We’ve been linking to a couple proxy options in the links posts recently and [tom] thought it would be a good idea to write up how to use Privoxy. In [tom]’s case he wanted to route all of his internet surfing at work through an encrypted tunnel to his home machine. The guide is Windows based, but it won’t be to hard to translate to your OS of choice. It starts by setting up an OpenSSH server and new user on the home machine. Then Privoxy is installed. Next PuTTY is used to establish the secure tunnel from the work machine. The last step is to configure the browser to use the proxy. You can use this for IM too. You may not need this at work or school, but it should offer you some decent protection if you’re out using open access points.

Continue reading “HOW-TO: SSH HTTP Proxy Setup” →

Lew’s wheels is a great resource for building your own gaming wheels. It has advice on components, mounting and wiring. Not satisfied with just wheels? There are plans for pedals and paddle shifters as well. Full pin charts and calibration advice are also available.

Continue reading “PC Gaming Wheel” →

No there aren’t a lot of good reasons for building your own laptop. If you’re an Acorn enthusiast you don’t really have an alternative. It’s got a nice metal case and the hinge has been designed to balance the screen. It looks pretty slick; the only unfortunate thing is that the LCD has to be plugged in externally.

[thanks MSg]

Continue reading “Risc OS Laptop” →

Sure, I’ve known for quite a while that Linux is good for scratch building devices like routers, but I never considered that there might be an online community dedicated to doing exactly that. It isn’t just Linux either; whether you want to run Windows, DOS, BSD or Linux, RDP has compiled summarys and links to the software you need. They’ve got a gallery of projects that you can rate and luckily only a few feature cardboard. If you’ve got some specialized networking needs this is definitely worth a look. Me, I’m going to remain firmly entrenched in my WRT fanboyism.

[thanks XyTec]

Continue reading “Router Design Project” →

Reader Jay was so mesmerized by the original oil computer story that he had to try it out himself. He had other good reasons: producing an experience report in English and creating a case that didn’t look slap-dash. It turned out to be a partial success and definitely a lesson. First thing he discovered was how not to oil proof a hard drive. He does get the chance to use the phrase “rock out with my caulk out”; which only goes to show: if you mess with bad puns, you will get burned. The rig did drop the computer temp quite a bit and Jay’s got numbers to prove it. Within hours of completion the case developed a fatal crack and redistributed the oil to the floor. Better luck next time Jay. It has been a couple months since the first story so if you’ve completed a similar project feel free to post your pics and/or comments.

Continue reading “Oil Computer Ver. 2” →

No, I never wondered what meteorologists did when they were bored. I’m happy to discover that they’re building slick little devices like this. It is a mini-ITX based system that uses StormPredator for the generating the display. Everything is housed inside an old marine weather display. It is a really thorough write up covering the entire build process even covering bugs found along the way.

Continue reading “Weather Radar Display” →

Here is a great power supply project. No, it isn’t just some simple case mod with binding posts. A lot of thought was put into this, plus a lot of disclaimers. I wouldn’t be too scared though, Andy Batts has got a lot of information covering most everything you need to know: Dell’s weird wiring, expected current, using a sandbar load, and not poking around inside while the thing is plugged in. I’m going to do this to a couple power supplys because it is sure to make future projects a lot easier.

[thanks momotarosan]

Continue reading “Lab Power Supply” →