Black Hole Imaging Scientists Win 2020 Breakthrough Prize
https://hackaday.com/2019/09/15/black-hole-imaging-scientists-win-2020-breakthrough-prize/
Making a monumental scientific breakthrough is really kind of its own reward. Even so, it’s always nice to get extra recognition in the form of unexpected money. For the 347 scientists around the world who made history when they captured the first image of a black hole, the event itself …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/09/15/black-hole-imaging-scientists-win-2020-breakthrough-prize/)
https://hackaday.com/2019/09/15/black-hole-imaging-scientists-win-2020-breakthrough-prize/
Making a monumental scientific breakthrough is really kind of its own reward. Even so, it’s always nice to get extra recognition in the form of unexpected money. For the 347 scientists around the world who made history when they captured the first image of a black hole, the event itself …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/09/15/black-hole-imaging-scientists-win-2020-breakthrough-prize/)
Upping The Story-Telling Game With Dialog And The Å-Machine
https://hackaday.com/2019/09/16/upping-the-story-telling-game-with-dialog-and-the-a-machine/
During the decades since Infocom released their interactive story game Zork to world-wide acclaim for microcomputers, the genre of interactive fiction (IF) is still immensely popular, with a surprising number of modern IF works targeting Infocom’s original Z-Machine runtime for 8-bit micocomputers. We’ve seen a number of improved runtimes and …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/09/16/upping-the-story-telling-game-with-dialog-and-the-a-machine/)
https://hackaday.com/2019/09/16/upping-the-story-telling-game-with-dialog-and-the-a-machine/
During the decades since Infocom released their interactive story game Zork to world-wide acclaim for microcomputers, the genre of interactive fiction (IF) is still immensely popular, with a surprising number of modern IF works targeting Infocom’s original Z-Machine runtime for 8-bit micocomputers. We’ve seen a number of improved runtimes and …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/09/16/upping-the-story-telling-game-with-dialog-and-the-a-machine/)
Over-Engineered Cat Door Makes Purrfect Sense
https://hackaday.com/2019/09/16/over-engineered-cat-door-makes-purrfect-sense/
On paper, pet doors are pretty great. You don’t have to keep letting the cat in and out, and there should be fewer scratches on the door overall. Unfortunately, your average pet door is indiscriminate, and will let any old creature waltz right in. Well, [Jeremiah] was tired of uninvited …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/09/16/over-engineered-cat-door-makes-purrfect-sense/)
https://hackaday.com/2019/09/16/over-engineered-cat-door-makes-purrfect-sense/
On paper, pet doors are pretty great. You don’t have to keep letting the cat in and out, and there should be fewer scratches on the door overall. Unfortunately, your average pet door is indiscriminate, and will let any old creature waltz right in. Well, [Jeremiah] was tired of uninvited …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/09/16/over-engineered-cat-door-makes-purrfect-sense/)
Hams in Space: Gearing Up for the Lunar Gateway
https://hackaday.com/2019/09/16/hams-in-space-gearing-up-for-the-lunar-gateway/
Humanity had barely taken its first tentative steps into space with primitive satellites when amateur radio operators began planning their first satellites. Barely four years after Sputnik’s brief but momentous launch and against all odds, OSCAR 1 was launched as a secondary payload from an Air Force missile taking a …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/09/16/hams-in-space-gearing-up-for-the-lunar-gateway/)
https://hackaday.com/2019/09/16/hams-in-space-gearing-up-for-the-lunar-gateway/
Humanity had barely taken its first tentative steps into space with primitive satellites when amateur radio operators began planning their first satellites. Barely four years after Sputnik’s brief but momentous launch and against all odds, OSCAR 1 was launched as a secondary payload from an Air Force missile taking a …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/09/16/hams-in-space-gearing-up-for-the-lunar-gateway/)
The Benefits And Pitfalls Of Using PCBs As An Enclosure
https://hackaday.com/2019/09/16/the-benefits-and-pitfalls-of-using-pcbs-as-an-enclosure/
[Mastro Gippo] found himself in a pickle recently, with the development of an enclosure for the Prism electric vehicle charger. The body had been sorted out, but the front cover needed work. It had to be visually appealing, and ideally should provide the user feedback on the charging process. After …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/09/16/the-benefits-and-pitfalls-of-using-pcbs-as-an-enclosure/)
https://hackaday.com/2019/09/16/the-benefits-and-pitfalls-of-using-pcbs-as-an-enclosure/
[Mastro Gippo] found himself in a pickle recently, with the development of an enclosure for the Prism electric vehicle charger. The body had been sorted out, but the front cover needed work. It had to be visually appealing, and ideally should provide the user feedback on the charging process. After …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/09/16/the-benefits-and-pitfalls-of-using-pcbs-as-an-enclosure/)
Software Defined Radio Hack Chat
https://hackaday.com/2019/09/16/software-defined-radio-hack-chat/
Join us on Wednesday, September 18 at noon Pacific for the Software Defined Radio Hack Chat with Corrosive!
If you’ve been into hobby electronics for even a short time, chances are you’ve got at least one software-defined radio lying around. From the cheap dongles originally intended to watch digital TV …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/09/16/software-defined-radio-hack-chat/)
https://hackaday.com/2019/09/16/software-defined-radio-hack-chat/
Join us on Wednesday, September 18 at noon Pacific for the Software Defined Radio Hack Chat with Corrosive!
If you’ve been into hobby electronics for even a short time, chances are you’ve got at least one software-defined radio lying around. From the cheap dongles originally intended to watch digital TV …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/09/16/software-defined-radio-hack-chat/)
Trill: Easy Positional Touch Sensors for Your Projects
https://hackaday.com/2019/09/16/trill-easy-positional-touch-sensors-for-your-projects/
Creating capacitive touch-sensitive buttons is easy these days; many microcontrollers have cap-sense hardware built-in. This will work for simple on/off control, but what if you want a linear, position-sensitive input, like you’d find on a computer touchpad or your smartphone screen? Not so easy — at least until now. Trill …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/09/16/trill-easy-positional-touch-sensors-for-your-projects/)
https://hackaday.com/2019/09/16/trill-easy-positional-touch-sensors-for-your-projects/
Creating capacitive touch-sensitive buttons is easy these days; many microcontrollers have cap-sense hardware built-in. This will work for simple on/off control, but what if you want a linear, position-sensitive input, like you’d find on a computer touchpad or your smartphone screen? Not so easy — at least until now. Trill …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/09/16/trill-easy-positional-touch-sensors-for-your-projects/)
Basic Acrylic Bending, No Special Tools Needed
https://hackaday.com/2019/09/16/basic-acrylic-bending-no-special-tools-needed/
Acrylic sheets are relatively inexpensive, pretty, and can be heat-shaped very effectively. There are blades and tools made specifically for cutting, heating, and bending acrylic but [Marija] shows that even without them acrylic can be cut and bent with a bit of care and patience.
Acrylic sheets are brittle and …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/09/16/basic-acrylic-bending-no-special-tools-needed/)
https://hackaday.com/2019/09/16/basic-acrylic-bending-no-special-tools-needed/
Acrylic sheets are relatively inexpensive, pretty, and can be heat-shaped very effectively. There are blades and tools made specifically for cutting, heating, and bending acrylic but [Marija] shows that even without them acrylic can be cut and bent with a bit of care and patience.
Acrylic sheets are brittle and …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/09/16/basic-acrylic-bending-no-special-tools-needed/)
Grey Water Toilet Helps Keep You Flush
https://hackaday.com/2019/09/16/grey-water-toilet-helps-keep-you-flush/
The average first world household swims in an ocean of non-potable water from things like HVAC condensation, shower drains, and periods of rain. All of it just goes to waste. These same households pay the city to deliver drinkable water to places that don’t need it, like the toilet tanks. …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/09/16/grey-water-toilet-helps-keep-you-flush/)
https://hackaday.com/2019/09/16/grey-water-toilet-helps-keep-you-flush/
The average first world household swims in an ocean of non-potable water from things like HVAC condensation, shower drains, and periods of rain. All of it just goes to waste. These same households pay the city to deliver drinkable water to places that don’t need it, like the toilet tanks. …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/09/16/grey-water-toilet-helps-keep-you-flush/)
Name Stone Helps You Greet Coworkers
https://hackaday.com/2019/09/16/name-stone-helps-you-greet-coworkers/
When starting a new job, learning coworkers names can be a daunting task. Getting this right is key to forming strong professional relationships. [Ahad] noted that [Marcos] was struggling with this, so built the Name Stone to help.
The Name Stone consists of some powerful hardware, wrapped up in a …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/09/16/name-stone-helps-you-greet-coworkers/)
https://hackaday.com/2019/09/16/name-stone-helps-you-greet-coworkers/
When starting a new job, learning coworkers names can be a daunting task. Getting this right is key to forming strong professional relationships. [Ahad] noted that [Marcos] was struggling with this, so built the Name Stone to help.
The Name Stone consists of some powerful hardware, wrapped up in a …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/09/16/name-stone-helps-you-greet-coworkers/)
Writing Characters Straight To The Linux Framebuffer
https://hackaday.com/2019/09/16/writing-characters-straight-to-the-linux-framebuffer/
These days, working with a display in software is fairly easy. Thanks to the convenience of the modern OS, we’re blessed with graphical user interfaces, where things such as buttons and windows and text are all taken care of for us. Of course, once you start to wander off the …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/09/16/writing-characters-straight-to-the-linux-framebuffer/)
https://hackaday.com/2019/09/16/writing-characters-straight-to-the-linux-framebuffer/
These days, working with a display in software is fairly easy. Thanks to the convenience of the modern OS, we’re blessed with graphical user interfaces, where things such as buttons and windows and text are all taken care of for us. Of course, once you start to wander off the …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/09/16/writing-characters-straight-to-the-linux-framebuffer/)
Laser Crown Shines At Night
https://hackaday.com/2019/09/16/laser-crown-shines-at-night/
Sometimes you need something really flashy to complete an outfit. Whether it’s a sparkly pair of earrings or a stylish necklace, accessories are key to competing on the fashion battlefield. For those who want to bring some serious firepower, [p3nguin’s] laser crown might be just what the doctor ordered.
At …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/09/16/laser-crown-shines-at-night/)
https://hackaday.com/2019/09/16/laser-crown-shines-at-night/
Sometimes you need something really flashy to complete an outfit. Whether it’s a sparkly pair of earrings or a stylish necklace, accessories are key to competing on the fashion battlefield. For those who want to bring some serious firepower, [p3nguin’s] laser crown might be just what the doctor ordered.
At …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/09/16/laser-crown-shines-at-night/)
Building Video Pong With Discrete Components
https://hackaday.com/2019/09/17/building-video-pong-with-discrete-components/
Pong is a classic from the very dawn of the video game era. Recreating it remains a popular exercise for those new to coding. However, its simple logic makes this game particularly suited to an all-hardware build; something which [Glen] tackles with aplomb.
Not content to take the easy way …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/09/17/building-video-pong-with-discrete-components/)
https://hackaday.com/2019/09/17/building-video-pong-with-discrete-components/
Pong is a classic from the very dawn of the video game era. Recreating it remains a popular exercise for those new to coding. However, its simple logic makes this game particularly suited to an all-hardware build; something which [Glen] tackles with aplomb.
Not content to take the easy way …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/09/17/building-video-pong-with-discrete-components/)
Speed Up Filming With This Jawdropping 8-Axis Camera Crane
https://hackaday.com/2019/09/17/speed-up-filming-with-this-jawdropping-8-axis-camera-crane/
These days, it can feel like a project doesn’t exist unless you’ve posted a video on the Internet about it. [mingul] was in the process of producing his own videos, but found having to repeatedly move and set up the camera tiring. Naturally, a completely overkill eight-axis motion control robot …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/09/17/speed-up-filming-with-this-jawdropping-8-axis-camera-crane/)
https://hackaday.com/2019/09/17/speed-up-filming-with-this-jawdropping-8-axis-camera-crane/
These days, it can feel like a project doesn’t exist unless you’ve posted a video on the Internet about it. [mingul] was in the process of producing his own videos, but found having to repeatedly move and set up the camera tiring. Naturally, a completely overkill eight-axis motion control robot …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/09/17/speed-up-filming-with-this-jawdropping-8-axis-camera-crane/)
India’s Moon Mission is Far from Over
https://hackaday.com/2019/09/17/indias-moon-mission-is-far-from-over/
India’s Chandrayaan-2 mission to the Moon was, in a word, ambitious. Lifting off from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre on July 22nd, the mission hoped to simultaneously deliver an orbiter, lander, and rover to our nearest celestial neighbor. The launch and flight to the Moon went off without a hitch, …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/09/17/indias-moon-mission-is-far-from-over/)
https://hackaday.com/2019/09/17/indias-moon-mission-is-far-from-over/
India’s Chandrayaan-2 mission to the Moon was, in a word, ambitious. Lifting off from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre on July 22nd, the mission hoped to simultaneously deliver an orbiter, lander, and rover to our nearest celestial neighbor. The launch and flight to the Moon went off without a hitch, …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/09/17/indias-moon-mission-is-far-from-over/)
Arduino Bot Rocks A PS2 Controller
https://hackaday.com/2019/09/17/arduino-bot-rocks-a-ps2-controller/
As far as controlling robots goes, makers today are spoilt for choice. WiFi and Bluetooth enabled microcontrollers are a dime a dozen, and integration with smartphone apps is a cinch. Despite this, the old methods still hold sway, as [Igor Fonseca] demonstrates with a simple Arduino bot.
It’s a classic …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/09/17/arduino-bot-rocks-a-ps2-controller/)
https://hackaday.com/2019/09/17/arduino-bot-rocks-a-ps2-controller/
As far as controlling robots goes, makers today are spoilt for choice. WiFi and Bluetooth enabled microcontrollers are a dime a dozen, and integration with smartphone apps is a cinch. Despite this, the old methods still hold sway, as [Igor Fonseca] demonstrates with a simple Arduino bot.
It’s a classic …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/09/17/arduino-bot-rocks-a-ps2-controller/)
Linux Fu: Shell Scripts in C, C++, and Others
https://hackaday.com/2019/09/17/linux-fu-shell-scripts-in-c-c-and-others/
At first glance, it might not seem to make sense to write shell scripts in C/C++. After all, the whole point to a shell script is to knock out something quick and dirty. However, there are cases where you might want to write a quick C program to do something …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/09/17/linux-fu-shell-scripts-in-c-c-and-others/)
https://hackaday.com/2019/09/17/linux-fu-shell-scripts-in-c-c-and-others/
At first glance, it might not seem to make sense to write shell scripts in C/C++. After all, the whole point to a shell script is to knock out something quick and dirty. However, there are cases where you might want to write a quick C program to do something …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/09/17/linux-fu-shell-scripts-in-c-c-and-others/)
A Curiously Strong Z80 in your Pocket
https://hackaday.com/2019/09/17/a-curiously-strong-z80-in-your-pocket/
Like many hackers, [Tom Szolyga] has soft spot for the venerable Z80. The number of instructions and registers made it relatively easy to program in ASM, and he still has fond memories of the refreshingly straightforward CP/M operating system he used to run on them back in the day. In …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/09/17/a-curiously-strong-z80-in-your-pocket/)
https://hackaday.com/2019/09/17/a-curiously-strong-z80-in-your-pocket/
Like many hackers, [Tom Szolyga] has soft spot for the venerable Z80. The number of instructions and registers made it relatively easy to program in ASM, and he still has fond memories of the refreshingly straightforward CP/M operating system he used to run on them back in the day. In …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/09/17/a-curiously-strong-z80-in-your-pocket/)
3D Printed Spuds Are Begging To Be Fired
https://hackaday.com/2019/09/17/3d-printed-spuds-are-begging-to-be-fired/
The ballistics of humble potato is a time-honoured research topic for everyone who likes things that go bang. The focus of such work is usually on the launcher itself, with the projectiles being little more than an afterthought. [drenehtsral] decided that the wares of the local organic ammunition supplier were …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/09/17/3d-printed-spuds-are-begging-to-be-fired/)
https://hackaday.com/2019/09/17/3d-printed-spuds-are-begging-to-be-fired/
The ballistics of humble potato is a time-honoured research topic for everyone who likes things that go bang. The focus of such work is usually on the launcher itself, with the projectiles being little more than an afterthought. [drenehtsral] decided that the wares of the local organic ammunition supplier were …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/09/17/3d-printed-spuds-are-begging-to-be-fired/)
Glitching LED Display Proves Crowd Favorite
https://hackaday.com/2019/09/17/glitching-led-display-proves-crowd-favorite/
There’s something enchanting about the soft glow of a properly diffused LED, and this is only improved by greater numbers of LEDs. [Manoj Nathwani] was well aware of this, setting out to build a large display using ping-pong balls for their desirable optical qualities.Unfortunately, not everything went to plan, but …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/09/17/glitching-led-display-proves-crowd-favorite/)
https://hackaday.com/2019/09/17/glitching-led-display-proves-crowd-favorite/
There’s something enchanting about the soft glow of a properly diffused LED, and this is only improved by greater numbers of LEDs. [Manoj Nathwani] was well aware of this, setting out to build a large display using ping-pong balls for their desirable optical qualities.Unfortunately, not everything went to plan, but …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/09/17/glitching-led-display-proves-crowd-favorite/)