BuffaloFeeds » Items by Nick Caiello

Items by Nick Caiello

Hack A Day

Woot How-to: Let there be Light! (for your Rovio)

Posted: March 17th, 2010, 11:00pm MDT by Nick Caiello

Before we get into the how-to, we felt it would be appropriate to explain a little bit about how this came to be. As many of you may remember, a couple of months ago we attended CES 2010. While there, we also attended the It Won’t Stay in Vegas Blogger party and ended up meeting [...]
CES: Caleb gets Tased

Posted: January 9th, 2010, 3:39pm MST by Nick Caiello

As were wandering around South Hall, we just so happened to stumble upon Taser International’s booth. Being the adventurous guy that he is, [Caleb] decided to volunteer to get tased. Not being able to pass up such a great opportunity, we instantly broke out our cameras and recorded the video above. Enjoy, we know we [...]
CES: Meet the Mini Hexapodinno

Posted: January 8th, 2010, 11:50pm MST by Nick Caiello

While we were browsing around the show floor, we saw a pretty cool little robot called the Mini Hexapodinno. As the name suggests, it’s a hexapod robot that utilizes sonar and can be programmed using BASIC. Although its not as cool as some of the other robots that we’ve seen, we still have a special [...]
SparkFun’s Free Day is nearly upon us…

Posted: January 7th, 2010, 8:50am MST by Nick Caiello

As I’m sure many of you already now, today is January 7th. While that might not have any real significance normally, today this means that our favorite hobby supplier, SparkFun, is giving away up to $100,000 of electronic goodness. We know we have our shopping carts filled to the brim, and we’re sure that most [...]
MindFlex teardown

Posted: November 7th, 2009, 2:30pm MST by Nick Caiello

Maybe we’re just imagining things, but it seems to us like brainwave control is the latest trend in toys. Similar to Uncle Milton’s Force Trainer, Mattel has recently released the MindFlex, a game that involves moving a plastic ball up and down through an obstacle course that you control using your brainwaves. Naturally when [Alpha] [...]
CBS to advertise using Video-in-Print technology

Posted: August 21st, 2009, 10:00am MDT by Nick Caiello

In what seems like another move to blur the line between digital and print media, CBS has announced that they will be introducing something called Video-in-Print technology in next month’s issue of Entertainment Weekly. Video-in-Print, or ViP, technology consists of a small LCD screen and circuit board that can be inserted into print media and [...]
Adafruit releases new TV-B-Gone kit

Posted: August 17th, 2009, 6:15pm MDT by Nick Caiello

Recently, our friends over at Adafruit released a new version of their popular TV-B-Gone kit. Built in cooperation with [Mitch Altman], the inventor of the TV-B-Gone, the new kit sports four high power IR LEDs, two wide beam and two narrow beam. The four LEDs give the new TV-B-Gone increased range, with a maximum distance [...]
EEVblog: the Electronics Engineering video blog

Posted: August 16th, 2009, 10:00am MDT by Nick Caiello

Have you ever wanted to see what it’s like inside of a PCB assembly factory? Have you ever wondered how digital storage oscilloscopes work? If so, be sure to check out the EEVblog podcast. The Electronics Engineering video blog podcast, hosted by [Dave Jones], was created for anyone interested in learning more about electrical engineering. [...]
AVGA: The AVR based video game platform

Posted: August 12th, 2009, 12:55pm MDT by Nick Caiello

We’ve seen our fair share of AVR projects, but this one’s pretty cool. AVGA is a color video game development platform based on the Atmel AVR family of microcontrollers. As seen in the picture above, one of the AVRs that the project uses is the popular ATMega168. There were several technical hurdles to using the [...]
Defcon 17: Badge hacking

Posted: August 4th, 2009, 9:08pm MDT by Nick Caiello

Following up on their post about the new Defcon 17 badges, Wired recently posted some of the best badge hacks of the con. Among the hacks featured were an LED frequency meter hack, a sound seeking dirigible powered by three badges, and a wireless geiger counter random number generator that sent random numbers back to [...]
Defcon 17: Badge details released

Posted: July 31st, 2009, 12:39pm MDT by Nick Caiello

Defcon is upon us once again, and that can only mean one thing: new badge designs. Our friends over at Wired posted the picture above along with a description of this year’s new badge. Since our last post, there has been little new information released regarding the components used for the new badge. However, we [...]
MIDI controlled fire drums

Posted: July 9th, 2009, 6:23pm MDT by Nick Caiello

Using an MSA-T MIDI Decoder from Highly Liquid, [Rob Darman] was able to take the MIDI output of his Roland V-Drums and use that output to control fire shooting cannons, forming a setup that he calls fire drums. As seen in the video above, the response time between the V-Drums and the fire drums is pretty [...]
Inside the Asus EEE Keyboard

Posted: July 9th, 2009, 4:49pm MDT by Nick Caiello

It seems that our french friends over at BlogEEE.net have gotten their hands on a prototype of the Asus EEE Keyboard all-in-one keyboard computer. After plugging it in and messing around it a little bit, they decided to take it apart. Although BlogEEE.net is in French, we were able to learn several things about this [...]
Apple Adjustable Keyboard USB hack

Posted: July 7th, 2009, 7:00pm MDT by Nick Caiello

When [Tom] got tired of the large size of his Microsoft Comfort Curve 2000 keyboard, he decided to hack a recently acquired Apple Adjustable Keyboard for use with Windows. After removing the ancient ADB based control board from the Apple keyboard, he was able to map the keys and transplant the Microsoft keyboard’s USB control [...]
Adafruit introduces the Sensor Pack 900

Posted: June 22nd, 2009, 3:20pm MDT by Nick Caiello

Our friends over [adafruit] recently released the Sensor Pack 900, a collection of parts for anyone who is interested in using analog sensors with their projects. The pack includes 9 sensors. They range from simple thermistors and hall effect sensors to sharp distance sensors. Also included in the pack are 3 unidentified components that can [...]
Repair a Malfunctioning LCD

Posted: June 20th, 2009, 2:34pm MDT by Nick Caiello

When most people encounter dead pixels on an LCD text display, they figure that the display is dead and they decide to scrap it. However when the LCD display on one of [Joe]’s cordless phones started to show dead rows and columns of pixels, [Joe] decided that he could fix it. With only a pencil [...]
Rocket acceleration logger

Posted: April 8th, 2009, 10:04am MDT by Nick Caiello

Have you ever wondered how high or how fast a model rocket goes when you launch it? [sprite_tm] did, so he decided to build a low cost, lightweight data logger that he could fit into the nose cone of his rocket. To keep the circuit small, he built it around the popular ATtiny13 microcontroller. The [...]
Bots 4 tots charity launched

Posted: April 6th, 2009, 9:42am MDT by Nick Caiello

If you feel the same way that we do about robotics, you probably wish that you had more experience with them when you were a kid. [Don] felt that way too, and he decided to do something about it. So [Don] and his partner started the Chicago based organization Bots 4 Tots, with the mission [...]
Hackit: Consumer RFID

Posted: March 2nd, 2009, 4:15pm MST by Nick Caiello

RFID seems to have invaded every part of our lives. Sure, the technology has been primarily used in government and industry, but that doesn’t mean that it doesn’t have consumer applications. Recently, we posted about [max's] RFID dorm room lock, that he built to provide a safe, convenient way to access his room. A while back, [...]
WiFi streaming radio update

Posted: February 3rd, 2009, 9:00pm MST by Nick Caiello

Since our last post about his WiFi Streaming Radio Project, [Jeff] has been hard at work to release part 8 of the project where he adds tuning control to the radio. Interestingly enough, the addition of the tuning control only requires a potentiometer and the completed AVR LCD board from part 7. After wiring the potentiometer [...]
Programmable scientific calculator watch

Posted: January 19th, 2009, 4:30pm MST by Nick Caiello

When the band support on [David]’s Casio CFX-400 Scientific Calculator Watch finally broke after 10 years of use, he found it almost impossible to find another watch with the same functionality. Like any good engineer, [David] decided to design a watch to meet his needs. The result of his endeavors was the µWatch, a programmable [...]
Windows drivers for PS3 controllers

Posted: January 11th, 2009, 5:08pm MST by Nick Caiello

Recently, a Japanese coder on the DCEmu Forums released Windows drivers for DualShock 3 controllers. While the drivers only support using the controllers over USB and not bluetooth, they do include force feedback and Sixaxis support. Included with the drivers is a configuration tool, and though it appears to be in Japanese there is some explanation of [...]
UIRemote: Universal Remote Application for iPhone

Posted: January 6th, 2009, 6:00pm MST by Nick Caiello

When several students from the University of Toronto became tired of having multiple remotes lying around, they decided to do something about it. Their solution to this problem came in the form of UIRemote, a universal remote application for the iPhone. The application allows the iPhone to control anything that is normally controlled by [...]
Passive Multidimensional Input

Posted: December 29th, 2008, 8:00am MST by Nick Caiello

Any musician who has ever used a computer to create music will tell you that while this technology is more than capable of producing great music, it is always a much more intimate experience to create by physically playing an instrument. In an effort to bridge this gap, [Randall Jones] has built a passive multidimensional [...]
Inside Nokia’s hardware damage labs

Posted: December 3rd, 2008, 3:45pm MST by Nick Caiello

Like everybody, we sometimes get a little frustrated with our cellphones. Probably one of the most annoying things is when we drop our phones once and they stop working. At Nokia’s hardware damage labs in San Diego, they physically test their phones for extreme uses. They test things like flip tension, water resistance, and even [...]
Firefox addon makes pirating music easier

Posted: December 3rd, 2008, 5:00am MST by Nick Caiello

The Amazon MP3 Store may have the lowest prices on DRM free music, but for some people 79 cents for a song is just too much, especially when [john] and the folks at pirates-of-the-amazon.com can help you get that song for free. Pirates of the Amazon is a slick Firefox addon that inserts a “download 4 free” button next to the “add to cart” button in the Amazon MP3 Store. After clicking on the button, the addon refers users to a thepiratebay.org search page with bittorrent download links for the song or album. While there is no question that this makes getting your music easier, by using this addon you do run the risk of violating copyright laws, depending on which country you live in.

There isn’t much here that hasn’t been thrown into Greasemonkey scripts in the past and we wonder if they’re marketing this to anyone at all. People who absolutely love using Amazon but hate buying stuff perhaps? They cite a couple interesting projects in their about section: Amazon Noir robotically abused the “Search Inside” feature to reconstruct entire books. OU Library searches your local library to see if it has the Amazon book you’re looking for.
DIY cardboard iPhone dock

Posted: November 27th, 2008, 3:10pm MST by Nick Caiello

While the iPhone 3G included several new features that its predecessor lacked, one thing it did not include was a dock. Instead of shelling out $30 to buy Apple’s iPhone 3G dock, [Roland] and the folks at Geeky-Gadgets.com decided to design their own cardboard iPhone dock. While this doesn’t include any fancy features like dock connectors or audio line-outs, it looks like a quick and budget friendly way to give your iPhone 3G a place to charge and sync.
Flickering LED Circuit

Posted: October 30th, 2008, 4:08pm MDT by Nick Caiello

Here’s a simple project for your Halloween celebration. The other day while looking through our box of Halloween decorations, we noticed that the incandescent lamp in one of the jack-o’-lanterns was burnt out. Instead of simply replacing the outdated bulb, we decided to build a small dark detecting circuit with 2 yellow LEDs based on [...]
Peltier-based cooling/heating backback

Posted: September 27th, 2008, 10:23pm MDT by Nick Caiello

[Max Weisel] recently created a Peltier-based cooling/heating system that fits into a backpack. The system uses two Peltier units, each running at 91.2 watts, with computer heat sinks mounted on one side of the unit to dissipate the excessive amounts of heat generated. While he was originally trying to build a cooling backpack, the use of [...]
Palin email hack post mortem

Posted: September 19th, 2008, 2:47pm MDT by Nick Caiello

A few days ago a lone individual decided to crack [Governor Sarah Palin]’s private Yahoo! email account. He did this by navigating the password reset procedure. [Gov. Palin]’s birthday was publicly available and Wasilla only had two zip codes to guess. The follow up question “Where did you meet your spouse” required some more research. [...]
Toaster computer

Posted: September 7th, 2008, 11:00am MDT by Nick Caiello

[Gordon Johnson] recently completed part 1 of his toaster computer project. He used a standard four slot toaster as the enclosure and cut holes for access to the ports and a wireless antenna. While the specifications of the components used are not mentioned, the build is well documented on his site, complete with lots of [...]
Security flaw allows full access to locked iPhones

Posted: August 27th, 2008, 9:00pm MDT by Nick Caiello

Filed under: cellphones hacks, news, security hacks

[greenmymac] on the MacRumors forums recently exposed a security flaw that allows anyone full access to a locked iPhone running firmware version 2.0.2. The flaw works by entering the emergency call menu of a locked iPhone, and double tapping the home button. This opens the iPhone's Favorites menu, allowing anyone in your Favorites to be called. From here, an attacker has access to your SMS messages and potentially your email or Safari browser. While we are sure that Apple has a patch for this flaw on the way in the next firmware update, there is a temporary way to secure your locked iPhone. Simply enter the Settings menu on your iPhone and enter General > Home Button and select "Home" or "iPod". Now when you double tap your home button, it will navigate to either your home screen or the iPod screen. While this fix might be annoying for some, as of right now it seems like the only way to secure your locked iPhone.

[photo: Refracted Moments[TM]]

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Parents beware of "digital drugs"

Posted: August 20th, 2008, 6:46am MDT by Nick Caiello

Filed under: news

In what some might call a sensationalist article, USA Today reporter [Kim Komando] warns parents of a new danger to their kids: digital drugs. Throughout the article, [Kim] tries to explain how binaural beats (idosers) can effect the brain in many different ways, claiming that some even emulate the effects of illegal drugs. Furthermore, she claims that the "digital drugs" can act as a gateway to trying real drugs. While it seems unapparent to [Kim] that I-Doser has been around for years, it's not surprising that this article is only being published now. While I understand her argument, parts of it just seem illogical. If anything, wouldn't binaural sounds provide kids an alternative to illegal drugs? If these sounds really provide the same effects as drugs, wouldn't they act as a safer option to kids? While this story seems to be one of many sensational stories warning parents to protect their kids, it seems as though parents should really be warned about these sensational stories that are concocted solely to sell newspapers.

[via Woot]

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Russia vs Georgia, the online front

Posted: August 13th, 2008, 4:30am MDT by Nick Caiello

Filed under: news, security hacks

While we're sure that just about everyone has heard about the conflict between Russia and Georgia, few have probably heard about the role of cyber attacks in the conflict. Shortly before Russia's armed response, Georgian state web servers were attacked by individuals assumed to be Russian hackers. This attack almost completely obliterated Georgia's online presence by shutting down the website for the Ministry of Defense, and the Central Government's main site. The Russian attackers seem to be using some form of sustained DDoS to keep many Georgian sites offline. In an effort to preserve some web presence, the Georgian Government transferred [President Mikheil Saakashvili]'s site to a US hosting provider in Atlanta. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs even created a BlogSpot page after their website initially went down. While politically motivated DDoS attacks have not been rare in past months, this seems to be the first time where the attacking party can be clearly identified. This seems to be the start of a trend where the unconventional methods of cyber warfare are used to gain an advantage over the enemy.

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Homeland Security issues policy on laptop seizures

Posted: August 7th, 2008, 8:50am MDT by Nick Caiello

Filed under: news, security hacks

The US Department of Homeland Security recently disclosed a new policy that allows agents to seize laptops, or anything capable of storing information, "for a reasonable period of time". Okay, so this seems normal; A government agency is declaring they may confiscate personal property. However, the strange part of this story is that under this policy, federal agents can confiscate these things without any suspicion of wrong doing or any reason what so ever. So what happens to your personal data after they seize your laptop? Apparently they share the data with federal agencies, and in some cases the private sector, as additional services such as file decryption or translation are needed. While this may seem like a major violation of privacy, it is important to note that this policy only applies to people entering the United States. However given the direction that our federal government is moving in the area of security, it wouldn't surprise me if this policy will soon apply for domestic flights as well.

[photo: postmodern sleaze]

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Laptop containing 33,000 Clear users information stolen

Posted: August 5th, 2008, 6:00pm MDT by Nick Caiello

Filed under: news, security hacks
Security 101: Never put unencrypted sensitive information on a laptop and expect that it's safe. Especially if you are the TSA. Recently, the TSA announced that a laptop was stolen from San Francisco International Airport containing "pre-enrollment records of approximately 33,000 customers" for the Clear Trusted Traveler Program. For $100 per year, the Clear Program enables travelers to get through airport security faster by showing TSA officers their Clear Registered Traveler Card and going through a special security line. While this program has no doubt saved many people valuable time getting through security, there are about 33,000 people who are now asking the question "Who has my personal information?"

[via schneier on security]

Edit: It looks like the laptop was found, however it is still unclear if the information on the laptop was compromised. In addition to basic personal information (Name, Address, Birthday, etc.), the laptop also contained drivers license, passport, green card information about clear users. You can check out the story here. Credits to [AudioCraz-Z] for the link.Read | Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

BuffaloFeeds » Items by Nick Caiello

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Items by Nick Caiello

Posted: March 17th, 2010, 11:00pm MDT by Nick Caiello

Posted: January 9th, 2010, 3:39pm MST by Nick Caiello

Posted: January 8th, 2010, 11:50pm MST by Nick Caiello

Posted: January 7th, 2010, 8:50am MST by Nick Caiello

Posted: November 7th, 2009, 2:30pm MST by Nick Caiello

Posted: August 21st, 2009, 10:00am MDT by Nick Caiello

Posted: August 17th, 2009, 6:15pm MDT by Nick Caiello

Posted: August 16th, 2009, 10:00am MDT by Nick Caiello

Posted: August 12th, 2009, 12:55pm MDT by Nick Caiello

Posted: August 4th, 2009, 9:08pm MDT by Nick Caiello

Posted: July 31st, 2009, 12:39pm MDT by Nick Caiello

Posted: July 9th, 2009, 6:23pm MDT by Nick Caiello

Posted: July 9th, 2009, 4:49pm MDT by Nick Caiello

Posted: July 7th, 2009, 7:00pm MDT by Nick Caiello

Posted: June 22nd, 2009, 3:20pm MDT by Nick Caiello

Posted: June 20th, 2009, 2:34pm MDT by Nick Caiello

Posted: April 8th, 2009, 10:04am MDT by Nick Caiello

Posted: April 6th, 2009, 9:42am MDT by Nick Caiello

Posted: March 2nd, 2009, 4:15pm MST by Nick Caiello

Posted: February 3rd, 2009, 9:00pm MST by Nick Caiello

Posted: January 19th, 2009, 4:30pm MST by Nick Caiello

Posted: January 11th, 2009, 5:08pm MST by Nick Caiello

Posted: January 6th, 2009, 6:00pm MST by Nick Caiello

Posted: December 29th, 2008, 8:00am MST by Nick Caiello

Posted: December 3rd, 2008, 3:45pm MST by Nick Caiello

Posted: December 3rd, 2008, 5:00am MST by Nick Caiello

Posted: November 27th, 2008, 3:10pm MST by Nick Caiello

Posted: October 30th, 2008, 4:08pm MDT by Nick Caiello

Posted: September 27th, 2008, 10:23pm MDT by Nick Caiello

Posted: September 19th, 2008, 2:47pm MDT by Nick Caiello

Posted: September 7th, 2008, 11:00am MDT by Nick Caiello

Posted: August 27th, 2008, 9:00pm MDT by Nick Caiello

Posted: August 20th, 2008, 6:46am MDT by Nick Caiello

Posted: August 13th, 2008, 4:30am MDT by Nick Caiello

Posted: August 7th, 2008, 8:50am MDT by Nick Caiello

Posted: August 5th, 2008, 6:00pm MDT by Nick Caiello