news
Open Hardware and Proprietary Things (Gadgets and Beyond)
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Hackaday ☛ Announcing The 2025 Hackaday Superconference Communicator Badge
It’s the moment you hard-core hardware nerds have been waiting for: the reveal of the 2025 Hackaday Supercon Communicator Badge. And this year, we’ve outdone ourselves, but that’s thanks to help from stellar collaboration with folks from the community, and help from sponsors. This badge is bigger than the sum of its parts, and we’ve planned for it to be useful for you to hack on in the afterlife. Indeed, as always, you are going to be the final collaborator, so we can’t wait to see what you’ll do with it.
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CNX Software ☛ M5Stack Cardputer-Adv ESP32-S3 computer gains improved antenna, larger 1,750 mAh battery, ES8311 audio codec
In 2023, M5Stack introduced the Cardputer, a mini portable computer based on an ESP32-S3 module and equipped with a display and a keyboard. The Cardputer-Adv is an update based on the Stamp-S3A core module, with the same 1.14-inch LCD and 56-key keyboard, but featuring a range of upgrades. These include enhanced audio with an ES8311 audio codec, a high‑SNR MEMS microphone, an NS4150B amplifier, a 1W speaker, and a 3.5 mm headphone jack, an improved antenna design, a larger 1,750 mAh battery, and a built-in BMI270 6-axis IMU.
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Arduino ☛ Convert a cheap air fryer into a high-performance 3D printer filament dryer
Post about a 3D printing problem — any 3D printing problem — online and all the top comments will be: “Is your filament dry?” That is a prudent question to ask, because filament that has absorbed moisture will wreak havoc on print quality and can even cause total print failure. If you want to keep your plastic nice and moisture-free on a budget, then check out Milos Rasic’s element14 project on converting a $10 air fryer into a 3D printer filament dryer.
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Hackaday ☛ 10 Cent Microcontroller Makes Music
Compared to the old 8-bit Arduinos, it’s incredible how cheap modern microcontrollers like the ESP32 have become. But there are even cheaper options out there if you don’t need that kind of horsepower, and are willing to do a little work yourself, as [atomic14] demonstrates.
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CNX Software ☛ u-blox MAX-M10N GNSS module supports Low Energy Accurate Positioning (LEAP) mode, firmware upgrades
Following the launch of the UBX-M10150-CC low-power GNSS module, u-blox has expanded its lineup with the MAX-M10N, another ultra-low-power module based on the UBX-M10150-KB GNSS chip. The new module supports firmware upgradeability and offers up to 50% lower power consumption thanks to features such as Low Energy Accurate Positioning (LEAP) and PSMCT cyclic tracking modes. The latest SPG 5.30 firmware also adds support for RTCM correction input for sub-meter positioning accuracy, along with improved spoofing and jamming detection. It also includes data logging and geo-fencing for autonomous tracking and uses AssistNow Predictive and Live Orbits for faster satellite acquisition.
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Mobile Systems/Proprietary
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Jack Baty ☛ Pebble Core 2 Duo smartwatch
I impulse ordered the new Pebble smartwatch as soon as it was announced. At the time, I was looking for excuses to stop wearing my Apple Watch, and this seemed as good as any.
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TechRadar ☛ NordVPN breaks ground with Linux-based VPN app for Amazon's new-gen Fire TV Stick
If you've recently been tempted to buy Amazon's new Fire TV Stick 4K Select for your streaming adventures but have been put off by the lack of a suitable VPN app, cybersecurity firm NordVPN may have just made you happy.
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Actiphy™ Inc. Unveils New Version of ActiveImage Protector™ 2022 with Support for Linux KVM Virtualization Technology
Linux KVM has become a widely adopted open-source virtualization platform, offering exceptional flexibility, performance, and stability through its integration with the Linux kernel. With this release, ActiveImage Protector 2022 introduces agentless backup and recovery for Linux KVM virtual machines, extending Actiphy’s robust protection to yet another central virtualization platform.
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