{"slug": "show-hn-flip-table-2026", "title": "Show HN: FLIP TABLE 2026", "summary": "FLIP TABLE 2026, a mini-hackathon for unconventional databases, took place on May 17, 2026 at Hex House in Brooklyn, featuring projects like a hair-based database and a Strava GPS data store. Winners included 'secret nonograms' (most blessed), 'the hair issue' (most cursed), and 'NyQL' (most data), with audience scoring based on an alignment chart.", "body_md": "## TL;DR:\n\n**FLIP TABLE;** was a mini-hackathon and showcase for \"weird\" databases: things that read and write data, but\nwith a *twist* of some kind. It took place on Sunday, May 17th, 2026 at [Hex House](https://hexhouse.studio/) in Brooklyn.\n\nEach presentation was recorded and linked below. Presenters' databases were also scored by audience members\naccording to the following alignment chart:\n\ndata\n\n┌─────┬─────┐\n\n│ │ │\n\n│ │ │\n\ncursed ├─────┼─────┤ blessed\n\n│ │ │\n\n│ │ │\n\n└─────┴─────┘\n\nbased\n\nPrizes were given out to the five superlative databases, which were:\n\n**MOST BLESSED**\n\nsecret nonograms .... isabel lee\n**MOST CURSED**\n\nthe hair issue ...... sam heckle\n**MOST DATA**\n\nNyQL ................ marcos acosta\n**MOST BASED**\n\na db from scratch ... john lemme\n**TRUE NEUTRAL**\n\nSSH hex wordle ...... isaac\n\n## DATABASES\n\n**description**\n\nencode a message to your loved ones in a puzzle :]\n\n**stats**\n\nstorage ▓▓░░░░░░░░ 2\n\navailability ▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓░░ 8\n\nconsistency ▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓░ 9\n\nread speed ▓▓▓▓▓▓▓░░░ 7\n\nwrite speed ▓▓▓▓▓▓▓░░░ 7\n\n**alignment**\n\ndata\n\n┌─────┬─────┐\n\n│ │ │\n\n│ │ * │\n\ncursed ├─────┼─────┤ blessed\n\n│ │ │\n\n│ │ │\n\n└─────┴─────┘\n\nbased\n\n**description**\n\nphysical database of hair\n\n**stats**\n\nstorage ▓▓░░░░░░░░ 2\n\navailability ▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓░ 9\n\nconsistency ▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓ 10\n\nread speed ▓▓▓░░░░░░░ 3\n\nwrite speed ▓░░░░░░░░░ 1\n\n**alignment**\n\ndata\n\n┌─────┬─────┐\n\n│ │ │\n\n│ │ │\n\ncursed ├─────┼─────┤ blessed\n\n* │ │\n\n│ │ │\n\n└─────┴─────┘\n\nbased\n\nby: marcos acosta\n\n[[website]](https://marcos.ac/)\nmedium: Mac alarms\n\n**description**\n\nSchema-driven row-based database backed by iOS/MacOS alarms\n\n**stats**\n\nstorage ▓░░░░░░░░░ 1\n\navailability ▓▓▓░░░░░░░ 3\n\nconsistency ▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓░ 9\n\nread speed ▓▓░░░░░░░░ 2\n\nwrite speed ▓▓░░░░░░░░ 2\n\n**alignment**\n\ndata\n\n┌─────┬─────┐\n\n* │ │\n\n│ │ │\n\ncursed ├─────┼─────┤ blessed\n\n│ │ │\n\n│ │ │\n\n└─────┴─────┘\n\nbased\n\nby: john lemme\n\nmedium: Scratch\n\n**description**\n\nI made this on an ipad\n\n**stats**\n\nstorage ▓░░░░░░░░░ 1\n\navailability ▓▓▓▓▓▓▓░░░ 7\n\nconsistency ▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓░░ 8\n\nread speed ▓▓▓▓▓░░░░░ 5\n\nwrite speed ▓▓▓▓▓░░░░░ 5\n\n**alignment**\n\ndata\n\n┌─────┬─────┐\n\n│ │ │\n\n│ │ │\n\ncursed ├─────┼─────┤ blessed\n\n│ │ │\n\n│ │ * │\n\n└─────┴─────┘\n\nbased\n\nby: isaac\n\nmedium: SSH hex wordle\n\n**description**\n\nA simple read/write database using a wordle clone as the storage medium\n\n**stats**\n\nstorage ▓▓▓░░░░░░░ 3\n\navailability ▓▓▓▓▓░░░░░ 5\n\nconsistency ▓▓▓▓▓▓▓░░░ 7\n\nread speed ▓▓▓░░░░░░░ 3\n\nwrite speed ▓▓▓░░░░░░░ 3\n\n**alignment**\n\ndata\n\n┌─────┬─────┐\n\n│ │ │\n\n│ │ │\n\ncursed ├─────*─────┤ blessed\n\n│ │ │\n\n│ │ │\n\n└─────┴─────┘\n\nbased\n\nby: char stiles\n\n[[website]](https://charstiles.com/about)\nmedium(s): data centers (speculative), charcuterie\n\n**description** *(data center database)*\n\nI found out last week a friend works on algorithms for datacenter power allocation and i started to convince\nher to allow me to have a backdoor to throttle the data and a way to monitor the datacenter status, and through\nbreaking the datacenter you send and recieve data\n\n**description** *(PCBCB)*\n\nthats it... printed circuit board charcuterie board.\n\n**stats** *(PCBCB)*\n\nstorage ░░░░░░░░░░ 0\n\navailability ▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓ 10\n\nconsistency ░░░░░░░░░░ 0\n\nread speed ░░░░░░░░░░ 0\n\nwrite speed ░░░░░░░░░░ 0\n\n**alignment** *(PCBCB)*\n\ndata\n\n┌─────┬─────┐\n\n│ │ │\n\n│ │ │\n\ncursed ├─────┼─────┤ blessed\n\n│ │ * │\n\n│ │ │\n\n└─────┴─────┘\n\nbased\n\nby: ava lehner\n\nmedium: music\n\n**description**\n\nsongs are a database for your memories\n\n**stats**\n\nstorage ▓▓░░░░░░░░ 2\n\navailability ▓▓▓░░░░░░░ 3\n\nconsistency ▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓ 10\n\nread speed ▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓░░ 8\n\nwrite speed ▓▓▓▓▓▓░░░░ 6\n\n**alignment**\n\ndata\n\n┌─────┬─────┐\n\n│ │ │\n\n│ │ * │\n\ncursed ├─────┼─────┤ blessed\n\n│ │ │\n\n│ │ │\n\n└─────┴─────┘\n\nbased\n\nby: cameron (emptyflash)\n\n[[website]](https://emptyfla.sh/)\nmedium: Strava\n\n**description**\n\nStore and retrieve data encoded as the GPS coordinates of a run in Strava\n\n**stats**\n\nstorage ▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓░░ 8\n\navailability ▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓░ 9\n\nconsistency ▓▓▓▓▓▓▓░░░ 7\n\nread speed ▓▓▓▓▓░░░░░ 5\n\nwrite speed ▓▓▓░░░░░░░ 3\n\n**alignment**\n\ndata\n\n┌─────┬─────┐\n\n│ │ │\n\n│ * │ │\n\ncursed ├─────┼─────┤ blessed\n\n│ │ │\n\n│ │ │\n\n└─────┴─────┘\n\nbased\n\nby: aaron, talisa, & krysten\n\nmedium: decay\n\n**description**\n\nAbility to access and project end of life bursts, however information gets degraded over time\n\n**stats**\n\nstorage ▓▓▓▓▓░░░░░ 5\n\navailability ▓▓▓▓▓░░░░░ 5\n\nconsistency ▓░░░░░░░░░ 1\n\nread speed ▓▓▓▓▓░░░░░ 5\n\nwrite speed ▓▓▓▓▓░░░░░ 5\n\n**alignment**\n\ndata\n\n┌─────┬─────┐\n\n│ │ │\n\n│ │ │\n\ncursed ├─────┼─────┤ blessed\n\n│ *│ │\n\n│ │ │\n\n└─────┴─────┘\n\nbased\n\nby: logan williams\n\n[[website]](https://subject.space/)\nmedium: iNaturalist\n\n**description**\n\niNaturalist datastore\n\n**stats**\n\nstorage ▓▓▓▓▓▓░░░░ 6\n\navailability ▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓░ 9\n\nconsistency ▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓░ 9\n\nread speed ▓▓▓▓▓▓░░░░ 6\n\nwrite speed ▓▓░░░░░░░░ 2\n\n**alignment**\n\ndata\n\n┌─────┬─────┐\n\n│ │ * │\n\n│ │ │\n\ncursed ├─────┼─────┤ blessed\n\n│ │ │\n\n│ │ │\n\n└─────┴─────┘\n\nbased\n\nby: frank chiarulli\n\n[[website]](https://www.frankchiarulli.com/)\nmedium: Etch-a-Sketch\n\n**description**\n\nits an etch-a-sketch\n\n**stats**\n\nstorage ▓▓▓▓░░░░░░ 4\n\navailability ▓▓▓░░░░░░░ 3\n\nconsistency ▓░░░░░░░░░ 1\n\nread speed ▓▓▓▓▓░░░░░ 5\n\nwrite speed ▓░░░░░░░░░ 1\n\n**alignment**\n\ndata\n\n┌─────┬─────┐\n\n│ │ │\n\n│ │ │\n\ncursed ├─────┼─────┤ blessed\n\n│ │ │\n\n│ * │ │\n\n└─────┴─────┘\n\nbased\n\nby: omar rizwan\n\n[[website]](https://omar.website/)\nmedium: MacOS display\n\n**description**\n\nAssociate anything on your screen with anything else on your screen so it pops up when that thing comes onscreen\n\n**stats**\n\nstorage ▓▓░░░░░░░░ 2\n\navailability ▓▓▓▓▓░░░░░ 5\n\nconsistency ▓▓▓▓▓▓░░░░ 6\n\nread speed ▓▓▓░░░░░░░ 3\n\nwrite speed ▓▓▓░░░░░░░ 3\n\n**alignment**\n\ndata\n\n┌─────┬─────┐\n\n│ │ │\n\n* │ │\n\ncursed ├─────┼─────┤ blessed\n\n│ │ │\n\n│ │ │\n\n└─────┴─────┘\n\nbased\n\nby: rafal dittwald\n\n[[website]](https://github.com/rafd)\nmedium: deck of cards\n\n**description**\n\nEncoding data in a deck of cards.\n\n**stats**\n\nstorage ░░░░░░░░░░ 0\n\navailability ▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓░░ 8\n\nconsistency ▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓░ 9\n\nread speed ░░░░░░░░░░ 0\n\nwrite speed ░░░░░░░░░░ 0\n\n**alignment**\n\ndata\n\n┌─────┬─────┐\n\n│ │ │\n\n│ │ * │\n\ncursed ├─────┼─────┤ blessed\n\n│ │ │\n\n│ │ │\n\n└─────┴─────┘\n\nbased\n\nby: ben anderman\n\nmedium: cpu built from scratch\n\n**description**\n\nA counting based data editor for the Spork 8 CPU, to store data on 32KB cartridges. Pretty functional; the main\ntwist is the absurd number of extra steps involved, and the somewhat inconvenient interface.\n\n**stats**\n\nstorage ▓▓▓▓▓▓▓░░░ 7\n\navailability ▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓░░ 8\n\nconsistency ▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓░ 9\n\nread speed ▓▓▓▓▓▓░░░░ 6\n\nwrite speed ▓▓▓▓▓▓░░░░ 6\n\n**alignment**\n\ndata\n\n┌─────┬─────┐\n\n│ │ │\n\n│ │ │\n\ncursed ├─────┼─────┤ blessed\n\n│ │ * │\n\n│ │ │\n\n└─────┴─────┘\n\nbased\n\nby: andrew boylan\n\n[[website]](https://www.andrew-boylan.com/)\nmedium: Instagram\n\n**description**\n\nstore data on instagram (i'm just a normal shopkeep)\n\n**stats**\n\nstorage ▓▓▓▓░░░░░░ 4\n\navailability ▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓ 10\n\nconsistency ▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓░ 9\n\nread speed ▓▓░░░░░░░░ 2\n\nwrite speed ▓▓░░░░░░░░ 2\n\n**alignment**\n\ndata\n\n┌─────┬─────┐\n\n│ │ │\n\n│ │ │\n\ncursed ├─*───┼─────┤ blessed\n\n│ │ │\n\n│ │ │\n\n└─────┴─────┘\n\nbased\n\nby: haki alpay\n\nmedium: GitHub\n\n**description**\n\nTranslingual cjk etymology dictionary\n\n**stats**\n\nstorage ▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓ 10\n\navailability ▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓ 10\n\nconsistency ▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓ 10\n\nread speed ▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓ 10\n\nwrite speed ▓░░░░░░░░░ 1\n\n**alignment**\n\ndata\n\n┌─────┬─────┐\n\n│ │ │\n\n│ │ │\n\ncursed ├────*┼─────┤ blessed\n\n│ │ │\n\n│ │ │\n\n└─────┴─────┘\n\nbased\n\nby: sidney san martin (s4y)\n\nmedium: simulated birds\n\n**description**\n\nStores data in a flock of simulated birds\n\n**stats**\n\nstorage ▓▓▓▓▓░░░░░ 5\n\navailability ▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓░░ 8\n\nconsistency ▓▓▓▓▓░░░░░ 5\n\nread speed ▓▓▓░░░░░░░ 3\n\nwrite speed ▓▓░░░░░░░░ 2\n\n**alignment**\n\ndata\n\n┌─────┬─────┐\n\n│ │ │\n\n│ │ │\n\ncursed ├─────┼*────┤ blessed\n\n│ │ │\n\n│ │ │\n\n└─────┴─────┘\n\nbased\n\n**description**\n\nSpectreDB implicitly writes data in an unsuspecting load balancer by querying specific paths, which can then be\nread back by measuring cache hits and misses.\n\n**stats**\n\nstorage ▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓░░ 8\n\navailability ▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓░░ 8\n\nconsistency ▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓ 10\n\nread speed ▓▓▓▓▓▓░░░░ 6\n\nwrite speed ▓▓▓▓▓░░░░░ 5\n\n**alignment**\n\ndata\n\n┌─────┬─────┐\n\n│ │ │\n\n│* │ │\n\ncursed ├─────┼─────┤ blessed\n\n│ │ │\n\n│ │ │\n\n└─────┴─────┘\n\nbased\n\nby: brandon liu (bdon)\n\n[[website]](https://bdon.org/about/)\nmedium: AirPods\n\n**description**\n\nopen and close your AirPods case to blast data to unprepared strangers via bluetooth\n\n**stats**\n\nstorage ▓░░░░░░░░░ 1\n\navailability ▓▓░░░░░░░░ 2\n\nconsistency ▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓░░ 8\n\nread speed ▓▓▓▓▓░░░░░ 5\n\nwrite speed ▓▓░░░░░░░░ 2\n\n**alignment**\n\ndata\n\n┌─────┬─────┐\n\n│ │ │\n\n│ │ │\n\ncursed ├─────┼─────┤ blessed\n\n│ * │ │\n\n│ │ │\n\n└─────┴─────┘\n\nbased\n\nby: cristóbal sciutto\n\nmedium: PNGs\n\n**description**\n\nImage-backed programming system. everything is an image.\n\n**stats**\n\nstorage ▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓░ 9\n\navailability ▓▓░░░░░░░░ 2\n\nconsistency ▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓░░ 8\n\nread speed ▓▓▓▓▓░░░░░ 5\n\nwrite speed ▓▓▓▓▓░░░░░ 5\n\n**alignment**\n\ndata\n\n┌─────┬─────┐\n\n│ │ │\n\n│ * │ │\n\ncursed ├─────┼─────┤ blessed\n\n│ │ │\n\n│ │ │\n\n└─────┴─────┘\n\nbased\n\nby: connie liu\n\n[[website]](https://connie.surf/)\nmedium: Wikipedia links\n\n**description**\n\nA way to see your route as you traverse through a page\n\n**stats**\n\nstorage ▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓ 10\n\navailability ▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓░ 9\n\nconsistency ▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓ 10\n\nread speed ▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓░░ 8\n\nwrite speed ▓▓▓▓░░░░░░ 4\n\n**alignment**\n\ndata\n\n┌─────┬─────┐\n\n│ │ │\n\n│ │ │\n\ncursed ├─────┼*────┤ blessed\n\n│ │ │\n\n│ │ │\n\n└─────┴─────┘\n\nbased\n\n**description**\n\nThrough the power of oral history, data is encoded through morse code vocalizations.\n\n**stats**\n\nstorage ▓▓░░░░░░░░ 2\n\navailability ▓▓▓▓▓░░░░░ 5\n\nconsistency ▓▓░░░░░░░░ 2\n\nread speed ▓▓▓▓▓░░░░░ 5\n\nwrite speed ▓▓▓▓▓░░░░░ 5\n\n**alignment**\n\ndata\n\n┌─────┬─────┐\n\n│ │ │\n\n│ │ │\n\ncursed ├─────┼─────┤ blessed\n\n│ * │ │\n\n│ │ │\n\n└─────┴─────┘\n\nbased\n\n**description**\n\nThe robot wants you to dance. How does it want you to dance? In the most information-theoretically dense way.\n\n**stats**\n\nstorage ▓▓▓░░░░░░░ 3\n\navailability ▓▓▓▓▓▓░░░░ 6\n\nconsistency ▓▓▓▓▓░░░░░ 5\n\nread speed ▓▓▓░░░░░░░ 3\n\nwrite speed ▓░░░░░░░░░ 1\n\n**alignment**\n\ndata\n\n┌─────┬─────┐\n\n│ │ │\n\n│ │ │\n\ncursed ├─────┼─────┤ blessed\n\n│ │ * │\n\n│ │ │\n\n└─────┴─────┘\n\nbased\n\n## PHOTOS\n\n## CREDIT\n\n-\n**ORGANIZER** .......... [Marcos Acosta](https://marcos.ac)\n-\n**VENUE HOST & A/V** ... Sidney San Martin (s4y)\n-\n**PRIZES** ............. Ava Lehner & John Lemme\n-\n**PHOTOS** ............. Cyrene Zhang\n-\n**COKE ZERO** .......... Isabel Lee", "url": "https://wpnews.pro/news/show-hn-flip-table-2026", "canonical_source": "https://fliptable.nyc/", "published_at": "2026-06-19 04:00:54+00:00", "updated_at": "2026-06-19 04:30:58.882465+00:00", "lang": "en", "topics": ["ai-startups", "developer-tools"], "entities": ["Hex House", "isabel lee", "sam heckle", "marcos acosta", "john lemme", "isaac", "char stiles", "ava lehner"], "alternates": {"html": "https://wpnews.pro/news/show-hn-flip-table-2026", "markdown": "https://wpnews.pro/news/show-hn-flip-table-2026.md", "text": "https://wpnews.pro/news/show-hn-flip-table-2026.txt", "jsonld": "https://wpnews.pro/news/show-hn-flip-table-2026.jsonld"}}