A Wii U That Is Both Computer And Console.

August 2, 2017 by 16 Comments

Legendary sudomod forum user [banjokazooie] has once again demonstrated their prowess in Wii U console modification — this time by transforming it into a powerhouse portable computer!

We loved [banjokazooie]’s RetroPie Wii U mod, and happy to see them back again with this build.  What’s in this thing this time around? Buckle up ’cause it’s a ride: an Intel M5 processor core M on their Compute Stick, 4GBs RAM, a 64GB solid-state drive, a 2K LCD touchscreen, Bluetooth, WiFi, a 128GB SD card slot, two 3.7V 4000 mAh batteries, a Pololu 5V,6A step-down voltage regulator, a Teensy 2.0++ dev board, a battery protection PCB, a USB DAC sound card, stereo amp, a USB hub for everything to plug into, and a TP5100 battery charging board. Check it out!

Continue reading “A Wii U That Is Both Computer And Console.” →

Why I Got The Job

August 2, 2017 by 72 Comments

Hackaday readers are a vast and varied bunch. Some of us would call ourselves engineers or are otherwise employed in some kind of technical role. Others may still be studying to gain the requisite qualifications and are perhaps wondering just how to complete that final leap into the realm of gainful employment. Well, this one’s for you.

What sort of job are you looking for?

You might be a straight, down the lines, petroleum engineering graduate who’s looking to land a job in the oil and gas industry. Conversely, you might be an arts student who’s picked up a few skills with electronics over the years and are keen to gain a position doing grand installation pieces for musuems or corporate clients.

There’s a broad spectrum of jobs out there that require high-level technical skills, and my first piece of advice is that you shouldn’t limit yourself. There are things you can do to keep your options open, even over a long career – these could pay dividends when you’re looking for a seachange.

Continue reading “Why I Got The Job” →

Scissor Lift Table From The Wood Shop, For The Wood Shop

August 2, 2017 by 19 Comments

The value of a mobile adjustable height cart in the shop can’t be overestimated. From moving tools around to installing heavy fixtures on walls and ceiling, a scissor-lift platform is a great tool. Commercial versions get a bit expensive, though, so a shop-built scissor lift table made of wood might be a nice project for the budget-minded to tackle.

Wood might not be your first choice for a fixture such as this, but it’s what [Marius Hornberger] is set up to use, and with proper species selection and careful engineering, it can make for an amazingly sturdy table. [Marius] chose ash for his parts, a wood with a long history of performing well under difficult conditions. The table is not all wood, of course; metal bushings and pins are used in the scissor mechanism, and the lift drive is a stout Acme-thread screw and nut. We’re impressed by [Marius]’ joinery skill, and with how sturdy the table proved to be.

Not a lot of woodworking projects seem to show up in our tip line for some reason, which is a shame. We love to feature wood builds, and like our own [John Baichtal] recently pointed out, the health of the wood shop is often a leading indicator of the health of a hackerspace.

Continue reading “Scissor Lift Table From The Wood Shop, For The Wood Shop” →

Dead Bug Soldered LED Ring Of Awesome

August 2, 2017 by 54 Comments

Sometimes the simplest things in life are the most beautiful. [The Tweaker] has soldered an LED circle on the top of an ATmega328P chip, and it looks great.

Using nothing more than some solder, wire, 20 x Pico 0402 (1mm x 0.5mm) blue LEDs and an ATmega328P (7mm x 7mm), [The Tweaker] managed to cram 20 LEDs into a circle on the top of the chip soldered in dead bug style. The chip is running some Arduino code and is operating on the 8 MHz internal crystal oscillator, so that manages to keep the part count low. The soldering is done in a spiral so the LED terminals are hooked up to the right pins, but it seems to add to the aesthetics of the project and looks like it would take a really steady hand. Once you connect a power source it displays chasing lights as well as other light patterns.

There may not be much to this project but it does look great.

Continue reading “Dead Bug Soldered LED Ring Of Awesome” →

Getting Data Out Of Air-Gapped Networks Through The Power Cable

August 1, 2017 by 28 Comments

If you are an organisation that is custodian of sensitive information or infrastructure, it would be foolhardy of you to place it directly on the public Internet. No matter how good your security might be, there is always the risk that a miscreant could circumvent it, and perform all sorts of mischief. The solution employed therefore is to physically isolate such sensitive equipment from the rest of the world, creating an air gap. Nothing can come in and nothing can go out, or so goes the theory.

Well, that’s the theory, anyway. [Davidl] sends us some work that punches a hole in some air-gapped networks, allowing low-speed data to escape the air gap even if it doesn’t allow the reverse.

So how is this seemingly impossible task performed? The answer comes through the mains electrical infrastructure, if the air gap is bridged by a mains cable then the load on that mains cable can be modulated by altering the work undertaken by a computer connected to it. This modulation can then be detected with a current transformer, or even by compromising a UPS or electricity meter outside the air gap.

Of course, the Hackaday readership are all upstanding and law-abiding citizens of good standing, to whom such matters are of purely academic interest. Notwithstanding that, the article goes into the subject in great detail, and makes for a fascinating read.

We’ve touched on this subject before with such various techniques as broadcast radio interference and the noise from a fan,  as well as with an in-depth feature.

Using A Logic Analyzer To Generate Screenshots From A Game Boy

August 1, 2017 by 10 Comments

Wouldn’t you like to go back to a dead handheld and extract the proof of your 90s-era high scores? Of course you would.

[svendahlstrand] bought his first logic analyzer, a Logic 8 from Saleae and decided to play around with an old Game Boy. He opened up the handheld with a tri-point screwdriver and hooked six wires up to the LCD data bus, generating screen shots from the logged data. He got screens from Solomon’s Club, Mole Mania, Kid Dracula, and more.

The first few attempts were fraught with mishap as [sven] worked to figure out the settings of his new analyzer. In one instance he had the DATA 0 and DATA 1 signals reversed, also reversing two of the gray values. After figuring it out he posted his LCD sniffing tutorial to GitHub, where he also has a C program for manually piecing together the screen shots, pixel by pixel.

Thanks to [sven] for posting this project to our recent Everything You Need to Know About Logic Probes post.

 

 

3D Printed Curta Gets Upgrades

August 1, 2017 by 16 Comments

It is amazing how makers can accomplish so much when they put their mind to something. [Marcus Wu] has uploaded a mesmerizing video on how to build a 3D printed Curta Mechanical Calculator. After nine iterations of design, [Marcus] presents a polished design that not only works but looks like a master piece.

For the uninitiated, the Curta is a mechanical calculator designed around the time of World War II. It is still often seen used in time-speed-distance (TSD) rallies to aid in the computation of times to checkpoints, distances off-course and so on. Many of these rallies don’t allow electronic calculators, so the Curta is perfect.  The complex inner workings of the contraption were a key feature and point of interest among enthusiasts and the device itself is a highly popular collectible.

As for the 3D printed design, the attention to detail is impeccable. The current version has around 80 parts that need to 3D printed and a requires a few other screws and springs. Some parts like the reversing lever and selector knobs have been painted and digits added to complete the visual detail. The assembly took [Marcus Wu] around 40 minutes to complete and is one of the most satisfying builds we have ever seen.

What is even more amazing is that [Markus Wu], who is a software engineer by profession has shared all the files including the original design files free of cost on Thingiverse. A blog with written instructions is also available along with details of the iterations and original builds. We already did a post on a previous version so check it out for a little more background info.

Thanks for the tip [lonestar] Continue reading “3D Printed Curta Gets Upgrades” →