Nostalgia is a force more powerful than gravity to a gamer. Even the most incredible tech and graphics still can’t match that feeling when you think back on classic retro games you grew up with. Thanks to makers, those titles are not gone, but they live on in a variety of devices.
The AttinyArcade DIY game kit is one such device. The kit is based around the Microchip ATtiny85 IC and a 128×64 px OLED display. The microcontroller here comes pre-programmed with a UFO Escape game, but it’s also Arduino IDE compatible for easy game development.
Of course, you’ll need a way to program the chip in order to flash your own Arduino sketches, but that can be as easy as an Arduino Uno, breadboard, and some wires. That’s kind of how this project started: as an Arduino on a breadboard, hooked up to an OLED display and a few buttons. That first proof-of-concept inspired the creator to write their own version of Breakout and turn it into a standalone device.
There are now over 10 games available, which you can download via Github. The whole kit is pretty easy to assemble as it’s made using through-hole components. Download other games or write your own with this handy little device!
Step sequencing is an integral part of making music in the modular and hardware realms – sending notes to trigger musical melodies from synths and noise machines. This 16 Step CV Sequenceris the perfect counterpart to any modular and semi-modular system in need of a melodic injection!
What’s really cool is the sequence is controlled by two sets of 8 illuminated sliders, which light up as the sequence runs with a myriad of playback options, to fire notes in reverse, overlapping and random sequences as well as more conventional playback. The box has one sync input and two sync outputs to chain your tempos between modules. All jack sockets are 3.5mm and you have CV output running from 0-5V as well as controls for speed, play mode, step and start/stop.
The 16 Step CV Sequencer comes in a tough, raw aluminum case and is powered by a 9V battery (included) or any 9V center-negative DC adapter. You don’t have to send notes of course, CV may be sent to filters, LFOs, and other devices which receive CV for rhythmic modular madness devoid of melody!
See the Handmade Electronic Instruments store for more useful musical gadgets and have a look at the video below to see it in action:
STEM education covers science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. Not only are these all useful disciplines, but they are also the tools any growing maker needs to hone their skills. One of the best ways to absorb this kind of education is to participate in hands-on projects.
The mBot Ranger Robot Kit offers a three-in-one STEM educational project. It has three building forms: a robot tank, a three-wheel racing car, and a self-balance car transformation. The tank can tackle a wide range of terrain with ease, while the racing car moves fast, and the self-balancing car remains level while also leaning at an angle during turns.
The project is powered by the Latest Me Auriga mainboard, which is based on the open-source Arduino Mega 2560. It has 5 on-board sensors, and 10 extension ports for adding additional functions.
The mBot Ranger is also compatible with mBlock, which is a graphical programming environment based on Scratch 2.0 open-source code. This interface makes programming simple and understandable through the use of drag-and-drop function blocks.
The Makeblock HD app lets you do your programming on tablets or an iPad as well. It also enables you to control the mBot Ranger wirelessly. The modules in the kit are also equipped with RJ25 ports for simple and easy wiring.
With access to 16 free online courses, and over 400 parts in the Makeblock platform, this is one STEM project that will keep you busy for quite a while.
If you’re working with modern electronics, odds are you’re going to be dealing with surface mount components. This is all well and good, but who has the space or the funds for a reflow oven? Thankfully, someone has finally decided to fix this problem.
ReflowR is a small, affordable, and convenient desktop reflow tool. The creator came up with the idea after dealing with a lot of different SMT prototypes and productions. This is also the second version of the tool, improved in several ways thanks to feedback from buyers.
The new version has an LCD display, and the top plate is coated with a high-temperature coating for better resistance. The specialized, custom-wound heater element and aluminum plate beneath spreads the heat evenly across the entire PCB.
Since this is designed specifically for PCBs, it offers a lot less room for error than your average IR oven, or a toaster oven. It also features eight profiles ranging from Reflow to Rework, and MSD bake.
For many, Cyber Monday is the online version of Black Friday. If you’re adverse to the crowds and long lines of brick and mortar stores, then this holiday is for you. What started as a way to encourage people to shop online more often has become its own celebration of deals in tech!
Tindarians are bringing out some of their best deals for Cyber Monday, so let’s dive in!
Cyber Monday is your last chance to take advantage of discounts on the latest in tech for citizen science, development boards, maker kits, synths, and wholly unique PCBs. Here are some of our top picks:
The uRADMonitor A3 Air Quality Monitor (Romania), often featured on Hackaday, gives one of the biggest savings today. Get $75 off the complete kit.
ULP Weather Logger is a compact WiFi IoT device from iohippo (Turkey) with 4 environmental sensors. Get 33% off today.
Build your own Arduino based MIDI device with Kilomux MIDI (Argentina) and beautiful artist decorated potentiometers, faders, and tactile button add-ons. Get 15% off now.
If tracking vessels is your thing, the daisyAIS (USA) is an affordable and hackable option, especially with 15% off.
You can still get $5 off the all-in-one oscilloscope, multimeter, and audio capture device known as E.box. Perfect for lab power or smart home power analysis.
As the premier online marketplace for makers, we love Cyber Monday. Grab these deals before they’re gone for good!
Electronics and technology are such a huge part of our lives, but there are plenty of people out there who have no idea they work. If you handed them some components, a PCB, and a soldering iron and told them to build something, you’ll be met with a blank stare. Let’s try to change that!
More people need to become hackers and makers. Not only is it a great hobby, but it’s extremely useful too. For the people in your life who have yet to join the cause, there’s the HIDIOT Gift Pack.
This pocket-sized electronics board is designed for absolute beginners and helps them build their own small computer from the components up while also learning all about how it works. The seller also includes detailed documentation that assumes no prior experience, but offers a lot of educational value.
Once it’s built, there are sample projects to try out so you can expand upon its usefulness. The concept was inspired by a maker named Steve who built a lot of Arduino projects and found that going from breadboards to PCBs was a big leap.
He wanted to help people go from one to the other without the need for CAD tools or custom PCBs. His grandmother at the time was fighting cancer, so he used to talk to her about the project and use it as a way to keep her focused on the future. There’s even a dedication to her on the back of the board.
The backbone of our modern economy is built on small businesses. Each year, since 2010, Small Business Saturday puts the focus on the ones who are pushing the envelope forward. These are the companies that bring new ideas to the table and keep the spirit of entrepreneurship alive.
Tindie supports tech and hardware projects both large and small by giving makers the opportunity to open their own small businesses online in our diverse marketplace which now covers over 150 countries.
Our fellow Tindarians inspire us each and every day with their unique creations, problem-solving skills, and seemingly infinite creativity. This Small Business Saturday, we want to show our support for the people who make this marketplace possible.
Many of the products and small businesses seen on Tindie stem from the work of passionate hardware enthusiasts who started to solve a problem faced in their community or to help others learn new skills. Many Tindarians give back by open sourcing their designs and actively participate in local hackerspaces and sharing their knowledge with folk at Hackaday.io, Hackster.io, OSH Park, Instructables, Thingiverse, Kit Space and hundreds of niche groups and forums.
Although this weekend you may be looking for deals, remember that many creators make for love of exploring new technologies or skills, and sell to help keep their crafts sustainable. Not all have the margins to offer deep discounts during sale periods and may have only produced a few rare pieces that they offer at a more than fair price.
You’ll be hard-pressed to find as many other small-batch electronics innovators anywhere else on the web than on Tindie. We can’t mention them all in the post, but we’d like to highlight these for their outstanding products, service and the great reviews given by their customers:
Phoenix CNC (Bulgaria): Builder of the best Atmega328 based micro OLEDiUNO PCB
ClosedCube (UK): Exceptional sensors and breakout boards at very reasonable prices
Fyber Labs (USA): Creator of dozens of Flex Modules for wearable electronics projects
Electronut Labs (India): Pogo pins and other hardware tools for debugging
However, Black Friday is in the rearview mirror, and Cyber Monday is fast approaching so here are a few top pick deals from small businesses this weekend:
RFC2795 Ltd (UK): Get 16.98% off everything in the RC2014 8-Bit computer range
It’s Thanksgiving week in the United States, and that can only mean two things: lots of food, and plenty of amazing deals! Black Friday upon us, and the deals are pouring in!
If this is your first time shopping on Tindie, or you’re curious about what kind of products you’ll find in our maker-powered marketplace, then look no further.
Tindie is a marketplace by makers and for makers. Each and every day, new products appear across a huge variety of categories. Whether you’re looking for a unique gift, a retro gaming kit, a development board, or something completely different, odds are that a Tindarian has several of them for sale.
Ready to find the inspiration for your next masterpiece? Here are some highlights to get those creative thoughts flowing:
Thinking of building your first 8bit computer over the holidays? Order the OMEN Alpha (Czechia) and get $10 off a great retro-inspired kit that uses the 8085 CPU
Interested by Google’s NSynth Super? Squaro Engineering (USA) has a semi-assembled version for you to build out and generate new sounds using Open Source Machine Learning. $10 off today!
If you’re looking for a low-power LoRaWAN enabled asset location tracker and don’t mind a couple of cosmetic scratches Tlera Corp (USA) is offering $20 off Cricket
Need a little blinky for the festive season or as a gift? Get $5 off LED earrings from California STEAM
Find the tools you need and the kits you want for great prices on Black Friday. From everyone here at Tindie, we wish you a safe and happy holiday season!
Perhaps the first question that comes to mind when you’re looking at a portable device is the battery life. Whether it’s a game system, a smartphone, or something else entirely, its usefulness is tied directly to the battery life.
With the GBA Reg & Charge, you can upgrade your Game Boy Color or Game Boy Advance to support a LiPo battery. It features greater than 90% efficiency, charge & play, and even uses the red LED indicator when the battery is low.
When using a Turnigy 2000mAh battery, the battery life lasts between 20 and 24 hours per charge. This is based on a 32-pin backlit GBA running a standard Game Boy cartridge. Since this is a DIY part, you’ll need to solder the battery leads to the board, and the wires from the board to the Game Boy to power it. You’ll also need so solder another connection to a capacitor on the board.
Double-sided tape works well for sticking the board to the battery so it doesn’t slide around while you’re on the go. The product page also offers a How to Install guide for assistance with this process.
Each unit is assembled and tested before shipping. While this newer battery life is comparable to the life you would receive from AA batteries, the inclusion of a rechargeable battery alone makes this a nice upgrade.
Four other winners also took home cash prizes. In total, over $200,000 has been distributed as part of this year’s proceedings. Let’s look back on the incredible year that has led to this ultimate victory for our top five winners.
The Path to Victory: Five Rounds and 100 Finalists
To recap, The 2018 Hackaday Prize was centered around the theme “Build Hope.” There were five rounds throughout the year that generated the finalists who would take home the top five spots:
Twenty entries from each of these five rounds advanced, so we had 100 finalists. Our panel of esteemed judges took this list down to what would ultimately be the top 5 winners. Let’s take a deeper look into the projects that won.
Five Winners Emerge Victorious!
During the Hackaday Superconference, the packed auditorium at LACM eagerly watched as Majenta Strongheart and Steven Tranovich announced the winners of The Hackaday Prize. Standing in the audience, the atmosphere in the room was positively electric.
After an epic drum solo from Tesla himself, the presentation began.
A combination of highly precise movements, and a trainable solution that can play back motions, rolled into an Open Source design makes this an affordable and approachable solution for makers.
Second Place: Hacking Wearables For Mental Health
This project took a clever approach to building wearables that circumvents costs associated with such devices. By utilizing established products, the creator could focus on customizing both the hardware and software.
This pursuit transformed the devices into wearables that possessed sensor suites ideal for mental health research. For example, it can help patients with compulsive behaviors recognize them and change over time.
Third Place: Portal Point Generator
This project takes the concept of DC motor generators to the next level by providing instructions for how to build the generator in efficient ways.
A winding jig is used to make the coils which sit inside of a 3D-printed housing. Permanent magnets round out the rest of the generator, and while this image showed the device’s wiund-power test in Antarctica, it can also generate power in other ways using things like water wheels.
Fourth Place: Emotiglass
While augmented reality is typically associated with changing or adding computer generated images to the world around you, Emotiglass does the exact opposite.
This technology, dubbed by the creators as the first “Modulated-Emotion Reality” device, explores ways to block or otherwise mask elements of your vision that cause stress or anxiety. The therapeutic applications of this device alone make it an exciting prospect in the continued battle for mental health solutions.
Fifth Place: PR-Holonet
PR-Holonet, was born from the need to communicate after a natural disaster. When infrastructure is down, PR-Holonet is here to save the day with a deployable system that is made from readily available electronics.
It is possible to build and deploy this device without any specialized training. Once active, it provides local devices using WiFi can send text-based messages via satellite to one another, effectively restoring some semblance of communication in any scenario.
What Will You Create Next Year?
The Hackaday Prize 2018 may be over, but it will return next year with a new theme, a new focus, and a new opportunity for members of both the Tindie and Hackaday communities to participate.
Thank you to all the Tindarians who submitted projects!
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Grand Prize Winner: Dexter
