In Search Of ~ Great Hacks
By: DTMF
In Search Of ~ Great Hacks
By: DTMF
A while back a clever hacker took a device called a
Network Appliance that was selling for $99 and turned
it into a full fledged PC. What he started was a trend
that isn't likely to end any time soon.
Hack - Accepted Hacker Definition:
"To make something function in a way it wasn't designed to." - Intrinsic Security CSO
Here we will list some common devices, and what you can do with them.
First off, keeping in tradition with the I-Opener 'Net Appliance hack-
we will list the most common Network Appliances and their hacks.
Note: Before anyone flames us, firstly remember that most of these devices
are either no longer made -OR- the companies who make them will not
suffer from hacking them.
Network Appliances
Sold by major companies such as Virgin, Microsoft, Compaq, E-machines
and several others; they had stripped down computers made, often with
very sleek and cool looking LCD screens and wireless keyboards;
although they were simple to use and looked cool, the problem was their
business model. Companies sought to make their money from Internet
subscriptions (usually at a premium price) rather than their device sales.
Since these hacks effectively allowed any ISP to be used, these companies
ended up loosing massive amounts of money on them.
Here are some devices on the market and how you can hack them.
Compaq I-paq IA (Also known as the MSN Companion) can be found at www.tigerdirect.com and purchased for $99.
These devices are a little tricky to hack, but the result is a full blown PC. Note: It also requires owning or
purchasing additional hardware (which can be expensive.)
Hack Details: A Linux OS or other OS is loaded onto a Compact Flash
memory card which replaces the customized Windows CE installation and then is booted, then allowing mounting of a USB device such as a USB Zip disk, Floppy, etc.
Requirements: Compact Flash Card, USB Storage Device.
Cost: $300-400 Perhaps cheaper if you only load JailBait.
Advantages: LCD Screen alone costs $500+ just about. Wireless keyboard.
Small desktop footprint. Prints too. Looks cool head on.*
Notes: Also available is a IA2 Model which is not recommended.
Cons: Slightly tricky hack. Requires opening the device and buying accessories.
Requires a USB network adapter for broadband use.
*Looks silly from the side view (has rather large hump in the back as a stand)
Flashing the internal SanDisk may render the device unbootable/dead.
Other Network Appliances - Details Omitted:
(We are only listing hack details for devices that are readily available for now.)
ThinkNIC ThinkNIC hack allows the ThinkNIC to become a PC
WebTV Available at local Wal-Mart. WebTV hack codes
WebPal Another WebTV clone (Hard Hack, not very powerful machine)
AOL TV - Acer Set Top Box (Hard to find) Group homepage
A Rare Breed
Virgin WebPlayer (Only available via Ebay Auction.)
NadaPC Unknown whether hacks exist or not.
WebSurfer A WebTV clone, which can be turned into a cheap PC
WebTV Clone R.I.P Discontinued Models
Laptop, Palmtop, Notebook or SubNotes
Ricoh Magio notebook Linux hack
IBM PC 110 Palmtop (Japanese, Hard to find.)
IBM Z50 A NetBSD hack aka Workpad
Compaq Presario 1200
A great resource is Linux On Laptops
Web Pads
Cruisepad by Zenith Data Systems (ZDS) a wireless tablet with pen
Fujitsu Stylistic Model 1000 hack files (can be found @ $200)
Audrey by 3COM !advanced hack! =>hack site (Only available via Ebay Auction.)
E-Pods by Salton (Only available via Ebay Auction.)
Gateway Touchpad hackpage mp3 touchscreen player (Can be extremely expensive)
Please let us know if any of these devices become available at a retailer
so we can add the hack details here and where they can be purchased.
PDA Hacks
There are numerous hacks for PDAs, most of them take the proprietary
OS which is usually extremely limited and replaces it with another one.
(PDA - A personal digital assistant, aka a handheld computer)
What do you do when that $499 PDA you bought last Christmas becomes
discontinued? And all those fancy applications the company promised was
never released? Situations just like those, is what has forced consumers to
fight back, with their own hacks.
Compaq IPAQ resource @ Handhelds.org is the #1 starting place, .
Other Devices / Misc
Philips IS2630 A pretty cool touchscreen phone, which has become the Tuxscreen
Cybiko
Cybiko is a PDA for kids, and now recently a new version targeted at
Teens has been released, with twice the memory. Hopefully we will have
a full review for this device, if we get a response back from the manufacturer.
The Cybiko is a Kids PDA, with support for WAP, email, chat and radio
functions. The Cybiko runs a proprietary OS with a Unix style command prompt.
The Cybiko is limited to 512K internal memory, but has expansion options.
Best of all it is low cost ($39.95 at KBtoys for the classic.) and is wireless.
There is no "true" hack for the Cybiko yet (like replacing the OS) however
there are so many clever projects being developed and a few mods (modifications)
that we just had to list it.
Note: All these hacks/mods are about the Cybiko Classic, we will post more
on the Cybiko Extreme when they happen.
CybiMunk is a great web page (our personal favorite)
Current list of mods and software:
Double the speed of the Cybiko with a crystal swap to overclock the processor
Memory Expansion and Midi/MP3 playing
PCMIA interface hacking (if it is possible, which is undetermined at the moment)
Add a lighting and a screen magnifier
Hack the boot screen
ICQ and AIM instant messaging programs (requires 2 cybiko units)
Resources:
Cybiko MIDI files
Cybiko Link Page (A great starting place)
Now & Then
Its funny because about 1-2 years ago the Mailstation would be the coolest
hack, but now in the age of broadband, it is almost a useless hack.
One of the oldest hacks - Hack Furby lets you hack the little furby toy.
In Conclusion
DTMF hacked his own I-Opener just days after the launch of the I-Opener
hacking page went up, and ever since has been inspired to hack different devices
to run Linux and Windows.
The Mother Of All Resources:
Linux Hacker BBS - Here you can find any answer to hacking different devices.
Neat fact: This company makes 80-90% the worlds notebooks, which are sold under numerous brand names.
E-Bay - For those too skittish to hack themselves, you can find already hacked units.
