May 07

PSP 3000 hacked, with homebrew soon to follow

Posted in: hack, homebrew, mod, psp, sony, Today's Chili

The intersection of PSP 3000 and Hack St. has thus far been a pretty lonely little place, so we’re pleased to announce that the ChickHEN project is definitely gaining some momentum. According to one extra special YouTube video, hacksters are now able to run the TIFF exploit and boot into a homebrew enabler environment on a PSP 2003 and a PSP 3000 running 5.03 firmware. The code is seen surviving a reboot, and both the system software and MAC address can be changed. While not ready for prime time yet, this does pave the way for emulators, PSP uCLinux, and all of those other things that keep all you homebrew fans happy at night. Video after the break, if you dare.

[Via Technabob]

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PSP 3000 hacked, with homebrew soon to follow originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 07 May 2009 11:07:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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May 05

PSP mod adds mouse, a touch of class to Sony’s beloved handheld

Posted in: diy, hack, mod, mouse, psp, sony, Today's Chili

Not all input devices are created equal. Some of us long for that old coin-op console joystick every time we bring up GalagaREMIX on the iPhone, while others can’t imagine engaging in a first person shooter without the aid of his or her trusty mouse. To that end, PSP hacker TokyoDrift (not his / her real name) has wired an old PS2 mouse into his portable’s serial port, by way of an ATMEL ATmega8 chip-sporting breadboard. The various PSP buttons can be mapped to the mouse’s buttons or scroll wheel, and scaling and sample rates are adjustable. We know there are plenty of you out there that can’t wait to try this one out for yourself — so hit the read link, peruse the forums, and get inspired.

[Via SlashGear]

Continue reading PSP mod adds mouse, a touch of class to Sony’s beloved handheld

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PSP mod adds mouse, a touch of class to Sony’s beloved handheld originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 05 May 2009 10:43:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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May 04

Video: YBox2 DIY widget box grows a VGA port

Posted in: diy, hack, mod, Today's Chili, video

It’s been far, far too long since we’ve heard anything on the YBox front, so it’s with great pleasure we pass along the first major YBox2 mod that we’ve come across. The modders over at adafruit industries have discovered that adding a VGA output to the DIY set-top-box (not to mention adding stereo audio support) is relatively simple, and there’s even a video to prove it. If you’ve been itching to get your hands dirty with an Altoids box, you owe it to yourself to hop on past the break and mash play.

[Via MAKE]

Continue reading Video: YBox2 DIY widget box grows a VGA port

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Video: YBox2 DIY widget box grows a VGA port originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 04 May 2009 11:18:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Apr 30

iPod nano GPS hack ensures that you and your MP3s make it home safely

Posted in: diy, gps, hack, ipod, iPod Nano, nano, Today's Chili

We’ve seen iPod hacks run the gamut, from the useful to the just plain absurd, but no matter how rough around the edges such a project may seem, we always get a kick out of the ingenuity and hard work involved. Today’s DIY wonder comes from a cat named Benjamin Kokes, who’s using his engineering chops to put together a GPS peripheral for the iPod nano. As the project stands right now, he’s taken a reference board sporting a Nemerix GPS and written a screen driver for it, allowing it to do its thing on the handheld. Apparently, all this bad boy is capable of doing right now is finding a satellite and displaying your latitude and longitude — but we’d like to see your old nano do that! Hit the read link for the whole, sordid tale in geek-tastic detail, or to speak with the developer if you’d like to give this a shot your own self. Tell him Engadget sent you.

[Via Technabob]

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iPod nano GPS hack ensures that you and your MP3s make it home safely originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 30 Apr 2009 16:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Apr 30

Rovio finds new purpose in life with fire extinguisher mod

Posted in: diy, hack, mod, Today's Chili

The Rovio may not have inspired quite the same level of modding as something like the Robosapien, but it’s far from completely lacking in the department, and RoboCommunity member Colt45 looks to have delivered one of the more impressive hacks to date with this new and improved fire extinguisher bot. As impressive as that top-mounted CF2ClBr fire extinguisher and remote-controlled nozzle is, however, the real standout piece may actually be the software, which apparently uses a machine vision app that can recognize fire and automatically extinguish it when necessary (assuming it remains around candle size). Unfortunately, there’s no how-to for building your own just yet, nor is there any word of a planned face off with a Flame-o-Sapien, though you can be sure we’ll let you know as soon as that happens.

[Via SlashGear]

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Rovio finds new purpose in life with fire extinguisher mod originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 30 Apr 2009 06:49:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Apr 28

Samsung Eternity retrofitted within NES controller, has never looked better

Posted in: controller, diy, hack, mod, nintendo, phone, Retro, samsung, Today's Chili, video

Not that we’ve never had the pleasure of seeing an NES phone mod before, but there’s just something especially elegant about this one. The not-at-all-ancient Samsung a867 Eternity was chosen by one Taylor Merrill to be shoved inside of a now-defunct Nintendo Entertainment System controller. The result, naturally, is what you see above — er, half of it, anyway. For a look at the whole thing in its entirety, hop on past the break and mash play. Per usual, we take no responsibility for damage dealt to your retro game consoles, existing handsets or pride should you attempt to replicate.

[Thanks, stagueve]

Continue reading Samsung Eternity retrofitted within NES controller, has never looked better

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Samsung Eternity retrofitted within NES controller, has never looked better originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 28 Apr 2009 08:41:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Apr 25

Video: surviving Pleo loses remaining autonomy, gets controlled by Wii Nunchuk

Posted in: diy, hack, mod, remote control, RemoteControl, Today's Chili, video, wii, Wireless

Aw, how timely. Shortly after the Pleo lineage fell victim to economic pressures, an all-too-cute video has surfaced showing a remaining creature being controlled by a Wii Nunchuk. In reality, the underlying abuse here is quite sad — for those unaware, Pleo was designed to be entirely autonomous, and the first step to regaining control over it is to implement a “Pleo Stunner” in order to shock him into silence. From there, an XBee-based solution is used to tap into his control system and override every single instinct the poor sap ever had. If you’re into this type of sadistic torture (or you’re just an aspiring dictator), check the read link for all the instructions you need to fulfill your own evil desires. For those just interested in a good chuckle, the vid’s after the break.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

Continue reading Video: surviving Pleo loses remaining autonomy, gets controlled by Wii Nunchuk

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Video: surviving Pleo loses remaining autonomy, gets controlled by Wii Nunchuk originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 25 Apr 2009 08:14:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Apr 23

New Windows 7 hack purports to be “unfixable”

Posted in: hack, Microsoft, security, Today's Chili, Windows, windows 7, Windows7

A hack that’s “unfixable” is a pretty bold claim, but that’s just what researchers Vipin Kumar and Nitin Kumar have announced at the now-happening Hack in the Box security conference, and they seem ready to back it up. Apparently, they’ve devised a means to gain control of a Windows 7 computer during the boot up process though the use of a tiny 3KB program dubbed VBootkit 2.0 (a follow-up to a similar Vista hack), which loads itself into the system memory and bypasses the hard drive altogether, making it extremely difficult to detect. Once loaded, an ill-intentioned individual could potentially change passwords, access protected files, or do just about anything else and then leave without a trace. The one fairly big drawback to the hack, however, and upside for most users, is that it can’t be performed remotely, so it’ll likely only be a significant concern for businesses or other folks using computers in public places — unless, of course, Microsoft finds a way to fix the “unfixable.”

[Via Electronista]

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New Windows 7 hack purports to be “unfixable” originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 23 Apr 2009 19:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Apr 23

Video: WiiNxtBalance tools around, doesn’t fall down

Posted in: hack, mod, nintendo, robot, Today's Chili, wii

This little bot– the NXTway-GS — is a self-balancer, and he’s pretty cute, to boot. Thanks to some clever modifications, he’s now controllable via Wiimote. Using the LEGO NXT system, and some custom firmware, the little dude is connected to a computer via Bluetooth. The video of the robot in action is after the break — but if you want to see full instructions for making one of your very own — hit the read link. And may we suggest you slap a powdered colonial wig on yours?

[Via Hack A Day]

Continue reading Video: WiiNxtBalance tools around, doesn’t fall down

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Video: WiiNxtBalance tools around, doesn’t fall down originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 23 Apr 2009 06:07:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Apr 21

Video: NES Advantage controller mod for Xbox 360

Posted in: hack, mod, Today's Chili, xbox, xbox 360, Xbox360

Sometimes you can’t beat the classics. The gentleman who brought his old NES Advantage to bear on his Xbox 360 is back, this time working his magic on the Super Advantage joystick. This bad boy is wireless, runs off an internal battery (charged via standard USB), and sports an LED player indicator. If you’ve never been able to get used to the standard Xbox controller, keep an eye out for this bad boy on eBay. The modster in question has stated his intention to let this one go to the right bidder, but not before he makes another one for himself. The next trick, he says, is to add cross-platform compatibility with the Wii and SNES. Video after the break.

[Via Nowhere Else]

Continue reading Video: NES Advantage controller mod for Xbox 360

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Video: NES Advantage controller mod for Xbox 360 originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 21 Apr 2009 17:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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