Why would I want wireless charging for my gadgets?

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Add Wireless Charging to Your Smartphone

*** FOLLOW THESE INSTRUCTIONS AT YOUR OWN RISK ***
take safety precautions and do not do anything you are not certain of.
i cannot be held responsible to any damage you may cause to your device or to yourself !

(now, after i covered my ass, we can begin)

there are a few projects similar to this one on the net. I've drawn ideas from everywhere and incorporated some of my own.

the whole concept and basic design is based on Palm's technology (although there are other manufacturers offering similar solutions). the Touchstone is a Palm charging dock meant for the Palm Pre smartphone, which supports wireless charging via a separately sold back cover.

there are a few wireless charging technologies made by different manufacturers that all rely on the same physical concept but they are not cross-compatible, you cannot mix coils and docks (I've tried).

i will not bore you with the physics behind the concept (although it's quite interesting) and there's nothing i can write that's not already available with more professional descriptions on the net, so if you want you can google "wireless charging" and read all about it.

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How to Add AirPlay to Your Car for High Quality, Wireless Audio

I was fed up with having so many cables floating around in my car and getting tangled, and I wasn’t happy with the compressed audio quality with Bluetooth. So, I came up with an awesome wireless audio solution. If you're bold enough to pop open an Apple AirPort Express and modify its innards, here’s how to hack Apple AirPort Express to put AirPlay in your car.

Note: Ben's original has been edited down a bit to clarify things for the non-technically-inclined, so if you want the original version, go here.

Requirements:

AirPort Express: $99
Car with an aux input in the stereo and a free “cigarette lighter” power plugStar/Torx screwdriver: $8Regular screwdriver: you probably already have oneUSB cable: we all have spares of these too!Some standard wires5V to 3.3V DC stepdown converter: $4A soldering iron & some solder: $8Super glue: $5Cigarette lighter-to-USB converter: $5-$15A little electrical tape: $5Okay, deep breath. First, you’ll need to modify the AirPort Express so that it draws power from a USB cable, instead of its usual household plug. In this post in the North American Subaru Impreza Owners Club forum, user “enjoiful” describes one technique for this. (You might want to check out his or her photos too, for help with this part). Basically, to pop open the AirPort Express, stick your regular screwdriver in the seams at the corners and try some twisting and prying motions. It should pop open easily.

Unscrew all of the circuit boards from the AirPort Express. You can get rid of the L-shaped power supply, because we’re going to wire the USB power to the 5V-to-3.3V converter and use that instead.

Cut the USB cable, and peel the wrapping towards the larger plug (the one that normally connects to your computer), because you want to keep that side. This will reveal four wires:

Green: USB DataWhite: USB DataRed: +5V DCBlack: Ground

We're only interested in the red and black wires inside of that USB cable, because there’s no data coming over the USB cable. After threading the wires through the hole in the side of the AirPort Express (pictured above), solder the black one onto the ground of the AirPort Express (see photos below).

Then, connect the red one to the VIN (voltage input) wire of the stepdown converter, which is green in this photo, and tape around that connection like this:

The stepdown converter has an output wire leading out of it, which is blue in the above photo. Solder that to the power input of the AirPort Express, as pictured above.

Finally, solder the stepdown module’s ground wire (green in the above photo) to the AirPort Express’s ground. So, that’s two wires connected to the AirPort Express’s ground connection—black and green.

When you’re done with all the soldering, you should be looking at something like this:

You’ve made it through the hard part (hopefully without melting your brain or burning down your house). Congratulations! Now, you’ll want to super-glue everything into place so that it doesn’t jiggle around, potentially causing the solder to break, as you drive over your city’s pothole-riddled streets.

Snap the AirPort Express back together. Then, use another little bit of electrical tape to seal up the hole on the edge of the AirPort Express, so that dirt and dust doesn’t get in there, like so:

It’s time to use this thing. Put it in your car, connect the USB power cable to a cigarette lighter adapter, and plug that into your car.

Then, take the audio cable that came with the AirPort Express and connect that to your car’s input. But wait! You’re not done yet, because you’ll need to set up the AirPort Express and your iPhone or iPad the right way (or Android, because those can totally support AirPlay, as weird as that is).

This looks a bit convoluted, but it’s not, and you only have to do it once.

With the AirPort Express powered up and running, fire up Apple’s AirPort Utility on your laptop, in the car. (You can also do this before tackling any of the steps above, but we wanted to make sure you make it this far before bothering with the software tweaks.) AirPort Utility will display your modified AirPort Express in a list similar to this:

Click the device and select "Edit." First, give it a name and a password so you can connect to it later to configure it.

Click the "Internet" tab. Choose “Connect Using: DHCP,” and leave everything else blank:

Then click "Internet Options." In the Configure IPv6 option, choose Local-link only and hit "Save":

Now, head over to the "Wireless" tab. You want to set the network mode to ‘"Create a wireless network," and give it a name. Select your security level and give it a password–this will be the password you and your friends will use to connect their devices to your car’s wireless audio system:

Click "Wireless Options," making sure the details appear correct for your region, and press "Save":

Almost done. You’ll need to select the "Network" tab and set the Router Mode to "DHCP and NAT," like this:

Then, click "Network Options" and set the DHCP Lease time to 1 day. Set the IPv4 DHCP range to 10.0.1.2 to 200, and make sure "Enable NAT Port Mapping Protocol" is selected. Hit "Save":

Okay, now click the "AirPlay" tab. Make sure "Enable AirPlay" is checked. You can give the the speaker a different name if you wish, but I just left it the same as my AirPort Express WiFi name. You can also set an AirPlay password, but there’s no point, really, because people will already need a password to connect in the first place:

Click "Update" to close the dialog and drop you back to the main AirPort screen. From here, you'll see the little icon next to the name as an orange dot, and the light on the front of the device will also be orange. To stop this from happening, click the device in the AirPort utility (as per the first screenshot in this section), and click each of the warnings that appear and select "Ignore," as we don’t care about them.

This will turn the little light green, and you’re almost ready to go. And remember, you won’t have to do any of the stuff above this again—it’s locked and loaded. However, you do still need to set up your iPhone for this to work, too.

You need to make your iPhone, iPad, or Android connect to the AirPort Express to send music, but to the cellular data network for everything else (including streaming music). We’re going to walk through the instructions for iOS here; Android people using these apps or these ones can apply similar principles on that platform.

Open the iOS Settings menu, tap WiFi, and tap new AirPort Express network. This will connect the iPhone or iPad to your new car-based WiFi network — but you’ll find that because the AirPort Express doesn’t have an internet connection, the internet won’t work on your phone. But we can fix that. Tap the blue arrow next to the name of the AirPort Express WiFi network to view more options.

From the screen (pictured at left), select "Static" as the type of IP address, and then enter the following IP address and Subnet Mask :

IP Address : 10.0.1.4 (for example)
Subnet Mask: 255.255.0.0

Make sure you leave Router, DNS, and Search Domains blank! This tells the iPhone that it should use its cellular network to route internet traffic rather than trying to do it via WiFi.

And you’re done! Just one thing to keep in mind here though: When you’re connected on your AirPort Express WiFi network, the data icon at the top of your iOS screen won’t look like the WiFi network symbol, the way it normally does when connected to WiFi. Instead, you’ll see the cellular icon—E, 3G, 4G or LTE, depending on your data plan. Never fear, your phone is actually connected to the WiFi network for the purposes of AirPlay, just like we want it to be.

AirPlay on the Highway: Put AirPort Express in your Car for Wireless Audio Awesomeness | Evolver.fm

Twitter software engineer Ben Novakovic, one of the guys who built We Are Hunted, which would eventually become Twitter #Music, is a clever person. In his spare time, Novakovic devised this way to modify an Apple Airport Express so that it runs efficiently in your car, allowing you or any of your passengers to play the music on their phone—or even stream it using Rdio, Spotify, Twitter #Music, or any other app.

Image remixed from Sean Choe (Flickr), Montaplex, and Geralt (Pixabay).

Want to see your work on Lifehacker? Email Tessa.

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Wireless RF Controlled Fire Effects

The basic parts of creating a fire effect can fill an entire instructable. In fact, someone has already done a good job explaining this process! Check out:

http://www.instructables.com/id/FireHero-Turn-Guitar-Hero-into-an-extreme-sport-b/

For anyone trying to build propane flame effects, there is a critical element which needs controlling: a solenoid valve. Solenoid valves are basically electrically controlled valves. These come in a variety of different versions depending on your voltage / polarity requirements. Fenrir uses 120V AC solenoid valves. In short, connecting 120V to the 2 lead wires of the solenoid valve opens the valve. Disconnecting voltage from the solenoid closes the valve. I got my solenoid valves from ebay seller valves4projects (http://myworld.ebay.com/valves4projects/)

SAFETY NOTE AGAIN:
If you buy solenoid valves from anywhere for use with propane, make sure they are properly rated for use with propane. Water valves will *NOT* work. They will degrade...you will hurt yourself, or something will explode. Valves seals should be viton. Valve bodies should be brass or stainless steel. Valves should be rated at 200psi or greater.

To control the valve, we'd like to use microcontroller to do the RF sensing, and the opening and closing for us. A microcontroller is like a miniature computer that can't do a lot. Actually, I tell people to think of microcontrollers as little gremlins that you can poke with a small electrical current and they will flick a switch on or off for you...its a bit closer to reality. Arduino is a really popular and useful microcontroller if you are familiar with those. For this project, we are going to be using Pololu's Wixel instead (http://www.pololu.com/catalog/product/1336)

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Headphone jack for your Turtle Beach Wireless headsets

Ever wish two people could listen to your wireless headset without disturbing others in the room?

Ever wish you could just put the headset on the couch and listen on a lightweight pair of earbuds?

Well now you can!

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Kingston MobileLite Wireless Card Reader Review

Legit Mobile Reviews

Back at CES in January, Kingston showed off their Wi-Drive+ MobileLite, which was just a beta version of the product that we’re about to review today. You can check out the initial preview this product here. There have been a few changes since then, which may be disappointing to some.

The MobileLite Wireless is designed to allow up to three users to wirelessly share photos, video, documents, etc., via a central hub. For devices like the iPhone, iPad, or HTC One, that all have strictly fixed storage, this product will allow you to pull data off of said device to allow for even more storage.

Kingston chopped off Wi-Drive+ from the name and stuck with MobileLite Wireless instead. Unlike the Wi-Drive series, Kingston did not include any internal storage. This is traded off for allowing you to plug in an SD card or USB flash drive, providing you with virtually unlimited storage. They kept the MobileLite name, as the original MobileLite was strictly a USB plug-in card reader, and then they added Wireless to the name, signifying that it can do those same functions via wireless.

The MobileLite Wireless (or MLW for short), carries an MSRP of $69.99 and that is what it is listed for on Amazon with shipping. This is far off from their initial projected price point of under $40, which is rather disappointing.

Taking a quick look at the packaging, it tells you about the reader and streaming technologies, plus it informs you that it is a mobile device charger. It does fail to mention the finer details, such as what wireless standards it uses, SD card compatibility, battery capacity, etc. I would not feel informed enough to buy this, should I see it on a store shelf.

Kingston did a fine job of packaging the MLW device, as you can see in the picture below.

Included in the box was the MLW device itself, an 18” USB cable, a MicroSD card adapter, and the instruction booklet. Kingston also has a one year warranty on the MLW, and we know that they stand by their products, should you run into any issues.

Kingston’s MLW weighs in at 98 grams (3.46 ounces) and measures 124.8 x 59.9 x 16.65mm (4.91 x 2.36 x 0.66in). It is super light weight and small enough to fit in your pocket or purse.

Read on to learn more about the Kingston MobileLite Wireless unit, to find out how it works, and how it performs.

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Buffalo AirStation N600 Dual-Band Wireless Router Review

Legit Mods and Ends Reviews

Today, we take a look at the Buffalo AirStation WZR-600DHP which is a dual-band N600 Gigabit wireless router that is designed to be a complete solution for the home or small office.  You can find it priced for just under $80 at most retailers.  Like most “dual-band” routers, the Buffalo WZR-600DHP operates over the 2.4 GHz and 5.0 GHz bands which makes it ideal for connecting multiple wireless clients and devices at speeds of up to 300 Mbps on a single band and 600 Mbps over both bands.

We’ve looked at N600 routers before with some mixed feelings.  While they are relatively inexpensive, their performances have been very good. We were especially impressed with the recently reviewed Netgear WNDR3700v4 N600 which is feature rich and had speeds faster than some N750 routers. Other routers on the market seem to have less-than-stellar performances with user interfaces confusing and lacking.

One very interesting thing about the Buffalo AirStation WZR-600DHP is that its firmware is based on the open source DD-WRT. This customizable interface features advanced options for network gurus as well as first-timers who are looking to connect their PC’s to their game console. The DD-WRT firmware is designed to give greater stability and increased performance for better overall functionality to the user. 

The router also features two external antennas, gigabit Ethernet, and network sharing via USB.  As of this publication, you can grab a Buffalo WZR 600HP from Amazon for $77.74.  For those who are looking to upgrade or expand, the price point really isn’t too bad.  Let’s take a closure look at the AirStation’s specifications.

Featured Specifications:

Gigabit EthernetHighPower TechnologyDD-WRTLong RangeAOSS/WPS SupportEasy Setup WizardVPN Access

Wireless LAN Interface

Standard Compliance     IEEE 802.11n, IEEE 802.11a, IEEE 802.11g, IEEE 802.11bFrequency Range             Concurrent dual-band 2.4 GHz / 5 GHz supportAccess Mode     Infrastructure modeAntenna (Tx x Rx)            2 x 2Wireless Security             WPA2 (AES, TKIP), WPA-PSK (AES, TKIP), 128/64-bit WEP

Wired LAN Interface

Speed and Flow Control                10/100/1000 Mbps, Auto Sensing, Auto MDIXNumber of LAN Ports     4 x RJ-45Number of WAN Ports 1 x RJ-45WAN Port Security          VPN Pass Through, SPI, Dynamic Packet Filtering

USB Interface

Standard Compliance     USB 2.0Connector Type                A typeNumber of Ports              1

Other

Dimensions (W x H x D in.)           6.2 x 6.5 x 1.4Weight (lbs)       0.73Power Supply    External, AC 100-240V input, 12V DC outputPower Consumption (Watts)      Max 13.2 WClient OS Support            Windows® 7 (32-bit/64-bit), Windows Vista® (32-bit/64-bit),Windows® XP, Windows® 2000, Mac OS® X 10.4 - 10.7

When you look at the specifications, the Buffalo AirStation N600 seems pretty packed with features.  We are hoping that this sub-$100 Dual-Band N600 router gives us some competitive wireless speeds and a full-featured GUI. 

Let’s go ahead and set up the WZR-600DHP and test the performance.

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ASUS PCE-AC66 Dual-Band 802.11 AC PCIe Wireless Card Review

Legit Mobile Reviews

The ASUS PCE-AC66 is a 802.11ac Wi-Fi PCI Express adapter for desktop that allows you to to ditch the Ethernet cords and experience 802.11ac wireless speeds of up to 1.3Gbps through the 5GHz band. This is made possible because the ASUS PCE-AC66 uses Broadcom’s new 5th generation Wi-Fi 802.11ac chipset. This is three times faster than what is possible with 802.11n Wi-Fi, which is one heck of an upgrade. At the same time, the ASUS PCE-AC66 is fully backward compatibility with all previous Wi-Fi protocols, so it will easily work with the wireless router you currently own. If you are looking to get the full potential of your 802.11ac router, this is the card to get for your desktop!

The ASUS PCE-AC66 Dual-Band Wireless-AC1750 Adapter runs $93.99 shipped and is the only 3x3 (1300Mbps) draft 802.11ac network adapter card available on the market today. If you want to place a desktop computer in a remote part of a house or can't run a hardwired network connection due to how difficult it would be, this is the solution for you. Most USB wifi adapters are held back when it comes to performance due to the slow USB 2.0 interface and poor signal strength. Having an unreliable internet connection is very frustrating, so that is where the ASUS PCE-AC66 Dual-Band PCI-E Adapter comes in. You just plug this card into an open PCIe slot, use the provided ASUS software to connect it to the router and you are done. The ASUS PCE-AC66 allows for Tx Power adjustment, which means you can set the transmission power of the device! You can adjust the power from 1mW all the way up to 200mW. No wonder ASUS claims that this PCI-E adapter will give you 150% more coverage than generic wireless adapters.

The back side of the ASUS PCE-AC66 Dual-Band Wireless-AC1750 PCI-E Adapter retail packaging highlights some of the key features of the device and shows that it is the best adapter available from ASUS.  ASUS shows this card as having the 'ultimate' level of performance and is capable of multiple HD streams on the interference-resistant 5GHz signal.

Inside the retail packaging you'll find three dipole antennas, the external magnetic antenna base, an option low profile PCIe bracket, driver CD, warranty card and the PCIe x1 wireless LAN adapter. Everything you need to get this wireless network adapter is included!

Here is a closer look at the card, antennas and the external antenna base that allows for better adjustments for improved signal reception quality. The detachable antenna base is magnetized, so you can attach it on your PC case if it is steel or on a variety of other items.

The ASUS PCE-AC66 PCIe card uses a red PCB with an anodized red aluminum heatsink to remove heat from the Broadcom 802.11ac chipset. ASUS says that this was done to ensure the best reliability possible in all regions of the world. Lower temperatures translate into a more stable device in all climate conditions, even during hot summers, and greater stability means more consistent connectivity and longer product lifespan. ASUS is using the Broadcom BCM4360KMLG controller that is a 3-stream 802.11ac WiFi System-on-Chip (SoC) in case you are curious.

On the back side of the ASUS PCE-AC66 you'll see some more components, but nothing major or worth talking about. The most interesting thing back here is the serial number sticker, which would come in handy during the 1-year warranty period. The warranty is limited, but ASUS should cover any hardware defects you may be experience during this time.

The ASUS PCE-AC66 needs to be installed into an open PCIe expansion slot in your desktop PCs motherboard. Once you have the card mounted inside your case you just need to attach the cards three antennas. These antennas can be mounted directly to the back of the card or on a magnetic antenna base that comes with a 1 meter long cable.

Here is a look at the ASUS PCE-AC66 with the magnetic base attached to the card and the antennas attached. We tested the card in this configuration with the base sitting on top of our desktop PC case.

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OrientEX Mini Touchpad Wireless Keyboard for Windows 7/ MacOS 10.x or later/ Linux Debian 3.1 with laser pointer and presentation [R.F 2.4G Black]

Introduction:
This 2.4GHz USB wireless handheld keyboard is a great accessory for your laptop, home pc, Playstation or Wii gaming system. Its small compact frame allows you to carry it anywhere while maintaining full control of your system. It’s like having a mini keyboard and mouse both in the palm of your hand.

The perfect combination of keyboard, touch and laser pointer, for teaching or training, with keyboard, mouse and laser pointer all in one hand. Great for travel or as a gift.

Features:

- Portable and elegant;

- 2.4G wireless receiver;
- The world’s first Touchpad 90-degree flip design;
- Innovative design of the Navigation keys;
- Windows Multimedia Control;
- Built-in rechargeable lithium-ion battery;
- Laser pointer with remote control;
- With a real notebook Touchpad;
- Real QWERT full-function mini keyboard.
- CARPC: car computer’s best wireless solution!

Specification:
- Operating distance: up to 10 meters/30 feet;
- Color: Black
- Model: RF Using DSSS model, a stronger anti-jamming capability;
- Computer System requirements:
Linux Debian 3.1/ Redhat 9.0 / Ubuntu 8.10 / Fedora 7.0 tested
MacOS 10.x or later
Windows 7 / CE / XP /Vista / 2000
Package include:
1 pc mini handheld keyboard

Note: It is a wireless but not bluetooth keyboard

Price: $61.89

Click here to buy from Amazon

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