A $10 USB charger can record your keystrokes wirelessly

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A security researcher has developed a USB wall charger that can eavesdrop on nearly every Microsoft keyboard.

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Although we shared this discreet hack from Samy Kamkar back in January, a recent tweet from Lifehacker triggered our memory and we just had to share again! KeySweeper is an Arduino-based keylogger for Microsoft wireless keyboards (which use a proprietary 2.4GHz RF protocol) that is cleverly camouflaged as a functioning USB wall charger. The stealthy ATmega328 driven device can sniff, decrypt, log and report back all keystrokes — saving users both locally and online.

Keystrokes are then relayed back to the KeySweeper operator over the Internet via an optional GSM chip, or can be stored on a flash chip and delivered wirelessly when a secondary KeySweeper comes within range of the target KeySweeper. In fact, the well-known hardware hacker suggests that an effective reach of KeySweeper is that of a typical Bluetooth device, but could be extended using a low-noise amplifier. A web-based tool enables the live keystroke monitoring.

Users can set up SMS alerts that are triggered when certain keystrokes in the form of words, usernames or URLS are being typed, e.g. “bank” or heck, even “www.atmel.com.” (*Shameless SEO plug.*) If KeySweeper is removed from AC power, it will give off the impression that it is shut off; however, the inconspicuous gadget continues to operate covertly using an internal battery that is automatically recharged upon reconnecting to AC power.

As you are well aware, wireless keyboards have become a popular option for users wanting to connect to a laptop. Kamkar said he picked Microsoft’s keyboards after going into Best Buy and seeing which models seemed to be the most prevalent. Such units often encrypt their data before sending it wirelessly, but Kamkar claims to have discovered multiple bugs that make it easy to decrypt. While the researcher hasn’t tested the device on every Microsoft keyboard, he does believe that due to given their similarities, they will all be affected.

The KeySweeper project builds on previous work from Travis Goodspeed, Thorsten Schröder and Max Moser around the megaAVR controlled KeyKeriki.

Kamkar says the cost for KeySweeper can range anywhere from $10 to $80, depending on the operation and its necessary functions. Aside from the Arduino Pro Mini that he selected for its size, other components include:

• nRF24L01+ 2.4GHz RF chip which communicates using GFSK over 2.4GHz
• AC USB charger for converting AC power to 5v DC.
• (Optional) A SPI Serial Flash chip can be used to store keystrokes on.
• (Optional) Adafruit FONA which allows you to use a 2G SIM card to send/receive SMS, phone calls, and use the Internet directly from the device.
• (Optional, if using FONA) The FONA requires a mini-SIM card — not a micro SIM.
• (Optional, if using FONA): The FONA provides on-board LiPo/LiOn battery recharging, and while KeySweeper is connected to AC power, the battery will be kept charged, but is required nonetheless.

It should be noted that the hacker does say a Teensy MCU can be used in place of the ‘duino. As for the software, the primary code is installed on the microcontroller, while the web-based backend uses jQuery and PHP to log all keystrokes and provide an interface for live monitoring of target keyboards. KeySweeper’s source code and schematic are available on GitHub.

Intrigued? You can access the entire build on Kamkar’s official page.

This photo booth snaps zombie selfies and tweets them

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This selfie booth is like something straight out of The Walking Dead.

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What can we say? We’re a sucker for innovative photo booth projects. And although we’ve seen some pretty cool ones in the past, none may be as spooktacular and gruesome as this one from Donnie Plumly.

This Halloween, the Maker decided to transform his cubicle into a scene like something straight out of The Walking Dead. The aptly named Zombie Selfie is comprised of a molded silicone arm, which is clipped onto his office partition via a custom steel mount, and a vibration sensor that’s hooked up to an Arduino Uno (ATmega328).

The Arduino detects when one of his colleagues touches (or slaps) the zombie hand, thereby triggering the picture-taking sequence. An IR LED helps snap the photo, which is then sent along to an Eye-Fi card in his Canon camera. From there, the selfie is put into a Dropbox folder and an IFTTT recipe tweets the image to the Twitter handle @ZombieSelfie.

And similar to our good pal Quin Etynre’s B&W Instant Selfie project, Plumly connected the camera to a monitor so that users could preview their photo. What’s more, he turned the sleep functions off on the camera and the monitor so the last image taken would always be displayed.

Intrigued? You can ghoul check out the entire project on Instructables here.

These Halloween projects are full of tricks and treats

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Happy Hallow-uino!

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Let’s face it, Halloween is arguably one of, if not, the best night to be a Maker — a celebration full of carving, candy, costumes, and of course, some creative decorations. To pay homage to All Hallows’ Eve, we’ve decided to compile a list of a few tricks, which are surely a treat to see!

Talkin’ Skeleton

Tired of having to greet those trick-or-treaters personally? With an Arduino Duemilanove (ATmega168) for a brain, this talking skeleton will take care of all that mumbo jumbo for you, with a variety of your own prerecorded phrases. Muahahahaha!

Terrifyin’ Demon Costume

A monster mash-up of animated LED backpacks and a wave shield voice changer creates a rather terrifying, electronic demon mask.

Findin’ Out Whose the Fairest of Them All

Mirror, mirror on the wall, who’s the fairest scariest one of them all? This wall-mounted installation plays animations based on input from various sensors and features four characters — with each character responding to the sensor inputs with its own personality. There’s even a photo booth feature as well.

Knockin’ on the Box

Simply knock on this ATtiny45 embedded box and it’ll knock back. If you tap on it a special number of times, it’ll play a secret tune, too!

Rulin’ a Bunch of Scarecrow Minions

Having already become quite the ‘ween must-see in his town, Maker Ryan Hughes decided to up his creative game by making a display of scarecrow minions lorded over by Pumpkin King.

Droppin’ Spiders

Spook those coming to your doorstep by dropping fake spider whenever someone comes near. Using an Arduino Uno (ATmega328), a ping sensor and a few servos, this automated mechanism will sense when a trick-or-treater approaches and release the eight-legged prop accordingly.

Textin’ Pumpkins

Add some interactivity to your haunted house by devising a Twilio-based web app that changes the color of pumpkins using an Arduino and a few LED strips. As a bonus, Maker Jarod Reyes included a power-switch to turn on a fog machine and also added a little eerie jazz music when trick-or-treaters texted “chaos” to the app.

Playin’ Some Pumpktris

As its name would suggest, Pumpktris is a fully playable version of Tetris built into a pumpkin with 128 LEDs for the display and the stem serving as a game controller.

Creepin’ Out Guests With Skully

This super simple yet creepy skull is attached to a single servo with LEDs in its eyes. Placed on the ground and masked with a net, this decoration will surely catch a couple of guests off guard.

Trickin’ Guests

Trick or treat? Ben Harben’s Halloween gadget comprised of an Arduino, a Nerf gun, a Gatorade bottle water reservoir and a coat hanger-turned-corkscrew makes either a matter of possibility.

Dishin’ Out Treats Automatically

Admit it, waiting around to dish out candy can get a bit boring. Just like everything else, why not automate it? This candy dispenser — equipped with an Arduino, X10 and Twilio — utilizes a pair of servos to both open the chute and mix the contents. What’s more, the contraption can be controlled via smartphone or SMS.

Skippin’ the Candy Bowl

Instead of putting out a candy bowl on your porch, this nifty, Arduino Leonardo (ATmega32U4)-driven vending machine will disperse the Halloween sweets without you ever having to leave the couch. (See it in action here.)

Trippin’ the Alarm

Fill your decorated room with smoke, then challenge haunted house goers to navigate the LASER Maze without tripping the ATmega168 driven alarm.

Snappin’ Selfies With Zombies

This Maker’s build employed a molded silicone arm, a custom steel mount to clip to an office partition and a vibration sensor hooked up to an Arduino. Once the arm is slapped, a photo is taken via an IR LED and passed to an Eye-Fi card in the camera. The pic is then put into a Dropbox folder and an IFTTT recipe tweets it.

Fire-Breathin’ Jack-o-Lantern

Let’s just say: Kids, don’t try this one at home. We repeat: Kids, or adults for that matter, don’t try this at home! One Maker decided to create a fire-breathing jack-o-lantern using an Arduino Uno (ATmega328) and a sonar proximity sensor to detect distances. As you can see, this wasn’t safe enough place on the doorstep.

Gettin’ Mystical With Gemma

Looking to stir up some fear with your Halloween getup? Adafruit’s Becky Stern has you covered. She has crafted a mystical hood equipped with LED eyes, which is perfect for your next Jawa, Black Mage, or Orko costume. The interactive garment features a Gemma (ATtiny85) that causes two NeoPixel Jewels to slowly fade on and off for the full spooktacular eye effect.

Trappin’ Candy Thieves

Don’t you just hate it when trick-or-treaters take all of your candy? This year, you can stop that! Keep those treat thieves away by using an Arduino to detect when someone has their hand in the candy bowl, and use a solenoid to shoot silly string at those gluttonous visitors!

Lightin’ Up Your House

Shelby Merrick has adorned his home with a light show that would certainly impress Clark Griswold, that’s for sure!  The Maker designed special ATXmega8E5 based controller (dubbed FloodBrain) that switches a set of 12 flood RGBs to achieve the desired effects seen below.

Bringin’ Splatterhouse to Life

Clay Cowgill is dead-icated to Halloween, so much so that he made his own Splatterhouse arcade cabinet. Aside from a lot of little details on the outside, the Maker added some circuitry inside that triggers real world effects based on in-game variables.

Soarin’ UFO Style

If you’re not a fan of Halloween and are frightened by the mere thought of aliens, we recommend that you don’t visit this house on October 31st. One Maker has crafted a pretty impressive DIY UFO project using cardboard, tape, tinfoil, 8mm of diffused Adafruit NeoPixels and an Arduino Micro (ATmega32u4).

Controllin’ Zombie Dolls With Arduino

Umm… This. Is. Creepy.

Poppin’ Out of the Ground

Speaking of zombies, this Arduino-powered prop features a motion-activated, pivoting head along with corresponding sound effects and some smoke machine goodness.

Flyin’ Ghosts Around the Neighborhood

Thanks to this dressed up quadcopter, Casper won’t be the only ghost you’ll see flying through the night sky.

Visitin’ the Haunted Mansion

Those who’ve ever been to Disney World’s Haunted Mansion can now bring some of that magic home to their front yard this Halloween… with the help of an Arduino Uno (ATmega328).

Blinkin’ Eyes of Doom

Looking for an interactive way to dress up the walkway while spooking some trick-or-treaters? These randomly-changing, multi-colored and ATtiny85 powered eyes should do the trick.

This tape gun lets you sketch room-size furniture in minutes

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Protopiper is a computer-aided, handheld fabrication device that allows you to sketch room-sized objects at actual scale.

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Let’s face it, trying to decide whether or not a piece of furniture will actually fit in your living room can be quite the hassle. For those times where a tape measure will just not suffice, one team from the Human Computer Interaction Lab at the Hasso-Plattner-Institut has arrived at an innovative (and perhaps better) solution. Meet ProtoPiper — a modded tape gun that enables users to quickly create full-scale models of any object and determine right then and there whether or not it’ll properly fit inside a home.

Whereas a 3D printer can produce a prototype of something in hours, ProtoPiper will let you get a sense of what you’re dealing with in a matter of minutes. That’s because it can forgo paying attention to small details. The gadget delivers an open framework similar to the wireframe models on 3D modeling software — only these are capable of taking up a physical space in full scale. Instead of layers of melted plastic, it turns rolls of adhesive tape into strong yet lightweight plastic tubes that act as building blocks for the room-size mockups.

As crazy it may sound, it seems like a pretty darn good idea. The device itself is practically an assembly line all on its own. Tape is drawn from the roll, shaped into a tube and results in a surprisingly somewhat sturdy 3D structure. The good news is that you’ll know immediately if a particular end table will be too snug between the sofa and wall, and visualize how it might look with other furniture. The bad news is that you can’t skimp out on the purchase, as the prototype support your weight!

In terms of electronics, the tape gun is equipped with a four-digit display, an extrude and cut button, an on/off switch, a tool selection dial, servo motors, and an Arduino Nano (ATmega328) to control all of the extrusion, heating and cutting. It’s powered by a single 11.1V LiPo battery.

What’s more, ProtoPiper can be used to devise simple mechanisms that serve a little more function. For instance, the team has even managed to assemble a prototype of a collapsing umbrella, which although may not keep the rain away from anyone’s head, does allow designers to perfect its form and dimensions before paying for a more finished product.

Intrigued? Put aside that tape measure and check out ProtoPiper here.

These two parents just built a ‘Mad Max’ Power Wheels

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These kids’ Halloween costumes are sooooooo much cooler than yours. 

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If you think kids are the only ones that can have a blast on Halloween, you’ve clearly never seen Maker parents Cory and Jeremy Newton-Smith, who’ve become well-known for devising some pretty remarkable costumes throughout the past few years. Most recently, the retrofitted a couple of old Power Wheels Jeeps and transformed them itnto a Mad Max trick-or-treating vehicle for their two children.

The Newton-Smiths, both software engineers by trade and Makers by night, are no strangers to creating elaborate Halloween ensembles. Their past three getups have included Elliot on his bike with E.T., the Ghostbusters complete with an Ecto-1, and Marty McFly with a time-traveling DeLorean. And this year, they pulled out all the stops once again by dressing up their four-year-old son as Mad Max and their 11-month old daughter as Imperator Furiosa.

The Power Wheels-based War Rig replica boasts four motors, a smooth starting throttle, power steering, keyed ignition, sounds effects with pull cord truck air-horn and LEDs embedded into the dash, as well as the ability for 11-month-old Furiosa to drive via an overriding remote-controlled iPhone app that communicates with the car over Bluetooth Low Energy. Aside from all that, a heartbeat signal was also added to remote override mode to ensure the car stops when losing connection or goes out of range, which is probably best when you’ve got young ones behind the wheel!

Intrigued? Head over to the Newton-Smith’s page to see all the photos, along with their famous projects from previous years as well.

Maker dad creates an El Niño Halloween costume with lightning and rain effects

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Another Halloween, another incredible Glowy Zoey costume! 

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We’re not sure what we get more excited about every Halloween: the endless supply of candy or GlowyZoey’s costumes which have become an annual tradition in the Hutain household. Royce Hutain, the Maker dad behind digital LED suit projects like last year’s Minnie Mouse stick figure getup, has done it again. This time, he has pulled out all the stops to create a slick cloud costume, complete with special lightning and rain effects.

Inspired by El Niño (the band of warm ocean water that develops in the central and east-central equatorial Pacific), Zoey’s outfit consists of 98 LEDs and an Arduino Nano (ATmega328) to control the lightning. There’s also a hidden, handheld switch that triggers a rain system above her head, comprised of a washer fluid pump that sucks water up from a bottle in her backpack.

The cloud hat “turned out to be a little bit too big for her little neck to support and her head wobbled a bit,” Hutain explains. “But she loves making the rain turn on.” As cool as the project may be, Zoey has decided she wants to go as Elsa for Halloween this year instead. LOL! You can see it in action below!

Creating the ultimate Arduino-lovers Halloween costume

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Happy Halloween Hallowuino!

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Two years ago, mechanical engineer and cartoonist Angela Melick (who goes by the nickname Jam) developed a pretty neat Halloween costume based on her favorite prototype development board: the Arduino. And that’s not all. Not only does it look like an Uno, it’s actually powered by one as well.

“It’s hard to tell in the first photo but the outfit is covered in puff-paint traces — all up and down the arms and over the back. It was a lot of work but it looks really cool,” Jam explained in her blog post.

The costume is equipped with a series of LEDs that go down her side and blink to a preprogrammed pattern, handled by an Arduino around her neck. Aside from that, a few glow stocks were used in place of “wires,” which as Maker jokingly notes, “represent the tangled mess that any Arduino project is in its first stages.” And we can’t help but notice the ATmega328 at the heart of this ensemble, which appears to be made of styrofoam.

However, Jam’s favorite part of the entire costume? The matching fascinator which features a second Arduino and a few more flashing lights, of course!

“This was my first time soldering ‘free’ wires and 8/8 of the LEDs worked, which I’m very proud of because the wires go all the way down the side and alllll the way back up the shirt,” the Maker added.

Feeling inspired to go make your own costume? Better hurry up, as we’re just days away from Halloween! In the meantime, you can check out Jam’s entire build here.

Maker builds his own self-lacing sneakers

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Footwear that’s just in time for Back to the Future Day! 

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Aside from a time-travelling DeLorean DMC-12 and hoverboard, there’s one other notable design from Back To The Future II that has left us eagerly waiting to get our hands on feet in for years. During the cult classic, Marty McFly puts on a pair of Nike high-top sneakers that automatically lace and tighten on their own. With October 21, 2015 finally upon us, Maker Hunter Scott decided to do his part and help make such footwear a reality.

Impressively, Scott didn’t even need Dr. Emmett Brown’s help to bring this idea to life. Instead, he ordered himself a pair of knockoff Nike Air Mag sneakers and gathered several widely available parts, including an Arduino Pro Mini (ATmega328), a LiPo battery, a USB charger, a motor, a motor driver, a shaft coupler and a rotary encoder. He also incorporated a switch to turn the kicks on/off and a button to activate the system.

The BttF-inspired shoes came with removable strap which Scott ended up removing part of its velcro, allowing it to slide without catching. The Maker carved out a notch in the back to install the motor, shaft coupler and encoder, and used a little bit of fishing line to go around the top, providing the power behind the laces.

A force sensitive resistor taped beneath the heel of the insole lets the Arduino know when a wearer steps into the shoe, while a rotary encoder on the motor shaft ensures that all the power lace cycles are the same.

Admittedly, the DIY sneaks are not exactly likes the ones worn on the big screen. For one, they don’t loosen automatically — you’ll have to hit the button for that. Secondly, Scott points out that they pale in comparison to the speed of McFly’s kicks… for now anyway. Regardless, they’re pretty darn cool if you ask us! Intrigued? Check out the Maker’s entire project here, or watch them in action below.

This smart recycling bin will sort the trash for you

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RecycleBot is a smart appliance that makes recycling easy by automatically depositing waste into the correct bin.

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We’ve all been there: You’re committed to helping save the environment by recycling, but find yourself contemplating which bin each piece of trash belongs. Wouldn’t it be much easier if there was automatic waste disposal machine that could streamline the process for you? That’s now a reality thanks to Maker Damiano Franco.

RecycleBot is an automated recycling system that will scan the package of whatever it is you’re throwing away and ensure that it is sorted into the right material category, alleviating the headache of having to decipher resin codes on your own. Based on an Arduino along with a Yun Shield, the DIY appliance is designed to fit below a kitchen countertop, and when installed, remains unnoticeable except for the insertion hole built directly into your granite.

Recently on display at Maker Faire Rome, the RecycleBot is fairly straightforward to use. Once your trash has been deposited, the device will scan the barcode of the box, can or carton being thrown away and then automatically check its web-based database for its material. If the piece of garbage doesn’t have a barcode, you can simply manually select the material as well. Or, should the item not be found on, you can update the list yourself for future use. From there, the bot places the item on a motorized tray to dispose of it properly into the right container. No more guessing, color-coded bins, or getting yelled at by your significant other for misplacement!

What’s more, the robotic contraption does more than just sort and store your trash. In fact, it can create weekly shopping lists, provide real-time data for recycling companies and be used to calculate waste collection tax breaks, where applicable. Looking ahead, its creators hope to integrate a compactor into their next iteration of RecycleBot to optimize garbage capacity, as well as as include special sensors that’ll automatically detect an item’s composition without having to scan a barcode. The machine will come in various shapes and sizes, and can even be employed in public places — something that may come in handy at future Maker Faires!

This robotic guitar can strum itself

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Guitarduino?

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For those of us who’ve always wanted to shred like Hendrix, B. B. King or John Mayer but lacked the necessary skill and know-how, Giuseppe Pilla has come up with the perfect solution. As seen on display at Maker Faire Rome, the Maker has built a fully-automated, acoustic guitar-playing robot.

Impressively, the music-making machine is capable of playing tracks ranging from Bob Marley’s “No Woman No Cry,” to Leonard Cohen’s “Allelujah,” to “Jessica” by the Allman Borthers. To get started, a user first selects a song on an Android smartphone. Commands from the device are transmitted over Bluetooth to an Arduino Mega (ATmega2560), where they are then decoded, processed and matched up to one of the tracks already stored in the robot’s memory. This provides the actuators (motor steppers and servo motors) with all of the necessary instructions to begin strumming.

The guitar itself is placed horizontally on a smooth and even surface where handcrafted supports keep the various actuators mounted in place. Each servo motor is equipped with a pick allowing it to pluck away with precision, while six stepper motors located near the handle are used to correspond to a note. The motors, drivers and switches are all powered by the Arduino.

As to why we didn’t come across this project any sooner, we have no clue. But boy, are we glad we stumbled upon this at Maker Faire Rome! See it in action for yourself below.