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Playlist Magazine has a great little write up on six cool iPod hacks for really getting the most out of your little white friend. All of these tricks require installing iPod Linux on your iPod, so do at your own risk - but it’s a safe and proven process that’s pretty easy to do. They detail how to add high quality recording from any microphone, video support, and a few other nifty things. If you just got an iPod and want more functionality, or if you have an old one kicking around that’s just begging for new life, check out this great article.
Read More 
| Playlist
If you own one of these convenient pieces of tech - and I do - you understand how much easier it is to pump your gas and go. However, just like a lot of technology out there, there is a way to hack into these devices. The equipment needed to capture the essential data? A microreader, a laptop, and a serial cable can be used to get information from the Digital Signature Transponder (DST), that being your SpeedPass. The signal can be captured by just sitting next to someone and scanning right through their pocket. At $2.71 per gallon a block away from me, I’m sure to keep an eye on “creepy laptop guy” at the Internet cafe.
Read More | RFIDAnalysis via Lockergnome
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If you have $25 and a Nokia Smartphone, this book by O’Reilly may strike your fancy. Nokia Smartphone Hacks is a collection of interesting tips and tricks that you may not know you can do with your phone. There are also some sample hacks available on the site as well in PDF format:
Pick the Right Class of Nokia Phone
Use Calling Cards with Your Mobile Phone
Record a Phone Call
Send Email the Easy Way
Read More | O’Reilly via Slashphone
Latest Gear Live Videos
Now this is the swankiest geek presentation of the original Star Wars IV I’ve seen yet. Some creative peeps have turned the entire movie into ASCII art which is now available using Telnet. If you want to see it, open up the command line on your computer (Terminal on OS X, or “CMD” from the run option of your Windows PC) and type “telnet towel.blinkenlights.nl”. Hit enter a few times and sit back with some popcorn to enjoy the show. Speaks well to the power of good old ASCII text. If you are using IP V6, you get color!
With a lot of people wondering when PIM software for the PSP will be available, one creative guy by the name of Matan just might have a solution for you: Windows 95. He has successfully ported the Bochs emulator over to the PSP and has been able to run Windows 95 from a large Memory Stick Duo. While this emulation is slow, taking nearly 10 minutes to boot, it does provide full Windows 95 functionality. The directional pad and keys act as a mouse and you can use an on screen keyboard. The folks over at PSPLinux are shooting for native support so that should be faster, but they don’t have a working version yet. For all your PSP computing needs in the meanwhile, it looks like ghetto tech like Windows 95 is your friend.
Read More | PSP Bochs
iPod Subway Maps
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Misc. Tech, Mods / Hacks, Portable Audio / Video,
Talk about convenient, my boy William Bright decided that rather than pushing and shoving his way towards a subway map while riding the train, it would be much nicer to break out his iPod and check out the maps on its screen, thus making him the coolest guy in the train car. He is set to collect iPodified maps of other maps, but the NYC MTA maps will never be topped in my opinion. It’s just too cool - but what’s with the lack of love for Shaolin, man?
Read More | iPod Subway Maps
DIY Optical Mouse Hacked Into Classic NES Controller
Posted by Sparky Categories: Accessories, Mods / Hacks, PC / Laptop, Peripherals,
Some creative lads have posted instructions on how to make a Frankenstein creation using a Microsoft optical mouse, and a standard classic NES controller. This DIY project involved taking the guts from the mouse and transplanting them into the controller. Other than a hot glue gun, Dremel, and soldering gun, nothing special is needed. While the NES mouse does not seem to be the most ergonomic option available it sure does seem one of the coolest ideas for that hardcore retro-gamer in your life.
Hack your CVS Disposable Digital Video Camera
Posted by Edwin Soto Categories: Cameras, Mods / Hacks,
A few months back, the CVS drug store chain introduced the first “disposable” DV recording device. The idea around it is to sell you the camera for 30 bucks, you get about 25 minutes of compressed video, bring it back to CVS, and they put it on DVD/CD for you. This is a great alternative if you don’t plan to purchase a DV camera anytime soon, yet want to capture special moments on film. Why not exploit the drug store giant and hack the videos from the camera yourself? I-Hacked.com has taken the time to splice up a USB cable, integrate that with a Palm III cradle - which is apparently hard to find (sadly, I own one) - and use a few Windows commands to format the camera. There you have it.
Read More | I-Hacked.com via Make
Gear Live Podcast: Windows Vista, iPod video, Xbox 360 QWERTY, and More
Posted by Edwin Soto Categories: Features, Mods / Hacks, Podcasts, Portable Audio / Video, Software, Video Games,
As techies who yearn for the newest, hottest, next big thing, we love to speculate about what’s to come. In this week’s podcast, we mostly focused on technology that is on the horizon:
XBOX 360 QWERTY Controller
Miyamoto Revolution Controller
iPod video
Pretec 4MB SD
Russian Spammer Killed
Click here to download the MP3, or you can just subscribe to the Gear Live Podcast feed. You can also subscribe to us directly through iTunes as well.
Voices: Edwin Soto, Sparky
Length: 32:52, 30.1 MB
Don’t forget to vote for us on Podcast Alley! Also, be sure to check out the Gear Live Odeo Channel, and subscribe there are well. You can even tag each episode with keywords.
Listen | Gear Live Podcast
Windows Genuine Validation Cracked – Again
Posted by Oscar M. Cantu Categories: Corporate News, Mods / Hacks, Software,
Microsoft just can’t get around software hackers in their latest attempt to cut down pirated Windows XP users – Genuine Windows Validation. Early last week Microsoft “fixed” the Genuine Windows Validation exploit. Now the new and updated validation service has been hacked yet again. Maybe Microsoft should start hiring these hackers, since it takes Microsoft days or more to fix their exploits, while hackers only need a day to come up with a work around.
Read More | Cnet News
