Investigating Retroreflectors With One Heck of A Microscope
https://hackaday.com/2019/11/04/investigating-retroreflectors-with-one-heck-of-a-microscope/
Retroreflectors are interesting materials, so known for their nature of reflecting light back to its source. Examples include street signs, bicycle reflectors, and cat’s eyes, which so hauntingly pierce the night. They’re also used in the Tilt Five tabletop AR system, for holographic gaming. [Adam McCombs] got his hands on …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/11/04/investigating-retroreflectors-with-one-heck-of-a-microscope/)
https://hackaday.com/2019/11/04/investigating-retroreflectors-with-one-heck-of-a-microscope/
Retroreflectors are interesting materials, so known for their nature of reflecting light back to its source. Examples include street signs, bicycle reflectors, and cat’s eyes, which so hauntingly pierce the night. They’re also used in the Tilt Five tabletop AR system, for holographic gaming. [Adam McCombs] got his hands on …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/11/04/investigating-retroreflectors-with-one-heck-of-a-microscope/)
Traffic Updates On The Seven Seas: Open Source Chart Plotter Using A Raspberry Pi
https://hackaday.com/2019/11/04/traffic-updates-on-the-seven-seas-open-source-chart-plotter-using-a-raspberry-pi/
As the Raspberry Pi in its various forms continues to flow into the wild by the thousands, it’s interesting to see its user base expand outside beyond the hacker communities. One group of people who’ve also started taking a liking to it is sailing enthusiasts. [James Conger] is one such …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/11/04/traffic-updates-on-the-seven-seas-open-source-chart-plotter-using-a-raspberry-pi/)
https://hackaday.com/2019/11/04/traffic-updates-on-the-seven-seas-open-source-chart-plotter-using-a-raspberry-pi/
As the Raspberry Pi in its various forms continues to flow into the wild by the thousands, it’s interesting to see its user base expand outside beyond the hacker communities. One group of people who’ve also started taking a liking to it is sailing enthusiasts. [James Conger] is one such …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/11/04/traffic-updates-on-the-seven-seas-open-source-chart-plotter-using-a-raspberry-pi/)
Razer Laptop Gets A Sneaky Fan Mod
https://hackaday.com/2019/11/05/razer-laptop-gets-a-sneaky-fan-mod/
Some people love fan noise, using it to help get to sleep or just create some ambience in a room. Others hate it, like [Dmitri], and will take severe measures to eliminate it where possible. When his Razer Blade laptop was incessantly whirring away, it was time to get to …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/11/05/razer-laptop-gets-a-sneaky-fan-mod/)
https://hackaday.com/2019/11/05/razer-laptop-gets-a-sneaky-fan-mod/
Some people love fan noise, using it to help get to sleep or just create some ambience in a room. Others hate it, like [Dmitri], and will take severe measures to eliminate it where possible. When his Razer Blade laptop was incessantly whirring away, it was time to get to …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/11/05/razer-laptop-gets-a-sneaky-fan-mod/)
Projector and NES Mini Hide Out Inside The Real Thing
https://hackaday.com/2019/11/05/projector-and-nes-mini-hide-out-inside-the-real-thing/
Taking a page out of the Xzibit Engineering Handbook, [Geeksmithing] recently decided that the gutted carcass of an original Nintendo Entertainment System would make a perfect home for…a smaller NES. Well, that and two wireless controllers. Plus a projector. Oh, and batteries so it can be used on the go. …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/11/05/projector-and-nes-mini-hide-out-inside-the-real-thing/)
https://hackaday.com/2019/11/05/projector-and-nes-mini-hide-out-inside-the-real-thing/
Taking a page out of the Xzibit Engineering Handbook, [Geeksmithing] recently decided that the gutted carcass of an original Nintendo Entertainment System would make a perfect home for…a smaller NES. Well, that and two wireless controllers. Plus a projector. Oh, and batteries so it can be used on the go. …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/11/05/projector-and-nes-mini-hide-out-inside-the-real-thing/)
Will The Real UNIX Please Stand Up?
https://hackaday.com/2019/11/05/will-the-real-unix-please-stand-up/
Last week the computing world celebrated an important anniversary: the UNIX operating system turned 50 years old. What was originally developed in 1969 as a lighter weight timesharing system for a DEC minicomputer at Bell Labs has exerted a huge influence over every place that we encounter computing, from our …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/11/05/will-the-real-unix-please-stand-up/)
https://hackaday.com/2019/11/05/will-the-real-unix-please-stand-up/
Last week the computing world celebrated an important anniversary: the UNIX operating system turned 50 years old. What was originally developed in 1969 as a lighter weight timesharing system for a DEC minicomputer at Bell Labs has exerted a huge influence over every place that we encounter computing, from our …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/11/05/will-the-real-unix-please-stand-up/)
A Simpler Method to Make Optical Fiber with 3D Printing
https://hackaday.com/2019/11/05/a-simpler-method-to-make-optical-fiber-with-3d-printing/
There are a lot of remarkable uses for optical fiber, chief among them being telecommunications and imaging. While fiber can be produced for a better price than copper wire equivalents, they’re still not easy or cheap to manufacture.
Silica fibers require spinning tubes on a lathe, which requires the fiber’s …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/11/05/a-simpler-method-to-make-optical-fiber-with-3d-printing/)
https://hackaday.com/2019/11/05/a-simpler-method-to-make-optical-fiber-with-3d-printing/
There are a lot of remarkable uses for optical fiber, chief among them being telecommunications and imaging. While fiber can be produced for a better price than copper wire equivalents, they’re still not easy or cheap to manufacture.
Silica fibers require spinning tubes on a lathe, which requires the fiber’s …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/11/05/a-simpler-method-to-make-optical-fiber-with-3d-printing/)
Superconference Interview: Carl Bugeja
https://hackaday.com/2019/11/05/superconference-interview-carl-bugeja/
It’s an exciting time of year for us, not because Christmas is on the horizon, instead for something far more exciting than that! The Hackaday Superconference is nearly upon us, our yearly gathering of the creme de la creme of the hardware hacking world for a fascinating program of lectures …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/11/05/superconference-interview-carl-bugeja/)
https://hackaday.com/2019/11/05/superconference-interview-carl-bugeja/
It’s an exciting time of year for us, not because Christmas is on the horizon, instead for something far more exciting than that! The Hackaday Superconference is nearly upon us, our yearly gathering of the creme de la creme of the hardware hacking world for a fascinating program of lectures …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/11/05/superconference-interview-carl-bugeja/)
The Murky Business of Stopping Oil Spills
https://hackaday.com/2019/11/05/the-murky-business-of-stopping-oil-spills/
Six years before Deepwater Horizon exploded in April 2010, the force of Hurricane Ivan blew an offshore drilling platform off its legs and into the Gulf of Mexico. For the last 14 years, that well’s pipes, long buried in mud and debris have been spilling oil into the Gulf every …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/11/05/the-murky-business-of-stopping-oil-spills/)
https://hackaday.com/2019/11/05/the-murky-business-of-stopping-oil-spills/
Six years before Deepwater Horizon exploded in April 2010, the force of Hurricane Ivan blew an offshore drilling platform off its legs and into the Gulf of Mexico. For the last 14 years, that well’s pipes, long buried in mud and debris have been spilling oil into the Gulf every …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/11/05/the-murky-business-of-stopping-oil-spills/)
Servo Socks is a Brilliantly Simple Solution For Quick Hacking
https://hackaday.com/2019/11/05/servo-socks-is-a-brilliantly-simple-solution-for-quick-hacking/
[Dan Kitchen] has a great solution for making servos easy to hack.
Every hacker has a drawer full of servo’s somewhere. Just about every project that uses them starts off by measuring the spacing and designing some obscure bracket to meet that unique motor’s size. However, what if you could …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/11/05/servo-socks-is-a-brilliantly-simple-solution-for-quick-hacking/)
https://hackaday.com/2019/11/05/servo-socks-is-a-brilliantly-simple-solution-for-quick-hacking/
[Dan Kitchen] has a great solution for making servos easy to hack.
Every hacker has a drawer full of servo’s somewhere. Just about every project that uses them starts off by measuring the spacing and designing some obscure bracket to meet that unique motor’s size. However, what if you could …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/11/05/servo-socks-is-a-brilliantly-simple-solution-for-quick-hacking/)
Building A 6.5 Digit Voltmeter From Scratch
https://hackaday.com/2019/11/05/building-a-6-5-digit-voltmeter-from-scratch/
After initially working to create a modernized replica of a Czechoslovakian 4-digit Metra M1T242 voltmeter, [Jaromir Sukuba] figured that while he was at it, he might as well create a voltmeter that would be slightly more capable. This led to the design and construction of a brand-new, 6.5 digit voltmeter …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/11/05/building-a-6-5-digit-voltmeter-from-scratch/)
https://hackaday.com/2019/11/05/building-a-6-5-digit-voltmeter-from-scratch/
After initially working to create a modernized replica of a Czechoslovakian 4-digit Metra M1T242 voltmeter, [Jaromir Sukuba] figured that while he was at it, he might as well create a voltmeter that would be slightly more capable. This led to the design and construction of a brand-new, 6.5 digit voltmeter …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/11/05/building-a-6-5-digit-voltmeter-from-scratch/)
Liquid Methane Rocket Is Set To Soar
https://hackaday.com/2019/11/05/liquid-methane-rocket-is-set-to-soar/
Solid rockets are a fun way to get started in rocketry. Brewing up a batch of rocket candy is something achievable even in the home lab, and anyone can give it a go with the right materials. Building a flight-capable liquid-fuelled rocket engine is another thing entirely, but the Purdue …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/11/05/liquid-methane-rocket-is-set-to-soar/)
https://hackaday.com/2019/11/05/liquid-methane-rocket-is-set-to-soar/
Solid rockets are a fun way to get started in rocketry. Brewing up a batch of rocket candy is something achievable even in the home lab, and anyone can give it a go with the right materials. Building a flight-capable liquid-fuelled rocket engine is another thing entirely, but the Purdue …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/11/05/liquid-methane-rocket-is-set-to-soar/)
How Ammo Temperature Will Affect Shooting Accuracy
https://hackaday.com/2019/11/05/how-ammo-temperature-will-affect-shooting-accuracy/
The last time we visited the Hackaday shooting range we were all psyched up to get the right posture, breathe correctly, lower our heart rates and squeeze the trigger at exactly the right moment that the wandering cross hairs align with the target ……. and lastly accommodate the inevitable recoil. …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/11/05/how-ammo-temperature-will-affect-shooting-accuracy/)
https://hackaday.com/2019/11/05/how-ammo-temperature-will-affect-shooting-accuracy/
The last time we visited the Hackaday shooting range we were all psyched up to get the right posture, breathe correctly, lower our heart rates and squeeze the trigger at exactly the right moment that the wandering cross hairs align with the target ……. and lastly accommodate the inevitable recoil. …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/11/05/how-ammo-temperature-will-affect-shooting-accuracy/)
Robotics Controller For The Pi Boasts An Impressive Feature List
https://hackaday.com/2019/11/05/robotics-controller-for-the-pi-boasts-impressive-feature-list/
[Michael Horne] recently shared his thoughts on the RedBoard+, a motor controller board for the Raspberry Pi aimed at robotic applications. His short version for busy people is: if you’re at all into robotics, get one because it’s fantastic.
At heart the RedBoard+ is a motor controller, but it’s …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/11/05/robotics-controller-for-the-pi-boasts-impressive-feature-list/)
https://hackaday.com/2019/11/05/robotics-controller-for-the-pi-boasts-impressive-feature-list/
[Michael Horne] recently shared his thoughts on the RedBoard+, a motor controller board for the Raspberry Pi aimed at robotic applications. His short version for busy people is: if you’re at all into robotics, get one because it’s fantastic.
At heart the RedBoard+ is a motor controller, but it’s …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/11/05/robotics-controller-for-the-pi-boasts-impressive-feature-list/)
3D Printing Batteries
https://hackaday.com/2019/11/06/3d-printing-batteries/
We’ve all gotten pretty adept at 3D printing keychains and enclosures. Some people can even 3D print circuit boards to an extent. But the real goal is a Star Trek-style replicator that just pushes out finished products. Printing different components would be a key technology and unless you want to …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/11/06/3d-printing-batteries/)
https://hackaday.com/2019/11/06/3d-printing-batteries/
We’ve all gotten pretty adept at 3D printing keychains and enclosures. Some people can even 3D print circuit boards to an extent. But the real goal is a Star Trek-style replicator that just pushes out finished products. Printing different components would be a key technology and unless you want to …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/11/06/3d-printing-batteries/)
Laser-Based Audio Injection on Voice-Controllable Systems
https://hackaday.com/2019/11/06/laser-based-audio-injection-on-voice-controllable-systems/
In one of the cooler hacks we’ve seen recently, a bunch of hacking academics at the University of Michigan researched the ability to flicker a laser at audible sound frequencies to see if they could remotely operate microphones simply by shining a light on them. The results are outstanding.
While …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/11/06/laser-based-audio-injection-on-voice-controllable-systems/)
https://hackaday.com/2019/11/06/laser-based-audio-injection-on-voice-controllable-systems/
In one of the cooler hacks we’ve seen recently, a bunch of hacking academics at the University of Michigan researched the ability to flicker a laser at audible sound frequencies to see if they could remotely operate microphones simply by shining a light on them. The results are outstanding.
While …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/11/06/laser-based-audio-injection-on-voice-controllable-systems/)
Qantas’ Research Flight Travels 115% of Range with Undercrowded Cabin
https://hackaday.com/2019/11/06/qantas-research-flight-travels-115-of-range-with-undercrowded-cabin/
Long-haul flights can be a real pain when you’re trying to get around the world. Typically, they’re achieved by including a stop along the way, with the layover forcing passengers to deplane and kill time before continuing the flight. As planes have improved over the years, airlines have begun to …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/11/06/qantas-research-flight-travels-115-of-range-with-undercrowded-cabin/)
https://hackaday.com/2019/11/06/qantas-research-flight-travels-115-of-range-with-undercrowded-cabin/
Long-haul flights can be a real pain when you’re trying to get around the world. Typically, they’re achieved by including a stop along the way, with the layover forcing passengers to deplane and kill time before continuing the flight. As planes have improved over the years, airlines have begun to …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/11/06/qantas-research-flight-travels-115-of-range-with-undercrowded-cabin/)
Ramen Pen Lets You Doodle with Noodles
https://hackaday.com/2019/11/06/ramen-pen-lets-you-doodle-with-noodles/
Don’t write off your weird ideas — turn them into reality. For years, woodworkers have used pen bodies as a canvas for showing off beautiful wood. But what’s the fun in that? [JPayneWoodworking] made a pen out of Ramen noodles just to see if he could.
The process is pretty …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/11/06/ramen-pen-lets-you-doodle-with-noodles/)
https://hackaday.com/2019/11/06/ramen-pen-lets-you-doodle-with-noodles/
Don’t write off your weird ideas — turn them into reality. For years, woodworkers have used pen bodies as a canvas for showing off beautiful wood. But what’s the fun in that? [JPayneWoodworking] made a pen out of Ramen noodles just to see if he could.
The process is pretty …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/11/06/ramen-pen-lets-you-doodle-with-noodles/)
Supercon Keynote: Dr. Megan Wachs on RISC-V
https://hackaday.com/2019/11/06/supercon-keynote-dr-megan-wachs-on-risc-v/
Hackaday has open-source running deep in our veins — and that goes for hardware as well as software. After all, it’s great to run open-source software, but if it’s running on black-box hardware, the system is only half open. While software has benefited mightily from all of the advantages of …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/11/06/supercon-keynote-dr-megan-wachs-on-risc-v/)
https://hackaday.com/2019/11/06/supercon-keynote-dr-megan-wachs-on-risc-v/
Hackaday has open-source running deep in our veins — and that goes for hardware as well as software. After all, it’s great to run open-source software, but if it’s running on black-box hardware, the system is only half open. While software has benefited mightily from all of the advantages of …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/11/06/supercon-keynote-dr-megan-wachs-on-risc-v/)
Blend Your Last Frogs. Google Turns a Blind Eye to Flash.
https://hackaday.com/2019/11/06/blend-your-last-frogs-google-turns-a-blind-eye-to-flash/
Google has announced that it will no longer index Flash files.
Journey with me to a time in a faraway internet; a time before we had monetized social media. A time when the page you shared with your friends was your page and not a page on someone’s network. Way …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/11/06/blend-your-last-frogs-google-turns-a-blind-eye-to-flash/)
https://hackaday.com/2019/11/06/blend-your-last-frogs-google-turns-a-blind-eye-to-flash/
Google has announced that it will no longer index Flash files.
Journey with me to a time in a faraway internet; a time before we had monetized social media. A time when the page you shared with your friends was your page and not a page on someone’s network. Way …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/11/06/blend-your-last-frogs-google-turns-a-blind-eye-to-flash/)
Giving Sight to the Blind with A Wave of the Hand
https://hackaday.com/2019/11/06/giving-sight-to-the-blind-with-a-wave-of-the-hand/
[Jakob Kilian] is working on a glove that he hopes will let the blind “see” their surroundings.
One of the most fascinating examples of the human brain’s plasticity is in its ability to map one sense to another. Some people, for example, report being able to see sound, giving them …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/11/06/giving-sight-to-the-blind-with-a-wave-of-the-hand/)
https://hackaday.com/2019/11/06/giving-sight-to-the-blind-with-a-wave-of-the-hand/
[Jakob Kilian] is working on a glove that he hopes will let the blind “see” their surroundings.
One of the most fascinating examples of the human brain’s plasticity is in its ability to map one sense to another. Some people, for example, report being able to see sound, giving them …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/11/06/giving-sight-to-the-blind-with-a-wave-of-the-hand/)
An Open Hardware Laser Engraver For Everyone
https://hackaday.com/2019/11/06/an-open-hardware-laser-engraver-for-everyone/
Right now, you can get a diode laser engraver on eBay for around $100 USD. That sounds like a deal, but it’ll probably use some arcane proprietary software, won’t be terribly accurate, and the laser itself will almost certainly be fully exposed. Of course there’s no shortage of DIY builds …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/11/06/an-open-hardware-laser-engraver-for-everyone/)
https://hackaday.com/2019/11/06/an-open-hardware-laser-engraver-for-everyone/
Right now, you can get a diode laser engraver on eBay for around $100 USD. That sounds like a deal, but it’ll probably use some arcane proprietary software, won’t be terribly accurate, and the laser itself will almost certainly be fully exposed. Of course there’s no shortage of DIY builds …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/11/06/an-open-hardware-laser-engraver-for-everyone/)