LEDs Archives

Winsage

May 26, 2026

Windows’ classic 3D Space Cadet pinball is getting a physical re-creation

3D Pinball for Windows – Space Cadet was included with several Microsoft operating systems until Windows XP and was part of the Full Tilt! Pinball software collection launched by Maxis in 1995. Deeproot Pinball attempted to create a physical version of Space Cadet but faced collapse before completion. Hobbyist CNCDan is now working on a physical Space Cadet table, featuring 3D-printed mechanical flippers, pop bumpers with embedded LEDs, slingshots, and a raised playfield. He has encountered challenges with the size and positioning of table elements, resulting in a playfield that measures 56 cm in width, which is smaller than typical commercial pinball tables.

AppWizard

May 9, 2026

Steam Machine release window, specs, and price estimate

The Steam Machine is a compact gaming system developed by Valve that allows users to access their Steam library from a living room setup. It features a semi-custom AMD Zen 4 six-core CPU, an AMD RDNA 3 GPU, 16GB of RAM, and options for 512GB or 2TB NVMe SSD storage. The device supports 4K gaming through AMD's FSR upscaling technology and includes various connectivity options such as DisplayPort, HDMI, and USB ports. Its dimensions are 156 x 162.4 x 152mm, and it weighs 2.6 kg. Valve has hinted at a release window of "early 2026" and is targeting a price around 9 for the 512GB model and 9 for the 2TB version, although market conditions may affect final pricing.

AppWizard

April 29, 2026

Google’s ‘Pixel Glow’ might have several lights as laptop animation surfaces [Video]

“Pixel Glow” is a forthcoming feature for future Pixel phones that will use subtle light and color on the back of the device to notify users of significant notifications while the phone is face down. It will be compatible with Gemini and will notify users of calls from favorite contacts. The Pixel Diagnostics app includes a “Color LED Check” to test the functionality of the LEDs, which will illuminate in red, green, and blue hues. Google is incorporating eight LEDs for the “Pixel Glow” feature, with a system designed to detect hardware failures. An animation has been discovered that shows an LED strip along the inner edge of an upcoming Pixel laptop, potentially illuminating in colors similar to the Gemini interface.

AppWizard

April 29, 2026

More ‘Pixel Glow’ clues surface, and they point straight at Gemini

The Pixel smartphones may soon feature a notification system called "Pixel Glow," which could involve a color LED that cycles through red, green, and blue colors when users receive notifications or interact with the Gemini assistant. Code snippets from the Pixel Diagnostics app suggest users might be able to test the LED's functionality, with terms like “Pass,” “Fail,” and “Rerun” indicating a diagnostic process. Additional references in the code include “PixelLights,” “Gemini Glow,” and “Aurora,” hinting at advanced lighting effects. Speculation suggests the LEDs could be integrated into the rear of the device, possibly around the camera or beneath the "G" logo, but the exact design and timeline for release remain unclear.

AppWizard

March 5, 2026

Pokemon Pokopia features a riff on Minecraft’s iconic Redstone system, and fans are already dreaming up the possibilities: “This is like super advanced”

Pokopia features innovative gameplay mechanics that allow for complex building tasks similar to Minecraft's Redstone system. The game's director, Takuto Edagawa, demonstrated a mechanism that activates lights, waterfalls, and neon LEDs through a motion-sensing system. This has led to comparisons with Minecraft among fans, who note the advanced level of customization in Pokopia. Additionally, a developer tour showcased a moving minecart that activated note blocks to create melodies, further emphasizing the game's Minecraft-inspired elements. Pokopia is highly anticipated, tying for the highest-rated title in the Pokémon series on Metacritic.

AppWizard

January 6, 2026

Asus’ colossal new gaming PC has a two-inch-thick door, holographic fans, and a hood scoop

The Asus G1000 gaming PC features a unique design with holographic 'fans,' a hood scoop for cooling, and a thick side panel. It is equipped with an Asus Nvidia GeForce RTX 5090 graphics card, an AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D CPU, 32GB of DDR5 RAM, and 2TB of SSD storage. The cooling system includes a 420mm AIO liquid cooler, a 140mm fan at the base, front-mounted fans, and an exhaust fan at the rear. The holographic 'fans' consist of spinning light strips with 680 LEDs, creating a lighting effect rather than circulating air. The design includes two smaller holographic displays and a larger side panel display, all within a hinged glass panel. The current version is a prototype with no confirmed release date or pricing.

AppWizard

November 11, 2025

Hardware hacker installs Minecraft server on a cheap smart lightbulb — single 192 MHz RISC-V core with 276KB of RAM, enough to run tiny 90K byte world

A hardware hacker named Vimpo installed a Minecraft server on a budget-friendly smart lightbulb, utilizing the bulb's BL602 RISC-V-powered microcontroller. Vimpo disassembled an LED bulb from AliExpress, soldered connections to its headers, and used a USB-to-serial adapter for communication. The software aspect involved using Ucraft, a compact implementation available on GitHub, which has a binary size of approximately 46K bytes without authentication and 90K bytes with it. Memory usage varies with active players, reaching a maximum of around 70K bytes with 10 players connected. Ucraft, however, lacks most features of the vanilla server.

AppWizard

August 31, 2025

Gamer Creates 3D-Printed Minecraft Compass That Points North in the Real World

The Minecraft compass, created by maker chaosgoo on GitHub, is a 3D-printed handheld device that functions as a real-world compass while mimicking the game's design. It requires a 3D printer and features a casing designed to reflect the game's pixelated aesthetic. The compass uses a thin, semi-transparent acrylic panel and a grid of WS2812B LEDs to illuminate a red needle that moves in sync with the device's directional capabilities, provided by an ESP32C3 microcontroller and a digital magnetometer sensor. It includes a "spawn point" mode for custom locations and a "Nether mode" that simulates the game's chaotic needle movement. The device is powered by a 500mAh battery and offers configuration options via WiFi or Bluetooth, with a single multifunction button for operation. The GitHub repository provides open-source files, firmware instructions, and pre-built firmware options.