The Bootloader

Hosted by Paul Cutler and Tod Kurt

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Jun 2026

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About the show

A monthly podcast loading you up with news, project updates and product talk from the CircuitPython and maker communities. Hosted by Tod Kurt and Paul Cutler.

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35 recent

June 8, 2026Episode 3326 min

Times Like These

Paul and Tod are back and discuss a nostalgia archive on the web, Web Serial in Firefox, real time OSes, a follow-up to last episode’s story on Parachord, and more. Follow the show on Mastodon or Bluesky. We have stickers! Request a free sticker here. (US Only, sorry!) Show Notes 00:00 Welcome 00:20 FreeMediaHeckYeah “freemediaheckyeah“ 3:34 Flipper One Flipper Zero All the fun things to do with a Flipper Zero Flipper One Collabora’s work on the Flipper One 8:55 You Don’t Need an RTOS You Don’t Need an RTOS Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 15:22 Web Serial comes to Firefox Mozilla WebSerial announcement Mozilla engineering blog post about WebSerial 17:40 USB Probester USB Probester GitHub repository 23:17 Achordion, a Parachord follow-up Parachord Achordion announcement Achordion Community Layer Paul’s Achordion profile MusicBrainz Last.fm goes independent Paul’s SongMatrix project Enjoying the show? You can now sponsor the show, learn more at www.circuitpythonshow.com. Thank you for your support!

May 4, 2026Episode 3226 min

Wave of Mutilation

Paul and Tod discuss a new review site for dev boards, add textures to your 3D prints, an open source music player, and more. Follow the show on Mastodon or Bluesky. We have stickers! Request a free sticker here. (US Only, sorry!) Show Notes 00:00 Intro 00:20 OpenBoardsGuide.com Ventuno Q Review Arduino Nesso N1 review Pimoroni Badeware Tufty review Straithe’s BlueSky comment 4:49 BumpMesh.com CNC Kitchen’s video about BumpMesh CNC Kitchen Youtube channel 8:10 Parachord Parachord 11:51 SerialPlotster SerialPlotster 18:19 picoCAD2 picocad.net Feature trailer on YouTube Learn picoCAD 2 in 5 minutes picoCAD 2 manual 21:13 Wave Overhangs Print steep overhangs without supports Hackaday article WaveOverhangs fork of OrcaSlicer Original LaSO thesis work by Rieks Kaiser 25:49 Wrap-up Enjoying the show? You can now sponsor the show, learn more at www.circuitpythonshow.com. Thank you for your support!

April 6, 2026Episode 3126 min

Help I'm Alive

In this episode, Tod and Paul share a secondary display for your Bambu Labs 3D printer, a small eink eReader, an open source microcontroller, and more. Show Notes 00:00 Welcome 00:15 BambuHelper BambuHelper is a tiny ESP32-powered desk friend to tell you how your 3d printer is doing! BambuHelper sourcecode BambuHelper assembly video 3d printed case on Makerworld CircuitPython library by Paul! CircuitBambu printer monitor 5:56 OpenScan OpenScan is a low-cost and high quality 3D scanner that you build yourself that is open source and modular. OpenScan homepage OpenScan Mini ($239) OpenScan Mini accuracy test OpenScan Classic OpenScan Mini BOM OpenScan YouTube channel OpenScan GitHub repository 8:53 Xteink X4 eReader The Xteink X4 eReader is small 4” eink eReader that can read ebooks and can also be an ESP32 dev board. Xteink X4 eReader Crosspoint Reader Xteink Flash Tools Xteink X4 & Crosspoint Quick video section on how to hack the Xteink X4 Chris Pearson bsky thread Xteink X4 review CircuitPython builds by Liz! CircuitPython helper library 12:58 Project Aura Project Aura is a crowd-funded air quality monitor that costs $30 for the 3D print design and firmware. Project Aura Project Aura GitHub repository 17:06 The Baochip The Baochip-1x by Bunnie Huang is another microcontroller platform like the RP2040 or the ESP32, but unlike those chips, everything about the Baochip is open source. Dabao eval board crowdfund page Details on the chip Inside the BIO IO processor, like PIO 21:51 OpenCode OpenCode is a 100% open source AI coding agent licensed under the liberal MIT license. It’s built for privacy and does not store any of your data. OpenCode Home page 26:16 Wrap-up Enjoying the show? You can now sponsor the show, learn more at www.circuitpythonshow.com. Thank you for your support!

March 2, 2026Episode 3028 min

Spin the Black Circle

Paul and Tod chat about an open source record player, MicroPython’s new operating system, 3D printing news, and you won’t believe who is going to Eurovision. Follow the show on Mastodon or Bluesky. We have stickers! Request a free sticker here. (US Only, sorry!) Show Notes 00:00 Welcome 00:19 The Statimatic STM-01 Automatic Turntable Hackster coverage YouTube series GitHub repository Gareth Halfacree on Mastodon 5:00 MicroPythonOS and WaveShare ESP32-S3-Touch-LCD-2 Waveshare ESP32-S3-Touch-LCD-2 wiki Waveshare ESP32-S3-Touch-LCD-2 product page CircuitPython for it CircuitPython driver for touchscreen MicropythonOS MicropythonOS apps source Fruit Jam OS, a simlar idea in CircuitPython 10:16 3D Printing News Roundup Tool Trace AI is a site that allows you to upload a picture of your tools and it will create foam shadowboxes or grifinity inserts you can 3D print to hold your tools. 3D printing uses AI to fix prints in real time - using multiple LLMs, researchers have created a way for AI to monitor, correct, and fix your 3D prints in real time. Creality Filament maker - Creality has introduced a filmament shredder for your old filament and a filament maker to use from the shredded filament. It can create up to 1 kilo of filament per hour. 14:37 Teenage Engineering Ting EP-2350 Ting EP-2350 product page Ting Micropython API Customizing the Ting via config.json Online Ting Preset Editor Sound packs for Ting Riddum & Ting teardown Teradown 20:248 OpenSplit Deck and JoyPad OS The OpenSplitDeck is a home built gamepad controller inspired by Valve’s Steam Controller. It features two trackpads, joysticks, and more and can also split into two halves to make it more ergonomic. Linus Tech Tips YouTube video Joypad OS (Adafruit coverage) allows you to build a dongle to connect your game controller to other platforms. The dongle is powered by the rp2040 and you can buy a dev kit for $50 at Joypad.AI. 24:46 LOOKMUMNOCOMPUTER is going to Eurovision 2026 LOOK MUM NO COMPUTER YouTUBE Page 1000 Oscillator Megadrone 45 Furby Organ Simplest DIY Audio Oscillator for $1 This Museum is Not Obsolete Example LOOKMUMNOCOMPUTER live improv performance Another example LOOKMUMNOCOMPUTER live improv performance Enjoying the show? You can now sponsor the show, learn more at www.circuitpythonshow.com. Thank you for your support!

February 2, 2026Episode 2924 min

Kick Out the Jams

In this episode, Tod and Paul discuss hacking Flock cameras, the Adafruit Fruit Jam, Neural Networks in CircuitPython, some bad 3D printing legislation, and more. Follow the show on Mastodon or Bluesky. We have stickers! Request a free sticker here. (US Only, sorry!) 00:00 Intro 00:17 Flock Camera Hacking This Flock Camera Leak is like Netflix For Stalkers We Hacked Flock Safety Cameras in under 30 Seconds. 🫥 Breaking the Creepy AI in Police Cameras EFF on Flock 5:46 Naya Connect Naya Connect modular keyboard ZDNet coverage Kickstarter 8:58 ESP32 supports 5GHz Wireless https://www.seeedstudio.com/blog/2026/01/16/xiao-esp32-c5-5ghz-dual-band-wifi6/ https://wiki.seeedstudio.com/xiao_esp32c5_getting_started/ https://openelab.io/blogs/seeed-studio/a-deep-dive-into-seeed-studio-xiao-esp32-s3-c6-and-c5 13:19 The Adafruit Fruit Jam Adafruit Fruit Jam Hardware Fruit Jam OS Fruit Jam OS includes a number of apps and games, including Breakout, an IRC client, Minesweeper, PyPaint, and more. Retrojam Fruitris, a Tetris clone by Cooper Dalrymple Pac-Wio Zork and the Z Machine by Dan Cogliano Paul’s interview with Dan on The CircuitPython Show Moon Miner Learn Guide Fruit Jam Mac emulator Apple II emulator Intel 286 emulator 18:04 Neural Networks in CircuitPython Bringing TensorFlow & PyTorch Models to CircuitPython TensorFlow Lite for EdgeBadge 2022 github gist I wrote for someone describing CirPy native modules outdated Adafruit guide on CircuitPython native modules 21:17 Washington State’s proposed 3D printer laws Adafruit blog post HB 2320 HB 2321 Contact form for Rep. Osman Salahuddin 23:55 Wrap-up StandWithMinnesota.com Enjoying the show? You can now sponsor the show, learn more at www.circuitpythonshow.com. Thank you for your support!

January 5, 2026Episode 2823 min

Games Without Frontiers

Paul has mic issues and Tod has a cold, but they’re here to discuss building your own Steam Machine, learning to sew, circuits and synths, and more. Want a free sticker? Order one here (US only). Show Notes Show Notes 0:00 Intro 00:20 Build your own Steam Machine Building my own Steam Machine with Bazzite Reddit Guide to turn your Steam Machine into a console Interview with Jorge Castro about Bazzite and more 4:56 Learning to sew Learn To Sew - Sewing 101 The Surprising Genius of Sewing Machines 9:06 CAD Round-up BREP.io, browser based CAD BREP.io project page GitHub repository Microcad Codeberg repo CadQuest Reddit announcement 11:03 Learn analog electronics by building synths “This drum sequencer breaks all the rules“ Moritz Klein’s “For Beginners” playlist Moritz Klein’s DIY Drum Series“ playlist Moritz Klein’s Youtube channel Erica Synths DIY kits 14:57 The Indie Beat Radio and Television Remembering RadioFreeFedi The Indie Beat Radio Ways to watch The Indie Beat Television Bandwagon.fm The Indie Beat - Fediverse Radio - GNOME Shell Extensions and GitHub repository Follow The Indie Beat Television on Mastodon: @TIBtv@tv.theindiebeat.fm 17:51 act act video demo github hosted runners 22:40 Wrap-up Enjoying the show? You can now sponsor the show, learn more at www.circuitpythonshow.com. Thank you for your support!

December 1, 2025Episode 2733 min

Don't call it a comeback

Show Notes In this episode, Tod and Paul discuss the recent Hackaday Supercon, including a talk and a workshop, Microsoft open sources Zork, the return of 80s style computer magazines, and more. Follow the show on Mastodon or Bluesky. We have stickers! Request a sticker here. 00:23 Supercon Recap Supercon 2025 YouTube playlist 2:10 Tod’s favorite Supercon talks 3:57 Arduino Uno Q Workshop (Tod #1) Jeff Geerling’s video review Using arduino-app-cli on Uno Q by Shawn Hymel Uno Q user manual Radxa X4 SBD w/ RP2040 MCU 13:21 Covert Regional Communication with Meshtastic (Paul #1) Covert Regional Communication with Meshtastic by Daryll Strauss 17:18 Supercon 2025 Badge Supercon 2025 Badge Solder Party Keebdeck 20:07 Ultrawideband (Tod #2) Makerfabs ESP32 UWB Getting started with ESP32 UWB Build UWB Position system w/ ESP32 & Qorvo DWM3000 24:30 Microsoft open sources Zork 1 - 3 (Paul #2) Microsoft announcement Andrew Blotkin’s blog: Zork is now open source GitHub repository with source code Z-Machine for CircuitPython Guide 27:18 How to buld a dev board (Tod #3) Let’s Design an RP2040 Devboard! by Kai project github repo Hackaday discussion 30:03 DocType magazine (Paul #3) DocType magazine Enjoying the show? You can now sponsor the show, learn more at www.circuitpythonshow.com. Thank you for your support!

November 3, 2025Episode 2625 min

Super Smooth - with Liz Clark

Liz Clark joins the show for a second time. Liz, Paul, and Tod each share two things they found interesting including remoting in to a Raspberry Pi, code as PCB design, an open source ereader, and more. Follow the show on Mastodon or Bluesky. Show Notes 00:00 Welcome 00:20 Stickers! Request a sticker 00:31 Welcome Liz Clark 00:53 Raspberry Pi Connect Raspberry Pi Connect Documentation Raspberry Pi Connect 4:24 The Open Book Touch 8:39 Atopile atopile homepage atopile package repo Vibe-coding a PCB KiCad schematic design blocks 16:32 Midi Baby Gen 4 18:44 GameTank GameTank.zone CrowdSupply campaign GitHub repository Emulator Discord Server 21:49 Tiles from Bergsonne Labs About Tiles Tile Reference Sets Tile library 25:32 Wrap-up Enjoying the show? You can now sponsor the show, learn more at www.circuitpythonshow.com. Thank you for your support!

October 6, 2025Episode 2526 min

I Feel the Need for Speed

Paul and Tod discuss speeding up a Raspberry Pi, parts management with Inventree, product reviews, synths, and more. Follow the show on Mastodon or Bluesky. Show Notes 00:00 Intro 00:23 Make Your Raspberry Pi Faster 5:13 Inventree 7:59 Framework 12 Laptop 15:18 Channels 19:26 Mutable Instruments ported to the Pico 23:38 3D Printable and Dissolvable Circuit Boards Enjoying the show? You can now sponsor the show, learn more at www.circuitpythonshow.com. Thank you for your support!

August 22, 2025Episode 2424 min

CircuitPython Day 2025

This episode is a replay of The Bootloader’s live CircuitPython Day 2025 show from August 15th, 2025 hosted on Adafruit’s YouTube channel. The episode has been lightly edited. Follow the show on Mastodon or Bluesky. 00:00 Intro 00:26 Welcome 1:02 Thank you Anne Barela Subscribe to the Python on Hardware newsletter 1:46 CircuitPython Fonts CircuitPython fonts repository with circup instructions CircuitPython BDF & PCF font Learn Guide CircuitPython font code shown 6:57 CircuitPython v2 extension for VS Code CircuitPython VS Code extension v1 by Joe Devivo CircuitPython v2 for VS Code by Will Merkens CircuitPython v2 for VS Code source code 11:40 Fruit Jam USB Host MIDI Tester Fruit Jam USB Host MIDI Tester Fruit Jam Portable MIDI Synth Fruit Jam USB Gamepad Demo 15:52 Fruitris Cooper Dalrymple’s homepage Fruitris on Adafruit Playground Fruitris GitHub repository Fruitris blog post Fruitris demo on Show & Tell Cooper on The CircuitPython Show May 5th, 2025 19:37 CircuitPython Workflows https://docs.circuitpython.org/en/latest/docs/workflows.html https://code.circuitpython.org/ Enjoying the show? You can now sponsor the show, learn more at www.circuitpythonshow.com. Thank you for your support!