A white background is shown, with a grey metal plate at the base of the image. On the plate are three tiny green Benchy models. Above the Benchies is a glass cylinder. Below one of the Benchy models, text says "250 µm".

Printing Micron-Scale Benchies With Resin And Turmeric

September 6, 2026 by 10 Comments

Resin 3D printing has opened up a whole new scale of resolution for hackers, but the technology can go still finer; commercial micro-SLA and two-photon polymerization printers can print items with sub-micron feature sizes, but the machines are well out of reach for hackers. There’s more than one way to get such high resolution, though, as [Diffraction Limited] demonstrated with his micron-scale resin printer.

The printer builds on [Diffraction Limited]’s previous micro-manipulator and fiber-coupled laser. The micro-manipulator holds the end of the optical fiber just in front of the build plate, which is coated with resin. A 405-nm laser shines through the fiber, curing the resin in a narrow cone in front of the fiber’s core, which the micro-manipulator can trace in a pattern to build up objects, much like an FDM printer. Since the fiber’s inner core is only three microns across, the cured resin shears cleanly away from it when the fiber moves. Since the principle is so similar to an FDM printer, a standard slicer could be used to generate the tool paths.

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WordStar Lives Again (and Again)

September 6, 2026 by 24 Comments

Word processors and editors are a funny thing. It doesn’t really matter what’s “best,” whatever that means. If you have finger memory built up for one program, it’s painful to change. That’s why most of us don’t learn how to type on a Dvorak keyboard and why [George R. R. Martin] writes with WordStar. Many people of a certain age have a deep memory of WordStar. Now you can run it on a modern machine or even in your browser without a lot of trouble, thanks to [nampara-ai].

The idea is simple. Take a vintage copy of WordStar for MSDOS, wrap it with DOSBox, and package it up with some basic scripts for Linux, Mac, or Windows. In addition, there’s a WebAssembly version for the browser if you’re into that sort of thing.

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There’s Whole Computer Inside This Mouse

September 5, 2026 by 8 Comments

[Gadget Industry] bills it as “a PC inside a Mouse“, but that depends on your definition of a “PC”. This is a Personal Computer inside a mouse, yes, but there’s nothing IBM-compatible about the tiny ARM board he squeezes inside what’s normally a peripheral — it actually started life as a smartphone, which only takes this build up a notch compared to starting with a single-board computer like a Pi.

Specifically, he starts with a Galaxy S21 5G. Starting with a Samsung means he can leave the stock Android alone and just take advantage of Samsung’s DeX desktop mode, rather than layer a Linux environment on top or replace the operating system entirely with something like Postmarket OS, which are both viable options.

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Can AI Now Design PCBs That Just Work?

September 5, 2026 by 50 Comments

With the recent release of its GPT-6 Astra model, OpenAI explicitly pushed the claim that it is capable of designing complete circuit boards in KiCad, starting from a provided schematic and outputting a fully routed PCB that theoretically could be sent off to be manufactured. This of course raises the question whether this is just a nifty party trick that works under strictly controlled conditions like most auto-routing tools, or whether there’s more to it. In a recent [EEBench] blog post, OpenAI’s claims are put to the test.

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Running Apple ][ Software On A Commodore 64 — Silently

September 5, 2026 by 7 Comments

The computer business in 1984 was a bizarre mix of hobby-level companies, a few small companies that had made it big, and a lot of big companies starting to take notice of personal computers. Plenty of money followed, which led to strange products and even stranger ads. [Such Bad Tech Ads] reveals a very bad ad from that time for a product we have barely heard of: the Spartan. The Spartan’s job was to convert your Commodore 64 so it could run Apple ][ software. The ad campaign had, inexplicably, a mime. We think. Or maybe a clown. Hard to say.

On the face of it, the Spartan might not be a bad idea. In 1984, there was plenty of Apple software. Well, relatively, anyway. But a Commodore computer was far cheaper. Other conversion kits like the Intel Inboard/386 managed to find some success in the market later. The problem, outside of strange ads, was one of timing.

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Pixel Watch 5 Demonstrates Good Repairability

September 5, 2026 by 11 Comments

Although we often find ourselves drowning in a seemingly unending sea of portable devices that are effectively e-waste once an internal component gives out, it’s good to remind ourselves that there are a few examples out there by large brands that manage to tick all the fancy feature boxes, while still being very much repairable. Case in point the Pixel Watch 5, a smart watch which much like its predecessor gets a 9/10 on [iFixit]’s repairability score.

No heat gun required, just undo the latch on the side of the watch. (Credit: iFixit, YouTube)
No heat gun required, just undo the latch on the side of the watch.

Despite featuring an IP68 rating, opening it is as easy as taking out a few screws to release its latch. This allows the back to swing open, with not a drop of glue in sight, just an O-ring gasket that keeps moisture out and can be reused many times. Digging into the guts, there are color-coded screws that guide one’s hand as the very modular design is taken apart in a matter of minutes.

Being able to simply unlatch the back, and also easily obtain spare parts are two aspects that are a very welcome sight indeed. Although it’s much easier to just glue everything together, something like this latch-and-gasket approach is something that we hope that more manufacturers will copy for these small devices.

It’s potentially also an idea for one’s next DIY smart watch project, as tempting as reaching for that tube of glue may seem.

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Voicebox FX Is A Blueprint For CircuitPython I2S Audio

September 5, 2026 by 1 Comment

[Adafruit]’s Voicebox FX gadget is a fun, well-documented project that serves another useful purpose: being a fantastic reference design for audio on CircuitPython, with I2S audio components. Be sure to check it out if you have a project that involves any of that and could use a few pointers, or if you just want to jog a few ideas loose.

I2S (Inter-IC Sound) is a protocol aimed squarely at moving audio data between components as digital signals. Our own [Jenny List] can tell you everything you need to know about I2S. It’s a relatively simple interface that is not at all fussy about actually being used for audio, and that has led to it being put to some unusual uses.

The Voicebox FX uses an I2S microphone, an I2S amplifier, and an RP2350 microcontroller to record and play sound as well as offer a variety of effects controlled by physical inputs. It’s all wrapped up in a slick 3D printed case, and while it’s a fantastic reference design, it looks like a fun toy in its own right.

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