80 LEVEL·21wEngineer Plays DOOM on Labubu
Engineer Hairo Satoh created a custom gaming device by embedding PlayStation hardware into a Labubu doll, complete with a screen for a face and hand-squeeze controllers. The creation successfully runs DOOM, controlled by squeezing the doll's hands to navigate and shoot. This joins a growing list of unconventional devices capable of running the classic game, from Blender icons to PDF files.
Jeff Geerling·21wRaspberry Pi is cheaper than a Mini PC again (that's not good)
Raspberry Pi 5 and N100 Mini PCs have both increased in price due to RAM shortages, now costing around $247 for comparable configurations (16GB RAM, 512GB NVMe). A year ago, the Mini PC was $159 and the Pi 5 was $208. The author suggests 2026 will focus on repurposing used hardware and finding value in lower-spec options like the 1GB Pi 5 model under $50 or Pi Zero 2W at $15, as memory prices are unlikely to drop soon due to AI demand.
Qt·20wGUI for Embedded Applications: Expert Design Insights & Trends
Four industry veterans with 60+ years of combined experience discuss the evolution, challenges, and future of GUI design for embedded systems. Key insights include how user expectations have matured over 20 years, the shift from Photoshop to Figma and AI-assisted tools, and fundamental differences between web and embedded design (hardware constraints, safety criticality, unique contexts). The panel emphasizes that timeless design principles remain constant despite technological change, highlights the importance of designer-developer collaboration from day one, and views AI as an accelerator rather than replacement for human expertise. Current trends include larger typography, dark mode theming, micro-animations, and 2.5D layering effects that balance visual appeal with performance constraints.
Hackaday·18wPi Compute Module Powers Fully Open Smartphone
The Spirit smartphone project uses a Raspberry Pi Compute Module 5 as its core processor, combined with off-the-shelf components including a 5.5" LCD display, a Quectel EG25-GL LTE/GPS module for cellular connectivity, and a 3D-printable enclosure. The design emphasizes modularity with swappable components like the display, camera, and compute module. While the carrier board and enclosure designs are still evolving, the project aims to create a fully open-source smartphone using readily available hardware modules, with active community development ongoing.
Hackaday·21wGitHub Disables Rockchip’s Linux MPP Repository After DMCA Request
GitHub disabled Rockchip's Linux MPP repository following a DMCA takedown from the FFmpeg team. Rockchip allegedly copied FFmpeg code verbatim, removed copyright notices and authors, and relicensed it from LGPL 2.1 to Apache. FFmpeg privately contacted Rockchip about the violation nearly two years ago with no response. FFmpeg now demands Rockchip either comply with LGPL terms or remove all infringing files. Despite being aware of the license issue in public communications, Rockchip has deferred addressing it indefinitely.