Stout Beaver

Nowadays, many of our mobile devices are USB-based, but those darn wall socket adapters are so easy to lose (or not have enough of). Thankfully, this fall, you can plug those USB devices straight into the wall with the $20 U-Socket. More »



Universal Serial Bus - USB - Hardware - Operating Systems - Linux

If you're looking to have a little weekend science-lab fun with lasers it turns out that in the heart of every cheap laser pointer is a fire-starting, balloon-popping, monster.

What's the secret to upgrading your cheap laser from a boring presentation tool to a goggles-on-for-safety experiment? Over at Wired's How-To wiki they detail how to take apart a cheap laser pointer and find the adjustable variable-resistor on the circuit board inside. Tweak that resister with a small jeweler's screw driver and you can crank the juice up on your laser pointer—not too far or you'll burn it out! Visit the wiki at the link below for full instructions.

Inspired by the potential burnination of your cheap laser? Check out how to turn a DVD player laser into a hand-held burning laser. Have a warranty-voiding bit of fun to share? Lets' hear about it in the comments. Oh, and please be careful, and proceed at your own risk.

DIYer Steve Hoefer has been hard at work making every 6 year old's dream come true: A device that unlocks your door whenever someone seeking entrance taps out the secret knock.

His device, which fits easily over the inside of your doorknob and lock, counts the time between successive knocks and can be reprogrammed to whatever knock-pattern you see fit. If the wrong series of knocks is tapped out, the device simply ignores it and waits for the appropriate pattern to allow entrance.

Hit up Steve Hoefer's weblog Grathio for the full tutorial, or just stick to opening your doors by keyfob instead. Physical keys are so 2008.