She worked tirelessly for 3 days to transform the classic Legend of Zelda. She had help from her boyfriend, a professional video game programmer, who told her that there was a ROM editor that could help simplify the process. They discovered tools around the internet that helped them modify the game, and what they realized was that you don’t necessarily need to be a programmer to modify these games (so if you want to modify Final Fantasy, or Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, start digging).

By using Tile Layer Pro, she and her boyfriend were able to find Zelda’s sprites and edit them. Her boyfriend also found a code file that let Kenna change the colors of Zelda’s clothing. After modifying the ROM to have Zelda replace Link in-game, Kenna also modified the opening text to change Link’s story into Zelda’s. She also debated making Link a “prince” or a “knight”, but in the end she decided to leave him as just good ol’ Link.

The mod took Kenna and her boyfriend a lot of work to accomplish, and she credits her success to all of the various, already-available modding tools, as well as this Legend of Zelda:ROM Map, and the Computer Archeology. Kenna made the patch available to the public via her Google Drive (available through the link below). You have to find the unedited Legend of Zelda NES ROM yourself however. With Donkey Kong and Legend of Zelda hacked, I wonder which game is coming next.

[via Kenna Stuff]

As the story goes the mod maker, Mike Mika, has a little girl that particularly liked the fact that you could play as the Princess in Super Mario Bros 2. So, he took it upon himself to create a special mod of the classic game Donkey Kong where Mario needed to be saved and the hero is the Princess.

The modified ROM is apparently constructed from the version of Donkey Kong from 2010 for the Nintendo Wii game console. It reminds me a lot in looks of the vintage game from the 80s. Apparently, Mike used Tile Layer Pro, which is a popular ROM editing tool to put Mario on a pedestal while the Princess tries to save him.

I think this is great. My daughter would certainly agree that there aren’t enough video games with girls as the main character. Check out the video to see the mod in action.

[via Gearburn]

Heck took apart a normal Xbox 360 gaming system and integrated the hardware into a new and much more portable design. The mod features the Xbox ring of light, a TI audio amplifier offering integrated stereo sound, and a volume control to streamline the controls of the console. Heck also created a custom enclosure for the system that looks factory built.

The system uses a LED backlit display thanks to a thin profile and to use less power. During the mod, Heck notes that you can part out an old set of PC speakers for the audio amp. The enclosure was made using a Makerbot Replicator and a material called Sintra.

The routing and design of the enclosure is one of the most interesting parts of the project. The LCD panel using the project is an LED backlit 16-inch LCD. That should provide plenty of screen space and resolution for most games. You can check out the whole project in the video below.

The design of the Apple, for those of you that don’t remember all the way back to last year, comes from designer Jonathan Mak – or at least is based upon that design per their press release. This set of three notebooks is all the same, each model coming with 2.7GHz configurations, 16GB memory, and a 750GB solid state drive inside. Each model is made with essentially the same components as the normal MacBook Pro with Retina display, but the Apple logo on the top cover is laser-cut to create the face of Jobs.

The proceeds will be split between the charity Get It Done and another group by the name of SellanApp where it’ll be working with developers working on iOS apps that specifically “don’t have a direct business model, but have a clear societal value.” The bottom of the notebook will also include the following inscription laser-cut into the metal:

“When you grow up you, tend to get told that the world is the way it is and your life is just to live your life inside the world, try not to bash into the walls too much, try to have a nice family, have fun, save a little money. That’s a very limited life. Life can be much broader, once you discover one simple fact, and that is that everything around you that you call life was made up by people that were no smarter than you. And you can change it, you can influence it, you can build your own things that other people can use. Once you learn that, you’ll never be the same again.” – Steve Jobs

This is just one of a vast collection of tributes that have been made to Jobs over the past year, with today’s one-year anniversary of his passing making the world once again remember his impact. Of course according to Apple, his influence doesn’t just stop at the idea that everything from his design knowledge to his leadership skills are still being studied today. His design influence in each of the major products in the field being released even today had Jobs hand in them well before they came to fruition.

Have a peek at the small timeline below for more Steve Jobs tributes and memories from the past year, and let us know if you feel that a MacBook Pro with Retina Display is a fabulous way to remember the man’s visage. Also let us know if you plan on picking up one of these three 12 thousand dollar notebooks.

All the specs are what you would find on the current 13-inch MacBook Pro: Intel’s Ivy Bridge Core i5 processor clocked at 2.5Ghz, integrated HD 4000 GPU, up to 16GB of RAM, up to 1TB of hard drive space (plus a 960GB SSD option), SuperDrive, and WiFi b/g/n plus Bluetooth. The team has added is a Wacom digitizer to the 1280×800 display, with 512 levels of pressure sensitivity for the included stylus, with the screen also capable of registering 133 points per second.

Lots of attention has been paid to the housing of the Modbook Pro too. The tablet comes with a sloped edge design, and special grippy feet ensures the Modbook can be propped at a 50 degree angle without slipping. The usual array of ports are still onboard too, including Thunderbolt, USB 3.0, SDXC slot, and the MagSafe connector.

How much is all this going to set you back? Good question. The team hasn’t announced official pricing for the tablet yet, saying that it’s coming in the next few weeks with the tablet set to ship in the Fall. We doubt it will be cheap though, so if this strange hybrid has piqued your curiosity, you better start saving up those pennies.

There’s also a 24 Mbit fine mode and 19 Mbit normal 1080p mode, along with a 19 Mbit superfine 720p mode, 15 Mbit fine and 10 Mbit normal modes. All of them use the same 192 kbit audio recording; hyperX is looking to add in 60fps capture for all resolutions, but so far it’s proving elusive.

Still, you do get some other tweaks, like the ability to start the camera while also on a live call, and a shortcut to take photos during video recording using volume up/down. By default, the Galaxy S III won’t allow the camera app to load if the battery is under 15-percent of full charge, a limitation the new hack also addresses.

This new camera follows in the footsteps of previous hyperX mods, including a high-bitrate upgrade for the Galaxy S II, and several Nokia N8 modifications. You’ll need to have rooted your Galaxy S III in order to load it.

The geek who put the hack together goes by DDRBoxman. He took his Samsung Galaxy Nexus smartphone and output the video to a projector to toss it up in 50-inch size on the wall. To get the touch control interface back the guy uses a Kinect to see where he was touching and activate the content.

The Kinect in question was hooked to a Windows PC and used a custom app to control the touch interface. This doesn’t sound like something the average geek would pull off. It required a custom ROM. I wonder if you have to touch the wall to activate things on the projected interface. It would be better if you could control it with gestures from across the room. See the hack in action below.

[via AndroidCommunity]

M1 subsequently said that the link “has been removed as we are making some adjustments to this service” and declined to comment further on the changes it was implementing. Fellow Singaporean carriers StarHub and SingTel both confirmed they were in negotiations with the country’s Defense Ministry regarding non-camera models, but would not say if the iPhone was on the list of potential devices.

As is the case with many secure workplace environments, such as R&D labs, Singapore’s military bases refuse to allow photographic-capable devices on-site. The Defense Ministry is believed to require a certificate proving any cellphone has no camera functionality, issued by the carrier, before it will be permitted. Camera-free smartphones have become a niche segment within the industry, with BlackBerry perhaps the best-known option.

Since Apple itself has not stepped into the fray with a non-camera iPhone, Singapore carriers have apparently taken matters into their own hands. It’s unclear whether the modification process is reversible or if the two CMOS sensors in the iPhone 4S – front-facing and rear – are permanently removed.

[via GottaBeMobile]

Unfortunately that sort of mod is going to take more than just access to the bootloader information; in fact it will take a fair amount of code tweaking and modification, certainly if all the various hardware elements of Symbian devices are to be enabled for a different platform. Whether there is anybody left with the time, patience and skillset to do that – and, most importantly, for Symbian devices – remains to be seen.

Still, as we said repeatedly during reviews of the E7, N8 and other phones from Nokia over the past eighteen months or so, the company makes beautiful hardware and we’d love to see Android or another platform running on it. Heck, we’d even take MeeGo if it were offered. Nokia is yet to unveil a hardware-QWERTY Windows Phone, so Microsoft’s platform on the sturdy E7 would be something many would covet.

That significantly undermines the Transformer Prime’s appeal among the Android modding community, which relies on an unlocked bootloader to be able to try out tweaked and modified versions of the core OS. Locking it down is a strategy often seen in Android smartphones, with carriers hoping to prevent modification of devices with 3G/4G radios on their networks, but is generally less common on WiFi-only gadgets such as the Prime.

It’s possible that, even if ASUS decides not to unlock its bootloader, hackers could nonetheless figure out a workaround. The various levels of security offered in Tegra-based devices are already known, though it will depend on how ASUS has implemented its block.

A decision on that likely won’t be reached until ASUS has seen the extent of owner frustration, with suggestions that if users become more vocal about unlocked bootloaders being must-have features then the company might backtrack as others have before it. More on the Transformer Prime in our full review.

[via Al Sutton and via Laurent Mallet]

Sood tells us that by using MobileSubstrate, a framework that allows third-party developers to access system functions, he’s able to add the settings support to Siri without requiring a proxy server. That has benefits in terms of stability and privacy, since you’re not relying on a third-party server to be online 24/7 or passing your spoken commands and dictated messages through someone else’s systems.

Being able to ask your phone how much battery life is left without taking it out of your pocket is another potentially very useful trick, as is being able to shut off or turn on Bluetooth and WiFi without having to dig through the iOS settings menus. It can even tell you your WiFi signal strength and IP address.

Unfortunately Sood’s hack does require a jailbreak to your iPhone 4S, something that’s not publicly available at present. Beyond that, though, it’s a simple case of copying a few files to the phone, so when the various teams working on a 4S jailbreak finally do strike gold, we can see this mod being very popular.

By default, although the Facebook app is available for use on Ice Cream Sandwich handsets, it doesn’t support integration of Facebook friends with the new People app in Android 4.0. Officially, that’s down to Facebook not falling in with Google’s data policy, with the fact that the previous behavior “created a false sense of data portability” as contacts were updated with information but those details couldn’t then be exported off the handset.

Unofficially, however, the decision was seen as a further cooling of the relationship between Google and Facebook, particularly with regards to how much access to user data each granted. The stripping of official contacts sync support was followed by various blocking attempts as Facebook tried to stop its members from exporting their information and loading it into Google+.

This unofficial Galaxy Nexus ROM is unconcerned with the political spats of social networks, of course, and focuses more on giving ICS users the best experience. More on Ice Cream Sandwich in our full review.

[via Android Community]

This newest version of CyanogenMod now supports nearly 70 devices with more on the way. Newest entrants into the world of Cyan including such gems as the HTC Desire S, the HTC Incredible S, Samsung Galaxy S, Samsung Galaxy S II, T-Mobile G2X by LG, Motorola Cliq, and the entire line of Sony Ericsson XPERIA devices. The entire line of Sony Ericsson XPERIA devices have been added thanks to the FreeXperia and the newly supportive Sony Ericsson crew, having just pledged their involvement in the modification of XPERIA devices through the future.

This newest version of CyanogenMod includes enhanced Bluetooth support for mice as well as tethering, app launching gestures, brand new lock screen widgets, a completely rewritten LED notification system, and device-specific modifications galore. Then there’s a built-in screenshot function which we’ve been hoping for since the birth of Android itself as well.

Devices currently in the BETA ROM, coming up quick, include the HP TouchPad, HTC Sensation, Vision, and the LG Optimus 3D. Gold releases for each of these devices should be starting in a few weeks according to the Cyan crew, while Gold versions (aka basically final releases) are available right now from CyanogenMod via your regular outlets. Will you mod?

[via Android Community]

The dude took an Arduino board and cobbled together a system that replaced the LED light that showed when the clothes were done and notified him over the network. He removed those LEDs and soldered wires to the place the lights used to be and connected to the Arduino. The Arduino unit senses when the lights would activate and shoots a signal across the network.

The Arduino device uses an Ethernet shield to allow the monitoring of the washing machine from any computer hooked to the network. I think you could do the same with a wireless video camera and that might be easier, but admittedly not as geeky.

[via Hackaday]

The project is for a video game disc changer for the Xbox 360 game console. The latest edition of the show follows Heck as he creates the project and focuses on removing the CD player and disc carousel from the CD changer and configures the case and components to ensure that the discs load properly into the Xbox device he created. Heck also has to create some programming to handle the changing.

Oddly, Heck doesn’t finish this project. The act of leaving it undone is part of a giveaway that will allow the viewers of the show to complete the project. I’d rather have it finished to use on my Xbox. Having a 100-game carousel that you can change games on automatically would be cool. I wonder if it could be modded to work with the PS3 as well.

Other options include a 17Mbit “normal” 1080p mode and a 24Mbit “fine” 1080p mode, while 720p can be shot in 9Mbit “normal”, 13Mbit “fine” or 17Mbit “super fine” modes. All have the same high-quality audio, though there’s a second version which removes the sound effects in the app too.

Opinions differ as to whether anything over 17Mbps produces a noticeable difference in final video quality, but at least now you can judge that for yourself. Potatoman and hyperX say they’ll be working together on other GSII mods in future, and we’re excited to see what the pair come up with.

We weren’t exactly underwhelmed when we saw the 1080p HD video the Galaxy S II is capable of, so this improvement in quality is even more welcome. Natively the Samsung records roughly 16Mbit/s 1080p HD, spitting out MP4 files using the H.264 codec with AAC mono audio.

The mono limitation is still present – that’s down to the single microphone, of course, and software hacks can’t exactly grow the Galaxy S II another one of those AnonymousCoward points out that the GSII does have a second microphone, but right now it’s not being implemented - but otherwise this is the sort of hack that we expected excitable Samsung owners to come up with. Unfortunately there’s no public release of the mod, so we’ll have to wait for hyperX to polish it up before we can try it out ourselves.

Update: While we wait, xda-developers member Potatoman tells us that his GSII camera mod is already available. It doesn’t tinker with the video bitrate – Potatoman reckons he didn’t see enough quality improvement to warrant the increase in file size – but it does boost audio quality to 192kbps/44.1Khz quality from the standard 64kbps/16khz. You can download it here.

The latest episode of the show goes into how the game share controller was constructed. The key components of the controller are looked at and include two Xbox 360 controllers, a dance pad, and a slam bar. The two modders got everything for the controllers ready to work in sync and the PCB accessory controller was mocked up as well. That PCB is the key component to allow kids to play alongside parents.

“It was a pleasure to have the opportunity to work with Ben Sawyer again,” said Ben Heck. “I always enjoy bouncing ideas off him, because he’s so innovative in the video game world. With his experience and my ‘Bengineering’ skills, we were able to build some great components that contribute to an awesome cause.” I would like to see this system in action in person, it looks interesting.

[via Element14]

More worrying, Microsoft’s Brandon Watson says that, since the development team is focussing on getting Mango out on time, “undoing this specific problem was not in our schedule.” Instead, it’s a case of waiting for the ChevronWP7 team to release a fix which will get modified handsets back on the official Windows Phone path – something they are supposedly working on – or taking your phone back to the carrier or vendor and asking them to reflash it.

Ominously, Watson says that “because of this known error code, it is up to the mobile operators as to what they want to do with your phone” suggesting that some may be less willing to overlook hacks than others, and refuse to repair the device under warranty. Nobody likes waiting for software – since the news that HTC was pushing out Android 2.3 for the Desire HD and Incredible S yesterday we’ve been mashing the “check for updates” button on our phones in the hope that they’ll grant us some Gingerbread – but this underscores that there can be side-effects to workarounds intended to help us jump the official queue.

Microsoft has been admirably transparent in detailing the stages official software goes through at their “Where Is My Update?” site, but whether carriers will be willing to shoulder the blame for the NoDo delays that prompted the mods, or stick resolutely to the line that customers should wait until the upgrades are reader, remains to be seen.

The new workbench allows Heck to mod on the go and he has dubbed the new workbench the Mark 2. The new bench has a different hinge position and a new bracket system along with improved tool placement. The workbench is about the size of a suitcase and unfolds to give the geek a place to work.

If you are the same sort of organized modder and want to build the workbench for yourself, you can follow along since Heck goes through the entire process of building the device. The workbench even has an integrated power supply from a computer so you can fire up your test machine. Detailed plans for the workbench are available from the show website.

The latest project Heck created is a high-speed canned beverage cooler. The thing will be at home cooling off your hot can of adult beverage or a soft drink. The can cooler uses a Peltier module that cools, Arduino Nano with an I2C-bus temperature sensor, and a MOSFET to start and stop the cooling process.

The aluminum heat sink was create don a CNC router to help get the can cooler. I wonder how much the parts for the cooler cost; it’s much more interesting than the sort of can coolers you can buy in stores that use ice water to cool.

Heck Said, “It was a blast taking something as awesome as the Sega CDX and making it even easier to use with a smaller footprint so I can bring it with me everywhere,” said Ben Heck. “Not only that, but I reminisced about Full Motion Video games from the early ’90′s and a few diamonds in the rough like ‘Snatcher’ and ‘Lunar: The Silver Star.’”

I may not recall the CDX system myself, but I can appreciate the cool design that Heck came up with. The episode of the show where he created the device walked through the construction and layout process. If you really like the device, you can hit the Element 14 website and register to win the device yourself.

The kinetic charger uses a LED wind up flashlight and a micro USB charger that can be purchased over the counter. Heck puts some mod juju on it to combine the two parts into a crank powered charger.

The idea is that you can twist the handle to get juice for your Android smartphone on the road. It will work with any micro USB charging phone though. I wonder how much power the thing generates.

Via Android Community

The MD-5 is a little like a touchscreen coffee table, with an onboard power pack keeping the Lenovo IdeaCentre A700 running while you move it from room to room. Other mods are more subtle, like Alex Wiley’s luxury Lenovo IdeaPad U160 with a platinum-plated top cover and diamond-studded, backlit Lenovo logo.

Unfortunately we don’t think Lenovo is going to actually carry any of these ideas over into production models; instead the company will be showing off the modded PCs at CES this week. More details of all the mods pictured in the press release below.

Press Release:

PC MODDING – AN ART FORM UNTO ITSELF

Most people think of musicians, painters and photographers when it comes to art. As part of Lenovo’s recent “What’s Your Idea of Fun?” campaign, we wanted to shine the light on a very different kind of artist – one who uses soldering irons and dremels as their paint brushes. The kind of artists we’re talking about are called PC “modders,” extremely talented and imaginative people who modify and/or customize typical notebook and desktop PCs into technological works of art.

Lenovo recently approached several of the world’s top PC modders and asked them to transform Lenovo PCs into some of the wildest laptops and desktops ever created. The mods, described in further detail below, will be showcased at CES 2011 at Unveiled, Digital Experience and at Lenovo’s booth space in the Aquaknox restaurant at The Venetian Hotel.

For more information visit WhatsYourIdeaofFun.com

MODDER: Dean Liou
MOD NAME: The Arcade Dock
WEBSITE: Envador.com
MOD DESCRIPTION: Dean Liou finished his first mod—a computer case made out of PVC pipes and Plexiglas—during the summer of 1998. For his Lenovo mod, Liou create a customized arcade cabinet that allows users to dock their Lenovo IdeaPad Y560 and use as a mini arcade. Liou’s goal with this mod was to create something that would enable users to mix work and play. Once you’re home from class or work, all you need to do is hook up the laptop in the dock and it’s time to play!

MODDER: James Fislar
MOD NAME: Lenovo Ice
WEBSITE: WhatsYourIdeaofFun.com
MOD DESCRIPTION: James Fislar enjoys working with epoxy, fiberglass and carbon fibers. For his mod, James created an IdeaCentre K320 that appears to be completely encased in ice. The K320 Ice is created from a custom acrylic mold, special lighting and a custom water cooling and reservoir to keep all the components cool while running. The mod also features an ATI Eyefinity System with custom Acrylic 3 Monitor Bracket.

MODDER: Jeffrey Stephenson
MOD NAME: Level 12
WEBSITE: SlipperySkip.com
MOD DESCRIPTION: Jeffrey Stephenson has been building custom computers as a hobby since 2002. This Lenovo build marked his twenty-ninth project. Jeffrey’s modding M.O. typically consists of creating smaller-sized computers that fit into the decor of executive offices or home living spaces. He does all of his work by hand with basic household tools such as cordless drills, a dremel and the occasional jigsaw.

The Level Twelve mod is a performance-upgraded Lenovo H320 micro tower-style computer embedded within a stylish wooden enclosure. The enclosure — made from Birdseye maple and teak and featuring chrome accents — is equipped with additional fans and supplemental vent ducting. It also features four front-mounted USB 3.0 ports via an internal USB 3.0 hub. The underlying H320 chassis is heavily modified for additional cooling capacity and is fully self-contained. The chassis can be withdrawn from the back of its wooden enclosure even while it is operating.

MODDER: Chris Blarsky
MOD NAME: MD-5
WEBSITE: AbsoluteExtremes.com
MOD DESCRIPTION: Chris Blarsky began modding in 1995 out of necessity; he wanted a computer case that held two working PCs. When he couldn’t find one, he created himself. This time around, Blarsky created a robot-inspired mod, the “MD-5”, from the IdeaCentre A700. The mod’s name is short for mobile desktop while the 5 is a tribute to “Johnny 5” from Short Circuit, a 1986 science fiction film. The MD-5 is able to move from room to room and has a battery pack for added mobility. Additionally, its multitouch screen is attached to an articulating arm that provides ample range of motion and use.

MODDER: Brian Carter
MOD NAME: Lenovo Sensei
WEBSITE: Bods-Mods.com
MOD DESCRIPTION: Inspired to help his son’s school receive a much needed technology upgrade, Brian Cater developed the “Lenovo Sensei” – a unique teaching aid that allows teachers to instruct their classes more dynamically. The Lenovo Sensei boasts an integrated HD DLP projector with 1280 x 800 resolution, hybrid laser technology and a HDMI connection between the A700 and projector. The A700 itself is touch screen controlled and the entire unit has been modified with a well-ventilated cooling system to keep internal components running smoothly. With the new device, teaching possibilities are virtually endless!

MODDER: Alex Wiley
MOD NAME: UberLux
WEBSITE: Computer-Choppers.com
MOD DESCRIPTION: Alex Wiley, owner of Computer Choppers, has been customizing computers since 1996. With more than a decade of modding experience under his belt, Wiley has created a unique niche developing luxury customizations, and the UberLux is a prime example. For this mod, Wiley outfitted a Lenovo IdeaPad U160 with a platinum-plated top cover and diamond-studded Lenovo logo that lights up from behind when the laptop is powered on.

MODDER: Peter Freudenberger
MOD NAME: Lenovo Slice
WEBSITE: http://sliceproject.wordpress.com
MOD DESCRIPTION: Peter Freudenberger is an IT engineer from the greater Boston area who restores vintage motorcycles in his spare time. Using an IdeaPad Y560, Peter created the Lenovo Slice – a desktop PC that combines cutting-edge performance with a form that is elegant and modern. In order to create the mod, Freudenberger used low-profile laptop components and passive cooling, quality construction without exposed edges and minimal aesthetic, including high quality glass and laser cut aluminum.

The mod came to be when Heck got a request from a couple UAV pilots in Afghanistan that wanted a portable PS3 console that was housed inside a military grade iM2600 Pelican Storm Case to pass the time in between flights. The problem with normal gaming gear is that the conditions in the Stan are too harsh for normal gear.

You will have to watch the build episode to see exactly how Heck built the console, but it looks cool. It reminds me of something a James Bond baddie would whip out to destroy the world. I wonder where the discs go on the thing.

[Via element 14]

One enterprising geek has taken a left over controller from the SNES and hacked it using a Streak connector and a Teensy USB Microcontroller board. He hacked the controller so that the Streak recognizes it as a USB keyboard.

The controller can then be used to operate all the menus of the Streak and will work with all game emulators out there says the geek. This is one of the coolest gaming mods for the Streak I have seen.

Via Android Community

Lenovo is in the process of getting a new website up and running, with the main idea being “What’s Your Idea of Fun?” Lenovo reached out to modders all over the place, and asked them to create something that people would consider fun. This particular modder, Envador, designed the ArcadeDock in a matter of 10 days, and was nice enough to collect all of his design stages on video. Envador utilized an IdeaPad Y560 notebook, and managed to cram it into a case that features a real working joystick, and large buttons. Connect the notebook via USB, and you’ll be able to start playing your favorite games, as long as you have the right ROM.

You can vote for Envador’s ArcadeDock here. And, if you’re interested in seeing how the whole thing went down, then go ahead and jump through the via link below, and watch the 10-part video saga as he builds the ArcadeDock from the ground up.

[via Envador]

Video demo after the cut

Interestingly, he’s also confirmed that the mods so far don’t actually require flashing a new firmware to the N8, which suggests installing them might be a little more user-friendly than we thought.  Here’s hoping we see some sort of general release coming soon; after all, availability of the N8 is set to explode midway through this month.

Instructions on how to do it yourself are here, and for the lazy – or confused – there’s a simple prebuilt file that can be loaded via a USB stick.  Apparently other people are working on porting a full Android installation over to the Infocast’s 800MHz ARM processor; not bad when you consider it costs just $169.99.

[via Teleread, via Wired and via Bunny's Blog]

They’ve also swapped the somewhat rare PSU connector from the chumby One for an alternative that will work with PSP chargers, plus there are three USB host ports and a four-way control switch with accompanying LEDs.  Beyond that there are plenty of headers for attaching peripherals and sensors, and of course the core 454MHz Freescale iMX.233 processor with 64MB of RAM.  The OS is supplied on a 512MB memory card.

Sold in partnership with Adafruit, the Chumby Hacker Board is currently available in beta form priced at $89.  chumby themselves aren’t supporting it, though there’s plenty of information out there to get you started, and they recommend that you have some Linux skills before you pick one up.

WODE stands for Wii Optical Drive Emulator doesn’t require you to solder anything, but you do have to open the Wii and move some ribbon cables around. The WODE stand hooks between the Wii’s optical drive and the Wii itself and allows the mounting of ISO files.

The stand has a USB port that lets you connect external drives that have homebrew software on them and it has a SD card slot as well. The front of the stand has a LCD and a joystick to allow you to navigate the files you want to load. The WODE Jukebox sells for $95.46

Video demo after the cut

So far there are no details and no guidelines as to how to do it yourself, but there’s plenty of time for it to be polished before anyone is likely to actually need it.  We’re presuming the same system will probably work for the iPad, too, when that gets OS 4.0 this coming fall.

MuscleNerd also has a little advice for anyone considering putting an early developer release of iPhone OS 4.0 on their iPhone: don’t bother.  Turns out, it’s still “very” buggy – hence why it’s not set to actually release to general users until Summer 2010.

[Thanks Tom!]

The hack is the handiwork of a team of Russian tinkerers over at htcpedia, who have managed to get the WiFi, GPS and Bluetooth all working and pretty much everything else.  Still causing issues, however, are the graphics drivers, and the device is showing some unwanted lag.  We’re guessing work is being done on optimizing the code for the HD2, and that lag should get brought down.

Video demos after the cut

The new ROM is yet to see a public release, and the team are apparently looking into downgrading solutions to put Windows Mobile 6.5.3 with HTC Sense back on the smartphone for those who may want to try Windows Phone 7 but not necessarily live with it forever.

As for those troublesome buttons, one of the reasons Microsoft gave for the HD2′s upgrade ineligibility, so far two are operational: Start and Back.  They’re now working on getting a third mapped to Search.

[via SlashPhone and via Redmond Pie]

The mod began with a stock PSP Slim 2000 and added an extra joystick, 32GB of flash storage, and a second charge port. The guy also added a camera along with an emulator for games. The hack required a custom firmware for the emulator for retro games.

Maybe Sony can take some inspiration from this guy. I think we can all agree that the PSP Go is far from what we were hoping with the next PSP update. I wonder how long this mod took the dude.

Video proof of concept after the cut

Brandon Roberts is the man responsible for the dual-booting marvel, and while he’s describing it more as a proof of concept right now than a workable solution, from what little is shown in the video he’s come a decent way.  The keyboard seems to work, and the display is running at the N900′s WVGA resolution; a boot menu allows you to choose between Maemo and Android.

Right now there are no instructions as to how exactly he did it, but we’ve a feeling this could be a popular hack assuming all the N900′s core hardware could be encouraged to work with Android.  The combination of Maemo for experimentation and Android for everyday use could potentially transform the N900.

[via Android Community]

Video demo after the cut

There it does duty as a web-access point, a media player and more, with desktop widgets showing things like time and calendar entries.  On the inside of the cupboard there’s a custom box that hinges open to reveal the Eee PC’s keyboard, together with cabling neatly tidied up and away for power and sound.

Considering how cheaply you can pick up a second-hand netbook on eBay these days, together with touchscreen kits being under $100, this looks a fantastic mod for the kitchen.  Oh, and can we just say we’re loving the bizarre German music in the video, too.

[via jkkmobile]

Obviously after cutting a hole in the lid of his netbook, he also had to cut out an identical Apple logo from frosted perspex to slot into it.  Then, inside, there’s some nifty modding with aluminum foil and six white LEDs to properly illuminate things.

Perhaps the neatest part is the advert Florian created to go along with the MacBook Mini.  Taking its cues from the MacBook Air ad, it shows the tiny netbook hack fitting in a much smaller envelope.

[via Wired]

Since the donor vehicle and the end product (seen above in just-about-easier-to-assemble model form) are actually pretty different in terms of shape, the project is going to involve plenty of welding and cutting.  In the end, THQ are going to fill it full of high-end gaming rigs (though I wouldn’t imagine all that many – tanks are deceptively small inside).

First step is recreating the drawbridge rear entrance and distinctive fenders; cue the heavy machinery.  A few more images to be seen in the project Flickr gallery.

[via Kotaku]

Yes, it does work, they just put a DVD player into their NES. However, the circuit glued on the top with exposed buttons somehow kills the cool factor on this mod.

The difference between the other modder and this one. This guy was bored one night and decided to do it. The other modder actually had plans worked out. Lesson of the day, just because you can do a mod doesn’t mean you should.  At least if it looks like this, don’t claim it and don’t brag about it on the internet.

[via make]

I have to say I prefer the black one, but the tone of the original does make it look a bit more vintage. He decided to remove the antiglare film layer to make the picture a bit sharper.

He doesn’t really give any step by step instructions, but he does give plenty of pictures to salivate over. He did also state that the mod took him quite some time, but he had conflicts with school and work. Which means if you’d like to try this one out yourself, hopefully you don’t have a day job.

[via dvice]