Water Flow Meter Knows Tank Level
https://hackaday.com/2019/11/11/water-flow-meter-knows-tank-level/
There’s almost always more than one way to get any particular job done. Suppose for instance you have a tank you fill up from a well, and you’d like to know when the time is right to refill the tank. The obvious answer is to measure the level of the …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/11/11/water-flow-meter-knows-tank-level/)
https://hackaday.com/2019/11/11/water-flow-meter-knows-tank-level/
There’s almost always more than one way to get any particular job done. Suppose for instance you have a tank you fill up from a well, and you’d like to know when the time is right to refill the tank. The obvious answer is to measure the level of the …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/11/11/water-flow-meter-knows-tank-level/)
Tearing Down A PS3 Blu Ray Drive
https://hackaday.com/2019/11/12/tearing-down-a-ps3-blu-ray-drive/
Optical drives are somewhat passe in 2019, with most laptops and desktops no longer shipping with the hardware installed. The power of the cloud has begun to eliminate the need for physical media, but that doesn’t mean the technology is any less marvellous. [Leslie Wright] and [Samuel Goldwater] took a …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/11/12/tearing-down-a-ps3-blu-ray-drive/)
https://hackaday.com/2019/11/12/tearing-down-a-ps3-blu-ray-drive/
Optical drives are somewhat passe in 2019, with most laptops and desktops no longer shipping with the hardware installed. The power of the cloud has begun to eliminate the need for physical media, but that doesn’t mean the technology is any less marvellous. [Leslie Wright] and [Samuel Goldwater] took a …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/11/12/tearing-down-a-ps3-blu-ray-drive/)
The Past, Present, and Uncertain Future of LulzBot
https://hackaday.com/2019/11/12/the-past-present-and-uncertain-future-of-lulzbot/
Considering that it’s only existed for around a decade, the commercial desktop 3D printing market has seen an exceptional amount of turnover. But then, who could resist investing in an industry that just might change the world? It certainly didn’t hurt that the MakerBot Cupcake, arguably the first “mass market” …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/11/12/the-past-present-and-uncertain-future-of-lulzbot/)
https://hackaday.com/2019/11/12/the-past-present-and-uncertain-future-of-lulzbot/
Considering that it’s only existed for around a decade, the commercial desktop 3D printing market has seen an exceptional amount of turnover. But then, who could resist investing in an industry that just might change the world? It certainly didn’t hurt that the MakerBot Cupcake, arguably the first “mass market” …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/11/12/the-past-present-and-uncertain-future-of-lulzbot/)
RISC-V: Why The ISA Battles Aren’t Over Yet
https://hackaday.com/2019/11/12/risc-v-why-the-isa-battles-arent-over-yet/
A computer processor uses a so-called Instruction Set Architecture to talk with the world outside of its own circuitry. This ISA consists of a number of instructions, which essentially define the functionality of that processor, which explains why so many ISAs still exist today. It’s hard to find that one …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/11/12/risc-v-why-the-isa-battles-arent-over-yet/)
https://hackaday.com/2019/11/12/risc-v-why-the-isa-battles-arent-over-yet/
A computer processor uses a so-called Instruction Set Architecture to talk with the world outside of its own circuitry. This ISA consists of a number of instructions, which essentially define the functionality of that processor, which explains why so many ISAs still exist today. It’s hard to find that one …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/11/12/risc-v-why-the-isa-battles-arent-over-yet/)
Printed Arduino Turntable Takes Objects For a Spin
https://hackaday.com/2019/11/12/printed-arduino-turntable-takes-objects-for-a-spin/
Have you built a 3D scanner yet? There’s more than one way to model those curves and planes, but the easiest may be photogrammetry — that’s the one where you take a bunch of pictures and stitch them into a 3D model. If you build a scanner like [Brian Brocken]’s …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/11/12/printed-arduino-turntable-takes-objects-for-a-spin/)
https://hackaday.com/2019/11/12/printed-arduino-turntable-takes-objects-for-a-spin/
Have you built a 3D scanner yet? There’s more than one way to model those curves and planes, but the easiest may be photogrammetry — that’s the one where you take a bunch of pictures and stitch them into a 3D model. If you build a scanner like [Brian Brocken]’s …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/11/12/printed-arduino-turntable-takes-objects-for-a-spin/)
Cardboard Longboard Uses Quarter-Isogrid Structure
https://hackaday.com/2019/11/12/cardboard-longboard-uses-quarter-isogrid-structure/
Skateboards are most typically crafted by hand, carved out of wood layered by care. However, many makers have sought to explore alternative techniques. [Technovation] decided to combine alternative materials and digital fabrication techniques to produce this attractive cardboard longboard.
The structure of the board was designed in Fusion 360, featuring …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/11/12/cardboard-longboard-uses-quarter-isogrid-structure/)
https://hackaday.com/2019/11/12/cardboard-longboard-uses-quarter-isogrid-structure/
Skateboards are most typically crafted by hand, carved out of wood layered by care. However, many makers have sought to explore alternative techniques. [Technovation] decided to combine alternative materials and digital fabrication techniques to produce this attractive cardboard longboard.
The structure of the board was designed in Fusion 360, featuring …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/11/12/cardboard-longboard-uses-quarter-isogrid-structure/)
Superconference Interview: Sam Zeloof
https://hackaday.com/2019/11/12/superconference-interview-sam-zeloof/
In less than four days, the fifth Hackaday Superconference kicks off in Pasadena, California, and it’s shaping up to be a hoot. With a cavalcade of exciting workshops and talks on offer, hackers and makers are pouring in from across the globe for this celebration of software, firmware, and hardware. …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/11/12/superconference-interview-sam-zeloof/)
https://hackaday.com/2019/11/12/superconference-interview-sam-zeloof/
In less than four days, the fifth Hackaday Superconference kicks off in Pasadena, California, and it’s shaping up to be a hoot. With a cavalcade of exciting workshops and talks on offer, hackers and makers are pouring in from across the globe for this celebration of software, firmware, and hardware. …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/11/12/superconference-interview-sam-zeloof/)
HF Propagation and Earthquakes
https://hackaday.com/2019/11/12/hf-propagation-and-earthquakes/
For all the successes of modern weather forecasting, where hurricanes, blizzards, and even notoriously unpredictable tornadoes are routinely detected before they strike, reliably predicting one aspect of nature’s fury has eluded us: earthquakes. The development of plate tectonic theory in the middle of the 20th century and the construction of …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/11/12/hf-propagation-and-earthquakes/)
https://hackaday.com/2019/11/12/hf-propagation-and-earthquakes/
For all the successes of modern weather forecasting, where hurricanes, blizzards, and even notoriously unpredictable tornadoes are routinely detected before they strike, reliably predicting one aspect of nature’s fury has eluded us: earthquakes. The development of plate tectonic theory in the middle of the 20th century and the construction of …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/11/12/hf-propagation-and-earthquakes/)
Haptic Games Bring Fun to the Visually Impaired
https://hackaday.com/2019/11/12/haptic-games-bring-fun-to-the-visually-impaired/
No matter what your parents might say, games are good for us. They teach us to manage resources and give us dopamine rewards just like eating and mating do. Even if you’re no good at games in general, they are still a fun distraction from life.
There are so many …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/11/12/haptic-games-bring-fun-to-the-visually-impaired/)
https://hackaday.com/2019/11/12/haptic-games-bring-fun-to-the-visually-impaired/
No matter what your parents might say, games are good for us. They teach us to manage resources and give us dopamine rewards just like eating and mating do. Even if you’re no good at games in general, they are still a fun distraction from life.
There are so many …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/11/12/haptic-games-bring-fun-to-the-visually-impaired/)
Improving Exposure On A Masked SLA Printer
https://hackaday.com/2019/11/12/improving-exposure-on-masked-sla-printer/
It’s taken longer than some might have thought, but we’re finally at the point where you can pick up an SLA 3D printer for a few hundred bucks. These machines, which use light to cure a resin, are capable of far higher resolution than their more common FDM counterparts, though …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/11/12/improving-exposure-on-masked-sla-printer/)
https://hackaday.com/2019/11/12/improving-exposure-on-masked-sla-printer/
It’s taken longer than some might have thought, but we’re finally at the point where you can pick up an SLA 3D printer for a few hundred bucks. These machines, which use light to cure a resin, are capable of far higher resolution than their more common FDM counterparts, though …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/11/12/improving-exposure-on-masked-sla-printer/)
Core XY Explained
https://hackaday.com/2019/11/12/core-xy-explained/
If you are building a CNC machine, a 3D printer, or even a plotter, you have a need for motion in both the X and Y directions. There are many ways to accomplish this, for example, some printers move the tool in the X direction and the bed in the …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/11/12/core-xy-explained/)
https://hackaday.com/2019/11/12/core-xy-explained/
If you are building a CNC machine, a 3D printer, or even a plotter, you have a need for motion in both the X and Y directions. There are many ways to accomplish this, for example, some printers move the tool in the X direction and the bed in the …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/11/12/core-xy-explained/)
Azobenzene Stores Solar Energy
https://hackaday.com/2019/11/12/azobenzene-stores-solar-energy/
Probably the most efficient way to convert solar energy into electricity is the old fashioned way, heating water into steam and turning a turbine. This remains a messy affair though and you don’t really want a steam boiler on your roof, so solar cells are popular. However, there’s some new …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/11/12/azobenzene-stores-solar-energy/)
https://hackaday.com/2019/11/12/azobenzene-stores-solar-energy/
Probably the most efficient way to convert solar energy into electricity is the old fashioned way, heating water into steam and turning a turbine. This remains a messy affair though and you don’t really want a steam boiler on your roof, so solar cells are popular. However, there’s some new …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/11/12/azobenzene-stores-solar-energy/)
Simulate City Blocks With Circuit Blocks In A LEGO Box
https://hackaday.com/2019/11/12/simulate-city-blocks-with-circuit-blocks-in-a-lego-box/
Have you ever looked around your city’s layout and thought you could do better? Maybe you’ve always wanted to see how she’d run on nuclear or wind power, or just play around with civic amenities and see how your choices affect the citizens.
[Robbe Nagel] made this physical-digital simulator for …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/11/12/simulate-city-blocks-with-circuit-blocks-in-a-lego-box/)
https://hackaday.com/2019/11/12/simulate-city-blocks-with-circuit-blocks-in-a-lego-box/
Have you ever looked around your city’s layout and thought you could do better? Maybe you’ve always wanted to see how she’d run on nuclear or wind power, or just play around with civic amenities and see how your choices affect the citizens.
[Robbe Nagel] made this physical-digital simulator for …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/11/12/simulate-city-blocks-with-circuit-blocks-in-a-lego-box/)
Adding Sensors to Improve Your Curling Game? Turns Out It’s Really Hard
https://hackaday.com/2019/11/13/adding-sensors-to-improve-your-curling-game-turns-out-its-really-hard/
Sometimes, a project turns out to be harder than expected at every turn and the plug gets pulled. That was the case with [Chris Fenton]’s efforts to gain insight into his curling game by adding sensors to monitor the movement of curling stones as well as the broom action. Luckily, …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/11/13/adding-sensors-to-improve-your-curling-game-turns-out-its-really-hard/)
https://hackaday.com/2019/11/13/adding-sensors-to-improve-your-curling-game-turns-out-its-really-hard/
Sometimes, a project turns out to be harder than expected at every turn and the plug gets pulled. That was the case with [Chris Fenton]’s efforts to gain insight into his curling game by adding sensors to monitor the movement of curling stones as well as the broom action. Luckily, …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/11/13/adding-sensors-to-improve-your-curling-game-turns-out-its-really-hard/)
Tindie Seller Reviews a Knock-Off of His Own Product
https://hackaday.com/2019/11/13/tindie-seller-reviews-a-knock-off-of-his-own-product/
If imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, online creators are being sincerely flattered at an alarming rate these days. We Hackaday scribes see it all the time, as straight copy-pastes of our articles turn up on other websites under different bylines. It’s annoying, but given prevailing attitudes toward intellectual …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/11/13/tindie-seller-reviews-a-knock-off-of-his-own-product/)
https://hackaday.com/2019/11/13/tindie-seller-reviews-a-knock-off-of-his-own-product/
If imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, online creators are being sincerely flattered at an alarming rate these days. We Hackaday scribes see it all the time, as straight copy-pastes of our articles turn up on other websites under different bylines. It’s annoying, but given prevailing attitudes toward intellectual …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/11/13/tindie-seller-reviews-a-knock-off-of-his-own-product/)
Lessons in Li-Ion Safety
https://hackaday.com/2019/11/13/lessons-in-li-ion-safety/
If you came here from an internet search because your battery just blew up and you don’t know how to put out the fire, then use a regular fire extinguisher if it’s plugged in to an outlet, or a fire extinguisher or water if it is not plugged in. Get …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/11/13/lessons-in-li-ion-safety/)
https://hackaday.com/2019/11/13/lessons-in-li-ion-safety/
If you came here from an internet search because your battery just blew up and you don’t know how to put out the fire, then use a regular fire extinguisher if it’s plugged in to an outlet, or a fire extinguisher or water if it is not plugged in. Get …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/11/13/lessons-in-li-ion-safety/)
Bicycle Transforms Mid-Ride
https://hackaday.com/2019/11/13/bicycle-transforms-mid-ride/
For those of us who were children in the late 80s and early 90s, we may have dreamed of one day owning a gigantic tractor trailer that could transform into a colossal fighting robot. Or of simply having a toy that could approximate this change from one form into another. …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/11/13/bicycle-transforms-mid-ride/)
https://hackaday.com/2019/11/13/bicycle-transforms-mid-ride/
For those of us who were children in the late 80s and early 90s, we may have dreamed of one day owning a gigantic tractor trailer that could transform into a colossal fighting robot. Or of simply having a toy that could approximate this change from one form into another. …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/11/13/bicycle-transforms-mid-ride/)
Ask Hackaday: Is Anyone Sad Phone VR is Dead?
https://hackaday.com/2019/11/13/ask-hackaday-is-anyone-sad-phone-vr-is-dead/
It’s official: smartphone-based VR is dead. The two big players in this space were Samsung Gear VR (powered by Oculus, which is owned by Facebook) and Google Daydream. Both have called it quits, with Google omitting support from their newer phones and Oculus confirming that the Gear VR has reached …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/11/13/ask-hackaday-is-anyone-sad-phone-vr-is-dead/)
https://hackaday.com/2019/11/13/ask-hackaday-is-anyone-sad-phone-vr-is-dead/
It’s official: smartphone-based VR is dead. The two big players in this space were Samsung Gear VR (powered by Oculus, which is owned by Facebook) and Google Daydream. Both have called it quits, with Google omitting support from their newer phones and Oculus confirming that the Gear VR has reached …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/11/13/ask-hackaday-is-anyone-sad-phone-vr-is-dead/)
An Open Source Toolbox for Studying the Earth
https://hackaday.com/2019/11/13/an-open-source-toolbox-for-studying-the-earth/
Fully understanding the planet’s complex ecosystem takes data, and lots of it. Unfortunately, the ability to collect detailed environmental data on a large scale with any sort of accuracy has traditionally been something that only the government or well-funded institutions have been capable of. Building and deploying the sensors necessary …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/11/13/an-open-source-toolbox-for-studying-the-earth/)
https://hackaday.com/2019/11/13/an-open-source-toolbox-for-studying-the-earth/
Fully understanding the planet’s complex ecosystem takes data, and lots of it. Unfortunately, the ability to collect detailed environmental data on a large scale with any sort of accuracy has traditionally been something that only the government or well-funded institutions have been capable of. Building and deploying the sensors necessary …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/11/13/an-open-source-toolbox-for-studying-the-earth/)
Break The Caps Lock Habit With This Annoying Buzzer
https://hackaday.com/2019/11/13/break-the-caps-lock-habit-with-this-annoying-buzzer/
The much-maligned Caps Lock key has been causing problems for decades, and its continued existence is controversial enough that Google decided to drop it all together in their Chromebooks. Until the rest of the industry decides to follow their lead, they’ll likely be no shortage of awkward emails or overly …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/11/13/break-the-caps-lock-habit-with-this-annoying-buzzer/)
https://hackaday.com/2019/11/13/break-the-caps-lock-habit-with-this-annoying-buzzer/
The much-maligned Caps Lock key has been causing problems for decades, and its continued existence is controversial enough that Google decided to drop it all together in their Chromebooks. Until the rest of the industry decides to follow their lead, they’ll likely be no shortage of awkward emails or overly …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/11/13/break-the-caps-lock-habit-with-this-annoying-buzzer/)