The Nintendo Super Mario Bros Game & Watch is a $50 handheld game console designed to run just three games. But Nintendo’s latest retro console has proven to be hackable… at least by folks with the necessary skills and hardware. Launched this fall as an homage to Nintendo handhelds from the 80s, the new Game […]
hacks
Nintendo Game & Watch: Super Mario Bros hacked on day one (Yes, it plays DOOM)
Nintendo’s latest retro game console is a handheld game system designed to run just a few games. The Super Mario Bros Game & Watch is a modern take on the original Game & Watch line of single-game handhelds that were released in Japan 40 years ago. First announced in September, the new model sells for […]
Hacker adds a working fingerprint sensor to the PinePhone
The PinePhone isn’t just the most affordable smartphone designed to run GNU/Linux-based operating systems. It’s also designed to be a modular device – most internal components are user replaceable, and there are six pogo pins that allow extra hardware to be added to the device. So far Pine64 has announced plans for three optional accessories […]
Lilbits: Microsoft brings new Windows Subsystem for Linux to older Windows 10 builds
One of the most surprising things Microsoft did when the company introduced Windows 10 was to include a Windows Subsystem for Linux, which allows users to install Ubuntu or other GNU/Linux distributions and run them within Windows. The optional feature lets you open up a terminal window and run Linux commands without the need to […]
mouSTer lets a modern mouse work with vintage computers
Most of the mice available for modern computers connect to a PC via USB or Bluetooth. But there was a time when computers didn’t have either of those things. So if you want to use a modern mouse with a vintage computer, you have to get creative. And that’s what the folks behind the mouSTer […]
Build an automatic router rebooter with $3 in parts
One of the first things to do when your internet connection goes down is to turn off your router, wait a moment, and turn it back on again (something that works for a surprising number of computer issues). But you know what’s even easier than manually rebooting your router? Getting it to restart automatically whenever […]
You can install Windows 10X on various computers (but you probably shouldn’t)
Windows 10X is Microsoft’s new operating system designed for dual-screen and foldable devices, although it also has some features that could make it an interesting new option for traditional tablets and laptops. While the operating system is still a work in progress, this week Microsoft released a set of Windows 10X development tools including a […]
Amazon Fire tablet hacking resources (Fall 2019 edition)
As usual, Amazon is offering deep discounts on Fire tablets for the holiday shopping season. And as usual, some folks would like Amazon’s tablets better if they worked a bit more like other Android tablets. Amazon Fire tablets run a fork of Android called Fire OS. That means they have an Amazon-designed user interface and ship […]
Walmart’s cheap Onn tablets are hackable (root, recovery & more)
This year Walmart launched a line of cheap Android tablets that sell for $50 to $100. While Walmart’s Onn tablets aren’t exactly high-performance devices, they do have one thing that helps set them apart from Amazon’s cheap line of Fire tablets — the Onn tablets run near-stock Android software with the Google Play Store and […]
Comprinter II is a PC-in-a-printer (and this time it actually prints)
A few months ago Mason Stooksbury crammed the guts of an old PC into an old printer and created a franken-PC called the Comprinter. The only catch? The printer was broken, so the project looked cool, but couldn’t actually print anything unless you connected a different printer. Now Stooksbury is back with a Comprinter II, and […]