# Ep 361: Hackaday Podcast Mailbag, A Phone is Not a Computer, 3D Printing History is New Again

- Show: [Hackaday Podcast](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/hackaday-podcast)
- Published: 2026-03-13
- Length: 1h 31m
- Episode: 361
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/hackaday-podcast/2026-03-13-ep-361-hackaday-podcast-mailbag-a-phone-is-not-a-computer-3d-printing-history-is
- Listen: https://hackaday.com/2026/03/13/hackaday-podcast-episode-361-hackaday-podcast-mailbag-a-phone-is-not-a-computer-3d-printing-history-is-new-again/

## Summary

Hackaday editors Elliot Williams and Tom Nardi discuss a range of hardware hacks, including XSS Fox's reverse engineering of emergency traffic light preemption signals and Creality's new M1 filament maker. They analyze the debate over whether powerful smartphones like the Samsung S26 Ultra can function as desktop computers, the DIY construction of a 3D printing welding gun by Half Baked Research, and Jerome Brinkman's workbench power controller. The episode concludes with an analysis of Niantic's monetization of Pokemon Go player data for spatial mapping and a report on the recent German meteorite fireball.

## Chapters

- [0:01](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/hackaday-podcast/2026-03-13-ep-361-hackaday-podcast-mailbag-a-phone-is-not-a-computer-3d-printing-history-is#t=1) Introduction and Mailbag Announcement
- [8:09](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/hackaday-podcast/2026-03-13-ep-361-hackaday-podcast-mailbag-a-phone-is-not-a-computer-3d-printing-history-is#t=489) Traffic Light Spoofing and Energy Harvesting
- [16:39](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/hackaday-podcast/2026-03-13-ep-361-hackaday-podcast-mailbag-a-phone-is-not-a-computer-3d-printing-history-is#t=999) Creality M1 Filament Maker Review
- [24:12](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/hackaday-podcast/2026-03-13-ep-361-hackaday-podcast-mailbag-a-phone-is-not-a-computer-3d-printing-history-is#t=1452) DIY 3D Printing Welding Gun
- [33:44](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/hackaday-podcast/2026-03-13-ep-361-hackaday-podcast-mailbag-a-phone-is-not-a-computer-3d-printing-history-is#t=2024) Smartphones as Desktop Computers
- [43:18](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/hackaday-podcast/2026-03-13-ep-361-hackaday-podcast-mailbag-a-phone-is-not-a-computer-3d-printing-history-is#t=2598) Workbench Power Controller and E-Reader
- [52:57](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/hackaday-podcast/2026-03-13-ep-361-hackaday-podcast-mailbag-a-phone-is-not-a-computer-3d-printing-history-is#t=3177) Quick Hacks: Clean Room, M&Ms, and Label Printers
- [1:02:38](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/hackaday-podcast/2026-03-13-ep-361-hackaday-podcast-mailbag-a-phone-is-not-a-computer-3d-printing-history-is#t=3758) German Meteorite Fireball and Citizen Science
- [1:15:35](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/hackaday-podcast/2026-03-13-ep-361-hackaday-podcast-mailbag-a-phone-is-not-a-computer-3d-printing-history-is#t=4535) Pokemon Go Data Monetization and Closing

## Topics

- [Debugging & failure analysis](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/debugging-and-failure-analysis)
- [Prototyping & iteration](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/prototyping)
- [Microcontrollers & dev platforms](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/microcontrollers-and-platforms)
- [Direct-to-consumer & e-commerce](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/direct-to-consumer)
- [Careers & education](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/engineering-careers-and-education)

## Most relevant to

makers and hobbyists

## Mentioned

- Creality (company)
- M1 (product)
- Samsung (company)
- S26 Ultra (product)
- Pokemon Go (product)
- Niantic (company)
- Niantic Spatial (company)
- Cocoa Robotics (company)
- Hackaday (company)
- RP2040 (chip)
- Arduino (other)

## Related episodes from other shows

- [469: It’s My Fault, But Also Your Fault](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/making-it/2025-01-31-469-its-my-fault-but-also-your-fault) (Making It)
- [Space Difficulties and Lost Heroes - Wanzing Workshop Whemmle](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2014-11-06-space-difficulties-and-lost-heroes-wanzing-workshop-whemmle) (The Amp Hour)
- [51. Recapping 2021](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-next-byte-podcast/2022-01-05-51-recapping-2021) (The Next Byte Podcast)
- [Guns and Mobile Labs - Nuanced Nomadic Non-essentials](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2014-04-23-guns-and-mobile-labs-nuanced-nomadic-non-essentials) (The Amp Hour)
- [50.0000 Ohms](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2024-05-31-50-0000-ohms) (The Amp Hour)

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