BuffaloFeeds » Hack A Day » March 11, 2011

Hack A Day (13 unread)

Passcode protected laser tripwire alarm system

Posted: March 11th, 2011, 3:20pm MST by Mike Nathan

Sometimes security doesn’t need to be overly complex to be effective. Instructables user [1234itouch] recently built a simple laser tripwire alarm that can be mounted virtually anywhere, complete with a keypad for disarming the device. He mounted a photo cell in a project box, along with an Arduino and a 12-button key pad. A laser [...]
Bench-top laser engraver does some cutting too

Posted: March 11th, 2011, 2:00pm MST by Mike Szczys

Grab that stack of old optical drives you have in the corner and get to work building this laser engraver. [Groover] is taking a no-nonsense approach to the build and we think it is just simple enough to be accessible to a very wide audience. The physical assembly uses sleds from two optical drives. These [...]
ASync-Firefly

Posted: March 11th, 2011, 1:15pm MST by Noah Dunker

[dev_dsp] wanted to try his hand at creating a purely analog implementation of multiple synchronizing fireflies powered by a single battery and built from off-the shelf, through-hole components on inexpensive protoboard. In theory, even your local Radio Shack should still carry all of this stuff. He was obviously inspired by [alex]‘s fireflies that we’ve covered [...]
Bounce flash in multiple mediums

Posted: March 11th, 2011, 12:30pm MST by Mike Szczys

[Nigel's] been trying out a series of designs and materials to make his own bounce flash. He set out on this mission because most of the images he used flash on ended up washed out with dark shadows. The flash add-on seen above seeks to curb the harshness of the direct light but shielding the [...]
Lol Shield Theatre brings online video to the pixelated screen

Posted: March 11th, 2011, 11:45am MST by Mike Nathan

[FallDeaf] bought a Lol Shield, and after making all sorts of blinky displays, he thought to himself, “What in the world can I use this thing for?” In a really slick fusion of hardware, software, and the power of the Internet, he has created what he calls, “Lol Shield Theatre”. The idea goes something like [...]
The Traveling Terabyte Project – Helping those who protect us

Posted: March 11th, 2011, 11:00am MST by Mike Nathan

Though some people differ on what exactly a “hacker” is, there is one thing that can be said for certain – this global community of tinkerers, experimenters, and hobbyists we belong to is one of big hearts. Through our various projects and tutorials, we lead by example – sharing knowledge and offering help whenever we [...]
Microsoft Points algorithm cracked… they’re out $1M

Posted: March 11th, 2011, 10:15am MST by Mike Szczys

Looks like someone figured out the algorithm that Microsoft uses to generate unique codes for their alternative currency: Microsoft Points. We were always a bit baffled by the need to do this sort of thing (Disney dollars, tokens at arcades, etc.) but figured it’s just a grift to get you to spend more dough. Looks [...]
Bitbang IR Remote

Posted: March 11th, 2011, 9:30am MST by Kevin Dady

[Albert] has made a few PC IR transmitters and receivers using the traditional connection of RS232 serial, and that is fine, but as we are all aware, not every computer has serial ports standard. Searching though normal USB <> RS232 dongles didn’t meet his requirements. Deciding on making it himself, he whipped up this FTDI [...]
Phillip Torrone makes case for next-gen public libraries

Posted: March 11th, 2011, 8:45am MST by Mike Szczys

[Phillip Torrone] has started a discussion about a possible upgrade to the public library system in the US and wants to know what you think. His name should be familiar (Hackaday founder, Open Source hardware advocate, and Tron costume model) and he’s definitely got his finger on the pulse of today’s electronics enthusiasts. He poses [...]
Zigbee-powered wireless scale

Posted: March 11th, 2011, 8:02am MST by Noah Dunker

[joe] wanted to make it easy to record his weight every day, and added a few bits to decode the weight and send it to his computer. The end result is a ZigBee-powered wireless scale. Additionally, his scale can track more than one person’s data simply by knowing whose previous weight the new measurement is [...]
Build your own vertical axis wind turbine

Posted: March 11th, 2011, 7:01am MST by Mike Szczys

You can build a copy of this vertical wind turbine in a weekend and it won’t cost you all that much. Applied Sciences developed the hardware and they’re sharing all for the build details. You will be taken through every part of the build starting with the fin assembly which is made from stove-pipe material. [...]
Water droplet sculpture using LEDs and Arduino

Posted: March 11th, 2011, 6:04am MST by Mike Szczys

This water sculpture can stop drops of water in mid-air. This is accomplished by flashing LEDs to illuminate the droplets at just the right time. But it’s not limited to blinky lights alone. The top of the frame has eight nozzles, each fed by its own pump. An Arduino controls the pumps and the lights making [...]
All about PS3 SixAxis controller USB communications

Posted: March 11th, 2011, 5:03am MST by Mike Szczys

[Austyn] is currently working on reverse engineering a PlayStation 3 SixAxis controller’s USB communications. You may be thinking that this has already been done but [Austyn] was unable to find useful source code so he’s started his own project called libopenaxis. The process he used to sniff out USB communications makes for an interesting read. [...]