FLIP TABLE; 2026
FLIP TABLE; 2026
TL;DR:
FLIP TABLE; was a mini-hackathon and showcase for "weird" databases: things that read and write data, but<br>with a twist of some kind. It took place on Sunday, May 17th, 2026 at Hex House in Brooklyn.
Each presentation was recorded and linked below. Presenters' databases were also scored by audience members<br>according to the following alignment chart:
data
┌─────┬─────┐
│ │ │
│ │ │
cursed ├─────┼─────┤ blessed
│ │ │
│ │ │
└─────┴─────┘
based
Prizes were given out to the five superlative databases, which were:
MOST BLESSED<br>secret nonograms .... isabel lee
MOST CURSED<br>the hair issue ...... sam heckle
MOST DATA<br>NyQL ................ marcos acosta
MOST BASED<br>a db from scratch ... john lemme
TRUE NEUTRAL<br>SSH hex wordle ...... isaac
DATABASES
secret nonograms (winner: most blessed) [talk] [website] [self-link]
by: isabel lee [website]
medium: nonograms
description
encode a message to your loved ones in a puzzle :]
stats
storage ▓▓░░░░░░░░ 2
availability ▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓░░ 8
consistency ▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓░ 9
read speed ▓▓▓▓▓▓▓░░░ 7
write speed ▓▓▓▓▓▓▓░░░ 7
alignment
data
┌─────┬─────┐
│ │ │
│ │ * │
cursed ├─────┼─────┤ blessed
│ │ │
│ │ │
└─────┴─────┘
based
the hair issue (winner: most cursed) [talk] [self-link]
by: sam heckle [website]
medium: hair
description
physical database of hair
stats
storage ▓▓░░░░░░░░ 2
availability ▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓░ 9
consistency ▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓ 10
read speed ▓▓▓░░░░░░░ 3
write speed ▓░░░░░░░░░ 1
alignment
data
┌─────┬─────┐
│ │ │
│ │ │
cursed ├─────┼─────┤ blessed
* │ │
│ │ │
└─────┴─────┘
based
NyQL (winner: most data) [talk] [website] [self-link]
by: marcos acosta [website]
medium: Mac alarms
description
Schema-driven row-based database backed by iOS/MacOS alarms
stats
storage ▓░░░░░░░░░ 1
availability ▓▓▓░░░░░░░ 3
consistency ▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓░ 9
read speed ▓▓░░░░░░░░ 2
write speed ▓▓░░░░░░░░ 2
alignment
data
┌─────┬─────┐
* │ │
│ │ │
cursed ├─────┼─────┤ blessed
│ │ │
│ │ │
└─────┴─────┘
based
a db from scratch (winner: most based) [talk] [self-link]
by: john lemme
medium: Scratch
description
I made this on an ipad
stats
storage ▓░░░░░░░░░ 1
availability ▓▓▓▓▓▓▓░░░ 7
consistency ▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓░░ 8
read speed ▓▓▓▓▓░░░░░ 5
write speed ▓▓▓▓▓░░░░░ 5
alignment
data
┌─────┬─────┐
│ │ │
│ │ │
cursed ├─────┼─────┤ blessed
│ │ │
│ │ * │
└─────┴─────┘
based
SSH hex wordle (winner: true neutral) [self-link]
by: isaac
medium: SSH hex wordle
description
A simple read/write database using a wordle clone as the storage medium
stats
storage ▓▓▓░░░░░░░ 3
availability ▓▓▓▓▓░░░░░ 5
consistency ▓▓▓▓▓▓▓░░░ 7
read speed ▓▓▓░░░░░░░ 3
write speed ▓▓▓░░░░░░░ 3
alignment
data
┌─────┬─────┐
│ │ │
│ │ │
cursed ├─────*─────┤ blessed
│ │ │
│ │ │
└─────┴─────┘
based
data center database / PCBCB with on-pita chip memory [talk] [self-link]
by: char stiles [website]
medium(s): data centers (speculative), charcuterie
description (data center database)
I found out last week a friend works on algorithms for datacenter power allocation and i started to convince<br>her to allow me to have a backdoor to throttle the data and a way to monitor the datacenter status, and through<br>breaking the datacenter you send and recieve data
description (PCBCB)
thats it... printed circuit board charcuterie board.
stats (PCBCB)
storage ░░░░░░░░░░ 0
availability ▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓ 10
consistency ░░░░░░░░░░ 0
read speed ░░░░░░░░░░ 0
write speed ░░░░░░░░░░ 0
alignment (PCBCB)
data
┌─────┬─────┐
│ │ │
│ │ │
cursed ├─────┼─────┤ blessed
│ │ * │
│ │ │
└─────┴─────┘
based
echo-trace [talk] [self-link]
by: ava lehner
medium: music
description
songs are a database for your memories
stats
storage ▓▓░░░░░░░░ 2
availability ▓▓▓░░░░░░░ 3
consistency ▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓ 10
read speed ▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓░░ 8
write speed ▓▓▓▓▓▓░░░░ 6
alignment
data
┌─────┬─────┐
│ │ │
│ │ * │
cursed ├─────┼─────┤ blessed
│ │ │
│ │ │
└─────┴─────┘
based
StravaDB [talk] [website] [self-link]
by: cameron (emptyflash) [website]
medium: Strava
description
Store and retrieve data encoded as the GPS coordinates of a run in Strava
stats
storage ▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓░░ 8
availability ▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓░ 9
consistency ▓▓▓▓▓▓▓░░░ 7
read speed ▓▓▓▓▓░░░░░ 5
write speed ▓▓▓░░░░░░░ 3
alignment
data
┌─────┬─────┐
│ │ │
│ * │ │
cursed ├─────┼─────┤ blessed
│ │ │
│ │ │
└─────┴─────┘
based
Terminal Lucidity [talk] [website] [self-link]
by: aaron, talisa, & krysten
medium: decay
description
Ability to access and project end of life bursts, however information gets degraded over time
stats
storage ▓▓▓▓▓░░░░░ 5
availability ▓▓▓▓▓░░░░░ 5
consistency ▓░░░░░░░░░ 1
read speed ▓▓▓▓▓░░░░░ 5
write speed ▓▓▓▓▓░░░░░ 5
alignment
data
┌─────┬─────┐
│ │ │
│ │ │
cursed ├─────┼─────┤ blessed
│ *│ │
│ │ │
└─────┴─────┘
based
You Did It! [talk] [website] [self-link]
by: logan williams [website]
medium: iNaturalist
description
iNaturalist...