Hacking Through the Holidays

What build is going to get you through the night? [3602421454791242043.png] Wednesday, December 20, 2023 [Ficus: A Homebrew Computer with Modern MCUs »]( Happy Hacky Holidays! The solstice is upon us, and whether it's the shortest or the longest day for you, the time is right for hacking. So hunker down, escape the weather, and build something new. 'Tis the season for blinkenlights, and we have a nice set of those for you this edition. Sure, you've had side projects. But have your side projects ever spawned side projects? That's the story behind [Marsupilami]'s micro coil winder, which is featured below. Don't forget, today is [the Superconference Badge Hack Chat]( Quickly churning out 500 of something that doesn't exist is no easy feat. Join Hackaday Editor-in-Chief Elliot Williams and prolific maker Voja Antonic as they tell all about the trials and tribulations of making the badge happen once again. Without further ado, here are the most happenin' IO hacks of the past week. Highlights from the IO POPULAR BITS [project thumbnail]( [Shift Register Menorah Lights Up the Night]( Between the eight values of a shift register and the eight candles of the menorah, the two go together like peanut butter and chocolate. There's even time built in to say the appropriate prayers as the candles are lit. Learn all about both shift registers and the menorah in this highly entertaining read. [project thumbnail]( [Robotic Rose Drops Petals On Command]( In order to add some magic to a production of Beauty and the Beast, [Gord Payne] created a robotic rose of enchantment. To drop the petals, a length of trimmer line running through the rose is retracted a little bit at a time. [project thumbnail]( [ZeroWriter Is the Build for Beginners]( It doesn't get much easier than a Pi Zero 2W, a 40% keyboard, and a 4.2" E-ink screen in a 3D-printed case. This sleek little paperless typewriter is a beginner-friendly way to avoid over-paying for similar devices like the ironically-named Freewriter. Hack Chat LIVE CHAT WITH LEADING EXPERTS EVERY WEDNESDAY [Today: Superconference Badge Hack Chat]( Elliot Williams and Voja Antonic will host [this week's Hack Chat]( the last of the year. It's hard to say that the badge is the best part of a conference, but we've got it on pretty good authority that a lot of people come to Supercon primarily to see what the badge is like. But what's the backstory on the badge? What does it take to think up something new and fresh, get it built, and build the firmware for it, all within a narrow window of time? This one took a lot of effort from a lot of folks, including Elliot and Voja, who'll pop into the Hack Chat to spill the beans on the real meaning of badge life. Featured Projects POPULAR BITS [Fully-Working ZX Spectrum Laptop Is a Middle-Aged Nerd's Dream]( [EPSP Floppy Drive Emulator Is Four Disks in One]( [Micro Coil Winder Is the Side Project of a Side Project]( [InkyCal's Python-Generated Images Look Great On E-Paper]( Live Events MEETUPS, CONFERENCES AND WORKSHOPS [VCF SoCal - February 17-18]( The Vintage Computer Festival comes to Southern California! The call is still open for exhibitors, vendors, and speakers, so get your applications in while you still can. [Trenton Computer Festival - March 16]( The longest-running computer festival in the world will return for its 48th year in 2024. We don't have a schedule this far out, but expect a full-day of talks and workshops, with a streaming component for those who can't make the trip to The College of New Jersey (TCNJ) in person. [VCF East - April 5-7]( While we don't have much information yet, the The Vintage Computer Festival East is an absolute must-see event for anyone with a love of vintage hardware. [Los Angeles Maker Faire - April 6]( The Los Angeles Maker Faire is back at the Los Angeles State Historic Park. Mark your calendars and fire up your soldering irons now. Don't you want to have something to show off? [OSHWA 2024 - May 3-4]( This year's summit will be held in Montreal, Quebec, both remotely and in person. The speakers include leaders from industry, academia, the arts, and the maker community. Talks cover a wide range of subjects from electronics and mechanics to related fields such as digital fabrication, fashion technology, self-quantification devices, and IP law. [twitter]( [facebook]( [instagram]( [Terms of Use]( [Privacy Policy]( [Hackaday.io]( [Hackaday.com]( This email was sent to {EMAIL} [why did I get this?]( [unsubscribe from this list]( [update subscription preferences]( Hackaday · 61 South Fair Oaks Avenue · Suite 200 · Pasadena, CA 91105 · USA