How to repair a ribbon cable connection on consumer electronics

repair-ribbon-cable-connection

It's not uncommon in cheaper devices to find a ribbon cable soldered directly to the circuit board like the one pictured above. Using a connector would have been a much more resilient approach, but adding parts adds cost. If you take a close look you'll see things aren't looking so great anymore. [Chaotic and Random] pulled this board out of his VW Camper Van. Rather than buy an expensive … [Read more...]

Dropping the nitrogen bomb in science class

dropping-the-nitrogen-bomb

We took Geology in college. It was pretty cool learning about the hardness of different minerals. But there were no explosions involved. We're not entirely sure what this class is, perhaps Chemistry, maybe Physics, but we want in. [Dr. Roy Lowry] wows the class with a bomb made of liquid nitrogen. The demonstration was part of his lecture at Plymouth University. A small explosion is cool, but … [Read more...]

Key code door lock won’t endanger your security deposit

keypad-deadbolt-add-on

College students have returned in droves to dorms and apartments at campuses everywhere. So this is the time of year we usually start seeing some coded entry hacks. [Charmonkey] recently took on the challenge at his new apartment. There were some caveats though. He needed to ensure the Landlord could still enter using a key, and he didn't want to alter the door or the jamb in any way. What he came … [Read more...]

How to build your own dedicated Pandora radio

pandorabar-radio

This mix of modern and retro acts as a standalone Pandora client. It's certainly a radio upgrade, falling somewhere in between the passive listening of traditional broadcasts, and the complete control of music players that use playlists. Inside the wooden case a BeagleBoard does most of the work. It's running Ubuntu 12.04 on which pianobar, a command line interface package for Pandora is … [Read more...]

Programming an ARM with BASIC

BASIC

For those of us old enough to remember the beginnings of the microcomputer revolution, we can look back fondly on 'the programming environment is the OS,' a ton of BASIC programs, and typing in small programs found in the backs of computer magazines. It's a whole new world now with cell phones and Linux computers the size of credit cards, but some companies still remember … [Read more...]

VFX1 Virtual Reality Headset LinkBox

LinkboxSystem

  [Kevin Mellott's] take on the VFX1 was to update it so it can be used with modern computers requiring just a USB socket and VGA feed. The VFX1 is a Virtual Reality Headset that hit the market in the first half of the 90's. The headset was the first of its kind to hit the home market and was ahead of its time. The VFX1 was developed and marketed by Forte Technologies, who's … [Read more...]

Token authentication for Gmail using a eZ430 Chronos watch

Photo1-CC-Chronos

Two-factor authentication allows you to use your chosen password, as well as a one-time password to help keep your services secure. The one-time passwords traditionally come from a dedicated piece of hardware, but there are also solutions for smart phones. [Patrick Schaumont] shows how a TI eZ430 Chronos Watch can be used to generate authentication tokens. After walking through the process he uses … [Read more...]