Tux Machines
Posted by Roy Schestowitz on Jul 28, 2023
=> OpenSUSE and Ubuntu Blogs | Programming Leftovers
=> ↺ New backscatter technology promises cost-effective reliability
Backscatter communication works by reflecting a signal emitted by the receiver. But in order for that reflected signal to carry information, the reflector (the backscatter “tag”) needs to be able to introduce some form of modulation. That might information might be as simple as a static identifier, but it can be dynamic as well. A self-driving car could, for example, read backscatter tags on road signs with information as simple as a speed limit or something more complex like the state of a traffic light.
=> ↺ SnapBeat is a DIY lo-fi sampler that anyone can learn to use
SnapBeat was designed by Hiro Akihabara to be as simple as possible to use. It is therefore fairly limited in capability. But SnapBeat still provides enough functionality to be useful and fun. It is a bit like an advanced Talkboy (the fictional Home Alone 2 device that became a real toy), because it lets users record short clips and then play them back. It can record and store eight different clips at any given time through a line-in jack or the built-in microphone, then can play those back when the user pushes the corresponding key. A sound edit mode allows the user to cut and trim recorded clips. A metronome and “rhythm edit mode” help to make playback more musical.
=> ↺ Time Card mini adds Pi, GPS, and OCXO to your PC
This build centers around the Time Card mini. Typically you'd install this PCI Express card inside another computer, but in my case, I just wanted to power the board in a semi-portable way, and so I plugged it into a CM4 IO Board.
The Time Card mini is a PCIe-based carrier board for the Raspberry Pi Compute Module 4, and by itself, it allows you to install a CM4 into a PC, and access the CM4's serial console via PCIe.
=> ↺ The four elements of our focus on impact
Like all our values, our focus on impact infuses all our work. There are four ways we put this value into practice in pursuit of our mission.
=> ↺ Turning a 15 years old laptop into a children proof retrogaming station
This article explains a setup I made for our family vacation place, I wanted to turn an old laptop (a Dell Vostro 1500 from 2008) into a retrogaming station. That's actually easy to do, but I wanted to make it "childproof" so it will always work even if we let children alone with the laptop for a moment, that part was way harder.
This is not a tutorial explaining everything from A to Z, but mostly what worked / didn't work from my experimentation.
Two weeks ago, we saw the introduction of Open Sauce, a two-day celebration of Makers and Creators at San Francisco’s Pier 35. This inaugural event promises to be the first of many, as its success already has people asking about tickets for next year’s event.
=> ↺ ESP32 Freezer Alarm Keeps Tabs On Tricky Door
Leaving your freezer door open accidentally is a great way to make a huge mess in the kitchen. [Guy Dupont] had a freezer that would regularly fail to close properly, and was sick of the regular meltdown events. Thus, he whipped up a very digital solution.
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