This week Hackaday Editors Elliot Williams and Tom Nardi start things off with updates on the rapidly approaching Hackaday Europe and the saga of everyone’s favorite 3D printed boat.
From there they’ll cover an impressive method of seeing the world via WiFi, Amazon’s latest changes to the Kindle ecosystem, and an alternate reality in which USB didn’t take over the peripheral world. You’ll also hear about a multi-level hack that brings the joys of Linux into the world of Animal Crossing, 3D printed circuit components, and the imminent release of KiCAD 9.
Stick around until the end to learn about a unique hardened glass from East Germany and the disappointing reality of modern voice control systems.
Download the DRM-free MP3 for safe keeping.
Episode 309 Show Notes:
News:
- Hackaday Europe 2025: Speakers, Lightning Talks, And More!
- 3DBenchy Sets Sail Into The Public Domain
What’s that Sound?
- Know that sound? Fill out this form for a chance to win a Hackaday Podcast t-shirt!
Interesting Hacks of the Week:
- Auto-Download Your Kindle Books Before February 26th Deadline
- In A World Without USB…
- Give Your Animal Crossing Villagers The Gift Of Linux
- A Unique Linear Position Sensor Using Magnetostriction
Quick Hacks:
- Elliot’s Picks:
- Tom’s Picks:
I wonder, could use the 3d printed electronic components to run animal crossing?
They have to try running Doom first. I think that’s some kind of law. 😂
What if the impression the glass was unbreakable and the idea you would sell more if they broke more frequently also played a role in distributers switching? There are so many interesting aspects possibly at play.
Amazon Book Downloader caveats: The tool seems to work only if you have some older physical Kindle devices linked to your account. I personally have a bunch of Kindle purchases, but have read them through Amazon provided apps on iPad and laptop.
The github repo (https://github.com/treetrum/amazon-kindle-bulk-downloader) clearly states that you need to have a physical Kindle device linked to your Amazon account, for the download API/service to work with your credentials.
“The most important pre-requisite is that you have a physical e-ink Kindle or an Amazon Fire Tablet linked to your Amazon account. This is a requirement from Amazon’s side and this tool does not offer a way to bypass this.
An important distinction is that the physical Kindle you have linked cannot be one of the latest 2024 models. For whatever reason, Amazon has decided to block the ability to download books from these devices. This tool will not work with these devices.”
Getting your hands on the right Kindle device, if you don’t already have one, might not be possible before February 26.