Over on his YouTube channel [Pat Deegan] from Psychogenic Technologies shows us two KiCad tips to save a million clicks.

In the same way that it makes sense for you to learn to touch type if you’re going to be using a computer a lot, it makes sense for you to put some thought and effort into your KiCad keyboard shortcuts keys, too.

In this video [Pat] introduces the keymap that he has come up with for the KiCad programs (schematic capture and PCB layout) and explains the rules of thumb that he used to generate his recommended shortcut keys, being:

• one handed operation; you should try to make sure that you can operate the keyboard with one hand so your other hand can stay on your mouse
• proximity follows frequency; if you use it a lot it should be close to hand
• same purpose, same place; across programs similar functions should share the same key
• birds of a feather flock together; similar and related functionality kept in proximate clusters
• typing trounces topography; if you have to use both hands for typing you have to take your hand off the mouse anyway so then it doesn’t really matter where on the keyboard the shortcut key is

You can find importable KiCad keymaps and customizable SVG cheatsheets in the downloads section of his notes.

[Pat]’s video includes some other tips and commentary (he gives you free access to a KiCad course he has put together) but for us the big takeaway was the keymaps. Also, if you haven’t been keeping abreast of developments, KiCad is now at version 9, as of February this year.

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hackaday.com/2025/07/17/improv…

What has 8 ARM cores, 8 GB of RAM, fits in a pocket, and runs NixOS? It’s no pi-clone SBC, but [MWLabs]’s smartphone– a OnePlus 6, to be precise.

The video embedded below, and the git link above, are [MWLabs]’s walk-through for loading the mobile version of Nix onto the cell phone, turning it into a tiny-screened Linux computer. He’s using the same flake on the phone as on his desktop, which means he gets all the same applications set up in the same way– talk about convergence. That’s an advantage to Nix in this application, compared to the usual Alpine-based PostMarketOS.

Of course some of the phone-like features of this pocket-computer are lacking: the SIM is detected, and he can text, but 4G is nonfunctional. The rear camera is also not there yet, but given that Mobile-NixOS builds on the work done by well-established PostMarketOS, and PostMarketOS’ testing version can run the camera, it’s only a matter of time before support comes downstream. Depending what you need a tiny Linux device for, the camera functionality may or may not be of particular interest. If you’re like us, the idea of a mobile device running Nix might just intrigue you,

Smartphones can be powerful SBC alternatives, after all. You can even turn them into SBCs. As long as you don’t need a lot of GPIO, like for a server,a phone in hand might be worth two birds in the raspberry bush.

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hackaday.com/2025/07/17/8-core…

In today’s high-speed information overload environment, we often find ourselves with too much data to take in at once, causing us to occasionally miss out on opportunities otherwise drowned out in noise. None of this is more evident in the realm of high-speed trading, whether it’s for stocks, commodities, or even crypto. Most of us won’t be able to build dedicated high speed connections directly to stock exchanges for that extra bit of edge over the other traders, but what we can do is build a system that keys us in to our cryptocurrency price of choice so we know exactly when to pull the trigger on a purchase or sale.

[rishab]’s project for doing this is based on an ESP32 paired with a 10″ touchscreen display. It gathers live data from Binance, a large cryptocurrency exchange that maintains various pieces of information about many digital currencies. [rishab]’s tool offers a quick, in-depth look at a custom array of coins, with data such as percentage change over a certain time and high and low values for that coin as well. The chart updates in real time, and [rishab] also built a feature in which scales coins up if they have been seeing large movements in price over short timeframes.

Although it’s not a direct fiber link into an exchange, it certainly has its advantages over keeping this information in a browser window on a computer where it could get missed, and since it’s dedicated hardware running custom firmware it can show you exactly what you need to see if you’re day trading crypto. Certainly projects like this are in the DIY spirit that crypto enthusiasts tout as ideals of the currency, and as people move away from mining and more into speculative trading we’d expect to see more projects like this.

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hackaday.com/2025/07/17/esp32-…

Over on his YouTube channel [Tom Stanton] shows us how to build a Stirling Engine for a bike.

A Stirling Engine is a heat engine, powered by the expansion and contraction of a working fluid (such as air) which is heated and cooled in a cycle. In the video [Tom] begins by demonstrating the Stirling Engine with some model engines and explains the role of the displacer piston. His target power output for his bike engine is 150 watts (about 0.2 horsepower) which is enough power to cycle at about 15 mph (about 24 km/h). After considering a CPU heatsink as the cooling system he decided on water cooling instead.

[Tom] goes on to 3D print and machine various parts for his bike engine. He uses myriad materials including aluminum and Teflon. He isn’t yet comfortable machining steel, so he had the steel part he needed for handling the hot end of the engine manufactured by a third party.

[Tom] explains that when he started the project he had intended to make a steam engine. But after some preliminary research he discovered that a Stirling Engine was a better choice, particularly they are quieter, more efficient, and safer. After a number of false starts and various adjustments he manages to get his engine to run, which is pretty awesome. Standby for part two to see the bike in action!

We have covered the Stirling Engine here on Hackaday many times before. You might like to read about how to create one with minimal parts or how to make one from expedient materials.

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hackaday.com/2025/07/17/buildi…

Do you feel nostalgia for a childhood novelty toy that had potential but ultimately fell short of its promise? Do you now have the skills to go make a better version of that toy to satisfy your long-held craving? [ExpensivePlasticCrap] does and has set off on a mission to make a better jumping bean.

Jumping beans, the phenomenon on which the novelty of [ExpensivePlasticCrap]’s childhood is based, are technically not beans, and their movement is arguably not a jump — a small hop at best. The trick is that the each not-a-bean has become the home to moth larvae that twitches and rolls on the ground as the larvae thrash about, trying to move their protective shells out of the hot sun.

The novelty bean was a small plastic pill-like capsule with a ball bearing inside what would cause the “bean” to move in unexpected ways as it rolled around. [ExpensivePlasticCrap]’s goal is to make a jumping bean that lives up to its name.

Various solenoids and motors were considered for the motion component of this new and improved bean. Ultimately, it was a small sealed vibrating motor that would be selected to move the bean without getting tangled in what was to become a compact bundle of components.

An ATtiny microcontroller won out over discrete components for the job of switching the motor on and off (once per second), for ease of implementation. Add this along with a MOSFET, battery and charging board for power into a plastic capsule, and the 1 Hz jumping bean was complete.

[ExpensivePlasticCrap] offers some thoughts on how to get more jump out of the design by reducing the weight of the build and giving it a more powerful source of motion.

If insect-inspired motion gets you jumping, check out this jumping robot roach and these tiny RoboBees.

hackaday.com/2025/07/17/2025-o…

Hanno cominciato ad ammazzare cattolici, stai a vedere che adesso comincia a importarcene qualcosa...

La presidente del Consiglio Giorgia Meloni ha condannato l’attacco contro la chiesa e in generale contro la popolazione civile con toni particolarmente duri: in un comunicato ha detto che «sono inaccettabili gli attacchi contro la popolazione civile che Israele sta dimostrando da mesi. Nessuna azione militare può giustificarla.

ilpost.it/2025/07/17/chiesa-sa…

Israele ha attaccato l’unica chiesa cattolica nella Striscia di Gaza

Quella della Sacra Famiglia: tre persone sono state uccise e nove ferite, fra cui il parroco

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