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

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

You’ll be hard pressed to find anything as useful and ‘open’ as the Xbox Media Center. The XBMC is your DIY entertainment hub on a budget: The host hardware (and therefore the cost) is yours to choose because XBMC is open source, free and cross platform. You can build your entertainment HQ from a high end processor heavyweight to a small, capable netbook. It’s actually really easy to setup as the tutorial below shows you how to build your own personal XBMC using a $200 Netbook from Acer.

The Parts:

• Acer AspireRevo: Cheap on eBay – The netbook has 1GB of RAM, an Intel Atom 230 processor, 160GB hard drive and more importantly an integrated NVIDIA ION graphics chip that handles HD video and outputs it to HDMI.
• XBMC Live: The Live CD for the XBMC installation based around a Linux distro with a light processor footprint.
• A Flash Drive: Minimum 1.5GB formatted to FAT32 that will load the XBMC installation on the netbook.
• Windows Media Center remote (optional): A USB receiver and lets you control the media center from a distance.

The Installation:

The tutorial gives an in-depth step by step approach to the installation and setup of the XBMC. To help you along, links to the source files are just a click away. Here’s a sketch of the setup process –

1. Download the XBMC Live installer with the updated NVIDIA drivers.  Both the direct link and the torrent sources are given. The download is a 341 MB zipped image file.
2. Create the installation CD – Simply burn the unzipped image file to a CD using a CD writing software.
3. Install XBMC Live on a Thumb Drive – Because the Acer AspireRevo doesn’t have a DVD Drive, using a thumb drive as the installation source is the cheaper option.
4. Tweak the System BIOS of the Acer AspireRevo – A couple of changes for booting with the thumb drive and for smoother HD playback.



5. The Final Installation – Install XBMC from the thumb drive to the netbook’s hard drive.
6. Finishing touches for smooth play – For squeeze the most out of the graphics processor like HDMI playback, make some changes to the video and audio settings. Some final touches relate to setting up a file transfer protocol for streaming in third party add-ins and other files via a FTP program like FileZilla.

Well, the basic setup doesn’t seem that back breaking, especially when all source files are provided.  If you have succeeded and are itching to stretch your experience further learn how to Turbo Charge your XBMC Installation. This tutorial takes you into ways to pull media from the internet for your listening and viewing pleasure.

Recline and enjoy!

We have covered many ways to take an Xbox to the next level -  Launch into our Xbox and Xbox360 posts:

• Build your own Movie Server
• How to: Watch Hulu Videos on your Xbox
• Play Xbox Live in Your Car

Step-by-Step Tutorial:

1. Sign up for Google Voice – Google Voice allows you to consolidate multiple phone numbers, but it also allows you to make free calls!  You can request an invitation to Google Voice to sign up for the service.
2. Once you’ve signed up, adjust your settings as shown in the picture above.  This displays your Google Voice number on all calls, enabling free calls.
3. Depending on your carrier, this still will vary

   Verizon: Currently they offer a friends and family plan allowing you to pick 5 to 10 numbers you can call for free.
   AT&T: A new feature for AT&T, the “A-list” is just like Verizon’s offer, allowing you to call 5 to 10 numbers for free.
   T-Mobile: myFaves is T-Mobile’s version, allowing you to call 5 numbers for free.
   Sprint: Sprint created a similar service called Pick 3 which may only be available to some customers.

4. That’s it! Just add your Google Voice number to your carrier’s free calling plans to access unlimited free calling!

Definitely an incredibly useful hack with potential to save you a ton of money.  For more cell phone hacks, check out our favorites below:

Our Favorite Cell Phone Hacks:

• How to Make your own Ringtones
• How to Shutdown your Computer with a Cell Phone
• Email Text Messages to AT&T, Verizon, Sprint, etc.

via

1. Ripped DVD Videos on your iPhone
2. iPhone Controlled RC Car
3. All of our iPhone projects

Stay tuned and subscribe to HacknMod for more exceptional hacks, mods, and DIY projects.

Retro games are not only about nostalgia.  Thanks to some web services like RemainInPlay, they are also about playing titles which you couldn’t afford the first time around. The website is the home for old games from the last 20 years. The selection for free download cuts across categories – featuring classic games like Quake III and Grand Theft Auto. There are also the DOS oldies like Doom.

The common base is that these are all commercial games that have been released as freeware games by their copyright owners. No abandonware games or original freewares here. These are games which would have required you to sacrifice two months of allowance. Now, it’s a free download courtesy RemainInPlay.

The site itself has an outdated look about it. The landing page lists the newest ones that have entered the catalog. The easiest way to go back in time for the game of choice is by using the search engine. The site search engine comes with a lot of filters like OS, genre, rating score, date of release etc.

The Games message board is for chit chat on anything close to gaming. Another way to catch the latest is with the section on Games News. Stumbling through the site is a good idea. Or you could check out the screenshots before selecting the one to play. The quickest way to grab the best though would be to start with the Top 10 Games list.

The site may pose as the graveyard for old games but it gives a great free way to dig up the past.

If you want to have a blast from the past, head back to our emulator hacks. Make sure you check out our vast list of the best emulators that allow you to play games meant for the older platforms such as NES, Ps2, Xbox, GBA, etc. And if you want to just play the best of NES within a browser bookmark – 100 Online NES Games – No Emulators.

via Lifehacker

If anything can go wrong, it will. This means although it can be a bit tedious, we always need to backup our computers. Data backup is not only good practice; it’s an essential one. It may be a spanking new computer or a jalopy for the digital world, data backup is as important as a virus scan or keeping a firewall.

Think of all the files accumulated over the years…one snafu and oops it’s gone. Good news is that data backup solutions can fill that gap for you. It’s out there…it’s easy and importantly, it’s free. One of the backup solutions is built right into your operating system, some of it is on the web and some can be provided by a kind friend.

The Basics:

The easiest and most accessible backup is obviously on another networked computer. Simple file sharing between two computers makes it a routine of copy and paste. Configuration is slightly different among the different systems (Windows XP, Windows Vista and Windows 7). Native Mac backups or with a PC are also pretty much covered.

Manual backups are like heavy duty lifting. Backup utilities like IdleBackup (Windows) and SilverKeeper (Mac OS X) automatically sync folders for you, relieving a lot of the work load.

1. Simple File Storage Sites

Cloud computing is upon us and so why not take a look at some online solutions. Of course, you can go for full system backups which are available at a premium. But we did mention ‘Free’ in the title. A lot of online file storage companies’ offer ample space for free though falling short of complete system backups. Backing up your stuff online thus calls for cherry-picking essential files and safekeeping them online.

Here are a few in the queue:

• Windows Live Skydrive: A total of 25GB for free with a per file size limit of 50MB.
• File Factory: 100GB of free storage with a 300MB file limit. Downer could be the slow speeds.
• Dropbox: For smaller needs – offers 2GB of free storage with neat file syncing features.
• Mozy: 2GB of free storage but with a handy Windows client that makes uploading a cinch.
• Orbit Files: 6GB but with limited choices.

2. Documents, Photos, Music and Videos

Yes, some of these websites do double over for file storage needs. You probably use them every day but never looked at them from this angle.

-  Docs: For your documents, why go any further than the trio of Google Docs, Office Live and Zoho.

- Pics: For your photos, make your online accounts with Flickr, Snapfish, Picasa, Photobucket or Facebook.

-  Tunes: For music, MP3Tunes, File Factory and Deezer sound really cool.

- Vids: For videos, you can give YouTube, Vimeo and Viddler a shot.

The Gizmodo referred choices are aplenty and free. Just remember to do a full or a selective backup. It could be a safety net for a crash.

Check out our other posts about backing up and recovering data:

• How to: Automatic Hard Drive Back Up
• Automatically back up your files
• How to recover a Laptop Hard Drive

1. Makeownringtone.com. With this site you have a variety of options when it comes to uploadable formats. You can choose from MP3, MP4, QCP, OGG, AAC, and MMF.
2. Audiko.net. This is one of the most popular services for creating your own ringtone. Upload your song, take the excerpt that you want to act as your ringtone, and start the download process.
3. Mobicious.com. By offering a free service, Mobicious.com has a leg up on the competition. All you have to do is upload your MP3, clip the portion that you want to use, and turn it into a ringtone that can be instantly sent to your cell phone.

Once you find a service you enjoy, you can create as many ringtones as you want while being assured that each one is 100 percent unique. If you want to learn to edit MP3, wav and other audio files, use audacity to create custom ringtones.

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

Is your desire/addiction the web strong enough to pull you away from the information superhighway onto an exercise bike in order to keep you plugged in? The webcycle is a bicycle which controls your internet speed based upon how quickly you’re pedaling. It’s catchphrase is: the faster you pedal, the faster your internet goes.

The concept might remind you off the way couch potatoes use the exercise bike. Right in front of a television set. But the webcycle does one better (or worse) by making your browsing hinge around your pedaling. Here’s how the webcycle has been put together:

Wires on each pedal are connected to foil sensors on the bike which interfaces with an Arduino. The Arduino reads the RPM of the bike and transmits it to an old laptop running Ubuntu. The OS is installed with shell scripts and Wondershaper which is an easy to use traffic shaping script. It allows for browsing at reasonable speeds and streamlines uploads and downloads.

At HacknMod, we love Arduino projects and that’s why we have a whole lot of them in our Arduino section. And if you are a pedal pusher check these out too:

• Alternative Energy – Bike Generators
• Make a DIY Electric Bicycle
• Pedal Powered Tennis Ball Launcher