Hackaday Podcast

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Ep 390: DOOM, Cranium Stuff, and Odd OpenSCAD Opportunities Oct 09, 2026

Show notes

This week, Elliot Williams and Kristina Panos met a few minutes later than usual, and somehow defeated a buzz together with the power of will before settling into the news, rifling through the Mailbag, and otherwise creating the attached podcast.

So, the news. Amazon, in their infinite wisdom, have chosen to not only remove Alexa's aux port on future models, but also disable the input on extant ones. Is this really bad news? Maybe just because it seems like taking a choice away for the sake of exerting power over the people.

Anyway. In Hackaday news, the Retrocomputing Contest is currently on fire, and runs through 10AM PDT on Tuesday, October 27th. That means you have about 2.5 weeks left.

Supercon Ten ticket sales are similarly aflame, and per Elliot, it's about time to release the next round of speakers. So, watch for that.

After digging deep in the Mailbag and eventually just dumping the thing out on the table, we found our brand new Hackaday Podcast Mailbag Audio Bumper! This jingle comes courtesy of [Dakota Winslow], who also advises that there are Easter eggs to be found.

Then, it was on to the hacks, including Elliot's record-tying number of Quick Hacks, and plenty of in-linkage.

Check out the links below if you want to follow along, and as always, tell us what you think about this episode in the comments!

Hackaday Podcast Ep 389: Spinning Lightfield Displays and Jenny Visits a Blast Furnace Oct 02, 2026

Show notes

Another all-European podcast for you this week, as Elliot Williams is joined by Jenny List for an evening looking at the past week in Hackaday. And this week there is a particularly good selection to look at.

A while back we showed you a project that put synthetic aperture radar on a drone, generating extremely detailed imaging of the terrain beneath it. This week we had an update, in which an ingenious positioning accuracy fix gave it an astonishing increase in resolution. On top of that project we have 3D lightfield image display with the unexpected help of a Nipkow mechanical TV scanning drum. Geting your own microprocessor manufactured, DOOM in a database server, and a comprehensive array of unusual sensors in a tricorder project complete the picture.

Finally we have a couple of space stories and Jenny describing the preserved industrial delights of the Ruhr valley in Germany. You'll want to go there, but first you'll want to listen to the podcast.

Ep 388: RAM-Swapping on Raspberry Pi, Raindrops on Radar, and a Fine Mesh Sep 25, 2026

Show notes

This week, Hackaday Editors Elliot Williams and Al Williams had a lot to talk about. From advice for a young hacker to using a laser to break into a microcontroller, there was plenty to cover from the week in Hackaday.

From the "Point/Counter Point" department, there were dueling posts about how big a deal it is for Raspberry Pi to lock out RAM chip swapping. Ever want to do interactive debugging in MicroPython? For intellectual exercise, there's the physics of raindrops becoming a radar antenna. If you are a history buff, there was even news about World War I codebreaking.

For the can't-miss articles, the big news was the issues with LoRa mesh communities possibly clashing with the FCC rules and how to make your computer take dictation.

Check out the links if you want to follow along, and as always, tell us what you think about this episode in the comments!

Ep 387: Superhuman Clocks, CAN in USB-C, and the Joys of Bare Metal Sep 18, 2026

Show notes

This week, Hackaday Editors Elliot Williams and Tom Nardi start the episode off by discussing the latest CircuitPython developments before covering some impressive reverse engineering efforts, the benefits of modeling your projects in 3D, and some of the most incredible timepieces that have ever graced the pages of Hackaday.

You'll also hear about the fascinating potential of combing 3D and UV printing, Linux on the ESP32, and a virtual TV station that pulls from the Internet Archive. The episode wraps up with a Hackaday Europe double-feature: one talk extols the virtues of keeping things simple through bare metal development, while the other covers off-world hacks and fixes that will make you want to sign up for Space Camp.

Check out the links if you want to follow along, and as always, tell us what you think about this episode in the comments!

Ep 386: Doomscroll Tamagotchis, Clavichords, and Vibrotrucks Sep 11, 2026

Show notes

In this specially-numbered podcast episode that lines up quite nicely with our Retrocomputing Challenge, Elliot Williams and Kristina Panos met over surprisingly low-latency and loud beverages to bring you the best of the previous week's hacks.

But first, the news. German company Isar Aerospace can now claim that they've launched the first spacecraft into orbit from Europe. Be sure to check out the in-link, where we reported on the building of the spaceport.

In Hackaday news, the aforementioned Retrocomputing Contest had 64 entries at last check, which is just perfect for Episode 386. Will yours be the 65th?

Supercon Ten tickets are selling out, and per Elliot, the talks have been chosen, pending approval by each submitter. Keep an eye on the blog for the official announcement!

After reviewing the news, Elliot reached into the ol' Mailbag and found two missives, including another from [Vik Olliver] regarding the printing of LEGO. The other is from [Mendel Munkis], who has been enjoying Wikipedia offline since 2018, thanks to a 32-bit ARM9 processor. Then, it was on to the hacks.

Check out the links below if you want to follow along, and as always, tell us what you think about this episode in the comments!

Ep 385: 3D Printers with Lasers, Wicked RAM Prices, and Reverse Polish Notation Sep 04, 2026

Show notes

As the calendar turns a leaf into September, Elliot Williams is joined by Jenny List for our weekly look at all things Hackaday.

In the news, our retrocomputing competition is well under way, but there's plenty of time to get an entry in if you've got a cool old-style project to show us. And then Elliot's been chasing seismic surveyors in Munich, where they're looking for geothermal energy.

In the stand-out hacks there's a discussion of smoothing 3D prints using frickin' lasers, the effect of unreasonably high RAM and storage prices on the single board computer ecosystem, and an unfortunate air conditioning system that's tricked into believing it's a hot day. Finally, we look in depth at PETG, and take a dive into reverse Polish notation.

Check out the links over on Hackaday.

Ep 384: OCR MOD Records, Magical PCBs, and the Gravity of Space Stations Aug 28, 2026

Show notes

What did Hackaday editors Elliot Williams and Al Williams read in Hackaday last week? Probably everything, but you can tune in and hear about their favorites on this week's podcast. They heard from lots of listeners this week, and also saw DIY projects running from a 3D-printed Stirling engine, to clogs, to LEDs.

There are some over-the-top hacks like a refit for a decades-old watch to do tap-to-pay and a -- for lack of a better word -- a record player that optically reads MOD files. Want to emulate an iPod? Talk to Eliza? Print a hand-operated rail car? Hackaday is the place to read about it all.

The can't miss articles included a talk from Hackaday Europe about making magical PCBs and a not-so-brief history of space stations starting in the 1800s.

Check out the links if you want to follow along, and as always, tell us what you think about this episode in the comments!

Ep 383: QR Codes, Caving Gear, and the Old School Way to Learn Electronics Aug 21, 2026

Show notes

In this week's episode, Hackaday Editors Elliot Williams and Tom Nardi start things off by getting excited about the recently announced 2026 Retrocomputing Challenge. From there the conversation will cover efforts to improve desktop 3D printing with lasers, an expensive grill with an ESP32 controller and an open source firmware, open source tools underground, and some impressive techniques to squeeze a bit more utility out of the common QR code.

You'll also hear about turning PVC pipes into flat stock, old school Radio Shack electronic kits, and VR soldering demos. Stick around to the end of the episode learn about the latest developments in over-the-counter hearing aids and the 1-bit CPU that's enjoying an unexpected fandom nearly 50 years after its release.

Check out the links if you want to follow along, and as always, tell us what you think about this episode in the comments!

Ep 382: Glueballs, Borg Cubes, and Supersonic Trebuchets Aug 14, 2026

Show notes

It's still hot on both sides of the Atlantic, but Kristina has a new secret weapon for staying cool without making noise. Will Elliot and the others follow suit? Time will tell.

In Hackaday news, well, there's a lot of it. For starters, Supercon Ten tickets went on sale Thursday morning, but chances are good that by the time you read this, the early bird offering will be all pecked out. But, never fear! More tickets will be released soon enough.

Don't want to buy a ticket, but still want to go? Submit a talk proposal that gets accepted, and you'll be welcomed in free of charge. Lucky for you, we just extended the deadline by two weeks to August 26th.

After exhausting the news, Elliot reached into the ol' Mailbag and found a funny anecdote from [Vik Olliver]. (Funny in that it'll make you go 'hmm'.) A brief discussion about imperial vs. metric ensued, but then it was on to the hacks.

Check out the links on Hackaday if you want to follow along, and as always, tell us what you think about this episode in the comments!

Ep 381: Airless Tires, Full-color Prints, and 28 MW of LEDs Aug 09, 2026

Show notes

This week's Hackaday podcast is a European affair again, as Elliot Williams is joined by Jenny List on a summer evening to review the week. And we have a feast of hacks for your delectation.

As the title above says, one of the stand-out hacks this week was a set of airless mountain bike tyres 3D printed in glorious fluorescent TPU. They look as though they shouldn't work but in fact they showed real promise, and we discuss the process behind their design. Then we take a look at a hybrid of a UV printer and an SLA 3D printer, capable of making high-resolution and robust 3D prints. The prospect of new Amigas intrigues us for a while, then carbon-fibre fabric in 3D prints.

Finally we're in awe of the tech behind the Las Vegas Sphere, and we're there for some radio at the Danish BornHack hacker camp. Follow that one up and you'll find a bonus, an unofficial extra Hackaday podcast.

All the usual links are on Hackaday, but before you head on down to have a listen, don't forget we've got a mailbag for the podcast and we'd love to hear from you!

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