Hackaday Podcast · 18 Feb 2022 · 45m · Episode 156
Hackaday Editor-in-Chief Elliot Williams and Assignments Editor Christina Potos discuss a variety of hardware hacks, including Alfredo Cordellini’s automated split-flap clock, Carl Bajiga’s flexible PCB heaters, and Sasha’s IoT-controlled filament dry box. They also cover Action Lab’s 3D-printed diffraction gratings, Zarland University’s conductive ink sketching device, and Yon Derogi’s floppy disk clock. The episode concludes with a deep dive into Lewin Day’s article on battery-swapping EVs in China and Dan Maloney’s review of trinocular microscopes.
makers and hobbyists
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Chris Gammell returns from Maker Faire to discuss the proliferation of 3D printers, the Intel Edison development board, and low-cost pick-and-place machines. Dave Jones addresses viewer complaints about his YouTube content, analyzes the technical specs of the Intel Edison, and reviews the new Altium cloud-based design tool. The hosts also touch on the challenges of open-source test equipment and the future of hardware kits.
Chris and Nate interview founders from Eureka Park at CES 2026, including Rajeev Ramanath of Blueberry Technology, Cole Ashman of Pila Energy, and Scott Hickle of Throne. They discuss specific products like the autonomous Blueberry Go airport robot, Pila Energy's modular home batteries, and Throne's toilet health tracker. The episode highlights trade-offs in hardware design, such as Pebble's Eric Migicovsky choosing ODMs for speed over control, and Roam's Aaron Pollack accepting thickness for battery life. Other founders like Niclas Bertelsen of Naya and Michael Churchill of Kombu discuss modular ecosystems and material choices for fermentation.
Dave Jones and Chris Gammell discuss recent tech hype, including debunking viral claims about the 'Water Cube' dehumidifier and beta-voltaic 'nuclear diamond' batteries. They cover the merger of Evil Mad Scientist and Bantam Tools, a side-channel security vulnerability affecting ESP32 microcontrollers, and the acquisition of a used TVM pick-and-place machine. The conversation also touches on power grid issues, CAD software choices like Fusion 360 and Onshape, and the failure of solar roadways.
Jen Castillo and Alvaro interview Emily Velasco, who created the 'Death Clock' using a repurposed 1980s vacuum fluorescent display and an Arduino driver, and Jasmine Brackett, who runs Tindie and organizes the hardware swap at Hackaday Supercon 2019. The conversation covers Velasco's talk on making 'ugly, weird, and annoying things' and Brackett's insights on the growth of the hardware community, including the RC2014 retro computer kit. They also discuss the future of hacking with AI, the regret of certain technologies like the internet and personal listening devices, and the specific challenges of the German startup ecosystem.
Hosts Jen Castillo and Alvaro Prieto discuss their pandemic-era projects, including Alvaro's recreation of his father's 7400-series digital clock, a USB-C power adapter using a Cypress chip, and a t-shirt quilt. Jen details her reverse engineering of a greeting card chip, her exploration of Chinese manufacturing via Alibaba, and her choreography of a remote dance piece. They also cover the cancellation of hardware conferences like Hackaday Supercon and HackRF, and recommend movies such as 'Mood Indigo' and '3 Idiots'.
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