Micah Norwood·32wHow to Get Into Embedded Systems
A web developer with 6 years of professional experience seeks guidance on transitioning into embedded systems development. They're looking for project recommendations, community groups, and learning paths to explore lower-level programming concepts, with willingness to learn C or C++.
Lobsters·32wSoftware can be finished
Explores the concept of "finished software" as a thought experiment to challenge conventional development practices. Defines finished software as feature-complete, secure, and standalone with minimal dependencies. Uses examples like the Nintendo Gameboy, embedded systems, and small JavaScript apps to illustrate software that requires no updates. Discusses principles for building finished software: understanding requirements deeply, keeping scope small, reducing dependencies, producing static output, and increasing quality assurance. Emphasizes this as a theoretical framework for thinking about trade-offs rather than a universal goal.
Hacker News·32wThe Day My Smart Vacuum Turned Against Me
An engineer discovers their smart vacuum was remotely disabled by the manufacturer after blocking its telemetry servers. Through reverse engineering, they gained root access via an open ADB port, found the device running Google Cartographer SLAM software on Linux, and uncovered evidence of remote kill commands. The investigation revealed the vacuum transmitted unencrypted data including WiFi credentials, had pre-installed remote access software (rtty), and could be controlled by the manufacturer without user consent. The engineer successfully restored offline functionality and documented the findings, highlighting broader IoT security and privacy concerns affecting multiple brands using the same hardware platform.
Hacker News·32wTragic Titan submersible’s $62 SanDisk memory card found undamaged at wreckage site — 12 stills and nine videos have been recovered, but none from the fateful OceanGate implosion
Recovery teams found an intact SubC Rayfin Mk2 Benthic Camera from the Titan submersible wreckage with an undamaged SanDisk Extreme Pro 512GB SD card. Despite damage to the camera's PCBs and lens, investigators successfully recovered 12 still images and 9 videos by interfacing the SD card and NVRAM chip with a surrogate system-on-module board. The recovered media showed footage from the Marine Institute in Newfoundland rather than the fatal dive, as the camera was configured to store dive data on external storage.
Jeff Geerling·33wHow much radiation can a Pi handle in space?
Mark Rober's team tested Raspberry Pi Compute Module 4 and Google Pixel 7 Pro radiation tolerance for their SatGus CubeSat mission. Using cyclotron testing at UC Davis and gamma testing at University of Maryland, they found the CM4 experienced single-event upsets every 39.3 Rads at 50 Rads/minute and survived until 57.8 kRads with permanent failure. The Pixel 7 Pro died around 9.2 kRads at high dosage. A 5mm aluminum enclosure provides shielding for the mission's expected 1-year lifespan in Low Earth Orbit. Standard Raspberry Pis work in space when not in critical flight paths, with watchdog timers handling radiation-induced reboots.
Lobsters·34wSystems Programming with Zig
A comprehensive guide to Zig, a modern systems programming language designed for high-performance, low-level development. Covers writing idiomatic Zig code, integrating with C and system libraries, and building systems programs like OS kernels, device drivers, and utilities. Explores networking, interpreters, and graphics implementation from scratch, positioning Zig as a productive alternative to C, C++, and Rust that emphasizes performance and safety without heavy framework dependencies.