A HACK A DAY: Season 9
We bring you hacks and tricks to make life easier with technology around you
- How to get wireless charging for any smartphone
- How to run Mac OS X Yosemite on a Windows PC
- 7 tips to perfect sounding vinyl records
- How to control your iPhone display brightness with the Home button
- How to speed up your Mac in 4 steps
- Things to do with your old laptop
- Here are 8 tricks on an iPhone you probably did not know
- How to make an emergency portable soldering iron
- How to solve your laptop's overheating problem:
- How to make a macro lens for your smartphone
- How to make super cheap pumps for mini water fountains
- Make a 3D holographic projector with your phone, tablet or TV
- How to manage your cables with homemade cable wraps
- How to increase the range of your car’s remote central lock
- How to make a cheap, efficient door handle burglar alarm
**********
A HACK A DAY: Present running season
**********
Wireless charging is a unique feature, which seems to be seen in most new smartphones today. Samsung is one of the few smartphone brands that are implementing wireless charging into their flagship Galaxys. Smartphones with wireless charging can benefit in many ways. Simply place the phone on the charging pad and your smartphone will start filling the juice to the battery without any contact. No need to hunt for the micro USB port in the dark or eliminate the need for plugging in your charger completely. Using the micro USB port for charging frequently can also damage the slot or make it looser.
If your smartphone does not have wireless charging, you could add one in just under Rs 1,000. Check out the video below which shows you how you can do it. The wireless charging kit for most smartphones can be found on eBay for just around Rs 500 and above. The wireless charging base can also be obtained for Rs 500 and above. If you have a smartphone that does not have a removable rear panel, you could also find a kit for it. iPhone users can also get a wireless charging kit for your smartphones. Check out the second video below which shows you a wireless charging add-on for iPhones.
Each day we also bring you videos from around the Internet to show you how they make stuff. Check out ‘How do they make it’
**********
Its not an easy, and most of all economic decision to swap from a Windows PC to a Mac. However, you still wish you could have both or you could use the other operating system when need be. Therefore, today’s hack is a tutorial on how to run Mac OS X Yosemite on a Windows PC.
Each day we also bring you videos from around the Internet to show you how they make stuff. Check out ‘How do they make it’
**********
Vinyl players, or famously known as a record player, seems to be getting back in style. More and more people prefer the old-styled music platter, the record player, simply because of the quality of music, and the aesthetics. However, maintaining each record (disc) is difficult, but not impossible. Since the record player uses a diamond stylus (pickup) that drags through each groove on the vinyl, vibrating and creating sound, you have to make sure the grooves are clean at all times. Cleaning the record is easy, but keeping them clean forever is a big challenge. Check out the video below, which explains how you can keep those record players clean and maintain it to avoid those static clicks in the music playback.
**********
Moving outside into broad daylight and your iPhone display seems too dim. The same happens when your phone is used in a dark environment, where your display brightness is too bright. This scenario becomes cumbersome when you have to keep going into the notification bar and changing the brightness levels or heading into the System Settings to adjust the brightness. Here is a simple tweak, which will allow you to adjust the display brightness to your own default settings, night or day, by simply triple-clicking the Home button. Watch the video below, which shows you how you can set it on your iPhone.
**********
Yes, it’s true that not only Windows PCs, but also Mac machines have a problem of slowing down and becoming sluggish. The main reasons—junk files from various software keep accumulating and slow down the entire operating system and the user interface. But this is not the only issue. Mac is designed to integrate the entire online-offline data from various connected devices into it. This also accumulates unwanted large data, such as images and videos. Here are four tweaks that can help you clean out the junk, delete unwanted large data and free up space on your Mac, thus speeding up the computer.
**********
The life span of any laptop or PC is approximately 4 to 5 years. After a particular period of time, your laptop may experience overheating issues, poor battery life etc. While tech companies are launching new laptops which are faster, lighter and sleeker , you may consider the old one as a useless device. But in reality, your old household laptops can be used for many other purposes. You can easily make a cheap projector, compact desktop, secondary monitor, etc.
Know how your old laptop can help you in this eve of advanced technology:
**********
Here are 8 tricks on an iPhone you probably did not know
If you are using an iPhone, you would have definitely upgraded to iOS 8. If not, you should do it as soon as possible. For those who are already on iOS 8, you probably may not know the following tricks. Check out the video below, in which the guy explains about a few great hidden tricks on the iPhone with an iOS 8 operating system and shows you how to use it for your benefits.
**********
Techies around the world would know the importance of a soldering iron. The most important tool to most electronics buffs and tech enthusiasts, a soldering iron is one of the important ingredients in their tool bags. However, there are many-a-times when you find out that you are not carrying your tool kit, and you are in dire need of a soldering iron. This missing tool could jeopardize your work when it is the most important requirement of the hour. Hunting for a soldering iron in a remote area could be a task. However, here is a simple hack which can help you when in need. If you are a smoker, your answer could be right in your pocket. The cigarette lighter—a simple and cheap product which can become your soldering iron in a few minutes. Watch the videos below on how you can tweak your cigarette lighter into a simple make-shift, super-portable, emergency soldering iron. All you need is a thick copper wire, and you are done.
**********
Does your laptop get overheated and you aren’t sure on how to fix it? Overheating of aging laptops is something, which makes us wonder what’s the cause of it. There’s a higher possibility that your laptop has tiny dust particles in its vents, fan and exhaust port or radiator. This could actually restrict the airflow and cooling.
Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to solve your laptop's overheating problem:
Disclaimer: Attempting the above repairs without any electrical or electronical experience could damage your laptop. Do not attempt this hack if you are a rookie.
**********
How to make a macro lens for your smartphone
Your smartphone is definitely not built for taking macro images. Even though the camera on the device is a 16MP, 21MP or a 41MP, you cannot get macro or super macro photos. The reason is the lens and that needs to be modified. However, you don’t need to open the camera and change the lens. We show you how you can use a simple trick to get super macro photos without tampering with your smartphone. All you need is an old, useless, dead or broken camera and you’re done. By simply extracting the lens from an old camera (even a scanner or a laser pen), you can get super macro images within a few minutes. Check out the video which has the entire explanation you would need.
**********
Festive season is around the corner and you would need a few gadgets to make your decorations more attractive. Lights, props, and a lot of other materials make up for the show. Some even grow plants and have waterfalls as part of the deco. This video will show you how you can make a miniature pump to use it for a small water fountain in your decoration. The materials used to make one will cost you less than Rs 100. Check it out.
**********
Holographic projection is nothing but a projection of an image on a transparent object. The object could be water, mist or something similar. In these videos below, we bring you a few methods where the image is not projected, but reflected off a transparent glossy surface, such as an acrylic sheet or glass, to create a 3D floating holographic object. The effect is awesome, best viewed in a darker or a low-light environment. To get a better and more realistic projection, we suggest you use better materials and a possible AMOLED display. Why wait? Watch the videos below.
**********
With so many devices and electronics at home, they are bound to cause inconvenience—thanks to the cables that connect them to each other. Though wireless networking has solved much of the issues, cables are still a need and necessity for power and high-quality audio connectivity. And yes, cables are also running into your home, bringing you television signals, telephone and the internet. So you are still stuck with a few too many cables that are still running down the rear of the table or wall unit. Cable management is the only way to keep them neat, from untangling and easy to access. Using cable ties or cable wraps is best. There are many types of cable wraps, some reusable, while others are single use. Today, we show you how you can make your own reusable cable wraps at home. All you need is some simple plastic tubes or pipes and a few thick rubber bands or bungee jumping cord. Follow the video below to make some cable wraps in a few minutes.
**********
Locking and unlocking your car can be done from a short distance, before you even reach the door. But the range of your car’s central locking system’s remote is short and can be operated from a maximum distance 30 – 50 metres. Though the range is good enough for opening and closing the doors in your car park or around your garage, you really don’t need a longer distance. But there are instances when you need to unlock your car from a longer range. For example, what if you live on the top floors of a tall building and need to unlock your car for somebody? The range falls short and you are forced to send down the keys or go down yourself. You can increase the range of your cars’ remote control lock by a simple hack. Check out the video on how it can be done.
**********
Having an alarm system for your home is not cheap. It comprises of cameras, high-end alarms and triggers, or going cheaper, a simple pin coded door lock and a camera system. But are they really as efficient to alert you when the burglar comes in? Usually the security systems are pretty much easy to disable since thieves are getting intelligent and have been learning to disable high-tech systems. But what they could fail is with simple, low-tech alarm systems, which are usually more efficient than their expensive counterparts. Today we bring you a simple, low-cost and low-tech, yet highly efficient burglar alarm system that can be made in a few hundred rupees and can be assembled in less than an hour. The alarm is very simple, based on gravity, and usually never fails. You can also use it as a privacy system to alert you when someone enters your room or is trying to gain access to your door/room. Check out the video below: