Day: August 3, 2024

Before today, we probably would have said that scratch-built relay computers were the sole domain of only the most wizardly of graybeards. But this impressive build sent in by [Will Dana] shows that not only are there young hardware hackers out there that are still bold enough to leave the transistor behind, but that they […]
Many smart electric meters in the US use the 900 MHz band to broadcast their usage out to meter readers as they walk the neighborhood. [Jeff Sandberg] used an RTL-SDR dongle and some software to integrate this data into his own home automation system, which lets him keep track of his home’s power usage. Half […]
We’re not sure what [Aaron Christophel] calls his automated chip glitching setup built from a 3D printer, but we’re going to go ahead and dub it the “Glitch-o-Matic 9000.” Has a nice ring to it. Of course, this isn’t a commercial product, or even a rig that’s necessarily intended for repeated use. It’s more of […]
There was a time — not so long ago — when a handheld terminal would have been an expensive and exotic piece of kit. Now, all it takes is a Raspberry Pi and an off-the-shelf TFT display, as [ZitaoTech] shows us. The resemblance to a Blackberry isn’t a coincidence Admittedly, we are now seeing these […]
Before the age of lithium batteries, any project needing to carry its own power had to rely on batteries that were much less energy-dense and affordable. In many ways, we take modern lithium technology for granted, and can easily put massive batteries in our projects by the standards of just a few decades ago. While […]
Drive-throughs are a popular feature at fast-food places, where you can get some fast grub without even leaving your car. For the fast-food companies running them they are also a big focus of automation, with the ideal being a voice assistant that can take orders and pass them on to the (still human) staff. This […]
Organizing things in your home or workshop is a constant battle for some of us. Until we have access to a Tardis or bag of holding, maybe the next best thing is a sliding shelf system. [HAXMAN] found a great set of sliding shelves online, but after recovering from sticker shock decided he could build […]
Metrology fans are usually at least a little bit in love with Mitutoyo, and rightfully so. The Japanese company has been making precision measuring instruments for the better part of 100 years, and users appreciate their precision almost as much as the silky smooth feel of their tools. If you can afford it, a Mitutoyo […]
We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again: water always finds a way in. That’s particularly problematic for things like wire splices in damp environments, something that no amount of electrical tape is going to help. Heat shrink tubing might be your friend here, but for an electrically isolated and mechanically supported repair, you […]