Blog Feed: HacknMod.com - You name it. We hack it.

Incredible RGB LED Cube Tutorial

Published on 2012-07-11 05:07:32

We’ve seen our fair share of LED light cubes before, but what makes this one different is its incredibly detailed, step-by-step tutorial.   The creator of this light show previously made a one color LED light cube and shared the trials, tribulations and instructions.  He has since decided to go multi-color, again while challenging himself and [...]

Intel Recreates Musical 3D Animation in Real Life

Published on 2012-06-12 03:55:03

You may recall an incredible 3D animated video from years ago from Animusic called “Pipe Dream” which featured a musical ensamble of robotics.  Intel decided to recreate the performance for real in just 90 days. Unlike majority of our projects, this one doesn’t come with instructions so we’re posting it as inspiration for your future [...]

Interactive Magic Mirror Controlled via Android

Published on 2012-05-26 15:23:41

We’ve seen some neat  interactive mirror projects in the past, and here’s one which integrates bluetooth and multiple external devices.  It’s controlled by IOIO (pronounced yo-yo), an Arduino-type microprocessor. It runs several different apps that can be controlled through an Android phone. The mirror is actually two-way with an LED matrix behind it.  In addition [...]

DIY Virtual Reality for Skyrim using Kinect

Published on 2012-05-17 15:22:25

If you’re a fan of Skyrim and you want to immerse yourself deeper into the game, this is the project for you.  Learn how to build your own virtual reality setup which captures head and body movement and map them to your character in the game. Some of the equipment you will need is a Sony [...]

Incredible Robot Locates Electronic Components on Demand

Published on 2012-04-27 00:32:54

This device is surely the answer to every DIYer’s prayers. As a do-it-yourselfer, you probably have piles of miscellaneous components and parts left over from various projects. Keeping them organized can be nearly impossible – Until now.  StorageBot is a voice-activated system which finds components on demand and delivers them to you: The StorageBot uses [...]

How to: Render Eagle CAD Circuits in 3D using Google Sketchup

Published on 2012-04-03 14:41:17

We’ve seen a few methods of rendering Eagle CAD layouts in 3D, but the latest method is the best we’ve seen yet.  The resulting renders are clear, easy to read, and they can be viewed from any perspective.  This helps spot physical interferences with components before sending the board to manufacturing (plus, it feels awesome [...]

DIY Automatic High Speed Camera Trigger

Published on 2012-04-02 10:30:52

We’ve covered some neat high speed photography projects in the past (some which use Arduino) and here’s another awesome project to add to our collection.  The device above triggers a camera when a certain magnitude of sound is captured.  It has adjustable sensitivity for precision captures. The unit is designed around a PIC microcontroller and also [...]

The Perfect Mashup Of Super Mario and Portal: Mari0

Published on 2012-03-30 10:56:12

What happens when you have a deep, passionate love for two very different games such as Super Mario and Portal…and Nintendo and Valve just refuse to work together to make a game which merges the two worlds? You have no choice.  You have to combine the two games yourself.  The result is Mario0, the perfect [...]

Full LED Snowboarding Suit

Published on 2012-03-29 14:05:45

Nighttime in the French Alps means the mountains are pitch black and the temperature is a frosty -13°F.  The perfect time of day to go snowboarding, right?  One filmmaker thought so, and created the suit above featuring thousands of white LEDs.  As long as the snowboarder doesn’t fall, I’m sure nothing could possibly go wrong [...]

DIY Circuit Board Table Decor!

Published on 2012-03-26 11:33:59

Have a few dozen spare motherboards or PCB’s lying around?  Make them into a table!  Essentially, the makers took a standard table, attached the circuit boards to it, then topped it a clear transparent acrylic sheet. Don’t miss: Other custom furniture and circuit art projects. The acrylic sheet is mounted on a series of clear spacers, so [...]

The Most Challenging Ping Pong Table Ever

Published on 2012-03-23 11:12:28

Everyone has probably played a few games of Ping Pong in their day, but how many people have played on a table like this beast?  It moves while you play!  With a push of an arcade-type button, the table tilts left or right, changing the trajectory of the ball and making it harder to return [...]

Epic Portal-Themed Man Cave

Published on 2012-03-21 11:41:17

With thousands of Portal gamers around, it’s no wonder that many want to immerse themselves in the world of Portal world beyond their computer screens. That is just what this couple did when they decided to renovate the loft in their apartment to have the feel of a test chamber.  Of course, if you don’t [...]

Spectacular PC Gaming Chair

Published on 2012-03-19 11:10:25

If you’ve ever been hunched over in front of your TV, or straining your back sitting in front of a computer while gaming, this chair is for you.  The talented fellow behind this project combined an old exercise machine and a comfy office chair to create cozy seating for the serious gamer. When expanded, the table, [...]

DIY Arcade Controller for Xbox 360

Published on 2012-03-16 10:38:17

If you’re having severe withdrawals from the days of arcade gaming, and have a burning desire to use the ole joystick and colorful push buttons again, here’s the project for you.  Learn how to build an arcade controller for your Xbox 360.  All you need is a frame to house the electronics and some arcade parts! Don’t [...]

How to: Remotely Control Your Garage Door

Published on 2012-03-14 11:07:50

You’ve probably seen those Craftsman commercials advertising their “remote garage door monitoring system” which comes with a monthly fee.  Instead of paying them an absurd amount of money to accomplish a simple task, learn how to build your own instead!  Using two Android phones,  one communicates with the garage door opener and the other connects [...]

Tour of the Arduino Manufacturing Facility

Published on 2012-03-13 11:21:21

Have you ever wondered where all those magical Arduinos come from?  Surprise!  They come from Torino, Italy.  The video below will walk you through the PCB manufacuring and assembly process.  A quick history lesson for you: this revolutionary microcontroller platform was created in 2005 by founders Massimo Banzi and David Cuartielles who wanted a device to [...]

Incredible Automatic Zen Table

Published on 2012-03-12 11:45:35

Most people think of Zen as a state of relaxation, and this invention can certainly provide that.  Essentially, the Zen Table uses a robot to “rake” the sand and create spectacular patterns.  Watching the Zen table in action is not only mesmerizing to watch, but also a superb engineering design.  It’s spendy, but would be [...]

DIY Back to the Future Hoverboard using Electromagnets

Published on 2012-02-24 09:16:05

Who doesn’t love the Back to the Future series and who could forget Marty’s hoverboard?  Now you can build your own desktop version using electromagnets and a hoverboard prop.  It can only support 5 pounds, but still looks pretty spectacular.  Mattel is actually going to start selling replicas of the boards this holiday season (but [...]

Superb Battlefield 3 Case Mod with Fridge & Minigun

Published on 2012-02-20 09:18:59

The war between Call of Duty and Battlefield 3 rages on in a case modding competition.  This, of course, is the Battlefield case mod (the Call of Duty mod has not been released yet) which comes with a built in fridge and rotating minigun.  In addition, it has missile launch toggle switches and roll bars for [...]

Start your Car from Afar using Arduino

Published on 2012-02-05 11:45:39

This DIYer had a 1st generation iPhone lying around, so he decided to put it to good use.  You can use any phone to accomplish this, even a $10 prepaid phone.  An SMS to the iPhone goes through an Arduino which tells yours car to start or stop from anywhere.  There’s some custom circuitry and programming [...]

Convert an Old Xbox 360 into a Fish Tank

Published on 2012-02-03 09:26:41

Here’s an idea for your fried RROD Xbox: Make a fish tank out of it!  We’ve seen similar case mods, but this one is unique because of its size constrains and use of real coral.  Yep, you read that right.  In addition to coral, he managed to stuff crabs, shrimp, snails, and fish. The window [...]

Play Pong in Real Time using Physical Objects

Published on 2012-02-01 02:05:06

The nostalgia of Pong just keeps on coming back in a variety of DIY Pong projects we’ve seen recently.  This video game brings augmented reality into the picture by allowing you to control of the ball in real time through a video feed which films the motion of your hands. The results is “Augmented Pixel” which [...]

The Solar Powered RC Electric Lawn Mower

Published on 2012-01-30 09:31:35

While spending too many hours during my childhood mowing the lawn, I always thought, “why don’t we have a robot doing this for us?”  This DIYer has made that wish come true.  And not only has he created one, but he is releasing a series of intricately detailed video tutorials which walk you through the [...]

Extremely Impressive DIY RGB Laser Projector

Published on 2012-01-27 10:07:46

An electronics student Poland is well on his way to a lucrative career if he keeps coming up with great projects like this RGB laser projector made from scratch.  All the components are mounted inside an aluminum briefcase with a hole in the side for the projector. This laser projector features lasers of varying colors which (using mirrors) [...]

Remote Car Ignition via iPhone’s Siri

Published on 2012-01-26 10:04:09

If you have ever wished for a way to start your car remotely from afar, here’s your solution.  Viper developed a way for users of smart phones to interface with their cars via cell phones and released the application so it could be used with other vehicles.  This guy used it to control his Acura [...]

DIY Wooden Retro Gaming Console

Published on 2012-01-24 14:19:12

This gamer not only an electronics wizard, but also a master wood worker as well.  He constructed a custom console for playing retro arcade games (check out all of our DIY arcade projects) along with two control pads comprised of the typical joystick and buttons.   On the top of the console is intricate art work [...]

DIY Dazzling Laser Light Party Ball

Published on 2012-01-18 10:15:49

Here’s a challenge for you: stuff over a dozen red lasers and a rechargeable lithium ion battery inside a tennis ball.  Oh, and also a microcontroller and infrared port to control patterns from afar.  To make your own, the author has constructed a high quality tutorial so you can build your own party ball.  You’ll need [...]

Incredible Personalized Interactive Mirror

Published on 2012-01-16 10:04:35

Taking a step back from our usual DIY projects, here’s a commercial project inspire your future projects.  Looking for new ways to provide you with information about the world, this mirror can offer the morning’s headlines and a wide variety of other information while you brush your teeth. With an embedded Xbox Kinect for gesture control, this [...]

DIY Star Trek Automatic Door

Published on 2012-01-13 10:21:22

Who hasn’t dreamed of have a Star Trek style automatic door in their home (complete with “wooshing” noise)? Now you can build your own with the help of this DIY project and some pneumatics. The pnematic system uses an air compressor, a piston, valves, hoses, infrared sensors, and an Arduino.  The best part about the [...]

DIY Ambilight Clone: Livelight

Published on 2011-06-28 02:58:37

This clone of the Phillips Ambilight system allows you to enhance your video watching experience.  It is neat, compact,polished, and gets the job done.  All the components fit into a attractively milled and labeled project box that allows for nine

Levitation Fun with a Giant Scrapyard Electromagnet

Published on 2011-06-21 02:43:20

**Update:** Sadly, this looks like a hoax (however, read on anyways for some awesome inspiration) What wouldn’t you do with a giant electromagnet from a scrapyard?  These guys bought one on Ebay, brought it into their shop, and used it to levi

Create Animated GIF Shows on a LED Matrix Display

Published on 2011-06-12 17:59:30

Here’s another LED matrix project from the same guy who showed us how to stream webcam video on a LED matrix. Creating cool animated GIFs using a matrix of LEDs sounds more common. He picked up a few types of LED matrices: a 32�16 RGB LED matr

The PlayStation 3 Water Cooled Laptop

Published on 2011-06-05 03:41:35

Even though Sony is having some pretty serious security issues, this water cooled PS3 laptop is still an extraordinary build.  The entire work log is available if you’re willing to take on the challenge and build one yourself.  The 16.75”x1

Hack your Workspace with The Epic Compudesk

Published on 2011-05-26 10:08:17

To build your own, custom PC-in-a-desk, follow this all-in-one tutorial for a fantastic workspace mod. The Compudesk is built from scratch and is made of aluminum and glass with green and blue illumination. But the Compudesk is not just a computer bu

Tron Lightcycle PC Case Mod

Published on 2011-05-21 10:39:25

The nearest we have come to a Tron lightcycle thus far is the Segway with the blue-neon TRON effect. This custom TRON Lightcycle PC was built from scratch using laser cut Acrylic sheets and illuminated with a large number of neon blue light strips. B

DIY LED Glass Wall

Published on 2011-05-20 10:31:10

BlinkM is a smart LED that displays various shades of light effects by fading or changing color. You can buy them for about $15, but this DIYer assembled his own for about $4 to build an LED wall. The result is this 11�11 matrix of light to an I

DIY Sound Localization Sensor with Arduino

Published on 2011-05-18 09:33:03

We have covered loads of motion detection projects, but what about sound? A sound localization sensor helps you to identify the location or origin of a detected sound and find out its direction and distance. Our ears do it for us, but building an art

Absolutely Incredible Portal Turret Replica

Published on 2011-05-16 11:17:08

By now, you’ve heard of Portal, the addicting puzzle/adventure video game.  We recently posted a superb Portal Gun replica too.  This project comes from the skillful hands of the same guy who built the stunning Fallout 3 replica plasma rifle.

DIY Virtual Piano using Kinect

Published on 2011-05-15 14:53:24

If you’ve got an Kinect and some spare time, learn how to create your own virtual, playable keybaord.  The goal of the project was to re-create the Tom Hanks’ FAO Schwartz Toy Store piano scene. Using a fresh Ubuntu install, this virtual

The New and Improved “Most Useless Machine”

Published on 2011-05-13 12:10:34

Like the original (shown below), the new and improved “Most Useless Machine” doesn’t serve any purpose. But play with it (or duel with it) for a moment and you realize that it is a cleverly designed toy. Push the switch and so starts the duel b

DIY Tiny RC Quadrocopter

Published on 2011-05-12 10:30:12

Quadrocopters are loads of fun and really neat RC projects.  Instead of a body for the copter, this project uses the PCB itself as the airframe. With a weight of just 20 grams and just 8 cms long, it’s as barebones as you can get. The PCB airf

Incredible Light Painting with an Arduino

Published on 2011-05-11 10:14:35

Long exposure shots can create some pretty interesting effects.  Light painting takes this idea and morphs it into innovative examples of ‘illuminated’ art. If you experiment with different light sources and treat them as ‘brushes’, the resu

How to: Dead Space 2 Plasma Laser Gun

Published on 2011-05-10 10:01:52

Fans of Dead Space 2 have a new hack to drool over. The third-person survival game has inspired this DIY laser “plasma cutter” project which modifies a toy replica with dual lasers.  The original 3 LEDs have been replaced with a high pow

Kinect Finger Tracking = Minority Report Style Control

Published on 2011-05-08 12:00:19

The Kinect is basically asking to be hacked into a Minority Report style interface.  We’ve seem some similar Kinect hacks in the past, but this MIT project used the device to track individual fingers instead of the user’s entire skeletal

DIY Open Source Sunrise Alarm Clock

Published on 2011-05-07 08:18:14

Artificial sunrise clocks simulate the natural light of a rising sun instead of a shrill alarm to wake you up.  However, retail sunrise alarm clocks are rather spendy. Using Open Source components, a this low cost alternative can be made for under $

DIY Furniture from Recycled Circuit Boards

Published on 2011-05-06 04:07:01

They may appear to be a monstrous mess from a distance, but look closely and you’ll see the extreme detail in this project.  The Binary furniture collection is as new age you can get; or as geeky.   All three were made from pieces of salvage

Pyromaniac DIY Flamethrower Gloves

Published on 2011-05-04 21:02:10

Created by a special effects company, these flamethrower gloves are definitely not a toy. They’re less cumbersome than the standard backpack with wand flamethrower and just look superb with the flames emitting from the user’s hands.  Whi

DIY Low-Cost Xbox 360 Slim Laptop

Published on 2011-05-03 09:51:34

We’ve seen a variety of Xbox 360 Laptops in the past, but typically they’re extremely labor intensive and quite expensive.  If you’ve always wanted to make one, but are on a limited budget, this low cost Xbox 360 laptop is for you.

DIY Project Inspiration: Weekend Roundup

Published on 2011-05-02 05:08:31

In this post, we’ll feature neat projects which sprung up over the weekend.  Unlike our traditional posts of DIY projects, we’re posting these links for your DIY project building inspiration. 1. How to: MC Escher Perpetual Motion MC Esch

Customized Electric Bike with 50 MPH Top Speed

Published on 2011-04-29 05:12:10

This modified Mongoose Blackcomb is a super e-bike that can not only take on all terrains, it can do so at a max speed of 50 mph. The mountain bike has been converted into an e-bike (note, this link has been having uptime issues) using a Crystalyte B

Tiny DIY Persistence of Vision Project

Published on 2011-04-28 05:29:31

Persistence of Vision (POV) devices display a message when you wave them through the air.  We’ve seen a few POV projects in the past, but none quite this small.  Switch off the lights and wave the device around and see the message displayed.

Absolutely Stunning Portal Gun Replica

Published on 2011-04-25 09:08:46

The Portal Gun (or the Aperture Science Handheld Portal Device) is a handheld teleporting device from the popular game Portal.  The gun was built by a company who specializes in movie props and it was auctioned off for charity.  Lucky for us though

Mini CNC Router: Complete Plans and Instructions

Published on 2011-04-21 14:07:26

We’ve featured a few CNC projects in the past, and here’s another superbly documented DIY build to help you build your own CNC.  At the heart of the software is a CNC stepper motor controller board that drives all 3-axis of the CNC route

Stream Webcam Video to an LED Matrix

Published on 2011-04-20 20:14:14

We’ve seen some projects in the past which display patterns or games on an LED matrix, but they’re not nearly as complex as this project.  Using a webcam, a video stream is processed via MatLab for edge detection and the results are disp

How to: Unclutter your Electronics

Published on 2011-04-19 10:11:15

Odds are, you have a cluttered area full of old computers or electronics that could do with some cleanup. So, if you have a server farm at home and would like to unclutter it a bit, take a look at “Project Reincarnation.”  You can get ev

Fantastic Water Cooled Wii Build

Published on 2011-04-18 16:04:46

The Wii doesn’t need to be water cooled, but this fantastic water cooling case mod is just for the looks.  So if you’ve got a CNC and some spare time, you can follow the detailed build log to make your own with a few water pumps and wate

Kinect + 3D Printer = DIY Souvenirs

Published on 2011-04-16 18:23:03

With the combination of a Kinect and a CNC 3D printer, this installation allows tourists to create a souvenir of themselves.  The person strikes a pose on the pedestal, and the image is converted into numerical code which is then sent to the 3D prin

Improved High Resolution 3D Printer

Published on 2011-04-14 18:11:48

Previously, we showed you a 3d printer which we thought was pretty fantastic. Now, however, the creator has released a new and improved model with an even higher level of resolution (as can be seen in the pictures above). With commercial 3D printers

DIY Drink Mixing Robot

Published on 2011-04-13 16:03:00

We’ve seen some superb drink mixing robots in the past and here’s another great addition to our collection.  Each liquid has a separate pump to move the selected liquid into the final drink glass.  Believe it or not, the system actually

DIY Portable N64 Handheld

Published on 2011-04-12 15:46:31

Here’s a superb DIY portable console hack which starts with a standard N64 game console and turns it into a portable handheld. The best part is that it looks superb and also completely conceals the game cartridge once it’s installed in the mo

See-Through Desktop PC and Gaming Desk

Published on 2011-04-11 09:01:15

This article was submitted by a Hack N Mod reader like you. Submit your projects and earn cash! I was inspired by one of the previous see-through computer desks posted on HacknMod, but I wanted mine to be slightly different.  I used my current woode

Convert any Laptop Screen into a Touchscreen

Published on 2011-04-08 02:02:27

With the VisualTouch kit, you can convert any laptop computer screen into a touchscreen. To do this, pick up touch screen supplies such as those in the VisualTouch kit (many sizes are available). One of the key things to remember is to keep every scr

The 4 Player LED Pong Coffee Table

Published on 2011-04-07 11:12:25

Previously, we’ve featured a variety of Pong projects including the LED Pong clock. Now the 2D arcade game gets new life by adding two more players and being built into a coffee table. The coffee table holds 900 LED’s arranged in a 30 x 3

Even More Transformers Scrap Metal Robots

Published on 2011-04-06 10:39:00

You can make some of the coolest robot replicas with scrap metal. Let’s rewind back to where we showed you the metal artistry of the Chinese designer who also happened to be a Transformer fan: Last week, we showed you some incredible Transformer sc

DIY RC Airsoft Gun Turret using Recycled Parts

Published on 2011-04-05 11:04:25

Just a few modifications and you can turn a harmless tupperware cake dish into a DIY airsofturret.  All it takes is a microcontroller, servo, IR receiver, and an airsoft pistol to transform an everyday item into a turret Airsoft gun.  It can also b

Real Life Gmail Motion using the Kinect

Published on 2011-04-04 10:02:36

On April Fools this year, Google introduced Gmail Motion which allowed users to control Gmail using gestures and body movement.  At first, it wasn’t anything more than a prank, but now it has become a reality thanks to the Kinect and some open

DIY Nixie Tube Keychain

Published on 2011-04-03 08:25:10

Nixie tubes are essentially an old school method of displaying digits before LCDs.  They’re primarily famous for being used in Soviet Russia but are now a favorite among the DIY community.  Most people use them to make clocks, but occasionall

Arduino Wireless Animatronic Hand Project

Published on 2011-03-31 10:04:13

This DIY Robotic hand mimics the motions of a human counterpart.  The controls lie in a special glove which has flex sensors wired to an Arduino which is connected to an XBee radio which wirelessly interfaces with a computer and controls the animatr

Arduino Powered, Chess Playing Robot

Published on 2011-03-30 10:15:46

Arduino DIY-ers have built another superb project.  This chess board looks like any chess board except the chess pieces are metallic and moved by a magnet below the board controlled by a robotic arm. The microcontroller controls stepper motors and s

DIY Electromagnetic (HERF) Gun Project

Published on 2011-03-29 00:45:13

This DIYer built his own Microwave HERF (high-energy radio frequency) gun by using parts from an old microwave oven.  The electromagnetic gun works just like a normal microwave with a high energy source triggering a magnetron which produces microwav

Classic Gaming on a DIY Mini NES Arcade

Published on 2011-03-27 01:01:41

We’ve featured quite a few mini NES arcades in the past, but unlike the others, this one doesn’t use emulators.  Instead, it keeps the authentic, retro feel by incorporating an original NES and controllers. Don’t Miss: All of our D

DIY Mini Desktop Laser Engraver

Published on 2011-03-23 15:42:24

Earlier this week, we featured a high tech DIY laser cutter which is a fairly expensive build and looks like a commercial product. This project however, is inexpensive and built using items which are easily accessible. It takes a while to build, but

Stylish DIY Desktop Speaker Build

Published on 2011-03-21 09:40:46

These Apple-inspired desktop speakers are custom designed from the ground up.  The speaker enclosures are primed, painted, and polished with a sleek aluminum hued finish. Apart from the smooth finish, the black Plexiglass front and rear is what real

Superb Open Source CNC Laser Cutter

Published on 2011-03-18 09:37:50

The Open Source movement sets another fine example with this superb 2-axis laser cutting/engraving station.  This is version 2.0 which has a more compact size measuring 12” x 20” x 4”. The DIY laser cutter/engraver has a manual vertical axis b

Incredible DIY Transformers made from Scrap

Published on 2011-03-17 10:00:37

We have seen an example of these incredible Transformer replicas before with the 5 Ton Megatron Robot.  These superb masterpieces of steel-work are built from scrap by a Chinese designer who clearly is a huge Transformer fan. The awesome robot sculp

Beginner Spy Tutorial: Your First DIY Mini FM Bug Transmitter

Published on 2011-03-14 10:34:21

FM bug transmitters are simple electronic projects that can transmit conversations to any FM radio. The range is usually small at around 100 feet, but the project is simple enough for a beginner. What you need to start off with is a plastic mint box

How to: Wifi Signal Strength Light Painting

Published on 2011-03-13 11:19:11

Wireless networks are everywhere these days, creating invisible layers that we cannot see.  This unique light painting project seeks to change that by mapping the signal strength of Wifi networks in a variety of environments.  The light painting is

DIY 1MW Pulse Laser Gun

Published on 2011-03-12 01:04:19

This custom pulse laser gun is packed with a 1 Megawatt laser capable of destroying a multitude of materials.  The 1 MW laser is able to be battery powered becuase it only pulses on for a fraction of a section to burn through plastic (and even wood)

DIY Home Automation using the Kinect

Published on 2011-03-10 20:41:24

We’ve seen plenty of superb Kinect hacks in the past, and this home automation project is paving the way forward for more.  The hack uses a Kinect to determine a user’s location within a room and control the lighting accordingly.  For e

Superb Mechanized Andoid Toy Speaks Morse Code

Published on 2011-03-09 09:06:15

By now, you may be familiar the superb Android figurines we sell our store.  While they look fantastic, and are a must-own for any Android fan, they don’t actually move.  This reader decided to do enhance the static toys by making them “

How To: Build an Infrared Receiver

Published on 2011-03-07 04:17:03

We have seen several infrared projects in the past that used IR and IR receivers to seamlessly work with other electronic devices. IR is among the most popular methods of communications for home electronics (specifically TVs and stereos).  The quest

Share One Keyboard and Mouse across Multiple Computers

Published on 2011-03-03 09:02:40

Synergy is a free software tool which allows you to share a common keyboard and a mouse between multiple computers on a local network (Linux, Mac, or Windows).  Synergy also lets you share Clipboard contents between different systems. It’s ess

Incredible DIY 5 Ton Megatron Robot

Published on 2011-03-01 19:38:40

This Chinese DIYer literally built a 5 ton steel sculpture based upon Megatron from the Transformers movies.  Although it’s just a sculpture, it looks downright incredible.  As you can see from the photos, it appears he just used any parts he

DIY LED Matrix Pong Clock

Published on 2011-02-26 04:39:32

Don’t Miss: Dirt Cheap, Epic DIY Pong Clock This neat LED clock mimics the display of the Pong video game to show the time as two paddles play back and forth. The game plays on automatically and updates the time by scoring a point.  It also ha

8×8 Coffee Table LED Matrix

Published on 2011-02-24 03:06:04

Need to spice up your boring living room?  Here’s a fully controllable, 8�8 LED matrix built into a coffee table.  It’s built using foam, 64 RGB LEDs, and a sheet of diffusion gel (a stage lighting product).  The whole thing is dr

Batman-Style Hidden Switch in a Statue

Published on 2011-02-22 10:11:41

The original inspiration for this hidden switch project came from a 60’s Batman TV show. The project involves beheading a Beethoven bust and mounting a wireless switch inside it.  It’s a super simple project that’s perfect for some wee

DIY Rocket-Powered Ice Fishing!

Published on 2011-02-21 10:00:20

When people think of ice fishing, they think of sitting out in the freezing weather for hours, waiting without guarantee for a fish. But not for this DIYer! He rigged up an system which launches a rocket when a fish pulls on the hook.    Check out

DIY NFL-Style Gimball Camera Rig

Published on 2011-02-20 11:00:19

At football games, you may have noticed the cameras zipping around above the field providing unique views of the game – These are called gimball cameras. These students built one for a senior project, fully functional with remote control tilt a

DIY Open Source ‘Paper Thin’ Multitouch Trackpad

Published on 2011-02-19 00:10:44

OpenMT project is an Open Source initiative that has the noble aim of helping out DIYers who want to create their own thin and flexible pressure sensitive multi-touch panel. Unlike lot of camera based multi-touch projects we have seen, The Open Sourc

Custom Rig to Photograph the Tallest Tree in the World

Published on 2011-02-15 09:35:10

This extreme photography project by National Geographic isn’t our typical hack, but we’ve posted it to inspire your DIY photography projects.  At an average height of 300 feet, Redwoods are the tallest trees in the world and even the bes

Hack the Kinect to Control DJ Lasers & Lighting

Published on 2011-02-14 07:27:56

This project allows a DJ to literally wave their hands over the crowd to “conduct” a laser light show.  The setup uses an Xbox 360 Kinect which sends data to a computer which, in turn, sends commands via serial to a DMX lighting control

iRobot + Netbook = DIY Telepresence Robot

Published on 2011-02-12 16:49:19

Thanks to remote applications like telepresence robots, distance isn’t a problem anymore. However, telepresense robots usually cost several thousand dollars. Johnny Chung Lee, the famous Wiimote hacker who also worked on Microsoft’s Kinect, h

DIY Aluminum NERF Gun with Serious Firing Power

Published on 2011-02-09 20:05:39

The gun above may look fairly boring and plain, but it packs a punch.  We’ve seen some Nerf mods in the past and this custom machined NERF gun from New Zealand is a great addition to our collection.  It’s completely made from aluminum a

“FireHero” – Flame Thrower version of Guitar Hero

Published on 2011-02-08 12:12:04

This Guitar Hero fan and innovative DIYer took a Guitar Hero guitar and interfaced it with an Arduino microcontroller which controls relays that activate solenoid valves on five individual ‘flame throwers.’  Whew, that was a mouthful, bu

DIY Stadium Seating for the Super Bowl

Published on 2011-02-07 07:23:34

Using dirt simple carpentry techniques, learn to easily build stadium seating and set up the ultimate DIY home theater for this year’s Super Bowl party.  Start of by building a simple stand to support a couch.  Next up (if you really want to

Setup a DIY Network ‘DropBox’ (aka PirateBox)

Published on 2011-02-06 19:14:59

PirateBox allows you to quickly setup a mobile wireless file sharing network. Basically, it’s a P2P file-sharing device that can turn any space into a temporary, but secure wireless file sharing network. Multiple users within range of the devic

DIY “Solar Death Ray” using a Satellite Dish

Published on 2011-02-06 03:00:38

We’ve seen an incredible solar mirror before which can melt steel in seconds.  That one was expensive and built in a lab.  This time, you can build your own by attaching thousands of mirrors to a parabolic satellite dish.  The video claims i

Weaponized Tricopter Shoots down Hydrogen Balloons

Published on 2011-02-03 17:16:03

We’ve seen loads of RC copter projects, but with a extra features, you can enable yours for aerial combat too. Two Swedish DIYers build a tricopter to target hydrogen balloons (which are flammable, by the way).  It’s controlled via first

Convert an Old Laptop into a Mini MAME Arcade

Published on 2011-02-02 14:58:16

This ‘Nanocade’ project not only condenses an arcade into a portable version, but it also puts an old laptop to good use.  Essentially, it’s a $350 DIY kit that lets you build a micro MAME cabinet out of acrylic sheets: If you foll

USB Controlled DIY Home Automation

Published on 2011-01-31 15:57:48

Wireless home automation is all about control and convenience.  This home automation project reverse engineers a remote so that it recognizes inputs from a computer or a microcontroller. He used an oscilloscope to decode the remote so that the micro

Incredible Fallout 3 Replica Helmet

Published on 2011-01-30 15:59:19

We have seen a few Fallout 3 replica projects in the past: from plasma rifles to Nuka-Cola vending machines.  This project, an extremely accurate Fallout 3 replica helmet, is the perfect addition to our collection. Learn how to build your own ‘

Customize your Car’s Electronics using Arduino

Published on 2011-01-27 17:46:11

Vehicles these days come with a lot of electronics but you can learn from our collection of car hacks to add your own custom features.  For example, take the Jeep Wrangler and put in a couple of Arduinos, an LCD display, shift registers, relays, and

DIY Text-Message-Powered Keyless Entry

Published on 2011-01-26 19:30:08

We have seen the many ways to go keyless and also ways to use text messages to control physical devices.  This project uses miniature web server which receives a text message and then moves a servo to open or close a lock.  To prevent anyone from a

How to: DIY Liquid Magnets aka ‘FerroFluid’

Published on 2011-01-25 18:39:09

Ferrofluid is a magnetic liquid with astounding properties.  We’ve posted a few neat videos about ferrofluid in the past and while it’s fun to look at, it’s probably super expensive and unobtainable for the average person, right? 

TRON-Themed EL Wire Backpack

Published on 2011-01-23 12:16:03

With the recent release of TRON, many people have gone crazy with EL wire creations. For example, check out the TRON themed shoulder bag, how to make Your clothing glow. Below we have another superb example of how to merge electronics and clothing: T

MakerBot Inspired DIY 3D Printer

Published on 2011-01-22 11:42:25

By now, you’re probably familiar with the low-cost 3D printer called MakerBot.  Essentially, a physical version of a 3D model is constructed by consecutively forming layers of extruded plastic.  This project is a DIY version of MakerBot which

Build Your Own TRON-Themed Segway

Published on 2011-01-21 11:13:12

Ever since TRON: Legacy came out, modders are coming up with superb EL wire projects to replicate the movie.  The latest TRON inspired project combines the Segway with the blue-neon TRON effect. And it should go well with the DIY Tron-Themed Bag we

Kinect + Wiimote = Enhanced FPS Gaming

Published on 2011-01-20 12:05:25

While Kinect has a few decent games available with it, it doesn’t work with games like Call of Duty. Microsoft took aim at the casual gamers first (of course).  However, this Kinect hack demonstrates the potential of Microsoft’s latest toy w

DIY PC Cooling with Crisp Winter Air

Published on 2011-01-19 10:32:04

With cool winter air all around your home, why not funnel it into your PC to keep it cool?  Simply hook a dryer duct through a window opening and attach a fan to feed in outside air.  You will also need a Scotch-Brite filter to clean the incoming a

DIY Portable Ammo Box Speakers

Published on 2011-01-18 18:05:22

Learn how to turn an old ammo box into a set of custom speakers for under $50 in just a few hours.  The project takes a .50 caliber ammo box and installs set of speakers that can be carried along with an mp3 player, laptop, or any other portable dev

DIY Fiber Optic Star Map

Published on 2011-01-17 01:32:00

Using free planetarium software to simulate the night sky, this DIYer built a star map on his wall using fiber optics.  The Star Map is built on a 2m wide and 1.2m tall wooden frame,  weighs 14kg, has 2000 fiber stars, and 108 LED stars.  If your

Electric Organ Hacked into an 8-Bit Synthesizer

Published on 2011-01-12 15:34:00

This innovative Swedish engineer converted an old electric organ into an 8-bit synthesizer which can play fantastic renditions of your favorite NES theme songs. For modern 8-bit music, check out this collection. With all the original tone generating

DIY Massive 8x8x8 LED Cube

Published on 2011-01-11 10:16:53

LED cubes are among the most enticing LED projects we’ve featured on HacknMod. Previously, we’ve shown you how to make both large and  small LED cubes. This project, however, has far a far more detailed tutorial and demonstrates more com

Entire Xbox 360 Stuffed into LED Toaster

Published on 2011-01-10 03:06:49

Yes, you read that title correctly.  This is quite possibly the most entertaining toaster ever created: It’s stuffed with sexy blue LEDs as well as an entire Xbox 360 console. It’s a toaster mod that’s designed to put all other kitchen app

DIY Portable Mini MAME Arcade Cabinet

Published on 2011-01-09 03:12:51

MAME helps to feed your nostalgia by emulating arcade games on a computer.  You can turn to our old arcade posts for inspiration and build a full-scale arcade cabinet or you can build a tabletop version using a netbook (shown above).  This Mini MAM

Build your own AutoGyro Flying Machine

Published on 2011-01-07 01:54:34

An Autogyro is an odd, yet fascinating flying machine which uses a helicopter rotor for lift while a standard plane rotor provides thrust. You can learn to build a DIY autogyro yourself and even build autogyro models using miniature servos. Heck, eve

Arduino-Based Snail Mail Alert for Your Smartphone

Published on 2011-01-06 01:13:48

Since we’re so focused on our email and text nowadays, we often neglect to check our snail mail.  Now, with the help of an Arduino, you can easily setup notifications and alerts for just about anything.  This project uses an Arduino, a PHP-en

DIY Halloween Dual-Copter Ghost Project

Published on 2011-01-05 09:28:46

We have floated lots of DIY copter projects. Take that and mix it up with some out-of –the box creativity to put together this remote controlled Evil Flying Ghost.  Just imagine this thing chasing frightened kids down the street on Halloween! Awes

Amazing Return of the Jedi Light Saber Replica

Published on 2011-01-04 15:28:18

This is the best Star Wars light saber replica we’ve ever seen.  The Obi Wan Kenobi lightsaber we saw a few months ago came close, but this one is just superb.   It’s modeled after Luke’s light saber in Return of the Jedi: Luke

How to: Install an iPad 3G in a Mustang (or any car)

Published on 2011-01-03 02:11:58

The Ford Mustang GT goes have it’s own built in entertainment console, but if want to be in touch with all of iPad’s goodies like streaming music, GPS navigation, email, and access to loads of apps, you can think if installing an iPad 3G in t

DIY New Year’s Eve LED Ball

Published on 2010-12-31 16:55:42

With the New Year rapidly approaching, learn how to build this LED New Year’s ball to add some unique and superb decor to your party.  It uses six high power RGB LED arrays, six LED controllers, and an Arduino. The ball itself is bade from abo