Hacky New Year! 🎉

What are your hacker resolutions this year? [3602421454791242043.png] Wednesday, January 3, 2024 [Hybrid Piano Feels Real and Has MIDI �]( A Chance to Start Anew It's finally here -- a brand-new year, month, and as I write this, a new week. This is the freshest of fresh starts, a time to cleanse ourselves of bad habits and go forth attempting to be better people and so on. But before we go barreling into 2024, we ought to take a look back at 2023. [Be sure to read Tom Nardi's excellent coverage of all that went down in the hardware world.]( As with any hobby, the fine line between enjoying yourself and going crazy all comes down to organization. You can [go commercial]( or [cook up an interesting DIY solution](. A little organization goes a long way, you might be pleased to find. There is such a thing as over-cataloguing, especially if you're prone to the out-of-sight-out-of-mind dilemma. It's also a great time to finish old projects you have lying around. Either that, or admit defeat, take the blasted things apart, and use the innards to build shiny new projects. If you need some inspiration, check out the coolest projects of late over on IO. Highlights from the IO POPULAR BITS [project thumbnail]( [A Mesmerizing Dual-Spiral Marble Clock]( This minimalist marble clock uses just two ball bearings, one for the hour and one for the minutes in a dual spiral configuration. The balls climb slowly ever higher to the top, coupled by magnets with an indicator on a rod. Then the slider falls and the ball rolls down to start the process over again. [project thumbnail]( [Pixo Is a Dazzling Display For Your Desk]( With over 160 WS2812 LEDs, this thing is sure to spark up a conversation or two around the office as it displays rainbow patterns on your desk. The 3D-printed diffusion panel nicely negates any would-be questions regarding retinal safety. [project thumbnail]( [My Dang Camera: An Open Shell for Hacking]( [Trevor Flowers] wants a left-handed vlogging camera that's really, really open, so they're working on a Raspberry Pi-based solution that we're watching with great interest. Right now it's 3D-printed, though a more robustly-boned version with metal rods is in the works. Hack Chat LIVE CHAT WITH LEADING EXPERTS EVERY WEDNESDAY You Should Host a Hack Chat! If you've been thinking about hosting a Hack Chat, here's your chance. Do you work in an interesting field that people would love to hear about? Do you have a cool project you're working on? Or maybe there's just something you'd like to discuss? Then host a Hack Chat! Check out [our FAQ]( for all the details. And if there's someone you're just dying to see on the Hack Chat, let us know and we'll try to make it happen. [Send us your ideas](mailto:tips@hackaday.com?subject=Hack Chat Tip) and we'll see what we can do. Featured Projects POPULAR BITS [Low-Profile PCBite Makes Them Sit At Just the Right Height]( [68020 Homebrew Computer Is Designed For Simplicity]( [CT6 Is a Single Device That Monitors Many for a Solar System]( [ESP8266 Geiger Counter Ticks All The Radioactive Boxen]( 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