Tindie

Makers are at their best when they’re solving problems. For those who have a Raspberry Pi Zero or the Zero W lying around, you may have considered turning it into a Linux PC or handheld device at one point, but decided against it because you would need to connect accessories and inputs.

Well, the only thing better than a solid Linux PC is a portable one, and that’s where the SnapOnAir Raspberry Pi Zero PCB comes in. Keep in mind that this is the board only, so you’ll need to supply the components yourself, including the Raspberry Pi.

With everything in hand, the SnapOnAir allows you to build a true handheld Linux PC with a 2.8-inch color ILI9341 TFT display. You can also add a keyboard based on a TCA8418 I2C chip, and even throw a buzzer on there if you’d like.

You can use a digital microphone as well, and it’s compatible with nRF24 trx sub boards. This inexpensive but extremely useful board has been making the rounds on other sites too, like ZDNet and Fossbytes, so dust off your old Raspberry Pi and check it out!

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Lamps are great and all, but sometimes I wish I could change the color. Setting a nice ambience in your office or bedroom can help you relax and unwind. Similarly, if you have a small stage setup, the ability to utilize different colored lights could really take a performance to the next level.

Whatever your needs, this ESP-MeshKit Light offers hundreds of different colors, and the ability to change it via your Android or iPhone. It utilizes Espressif Mesh technology to make the magic happen.

Hackers will also be pleased to know that you can re-compile it or change values like delay between colors to make it your own.

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Making short sequenced synth loops is a fine beginning to any synth jam, and limited steps can often make these really captivating. The Zynthia is a device which generates synth bleeps and allows you to sequences them. A set of accompanying LEDs to show the way.

The Zynthia uses 40106, 4051, 4029 and CD4028 chips to create a noise box-sequencer which has the ability to run forwards and backwards. For each step you can set a tone or modulation of a synced tone, as well as control the overall playback speed. This incredibly affordable kit comes with a printed circuit board, headers for connection to a breadboard and the four chips which can come surface mounted or loose if you want to mount them at home.

This simple kit is a good starter to anyone wanting to experiment with breadboards and expand their soldering skills and electronics knowledge. In addition to the supplied components, some other parts are needed to complete the kit – which include LEDs, Potentiometers and some switches.

The Zynthia was inspired by this projected featured on Hackaday and is shipped from Germany by davedarko. You can see the entire build happen here, or just press play to see the Zynthia in action!

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Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics. These are the foundations of a STEM education, and the kind of knowledge the next generation needs to become makers, engineers, and people who change the world with their creations.

For many of us, our STEM education starts later in life, but Michael Gibbens, a father and maker, shows us that it’s never too early to start. This video features his 5-year-old daughter, Evie, soldering together a Tindie blinky badge!

5yr old Evie soldering Tindie Blinky Led badge https://t.co/xyvmEc9qiI#hackaday #tindie #thisgirlcan #miniMaker

— Michael Gibbens (@DrMikeGibbens2) April 13, 2019

Right now the only way to get your own Tindie Blinky LED Badge is to find the Tindie crew at a live event. Nonetheless, this video should inspire any and all beginners to try their hand at one of the many beginner-level projects on Tindie! Whether it’s a soldering kit, a joule thief, or something else entirely, there’s no better place to start.

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The prototyping stage of any project can be both exciting and terrifying in equal measure. A good rule of thumb is to avoid doing anything permanent before you can confirm it works. Case in point: it’s probably best to leave the soldering for later.

That’s where this handy Wire Wrap Tool comes in. You can use it on your Arduino, ATtiny85, or Raspberry Pi projects to make connections without the need for soldering. Simply insert one end of a stripped wire through the smaller hole and place the larger hole over the header pin. Grab the other end of the wire and twist the tool upward to make the connection.

Makers and hobbyists can use this tool to quickly prototype their ideas. Take a look at the video below to see how it works!

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Buying an Arduino Uno isn’t difficult at all, nor is it very expensive. That being said, do you know how to build one? If the answer is no, then MakersBox has an exciting new project for you.

The DIY Ardu is a through-hole kit that allows you to build an UNO compatible clone with all the necessary parts and a little trickery to get the FTDI chip on board. The kit includes a purple PCB from OSH Park, an Atmega with preloaded bootloader, and a soldered FTDI chip on a DIP compatible circuit board.

Instructions are available online to help you through the process. It may not be as inexpensive as buying an Arduino outright, but it does offer some unique insight into how they are designed and made. Not to mention, it would make for a nice entry on your maker resume.

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Digital logic is at the foundation of modern electronics and computing. Therefore, it’s not a stretch to say that every aspiring maker should become familiar with it. This low frequency clock generator kit offers a perfect gateway into the subject.

The kit uses a 555 timer and CD4516BE 4-bit counter IC. The components themselves are all through-hole which makes assembly easy for beginners as well. Multiple LEDs output the clock signal, so you won’t need to include an oscilloscope.

While the kit comes with 6 500 MOhm resistors, you can replace them with others to change the frequency range. The PCB and silkscreen also lend a nice color and look to the device. It’s not all looks, however, as the silkscreen also offers some insight into the components and how they function.

It all comes together into a kit that’s both functional and easy to display when you’re finished.

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Designed for accessibility, the SHOUTBOX is a switch which is activated by any sound (of sufficient volume) to trigger a button press for a range of functions. This compact battery-operated device can control games, applications, and equipment which are controlled by a more conventional accessibility switch.

The SHOUTBOX has 3 play modes: Momentary (a button press for the duration of the sound), Pulse (a quick button press for each time a sound is heard) and Toggle (where the state changes from being on or off with each sound). It doesn’t need any fancy speech recognition, just a sound to operate; which can be verbal or tapped, even blowing on it will activate the switch.

The knob allows for changes to the trigger threshold (how loud you need to be to make it work) and it features LEDs to show the power, trigger and output of the switch. It has an extra input for a conventional PC microphone and is powered by 3 x AAA batteries and weighs in at around 150g.

It was designed in association with OneSwitch as an assistive technology for accessible gaming. The SHOUTBOX is available from the SixtyFourPixels Tindie store and is shipping now from the UK!

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Decades ago the doorbell would ring and you’d trip over yourself to see who it was that had come to visit. Now, people rarely ring your bell unannounced, and if they do there’s a good chance you won’t even be home.

In our connected world, smart doorbells are a great upgrade to your home, letting you know someone’s at your door even when you’re not. Unfortunately, they’re often expensive or require you to replace the doorbell (which isn’t possible if you live in an apartment).

Firefly Electronics has come to the rescue with a WiFi smart doorbell kit that doesn’t require you to replace the current doorbell you use. You can install the kit near your transformer or the chime box, so it works behind the scenes.

You can pair it with any existing security camera as well to set up a photo or live feed straight to your smartphone. It’s compatible with third-party apps like IFTTT and Home Assistant, so you won’t need a subscription either.

Those who want to turn off the doorbell sound can do so as well, that way it doesn’t send your dogs into a fury every time a package arrives. This is perhaps my favorite feature.

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E-paper has been around for quite a few years now, and has been most famously used in e-readers and the odd smartwatch. If you’d like an understated timepiece that doesn’t emit a glow itself, it’d be hard to beat the e-paper-based Agora clock.

This device is part of the Agora Watch Project, described as an “open source, open hardware platform for wrist watch and table watch with e-paper displays.” The project uses an Atmega328 processor to power its black and white screen, and more hardware info is found here.

A neat feature of this clock, and e-paper in general, is nicely illustrated below, where it’s shown as clearly visible in a variety of lighting conditions. Granted, you won’t be able to read it during total darkness, but at least you don’t have to endure red light attempting to penetrate your eyelids while sleeping!

For another take on e-paper displays, be sure to check out the Papyr BLE module discussed here. It displays photos and doodles from your phone in not just black and white, but red as well!

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