Summary
Hackaday's latest discussion covers a range of innovative DIY projects and updates in the tech community. One highlight is the anticipation surrounding the Hackaday Supercon badge, which is delayed due to customs issues but promises exceptional screens that attendees will find engaging. The Supercon event is set to take place in Pasadena, featuring a new venue and expanded ticket availability.
The episode also showcases a unique drone project by Joshua Bird, who develops a flying drone powered by a single propeller without the typical swashplate mechanisms. His innovative approach involves using the momentum of the blades and varying motor speeds for control, presenting a complex challenge in aerodynamics and control systems.
In another segment, the podcast discusses a project by Ryan Machine Hum, who creates a stereo vision board that runs on a Linux system-on-a-chip. This development allows for affordable stereo vision capabilities, which are essential for various robotics applications. The conversation emphasizes the increasing accessibility of advanced technology for hobbyists and engineers alike.
Lastly, the episode touches on an NFC-enabled bird call project by Hannah Robertson, which creatively utilizes playing cards to teach bird identification. This project exemplifies the potential of NFC technology in educational tools, demonstrating how simple interactions can enhance learning experiences. Overall, the podcast highlights the ongoing advancements in DIY tech and the vibrant community surrounding it.
Show Notes
Hackaday Editors Elliot Williams and Al Williams met to review the week in Hackaday. Turns out, it was a week for tiny things, cybersecurity, nostalgia, and projects that would have been nearly impossible for the average hacker not that long ago. But first, you can hear a little about the upcoming Supercon badge and the trials of importing and exporting parts for the badges. How many props does your drone have? [Joshua] has one. Want to fabricate semiconductors at home? Do you have a microwave? What about using NFC in your next project? There's all that and more in this episode. The quick hacks include a request from NASA for ideas (and, yes, there is prize money) and slide rule tricks, among other things. For the can't miss articles, the cybersecurity weekly got some appreciation and Al took a trip down memory lane at the Altair 8800 he always wanted. Check out the links if you want to follow along, and as always, tell us what you think about this episode in the comments, or drop us a line on the mailbag.
More from Hackaday Podcast
Hackaday Editors Elliot Williams and Tom Nardi start this episode off with a discussion about Philadelphia's budding hacker conference and the imminent retirement of the EZ80. After considering the parallels between the wide world of aviation headsets and our personal projects, talk moves on to the exciting developments in the world of software-defined radio on the ESP32, a Meshtastic pager from a bygone era, and how all the wild flying machines entered into DARPA's Lift Challenge ended up losing to a simple helicopter. You'll also hear about turning plastic bottles into printer filament, pushing e-ink screens to their limits, and browsing the web on the PSP in 2026. To wrap things up they'll marvel at all the modern abstraction sitting between software and the memory it's running on, and revisit some RF concepts that might be particularly useful now that everyone is playing with a new SDR device. Check out the links if you want to follow along, and as always, tell us what you think about this episode in the comments!
This week, Elliot Williams and Kristina Panos met a few minutes later than usual, and somehow defeated a buzz together with the power of will before settling into the news, rifling through the Mailbag, and otherwise creating the attached podcast. So, the news. Amazon, in their infinite wisdom, have chosen to not only remove Alexa's aux port on future models, but also disable the input on extant ones. Is this really bad news? Maybe just because it seems like taking a choice away for the sake of exerting power over the people. Anyway. In Hackaday news, the Retrocomputing Contest is currently on fire, and runs through 10AM PDT on Tuesday, October 27th. That means you have about 2.5 weeks left. Supercon Ten ticket sales are similarly aflame, and per Elliot, it's about time to release the next round of speakers. So, watch for that. After digging deep in the Mailbag and eventually just dumping the thing out on the table, we found our brand new Hackaday Podcast Mailbag Audio Bumper! This jingle comes courtesy of [Dakota Winslow], who also advises that there are Easter eggs to be found. Then, it was on to the hacks, including Elliot's record-tying number of Quick Hacks, and plenty of in-linkage. Check out the links below if you want to follow along, and as always, tell us what you think about this episode in the comments!
Another all-European podcast for you this week, as Elliot Williams is joined by Jenny List for an evening looking at the past week in Hackaday. And this week there is a particularly good selection to look at. A while back we showed you a project that put synthetic aperture radar on a drone, generating extremely detailed imaging of the terrain beneath it. This week we had an update, in which an ingenious positioning accuracy fix gave it an astonishing increase in resolution. On top of that project we have 3D lightfield image display with the unexpected help of a Nipkow mechanical TV scanning drum. Geting your own microprocessor manufactured, DOOM in a database server, and a comprehensive array of unusual sensors in a tricorder project complete the picture. Finally we have a couple of space stories and Jenny describing the preserved industrial delights of the Ruhr valley in Germany. You'll want to go there, but first you'll want to listen to the podcast.
This week, Hackaday Editors Elliot Williams and Al Williams had a lot to talk about. From advice for a young hacker to using a laser to break into a microcontroller, there was plenty to cover from the week in Hackaday. From the "Point/Counter Point" department, there were dueling posts about how big a deal it is for Raspberry Pi to lock out RAM chip swapping. Ever want to do interactive debugging in MicroPython? For intellectual exercise, there's the physics of raindrops becoming a radar antenna. If you are a history buff, there was even news about World War I codebreaking. For the can't-miss articles, the big news was the issues with LoRa mesh communities possibly clashing with the FCC rules and how to make your computer take dictation. Check out the links if you want to follow along, and as always, tell us what you think about this episode in the comments!
This week, Hackaday Editors Elliot Williams and Tom Nardi start the episode off by discussing the latest CircuitPython developments before covering some impressive reverse engineering efforts, the benefits of modeling your projects in 3D, and some of the most incredible timepieces that have ever graced the pages of Hackaday. You'll also hear about the fascinating potential of combing 3D and UV printing, Linux on the ESP32, and a virtual TV station that pulls from the Internet Archive. The episode wraps up with a Hackaday Europe double-feature: one talk extols the virtues of keeping things simple through bare metal development, while the other covers off-world hacks and fixes that will make you want to sign up for Space Camp. Check out the links if you want to follow along, and as always, tell us what you think about this episode in the comments!