Tag Archives: HackADay

This Clock Draws the Time Using Sequins

Posted on by

There are lots of different ways to tell the time. You can use an old school analog clock with hands, a segmented digital display, or even a sundial. But I can say with 100% certainty that this is the first clock I’ve ever seen that tells time with sequins.

Architect and tinkerer Ekaggrat Singh Kalsi put together the Sequino, a truly unique timepiece that takes advantage of the bi-colored nature of some sequins, flipping them from one side to the other to reveal the current time. The sequins are set onto a cylindrical backdrop, and then a mechanical arm moves up, down, left and right to flip the sparkly bits over with a specially engineered tip that’s designed to emulate a human fingertip. Imagine a two axis plotter set onto a curved surface, and that’s basically the mechanism. It’s driven by a pair of motors and controlled by an Arduino Nano. Check it out in action in the video below:

If you’d like to build your own Sequino, you can read the full details of the build over on Hackaday.

[via Digg]

Six gifts for your paranoid friends and family

Posted on by
It pays to be paranoid in a time of rampant breaches, social media account extortion, identity theft, fake security products, ransomware, and hack attacks on all. That's why we've put together a gift guide for those among us who don't want to find ou...

This Arduino hackaphone was never going to be pretty, but it does the job

Posted on by

This Arduino hackaphone was never going to be pretty, but it works

Okay, we'll admit that it looks a bit like a baby monitor. But in contrast to those over-engineered pieces of parenting paraphernalia, this DIY cellphone can actually make calls and send texts over GPRS. More importantly, Hackaday claims it was put together by a lone hacker ("Victorzie") from an assortment of off-the-shelf and modded parts, including a TFT touchscreen, lithium ion battery, charging circuit, GPRS module and shield. These components were hooked up to an Arduino Uno microcontroller running a barebones UI and then jammed into a 3D printed case, which makes the device look far more pocketable than some previous hackaphone efforts. The end result inspires big respect for the creator, but also, more grudgingly, for the pro engineers at places like Nokia, who can pull all this stuff together and even get it FCC-approved for just a few dollars.

Filed under: ,

Comments

Source: Hackaday

Homebrew 8-bit computer packs in 16 cores, multitasks like a champ

Posted on by

DNP 16core homebrew computer built out of ATMegas, multitasks beautifully

It looks like Jake Eisenmann has done it again. A couple of years after the hobbyist hacker built his first 8-bit computer, he's cobbled together yet another one, but this time with a whopping 16 cores. Appropriately dubbed the DUO Mega, the multicore wonder is made with 16 ATMega328p microcontrollers, each connected to an 8-bit data bus and designed to interpret a custom bytecode that runs the software. Compiled inside a nondescript plastic bin, the machine is also comprised of 16MHz crystal oscillators attached to each of the aforementioned cores, three Arduino UNO boards, 32kb of SRAM, 512kb of flash memory, eight breadboards, an Ethernet shield, a VGA out port and a multitude of components that combine to look like that mess of wires seen above. Because of all that processing power, this relatively primitive machine multitasks beautifully and can perform complicated calculations at an impressive clip. To get a demo of what this marvelous feat of DIY computing can do, have a peek at Eisenmann's video, complete with an 8-bit soundtrack, after the break.

Filed under:

Comments

Via: Hackaday

Source: DUO Mega

Hack a Day modder builds a custom controller for disabled gamers

Posted on by

Hack A Day A custom gaming controller for disabled gamers

Sure, when tinkerer Caleb Kraft found out that pressure switches marketed at the disabled were massively overpriced, he got mad like anybody else. But then he decided to get even the best way he knew how: by building his own, and posting the plans for all to follow on Hack a Day for free. The project came about via a kid with muscular dystrophy named Thomas, who enjoyed Minecraft but may eventually lose the ability to hold a controller or use a mouse and keyboard. Caleb's idea was to build low-pressure switches using a 3D printer and simply map them to the Minecraft keyboard and mouse commands using a $20 Teensy board. He posted his plans online, but since he feels they could be improved on, also created a site called the Controller Project (see the More Coverage link). From there, those in need of a custom device can make a request, other modders can post their own plans and builders can use them to make controllers for donation. Since more is always merrier for such things, if you have those skills or know someone who needs them, hit the source for more info.

Filed under:

Comments

Source: Hack a day

Build your own 80,000 volt Thor hammer, what could possibly go wrong?

Posted on by

Build your own 80,000 volt Thor hammer, what could possibly go wrong

When someone says "The idea is extremely simple, a tiny tesla coil inside a fake hammer" we look up "simple in the dictionary just to check. This is Hack a day though, where simple can mean almost anything -- in this case a genuine electrified Mjölnir replica. All you need to make your own is the aforementioned tesla coil (you have one right?), some foam, a battery pack and, well... the ability to follow instructions. Fittingly, the first attempt at Thor's hammer went on a saga of its own, suffering damage at the hands of the delivery service en route to a studio. No bother for our resident hacksters though, who patched it back up in no time to the fully functioning -- if a little over-sized -- model you'll see in the video past the break.

Filed under: ,

Comments

Source: Hack a day

Oculight LED hack gives the Oculus Rift a hint of peripheral vision (video)

Posted on by

Oculight hack gives the Oculus Rift a hint of peripheral vision video

Although the Oculus Rift is one of the more ambitious attempts at making virtual reality accessible, its lack of peripheral version is all too familiar -- it's much like staring into a pair of portholes. Rather than let the disorientation persist unaltered, though, Hack A Day has taken matters into its own hands. Its Oculight hack puts an RGB LED strip inside the headpiece, with the colored lighting set to match the edge of the screen through Adalight code. The result is much like Philips' Ambilight, but arguably more useful: the virtual world's light "leaks" into the wearer's real peripheral view, adding to the immersion. Oculight clearly isn't for sale and needs a refined installation to create the ideal effect, but the readily available resources will let anyone with an Oculus Rift development kit build their own solution.

Filed under: ,

Comments

Source: Hack A Day

Wii Homebrew channel sneaks onto Wii U, sticks with what it knows

Posted on by

Wii Homebrew channel sneaks onto Wii U, sticks with what it knows

Back in 2010, Ninteno's waggle-riffic wonder would occasionally pulsate with a charming blue glow: update me, it said, I have hackers to fight. Although its efforts were quickly circumvented by Hackmii's LetterBomb installer, the Wii's 4.3 update was Nintendo's last stand against the homebrew community -- it hasn't offered an update since. That isn't to say Kyoto's game giant gave up, though; Wii U owners can find a tweaked version of the system menu hidden away in the system's backwards compatibility mode, featuring just enough updated code to block existing exploits. It didn't take the community long to catch up, though -- the homebrew channel was working its way onto select systems using tried and true methods since launch day.

Now, the HackMii team has compiled an official installer, letting the average joe bypass the menu's IOS files with ease. Like the PlayStation Vita's PSP-based homebrew loader, this exploit is trapped in the sandbox of its original hardware, effectively blocking it form making the most of the Wii U's fancy internals. It's a modest start (and perhaps a little too easy), but its encouraging to see both Nintendo and the modding community sticking to their guns. Check out HackMii's fancywork at the source below, and give us a buzz if you manage to find your way outside of Nintendo's last-gen sandbox.

Filed under: ,

Comments

Via: Joystiq

Source: HackMii, Hack a day

Your Portal gun isn’t as cool as Hack-a-Day’s Portal gun (which actually levitates a companion cube)

Posted on by

Your Portal gun isn't as cool as HackaDay's Portal gun which actually levitates a companion cube

There you were, thinking your NECA-produced Portal gun replica was super neat all on its own. Well, okay -- it is -- but wouldn't it be even cooler if you could use it to make a baby companion cube levitate in mid-air with it? That question is exactly what lead to Hack a Day's creation of just such a device, as seen in the video below the break. By reappropriating a magnetic floating globe's parts and attaching said parts to both the gun and a homemade companion cube, Hack a Day were able to recreate at least part of the magic Chell experiences in her Aperture Science adventures. Of course, if you move the gun too much, the companion cube will fall out. Just think what that does to its psyche! You monster.

[Image credit: Caleb Kraft, Hack a Day]

Continue reading Your Portal gun isn't as cool as Hack-a-Day's Portal gun (which actually levitates a companion cube)

Filed under: ,

Your Portal gun isn't as cool as Hack-a-Day's Portal gun (which actually levitates a companion cube) originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 12 Oct 2012 02:29:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  sourceHack a Day  | Email this | Comments

Bug-zapping lightsaber built in minutes, ready to fry pests

Posted on by

Bug-zapping lightsaber built in minutes, ready to fry pests

Simulated Jedi training not passing muster? Something more firmly grounded in reality might fit the bill. Hack a Day's bug zapping lightsaber, for instance, is suitably real -- and what it lacks in actual lasers it makes up for in insect annihilation. As the amalgamation of a Star Wars toy and an electrified bug racket, the zapper saber isn't exactly a looker -- two layers of metal mesh wrap awkwardly around the toy's telescoping blade, secured only by electrical tape and the sheer will of the force. All told, the contraption was constructed in roughly 20 minutes and Hack a Day reckons that more elaborate ones can be crafted with a tad more time and materials. Head past the break to catch the build process in motion.

Continue reading Bug-zapping lightsaber built in minutes, ready to fry pests

Bug-zapping lightsaber built in minutes, ready to fry pests originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 20 Jun 2012 08:19:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  sourceHack a Day  | Email this | Comments