Take This Stuff and Hack It! - Softcover

Prochnow, Dave

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0071477373 ISBN 13: 9780071477376

Publisher: McGraw-Hill Education TAB, 2006

Synopsis

Hack into common household productsand convert them into really cool stuff!

This true hacker’s guide shows how 30 commonhousehold items can be hacked and tweaked intoproducts totally different than what the manufacturerintended. Garage and basement tinkerers will getfully illustrated step-by-step coverage of exactly whichproducts are “hackable,” how to hack them, and howto convert them into some unique, fun stuff. Youwill learn how to hack a telephone solicitor zapperthat hangs up on phone spammers, create a robotthat’s a digital plaything for Fido, and hack theirhome into an abode that would make a securityexpert envious.

About this title

About the Author

Dave Prochnow (Hattiesburg, MS) is an award-winning professional writer, editor, and contributor to numerous technical publications including MAKE, Nuts & Volts, and SERVO Magazine. He is the author of 27 nonfiction book titles for Addison-Wesley, F&W Publications, McGraw-Hill, and TAB Books; including the bestselling PSP Hacks, Mods, and Expansions (McGraw-Hill, 2006) and The Official Robosapien Hackers Guide (McGraw- Hill, 2006) and the upcoming Take This Stuff and Hack It! Currently, Dave serves as the Contributing Editor for Nuts & Volts and SERVO Magazine. In 2001, Dave won the Maggie Award for writing the best how-to article in a consumer magazine.

From the Back Cover

TAKE THIS BOOK AND HACK IT!

Transform common household items into really cool stuffYou don't need to be an electronics genius to get started turning everyday items into high-performing wonders. With how-to guru Dave Prochnow's step-by-step directions and fully illustrated plans, even beginners can hack their way to a high-tech home, cooler toys, and less yard work.

MORE THAN 30 FASCINATING, FUN-TO-BUILD PROJECTS

Transform a vacuum cleaner into a home security system-or a toy. Hack an electric line trimmer that will mow your lawn for you. Computerize colored lights for seasonal decorations that make your neighbors' jaws drop. These are but a few of the more than 30 inventive and imaginative projects inside.

BUILD SKILLS AND CREATIVITY

Certain to fire your imagination-and start you plotting new, original, and even more creative wonders you can make from ordinary household items-Take This Stuff and Hack It! is the perfect gift for your inner inventor.

HACK THIS

• Apple iPod
• Bicycle
• Digital and film cameras
• Discarded cell phones, PDAs, etc.
• Electric power from the sun
• Furniture
• Lawn mower
• Robosapien
• Roomba
• Sony PSP
• VW Beetle
• And much more!

From the Inside Flap

Wouldn't it be great to use your ingenuity to hack into a standard vacuum
to turn it into a family companion, a household security system, and/or a
children's toy? Or perhaps you want to rig up your own solar-powered
generator. Maybe you just want a simple and effective way to stop telephone
solicitors from calling. In today's increasingly electronic world, there is
a veritable schmorgasbord of products just crying to be tinkered with.
What's needed is a guidebook that shows garage and basement warriors which
products are "hackable," how to hack them, and explain in detail (with LOTS
of pictures) how to create really cool things. This book is that guide.

Edition details

• Publisher: McGraw-Hill Education TAB
• Publication date: 2006
• ISBN 10: 0071477373
• ISBN 13: 9780071477376
• Binding: Paperback
• Language: English
• Number of pages: 496