TALES FROM MAKE: BLOG

CVS Hackathon

By Phillip Torrone

Gadgeteer and hacker Phillip Torrone blogs daily, pointing out DIY projects as well as showcasing his own how-to solutions. You can find blogs, podcasts, and images at makezine.com.

Photograph by Bill Bradford

Highly connected communities are getting smarter and more nimble, especially when there are mutually shared warranty-voiding goals. The MAKE: Blog tends to become a clearinghouse of information during intense weeks of ravenous device modding. A favorite of mine is the digital CVS One-Time-Use Video Camcorder.

Introduced in June of 2005, the CVS disposable digital video camera was meant to be purchased for under or around $30 (less with rebate), and eventually returned to the store for processing. After their “processing,” which costs another $12, you get a DVD back with your videos, a meager maximum of 20 minutes. It’s a one-time-use camera, so you don’t get to keep it, but the idea of a low-cost digital video camera to use for a variety of projects is extremely appealing to any maker out there.

CVS has released disposable digital still cameras with much success (and those too were hacked for photography projects). When I heard about the CVS video version, I expected it to be used in interesting ways. But what I didn’t expect was how quickly and efficiently the makers, hackers, and modders worked, both independently and collaboratively. If blog posts were fossil records, you could see the evolution of this lowly camera to the maker-friendly, super-duper, all-purpose video camera it is today.

CVS Disposable Video Camera Hack Timeline (on the makezine.com/blog)

Day 1 CVS disposable video camera is introduced.

Day 3 Camera disassembly is documented.

Day 7 USB pinouts posted.

Day 10 Videos posted, file formats explored.

Day 20 Hacked! Maker John Maushammer hacks the camera in less than 18 hours.

Day 22 MAKE: Audio interview with Maushammer.

Day 59 Videos can be downloaded over USB with no need to desolder the flash memory.

Day 64 Hack using a Palm III sync cradle posted.

Day 65 How to build a helmet cam, with video, posted.

Day 78 Camera manufacturer Peer Digital says, “Do-it-yourselfers are not our target audience. It’s sort of a non-issue.”

Day 82 CVS camera auctions are removed from eBay, no reasons given.

Day 83 Using the CVS camera in a rocket posted.

Not too shabby. In less than two months, a crippled camera went from sitting on the shelf to becoming part of a rocket. We’ve posted dozens of how-tos, each project building on the past ones, from cameras on RC planes to night-vision mods. The CVS disposable digital has become more than it was initially intended to be, and that’s truly the most interesting thing about this device — what you make with it.

Check out our latest posts on makezine.com/blog and mod yourself an excellent (and cheap) digital video camera this weekend.