X

Monitor hack hides your private computing parts

Instuctables user dissects an old LCD monitor, removes the polarized film, and transforms it into a privacy monitor that appears blank to anyone without the special decoder glasses.

Amanda Kooser
Freelance writer Amanda C. Kooser covers gadgets and tech news with a twist for CNET. When not wallowing in weird gear and iPad apps for cats, she can be found tinkering with her 1956 DeSoto.
Amanda Kooser
privacy monitor hack
Now you see me, now you don't. dimovi

While it may appear that Instructables contributor dimovi has been staring at a blank, white computer screen for hours, he's actually getting some super secret work done.

Dimovi hacked an old LCD monitor with a knife, paint thinner, superglue, and a pair of 3D glasses pilfered from the movies to create a privacy screen that keeps prying eyes at bay.

cutting up a monitor
Dimovi performs surgery on a monitor. (Click to enlarge.) dimovi

I know this all sound very MacGyver-ish, but it's actually pretty simple.

Remove the polarized film from an old LCD monitor that has been stashed in the back of your closet. Clean all the gook off the monitor glass. Reassemble. Replace the lenses of the glasses with the polarized film.

Ta-da! Your monitor will look blank, but you'll be able to see what's on it with your special glasses. Full details for the hack are available on Instructables.

While this hack has some obvious benefits for top secret work done by the likes of James Bond or Jason Bourne, the average geek is probably considering the gaming applications.

Imagine whiling away the hours playing Skyrim rather than crunching spreadsheets. With a dual-monitor setup, you can keep one legitimate screen open full of work and the other full of hidden fun.