Technology

MAKE Extras: PC DVR and Magstripe Multi-Track

Two MAKE Extras published today– these are projects and updates that MAKE publishes online, for all to see, no dead trees. One is a recipe for a PC-based Digital Video Recorder (DVR) / media server / multi-console game machine that does everything except charge you every month. Link. The other Make Extra is an update to MAKE 01’s Magnetic Stripe Reader project, which shows you how to read the data off of stripes in any of the the three standard locations on a card. More power to you! Link.

Continue Reading April 26th, 2005 Paul Spinrad

Unlocking the Treo 650 from Cingular

This isn’t a new unlock code, but I wanted to post up -why- people unlock phones. “So I’m off to Thailand for 2 weeks tomorrow (more on this later). Here’s the code and a post from Rojo’s Kevin Burton. “I wanted to unlock my phone so that I could buy a prepaid GSM SIM chip to use my phone in Thailand for cheap. The only problem is that stupid Cingular locks the phone but you can just buy a new SIM chip”.

Continue Reading April 19th, 2005 Phillip Torrone

4th annual German case modding…

Here’s an article (in German) and pictures of the 4th German championship of “casemoding” (modification of PC cases). Here’s a translated page, some of the translations are kinda funny. Click on the three pictures in the middle of the article and you’ll see 16 entries to the championship. I think I like this one the best, it’s a cyborg looking PC with flip top head and bar code.

Continue Reading April 19th, 2005 Phillip Torrone

Motorized luggage?

I’ve been traveling over the last couple days and just saw this “Why struggle with heavy baggage? Dragging suitcases through busy airport lounges is tedious, backbreaking work – but it doesn’t have to be that way”. Motorized luggage. I’ve found airports don’t like wires, batteries and motors built in to things that normally don’t have them, at least not my little projects. I’ve been thinking of building a suitcase that powers a WiFi finder when rolled (vibrates the stick, beeps or handle glows) but realized I’d have even more trouble with my bags.