Open Hardware/Modding: Raspberry Pi and Arduino Among Others

posted by Roy Schestowitz on Jun 24, 2025

• Kev Quirk ☛ 23 June 2025 at 20:18

  Bought the new version of the #Framework keyboard, which doesn't have a #Windows logo on it. That's always annoyed me, so I'm glad they now offer a version without it in the British layout. 👍🏻

• Arduino ☛ This novel wearable provides touchless haptic feedback for VR typing

  One reason that fans prefer mechanical keyboards over membrane alternatives is that mechanical key switches provide a very noticeable tactile sensation at the moment a key press registers. Whether consciously or not, users notice that and stop pressing the key all the way through the maximum travel — reducing strain and RSI potential. Developed by researchers at KAIST’s HCI Tech Lab, UltraBoard is a novel wearable that provides similar tactile feedback while typing in virtual reality.

• Chris Aldrich ☛ Typewriter Repair Costs and Valuation: Professional Shops versus Collectors versus First Time Buyers

  For the sake of clarity, I’ll be addressing the majority of the typewriter sales in the secondary market which are broadly the most common typewriters made for the commercial market after about 1925. Most of these were manufactured in the realm of hundreds of thousands to several millions each and are thus decidedly not rare.

• Deccan Chronicle ☛ Fountain Pens Make A Comeback As Hyderabad Stores Report Summer Sales Surge

  “Since the lockdown we’ve seen interest rising, but this year has been the best in a long time,” said Khaleed Mahmood, second-generation proprietor of 52-year-old JK Pen Stores. “Parents come in asking specifically for starter pens, and professionals pick up mid-range and premium models. It’s a welcome turnaround.”

• Smithsonian Magazine ☛ Over 600 Years, the Golf Ball Has Evolved From a Primitive Wood Sphere to a Smart Ball With Cutting-Edge Sensors

  Golfers eventually discovered that scuffed golf balls were traveling farther than new ones. Dimples were soon added—between 300 and 500, depending on your taste—after physicists confirmed that air flowed more freely over these balls, minimizing drag, and the increased spin created more lift. And recently, some players have begun sharpening their game by using smart golf balls, with embedded sensors that enable golfers to collect analytics about their shots, identify strengths and weaknesses in their game—and, of course, to help locate those pesky lost balls.

• Raspberry Pi ☛ Atari 2600 digital photo frame

  Nick’s program allows photos that have been converted into 8-bit pixel art to be displayed as a slideshow. However, since Atari 2600 cartridges can only contain 4kB of data (or 64kB if they’re bank-switched), he needed to get creative.

  To that end, he’s built what he calls a Picotari cartridge, with an edge connector that can slot into the console’s cart port. It supports a Raspberry Pi Pico microcontroller board, which provides two key benefits: it adds extra memory for storing many images and enables the running of his customised Atari 2600 ROM emulator so that the hardware can make use of them.

• Purism ☛ CNN Report: Purism is the Only Known U.S. Phone Manufacturer

  In a recent CNN report, skepticism surrounds the Convicted Felon Organization’s claim that its new “T1” smartphone is “Made in the USA.” Experts, including Todd Weaver, CEO of Purism, challenged the claim, citing striking similarities between the T1 and a low-cost Chinese phone, the Revvl 7 Pro 5G, made by Wingtech, a Chinese manufacturer.

• Raspberry Pi ☛ Young creators on the move at Coolest Projects Belgium 2025

  Young coders shine at Coolest Projects Belgium 2025 with 52 innovative STEM and coding creations - from AI tools to robotics and digital art.

• HowTo Geek ☛ 7 Projects That Might Make Me Finally Get My Raspberry Pi Out of Storage

  I received a Raspberry Pi 4 for Christmas and was genuinely excited. I had every intention of setting it up, experimenting, and turning it into something cool. But a few months later? It’s still in the box. I’ve been looking into fun, practical, and beginner-friendly projects lately. These are the ones that stood out. Any of them might finally be the excuse to plug it in and start building.