Slashdot Mirror


Hardware Hacking Guide — Citizen Engineer

Solderingfool writes "MAKE Magazine's Phil Torrone and open source hardware hacker Ladyada from Adafruit Industries have a new video series called 'Citizen Engineer.' In the first video they show how a SIM card works, then build a SIM card reader which could be used to clone a SIM card. They also show how to use an old payphone as a regular home phone, later with coins, and for their final hack — how to 'Redbox' it. They released all the projects as open source, and the video is well produced."

6 of 100 comments (clear)

  1. SMI reader kit is for sale by echucker · · Score: 4, Informative

    On their sister site - http://www.adafruit.com/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=27
    $17 seems pretty reasonable to me.

  2. Re:How long will it take for the FBI to ride? by Manip · · Score: 4, Informative

    The video contains no holes in SIMs, Payphones, or the telco billing system.

    Did you even watch it?

    She had to rewire the phone in order to get a red box to work because modern phones keep the microphone unpowered before you pay.

    A SIM reader isn't illegal or even really a black hat thing to do.

  3. Re:Open Source? Not exactly. by ladyada · · Score: 5, Informative

    "They released all the projects as open source" means that the project information - code, schematics and layout - are open source. See: http://ladyada.net/make/simreader/download.html (The payphone schematics will be up soon, also CC 2.5 BY-SA)

  4. Re:"Geek girl" that doesn't know how to screw righ by ladyada · · Score: 4, Informative

    yes i'm reading the comments here and i dont think its very funny either. the only reason girls seem to be 'resistant' to these sorts of comments is because those that dont like it leave or are shunned.

  5. Re:How long will it take for the FBI to ride? by ladyada · · Score: 5, Informative

    From all the documentation I have read on smart cards, 3V (and 1.8V) cards are an extension of the 5V SIM spec. That is, they work at 5V as well (but with higher power usage, of course). If you have specific documentation otherwise, please post it. Secondly, I assure you the quality of my soldering is excellent (ie http://farm1.static.flickr.com/149/332269259_21900c5a01_b.jpg), but the lighting and video makes perfboard-soldering (ie http://itp.nyu.edu/physcomp/images/tutorials/perfboard/solderaperf26.jpg) look bad

  6. Re:"Geek girl" that doesn't know how to screw righ by John+Whitley · · Score: 3, Informative

    In fact, most girls that are into nerdstuff are quite resistant to all those jokes.

    You are Legend..-arily clueless. Are you so blind that you don't realize this belief is self-fulfilling? I've known quite a number of women that really just don't want to put up with this disrespectful boys' locker-room crap... and they find other things to do. Spelling it out: insensitive bozos like you keep repelling bright creative minds from all manner of disciplines. STOP IT!