Bluetooth Ericofon hack reminds us of that time we saw an Ericofon on TV once

Yeah, we’re a little too young to claim full enjoyment of this modern design icon, outside of a few film cameos and its spot at the MoMA, but Ericsson’s Ericofon (pictured), originally released in the 50s, is certainly a design worthy of the Bluetooth treatment. In a well-documented hack done up by Santiago Q., the handset can be set up to use the rotary dial, pump out the original Ericotone ring, and even offer up a dial tone when ready for input. Santiago has the software and instructions freely available on his project blog, and there’s video demonstrating the handset in action after the break.

Continue reading Bluetooth Ericofon hack reminds us of that time we saw an Ericofon on TV once

Bluetooth Ericofon hack reminds us of that time we saw an Ericofon on TV once originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 04 Jan 2010 13:43:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  sourceBlutooth Ericofon  | Email this | Comments

Milestone multitouch browser ported to the Droid by a user-made patch (video)

This little nugget of software is itself still in beta, but if you can’t wait for the full Milestone firmware port to climb out of alpha development, it’s a good alternate route to getting your Droid dancing in the “pinch to zoom” party. Once again produced by the good folks over at AllDroid, the patch substitutes the Droid’s default browser with the Milestone’s multitouch capable one — and from the feedback we’re seeing it does so very cleanly and painlessly, whether you’re running Android 2.0.1 or 2.1. You’ll still need to root your device first, and some background reading is advisable before jumping in, but then you should be clear for take-off into the world of multitouch browsing. Video evidence after the break.

[Thanks, Steve]

Continue reading Milestone multitouch browser ported to the Droid by a user-made patch (video)

Milestone multitouch browser ported to the Droid by a user-made patch (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 04 Jan 2010 05:05:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  sourceAllDroid  | Email this | Comments

Ben Heck’s PS3 Slim laptop pops up for sale on Ebay

You’re probably already familiar with the work of modder / hacker extraordinaire, Benjamin Heckendorn… and if you’re not, well, maybe it’s time to familiarize yourself with his work. Regardless, some of his fantastic handiwork has shown up on Ebay for sale, and while we don’t want to counsel you to foolishlessly spend loads of hard-earned cash, this is bound to be an heirloom one day. The listing here is for Ben’s PS3 Slim laptop — the one modded from a 17-inch Gateway 1775w LCD with a 1280 x 720 pixel resolution — and its currently at around $1,075.00 with 16 bids on it and roughly 3 days remaining. So if this kind of thing strikes your fancy (and we know that it does) hop to it! Check out our segment of The Engadget Show we filmed at Ben’s evil laboratory after the break.

Update: It looks like the auction has been pulled just recently, though we’re not sure why. Thanks for the heads up, Wesley H.

Update 2: And it’s back! Phew.

Continue reading Ben Heck’s PS3 Slim laptop pops up for sale on Ebay

Ben Heck’s PS3 Slim laptop pops up for sale on Ebay originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 01 Jan 2010 21:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink Technabob  |  sourceEbay  | Email this | Comments

‘8-bit Xmas’ breathes new life into your ‘Bah! Humbug!’ NES

Is there still room in your heart for eight more unassuming bits of Xmas? We hoped you’d say yes. See, 8-bit Xmas 2009 is an all-new NES cart full of festive LEDs and an original multiplayer snowball fight NES game. It sells for $43, but for $5 more you can get a personalized title screen — which seems like a relatively cheap fulfillment of that decades long dream of yours to have your name up in pixelated lights on the home console that defined the home console. The cart should be compatible with all real NES systems and hopefully many fake ones, and while it can’t help you forgive your Aunt Samantha for giving you that Sudoku quilt, it might just do the insignificant task of teaching you the true meaning of Xmas.

‘8-bit Xmas’ breathes new life into your ‘Bah! Humbug!’ NES originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 31 Dec 2009 21:08:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink Joystiq  |  sourceRetroZone  | Email this | Comments

Dell netbook modded into a rather large handset (video)

Eager to get a hold on your very own Dell-branded Android smartphone? This guy here took matters into his own hands with nothing more than his modding skill, his imagination, and a Dell Inspiron Mini. Of course, this thing won’t exactly fit in most pockets, but as a curiosity (and a conversation starter) it performs admirably. Have you ever seen a 10.1-inch novelty handset in action? Now’s your chance — peep the video for yourself after the break.

Continue reading Dell netbook modded into a rather large handset (video)

Dell netbook modded into a rather large handset (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 31 Dec 2009 13:43:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  sourceShanzai.com  | Email this | Comments

Nexus One rooted already?

No, you still can’t have one (not yet, at least), but we’ve received a number of tips directing us Modaco forums, where admin Paul claims to have rooted Google’s not-so-mysterious Nexus One. We can’t validate the “superboot” file works, but the adjacent picture has popped up from another forum member as apparent anecdotal confirmation. Instructions for Windows, Linux, and OS X users can be found along with the necessary materials. What do you say, hacker community, any chance we can get multitouch loaded into the device before it ever becomes official to the world at large?

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

Nexus One rooted already? originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 30 Dec 2009 17:11:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink Redmond Pie  |  sourceModaco  | Email this | Comments

Modder crafts handheld wireless visual interface for PS3, makes us want

We tell ya — Ben Heck‘s apprentices are the best. One techknott has just finished up his latest creation, a WVI (wireless visual interface) for Sony’s PlayStation 3 console. The purpose? To transmit signals to and from the PS3 by way of this handy handheld. A 1.2GHz wireless transmitter is used to get the controller commands to the PS3, and the same is used in reverse to get the video signals from the console to the homegrown device. The device itself utilizes a 5-inch LCD, 4,500mAh Li-ion battery (complete with a LED capacity meter), an AV input, headphone jack, USB port and a button for every last DualShock command. Hop on past the break for a video, and head to the source if you’re interested in making an offer for it. Yeah, we said it — dude’s going to be selling this!

[Thanks, Aguiluz]

Continue reading Modder crafts handheld wireless visual interface for PS3, makes us want

Modder crafts handheld wireless visual interface for PS3, makes us want originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 30 Dec 2009 05:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  sourceBen Heck Forums  | Email this | Comments

Chumby One gets composite video output via marginally difficult mod

The Chumby One, much like the original, is an interesting beast. For all intents and purposes, it’s a mod-friendly box that sits on your nightstand and pushes out real-time information that it pulls down from the web. That said, the inbuilt display may be too small to be considered “glanceable” in some scenarios, and if you’re ferociously nodding your head up and down in agreement, we’ve a hack you should probably see. One xobs recently discovered that a composite video output could be added to the Chumby One, enabling it to output its information onto any display with such an input. Granted, the device can only support a single display at a time, but hey, who ever said you could have your cake and eat it too?

Chumby One gets composite video output via marginally difficult mod originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 28 Dec 2009 13:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink MAKE  |  sourceBunnie Studios, ChumbyWiki  | Email this | Comments

Barista-approved mod shoves a coffeemaker, Mac mini and subwoofer into an iMac DV case

Do you have even the slightest clue what you get when you shove a perfectly operational Mac mini, JBL Spot subwoofer and WMF1 coffeemaker into a perfectly defunct iMac DV case? The iMac CS, that’s what. In one of the most bizarre and aspirational mods we’ve seen in quite some time, one Klaus Diebel has managed to combine three devices that wouldn’t typically be shoved within the same enclosure… into the same enclosure. The result is a coffee-making media server that just so happens to boast its own inbuilt sound system, or in other words, exactly what you need to start a street corner java shop. The bad news is that a customized version will set you back at least €300 ($431), but the good news is that you can probably build your own for less. Just make sure you know exactly what you’re getting yourself into before embarking — we’ve got a vague idea that this won’t enhance the lives of many.

Barista-approved mod shoves a coffeemaker, Mac mini and subwoofer into an iMac DV case originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 26 Dec 2009 01:19:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink TUAW  |  sourceKiwidee  | Email this | Comments

Datel claims new Action Replay works on PSP Go, we hope cautiously

Now this is interesting. Datel, which is well known for enabling all sorts of hacks on varying consoles, seems to have just introduced a refreshed version of its Action Replay PSP. What’s new, you ask? Why, PSP Go support, of course! In the item description, we’re told that those using this on Sony’s UMD-less portable console will have to install it directly on the inbuilt memory, but one of two things has to happen (in theory, anyway) for that claim to be true. The first is that Datel is now an official Sony partner, which is about as likely as you getting a Foleo for Christmas. The other is that Datel found a way to run unencrypted code on the PSP Go, and if that’s the case, we’ve got an idea that the homebrew junkies in the crowd will be all over this in search of further exploits. Hop on past the break for a promo video, and if you’re down with shelling out funds for something that may or may not work as advertised, it’s all yours for $24.99.

[Thanks, Bill]

Continue reading Datel claims new Action Replay works on PSP Go, we hope cautiously

Datel claims new Action Replay works on PSP Go, we hope cautiously originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 25 Dec 2009 08:26:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  sourceDatel  | Email this | Comments