Modified Tombstone Welder Contains a Host of Hacks
https://hackaday.com/2019/09/12/modified-tombstone-welder-contains-a-host-of-hacks/
State-of-the-art welding machines aren’t cheap, and for good reason: pushing around that much current in a controlled way and doing it over an entire workday takes some heavy-duty parts. There are bargains to be found, though, especially in the most basic of machines: AC stick welders. The familiar and aptly …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/09/12/modified-tombstone-welder-contains-a-host-of-hacks/)
https://hackaday.com/2019/09/12/modified-tombstone-welder-contains-a-host-of-hacks/
State-of-the-art welding machines aren’t cheap, and for good reason: pushing around that much current in a controlled way and doing it over an entire workday takes some heavy-duty parts. There are bargains to be found, though, especially in the most basic of machines: AC stick welders. The familiar and aptly …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/09/12/modified-tombstone-welder-contains-a-host-of-hacks/)
A 4G Rover And The Benefits Of A Shakedown Mission
https://hackaday.com/2019/09/12/a-4g-rover-and-the-benefits-of-a-shakedown-mission/
Many moons ago, in the shadowy darkness of the 1990s, a young Lewin visited his elder cousin. An adept AMOS programmer, he had managed to get his Amiga 500 to control an RC car, with little more than a large pile of relays and guile. Everything worked well, but there …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/09/12/a-4g-rover-and-the-benefits-of-a-shakedown-mission/)
https://hackaday.com/2019/09/12/a-4g-rover-and-the-benefits-of-a-shakedown-mission/
Many moons ago, in the shadowy darkness of the 1990s, a young Lewin visited his elder cousin. An adept AMOS programmer, he had managed to get his Amiga 500 to control an RC car, with little more than a large pile of relays and guile. Everything worked well, but there …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/09/12/a-4g-rover-and-the-benefits-of-a-shakedown-mission/)
Particle Mesh Powers The Internet Of Fans
https://hackaday.com/2019/09/12/particle-mesh-powers-the-internet-of-fans/
With the winter months not far off, [Ben Brooks] was looking for a way to help circulate the heat from his wood-burning fireplace throughout his home. Rather than go with a commercial solution, he decided to come up with his own automated air circulation system powered by the mesh networking …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/09/12/particle-mesh-powers-the-internet-of-fans/)
https://hackaday.com/2019/09/12/particle-mesh-powers-the-internet-of-fans/
With the winter months not far off, [Ben Brooks] was looking for a way to help circulate the heat from his wood-burning fireplace throughout his home. Rather than go with a commercial solution, he decided to come up with his own automated air circulation system powered by the mesh networking …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/09/12/particle-mesh-powers-the-internet-of-fans/)
These Tips Make Assembling a Few Hundred PCBs Easier
https://hackaday.com/2019/09/12/these-tips-make-assembling-a-few-hundred-pcbs-easier/
There are a few common lessons that get repeated by anyone who takes on the task of assembling a few hundred PCBs, but there are also unique insights to be had. [DominoTree] shared his takeaways after making a couple hundred electronic badges for DEFCON 26 (that’s the one before the …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/09/12/these-tips-make-assembling-a-few-hundred-pcbs-easier/)
https://hackaday.com/2019/09/12/these-tips-make-assembling-a-few-hundred-pcbs-easier/
There are a few common lessons that get repeated by anyone who takes on the task of assembling a few hundred PCBs, but there are also unique insights to be had. [DominoTree] shared his takeaways after making a couple hundred electronic badges for DEFCON 26 (that’s the one before the …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/09/12/these-tips-make-assembling-a-few-hundred-pcbs-easier/)
Frequency Counting a Different Way
https://hackaday.com/2019/09/12/frequency-counting-a-different-way/
Counting frequency is one of those tasks that seems simple on the face of it, but actually has quite a bit of nuance. There are two obvious methods, of which the first is to count zero crossings for some period. If that period is one second you are done, otherwise …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/09/12/frequency-counting-a-different-way/)
https://hackaday.com/2019/09/12/frequency-counting-a-different-way/
Counting frequency is one of those tasks that seems simple on the face of it, but actually has quite a bit of nuance. There are two obvious methods, of which the first is to count zero crossings for some period. If that period is one second you are done, otherwise …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/09/12/frequency-counting-a-different-way/)
Wall-Mounted Ground Station Tames Unruly SatNOGS Node
https://hackaday.com/2019/09/12/wall-mounted-ground-station-tames-unruly-satnogs-node/
For many of us, ad hoc projects end up having a certain permanence to them. Think of the number of Raspberry Pis and RTL-SDRs that are just dangling from a USB cable under a desk or stuffed behind a monitor, quietly going about their business. If it ain’t broke, don’t …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/09/12/wall-mounted-ground-station-tames-unruly-satnogs-node/)
https://hackaday.com/2019/09/12/wall-mounted-ground-station-tames-unruly-satnogs-node/
For many of us, ad hoc projects end up having a certain permanence to them. Think of the number of Raspberry Pis and RTL-SDRs that are just dangling from a USB cable under a desk or stuffed behind a monitor, quietly going about their business. If it ain’t broke, don’t …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/09/12/wall-mounted-ground-station-tames-unruly-satnogs-node/)
Steel Battalion Controller Grows up and Gets a Job
https://hackaday.com/2019/09/13/steel-battalion-controller-grows-up-and-gets-a-job/
We’re going to go out on a limb here and say that the controller for Steel Battalion on the original Xbox is the most impressive video game peripheral ever made. Designed to make players feel like they were really in the cockpit of a “Vertical Tank”, the controller features dual …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/09/13/steel-battalion-controller-grows-up-and-gets-a-job/)
https://hackaday.com/2019/09/13/steel-battalion-controller-grows-up-and-gets-a-job/
We’re going to go out on a limb here and say that the controller for Steel Battalion on the original Xbox is the most impressive video game peripheral ever made. Designed to make players feel like they were really in the cockpit of a “Vertical Tank”, the controller features dual …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/09/13/steel-battalion-controller-grows-up-and-gets-a-job/)
Side-Channel Attack Shows Vulnerabilities of Cryptocurrency Wallets
https://hackaday.com/2019/09/13/side-channel-attack-shows-vulnerabilities-of-cryptocurrency-wallets/
What’s in your crypto wallet? The simple answer should be fat stacks of Bitcoin or Ethereum and little more. But if you use a hardware cryptocurrency wallet, you may be carrying around a bit fat vulnerability, too.
At the 35C3 conference last year, [Thomas Roth], [Josh Datko], and [Dmitry Nedospasov] …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/09/13/side-channel-attack-shows-vulnerabilities-of-cryptocurrency-wallets/)
https://hackaday.com/2019/09/13/side-channel-attack-shows-vulnerabilities-of-cryptocurrency-wallets/
What’s in your crypto wallet? The simple answer should be fat stacks of Bitcoin or Ethereum and little more. But if you use a hardware cryptocurrency wallet, you may be carrying around a bit fat vulnerability, too.
At the 35C3 conference last year, [Thomas Roth], [Josh Datko], and [Dmitry Nedospasov] …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/09/13/side-channel-attack-shows-vulnerabilities-of-cryptocurrency-wallets/)
This Week in Security: Simjacker, Microsoft Updates, Apple Vs Google, Audio DeepFakes, and NetCAT
https://hackaday.com/2019/09/13/this-week-in-security-simjacker-microsoft-updates-apple-vs-google-audio-deepfakes-and-netcat/
We often think of SIM cards as simple data storage devices, but in reality a SIM card is a miniature Universal integrated circuit card, or smart card. Subscriber data isn’t a simple text string, but a program running on the smart cards tiny processor, acting as a hardware cryptographic token. …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/09/13/this-week-in-security-simjacker-microsoft-updates-apple-vs-google-audio-deepfakes-and-netcat/)
https://hackaday.com/2019/09/13/this-week-in-security-simjacker-microsoft-updates-apple-vs-google-audio-deepfakes-and-netcat/
We often think of SIM cards as simple data storage devices, but in reality a SIM card is a miniature Universal integrated circuit card, or smart card. Subscriber data isn’t a simple text string, but a program running on the smart cards tiny processor, acting as a hardware cryptographic token. …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/09/13/this-week-in-security-simjacker-microsoft-updates-apple-vs-google-audio-deepfakes-and-netcat/)
Is It A Boat? Is It A Hammock? No, It’s Both!
https://hackaday.com/2019/09/13/is-it-a-boat-is-it-a-hammock-no-its-both/
If you’re enjoying a Western Canadian summer, two of the best ways to do so involve a hammock, or a boat. Seeking to improve on this mighty duo with a hammock-boat combo, [Jarrett] describes his progress at Vancouver Hack Space.
The boat he chose was a one-person catemaran with an …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/09/13/is-it-a-boat-is-it-a-hammock-no-its-both/)
https://hackaday.com/2019/09/13/is-it-a-boat-is-it-a-hammock-no-its-both/
If you’re enjoying a Western Canadian summer, two of the best ways to do so involve a hammock, or a boat. Seeking to improve on this mighty duo with a hammock-boat combo, [Jarrett] describes his progress at Vancouver Hack Space.
The boat he chose was a one-person catemaran with an …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/09/13/is-it-a-boat-is-it-a-hammock-no-its-both/)
Hackaday Podcast 035: LED Cubes Taking Over, Ada Vanquishes C Bugs, Rad Monitoring is Hot, and 3D Printing Goes Full 3D
https://hackaday.com/2019/09/13/hackaday-podcast-035-led-cubes-taking-over-ada-vanquishes-c-bugs-rad-monitoring-is-hot-and-3d-printing-goes-full-3d/
Hackaday Editors Mike Szczys and Elliot Williams get caught up on the most interesting hacks of the past week. On this episode we take a deep dive into radiation-monitor projects, both Geiger tube and scintillator based, as well as LED cube projects that pack pixels onto six PCBs with parts …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/09/13/hackaday-podcast-035-led-cubes-taking-over-ada-vanquishes-c-bugs-rad-monitoring-is-hot-and-3d-printing-goes-full-3d/)
https://hackaday.com/2019/09/13/hackaday-podcast-035-led-cubes-taking-over-ada-vanquishes-c-bugs-rad-monitoring-is-hot-and-3d-printing-goes-full-3d/
Hackaday Editors Mike Szczys and Elliot Williams get caught up on the most interesting hacks of the past week. On this episode we take a deep dive into radiation-monitor projects, both Geiger tube and scintillator based, as well as LED cube projects that pack pixels onto six PCBs with parts …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/09/13/hackaday-podcast-035-led-cubes-taking-over-ada-vanquishes-c-bugs-rad-monitoring-is-hot-and-3d-printing-goes-full-3d/)
Hands-On: BornHack’s Light Sabre Badge
https://hackaday.com/2019/09/13/hands-on-bornhacks-light-sabre-badge/
A badge modelled after the handle of a light sabre? Yes Please! This Star Wars themed hardware is the work of hardware designer Thomas Flummer for the 2019 BornHack conference held in Denmark last month. (Check out my roundup of the event if this is the first you’ve heard of …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/09/13/hands-on-bornhacks-light-sabre-badge/)
https://hackaday.com/2019/09/13/hands-on-bornhacks-light-sabre-badge/
A badge modelled after the handle of a light sabre? Yes Please! This Star Wars themed hardware is the work of hardware designer Thomas Flummer for the 2019 BornHack conference held in Denmark last month. (Check out my roundup of the event if this is the first you’ve heard of …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/09/13/hands-on-bornhacks-light-sabre-badge/)
A Masterpiece, But Our Maestro Is A CNC Machine
https://hackaday.com/2019/09/13/a-masterpiece-but-our-maestro-is-a-cnc-machine/
Sometimes we manage to miss projects when they first appear, only to have the joy of discovering them a while later. So it is with [John Opsahl]’s Project Convert To Paint, a CNC painting ‘bot that takes a bitmap image and paints it on canvas as a fine artist would, …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/09/13/a-masterpiece-but-our-maestro-is-a-cnc-machine/)
https://hackaday.com/2019/09/13/a-masterpiece-but-our-maestro-is-a-cnc-machine/
Sometimes we manage to miss projects when they first appear, only to have the joy of discovering them a while later. So it is with [John Opsahl]’s Project Convert To Paint, a CNC painting ‘bot that takes a bitmap image and paints it on canvas as a fine artist would, …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/09/13/a-masterpiece-but-our-maestro-is-a-cnc-machine/)
DJ Xiaomi Spins Beats And Brushes At The Same Time
https://hackaday.com/2019/09/13/dj-xiaomi-spins-beats-and-brushes-at-the-same-time/
Direct from the “Just Because I Can” department, this blog post by [Eddie Zhang] shows us how easy it is to get the Xiaomi robotic vacuum cleaner working as what might be the world’s most unnecessary Spotify Connect speaker. Will your home be the next to play host to an …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/09/13/dj-xiaomi-spins-beats-and-brushes-at-the-same-time/)
https://hackaday.com/2019/09/13/dj-xiaomi-spins-beats-and-brushes-at-the-same-time/
Direct from the “Just Because I Can” department, this blog post by [Eddie Zhang] shows us how easy it is to get the Xiaomi robotic vacuum cleaner working as what might be the world’s most unnecessary Spotify Connect speaker. Will your home be the next to play host to an …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/09/13/dj-xiaomi-spins-beats-and-brushes-at-the-same-time/)
A Professional-Level Desk In A Dorm
https://hackaday.com/2019/09/13/a-professional-level-desk-in-a-dorm/
Heading off to college comes with its own set of challenges. Harder course material, living away from home for the first time, and dealing with roommates are common hurdles to overcome, but an oft-overlooked issue is the poor quality dorm room desks. For a place that a student is expected …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/09/13/a-professional-level-desk-in-a-dorm/)
https://hackaday.com/2019/09/13/a-professional-level-desk-in-a-dorm/
Heading off to college comes with its own set of challenges. Harder course material, living away from home for the first time, and dealing with roommates are common hurdles to overcome, but an oft-overlooked issue is the poor quality dorm room desks. For a place that a student is expected …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/09/13/a-professional-level-desk-in-a-dorm/)
Peek Into The Compiler’s Code — Lots Of Compilers
https://hackaday.com/2019/09/13/peek-into-the-compilers-code-lots-of-compilers/
We don’t know what normal people argue about, but we know we spend a lot of time arguing about the best microcontroller, which editor is the best, and what language or compiler does the best job. The problem with all those compilers is getting them loaded and digging into the …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/09/13/peek-into-the-compilers-code-lots-of-compilers/)
https://hackaday.com/2019/09/13/peek-into-the-compilers-code-lots-of-compilers/
We don’t know what normal people argue about, but we know we spend a lot of time arguing about the best microcontroller, which editor is the best, and what language or compiler does the best job. The problem with all those compilers is getting them loaded and digging into the …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/09/13/peek-into-the-compilers-code-lots-of-compilers/)
Teaching A Vintage Line Printer To Make Music, All Over Again
https://hackaday.com/2019/09/13/teaching-a-vintage-line-printer-to-make-music-all-over-again/
Sit next to any piece of machinery long enough and you get to know it by the sounds it makes. Think about the sounds coming from any 3D-printer or CNC machine; it’s easy to know without looking when the G code is working through the sines and cosines needed to …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/09/13/teaching-a-vintage-line-printer-to-make-music-all-over-again/)
https://hackaday.com/2019/09/13/teaching-a-vintage-line-printer-to-make-music-all-over-again/
Sit next to any piece of machinery long enough and you get to know it by the sounds it makes. Think about the sounds coming from any 3D-printer or CNC machine; it’s easy to know without looking when the G code is working through the sines and cosines needed to …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/09/13/teaching-a-vintage-line-printer-to-make-music-all-over-again/)
A Conference Badge Breathes Life Into A Rotary Phone
https://hackaday.com/2019/09/14/a-conference-badge-breathes-life-into-a-rotary-phone/
We have covered the astonishing diversity of conference badges to a great extent over the years, and we are always pleased and surprised at the creativity and ingenuity that goes into their creation. But the saddest thing about so many badges is that after the event they go into the …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/09/14/a-conference-badge-breathes-life-into-a-rotary-phone/)
https://hackaday.com/2019/09/14/a-conference-badge-breathes-life-into-a-rotary-phone/
We have covered the astonishing diversity of conference badges to a great extent over the years, and we are always pleased and surprised at the creativity and ingenuity that goes into their creation. But the saddest thing about so many badges is that after the event they go into the …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/09/14/a-conference-badge-breathes-life-into-a-rotary-phone/)
Stack Those Boards For An Extra-Special Backlit LED Effect
https://hackaday.com/2019/09/14/stack-those-boards-for-an-extra-special-backlit-led-effect/
By now most of us should be used to backlit LEDs, in which a bare board with no copper or soldermask as an LED mounted on its reverse side to shine through as if with a diffuser. [Wim Van Gool] has created such an LED display with a twist, instead …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/09/14/stack-those-boards-for-an-extra-special-backlit-led-effect/)
https://hackaday.com/2019/09/14/stack-those-boards-for-an-extra-special-backlit-led-effect/
By now most of us should be used to backlit LEDs, in which a bare board with no copper or soldermask as an LED mounted on its reverse side to shine through as if with a diffuser. [Wim Van Gool] has created such an LED display with a twist, instead …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/09/14/stack-those-boards-for-an-extra-special-backlit-led-effect/)
RCA Created Video Records too Late
https://hackaday.com/2019/09/14/rca-created-video-records-too-late/
It is easy to find technology success stories: the PC, DVD, and cell phone are all well-documented tales. However, it is a little harder to find the stories behind the things that didn’t quite take off as planned. As the old saying goes, “success has many parents but failure is …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/09/14/rca-created-video-records-too-late/)
https://hackaday.com/2019/09/14/rca-created-video-records-too-late/
It is easy to find technology success stories: the PC, DVD, and cell phone are all well-documented tales. However, it is a little harder to find the stories behind the things that didn’t quite take off as planned. As the old saying goes, “success has many parents but failure is …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/09/14/rca-created-video-records-too-late/)
Cheap Sensors and an SDR Monitor Conditions in this Filament Drying Farm
https://hackaday.com/2019/09/14/cheap-sensors-and-an-sdr-monitor-conditions-in-this-filament-drying-farm/
We don’t know where [Scott M. Baker] calls home, but it must be a pretty humid place indeed. After all, he has invested quite a bit in fancy vacuum storage containers to keep his 3D-printer filament dry, with the result being this sensor-laden filament drying farm.
[Scott] wasn’t content to …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/09/14/cheap-sensors-and-an-sdr-monitor-conditions-in-this-filament-drying-farm/)
https://hackaday.com/2019/09/14/cheap-sensors-and-an-sdr-monitor-conditions-in-this-filament-drying-farm/
We don’t know where [Scott M. Baker] calls home, but it must be a pretty humid place indeed. After all, he has invested quite a bit in fancy vacuum storage containers to keep his 3D-printer filament dry, with the result being this sensor-laden filament drying farm.
[Scott] wasn’t content to …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/09/14/cheap-sensors-and-an-sdr-monitor-conditions-in-this-filament-drying-farm/)