Fail of the Week: Thermostat Almost Causes a House Fire

Fair warning: any homeowners who have thermostats similar to the one that nearly burned down [Kerry Wong]’s house might be in store for a sleepless night or two, at least until they inspect and perhaps replace any units that are even remotely as sketchy as what he found when he …read more

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Lessons in Li-Ion Safety

If you came here from an internet search because your battery just blew up and you don’t know how to put out the fire, then use a regular fire extinguisher if it’s plugged in to an outlet, or a fire extinguisher or water if it is not plugged in. Get …read more

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The Blessings And Destruction Wrought By Lead Over Millennia

Everyone one of us is likely aware of what lead — as in the metal — is. Having a somewhat dull, metallic gray appearance, it occupies atomic number 82 in the periodic table and is among the most dense materials known to humankind. Lead’s low melting point and malleability even …read more

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Ask Hackaday: What Good Is a Robot Dog?

It is said that Benjamin Franklin, while watching the first manned flight of a hot air balloon by the Montgolfier brothers in Paris in 1783, responded when questioned as to the practical value of such a thing, “Of what practical use is a new-born baby?” Dr. Franklin certainly had a …read more

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DEF CON 27, Early Release, WillC’s ‘Phreaking Elevators’

Thanks to Def Con 27 for early publishing their outstanding conference videos on their YouTube Channel.
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DHS warns of vulnerability that could be used to alter flight data in small planes

An insecure networking standard could allow a hacker with physical access to a small aircraft to trick the plane’s equipment into giving false readings of critical flight data, according to a warning from the Department of Homeland Security. The vulnerability, discovered by cybersecurity company Rapid7, is in the implementation of CAN bus, a popular networking standard that allows communication between microcontrollers in planes, cars and other machinery. A hacker would need physical access to carry out the hypothetical attack, which involves attaching a device to the plane’s CAN bus to insert false data. Engine readings, altitude and airspeed are among the data that could be manipulated, according to Rapid7 researcher Patrick Kiley. Kiley said the aviation sector is lagging in securing CAN bus networks because of an apparent reliance on physical security. Because the assumption is that hackers won’t get physical access to airplanes, “the increased perceived physical security of […]

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Hackaday Links: July 21, 2019

Ordering a PCB used to be a [Henry Ford]-esque experience: pick any color you like, as long as it’s green. We’ve come a long way in the “express yourself” space with PCBs, with slightly less than all the colors of the rainbow available, and some pretty nice silkscreening options to …read more

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Open-water swimming safety device snugs to the back when not needed

When you see hardcore lake or ocean swimmers who are far from shore, you’ve gotta wonder – what happens if they get tired, or get a cramp? Well, there are flotation devices that they can use, although some of them are cumbersome. The Tekrapod… Continue reading Open-water swimming safety device snugs to the back when not needed

FDA issues safety alert for fecal transplants after reported death

A new safety alert, issued by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), is recommending extra precautions for those medical and scientific professionals using fecal microbiota transplants (FMT) after revealing one person recently died due to a … Continue reading FDA issues safety alert for fecal transplants after reported death