Samwise Makers' News
Wednesday, August 26, 2026
Arduino Marks Its 21st Birthday With the $299 Ventuno Q AI Single-Board Computer
Arduino has opened pre-orders for the Ventuno Q, a $299 single-board computer celebrating the company's 21st anniversary—“ventuno” means twenty-one in Italian. The board pairs a Qualcomm Dragonwing IQ-8275 octa-core Edge AI SoC with an STM32H5F5 Arm Cortex-M33 microcontroller for real-time I/O handling, delivering up to 40 dense TOPS via its Hexagon NPU. Specifications include 16GB LPDDR5 RAM, 64GB eMMC storage, an M.2 slot for NVMe drives, 2.5GbE and Wi-Fi 6 networking, a 4K-capable HDMI output, and two USB 3.2 ports. First introduced at Embedded World 2026, the Ventuno Q is the second Qualcomm-based Arduino board following the UNO Q, targeting robotics, physical AI, and advanced maker projects.
Sources: CNX Software
Firehat Brings Native FireWire DV Capture to the Raspberry Pi 5 via an Open-Source HAT
Computer Equipment Group has launched the Firehat on Crowd Supply, an open-source FireWire HAT that adds a native IEEE 1394 / i.LINK / DV port to SBCs equipped with a Raspberry Pi PCIe FFC connector, including the Pi 5 and the Radxa ROCK 2F. Built around a VIA VT6315N controller, the board enables capture of MiniDV, Digital8, DVCAM, DVCPRO, and HDV footage as uncompressed original DV streams, removing the need for legacy computers or discontinued FireWire cards. The 40-pin GPIO header supplies power and drives an OLED, buttons, LEDs, and buzzer, while the PCIe FFC carries FireWire data. Software support includes dvgrab and the open-source Equip-1 recorder interface.
Sources: CNX Software
QuestStack Tool Fully Unlocks the Meta Quest 1 Bootloader With a Single Web Visit
The first-generation Meta Quest VR headset can now run fully unlocked hardware thanks to QuestStack, a tool that automates a complex privilege-escalation process to deliver stable, rooted access. A companion web version simplifies the procedure to three steps: plug in the headset, visit the web page, and receive an unlocked bootloader—no technical expertise required. The unlock frees the Quest 1 from Meta's walled-garden restrictions, enabling custom firmware, sideloaded software, and full hardware access. The original Quest, released in 2021, remains capable hardware despite being surpassed in performance by later models. The tool currently supports only the first-generation device.
Anatomy of an SLA Resin Printing Disaster: Build Plate Angles, Peeling Forces, and Cleanup
Hackaday's Maya Posch shares hard-won lessons from returning to SLA resin printing after a hiatus, documenting failed prints and the sometimes-messy cleanup that follows. Unlike FDM, SLA build plate preparation is governed primarily by peeling forces—the suction-like resistance as each layer separates from the FEP film. Posch covers angle selection and support placement to minimize failed adhesion, along with proper procedures for handling resin spills and partially-cured failures. The post frames each mistake as a teaching moment, offering practical guidance for makers returning to resin printing or attempting SLA for the first time.
Maker Builds a Pyrotechnic Igniter Powered by a Vintage Military Field Telephone Crank
Polish maker Michał Słomkowski has built a pyrotechnic igniter using the ringer crank generator salvaged from an old military field telephone. Turning the crank charges a capacitor bank through a bridge rectifier; a thyristor then acts as the trigger device, dumping the stored charge into the igniter filament on command. The circuit includes a charge-level indicator built from Zener diodes and an LED, plus a dedicated filament continuity tester to verify the igniter is intact before firing. The telephone-style form factor provides a sturdy, self-contained enclosure with an intuitive winding mechanism, repurposing legacy telecommunications hardware for safe pyrotechnic triggering.
Skip the Supercomputer: Rheoscopic Fluid Made From Mica and Water Visualizes Flow for Free
Fluid simulations are among the most computationally demanding visualizations in engineering, but rheoscopic fluid offers a physical alternative at near-zero cost. The approach uses reflective mica flakes—the same particles sold as cosmetic shimmer—suspended in water with a drop of dish soap. When placed in a transparent container, the flakes align with flow patterns, making vortices, laminar streams, and turbulence directly visible to the naked eye. Hackaday notes the technique is valid for qualitative flow studies when Reynolds number constraints are kept in mind. No computing hardware, solver software, or GPU cluster is required, making it accessible for student projects, classroom demonstrations, and rapid prototyping.
Governments Are Starting to Plan Switch-Off Dates for Broadcast Digital Television
Several governments are moving toward switching off digital TV broadcasting, with the United Kingdom targeting a 2032 deadline for its DVB-T terrestrial multiplexes. When analog signals were retired roughly fifteen years ago, they were replaced with digital standards—ATSC in North America and DVB-T across Europe—promising improved quality and spectrum efficiency. Streaming services have since overtaken linear broadcast television in viewership, eroding the economic rationale for maintaining transmitter infrastructure. The UK's planned 2032 shutdown would coincide with the end of current broadcast licensing contracts. For makers and SDR hobbyists who receive over-the-air digital TV with software-defined radio hardware, this is a significant policy shift to monitor.
Top Crowdfunding
Kickstarter / Indiegogo / Crowd Supply
1. Firehat FireWire HAT — Open-source DV capture for Raspberry Pi 5 (Crowd Supply)
2. HeyGears G1 Series — World's first desktop full-color 3D & UV printer (Kickstarter)
3. TOPFAB TF500 CNC — 5-axis desktop mill, ±0.005mm, 60K RPM spindle (Kickstarter)
GitHub Trending
Makers & Hardware
1. platformio/platformio-core — 8.6k★ (embedded dev, Arduino, ESP, AVR)
2. nasa/fprime — 10.9k★ (flight software & embedded systems framework)
3. qqqlab/madflight — Flight controller firmware for ESP32/RP2350/STM32
Upcoming Events
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Maker Faire Rome — Oct 23–25, 2026, Gazometro Ostiense
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Curated by JD · samwise.agency