As you might have noticed, the 38-KHz pulse generator is built around the evergreen timer chip NE555P (IC1). Here, the RC components (R5-C3-P1) set the astable frequency to drive the infrared light ...

The TV-B-Gone is a well known piece of kit in hacker circles: just point it at a noisy TV in a public space, hit the button, and one of the hundreds of IR remote codes for “Power Off” that it blinks ...

“You can’t put new wine in old bottles” – so the saying goes. But you would if you’re a hacker stuck with a radio built in 2005, which looked like it was put together using technology from 1975.