What is a Computer?
On the podcast, [Tom] and I were talking about the new generation of smartphones which are, at least in terms of RAM and CPU speed, on par with a decent …read more Continue reading What is a Computer?
Tag Archives: Computer
Modernizing a Classic Datsun Engine
Although Nissan has been in the doldrums ever since getting purchased by Renault in the early 2000s, it once had a reputation as a car company that was always on …read more Continue reading Modernizing a Classic Datsun Engine
Raspberry Pi Gets Desktop Form Factor
Before the Raspberry Pi came out, one cheap and easy way to get GPIO on a computer with a real operating system was to manipulate the pins on an old …read more Continue reading Raspberry Pi Gets Desktop Form Factor
Computer Has One Instruction, Many Transistors
There’s always some debate around what style of architecture is best for certain computing applications, with some on the RISC side citing performance per watt and some on the CISC …read more Continue reading Computer Has One Instruction, Many Transistors
A Breadboard Computer in Three Chips
Building a computer on a breadboard is a seminal project for many builders, but it can become complicated quite quickly, not to mention that all the parts needed for a …read more Continue reading A Breadboard Computer in Three Chips
NFC Hidden In Floppy Disk For Retro-Themed PC
As we all look across a sea of lifeless, nearly identically-styled consumer goods, a few of us have become nostalgic for a time when products like stereo equipment, phones, appliances, …read more Continue reading NFC Hidden In Floppy Disk For Retro-Themed PC
This Polaroid-esque OCR Machine Turns Text to Braille in the Wild
One of the practical upsides of improved computer vision systems and machine learning has been the ability of computers to translate text from one language or format to another. [Jchen] …read more Continue reading This Polaroid-esque OCR Machine Turns Text to Braille in the Wild
A PC That Uses Hot Coffee As Coolant
Modern computers generate a great deal of heat when under load, thus we cool them with fans and sometimes even water cooling systems. [Doug MacDowell] figured that water was alright, …read more Continue reading A PC That Uses Hot Coffee As Coolant
Massive Aluminum Snake Casting Becomes Water Cooling Loop For PC
Water cooling was once only the preserve of hardcore casemodders and overclockers. Today, it’s pretty routinely used in all sorts of performance PC builds. However, few are using large artistic …read more Continue reading Massive Aluminum Snake Casting Becomes Water Cooling Loop For PC
8 Bit Mechanical Computer Built from Knex
Long before electricity was a common household utility, humanity had been building machines to do many tasks that we’d now just strap a motor or set of batteries onto and …read more Continue reading 8 Bit Mechanical Computer Built from Knex