The week gone by was rich with fun hacks, and Elliot and Dan teamed up this time around to run them down for everyone. The focus this week seemed to trend to old hardware, from the recently revived Voyager 1 to a 1940s car radio, a homebrew instrument from 1979, a paper tape reader, and a 128k Mac emulator built from an RP2040.
Newer hacks include a 3D-printed bottle labeler, a very hackable smart ring, and lessons learned about programming robots. We also took a look at turning old cell phones into Linux machines, making sure climbing ropes don’t let you down, and snooping on orbital junk with a cool new satellite.
We wrapped things up with a discussion of just how weird our solar system is, and Dan getting really jealous about Tom Nardi’s recent trip to see the battleship New Jersey from an up close and personal perspective.
Worried about attracting the Black Helicopters? Download the DRM-free MP3 and listen offline, just in case.
Episode 276 Show Notes:
News:
What’s that Sound?
- Galaga: Congrats to [DrJon] for guessing it right. With exclamation points.
- Don’t get caught playing at work
Interesting Hacks of the Week:
- New Part Day: A Hackable Smart Ring
- A Brief Look Inside A Homebrew Digital Sampler From 1979
- PostmarketOS Now Boots On Over 250 Devices
- When Your Rope Is Your Life
- Probably The Cheapest Mac Emulation Hardware
- Programming Robots Is Hard, Figuring Out How To Make It Easier Is Harder
Quick Hacks:
- Elliot’s Picks
- Dan’s Picks:
Can’t-Miss Articles:
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