A Burned-Out Xiaomi Phone Now Runs Gemini AI Inside a Retro TV Case
The smart home speaker market has settled into a familiar aesthetic. Smooth cylinders, matte finishes, and understated designs meant to disappear into a room are…
diy
The Xbox Prototype That Cost $18K Now Takes Just a Spool of Filament
There are hardware designs from the early 2000s that still stop people cold, and the original Xbox prototype is near the top of that list….
Two Makers Just Built the Pocket Linux PC Big Tech Refused To Make
The commercial laptop market has gotten good at making portable computers slim and powerful, but it hasn’t quite figured out what to do with people…
This air-powered desk clock with stopwatch function is a work of genius
Something is intriguing about novelty clocks that refreshes the age-old timekeeping approach. The unique mechanism at the heart of these timepieces makes them desirable, especially…
A Maker Built a $200 Writing-Only Device Because He Couldn’t Sleep
Writing on a laptop or phone is convenient, but it rarely stays that way. Notifications, browser tabs, and social media feeds have turned the most…
This Walnut Box Prints the News You’d Scroll For: Only 10 Were Made
The first thing most people reach for in the morning isn’t a glass of water or a cup of coffee; it’s the phone. From there,…
This Raspberry Pi Camera Looks Like It Was Made in the 80s for 2050
There’s a particular visual language that 1980s science fiction used for technology. It was chunky, industrial, and slightly alien in form, the kind of hardware…
Pico-Pal reimagines Game Boy Color as modern retro handheld that can play music
Retro gaming continues to inspire modern hardware projects, and the Pico-Pal handheld console is another thoughtful reinterpretation of one of the most recognizable portable…
This classic 1979 LEGO computer brick hides a fully functional Mac mini workstation inside
Retro designs often carry a sense of nostalgia, but occasionally they evolve into something more functional and imaginative. The M2x2 workstation by Watt IV is…
This Foldable DIY Cyberdeck Has Breadboards Built In and Runs Doom
Most portable computers are sealed boxes, which is exactly what makes them frustrating for anyone who wants to experiment with electronics. You can run code…
This Self-Balancing Electric Bike Rolls on a Single Giant Ball and Moves in Any Direction
James Bruton’s latest creation stands out even among his many engineering oddities and builds on the kind of inventive spirit that we saw in his…
This 1080×1080 Round Touchscreen Saves Designers From Faking Circles
Circular interfaces keep showing up in design. Thermostats, smart speakers, automotive dials, wearable-inspired dashboards, the circle feels friendly and “instrument-like” in a way that rectangles…