Cellphones have been around for quite some time now; you would think that, by now, the technology would have evolved to the point where our homes would no longer be subject to cruel, phantom areas of poor reception. But alas, dense concrete, wire-mesh stucco and some kinds of metallic siding can still render your home an annoyingly cell-free zone.
Here, How 2.0 solder-meister Mike Haney shows you a quick and cheap method of using your phone's hidden antenna-out and the garbage from your coffee and cookie consumption into a workable solution for improving your cell reception at home.
As always, our 5 Minute Projects are available in video podcast form—subscribe here. And check out the whole series at popsci.com/5minutes.
Five amazing, clean technologies that will set us free, in this month's energy-focused issue. Also: how to build a better bomb detector, the robotic toys that are raising your children, a human catapult, the world's smallest arcade, and much more.


Online Content Director: Suzanne LaBarre | Email
Senior Editor: Paul Adams | Email
Associate Editor: Dan Nosowitz | Email
Assistant Editor: Colin Lecher | Email
Assistant Editor: Rose Pastore | Email
Contributing Writers:
Rebecca Boyle | Email
Kelsey D. Atherton | Email
Francie Diep | Email
Shaunacy Ferro | Email