Fail Of The Week: Taking Apart A Tesla Battery
https://hackaday.com/2019/09/07/fail-of-the-week-taking-apart-a-tesla-battery/
It takes a lot of energy to push a car-sized object a few hundred miles. Either a few gallons of gasoline or several thousand lithium batteries will get the job done. That’s certainly a lot of batteries, and a lot more potential to be unlocked for their use than hurling …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/09/07/fail-of-the-week-taking-apart-a-tesla-battery/)
https://hackaday.com/2019/09/07/fail-of-the-week-taking-apart-a-tesla-battery/
It takes a lot of energy to push a car-sized object a few hundred miles. Either a few gallons of gasoline or several thousand lithium batteries will get the job done. That’s certainly a lot of batteries, and a lot more potential to be unlocked for their use than hurling …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/09/07/fail-of-the-week-taking-apart-a-tesla-battery/)
Anatomy Of A Power Outage: Explaining the August Outage Affecting 5% of Britain
https://hackaday.com/2019/09/07/anatomy-of-a-power-outage-explaining-the-august-outage-affecting-5-of-britain/
Without warning on an early August evening a significant proportion of the electricity grid in the UK went dark. It was still daylight so the disruption caused was not as large as it might have been, but it does highlight how we take a stable power grid for granted.
The …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/09/07/anatomy-of-a-power-outage-explaining-the-august-outage-affecting-5-of-britain/)
https://hackaday.com/2019/09/07/anatomy-of-a-power-outage-explaining-the-august-outage-affecting-5-of-britain/
Without warning on an early August evening a significant proportion of the electricity grid in the UK went dark. It was still daylight so the disruption caused was not as large as it might have been, but it does highlight how we take a stable power grid for granted.
The …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/09/07/anatomy-of-a-power-outage-explaining-the-august-outage-affecting-5-of-britain/)
How Many Commodores Does It Take To Crack A Nut?
https://hackaday.com/2019/09/07/how-many-commodores-does-it-take-to-crack-a-nut/
It’s brilliant enough when composers make use of the “2SID” technique to double the channels in a Commodore 64 with two sound chips, but even then some people like to kick things up a notch. Say, five times more. [David Youd], [David Knapp] and [Joeri van Haren] worked together to …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/09/07/how-many-commodores-does-it-take-to-crack-a-nut/)
https://hackaday.com/2019/09/07/how-many-commodores-does-it-take-to-crack-a-nut/
It’s brilliant enough when composers make use of the “2SID” technique to double the channels in a Commodore 64 with two sound chips, but even then some people like to kick things up a notch. Say, five times more. [David Youd], [David Knapp] and [Joeri van Haren] worked together to …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/09/07/how-many-commodores-does-it-take-to-crack-a-nut/)
You Didn’t See Graphite Around This Geiger Counter
https://hackaday.com/2019/09/08/you-didnt-see-graphite-around-this-geiger-counter/
Even if you don’t work in a nuclear power plant, you might still want to use a Geiger counter simply out of curiosity. It turns out that there are a lot of things around which emit ionizing radiation naturally, for example granite, the sun, or bananas. If you’ve ever wondered …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/09/08/you-didnt-see-graphite-around-this-geiger-counter/)
https://hackaday.com/2019/09/08/you-didnt-see-graphite-around-this-geiger-counter/
Even if you don’t work in a nuclear power plant, you might still want to use a Geiger counter simply out of curiosity. It turns out that there are a lot of things around which emit ionizing radiation naturally, for example granite, the sun, or bananas. If you’ve ever wondered …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/09/08/you-didnt-see-graphite-around-this-geiger-counter/)
An RFID Ring For The Body Mod Squeamish
https://hackaday.com/2019/09/08/an-rfid-ring-for-the-body-mod-squeamish/
Some people get inked, while others get henna or those water transfer tattoos you might find in a box of Cracker Jack. [Becky] wanted the benefits of having an RFID tag in her finger — unlock doors or log into your computer with a swipe of your finger — but …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/09/08/an-rfid-ring-for-the-body-mod-squeamish/)
https://hackaday.com/2019/09/08/an-rfid-ring-for-the-body-mod-squeamish/
Some people get inked, while others get henna or those water transfer tattoos you might find in a box of Cracker Jack. [Becky] wanted the benefits of having an RFID tag in her finger — unlock doors or log into your computer with a swipe of your finger — but …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/09/08/an-rfid-ring-for-the-body-mod-squeamish/)
Cheap Stereo Microscope Helps With SMD
https://hackaday.com/2019/09/08/cheap-stereo-microscope-helps-with-smd/
Soldering is best done under magnification. Parts become ever smaller and eyes get weaker, so even if you don’t need magnification now, you will. [Makzumi] didn’t want to shell out $400 or more for a good microscope so he hacked one from some cheap binoculars from the toy section on …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/09/08/cheap-stereo-microscope-helps-with-smd/)
https://hackaday.com/2019/09/08/cheap-stereo-microscope-helps-with-smd/
Soldering is best done under magnification. Parts become ever smaller and eyes get weaker, so even if you don’t need magnification now, you will. [Makzumi] didn’t want to shell out $400 or more for a good microscope so he hacked one from some cheap binoculars from the toy section on …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/09/08/cheap-stereo-microscope-helps-with-smd/)
ALEKYA Builds With Bricks And Mortar
https://hackaday.com/2019/09/08/alekya-builds-with-bricks-and-mortar/
Construction is often a labor-intensive task, particularly in the developing world where access to electricity and machinery can be limited. As always, robots promise to help ease the burden. [Nishant Agarwal] is working on just such a project, known as ALEKYA.
The aim of ALKEYA is to make construction easier …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/09/08/alekya-builds-with-bricks-and-mortar/)
https://hackaday.com/2019/09/08/alekya-builds-with-bricks-and-mortar/
Construction is often a labor-intensive task, particularly in the developing world where access to electricity and machinery can be limited. As always, robots promise to help ease the burden. [Nishant Agarwal] is working on just such a project, known as ALEKYA.
The aim of ALKEYA is to make construction easier …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/09/08/alekya-builds-with-bricks-and-mortar/)
Tiny LED Cube Packs A Meter of Madness
https://hackaday.com/2019/09/08/tiny-led-cube-packs-a-meter-of-madness/
When [Freddie] was faced with the challenge of building a sendoff gift for an an LED-loving coworker he hatched a plan. Instead of making a display from existing video wall LED panels he would make a cube. But not just any cube, a miniature desk sized one that wasn’t short …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/09/08/tiny-led-cube-packs-a-meter-of-madness/)
https://hackaday.com/2019/09/08/tiny-led-cube-packs-a-meter-of-madness/
When [Freddie] was faced with the challenge of building a sendoff gift for an an LED-loving coworker he hatched a plan. Instead of making a display from existing video wall LED panels he would make a cube. But not just any cube, a miniature desk sized one that wasn’t short …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/09/08/tiny-led-cube-packs-a-meter-of-madness/)
Hackaday Links: September 8, 2019
https://hackaday.com/2019/09/08/hackaday-links-september-8-2019/
We start this week with very sad news indeed. You may have heard about the horrific fire on the dive boat Conception off Santa Cruz Island last week, which claimed 33 lives. Sadly, we lost one of our own in the tragedy: Dan Garcia, author of the wildly popular FastLED …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/09/08/hackaday-links-september-8-2019/)
https://hackaday.com/2019/09/08/hackaday-links-september-8-2019/
We start this week with very sad news indeed. You may have heard about the horrific fire on the dive boat Conception off Santa Cruz Island last week, which claimed 33 lives. Sadly, we lost one of our own in the tragedy: Dan Garcia, author of the wildly popular FastLED …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/09/08/hackaday-links-september-8-2019/)
Ask Hackaday: At What Point Is Hand Pick And Place Too Much Work?
https://hackaday.com/2019/09/08/ask-hackaday-at-what-point-is-hand-pick-and-place-too-much-work/
A friend of ours here at Hackaday has an audacious design in the works that we hope will one day become a prototype that we can feature here. That day may be a little while coming though, because it has somewhere close to a thousand of the smaller SMD components …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/09/08/ask-hackaday-at-what-point-is-hand-pick-and-place-too-much-work/)
https://hackaday.com/2019/09/08/ask-hackaday-at-what-point-is-hand-pick-and-place-too-much-work/
A friend of ours here at Hackaday has an audacious design in the works that we hope will one day become a prototype that we can feature here. That day may be a little while coming though, because it has somewhere close to a thousand of the smaller SMD components …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/09/08/ask-hackaday-at-what-point-is-hand-pick-and-place-too-much-work/)
SNES Drone Aims To Rock The SPC700
https://hackaday.com/2019/09/08/snes-drone-aims-to-rock-the-spc700/
Way back when, home computers and consoles didn’t have the RAM or storage space for full-length recorded audio tracks. Instead, a variety of techniques were used to synthesize music on the fly. The SNES was no exception, using the SPC700 Wavetable Synthesis chip to bust out the tunes. [Foxchild] wanted …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/09/08/snes-drone-aims-to-rock-the-spc700/)
https://hackaday.com/2019/09/08/snes-drone-aims-to-rock-the-spc700/
Way back when, home computers and consoles didn’t have the RAM or storage space for full-length recorded audio tracks. Instead, a variety of techniques were used to synthesize music on the fly. The SNES was no exception, using the SPC700 Wavetable Synthesis chip to bust out the tunes. [Foxchild] wanted …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/09/08/snes-drone-aims-to-rock-the-spc700/)
One-Motor Domino Laying Machine Works For Tips
https://hackaday.com/2019/09/09/one-motor-domino-laying-machine-works-for-tips/
[Gzumwalt] did things a little differently with his Pink and Green Domino Machine II, a 3D printed device that drops dominoes in a neat row ready for toppling over. Unlike his earlier version, this one holds dominoes laying flat in a hopper that’s accessible from the top for easy loading. …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/09/09/one-motor-domino-laying-machine-works-for-tips/)
https://hackaday.com/2019/09/09/one-motor-domino-laying-machine-works-for-tips/
[Gzumwalt] did things a little differently with his Pink and Green Domino Machine II, a 3D printed device that drops dominoes in a neat row ready for toppling over. Unlike his earlier version, this one holds dominoes laying flat in a hopper that’s accessible from the top for easy loading. …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/09/09/one-motor-domino-laying-machine-works-for-tips/)
Plasma-Powered Thrusters For Your Homebrew Satellite Needs
https://hackaday.com/2019/09/09/plasma-powered-thrusters-for-your-homebrew-satellite-needs/
It seems as though every week we see something that clearly shows we’re living in the future. The components we routinely incorporate into our projects would have seemed like science fiction only a few short years ago, but now we buy them online and have them shipped to us for …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/09/09/plasma-powered-thrusters-for-your-homebrew-satellite-needs/)
https://hackaday.com/2019/09/09/plasma-powered-thrusters-for-your-homebrew-satellite-needs/
It seems as though every week we see something that clearly shows we’re living in the future. The components we routinely incorporate into our projects would have seemed like science fiction only a few short years ago, but now we buy them online and have them shipped to us for …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/09/09/plasma-powered-thrusters-for-your-homebrew-satellite-needs/)
Can You Really Use the Raspberry Pi 4 as a Desktop Machine?
https://hackaday.com/2019/09/09/can-you-really-use-the-raspberry-pi-4-as-a-desktop-machine/
When the Raspberry Pi 4 was released, many looked at the dual micro HDMI ports with disdain. Why would an SBC like the Raspberry Pi need two HDMI ports? The answer was that the Pi 4 is finally fast enough to work as a desktop replacement, and the killer feature …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/09/09/can-you-really-use-the-raspberry-pi-4-as-a-desktop-machine/)
https://hackaday.com/2019/09/09/can-you-really-use-the-raspberry-pi-4-as-a-desktop-machine/
When the Raspberry Pi 4 was released, many looked at the dual micro HDMI ports with disdain. Why would an SBC like the Raspberry Pi need two HDMI ports? The answer was that the Pi 4 is finally fast enough to work as a desktop replacement, and the killer feature …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/09/09/can-you-really-use-the-raspberry-pi-4-as-a-desktop-machine/)
Cheese Grater Now Grates Cheese
https://hackaday.com/2019/09/09/cheese-grater-now-grates-cheese/
If you’ve been using Apple products since before they were cool, you might remember the Power Mac G5. This was a time before Apple was using Intel processors, so compatibility issues were high and Apple’s number of users was pretty low. They were still popular in some areas but didn’t …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/09/09/cheese-grater-now-grates-cheese/)
https://hackaday.com/2019/09/09/cheese-grater-now-grates-cheese/
If you’ve been using Apple products since before they were cool, you might remember the Power Mac G5. This was a time before Apple was using Intel processors, so compatibility issues were high and Apple’s number of users was pretty low. They were still popular in some areas but didn’t …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/09/09/cheese-grater-now-grates-cheese/)
Machine Learning with Microcontrollers Hack Chat
https://hackaday.com/2019/09/09/machine-learning-with-microcontrollers-hack-chat/
Join us on Wednesday, September 11 at noon Pacific for the Machine Learning with Microcontrollers Hack Chat with Limor “Ladyada” Fried and Phillip Torrone from Adafruit!
We’ve gotten to the point where a $35 Raspberry Pi can be a reasonable alternative to a traditional desktop or laptop, and microcontrollers in …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/09/09/machine-learning-with-microcontrollers-hack-chat/)
https://hackaday.com/2019/09/09/machine-learning-with-microcontrollers-hack-chat/
Join us on Wednesday, September 11 at noon Pacific for the Machine Learning with Microcontrollers Hack Chat with Limor “Ladyada” Fried and Phillip Torrone from Adafruit!
We’ve gotten to the point where a $35 Raspberry Pi can be a reasonable alternative to a traditional desktop or laptop, and microcontrollers in …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/09/09/machine-learning-with-microcontrollers-hack-chat/)
How’s That 2.5D Printer Working For You?
https://hackaday.com/2019/09/09/hows-that-2-5d-printer-working-for-you/
We’ve noticed a trend lately that advanced 3D printing people are calling their normal print setup as 2.5D, not 3D. The idea is that while the machine has 3 axes, the actual geometry generation is typically only in the X and Y axis. The Z axis simply lifts up to …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/09/09/hows-that-2-5d-printer-working-for-you/)
https://hackaday.com/2019/09/09/hows-that-2-5d-printer-working-for-you/
We’ve noticed a trend lately that advanced 3D printing people are calling their normal print setup as 2.5D, not 3D. The idea is that while the machine has 3 axes, the actual geometry generation is typically only in the X and Y axis. The Z axis simply lifts up to …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/09/09/hows-that-2-5d-printer-working-for-you/)
Lego House: Right Next to Denmark’s Legoland, But Way Cooler
https://hackaday.com/2019/09/09/lego-house-right-next-to-denmarks-legoland-but-way-cooler/
If there is one thing that most Hackaday readers will know about Denmark, it is that it’s the home of the Lego brick. The toy first appeared at the end of the 1940s from the factory of Ole Kirk Christiansen‘s Lego company in Billund, central Denmark, and has remained inseparable …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/09/09/lego-house-right-next-to-denmarks-legoland-but-way-cooler/)
https://hackaday.com/2019/09/09/lego-house-right-next-to-denmarks-legoland-but-way-cooler/
If there is one thing that most Hackaday readers will know about Denmark, it is that it’s the home of the Lego brick. The toy first appeared at the end of the 1940s from the factory of Ole Kirk Christiansen‘s Lego company in Billund, central Denmark, and has remained inseparable …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/09/09/lego-house-right-next-to-denmarks-legoland-but-way-cooler/)
Solder Ninja Dabbles In USB Power Arcana
https://hackaday.com/2019/09/09/solder-ninja-dabbles-in-usb-power-arcana/
USB first hit the scene in the 1990s, and was intended to simplify connecting peripherals to PCs and eliminate the proliferation of various legacy interfaces. Over 20 years later, it’s not only achieved its initial goals, but become a de facto standard for charging and power supply for all manner …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/09/09/solder-ninja-dabbles-in-usb-power-arcana/)
https://hackaday.com/2019/09/09/solder-ninja-dabbles-in-usb-power-arcana/
USB first hit the scene in the 1990s, and was intended to simplify connecting peripherals to PCs and eliminate the proliferation of various legacy interfaces. Over 20 years later, it’s not only achieved its initial goals, but become a de facto standard for charging and power supply for all manner …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/09/09/solder-ninja-dabbles-in-usb-power-arcana/)
Everything You Wanted To Know About Padauk MCUs And More
https://hackaday.com/2019/09/09/everything-you-wanted-to-know-about-padauk-mcus-and-more/
At this point you’d need to have lived underneath a rock somewhere on the dark side of the Moon to not have heard about these amazing, 3-cent microcontrollers. A number of places have pitched in on them, but comprehensive reviews, let alone a full-blown review of the entire ecosystem surrounding …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/09/09/everything-you-wanted-to-know-about-padauk-mcus-and-more/)
https://hackaday.com/2019/09/09/everything-you-wanted-to-know-about-padauk-mcus-and-more/
At this point you’d need to have lived underneath a rock somewhere on the dark side of the Moon to not have heard about these amazing, 3-cent microcontrollers. A number of places have pitched in on them, but comprehensive reviews, let alone a full-blown review of the entire ecosystem surrounding …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/09/09/everything-you-wanted-to-know-about-padauk-mcus-and-more/)
BST-863 Hot Air Rework Station Teardown
https://hackaday.com/2019/09/09/bst-863-hot-air-rework-station-teardown/
[Voltlog] has had a 952 hot air rework station for a long time. You’ll recognize it when you see it — they are the ubiquitous soldering iron and hot air gun combination from China sold under numerous brand names. He didn’t think the old station was as good as some …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/09/09/bst-863-hot-air-rework-station-teardown/)
https://hackaday.com/2019/09/09/bst-863-hot-air-rework-station-teardown/
[Voltlog] has had a 952 hot air rework station for a long time. You’ll recognize it when you see it — they are the ubiquitous soldering iron and hot air gun combination from China sold under numerous brand names. He didn’t think the old station was as good as some …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/09/09/bst-863-hot-air-rework-station-teardown/)