such a radical departure from the past, some familiar features have been moved around, which will take some getting used to. It's worth noting that the new Windows 8 does not abandon the old desktop model completely; it still ha...
Lucid dreaming, in which you're aware that you're dreaming, can be profoundly beneficial to us. It gives us freedom to do things we couldn't possibly do in the real world. It can show us the true potential of our brain power. You can even use lucid dreaming to question the nature of our own reality. For whatever reason, people everywhere are interested in this mysterious phenomenon...especially in achieving it. Whether it be visiting another planet or flying around, the possibilities in lucid...
There are plenty of things you can use at home to make your own rocket, like sugar, matchsticks, or even trash. They may not be as impressive as a real rocket, but they can still be a lot of fun. In this video, How To Lou shows how he made a high-flying water rocket out of some basic materials like PVC and a soda bottle. As Lou points out, the bigger your soda bottle, the further it will go. He used 1/2" PVC pipe, valves, and connectors, as well as some brass adapters. He added an air compres...
Michael Faraday was awesome. He discovered electromagnetic induction, diamagnetism and electrolysis, and he invented the Bunsen burner (before it was the Bunsen burner). Because of his work, we can make suits that can withstand 1,000,000 volts of electricity and cases to protect our gadgets from nuclear attacks.
Wall Anchors. Drywall Wall Anchors. Plasterboard Wall Anchors. I discovered these plasterboard (drywall) anchors / plugs a few years ago and think they are fantastic. They are ridiculously easy to use and are extremely effective in attaching fixtures to walls. One of the main things to be aware of (as with all things that have fixtures hanging from them) is the recommended maximum weight loading of each size of anchor. What ever the packet says, adhere to it.
A couple of months ago at the Black Hat security conference, hacker Cody Brocious gave the hotel industry a nasty surprise when he figured out how to hack the locks made by Onity that are used in millions of hotels worldwide.
"Jef with one F" from the Houston Press compiled a list of the 10 best steampunk songs, but it's really a collection of the best steampunk music videos. There are some amazing videos in the collection, such as this one, "Brass Goggles" by Steam-Powered Giraffe. It's not the best-looking, but it's a great performance.
The original NES controller has become one of the most recognizable symbols of the Nintendo gaming culture, thanks to its perfectly rectangular shape and simple button design. But despite its popular appeal, people just don't game with them anymore. So, what do they do with them? They savor the memories and turn it into something more useful, like a light switch.
Even though iOS 6 has only been out for a day, the folks over at iPhone Dev-Team have already released a Redsn0w jailbreak that works on the iPhone 4, iPhone 3GS, and iPod touch (fourth generation). As of right now, there's only a tethered jailbreak available, which means that you'll have to connect your device to your computer every time you power it up, but an untethered version that works on more devices is more than likely on the way. Until then, tethered is better than nothing, so here's...
Want to take advantage of your neighbor's super fast Wi-Fi connection? If they're smart, they probably have it password protected (otherwise you wouldn't be reading this, would you?). But if you have an Android phone, you can get back at them for always parking in your spot and slamming the door when they get home at 2 a.m.—by stealing...er, borrowing, their connection.
The worst part of moving into a new place is, well...moving. It's tedious, a lot of hard labor, and it can take forever, and don't even get me started on all those labels. It's also one of the only times in your life when everything you own can be stolen at once, since it's sitting in a movable container. Rather than risk losing everything, try this DIY Moving Truck Alarm System by Tim Flint that lets you know when the loading door is opened so you can catch would-be thieves red handed.
Old newspapers come in handy for many different uses around the house, from birdcage liners to shipping cushioning and even a little fish cooking. But for backyard rocket scientists like Markus Bindhammer, they're more suitable as an ingredient for rocket propellant.
Looking to transmit some super-secret audio communications to your other spy buddies? A laser is the perfect tool for getting your sounds heard from a small distance—without anyone intercepting them— even if it's just a cover of your favorite pop song. A laser audio transmitter uses light rather than radio waves to transmit sound. This is a much more secure way to send audio communications because the laser is a focused beam of light, whereas radio waves are not controlled, so they can be pic...
Who needs to go to bartending school when you've got the Inebriator to mix your favorite drinks for you? Want a cosmopolitan? No problem. Press a button. Want a tequila sunrise? Sure thing. Press a button. As long as you've got a good supply of liquor and mixers, the Inebriator is at your command. So, what exactly is this Inebriator thing? Well, it's a robotic bartender that can automatically pour 15 different pre-programmed cocktails. With 9 different liquors and 7 mixers on board, it's got ...
WonderHowTo has seen its fair share of dragon-related projects, from dragon wings, to dragon kites, to less-complicated origami dragons, but we've yet to see anything quite like this. Radio-control plane builder Richard Hamel built this incredible seven-foot-long, fire-breathing dragon using a JetCat P80 turbine and a 50,000 volt stun gun, with a 2.4-gigahertz touchscreen radio controller to fly it.
If you're at all like me, you constantly get frustrated that repeaters only boost redstone signals in one direction. It's annoying!
Believe it or not, it's possible to make your very own lava—if you have a furnace capable of heating up to 1,200 degrees Celsius, that is. Bob Wysocki and Jeff Karson started the Syracuse University Lava Project to study basaltic lava and give students a hands-on way (hypothetically, of course) to learn about it. Oh, and they also want to use it for art projects. Sign me up for that class! It all starts with 1.1 billion-year-old basalt gravel, which apparently anyone can buy. They put the gra...
Since most devices these days are mobile and wireless, a lot of people have a bunch of old hardware from a decade or two ago sitting around unused, just wasting away in dusty boxes. Look familiar?
Riding your bicycle at night is dangerous on busy streets, especially if you've got no bike lights. In most states, it's illegal to ride your bike at night without any lights because drivers on the road won't be able to see you until it's too late. Plus, how is anybody going to notice your sweet ride without a little illumination?
One of the most annoying things about summer is mowing the lawn. Depending on how big your yard is, it can mean spending hours out in the hot sun while you could be doing something a lot more fun like watching the Olympics or making giant soap bubbles. Reclaim your summer with this remote control lawn mower that does all the hard work for you.
Need to break out of the restrictions your school or workplace have on internet browsing? Maybe you want to waste some time on YouTube, check out some gaming action on Twitch, or simply just browse Facebook or Twitter.
Bradley Lewis is a visual effects artist for BioWare by day, but in his spare time he runs Slothfurnace, a blog dedicated to showcasing his incredibly realistic lightsaber replicas. His latest, which took 18 months to build, is Obi-Wan Kenobi's Reveal Lightsaber from A New Hope. It was made with a real crystal, just like the movies, and has a Crystal Focus Saber Core designed by Plecter Labs which controls the light and sound. The blade is composed of 84 LED lights and powered by two 3.7 volt...
With this video demonstration, you'll learn how to iron a jacket using the Batisella universal ironing board, the technical specifications of which are as follows: board type 50x130cm with automatic steam generator [6,6kW power and 8lt boiler capacity] for 1 iron, board suction and blowing unit 0,37kW, board steaming, board heating power 0,8kW, ironing board height 92cm, heated 0,15kW and vacuum sleeve ironing buck. Equipped with turning iron support, double pedals [enabling work on both side...
It's not brain surgery, but teeth whitening systems still hits the pocket books hard. However, there is a cheaper alternative to have the whitest teeth in the neighborhood, and it's called Photoshop. With Adobe Photoshop, you can have whiter teeth in seconds! Really. It's definitely the best tooth whitening remedy for those behind the camera lens. But remember… Photoshop is only a digital cure. You still might have to hide that smile in public… or consult a dentist.
Inspired by the glittery, flickering lights she saw as she drove through the city at night, Michelle Phan came up with a luminous and sexy makeup look, which she presents here in this tutorial.
The video starts by informing about the basic safety precautions, tools needed and backing up data prior to hard drive replacement. There are a series of screws which need to be removed in the following order.1. Removing the battery from the back and then remove three screws thereby removing the RAM cover.2. Two more screws to be removed under the RAM cover.3. Two screws from inside front edge.4. Four screws from the bottom rear.5. Two screws each from the slim sides.6. Two screws near the hi...
Check out this video to see how to make pneumatic power with stuff from your dumpster. Take one empty Tekapur (polyurethane foam) spray can, and one hand air pump, and watch the instructions. Soon, with a wee buit of time and effort, you'll have some cool pneumatic power at your fingertips.
Learn how to power break in a pool game with this billiards video tutorial. This is not supposed to be a comprehensive video about breaking, but simply for how to create more power when breaking. This type of power breaking is probably best suited to 8-ball and 10-ball play.
Learn how To fake super powers. Helpful for filmmakers on a low budget. Part 1 of 2 - How to Fake super powers.
It's easy to install a SIM card or a memory card in Nokia's Booklet 3G netbook. This tech support video overviews the processes of inserting either of the cards, plugging in the charger to the notebook computer, and turning on the laptop with the power button.
With Cheat Engine, you can hack nearly browser based or PC game. This tutorial shows you all the nifty things this program can do, like giving yourself infinite health, all the special powers in the game or other easy hacks.
