hackaday

Hackaday reports a project in which an AI is used to control an iPhone through an ESP32 microcontroller. Details of how the setup works, who built it and what it can actually do on the phone are not given beyond the headline, so the scope of the hack remains unclear. Makers in the hardware community are sharing the item, with the ESP32's low cost and versatility making it a popular choice for unconventional iPhone automation experiments.

A newly reported archaeological discovery is offering fresh insight into how Neanderthals made and used wooden tools. Hackaday covered the find, highlighting what it reveals about the technical skill of our extinct relatives. Details of the excavation site and artefacts remain limited in the coverage now circulating online.

Engineers have demonstrated an artificial intelligence system controlling an iPhone through an ESP32 microcontroller, according to a report by Hackaday. The setup shows a low-cost chip acting as an interface between AI software and the phone, raising interest among hardware tinkerers and developers about new ways to automate and control mobile devices cheaply.

Hackaday's weekly security roundup reports new Spectre-style CPU attacks, a large batch of Linux vulnerabilities, concerns that Google is prioritizing AI too heavily, and demonstrated hacks of lawnmowers. The roundup is drawing attention among security enthusiasts for tying together hardware, software and consumer-device threats in one week, with the Spectre variant and the volume of Linux flaws the standouts.

Hackaday published its October 11, 2026 links roundup, collecting the day's notable stories from the maker, hardware hacking and science communities. The roundup highlights recent developments including items tagged to Artemis, pointing to renewed attention on NASA's lunar program. Hacker and engineering enthusiasts are sharing the digest as a quick scan of what mattered in open hardware and technology this week.

A project reported by Hackaday shows an AI agent controlling an iPhone not through a jailbreak, but via an ESP32 microcontroller acting as external hardware. Instead of heavy software hacking to gain device access, the setup lets the AI interface with the phone through the physical side. The approach is drawing attention as a novel example of AI agents manipulating smartphones without modifying the operating system.

A new article revisits the Mars Pathfinder mission, examining what actually happened during the 1997 landing and surface operations, including the widely repeated claims about priority inversion and the software reset that saved the mission. Readers interested in space history and embedded systems are discussing the engineering details behind one of NASA's most celebrated successes.

A new report describes progress in building clocks based on thorium, using lasers to drive the nuclear transitions that would make such timekeeping possible. Thorium-based clocks are seen as a potential next step beyond atomic clocks, promising far greater precision. The topic is drawing attention among physics and technology enthusiasts interested in precision measurement and nuclear clock research.

A newly published Hackaday project details a two-component H-pattern gear shifter built for racing simulation setups. The design uses just two components to recreate the gated shifting feel of a manual car, appealing to sim racers who want a realistic shifter without paying for commercial hardware. Maker communities are sharing the build as an affordable DIY alternative for home racing rigs.

A new free cloud-based AI personal agent is being highlighted as an option for users who want assistant-style AI help without handing their data to large, opaque cloud providers. The project, covered by Hackaday, is pitched as a friendlier alternative for people concerned about where their information goes when using AI agents. Discussion so far is limited, but it fits into the wider debate over privacy in AI services.

A unique archaeological discovery is shedding new light on how Neanderthals used wooden tools, according to a report circulating among science and history enthusiasts. Details of the find, including where it was uncovered and what specifically was recovered, remain limited, but the story is drawing attention for what it suggests about Neanderthal technology and craftsmanship.

A newly reported archaeological discovery is offering fresh insight into how Neanderthals used wooden tools, according to coverage circulating among science and archaeology enthusiasts. Wooden artefacts rarely survive over tens of thousands of years, so finds of this kind are unusual and can reshape views of Neanderthal technology and everyday craftsmanship.

Hackaday has published a piece arguing that some of the strangest video games ever made were unauthorised hacks and mods rather than commercial releases. The article recounts how hobbyist tinkering produced odd, experimental games that mainstream studios would never have shipped. The topic is drawing light engagement from gaming and retro computing enthusiasts discussing the creative legacy of game hacking.

Hackaday has published a new do-it-yourself project called the Garlic-Powered Door and Window Sensor, a homemade security sensor aimed at the maker and smart-home community. The write-up falls under the site's maker, IoT and DIY coverage, and hobbyists are sharing it as a quirky example of low-cost, hand-built home automation and security hardware.

Hackaday has published an introduction to the TP223 capacitive touch sensor, arguing that mechanical switches, being prone to failure, look increasingly quaint. The piece notes that people are now accustomed to touch screens on phones and other devices, making touch-based controls a natural choice for hobbyist electronics projects that want to move beyond physical buttons.