In two recent examples of conflict online—the Internet's response to Iran's rigged election, and 4chan's reaction to AT&T's perceived censorship—distributed denial of service attacks have been wielded (or threatened) as a powerful and disruptive, nonviolent tool for change. The relative ease with which one can coordinate and participate in such an attack means this tactic can be employed by individuals or small groups, not just militaries and large corporations. But what are the ramifications of empowering individuals to take down government sites? And what are the moral implications of adding DDoS attacks to a social movement's repertoire?

Here's an easy, fun hack you can complete in about fifteen minutes and for less than $20. Repurpose the circuit and speaker from a Hallmark singing greeting card to surprise your friends when they come over.

Wifi networks using WPA encryption are now vulnerable to attack thanks to work done by researchers Erik Tews and Martin Beck. Tews and Beck have cracked the Temporary Key Integrity Protocol (TKIP) that protected WPA, and the code used to do so has already found its way into the Aircrack-ng suite. In this article, I'll review your options for installing Aircrack-ng so you can hack WPA encrypted networks wide open and piggyback on your neighbor's wifi.

Somervile, MA - On Elm Street in Davis Square, next to an ordinary Subway sandwich shop, you'll find a glowing red doorway that marks the portal into the Willoughby and Baltic hackerspace. Founded and managed by local visual and electronic artist Meredith Garniss, the hackerspace, along with the model shop two doors down and the large Union Square fabrication studio, provide local hackers and artists with a place to cultivate ideas, learn new methods and machines, and most importantly, to connect with Boston's visual arts and hacker communities.