Samwise Makers' News
Wednesday, August 12, 2026
PewCB One Brings 1064 nm Laser PCB Fabrication to the Desktop for $5,000
Desktop PCB fabrication just got serious. The PewCB One uses a 1064 nm, 20-watt laser at a 35 μm spot size to ablate copper from double-sided ceramic-backed PCB blanks — right on your workbench. The system handles QFN pads at 0.35 mm pitch and 0201 passives, enabling genuine SMD prototype boards at home through a five-step workflow requiring no chemistry or darkroom. Early-bird pricing is $5,000 including 20 PCB blanks, with production shipping set for September 1st. For hardware labs and serious home fabricators, this is a compelling alternative to outsourced PCB prototype runs.
Sources: CNX Software
NXP FRDM-IMX95-PRO Debuts i.MX 95 in Compact 19 mm Package With 10GbE and 8 eTOPS NPU
NXP’s FRDM-IMX95-PRO is the first development board to feature the i.MX 95 SoC in its compact 19×19 mm package. The board packs serious capability for edge AI: six Cortex-A55 cores running up to 2.0 GHz, dedicated Cortex-M7 and M33 real-time processors, an 8 eTOPS NPU, and 16 GB of LPDDR5-6400 RAM with 32 GB eMMC. Connectivity covers 10-Gigabit Ethernet, Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.4, 802.15.4 wireless mesh, and dual M.2 Key-M expansion slots. Priced at $300 and currently showing “Pending Stock,” it’s a board for developers targeting industrial edge AI or advanced embedded Linux applications.
Sources: CNX Software
Makerfabs Nomad Terminal: ESP32-S3 Plus Multi-Band LoRa for Off-Grid Messaging and GNSS
Makerfabs’ Nomad Terminal is a handheld off-grid communication platform built around an ESP32-S3 and a Semtech LR1121 multi-band LoRa transceiver covering 150–960 MHz and 2.4 GHz, offering 8–10 km range in open terrain and 2–3 km in urban areas. An ATGM336H GNSS module covers GPS, BDS, GLONASS, and Galileo. Hardware also includes a 3.5-inch 480×320 touchscreen, a 9-axis IMU, and a 5,000 mAh battery promising weeks of standby use. Sample firmware supports LoRa Chat, GPS tracking, and remote sensor monitoring, with potential for Meshtastic or MeshCore. Available now for $59.80.
Sources: CNX Software
Which 3D Filament Burns Least? Maker’s Muse Tests Six Materials With Direct Flame
Which 3D printing filament is safest if your project catches fire? Maker’s Muse tested PLA, PETG, ABS, ASA, TPU, and PEBA with direct flame. PETG and standard TPU proved the least flammable, while ABS, ASA, and foam-core TPU burned most aggressively. HTPLA (high-temperature PLA) self-extinguished once the flame was removed. Even the Prussian Galaxy Black PLA required a blowtorch to ignite — though once alight, it burned hot. PLA+ produced a dirty yellow flame throughout. The results are useful for anyone designing enclosures near heat sources, confirming that material choice carries real-world safety implications beyond print quality alone.
DOOM Runs on a 104-in-1 Handheld, Revealing a Hidden ARM Cortex-M33 Inside
Aaron Christophel picked up a dirt-cheap 104-in-1 handheld from a discount Action store and did what any self-respecting hacker would do: ripped it apart and got DOOM running on it. The device sports an unmarked ARM Cortex-M33 (STAR-MC1, ARMv8-M) MCU in a QFN48 package running at just 62 MHz — well below the chip’s rated 194 MHz — paired with a 320×240 display and only 4 MB of flash storage. The audio circuit is quirky: a DMA-fed DAC is present but produces no usable sound output. Christophel’s thorough reverse-engineering work opens the door for broader homebrew development on this ultra-affordable hardware platform.
Titanic-Style Ship’s Telegraphs Keep a Long-Distance Relationship in Sync via ESP32
A long-distance relationship gets a steampunk upgrade with this build: a pair of wireless ship’s telegraphs — the kind made famous aboard the Titanic — that synchronize in real time across any distance. The creator used gimbal motors with embedded rotation sensors so the wheel locks into satisfying mechanical detents at each position. Two ESP32-S3 modules handle wireless synchronization, so turning the dial on one unit immediately moves the other. A bell completes the period-accurate experience. It’s a beautifully crafted physical communication device that proves long-distance connections don’t always have to live on a screen.
Dead Makita Battery Revived With a 20-Cent Thermistor After PocketOBI Diagnosis
That dead Makita power tool battery you’re about to discard might need only a 20-cent fix. A Hackaday contributor diagnosed a completely dead Makita pack using the PocketOBI diagnostic tool, which revealed the culprit immediately: one thermistor was reporting a false reading of −30°C while the other correctly showed 28°C ambient temperature. The battery management system refused any charging with such a discrepancy. Swapping the faulty thermistor — a common, cheap component — restored the pack to full operation. It’s a strong right-to-repair case study showing how intelligent diagnostics can save perfectly repairable hardware from landfill.
os8088: A Single-Floppy, Mac-Style GUI OS That Could Have Run on Your 1984 IBM PC
What if the IBM PC had shipped with a Mac-like graphical OS in 1984? That’s the intriguing premise behind os8088 — a fully functional windowed operating system for 8088-era IBM PCs that fits on a single floppy disk. The project supports preemptive multitasking and loadable software, with a second floppy carrying a complete suite of applications including games, graphics tools, and tech demos. It’s an impressive retrocomputing what-if: showing how much capability could have been squeezed from the original PC architecture had the software ecosystem taken a different turn before MS-DOS became the default standard for personal computing.
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Curated by JD · samwise.agency
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