Boards are back and more powerful than ever! With fresh offerings from Arduino and Raspberry Pi and powerhouse boards like DFRobot's LattePanda Sigma and Nvidia's Jetson Orin Nano, itÃ?Â[â?¬â?Â[s easier than ever to put epic computing power for your next project in the palm of your hand.

In this issue of Make: we track new trends in microcontrollers and single board computers, and show you the ones we're most excited about. And if you still can't find the right board for you, we show you how to design and manufacture your own custom chips for cheap! Next, use machine learning and Particle to automagically unmute your mic when someone says "You're muted!" Then, use a Waveshare RP2040 board to build a mini oscilloscope for your workbench for about $25.

Annual Boards Guide: Meet the hottest new boards, and compare specs for 80] microcontrollers and single board computers in our annual comparison guide.

Plus, 31 projects:

• Craft an illuminated, animated, tessellated tote bag using LED pebble lights and 3D-printed fabric
• Build an optical transmitter for covert communication
• Sew a soft touch panel matrix for wearable electronics
• Super-size classic wooden Froebel blocks for a fun playground experience
• Harvest disposable vape batteries and give e-waste a 2nd life
• Build a metal detector circuit, 3D print a Kirby fume extractor, or laser-cut an emoji fortune teller
• And much more!