Every new idea or workaround is called a “hack” nowadays, even if it’s a technique that doesn’t involve technology. Some of the hacks listed in this “100 Home Hacks That Will Improve Your Life” could be considered engineering 101 hacks, but really they are just weird ideas that solve a problem or make something easier.
I would say a legitimate hack involves technology: repurposing two or more “things”—at least one of them should be a physical object—to accomplish a purpose that isn’t solved by any of the things by themselves. A dialectical synthesis, as per Socrates or Hegel, but a more practical outcome.
I found one guy who did a very simple bona fide hack to make sure his garage door was always closed. “Garage Door Opener Hack“:
In the quest to automate as much of my house as possible, I thought it would be useful to be able to remotely control my garage door from my home automation system. If I suspected that I forgot to close it while leaving, I could check in my security cameras and then close it from anywhere. It’s nice having this peace of mind, even if it almost never happens.
Instead of reverse engineering the wireless protocol, cracking the encryption, and sending my own commands, I figured it would be much easier to hack the hardware. I pried open a spare remote to find that it contained a basic PCB with simple tactile switches.
In plain English: he hooked up a miniature circuit board to the garage door opener; the circuit board connects to his Wi-Fi, and he can send a signal through the Wi-Fi to the circuit board remotely, presumably through a mobile app or webserver accessible via his phone; the signal fakes a button press programmatically and the garage door opens or closes. He has security cameras that would show his door is open, so if he’s not at home, there’s no guessing if the door is open or closed. Interesting.