#open-source-hardware

#open-source-hardware

The Spotify Car Thing joined that lineage in December 2024 when Spotify killed server-side authentication and turned every unit into an expensive knob with a screen attached. Nocturne picked up where Spotify dropped off. The project launched in October 2024, anticipating the shutdown, and has shipped four major versions since. V4.0.0, currently in beta with a public release imminent, finally delivers true Bluetooth connectivity without phone tethering, a companion app, and a feature set that makes the original Spotify firmware look like a rough draft.

Recently, an open-source project called OpenClaw surfaced on a maker community platform. Built on affordable edge-computing hardware, the project demonstrated a local AI agent controlling a physical robotic arm. It wasn't just predicting text; it was moving motors, reading sensors, and interacting with its physical environment in real-time. From a psychological and sociological perspective, this transition from abstract AI to embodied local AI forces us to re-evaluate trust, privacy, and the sanctity of our personal space.

Smartphone processor and modem maker Qualcomm is acquiring Arduino, the Italian company known mainly for its open-source ecosystem of microcontrollers and the software that makes them function.

Instead of keys, the Gboard Dial Version keyboard features various alphanumeric characters and functions laid out beneath a series of nine dials of various sizes, including one just for the return key. To type a specific character, you stick your finger in its corresponding hole and then rotate the dial until you reach its limit. When you release it, the dial rotates back.

The dial is divided into three stacked layers, reducing the overall size of the device while still allowing for full character coverage. A single rotation cycle can be faster than pressing across a wide surface of keys, and the layering also allows parallel inputs. Function keys and cursor keys are placed on smaller independent dials around the main dial, so users can operate multiple rotary controls depending on the task.