Global Radiation Montoring And Tracking Nuclear Disasters At Home
https://hackaday.com/2019/08/28/global-radiation-montoring-and-tracking-nuclear-disasters-at-home/
Many of us don’t think too much about radiation levels in our area, until a nuclear disaster hits and questions are raised. Radiation monitoring is an important undertaking, both from a public health perspective and as a way to monitor things like weapon development. So why is it done, how …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/08/28/global-radiation-montoring-and-tracking-nuclear-disasters-at-home/)
https://hackaday.com/2019/08/28/global-radiation-montoring-and-tracking-nuclear-disasters-at-home/
Many of us don’t think too much about radiation levels in our area, until a nuclear disaster hits and questions are raised. Radiation monitoring is an important undertaking, both from a public health perspective and as a way to monitor things like weapon development. So why is it done, how …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/08/28/global-radiation-montoring-and-tracking-nuclear-disasters-at-home/)
Cat Litter Tray Joins The Internet of Things
https://hackaday.com/2019/08/28/cat-litter-tray-joins-the-internet-of-things/
Keeping a cat as a pet can be rewarding, but it’s always important to consider how to handle the mess – and we’re not just talking about the tea cups pushed off tables here. To handle just this task, [Igor] decided to hook his cat litter box up to the …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/08/28/cat-litter-tray-joins-the-internet-of-things/)
https://hackaday.com/2019/08/28/cat-litter-tray-joins-the-internet-of-things/
Keeping a cat as a pet can be rewarding, but it’s always important to consider how to handle the mess – and we’re not just talking about the tea cups pushed off tables here. To handle just this task, [Igor] decided to hook his cat litter box up to the …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/08/28/cat-litter-tray-joins-the-internet-of-things/)
Skid Steer Mows Airport Grass Autonomously
https://hackaday.com/2019/08/28/skid-steer-mows-airport-grass-autonomously/
Sure, mowing the lawn is a hassle. No one really wants to spend their time and money growing a crop that doesn’t produce food, but we do it anyway. If you’re taking care of a quarter acre in the suburbs it’s not that much of a time sink, but if …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/08/28/skid-steer-mows-airport-grass-autonomously/)
https://hackaday.com/2019/08/28/skid-steer-mows-airport-grass-autonomously/
Sure, mowing the lawn is a hassle. No one really wants to spend their time and money growing a crop that doesn’t produce food, but we do it anyway. If you’re taking care of a quarter acre in the suburbs it’s not that much of a time sink, but if …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/08/28/skid-steer-mows-airport-grass-autonomously/)
Monitoring An Electric Fence With LoRaWAN
https://hackaday.com/2019/08/28/monitoring-an-electric-fence-with-lorawan/
Making sure that an electric fence which is keeping one’s cattle and sheep from wandering off is still working properly seems like a fairly daunting task, especially when this fence is quite a distance from one’s home so checking up on it is time-consuming. After a friend of [kiu] got …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/08/28/monitoring-an-electric-fence-with-lorawan/)
https://hackaday.com/2019/08/28/monitoring-an-electric-fence-with-lorawan/
Making sure that an electric fence which is keeping one’s cattle and sheep from wandering off is still working properly seems like a fairly daunting task, especially when this fence is quite a distance from one’s home so checking up on it is time-consuming. After a friend of [kiu] got …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/08/28/monitoring-an-electric-fence-with-lorawan/)
FM Signal Detection The Pulse-Counting Way
https://hackaday.com/2019/08/28/fm-signal-detection-the-pulse-counting-way/
Compared to the simple diode needed to demodulate AM radio signals, the detector circuits used for FM are slightly more complicated. Wrapping your head around phase detectors, ratio detectors, discriminators, and quadrature detectors can be quite an exercise. There’s another demodulation method that’s not so common, but thankfully it’s also …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/08/28/fm-signal-detection-the-pulse-counting-way/)
https://hackaday.com/2019/08/28/fm-signal-detection-the-pulse-counting-way/
Compared to the simple diode needed to demodulate AM radio signals, the detector circuits used for FM are slightly more complicated. Wrapping your head around phase detectors, ratio detectors, discriminators, and quadrature detectors can be quite an exercise. There’s another demodulation method that’s not so common, but thankfully it’s also …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/08/28/fm-signal-detection-the-pulse-counting-way/)
How The Power Gets To The Outlet
https://hackaday.com/2019/08/28/how-the-power-gets-to-the-outlet/
[Practical Engineering] is ready to explain how power substations get electricity to you in his latest video, which you can see below. One of the things we always notice when talking to people either in our community or outside it is that most people have no idea how most of …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/08/28/how-the-power-gets-to-the-outlet/)
https://hackaday.com/2019/08/28/how-the-power-gets-to-the-outlet/
[Practical Engineering] is ready to explain how power substations get electricity to you in his latest video, which you can see below. One of the things we always notice when talking to people either in our community or outside it is that most people have no idea how most of …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/08/28/how-the-power-gets-to-the-outlet/)
Experiments In 3D Graphics Via Excel
https://hackaday.com/2019/08/29/experiments-in-3d-graphics-via-excel/
3D graphics were once the domain of university research groups and large, specialized computing systems. Eventually, they were tamed and became mainstream. Your phone, tablet, and home computer are all perfectly capable of generating moving 3D graphics. Incidentally, so is Microsoft Excel.
This is the work of of [s0lly], who …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/08/29/experiments-in-3d-graphics-via-excel/)
https://hackaday.com/2019/08/29/experiments-in-3d-graphics-via-excel/
3D graphics were once the domain of university research groups and large, specialized computing systems. Eventually, they were tamed and became mainstream. Your phone, tablet, and home computer are all perfectly capable of generating moving 3D graphics. Incidentally, so is Microsoft Excel.
This is the work of of [s0lly], who …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/08/29/experiments-in-3d-graphics-via-excel/)
Giant LED Display is 1200 Balls to the Wall
https://hackaday.com/2019/08/29/giant-led-display-is-1200-balls-to-the-wall/
When you’re going to build something big, it’s often a good idea to start small and work out the bugs first. That’s what [bitluni] did with his massive 1200-pixel LED video wall, which he unveiled at Maker Faire Hanover recently.
We covered his prototype a while back, a mere 300 …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/08/29/giant-led-display-is-1200-balls-to-the-wall/)
https://hackaday.com/2019/08/29/giant-led-display-is-1200-balls-to-the-wall/
When you’re going to build something big, it’s often a good idea to start small and work out the bugs first. That’s what [bitluni] did with his massive 1200-pixel LED video wall, which he unveiled at Maker Faire Hanover recently.
We covered his prototype a while back, a mere 300 …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/08/29/giant-led-display-is-1200-balls-to-the-wall/)
Pegleg: Raspberry Pi Implanted Below the Skin (Not Coming to a Store Near You)
https://hackaday.com/2019/08/29/pegleg-raspberry-pi-implanted-below-the-skin-not-coming-to-a-store-near-you/
Earlier this month, a group of biohackers installed two Rasberry Pis in their legs. While that sounds like the bleeding edge, those computers were already v2 of a project called PegLeg. I was fortunate enough to see both versions in the flesh, so to speak. The first version was scarily …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/08/29/pegleg-raspberry-pi-implanted-below-the-skin-not-coming-to-a-store-near-you/)
https://hackaday.com/2019/08/29/pegleg-raspberry-pi-implanted-below-the-skin-not-coming-to-a-store-near-you/
Earlier this month, a group of biohackers installed two Rasberry Pis in their legs. While that sounds like the bleeding edge, those computers were already v2 of a project called PegLeg. I was fortunate enough to see both versions in the flesh, so to speak. The first version was scarily …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/08/29/pegleg-raspberry-pi-implanted-below-the-skin-not-coming-to-a-store-near-you/)
Impractical Clock Uses Tuning Fork
https://hackaday.com/2019/08/29/impractical-clock-uses-tuning-fork/
Clock projects are so common that they are almost a cliche. After all, microcontrollers have some clock source and are good at counting, so it stands to reason that a clock is an obvious project. [WilkoL’s] clock though has a most unusual clock source: a 440 Hz tuning fork.
A …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/08/29/impractical-clock-uses-tuning-fork/)
https://hackaday.com/2019/08/29/impractical-clock-uses-tuning-fork/
Clock projects are so common that they are almost a cliche. After all, microcontrollers have some clock source and are good at counting, so it stands to reason that a clock is an obvious project. [WilkoL’s] clock though has a most unusual clock source: a 440 Hz tuning fork.
A …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/08/29/impractical-clock-uses-tuning-fork/)
Hands-On: CCCamp2019 Badge Is a Sensor Playground Not to Be Mistaken for a Watch
https://hackaday.com/2019/08/29/hands-on-cccamp2019-badge-is-a-sensor-playground-not-to-be-mistaken-for-a-watch/
Last weekend 5,000 people congregated in a field north of Berlin to camp in a meticulously-organized, hot and dusty wonderland. The optional, yet official, badge for the 2019 Chaos Communication Camp was a bit tardy to proliferate through the masses as the badge team continued assembly while the camp raged …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/08/29/hands-on-cccamp2019-badge-is-a-sensor-playground-not-to-be-mistaken-for-a-watch/)
https://hackaday.com/2019/08/29/hands-on-cccamp2019-badge-is-a-sensor-playground-not-to-be-mistaken-for-a-watch/
Last weekend 5,000 people congregated in a field north of Berlin to camp in a meticulously-organized, hot and dusty wonderland. The optional, yet official, badge for the 2019 Chaos Communication Camp was a bit tardy to proliferate through the masses as the badge team continued assembly while the camp raged …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/08/29/hands-on-cccamp2019-badge-is-a-sensor-playground-not-to-be-mistaken-for-a-watch/)
A Handy Way To Cheaply Print A Robotic Arm
https://hackaday.com/2019/08/29/a-handy-way-to-cheaply-print-a-robotic-arm/
There’s something fascinating about humanoid robotic hands, if only because of how they are such close approximations of our own hands. One could almost picture them with tendons and skin covering them. Sadly, making your own is quite prohibitive because in addition to being complex bits of machinery, making one …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/08/29/a-handy-way-to-cheaply-print-a-robotic-arm/)
https://hackaday.com/2019/08/29/a-handy-way-to-cheaply-print-a-robotic-arm/
There’s something fascinating about humanoid robotic hands, if only because of how they are such close approximations of our own hands. One could almost picture them with tendons and skin covering them. Sadly, making your own is quite prohibitive because in addition to being complex bits of machinery, making one …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/08/29/a-handy-way-to-cheaply-print-a-robotic-arm/)
Measuring Particulate Pollution With The ESP32
https://hackaday.com/2019/08/29/measuring-particulate-pollution-with-the-esp32/
Air pollution isn’t just about the unsightly haze in major cities. It can also pose a major health risk, particularly to those with vulnerable respiratory systems. A major part of hazardous pollution is particulate matter, tiny solid particles suspended in the air. Particulate pollution levels are of great interest to …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/08/29/measuring-particulate-pollution-with-the-esp32/)
https://hackaday.com/2019/08/29/measuring-particulate-pollution-with-the-esp32/
Air pollution isn’t just about the unsightly haze in major cities. It can also pose a major health risk, particularly to those with vulnerable respiratory systems. A major part of hazardous pollution is particulate matter, tiny solid particles suspended in the air. Particulate pollution levels are of great interest to …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/08/29/measuring-particulate-pollution-with-the-esp32/)
See If Someone Has Been In Your Drawers With This Simple Alarm
https://hackaday.com/2019/08/29/see-if-someone-has-been-in-your-drawers-with-this-simple-alarm/
There’s a spy movie – probably from the [James Bond] franchise – in which our hero is staying in a fancy hotel. It’s crawling with enemies, naturally, and eager to see if one has been snooping in his room while he’s out for martinis, he sticks a hair across the …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/08/29/see-if-someone-has-been-in-your-drawers-with-this-simple-alarm/)
https://hackaday.com/2019/08/29/see-if-someone-has-been-in-your-drawers-with-this-simple-alarm/
There’s a spy movie – probably from the [James Bond] franchise – in which our hero is staying in a fancy hotel. It’s crawling with enemies, naturally, and eager to see if one has been snooping in his room while he’s out for martinis, he sticks a hair across the …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/08/29/see-if-someone-has-been-in-your-drawers-with-this-simple-alarm/)
This Heads Up Display is All Wet
https://hackaday.com/2019/08/29/this-heads-up-display-is-all-wet/
Athletes have a long history of using whatever they can find to enhance their performance or improve their training. While fitness tracker watches are nothing new, swimmers have used them to track their split times, distance, and other parameters. The problem with fitness trackers though is that you have to …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/08/29/this-heads-up-display-is-all-wet/)
https://hackaday.com/2019/08/29/this-heads-up-display-is-all-wet/
Athletes have a long history of using whatever they can find to enhance their performance or improve their training. While fitness tracker watches are nothing new, swimmers have used them to track their split times, distance, and other parameters. The problem with fitness trackers though is that you have to …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/08/29/this-heads-up-display-is-all-wet/)
How To Play Doom – And More – On An NES
https://hackaday.com/2019/08/29/how-to-play-doom-and-more-on-an-nes/
Doom was a breakthrough game for its time, and became so popular that now it’s essentially the “Banana For Scale” of hardware hacking. Doom has been ported to countless devices, most of which have enough processing ability to run the game natively. Recently, this lineup of Doom-compatible devices expanded to …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/08/29/how-to-play-doom-and-more-on-an-nes/)
https://hackaday.com/2019/08/29/how-to-play-doom-and-more-on-an-nes/
Doom was a breakthrough game for its time, and became so popular that now it’s essentially the “Banana For Scale” of hardware hacking. Doom has been ported to countless devices, most of which have enough processing ability to run the game natively. Recently, this lineup of Doom-compatible devices expanded to …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/08/29/how-to-play-doom-and-more-on-an-nes/)
Building A Robot Rover For Those Tough Indoor Missions
https://hackaday.com/2019/08/30/building-a-robot-rover-for-those-tough-indoor-missions/
Making an outdoor rover is easy stuff, with lots of folk having them doing their roving activities on beaches and alien worlds. Clearly the new frontier is indoor environments, a frontier which is helpfully being conquered by [Andreas Hoelldorfer]’s Mantis Rover.
OK, we’re kidding. This project started out life as …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/08/30/building-a-robot-rover-for-those-tough-indoor-missions/)
https://hackaday.com/2019/08/30/building-a-robot-rover-for-those-tough-indoor-missions/
Making an outdoor rover is easy stuff, with lots of folk having them doing their roving activities on beaches and alien worlds. Clearly the new frontier is indoor environments, a frontier which is helpfully being conquered by [Andreas Hoelldorfer]’s Mantis Rover.
OK, we’re kidding. This project started out life as …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/08/30/building-a-robot-rover-for-those-tough-indoor-missions/)
Arduino on mBed
https://hackaday.com/2019/08/30/arduino-on-mbed/
Sometimes it seems like Arduino is everywhere. However, with a new glut of IoT processors, it must be quite a task to keep the Arduino core on all of them. Writing on the Arduino blog, [Martino Facchin], Arduino’s chief of firmware development, talks about the problem they faced supporting two …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/08/30/arduino-on-mbed/)
https://hackaday.com/2019/08/30/arduino-on-mbed/
Sometimes it seems like Arduino is everywhere. However, with a new glut of IoT processors, it must be quite a task to keep the Arduino core on all of them. Writing on the Arduino blog, [Martino Facchin], Arduino’s chief of firmware development, talks about the problem they faced supporting two …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/08/30/arduino-on-mbed/)
This Week in Security: VPN Gateways, Attacks in the Wild, VLC, and an IP Address Caper
https://hackaday.com/2019/08/30/this-week-in-security-vpn-gateways-attacks-in-the-wild-vlc-and-an-ip-address-caper/
We’ll start with more Black Hat/DEFCON news. [Meh Chang] and [Orange Tsai] from Devcore took a look at Fortinet and Pulse Secure devices, and found multiple vulnerabilities. (PDF Slides) They are publishing summaries for that research, and the summary of the Fortinet research is now available.
It’s… not great. There …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/08/30/this-week-in-security-vpn-gateways-attacks-in-the-wild-vlc-and-an-ip-address-caper/)
https://hackaday.com/2019/08/30/this-week-in-security-vpn-gateways-attacks-in-the-wild-vlc-and-an-ip-address-caper/
We’ll start with more Black Hat/DEFCON news. [Meh Chang] and [Orange Tsai] from Devcore took a look at Fortinet and Pulse Secure devices, and found multiple vulnerabilities. (PDF Slides) They are publishing summaries for that research, and the summary of the Fortinet research is now available.
It’s… not great. There …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/08/30/this-week-in-security-vpn-gateways-attacks-in-the-wild-vlc-and-an-ip-address-caper/)
Your Arduino SAMD21 ADC is Lying to You
https://hackaday.com/2019/08/30/your-arduino-samd21-adc-is-lying-to-you/
One of the great things about the Arduino environment is that it covers a wide variety of hardware with a common interface. Importantly, this isn’t just about language, but also about abstracting away the gory details of the underlying silicon. The problem is, of course, that someone has to decode …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/08/30/your-arduino-samd21-adc-is-lying-to-you/)
https://hackaday.com/2019/08/30/your-arduino-samd21-adc-is-lying-to-you/
One of the great things about the Arduino environment is that it covers a wide variety of hardware with a common interface. Importantly, this isn’t just about language, but also about abstracting away the gory details of the underlying silicon. The problem is, of course, that someone has to decode …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/08/30/your-arduino-samd21-adc-is-lying-to-you/)