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October 31, 2007

Decrypting GSM

Check out this video from last August's CCC Camp, which describes using a Universal Software Radio Perhiperal (USRP) to record GSM messages, and then using an FPGA to defeat the A5/1 encryption that's used to secure an encrypted GSM channel in the span of a couple weeks. By spending a couple months to precompute a 5 TB lookup table you could bring the decryption process down to just a few minutes.

First half of the talk is an introduction into GSM interception. Second half presents a new method for cracking the GSM encryption A5/1. This is a new attack that can crack any encrypted channel (SMS, Voice) within 3-5 minutes regardless of how long the conversation is (e.g. can crack a telephone conversation that only lasts 4 seconds).

Now, most of us won't be running out right now to grab an FPGA and a software radio so we can start cracking GSM voice converstations and SMS messages, but the actual discussion of how GSM works and how the team went about putting together a real-time cracking method for A5/1 is fascinating. What's really crazy is that for a few thousand dollars, anyone could really set up a GSM recording and cracking system. This isn't just NSA or government-funded spy stuff.

At about the 19 minute mark, Steve talks a little about how mobile identification and position information is transmitted. If you've ever called the phone company to track down a stolen phone, you've probably been told this isn't possible. Turns out that if you've had a phone lost or stolen, it actually transmits its position information _all_the_time_. So, technically, your network operator should be able to tell you the phone's location to within 200 meters.

The A5 Cracking Project - [via] Link
GNU Radio - Link

A Carl and Jerry Halloween story

Make Pt0006
Jeff writes in -

Carl and Jerry were Halloween Makers in the grand tradition. This story, from November 1960, explains how they built a very creepily effective severed hand for a seance, magnetically enabled so it can tap out messages by remote control on a glass tabletop.

A Carl and Jerry Halloween Story - Link (PDF).

Enter the DIY Halloween contests!

Make Pt0005
This is it gang, it's Halloween - We have a MASSIVE DIY HALLOWEEN contest this year! Makers and Crafters, enter our 2nd annual ghoulishly fun Halloween contests! Anyone, anywhere, can enter all or just some of the contests. MAKE, CRAFT, Instructables and Popular Science have teamed up and there's plenty of time to win! Here's how to enter and here are all the great prizes!!!. If you're in a hurry just add your photos to the MAKE DIY Halloween photo pool!

Etsy costume contest winners

As you may have known, Etsy has also been putting on a Halloween costume contest and they too have had many brilliant entries. But, as with any competition there can only be one (or a few in this case) winner.

Etsy costume contest winners - Link.

Scare the crap out of people... with air!

Here's a commercial product (from FrightProps) that uses a blast of compressed air on a person's ankle to separated them from their skin. If you have an air compressor, you could probably bodge up your own without too much trouble.

Ankle Blaster Air Cannon - [via] Link

Yet another Halloween costume contest

It amazes us how creative some people get for Halloween. From truly tasteless to super creative. Even the props are getting more creative:

You can find out more about this costume idea as well as a bunch of others over at Cockeyed.com.

2007 Cockeyed.com Halloween Costume Contest - Link.

Don't forget about our DIY Halloween Flickr pool

We've had TONS of response to our call for Halloween tips and tricks in our Flickr pool. From Tuscan Raiders:

To Duffman:

To creative pumpkin carving:

Plus there are pet costumes, props and accessories and whole bunch more. Better still, even though today is Halloween, people are still contributing!

DIY Halloween Flickr pool - Link.

Samurai Garbage Collector!

Check out this ridiculously cool samurai costume made almost entirely out of Rubbermaid garbage cans.

Halloween Samurai 2007 - [via] Link

Head in a Jar

Looking for that last minute Halloween prop to make your entrance complete? How about this head in a jar?

All you need is a large jar, and a dead body. If the body isn't available you might try a printer and Google.

Head in a jar - Link.

Great group costume idea

Since the "Kiss" group costume has been done to death we thought we'd share this original group costume idea:

It's actually a a traveling exhibition of modern art.

Group costume idea - Link.

PLAN A DIY HALLOWEEN from MAKE & CRAFT FOR 2008!
1244142984 79667Ff1E6-1-1
Get a start on Hallween 2008 with our DIY HALLOWEEN 2007 edition from the editors of MAKE and CRAFT brings you 40-plus DIY projects for the holiday that's made for makers. From the craftiest costumes to amazing animated props and the latest in computer-controlled haunted house effects - Link.

Dwight Shrute bobblehead costume

Dwight Shrute Bobblehead Costume

What more needs to be said here?

Dwight Shrute Bobblehead Costume - Link.

New kind of 'vampire' - Sucks power out of homes

Make Pt0004
Catchy headline for Halloween, but a real problem... -

A force as insidious as Dracula is quietly sucking a nickel of every dollar's worth of the electricity that seeps from your home's outlets. Electronic gadgets running in standby mode use 5 percent of electricity in the United States. Insert the little fangs of your cell phone charger in the outlet and leave it there, phone attached: That's "vampire" electronics. Allow your computer to hide in the cloak of darkness known as "standby mode" rather than shutting it off: That's vampire electronics.

New kind of 'vampire' - Sucks power out of homes - Link.

Even dogs like iphones for halloween

Next time you get a call, just pick up your dog and answer. Even dogs are getting in the halloween spirit in NYC this year! Trick or Treat!

Pups on Parade at Tompkins Square Park - Link [via]

Dress up as a YouTube clip and let people comment on you directly

Here's a good idea for Halloween! Dress up like a YouTube video and watch the comments roll in. Just make sure that everyone likes the footage.

OMG! Awesome Party Guy Vid! -
Link, [via]

Build a gas mask from your old PC

We know that you were planning on buying an expensive gas mask to foil the next bio-terror plot, but who's got the cash? Now for a whopping $0 of materials including an empty CD-ROM case and a plastic bag, you can make your own mask just like the pros use. Remember, evil could be everywhere and you must be prepared!

Build Your Own Gas Mask Out of Computer Parts - Link

Crime-Detection tests for the home chemist

Make Pt0001
DIY CSI - Link.

October 30, 2007

Ionic wind heatsink

Inventgeek has a slick DIY heatsink project. It's completely silent, unlike the traditional CPU fan. With a $24 ion generator and a few items that you can pick up at the hardware store, the device is able to generate an ionic wind that pulls air through a traditional heatsink. The total cost is under $60, is completely silent, and puts tens of thousands of volts of static electricity an inch or two from your CPU.

The Ion Cooler 3.0 - Heat Sink - [via] Link

Yet another great soldering tutorial

In case you need any more encouragement to learn how to solder (or want to bone up on your craft), Hack-a-Day has a really nice tut (the Grand Guru of Hardware Hackerdom himself Forrest M. Mims III even chimed in a good word in the comments).

How-To: Introduction to soldering - Link
Followup: Soldering How-To - Link

Related:

Soldering Tutorial - Make Video Podcast - Link
Soldering Tutorial PDF - Link
It's Learn to Solder Month! - Link

Arduino-powered pumpkin

I was planning to make a MiniPOV Cylon Jack-O-Lantern, but I remembered I didn't have a MiniPOV at home. I placed an order for one to remedy this, but I figured the order wouldn't get here in time for Halloween, so I whipped something else up instead. It's a Jack-O-Lantern that's designed to look like it's got a flickering candle in it... until you get up close. It has a proximity sensor and brings the LEDs up to maximum brightness as soon as you get near it. The source code is based on an example from Tom Igoe's Making Things Talk, which I now keep on my bench within reach of all my Arduino boards - Arduino-powered pumpkin Instructable

Update: the source code for this project is now hosted on Make's Google Code repository.

Tesla turbine from a CD disc pack

Simple Tesla turbine made out of CDs housed in a plastic CD "cake box" disc pack. Several different experiments are tried, using air, water, magnets, no magnets, saw blade attachment(!), etc. See the other videos on the YouTube link.