Tindie

If you need some perspective on the Hackaday Prize, think of it like the academy awards, but for makers. This yearly competition seeks out the best and brightest projects from makers, artists, hackers, engineers, and everyone in between. The goal is simple: build a better future.

The first three rounds of the challenge are done and the finalists for these categories have been selected, but it’s not too late to join in! The Human Computer Interface Challenge just began and runs from July 16th to August 27th.

This round challenges you to create some sort of interface where humans can talk to machines or vice versa. It can be a visual, auditory, haptic, olfactory, or any other form of communication. Your project should show information being passed back and forth, or it should control something.

Don’t forget to inspire other makers to adapt your interface into their projects as well. Now that you’ve got all the details, it’s time to submit your project for a chance to win $1000 and be one of the twenty finalists that move on!

Keep Reading ›

We’ve tried to make a handheld system better than the Game Boy, and we’ve come pretty close, but that design is still the best. The only problem with the original Game Boy was its limitations — mostly imposed by the state of the art at the time. Thankfully, makers like Old School Game are here to save the day.

This custom Game Boy-inspired system is a fully functional retro game console with a 5-inch HDMI LCD, a Raspberry Pi 3 quad-core CPU, 1GB of RAM, and plenty of other exciting features:

• 16 GB Micro SD Card Sandisk
• WiFi and Bluetooth enabled
• ABXY buttons on USB
• Access to both USB and Ethernet
• Micro USB charing
• Rechargeable 4000 mah Li-Ion battery
• Powered by Retropie: Plays NES, SNES, Genesis, Game Boy, Game Gear, Atari, PlayStation, and arcade games

The entire thing is printed in transparent PLA and includes a user guide. It’s a retro gamer’s paradise.

Keep Reading ›

When you think of an instrument, even an electronic one, you are the one in the driver’s seat. You blow a horn, strum a guitar, or press keys on an electric keyboard to generate a wide variety of sounds. The Autophage T4 is different — it plays pleasing tones autonomously with the compositions changing with light conditions and its musical algorithm.

While you could nominally “just let it play”, the video below shows that it can be manipulated to produce different sounds. The audio is quite pleasing and is transmitted to your sound system via a 3.5mm stereo jack. You’ll also need to provide USB power.

While interesting, this is far from the only unique musical device available on Tindie. Be sure to poke around in our sound section to see what kind of interesting gadgets Tindarians have come up with. For a bit more technical info on electronic music, you can also check out the article “Here’s Why MIDI is Magic” by Chris D.

Keep Reading ›

Home security systems can be quite costly, but a lot of interesting DIY systems can get the job done at a much lower cost. If you’re an Android user, odds are you also have an older version of your phone collecting dust in a drawer somewhere and now’s your chance to put that old phone to good use.

The Irdroid Alarm System makes use of an Android app and a magnetic door sensor to give your home an added layer of security with one simple device. The door sensor connects to the phone via the 3.5mm audio jack. The Irdroid Alarm System App (available on Google Play) runs on the phone and once the door opens, the user is notified via email, and the phone also plays a message to scare off intruders: “Security Breach, Police are on their way!”

The entire app is also open source, so you can add your own features or customize it as needed. The setup process takes less than a minute and hardware installation is simple.

Keep Reading ›

LCD screens are a gorgeous way to display HD graphics for your gaming projects, but they can be very fragile. That’s why Tindie seller ken.do created a 3D Printed case for a 7″ LCD touchscreen. This is perfect for Raspberry Pi projects and HDMI gaming systems.

The case is printed in PLA plastic and incorporates a bevel down to your screen to increase the viewable angles and keep shadows to a minimum. The case has access to all ports and a backlight switch on a single side. The outside dimensions are 180mm x 135mm x 21.5mm.

The LCD touchscreen is optional, but it does come on a PCB loaded with everything you need for plug-and-play operation. Raspberry Pi users only need to add 5 lines of code to the config file to get started.

HDMI systems should be able to recognize and use the screen without any additional help. The touch interface and power supply come in USB micro plugs, along with included USB and HDMI cables.

Keep Reading ›

Atari Punk Console is a super tone generator which creates sounds inspired by Atari games from the golden era of home computing! Wiggle the knobs to control the pitch and depth to generate some nifty nineties noise! You can even connect the Atari Punk Console to a sequencer (see the video below) to trigger rhythmic tempo-synced sounds and arpeggios.

Get ready for inspirational lo-fi sounds resembling early chiptune sounds employing an astable square wave oscillator — based on the Stepped Tone Generator by Forest M. Mimms III. Plug in a 9v battery and embark on a time-traveling trip to the leaps, falls, explosions and lazer artillery of classic computer games. Plug in a 3.5mm jack to amplify the sounds on other devices such as an amp, speaker or headphones.

Delivered in kit form, Rakit estimate roughly 30 minutes to construct the synth and comes as an ideal introduction to soldering, with a quick build time and instant sonic results! Extensive instructions are on hand, as well as having the creators on hand to ask if you do get stuck.

Keep Reading ›

Power supplies are the bread and butter of any maker’s project, but they also come in a lot of shapes and sizes based on your needs. In this case, we have a power supply unit for the TP4056 lithium battery charger.

The price includes three PSU4056 units, which have a wide input voltage regulator. They’ll work with an input from 5.5V to 45V. The primary IC XL200131 is designed to work with automotive applications, such as USB car chargers.

If you’re really feeling creative, you can also use it with a solar panel for an eco-friendly project. This power supply is made with the Chinese TP4056 modules in mind and it has a similar footprint. It will fit next to or under them without any issues.

The size is also incredibly small at 17x32x9 mm, with the option to deliver 5V/1A to any device you need.

Keep Reading ›

You haven’t played a flight simulator until you’ve played one with a fully functional joystick. The change in control scheme really makes all the difference for immersion — and some people take this concept very seriously by building control panels that mimic what’s actually in a cockpit. To enable this kind of functionality, you could use a universal USB Joystick Board, like the one from Tindie Seller Provisionell.

This Joystick Board emulates 108 button inputs, which allows you to connect your own hardware switches and buttons for use in any software that supports a joystick input. It works with discrete functions like open or close and generates a HID Joystick Software signal.

You can also design your own hardware with custom buttons or switches as you see fit. While this board does not have analog axis input, this Tindie seller also provides other products to meet that need, and all of their boards can be used simultaneously.

Keep Reading ›

A soldering pen is a crucial tool in any maker’s arsenal. It provides the foundation for projects both large and small. Tindarian vlk sought to create their own with very specific qualities. The result is the RT Soldering pen, which combines an inexpensive design with high-quality features and precise control.

The product is sold in a PCB form, with the option to 3D print your own enclosure if you so choose. It does not include the tip, but it supports all Weller RT tips with 3.5mm jacks. The PCB features a helpful OLED display and supports LiPO batteries 2S and 4S for mobility.

The seller plans to include an option for enclosures if this initial run of the PCB is successful. If you’re in need of a trusty soldering pen, take a look!

Keep Reading ›

Makers should be proud of their work. It takes a lot of time, patience, and skill to create some of the amazing things found on Tindie. To help tell the world that you’re a maker, Nikodem is selling the Maker Badge Kit.

This kit comes with a PCB and almost 100 LEDs that create a sign which proclaims “I Make Stuff.” A project like this is perfect for beginners who are trying to build up their electronics and soldering skills.

Nikodem walks us through the thought process behind this kit on the store page. What began as a 3D printed project soon evolved into something that speaks more to the maker skillset, hence the decision to utilize a PCB and LEDs.

The kit comes with 100 red LEDs, six 10 Ohm resistors, a switch, and a breakaway header. It’s the perfect way to tell the world that you are indeed a maker.

Keep Reading ›