Website Post: Episode 311: Hacking an AirTag, GPS Time Wrap, and a Flat-Pack Toaster
Fresh and Uncensored Take:
Hey there! In this week's episode, Elliot Williams and Tom Nardi are about to blow your mind with some groundbreaking tech talk. Guess who's taking the stage as our keynote speaker? None other than David Cuartielles, co-founder of Arduino, discussing a revolutionary future where your old gadgets can become compost rather than cluttering landfills for centuries.
Buckle up, because we've also got juicy updates on a sneaky AirTag hack, transforming a kids' toy into a weird, miniature display, and workarounds to keep old GPS hardware ticking. Plus, DIY toasters, stolen data from smart rings, constructing a LEGO interferometer, and new tricks for the Bus Pirate 5.
Towards the end, they debate the hardware on display at FOSDEM 2025 and share some fascinating tales about the creepiest cart contraption – the shopping cart wheel lock.
Want to dive deeper? Check out the links below, share your thoughts in the comments, and catch the episode offline through our DRM-free MP3 download.
Listen from the comfort of your shopping cart.
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Episode 311 Show Notes:
News:
- our website Europe 2025 Welcomes David Cuartielles, Announces Friday Night Bring-a-Hack – Because the future's all about composting tech.
- Skype Is Shutting Down On May 5th – Share your heartfelt goodbyes...or enjoy the extra bandwidth!
What's that Sound?
- Ever feel like putting a name to that strange noise in your kitchen? Solve the mystery and win a our website Podcast shirt!
Interesting Hacks of the Week:
- Hijacking AirTag Infrastructure To Track Arbitrary Devices – Pray nobody uses this to stalk their ex.
- Cheap Fiber Optic Wand Toy Becomes Tiny Weird Display – Because your old toys just won't die, man.
- Interposer Helps GPS Receiver Overcome Its Age – Old dog, new tricks.
- Cheap Hackable Smart Ring Gets A Command Line Client – Haters gonna hack your ring.
- Inexpensive Powder Coating – Turn that mess into metallic masterpieces.
- Flat Pack Toaster Heats Up The Right To Repair – DIY toasters with fresh bagsels, anyone?
Quick Hacks:
- Elliot's Picks:
- Speaking Computers From The 1970s – Talk it out, '80s style.
- Build A Parametric Speaker Of Your Own – Recreate the symphony of your dreams.
- CNC Router And Fiber Laser Bring The Best Of Both Worlds To PCB Prototyping – It's the Age of Precision.
- A CaptionCall Phone Succumbs To Doom, Again – Another gem vanishes from the scene.
- Building An Interferometer With LEGO – Playtime turns into lab time.
- Tom's Picks:
- The Bus Pirate 5 Sure Can Glitch – When perfection turns into chaos.
- Is This The Oldest HD Video Online? – Video before the dinosaurs!
- Wake, Boot, Repeat: Remote OS Selection With GRUB And ESP – Dialing your operating system like a phone!
Can't-Miss Articles:
- FOSDEM 2025, A Hardware Hacker's Haven – A treasure trove for tech enthusiasts.
- Tech In Plain Sight: Shopping Cart Locks – The dark side of grocery shopping.
- David Cuartielles, co-founder of Arduino, will be discussing a future where old gadgets could compost instead of ending up in landfills, in the context of the revolutionary technology being discussed on the show.
- As part of the news section in the show notes, there's an article about Europe 2025 welcoming David Cuartielles for a bring-a-hack event, emphasizing the focus on composting technology.
- In the Quick Hacks segment, Elliot mentions CNC Router and Fiber Laser bringing the best of both worlds to PCB prototyping, highlighting the precision aspect of technology related to hardware and electronics.
