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Ben Heck's Pocket Beagle drum sequencer
Felix takes his hand to the soldering iron, picks up Beagleboard.org's Pocket Beagle and assembles a drum sequencer with the help of the Bela Mini audio cape. With a laser-engraved case, hands-on assistance from S. Astrid Bin and a custom-designed input-output matrix for driving the LEDs, Felix puts it all together with C++. Have you made an electronics audio device, or a project with the Pocket Beagle? Let the team know on the element14 Community.
Tesla Autopilot was engaged during 60 MPH crash, driver tells police
By Mary Papenfuss The Tesla Autopilot system was engaged when a Tesla Model S sedan was crushed as it rammed into a stopped truck at 60 MPH in Utah last week, the driver has told police. The driver luckily escaped with only a broken foot, though the car suffered extensive damage.
Ben Heck's mini pinball game: Analysis and programming
Ben is moving walls around, but don't expect him to quit his day job to become an architect just yet. After a few tests on the pieces for the modular miniature pinball kit, it has been decided that the angles need to change for the pinball run. That means a redesign is in store. Meanwhile, Felix has received the final design of the printed circuit board from OSHPark, and based on some initial tests it appears to be a-okay! What do you think of the build so far? Let the team know over on the element14 Community.
Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg owes lawmakers answers to these questions
By JP Mangalindan and Aarthi Swaminathan For Mark Zuckerberg and Facebook, this week was a trial by fire. Over the course of two days (April 10-11), senators on the Senate Judiciary and Commerce Committees, as well as representatives from the US House Energy and Commerce Committees, grilled Facebook's 33-year-old CEO on a number of matters, including the recent Cambridge Analytica scandal, the company's role in the 2016 U.S. presidential election, and its position on government regulation regarding user privacy. And while Zuckerberg's testimony was widely viewed as a successful defense of the company he started in 2004 -- Facebook's stock was up 4.5% at market close the first day of hearings — there were many questions Zuckerberg left unanswered. Here's a breakdown of the questions he could not address.
Pandora's CEO is doubling down on podcasts
By JP Mangalindan Pandora CEO Roger Lynch wants to offer listeners an easier way to discover new podcasts as the company adds more podcasts to its service and beefs up advertising. Indeed, podcasts will become a more significant aspect in the months and years ahead for Pandora, which has over 75 million monthly active users -- 5.5 million of which use Pandora's paid features and services. The key to growing those users, according to Lynch, who joined the company in September, is offering a more comprehensive catalog of content. "In the car, 80 percent of listening is music, while 20 percent is other stuff," Lynch explains to Yahoo Finance. "As a service, if you don't have that 20 percent, it doesn't mean you capture the 80 percent, because then people will just stay on their FM Radios. But if you can create audio content for people that gets packaged with the music content in a way that doesn't give them a reason to go back to that FM dial, then you capture much more than just the spoken word."
Ben Heck's super glue gun: Designing a better enclosure
Karen and Ben break out the pencils and go back to the drawing board to redesign their super glue gun. After changing the auto stand in response to feedback from the element14 Community, the team is looking at how best to fit together the extruder and electronics. They also need to decide on the best plastic to use for the casing. After buying a few off-the-shelf glue guns for inspiration, Ben loads up Autodesk Fusion 360 and starts designing a 3D model to print. Is the team headed in the right direction? Let them know over on the element14 Community.
Ben Heck's Hex game: Fun with soldering
After working out the kinks with the layout of the Hex board game, Ben and Felix have received the PCBs from OSHPark and they're all ready for soldering. That's interesting, because ultimately the game itself will be used to teach soldering in schools. How's your own soldering technique? And what do you think of the Hex game? Let us know over on the element14 community.
Proterra wants to build autonomous vehicles for public transit
The company that built an electric bus capable of driving 350 miles before needing a recharge wants to take public transit to the next level: autonomous driving. Working with the University of Nevada, Proterra has launched an autonomous driving program to help develop self-driving electric buses in Reno. The idea is simple, but implementation is complicated, partially because Proterra buses have to serve the public and abide by completely different laws than private vehicles. That's why the company's CEO says autonomous bus lines will probably never run without a human co-pilot.
Ben Heck's Nintendo Switch teardown
Nintendo has a new console out, which means Ben, Karen and Felix are responding exactly as you'd expect them to: by tearing down the new Switch console and Joy Con controllers. How does it compare to a laptop or tablet computer? Is it designed for easy maintenance and upgradeability? Share your take over on the element14 Community.
Ben Heck's next three builds are meant to be shipping products
You asked for bigger, better, longer-term builds, so the team is going to design three things that can be brought to market or to a crowdfunding site like Kickstarter. First up: Logic Bomb, a refactoring of the Hackmanji board game. How can it be made durable, smaller and help make digital logic as easy to learn as using a Speak & Spell? Next up is the Super Glue Gun, which is great because Ben has an obsession with such things. Finally, our viewers' top choice: a mini pinball machine. Can this build be made into a kit? is 3D printing suitable? Follow the team as they work on these builds and have your say in guiding the projects over on the element14 Community!
Ben Heck makes a Zelda lamp by upcycling laptop screens
Humans by nature can be a little bit wasteful. Recycling helps, of course, but some things are too good to throw away. That's where upcycling comes in. Karen has the idea to repurpose laptop screens to create a Legend of Zelda-inspired lamp. However, not just any laptop screen will do. As the team rips apart old hardware they soon discover the different types of panels that have been used in various laptops over the years. With the optimal screens identified, Karen gets down to business with Adobe Illustrator and designs suitable laser-cut frames. Watch the episode to find out tips and tricks to make the perfect design. Have you upcycled any old hardware? Think you could enter your project in a design competition? Find out more on the element14 Community.
The best vacuums
By Liam McCabe This post was done in partnership with Wirecutter, reviews for the real world. When readers choose to buy Wirecutter's independently chosen editorial picks, it may earn affiliate commissions that support its work. Read the full article here. After putting in hundreds of hours of research on 330 different vacuums, and testing dozens of them over the past three years, we've found that the Shark Navigator Lift-Away NV352 is by far the most effective, reliable vacuum for its price, and will be a great fit for most people and in most homes.
The best bluetooth headsets
By Marianne Schultz and Nick Guy This post was done in partnership with The Wirecutter, a buyer's guide to the best technology. When readers choose to buy The Wirecutter's independently chosen editorial picks, it may earn affiliate commissions that support its work. Read the full article here. If you're hopping on and off the phone throughout the day, or if you're typically talking on the phone while driving (despite the safety concerns), the Plantronics Voyager Edge is the best Bluetooth headset for most people. After putting in 50-plus hours of research and testing more than 15 models over the past three years—including 12 hours of testing and three new models for the latest update—the Voyager Edge continues to lead the pack with its combination of stellar sound quality, long battery life, excellent Bluetooth range, and comfortable fit.
Panasonic's indoor farm, and more in the week that was
Tesla's groundbreaking affordable electric car is nearly here. This week the automaker announced plans to begin production on the Model 3 by the end of the month. Meanwhile, environmental champion Leonardo DiCaprio just signed up as the official ambassador for BYD's new line of EVs. Georgia broke ground on a road paved with 18 miles of solar panels, and the tiny TigerMoth camper is an off-grid shelter that generates power while it's being towed.
An all-electric supercar, and more in the week that was
In a major win for clean energy, Tesla just unveiled the biggest battery storage facility on the planet. It's made from 396 Powerpacks, and it can store 80 megawatt-hours of electricity -- enough to power 2,500 households for an entire day. Meanwhile, the world's most powerful wind turbine shattered the world record for energy produced in 24 hours. Researchers in Scotland developed a groundbreaking system that uses sunlight to purify water in rural India. And SunGlacier developed a solar machine that harvests fresh H2O from thin air.
Hummingbird-inspired wind turbines, and more in the week that was
It's official: New York just gave the green light to build the largest offshore wind farm in US history. The project will be located 30 miles southeast of Montauk, and it will produce enough energy to power 50,000 homes. Meanwhile, researchers have developed a revolutionary new wind turbine that trades spinning blades for flapping wings reminiscent of a hummingbird. Dubai kicked off phase three of the world's largest solar park. When it's complete it will produce a whopping 800 megawatts of clean energy. Speaking of the sort, Elon Musk is a champion of clean energy -- so imagine our surprise when Musk threw his support behind former ExxonMobil CEO Rex Tillerson as Secretary of State. And Ireland just voted to become the world's first country to fully divest from fossil fuels.
South Korea's sound barrier-chasing train, and more in the week that was
Tesla's Gigafactory is spitting out lithium-ion batteries at breakneck pace, but the automaker isn't stopping there. Elon Musk just announced plans to give the factory a $350 million upgrade so that it can manufacture electric motors and gearboxes for the upcoming Model 3. Meanwhile, South Korea unveiled plans for a new hyper train that can travel nearly as fast as the speed of sound. A German engineer has developed the world's most compact folding bike, which fits into a carry-on suitcase. And New York City is preparing to roll out Citi Bikes that shoot laser bike lanes to keep cyclists safe.
Volkswagen's modern Microbus remake, and more in the week that was
The Volkswagen microbus is one of the most iconic vehicles of all time, and now the automaker is set to revive the classic for the modern era. Meet the I.D. Buzz: VW's all-electric, self-driving microbus of the future. In other auto news, Nissan debuted a stylish Vmotion 2.0 sedan packed with self-driving technology, and the Chevrolet Bolt was named the 2017 North American Car of the Year. IKEA is known for its flat-pack furniture, but it's branching out into urban mobility by launching its very first bike. The Sladda is a chainless aluminum cycle that can be kitted out with front and rear racks, panniers and even a towable cart.
Six futuristic off-road vehicles
By Cat DiStasio "Where we're going, we don't need roads." When Doc Brown said it, he was driving a flying time machine, of course. But not all vehicles need to become airborne to travel off the grid. This capability is especially important in rural areas where roads have never existed, or in disaster recovery situations where pathways are no longer passable due to earthquakes or flooding. No matter the reason, a slew of innovations are tackling off-road transportation like never before. Some futuristic all-terrain vehicles are built to drive over just about anything, while others have been engineered to carry their own road surface and pick it back up as they truck along. Whether the situation calls for traveling over impassable obstacles or creating a road for other vehicles, there's a tough machine out there to tackle the job.
Six new technologies that will enable faster, better internet to the world
By Cat DiStasio The internet is one of the most important inventions of the modern era. However, current estimates say that only 40 percent of people around the globe have access. As internet connectivity becomes ever more important, new technologies are emerging to connect the entire globe with better, faster service. On several continents, research and development projects are underway to provide internet connectivity via high-altitude balloons -- not unlike those used to capture weather data, unmanned solar-powered drones and next-generation wireless routers. Each offers higher speeds and more reliability than current modes, plus the obvious benefit: getting the world online, all at the same time.