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(PANCREAS (2012) by Thomas Feuerstein, glass, metal, plastic, technical equipment, brain cells, bacteria.)
Thomas Feuerstein make art out of the biological processes. Here’s more from Art the Science:
I am interested in making social, digital, and biological processes speak on various levels in my work. Artwork operates not only metaphorically on the symbolic level of signs, images, and significations, but also on a material and molecular level…. For example, I have been cultivating green algae for over twenty years. These organisms bind carbon dioxide and produce ingredients that form the basis for food, energy, or material resources. For me, these small plant cells act as a narrative knot that connects to the big problems of the present – climate, food, scarcity of resources. From these cultures, I have harvested pigments for paintings, sugars for fruit fly cultures, an alcoholic drink, and ingredients for a new molecule. A team of microbiologists is developing a bioplastic from this for a new project.
Come on by for JP’s Product Pick of The Week ! A new product pick will be revealed. The show airs at 4pm ET / 1pm PT, TODAY!
Check out the livestream right here inside this product page you won’t want to miss it because there will be a HUGE DISCOUNT during the show!
Tune in for:
The live video will also be on YouTube LIVE, Twitch, Periscope (Twitter) and Facebook. LIVE TEXT CHAT IS HERE in the Adafruit Discord chat! Come on into the chat to participate in the conversation!!
Every Tuesday @ 4pm ET/1pm PT!
It’s that time of year! Adafruit has determined that August 16, 2024 is the snakiest day of the year and designated it CircuitPython Day!
Adafruit will have special shows and more! Stay tuned for details.
Working with CircuitPython? Tag your projects #CircuitPythonDay2024 on social media and Adafruit will look to highlight them.
Do you have events you’d like folks to attend or have projects in the works? Also tag your events #CircuitPythonDay2024
Details will be posted on the Adafruit Blog and social media channels. Save the date!
NASA’s Curiosity Rover cracked a rock below to reveal yellow crystals of sulfur in its pure elemental form.
Since October 2022, Curiosity has been off-roading in a “sulfate-bearing unit” of the Red Planet on a Denali-sized peak called Mount Sharp. There, the rover has discovered minerals that contain sulfur mixed with other elements—such as magnesium sulfate and calcium sulfate. These salts, which form as water evaporates, might reveal more about the presence—and disappearance—of bodies of water on Mars billions of years ago.
This is a re-do of a video Jeff made previously but now with the Pi 5. The Pi 5 is a capable, and versatile, replacement for stream-boxes like the Apple TV.
If you want a TV box that’s more flexible than Apple TV, Nvidia SHIELD, Roku Ultra, or any of the regular Android-based TV set-top boxes, this Pi build’s for you!
I built a Raspberry Pi 5 media center using LibreELEC and Kodi, and I’ll show you how you can do it, too. It’s good enough for almost any modern content, up to 4K60, but there are a few caveats.
See more and check out his blog post: Can the Raspberry Pi 5 handle 4K?
Each Friday is PiDay here at Adafruit! Be sure to check out our posts, tutorials and new Raspberry Pi related products. Adafruit has the largest and best selection of Raspberry Pi accessories and all the code & tutorials to get you up and running in no time!
This weekend is SDCC 2024! If you’re not sure on what to wear, we have some inspo!
Create custom pixel graphics for your LED Glasses and show off your style. These attention-getting glasses are so much fun to customize and to wear. The build is super easy – just plug the controller board into the glasses, attach the frames, and you’re ready to upload your custom eye graphics.
This tutorial will show how to create simple animated pixel art icons (sprites) and upload them to your glasses. This is a great project for kids or folks who are interested in learning to code. We’ve done most of the heavy lifting, so you can do the fun part: making those glasses your own.
Check out the full guide for this project and much more in the Adafruit Learn System!
Every Wednesday is Wearable Wednesday here at Adafruit! We’re bringing you the blinkiest, most fashionable, innovative, and useful wearables from around the web and in our own original projects featuring our wearable Arduino-compatible platform, FLORA. Be sure to post up your wearables projects in the forums or send us a link and you might be featured here on Wearable Wednesday!
The history of Hip-Hop has been in the limelight since its 50th anniversary last year. So it’s only right to see statues, museum exhibits, and more honor the legends of arguably one of the most influential genres in history.
WBLS shares the details and inspiration behind the new statue unveiled in Harlem in honor of DJ Red Alert.
On Friday, July 19, Kool DJ Red Alert is being honored with a statue in Harlem to commemorate his 40 years in radio. The statue, which will live in Montefiore Square, was designed by artist Sherwin Banfield, who has also crafted commemorative pieces for the late Christopher “The Notorious B.I.G” Wallace, LL Cool J, and more.
Collaborate with a global community at this massive hacakthon. The 2024 NASA Space Apps Challenge takes place October 5-6, 2024 and registration is open:
The NASA International Space Apps Challenge is a hackathon for coders, scientists, designers, storytellers, makers, technologists, and innovators around the world to come together and use open data from NASA and its Space Agency Partners to create solutions to challenges we face on Earth and in space.
To celebrate their 25th anniversary, Space.com is sharing some incredible discoveries in astronomy since 1999. From dwarf galaxies to Upsilon Andromedae A, this list covers the leaps and bounds of exoplanetary research, cosmology, and astrophysics over the past 25 years.
From finding the long-sought “God particle,” gravitational waves and missing neutrinos from the sun to getting the first real clue for elusive dark energy, here’s a look back at the greatest discoveries in astronomy in the past 25 years.
Composting can be a dirty business but is undoubtedly great for the environment. While any composting attempt is better than none, there are better ways to do it.
SciShow has a quick run-down on the chemistry of compost! From setup, active to curing – caring for compost is more like a pet (the microbes!) than a trash heap. You are aiming for a Carbon to Nitrogen ratio of 30:1 with the right mix of ingredients and love.
If you are ready to go beyond chcking food scraps in a pile, check it out.
Throw out all those Mini and Micro B USB cables you have in a plastic bin; the next generation of USB connectors is here with USB C! You will start to see these connectors pop up on all sorts of devices as the industry moves from micro B or lightening to the new standard. Well, at least until the next standard comes out.
This is the vertical version. We also carry a classic ‘horizontal’ USB-C breakout here.
USB C features a symmetric/reversible connector, more data pins, and higher current output capability. But, for most developers, the pin usage you know and love from older USB will work just fine. This breakout gives you all the basics you need and a resistor configuration that mimics classic USB 2.0 for a downstream connection.
The two 5.1K resistors on the CC pins indicate to the upstream port to provide 5V and up to 1.5A (whether the upstream can supply that much current depends on what you’re connecting to.
For most usages, you can connect VBUS to your 5V input, GND to ground, and D+ and D- as you expect. You can monitor the CC and SBU pins to determine cable polarity or send side-band data. Or leave them disconnected.
Since this connector is vertical, we give you two identical breakout strips so it will stand flat on a breadboard, plus four mounting holes in case you want to attach this to an enclosure.
For more details, we like this Introduction to USB C app note.
It was bound to happen but you can’t say we haven’t been warned. Media portrayals of AI in children’s toys rarely ends well.
Poe is a ChatGPT powered teddy bear that tells stories.
Bridget Carey of CNET got to test out Poe with her own children. Learn more about Poe and get some hands on reviews:
After listening to few stories, I could tell sometimes my kids were having a hard time picking up on everything that was happening, but they did want to keep creating stories, eventually treating it like a game to see what they could make the bear say. (And cram everything possible into a story to be silly.)
To me, the stories it generates exist in a literary uncanny valley, with stories taking random turns to fit all the parameters of the prompt. It was sometimes difficult to follow every line of a story when the vocabulary felt out of place for a children’s story, like the ChatGPT AI was overusing a thesaurus.
Hack the original story telling bear Teddy Ruxpin:
John Gallaugher shared this video on Youtube!
Learn to easily make your CircuitPlayground (Express or Bluefruit) louder by clipping a speaker with a standard audio jack to two of the on-board pads.
Part of Prof. John Gallaugher’s CircuitPython School Physical Computing university course: https://bit.ly/circuitpython-tutorials
The 2024 Big Picture winners and finalists have been announced. The categories showcase wildlife, landscapes, aquatic life, and more.
Since its inception in 2014, BigPicture has been recognized as one of the top wildlife and conservation competitions in the world. See for yourself in the inspiring galleries below, showcasing the winners and finalists from each year.
Featured above is the Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve in Michoacán, Mexico. This beautiful photograph was captured by Jaime Rojo, a photographer and National Geographic Explorer:
An awe-inspiring look into a fragile phenomenon: Immense swaths of Monarch butterflies (Danaus plexippus) sleeping, clinging in clusters, no doubt weary after having made the 3,000 mile migration from Canada and United States to Mexico. These monarchs make the reserve their home until Spring, and during their stay, they rest, reproduce, and prepare for the long journey back. During this eight-month cycle, it is estimated that five generations of these beautiful butterflies are born and die. In contrast to the sheer enormity of the Monarchs in this image, in reality, sights like this could potentially become rare in the future. This is entirely because of the realities of climate change, deforestation, and pesticide exposure, including an overall loss of the milkweed plant, the only plant in which the Monarch lays their eggs. However, all is not lost, with many organizations in the United States and Mexico mobilizing to save this incredible migratory effort, with promising numbers leading the International Union for the Conservation of Nature classifying this behavior vulnerable as opposed to endangered.
Check out all the winners of 2024 and even winners of past years.
Shareed by BarbedWire on Printables:
Case for Adafruit 128×64 OLED Bonnet for Raspberry Pi on Pi Zero.
There are versions that use 2.5mm threaded inserts and with modelled threads.
In addition there are models that can attach 12mm x 2mm or smaller magnets so the case can be mounted on magnetically permeable surfaces.
Download the files and learn more
Every Thursday is #3dthursday here at Adafruit! The DIY 3D printing community has passion and dedication for making solid objects from digital models. Recently, we have noticed electronics projects integrated with 3D printed enclosures, brackets, and sculptures, so each Thursday we celebrate and highlight these bold pioneers!
Have you considered building a 3D project around an Arduino or other microcontroller? How about printing a bracket to mount your Raspberry Pi to the back of your HD monitor? And don’t forget the countless LED projects that are possible when you are modeling your projects in 3D!
From the GitHub release page:
This is CircuitPython 9.1.0, the latest minor revision of CircuitPython, and is a new stable release.
WARNING for nRF52 boards only: If your board has an nRF52 UF2 bootloader whose version is before 0.6.1, you will not be able to load CircuitPython 8.2.0 and later, due to increased size of the firmware. See these instructions for updating your bootloader.
floppyio
.settings.toml
must be quoted.I2SOut
supports BLCK
and LRCLK
in either order.audiomp3
.audiomp3
supports streaming from HTTP servers.collections.deque
functionality.keypad_demux.DemuxKeyMatrix
: use multiplexer for one side of a keypad matrix.keypad
.supervisor.Runtime.serial_bytes_available
now returns a count instead of a bool
.floppyio
improvements, including API changes.microcontroller.cpu.frequency
is settable.fourwire.FourWire
: chip_select
pin is now optional.picodvi
now supports 640×240 and 800×240 resolutions._eve
on Espressif boards with more than 4MB flash.ssl
module for anything that provides socket
.SSLSocket
.renode
hardware simulator.settings.toml
must be quoted.max3421e
USB host support.usb_midi
interfaces and jacks.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.
To install follow the instructions in the Welcome to CircuitPython! guide. To install the latest libraries, see this page in that guide.
Try 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 is available in readthedocs.io.
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, SAMx5xcxd56
: Sony Spresenseespressif
: Espressif ESP32, ESP32-S2, ESP32-S3, ESP32-C2, ESP32-C3, ESP32-C6nordic
: Nordic nRF52840, nRF52833raspberrypi
: Raspberry Pi RP2040stm
: ST STM32F4 chip familyThese ports are considered alpha and will have bugs and missing functionality:
broadcom
: Raspberry Pi boards such as RPi 4, RPi Zero 2Wlitex
: fomumimxrt10xx
: NXP i.MX RT10xxxrenode
: hardware simulatorsilabs
: Silicon Labs MG24 familystm
: ST non-STM32F4 chip familiesThis release is a relabeling of 9.1.0-rc.0 and is otherwise identical to that release.
Thank you to all who used, tested, and contributed since 9.1.0-beta.4, including the contributors above, and many others on GitHub and Discord. Join us on the Discord chat to collaborate.
Shreya Tiwari of Johns Hopkins University shares the importance of science being accessible to all. Research and studies featured in online journals and sites dedicated to science are increasingly blocked by paywalls. See the argument of why this should change.
A key part of the problem is that a significant portion of scientific literature, including journals and press releases, is hidden behind steep paywalls. The cost to access these articles can range from hundreds to thousands of dollars, a price that is unaffordable for most individuals. This practice not only limits the dissemination of knowledge but also hampers the public’s trust in science. For many university students, researchers and labs, larger institutions — such as universities and research centers — often bear the cost of these subscriptions, which mitigates part of the problem. However, independent researchers, younger students and the general audience interested in science are left in the dark. Access is limited to those who are part of such affluent institutions.
The latest version of Raspberry Pi Connect expands with support for older Raspberry Pi boards , Via Raspberry pi
A month and a half ago, we launched Raspberry Pi Connect, giving you simple, remote access to your Raspberry Pi straight out of the box, from anywhere in the world. Since then we’ve been listening to your thoughts on what you’d most like to see from the service: today we’re excited to announce the latest beta release, bringing Raspberry Pi Connect to even more devices.
Today’s release includes remote shell access and support for all Raspberry Pi computers, whether they’re running Raspberry Pi OS 32-bit or 64-bit, going all the way back to the 2012 Raspberry Pi 1. This includes Raspberry Pi OS Lite, as well as versions of Raspberry Pi OS with the desktop.
Book Riot shares the authors most often mentioned in crossword puzzles. The full list comes as no surprise and the number one spot is well deserved (in my opinion).
After Wordle took over our screens in 2022, word games continued to climb in popularity. Once seen as a niche hobby, it’s now common to see someone puzzling over a crossword on their phone as a daily activity. Of course, there’s a pretty big overlap between crossword puzzlers and readers: we’re both word people. So it shouldn’t come as a surprise that authors frequently come up as the answers to crossword clues.
If you’ve ever flirted with the idea of getting into metalwork without having to know welding, this fantastic 38-minute video is a must-watch. In it, seasoned maker, YouTuber, and funny man, Wesley Treat, takes you through the essentials of metalworking with aluminum — no welding required.
He starts by poking fun at the competitive nature of welders, then quickly gets into the nitty-gritty of tools and techniques. You’ll learn how to cut aluminum using a variety of tools, from electric shears to jigsaws, each explained with great practical tips along the way. Deburring to remove rough edges and bending methods using everything from hand seamers to full-sized metal bending brakes are covered in detail. Drilling and fastening techniques, including the use of rivets and screws, are also discussed. This ia a surprisingly comprehensive guide to working with aluminum.
Wesley also shares valuable advice on sourcing materials and adding finishing touches to ensure your projects look professional. This vid is packed with insights and practical advice, making it perfect for both beginners and experienced makers looking to expand their skills.
If you’re looking to interface with telco, retro, or industrial equipment, you’ll probably run into RS-232 interfaces. The Adafruit RS232 Pal – Two Channel UART to RS-232 Level Shifters is your friend in such cases, giving you two duplex channels of level shifting and taking care of the high/negative voltage generation, all in a low-cost breakout board. We use the trusty MAX3232E, a classic chip that is part of the MAX232 lineage, so you know it will work great for all your RS-232 needs, up to 250Kbps.
RS-232 is what we had before USB: a 9 or 25-pin D-Sub connector that would allow data plus flow control lines. Many folks may remember these interfaces were used for mice, modems, barcode scanners, tele-types and more. We still find devices sold that have RS-232 ports, although many folks use a USB to RS-232 adapter these days.
If you want to use a microcontroller or microcomputer to chat with a RS-232 then thankfully all you need is a serial port / UART (something just about any microcontroller has) and a level shifter. The level shifter is required because while most UARTs are 0-3.3V or 0-5V logic level, RS-232 requires +-6 to +-10V, yep the signal voltage goes negative! That means a specialized shifter is required to generate extra high and low voltages and safely convert the logic levels.
Sure you could buy a raw MAX232 chip and wire up the necessary capacitors, but this board does it all for you plus it can run on 3.3V power and logic, which many older chips can’t do. It also can do 2 duplex channels, so you can have both RX and TX plus two flow control pins like RTS and CTS.
This breakout comes fully assembled with a UART side for low-voltage power/logic level and an RS-232 side for high-voltage signals, plus the doubled and negative-voltage rails in case you need to reference them. We also include a bit of header so you can solder it to a breadboard in a few minutes.
shiura shared this project on Thingiverse!
The popular Hollow Clock 4 is now thoroughly improved and refined.
Download files: https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:6647784
Every Thursday is #3dthursday here at Adafruit! The DIY 3D printing community has passion and dedication for making solid objects from digital models. Recently, we have noticed electronics projects integrated with 3D printed enclosures, brackets, and sculptures, so each Thursday we celebrate and highlight these bold pioneers!
Have you considered building a 3D project around an Arduino or other microcontroller? How about printing a bracket to mount your Raspberry Pi to the back of your HD monitor? And don’t forget the countless LED projects that are possible when you are modeling your projects in 3D!
Haynay shares:
The base, lid for the bag area, the lid with hinge, both lid files with supports I designed, and a carabiner. I printed every file just fine but I recommend the files with supports.
download the files on: https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:6669864
Every Thursday is #3dthursday here at Adafruit! The DIY 3D printing community has passion and dedication for making solid objects from digital models. Recently, we have noticed electronics projects integrated with 3D printed enclosures, brackets, and sculptures, so each Thursday we celebrate and highlight these bold pioneers!
Have you considered building a 3D project around an Arduino or other microcontroller? How about printing a bracket to mount your Raspberry Pi to the back of your HD monitor? And don’t forget the countless LED projects that are possible when you are modeling your projects in 3D!
LIVE CHAT IS HERE! http://adafru.it/discord
Adafruit on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/adafruit
Shop for parts to build your own DIY projects http://adafru.it/3dprinting
3D Printing Projects Playlist:
3D Hangout Show Playlist:
Layer by Layer CAD Tutorials Playlist:
Timelapse Tuesday Playlist:
Connect with Noe and Pedro on Social Media:
Noe’s Twitter / Instagram: http://instagram.com/ecken
Pedro’s Twitter / Instagram: http://instagram.com/videopixil
Shared by honk3d on Thingiverse:
These mounting parts let you combine a stack of Sequent Micro Systems Home Automation v4.0 units with a Raspberry Pi to a stack. The stack may then be mounted to a DIN rail in your home installation.
Use long screws or threaded rods to screw the individual parts together.
Download the files and learn more
Every Thursday is #3dthursday here at Adafruit! The DIY 3D printing community has passion and dedication for making solid objects from digital models. Recently, we have noticed electronics projects integrated with 3D printed enclosures, brackets, and sculptures, so each Thursday we celebrate and highlight these bold pioneers!
Have you considered building a 3D project around an Arduino or other microcontroller? How about printing a bracket to mount your Raspberry Pi to the back of your HD monitor? And don’t forget the countless LED projects that are possible when you are modeling your projects in 3D!
Any New York Giants fan can tell you how dangerous it is to play with fireworks (yes, I am talking about who you think I’m walking about and he spoke about it too).
Pyrotechnician Patrick Cyrana joins WIRED to answer fireworks questions so you can stay safe tomorrow!
Pyrotechnician Patrick Cyrana joins WIRED to answer your burning questions about fireworks. How are fireworks designed? How do they get their color? What is the most dangerous firework statistically? Who invented fireworks? How do you become a professional pyrotechnician. Patrick answers all of these questions and more—it’s Fireworks Support.
Have a happy 4th!
Maker extraordinaire, Simone Giertz, is back with another great idea. Never leave home without an extra bag. In most places carrying an extra bag is a good idea but if you live in NYC it is pertinent!
Another fun process video showing Simone creating her bag-hat.
Every Wednesday is Wearable Wednesday here at Adafruit! We’re bringing you the blinkiest, most fashionable, innovative, and useful wearables from around the web and in our own original projects featuring our wearable Arduino-compatible platform, FLORA. Be sure to post up your wearables projects in the forums or send us a link and you might be featured here on Wearable Wednesday!
On June 12th, the American Museum of Natural History will be hosting a lecture and block party to celebrate and view Manhattanhenge live. The lecture will be presented at the LeFrak Theater and the block party will have Williamsburg Salsa Orchestra playing the night away.
Join Museum Senior Scientist Jackie Faherty for a 3D presentation about the science and history behind Manhattanhenge, the phenomenon when the setting Sun perfectly aligns with the cross streets of the grid of Manhattan to create a stunning visual spectacle, using the Museum’s powerful OpenSpace visualization software.
It might be set a long time ago in a galaxy far away, but Star Wars’ design aesthetic is heavily influenced by the 1970s. Updating the wardrobe while remaining true to the blueprint is no easy task. Fun interview from No Film School with Jennifer Bryan:
I started my prep in the States and then eventually went over in June, and I had my first big presentation to Kathleen Kennedy. And when I was doing my research, I thought, “Wow, the colors of the Jedi!” I’m a colorist, that’s one of the tools that I rely on heavily when I’m designing regards to what the period is. If I can bring color into it that’s appropriate, I’ll do that.
So I started doing my presentations, and I know the Jedi are already in the iconography of Star Wars, but because the timeline was before, a hundred years, I had a hundred-plus years out. Almost prequel-like. I knew I had some leeway. I took a stab. I thought, “I think the Jedi uniforms and color palette could be a little different, not too far off, but a little different from what we’ve known.”
A cute video of a baby babbling with an accent is making the rounds. The video highlights how vital babbling is. More than just a random assortment of mouth sounds, babbling is a milestone in language developement.
Learn more about the science from the Conversation:
Babies learning English make different babbling sounds to babies learning French, as they tend to mimic the specific speech patterns used by the adult speakers of their language. For instance, English baby babbling contains a lot of syllables that end in consonants (“ack”, “et”, “ug”), whereas French babies will often stretch out the last syllable of their babbled sentences and say it for longer (“oh” → “oooh”).
Children reinforce their knowledge of words over time, gradually making fewer mistakes when they talk and becoming faster and faster at recognising words when they hear them.