Forget the Walkman: It’s the Headphones
https://hackaday.com/2019/07/22/forget-the-walkman-its-the-headphones/
Forty years ago this month, a product was launched in Japan that would have such a huge impact on the consumer electronics market that we are still using its descendants today. The story goes that one of the Sony founders would listen to music while traveling for the business, and …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/07/22/forget-the-walkman-its-the-headphones/)
https://hackaday.com/2019/07/22/forget-the-walkman-its-the-headphones/
Forty years ago this month, a product was launched in Japan that would have such a huge impact on the consumer electronics market that we are still using its descendants today. The story goes that one of the Sony founders would listen to music while traveling for the business, and …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/07/22/forget-the-walkman-its-the-headphones/)
Watch Earthquake Roll Across A Continent In Seismograph Visualization Video
https://hackaday.com/2019/07/22/watch-earthquake-roll-across-a-continent-in-seismograph-visualization-video/
If your only exposure to seismologists at work is through film and television, you can be forgiven for thinking they still lay out rolls of paper to examine lines of ink under a magnifying glass. The reality is far more interesting in a field that has eagerly adopted all available …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/07/22/watch-earthquake-roll-across-a-continent-in-seismograph-visualization-video/)
https://hackaday.com/2019/07/22/watch-earthquake-roll-across-a-continent-in-seismograph-visualization-video/
If your only exposure to seismologists at work is through film and television, you can be forgiven for thinking they still lay out rolls of paper to examine lines of ink under a magnifying glass. The reality is far more interesting in a field that has eagerly adopted all available …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/07/22/watch-earthquake-roll-across-a-continent-in-seismograph-visualization-video/)
Crowd Supply Hack Chat with Josh Lifton
https://hackaday.com/2019/07/22/crowd-supply-hack-chat-with-josh-lifton/
Join us on Wednesday, July 24th at noon Pacific for the Crowd Supply Hack Chat with Josh Lifton!
When you’re ready to take your Next Big Idea from a project to a product, you face problems that don’t normally present themselves to the hobbyist. Building one of something is quite …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/07/22/crowd-supply-hack-chat-with-josh-lifton/)
https://hackaday.com/2019/07/22/crowd-supply-hack-chat-with-josh-lifton/
Join us on Wednesday, July 24th at noon Pacific for the Crowd Supply Hack Chat with Josh Lifton!
When you’re ready to take your Next Big Idea from a project to a product, you face problems that don’t normally present themselves to the hobbyist. Building one of something is quite …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/07/22/crowd-supply-hack-chat-with-josh-lifton/)
The South American Power Outage that Plunged 48 Million into Blackout
https://hackaday.com/2019/07/22/power-outages-irl/
A massive power outage in South America last month left most of Argentina, Uruguay, and Paraguay in the dark and may also have impacted small portions of Chile and Brazil. It’s estimated that 48 million people were affected and as of this writing there has still been no official explanation …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/07/22/power-outages-irl/)
https://hackaday.com/2019/07/22/power-outages-irl/
A massive power outage in South America last month left most of Argentina, Uruguay, and Paraguay in the dark and may also have impacted small portions of Chile and Brazil. It’s estimated that 48 million people were affected and as of this writing there has still been no official explanation …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/07/22/power-outages-irl/)
A Drop-In Upgrade Module for Cheap Rotary Tools
https://hackaday.com/2019/07/22/a-drop-in-upgrade-module-for-cheap-rotary-tools/
We’ve all seen them, the rotary tools that look almost, but not quite exactly, like a Dremel. They cost just a fraction of the real thing, and even use the same bits as the official Bosch-owned version. At first glance, they might seem like a perfect solution for the …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/07/22/a-drop-in-upgrade-module-for-cheap-rotary-tools/)
https://hackaday.com/2019/07/22/a-drop-in-upgrade-module-for-cheap-rotary-tools/
We’ve all seen them, the rotary tools that look almost, but not quite exactly, like a Dremel. They cost just a fraction of the real thing, and even use the same bits as the official Bosch-owned version. At first glance, they might seem like a perfect solution for the …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/07/22/a-drop-in-upgrade-module-for-cheap-rotary-tools/)
Developing An Automatic Tool For CAN Bus Hacking
https://hackaday.com/2019/07/22/developing-an-automatic-tool-for-can-bus-hacking/
In the old days, a physical button or switch on the dashboard of your car would have been wired to whatever device it was controlling. There was potentially a relay in the mix, but still, it wasn’t too hard to follow wires through the harness and figure out where they …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/07/22/developing-an-automatic-tool-for-can-bus-hacking/)
https://hackaday.com/2019/07/22/developing-an-automatic-tool-for-can-bus-hacking/
In the old days, a physical button or switch on the dashboard of your car would have been wired to whatever device it was controlling. There was potentially a relay in the mix, but still, it wasn’t too hard to follow wires through the harness and figure out where they …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/07/22/developing-an-automatic-tool-for-can-bus-hacking/)
Make Your Own SPL DB Meter With A Microphone And MCU
https://hackaday.com/2019/07/22/make-your-own-spl-db-meter-with-a-microphone-and-mcu/
Measuring equipment such as SPL (Sound Pressure Level) decibel meters may seem daunting, but this article by [Shawon M. Shahryiar] shows that making your own need only have two essential ingredients: a microphone and a microcontroller. Obviously the microphone is for measuring the sound pressure level, and its output is …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/07/22/make-your-own-spl-db-meter-with-a-microphone-and-mcu/)
https://hackaday.com/2019/07/22/make-your-own-spl-db-meter-with-a-microphone-and-mcu/
Measuring equipment such as SPL (Sound Pressure Level) decibel meters may seem daunting, but this article by [Shawon M. Shahryiar] shows that making your own need only have two essential ingredients: a microphone and a microcontroller. Obviously the microphone is for measuring the sound pressure level, and its output is …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/07/22/make-your-own-spl-db-meter-with-a-microphone-and-mcu/)
High Precision Analog IO With Digital Pins
https://hackaday.com/2019/07/22/high-precision-analog-io-with-digital-pins/
Reading the temperature of your environment is pretty easy right? A quick search suggests the utterly ubiquitous DHT11, which speaks a well documented protocol and has libraries for every conceivable microcontroller and platform. Plug that into your Arduino and boom, temperature (and humidity!) readings. But the simple solution doesn’t hit …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/07/22/high-precision-analog-io-with-digital-pins/)
https://hackaday.com/2019/07/22/high-precision-analog-io-with-digital-pins/
Reading the temperature of your environment is pretty easy right? A quick search suggests the utterly ubiquitous DHT11, which speaks a well documented protocol and has libraries for every conceivable microcontroller and platform. Plug that into your Arduino and boom, temperature (and humidity!) readings. But the simple solution doesn’t hit …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/07/22/high-precision-analog-io-with-digital-pins/)
Gesture Controlled Doom
https://hackaday.com/2019/07/22/gesture-controlled-doom/
DOOM will forever be remembered as one of the founding games of the entire FPS genre. It also stands as a game which has long been a fertile ground for hackers and modders. [Nick Bild] decided to bring gesture control to iD’s classic shooter, courtesy of machine learning.
The setup …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/07/22/gesture-controlled-doom/)
https://hackaday.com/2019/07/22/gesture-controlled-doom/
DOOM will forever be remembered as one of the founding games of the entire FPS genre. It also stands as a game which has long been a fertile ground for hackers and modders. [Nick Bild] decided to bring gesture control to iD’s classic shooter, courtesy of machine learning.
The setup …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/07/22/gesture-controlled-doom/)
Vacuum Sputtering with a Homemade Magnetron
https://hackaday.com/2019/07/23/vacuum-sputtering-with-a-homemade-magnetron/
“You can never be too rich or too thin,” the saying goes, and when it comes to coatings, it’s true that thinner is often better. The way to truly thin coatings, ones that are sometimes only a few atoms thick, is physical vapor deposition, or PVD, a technique where a …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/07/23/vacuum-sputtering-with-a-homemade-magnetron/)
https://hackaday.com/2019/07/23/vacuum-sputtering-with-a-homemade-magnetron/
“You can never be too rich or too thin,” the saying goes, and when it comes to coatings, it’s true that thinner is often better. The way to truly thin coatings, ones that are sometimes only a few atoms thick, is physical vapor deposition, or PVD, a technique where a …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/07/23/vacuum-sputtering-with-a-homemade-magnetron/)
I Love the Smell of ABS Plastic in the Morning
https://hackaday.com/2019/07/23/i-love-the-smell-of-abs-plastic-in-the-morning/
One lesson we can learn from the Vietnam War documentary Apocalypse Now is that only crazy people like terrible smells just for fun. Surely Lt. Col. Kilgore would appreciate the smell of 3D printers as well, but for those among us who are a little less insane, we might want …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/07/23/i-love-the-smell-of-abs-plastic-in-the-morning/)
https://hackaday.com/2019/07/23/i-love-the-smell-of-abs-plastic-in-the-morning/
One lesson we can learn from the Vietnam War documentary Apocalypse Now is that only crazy people like terrible smells just for fun. Surely Lt. Col. Kilgore would appreciate the smell of 3D printers as well, but for those among us who are a little less insane, we might want …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/07/23/i-love-the-smell-of-abs-plastic-in-the-morning/)
The V Programming Language: Vain Or Virtuous?
https://hackaday.com/2019/07/23/the-v-programming-language-vain-or-virtuous/
If you stay up to date with niche software news, your ears may recently have twitched at the release of a new programming language: V. New hobby-project programming languages are released all the time, you would correctly argue; what makes this one special? The answer is a number of design …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/07/23/the-v-programming-language-vain-or-virtuous/)
https://hackaday.com/2019/07/23/the-v-programming-language-vain-or-virtuous/
If you stay up to date with niche software news, your ears may recently have twitched at the release of a new programming language: V. New hobby-project programming languages are released all the time, you would correctly argue; what makes this one special? The answer is a number of design …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/07/23/the-v-programming-language-vain-or-virtuous/)
DIY Teensy Looper Multiplies Music
https://hackaday.com/2019/07/23/diy-teensy-looper-multiplies-music/
If you’re into electronic music, chances are good that you like to roll your own. While step one is usually to build something, anything that makes sound, a natural step two is to build a looping device to extend and play with those sounds.
[Cutlasses] has finished version one of …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/07/23/diy-teensy-looper-multiplies-music/)
https://hackaday.com/2019/07/23/diy-teensy-looper-multiplies-music/
If you’re into electronic music, chances are good that you like to roll your own. While step one is usually to build something, anything that makes sound, a natural step two is to build a looping device to extend and play with those sounds.
[Cutlasses] has finished version one of …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/07/23/diy-teensy-looper-multiplies-music/)
The Great Moon Hoax — No Not That One!
https://hackaday.com/2019/07/23/the-great-moon-hoax-no-not-that-one/
Humans first walked on the moon 50 years ago, yet there are some people who don’t think it happened. This story is not about them. It turns out there was another great conspiracy theory involving a well-known astronomer, unicorns, and humanoids with bat wings. This one came 134 years before …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/07/23/the-great-moon-hoax-no-not-that-one/)
https://hackaday.com/2019/07/23/the-great-moon-hoax-no-not-that-one/
Humans first walked on the moon 50 years ago, yet there are some people who don’t think it happened. This story is not about them. It turns out there was another great conspiracy theory involving a well-known astronomer, unicorns, and humanoids with bat wings. This one came 134 years before …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/07/23/the-great-moon-hoax-no-not-that-one/)
Probability-Based Drummer Leaves The Beats Up To Chance
https://hackaday.com/2019/07/23/probability-based-drummer-leaves-the-beats-up-to-chance/
Drum machines may seem like one of the many rites of passage for hardware makers, they’re a concept you can implement simply or take into the extreme making it as complex as you want. [Matt’s] DrumKid is one of them, and its long development history is wonderfully documented in the …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/07/23/probability-based-drummer-leaves-the-beats-up-to-chance/)
https://hackaday.com/2019/07/23/probability-based-drummer-leaves-the-beats-up-to-chance/
Drum machines may seem like one of the many rites of passage for hardware makers, they’re a concept you can implement simply or take into the extreme making it as complex as you want. [Matt’s] DrumKid is one of them, and its long development history is wonderfully documented in the …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/07/23/probability-based-drummer-leaves-the-beats-up-to-chance/)
Desk-Sized CNC Engraver Does The Job
https://hackaday.com/2019/07/23/desk-sized-cnc-engraver-does-the-job/
CNC machine tools are highly useful for when you want to take a CAD design and make real parts as quickly and as easily as possible. Typically, they’re employed in large-scale industrial settings, but CNC machines come in all shapes and sizes. It’s possible to build a useful machine that’s …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/07/23/desk-sized-cnc-engraver-does-the-job/)
https://hackaday.com/2019/07/23/desk-sized-cnc-engraver-does-the-job/
CNC machine tools are highly useful for when you want to take a CAD design and make real parts as quickly and as easily as possible. Typically, they’re employed in large-scale industrial settings, but CNC machines come in all shapes and sizes. It’s possible to build a useful machine that’s …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/07/23/desk-sized-cnc-engraver-does-the-job/)
Nixiewatch Looks Stylish In Aluminium
https://hackaday.com/2019/07/23/nixiewatch-looks-stylish-in-aluminium/
Nixie tubes are a perennial favorite, with their burnt orange glow bringing a smile to the face of even the most jaded maker. Due to their power requirements they’re usually seen in desktop clocks, but [RemcoK3] decided to whip up a Nixiewatch, with stylish results.
Packing twin Nixie tubes, the …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/07/23/nixiewatch-looks-stylish-in-aluminium/)
https://hackaday.com/2019/07/23/nixiewatch-looks-stylish-in-aluminium/
Nixie tubes are a perennial favorite, with their burnt orange glow bringing a smile to the face of even the most jaded maker. Due to their power requirements they’re usually seen in desktop clocks, but [RemcoK3] decided to whip up a Nixiewatch, with stylish results.
Packing twin Nixie tubes, the …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/07/23/nixiewatch-looks-stylish-in-aluminium/)
Persistance Of Vision On An Old Fan
https://hackaday.com/2019/07/23/persistance-of-vision-on-an-old-fan/
Persistance of vision is a fun feature of the human visual system, which allows us to blink a bunch of spinning LEDs at the right time to spell out messages that appear to hang in the air. [TN_Inventor] took a stab at his own POV build, using an old desk …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/07/23/persistance-of-vision-on-an-old-fan/)
https://hackaday.com/2019/07/23/persistance-of-vision-on-an-old-fan/
Persistance of vision is a fun feature of the human visual system, which allows us to blink a bunch of spinning LEDs at the right time to spell out messages that appear to hang in the air. [TN_Inventor] took a stab at his own POV build, using an old desk …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/07/23/persistance-of-vision-on-an-old-fan/)
Control Your Web Browser Like It’s 1969
https://hackaday.com/2019/07/23/control-your-web-browser-like-its-1969/
Imagine for a moment that you’ve been tasked with developing a device for interfacing with a global network of interconnected devices. Would you purposely design a spring-loaded dial that can do nothing but switch a single set of contacts on and off from 1 to 10 times? What kind of …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/07/23/control-your-web-browser-like-its-1969/)
https://hackaday.com/2019/07/23/control-your-web-browser-like-its-1969/
Imagine for a moment that you’ve been tasked with developing a device for interfacing with a global network of interconnected devices. Would you purposely design a spring-loaded dial that can do nothing but switch a single set of contacts on and off from 1 to 10 times? What kind of …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/07/23/control-your-web-browser-like-its-1969/)
Doing 10 Gigabit Networking At Home, The Cheap Way
https://hackaday.com/2019/07/24/doing-10-gigabit-networking-at-home-the-cheap-way/
For the vast majority of us, Gigabit Ethernet is more than enough for daily tasks. The occasional big network file transfer might drag a little, but it’s rare to fall short of bandwidth when you’re hooked up over Cat 6. [Brian] has a thirst for saturating network links, however, and …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/07/24/doing-10-gigabit-networking-at-home-the-cheap-way/)
https://hackaday.com/2019/07/24/doing-10-gigabit-networking-at-home-the-cheap-way/
For the vast majority of us, Gigabit Ethernet is more than enough for daily tasks. The occasional big network file transfer might drag a little, but it’s rare to fall short of bandwidth when you’re hooked up over Cat 6. [Brian] has a thirst for saturating network links, however, and …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/07/24/doing-10-gigabit-networking-at-home-the-cheap-way/)