Setting up access to a headless Raspberry Pi is one of those tasks that should take a few minutes, but for some reason always seems to take much longer. The most common method is to configure Wi-Fi access and an SSH service on the Pi before starting it, which can go wrong in many different […]
It’s fair to say that there are many people in our community who just love to dunk on Microsoft Windows. It’s an easy win, after all, the dominant player in the PC operating system market has a long history of dunking on free software, and let’s face it, today’s Windows doesn’t offer a good experience. […]
In [Big Clive]’s recent grab bag of tat ordered from Chinese commerce platforms, there were two touch light control boxes that can turn any ungrounded conductive surface into a mains load dimmer control. Of course, the primary reason for the purchase was a teardown, and a teardown we got. These unassuming little boxes are built […]
Before the modern Internet existed, there were still plenty of ways of connecting with other computer users “online”, although many of them might seem completely foreign to those of us in the modern era. One of those systems was the Bulletin Board System, or BBS, which would have been a single computer, often in someone’s […]
Robots don’t have to be large and imposing to be impressive. As this tiny quadruped from [Dorian Todd] demonstrates, some simple electronics and a few servos can create something altogether charming on their own. This little fellow is named Sesame. A quadruped robot, it’s built out of 3D-printed components. Each leg features a pair of […]
For certain high-security devices, such as card readers, ATMs, and hardware security modules, normal physical security isn’t enough – they need to wipe out their sensitive data if someone starts drilling through the case. Such devices, therefore, often integrate circuit meshes into their cases and regularly monitor them for changes that could indicate damage. To […]
Making a truly flat surface is a modern engineering feat, and not a small one. Even making something straight without reference tools that are already straight is a challenge. However, the ancient Egyptians apparently made very straight, very flat stone work. How did they do it? Probably not alien-supplied CNC machines. [IntoTheMap] explains why it […]
We live in a golden age for MIDI controllers. [rheslip]’s contribution to the milieu is a twisty take on the format, in that it’s covered in an array of knobs. Thus the name—Twisty 2. The controller can be built using the Raspberry Pi Pico or Pico 2. It’s set up to read a 4×4 array […]
Attributed to Picasso was the notion that when art critics get together they talk about content, style, trend, and meaning; but that when painters get together they talk about where to get the best turpentine. We can extend that sentiment into the digital age by saying that when philosophers get together they talk about ideas, […]