High Boy: For hackers, makers, and the curious
- Nov 20, 2025
- 2 min read
An open-source pocket tool designed to safely learn about Wi-Fi, RF, NFC, IR, BLE, and GPIOs
If you have ever wanted to peek behind the curtain of the wireless world around you, the High Boy might just be your new favorite gadget. While devices like the Flipper Zero have popularized the idea of a portable "multitool" for geeks, High Code is taking it a step further with a fully open-source device designed specifically for hardware hackers, makers, and the endlessly curious.
Project Overview
Name and Creator: High Boy: For hackers, makers, and the curious by High Code.
What It Is: The High Boy is a handheld, open-source multi-tool built for exploring and debugging the digital world. It serves as a Swiss Army knife for hardware, allowing users to interact with a wide variety of protocols including Wi-Fi, Bluetooth (BLE), NFC, RFID, and Infrared. Unlike some locked-down alternatives, High Boy is built with education and modification in mind, encouraging users to write their own apps and understand the signals that surround them.
Key Features
Multi-Protocol Support: It speaks the language of almost everything wireless. The device supports Sub-GHz RF, NFC, RFID (125kHz), Infrared, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth Low Energy.
Hardware Hacking Ports: It features a built-in GPIO port that allows for direct interaction with other hardware. You can use it for UART communication, debugging, or even sniffing protocols like SPI and I2C.
Open-Source Ecosystem: The hardware and firmware are designed to be open. Users can develop their own applications using the provided SDK, making it a flexible platform for unique projects.
Portable Design: It packs a screen, control pad, and battery into a pocket-friendly form factor, making it easy to take your workbench into the field.
BadUSB Capability: It can emulate a keyboard or mouse to execute scripts, a popular feature for security researchers testing system vulnerabilities.
Reward
Super Early Bird: $100
Early Bird: $120
Concept
The core concept of the High Boy is "demystification." We live in a world saturated with invisible signals, from the key fob that unlocks your car to the Wi-Fi network that connects your phone. High Boy puts the power to read, analyze, and understand these signals into the palm of your hand. It bridges the gap between abstract software code and physical hardware reality.
Inspiration
The team at High Code spent over a year iterating on designs to create a tool that was not just powerful, but also accessible. Inspired by the Maker community's drive to take things apart and see how they tick, they wanted to build a device that didn't just "do" the hacking for you, but helped you learn how it works. They aimed to create a legitimate, educational alternative in a market often dominated by expensive professional gear or closed-source toys.
