← Calm Web Tech Computing, Systems Architecture, Open Hardware & Deep Tech In This Issue Building a Swashplate-less Helicoper Rotor — Hackaday A helicopter blade uses a swash plate and a set of linkages to change the angle of the blades. Transforming a Tungsten Ditelluride Monolayer into a Transistor — Hackaday In the world of silicon semiconductors, the process of creating transistors and similar structures involves various rounds of modifications and additions in order to create the requisite functional layers. The Vulnerability Apocalypse and Why We Should Fund Open Source — EFF Deeplinks If you use the internet at all, you may have noticed that a large percentage of sites suddenly went down earlier this week—and all your nerdiest friends were talking about "The Vulnerability Apocalypse” and this thing called PHP that powers nearly 70% of the websites on the internet. What Biometric Technology Does and Doesn’t Add to Voting — IEEE Spectrum Whether voters are alive or dead is of vital interest to democracies. Hackaday Links: October 25, 2026 — Hackaday Some disappointing, but perhaps not entirely unsurprising news this week out of Denmark — after announcing last year that they would transition away from Microsoft’s proprietary software, the realities of making it work seem to have caught the government off guard. Why Engineers Should Brave Capitol Hill — IEEE Spectrum When San Antonio–based software engineer Nikhil Jathar first went to Washington, D.C., to advocate for federal support for technology education and research funding, he was in awe of the opportunity. A 3D Printed Marble Clock, but it’s Scrolling Text — Hackaday With the topic of marble clocks having been quite well explored at this point, it raises the question of how easy it would be to take the basic principle and create a text display using black and white marbles. Mesh Network Telephony Over Bluetooth on Android Phones — Hackaday Telephony is a bit of a mixed bag. Simple, Reliable RF Remote Control — Hackaday Some of the first remote controls available to consumers used sound, visible light, or even just wires to communicate with their parent device. Computer Security Is About to Get a Lot Worse, Here’s What You Can Do — EFF Deeplinks It is a commonly held truth among computer geeks that there is no such thing as bug free software, or a secure computer. Two States Can Now Restrict Social Media Access—Here’s What To Do Next — EFF Deeplinks Last week, two federal appeals courts issued opinions that will allow Florida and Georgia to start enforcing laws that will age-gate and block young people from accessing social media. Canadians Are Running Out Of Time To Oppose The Dangerous C-22 Surveillance Bill — EFF Deeplinks Canada’s Parliament is debating a massive expansion of surveillance powers that will threaten the privacy and security of millions of people. Introducing Our New Surveillance Self-Defense Guide: Online Privacy for Parents and Youth — EFF Deeplinks The internet is a vast and confusing place no matter your age. Interoperability vs. Security: Why not both? — EFF Deeplinks An open internet where people can freely build, share, and remix each other's work is a powerful engine of grassroots innovation we’ve all benefited from. Edge AI for Smart Cities: From Insight to Cognitive Action — IEEE Spectrum This white paper explains how edge AI and physical AI help cities move beyond passive monitoring.