CircuitPython 10.2.1 Released!

From the GitHub release page:

This is CircuitPython 10.2.1, a bugfix revision of CircuitPython, and is a new stable release.

Highlights of this release

• Fix crashes on certain boards with integral displays.
• Adafruit MagTag 2025: improve display quality and support new display variant.

Download from circuitpython.org

Firmware downloads are available from the downloads page on circuitpython.org. The site makes it easy to select the correct file and language for your board.

Installation

To install follow the instructions in the Welcome to CircuitPython! guide. To install the latest libraries, see this page in that guide.

Try code.circuitpython.org or the latest version of the Mu editor for creating and editing your CircuitPython programs and for easy access to the CircuitPython serial connection (the REPL).

Documentation

Documentation is available in readthedocs.io.

Port status

CircuitPython has a number of “ports” that are the core implementations for different microcontroller families. Stability varies on a per-port basis. As of this release, these ports are consider stable (but see Known Issues below):

• atmel-samd: Microchip SAMD21, SAMx5x
• cxd56: Sony Spresense
• espressif: Espressif ESP32, ESP32-C2, ESP32-C3, ESP32-C6, ESP32-C61, ESP32-H2, ESP32-S2, ESP32-S3
• nordic: Nordic nRF52840, nRF52833
• raspberrypi: Raspberry Pi RP2040, RP2350
• stm: ST STM32F4 chip family

These ports are considered alpha and will have bugs and missing functionality:

• analog: Analog Devices MAX32690
• broadcom: Raspberry Pi boards such as RPi 4, RPi Zero 2W
• espressif: , ESP32-P4
• litex: fomu
• mimxrt10xx: NXP i.MX RT10xxx
• renode: hardware simulator
• silabs: Silicon Labs MG24 family
• stm: ST non-STM32F4 chip families
• zephyr: multiplatform RTOS, running on multiple chip families

Changes since 10.2.0

Fixes and enhancements

• Update frozen modules. #11001. Thanks @dhalbert.
• Fix crashes on boards with FourWire displays with no reset pin. #10995. Thanks @dhalbert.

Port and board-specific changes

Analog Devices

Broadcom

Espressif

i.MX

Nordic

renode

RP2

SAMx

SiLabs

Spresense

STM

Zephyr

Individual boards

• Adafruit MagTag 2025: improve display quality, support new display variant. #11002, #11000,. Thanks @mikeysklar.

Documentation changes

Build and infrastructure changes

Translation additions and improvements

New boards

• NHB Systems JL401-S3. #10977. Thanks @NHBSystems.

Known issues

• ESP32-C6 has problems.
• The CIRCUITPY drive is not working on at least some STM32 boards.
• Native-code .mpy files are not working. This capability is currently enabled only on the winterbloom_sol board.
• See https://ift.tt/ow4L1zM for other issues, including issues still to be addressed for:
  • 10.2.x
  • 10.x.x
  • 11.0.0
  • long term

Thanks

Thank you to all who used, tested, and contributed toward this release, including the contributors above, and many others on GitHub and Discord. Join us on the Discord chat to collaborate.

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The summary of the MIT working group on generative AI and the work of the future

To conclude MIT’s working group on generative AI and the work of the future, the group has released a paper summarizing the findings from three years of research on companies’ experiments with generative AI.

Across the applications of generative AI addressing these challenges, there has been a shift in the core tasks that professional and technical workers are being asked to perform. Where generative AI tools are being deployed, workers are increasingly asked to perform supervisory control tasks as the “human in the loop” overseeing and analyzing a process rather than executing the process manually.

We draw six lessons for how to capture the benefits of these technologies:

• Minimize drudgery
• Promote learning
• Preserve teamwork
• Interface design
• Domain expertise
• Accountability

Here is the executive summary and here is the full paper.

Via BlueSky

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Shy Society – a monumental kinetic light installation in Venice #ArtTuesday

Shy Society is a kinetic installation by Studio Drift that transforms Venice’s Palazzo Balbi into a “breathing” building.

The Concept: It mimics nyctinasty—the natural process where flowers close at night. The robotic textile blooms descend and unfurl, then retract and close in a synchronized dance.

The Vibe: The movement is timed to a human resting heartbeat, designed to create a sense of calm and connection for people watching from the Grand Canal.

The Tech: Unlike their indoor works, these “blooms” use a specialized knitted nylon to withstand Venice’s wind and rain while maintaining a delicate, silk-like appearance.

Essentially, it’s a high-tech way to make rigid historic architecture feel soft, living, and responsive to nature.

See the video below and on Instagram. And read more from the studio.

 

 

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NEW GUIDE ALERT: PICO-8 Fruit Jam Reality Console #Gaming #AdafruitLearningSystem @Adafruit

 

New Guide: PICO-8 Fruit Jam Reality Console

PICO-8 is a delightful “fantasy console” by Lexaloffle that simulates an imaginary retro system that never existed. It is intentionally constrained to 128×128 pixels with 16 colors, 4-channel chiptune audio, 8KB RAM, 32KB storage per ‘cartridge’, and a Lua-based programming language.

You can run wili8jam on Fruit Jam for a lovely, tiny computing/gaming experience. This port, by freewili, puts PICO-8 cartridge running, code editing, and a REPL right on your Fruit Jam, just add monitor, keyboard, and gamepad.

Read more at PICO-8 Fruit Jam Reality Console

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Setting up an LLM model on your own computer #AdafruitPlayground #FeaturedNote @Adafruit

Many of us have been there: working with Claude, ChatGPT, Copilot, etc. and BOOM, the token allowance runs out and you have to wait a few hours for it to reset. All you want to do is finish your project.

Well, you are on your personal computer which can compute things. Perhaps your machine can even play some fairly recent games? If so, you have free compute right at your fingertips.

– This guide walks readers through running a local LLM on a personal computer, covering how to assess your hardware, pick compatible models (using canirun.ai), install a model interface like LM Studio, and tune settings (context length, GPU offload, CPU threads) for best performance.
– It also explains choosing models by capability and license, how to download and run models in LM Studio, and how to add tool plugins (e.g., Beledarian tools) to enable the model to interact with local files and the web.

Read more at Setting Up a LLM Model on Your Own Computer

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Adafruit Playground is a wonderful place to share what you find interesting. Have a cool project you are working on? Have a bit of code that you think others will find useful? Want to show off your electronics workbench? You have come to the right place.

Adafruit Playground is a safe place to share with the wonderful Adafruit community of makers and doers. Click here to learn more about Adafruit Playground and how to get started.

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Queen of Nuclear Research: Chien-Shiung Wu

Today we look at Chinese American Physicist Chien-Shiung Wu

The Wu experiment surprised the physics community by showing that parity was not conserved at the nuclear level; symmetry was not maintained and nature did distinguish between left and right. Chien-Shiung Wu also worked on the Manhattan Project and helped develop foundational methods for separating uranium isotopes.

She acquired many praising monikers through her career “First Lady of Physics,” Queen of Nuclear Research,” and in the recent children’s book “Queen of Physics”

Explore more with your kids:

Queen of Physics: How Wu Chien Shiung Helped Unlock the Secrets of the Atom Written by Teresa Robeson, Illustrated by Rebecca Huang

When Wu Chien Shiung was born in China 100 years ago, most girls did not attend school; no one considered them as smart as boys. But her parents felt differently. Giving her a name meaning “Courageous Hero,” they encouraged her love of learning and science. This engaging biography follows Wu Chien Shiung as she battles sexism and racism to become what

See more and pick up a copy today!

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What Causes of Lightening?

In 1752, Benjamin Franklin conducted his famous kite experiment, as depicted in this c. 1816 painting by Benjamin West. This experiment established the connection between lightning and electricity. Public Domain. via Quanta Magazine

Quanta Magazine explores the causes of lightning and why they’re so mysterious to begin with.

Thunderstorms have captivated humanity for millennia, and yet their inner workings remain deeply mysterious. Storm clouds are opaque. They’re dangerous to approach. And they’re too big to fit in a lab. Inquisitive researchers have been sending kites, balloons, and rockets up into them for nearly three centuries, and they’ve learned a lot. But every time lightning lovers get closer to the action, they discover major gaps in their understanding. For the past 50 years, researchers have focused on one particular gap: How does the jagged channel of white-hot air we call a lightning bolt get started?

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