When we first heard the term “random laser,” we did a double-take. After all, most ordinary sources of light are random. One defining characteristic of a traditional laser is that …read more (https://hackaday.com/2026/01/15/the-random-laser/)

Building a Carousel Autosampler
https://hackaday.com/2026/01/15/building-a-carousel-autosampler/

A common task in a laboratory setting is that of sampling, where a bit of e.g. liquid has to be sampled from a series of containers. Doing this by hand …read more (https://hackaday.com/2026/01/15/building-a-carousel-autosampler/)

Building an Escape Room Lockbox with the ESP32 Cheap Yellow Display (CYD)
https://hackaday.com/2026/01/15/building-an-escape-room-lockbox-with-the-esp32-cheap-yellow-display-cyd/

Here’s something fun from [Chad Kapper] over on HackMakeMod: Escape Room Lockbox with the Cheap Yellow Display. You may have heard of the “cheap yellow display” (CYD), so-called due to …read more (https://hackaday.com/2026/01/15/building-an-escape-room-lockbox-with-the-esp32-cheap-yellow-display-cyd/)

Project Fail: Cracking a Laptop BIOS Password Using AI
https://hackaday.com/2026/01/15/project-fail-cracking-a-laptop-bios-password-using-ai/

Whenever you buy used computers there is a risk that they come with unpleasant surprises that are not of the insect variant. From Apple hardware that is iCloud-locked with the …read more (https://hackaday.com/2026/01/15/project-fail-cracking-a-laptop-bios-password-using-ai/)

Is the Theory of Special Relativity Wrong?
https://hackaday.com/2026/01/15/is-the-theory-of-special-relativity-wrong/

There’s an adage coined by [Ian Betteridge] that any headline ending in a question mark can be answered by the word “No”. However, Lorentz invariance – the theory that the …read more (https://hackaday.com/2026/01/15/is-the-theory-of-special-relativity-wrong/)

What Happens When a Bug Rears its Head at Mach Two?
https://hackaday.com/2026/01/15/what-happens-when-a-bug-rears-its-head-at-mach-two/

While some may see amateur rocketry as little more than attaching fins to a motor and letting it fly, it is, in fact, rocket science. This fact became very clear …read more (https://hackaday.com/2026/01/15/what-happens-when-a-bug-rears-its-head-at-mach-two/)

A PSOne In the Palm of Your Hand
https://hackaday.com/2026/01/16/a-psone-in-the-palm-of-your-hand/

Sony’s original Playstation wasn’t huge, and they did shrink it for re-release later as the PSOne, but even that wasn’t small enough for [Secret Hobbyist]. You may have seen the …read more (https://hackaday.com/2026/01/16/a-psone-in-the-palm-of-your-hand/)