Mechanical Seven-Segment Display Mixes Art with Hacking
https://hackaday.com/2019/11/11/mechanical-seven-segment-display-mixes-art-with-hacking/
We’re not sure what to call this one. Is it a circuit sculpture? Sort of, but it moves, so perhaps it’s a kinetic circuit sculpture. Creator [Tomohiro Tsuchita] calls it “something beautiful but totally useless,” which we find a tad harsh. But whatever you call it, we think this mechanical …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/11/11/mechanical-seven-segment-display-mixes-art-with-hacking/)
https://hackaday.com/2019/11/11/mechanical-seven-segment-display-mixes-art-with-hacking/
We’re not sure what to call this one. Is it a circuit sculpture? Sort of, but it moves, so perhaps it’s a kinetic circuit sculpture. Creator [Tomohiro Tsuchita] calls it “something beautiful but totally useless,” which we find a tad harsh. But whatever you call it, we think this mechanical …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/11/11/mechanical-seven-segment-display-mixes-art-with-hacking/)
Network Booting the Pi 4
https://hackaday.com/2019/11/11/network-booting-the-pi-4/
We’ve talked about PXE booting the Raspberry Pi 3B+, and then looked at the Raspberry Pi 4 as a desktop replacement. But there’s more! The Pi 4 sports a very useful new feature, the flashable bootloader. Just recently a beta version of that bootloader was released that supports PXE — …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/11/11/network-booting-the-pi-4/)
https://hackaday.com/2019/11/11/network-booting-the-pi-4/
We’ve talked about PXE booting the Raspberry Pi 3B+, and then looked at the Raspberry Pi 4 as a desktop replacement. But there’s more! The Pi 4 sports a very useful new feature, the flashable bootloader. Just recently a beta version of that bootloader was released that supports PXE — …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/11/11/network-booting-the-pi-4/)
New Part Day: Alexa Connect Kit Now Available For Sale
https://hackaday.com/2019/11/11/new-part-day-alexa-connect-kit-now-available-for-sale/
People who were subscribed to updates on the Alexa Connect Kit (ACK) would recently have received an email informing that this kit is now available for sale. Last time we covered the ACK was back in September of 2018, the ‘release’ moniker meant ‘preview’ and there wasn’t any hardware one …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/11/11/new-part-day-alexa-connect-kit-now-available-for-sale/)
https://hackaday.com/2019/11/11/new-part-day-alexa-connect-kit-now-available-for-sale/
People who were subscribed to updates on the Alexa Connect Kit (ACK) would recently have received an email informing that this kit is now available for sale. Last time we covered the ACK was back in September of 2018, the ‘release’ moniker meant ‘preview’ and there wasn’t any hardware one …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/11/11/new-part-day-alexa-connect-kit-now-available-for-sale/)
Review: Ear Wax Cleaning Cameras As Cheap Microscopes, We Take A Closer Look
https://hackaday.com/2019/11/11/review-ear-wax-cleaning-cameras-as-cheap-microscopes-we-take-a-closer-look/
Those of us who trawl the world of cheap imported goods will most often stay in our own comfortable zones as we search for new items to amaze and entertain us. We’ll have listings of electronic goods or tools, and so perhaps miss out on the scores of other wonders …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/11/11/review-ear-wax-cleaning-cameras-as-cheap-microscopes-we-take-a-closer-look/)
https://hackaday.com/2019/11/11/review-ear-wax-cleaning-cameras-as-cheap-microscopes-we-take-a-closer-look/
Those of us who trawl the world of cheap imported goods will most often stay in our own comfortable zones as we search for new items to amaze and entertain us. We’ll have listings of electronic goods or tools, and so perhaps miss out on the scores of other wonders …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/11/11/review-ear-wax-cleaning-cameras-as-cheap-microscopes-we-take-a-closer-look/)
The Ifs Make Learning to Code Child’s Play
https://hackaday.com/2019/11/11/the-ifs-make-learning-to-code-childs-play/
Anyone who has done the slightest bit of programming knows about the “Hello, World!” program. It’s the archetypal program that one enters to get a feel for a new language or a new architecture; if you can get a machine to print “Hello, World!” back to you, the rest is …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/11/11/the-ifs-make-learning-to-code-childs-play/)
https://hackaday.com/2019/11/11/the-ifs-make-learning-to-code-childs-play/
Anyone who has done the slightest bit of programming knows about the “Hello, World!” program. It’s the archetypal program that one enters to get a feel for a new language or a new architecture; if you can get a machine to print “Hello, World!” back to you, the rest is …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/11/11/the-ifs-make-learning-to-code-childs-play/)
A Mobile Terminal For The End Of The World
https://hackaday.com/2019/11/11/a-mobile-terminal-for-the-end-of-the-world/
If civilization goes sideways and you need to survive, what are the bare essentials that should go in your bunker? Food and fresh water, sure. Maybe something to barter with in case things go full on The Postman. That’s all sensible enough, but how’s that stuff going to help …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/11/11/a-mobile-terminal-for-the-end-of-the-world/)
https://hackaday.com/2019/11/11/a-mobile-terminal-for-the-end-of-the-world/
If civilization goes sideways and you need to survive, what are the bare essentials that should go in your bunker? Food and fresh water, sure. Maybe something to barter with in case things go full on The Postman. That’s all sensible enough, but how’s that stuff going to help …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/11/11/a-mobile-terminal-for-the-end-of-the-world/)
FitSocket Is A Portal To Better Prostheses
https://hackaday.com/2019/11/11/fitsocket-is-a-portal-to-better-prostheses/
Traditionally, sockets for prostheses are created by making a plaster cast of the limb being fitted, and are then sculpted in carbon fiber. It’s an expensive and time-consuming process, and what is supposed to be a customized socket often turns out to be an uncomfortable disappointment. Though prosthetists design these …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/11/11/fitsocket-is-a-portal-to-better-prostheses/)
https://hackaday.com/2019/11/11/fitsocket-is-a-portal-to-better-prostheses/
Traditionally, sockets for prostheses are created by making a plaster cast of the limb being fitted, and are then sculpted in carbon fiber. It’s an expensive and time-consuming process, and what is supposed to be a customized socket often turns out to be an uncomfortable disappointment. Though prosthetists design these …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/11/11/fitsocket-is-a-portal-to-better-prostheses/)
Diode Basics By [W2AEW]
https://hackaday.com/2019/11/11/diode-basics-by-w2aew/
We didn’t think we needed a basic guide to diodes until we saw it was from [W2AEW], and then we knew we’d pick up some new things. Entitled “Diodes from Ideal to Real” the 18-minute video doesn’t disappoint with a mix of notes and time with a curve tracer to …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/11/11/diode-basics-by-w2aew/)
https://hackaday.com/2019/11/11/diode-basics-by-w2aew/
We didn’t think we needed a basic guide to diodes until we saw it was from [W2AEW], and then we knew we’d pick up some new things. Entitled “Diodes from Ideal to Real” the 18-minute video doesn’t disappoint with a mix of notes and time with a curve tracer to …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/11/11/diode-basics-by-w2aew/)
Water Flow Meter Knows Tank Level
https://hackaday.com/2019/11/11/water-flow-meter-knows-tank-level/
There’s almost always more than one way to get any particular job done. Suppose for instance you have a tank you fill up from a well, and you’d like to know when the time is right to refill the tank. The obvious answer is to measure the level of the …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/11/11/water-flow-meter-knows-tank-level/)
https://hackaday.com/2019/11/11/water-flow-meter-knows-tank-level/
There’s almost always more than one way to get any particular job done. Suppose for instance you have a tank you fill up from a well, and you’d like to know when the time is right to refill the tank. The obvious answer is to measure the level of the …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/11/11/water-flow-meter-knows-tank-level/)
Tearing Down A PS3 Blu Ray Drive
https://hackaday.com/2019/11/12/tearing-down-a-ps3-blu-ray-drive/
Optical drives are somewhat passe in 2019, with most laptops and desktops no longer shipping with the hardware installed. The power of the cloud has begun to eliminate the need for physical media, but that doesn’t mean the technology is any less marvellous. [Leslie Wright] and [Samuel Goldwater] took a …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/11/12/tearing-down-a-ps3-blu-ray-drive/)
https://hackaday.com/2019/11/12/tearing-down-a-ps3-blu-ray-drive/
Optical drives are somewhat passe in 2019, with most laptops and desktops no longer shipping with the hardware installed. The power of the cloud has begun to eliminate the need for physical media, but that doesn’t mean the technology is any less marvellous. [Leslie Wright] and [Samuel Goldwater] took a …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/11/12/tearing-down-a-ps3-blu-ray-drive/)
The Past, Present, and Uncertain Future of LulzBot
https://hackaday.com/2019/11/12/the-past-present-and-uncertain-future-of-lulzbot/
Considering that it’s only existed for around a decade, the commercial desktop 3D printing market has seen an exceptional amount of turnover. But then, who could resist investing in an industry that just might change the world? It certainly didn’t hurt that the MakerBot Cupcake, arguably the first “mass market” …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/11/12/the-past-present-and-uncertain-future-of-lulzbot/)
https://hackaday.com/2019/11/12/the-past-present-and-uncertain-future-of-lulzbot/
Considering that it’s only existed for around a decade, the commercial desktop 3D printing market has seen an exceptional amount of turnover. But then, who could resist investing in an industry that just might change the world? It certainly didn’t hurt that the MakerBot Cupcake, arguably the first “mass market” …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/11/12/the-past-present-and-uncertain-future-of-lulzbot/)
RISC-V: Why The ISA Battles Aren’t Over Yet
https://hackaday.com/2019/11/12/risc-v-why-the-isa-battles-arent-over-yet/
A computer processor uses a so-called Instruction Set Architecture to talk with the world outside of its own circuitry. This ISA consists of a number of instructions, which essentially define the functionality of that processor, which explains why so many ISAs still exist today. It’s hard to find that one …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/11/12/risc-v-why-the-isa-battles-arent-over-yet/)
https://hackaday.com/2019/11/12/risc-v-why-the-isa-battles-arent-over-yet/
A computer processor uses a so-called Instruction Set Architecture to talk with the world outside of its own circuitry. This ISA consists of a number of instructions, which essentially define the functionality of that processor, which explains why so many ISAs still exist today. It’s hard to find that one …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/11/12/risc-v-why-the-isa-battles-arent-over-yet/)
Printed Arduino Turntable Takes Objects For a Spin
https://hackaday.com/2019/11/12/printed-arduino-turntable-takes-objects-for-a-spin/
Have you built a 3D scanner yet? There’s more than one way to model those curves and planes, but the easiest may be photogrammetry — that’s the one where you take a bunch of pictures and stitch them into a 3D model. If you build a scanner like [Brian Brocken]’s …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/11/12/printed-arduino-turntable-takes-objects-for-a-spin/)
https://hackaday.com/2019/11/12/printed-arduino-turntable-takes-objects-for-a-spin/
Have you built a 3D scanner yet? There’s more than one way to model those curves and planes, but the easiest may be photogrammetry — that’s the one where you take a bunch of pictures and stitch them into a 3D model. If you build a scanner like [Brian Brocken]’s …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/11/12/printed-arduino-turntable-takes-objects-for-a-spin/)
Cardboard Longboard Uses Quarter-Isogrid Structure
https://hackaday.com/2019/11/12/cardboard-longboard-uses-quarter-isogrid-structure/
Skateboards are most typically crafted by hand, carved out of wood layered by care. However, many makers have sought to explore alternative techniques. [Technovation] decided to combine alternative materials and digital fabrication techniques to produce this attractive cardboard longboard.
The structure of the board was designed in Fusion 360, featuring …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/11/12/cardboard-longboard-uses-quarter-isogrid-structure/)
https://hackaday.com/2019/11/12/cardboard-longboard-uses-quarter-isogrid-structure/
Skateboards are most typically crafted by hand, carved out of wood layered by care. However, many makers have sought to explore alternative techniques. [Technovation] decided to combine alternative materials and digital fabrication techniques to produce this attractive cardboard longboard.
The structure of the board was designed in Fusion 360, featuring …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/11/12/cardboard-longboard-uses-quarter-isogrid-structure/)
Superconference Interview: Sam Zeloof
https://hackaday.com/2019/11/12/superconference-interview-sam-zeloof/
In less than four days, the fifth Hackaday Superconference kicks off in Pasadena, California, and it’s shaping up to be a hoot. With a cavalcade of exciting workshops and talks on offer, hackers and makers are pouring in from across the globe for this celebration of software, firmware, and hardware. …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/11/12/superconference-interview-sam-zeloof/)
https://hackaday.com/2019/11/12/superconference-interview-sam-zeloof/
In less than four days, the fifth Hackaday Superconference kicks off in Pasadena, California, and it’s shaping up to be a hoot. With a cavalcade of exciting workshops and talks on offer, hackers and makers are pouring in from across the globe for this celebration of software, firmware, and hardware. …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/11/12/superconference-interview-sam-zeloof/)
HF Propagation and Earthquakes
https://hackaday.com/2019/11/12/hf-propagation-and-earthquakes/
For all the successes of modern weather forecasting, where hurricanes, blizzards, and even notoriously unpredictable tornadoes are routinely detected before they strike, reliably predicting one aspect of nature’s fury has eluded us: earthquakes. The development of plate tectonic theory in the middle of the 20th century and the construction of …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/11/12/hf-propagation-and-earthquakes/)
https://hackaday.com/2019/11/12/hf-propagation-and-earthquakes/
For all the successes of modern weather forecasting, where hurricanes, blizzards, and even notoriously unpredictable tornadoes are routinely detected before they strike, reliably predicting one aspect of nature’s fury has eluded us: earthquakes. The development of plate tectonic theory in the middle of the 20th century and the construction of …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/11/12/hf-propagation-and-earthquakes/)
Haptic Games Bring Fun to the Visually Impaired
https://hackaday.com/2019/11/12/haptic-games-bring-fun-to-the-visually-impaired/
No matter what your parents might say, games are good for us. They teach us to manage resources and give us dopamine rewards just like eating and mating do. Even if you’re no good at games in general, they are still a fun distraction from life.
There are so many …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/11/12/haptic-games-bring-fun-to-the-visually-impaired/)
https://hackaday.com/2019/11/12/haptic-games-bring-fun-to-the-visually-impaired/
No matter what your parents might say, games are good for us. They teach us to manage resources and give us dopamine rewards just like eating and mating do. Even if you’re no good at games in general, they are still a fun distraction from life.
There are so many …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/11/12/haptic-games-bring-fun-to-the-visually-impaired/)
Improving Exposure On A Masked SLA Printer
https://hackaday.com/2019/11/12/improving-exposure-on-masked-sla-printer/
It’s taken longer than some might have thought, but we’re finally at the point where you can pick up an SLA 3D printer for a few hundred bucks. These machines, which use light to cure a resin, are capable of far higher resolution than their more common FDM counterparts, though …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/11/12/improving-exposure-on-masked-sla-printer/)
https://hackaday.com/2019/11/12/improving-exposure-on-masked-sla-printer/
It’s taken longer than some might have thought, but we’re finally at the point where you can pick up an SLA 3D printer for a few hundred bucks. These machines, which use light to cure a resin, are capable of far higher resolution than their more common FDM counterparts, though …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/11/12/improving-exposure-on-masked-sla-printer/)
Core XY Explained
https://hackaday.com/2019/11/12/core-xy-explained/
If you are building a CNC machine, a 3D printer, or even a plotter, you have a need for motion in both the X and Y directions. There are many ways to accomplish this, for example, some printers move the tool in the X direction and the bed in the …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/11/12/core-xy-explained/)
https://hackaday.com/2019/11/12/core-xy-explained/
If you are building a CNC machine, a 3D printer, or even a plotter, you have a need for motion in both the X and Y directions. There are many ways to accomplish this, for example, some printers move the tool in the X direction and the bed in the …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/11/12/core-xy-explained/)
Azobenzene Stores Solar Energy
https://hackaday.com/2019/11/12/azobenzene-stores-solar-energy/
Probably the most efficient way to convert solar energy into electricity is the old fashioned way, heating water into steam and turning a turbine. This remains a messy affair though and you don’t really want a steam boiler on your roof, so solar cells are popular. However, there’s some new …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/11/12/azobenzene-stores-solar-energy/)
https://hackaday.com/2019/11/12/azobenzene-stores-solar-energy/
Probably the most efficient way to convert solar energy into electricity is the old fashioned way, heating water into steam and turning a turbine. This remains a messy affair though and you don’t really want a steam boiler on your roof, so solar cells are popular. However, there’s some new …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/11/12/azobenzene-stores-solar-energy/)