Almond: Open Personal Assistant from Stanford
https://hackaday.com/2019/12/01/almond-open-personal-assistant-from-stanford/
The current state of virtual personal assistants — Alexa, Cortana, Google, and Siri — leaves something to be desired. The speech recognition is mostly pretty good. However, customization options are very limited. Beyond that, many people are worried about the privacy of their data when using one of these assistants. …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/12/01/almond-open-personal-assistant-from-stanford/)
https://hackaday.com/2019/12/01/almond-open-personal-assistant-from-stanford/
The current state of virtual personal assistants — Alexa, Cortana, Google, and Siri — leaves something to be desired. The speech recognition is mostly pretty good. However, customization options are very limited. Beyond that, many people are worried about the privacy of their data when using one of these assistants. …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/12/01/almond-open-personal-assistant-from-stanford/)
Building a Faux Retro Portable Computer
https://hackaday.com/2019/12/01/building-a-faux-retro-portable-computer/
The modern laptop has its origins in the mid to late 1980s, when shrinking computer hardware and improvements to battery technology finally made mobile computing practical. Years before the now iconic clamshell form factor became the standard, these so-called “portable computers” often resembled pieces of luggage with keyboards attached. Even …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/12/01/building-a-faux-retro-portable-computer/)
https://hackaday.com/2019/12/01/building-a-faux-retro-portable-computer/
The modern laptop has its origins in the mid to late 1980s, when shrinking computer hardware and improvements to battery technology finally made mobile computing practical. Years before the now iconic clamshell form factor became the standard, these so-called “portable computers” often resembled pieces of luggage with keyboards attached. Even …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/12/01/building-a-faux-retro-portable-computer/)
Quick And Dirty: Operate An Intercom Via Telegram
https://hackaday.com/2019/12/02/quick-and-dirty-operate-an-intercom-via-telegram/
Never underestimate the quick and dirty hack. It’s very satisfying to rapidly solve a real problem with whatever you have on hand, and helps to keep your hacking skills sharp for those big beautifully engineered projects. [Guillaume M] needed a way to remotely open his apartment building door for deliveries, …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/12/02/quick-and-dirty-operate-an-intercom-via-telegram/)
https://hackaday.com/2019/12/02/quick-and-dirty-operate-an-intercom-via-telegram/
Never underestimate the quick and dirty hack. It’s very satisfying to rapidly solve a real problem with whatever you have on hand, and helps to keep your hacking skills sharp for those big beautifully engineered projects. [Guillaume M] needed a way to remotely open his apartment building door for deliveries, …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/12/02/quick-and-dirty-operate-an-intercom-via-telegram/)
Making Your Own Caving Headlamp
https://hackaday.com/2019/12/02/making-your-own-caving-headlamp/
An important distinction between equipment used for caving, climbing, biking, and other outdoor activities is the level of stress that’s generally applied. For instance, while climbing helmets are built to withstand the impact of sharp rocks, they’re not made to protect a biker’s head from suddenly hitting the ground. Likewise, …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/12/02/making-your-own-caving-headlamp/)
https://hackaday.com/2019/12/02/making-your-own-caving-headlamp/
An important distinction between equipment used for caving, climbing, biking, and other outdoor activities is the level of stress that’s generally applied. For instance, while climbing helmets are built to withstand the impact of sharp rocks, they’re not made to protect a biker’s head from suddenly hitting the ground. Likewise, …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/12/02/making-your-own-caving-headlamp/)
Supercon: The Things You Brought, and a Few You Forgot
https://hackaday.com/2019/12/02/supercon-the-things-you-brought-and-a-few-you-forgot/
Part of the fun of Supercon is that there is so much available in one place. For the price of admission, you’re surrounded by expertise, power, and soldering irons. Digi-Key brought several large parts bins stuffed full of everything from passives to LEDs to chips for people use in hacking …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/12/02/supercon-the-things-you-brought-and-a-few-you-forgot/)
https://hackaday.com/2019/12/02/supercon-the-things-you-brought-and-a-few-you-forgot/
Part of the fun of Supercon is that there is so much available in one place. For the price of admission, you’re surrounded by expertise, power, and soldering irons. Digi-Key brought several large parts bins stuffed full of everything from passives to LEDs to chips for people use in hacking …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/12/02/supercon-the-things-you-brought-and-a-few-you-forgot/)
Winter is Coming, This Clock Will Let You Know When
https://hackaday.com/2019/12/02/winter-is-coming-this-clock-will-let-you-know-when/
For Game of Thrones fans, it’s an awkward time. The show has ended its run on HBO (not without a certain level of controversy), the planned prequel is still years away, and who knows when George R. R. Martin will actually get around to writing the final books in the …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/12/02/winter-is-coming-this-clock-will-let-you-know-when/)
https://hackaday.com/2019/12/02/winter-is-coming-this-clock-will-let-you-know-when/
For Game of Thrones fans, it’s an awkward time. The show has ended its run on HBO (not without a certain level of controversy), the planned prequel is still years away, and who knows when George R. R. Martin will actually get around to writing the final books in the …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/12/02/winter-is-coming-this-clock-will-let-you-know-when/)
AMSAT CubeSat Simulator Hack Chat
https://hackaday.com/2019/12/02/amsat-cubesat-simulator-hack-chat/
Join us on Wednesday, December 4th at noon Pacific for the AMSAT CubeSat Simulator Hack Chat with Alan Johnston!
For all the lip service the world’s governments pay to “space belonging to the people”, they did a pretty good job keeping access to it to themselves for the first 50 …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/12/02/amsat-cubesat-simulator-hack-chat/)
https://hackaday.com/2019/12/02/amsat-cubesat-simulator-hack-chat/
Join us on Wednesday, December 4th at noon Pacific for the AMSAT CubeSat Simulator Hack Chat with Alan Johnston!
For all the lip service the world’s governments pay to “space belonging to the people”, they did a pretty good job keeping access to it to themselves for the first 50 …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/12/02/amsat-cubesat-simulator-hack-chat/)
How To Get Into Cars – Choosing Your First Project Car
https://hackaday.com/2019/12/02/how-to-get-into-cars-choosing-your-first-project-car/
The automobile is a wonderous invention, perhaps one of the most transformative of the 20th century. They’re machines that often inspire an all-consuming passion, capturing the heart with sights, sounds, and smells. However, for those who grew up isolated from car culture, it can be difficult to know how to …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/12/02/how-to-get-into-cars-choosing-your-first-project-car/)
https://hackaday.com/2019/12/02/how-to-get-into-cars-choosing-your-first-project-car/
The automobile is a wonderous invention, perhaps one of the most transformative of the 20th century. They’re machines that often inspire an all-consuming passion, capturing the heart with sights, sounds, and smells. However, for those who grew up isolated from car culture, it can be difficult to know how to …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/12/02/how-to-get-into-cars-choosing-your-first-project-car/)
John McMaster Explains Crypto Ignition Phone Keys and How to Reproduce Them
https://hackaday.com/2019/12/02/john-mcmaster-explains-crypto-ignition-phone-keys-and-how-to-reproduce-them/
When you’re a nation state, secure communications are key to protecting your sovereignty and keeping your best laid plans under wraps. For the USA, this requirement led to the development of a series of secure telephony networks over the years. John McMaster found himself interested in investigating the workings of …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/12/02/john-mcmaster-explains-crypto-ignition-phone-keys-and-how-to-reproduce-them/)
https://hackaday.com/2019/12/02/john-mcmaster-explains-crypto-ignition-phone-keys-and-how-to-reproduce-them/
When you’re a nation state, secure communications are key to protecting your sovereignty and keeping your best laid plans under wraps. For the USA, this requirement led to the development of a series of secure telephony networks over the years. John McMaster found himself interested in investigating the workings of …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/12/02/john-mcmaster-explains-crypto-ignition-phone-keys-and-how-to-reproduce-them/)
Cooking A Turkey With 880 AA Batteries
https://hackaday.com/2019/12/02/cooking-a-turkey-with-880-aa-batteries/
Cooking a turkey right is serious business this time of year. With major holidays on the line, there’s no room for error – any mistake can leave guests disgruntled and starving. [Stephen Farnsworth] took a risk, though, and attempted to cook a turkey using AA batteries.
The allure of the …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/12/02/cooking-a-turkey-with-880-aa-batteries/)
https://hackaday.com/2019/12/02/cooking-a-turkey-with-880-aa-batteries/
Cooking a turkey right is serious business this time of year. With major holidays on the line, there’s no room for error – any mistake can leave guests disgruntled and starving. [Stephen Farnsworth] took a risk, though, and attempted to cook a turkey using AA batteries.
The allure of the …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/12/02/cooking-a-turkey-with-880-aa-batteries/)
Vintage Plotter Gets Bluetooth Upgrade
https://hackaday.com/2019/12/02/vintage-plotter-gets-bluetooth-upgrade/
Recently [iot4c] stumbled upon this gorgeous Robotron Reiss plotter from 1989, brand-new and still in its original box. Built before the fall of the Berlin Wall in East Germany, it would be a crime to allow such a piece of computing history to go unused. But how to hook it …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/12/02/vintage-plotter-gets-bluetooth-upgrade/)
https://hackaday.com/2019/12/02/vintage-plotter-gets-bluetooth-upgrade/
Recently [iot4c] stumbled upon this gorgeous Robotron Reiss plotter from 1989, brand-new and still in its original box. Built before the fall of the Berlin Wall in East Germany, it would be a crime to allow such a piece of computing history to go unused. But how to hook it …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/12/02/vintage-plotter-gets-bluetooth-upgrade/)
Self-Driving Cars Are Predicting Driving Personalities
https://hackaday.com/2019/12/02/self-driving-cars-are-predicting-driving-personalities/
In a recent study by a team of researchers at MIT, self driving cars are being programmed to identify the social personalities of other drivers in an effort to predict their future actions and drive safer on roads.
It’s already been made evident that autonomous vehicles lack social awareness. Drivers …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/12/02/self-driving-cars-are-predicting-driving-personalities/)
https://hackaday.com/2019/12/02/self-driving-cars-are-predicting-driving-personalities/
In a recent study by a team of researchers at MIT, self driving cars are being programmed to identify the social personalities of other drivers in an effort to predict their future actions and drive safer on roads.
It’s already been made evident that autonomous vehicles lack social awareness. Drivers …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/12/02/self-driving-cars-are-predicting-driving-personalities/)
Fun With A 200-kW Fiber Laser
https://hackaday.com/2019/12/02/fun-with-a-200-kw-fiber-laser/
We’ve all heard the “Do not stare into laser with remaining eye” joke. It’s funny because it’s true, as pretty much any laser a hobbyist can easily come by permanent damage to eyes unless the proper precautions are taken. But a fiber laser with 200kW peak power is in another …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/12/02/fun-with-a-200-kw-fiber-laser/)
https://hackaday.com/2019/12/02/fun-with-a-200-kw-fiber-laser/
We’ve all heard the “Do not stare into laser with remaining eye” joke. It’s funny because it’s true, as pretty much any laser a hobbyist can easily come by permanent damage to eyes unless the proper precautions are taken. But a fiber laser with 200kW peak power is in another …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/12/02/fun-with-a-200-kw-fiber-laser/)
Building a Mechanical Oscillator, Tesla Style
https://hackaday.com/2019/12/03/building-a-mechanical-oscillator-tesla-style/
Before Tesla devised beautifully simple rotary machinery, he explored other methods of generating alternating current. One of those was the mechanical oscillator, and [Integza] had a go at replicating the device himself. (Video, embedded below the break.)
Initial attempts to reproduce the technology using 3D-printed parts were a failure. The …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/12/03/building-a-mechanical-oscillator-tesla-style/)
https://hackaday.com/2019/12/03/building-a-mechanical-oscillator-tesla-style/
Before Tesla devised beautifully simple rotary machinery, he explored other methods of generating alternating current. One of those was the mechanical oscillator, and [Integza] had a go at replicating the device himself. (Video, embedded below the break.)
Initial attempts to reproduce the technology using 3D-printed parts were a failure. The …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/12/03/building-a-mechanical-oscillator-tesla-style/)
The Open Makers Cube: Have Hack, Will Travel
https://hackaday.com/2019/12/03/the-open-makers-cube-have-hack-will-travel/
Don’t bother denying it, we know your workbench is a mess. A tangled pile of wires, tools, and half-completed projects is standard decor for any hardware hacker. In fact, if you’ve got a spotless work area, we might even be a bit skeptical about your credentials in this field. But …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/12/03/the-open-makers-cube-have-hack-will-travel/)
https://hackaday.com/2019/12/03/the-open-makers-cube-have-hack-will-travel/
Don’t bother denying it, we know your workbench is a mess. A tangled pile of wires, tools, and half-completed projects is standard decor for any hardware hacker. In fact, if you’ve got a spotless work area, we might even be a bit skeptical about your credentials in this field. But …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/12/03/the-open-makers-cube-have-hack-will-travel/)
Electric Dreams Help Cows Survive The Desert Of The Real
https://hackaday.com/2019/12/03/electric-dreams-help-cows-survive-the-desert-of-the-real/
Pictures of a cow wearing a pair of comically oversized virtual reality goggles recently spread like wildfire over social media, and even the major news outlets eventually picked it up. Why not? Nobody wants to read about geopolitical turmoil over the holidays, and this story was precisely the sort of …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/12/03/electric-dreams-help-cows-survive-the-desert-of-the-real/)
https://hackaday.com/2019/12/03/electric-dreams-help-cows-survive-the-desert-of-the-real/
Pictures of a cow wearing a pair of comically oversized virtual reality goggles recently spread like wildfire over social media, and even the major news outlets eventually picked it up. Why not? Nobody wants to read about geopolitical turmoil over the holidays, and this story was precisely the sort of …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/12/03/electric-dreams-help-cows-survive-the-desert-of-the-real/)
Testing Carbon Fibre Reinforced Filament By Building An Over-Engineered Skateboard
https://hackaday.com/2019/12/03/testing-carbon-fibre-reinforced-filament-by-building-an-over-engineered-skateboard/
Advances in filaments for FDM 3D printers have come in leaps and bounds over the past few years, and carbon fibre (CF) reinforced filament is becoming a common sight. Robotics extraordinaire [James Bruton] got his hands on some CF reinforced PLA, and ended up building a completely over-engineered 3D printed …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/12/03/testing-carbon-fibre-reinforced-filament-by-building-an-over-engineered-skateboard/)
https://hackaday.com/2019/12/03/testing-carbon-fibre-reinforced-filament-by-building-an-over-engineered-skateboard/
Advances in filaments for FDM 3D printers have come in leaps and bounds over the past few years, and carbon fibre (CF) reinforced filament is becoming a common sight. Robotics extraordinaire [James Bruton] got his hands on some CF reinforced PLA, and ended up building a completely over-engineered 3D printed …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/12/03/testing-carbon-fibre-reinforced-filament-by-building-an-over-engineered-skateboard/)
Jonas Salk, Virologist and Vaccination Vanguard
https://hackaday.com/2019/12/03/jonas-salk-virologist-and-vaccination-vanguard/
In the early 1950s, the only thing scarier than the threat of nuclear war was the annual return of polio — an easily-spread, incurable disease that causes nerve damage, paralysis, and sometimes death. At the first sign of an outbreak, public hot spots like theaters and swimming pools would close …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/12/03/jonas-salk-virologist-and-vaccination-vanguard/)
https://hackaday.com/2019/12/03/jonas-salk-virologist-and-vaccination-vanguard/
In the early 1950s, the only thing scarier than the threat of nuclear war was the annual return of polio — an easily-spread, incurable disease that causes nerve damage, paralysis, and sometimes death. At the first sign of an outbreak, public hot spots like theaters and swimming pools would close …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/12/03/jonas-salk-virologist-and-vaccination-vanguard/)
A Mini Vending Machine To Ramp Up Your Sales
https://hackaday.com/2019/12/03/a-mini-vending-machine-to-ramp-up-your-sales/
A common sight in the world of hackerspaces is an old vending machine repurposed from hawking soda cans into a one-stop shop for Arduinos or other useful components. [Gabriel D’Espindula]’s mini vending machine may have been originally designed as an exercise for his students and may not be full sized, …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/12/03/a-mini-vending-machine-to-ramp-up-your-sales/)
https://hackaday.com/2019/12/03/a-mini-vending-machine-to-ramp-up-your-sales/
A common sight in the world of hackerspaces is an old vending machine repurposed from hawking soda cans into a one-stop shop for Arduinos or other useful components. [Gabriel D’Espindula]’s mini vending machine may have been originally designed as an exercise for his students and may not be full sized, …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/12/03/a-mini-vending-machine-to-ramp-up-your-sales/)
Build Your Own Tools For More Power
https://hackaday.com/2019/12/03/build-your-own-tools-for-more-power/
Building something on your own usually carries with it certain benefits, such as being in full control over what it is you are building and what it will accomplish, as well as a sense of pride when you create something that finally works just the way you want it. If …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/12/03/build-your-own-tools-for-more-power/)
https://hackaday.com/2019/12/03/build-your-own-tools-for-more-power/
Building something on your own usually carries with it certain benefits, such as being in full control over what it is you are building and what it will accomplish, as well as a sense of pride when you create something that finally works just the way you want it. If …read more (https://hackaday.com/2019/12/03/build-your-own-tools-for-more-power/)