Okay it was a little harder than that. She set up a sensor on each string, which detect the sounds, then reproduce sampled notes through the original Commodore sound chip. The keyboard also produces additional synthesized sounds. Even though she thinks it could sound better, I think it sounds pretty great. This is definitely one of the cooler guitar mods we’ve seen in awhile – at least since the NES guitar.

[via Laughing Squid via Geeks Are Sexy]

Look, the balloon popped. I’m willing to bet that if you had been hit by that beam, you would have screamed and dropped to the floor like a Ferengi losing a latinum fortune. It would have at least hurt you a little. We aren’t sure if the sound is part of the weapon or added later, but it completes the effect.

[via Geek]

In this video you will see not one, not two, not even a trio of old floppy drives playing the 007 theme, but eight. This project was built for display at Purdue University for the Association of Electrical Technologists club during their Technology Week.

It sounds awesome. In fact, it’s exactly how I imagine a cyberpunk James Bond theme would sound. There isn’t anything floppy about this tune. Put this in the new Bond movie now! It could be the work of some laughing DIY villain and is the perfect way to start the movie.

[via Geekosystem]

If you happen to be located near the Derby Maker Faire on June 3rd, you can play this course. It’s weird and crazy and I love it. Too bad I won’t be in the area. We need more crazy mini golf courses like this one.

[via Geekosystem]

In this particular case, the design started with a simple and super cheap (99 cent) foam IKEA Lågis mouse pad. To make your own, you’ll have to select the pixelated image you want to embroider, but you can easily download something off the web to serve as a pattern.

Once you have done this, you can mark the picture with a white pencil or gel ink marker on your mouse pad, using a dense plastic grid to transfer the pixel pattern. Then it’s time to start stitching.

The results are quite cool, and Hanne from Eilen Tein reports that a laser mouse has no problems working over the pattern. Of course, the same technique will work with any pixel art, so you don’t need to feel limited to Space Invaders. Why not go for a Super Mario Bros. or Pac-Man mouse pad to mix it up a little bit?

[via Ikeahackers]

Modder Dablio started out with a Dynacom MegaBoy, which is a small, illegal Atari 2600 clone system. He reverse-engineered the circuit board from the MegaBoy to produce his own custom PCB, then added a cartridge port, and a VGA connector which provides power, controller and video signals to and from the console. In all fairness, though, the VGA breakout box is almost as big as the console itself.

He originally tried to build it into an Atari 2600 controller, but Dablio ultimately managed to fit the system into the plastic tube from a package of M&Ms, so the console is appropriately named the “Atari 2600MM.”

While some may say that you can buy an Atari 2600 built into a joystick, that’s not really fair, since those systems only play a limited number of games, and cannot accept an actual 2600 cartridge.

But no matter how much effort Dablio put into building his 2600 mini system, the games pretty much still suck. If you want to play games on a retro system, you should probably start off with an NES – many of those games still have replay value today. Or just buy a pack of M&Ms and eat them for even more fun.

Still, it’s impressive that Dablio managed to cram this entire system into such a small package. You can check out more pics and info (in Portuguese) on the build over at Dablio’s website, and in the video clip below:

[via Hack A Day]

This project comes from the folks over at Waterloo Labs. The system lets you control the Etch-a-Sketch by standing in front of the Kinect. You just use a huge pencil or your hand to control the Etch-a-Sketch and draw what you want.

The video explains it much better than I can. The main thing is that you can draw onto the Etch-a-Sketch by drawing in thin air! How long will it be until Microsoft teams up with the toy company and offers us a retail version? I would buy that in a heartbeat.

[via Geeky-Gadgets]

Touch-based controls steer and drive the vehicle, and the app shows you in real time what the car’s onboard camera sees. That means that you could send this car into a scary cave, the sewer system, anywhere you want to explore, but don’t actually want to enter physically.

Looks like a fun project that lets you create a spy car while using your tablet. Does this make you want to get a PlayBook? Looks like you can do more with it than we thought, plus remote-controlled cars are always fun.

[via BerryReview via Ubergizmo]

Those video glasses have a see-through display that allows you to see whatever video you’re watching and the real world at the same time. Those glasses happen have a handheld controller that is based on Android, which is the key to this particular hack. Sohmers whipped up some sort of app that runs on the Android controller which allows him to see the video from either of the AR.Drone’s cameras and provide basics control over its flight.

I say “basic” because for now the Android controller will only operate the drone for altitude and for rotating the aim of the camera by spinning the flying toy. Sohmers is working on improving the app so it gives him full control over the flying toy. Check out the video above to see the control system in action.

[via Engadget]

This wacky mod [JP] transformed the handheld PS Vita into a full blown arcade system, with joystick controller optimized for fighters. It’s cool, if you don’t mind the tiny screen, that is. Check out the video, which shows it in action.

It’s worth noting how great the PS Vita version of Ultimate Marvel vs Capcom 3 looks on the console. It looks every bit as good as the PS3 version. This fight stick mod on the other hand, though very impressive, just looks silly being so massive compared to the itty-bitty PS Vita. The whole setup makes this dude’s hands look huge.

[via The Verge via Geeky-Gadgets]

The SWAT team really showed up 20 minutes later, scaring the entire family who were all in the home. The mom called 911 and eventually they persuaded the family that it was alright to go outside.

They are now investigating the situation. They know that someone used a telephone relay service to send a message to the police pretending to be someone from inside the house. The message said that someone had been shot and that there was gunfire.

I’d hate to be the prankster when the police catch him.

[CBSDFW via armedgamer]

Check out the video. I love the way this thing moves and lights up. This is a hack that any Invaders nerd will want to do, but only a few of us will ever answer the call. Grant Gibson, we salute you.

[via Make:]

The videos were uploaded by YouTuber homer49. In the video below he demos the hack using Battlefield 3. One neat feature of the hack is that lets the user map the L2, R2, L3 and R3 buttons to the rear touch panels. That’s great news because it means all controls are accounted for – something that wasn’t possible with the PSP – making an official version of this feature much more possible.

That said, homer49 says that you can’t access a PS3 game’s online features when streaming to the PS Vita. There is also a very noticeable lag between button presses. Combine the two and this hack is all but pointless for a huge number of games. Then again, this is an unofficial implementation. Who knows what Sony and video game developers could come up with if they set their minds to it.

In the video below, homer49 explains how the hack works. Unfortunately it’s in Spanish so I can’t tell you exactly what he said – and that annoying creaking sound in the background doesn’t help – but he did say in the description that it requires the custom firmware version 3.55 or 3.41 for the PS3 and a jailbreak program called Multiman. You’ll then have to register the PS Vita on the PS3 as a mobile phone in order to connect it.

I am really hoping that Sony would release an official version of this hack, but there are a number of reasons why they might not do it. Aside from the lag, functionality and power management issues, there’s the issue of cannibalization. If this feature was made official some gamers might opt not to buy PS Vita games and use the handheld primarily to stream from the PS3 instead. Why buy NBA 2K13 for the PS Vita if you can stream the console version?

On the other hand, if the PS Vita had a feature like this when it launched, I’m sure it would be flying off the shelves for years. Skyrim on the toilet? Shut up and take my money! Then when the PS Vita games arrive some of those who bought the handheld for streaming will still end up buying those games. Assuming they’re worth buying of course. I also doubt this feature would work via 3G – homer49 was streaming via Wi-Fi and the lag was still there – so it’s not like gamers can stream games all the time. That’s another reason to buy PS Vita games.

You can speculate with me in the comments, or head to homer49′s channel for more videos of the hack in action.

[via The Verge]

The controls had to be tweaked a bit and a custom Doom menu was created to make it different from the plain DOS version of the game. This is one small step for games, one giant leap for calculators.

This port is packaged with the Ndless program, allowing you to unlock your hardware and perform your own hacks as well, but you won’t have time since you will be busy playing Doom. In color! On a calculator!

[via Hack a Day via Slashgear]

I’m anxious to see what else people can do with the PS Vita when it is available in all regions.

[via Tiny Cartridge via Kotaku]

The dangerous looking contraption has at its heart a single Coolidge Tube, which is a vacuum tube capable of producing X-Rays when 75 kilovolts of power is applied to it. Thankfrully Grenadier is experienced with high voltage gear, so that was no problem for him to provide ample current to power up his X-Ray tube.

The left-hand box provides an Arduino-based controller, and cool looking gauges to check amperage and voltage, as well as a Nixie display which shows exposure time. The right-hand box contains the tube and all high voltage components, so it can be placed at a distance from the controller. Since Grenadier doesn’t have any X-Ray film lying around, he’s managed to rig up something called a “scintillation screen”, a plastic sheet which fluoresces when exposed to radiation.

This let him see through any object he fires the X-Rays at. As you can see from the photos here, the results are pretty awesome. However, this is one time that I can most definitely say “Do not try this at home. EVER.”

Hopefully, Grenadier has taken precautions to protect himself from the radiation with a lead shield of some sort, and he never tries to X-Ray the cat. You can read more details about the DIY X-Ray machine build here.

Nintendo needs to take heed of this awesome mod. If they released something like this themselves they could have mega-sales – especially if they updated it with modern hardware. I know I would buy one.

[Bacteria Forums via Ubergizmo]

The flaw is supposedly so significant that a nefarious user who exploited the issue could force the mobile phone to call or text a specific number. If the flaw were to be exploited, hundreds of thousands of mobile phones could be forced into calling for texting premium numbers in a short time, racking up huge money for the hacker at the same time.

The researcher talked about the flaw at a security conference in Berlin. Thankfully, he didn’t outline the details and give the hackers all the details they need to take advantage of the discovery. However, the researcher, Karsten Nohl, head of Germany’s Security Researchers said that it could be merely weeks before the hackers figure out the flaw themselves.

On the plus side, Nohl believes the issue could probably be fixed through software updates, though he doesn’t indicate if that would be at the network level or at the device level, and how he exactly plans on sharing the details of his findings with mobile phone carriers.

[via Reuters]

Apparently, the new iOS update doesn’t encrypt the system files that are needed for Siri to work. The fact that those files are unencrypted means you can access them and port Siri much more easily than you could previously. Earlier builds required complex decryption algorithms which required a frequently changed key to avoid detection.

This is great news for the hacker community that can now work on ports without as much difficulty. It’s not clear if Apple has intentionally left the files unencrypted, or if this is just a temporary change in iOS 5.0.1.

[via CultofMac]

According to the scientist, the RQ-170 Sentinel drone was forced to land where the Iranians wanted it to using a GPS hack. First, they blocked the GPS signals to the drone placing it into autopilot. Then the GPS hack fooled the drone into thinking it was somewhere it wasn’t.

The drone then landed of its own accord when the Iranians told it to and they had the complete and working drone in their possession. The crazy part is that apparently the military knew that this exact hack could compromise the drone all the way back in 2003.

[via C|Net via Gizmodo]