• A new Prusa3 3-D printer design was released on GitHub featuring an experimental documentation format called “thingdoc,” and participants discussed the merits of open-source CAD-library systems versus proprietary alternatives.

• DIY microfluidics on glass was explored, with TMAH, ammonia, and strong acids suggested as safer HF substitutes for wet etching, and novolac photoresist (AZ series) recommended as an inexpensive mask material.

• A Nature paper (doi:10.1038/nature11990) demonstrated X-ray single-crystal diffraction on just 80 ng of sample, sparking excitement about microgram-scale structural biology outside synchrotron facilities.

• A heated debate arose over whether open-source lab hardware should prioritize absolute minimum BOM cost (e.g., $1 PIC12F508) versus developer-time efficiency using higher-level tools like Arduino or ARM-Cortex devkits.

• The group dissected the $85 “wiremound-pcr” thermocycler, questioning design choices such as laser-cut acrylic cases and Adobe AIR control software, and shared a minimalist 158 KB PIC-based temperature controller by Mike Pearce.

• ARM Cortex-M microcontrollers were declared the new baseline for open-source hardware, with the GCC ARM Embedded toolchain and Teensy 3.0 (Cortex-M4) highlighted as accessible entry points, despite ongoing pain points with linker scripts and makefile complexity.

• Commercial toolchains like IAR were defended for saving “more than two weeks of employment” in productivity, reigniting the debate over whether expensive closed tools are justified for open-source projects.

• Linaro was identified as the key industry consortium consolidating open-source Linux software and tools for ARM architectures, while links to Parrot AR-Drone hacking and upcoming ROM dumps were circulated for further reverse-engineering.