Google CEO says AI model Gemini will the company’s ‘biggest focus’ in 2025CEO Sundar Pichai reportedly told Google employees that 2025 will be a “critical” year for the company. CNBC reports that it obtained audio from a December 18 strategy meeting where Pichai and other executives put on ugly holiday sweaters and laid out their priorities for the coming year. “I think 2025 will be critical,” Pichai […]
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DeFi has 3 options if IRS rule isn't rolled back — Alex ThornThe United States Treasury Department and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) received more than 44,000 comments after proposing the rule.

38C3: Towards an Open WiFi MAC Stack on ESP32At the 38th Chaos Communications Congress, [Frostie314159] and [Jasper Devreker] gave us a nice update on their project to write an open-source WiFi stack for the ESP32. If you’re interested in the ESP32 or WiFi in general, they’ve also got a nice deep dive into how that all works.
On the ESP32, there’s a radio, demodulator, and a media access controller (MAC) that takes care of the lowest-level, timing-critical bits of the WiFi protocol. The firmware that drives the MAC hardware is a licensed blob, and while the API or this blob is well documented — that’s how we all write software that uses WiFi after all — it’s limited in what it lets us do. If the MAC driver firmware were more flexible, we could do a lot more with the WiFi, from AirDrop clones to custom mesh modes.
The talk starts with [Jasper] detailing how he reverse engineered a lot of Espressif’s MAC firmware. It involved Ghidra, a Faraday cage, and a lucky find of the function names in the blob. [Frostie] then got to work writing the MAC driver that he calls Ferris-on-Air. Right now, it’s limited to normal old station mode, but it’s definite proof that this line of work can bear fruit.
This is clearly work in progress — they’ve only been at this for about a year now — but we’ll be keeping our eyes on it. The promise of the ESP32, and its related family of chips, being useful as a more general purpose WiFi hacking tool is huge.

Telephone Guitar is a FREE guitar library for Decent Sampler
Over the last few months, I’ve had the pleasure of working with BPB as a writer (EDITOR’S NOTE: Glad to have you on board, Soroosh!). I’ve written articles on a wide range of products from various developers. Today’s article is different, though, because I get to introduce you to a new, free sample library made [...]
View post: Telephone Guitar is a FREE guitar library for Decent Sampler

Circuit Secrets: Exploring a $5 Emergency LightWho would’ve thought a cheap AliExpress emergency light could be packed with such crafty design choices? Found for about $5, this unit uses simple components yet achieves surprisingly sophisticated behaviors. Its self-latching feature and decisive illumination shut-off are just the beginning. A detailed analysis by [BigCliveDotCom] reveals a smart circuit that defies its humble price.
The circuit operates via a capacitive dropper, a cost-effective way to power low-current devices. What stands out, though, is its self-latching behavior. During a power failure, transistors manage to keep the LEDs illuminated until the battery voltage drops below a precise threshold, avoiding the dreaded fade-to-black. Equally clever is the automatic shut-off when the voltage dips too low, sparing the battery from a full drain.
Modifications are possible, too. For regions with 220V+ mains, swapping the dropper capacitor with a 470nF one can reduce heat dissipation. Replacing the discharge resistor (220k) with a higher value improves longevity by running cooler. What remarkable reverse engineering marvels have you come across? Share it in the comments!  After all, it is fun to hack into consumer stuff. Even if it is just a software hack.

The best free plugins for music production in 2025
Let's explore 18 must-try free plugins for music production that can elevate your tracks without denting your budget.

Soundgas Post-Christmas Auction Renowned vintage audio gear specialists Soundgas Auctions are currently running their December Timed Auction, which will be concluding at 6pm GMT on Sunday 29 December 2024. 

Cherry Audio release Filtomika plug-in Cherry Audio's new plug-in makes the filter section from their award-winning Polivoks recreation available as a standalone plug-in.

Bench shuts down, leaving thousands of businesses without access to accounting and tax docsBench, a Canada-based accounting startup that offered software-as-a-service for small and medium-sized businesses, has abruptly shut down, according to a notice posted on its website.   “We regret to inform you that as of December 27, 2024, the Bench platform will no longer be accessible,” the notice reads. “We know this news is abrupt and may […]
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Crypto Biz: The Year of BitcoinThis week’s Crypto Biz explores Bitcoin’s landmark year, Crypto.com’s new custody service, Russia’s partial ban on crypto mining and taxes on staking rewards in the US.

Lathe Gears Make a ClockWhen you think of making something using a lathe,  you usually think of turning a screw, a table leg, or a toothpick. [Uri Tuchman] had a different idea. He wanted to make a clock out of the gears used in the lathe. Can he do it? Of course, as you can see in the video below.
Along the way, he used several tools. A mill, a laser cutter, and a variety of hand tools all make appearances. There’s also plenty of CAD. Oh yeah, he uses a lathe, too.

Initially, the clock ran a little fast. A longer pendulum was the answer, but that required the clock to sit on a table edge because the pendulum now extends below the bottom of the clock!
We have to admit there is a lot going into this, but it looks great by the time it is done. We are impressed with the range of different tools used and the clever design. Of course, he could have made the gears, too, but using the metal gears already available is a nice touch.
You can, of course, get by with less. Much less. Or, you might elect to try something even more elaborate.

Sphere to Ring in 2025 with Dazzling New Year's Eve Exosphere ShowSphere Entertainment Co. announced today the “Sphere New Year’s Eve Celebration” presented by Lexus – a custom Exosphere content show to ring in 2025 on the world’s largest LED screen. This dazzling show will include a celebration of major cities around the world as different timezones approach midnight, culminating with Sphere serving as Las Vegas’ official countdown to 2025 as part of the destination’s citywide New Year’s Eve fireworks show. And immediately after the clock strikes midnight, Sphere will showcase content from Afterlife Presents Anyma ‘The End of Genesys,’ which will play inside Sphere on New Year’s Eve. The Sphere New Year’s Eve Celebration will also feature a festive Lexus activation and art from XO Artist UON Visuals. “Sphere is a global landmark, and we’re excited to be sharing New Year’s Eve with our fans around the world through our Exosphere show,” said Jen Koester, President and Chief Operating Officer, Sphere. “New Year’s Eve in Las Vegas is one of the world’s marquee celebrations, and we’re proud to be working with the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority, Lexus, and Anyma to ring in 2025 as only Sphere can.” The Sphere New Year’s Eve Celebration will kick off at 5:00am PT on December 31 when Sydney, Australia welcomes in 2025. Throughout the day, the Exosphere will display dynamic imagery with countdowns ahead of global cities – including Tokyo, Abu Dhabi, London, Buenos Aires, New York, Chicago and Denver – ringing in the New Year. The final 30-second countdown to midnight in Las Vegas will serve as the city’s official countdown to “Making Vegas Memories,” the theme of this year’s “America’s Party 2025” pyrotechnic show in which fireworks are launched from the rooftops of nine resort properties across the Las Vegas Strip. At midnight, Sphere and Anyma – who is the first electronic artist to perform at Sphere and will be playing the fifth night of his eight show residency – will unveil a special moment on the Exosphere, giving fans an unprecedented glimpse into the opening sequence of his highly-anticipated show. The Exosphere will also feature art from self-described “psychedelic math artist” UON Visuals – the latest artist to create art exclusively for the Exosphere as part of Sphere’s XO Art program. UON Visuals is a 3D artist based in Vancouver, British Columbia, who uses math formulas and code to craft intricate animated patterns and dynamic color spectrums that engage the senses. Fans celebrating both on the ground in Las Vegas and watching online via XO Stream, the Exosphere’s 24/7 livestream, can tune in to the custom content starting at 5:00am PT on Tuesday, December 31. XO Stream is available on thesphere.com. Since the Exosphere was first illuminated on July 4, 2023, it has captured worldwide attention for its impactful visuals. At 580,000 square feet, the Exosphere consists of approximately 1.2 million LED pucks. Each puck contains 48 individual LEDs, with each diode capable of displaying more than one billion different colors – creating a vivid landmark on the Las Vegas skyline.   The post Sphere to Ring in 2025 with Dazzling New Year's Eve Exosphere Show first appeared on Music Connection Magazine.

20 GHz LNB Testing and TeardownMany things have combined to make very high-frequency RF gear much more common, cheaper, and better performing. Case in point: [dereksgc] is tearing apart a 20 GHz low-noise block (LNB). An LNB is a downconverter, and this one is used for some Irish satellite TV services.
The scale of everything matters when your wavelength is only 15 mm. The PCB is small and neatly laid out. There are two waveguides printed on the board, each feeding essentially identical parts of the PCB. Printed filters use little patterns on the board that have particular inductance and capacitance — no need for any components. Try doing that at 2 MHz!
The LNB is a single-band unit, so it only needs to worry about the two polarizations. However, [dereksgc] shows that some have multiple bands, which makes everything more complex. He also mentions that this LNB doesn’t use a PLL, and he’d like to find a replacement at this frequency that is a bit more modern.
After the teardown, it is time to test the device to see how it works. If you want to experiment at this frequency, you need special techniques. For example, we’ve seen people try to push solderless breadboards this high (spoiler: it isn’t easy). Maybe that’s why many people settle for modifying existing LNBs like this one.

Mensla launches FREE MS-3 waveshaper synthesizer with integrated effects
On Friday, Mensla launched the MS-3, a single oscillator waveshaper synthesizer with an envelope and filter section and integrated effects. The free plugin is a macOS (AU) and Windows (VST3) release. The synth is split into four sections, which, from left to right, are the waveshaper, envelopes and filter, effects, and graphical display. The waveshaper [...]
View post: Mensla launches FREE MS-3 waveshaper synthesizer with integrated effects

Minimal Audio Static Dubstep Samples and Loops Pack is FREE for a Limited Time
Minimal Audio has made its Static deep dubstep elements samples and loops pack available for free for a limited time.  The pack is normally $10 but currently shows on the product page as $5. However, once you click the $5 button and go to the cart, the cart will update to a free order! Minimal [...]
View post: Minimal Audio Static Dubstep Samples and Loops Pack is FREE for a Limited Time