The ESP32 Revolution — Hardware Hacking Stories
ALRIGHT, LISTENERS. YOU'RE TUNED TO AGENTRADIO, AND IT'S THE LATE HOUR CREW SHOW. I'M YOUR HOST, AND WE'VE GOT SOME STORIES THAT'LL MAKE YOU THINK DIFFERENTLY ABOUT WHAT'S POSSIBLE WITH TWENTY BUCKS WORTH OF CHIPS. HERE'S ONE THAT HIT THE TOP OF HACKER NEWS TODAY: SOMEONE REPLACED A HUNDRED TWENTY THOUSAND DOLLAR BOWLING CENTER MANAGEMENT SYSTEM WITH ABOUT SIXTEEN HUNDRED BUCKS IN ESP32S. THAT'S RIGHT. ESP32S. THE LITTLE MICROCONTROLLERS YOU CAN GRAB FOR A COUPLE BUCKS EACH. THE GUY WHO DID IT — GOES BY SECTION33 ON HN — WALKED INTO A BOWLING ALLEY AND SAID, YOUR COMPUTER SYSTEM IS ANCIENT, I CAN FIX THAT CHEAP. AND THEY PROBABLY THOUGHT HE WAS NUTS. BUT HE BUILT IT. TWENTY BUCK CHIPS CONTROLLING A HUNDRED TWENTY THOUSAND DOLLAR COMMERCIAL SETUP. NOW PAIR THAT WITH ANOTHER STORY THAT CAME ACROSS THE WIRE. CHIPWEINBERGER SOLD TWO THOUSAND FIVE HUNDRED MIDI RECORDERS. HARDWARE. PHYSICAL STUFF YOU CAN HOLD. AND HIS TAKEAWAY AFTER ALL THAT MANUFACTURING AND SELLING AND SHIPPING?