Samwise Makers' News
Saturday, August 1, 2026
Turning Glass Into a Touch-Sensitive Button with ITO Coating
Maker Sokol has demonstrated how ITO (Indium Tin Oxide)-coated glass can be used to build a pressure-sensitive button without any specialized touch-controller IC. ITO coatings are transparent and electrically conductive — the glass shown in Sokol’s video measured just over 20 ohms. For a basic capacitive implementation, a single ITO-coated pane is sufficient. For a pressure-sensitive switch, two ITO-coated pieces are placed facing each other with a paper spacer between them; a slight press flexes the glass until the ITO surfaces touch and complete the circuit — closely analogous to how resistive touchscreens work. The technique could be extended to a multi-position DIY touchscreen using conventional firmware.
Sources: Hackaday
Open-Source Drop-In Replacement Motherboard for the Original PlayStation
Developer xyzz has published a CC0-licensed reproduction motherboard for Sony’s original PlayStation, released on GitHub under project name pu-18. Designed as a drop-in replacement for boards damaged by spills, battery corrosion, or general wear, the board requires transplanting all proprietary chips from a donor console — including the CPU, GPU, RAM, VRAM, BIOS, sound processor, mechanical control chip, crystals, and all ports. Some generic passive components may be sourced new, avoiding a full donor strip-down. Current limitations include an imperfect fit with the lid switch connector and some footprints that are difficult to hand-solder, but early testing confirms the board is functional.
Sources: Hackaday
TongDou: An Open-Source ESP32-S3 Desktop Robot with 24 GHz Radar
Builder solitary dev has released design files for TongDou, a small open-source desktop robot described as a “tiny desktop gremlin.” The robot is powered by an ESP32-S3 housed inside a brass tube chassis and uses an OLED display as its face. Locomotion comes from a pair of gearmotors driving two wheels, and a speaker plays pre-recorded voice lines. For awareness, TongDou combines a 24 GHz radar module with an IMU to track its position and surroundings. Files are published on GitHub for makers who want to build their own. The creator’s goal is to give workspaces a sense of life and personality.
Sources: Hackaday
Seeed Studio reTerminal Sticky: A $49.90 ESP32-S3 ePaper Display with Four Open-Source Firmware Options
Seeed Studio has launched the reTerminal Sticky, a 3.97-inch monochrome ePaper display powered by an ESP32-S3R8 microcontroller. The 800×480 touchscreen supports four-level grayscale and packs 8 MB PSRAM, 32 MB flash, and a microSD card slot into a 106×65.5×7.3 mm magnetic form factor. A 750 mAh battery delivers an average seven-day standby. Connectivity is 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi 4 and Bluetooth 5.0 LE. Beyond the default Seeedash app, the Sticky supports four open-source firmware projects: Crosspoint for e-reading, TRMNL for live dashboards, and ESPHome or OpenDisplay for Home Assistant integration. Price is $49.90.
Sources: CNX Software
FriendlyELEC NanoPi R28S: A Compact Dual-GbE Rockchip Router with Wi-Fi 6 and USB-C Console
FriendlyELEC has unveiled the NanoPi R28S, a compact single-board computer and soft-router measuring just 49.5×49.5×24 mm in its metal enclosure. The board is built on the Rockchip RK3528A processor with 1 GB LPDDR4 RAM and offers both a microSD slot and an eMMC module socket for storage flexibility. Wireless connectivity includes Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.3. Dual Gigabit Ethernet ports make it practical for firewalls, IoT gateways, and homelab networking. Most notably, the R28S is the first FriendlyELEC device to feature a USB-C console port, simplifying serial debugging. USB-C also handles power and eMMC firmware flashing. No GPIO header or data USB ports are included.
Sources: CNX Software
Creality Falcon T1 Review: A 5-in-1 Modular Laser Engraver Tested with Fiber and Diode Modules
CNX Software has reviewed the Creality Falcon T1, billed as the world’s first 5-in-1 modular laser engraver. The fully-enclosed machine accepts five interchangeable laser modules — 20 W and 40 W diode, 20 W infrared fiber, 60 W MOPA, and 5 W UV — each swappable tool-free in 15 seconds. The 175×175 mm work area runs at up to 10,000 mm/s, and an integrated HD camera with AI enables material recognition and auto-positioning. The review tested the 20 W fiber and 40 W diode modules across wood, acrylic, anodized aluminum, and stone. The MOPA color-marking module was not yet available at review time. Machine weight is 24.82 kg.
Sources: CNX Software
Open Hardware Summit 2026 Wraps in Berlin with Talks on Open Batteries, DNA Sequencing, and Arduino’s Future
The Open Source Hardware Association’s annual Open Hardware Summit returned to Europe for 2026, held at the Technische Universität Berlin campus during a record-breaking heat wave. The single-track conference featured nearly 14 talks covering topics including standardized Maker Resilience Kits for emergency preparedness, DIY stationary flow batteries, the parallel history of open-source hardware in the knitting machine community, and the future of open hardware now that Qualcomm owns Arduino. A second day of workshops — with up to six simultaneous tracks — included sessions on solar-powered laser projectors, open-source marathon footwear, and CircuitPython wearable PCBs. Videos of all talks are available on OSHWA’s YouTube channel.
Sources: Hackster.io
Hacknect Hides an ESP32-S3 Wireless Automation Platform Inside a USB Cable
Little Gadgets’ Hacknect is a Wi-Fi-enabled automation and HID injection tool disguised as a USB-A cable. Inside the cable body sits an ESP32-S3 microcontroller that connects to a built-in web dashboard accessible from any smartphone, tablet, or laptop — no software installation required. From the dashboard, users can trigger HID keystroke injection, mouse automation, and payload deployment across multiple stored slots. A microSD card slots directly into the USB-A connector, providing onboard storage for scripts and payloads. Additional features include self-destruct for wiping sensitive data and Wi-Fi-triggered automation. The team plans to open-source the firmware. Backers on Kickstarter can reserve a unit for $76, with first shipments expected August 2026.
Sources: Hackster.io
Top Crowdfunding
Kickstarter / Indiegogo
1. Sovol M1D — $2.8M+ raised, Kickstarter
2. Hacknect — $76/unit, Kickstarter, Aug 2026 delivery
3. RootBoard — Open-hardware cyberdeck, Kickstarter
GitHub Trending
Makers & Hardware
1. microsoft/AI-For-Beginners — 1.3k★
2. huggingface/speech-to-speech — 1k★
3. drumih/turbo-fieldfare — 732★
Upcoming Events
Maker Faire Rome 2026 — Oct 23–25, Rome, Italy
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Curated by JD · samwise.agency
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