Alarm System Defeated by $2 Wireless Dongle, Nobody Surprised
https://hackaday.com/2019/08/23/alarm-system-defeated-by-2-wireless-dongle-nobody-surprised/
It seems a bit unfair to pile on a product that has already been roundly criticized for its security vulnerabilities. But when that product is a device that is ostensibly deployed to keep one’s family and belongings safe, it’s plenty fair. And when that device is an alarm system that …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/08/23/alarm-system-defeated-by-2-wireless-dongle-nobody-surprised/)
https://hackaday.com/2019/08/23/alarm-system-defeated-by-2-wireless-dongle-nobody-surprised/
It seems a bit unfair to pile on a product that has already been roundly criticized for its security vulnerabilities. But when that product is a device that is ostensibly deployed to keep one’s family and belongings safe, it’s plenty fair. And when that device is an alarm system that …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/08/23/alarm-system-defeated-by-2-wireless-dongle-nobody-surprised/)
This Week in Security: KNOB, Old Scams Are New Again, 0-days, Backdoors, and More
https://hackaday.com/2019/08/23/this-week-in-security-knob-old-scams-are-new-again-0-days-backdoors-and-more/
Bluetooth is a great protocol. You can listen to music, transfer files, get on the internet, and more. A side effect of those many uses is that the specification is complicated and intended to cover many use cases. A team of researchers took a look at the Bluetooth specification, and …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/08/23/this-week-in-security-knob-old-scams-are-new-again-0-days-backdoors-and-more/)
https://hackaday.com/2019/08/23/this-week-in-security-knob-old-scams-are-new-again-0-days-backdoors-and-more/
Bluetooth is a great protocol. You can listen to music, transfer files, get on the internet, and more. A side effect of those many uses is that the specification is complicated and intended to cover many use cases. A team of researchers took a look at the Bluetooth specification, and …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/08/23/this-week-in-security-knob-old-scams-are-new-again-0-days-backdoors-and-more/)
OTA Flash Tool Makes Fitness Tracker Hacking More Accessible
https://hackaday.com/2019/08/23/ota-flash-tool-makes-fitness-tracker-hacking-more-accessible/
Over the last several months, [Aaron Christophel] has been working on creating a custom firmware for cheap fitness trackers. His current target is the “D6 Tracker” from a company called MPOW, which can be had for as little as $7 USD. The ultimate goal is to make it so anyone …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/08/23/ota-flash-tool-makes-fitness-tracker-hacking-more-accessible/)
https://hackaday.com/2019/08/23/ota-flash-tool-makes-fitness-tracker-hacking-more-accessible/
Over the last several months, [Aaron Christophel] has been working on creating a custom firmware for cheap fitness trackers. His current target is the “D6 Tracker” from a company called MPOW, which can be had for as little as $7 USD. The ultimate goal is to make it so anyone …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/08/23/ota-flash-tool-makes-fitness-tracker-hacking-more-accessible/)
Hackaday Podcast 032: Meteorite Snow Globes, Radioactive Ramjet Rockets, Autonomous Water Boxes, and Ball Reversers
https://hackaday.com/2019/08/23/hackaday-podcast-032-meteorite-snow-globes-radioactive-ramjet-rockets-autonomous-water-boxes-and-ball-reversers/
Hackaday Editors Mike Szczys and Elliot Williams recorded this week’s podcast live from Chaos Communication Camp, discussing the most interesting hacks on offer over the past week. I novel locomotion news, there’s a quadcopter built around the coanda effect and an autonomous boat built into a plastic storage bin. The …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/08/23/hackaday-podcast-032-meteorite-snow-globes-radioactive-ramjet-rockets-autonomous-water-boxes-and-ball-reversers/)
https://hackaday.com/2019/08/23/hackaday-podcast-032-meteorite-snow-globes-radioactive-ramjet-rockets-autonomous-water-boxes-and-ball-reversers/
Hackaday Editors Mike Szczys and Elliot Williams recorded this week’s podcast live from Chaos Communication Camp, discussing the most interesting hacks on offer over the past week. I novel locomotion news, there’s a quadcopter built around the coanda effect and an autonomous boat built into a plastic storage bin. The …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/08/23/hackaday-podcast-032-meteorite-snow-globes-radioactive-ramjet-rockets-autonomous-water-boxes-and-ball-reversers/)
Airport Runways and Hashtags — How to Become a Social Engineer
https://hackaday.com/2019/08/23/airport-runways-and-hashtags-how-to-become-a-social-engineer/
Of the $11.7 million companies lose to cyber attacks each year, an estimated 90% begin with a phone call or a chat with support, showing that the human factor is clearly an important facet of security and that security training is seriously lacking in most companies. Between open-source intelligence (OSINT) …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/08/23/airport-runways-and-hashtags-how-to-become-a-social-engineer/)
https://hackaday.com/2019/08/23/airport-runways-and-hashtags-how-to-become-a-social-engineer/
Of the $11.7 million companies lose to cyber attacks each year, an estimated 90% begin with a phone call or a chat with support, showing that the human factor is clearly an important facet of security and that security training is seriously lacking in most companies. Between open-source intelligence (OSINT) …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/08/23/airport-runways-and-hashtags-how-to-become-a-social-engineer/)
Be Better Bracelet Breaks Bad Habits, Fosters Favorable Fixations
https://hackaday.com/2019/08/23/be-better-bracelet-breaks-bad-habits-fosters-favorable-fixations/
Do you want to be a better person? Maybe you want to curse less, drink more water, or post fewer inflammatory comments on the internet. You could go the old school route by wearing a rubber band around your wrist and snapping it every time you slip, or literally pat …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/08/23/be-better-bracelet-breaks-bad-habits-fosters-favorable-fixations/)
https://hackaday.com/2019/08/23/be-better-bracelet-breaks-bad-habits-fosters-favorable-fixations/
Do you want to be a better person? Maybe you want to curse less, drink more water, or post fewer inflammatory comments on the internet. You could go the old school route by wearing a rubber band around your wrist and snapping it every time you slip, or literally pat …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/08/23/be-better-bracelet-breaks-bad-habits-fosters-favorable-fixations/)
Feeding Chickens, With Style
https://hackaday.com/2019/08/23/feeding-chickens-with-style/
Ah, the joys of domestic animals. Often adorable, occasionally useful, they’re universally unable to care for themselves in the slightest. That’s part of the bargain though; we take over responsibility for their upkeep and they repay us with whatever it is they do best. Unless the animal in question is …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/08/23/feeding-chickens-with-style/)
https://hackaday.com/2019/08/23/feeding-chickens-with-style/
Ah, the joys of domestic animals. Often adorable, occasionally useful, they’re universally unable to care for themselves in the slightest. That’s part of the bargain though; we take over responsibility for their upkeep and they repay us with whatever it is they do best. Unless the animal in question is …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/08/23/feeding-chickens-with-style/)
DIY ZigBee Therapy Lights Are Hue Compatible
https://hackaday.com/2019/08/23/diy-zigbee-therapy-lights-are-hue-compatible/
Working on a project into the wee hours is hardly uncommon for us hackers, but if you’re consistently sleeping until the afternoon, it’s possible you’re suffering from a condition known as Delayed Phase Sleep Disorder (DPSD). Put simply, your body’s internal clock is out of alignment with the world around …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/08/23/diy-zigbee-therapy-lights-are-hue-compatible/)
https://hackaday.com/2019/08/23/diy-zigbee-therapy-lights-are-hue-compatible/
Working on a project into the wee hours is hardly uncommon for us hackers, but if you’re consistently sleeping until the afternoon, it’s possible you’re suffering from a condition known as Delayed Phase Sleep Disorder (DPSD). Put simply, your body’s internal clock is out of alignment with the world around …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/08/23/diy-zigbee-therapy-lights-are-hue-compatible/)
Joining The RISC-V Ranks: IBM’s Power ISA To Become Free
https://hackaday.com/2019/08/23/joining-the-risc-v-ranks-ibms-power-isa-to-become-free/
IBM’s Power processor architecture is probably best known today as those humongous chips that power everything from massive mainframes and supercomputers to slightly less massive mainframes and servers. Originally developed in the 1980s, Power CPUs have been a reliable presence in the market for decades, forming the backbone of systems …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/08/23/joining-the-risc-v-ranks-ibms-power-isa-to-become-free/)
https://hackaday.com/2019/08/23/joining-the-risc-v-ranks-ibms-power-isa-to-become-free/
IBM’s Power processor architecture is probably best known today as those humongous chips that power everything from massive mainframes and supercomputers to slightly less massive mainframes and servers. Originally developed in the 1980s, Power CPUs have been a reliable presence in the market for decades, forming the backbone of systems …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/08/23/joining-the-risc-v-ranks-ibms-power-isa-to-become-free/)
Modern Linux Runs On Ancient Toshiba
https://hackaday.com/2019/08/23/modern-linux-runs-on-ancient-toshiba/
While Microsoft no longer supports those of its operating systems that were in heavy use into the early 2000s, support for old hardware is not typically something that you will have to worry about if you run Linux on your machines. Sure, there will be driver issues from time to …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/08/23/modern-linux-runs-on-ancient-toshiba/)
https://hackaday.com/2019/08/23/modern-linux-runs-on-ancient-toshiba/
While Microsoft no longer supports those of its operating systems that were in heavy use into the early 2000s, support for old hardware is not typically something that you will have to worry about if you run Linux on your machines. Sure, there will be driver issues from time to …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/08/23/modern-linux-runs-on-ancient-toshiba/)
Perfect Cheese Every Time With This Temperature Controller
https://hackaday.com/2019/08/24/perfect-cheese-every-time-with-this-temperature-controller/
Anyone who is from a background in which cheesemaking is a feature will tell you that it is an exact science in which small differences in parameters can make a huge difference in the resulting cheese, to the extent that entire batches can be rendered inedible. In particular the temperature …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/08/24/perfect-cheese-every-time-with-this-temperature-controller/)
https://hackaday.com/2019/08/24/perfect-cheese-every-time-with-this-temperature-controller/
Anyone who is from a background in which cheesemaking is a feature will tell you that it is an exact science in which small differences in parameters can make a huge difference in the resulting cheese, to the extent that entire batches can be rendered inedible. In particular the temperature …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/08/24/perfect-cheese-every-time-with-this-temperature-controller/)
LED Triangle Looks Cool; Someone Tell Alt-J
https://hackaday.com/2019/08/24/led-triangle-looks-cool-someone-tell-alt-j/
For the average person, decorating at home is as simple as a few choice picks from the IKEA catalogue. Makers are a different breed, though – preferring something customized and glowing. This LED triangle is a particularly great example of the form, and the latest benchmark for excellence to come …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/08/24/led-triangle-looks-cool-someone-tell-alt-j/)
https://hackaday.com/2019/08/24/led-triangle-looks-cool-someone-tell-alt-j/
For the average person, decorating at home is as simple as a few choice picks from the IKEA catalogue. Makers are a different breed, though – preferring something customized and glowing. This LED triangle is a particularly great example of the form, and the latest benchmark for excellence to come …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/08/24/led-triangle-looks-cool-someone-tell-alt-j/)
An Entire PDP-11 On Your Bench
https://hackaday.com/2019/08/24/an-entire-pdp-11-on-your-bench/
The DEC PDP series of minicomputers occupy a special place in computing history for us, because as the workhorses of commercial computing from the 1960s through to some time in the 1990s they provided the bedrock upon which so many of the computing technologies we take for granted today were …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/08/24/an-entire-pdp-11-on-your-bench/)
https://hackaday.com/2019/08/24/an-entire-pdp-11-on-your-bench/
The DEC PDP series of minicomputers occupy a special place in computing history for us, because as the workhorses of commercial computing from the 1960s through to some time in the 1990s they provided the bedrock upon which so many of the computing technologies we take for granted today were …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/08/24/an-entire-pdp-11-on-your-bench/)
This Rubik’s Cube Lamp Has Some Serious Retro Style
https://hackaday.com/2019/08/24/this-rubiks-cube-lamp-has-some-serious-retro-style/
There’s an easy way to signal to your friends and family that you’re a successful, urbane member of society – by decorating your home with tasteful references to popular culture. A classy oil painting of Yoda or a framed Tarantino movie poster is a great way to go. Alternatively, consider …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/08/24/this-rubiks-cube-lamp-has-some-serious-retro-style/)
https://hackaday.com/2019/08/24/this-rubiks-cube-lamp-has-some-serious-retro-style/
There’s an easy way to signal to your friends and family that you’re a successful, urbane member of society – by decorating your home with tasteful references to popular culture. A classy oil painting of Yoda or a framed Tarantino movie poster is a great way to go. Alternatively, consider …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/08/24/this-rubiks-cube-lamp-has-some-serious-retro-style/)
A Colorful Way To Play Chess On An ATmega328
https://hackaday.com/2019/08/24/a-colorful-way-to-play-chess-on-an-atmega328/
We’ve all seen those chess computers that consist out of a physical playing field, and a built-in computer that would indicate where you should put its pieces while inputting the position of your pieces in some way. These systems are usually found in a dusty cardboard box in a back …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/08/24/a-colorful-way-to-play-chess-on-an-atmega328/)
https://hackaday.com/2019/08/24/a-colorful-way-to-play-chess-on-an-atmega328/
We’ve all seen those chess computers that consist out of a physical playing field, and a built-in computer that would indicate where you should put its pieces while inputting the position of your pieces in some way. These systems are usually found in a dusty cardboard box in a back …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/08/24/a-colorful-way-to-play-chess-on-an-atmega328/)
Conductive Origami Lights Up Your Life
https://hackaday.com/2019/08/24/conductive-origami/
It’s taken mobile phone developers years to develop electric circuits and displays that can fold. Finally he first few have come to market — with mixed reviews and questionable utility at best. For all that R&D, there are a lot of other cases where folding circuitry might have been more …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/08/24/conductive-origami/)
https://hackaday.com/2019/08/24/conductive-origami/
It’s taken mobile phone developers years to develop electric circuits and displays that can fold. Finally he first few have come to market — with mixed reviews and questionable utility at best. For all that R&D, there are a lot of other cases where folding circuitry might have been more …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/08/24/conductive-origami/)
Hacked Hoverboards Become Potent RC Tank
https://hackaday.com/2019/08/24/hacked-hoverboards-become-potent-rc-tank/
Hoverboards were the darling, or perhaps the scourge, of the last few years, Banned by vigilant airlines, they’re a great way to break an ankle or set your house on fire. However, they’re also a treasure trove of valuable parts for hacking, as [Aaron] ably demonstrates with his RC tank …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/08/24/hacked-hoverboards-become-potent-rc-tank/)
https://hackaday.com/2019/08/24/hacked-hoverboards-become-potent-rc-tank/
Hoverboards were the darling, or perhaps the scourge, of the last few years, Banned by vigilant airlines, they’re a great way to break an ankle or set your house on fire. However, they’re also a treasure trove of valuable parts for hacking, as [Aaron] ably demonstrates with his RC tank …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/08/24/hacked-hoverboards-become-potent-rc-tank/)
The Danish Internet Of Hot Tubs
https://hackaday.com/2019/08/24/the-danish-internet-of-hot-tubs/
Every hacker camp has its own flavor, and BornHack 2019 in the Danish countryside gave us the opportunity to sample some hacker relaxation, Scandinavian style. Among the attractions was a wood-fired hot tub of gargantuan proportions, in which the tired attendee could rejuvenate themselves at 40 Celcius in the middle …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/08/24/the-danish-internet-of-hot-tubs/)
https://hackaday.com/2019/08/24/the-danish-internet-of-hot-tubs/
Every hacker camp has its own flavor, and BornHack 2019 in the Danish countryside gave us the opportunity to sample some hacker relaxation, Scandinavian style. Among the attractions was a wood-fired hot tub of gargantuan proportions, in which the tired attendee could rejuvenate themselves at 40 Celcius in the middle …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/08/24/the-danish-internet-of-hot-tubs/)
Inventor And Detective Create Range Of Snack-Hiding Devices
https://hackaday.com/2019/08/25/inventor-and-detective-create-range-of-snack-hiding-devices/
Anyone who has had to deal with siblings, their friends, flatmates or parents who are overly fond of snacks may know this issue: you bought some snacks for your own consumption, but before you can get to them they have vanished. Naturally, nobody knows what happened to said snacks and …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/08/25/inventor-and-detective-create-range-of-snack-hiding-devices/)
https://hackaday.com/2019/08/25/inventor-and-detective-create-range-of-snack-hiding-devices/
Anyone who has had to deal with siblings, their friends, flatmates or parents who are overly fond of snacks may know this issue: you bought some snacks for your own consumption, but before you can get to them they have vanished. Naturally, nobody knows what happened to said snacks and …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/08/25/inventor-and-detective-create-range-of-snack-hiding-devices/)
Take Pictures Around a Corner
https://hackaday.com/2019/08/25/take-pictures-around-a-corner/
One of the core lessons any physics student will come to realize is that the more you know about physics, the less intuitive it seems. Take the nature of light, for example. Is it a wave? A particle? Both? Neither? Whatever the answer to the question, scientists are at least …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/08/25/take-pictures-around-a-corner/)
https://hackaday.com/2019/08/25/take-pictures-around-a-corner/
One of the core lessons any physics student will come to realize is that the more you know about physics, the less intuitive it seems. Take the nature of light, for example. Is it a wave? A particle? Both? Neither? Whatever the answer to the question, scientists are at least …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/08/25/take-pictures-around-a-corner/)