CCCamp: 5,000 Hackers Out Standing in Their Field
https://hackaday.com/2019/08/30/cccamp-5000-hackers-out-standing-in-their-field/
What do hackers do on vacation? What do hackers do whenever they have free time? What do you love to do? That’s right. But how much more fun would it be if you could get together with 5,000 other hackers, share your crazy projects and ideas, eat, drink, dance, swim, …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/08/30/cccamp-5000-hackers-out-standing-in-their-field/)
https://hackaday.com/2019/08/30/cccamp-5000-hackers-out-standing-in-their-field/
What do hackers do on vacation? What do hackers do whenever they have free time? What do you love to do? That’s right. But how much more fun would it be if you could get together with 5,000 other hackers, share your crazy projects and ideas, eat, drink, dance, swim, …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/08/30/cccamp-5000-hackers-out-standing-in-their-field/)
FiberGrid: An Inexpensive Optical Sensor Framework
https://hackaday.com/2019/08/30/fibergrid-an-inexpensive-optical-sensor-framework/
When building robots, or indeed other complex mechanical systems, it’s often the case that more and more limit switches, light gates and sensors are amassed as the project evolves. Each addition brings more IO pin usage, cost, potentially new interfacing requirements and accompanying microcontrollers or ADCs. If you don’t have …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/08/30/fibergrid-an-inexpensive-optical-sensor-framework/)
https://hackaday.com/2019/08/30/fibergrid-an-inexpensive-optical-sensor-framework/
When building robots, or indeed other complex mechanical systems, it’s often the case that more and more limit switches, light gates and sensors are amassed as the project evolves. Each addition brings more IO pin usage, cost, potentially new interfacing requirements and accompanying microcontrollers or ADCs. If you don’t have …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/08/30/fibergrid-an-inexpensive-optical-sensor-framework/)
The Gorgeous Hardware We Can’t Take Our Eyes Away From
https://hackaday.com/2019/08/30/the-gorgeous-hardware-we-cant-take-our-eyes-away-from/
High resolution digital cameras are built into half of the devices we own (whether we want them or not), so why is it still so hard to find good pictures of all the incredible projects our readers are working on? In the recently concluded Beautiful Hardware Contest, we challenged you …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/08/30/the-gorgeous-hardware-we-cant-take-our-eyes-away-from/)
https://hackaday.com/2019/08/30/the-gorgeous-hardware-we-cant-take-our-eyes-away-from/
High resolution digital cameras are built into half of the devices we own (whether we want them or not), so why is it still so hard to find good pictures of all the incredible projects our readers are working on? In the recently concluded Beautiful Hardware Contest, we challenged you …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/08/30/the-gorgeous-hardware-we-cant-take-our-eyes-away-from/)
ReMarkable Tablet Scores A MicroSD Slot
https://hackaday.com/2019/08/30/remarkable-tablet-scores-a-microsd-slot/
There’s been a marked trend towards modern tablets and phones having fewer expansion options. It’s becoming rarer to find a microSD slot available, which can be particularly frustrating. For [davisr], this simply wouldn’t do, and they set about hacking their ReMarkable tablet.
The ReMarkable already has a set of pads …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/08/30/remarkable-tablet-scores-a-microsd-slot/)
https://hackaday.com/2019/08/30/remarkable-tablet-scores-a-microsd-slot/
There’s been a marked trend towards modern tablets and phones having fewer expansion options. It’s becoming rarer to find a microSD slot available, which can be particularly frustrating. For [davisr], this simply wouldn’t do, and they set about hacking their ReMarkable tablet.
The ReMarkable already has a set of pads …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/08/30/remarkable-tablet-scores-a-microsd-slot/)
Voice Chess Uses Phone, Arduino, And An Electromagnet
https://hackaday.com/2019/08/30/voice-chess-uses-phone-arduino-and-an-electromagnet/
[Diyguypt] may be an altruist to provide the means for people who can’t manipulate chess pieces to play the game. Or he may just have his hands too busy with food and drink to play. Either way, his voice command chessboard appears to work, although it has a lot of …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/08/30/voice-chess-uses-phone-arduino-and-an-electromagnet/)
https://hackaday.com/2019/08/30/voice-chess-uses-phone-arduino-and-an-electromagnet/
[Diyguypt] may be an altruist to provide the means for people who can’t manipulate chess pieces to play the game. Or he may just have his hands too busy with food and drink to play. Either way, his voice command chessboard appears to work, although it has a lot of …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/08/30/voice-chess-uses-phone-arduino-and-an-electromagnet/)
Steampunk Radio Looks The Business
https://hackaday.com/2019/08/30/steampunk-radio-looks-the-business/
Radios are, by and large, not powered by steam. One could make the argument that much of our municipal electricity supply does come via steam turbines, but that might be drawing a long bow. Regardless, steampunk remains a popular and attractive aesthetic, and it’s the one that [Christine] selected for …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/08/30/steampunk-radio-looks-the-business/)
https://hackaday.com/2019/08/30/steampunk-radio-looks-the-business/
Radios are, by and large, not powered by steam. One could make the argument that much of our municipal electricity supply does come via steam turbines, but that might be drawing a long bow. Regardless, steampunk remains a popular and attractive aesthetic, and it’s the one that [Christine] selected for …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/08/30/steampunk-radio-looks-the-business/)
AI Poised to Turn the Internet into Gibberish
https://hackaday.com/2019/08/31/ai-poised-to-turn-the-internet-into-gibberish/
Last Thursday two lowly masters grad students, Aaron Gokaslan and Vanya Cohen managed to replicate the secretive OpenAI model and cheekily named their version OpenGPT-2. The code can be downloaded from this Google Colab page and apparently no prior experience in language modeling is required to use it. More useful …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/08/31/ai-poised-to-turn-the-internet-into-gibberish/)
https://hackaday.com/2019/08/31/ai-poised-to-turn-the-internet-into-gibberish/
Last Thursday two lowly masters grad students, Aaron Gokaslan and Vanya Cohen managed to replicate the secretive OpenAI model and cheekily named their version OpenGPT-2. The code can be downloaded from this Google Colab page and apparently no prior experience in language modeling is required to use it. More useful …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/08/31/ai-poised-to-turn-the-internet-into-gibberish/)
Odd-Sized Military Headphone Connectors, Tamed!
https://hackaday.com/2019/08/31/odd-sized-military-headphone-connectors-tamed/
Military headphones, at least the older ones, are like few other sound reproducers. They are an expression of function over form, with an emphasis on robustness over operator comfort. Electrically they most often have high-impedance drivers and annoyingly proprietary connectors for whichever obscure radio system they were a part of. …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/08/31/odd-sized-military-headphone-connectors-tamed/)
https://hackaday.com/2019/08/31/odd-sized-military-headphone-connectors-tamed/
Military headphones, at least the older ones, are like few other sound reproducers. They are an expression of function over form, with an emphasis on robustness over operator comfort. Electrically they most often have high-impedance drivers and annoyingly proprietary connectors for whichever obscure radio system they were a part of. …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/08/31/odd-sized-military-headphone-connectors-tamed/)
Spot Adulterated Olive Oil With This Spectrophotometer
https://hackaday.com/2019/08/31/spot-adulterated-olive-oil-with-this-spectrophotometer/
Olive oil at its finest quality is a product that brings alive the Mediterranean cuisine of which it is a staple. Unfortunately for many of us not fortunate enough to possess our own olive grove, commercial olive oils are frequently adulterated, diluted with cheaper oils such as canola. As consumers …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/08/31/spot-adulterated-olive-oil-with-this-spectrophotometer/)
https://hackaday.com/2019/08/31/spot-adulterated-olive-oil-with-this-spectrophotometer/
Olive oil at its finest quality is a product that brings alive the Mediterranean cuisine of which it is a staple. Unfortunately for many of us not fortunate enough to possess our own olive grove, commercial olive oils are frequently adulterated, diluted with cheaper oils such as canola. As consumers …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/08/31/spot-adulterated-olive-oil-with-this-spectrophotometer/)
Micropython and C Play Together Better
https://hackaday.com/2019/08/31/micropython-and-c-play-together-better/
Python is a versatile, powerful language but sometimes it’s not the best choice, especially if you’re doing work in embedded systems with limited memory. Sometimes you can get away with MicroPython for these cases, but the best language is likely C or assembly. If you’re really stubborn, like [amirgon], and …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/08/31/micropython-and-c-play-together-better/)
https://hackaday.com/2019/08/31/micropython-and-c-play-together-better/
Python is a versatile, powerful language but sometimes it’s not the best choice, especially if you’re doing work in embedded systems with limited memory. Sometimes you can get away with MicroPython for these cases, but the best language is likely C or assembly. If you’re really stubborn, like [amirgon], and …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/08/31/micropython-and-c-play-together-better/)
A Radio Transceiver From A Cable Modem Chipset
https://hackaday.com/2019/08/31/a-radio-transceiver-from-a-cable-modem-chipset/
It’s a staple of our community’s work, to make electronic devices do things their manufacturers never intended for them. Analogue synthesisers using CMOS logic chips for example, or microcontrollers that bitbang Ethernet packets without MAC hardware. One of the most fascinating corners of this field comes in the form of …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/08/31/a-radio-transceiver-from-a-cable-modem-chipset/)
https://hackaday.com/2019/08/31/a-radio-transceiver-from-a-cable-modem-chipset/
It’s a staple of our community’s work, to make electronic devices do things their manufacturers never intended for them. Analogue synthesisers using CMOS logic chips for example, or microcontrollers that bitbang Ethernet packets without MAC hardware. One of the most fascinating corners of this field comes in the form of …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/08/31/a-radio-transceiver-from-a-cable-modem-chipset/)
RISC-V Uses Carbon Nanotubes
https://hackaday.com/2019/08/31/risc-v-uses-carbon-nanotubes/
In a recent article in Nature, you can find the details of a RISC-V CPU built using carbon nanotubes. Of course, Nature is a pricey proposition, but you can probably find the paper by its DOI number if you bother to look for it. The researchers point out that silicon …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/08/31/risc-v-uses-carbon-nanotubes/)
https://hackaday.com/2019/08/31/risc-v-uses-carbon-nanotubes/
In a recent article in Nature, you can find the details of a RISC-V CPU built using carbon nanotubes. Of course, Nature is a pricey proposition, but you can probably find the paper by its DOI number if you bother to look for it. The researchers point out that silicon …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/08/31/risc-v-uses-carbon-nanotubes/)
Race RC Cars From Anywhere On Earth
https://hackaday.com/2019/08/31/race-rc-cars-from-anywhere-on-earth/
Racing games have come a long way over the years. From basic 2D sprite-based titles, they’ve evolved to incorporate advanced engines with highly realistic simulated physics that can even be used to help develop real-world automobiles. For [Surrogate.tv], that still wasn’t quite good enough, so they decided to create something …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/08/31/race-rc-cars-from-anywhere-on-earth/)
https://hackaday.com/2019/08/31/race-rc-cars-from-anywhere-on-earth/
Racing games have come a long way over the years. From basic 2D sprite-based titles, they’ve evolved to incorporate advanced engines with highly realistic simulated physics that can even be used to help develop real-world automobiles. For [Surrogate.tv], that still wasn’t quite good enough, so they decided to create something …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/08/31/race-rc-cars-from-anywhere-on-earth/)
Double 3: Your Instant Physical Presence Anywhere, No Matter Where You Are
https://hackaday.com/2019/08/31/double-3-your-instant-physical-presence-anywhere-no-matter-where-you-are/
Telepresence is one of those futuristic buzzwords that’s popped up a few times over the decades; promising the ability to attend a meeting in New York City and another in Tokyo an hour later, all without having to leave the comfort of your home or office. This is the premise …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/08/31/double-3-your-instant-physical-presence-anywhere-no-matter-where-you-are/)
https://hackaday.com/2019/08/31/double-3-your-instant-physical-presence-anywhere-no-matter-where-you-are/
Telepresence is one of those futuristic buzzwords that’s popped up a few times over the decades; promising the ability to attend a meeting in New York City and another in Tokyo an hour later, all without having to leave the comfort of your home or office. This is the premise …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/08/31/double-3-your-instant-physical-presence-anywhere-no-matter-where-you-are/)
Force Sensitive Resistor Takes the Pain Out Of Bed Leveling
https://hackaday.com/2019/09/01/force-sensitive-resistor-takes-the-pain-out-of-bed-leveling/
How do you know if your 3D printer bed is levelled? Oh, don’t worry – you’ll know. Without a level bed, filament won’t stick properly to the build surface and you’ll run into all sorts of other problems. Knowing how tricky it can be to get the bed just right, …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/09/01/force-sensitive-resistor-takes-the-pain-out-of-bed-leveling/)
https://hackaday.com/2019/09/01/force-sensitive-resistor-takes-the-pain-out-of-bed-leveling/
How do you know if your 3D printer bed is levelled? Oh, don’t worry – you’ll know. Without a level bed, filament won’t stick properly to the build surface and you’ll run into all sorts of other problems. Knowing how tricky it can be to get the bed just right, …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/09/01/force-sensitive-resistor-takes-the-pain-out-of-bed-leveling/)
Running Doom on a Doomed GPS
https://hackaday.com/2019/09/01/running-doom-on-a-doomed-gps/
What’s the first thing you think of when you see an old GPS navigation system for sale cheap at a garage sale? Our research indicates that 100% of people would wonder if it could run Doom; at least that’s what we conclude from the single data point we have, …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/09/01/running-doom-on-a-doomed-gps/)
https://hackaday.com/2019/09/01/running-doom-on-a-doomed-gps/
What’s the first thing you think of when you see an old GPS navigation system for sale cheap at a garage sale? Our research indicates that 100% of people would wonder if it could run Doom; at least that’s what we conclude from the single data point we have, …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/09/01/running-doom-on-a-doomed-gps/)
Human-Powered Henhouse Keeps Chickens on the Job
https://hackaday.com/2019/09/01/human-powered-henhouse-keeps-chickens-on-the-job/
While it’s not exactly in the same vein as other projects around here, like restoring vintage video game systems or tricking an ESP32 to output VGA, keeping chickens can also be a rewarding hobby. They make decent pets and can also provide you with eggs. You can also keep them …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/09/01/human-powered-henhouse-keeps-chickens-on-the-job/)
https://hackaday.com/2019/09/01/human-powered-henhouse-keeps-chickens-on-the-job/
While it’s not exactly in the same vein as other projects around here, like restoring vintage video game systems or tricking an ESP32 to output VGA, keeping chickens can also be a rewarding hobby. They make decent pets and can also provide you with eggs. You can also keep them …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/09/01/human-powered-henhouse-keeps-chickens-on-the-job/)
Ultra Benchy Is A Big Plastic Boat, Alright
https://hackaday.com/2019/09/01/ultra-benchy-is-a-big-plastic-boat-alright/
The 3DBenchy, or Benchy for short, is a popular test model for 3D printers. Designed with overhanging curved surfaces, flat planes, holes, and other difficult geometry, it’s a great way to benchmark a printer or verify that everything is set up correctly. It comes in rather handy, but at this …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/09/01/ultra-benchy-is-a-big-plastic-boat-alright/)
https://hackaday.com/2019/09/01/ultra-benchy-is-a-big-plastic-boat-alright/
The 3DBenchy, or Benchy for short, is a popular test model for 3D printers. Designed with overhanging curved surfaces, flat planes, holes, and other difficult geometry, it’s a great way to benchmark a printer or verify that everything is set up correctly. It comes in rather handy, but at this …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/09/01/ultra-benchy-is-a-big-plastic-boat-alright/)
Stack of Plant Saucers, Transformed Into Low Cost Solar Shield
https://hackaday.com/2019/09/01/stack-of-plant-saucers-transformed-into-low-cost-solar-shield/
For serious data collection with weather sensors, a solar shield is crucial. The shield protects temperature and humidity sensors from direct sunlight, as well as rain and other inclement weather, without interfering with their operation. [Mare] managed to create an economical and effective shield for under three euros in materials. …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/09/01/stack-of-plant-saucers-transformed-into-low-cost-solar-shield/)
https://hackaday.com/2019/09/01/stack-of-plant-saucers-transformed-into-low-cost-solar-shield/
For serious data collection with weather sensors, a solar shield is crucial. The shield protects temperature and humidity sensors from direct sunlight, as well as rain and other inclement weather, without interfering with their operation. [Mare] managed to create an economical and effective shield for under three euros in materials. …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/09/01/stack-of-plant-saucers-transformed-into-low-cost-solar-shield/)
Hackaday Links: September 1, 2019
https://hackaday.com/2019/09/01/hackaday-links-september-1-2019/
The sun may be spotless, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t doing interesting things. A geomagnetic storm is predicted for this weekend, potentially giving those at latitudes where the Northern Lights are not common a chance to see a cosmic light show. According to SpaceWeather.com, a coronal hole, a gap …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/09/01/hackaday-links-september-1-2019/)
https://hackaday.com/2019/09/01/hackaday-links-september-1-2019/
The sun may be spotless, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t doing interesting things. A geomagnetic storm is predicted for this weekend, potentially giving those at latitudes where the Northern Lights are not common a chance to see a cosmic light show. According to SpaceWeather.com, a coronal hole, a gap …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/09/01/hackaday-links-september-1-2019/)