Good news… next week, on September 19, Apple will roll out iOS 13, the latest version of its mobile operating system. Yes, we’re excited about, but here comes the bad news… iOS 13 contains a vulnerability that could allow anyone to bypass the lockscreen protection on your iPhone and access some sensitive information. Jose Rodriguez, a Spanish security researcher, contacted The Hacker Source: Hackernews Continue reading Yikes! iOS 13 Coming Next Week With iPhone LockScreen Bypass Bug

In late 2017, we covered Pokit — a tiny oscilloscope, multimeter and logger that is small enough to fit in your pocket, even acting as a key fob! As interesting as that device was (and is), looking at the specs, you might note that there are a few compromises compared to your heftier professional scope or meter. Now, however, pokitMeter has announced a version called the Pokit Pro with enhanced features.While the Pokit Pro is significantly larger than the original, with a length of 152mm, this appears to make it much more ergonomic as well. The body acts as one probe, while … Continue reading Pokit Pro Is an Enhanced Smartphone Oscilloscope

While we don’t always appreciate it, consider for a moment how amazing it is that it’s almost trivial to play a video game with someone next door — or on the next continent. Of course, these games are really “just” 1s and 0s transmitted at staggering speeds, and one might argue that you’re not actually doing anything in reality… Unless, of course, you’re driving actual 1/43 scale cars via SurrogateTV.As seen here, races take place using tiny cars on an actual miniature track in Helsinki, Finland. Each is controlled by a Wemos D1 Mini Pro ESP8266 board, which was the perfect size … Continue reading Race Real Miniature Cars From Thousands of Miles Away

Interaction designer Jakob Kilian has developed a device that allows the blind to see with their hand using a tool that he calls Unfolding Space. As he explains, “The ‘Unfolding Space’ project deals with sensory substitution: A phenomenon by which the function of one missing or dysfunctional sensory modality is replaced (substituted) by stimulating another one. The outcome is a prototype that projects a 3D picture, generated by a special camera, as vibration patterns on the back of the hand.”The Unfolding Space glove lets the blind identify their surroundings, detect obstacles, and orient themselves through haptic vibration. (📷: Jakob Kilian)The Unfolding Space … Continue reading Unfolding Space Allows the Blind to See with Their Hands

Nothing beats a good soldering station with adjustable power and interchangeable tips, which can be found on nearly every workstation. They are an invaluable tool for everything from PCB electronics population to making stained glass windows, and everything in between. The only drawback soldering stations have is their portability, as they need a wall outlet for power.The USB-C-PD Soldering Pen is outfitted with an STM32-based MCU for control and powered through a USB-PD power supply. (📷: Thomas Leputsch)That aspect alone has given rise to portable soldering irons that take advantage of USB Type-C ports that can draw power from laptops and … Continue reading USB-C-PD Soldering Pen Is a Compact STM32-Powered Solution for Weller Tips

Data collection is, if not the heart, then certainly one of the most critical organs in scientific research. Much effort has been put in the hardware to take readings and store the data, but what about getting these tools into everyone’s hands, and effectively sharing the data through stories and interactive visualizations? That’s the idea behind FieldKit, an ecosystem consisting of FieldKit.org, an app for iOS and Android, and a hardware package to actually acquire the data.As described in its project writeup, “FieldKit’s mission is to break down the barriers to environmental sensing.” This means a lower cost for such devices, … Continue reading FieldKit Is an Open Source Sensor Platform for Easy Environmental Data Sharing

Virtually everyone has a smartphone with them at all times that has multiple GPS navigation apps available, and many cars have GPS built into the infotainment system, as well. That means that the dedicated GPS receivers that were so popular in the 2000s are now essentially worthless, and it’s easy to find one for a few bucks at a thrift store or garage sale. Jason Gin of Rip It Apart picked up a Magellan RoadMate 1412 GPS receiver at garage sale, and that particular model happens to run Window CE. So Gin did what any self-respecting hacker would do, and … Continue reading Running Doom on an Old GPS Receiver

It was a serious undertaking to build a robot just a decade or two ago — an undertaking that required a lot of technical skill and a non-trivial budget. Fortunately, the recent proliferation of inexpensive and easy-to-use maker tools and components has turned constructing a robot into a fun weekend project. Those robots are most often simple rovers, and the excitement of operating them tends to wear off pretty quickly. That’s why you may want to follow Markus Purtz’s tutorial and add a Nerf dart launcher to your robot rover.This project is intended to work with Purtz’ FPV Rover v2.0 tank design, which … Continue reading Add a Nerf Dart Launcher to Your Robot Rover

As far as the average person is concerned, the keyboard they use doesn’t really matter. But for those of us who take typing seriously, our keyboards are very important. While there are certainly many high-quality mechanical keyboards on the market today, many people still prefer retro keyboards like the legendary IBM Model M from the ’80s. However, those often require ports that are no longer in use today. Fortunately there is a solution, and you can use this XTiny adapter to connect XT/AT keyboards to a modern computer’s USB port.Many vintage keyboards from the ’80s and ’90s, including the IBM Model … Continue reading Use This Adapter to Connect a Retro Keyboard to Your Modern Computer