When the Chevy Volt is finally available, you’ll be able to start your car via your cell phone (if you have a spare $40K).  However, you can easily make your own car starter from a $10 disposable cell phone and a few bits and bobs for around $10.  If you’re super lazy, you could use it to start your car in the morning so it’s all warmed up when you leave the house.

This is the same technique used to launch fireworks with your cell phone. Instead of turning on the vibrate motor when someone calls, your car will start instead.  The phone can be kept charged by hooking it up to the cigarette lighter of your car (you can do this from behind the dashboard if you want it to be discreet).  You can also set alarms via your phone’s calendar.

Popular Automotive Projects:

• Top 5 DIY Custom Car Body Mods
• RFID Hack: Automatic Keyless Mazda Entry
• Remotely Drive a Car with an iPhone

The 4th of July is just a few days away and we’ve got 10 great DIY projects to spice up your evening. You can actually make your own fireworks then create a custom wireless detonation panel to blast them off!

1. How to Make a Fireworks Detonation Panel

2. Fireworks Triggered by Cell Phone

   

3. Make a Pyro Firing System

   

4. Pyro Fireworks Detonator (Type 2)

5. Microcontroller based fireworks launcher

   

6. DIY wireless firework control

   

7. Make your own fireworks

   – Super dangerous but super fun

You’ll also enjoy:

• 10 Minute PyroManic Rube Goldberg Machine

Just a reminder that we’ve extended our t-shirt contest to accept entries until the end of tomorrow, June 10th. Please see our original post for full details and prizes.

Soon we’ll be launching our first HacknMod challenge allowing you to show off your hacking and modding skills.  Below are a few possible challenge topics, but feel free to suggest your own ideas:

• Most efficient green energy project (wind, wave, solar, etc)
• Best POV device – Our POV projects
• Best camera rig for capturing lightning, fireworks, water drops, etc.)
• Coolest use of DIY robotics
• Best new form of transportation
• Most impressive laser/LED display

Keep these topics in mind as we’ll annoucence the challenge next week.  As always, feel free to contact us and see what we’re up to.

Ground Rules:

• Incorporates HacknMod.com and our logo and font. (right click, save)
• You may submit as many designs as you’d like.
• Feel free to be creative but please keep designs to 2-3 colors to keep printing costs low.
• Designs can be on the front and/or back.
• Be sure to create a large enough design with 300 dpi for printing.
• Submitting your design gives us non-exclusive rights to re-print your design.
• Contest ends June 10th. (extended)

How to enter:

1. Create a fantastic design in Fireworks, Photoshop, Gimp, etc.
2. Email it to us by June 5th – info@hacknmod.com (JPG, GIF, or PNG mockups)
3. Public voting for the winning design begins shortly after June 5th.

Prizes:

• Everyone who enters a fantastic design will receive free Hack N Mod stickers.
• 1st prize will receive $75 toward the Hack N Mod DIY store and a free shirt.
• 2nd place receives $40 toward the Hack N Mod store and a free shirt.

For more HacknMod news, check out our State of the Union post.

Learn to build a fireworks launching system featuring 12 channels of control to fulfill all of your pyrotechnic desires.  Although it doesn’t feature a big red button or stylish toggle switch cover, it has standard arm/disarm features and lots of indicator LEDs.  Plus, it all fits inside a briefcase! Awesome!  For further build details, see the entire tutorial build.

Part’s you’ll need:

• Plenty of green and red LEDs
• Toggle and pushbutton switches
• A few resistors
• 12v battery

If you’re a fireworks enthusiast and have enjoyed this post, or if you just enjoy blowing stuff up, don’t miss our other fireworks projects.  Stay informed, subscribe to Hack N Mod for daily updates.

By using a dirt cheap disposable cell phone, learn to create cell phone triggered fireworks. It’s an incredibly simple project, basically just soldering two wires to the phone and attaching them to a hobby fuse which ignites when current is passed through it. Don’t miss out on our other pyrotechnic projects below:

• Remote Model Rocket Igniter
• Pyro Fireworks Detonator
• PyroManic Rube Goldberg Machine

7. Mythbusters Christmas Special

6. Wall Mount Cocktail Maker

5.Half Life 2 – Gary’s Mod

4.Classic Household Version

3. Pool Table Madness

2.Japanese Style

1. PyroManiac Style

**UPDATE** – Extended until Jan 28th. Keep the entries coming!

It’s about time we make fancy new t-shirts and we need your help! Some fantastic circuitry shirts shwon above for your inspiration. Plus, everyone who enters an exceptional design will be sent free Hack N Mod stickers. So send us your sweet designs and win!

Ground Rules:

• Incorporates “HacknMod.com” and our logo, font.
• You may submit as many designs as you’d like.
• Feel free to be creative and change colors, fonts, etc.
• Designs can be on the front and/or back.
• Submitting your design gives us non-exclusive rights to re-print your design.
• Contest ends January 28th.

How to enter:

1. Create a fantastic design in Fireworks, Photoshop, Gimp, etc.
2. Email it to us by January 28th – info@hacknmod.com (JPG, GIF, or PNG mockups)
3. Public voting for the winning design begins shortly after Jan. 28th.

Prizes:

• Everyone who enters a fantastic, finalist design will receive free Hack N Mod stickers.
• 1st prize will receive $60 toward the Hack N Mod DIY store and a free shirt.
• 2nd place receives $30 toward the Hack N Mod store and a free shirt.

Latest Hack N Mod News:

• Our Firefox search plugin has been launched! Search hacks directly from your browser.
• Fantastic newsletter coming out soon – Sign up at the bottom of the page.

Become a part of HacknMod:

1. You can tell us about projects you’ve found online and submit hacks.
2. You can also write for us and earn some extra cash.

Expanded Store Inventory:

We’ve filled our store with even more incredible deals.

• Flexible camera tripod
• Affordable servo motors
• Tools and DIY supplies

Sign up for daily updates to stay tuned for more contests and giveaways.  You can get your own custom t-shirts printed.

Rube Goldberg machines are complex devices that perform simple tasks. This time, instead of a simple marble going down a track, how about a pyromanic’s dream using fireworks, rockets and tons of gasoline.  An absolutely fantastic video demonstration.  The actual video was 16 minutes long, but it was cut down to 10 for your viewing pleasure.  View more rube goldberg machines on youtube.
Related:

DIY Explosives – Easy Ways to Blow Stuff Up

Device which can detonate or ignite just about anything you want it to. Made for safe ignition of fireworks but can be used for various, legal purposes. Want more firepower Check out another fireworks detonator

Read More