Show HN: I spent 6 years building a ridiculous wooden pixel display • Hacker News Board

Re: Show HN: I spent 6 years building a ridiculous wooden pixel display

#81

Post by theletterf » Mon, Aug 04, 2025, 9:30 PM UTC

lemonberry wrote: post #72

theletterf wrote: post #59

A refresh rate of 370 microhertz gives "Calm Technology" a whole new meaning. I love it. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calm_technology

This is really interesting. Have you read Amber Case's book, "Calm Technology"? If so would you recommend.

I do! https://passo.uno/best-tech-writing-books/

Re: Show HN: I spent 6 years building a ridiculous wooden pixel display

#82

Post by jamestimmins » Mon, Aug 04, 2025, 9:48 PM UTC

This is really exciting. The world of non-electronic computer interfaces has a ton of potential, so I love seeing people build them and write up their experiences.

Congrats OP!

Re: Show HN: I spent 6 years building a ridiculous wooden pixel display

#83

Post by stavros » Mon, Aug 04, 2025, 9:49 PM UTC

This is fantastic, great job! I loved reading about the process, and it's the sort of pointless thing I really enjoy seeing done to perfection.

Re: Show HN: I spent 6 years building a ridiculous wooden pixel display

#84

Post by ortusdux » Mon, Aug 04, 2025, 9:53 PM UTC

aarondf wrote: post #3

This has to be the the most expensive cost per pixel display I've ever seen. And I've never loved a display more. This is absurd in the best possible way

I think the Mythbusters might still hold the record - https://youtu.be/ZrJeYFxpUyQ?si=pysqKGFiDO99oyvD&t=476

Re: Show HN: I spent 6 years building a ridiculous wooden pixel display

#85

Post by lemonberry » Mon, Aug 04, 2025, 9:54 PM UTC

theletterf wrote: post #81

lemonberry wrote: post #72

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is really interesting. Have you read Amber Case's book, "Calm Technology"? If so would you recommend.

I do! https://passo.uno/best-tech-writing-books/

Thank you! I subscribed to your RSS feed too. Nice interrobang reference in your About Me.

Re: Show HN: I spent 6 years building a ridiculous wooden pixel display

#86

Post by crimony » Mon, Aug 04, 2025, 10:04 PM UTC

You have four sides to each pixel cube, have you considered black, white and two grey levels?

Re: Show HN: I spent 6 years building a ridiculous wooden pixel display

#87

Post by rightbyte » Mon, Aug 04, 2025, 10:05 PM UTC

cinntaile wrote: post #7

There was a fish project on here a few days ago that also had to deal with uh... adverserial images and it was (mostly?) solved by training a neural net to detect those.

The constraint that the picture needed to be a right facing fish made it somewhat easier though. Now I need to paint another fish...

Re: Show HN: I spent 6 years building a ridiculous wooden pixel display

#88

Post by christophilus » Mon, Aug 04, 2025, 10:07 PM UTC

Rad. The occasional crazy project like this is what keeps me on HN.

Re: Show HN: I spent 6 years building a ridiculous wooden pixel display

#89

Post by fitsumbelay » Mon, Aug 04, 2025, 10:15 PM UTC

this is what I come to hacker news for. this. so awesome

Re: Show HN: I spent 6 years building a ridiculous wooden pixel display

#90

Post by mappu » Mon, Aug 04, 2025, 10:17 PM UTC

There's a full colour one of these in the entrance hallway inside the Berlin Technikmuseum, near the Zuse exhibit - there are 12800 cubes, each with 4 colours: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BfWFLnsy6QA