maker community

Several independent projects have discovered that ESP32 microcontrollers, one of the world's most common Wi-Fi and Bluetooth chips, contain undocumented software-defined radio capabilities. Hobbyists are now using the cheap hardware to receive radio signals well beyond its intended functions, drawing attention from the maker and radio communities.

A developer has released an open-source tool that uses AI to generate Lego-style models, shared on GitHub as ldraw-nova. The project lets users create building instructions or designs automatically using the LDraw format, and it is drawing attention and debate among tech enthusiasts interested in AI-powered creative tools.

CHOMPI, a compact portable sampler instrument popular with hobbyist musicians, has released both its hardware and software as open-source. The move means anyone can study, modify, or build their own versions of the device. Makers and electronic music communities are welcoming the decision, which could spark new community-made modifications and DIY builds.

The makers behind Wicked Makers have built a Five Nights at Freddy's-style animatronic for use in an actual haunted house attraction, documenting the build from design to movement. The project blends game-inspired horror aesthetics with practical robotics, and is drawing major attention from fans of the game series, haunted attraction operators and hobbyist builders alike.

An open-source desktop companion robot called JBR-001 has been released, built around the Arduino Uno Q and fully 3D printable. The project, shared on Arduino's Project Hub by the maker behind Synthetic AI Data, lets anyone print, assemble and customise their own small desktop robot. It is drawing attention in the maker community as an accessible entry point into hobby robotics.

Hackaday highlights how LineageOS, the open-source Android distribution, is being used to extend the life of old phones and to power DIY smart TV projects. The piece frames it as a practical option for makers who want to repurpose ageing hardware without vendor software restrictions, a familiar theme among open-source and hobbyist communities.

A developer has published a DIY project that turns an iPhone and a $20 smart plug into an f-stop timer for photographic darkroom enlargers, with instructions available on his website. The hack replaces dedicated darkroom timer hardware with an app-controlled smart plug, and the project is drawing discussion among tech and photography hobbyists on Hacker News.

A visitor spent a relaxed Sunday at Prishtina Hackerspace in Kosovo doing informal tinkering, with some soldering and open-source robot assembly. The person shared the experience with FLOSSK, the Kosovo free and open source software community behind the space, and said they hope to return for more sessions soon.

A developer known as M-Abozaid has released an open-source project that turns a $2 ESP32-C3 microcontroller, which lacks PSRAM, into a Pi-hole-class DNS ad blocker. The software stores 537,000 blocked domains as compact 40-bit FNV-1a hashes in flash memory and searches them with binary search, running a UDP DNS sinkhole alongside a web dashboard. Enthusiasts are discussing the efficient use of minimal hardware for whole-network ad blocking.

A video game development expo is returning to Albany, bringing together developers, studios and fans for the regional event. Organisers say the comeback gives local game makers a venue to showcase projects and network with industry professionals. The return is being welcomed by the area's growing games community, though details on dates, venue and featured exhibitors have not yet been announced.

A developer has shared a project that turns an iPhone and a $20 smart plug into an f-stop timer for photographic darkroom printing. The setup, described on the project's website, uses the phone to control exposure timing through the smart plug, replacing dedicated darkroom equipment with cheap consumer hardware. It is being discussed on Hacker News under the Show HN format, where makers share self-built projects for feedback and interest.

The FREE-WILi project has released version 2, an open-source handheld device designed to work as a compact 'pocket lab' for embedded systems development. The updated hardware combines a display, battery, wireless connectivity and multiple interfaces in a small form factor, letting engineers test and interact with electronics projects on the go, and is drawing attention in the maker and embedded development community.

A DIY CNC build called PrintNC, a steel-frame metal cutter running LinuxCNC controller software, is drawing a large audience with demonstrations of aluminium milling on a homemade machine. The project shows hobbyists can cut and mill metal at home without commercial equipment. Viewers are discussing the build's affordability and its potential for home workshops and small-scale fabrication.

A maker has built a radio-controlled jet aircraft almost entirely from 3D-printed parts, fitted with a real turbine engine capable of transonic speeds. Building any flying machine from scratch is ambitious, and the combination of printed airframe and hot jet power raises questions about durability at high speed. Aviation and DIY engineering communities are discussing the design challenges involved.