The Green Hacks Challenge Continues! 🌱

You have until 7AM PDT on July 4th to save the planet! [Digi-Key is a proud sponsor of the 2023 Hackaday Prize]( [3602421454791242043.png] Wednesday, June 21, 2023 [Envirosense Is An Energy-Harvesting Environmental Tracker »]( Time to Hack For the Planet Last year's Hackaday Prize was all about sustainable hacking. We asked you to re-imagine power-saving techniques, keep existing hardware out of the landfill, come up with ways to get people to recycle, and build devices to monitor weather conditions and keep communities safe during disasters. From now until July 4th, we're asking you to come up with even more ways we can all go lighter on the planet during [the Green Hacks Challenge](. That could look like a number of things. Maybe you want to [generate wind power on the go]( or 3D print things [directly from trash](. The world is your oyster. Time isn't exactly on your side, though. You only have until 7AM PDT on July 4th to get your entry in, so get crackin'! Now is the time for all you procrastinators to shine. Need some inspiration? Check out some of the entries we've seen so far. Highlights from the IO POPULAR BITS [project thumbnail]( [Smart Herbs Grows Pot's Skillset]( Some products are great out of the box, and other just need a bit of an upgrade to really shine. That's where the Smart Herbs board comes in. It takes the beloved WMF Ambient plant pot and adds features like water level detection, touch response, and a vibrant LED display to the mix. [project thumbnail]( [Miller-Urey Experiment Is Lightning in a Bottle]( We all learned in high school biology class that this experiment supports the hypothesis that amino acids -- the building blocks of protein -- could appear out of thin primordial Earth air. This time, though the energy input is plasma instead of an electrical discharge. [project thumbnail]( [This Kite Is Really a Flying Wind Turbine]( Have you ever watched your kite take off, tether furiously unspooling, and wonder -- could that energy be harvested? Yes, yes it could be. Mostly all you have to do is attach the spool to a generator, and the figure-eighting kite does the rest. Hack Chat LIVE CHAT WITH LEADING EXPERTS EVERY WEDNESDAY [Today: DIY Picosatellites Hack Chat]( Nathaniel Evry will host [this week's Hack Chat](. Satellites used to be the stuff only a nation could dream of launching, but that's no longer the case. The advent of the CubeSat format and the increased tempo of launches, both national and commercial, has pushed the barriers to private, low-budget launches way, way down. But how do you build hardware that's ready for the rigors of spaceflight? Nathaniel Every works for Quub, a space startup that does just that, and he'll stop by the Hack Chat to share what he knows about getting hardware upstairs. [Next Week: Desktop EDM Hack Chat]( Cooper Zurad will host [next week's Hack Chat](. Additive manufacturing is very much in the zeitgeist these days, but that doesn't mean making chips isn't still a thing. And with electrical discharge machining, those chips can be really, really small. Getting into EDM can be tricky for the home-gamer, though. To help us make the leap to all that EDM has to offer, join us on the Hack Chat when Cooper Zurad from Rack Robotics stops by. He's been working on small-scale EDM systems for a while now, and wants to spread the news about what he's learned. Featured Projects POPULAR BITS [Moss Microbial Fuel Cell Harvests Energy Using Microorganisms]( [Solar-Hydro Generates Steam to Drive Hydroelectric Generator]( [DIY Solar Lamp Lights Up the Night, Reduces Marine Litter]( [Solar-Powered Air Quality Station Measures Most Everything]( Live Events MEETUPS, CONFERENCES AND WORKSHOPS [VCF Southwest - June 23-25]( VCF Southwest is back in Texas after a 10-year hiatus. Come and listen to many speakers and streamers, the latter of which will be moderated by our own Bil Herd. Be sure to stick around for the auction and, of course, all the awesome stuff for sale by the exhibitors. [Midwest RepRap Fest - June 23-25]( Probably the biggest, baddest thing to happen to Goshen, Indiana, the Midwest RepRap Festival is now in it's 11th year (!). Yes, it's still at the county fairgrounds, but they have a bigger building now. Even though they expect 1800 visitors this year, entrance is still free for general attendees. [VCF Southeast - July 28-30]( VCF Southeast takes place in Atlanta, GA this year, and although the speaker list is currently a work in progress, you can just bet that dozens and dozens of vintage computing enthusiasts are gathering up all the cool stuff they're going to show and/or have for sale. [DEFCON 31 - Aug. 10-13]( What is likely the world's most well-known infosec conference is back in-person this year in sunny Las Vegas. While this year's badge has yet to be revealed, do know that there is a SAO slot for customization, so don't forget your soldering iron. [East Coast RepRap Fest - Sept 30 - Oct 1]( Billed as 17,000 square feet of fun, the best part of the East Coast RepRap Festival sounds like the 3D Printed Derby. Yeah, as in, a Pinewood Derby but with 3D-printed cars. Get your tickets today! 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