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<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?><rss version="2.0" xmlns:content="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/" xmlns:wfw="http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/" xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/" xmlns:atom="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom" xmlns:sy="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/syndication/" xmlns:slash="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/" xmlns:media="http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/" > <channel> <title>Blog – Hackaday</title> <atom:link href="https://hackaday.com/blog/feed/" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml" /> <link>https://hackaday.com</link> <description>Fresh hacks every day</description> <lastBuildDate>Fri, 11 Jul 2025 17:35:49 +0000</lastBuildDate> <language>en-US</language> <sy:updatePeriod> hourly </sy:updatePeriod> <sy:updateFrequency> 1 </sy:updateFrequency> <generator>https://wordpress.org/?v=6.8.1</generator><site xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">156670177</site> <item> <title>Measuring the Impact of LLMs on Experienced Developer Productivity</title> <link>https://hackaday.com/2025/07/11/measuring-the-impact-of-llms-on-experienced-developer-productivity/</link> <comments>https://hackaday.com/2025/07/11/measuring-the-impact-of-llms-on-experienced-developer-productivity/#comments</comments> <dc:creator><![CDATA[Maya Posch]]></dc:creator> <pubDate>Sat, 12 Jul 2025 02:00:10 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[Artificial Intelligence]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Software Development]]></category> <category><![CDATA[artificial intelligence]]></category> <category><![CDATA[large language models]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">https://hackaday.com/?p=791491</guid> <description><![CDATA[<div><img width="800" height="481" src="https://hackaday.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/metr_llm_forecasted-vs-observed.png?w=800" class="attachment-large size-large wp-post-image" alt="" style="margin: 0 auto; margin-bottom: 15px;" decoding="async" fetchpriority="high" srcset="https://hackaday.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/metr_llm_forecasted-vs-observed.png 2562w, https://hackaday.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/metr_llm_forecasted-vs-observed.png?resize=250,150 250w, https://hackaday.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/metr_llm_forecasted-vs-observed.png?resize=400,240 400w, https://hackaday.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/metr_llm_forecasted-vs-observed.png?resize=800,481 800w, https://hackaday.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/metr_llm_forecasted-vs-observed.png?resize=1536,923 1536w, https://hackaday.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/metr_llm_forecasted-vs-observed.png?resize=2048,1231 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" data-attachment-id="791496" data-permalink="https://hackaday.com/2025/07/11/measuring-the-impact-of-llms-on-experienced-developer-productivity/metr_llm_forecasted-vs-observed/" data-orig-file="https://hackaday.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/metr_llm_forecasted-vs-observed.png" data-orig-size="2562,1540" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="metr_llm_forecasted-vs-observed" data-image-description="<p>https://metr.org/blog/2025-07-10-early-2025-ai-experienced-os-dev-study/</p>" data-image-caption="" data-medium-file="https://hackaday.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/metr_llm_forecasted-vs-observed.png?w=400" data-large-file="https://hackaday.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/metr_llm_forecasted-vs-observed.png?w=800" /></div>Recently AI risk and benefit evaluation company METR ran a randomized control test (RCT) on a gaggle of experienced open source developers to gain objective data on how the use <a href="https://hackaday.com/2025/07/11/measuring-the-impact-of-llms-on-experienced-developer-productivity/" class="read-more">…read more</a>]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<div><img width="800" height="481" src="https://hackaday.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/metr_llm_forecasted-vs-observed.png?w=800" class="attachment-large size-large wp-post-image" alt="" style="margin: 0 auto; margin-bottom: 15px;" decoding="async" srcset="https://hackaday.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/metr_llm_forecasted-vs-observed.png 2562w, https://hackaday.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/metr_llm_forecasted-vs-observed.png?resize=250,150 250w, https://hackaday.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/metr_llm_forecasted-vs-observed.png?resize=400,240 400w, https://hackaday.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/metr_llm_forecasted-vs-observed.png?resize=800,481 800w, https://hackaday.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/metr_llm_forecasted-vs-observed.png?resize=1536,923 1536w, https://hackaday.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/metr_llm_forecasted-vs-observed.png?resize=2048,1231 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" data-attachment-id="791496" data-permalink="https://hackaday.com/2025/07/11/measuring-the-impact-of-llms-on-experienced-developer-productivity/metr_llm_forecasted-vs-observed/" data-orig-file="https://hackaday.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/metr_llm_forecasted-vs-observed.png" data-orig-size="2562,1540" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="metr_llm_forecasted-vs-observed" data-image-description="<p>https://metr.org/blog/2025-07-10-early-2025-ai-experienced-os-dev-study/</p>" data-image-caption="" data-medium-file="https://hackaday.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/metr_llm_forecasted-vs-observed.png?w=400" data-large-file="https://hackaday.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/metr_llm_forecasted-vs-observed.png?w=800" /></div><p>Recently AI risk and benefit evaluation company METR ran a randomized control test (RCT) on a gaggle of experienced open source developers to gain objective data on how the use of LLMs affects their productivity. Their findings were that using LLM-based tools like Cursor Pro with Claude 3.5/3.7 Sonnet <a href="https://metr.org/blog/2025-07-10-early-2025-ai-experienced-os-dev-study/" target="_blank">reduced productivity by about 19%</a>, with the full study by <a href="https://metr.org/Early_2025_AI_Experienced_OS_Devs_Study.pdf" target="_blank">[Joel Becker] et al. available</a> as PDF.</p><p>This study was also intended to establish a methodology to assess the impact from introducing LLM-based tools in software development. In the RCT, 16 experienced open source software developers were given 246 tasks, after which their effective performance was evaluated.</p><p>A large focus of the methodology was on creating realistic scenarios instead of using canned benchmarks. This included adding features to code, bug fixes and refactoring, much as they would do in the work on their respective open source projects. The observed increase in the time it took to complete tasks with the LLM’s assistance was found to be likely due to a range of factors, including over-optimism about the LLM tool capabilities, LLMs interfering with existing knowledge on the codebase, poor LLM performance on large codebases, low reliability of the generated code and the LLM doing very poorly on using tactic knowledge and context.</p><p>Although METR suggests that this poor showing may improve over time, it seems fair to argue whether LLM coding tools are at all a <a href="https://hackaday.com/2025/07/04/why-github-copilot-isnt-your-coding-partner/">useful coding partner</a>.</p>]]></content:encoded> <wfw:commentRss>https://hackaday.com/2025/07/11/measuring-the-impact-of-llms-on-experienced-developer-productivity/feed/</wfw:commentRss> <slash:comments>3</slash:comments> <post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">791491</post-id> <media:thumbnail url="https://hackaday.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/metr_llm_forecasted-vs-observed.png" /> <media:content url="https://hackaday.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/metr_llm_forecasted-vs-observed.png" medium="image"> <media:title type="html">metr_llm_forecasted-vs-observed</media:title> </media:content> </item> <item> <title>DIY X-Rays Made Easy</title> <link>https://hackaday.com/2025/07/11/diy-x-rays-made-easy/</link> <comments>https://hackaday.com/2025/07/11/diy-x-rays-made-easy/#comments</comments> <dc:creator><![CDATA[Al Williams]]></dc:creator> <pubDate>Fri, 11 Jul 2025 23:00:48 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[Science]]></category> <category><![CDATA[x-ray]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">https://hackaday.com/?p=791506</guid> <description><![CDATA[<div><img width="800" height="318" src="https://hackaday.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/xr.png?w=800" class="attachment-large size-large wp-post-image" alt="" style="margin: 0 auto; margin-bottom: 15px;" decoding="async" srcset="https://hackaday.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/xr.png 800w, https://hackaday.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/xr.png?resize=250,99 250w, https://hackaday.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/xr.png?resize=400,159 400w" sizes="(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" data-attachment-id="791564" data-permalink="https://hackaday.com/2025/07/11/diy-x-rays-made-easy/xr/" data-orig-file="https://hackaday.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/xr.png" data-orig-size="800,318" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="xr" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="" data-medium-file="https://hackaday.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/xr.png?w=400" data-large-file="https://hackaday.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/xr.png?w=800" /></div>Who doesn’t want an X-ray machine? But you need a special tube and super high voltage, right? [Project 326] says no, and produces a USB-powered device that uses a tube <a href="https://hackaday.com/2025/07/11/diy-x-rays-made-easy/" class="read-more">…read more</a>]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<div><img width="800" height="318" src="https://hackaday.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/xr.png?w=800" class="attachment-large size-large wp-post-image" alt="" style="margin: 0 auto; margin-bottom: 15px;" decoding="async" loading="lazy" srcset="https://hackaday.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/xr.png 800w, https://hackaday.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/xr.png?resize=250,99 250w, https://hackaday.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/xr.png?resize=400,159 400w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" data-attachment-id="791564" data-permalink="https://hackaday.com/2025/07/11/diy-x-rays-made-easy/xr/" data-orig-file="https://hackaday.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/xr.png" data-orig-size="800,318" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="xr" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="" data-medium-file="https://hackaday.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/xr.png?w=400" data-large-file="https://hackaday.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/xr.png?w=800" /></div><p>Who doesn’t want an X-ray machine? But you need a special tube and super high voltage, right? [Project 326] says no, and produces <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jLOBMBN8A4A" target="_blank">a USB-powered device</a> that uses a tube you can pick up two for a dollar. You might guess the machine doesn’t generate X-rays with a lot of energy, and you’d be right. But you can make up for it with long exposure times. Check out the video below, with host [Posh Arthur].</p><p>The video admits there are limitations, of course. We were somewhat sad that [Project 326] elected not to share the exact parts list and 3D printed files because in the unlikely event someone managed to hurt themselves with it, there could be a hysterical reaction. We agreed, though, that if you are smart enough to handle this, you’ll be smart enough to figure out how to duplicate it — it doesn’t look that hard, and there are plenty of not-so-subtle clues in the video.</p><p><span id="more-791506"></span></p><p>The video points out that you can buy used X-ray tube for about $100, but then you need a 70kV power supply. A 1Z11 tube diode has the same basic internal structure, but isn’t optimized for the purpose. But it does emit X-rays as a natural byproduct of its operation, especially with filament voltage.</p><p>The high voltage supply needs to supply at least 1mA at about 20 kV. Part of the problem is that with low X-ray emission, you’ll need long exposure times and, thus, a power supply needs to be able to operate for an extended period. We wondered if you could reduce the duty cycle, which might make the exposure time even longer, but should be easier on the power supply.</p><p>The device features a wired remote, allowing for a slight distance between the user and the hot tube. USB power is supplied through a USB-C PD device, which provides a higher voltage. In this case, the project utilizes 20V, which is distributed to two DC-DC converters: one to supply the high-voltage anode and another to drive the filament.</p><p>To get the image, he’s using self-developing X-ray film made for dental use. It is relatively sensitive and inexpensive (about a dollar a shot). There are also some lead blocks to reduce stray X-ray emission. Many commercial machines are completely enclosed and we think you could do that with this one, if you wanted to.</p><p>You need something that will lie flat on the film. How long did it take? A leaf image needed a 50-minute exposure. Some small ICs took 16 hours! Good thing the film is cheap because you have to experiment to get the exposure correct.</p><p>This really makes us want to puzzle out the design and build one, too. If you do, <a href="https://hackaday.com/2024/06/24/the-book-that-could-have-killed-me/">please be careful</a>. This project has a lot to not recommend it: high voltage, X-rays, and lead. If you laugh at danger and want <a href="https://hackaday.com/2025/04/09/you-shouldnt-build-an-x-ray-machine-but-you-could/">a proper machine</a>, you can build one of those, too.</p><p><iframe loading="lazy" title="DIY, USB Powered, Desktop X-Ray Machine ☢" width="800" height="450" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/jLOBMBN8A4A?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe></p>]]></content:encoded> <wfw:commentRss>https://hackaday.com/2025/07/11/diy-x-rays-made-easy/feed/</wfw:commentRss> <slash:comments>8</slash:comments> <post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">791506</post-id> <media:thumbnail url="https://hackaday.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/xr.png" /> <media:content url="https://hackaday.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/xr.png" medium="image"> <media:title type="html">xr</media:title> </media:content> </item> <item> <title>Designing a CPU with only Memory Chips</title> <link>https://hackaday.com/2025/07/11/designing-a-cpu-with-only-memory-chips/</link> <comments>https://hackaday.com/2025/07/11/designing-a-cpu-with-only-memory-chips/#comments</comments> <dc:creator><![CDATA[Aaron Beckendorf]]></dc:creator> <pubDate>Fri, 11 Jul 2025 20:00:27 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[Retrocomputing]]></category> <category><![CDATA[8-bit computers]]></category> <category><![CDATA[8-bit CPU]]></category> <category><![CDATA[cpu]]></category> <category><![CDATA[cpu design]]></category> <category><![CDATA[eeprom]]></category> <category><![CDATA[eprom]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">https://hackaday.com/?p=790776</guid> <description><![CDATA[<div><img width="800" height="450" src="https://hackaday.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/epromint_cpu.png?w=800" class="attachment-large size-large wp-post-image" alt="Four brown perf board circuits are visible in the foreground, each populated with many large DIP integrated circuits. The boards are connected with grey ribbon cable. Behind the boards a vacuum fluorescent display shows the words “DIY CPU.”" style="margin: 0 auto; margin-bottom: 15px;" decoding="async" loading="lazy" srcset="https://hackaday.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/epromint_cpu.png 2251w, https://hackaday.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/epromint_cpu.png?resize=250,141 250w, https://hackaday.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/epromint_cpu.png?resize=400,225 400w, https://hackaday.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/epromint_cpu.png?resize=800,450 800w, https://hackaday.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/epromint_cpu.png?resize=1536,864 1536w, https://hackaday.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/epromint_cpu.png?resize=2048,1152 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" data-attachment-id="791431" data-permalink="https://hackaday.com/2025/07/11/designing-a-cpu-with-only-memory-chips/epromint_cpu/" data-orig-file="https://hackaday.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/epromint_cpu.png" data-orig-size="2251,1266" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="epromint_cpu" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="" data-medium-file="https://hackaday.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/epromint_cpu.png?w=400" data-large-file="https://hackaday.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/epromint_cpu.png?w=800" /></div>Building a simple 8-bit computer is a great way to understand computing fundamentals, but there’s only so much you can learn by building a system around an existing processor. If <a href="https://hackaday.com/2025/07/11/designing-a-cpu-with-only-memory-chips/" class="read-more">…read more</a>]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<div><img width="800" height="450" src="https://hackaday.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/epromint_cpu.png?w=800" class="attachment-large size-large wp-post-image" alt="Four brown perf board circuits are visible in the foreground, each populated with many large DIP integrated circuits. The boards are connected with grey ribbon cable. Behind the boards a vacuum fluorescent display shows the words “DIY CPU.”" style="margin: 0 auto; margin-bottom: 15px;" decoding="async" loading="lazy" srcset="https://hackaday.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/epromint_cpu.png 2251w, https://hackaday.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/epromint_cpu.png?resize=250,141 250w, https://hackaday.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/epromint_cpu.png?resize=400,225 400w, https://hackaday.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/epromint_cpu.png?resize=800,450 800w, https://hackaday.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/epromint_cpu.png?resize=1536,864 1536w, https://hackaday.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/epromint_cpu.png?resize=2048,1152 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" data-attachment-id="791431" data-permalink="https://hackaday.com/2025/07/11/designing-a-cpu-with-only-memory-chips/epromint_cpu/" data-orig-file="https://hackaday.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/epromint_cpu.png" data-orig-size="2251,1266" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="epromint_cpu" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="" data-medium-file="https://hackaday.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/epromint_cpu.png?w=400" data-large-file="https://hackaday.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/epromint_cpu.png?w=800" /></div><p>Building a simple 8-bit computer is a great way to understand computing fundamentals, but there’s only so much you can learn by building a system around an existing processor. If you want to learn more, you’ll have to go further and build the CPU yourself, as [MINT] demonstrated with his <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xBB1nAUvuqU" target="_blank">EPROMINT project</a> (video in Polish, but with English subtitles).</p><p>The CPU began when [MINT] began experimenting with uses for his collection of old memory chips, and quickly realized that they could do quite a bit more than store data. After building a development board for single-chip based programmable logic, he decided to build a full CPU out of (E)EPROMs. The resulting circuit spans four large pieces of perfboard, weighs in at over half a kilogram, and took several weeks of soldering to create.<span id="more-790776"></span></p><p>The star of the system is the ALU, which runs an instruction set inspired by the Z80, but with some optimizations and added features. In particular, it has new operations for multiplication, division, bitstream operations, more advanced bit shifting, and a wide range of mathematical functions, including exponents, roots, and trigonometric functions. [MINT] documented all of this in a nicely-formatted <a href="https://github.com/majsterkowanieinietylko/EPROMINT/blob/main/Documentation/EPROMINT%20User%20Manual.pdf" target="_blank">offline booklet</a>, available under the project’s <a href="https://github.com/majsterkowanieinietylko/EPROMINT/tree/main" target="_blank">GitHub repository</a>. It’s currently only possible to program for the CPU using opcodes or a custom flavor of assembly, but there are plans to write a C compiler for it.</p><p>Even without being able to write in a higher-level language than assembly, [MINT] was able to drive a VFD screen with the EPROMINT, which he used to display some clips from <i>The Matrix</i>. This provided an opportunity to demonstrate basic debugging methods, which involved dumping and analyzing the memory contents after a failed program execution.</p><p>Using memory chips as programmable logic gates is an interesting hack, and we’ve seen Lisp programs written <a href="https://hackaday.com/2023/10/28/using-eproms-and-eeproms-as-programmable-logic-with-lisp/">to make this easier</a>. Of course, this isn’t the first CPU we’ve seen built <a href="https://hackaday.com/2021/12/17/implementing-a-cpu-using-555-timers-and-logic-synthesis/">without any chips</a> intended for logic operations.</p><p><iframe loading="lazy" title="Jak działają procesory? Zbudowałem własny procesor od podstaw!" width="800" height="450" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/xBB1nAUvuqU?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe></p><p>Thanks to [Piotr] for the tip!</p>]]></content:encoded> <wfw:commentRss>https://hackaday.com/2025/07/11/designing-a-cpu-with-only-memory-chips/feed/</wfw:commentRss> <slash:comments>9</slash:comments> <post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">790776</post-id> <media:thumbnail url="https://hackaday.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/epromint_cpu.png" /> <media:content url="https://hackaday.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/epromint_cpu.png" medium="image"> <media:title type="html">epromint_cpu</media:title> </media:content> </item> <item> <title>An Induction Lamp Made on the Same Principle as Ordinary Fluorescent Lamp</title> <link>https://hackaday.com/2025/07/11/an-induction-lamp-made-on-the-same-principle-as-ordinary-fluorescent-lamp/</link> <comments>https://hackaday.com/2025/07/11/an-induction-lamp-made-on-the-same-principle-as-ordinary-fluorescent-lamp/#comments</comments> <dc:creator><![CDATA[John Elliot V]]></dc:creator> <pubDate>Fri, 11 Jul 2025 18:30:54 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[hardware]]></category> <category><![CDATA[fluorescent lamp]]></category> <category><![CDATA[induction lamp]]></category> <category><![CDATA[lighting]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">https://hackaday.com/?p=791430</guid> <description><![CDATA[<div><img width="800" height="450" src="https://hackaday.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/induction-lamp-banner.png?w=800" class="attachment-large size-large wp-post-image" alt="Presenter holds an induction lamp bulb" style="margin: 0 auto; margin-bottom: 15px;" decoding="async" loading="lazy" srcset="https://hackaday.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/induction-lamp-banner.png 1098w, https://hackaday.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/induction-lamp-banner.png?resize=250,140 250w, https://hackaday.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/induction-lamp-banner.png?resize=400,225 400w, https://hackaday.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/induction-lamp-banner.png?resize=800,450 800w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" data-attachment-id="791435" data-permalink="https://hackaday.com/2025/07/11/an-induction-lamp-made-on-the-same-principle-as-ordinary-fluorescent-lamp/induction-lamp-banner/" data-orig-file="https://hackaday.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/induction-lamp-banner.png" data-orig-size="1098,617" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="induction-lamp-banner" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="" data-medium-file="https://hackaday.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/induction-lamp-banner.png?w=400" data-large-file="https://hackaday.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/induction-lamp-banner.png?w=800" /></div>Over on YouTube, [Technology Connections] has a new video: Induction lamps: fluorescent lighting’s final form. This video is about a wireless fluorescent light which uses induction to transfer power from <a href="https://hackaday.com/2025/07/11/an-induction-lamp-made-on-the-same-principle-as-ordinary-fluorescent-lamp/" class="read-more">…read more</a>]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<div><img width="800" height="450" src="https://hackaday.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/induction-lamp-banner.png?w=800" class="attachment-large size-large wp-post-image" alt="Presenter holds an induction lamp bulb" style="margin: 0 auto; margin-bottom: 15px;" decoding="async" loading="lazy" srcset="https://hackaday.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/induction-lamp-banner.png 1098w, https://hackaday.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/induction-lamp-banner.png?resize=250,140 250w, https://hackaday.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/induction-lamp-banner.png?resize=400,225 400w, https://hackaday.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/induction-lamp-banner.png?resize=800,450 800w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" data-attachment-id="791435" data-permalink="https://hackaday.com/2025/07/11/an-induction-lamp-made-on-the-same-principle-as-ordinary-fluorescent-lamp/induction-lamp-banner/" data-orig-file="https://hackaday.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/induction-lamp-banner.png" data-orig-size="1098,617" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="induction-lamp-banner" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="" data-medium-file="https://hackaday.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/induction-lamp-banner.png?w=400" data-large-file="https://hackaday.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/induction-lamp-banner.png?w=800" /></div><p>Over on YouTube, [Technology Connections] has a new video: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SaKKzZRrPIg" target="_blank">Induction lamps: fluorescent lighting’s final form</a>.</p><p>This video is about a wireless fluorescent light which uses induction to transfer power from the electrical system into the lamp. As this lamp doesn’t require wiring it is not prone to “sputtering” as typical fluorescent lights are, thus improving the working life by an order of magnitude. As explained in the video sputtering is the process where the electrodes in a typical fluorescent lamp lose their material over time until they lose their ability to emit electrons at all.</p><p>This particular lamp has a power rating of 200 W and light output of 16,000 lumens, which is quite good. But the truly remarkable thing about this type of lighting is its service life. As the lamp is simply a phosphor-coated tube filled with argon gas and a pellet of mercury amalgam it has a theoretically unlimited lifespan. Or let’s call it 23 years.</p><p>Given that the service life is so good, why don’t we see induction lamps everywhere? The answer is that the electronics to support them are very expensive, and these days <a href="https://hackaday.com/2014/06/16/from-300w-to-10w-a-led-lighting-solution/">LED lighting</a> has trounced every lighting technology that we’ve ever made in terms of energy efficiency, quality of light, and so on. So induction lamps are obsolete before they ever had their day. Still pretty interesting technology though!</p><p><span id="more-791430"></span></p><p><iframe loading="lazy" title="Induction lamps: fluorescent lighting's final form" width="800" height="450" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/SaKKzZRrPIg?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe></p><p>Thanks to [Keith Olson] for writing in about this one.</p>]]></content:encoded> <wfw:commentRss>https://hackaday.com/2025/07/11/an-induction-lamp-made-on-the-same-principle-as-ordinary-fluorescent-lamp/feed/</wfw:commentRss> <slash:comments>15</slash:comments> <post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">791430</post-id> <media:thumbnail url="https://hackaday.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/induction-lamp-banner.png" /> <media:content url="https://hackaday.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/induction-lamp-banner.png" medium="image"> <media:title type="html">induction-lamp-banner</media:title> </media:content> </item> <item> <title>Dearest C++, Let Me Count the Ways I Love/Hate Thee</title> <link>https://hackaday.com/2025/07/11/dearest-c-let-me-count-the-ways-i-love-hate-thee/</link> <comments>https://hackaday.com/2025/07/11/dearest-c-let-me-count-the-ways-i-love-hate-thee/#comments</comments> <dc:creator><![CDATA[Maya Posch]]></dc:creator> <pubDate>Fri, 11 Jul 2025 17:00:05 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[Featured]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Rants]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Software Development]]></category> <category><![CDATA[c++]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">https://hackaday.com/?p=790373</guid> <description><![CDATA[<div><img width="800" height="484" src="https://hackaday.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/c.jpg?w=800" class="attachment-large size-large wp-post-image" alt="" style="margin: 0 auto; margin-bottom: 15px;" decoding="async" loading="lazy" srcset="https://hackaday.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/c.jpg 3000w, https://hackaday.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/c.jpg?resize=250,151 250w, https://hackaday.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/c.jpg?resize=400,242 400w, https://hackaday.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/c.jpg?resize=800,484 800w, https://hackaday.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/c.jpg?resize=1536,929 1536w, https://hackaday.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/c.jpg?resize=2048,1239 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" data-attachment-id="255944" data-permalink="https://hackaday.com/c-2/" data-orig-file="https://hackaday.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/c.jpg" data-orig-size="3000,1815" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"1"}" data-image-title="C++" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="" data-medium-file="https://hackaday.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/c.jpg?w=400" data-large-file="https://hackaday.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/c.jpg?w=800" /></div>My first encounter with C++ was way back in the 1990s, when it was one of the Real Programming Languages™ that I sometimes heard about as I was still splashing <a href="https://hackaday.com/2025/07/11/dearest-c-let-me-count-the-ways-i-love-hate-thee/" class="read-more">…read more</a>]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<div><img width="800" height="484" src="https://hackaday.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/c.jpg?w=800" class="attachment-large size-large wp-post-image" alt="" style="margin: 0 auto; margin-bottom: 15px;" decoding="async" loading="lazy" srcset="https://hackaday.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/c.jpg 3000w, https://hackaday.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/c.jpg?resize=250,151 250w, https://hackaday.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/c.jpg?resize=400,242 400w, https://hackaday.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/c.jpg?resize=800,484 800w, https://hackaday.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/c.jpg?resize=1536,929 1536w, https://hackaday.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/c.jpg?resize=2048,1239 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" data-attachment-id="255944" data-permalink="https://hackaday.com/c-2/" data-orig-file="https://hackaday.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/c.jpg" data-orig-size="3000,1815" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"1"}" data-image-title="C++" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="" data-medium-file="https://hackaday.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/c.jpg?w=400" data-large-file="https://hackaday.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/c.jpg?w=800" /></div><p>My first encounter with C++ was way back in the 1990s, when it was one of the Real Programming Languages<img src="https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/15.1.0/72x72/2122.png" alt="™" class="wp-smiley" style="height: 1em; max-height: 1em;" /> that I sometimes heard about as I was still splashing about in the kiddie pool with Visual Basic, PHP and JavaScript. The first formally standardized version of C++ is the ISO 1998 standard, but it had been making headways as a ‘better C’ for decades at that point since Bjarne Stroustrup added that increment operator to C in 1979 and released C++ to the public in 1985.</p><p>Why did I pick C++ as my primary programming language? Mainly because it was well supported and with free tooling: a free Borland compiler or g++ on the GCC side. Alternatives like VB, Java, and D felt far too niche compared to established languages, while C++ gave you access to the lingua franca of C while adding many modern features like OOP and a more streamlined syntax in addition to the Standard Template Library (STL) with gobs of useful building blocks.</p><p>Years later, as a grizzled senior C++ developer, I have come to embrace the notion that being good at a programming language also means having strong opinions on all that is wrong with the language. True to form, while C++ has many good points, there are still major warts and many heavily neglected aspects that get me and other C++ developers riled up.</p><p><span id="more-790373"></span></p><h2>Why We Fell In Love</h2><p><figure id="attachment_790376" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-790376" style="width: 300px" class="wp-caption alignright"><a href="https://hackaday.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/the_c_programming_language_book_3rd_front.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" data-attachment-id="790376" data-permalink="https://hackaday.com/2025/07/11/dearest-c-let-me-count-the-ways-i-love-hate-thee/the_c_programming_language_book_3rd_front/" data-orig-file="https://hackaday.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/the_c_programming_language_book_3rd_front.jpg" data-orig-size="300,387" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="the_c++_programming_language_book_3rd_front" data-image-description="<p>https://stroustrup.com/3rd.html</p>" data-image-caption="<p>Cover of the third edition of The C++ Programming Language by Bjarne Stroustrup. </p>" data-medium-file="https://hackaday.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/the_c_programming_language_book_3rd_front.jpg?w=300" data-large-file="https://hackaday.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/the_c_programming_language_book_3rd_front.jpg?w=300" class="size-medium wp-image-790376" src="https://hackaday.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/the_c_programming_language_book_3rd_front.jpg?w=300" alt="Cover of the third edition of The C++ Programming Language by Bjarne Stroustrup. " width="300" height="387" srcset="https://hackaday.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/the_c_programming_language_book_3rd_front.jpg 300w, https://hackaday.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/the_c_programming_language_book_3rd_front.jpg?resize=194,250 194w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" /></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-790376" class="wp-caption-text">Cover of the third edition of The C++ Programming Language by Bjarne Stroustrup.</figcaption></figure></p><p>What frightened me about C++ initially was just how big and scary it seemed, with gargantuan IDEs like Microsoft’s Visual Studio, complex build systems, and graphical user interface that seemed to require black magic far beyond my tiny brain’s comprehension. Although using the pure C-based Win32 API does indeed require ritual virgin sacrifices, and Windows developers only talk about <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microsoft_Foundation_Class_Library" target="_blank">MFC</a> when put under extreme duress, the truth is that C++ itself is rather simple, and writing complex applications is easy once you break it down into steps. For me the breakthrough came after buying a copy of Stroustrup’s <em>The C++ Programming Language</em>, specifically the <a href="https://stroustrup.com/3rd.html" target="_blank">third edition</a> that covered the C++98 standard.</p><p>More than just a reference, it laid out clearly for me not only how to write basic C++ programs, but also how to structure my code and projects, as well as the reasonings behind each of these aspects. For many years this book was my go-to resource, as I developed my rudimentary, scripting language-afflicted skills into something more robust.</p><p>Probably the best part about C++ is its flexibility. It never limits you to a single programming paradigm, while it gives you the freedom to pick the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Desire_path" target="_blank">desire path</a> of your choice. Although an astounding number of poor choices can be made here, with a modicum of care and research you do not have to end up hoisted with your own petard. Straying into the C-compatibility part of C++ is especially fraught with hazards, but that’s why we have the C++ bits so that we don’t have to touch those.</p><h2>Reflecting With C++11</h2><p>It would take until 2011 for the first major update to the C++ standard, by which time I had been using C++ mostly for increasingly more elaborate hobby projects. But then I got tossed into a number of commercial C and C++ projects that would put my burgeoning skills to the test. Around this time I found the first major items in C++ that are truly vexing.</p><p>Common issues like header-include order and link order, which can lead to circular dependencies, are some of such truly delightful aspects. The former is mostly caused by the rather simplistic way that header files are just slapped straight into the source code by the preprocessor. Like in C, the preprocessor simply looks at your <code>#include "widget/foo.h"</code> and replaces it with the contents of <code>foo.h</code> with absolutely no consideration for side effects and cases of spontaneous combustion.</p><p>Along the way, further preprocessor statements further mangle the code in happy-fun ways, which is why the GCC <a href="https://www.man7.org/linux/man-pages/man1/g++.1.html" target="_blank">g++</a> and compatible compilers like Clang have the <code>-E</code> flag to only run the preprocessor so that you can inspect the preprocessed barf that was going to be sent to the compiler prior to it violently exploding. The trauma suffered here is why I heartily agree with Mr. Stroustrup that the preprocessor is basically evil and should only be used for the most basic stuff like includes, very simple constants and selective compilation. Never try to be cute or smart with the preprocessor or whoever inherits your codebase will find you.</p><p>If you got your code’s architectural issues and header includes sorted out, you’ll find that C++’s linker is just as dumb as that of C. After being handed the compiled object files and looking at the needed symbols, it’ll waddle into the list of libraries, look at each one in order and happily ignore previously seen symbols if they’re needed later. You’ll suffer for this with tools like <a href="https://www.man7.org/linux/man-pages/man1/ldd.1.html" target="_blank">ldd</a> and <a href="https://www.man7.org/linux/man-pages/man1/readelf.1.html" target="_blank">readelf</a> as you try to determine whether you are just dense, the linker is dense or both are having buoyancy issues.</p><p>These points alone are pretty traumatic, but you learn to cope with them like you cope with a gaggle of definitely teething babies a few rows behind you on that transatlantic flight. The worst part is probably that neither C++11 nor subsequent standards have addressed either to any noticeable degree, with a shift from C-style compile units to Ada-like modules probably never going to happen.</p><p>The ‘<a href="https://en.cppreference.com/w/cpp/language/modules.html" target="_blank">modules at home</a>‘ feature introduced with C++20 are effectively just limited C-style headers without the preprocessor baggage, without the dependency analysis and other features that make languages like Ada such a joy to build code with.</p><h2>Non-Deterministic Initialization</h2><p>Although C++ and C++11 in particular removes a lot of undefined behavior that C is infamous for, there are still many parts where expected behavior is effectively random or at least platform-specific. One such example is that of <code>static</code> initialization, officially known as the <a href="https://isocpp.org/wiki/faq/ctors#static-init-order" target="_blank"><em>Static initialization order fiasco</em></a>. Essentially what it means is that you cannot count on a variable declared <code>static</code> to be initialized during general initialization between different compile units.</p><p>This also affects the same compile units when you are initializing a <code>static std::map</code> instance with data during <a href="https://en.cppreference.com/w/cpp/language/initialization.html" target="_blank">initialization</a>, as I learned the hard way during a project when I saw random segmentation faults on start-up related to the static data structure instance. The executive summary here is that you should not assume that anything has been implicitly initialized during application startup, and instead you should do explicit initialization for such static structures.</p><p>An example of this can be <a href="https://github.com/MayaPosch/NymphRPC/blob/master/src/remote_client.cpp" target="_blank">found</a> in my <a href="https://github.com/MayaPosch/NymphRPC" target="_blank">NymphRPC</a> project, in which I used this same solution to prevent initialization crashes. This involves explicitly creating the static map rather than praying that it gets created in time:</p><pre>static map<UInt32, NymphMethod*> &methodsIdsStatic = NymphRemoteClient::methodsIds();</pre><p>With the <code>methodsIds()</code> function:</p><pre>map<UInt32, NymphMethod*>& NymphRemoteClient::methodsIds() { static map<UInt32, NymphMethod*>* methodsIdsStatic = new map<UInt32, NymphMethod*>(); return *methodsIdsStatic;}</pre><p>It are these kind of niggles along with the earlier covered build-time issues that tend to sap a lot of time during development until you learn to recognize them in advance along with fixes.</p><h2>Fading Love</h2><p>Don’t get me wrong, I still think that C++ is a good programming language at its core, it is just that it has those rough spots and sharp edges that you wish weren’t there. There is also the lack of improvements to some rather fundamental aspects in the STL, such as the unloved C++ <a href="https://en.cppreference.com/w/cpp/string/basic_string.html" target="_blank">string library</a>. Compared to Ada <a href="https://learn.adacore.com/courses/intro-to-ada/chapters/standard_library_strings.html" target="_blank">standard library strings</a>, the C++ STL string API is very barebones, with a lot of string manipulation requiring writing the same tedious code over and over as convenience functions are apparently on nobody’s wish list.</p><p>One good thing that C++11 brought to the STL was multi-tasking support, with threads, mutexes and so on finally natively available. It’s just a shame that its condition variables are plagued by spurious wake-ups and a more complicated syntax than necessary. This gets even worse with the <a href="https://en.cppreference.com/w/cpp/filesystem.html" target="_blank">Filesystem library</a> that got added in C++17. Although it’s nice to have more than just basic file I/O in C++ by default, it is based on the library in <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boost_(C%2B%2B_libraries)?useskin=vector" target="_blank">Boost</a>, which uses a coding style, type encapsulation obsession, and abuse of namespaces that you apparently either love or hate.</p><p>I personally have found the <a href="https://pocoproject.org/" target="_blank">POCO C++ libraries</a> to be infinitely easier to use, with a relatively easy to follow implementation. I even used the POCO libraries for the <a href="https://github.com/MayaPosch/NPoCo" target="_blank">NPoco</a> project, which adapts the code to microcontroller use and adds FreeRTOS support.</p><p>Finally, there are some core language changes that I fundamentally disagree with, such as the addition of type inference with the <a href="https://en.cppreference.com/w/cpp/language/auto.html" target="_blank"><code>auto</code> keyword</a> outside of templates, which is a weakly typed feature. As if it wasn’t bad enough to have the chaos of <a href="https://cplusplus.com/doc/tutorial/typecasting/" target="_blank">mixed explicit and implicit type casting</a>, now we fully put our faith into the compiler, pray nobody updates code elsewhere that may cause explosions later on, and remove any type-related cues that could be useful to a developer reading the code.</p><p>But at least we got <code><a href="https://en.cppreference.com/w/cpp/language/constexpr.html" target="_blank">constexpr</a></code>, which is probably incredibly useful to people who use C++ for academic dissertations rather than actual programming.</p><h2>Hope For The Future</h2><p>I’ll probably keep using C++ for the foreseeable future, while grumbling about all of ’em whippersnappers adding useless things that nobody was asking for. Since the general take on adding new features to C++ is that you need to do all the legwork yourself – like getting into the C++ working groups to promote your feature(s) – it’s very likely that few actually needed features will make it into new C++ standards, as those of us who are actually using the language are too busy doing things like writing production code in it, while simultaneously being completely disinterested in working group politics.</p><p>Fortunately there is excellent backward compatibility in C++, so those of us in the trenches can keep using the language any way we like along with all the patches we wrote to ease the pains. It’s just sad that there’s now such a split forming between C++ developers and C++ academics.</p><p>It’s one of the reasons why I have felt increasingly motivated over the past years to seek out other languages, with Ada being <a href="https://hackaday.com/2019/09/10/why-ada-is-the-language-you-want-to-be-programming-your-systems-with/">one of my favorites</a>. Unlike C++, it doesn’t have the aforementioned build-time issues, and while its super-strong type system makes getting started with writing the business logic slower, it prevents so many issues later on, along with its universal runtime bounds checking. It’s not often that using a programming language makes me feel something approaching joy.</p><p>Giving up on a programming language with which you quite literally grew up is hard, but as in any relationship you have to be honest about any issues, no matter whether it’s you or the programming language. That said, maybe some relationship counseling will patch things up again in the future, with us developers are once again involved in the language’s development.</p>]]></content:encoded> <wfw:commentRss>https://hackaday.com/2025/07/11/dearest-c-let-me-count-the-ways-i-love-hate-thee/feed/</wfw:commentRss> <slash:comments>25</slash:comments> <post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">790373</post-id> <media:thumbnail url="https://hackaday.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/c.jpg" /> <media:content url="https://hackaday.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/c.jpg" medium="image"> <media:title type="html">C++</media:title> </media:content> <media:content url="https://hackaday.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/the_c_programming_language_book_3rd_front.jpg?w=300" medium="image"> <media:title type="html">Cover of the third edition of The C++ Programming Language by Bjarne Stroustrup. </media:title> </media:content> </item> <item> <title>Hackaday Podcast Episode 328: Benchies, Beanies, and Back to the Future</title> <link>https://hackaday.com/2025/07/11/hackaday-podcast-episode-328-benchies-beanies-and-back-to-the-future/</link> <comments>https://hackaday.com/2025/07/11/hackaday-podcast-episode-328-benchies-beanies-and-back-to-the-future/#comments</comments> <dc:creator><![CDATA[Kristina Panos]]></dc:creator> <pubDate>Fri, 11 Jul 2025 16:00:17 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[Hackaday Columns]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Podcasts]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Hackaday Podcast]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">https://hackaday.com/?p=791443&preview=true&preview_id=791443</guid> <description><![CDATA[<div><img width="800" height="484" src="https://hackaday.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/microphone.jpg?w=800" class="attachment-large size-large wp-post-image" alt="" style="margin: 0 auto; margin-bottom: 15px;" decoding="async" loading="lazy" srcset="https://hackaday.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/microphone.jpg 3000w, https://hackaday.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/microphone.jpg?resize=250,151 250w, https://hackaday.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/microphone.jpg?resize=400,242 400w, https://hackaday.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/microphone.jpg?resize=800,484 800w, https://hackaday.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/microphone.jpg?resize=1536,929 1536w, https://hackaday.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/microphone.jpg?resize=2048,1239 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" data-attachment-id="202654" data-permalink="https://hackaday.com/2016/05/02/blue-ribbon-microphone/microphone/" data-orig-file="https://hackaday.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/microphone.jpg" data-orig-size="3000,1815" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"1"}" data-image-title="Microphone" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="" data-medium-file="https://hackaday.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/microphone.jpg?w=400" data-large-file="https://hackaday.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/microphone.jpg?w=800" /></div>This week, Hackaday’s Elliot Williams and Kristina Panos joined forces to bring you the latest news, mystery sound, and of course, a big bunch of hacks from the previous week. <a href="https://hackaday.com/2025/07/11/hackaday-podcast-episode-328-benchies-beanies-and-back-to-the-future/" class="read-more">…read more</a>]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<div><img width="800" height="484" src="https://hackaday.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/microphone.jpg?w=800" class="attachment-large size-large wp-post-image" alt="" style="margin: 0 auto; margin-bottom: 15px;" decoding="async" loading="lazy" srcset="https://hackaday.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/microphone.jpg 3000w, https://hackaday.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/microphone.jpg?resize=250,151 250w, https://hackaday.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/microphone.jpg?resize=400,242 400w, https://hackaday.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/microphone.jpg?resize=800,484 800w, https://hackaday.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/microphone.jpg?resize=1536,929 1536w, https://hackaday.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/microphone.jpg?resize=2048,1239 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" data-attachment-id="202654" data-permalink="https://hackaday.com/2016/05/02/blue-ribbon-microphone/microphone/" data-orig-file="https://hackaday.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/microphone.jpg" data-orig-size="3000,1815" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"1"}" data-image-title="Microphone" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="" data-medium-file="https://hackaday.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/microphone.jpg?w=400" data-large-file="https://hackaday.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/microphone.jpg?w=800" /></div><p>This week, Hackaday’s Elliot Williams and Kristina Panos joined forces to bring you the latest news, mystery sound, and of course, a big bunch of hacks from the previous week.</p><p>In Hackaday news, <a href="https://hackaday.com/2025/06/26/announcing-the-2025-hackaday-one-hertz-challenge/">the One Hertz Challenge</a> ticks on. You have until Tuesday, August 19th to show us what you’ve got, so head over to Hackaday.IO and get started now! In other news, we’ve just wrapped the call for Supercon proposals, so you can probably expect to see tickets for sale fairly soon.</p><p>On What’s That Sound, Kristina actually got this one with some prodding. Congratulations to [Alex] who knew exactly what it was and wins a limited edition Hackaday Podcast t-shirt!</p><p>After that, it’s on to the hacks and such, beginning with a ridiculously fast Benchy. We take a look at a bunch of awesome 3D prints a PEZ blaster and a cowbell that rings true. Then we explore chisanbop, which is <em>not</em> actually K-Pop for toddlers, as well as a couple of clocks. Finally, we talk a bit about dithering before taking a look at the top tech of 1985 as shown in <em>Back to the Future </em>(1985).</p><p>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!</p><div style="max-width: 580px; margin: auto;"><iframe loading="lazy" style="border: none;" title="Libsyn Player" src="//html5-player.libsyn.com/embed/episode/id/37374995/height/90/theme/custom/thumbnail/yes/direction/backward/render-playlist/no/custom-color/000000/" width="100%" height="90" scrolling="no" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></div><p>Download in <a href="https://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/hackaday/Hackaday_Podcast-Ep328.mp3" target="_blank">DRM-free MP3</a> and savor at your leisure.</p><p><div id="sidebar-mobile-1" class="widget_text widget_custom_html amr_widget"><span style="display: none">Where to Follow Hackaday Podcast</span><div class="textwidget custom-html-widget"><h3>Places to follow Hackaday podcasts:</h3> <ul> <li><a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/hackaday-podcast/id1447409683" target="_blank">iTunes</a></li> <li><a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/3NRV0mhZa8xeRT0EyLPaIp" target="_blank">Spotify</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/hackaday-podcast" target="_blank">Stitcher</a></li> <li><a href="http://hackaday.libsyn.com/rss" target="_blank">RSS</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL_tws4AXg7avHK_ATXLG2sy-AtkgXmfB7" target="_blank">YouTube</a></li> <li><a href="https://hackaday.libsyn.com/">Check out our Libsyn landing page</a></li></ul></div></div></p><p><span id="more-791443"></span></p><h2 style="margin-bottom: 0.7rem;">Episode 328 Show Notes:</h2><h4>News:</h4><ul><li><a href="https://hackaday.com/2025/06/26/announcing-the-2025-hackaday-one-hertz-challenge/">Announcing The 2025 Hackaday One Hertz Challenge</a></li></ul><h4>What’s that Sound?</h4><ul><li>Congratulations to [Alex] for knowing it was the Scientist NPC from Half-Life.</li></ul><h4>Interesting Hacks of the Week:</h4><ul><li><a href="https://hackaday.com/2025/07/08/managing-temperatures-for-ultrafast-benchy-printing/">Managing Temperatures For Ultrafast Benchy Printing</a><ul><li><a href="https://hackaday.com/2023/03/21/3d-printed-parts-dont-slow-down-this-speedy-printer/">3D-Printed Parts Don’t Slow Down This Speedy Printer</a></li></ul></li><li><a href="https://hackaday.com/2025/07/07/when-is-a-synth-a-woodwind-when-its-a-pneumatone/">When Is A Synth A Woodwind? When It’s A Pneumatone</a></li><li><a href="https://hackaday.com/2025/07/08/budget-brilliance-dho800-function-generator/">Budget Brilliance: DHO800 Function Generator</a><ul><li><a href="https://hackaday.com/2024/01/18/a-rigol-scope-goes-wireless/">Android-Powered Rigol Scopes Go Wireless</a></li></ul></li><li><a href="https://hackaday.com/2025/07/03/i-gotta-print-more-cowbell/">I Gotta Print More Cowbell</a></li><li><a href="https://hackaday.com/2025/07/09/kids-vs-computers-chisanbop-remembered/">Kids Vs Computers: Chisanbop Remembered</a></li><li><a href="https://hackaday.com/2025/07/03/pez-blaster-shoots-candy-dangerously-fast/">Pez Blaster Shoots Candy Dangerously Fast</a><ul><li><a href="https://youtu.be/X9mhiatxZyU?t=3498" target="_blank">Hackaday Supercon 2024: Lightning Talks – YouTube</a></li></ul></li></ul><h4>Quick Hacks:</h4><ul><li>Elliot’s Picks:<ul><li><a href="https://hackaday.com/2025/07/07/ir-point-and-shoot-has-a-raspberry-heart-in-a-35mm-body/">IR Point And Shoot Has A Raspberry Heart In A 35mm Body</a></li><li><a href="https://hackaday.com/2025/07/08/turning-pet-plastic-into-paracetamol-with-this-one-bacterial-trick/">Turning PET Plastic Into Paracetamol With This One Bacterial Trick</a></li><li><a href="https://hackaday.com/2025/07/08/five-minuteish-beanie-is-the-fastest-weve-seen-yet/">Five-minute(ish) Beanie Is The Fastest We’ve Seen Yet</a></li></ul></li><li>Kristina’s Picks:<ul><li><a href="https://hackaday.com/2025/07/04/cis-4-is-a-monkish-clock-inside-a-ceiling-lamp/">CIS-4 Is A Monkish Clock Inside A Ceiling Lamp</a></li><li><a href="https://hackaday.com/2025/07/04/3d-printer-turbo-charges-a-vintage-vehicle/">3D Printer Turbo-Charges A Vintage Vehicle</a></li><li><a href="https://hackaday.com/2025/07/05/shadow-clock-shows-the-time-on-the-wall/">Shadow Clock Shows The Time On The Wall</a></li></ul></li></ul><h4 style="clear: none;">Can’t-Miss Articles:</h4><ul><li><a href="https://hackaday.com/2025/07/09/dithering-with-quantization-to-smooth-things-over">Dithering With Quantization To Smooth Things Over</a></li><li><a href="https://hackaday.com/2025/07/03/back-to-the-future-40-years-old-looks-like-the-past/">Back To The Future, 40 Years Old, Looks Like The Past</a></li></ul>]]></content:encoded> <wfw:commentRss>https://hackaday.com/2025/07/11/hackaday-podcast-episode-328-benchies-beanies-and-back-to-the-future/feed/</wfw:commentRss> <slash:comments>1</slash:comments> <post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">791443</post-id> <media:thumbnail url="https://hackaday.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/microphone.jpg" /> <media:content url="https://hackaday.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/microphone.jpg" medium="image"> <media:title type="html">Microphone</media:title> </media:content> </item> <item> <title>PlayStation Case Mod Hides Gamer Shame</title> <link>https://hackaday.com/2025/07/11/playstation-case-mod-hides-gamer-shame/</link> <comments>https://hackaday.com/2025/07/11/playstation-case-mod-hides-gamer-shame/#comments</comments> <dc:creator><![CDATA[Tyler August]]></dc:creator> <pubDate>Fri, 11 Jul 2025 15:30:34 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[home hacks]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Playstation Hacks]]></category> <category><![CDATA[case modding]]></category> <category><![CDATA[noctua]]></category> <category><![CDATA[PlayStation 5]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">https://hackaday.com/?p=791353</guid> <description><![CDATA[<div><img width="800" height="450" src="https://hackaday.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/PS5-desk.png?w=800" class="attachment-large size-large wp-post-image" alt="" style="margin: 0 auto; margin-bottom: 15px;" decoding="async" loading="lazy" srcset="https://hackaday.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/PS5-desk.png 1920w, https://hackaday.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/PS5-desk.png?resize=250,141 250w, https://hackaday.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/PS5-desk.png?resize=400,225 400w, https://hackaday.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/PS5-desk.png?resize=800,450 800w, https://hackaday.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/PS5-desk.png?resize=1536,864 1536w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" data-attachment-id="791419" data-permalink="https://hackaday.com/2025/07/11/playstation-case-mod-hides-gamer-shame/ps5-desk/" data-orig-file="https://hackaday.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/PS5-desk.png" data-orig-size="1920,1080" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="PS5-desk" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="" data-medium-file="https://hackaday.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/PS5-desk.png?w=400" data-large-file="https://hackaday.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/PS5-desk.png?w=800" /></div>[Zac] of Zac Builds has a shameful secret: he, a fully grown man, plays video games. Shocking, we know, but such people do exist in our society. After being rightfully <a href="https://hackaday.com/2025/07/11/playstation-case-mod-hides-gamer-shame/" class="read-more">…read more</a>]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<div><img width="800" height="450" src="https://hackaday.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/PS5-desk.png?w=800" class="attachment-large size-large wp-post-image" alt="" style="margin: 0 auto; margin-bottom: 15px;" decoding="async" loading="lazy" srcset="https://hackaday.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/PS5-desk.png 1920w, https://hackaday.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/PS5-desk.png?resize=250,141 250w, https://hackaday.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/PS5-desk.png?resize=400,225 400w, https://hackaday.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/PS5-desk.png?resize=800,450 800w, https://hackaday.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/PS5-desk.png?resize=1536,864 1536w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" data-attachment-id="791419" data-permalink="https://hackaday.com/2025/07/11/playstation-case-mod-hides-gamer-shame/ps5-desk/" data-orig-file="https://hackaday.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/PS5-desk.png" data-orig-size="1920,1080" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="PS5-desk" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="" data-medium-file="https://hackaday.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/PS5-desk.png?w=400" data-large-file="https://hackaday.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/PS5-desk.png?w=800" /></div><p><span style="font-weight: 400;">[Zac] of <em>Zac Builds</em> has a shameful secret: he, a fully grown man, plays video games. Shocking, we know, but such people do exist in our society. After being rightfully laughed out of the family living room, [Zac] relocated his indecent activities to his office, but he knew that was not enough. Someone might enter, might see his secret shame: his PlayStation 5. He decided the only solution was to</span> <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aSUcNWWdg8Y" target="_blank"><span style="font-weight: 400;">tear the game console apart, and rebuild it inside of his desk</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">.</span></p><p><span style="font-weight: 400;">All sarcasm aside, it’s hard to argue that [Zac]’s handmade wooden desk doesn’t look better than the stock PS5, even if you’re not one of the people who disliked Sony’s styling this generation. The desk also contains his PC, a project we seem to have somehow missed; the two machines live in adjacent drawers.</span></p><p><span style="font-weight: 400;">While aesthetics are a big motivator behind this case mod, [Zac] also takes the time to improve on Sony’s work: the noisy stock fan is replaced by three silent-running Noctua case fans; the easy-to-confuse power and eject buttons are relocated and differentiated; and the Blu-ray drive gets a proper affordance so he’ll never miss the slot again. An NVMe SSD finishes off the upgrades.</span></p><p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Aside from the woodworking to create the drawer, this project relies mostly on 3D printing for custom mounts and baffles to hold the PS5’s parts and direct airflow where it needs to go. This was made much, much easier for [Zac] via the use of a 3D scanner. If you haven’t used one, this project <a href="https://hackaday.com/2021/04/20/what-to-expect-from-3d-scanning-and-how-to-work-with-it/">demonstrates how handy they can be</a> — and also some of the limitations, as the structured-light device (a Creality Raptor) had trouble with the shinier parts of the build. Dealing with that trouble still saved [Zac] a lot of time and effort compared to measuring everything.</span></p><p><span style="font-weight: 400;">While we missed [Zac]’s desk build, we’ve seen his work before: everything from</span> <a href="https://hackaday.com/2024/11/29/modernizing-an-apple-ipod-or-a-modern-day-ship-of-theseus/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">a modernized iPod</span></a> <span style="font-weight: 400;">to wooden</span><a href="https://hackaday.com/2021/11/21/taking-the-bark-out-of-reverb-with-wood-scraps/"> <span style="font-weight: 400;">sound diffusion panels</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">.</span></p><p><span id="more-791353"></span></p><p><iframe loading="lazy" title="I FIXED the PS5 (because of crippling embarrassment)" width="800" height="450" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/aSUcNWWdg8Y?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe></p>]]></content:encoded> <wfw:commentRss>https://hackaday.com/2025/07/11/playstation-case-mod-hides-gamer-shame/feed/</wfw:commentRss> <slash:comments>7</slash:comments> <post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">791353</post-id> <media:thumbnail url="https://hackaday.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/PS5-desk.png" /> <media:content url="https://hackaday.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/PS5-desk.png" medium="image"> <media:title type="html">PS5-desk</media:title> </media:content> </item> </channel></rss> If you would like to create a banner that links to this page (i.e. this validation result), do the following:
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