PCBs can be art – we’ve known this for a while, but we’re still constantly impressed with what people can do with layers of copper, fiberglass, soldermask, and silkscreen. [Sandy Noble] is taking this idea one step further. He took C64, Spectrum, and Sinclair PCBs and turned them into art. The results are incredible. These PCBs were reverse engineered, traced, and eventually turned into massive screen prints. They look awesome, and they’re available on Etsy.
$100k to bring down drones. That’s the tagline of the MITRE Challenge, although it’s really being sold as, “safe interdiction of small UAS that pose a safety or security threat in urban areas”. You can buy a slingshot for $20…
[styropyro] mas made a name for himself on Youtube for playing with very dangerous lasers and not burning his parent’s house down. Star Wars is out, and that means it’s time to build a handheld 7W laser. It’s powered by two 18650 cells, and is responsible for more than a few scorch marks on the walls of [styropyro]’s garage.
Everybody is trying to figure out how to put Ethernet and a USB hub on the Pi Zero. This means a lot of people will be launching crowdfunding campaigns for Pi Zero add-on boards that add Ethernet and USB. The first one we’ve seen is the Cube Infinity. Here’s the thing, though: they’re using through-hole parts for their board, which means this won’t connect directly to the D+ and D- USB signals on the Pi Zero. They do have a power/battery board that may be a little more useful, but I can’t figure out how they’re doing the USB.
[Keith O] found a fascinating video on YouTube and sent it into the tips line. It’s a machine that uses a water jet on pastries. These cakes start out frozen, and come out with puzzle piece and hexagon-shaped slices. Even the solution for moving cakes around is ingenious; it uses a circular platform that rotates and translates by two toothed belts. Who would have thought the latest advancements in cutting cakes and pies would be so fascinating?
It’s time to start a tradition. In the last links post of last year, we took a look at the number of views from North Korea in 2014. Fifty-four views, and we deeply appreciate all our readers in Best Korea. This year? For 2015, we’ve logged a total of thirty-six views from the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. That’s a precipitous drop that deserves an investigation. Pyongyang meetup anyone?
>>> but I can’t figure out how they’re doing the USB.
From the pictures, MicroUSB-MicroUSB cable is the most likely solution to be used.
That’s kinda awkward
This guy thinks he has a solution to bringing down drones-
https://hackaday.io/project/8859-a-ground-based-drone-defense-system
What fraction of North Koreans actually speak English?
Actually many people in the DPRK (Demented Poor Republic of Korea) speak english, the government teaches it in schools for when they conquer the U.S.
Good thing we all have guns here.
Of course. “Know your enemy” as they say.
I was just reading about their crazy OS they developed for their citizens-
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/dec/27/north-koreas-computer-operating-system-revealed-by-researchers
So windows 10 ?
There needs to be an asterisk next to every project to add Ethernet and a USB hub to the zero. They actually need to do it for less than $20 – the price difference between the B+ and the zero. Because otherwise what’s the point? Preserving the form factor?
Yeah, why spend more for a slower, less capable device?
I just want to know how to get my hands on a 7W laser module (and appropriate protective eye-wear). I thought having a couple of 5mW HeNe lasers on hand was cool, but now I feel like a complete laser dork.
There’s some waste at the edges with eh waterjet cutter. Possibly very yummy waste, unless it has coffee in it.
They should use milk instead of water.
I LOL’d…
Mother nature a much better way of taking down drones.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hr-xBtVU4lg
Sweet.
Awesome. I would almost say- train birds to take them down, but then the birds might get hurt.
Train birds to drop stuff onto drones. Or poop on them.
Brian, minor correction: the pastry doesn’t need to be frozen: “Potable water at more than 3000 bar passes through a nozzle of diameter between 0.1 and 0.2 mm (0.004″ to 0.008″). The resulting jet cleanly cuts the product, both fresh or frozen, respecting the cold chain.”