Links We Like: Decapping Integrated Circuits, 1980s Smartwatches, and the Soviet Video Arcade

This week’s links dive into the recent past. Unearthing the smartwatches of the 1980s business professional, revealing the innards of 1970s integrated circuits, and peering into the video game arcades of 1970s and 1980s Soviet Russia.

Break out your best Max Headroom sunglasses, pour a glass of Crystal Pepsi, and get ready to enjoy some techno induced nostalgia.

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PocketC.H.I.P.’s Grand Day Out: Maker Faire Bay Area 2016

Last weekend we took Mega PocketC.H.I.P. and pockets full of PocketC.H.I.P.s to Maker Faire Bay Area. Attendees got a chance to play PICO-8 games, code them, and even got a peek at the PocketC.H.I.P. user interface.

This is the first time we’ve taken PocketC.H.I.P. to a public event and it did not disappoint. The booth was packed all weekend and Mega PocketC.H.I.P. won two Editor’s Choice Blue Ribbons from Make: magazine.

For those of you who were not able to make it out to the event, you’ll find some photos from the three days we spent at the Faire below. Thanks to everyone who stopped by our booth, it’s always a pleasure to meet C.H.I.P.sters and Pocketeers in person.

If you took any pictures of our booth, share them with us in our forums or tweet us @nextthingco.

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Links We Like: $1 Microscopy, Open Source Lab Equipment, and a History of Bioluminescent Organisms

Mountains of Foldscopes! Photo via

Mountains of Foldscopes! Photo via foldscope.com

This week’s links are all about different aspects of science. From empowering kids with inexpensive microscopes to building open source lab equipment and tracing the history of human interactions with bioluminescent animals.

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Try PocketC.H.I.P. at Maker Faire Bay Area!

Come see, use, and learn about, PocketC.H.I.P. this weekend during Maker Faire Bay Area, May 21-22 in San Mateo, CA.! This is your first change to get your hands on PocketC.H.I.P..

And don’t miss Dave’s talk, PocketC.H.I.P. or: How and Why We Made the SciFi Device from our Childhood, Sunday at 4:00 PM on the Center Stage.

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Links We Like: Paik’s Electronic Superhighway, Computer Portraiture, & Hacking the Universe

Pilot ACE James Ball

Pilot ACE Photograph by James Ball && INK

Last week, fordsfords, xtacocorex, UnixOutlaw, jooshboy, and I had a lively conversation stemming from a link to a card sorting device. Thanks for the link suggestions and keep ’em coming!

This week’s links dive into a more artistic and abstract side of technology and history.

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