Hardware hacking
Mini projects on various hardware devices I have (like gameboys, raspberry pi’s and routers)
Hardware hacking
Philips B2G81U valve radio
Nice little retro radio (after re-seating the loose valves and sorting the plug it works fine :) https://www.vintage-radio.com/recent-repairs/philips-b2g81u.html
Hardware hacking
Simrex X300 mini drone
I got a little drone for my birthday – the x300c from simrex, it’s got a great set of features – watch out for some more posts (it’s far from a pro drone, but will be great fun)
Android
Huawei P30 lite
It’s time for a new phone again, and I decided to get a little Huawei phone this time. So far it’s a great wee phone. Does everything my old umidigi one max did, except wireless charging (which I never used anyway) It even runs kali nethunter :)
Hardware hacking
GPO 8746 Rotary phone
It (unexpectedly) works, first time, no messing! More info here: https://www.britishtelephones.com/t746.htm Dialing a mobile from it is a pain though!
Android
Kali linux nethunter on unrooted android – rootless nethunter!
I recently saw this tweet from kali linux https://twitter.com/kalilinux/status/1209615382224547840?s=19 on installing rootless nethunter on an unrooted android device. This is my attempt to do so. The tweet linked here: https://www.kali.org/docs/nethunter/nethunter-rootless/ The instructions are pretty easy to follow Install the NetHunter-Store app from https://store.nethunter.com I had to enable install from this source Read more…
Hardware hacking
Generic Bluetooth Speaker
This time its a generic non-branded chinese bluetooth speaker. I got this one from amazon, for less than £10. Its fabric covered so looks good, and is very loud. It plays audio recordings when you pair and un pair (its a bit chinglish, but is a nice touch) it also Read more…
Hardware hacking
Gearbest Chinese Earpods
Ive been spurned by expensive headphones in the past, but still burn through them. This time I decided to get some cheap ($10) bluetooth earpod style headphones from China. They are pretty good. Bass isnt great (they were ten bucks after all) I wouldnt use them for mastering, but they Read more…
Hardware hacking
Google Assistant WiFi LED lights
I ordered a set of cheap WiFi enabled LED light strips from Amazon. They are perfect – they stick to the back of the TV (or anything really) and the colour can be set using google assistant (or alexa) They arrived in a nice box, setup was pretty easy – Read more…
Hardware hacking
Raspberry Pi hacking
This tutorial will show you how to make a Raspberry Pi hack tool by installing Kali on the Raspberry Pi – by the end of this guide you will have a Kali Raspberry Pi hacking tool with lots of tools ready for use! Install Kali on the Raspberry Pi Following Read more…
Android
Umidigi One Max
I finally swapped my iPhone for an android phone. I’ve been an iPhone user since the iPhone 3gs, right through till the 6plus. I was spoiled a little in the last 3 years as I didn’t change my phone (it shows how good the 6plus is) and I didn’t need Read more…
Hardware hacking
Google Home Coffee Machine
We recently got a ‘smarter coffee’ coffee machine – it has wifi, an app, and also an ifttt integration. We also have a google home in the office – that makes the perfect pairing for some automated coffee making! The setup was quite easy – after the coffee machine was Read more…
Hardware hacking
iPhone battery replacement
My iPhone 6 plus was going slow, so I got a battery from ebay and followed the ifixit iPhone battery replacement tutorial – my phone is now much faster (it feels like a new phone again) starting – all my tools ready screen open screen detatched battery removed new battery Read more…
Android
Google home and chromecast
After playing with my google home mini for a few days I decided I needed a chromecast (I have appletv, roku boxes, and an old android tv box, but none work woth the google home. nice box. the chromecast. setup on the tv (complete with ice-lolly splashes from olivia) the Read more…
Hardware hacking
Google home mini
We just got some awesome prizes sent from google (we are a google partner and made enough points being awesome for our clients to get some google home minis) Stay tuned for a ton of google home hacks!
Hardware hacking
Replace iphone home button
Replace iphone home button: The home button on my iphone 6 plus stopped working, so I had to fit a new one. Unfortunately touchId won’t work any more but at least I’ll be able to open up my phone and see inside and also get a working button! I ordered Read more…
Hardware hacking
How to remove the harddrive from a 2014 mac mini and install an ssd
At work we had a mac mini 2014 that needed an ssd harddrive upgrade. This post has a short video and some info on the process documenting how to remove the harddrive from a 2014 mac mini and install an ssd. You will need a few tools: guitar plectrum (to Read more…
Hardware hacking
Modified gba with backlit screen mod
I made another modified gba with backlit screen mod – this time the modified gameboy advance with a backlight was a present for my brothers birthday. I ordered the original gameboy advance, a new case, transparent buttons and a new backlit screen and an adaptor ribbon for the screen from Read more…
Hardware hacking
Blackarch on the chuwi hi10pro – install and config
Blackarch on the chuwi hi10pro – prereq’s a usb hub a usb flashdrive a usb mouse a usb wifi adaptor (at least for the initial setup) Download blackarch from https://blackarch.org/downloads.html write to a usb drive (I used Etcher to do this part) Plug into chuwi and boot – Press F7 Read more…
Android
How to root android on a chuwi hi10 Pro
How to root android on a chuwi hi10 Pro First, you need to enable developer mode How to root android on a chuwi hi10 Pro: Enable Developer Mode start android, goto settings > about tablet > click on “build number” 10 times Then you need to allow oem unlocking settings Read more…
Android
Factory restore android on chuwi hi10
This is a short post on how to factory restore android on chuwi hi10 1) Download and install intel phoneflashtool https://01.org/android-ia/downloads/intel-platform-flash-tool-lite 2) Download the version of android you need from here: http://forum.chuwi.com/forum.php?mod=viewthread&tid=2341&extra=page%3D1%26filter%3Dtypeid%26typeid%3D25 The password is en.chuwi.com 3) Connect your chuwi to your mac with a usbC cable 4) Turn your Read more…
Hardware hacking
Uwell Rafale
The TDP regulations have came in to force, so there was a last minute flash sale on pretty much every UK vape site :) I managed to get a uwell rafale tank for a really good price from dnavapes
Hardware hacking
Ubuntu on the chuwi hi10 pro
After trying Kali on the hi10 pro (its totally not ready for the bay-trail / cherry-trail platforms) I decided to give ubuntu on the chuwi hi10 pro a go (after hearing good things about their support) This is a short tutorial on dual booting ubuntu linux and windows10 on the Read more…
Hardware hacking
Kali on the Chuwi Hi10 Pro – updated for Kali 2020
This post is now updated with install information for using 2020 versions of Kali on the Chuwi Hi10 Pro. When I first wrote this post I seriously wouldn’t have recommended Kali on the Chuwi Hi10 Pro as an every-day system – Starting with 2018.01 and the 4.14 kernel it makes Read more…
Android
Chuwi Hi10 Pro ultrabook tablet convertable surface
Chuwi Hi10 Pro ultrabook tablet convertable surface – That’s some title, but I’m not sure how to describe my new machine. Its a tablet, but its also a laptop – it has a real keyboard and works exactly like a laptop, except you can remove the screen! It was a Read more…
Commandline
Dd-wrt web ui crashes
I have a router running dd-wrt. sometimes the dd-wrt web ui crashes and you cant access the interface, but your WAN connection works, and you can still login via ssh On the dd-wrt command-line there are a couple of utilities available to let you start and stop services. If your Read more…
Hardware hacking
GBA gameboy backlight screen mod
I finally got my backlit screens delivered from China (took 7 weeks) and ordered some ribbon adaptors (again from gooeysstore on ebay uk) I used the instructions in this github gist. I have the 40pin motherboard, but didnt know which screen type I had (figured out it was the type Read more…
Hardware hacking
Playing with the bbc microbit
playing with the bbc microbit and the microsoft touch-develop editor
Hardware hacking
Gameboy Pocket Backlight Mod
I ordered a gameboy pocket backlight mod from the internets (ebay). I went for a white backlight and used the instruction video from “this does not compute” on ebay to guide me through. It was fairly easy to install (though I did break my screen at one point and I Read more…
Hardware hacking
Gameboy Advance custom buttons mod
When I ordered transparent buttons for my Gameboy Pocket, I alos picked up a set of transparent buttons for my Gameboy Advance. The set of buttons included shoulder buttons (L+R) A button, B button, D-pad, power switch and the side rail button things too! this set was perfect for my Read more…
Hardware hacking
Gameboy Pocket Custom buttons mod
I ordered some transparent buttons for my Gameboy Pocket so that I could do my Gameboy Pocket Custom buttons mod. This post shows how to replace the buttons in your Gameboy Pocket and shows off my mod :) Before the button mod – my Gameboy Pocket and my Gameboy advance Read more…
Hardware hacking
Gameboy Pocket case mod
Gameboy Pocket case mod I got a gameboy pocket to go with my gameboy advance (again from ebay). I had already decided to match the case and buttons to the gameboy advance. I ordered a glass screen, gameboy pocket transparent dark blue case and a set of button pads from Read more…
Hardware hacking
Gameboy Advance Case Shell Change Mod
Gameboy Advance case shell change I got a gameboy advance from ebay a few days ago – I didnt own one when they first came out, I did own an original gameboy dmg-001 and a gameboy colour when they came out (they are probably still in my mum’s loft) and Read more…
Hardware hacking
BBC Micro:bit
My brother got me a BBC micro:bit for my birthday. I decided to have a play around with it to see what it can do – its a pretty good ecosystem – you can edit code in python, load it to the device using bluetooth from your mobile and its Read more…
Hardware hacking
How to replace macbook air battery
How to replace macbook air battery. I have a macbook air, its a 2012 13″ – the battery was awesome in the beginning, but after 4 years it was time to replace the battery. I ordered a flueron replacement from amazon prime and it arrived next day. On opening the Read more…
Hardware hacking
Pihole on a raspberry pi
Pihole on a raspberry pi – making a network wide advert blocker with a raspberry pi. I have a router using dnsmasq with adblocking setup on my router. I also have a raspberry pi (which was being used as a retropi machine). I also have a Pizero. My retropi setup Read more…
Hardware hacking
Coolfire Plus and Aspire Cleito
I upgraded from my subox to a Coolfire Plus and Aspire Cleito tank. I have to say that this combination is awesome!
Hardware hacking
Atom Gold plated clapton coils for subox
I got some Atom Gold plated clapton coils for my Subox mini :D I’ve not smoked an analog for 3 weeks now, there is no chance I’m going back. The atom coils make a difference – there are no leaks, and the ‘draw’ is a little more ‘closed’ if that Read more…