Chinese gov't mulls anti-money laundering law to 'monitor' new fintechAccording to the Chinese government, 1,391 individuals have been prosecuted on money laundering-related charges in the first half of 2024.

The LinkedIn games are fun, actuallyI have a guilty pleasure, and it’s not that I just rewatched “Glee” in its entirety (yes, even the awful later seasons), or that I have read an ungodly amount of Harry Potter fan fiction in my time. My guilty pleasure is that I play the LinkedIn games. To answer the obvious question: Wait, LinkedIn […]
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Create Custom Gridfinity Boxes Using Images Of ToolsExhibit A: A standard-issue banana.
We love it when a community grabs hold of an idea and runs wild with it despite obvious practicality issues. Gridfinity by YouTuber [Zach Freedman] is one of those concepts. For the unaware, this is a simple storage system standard, defining boxes to hold your things. These boxes can be stacked and held in place in anything from a desk drawer to hanging off the side of a 3D printer. [Georgs Lazdāns] is one such Gridfinity user who wanted to create tool-specific holders without leaving the sofa. To do so, they made a web application using node.js and OpenCV to extract outlines for tools (or anything else) when photographed on a blank sheet of paper.
The OpenCV stack assumes that the object to be profiled will be placed on a uniformly colored paper with all parts of its outline visible. The first part of the stack uses a bilateral filter to denoise the image whilst keeping edge details.
Make a base, then add a banana. Easy!
Next, the image is converted to greyscale, blurred, and run through an adaptive threshold. This converts the image to monochrome, again preserving edge details. Finally, the Canny algorithm pulls out the paper contour. The object outline can be given an accurate scale with the paper contour and paper size specified. The second part of the process works similarly to extract the object outline. The second contour should follow the object pretty accurately. If it doesn’t, it can be manually tweaked in the editor. Once a contour is captured, it can be used to modify a blank Gridfinity base in the model editor.

With a few tweaks to the OpenCV parameters, we were able to create a usable profile from an image of a banana (obviously, Gridfinity is the perfect snack storage system). From there, inside the model editor, we adjusted the box outline to encompass it. Then, we cut out the traced profile to create our banana holder. The web app allows you to download an STL file, which can be fed into your slicer of choice. We would have printed the thing but accidentally ate the banana. Ah well.
More information can be found on the project’s GitHub page.
We’ve touched on Gridfinity before; here’s our first article. Of course, we can’t talk about making outlines of tools for storage without mentioning shadow boards. Finally, on the subject of the awesome OpenCV, it has many, many uses, including catching a dirty stinkin’ thief.
Thanks to [JohnU] for the tip!

Pong in a Petri Dish: Teasing Out How Brains WorkExperimental setup for the EAP hydrogel free energy principle test. (Credit: Vincent Strong et al., Cell, 2024)
Of the many big, unanswered questions in this Universe, the ones pertaining to the functioning of biological neural networks are probably among the most intriguing. From the lowliest neurally gifted creatures to us brainy mammals, neural networks allow us to learn, to predict and adapt to our environments, and sometimes even stand still and wonder puzzlingly how all of this even works. Such puzzling has led to a number of theories, with a team of researchers recently investigating one such theory, as published in Cell. The focus here was that of Bayesian approaches to brain function, specifically the free energy principle, which postulates that neural networks as inference engines seek to minimize the difference between inputs (i.e. the model of the world as perceived) and its internal model.
This is where Electro Active Polymer (EAP) hydrogel comes into play, as it features free ions that can migrate through the hydrogel in response to inputs. In the experiment, these inputs are related to the ball position in the game of Pong. Much like experiments involving biological neurons, the hydrogel is stimulated via electrodes (in a 2 x 3 grid, matching the 2 by 3 grid of the game world), with other electrodes serving as outputs. The idea is that over time the hydrogel will ‘learn’ to optimize the outputs through ion migration, so that it ‘plays’ the game better, which should be reflected in the scores (i.e. the rally length).
Based on the results some improvement in rally length can be observed, which the researchers present as statistically significant. This would imply that the hydrogel displays active inference and memory. Additional tests with incorrect inputs resulted in a marked decrease in performance. This raises many questions about whether this truly displays emergent memory, and whether this validates the free energy principle as a Bayesian approach to understanding biological neural networks.
To the average Star Trek enthusiast the concept of hydrogels, plasmas, etc. displaying the inklings of intelligent life would probably seem familiar, and for good reason. At this point, we do not have a complete understanding of the operation of the many billions of neurons in our own brains. Doing a bit of prodding and poking at some hydrogel and similar substances in a dish might be just the kind of thing we need to get some fundamental answers.

Getting It Done: Last Week in D.I.Y. and Independent Musician NewsLast week in D.I.Y. and Independent Musician news, our news, tips and advice covered Band Shirt Day, how TuneFM is using crypto to pay artists up to 100X more than. Continue reading
The post Getting It Done: Last Week in D.I.Y. and Independent Musician News appeared first on Hypebot.

REWIND: Top New Music Industry News Last WeekThis roundup of top music industry news last week includes Taylor Swift responding to Trump’s AI lies, the supreme importance of streaming to musicians, an initiative to save independent music. Continue reading
The post REWIND: Top New Music Industry News Last Week appeared first on Hypebot.

Three-Body Technology introduce Trinity Shaper Along with the usual attack and release stages found in transient shapers, Trinity Shaper takes things a step further by including a third stage that offers control over the body of the sound. 

DrumTraqs is a FREE Sequential Circuits Drumtraks drum machine plugin
Full Bucket Music has released DrumTraqs, a software instrument that simulates the legendary Sequential Circuits Drumtraks drum machine from 1983. DrumTraqs is available for Windows and macOS in VST2, VST3, AU, AAX, and CLAP plugin formats. The code was written in native C++ for high performance and low CPU consumption. I’ve always been impressed with [...]
View post: DrumTraqs is a FREE Sequential Circuits Drumtraks drum machine plugin

Redefine Music with Mackie Thump 210 & 210XTMackie has released the next evolution of the incredibly popular and affordable Thump Loudspeaker Series. With more power, capability, and value than ever before.

MUSIC DUCKINGYou’ve got music playing nice and loud but, it’s time for another announcement. Sure, you could mess with your levels every time, but who’s got time for that? Simply press the Music Ducking button, and channel 2 will automatically turn down whenever you speak into the mic on channel 1.APPLICATION-SPECIFIC VOICING MODESInstantly optimize Thump 210XT for how you use it with 4 application-specific voicing modes: “Music” to enhance pre-recorded music, “Live” for general sound reinforcement, “Club” for a nice low end punch, and “Monitor” for use as a floor wedge.BLUETOOTH® LINKING AND CONTROLStream music wirelessly to Thump210XT via Bluetooth® so you can hear your mix from anywhere on the floor. Dive into the Thump Connect 2 App to link two speakers wirelessly, plus adjust anything from system EQ and voicing modes to channel levels and application-specific presets, all in the app.

More info on mackie.comThe post Redefine Music with Mackie Thump 210 & 210XT first appeared on Music Connection Magazine.

Crypto may swing election in battleground states — law professorAccording to a 2024 analysis by the Federal Reserve, 7% of adults in the United States currently hold or have used crypto in the past.

Building A Multi-Purpose Electrochemistry DeviceWe don’t get enough electrochemistry hacks on these pages, so here’s [Markus Bindhammer] of YouTube/Marb’s lab fame to give us a fix with their hand-built general-purpose electrochemistry device.
The basic structure is made from plyboard cut to size on a table saw and glued’n’screwed together. The top and front are constructed from an aluminium sheet bent to shape with a hand-bender. A laser-printed front panel finishes the aesthetic nicely, contrasting with the shiny aluminium. The electrode holders are part of off-the-shelf chemistry components, with the electrical contacts hand-made from components usually used for constructing stair handrails. Inside, a 500 RPM 12 V DC geared motor is mounted, driving a couple of small magnets. A PWM motor speed controller provides power. This allows a magnetic stirrer to be added for relevant applications. Power for the electrochemical cell is courtesy of a Zk-5KX buck-boost power supply with a range of 0 – 36 V at up to 5 A  with both CV and CC modes. A third electrode holder is also provided as a reference electrode for voltammetry applications. A simple and effective build, we reckon!
Over the years, we’ve seen a few electrochemical hacks, like this DIY electroplating pen, a DIY electrochemical machining rig, and finally, a little something about 3D printing metal electrochemically.

Fintech Bolt is buying out the investor suing over Ryan Breslow’s $30M loanBolt says it has settled its long-standing lawsuit with its investor Activant Capital. One-click payments startup Bolt is settling the suit by buying out the investor’s stake “after which Activant will no longer hold any interest in Bolt,” the company said in a statement. Activant’s suit accused founder and then CEO Ryan Breslow of adding […]
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TELEFUNKEN Sponsors Catbite at Supernova Ska FestivalTELEFUNKEN is sponsoring popular ska band Catbite and providing colorful M80 dynamic vocal microphones at this year's Supernova Ska Festival in Hampton, Virginia. Formed in 2018, Catbite is a 4-piece ska band from Philadelphia. Influenced by the high-octane energy of the Specials, the Selector's edgy lyrics, and Elvis Costello's love of melody, the group cranks out short, catchy tunes with deeper meanings. https://catbite.net

Catbite's Brit Luna speaks about TELEFUNKEN, "The first time we used Telefunken vocal mics was at Supernova Ska Festival last year. We instantly fell in love with their unique color palette, and their perfect clarity for our vocally heavy sound! Ever since then we were hooked, and knew we needed them for our live show sound and aesthetic.

We've been using them for the past few weeks of tour and have never sounded better -and they look SO good!.We've had countless house sound engineers tell us how easy they were to work with, which we've never had happen before with our old vocal mics."

Mike DeMatteo, Supernova International Ska Festival Livestream Producer, added, "We put on a world class festival highlighting the wonderful ska music of Jamaica and now the world, so using a world class microphone like the Telefunken M80 for our vocals seemed like the perfect match.  When you look on stage and see legends like Stranger Cole, The Pioneers, Pauline Black of the The Selector, Inspector, generational talents The Toasters, The Pietasters and ascending bands like Catbite with the colorful Telefunken M80's in their hands it really stands out. 

There is nothing better than the clean, clear, crisp vocals of the M80 firing out of the front of house speakers to our fans on location and flowing out to our livestream fans all over the world.  The diverse colors of the Telefunken M80's match the festival's push for diversity of our fans, generations of artists and styles of ska music."

Catch the livestream for free all weekend September 13-15th (12pm - 10pm each day) Sign up here: https://vimeo.com/event/3537100/register

The Supernova International Ska Festival is the largest ska festival in the United States. The 2024 festival welcomes more than 30 bands from 6 countries for an unforgettable three-day weekend.

The festival takes place next to the beach at Fort Monroe in Hampton and the line-up includes bands like The Pietasters, The Slackers, Inspector (exclusive East Coast show), Skavoovie and the Epitones (reunion of original members), the Mad Caddies, Los Skarnales, Jamaican legends The Pioneers and Johnny Osbourne, Big D & The Kids Table, The Doped Up Dollies, The Steady 45s, The Kilograms featuring Joe Gittleman (Mighty Mighty Bosstones), Sammy Kay, Michael McDermott (Bouncing Souls/ Joan Jett and The Blackhearts), and J Duckworth (Newport Secret 6), Coolidge, The Bandulus, Flying Raccoon Suit, The Prizefighters, The Fuss, Los Mal Hablados, and The Operators.The post TELEFUNKEN Sponsors Catbite at Supernova Ska Festival first appeared on Music Connection Magazine.

2024 Tiny Games Contest: Neat PCB Business Card Was Inspired By The ArduboyThe humble business card is usually a small slip of cardboard with some basic contact details on it — but as hackers know, it can be so much more. [Marian] has provided us a great example in the form of his own digital business card, which doubles as a handheld game!
Wanting to make his business card more interesting for better engagement, [Marian] was inspired by the Arduboy to give it some interactivity. He chose the STM32G030F6 microcontroller as a cheap and reliable option to run his business card. He then created a 10×9 LED matrix display using Charlieplexing to minimize the amount of I/O pins required. For controls, he went with the usual directional cross plus two action buttons. He implemented a variety of games on the card—including a Flappy Bird clone and a game similar to the classic Simon toy.
Files are on GitHub for the curious. We’ve featured some other great business cards this year, too. Indeed, we ran a whole challenge! If you’re cooking up your own exemplary little PCB to hand out at conferences, don’t hesitate to let us know!

TuneFM is using crypto to pay artists up to 100X more than SpotifyWhat is Tune.fm? The Web3 music streaming and collectibles platform has secured $50 million in funding that could result in much higher payments to artists.
The post TuneFM is using crypto to pay artists up to 100X more than Spotify appeared first on Hypebot.