Economists have this idea that we live in an efficient market, but it’s hard to fathom that when disposable vapes are equipped with rechargeable lithium cells. Still, just as market economists point out that if you leave a dollar on the sidewalk someone will pick it up, if you leave dollars worth of lithium batteries on the sidewalk, [Chris Doel] will pick them up and build a DIY home battery bank that we really hope won’t burn down his shop.
Testing salvaged batteries.
The Powerwall-like arrangement uses 500 batteries salvaged from disposable vapes. His personal quality control measure while pulling the cells from the vapes was to skip any that had been discharged past 3 V. On the other hand, we’d be conservative too if we had to live with this thing, solid brick construction or not.

That quality control was accomplished by a clever hack in and of itself: he built a device to blow through the found vapes and see if they lit up. (That starts at 3:20 in the vid.) No light? Not enough voltage. Easy. Even if you’re not building a hoe powerbank, you might take note of that hack if you’re interested in harvesting other people’s deathsticks for lithium cells. The secret ingredient was the pump from a CPAP machine. Actually, it was the only ingredient.)

In another nod to safety, he fuses every battery and the links between the 3D printed OSHA unapproved packs. The juxtoposition between janky build and careful design nods makes this hack delightful, and we really hope [Chris] doesn’t burn down his shed, because like the cut of his jib and hope to see more hacks from this lad. They likely won’t involve nicotine-soaked lithium, however, as the UK is finally banning disposable vapes.

In some ways, that’s a pity, since they’re apparently good for more than just batteries — you can host a website on some of these things. How’s that for market efficiency?

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hackaday.com/2025/11/06/diy-po…

When we talk about HDTV, we’re typically talking about any one of a number of standards from when television made the paradigm switch from analog to digital transmission. At the dawn of the new millenium, high-definition TV was a step-change for the medium, perhaps the biggest leap forward since color transmissions began in the middle of the 20th century.

However, a higher-resolution television format did indeed exist well before the TV world went digital. Over in Japan, television engineers had developed an analog HD format that promised quality far beyond regular old NTSC and PAL transmissions. All this, decades before flat screens and digital TV were ever seen in consumer households!

Resolution

Japan’s efforts to develop a better standard of analog television were pursued by the Science and Technical Research Laboratories of NHK, the national public broadcaster. Starting in the 1970s, research and development focused on how to deliver a higher-quality television signal, as well as how to best capture, store, and display it.
The higher resolution of Hi-Vision was seen to make viewing a larger, closer television more desirable. The figures chosen were based on an intended viewing distance that of three times the height of the screen. Credit: NHK Handbook
This work led to the development of a standard known as Hi-Vision, which aimed to greatly improve the resolution and quality of broadcast television. At 1125 lines, it offered over double the vertical resolution of the prevailing 60 Hz NTSC standard in Japan. The precise number was chosen for meeting minimum requirements for image quality for a viewer with good vision, while being a convenient integer ratio to NTSC’s 525 lines (15:7), and PAL’s 625 lines (9:5). Hi-Vision also introduced a shift to the 16:9 aspect ratio from the more traditional 4:3 used in conventional analog television. The new standard also brought with it improved audio, with four independent channels—left, center, right, and rear—in what was termed “3-1 mode.” This was not unlike the layout used by Dolby Surround systems of the mid-1980s, though the NHK spec suggests using multiple speakers behind the viewers to deliver the single rear sound channel.
Hi-Vision offered improved sound, encoded with PCM. Credit: NHK handbook
Hi-Vision referred most specifically to the video standard itself; the broadcast standard was called MUSE—standing for Multiple sub-Nyquist Sampling Encoding. This was a method for dealing with the high bandwidth requirements of higher-quality television. Where an NTSC TV broadcast might only need 4.2 MHz of bandwidth, the Hi-Vision standard needed 20-25 MHz of bandwidth. That wasn’t practical to fit in alongside terrestrial broadcasts of the time, and even for satellite delivery, it was considered too great. Thus, MUSE offered a way to compress the high-resolution signal down into a more manageable 8.1 MHz, with a combination of dot interlacing and advanced multiplexing techniques. The method used meant that ultimately four frames were needed to make up a full image. Special motion-sensitive encoding techniques were also used to limit the blurring impact of camera pans due to the use of the dot interlaced method. Meanwhile, the four-channel digital audio stream was squeezed into the vertical blanking period.

MUSE broadcasts began on an experimental basis in 1989. NHK would eventually begin using the standard regularly on its BShi satellite service, with a handful of other Japanese broadcasters eventually following suit. Broadcasts ran until 2007, when NHK finally shut down the service with digital TV by then well established.

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An NHK station sign-on animation used from 1991 to 1994.
A station ident from NHK’s Hi-Vision broadcasts from 1995 to 1997. Note the 16:9 aspect ratio—then very unusual for TV. Credit: NHK
The technology wasn’t just limited to higher-quality broadcasts, either. Recorded media capable of delivering higher-resolution content also permeated the Japanese market. W-VHS (Wide-VHS) hit the market in 1993 as a video cassette standard capable of recording Hi-Vision/MUSE broadcast material. The W moniker was initially chosen for its shorthand meaning in Japanese of “double”—since Hi-Vision used 1125 lines which was just over double the 525 lines in an NTSC broadcast.

Later, in 1994, Panasonic released its Hi-Vision LaserDisc player, with Pioneer and Sony eventually offering similar products. They similarly offered 1,125 lines (1,035 visible) of resolution in a native 16:9 aspect ratio. The discs were read using a narrower-wavelength laser than standard laser discs, which also offered improved read performance and reliability.

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Sample video from a MUSE Hi-Vision Laserdisc. Note the extreme level of detail visible in the makeup palettes and skin, and the motion trails in some of the lens flares.

The hope was that Hi-Vision would become an international standard for HDTV, supplanting the ugly mix of NTSC, PAL, and SECAM formats around the world. Unfortunately, that never came to pass. While Hi-Vision and MUSE did offer a better quality image, there simply wasn’t much content that was actually broadcast in the standard. Only a few channels in Japan were available, creating a limited incentive for households to upgrade their existing sets. Similarly, the amount of recorded media available was also limited. The bandwidth requirements were also too great; even with MUSE squishing the signals down, the 8.1MHz required was still considered too much for practical use in the US market. Meanwhile, being based on a 60 Hz standard meant the European industry was not interested.

Further worsening the situation was that by 1996, DVD technology had been released, offering better quality and all the associated benefits of a digital medium. Digital television technology was not far behind, and buildouts began in countries around the world by the late 1990s. These transmissions offered higher quality and the ability to deliver more channels with the same bandwidth, and would ultimately take over.

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Only a handful of Hi-Vision displays still exist in the world.

Hi-Vision and MUSE offered a huge step up in image quality, but their technical limitations and broadcast difficulties meant that they would never compete with the new digital technologies that were coming down the line. There was simply not enough time for the technology to find a foothold in the market before something better came along. Still, it’s quite something to look back on the content and hardware from the late 1980s and early 1990s that was able, in many ways, to measure up in quality to the digital flat screen TVs that wouldn’t arrive for another 15 years or so. Quite a technical feat indeed, even if it didn’t win the day!

hackaday.com/2025/11/06/japans…

The older Raspberry Pi boards have had a long life, serving faithfully since 2012. Frankly, their continued support is a rarity these days — it’s truly incredible that an up-to-date OS image can still be downloaded for them in 2025. All good things must eventually come to an end though, and perhaps one of the first signs of that moment for the BCM2385 could be evident in Phoronix’s report on Debian dropping support for MIPS64EL & ARMEL architectures. Both are now long in the tooth and other than ARMEL in the Pi, rarely encountered now, so were it not for the little board from Cambridge this might hardly be news. But what does it mean for the older Pi?

It’s first important to remind readers that there’s no need to panic just yet, as the support is going not for the mainstream Debian releases, but the unstable and experimental ones. The mainstream Debian support period for the current releases presumably including the Debian-based Raspberry Pi OS extends until 2030, which tallies well with Raspberry Pi’s own end-of-life date for their earlier boards. But it’s a salutary reminder that that the clock’s ticking, should (like some of us) you be running an older Pi. You’ve got about five years.

hackaday.com/2025/11/06/countd…

For those of us hackers who have gone down a machining rabbit hole, we all know how annoying it can be to over-machine a part. Thermal spraying, while sounding sci-fi, is a method where you can just spray that metal back on your workpiece. If you don’t care about machining, how about a gun that shoots a shower of sparks just to coat your enemies in a layer of metal? Welcome to the world of thermal spraying, led by the one and only [Alec Steele].

There are three main techniques shown that can be used to coat using metal spools. The first, termed flame spraying, uses a propane flame and compressed air to blast fine drops of molten metal onto your surface. A fuel-heavy mixture allows the metal to remain unoxidized and protect any surface beneath. Perhaps one of the most fun to use is the arc method of thermal spray. Two wires feed together to short a high current circuit; all it takes from there is a little pressured air to create a shower of molten metal. This leaves the last method similar to the first, but uses a powder material rather than the wires used in flame spraying.

As with much crazy tech, the main uses of thermal spraying are somewhat mundane. Coating is applied to prevent oxidation, add material to be re-machined, or improve the mechanical resistance of a part. As expensive as this tech is, we would love to see someone attempt an open-source version to allow all of us at Hackaday to play with. Can’t call it too crazy when we have people making their own X-ray machines.

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hackaday.com/2025/11/06/make-m…

Tra qualche anno, l’Irlanda e gli Stati Uniti saranno collegati da un cavo di comunicazione sottomarino progettato per aiutare Amazon a migliorare i suoi servizi AWS.

I cavi sottomarini sono una parte vitale dell’infrastruttura che collega i continenti. Secondo i media, attualmente sono circa 570 i cavi posati attraverso oceani e mari, e altri 81 sono in programma. Tra questi c’è il nuovo cavo Amazon Fastnet, progettato per collegare gli Stati Uniti e l’Irlanda in pochi anni e migliorare la rete AWS.

Come annunciato da Amazon in un comunicato stampa, il cavo sottomarino verrà posato tra il Maryland, negli Stati Uniti, e la contea di Cork, in Irlanda. Sebbene Amazon non abbia specificato la lunghezza esatta del cavo AWS, la distanza tra i due punti è di circa 5.300 chilometri (3.000 miglia) in linea d’aria. Amazon prevede di completare il progetto entro il 2028.

Secondo Amazon, il collegamento tra Maryland e Cork è importante per due motivi. In primo luogo, Fastnet è progettato per fungere da collegamento di comunicazione di backup in caso di guasto di altri cavi sottomarini. Poiché la riparazione di tali cavi sottomarini è complessa, il ripristino della funzionalità dopo un danno può richiedere più tempo. Fastnet è inoltre progettato per soddisfare la crescente domanda di cloud computing e intelligenza artificiale tramite i servizi AWS.

Il cavo sottomarino, spesso 37 millimetri nel punto più largo, trasmetterà i dati tra i due punti utilizzando la tecnologia in fibra ottica. Secondo Amazon, ciò consentirà velocità di trasferimento dati fino a 320 terabit al secondo, paragonabili allo streaming simultaneo di 12,5 milioni di film in HD.

L’elevata capacità di trasmissione consentirà al sistema di monitoraggio automatizzato di Amazon AWS di gestire e reindirizzare più facilmente i carichi pesanti. Inoltre, il cavo fornisce ad Amazon un ulteriore livello di ridondanza, mitigando l’impatto di eventuali guasti su altri cavi.

Per prevenire guasti, il cavo sottomarino sarà meglio protetto dalle influenze esterne nelle zone costiere. Oltre ai conduttori in acciaio più sottili che proteggono la fibra ottica all’interno del cavo, nelle sezioni più piatte viene utilizzato uno strato aggiuntivo. In questi casi, fili in acciaio più spessi avvolgono l’intero cavo e sono a loro volta rivestiti da una guaina in nylon. Secondo Amazon, questa soluzione è progettata per proteggere meglio il cavo da “fattori naturali e artificiali”.

L'articolo 12,5 milioni di film HD al secondo! Il cavo sottomarino di Amazon che collegherà gli USA all’Irlanda proviene da Red Hot Cyber.

The 2026 edition of the EU Open Source Policy Summit will bring together leaders from the public and private sectors to focus on one clear proposition: open source delivers digital sovereignty.

The post EU Open Source Policy Summit 2026 appeared first on European Digital Rights (EDRi).

The 39th Chaos Communication Congress (39C3) takes place in Hamburg on 27–30 Dec 2025, and is the 2025 edition of the annual four-day conference on technology, society and utopia organized by the Chaos Computer Club (CCC) and volunteers.

The post 39th Chaos Communication Congress (39C3) appeared first on European Digital Rights (EDRi).

Digital rights are human rights. In a society increasingly shaped by the digital world, it is essential to emphasize the importance of everyone’s right to access, use, and create digital technologies and content. These rights encompass the protection of privacy, freedom of expression, and the right to access information online. They ensure that individuals can engage with digital platforms, participate in online communities, and share content freely and safely, without facing undue censorship, surveillance, or discrimination.

The post International Digital Rights Days appeared first on European Digital Rights (EDRi).

In 2021, the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child introduced General Comment No. 25 on children’s rights in the digital environment, marking a milestone in aligning child rights with the digital age. But what real impact has it had?

The post World Children’s Day: digital futures for children – children’s rights under pressure in the digital environment appeared first on European Digital Rights (EDRi).

“The Blue Moods of Spain” debutto della band americana Spain viene ristampato con un’edizione ampiamente arricchita per il suo trentennale dalla Rhino Records.

iyezine.com/spain-the-blue-moo…

@Musica Agorà #musica

Spain The blue moods of Spain

^{Massimo Argo (In Your Eyes ezine)}

Sabato 8 novembre porteremo in piazza a Pomezia la nostra contrarietà al mega impianto che abbiamo formalizzato in quaranta osservazioni nella valutazione di impatto ambientale (VIA).

Abbiamo scelto di farne per la prima volta una presentazione pubblica perché siamo al primo "round" della fase procedimentale della valutazione di impatto ambientale e la nostra iniziativa di sicuro non poteva limitarsi al loro invio tramite PEC, ma richiedeva una ripresa della mobilitazione.

Siamo, infatti, in prossimità dell’invio da parte di Acea e soci, inceneritoristi raggruppati, dei riscontri e delle integrazioni e farci trovare in piazza sta a significare tutto il nostro dissenso davanti a un procedimento in cui autorità competente (Gualtieri), committente (Roma capitale cioè Gualtieri) e proponente (ancora Gualtieri in quanto azionista di maggioranza di Acea) coincidono.

Saremo in piazza per manifestare tutto il nostro dissenso rispetto a un procedimento i cui tempi procedurali sono stati dimezzati (da 272 gg. a 139 gg.) attraverso un utilizzo privo di qualsiasi autentica motivazione dei poteri in deroga per autorizzare in tempi di record il mega impianto bruciarifiuti che vorrebbero tenere acceso per oltre trent’anni.

Saremo in piazza perché l’ordinanza che fissa per la Vigilia di Natale l’autorizzazione è qualcosa di assolutamente inaccettabile.