This from Tech is so Cool!: Time-of-Flight sensors are great for DIY electronics projects because they offer more accuracy that can be achieved using ultrasonic distance sensors. This project uses a Raspberry Pi Pico to interface with a laser-based time-of-flight sensor. It displays the sensor’s measurements on a small OLED display. In parts, this project is less than $25. You could add a battery, power switch, and 3D printed case and have a handy tool. The code is written in C using the Arduino IDE. Using Raspberry Pi Pico with Arduino IDE Adding Pico support to the Arduino IDE is straightfor ..read more

This from Tech is so Cool!: Weather stations are a popular DIY project for microcontroller hobbyists. Sensors are readily available and easy to interface with. While developing my own weather station, I implemented this heat index formula. I thought I’d share it with you. The longer I work on the weather station, the more I add to it. When it’s complete I’ll write it up if there’s interest. So far, it’s a solar-charged, 18650-powered device with an OLED display which provides wind speed, peak wind speed for the day, wind direction, rainfall for the day, temperature, humidity, barometric pressu ..read more

This from Tech is so Cool!: Amazon announced the Echo Show 15, calling it “…an entirely new Echo Show…”, but when you dig into the features and specs, new doesn’t mean better in all categories. In some cases, it’s the same Echo Show, and in some cases not quite as good as others. What’s Better With Echo Show 15 Better Screen The most obvious better feature than previous Echo Show’s is the screen, both in size and resolution. The screen measures 15.6 inches diagonally, 2 and a half inches larger than the largest iPad, and just over 5 inches larger than its largest predecessor. You may not even ..read more

This from Tech is so Cool!: I built this DIY tube amp kit and didn’t learn a thing. I’ve been wanting to build a tube amp for a long time because they just seem cool. This kit is inexpensive and it’s a good way to add a tube amplifier to your gadget collection. The kit of course comes with no instructions, no schematic, and no parts list. The values of the parts are silkscreened onto the PCB. The parts all come mixed and unlabeled in a single bag. What is disappointing is that without a schematic, it’s impossible to learn anything about the circuit. It’s common for kits to come with no documen ..read more

This from Tech is so Cool!: With the kids schooling remotely from their laptops, and the grown-ups working from home offices, an in-house chat server is a handy communication tool to have available. If you want to communicate something without video-bombing their company Zoom call, an in-house instant messaging service is the solution. Good old fashioned IM is finding new usefulness in our lives. Setting up an IRC (Internet Relay Chat) server on a Raspberry Pi takes only minutes. IRC clients are readily available for Windows, MacOS, and Linux. Once you set up the IRC server, you can use any IR ..read more

This from Tech is so Cool!: If you’re shopping for a smartwatch or tracker you’ve been bombarded with lots of confusing terms like activity tracker, fitness smartwatch, running watch, and multisport smartwatch. Is there a difference? What is an activity tracker versus a running watch? Which is right for you? No matter which category you decide is right for you, there are several capabilities they have in common which you can benefit from. They all detect your heart rate, and monitor the quality of your sleep. They all also have companion apps for iOS and Android, as well as website access to y ..read more

This from Tech is so Cool!: If you’re shopping for an activity tracker, a fitness smartwatch, a running watch, or multisport smartwatch, there are some features they all have in common that you’ll be benefiting from. If you aren’t sure which category of device is right for you, see our article What is an Activity Tracker to help you decide. Read this article if you’re looking for the Best Running Smartwatch under $500. Here are fitness smartwatch features that are common across all but the least expensive devices. Heart Rate Monitoring Of all the fitness smartwatch features, hear rate monitori ..read more

This from Tech is so Cool!: The best running watch for serious athletes is a matter of choice between Polar and Garmin. Once you’ve made that decision, decide how much you want to spend. In the category of GPS running and multisport smartwatches, all of the models from both brands are solid choices that you’ll be happy with. If you’re not sure if you’re looking for an Activity Tracker or a Running Watch, this article will help you decide. If you’re wondering what features are standard with all Activity Trackers and Running Watches we have an article for that too. There are a lot of recommendat ..read more

This from Tech is so Cool!: This week I learned two things about cable clip organizers: They will make your life better Buy real ones, DIY alternatives are not good options My fitness tracker charging cable slips off the nightstand. The nightstand lamp cord and its inline dimmer keep slipping from the side to the back where I can’t reach it. At my desk, my headphone cable and my mouse cord keep getting tangled. Plus I have two USB cables running from behind the desk up onto the surface which get intertwined with the keyboard cable somehow. Does any of this sound familiar? These are just litt ..read more

This from Tech is so Cool!: Everyone needs to be reminded of something every so often. Summer is here and it’s a hot one! It’s especially important this time of year to drink enough water, for example. Or maybe you want to be reminded to stand up from your desk (or sit down if you have a stand up desk) for a few minutes every hour. For some it’s easy to get ‘in the zone’ doing something and forget. For others, it’s just easy to forget things. An automatic periodic reminder would be really handy in cases like these. I’ve created a simple and inexpensive DIY voice reminder device that any electr ..read more