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Smart collar turns your cat into a WiFi hacking weapon
Forget Trojan horses -- it's the cats you have to worry about. Security engineer Gene Bransfield has developed WarKitteh, a tech-laden collar that turns feline companions into scouts for WiFi hackers. The innocuous-looking accessory hides a Spark Core board that maps wireless networks and their vulnerabilities wherever the pet wanders. If used in the field, the technology would be pretty sneaky; the cat stalking mice in your backyard could represent the prelude to an attack on your wireless router.
Spark shows how to build a Nest-like, open source thermostat
Wish you'd had the foresight to build the Nest thermostat and get Google's attention? You can't travel back in time, but Spark may give you the next best thing. It just posted a walkthrough showing how to build a smart thermostat of your own. The device centers around both the company's WiFi-equipped Spark Core as well as off-the-shelf displays and sensors from Adafruit, Honeywell and Panasonic. Its software won't compete with anything from Nest, but you can both change the temperature and view historical data from most any modern web browser. More importantly, it's open source -- you can program your own features or simply learn how things tick. While Spark's thermostat won't be an easy DIY project unless you're good with a CNC mill, it's proof that you don't need a vast array of resources to build your own climate controller. [Thanks, Binoy]
Spark Core board adds WiFi to almost everything, takes input from anywhere (video)
Spark Devices wants the inclusion of WiFi in devices to be a matter of when, not if -- and if its new Spark Core gets to market as planned, tinkerers might never have a moment of doubt. The tiny board combines an Arduino-compatible ARM Cortex-M3 platform with a TI CC3000 WiFi chip that not only simplifies getting online, but could save the DIY crowd from having to touch projects afterward. Owners can flash the firmware with new code over WiFi, for a start. A free Spark Cloud service also allows for custom apps that interface with the Core through seemingly anything with an internet connection: if you want to reconfigure a homebrew security camera from your phone, you can. While Spark Devices is relying on crowdfunding to fuel its connected strategy, the company is comfortably past its $10,000 goal and should deliver both the Spark Core ($39) and optional shields to new contributors around September. [Thanks, Greg]
