MicroPython is this Summer’s Hottest Title for the SNES, Thanks to Claude FableMicroPython, for the uninitiated, is a pared-down version of python meant to run on today’s powerful microcontollers. As impressive as it was for its day, the SNES is not quite in their leage in terms of computing power. Time marches on, and so while there may be other indie releases worth mentioning, we’re declaring the hottest SNES game this season to be [FabianKuebler]’s port of MicroPython.
Well, except he didn’t exactly do the porting himself: the Antrhopic LLM Claude generated the code, and performed most of the testing, as [Fabian]’s test of its new Fable 5 model. A brief pause during an export ban showed that Opus would crash and burn on the same task, but Fable was able to get things quickly back on track. It might be “AI slop” by some definitions, but the port scales 430 out of 468 on MicroPython’s core test/basics, which makes it usable to play some simple python games… slowly.
As you can see for yourself in an embedded emulator if you check out [Fabian]’s blog, spooling up MicroPython takes about twenty seconds at  3.58 MHz, and after that you can watch some sprites be bounced at a blistering 0.8 fps on the simulated PPU. [Fabian] seems satisfied with that performance, and impressed with Fable’s efforts at optimization. What to you think? Does the hardware have much more to give, or is that about it, given the nature of the Pythonic beast? Perhaps some plucky human could become a digital John Henry by producing a better, faster port– if you do, please let us know. If you’d rather just to see what Fable can do, the project is available on GitHub, so you can judge for yourself how sloppy the code is or test out the ROM.
Putting python onto limited hardware may not to be to everyone’s taste, but there’s a good case to be made for it. The SNES may actually be too limited, though. It makes sense– the kind of micros you run MicroPython on can emulate the SNES.
Thanks to [Fabian] for the tip!

Smart glasses without a camera? Even Realities bets productivity beats recording everyoneThe glasses are targeted at people who might be constantly in meetings, giving presentations, and traveling to countries where different languages are spoken. 

CountIn CountInCountIn is a browser-based tool for musicians who perform to backing tracks. Upload a track and it detects the tempo and downbeat, then adds a count-in (hi-hat or sticks) that lands exactly on beat one, so you come in cleanly instead of guessing where the song starts. It can also change the key in semitones without touching the tempo, then export a stage-ready MP3 or WAV. Everything runs in the browser — no install, no account. BPM detection, the count-in and the full preview are free; exporting the finished file is a one-time $9. Read More

Bitcoin nearing late stages of bear market: Jamie Coutts, Real VisionReal Vision chief crypto analyst Jamie Coutts said it's far too early to call $1 million by 2030, but he's confident Bitcoin could climb up to $250,000 over the next couple of years.

Angelic Vibes releases Spread, a FREE stereo widening plugin
Developer Angelic Vibes has released Spread, a free stereo widening plugin for macOS and Windows. Spread is the second installment in the developer’s AV Essentials FX series (which I think also includes the free Pitchshifter that we recently featured). It is designed for vocals, samples, melodies, bass, drums, synths, and just about anything that needs [...]
View post: Angelic Vibes releases Spread, a FREE stereo widening plugin

Schulz Audio offers Portacrunch 424 cassette gain-stage plugin for FREE
Developer Schulz Audio is offering Portacrunch 424, a cassette four-track gain-stage effect for macOS and Windows, as a free download. There’s no expiry date listed on the Portacrunch 424 product page, and the summer sale had around 15 hours remaining at the time of writing, but it is unclear whether the giveaway ends with it. [...]
View post: Schulz Audio offers Portacrunch 424 cassette gain-stage plugin for FREE

Handcrafted Mallets from Handcrafted Audio  Handcrafted Audio's latest hybrid instrument ‘reworks’ a marimba and vibraphone, combining nearly 30,000 acoustic samples with an array of synthesis tools.

Bluesky’s interim CEO, Toni Schneider, drops the ‘interim’Schneider, who formerly served as the CEO of Automattic and is a partner at True Ventures, says he is "all in" on the unconventional social media platform.

Jason Mraz at the GRAMMY Museum, Los Angeles, CAWeb: jasonmraz.comContact: ashley@ashleywhitepr.com

Sitting down with rising artist Philip Labes for a Q&A session with Dan Povenmire (Phineas and Ferb) following the screening of music documentary The Opener, it is clear that two-time GRAMMY winner and Songwriters Hall of Fame Honoree Jason Mraz is a fan of Labes’ art.

Sharing the inspiring journey of a street performer-turned-opening act, The Opener navigates how the life of a viral TikTok artist changed the day Jason Mraz joined his livestream. “I took a risk [interacting with Mraz] and he stuck around,” shared Labes. “I was already familiar with the music,” says Mraz. “I clicked on it and he says, ‘Hi Jason Mraz.’ I thought maybe A.I. was communicating with me, but it was so sincere. I watched his entire performance that evening.” 

A few days later, Mraz invited Labes to be his opening act.

Labes’ friends, Jeff Toye and Sunya Mara joined the tour to document the adventure, planning to capture social media footage, but the adventure grew into a full-length documentary. Says Mraz, “I still cry when I see it, probably because I can relive my journey through the way Philip conducted himself on this tour. He went above and beyond and absolutely nailed it.” Labes says he feels like it is a “love letter to creatives and the impulse to be creative.” He hopes it inspires more creativity. 

Performing “(This Movie Is) Rated Ours” and fan favorite “I Won’t Give Up,” Mraz interacted with trademark humility, delivering stunning pure vocals and breathtaking guitar stylings, leaving the room in quiet awe before Philip Labes hopped on stage. Sharing new track, “Big Scary Thing,” sing-a-long “CANNONBALL!," and breakout favorite, “A TV Show Called Earth,” Labes’ combination of softness and sharp wit make him an absolute delight. The full-circle evening (Labes busked outside GRAMMY museum doors 13 years ago) was a magical breakout, with Mraz returning to wrap the evening with a gorgeous rendition of biggest hit, “I’m Yours.”

On creating art, Mraz shared to, “take a deep breath, exhale, [and] make a noise. Maybe the first song is all tears, sorrow and chaos, but maybe the next song has a little bit more clarity, and then after that, you have the laughter again.” 

Grandma’s Gospel Favorites—originally recorded almost 20 years ago for Mraz—is out this month, including songs recalled from his earliest church memories, a few standards with mandolin and upright bass, a Johnny Cash cover, and a couple of originals. Features include longtime collaborator Noel ‘Toca’ Rivera, Andy Powers (CEO/Chief guitar designer at Taylor Guitars), and Ray Suen.

Photo courtesy of the Recording Academy, by Rebecca Sapp, Getty ImagesThe post Jason Mraz at the GRAMMY Museum, Los Angeles, CA first appeared on Music Connection Magazine.

Kraken to overhaul app with AI investing assistantThe redesigned app will use AI to recommend trades and tailor investing tools around users' financial goals as Kraken expands into broader financial services.

Get a free acoustic drum kit for Splice INSTRUMENT
Download our free acoustic drum kit preset for Splice INSTRUMENT—grab these presets during the drop window and they’re yours to keep forever.

How To Use Those Cute But Slightly Odd 7-Segment LCDsIf you’re not aware, there is such a thing as adorable little three digit LCD 7-segment displays. They come in a ten-pin DIP package and are just begging to be integrated into a project. The catch is they are just a tiny bit weird. Luckily for us all, [Nagy Krisztián] spells out exactly how to use them.
The first odd thing about these ten-pin LCD displays have a footprint that doesn’t quite mesh with standard 0.1 inch spacing, meaning they will not cleanly fit into a breadboard. Luckily, one can solve this with a bit of force. It’s a small part, and the pins don’t seem to mind.
These little LCDs are adorable, but a bit unusual to interface with.
The second odd thing is wrapping one’s head around the pin mapping. Figuring out which pins activate which segments in the digits is easier if one keeps in mind that each segment of each digit is the product of two different pins. For example, “2A” is digit two, segment A, and is the product of pins 3 and COM4.
That’s not all. Electrically speaking, driving this LCD isn’t nearly as straightforward as an LED.
With an LED display, the COM pins are either common anode or common cathode, which tells one whether lighting up a segment means holding the COM pin at GND with voltage applied to the segment pin, or the other way around. But in the case of this LCD display, the polarity applied is swapped every cycle. Oh, and inactive COM pins need to held at half-voltage. Neat!
[Nagy] drives the whole thing with little more than an ATtiny84 microcontroller and a few resistors. A switchable half-voltage signal is cleverly created by combining a simple voltage divider and taking advantage of the fact that the ATtiny84’s pins can be in one of three different states depending on how they are configured: high, low, or high-impedance (pin configured as an input). Each COM pin on the display gets connected to both an ATtiny84 pin, and to the supply voltage via two resistors forming a voltage divider. When the ATtiny drives the pin high, the LCD pin sees about 3 V. When the pin is driven LOW, the LCD pin sees 0 V. When the ATtiny configures the pin as an input, the LCD pin receives about 1.5 V.
The bulk of the software is defining which pins and states equal which digits, and cycling the LCD at a rate of vaguely 60 Hz which delivers flicker-free results.
We appreciate the clever combination of voltage divider with pin configuration to create three switchable voltage levels. If you liked that and want to see more serious leveraging of pin configuration on a microcontroller, check out how to drive seven LEDs with only two pins.

Sony introduce the IER-M500 Sony have announced the upcoming launch of a new pair of in-ear monitors that promise to deliver a secure, stable fit, impressive sound isolation and accurate, reliable monitoring, all at a very reasonable cost!

Xylo Audio XyloSpace About the Plugin XyloSpace is a lush, otherworldly reverb plugin built for producers and sound designers who demand depth without losing clarity. From intimate room ambience to infinite cosmic tails, XyloSpace shapes your space with precision — blending algorithmic reverb, harmonic shimmer, and a fully interactive post-EQ into one seamless workflow. Video Walkthrough Key Features: Algorithmic Reverb Engine A high-quality reverb core with full control over Pre-Delay, Size, Decay, and Damping for sculpting any acoustic space from tight rooms to endless halls. Shimmer & Pitch Harmonics Adds ethereal harmonic layers above your reverb tail with selectable pitch intervals, transforming any sound into something truly cinematic. Modulation Section A built-in LFO with Speed and Depth controls adds organic movement to your reverb tail, keeping the shimmer alive and constantly evolving. 10-Band Parametric Post-EQ A fully interactive graphic EQ placed after the reverb engine, letting you sculpt the exact tonal character of your reverb tail with pinpoint accuracy. Cosmic OpenGL Visualizer A real-time GPU-powered visualizer that reacts to your audio input, reverb size, and shimmer mix — turning your plugin into a living, breathing visual experience. Resizable Interface A fully scalable UI that adapts to any screen size while maintaining the same high-resolution aesthetic, from compact laptops to large studio monitors. Preset System A curated library of factory presets alongside full user preset saving and browsing, letting you recall and share your favorite spaces instantly. Bypass & Undo / Redo Full bypass with a visual indicator and a complete undo/redo history for non-destructive, confidence-inspiring experimentation. Read More

FREE FX plugins aplenty with the KVR Developer Challenge 2026
The KVR Developer Challenge 26 not only provides a platform for existing and aspiring developers to showcase their creativity but also offers us an opportunity to stock up on new tools that enhance our workflow for free. And show our appreciation, of course. But, seriously, it’s one of the highlights of the year, and, competition [...]
View post: FREE FX plugins aplenty with the KVR Developer Challenge 2026