# Ep 273: A Tube Snoot, Dynamic Button Blobs, and Tokamaks Aren't Whack

- Show: [Hackaday Podcast](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/hackaday-podcast)
- Published: 2024-05-31
- Length: 42m
- Episode: 273
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/hackaday-podcast/2024-05-31-ep-273-a-tube-snoot-dynamic-button-blobs-and-tokamaks-arent-whack
- Listen: https://hackaday.libsyn.com/ep-273-a-tube-snoot-dynamic-button-blobs-and-tokamaks-arent-whack

## Summary

Editor-in-Chief Elliot Williams and Editor Christina Panos discuss recent Hackaday projects, including Michael Prastoffer's improved spectrometer using a Fuji camera and diffraction grating, and Scott28's rotary phone kitchen timer. They also cover Marco Reps' ultra-low-resistance rotary switch for voltage references, Mokus's Adafruit badge wedding invitations, and dynamic button blobs from Carnegie Mellon's Future Interface Group. The episode concludes with a deep dive into nuclear fusion progress at the KSTAR tokamak and a discussion on the social impact of always-on messaging apps like Facebook Messenger.

## Chapters

- [0:02](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/hackaday-podcast/2024-05-31-ep-273-a-tube-snoot-dynamic-button-blobs-and-tokamaks-arent-whack#t=2) Introduction: Germany's negative electricity prices and Business Card Challenge
- [4:44](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/hackaday-podcast/2024-05-31-ep-273-a-tube-snoot-dynamic-button-blobs-and-tokamaks-arent-whack#t=284) What's That Sound: Christina Panos stumps Elliot Williams
- [4:49](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/hackaday-podcast/2024-05-31-ep-273-a-tube-snoot-dynamic-button-blobs-and-tokamaks-arent-whack#t=289) Michael Prastoffer's improved spectrometer using a Fuji camera
- [10:33](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/hackaday-podcast/2024-05-31-ep-273-a-tube-snoot-dynamic-button-blobs-and-tokamaks-arent-whack#t=633) Scott28's rotary phone kitchen timer and black magic ring generator
- [12:18](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/hackaday-podcast/2024-05-31-ep-273-a-tube-snoot-dynamic-button-blobs-and-tokamaks-arent-whack#t=738) Marco Reps' ultra-low-resistance rotary switch for voltage references
- [16:47](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/hackaday-podcast/2024-05-31-ep-273-a-tube-snoot-dynamic-button-blobs-and-tokamaks-arent-whack#t=1007) Mokus's Adafruit badge wedding invitations and Mr. HW's mystery chip analysis
- [22:50](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/hackaday-podcast/2024-05-31-ep-273-a-tube-snoot-dynamic-button-blobs-and-tokamaks-arent-whack#t=1370) Carnegie Mellon's dynamic button blobs and Limpkins' battery balancing
- [28:56](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/hackaday-podcast/2024-05-31-ep-273-a-tube-snoot-dynamic-button-blobs-and-tokamaks-arent-whack#t=1736) Quick hacks: Linear LED clock, Thinkpad 701C case, and Microsoft bendy mouse
- [31:01](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/hackaday-podcast/2024-05-31-ep-273-a-tube-snoot-dynamic-button-blobs-and-tokamaks-arent-whack#t=1861) Maya Posch's analysis of KSTAR nuclear fusion progress
- [36:15](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/hackaday-podcast/2024-05-31-ep-273-a-tube-snoot-dynamic-button-blobs-and-tokamaks-arent-whack#t=2175) Lewin's essay on how Facebook killed online chat

## Topics

- [Mechanical engineering](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/mechanical-engineering)
- [PCB design & layout](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/pcb-design)
- [Industrial & consumer product design](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/industrial-design)
- [Energy & climate tech](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/energy-and-climate-tech)
- [Policy, trade & tariffs](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/policy-trade-and-tariffs)
- [Creator business](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/creator-business)

## Most relevant to

makers and hobbyists

## Mentioned

- Hackaday (company)
- Maya Posch (other)
- Michael Prastoffer (other)
- Fuji (company)
- Scott28 (other)
- Arduino (other)
- Marco Reps (other)
- Mokus (other)
- Adafruit (company)
- Mr. HW (other)
- Jewel Watt (company)
- Carnegie Mellon (company)
- Future Interface Group (company)
- Limpkins (other)
- Sierra Online (company)
- Q1 (product)
- Kingston University London (company)
- Andre Airday (other)
- Polymad (other)
- Mr. Teardown (other)
- Microsoft (company)
- KSTAR (product)
- Lewin (other)
- Facebook (company)
- Discord (product)
- IRC (product)
- ICQ (product)

## Related episodes from other shows

- [Grad School Time Capsule with Joshua and Zach](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2022-12-05-grad-school-time-capsule-with-joshua-and-zach) (The Amp Hour)
- [It Works With Option Number 5](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2025-06-19-it-works-with-option-number-5) (The Amp Hour)
- [73: That's a Waste of Bits](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2014-10-22-73-thats-a-waste-of-bits) (Embedded.fm)
- [83: The First Time I Was Electrocuted](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2015-01-07-83-the-first-time-i-was-electrocuted) (Embedded.fm)
- [#440.2 - Interviews with Greg Davill and Michael Ossmann](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2019-05-01-440-2-interviews-with-greg-davill-and-michael-ossmann) (The Amp Hour)

## Citing this page

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