Arduino Does Multitouch
https://hackaday.com/2019/11/17/arduino-does-multitouch/
A lot of consumer gadgets use touch sensors now. It is a cheap and reliable way to replace a variety of knobs and switches on everything from headphones to automobiles. However, creating a custom touch controller for a one-off project can be daunting. A recent ACM paper shows how just …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/11/17/arduino-does-multitouch/)
https://hackaday.com/2019/11/17/arduino-does-multitouch/
A lot of consumer gadgets use touch sensors now. It is a cheap and reliable way to replace a variety of knobs and switches on everything from headphones to automobiles. However, creating a custom touch controller for a one-off project can be daunting. A recent ACM paper shows how just …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/11/17/arduino-does-multitouch/)
Tangible Programming Brings Code into The Real World
https://hackaday.com/2019/11/17/tangible-programming-brings-code-into-the-real-world/
We love the idea of [Amos]’s Tangible Programming project. It reminds us of those great old Radioshack electronics labs where the circuitry concepts took on a physical aspect that made them way easier to digest than abstractions in an engineering textbook.
MIT Scratch teaches many programming concepts in an easy …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/11/17/tangible-programming-brings-code-into-the-real-world/)
https://hackaday.com/2019/11/17/tangible-programming-brings-code-into-the-real-world/
We love the idea of [Amos]’s Tangible Programming project. It reminds us of those great old Radioshack electronics labs where the circuitry concepts took on a physical aspect that made them way easier to digest than abstractions in an engineering textbook.
MIT Scratch teaches many programming concepts in an easy …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/11/17/tangible-programming-brings-code-into-the-real-world/)
Hackaday Links: November 17, 2019
https://hackaday.com/2019/11/17/hackaday-links-november-17-2019/
Friday, November 15, 2019 – PASADENA. The 2019 Hackaday Superconference is getting into high gear as I write this. Sitting in the Supplyframe HQ outside the registration desk is endlessly entertaining, as attendees pour in and get their swag bags and badges. It’s like watching a parade of luminaries from …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/11/17/hackaday-links-november-17-2019/)
https://hackaday.com/2019/11/17/hackaday-links-november-17-2019/
Friday, November 15, 2019 – PASADENA. The 2019 Hackaday Superconference is getting into high gear as I write this. Sitting in the Supplyframe HQ outside the registration desk is endlessly entertaining, as attendees pour in and get their swag bags and badges. It’s like watching a parade of luminaries from …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/11/17/hackaday-links-november-17-2019/)
Rotary Dial Becomes USB Keyboard
https://hackaday.com/2019/11/17/rotary-dial-becomes-usb-keyboard/
[Max] had a rotary dial from an old telephone and — unsurprisingly — had nothing in particular to do with it. The simple answer? Use an Arduino Leonardo to turn it into a USB keyboard device.
Of course, the Leonardo can easily impersonate a USB keyboard, so that’s the easy …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/11/17/rotary-dial-becomes-usb-keyboard/)
https://hackaday.com/2019/11/17/rotary-dial-becomes-usb-keyboard/
[Max] had a rotary dial from an old telephone and — unsurprisingly — had nothing in particular to do with it. The simple answer? Use an Arduino Leonardo to turn it into a USB keyboard device.
Of course, the Leonardo can easily impersonate a USB keyboard, so that’s the easy …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/11/17/rotary-dial-becomes-usb-keyboard/)
Building a 3D Scanner with a 3D Printer
https://hackaday.com/2019/11/17/building-a-3d-scanner-with-a-3d-printer/
Using a 3D printer to make high quality parts is a great way to improve the look and appeal of any project. If you want to replicate something exactly, though, you’ll need either a very good set of calipers and a lot of time or a 3D scanner. Using the …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/11/17/building-a-3d-scanner-with-a-3d-printer/)
https://hackaday.com/2019/11/17/building-a-3d-scanner-with-a-3d-printer/
Using a 3D printer to make high quality parts is a great way to improve the look and appeal of any project. If you want to replicate something exactly, though, you’ll need either a very good set of calipers and a lot of time or a 3D scanner. Using the …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/11/17/building-a-3d-scanner-with-a-3d-printer/)
SiCK Mechanical Keyboard is 3D Printed
https://hackaday.com/2019/11/18/sick-mechanical-keyboard-is-3d-printed/
We’ve noticed a rash of builds of [ FedorSosnin’s] do-it-yourself 3D-printed mechanical keyboard, SiCK-68 lately. The cost is pretty low — SiCK stands for Super, Inexpensive, Cheap, Keyboard. According to the bill of materials, the original cost about $50. Of course, that doesn’t include the cost of the 3D printer …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/11/18/sick-mechanical-keyboard-is-3d-printed/)
https://hackaday.com/2019/11/18/sick-mechanical-keyboard-is-3d-printed/
We’ve noticed a rash of builds of [ FedorSosnin’s] do-it-yourself 3D-printed mechanical keyboard, SiCK-68 lately. The cost is pretty low — SiCK stands for Super, Inexpensive, Cheap, Keyboard. According to the bill of materials, the original cost about $50. Of course, that doesn’t include the cost of the 3D printer …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/11/18/sick-mechanical-keyboard-is-3d-printed/)
Add A Bit Of PCB Badge Glamour To Your Boring ID Badge
https://hackaday.com/2019/11/18/add-a-bit-of-pcb-badge-glamour-to-your-boring-id-badge/
When we talk about badges and printed circuit boards, it is usually in the context of the infinite creativity of the Badgelife scene, our community’s own art form of electronic conference badges. It’s easy to forget when homing in on those badges that there are other types of badge, and …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/11/18/add-a-bit-of-pcb-badge-glamour-to-your-boring-id-badge/)
https://hackaday.com/2019/11/18/add-a-bit-of-pcb-badge-glamour-to-your-boring-id-badge/
When we talk about badges and printed circuit boards, it is usually in the context of the infinite creativity of the Badgelife scene, our community’s own art form of electronic conference badges. It’s easy to forget when homing in on those badges that there are other types of badge, and …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/11/18/add-a-bit-of-pcb-badge-glamour-to-your-boring-id-badge/)
Optical Keyboards Have Us Examining Typing at Light Speed-ish
https://hackaday.com/2019/11/18/optical-keyboards-have-us-examining-typing-at-light-speed-ish/
There’s a newish development in the world of keyboards; the optical switch. It’s been around for a couple years in desktop keyboards, and recently became available on a laptop keyboard as well. These are not replacements for your standard $7 keyboard with rubber membrane switches intended for puttering around on …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/11/18/optical-keyboards-have-us-examining-typing-at-light-speed-ish/)
https://hackaday.com/2019/11/18/optical-keyboards-have-us-examining-typing-at-light-speed-ish/
There’s a newish development in the world of keyboards; the optical switch. It’s been around for a couple years in desktop keyboards, and recently became available on a laptop keyboard as well. These are not replacements for your standard $7 keyboard with rubber membrane switches intended for puttering around on …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/11/18/optical-keyboards-have-us-examining-typing-at-light-speed-ish/)
Used EDM Electrodes Repurposed as Air Bearings for Precision Machine Tools
https://hackaday.com/2019/11/18/used-edm-electrodes-repurposed-as-air-bearings-for-precision-machine-tools/
If you’ve ever played air hockey, you know how the tiny jets of air shooting up from the pinholes in the playing surface reduce friction with the puck. But what if you turned that upside down? What if the puck had holes that shot the air downward? We’re not sure …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/11/18/used-edm-electrodes-repurposed-as-air-bearings-for-precision-machine-tools/)
https://hackaday.com/2019/11/18/used-edm-electrodes-repurposed-as-air-bearings-for-precision-machine-tools/
If you’ve ever played air hockey, you know how the tiny jets of air shooting up from the pinholes in the playing surface reduce friction with the puck. But what if you turned that upside down? What if the puck had holes that shot the air downward? We’re not sure …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/11/18/used-edm-electrodes-repurposed-as-air-bearings-for-precision-machine-tools/)
A Newbie Takes the SMD Challenge at Supercon
https://hackaday.com/2019/11/18/a-newbie-takes-the-smd-challenge-at-supercon/
First-time visitors to Disneyworld often naively think they’re going to “do” the park in three days: one day for the Magic Kingdom, one day for Epcot, and one day for everything else. It’s easy to spot such people, collapsed on a bench or dragging exhausted kids around while trying to …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/11/18/a-newbie-takes-the-smd-challenge-at-supercon/)
https://hackaday.com/2019/11/18/a-newbie-takes-the-smd-challenge-at-supercon/
First-time visitors to Disneyworld often naively think they’re going to “do” the park in three days: one day for the Magic Kingdom, one day for Epcot, and one day for everything else. It’s easy to spot such people, collapsed on a bench or dragging exhausted kids around while trying to …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/11/18/a-newbie-takes-the-smd-challenge-at-supercon/)
This RGB Tree Has its Roots in a PCB
https://hackaday.com/2019/11/18/this-rgb-tree-has-its-roots-in-a-pcb/
[Paczkaexpress]’s RGB tree is a mix of clever building techniques and artistic form that come together into quite a beautiful sculpture.
The branches of his tree are made from strands of enameled copper wire capped with an RGB LED and terminated in a female header. The separate wires are all …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/11/18/this-rgb-tree-has-its-roots-in-a-pcb/)
https://hackaday.com/2019/11/18/this-rgb-tree-has-its-roots-in-a-pcb/
[Paczkaexpress]’s RGB tree is a mix of clever building techniques and artistic form that come together into quite a beautiful sculpture.
The branches of his tree are made from strands of enameled copper wire capped with an RGB LED and terminated in a female header. The separate wires are all …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/11/18/this-rgb-tree-has-its-roots-in-a-pcb/)
A Mechanical Shutter Release For A Digital Camera
https://hackaday.com/2019/11/18/a-mechanical-shutter-release-for-a-digital-camera/
Most digital cameras these days come with some kind of electronic remote shutter release. Various solutions exist, using USB cables, smartphone apps, or dedicated remotes. [Steloherd] wasn’t happy with the options available for his Ricoh GRII, though, so built a rig to do things the old fashioned way.
[Steloherd] wanted …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/11/18/a-mechanical-shutter-release-for-a-digital-camera/)
https://hackaday.com/2019/11/18/a-mechanical-shutter-release-for-a-digital-camera/
Most digital cameras these days come with some kind of electronic remote shutter release. Various solutions exist, using USB cables, smartphone apps, or dedicated remotes. [Steloherd] wasn’t happy with the options available for his Ricoh GRII, though, so built a rig to do things the old fashioned way.
[Steloherd] wanted …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/11/18/a-mechanical-shutter-release-for-a-digital-camera/)
If You Can’t Buy The Keyboard You Want, Build It Instead
https://hackaday.com/2019/11/18/if-you-cant-buy-the-keyboard-you-want-build-it-instead/
The great thing about being a maker is that when the market fails to meet your needs, you can strike out on your own. [GuzziGuy] did just that, building a bespoke mechanical keyboard that’s stylish to boot.
The aim was to create a keyboard well suited to working without a …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/11/18/if-you-cant-buy-the-keyboard-you-want-build-it-instead/)
https://hackaday.com/2019/11/18/if-you-cant-buy-the-keyboard-you-want-build-it-instead/
The great thing about being a maker is that when the market fails to meet your needs, you can strike out on your own. [GuzziGuy] did just that, building a bespoke mechanical keyboard that’s stylish to boot.
The aim was to create a keyboard well suited to working without a …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/11/18/if-you-cant-buy-the-keyboard-you-want-build-it-instead/)
Colorizing Images With The Help Of AI
https://hackaday.com/2019/11/18/colorizing-images-with-the-help-of-ai/
The world was never black and white – we simply lacked the technology to capture it in full color. Many have experimented with techniques to take black and white images, and colorize them. [Adrian Rosebrock] decided to put an AI on the job, with impressive results.
The method involves training …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/11/18/colorizing-images-with-the-help-of-ai/)
https://hackaday.com/2019/11/18/colorizing-images-with-the-help-of-ai/
The world was never black and white – we simply lacked the technology to capture it in full color. Many have experimented with techniques to take black and white images, and colorize them. [Adrian Rosebrock] decided to put an AI on the job, with impressive results.
The method involves training …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/11/18/colorizing-images-with-the-help-of-ai/)
A Foolproof Raspberry Pi Media Player
https://hackaday.com/2019/11/18/a-foolproof-raspberry-pi-media-player/
The media landscape in the home has changed precipitously over the years. Back in the days when torrents were king, DVD players and TVs started to sprout USB ports and various methods of playing digital videos, while hackers repurposed office machines and consoles into dedicated media boxes. [Roiy Zysman] is …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/11/18/a-foolproof-raspberry-pi-media-player/)
https://hackaday.com/2019/11/18/a-foolproof-raspberry-pi-media-player/
The media landscape in the home has changed precipitously over the years. Back in the days when torrents were king, DVD players and TVs started to sprout USB ports and various methods of playing digital videos, while hackers repurposed office machines and consoles into dedicated media boxes. [Roiy Zysman] is …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/11/18/a-foolproof-raspberry-pi-media-player/)
There’s More To Designing A PCB Business Card Than Meets The Eye
https://hackaday.com/2019/11/19/theres-more-to-designing-a-pcb-business-card-than-meets-the-eye/
A curious custom that survives from the pre-computer era is that of the business card. If you walk the halls at a trade event you’ll come a way with a stack of these, each bearing the contact details of someone you’ve encountered, and each in a world of social media …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/11/19/theres-more-to-designing-a-pcb-business-card-than-meets-the-eye/)
https://hackaday.com/2019/11/19/theres-more-to-designing-a-pcb-business-card-than-meets-the-eye/
A curious custom that survives from the pre-computer era is that of the business card. If you walk the halls at a trade event you’ll come a way with a stack of these, each bearing the contact details of someone you’ve encountered, and each in a world of social media …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/11/19/theres-more-to-designing-a-pcb-business-card-than-meets-the-eye/)
Bamboo Skewers Launch Airship
https://hackaday.com/2019/11/19/bamboo-skewers-launch-airship/
We have to admit, we like airships. There’s something about the image of a stately zeppelin floating over Manhattan that just makes us imagine the future. There are not many airships anymore, but you can always build your own. [Crafty Robot] shows how to use one of their boards to …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/11/19/bamboo-skewers-launch-airship/)
https://hackaday.com/2019/11/19/bamboo-skewers-launch-airship/
We have to admit, we like airships. There’s something about the image of a stately zeppelin floating over Manhattan that just makes us imagine the future. There are not many airships anymore, but you can always build your own. [Crafty Robot] shows how to use one of their boards to …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/11/19/bamboo-skewers-launch-airship/)
Teardown: VTech PreComputer 1000 is an Iconic PC in a Toy Wrapper
https://hackaday.com/2019/11/19/teardown-vtech-precomputer-1000-is-an-iconic-pc-in-a-toy-wrapper/
Back in the days before kids could be placated with a $50 Android burner phone, many a youngster was gifted a so-called “educational computer” to keep them occupied. Invariably looking like a fever dream version of the real computer their parents didn’t want to let them use, these gadgets offered …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/11/19/teardown-vtech-precomputer-1000-is-an-iconic-pc-in-a-toy-wrapper/)
https://hackaday.com/2019/11/19/teardown-vtech-precomputer-1000-is-an-iconic-pc-in-a-toy-wrapper/
Back in the days before kids could be placated with a $50 Android burner phone, many a youngster was gifted a so-called “educational computer” to keep them occupied. Invariably looking like a fever dream version of the real computer their parents didn’t want to let them use, these gadgets offered …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/11/19/teardown-vtech-precomputer-1000-is-an-iconic-pc-in-a-toy-wrapper/)
Behold a 3D Display, Thanks to a Speeding Foam Ball
https://hackaday.com/2019/11/19/behold-a-3d-display-thanks-to-a-speeding-foam-ball/
We’ve seen 3D image projection tried in a variety of different ways, but this is a new one to us. This volumetric display by Interact Lab of the University of Sussex creates a 3D image by projecting light onto a tiny foam ball, which zips around in the air fast …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/11/19/behold-a-3d-display-thanks-to-a-speeding-foam-ball/)
https://hackaday.com/2019/11/19/behold-a-3d-display-thanks-to-a-speeding-foam-ball/
We’ve seen 3D image projection tried in a variety of different ways, but this is a new one to us. This volumetric display by Interact Lab of the University of Sussex creates a 3D image by projecting light onto a tiny foam ball, which zips around in the air fast …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/11/19/behold-a-3d-display-thanks-to-a-speeding-foam-ball/)
KiCad Action Plugins
https://hackaday.com/2019/11/19/kicad-action-plugins/
The last two years has been a particularly exciting time for KiCad, for users, casual contributors, and for the core developers too. Even so, there are many cool new features that are still in process. One bottleneck with open-source development of complex tools like KiCad is the limited amount of …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/11/19/kicad-action-plugins/)
https://hackaday.com/2019/11/19/kicad-action-plugins/
The last two years has been a particularly exciting time for KiCad, for users, casual contributors, and for the core developers too. Even so, there are many cool new features that are still in process. One bottleneck with open-source development of complex tools like KiCad is the limited amount of …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/11/19/kicad-action-plugins/)