Subject
15 entries
Maker
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7-Colour E-Ink Display for Raspberry Pi (Inky Impression 5.7")
Tutorial for the Pimoroni Inky Impression 5.7" — a 7-color e-ink display HAT for Raspberry Pi. Covers setup, driving the display with Python, and displaying images. E-ink's low power draw and paper-like quality make it attractive for ambient information displays.
Inkplate 6PLUS: E-ink Display Development Board
Inkplate 6PLUS is an ESP32-powered e-ink display board designed for maker projects — a 6-inch 1024x758 touchscreen e-paper display with WiFi, built-in battery management, and an Arduino/MicroPython SDK. One of the easiest ways to build custom e-ink devices.
How to Convert a Computer ATX Power Supply to a Lab Power Supply
WikiHow guide for converting a surplus ATX PC power supply into a benchtop lab power supply — a classic maker hack that gives you multiple regulated DC voltages (3.3V, 5V, 12V) for cheap. Saves $30–$100 over a commercial lab supply and repurposes e-waste.
Raspberry Pi Setup Scripts
A GitHub Gist with setup scripts for the Raspberry Pi, including the essential dd command for writing a Raspbian image to an SD card. A practical reference from 2012 when the Pi was new and setup guides were scarce.
A Primer on Cheap Software Defined Radios
Yuval Adam's 2012 primer on cheap software-defined radios using the RTL-SDR USB dongle — a $20 TV tuner repurposed as a 24MHz–1766MHz radio receiver. Triggered an explosion of hobbyist RF experimentation that continues today.
Lemnos: A Silicon Valley Incubator for Hardware
Businessweek's 2012 profile of Lemnos Labs, one of Silicon Valley's first hardware-focused startup incubators. Captured the beginning of the hardware startup renaissance, fueled by Kickstarter, cheaper manufacturing, and the maker movement.
Gesticulate — Gesture Interface
Gesticulate was a 2012 gesture-recognition interface project — likely an early prototype using webcam or depth sensor (Kinect era) input for gestural control. Part of the wave of natural user interface experimentation following Microsoft Kinect's 2010 success.
DIY Home Automation Using Twilio, PowerSwitch, Arduino, and Pusher
A 2012 Twilio blog post showing how to build DIY home automation using Twilio for SMS control, an Arduino with PowerSwitch Tail relay for electrical switching, and Pusher for real-time status updates. An early blueprint for the hacker home automation pattern.
Tindie: Etsy for Electronics
Tindie launched as a marketplace for independent hardware makers to sell their electronics projects — an Etsy for electronics. It filled the gap between hobbyist makers who built interesting boards and the audience willing to buy them.
Work, Life, and Side Projects
Smashing Magazine piece on maintaining side projects alongside full-time work — why they matter for motivation and growth, and how to protect the time and mental energy they require. Written at the beginning of the indie hacker/maker cultural wave that peaked around 2015-2018.
Hack Your Housing: Berkeley Freshman's Ridiculously Automated Dorm Room
TechCrunch profile of a UC Berkeley freshman who wired his dorm room with sensors and scripts — including an 'Emergency Party' button — as an early consumer IoT project. A 2012 maker-culture story about students treating their environment as a hackable system.
Magnetic Core Memory Reborn as an Arduino Shield
The Core Memory Shield brought 1950s magnetic core memory technology back as an Arduino accessory — a working piece of computing history you could wire up to modern microcontrollers. More art project than practical tool, but a beautiful one.
DIY PID Controlled Sous Vide Using a Crockpot
A DIY build of a PID-controlled sous vide cooker using a crockpot, a triac, and zero-cross detection — the kind of over-engineered kitchen hack that defined the early 2010s maker movement. A document of when software engineers started applying control theory to cooking.
Turntable Rider: Half Bicycle, Half DJ Controller
Wired's coverage of the Turntable Rider — a bicycle handlebars design that doubles as a DJ controller, with the rider's body movements controlling pitch and cross-fading. An example of the 2012 intersection of maker culture, physical computing, and music hardware.
Teensy USB Development Board
The Teensy USB development board by PJRC — a compact Arduino-compatible microcontroller with native USB. Bookmarked while seeking cheaper Arduino alternatives, it represents the early 2010s maker movement's economics problem: capable hardware at accessible price points.