Here’s some new software for Windows 7 called Connectify which allows you to turn your Windows 7 laptop into a wireless hotspot. Basically, it converts your laptop into a wireless router of sorts, acting as a wireless access point for computers and wireless devices.  It’s essentially like creating your own wifi hotspot like the ones at Starbucks and other retailers.

It was developed by a military consulting firm called Nomadio and it allows other wireless devices to ‘tether’’ themselves to a single Internet connection. It’s secure too as the software encrypts traffic in both directions using WPA2-Personal encryption. Check out the demo video below:

This would be especially useful at airports to share the expensive Wi-Fi with friends or simply for extending your home WiFi without paying through the nose for a wireless router.

More Wifi Hacks

• Make a DIY Wifi Repeater/Range Extender
• How to: Blazing Fast Internet Speed with Dual Band Wifi
• War Driving Tips, Tricks, and Software

1. DIY Multi-Room Wireless Music Remote

   
   With the help of some external hardware and a handheld wireless device such as an iPhone or iPod touch, you can build your own wireless music remote. It’s a bit spendy if you don’t already have an Iphone/iTouch and a router, but there’s a step by step tutorial to guide you through the setup build.

2. DIY iPhone Controlled Car (Complete Control)

   These guys took an iPhone and using a special app, the onboard GPS and Wifi along with some serious modding they managed to make a life size R/C car. I bet it was difficult to drive using the six-axis in the iPhone but it’s still a great mod. Learn how it was done in an upcoming post. Subscribe so you don’t miss it.

3. iPhone Controlled Mazda (without gas and break)

   By tapping into his car’s onboard wifi and diagnostic systems, this hacker can control his car from anywhere in the world.  He’s able to start the engine, pop the trunk, lock/unlock, and view all vehicle diagnostics from his iPhone. As seen in the video, electronic controls are housed in the trunk along with an Arduino to help process commands.

4. How to View your Webcam on your iTouch or iPhone

   

   In this tutorial, we’ll be showing you how to watch a live feed from your webcam on your iPhone or iPod touch from anywhere in the world. Setup is pretty simple, basically just download and install a windows program and the necessary app and you’re ready to stream live.

5. Build a Solar-powered iPhone Charger

   

   How many times has your cell phone died in the middle of the day because of its lousy battery life? You have several options: you could recharge via wall socket, via USB, through an external battery or the green way, with a DIY solar iPhone charger. Don’t forget to pick up any needed supplies for this build (including solar panels) at our store!

6. Make a Laser Matrix Projector for the iPhone

   
   The idea is to add some kind of projector capability to mobile phone (e.g. iPhone) that isn’t too complex or expensive. Instead of using an expensive mini projector, I decided to use lasers instead to any bitmap font using a matrix of laser points, which is controlled by iPhone.

7. How to: iPhone as a Wireless Router for your Laptop

   Transform your iPhone into a wireless router, allowing you to connect your wifi deprived laptop to the internet anywhere phone service is available. It’s also perfect when you’re browsing the web but the small screen is too cramped. Now you can easily switch over to your laptop for a larger viewing window.

8. RC Car Controlled Via the Web

   

   Strap on a standard Linksys router to an RC car and you can wirelessly control it through the web from up to 1640 feet away. It’s also equipt with a webcam and operates through a brain comprised of PIC microcontrollers or the Arduino’s ATmega168. The in depth tutorial will guide you through the build.

9. Home Automation Using the iPhone and X10

   Like most people, we’re huge fans of home automation. We’ve even covered quite a few ways people have used Twitter to automate your home. This time, however, we’ll be automating our homes by managing SmartHome’s X10 home automation modules using the iPhone.

10. The Rockband Robot iPhone.

    This guy obviously wanted to break a world record in Rockband because he built a robot to attach to his iPhone that plays it perfectly for him. It works by light sensors telling the prosthetic fingers when a note is coming up and driving a motor to press the screen and thus play the note.

Honorable Mention: How to disassemble the iPhone and unleash your hardware hacking skill.

More iPhone Projects:

• Jailbreak and Unlock iPhone 3.1.2
• iPhone Controlled USB Missile Launcher
• How to Build a Simple iPhone Tripod Mount

Learn how to make a dirt simple (basically free) wifi antenna booster using tin foil.  Yes, it sounds crazy, but it actually works and significantly increases your wifi signal in the dead zones of your house. The video above is pretty lengthy, but does a good job walking you through a few optimal designs.

You can make this wi-fi parabolic antenna for your router without breaking a sweat.

• Manila file folders
• EZ-12 Templates for the antenna from Freeantennas.com
• Adhesive
• Aluminum foil

The parabolic antenna is nothing but a focusing device cut out from the stiff manila folder and backed by a layer of aluminum foil on the back for the reflective surface. The exact cutting pattern is aided by the EZ-12 template.

As the video shows, the construction is as easy as an elementary school project. The effect is pretty impressive for such a simple device. You can expect a signal boost from 9 to 12dB. The signal gain depends on the size of the antenna and the number (1 or 2) in use with your wireless router.

More Wifi Projects:

• Make a DIY Wifi Repeater/Range Extender
• How to: Blazing Fast Internet Speed with Dual Band Wifi
• Extend your Wifi using Tin Cans – DIY Cantenna

Electricity delivered without wires has been a dream of inventors and individuals alike for centuries Think about it…wireless electricity (WiTricity) could not only eliminate wires but also do away with expensive batteries that account for billions of dollars wasted every year. What many people don’t know is that wireless electric power can be delivered over short distances.

It’s a phenomenon which relies on electromagnetic coupling between two objects whose magnetic fields are set to the same frequency. It was practically demonstrated by a MIT team recently in 2007. The theory and the work goes back a century to Nicola Tesla.

If you are still wondering about all that you can do with wireless transfer of power, take a look at the video demo. Eric Giller (CEO of WiTricity Corporation) takes you from the early years of development to the present day. And how it can change our future with instant wireless power and a world free of polluting batteries. One day, it could power our television sets, laptops and any device that we care to use. It is an innovation that could take a load off our planet.

Here are three more projects inspired by Nicola Tesla:

• How to Build your own Tesla Coil
• Amazing Tesla Coil High Voltage Gallery
• Hand held DIY Tesla Coil Plasma Gun

Don’t we all wish that at least some things in life be free? Wi-Fi is on most wish lists. Wi-Fi is an inherent part of airwaves around us. The only problem – It’s not obvious, it’s shut tight and it’s not free to access.

But just like free parking, there are a few places where Wi-Fi can be accessed without spending a penny. That’s the easy part. The difficult part is scanning the airwaves in search of Wi-Fi hotspots. Thankfully, the first is accessible thanks to some public hotspots and the second, using software tools and Wi-Fi firmware.

We have cleared a lot of air with our own collection of Wi-Fi how-tos. Lifehacker’s The Definitive Guide to Finding Free Wi-Fi is also an important add-on for your Wi-Fi bag of tricks. The guide takes you through three levels of need in the search for free Wi-Fi. Just how extreme is your need?

The Easy Way: Using Public Hotspots

Locate public Wi-Fi hotspots around libraries, Barnes & Noble bookstores, McDonald’s, the airport, university campus, independent coffee shop, or hotel lobbies. These are probable places which offer free Wi-Fi as a utility. Check out our Free Airport Wi-Fi Hack or our Become a War Driving Pro – Hack WEP and Wi-Fi post.

The Medium Way: Using Apps

Many free Windows, Mac and mobile OS apps enhance Wi-Fi scan and seek. The Lifehacker guide recommends NetStumbler and WeFi for Windows, iStumbler for Mac, JiWire Free Wi-Fi Finder (iPhone), WiFiFoFum (Windows Mobile) and WeFi again for the Android.

You can go online with a smartphone and check out a few web apps to find a Wi-Fi hotspot using WiFinder, Hotspot Haven, JiWire, Wi-Fi Hotspot List and Hotspotr as bookmark worthy. Also, check out Ekahu HeatMapper (Windows only) for wireless signal strength mapping.

The Hard Way: Hacking

Learn how to hookup your smartphone as a wireless router. And also the really acute way of hacking into a WEP-secured wireless network with Backtrack. Check out our own post on the topic – How To: iPhone as a Wireless Router for your Laptop.

Even More Wifi Hacks:

• Make a DIY Wifi Repeater/Range Extender
• How to: Blazing Fast Internet Speed with Dual Band Wifi
• Get all the Wifi you can handle

The software also allows you to view the type of wireless technology used, security protocols, and MAC address.  Download Ekahu HeatMapper (Windows only).  You’ll also enjoy:

• Remote Surveillance Spy Vehicle/Office Unit
• How to: Blazing Fast Internet Speed with Dual Band Wifi
• How to View your Webcam on your iTouch or iPhone

Learn how to rapidly increase your internet speed by using the D-Link DIR-825 dual-band router.  The standard wifi spectrum is filled with dirty signals from Bluetooth and microwaves and that constant interference slows down file transfers and internet connection. “On the other hand, 5GHz 802.11n is clean and incredibly fast – it’s really easy to upgrade if you’ve got a simultaneous dual-band router like the D-Link DIR-825 (cheap on eBay).

How to set it up:

First setup your central router normally, assigning it an SSID and select the 5GHz method where the option is available.  Typically, you can find this under the settings menu but it’s different for various manufacturers.

• See also: Make a DIY Wifi Repeater/Range Extender
• Screw with People who Steal your Wifi

The next important step is to enable the wide channel option.  This allows your two 802.11n signals to be meshed into one, creating the “dual-band” and big increase in speed.  Sometimes menu’s with this option are hidden so you might have to click advanced options in the wireless menu.  See this tutorial for further information.

That’s basically all there is to it and you can now suck in all the download bandwidth your heart desires.  Files will transfer quickly, browsing will obviously be faster, and you can even steam high quality video.  Few all of our internet projects and subscribe for more great weekend projects.

If you enjoyed the geek scooter, check out our other outstanding car & transport projects:

1. ‘78 Corvette Turned into a DIY Batmobile
2. Build your own Lamborghini
3. Build a DIY MiniFridge in your Car
4. All of our car and transport projects.

Combine the power of the Arduino with the iPhone and you’re bound to end up with an outstanding project. Learn how to control an RC car using the multitouch and tilt sensing features of the iPhone.

The data is basically sent from the iPhone →  WiFi → PC → Max/Msp → Serial port → Arduino and then finally to the original RC remote, which in turn controls the vehicle. Definitely a fantastic weekend project!

• For more details be sure to check out the project website.

After nickel and diming us to death, you’d think airports would at least give us free internet, right? But no, most of the time they charge you for it. Learn a simple URL hack that allows you to bypass an airport’s price gouging attempts. If you’re flying soon, check out this list of airports to see if they offer free wifi, or if you’ll need to unleash your haxor skills.

Learn how to :

• Get all the Wifi you can Handle
• Build a Pocket Sized Wifi Detector
• Screw with People who Steal your Wifi