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Xiaomi's transparent phone shows off a dummy circuit board
When we had our hands-on with Xiaomi's Mi 8 Explorer Edition, we expressed our doubts that the circuit board you could see through the transparent rear actually showcased the phone's actual internals, not least because of the board's atypical layout. The company insisted it was real, but it seems that the visible parts are in fact all for show.
HackEDA hits Kickstarter, makes Arduino board design a drag-and-drop affair (video)
Writing code for an Arduino-friendly board is relatively easy; creating the board is the hard part, unless you live and breathe electrical engineering. If HackEDA has its way, however, the design process could be almost as easy as window shopping. Its new Kickstarter-backed project lets tinkerers choose from a list of parts and get a made-to-order board without knowing a lick about PCB assembly -- algorithms sort out the finer details. While the initial effort includes just 36 combos based around an Atmega328 processor, contributors who want tangible hardware can pay anything from $30 for a bare board through to $10,000 for the first stages of mass production. The truly committed will have to wait until December for the finished goods, but those willing to try HackEDA can use its existing web tool for free.
Visualized: London Underground circuit map is also a radio
London has a rich history of underground radio stations, but what if we flipped that, and turned London's Underground into a radio? Well it'd look like this. The circuit-board radio project is a collaboration between Yuri Suzuki and Masahiko Shindo, and uses Harry Beck's iconic tube map design. Note the choice of BBC's White City for the tuner, and Hyde Park's Speaker's Corner for volume control -- plus a few other famous names changed for geeky in-joke fun. We love the attention to detail, we just hope it's not permanently tuned to Capital FM.
How Arduino got its start: a behind the scenes revelation
Plenty of tales have cropped up through the years focusing on the roots of Arduino -- a tiny circuit board that holds a special place in the heart of every modern-day DIYer -- but a recent expose from the folks at Ieee Spectrum has a behind-the-scenes look that'll impress even historians. Massimo Banzi is the name, and Bar di Re Arduino is the place. The former is hailed as an Italian cofounder of the project he dubbed Arduino in honor of the latter, and in time, four more folks would join him to create what would become a complete gamechanger in the universe of homegrown electronics. We've covered initiatives built on Arduino for years here at Engadget. Everything from sigh collectors to early warning systems for pastry chefs has been built around the platform, and the story of how we got to the place we are now is a fascinating one. We won't introduce any spoilers here -- tap that source link below to enjoy at your own pace.
Visualized: awesome, non-functioning 'robot' made from worthless computer parts
It might not actually do anything, and it's certainly in no danger of crawling into (or out of, however that metaphor works) uncanny valley, but Mike Schropp's latest creation sure put a smile on our face. All this thing needs is a pair of Pentium Nikes and it'll be truly styling! Get a closer look after the break, and then hit the source link for plenty of glamor shots at the Total Geekdom blog.
Nendo's ceramic circuit board speaker gives the rest of the audio world body image issues
We've seen slick hand-crafted ceramic speakers in the past, but this one millimeter-thick collaboration between potter Mitsuke Masagasu and design firm Nendo is in a different league. An entirely different league. The set is result of the so-called Revalue Nippon Project, created by Japanese footballer Nakata Hidetoshi to revive traditional Japanese art forms. Nakata selected five curators -- in this case the director of the 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art in Kanazaw -- who were then tasked with pairing a ceramicist and designer to collaborate on a one of a kind form. Not satisfied with simply being 31 times thinner than the emaciated Mythos XTR series as a sole basis for artistic impact, the speaker's ravishing circuit design is also made without a human touch. Instead, a computer-controlled process cuts thin slices from a ceramic substrate slab, fixes them with mercury vapor, and then mounts them via a robotic arm. Amazingly, sound quality is still also touted as being top notch. There are no plans however for these speakers to ever be mass produced, so if you were hoping to snag one as the ultimate accessory for your über-modern flat... well, let yourself down easy, alright champ? %Gallery-108170%
aCircuit Board live wallpaper is aMazing (video)
Like teardowns? Ever worn a loose resistor in your pierced 80s earhole just to show the world how geek-punk you really are? Man, have we got the Android Live Wallpaper for you. aCircuit Board is a ¥99 (a bit more than a US buck) animated wallpaper available on the Android Market. Moving fan; binary clock; GPS, WiFi, and Bluetooth status lights; a pulsating Android bot; and active circuit paths depending upon where you touch the PCB. Of course, it's all configurable too, via the options menu. Buy hey, don't take our word for it, see it in action after the break.
Seeeduino Film is just the thing for all your flexible Arduino needs
The Arduino microcontroller: fuel for so many delightfully geeky projects. Your wacky instruments and DIY 'less lethal' weapons will be getting a lot 'looser' soon, thanks to Seeed Studio and it's Arduino compatible flexible printed circuit (FPC) board. Unlike most circuit boards, the insulating material in an FPC is -- wait for it -- flexible (hence the name). Featuring a fully functional Atmega 168 / 328 breakout, USB-Serial interface, a built-in charger circuit, and more, the Seeeduino Film only exists in prototype form at the moment. That said, the company said that it is making several units available "for community inspiration." Hop on over to the source link to get in on the ground floor.
Sony develops 11Gbps short-range wireless intra-connection
Before you get too excited about the bandwidth number, you should know that Sony's latest wireless innovation works at a range of up to 14 millimeters. So no, it won't be replacing your WiFi antenna anytime soon, but it may well be showing up in your next television set or other bit of Sony-branded gadgetry. Working in the 30GHz to 300GHz frequency range, this is designed to replace wired communication channels inside electronic devices, with Sony claiming it will deliver "advantages such as size and cost-reduction and enhanced reliability of the final product." Basically, erecting 1mm antennae that can beam information at each other at a rate of 11Gbps turns out to be simpler and more reliable than printing ever wider data lanes into the circuit board. Makes sense to us. Full PR after the break.
Guitar picks crafted from old circuit boards spark binary solo revolution
As the great Bret McKenzie and Jemaine Clement would say: 0, 001, 001! Come on sucker, lick my battery! We're no experts on translating binary rock 'n roll into modern day English (or Russian, for that matter), but we're guessing that the boys from New Zealand would most certainly approve of a guitar pick crafted from recycled motherboards. Etsy member TheBlueKraken seems capable of churning these guys (and many other wares) out in almost any hue of PCB, and at just $7 or $8 apiece, they're hardly a rip off. In fact, we'd wager that these are pretty much the most awesome stocking stuffers of all time. Boogie, boogie, boogie, robo boogie, all after the break.
Print your own circuit boards with an Inkjet (and a modicum of skill)
Remember yesterday, when one illustrious modder whipped up a head-mounted computer that featured a printed circuit board of his own design? The fabrication method he used was called direct-to-PCB Inkjet printing. An economical (if laborious) alternative to professional production, the process includes: designing your circuit, printing it out on a transparency, flickin' on some lightbulbs, washing things out in abrasive chemicals, and waving a magic wand. While it's not for the timid (nor simple enough to go through in great detail here) the kids over at Instructables have been kind enough to put together and post one of their award-winning step-by-step guides on this very subject. So, what are you waiting for? Hit the read link and get to work.
Xerox announces silver ink, keeps printable electronics dream alive
Here comes Xerox, huffing and puffing its way back from obscurity with what it believes is a revolutionary new advancement. Its brand new silver ink and related printing technologies promise to make it possible for the lazy or breadboard handicapped among us to print their own circuit boards atop plastics, film, and even textiles. The wizardry of it lies in the company's development of a metallic ink with a melting point lower than that of plastics, which allows the former to be laid (in liquid form) atop the latter. It's all very neat, and the potential for flexible, lightweight, disposable electronics is well and good, but haven't we heard this all before?
Paperduino is like the cardboard fort version of every hacker's favorite I/O board
After the boundless Arduino-based inventions we've witnessed over the years, it was really about time Arduino did a little something for itself. Guilherme printed up his own paper Arduino designs, which do away with the regular printed circuit board and substitute a colorful combination of paper, cardboard and nerdy needlepoint. It's almost precious enough to get us to pick up a soldering iron once more, despite the horrible disfigurement caused by our last run-in with melting metal.[Via Make]
Renault's plug-in Kangoo be bop Z.E. features 'printed circuit' motifs, cute as a 390-point breadboard
Push up those glasses and refresh the lead in your mechanical pencils, Renault has a new accessory to transport your nerdrobe to the data center. Meet the Kangoo be bop Z.E. plug-in prototype. While the technology inside (Lithium Ion batteries with a 100-mile range and 30 minute recharge to 80% capacity -- or full charge in 20 minutes using a proposed 400V universal standard plug) is very similar to the vehicles that Renault expects to release on the road in 2011, and its appearance matches that of the Kangoo be bop hitting European roads this spring, it's the design detail that captured our attention. Zoom in on the gallery below and you'll quickly see that the Z.E. prototype (and future concept) is heavily influenced by the look of printed circuit boards, or "printed circuit motifs" as claimed by Renault's press release. Go ahead, firmly embrace your geekiness without guilt. Remember, you're a rock star. P.S. Who knew we'd be rocking the Samsung F480 Tocco so far into the future?[Via Autopia]
littleBits are like Legos for circuit boards
Here's a fun, not-completely-original, but still-pretty-neat idea: littleBits. Tiny, pre-assembled circuit boards that create a library of mix-and-match electronic components for building that next amazing wonder widget. Oh, and they're open source. The "blocks" snap together via magnets, and there's an ever-growing selection of modules to choose from. The project is still in its infancy, but we're expecting to see some good work from Joe Hacker Guy on the DIY scene, or anybody else too afraid to pick up a soldering iron, once these arrive at some sort of retail availability. An intro video is after the break.
MacBook Pro Complete Disassembly guide
Have you received your MacBook Pro? Are you saddened by OWC's lack of instructions on how to rip apart said new machine? Don't be sad, rejoice, for iFixit (the site formerly known as PBFixit) has released a screw-by-screw guide to Performing Complete Disassembly of a MacBook Pro. Each page of this guide to MacBook Pro destruction has pithy commentary on hardware you may find inside your new lappy using only iFixit's guide, a #0 Phillips screwdriver, a T6 Torx screwdriver and um, a Spudger. If this bare-circuit-board guide doesn't knock your mad scientist socks off, frankly, I really don't know what will. [via Slashdot] [pictured to the right is the MacBook Pro's nekid logic board via iFixit's guide]
