Hasta La Gadget!

And here we go. With the Nook rooted and plenty of Android devs at the ready to exploit the device’s free 3G data and semi-useful WiFi connection, it’s officially open season on Barnes & Noble’s new e-reader. Within the last few hours the Nook has been given a web browser (pictured left) to join the Pandora hack just announced by NookDevs. A trick that adds plenty of functionality to the Nook including the ability to login to public WiFi hotspots and read the news on an RSS aggregator (pictured right with Google Reader). Better yet, the rogue band of devs have already ported AndTweet and the Facebook app from the Android Marketplace. Unfortunately, the Google Maps port failed due to some missing libraries within the Nook’s Android implementation. Naturally, none of this has been packaged for the everyman yet, but at this rate we might have off the shelf Nook homebrew before those January Nook orders can be delivered. Hey Barnes & Noble, welcome to the wild west of consumer electronics.

[Thanks, Scott]

Nook hacked with Web browser, Facebook, and Twitter apps for starters originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 17 Dec 2009 04:41:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink Android Guys  |  Twitter  | Email this | Comments

Barnes & Noble Nook torn down and rooted — but still respected originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 14 Dec 2009 01:11:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink RobotSkirts  |  nookdevs, nookdevs Twitter  | Email this | Comments

We were sort of hoping Google would turn a blind eye to the Android hackers who’d enabled Google Maps Navigation for use internationally, but it appears we’re just hopelessly optimistic: El Goog’s shut Navigation down outside the States. The changes are apparently “anticipated,” and the hackers in charge are hard at work getting around it, so there’s hope yet — and at some point Mountain View is going to have to actually launch Navigation abroad for real, so this all just seems a bit petty.

[Thanks, Ace of Spades]

Google blocks hacked Navigation from international use originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 08 Dec 2009 14:46:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  XDA-Developers  | Email this | Comments

The N64 has been dead for two Nintendo console iterations now, but the dream for the portable version the company never created still lives on. We’ve seen plenty of homemade creations, but the latest from modder Zenloc claims to be the world’s smallest at 120 x 200 x 50mm. As it turns out it isn’t, the Retro 64 mod from earlier this summer is slightly smaller, but you’d need particularly large pantaloons to mistake either as pocket-sized. Sadly this one has ditched its D-pad in the quest to shave off a few inches, but we think it otherwise looks quite nice, and the modder hopes you will too, as he’s put the thing on eBay — humorously listed as “refurbished.”

Continue reading N64Mini makes claim to ‘world’s smallest’ portable N64, is still rather husky (video)

N64Mini makes claim to ‘world’s smallest’ portable N64, is still rather husky (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 07 Dec 2009 08:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  benheck.com Forums  | Email this | Comments

We’ll freely admit to having a love / hate relationship with Christmas lights and decorations. The sheer gaudiness of it all often turns our “bah humbug” nature inside out, revealing the awe struck “inner child” we hear so much about from people like Martha Stewart and Oprah. Regardless, an artful DIYer’s taken the outdoor Christmas lighting game to the next level. Making use of an ioBridge IO-204 module, an Arduino Wave Kit, an Arduino Duemilanove board, solid state relays, and the Oracle Application Express for connectivity, he was able to get his internet controlled light and music show on the road. Check out the final results — which feature 3,300 mini lights, 3 spotlights, an LED Rope, 4 LEDs, and one magical reindeer — in the video after the break. Hit the source link for full instructions if you want to get in on the holiday action yourself.

Continue reading DIY arduino Christmas lights spectacular turns bad taste into… art

DIY arduino Christmas lights spectacular turns bad taste into… art originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 03 Dec 2009 02:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  My Electronics Notepad, Instructables  | Email this | Comments