The camera in a typical mobile phone is now at a standard at which it can be considered a serious device rather than a toy, such has been the effort …read more
There’s one thing [Silent H] wants you to know before you watch his video about making biodiesel, embedded below: he started this project before he’d even heard of the Strait …read more
We’ve seen the GeekMagic SmallTV line of devices before — these cheap gadgets combine a microcontroller and a display in a little plastic case that can be used to show …read more
One of the problems with planetary science is that you generally cannot easily investigate the exact conditions in their interior, so you’re left to extrapolate what is happening inside them …read more
I started writing this from a commuter train passing at speed through the outskirts of London, and my headset had just broken. The flexible joint that attaches one earpiece to …read more
Recently [John Spicer] of the EDG C++ compiler front-end project announced that the project will be made open source, from now on managed by the non-profit C++ Alliance. Related source …read more
Although Android is essentially just another Linux distribution, most people only experience it in the form of the rather restrictive and proprietary versions found on smartphones, tablets and smart TVs. …read more
USB-C Power Delivery (PD) has been a boon to anyone working with low-voltage DC power, because at a stroke it replaces a vast array of wall warts, power supplies, and …read more
Large language models (LLMs) output language, but they are commonly tasked with making a decision or classification of some kind instead of writing an essay or chat reply. An LLM …read more
There are some projects that seem at first sight to be easy, but anyone who tries them finds a whole heap of unexpected problems and turns to the off-the-shelf device. …read more
With the rise of synthetic polymers in everywhere from clothing, packaging and beyond, we have also seen a corresponding rise in fragments of these polymers in the environment. These micro- …read more
Building anything that flies from scratch is an ambitious undertaking, even if it’s ‘just’ radio-controlled. 3D printing the aircraft isn’t that odd these days, but putting a hot jet engine …read more
Copper sulfate crystals are probably among one of the prettiest crystals you can grow at home, with even just a simple setup with some copper scrap and vinegar already capable …read more
The discerning modern gamer’s quest is to find a quieter computer without sacrificing performance. That proves challenging when modern components are highly efficient at producing monumental quantities of thermal energy. …read more
Hollywood has a lot to answer for when it comes to “silencers” on firearms. On screen, a suppressed pistol makes a pinging thud, and the bad guy in the next …read more
Most of the time, assuming nothing’s gone wrong with them, we take our hands so much for granted that it’s easy to forget what remarkable pieces of engineering they are: …read more
Last time, we looked at getting started with the GOWIN tools and a Tang Nano 20K FPGA. The software from GOWIN isn’t bad, but it isn’t open source, and there …read more
Although VHS-based games have existed for about as long as VHS players have sat in millions of living rooms, they always tended to be rather sparse gaming experiences. For example, …read more
It must be April in October again, because Google Japan has a new, hilariously impractical reimagining of the keyboard: a conveyor belt. This time it’s on GitHub with firmware, STLs, …read more
Back in the old days the IBM-PC, like most of its contemporary computers, shipped with BASIC in ROM. Even after it stopped living in ROM, IBM-Compatibles shipped with GW-BASIC, and …read more