url stringlengths 37 208 | title stringlengths 4 148 | author stringclasses 173
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
https://hackaday.com/2010/08/28/tube-preamp-with-a-dazzling-wood-case/ | Tube Preamp With A Dazzling Wood Case | Mike Szczys | [
"home entertainment hacks"
] | [
"Ground",
"preamp",
"tube",
"wood"
] | It’s been a while since we’ve looked in on the world of vacuum tube audio equipment. [Bruce] just finished documenting
a tube preamp he built
. He actually made a couple of these with slightly different cases but they use the same circuit design. We found his discussion of common errors made when tying into ground quite interesting. It seems that many folks struggle with noise in their circuits because of ground loops. There’s some details about isolating the signal ground from a metal chassis, and also an admonition about not connecting the input or output jacks directly the chassis.
If you like this, don’t miss on of our favorite tube projects,
[Bruce’s] Poddwatt
. | 8 | 8 | [
{
"comment_id": "174429",
"author": "vlc",
"timestamp": "2010-08-28T16:04:52",
"content": "Is this dolby digital? :D",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "174436",
"author": "Bob",
"timestamp": "2010-08-28T16:29:54",
"content": "What a glo... | 1,760,377,385.436726 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/08/28/robotic-helicopter-that-can-grasp-a-payload/ | Robotic Helicopter That Can Grasp A Payload | Mike Szczys | [
"Robots Hacks"
] | [
"grab lab",
"hand",
"helicopter",
"lift",
"prosthetic"
] | Like the Grand Theft Auto RC missions come to life,
this helicopter can grasp objects for transport
. They don’t have to be a special size or shape, and it can lift them even if they are not centered. This is thanks to a load-balancing hand (
originally developed as a prosthesis
) that relies on flexible joints and a tendon-like closing mechanism. As you can see in
the video
, the light-weight chopper has an on-board camera so that the operator can see what is being picked up. This little guy has no problem lifting objects that are over one kilogram while remaining stable in the air.
[Thanks Paul] | 10 | 10 | [
{
"comment_id": "174404",
"author": "Sammy",
"timestamp": "2010-08-28T13:19:29",
"content": "Very cool",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "174411",
"author": "zeropointmodule",
"timestamp": "2010-08-28T13:52:55",
"content": "epic win!Int... | 1,760,377,385.837269 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/08/27/airport-express-speaker-mashup/ | Airport Express Speaker Mashup | Mike Szczys | [
"digital audio hacks"
] | [
"airport",
"express",
"ikea",
"speakers",
"stereo",
"wifi"
] | [Wei] salvaged the internals from an Airport Express that had a blown power supply. From there he built this
streaming music box
. The case is from an IKEA clock with the face removed. He added some decorative fabric around a grill to make an acoustically transparent front panel. Inside you’ll find the Airport guts connected to a USB charger (replaces the dead PSU) and a set of powered stereo speakers. This simple mashup looks good and frees up space in your junk-parts box. | 12 | 12 | [
{
"comment_id": "174187",
"author": "Abbott",
"timestamp": "2010-08-27T18:56:32",
"content": "Awesome build. Just the kind of hacking together that I love to see.",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "174194",
"author": "Richard",
"timestamp":... | 1,760,377,385.687117 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/08/27/hydropower-generator/ | Hydropower Generator | Mike Szczys | [
"green hacks"
] | [
"cabin",
"generator",
"hydropower",
"pelton",
"stream",
"turbine",
"water",
"wheel"
] | [Paul] wanted to have access to renewable energy at his cabin. It’s a relaxing place, nestled in a tall forest that shelters him from the sun and wind. This also means that solar and wind energy aren’t an option. But there is a stream running through the property so he decided to build his own version of
a small water-powered generator
.
He tapped into a reservoir about 200 feet upstream, split the flow into four smaller hoses, and channeled that into a five-gallon bucket. Inside the bucket you’ll find
a Pelton wheel
he built which turns a low-RPM generator. He manages to generate 56 VDC at 10 A with this setup, more than enough to charge a bank of batteries.
He does a great job of explaining his setup in the video after the break. If you’re looking for other ideas of how to cut down on your environmental impact check out this
compost-powered water heater
.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vn1EtGRRkSo] | 36 | 36 | [
{
"comment_id": "174139",
"author": "ferdi",
"timestamp": "2010-08-27T17:15:19",
"content": "This is not a niewe ideei see it beforeon discovery chanel whas a programabout green seltion on problemsit whas whit tha colenel dick from screpheap chalens en u athur guyi dont no that program name",
"p... | 1,760,377,385.509878 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/08/27/iphone-drum-machine-isnt-synthesized/ | IPhone Drum Machine Isn’t Synthesized | Mike Szczys | [
"digital audio hacks",
"iphone hacks"
] | [
"arduino",
"iphone",
"open sound control",
"osc",
"solenoid",
"touchosc"
] | There was a time when a drummer would grab some sticks and lay out a groove using the items around him as instruments. [Lsa Wilson] would rather not work quite that hard and has chosen to
do the same thing by tapping on an iPhone screen
. As you can see in the clip after the break, many of the items in the room around him have been fitted with solenoids. Each is connected to an Arduino which is then controlled by
Open Sound Control
and interfaced with the iPhone via
TouchOSC
. We love the sounds being created and can’t help being reminded of
the Multixylophoniomnibus
. | 11 | 11 | [
{
"comment_id": "174115",
"author": "Jordan",
"timestamp": "2010-08-27T16:29:34",
"content": "The Multixylophoniomnibus link is dead. Perhaps a misspelling?",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "174118",
"author": "Jordan",
"timestamp": "2010-... | 1,760,377,385.639434 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/08/27/devote-your-life-to-replicating-a-lightsaber/ | Devote Your Life To Replicating A Lightsaber | Mike Szczys | [
"Toy Hacks"
] | [
"force fx",
"hasbro",
"lightsaber",
"machining",
"replica",
"star wars"
] | Life-sized Star Wars replica props, it’s one way to keep the ladies away. But if you’re going to make them, you should do it right. [Bradley W. Lewis] spent some serious time
getting this [Obi-Wan Kenobi] lightsaber right
. The seven-page build log provides plenty of eye-candy. We especially enjoyed the machine and coloring of he grenade-fin portion. The LED ladder that lights the blade is also quite interesting. For the icing on the cake he incorporated a high-performance speaker connected to the sound board from a Hasbro Force FX which provides that classic swashbuckling sound from a galaxy far, far away. | 21 | 21 | [
{
"comment_id": "174088",
"author": "JB",
"timestamp": "2010-08-27T15:15:24",
"content": "It takes an extreme geek to machine his own parts and build this (or a jedi). Love it.",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "174089",
"author": "Chickenbiske... | 1,760,377,386.116606 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/08/27/spy-video-trakr-first-impressions/ | Spy Video TRAKR: First Impressions | Phil Burgess | [
"Reviews",
"Robots Hacks",
"Toy Hacks"
] | [
"maker faire",
"robot",
"spy",
"toy",
"tracker",
"trakr",
"video",
"wild planet",
"wireless"
] | At the Bay Area Maker Faire this past May, we had our
first glimpse of Wild Planet’s Spy Video TRAKR
, a $130 radio-controlled toy with some surprises under the hood.
On the surface, the Spy Video TRAKR — the latest addition to the popular
Spy Gear
toy line — is an R/C tank with a video camera and night vision, with the added ability to download new “apps” from the internet for extra functions. With a little detective work, one uncovers the TRAKR’s secret double life: it’s also an eminently hackable robotics platform! Prior Spy Gear toys have been popular hack targets, providing inexpensive, mass-produced sources of unusual items such as head-mounted displays. Rather than throw up barriers, Wild Planet has chosen to embrace this secondary market, with plans to release development tools and documentation making it possible to extend the device’s capabilities.
Read on for our image-heavy unboxing and initial impressions.
Wild Planet provided us a unit for testing, with their assurance that this is identical to the package now arriving on store shelves.
The packaging is outwardly consumer-oriented — this is, first and foremost, a kids toy after all — and the “USB Connected” and “Download & Build Custom Apps” labels are about as technical as it gets on the outside.
Batteries not included. You’ll need plenty. And did you ever expect to see Linux mentioned by name on anything at Toys R Us? Awesome!
Internal packaging is minimalist and largely
recyclable
. No twist ties, no staples, no plastic bubbles, no registration cards or catalogs. Much appreciated! We’ve seen much
smaller toys with far more gratuitous packaging
, so this was a welcome relief.
The entire contents of the box are as follows:
The TRAKR vehicle itself, with antenna in the stowed position.
Snap-on “transport deck,” seems to be of little use other than to provide a seat for G.I. Joe or the adorable tiny kitten in the looming flood of YouTube videos.
Remote control unit.
Single page instruction sheet.
Four foot long banana yellow USB A to mini-B cable.
The TRAKR vehicle is a stubby, squat tank, measuring about 10 inches wide and 7 inches long. Six AA cells install behind a cover on the underside of the unit. The total weight with alkaline cells is 1065 grams, or about 2 pounds 5 oz. Picks up easily with one hand.
The front of the TRAKR vehicle features a number of sensors. Left to right, these include: microphone (the white circle at the left), a presently-unused accessory connection port which appears to contain a bump switch, the color video camera and infrared LED for
night vision
, and speaker (larger white circle at the right). The camera can be pivoted from straight ahead to about 30 degrees upward, but there is no
servo
control of this function; it must be manually positioned.
The rear wheels of the TRAKR have independent electric motors; the front wheels are passive, driven by rubber treads. All the wheels are held on by triangle security screws, so replacing these with fancy R/C car tires probably won’t come easy.
With the transport deck removed we can see the ports on the back of the TRAKR: an
SD card
slot for storing photos and video (also SDHC compatible), the USB mini-B connector for attaching to a PC (or Mac, etc.), and a USB type A connector that currently serves no purpose, but might be related to future accessories (and hacks, of course).
When connected to a host computer, the TRAKR appears as a 1-megabyte FAT12 filesystem. New apps, downloaded from the Spy Video TRAKR web site, are installed by simply copying the corresponding .bin file to the APPs directory on this flash drive. It’s quite a bit like the
mbed microcontroller
in this regard. With the three factory apps pre-loaded, there’s about 900K free space remaining. Additionally, the TRAKR can function as an SD card reader when attached via USB.
The remote control unit is a bit over 5 inches high and wide. Four AA cells install behind a back cover, and the total weight is 392 grams, or about 13.5 oz. The size and heft of the controller is sufficiently comfortable for both young and adult hands. There are two single-axis sticks for driving the tank
Battlezone
-style, five buttons (one dedicated to the “home” function, the rest being app-specific), a power and volume switch, speaker, and a 1.75″ color LCD screen in the center. Though the sticks have an analog feel, in practice they appear to be simple non-proportional controls.
The LCD looks to be half-QVGA resolution (160×120). The video feed averages a good 15 frames per second over the device’s wireless (2.4 GHz, but not WiFi) connection.
Night vision is provided by a single 8mm near-infrared LED, with a range of about six feet.
The camera can also take QVGA (320×240) color stills, and half-QVGA (160×120) video, recorded to the SD card as JPEG and AVI, respectively. Here are some unprocessed stills directly from the memory card:
Something interesting we noticed with outdoor use is that most trees appear red, due to the camera’s sensitivity to infrared light. This generally isn’t a problem with images taken indoors under normal lighting.
The TRAKR ran a bit quieter than we expected, and had no problem clearing door thresholds or running across and between different floor surfaces. Having a camera barely over two inches off the ground may seem to be of questionable utility — the
WowWee Rovio mobile webcam
, for example, can raise its point of view about a foot for a better perspective — and, to be honest, at first the whole thing seemed a bit pointless. But the more time we spent driving around, getting into the mindset and reliving the countless hours of our youth spent with a
Big Trak
(sort of a 1980s progenitor to the TRAKR), the more apparent it was that this is the ideal perspective for the toy’s intended audience: kids aren’t contemplating edge filters and object tracking algorithms…they’re doing
important kid things
, running James Bond spy missions, knocking over action figures and army men and chasing after the cat. And as you see above, the camera is set perfectly at action-figure-and-cat-terrorizing height!
So that’s an overview of the TRAKR as it comes straight from the box. To do more, we begin by visiting the Spy Video TRAKR web site:
The “Download Apps” link currently leads to a list of about a dozen simple apps developed in-house:
None of the apps is particularly outstanding; they appear to be for illustrative purposes, each one demonstrating a single idea and not wanting to overwhelm the budding programmer. Most range from about 20 to 40 kilobytes.
Clicking an app name reveals more information — a description, download link for the compiled app, and also a source code link for us geeks. Unfortunately, that’s where the fun ends for now. “APP BUILDR,” the code editor and compiler which works online (again like the aforementioned
mbed
microcontroller), is not yet accessible:
NOOOOOOOOOOOO!
The Spy Video TRAKR was originally slated to ship this fall for the holiday shopping season. Wild Planet managed a great head start at getting the TRAKR into production and distribution — we have the toy in-hand and you can already find this at a number of retailers — but the software is still on its original schedule for an October release. We understand software timelines and are sympathetic to that reality, but this does mean there’s little sense of urgency if your main interest in the TRAKR was for programming. It can wait.
In the interim, we can start to deconstruct the development process with the small bits of information available. From Maker Faire, we do know that the TRAKR contains an
ARM9
processor, and is programmed in C. And while the code editor isn’t yet online, we can follow the “Download Source” link for an app to retrieve its source code. Here’s an excerpt from one of the demonstration programs:
Indeed it’s C, with just a light wrapping of functions (e.g. Start() and Run() instead of a main() function). There’s clearly a Spy Video TRAKR-specific API (svt.h) for accessing hardware functionality like the TRAKR’s motors or the controller’s buttons and display, but documentation for this library isn’t available online yet.
At this point, we’re still dealing entirely with standard, as-advertised, out-of-the-box capabilities. The thing about the TRAKR that really made us stop and take notice at
Maker Faire
, the thing that has us genuinely enthusiastic about the product even though this article probably sounds like a total corporate shill by now (we approached them first, honest), has everything to do with the toy’s Easter egg:
It’s a sublime detail: the clear letters on the otherwise frosted cover just above the rear ports hint at intriguing stuff within. The cover is held on with just a couple of ordinary Phillips screws. Say, were you the sort of curious kid who’d dismantle their toys to see what makes them work? We thought so.
On the outside: the URL for the consumer. On the inside: the URL for the inquisitive. Just a fraction of an inch and a thin sheet of plastic apart. It’s absolutely brilliant, and there’s no mention of this on the packaging or the standard web site.
So — in addition to the standard app web site, a second web site (and sadly an equally unfinished one at this time) is planned to delve even deeper into the system’s inner workings. But even without this information, we can see hints of what’s ahead just by examining the board, which they’ve thoughtfully labeled. We can make out an unpopulated third USB port, an unpopulated switch connector, a breakout header that appears to have eight
GPIO
lines and one analog input, and a smaller breakout header for an
SPI
port of some sort (perhaps debugging).
Additionally, both the TRAKR and the remote control have switches and ports concealed under access panels:
The trim pots on the TRAKR are almost certainly for tuning the radio transceiver. The switches on both units are labeled “USB” for one position and “SPI” for the other, and this appears to be related to debugging or flash memory programming. Both switches ship in the “SPI” position.
It’s encouraging to see the Spy Video TRAKR following the lead of other open robots like the
Roomba
and
Rovi
, and we hope to see it gain a similar following. There may still be more surprises within. With our basic review completed, watch Hack a Day for a full
teardown
in the future.
So, readers, what hacks can you envision for such a device? Telescoping camera stalk? Hexapod legs? Weaponry? Are there any particular features you’d like to see more closely investigated in our teardown? Let’s hear about it in the comments! | 67 | 50 | [
{
"comment_id": "174031",
"author": "minipimmer",
"timestamp": "2010-08-27T11:53:49",
"content": "If the purpose of this gift was to convince your readers to buy one. I am sure it worked. I am definitely getting one of these things as soon as they sell them.",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
... | 1,760,377,385.785117 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/08/26/led-goggles-make-you-trip-out/ | LED Goggles Make You Trip Out? | Mike Szczys | [
"LED Hacks"
] | [
"arduino",
"goggles",
"hallucination",
"mask",
"ping pong",
"rgb",
"welder"
] | Who knows if this works and should you really want to try to induce hallucinations by flashing colors in front of your eyes? But we do love the zaniness of the project. [Everett’s] homemade hallucination goggles come in two flavors,
the small swimming-goggle-type
model and the
heavy-duty trip visor
made from welder’s goggles. Each brings together the same components; a half ping-pong ball for each eye to diffuse the light from an RGB LED. The system is controlled by an Arduino with some buttons and 7-segment displays for a user interface. Put this together with some
homemade EL wire
and you’re ready for Burning Man.
[Thanks Evan] | 30 | 30 | [
{
"comment_id": "173772",
"author": "damested",
"timestamp": "2010-08-26T20:52:53",
"content": "sam fisher?",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "173773",
"author": "t&p",
"timestamp": "2010-08-26T20:55:45",
"content": "They do nothing",
... | 1,760,377,386.005001 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/08/26/so-you-want-to-make-a-command-line-interface/ | So You Want To Make A Command Line Interface | Jakob Griffith | [
"Featured",
"how-to"
] | [
"c++",
"command line",
"console",
"directX",
"interface",
"programing"
] | [Keba] not only asked
Answeres.HackaDay.com
, but also sent us an email as follows.
“Can you make a basic guide to designing a good Command Line User Interface?”
Wouldn’t you know the luck, I’m currently working on a Command Line type interface for a project of mine. While after the jump I’ll be walking through my explanation, it should be noted that the other replies to Answers.HackaDay.com are also great suggestions.
We have no real idea how [Keba] intends to implement a system for the ATmega16 (Serial display? Output to an LCD? etc?), but for my project it is as follows. Using C# along with DirectX (can you tell I’m making a game with a developer console?) I’ll display an input line, suggestions for inputs (intellisense), and outputs based only when a correct input is given.
To begin, and to stay focused on only the CLI, I’ll assume your project has all the necessary startup and load functions. In my case,
loading of a DX device
, and
input handling
. Also, we assume you know how to program in your respective language.
I’ll be using a pretty advanced technique (StringBuilder) for string handling, because traditional string + string concatenation is terrible on memory (and games need as much as they can get). If you don’t care for memory, you can simply use regular strings.
To start off we’ll need some global variables,
public bool bool_isConsoleOpen = false; //console, also known as CLI
public StringBuilder StringBuilder_Console = new StringBuilder(); //could be replaced with string
public InputDevice ID = new InputDevice();
Within the main function loop, make a call to a method named UpdateConsole();
Now, in my setup to prevent unwanted user input there is a small check to see if the console is ‘open’ or ‘closed’.
public void UpdateConsole()
{
//opening console
if (ID.isKeyDown(Keys.Oemtilde) && ID.isOldKeyUp(Keys.Oemtilde))
if (bool_isConsoleOpen == false)
{
bool_isConsoleOpen = true; //user pressed magic key, open console
StringBuilder_Console = new StringBuilder(); //clear string
}
else
bool_isConsoleOpen = false; //user pressed magic key, close console
}
The next section of code handles all the inputs (keyboard presses) and builds our string that is about to be entered. It includes support for shift capitals, pasting from the clipboard, and also checks to make sure each key entered is allowed. Simply add this portion immediately after bool_isConsoleOpen = false;.
//appending console if its open.
if (bool_isConsoleOpen == true)
{
bool caps = false; //variable that helps determine if shift is pressed
if (ID.isKeyDown(Keys.ShiftKey))
caps = true;
List pressedkeystemp = ID.PressedKeys; //I had to modify my ID a bit to make it get a list/array of the keys pressed.
//go through each new key in list
foreach (Keys currentkey in pressedkeystemp)
{
//make a string, this is for numbers
string key;
//if the key SPACE is pressed, make a space
if (currentkey == Keys.Space)
{
StringBuilder_Console.Append(" ");
}
//if the key BACK is pressed, backspace
else if (currentkey == Keys.Back)
{
if (StringBuilder_Console.Length > 0)
StringBuilder_Console.Remove(StringBuilder_Console.Length - 1, 1);
}
//if enter is pressed
else if (currentkey == Keys.Enter)
{
//send it off to apply our data
ApplicationSettings(StringBuilder_Console.ToString());
//clear our string
StringBuilder_Console = new StringBuilder();
}
//if a number is pressed, make it show up
else if (StringKeyINTCheck(currentkey, out key))
{
StringBuilder_Console.Append(key);
}
//if a-z is pressed, make it show up
else if (StringKeyCheck(currentkey))
{
// if V was just pressed and either control key is down
if (currentkey == Keys.V && (ID.isKeyDown(Keys.ControlKey)))
{
// paste time!
string pastevalue = "";
pastevalue = System.Windows.Forms.Clipboard.GetText(System.Windows.Forms.TextDataFormat.Text);
StringBuilder_Console.Append(pastevalue);
}
// if not pasting, do a regular key
else if (!caps)
StringBuilder_Console.Append(currentkey.ToString().ToLower());
else if (caps)
StringBuilder_Console.Append(currentkey.ToString());
}
}
In order to prevent some characters from being printed, such as alt characters, and to make sure the input key can actually be displayed (otherwise you could crash with error) I implement a few checks. You’ll notice I have two different types, Check(input, output) and Check(input). The former is necessary because often the input is the ASCII value, and needs to be converted to a char or string before being added to the builder. The latter simply returns true or false if the key is valid.
Example of the first, numerals
//numerals
private bool StringKeyINTCheck(Keys key, out string i)
{
if (key == Keys.D1 || key == Keys.NumPad1)
{
i = "1";
return true;
}
else if (key == Keys.D2 || key == Keys.NumPad2)
{
i = "2";
return true;
}
etc...
}
And the latter, a-z
private bool StringKeyCheck(Keys key)
{
if (key == Keys.A ||
key == Keys.B ||
key == Keys.C ||
etc...
key == Keys.X ||
key == Keys.Y ||
key == Keys.Z)
return true;
else
return false;
}
So now we have our string built, you’ll notice the new method ApplicationSettings(string) is called whenever enter is pressed. This is the sending off of the string the user just typed in/that we built, we must now break that string down and determine what the user typed, and what should happen.
Once again, I start off with a few checks, just to prevent crashes.
private void ApplicationSettings(string temp)
{
if (temp != null) //make sure the user didn't type in "".
{
//make it all lower case
temp = temp.ToLower();
//split by spaces
string[] words = temp.Split(' ');
}
}
Now comes the fun part, We’ve assumed the user has entered things such as “quit” “fullscreen 1” and “pos 100x100x100”. The first will quit the application, the second will determine if the application should be fullscreen or not. And the final sets the users XYZ position in space. These three are simply examples of multiple variable entry, and you could of course program whatever you need.
Immediately after string[] words = temp.Split(‘ ‘); add the following,
try
{
//quit exit
if (words[0] == "quit" || words[0] == "exit")
this.Close();
//check for users fullscreen preference
else if (words[0] == "fullscreen")
{
if (words[1] == "0")
WindowedMode = true; //arbitrary global named windowedMode
else if (words[1] == "1")
WindowedMode = false;
}
//set the camera position
else if (words[0] == "pos")
{
if (words[1].Contains("x"))
{
string[] res = words[1].Split('x');
int int_x = Convert.ToInt32(res[0]);
int int_y = Convert.ToInt32(res[1]);
int int_z = Convert.ToInt32(res[2]);
Cam.Position = new Vector3(int_x, int_y, int_z);//arbitrary class camera Cam
}
}
}
catch (IndexOutOfRangeException e)
{
//this occurs when the user types "fullscreen $". Where $ is a variable, and the user typed nothing.
//do nothing we should tell the user this with an error message.
}
catch (FormatException e)
{
//this occurs when the user types "resolution $x$", where $ is an int variable, and the user typed alpha.
//do nothing we should tell the user this with an error message.
}
You probably could stop here if needed, you have input and output. However, I have something like 40 different commands in the current revision of my console, I couldn’t remember them all. So I made my own nifty intellisense.
This is going to require setting up another global–string list, filling it with commands, and then alphabetizing it.
List<string> ListString_Console = new List<string>();
private void LoadConsoleWordList()
{
ListString_Console.Clear();
//load in our console!
ListString_Console.Add("fullscreen");
ListString_Console.Add("resolution");
ListString_Console.Add("showfps");
//ListString_Console.Add("vertsync");
ListString_Console.Add("maxfps");
ListString_Console.Add("quit");
ListString_Console.Add("exit");
ListString_Console.Add("saveconsole");
//ListString_Console.Add("bind");
etc...
//sort our list
ListString_Console.Sort();
}
Now at the bottom of our UpdateConsole().
if (bool_isConsoleOpen == true)
{
BMF_Arial.AddString(StringBuilder_Console.ToString() + "_", "console", new System.Drawing.RectangleF(5, 18, Resolution.Width, 20)); //how I draw things to the screen in DX. StringBuilder_Console is the string we built earlier, so the user can see what he is typing.
//help our user search.
int q = 35;
//check every single string we know against what the user is typing in
foreach (string stringy in ListString_Console)
{
//so long as the length is right, we continue
if (stringy.Length >= StringBuilder_Console.Length) //this part could be eliminated, and we could simply go through every letter. But this speeds up operations a smidge.
{
//temporary bool
bool hodling = false;
//go through every letter
for (int i = 0; i < StringBuilder_Console.Length; i++)
if (stringy[i] == StringBuilder_Console[i])
hodling = true;
else
{
hodling = false;
break;
}
//if it's a 100% match
if (hodling)
{
//draw it, and update q relative.
BMF_Arial.AddString(stringy, "console", new RectangleF(5, 2 + q, Resolution.Width, 20)); //these are all the matches to the currently types string.
q += 18;
}
}
}
}
So how does it finally look?
No console open,
Hitting the magical key opens up console, begin typing, see intellisense,
Continue typing, other words that don’t match get taken off display,
and hitting enter executes the command, | 42 | 42 | [
{
"comment_id": "173750",
"author": "Daniel Higgins",
"timestamp": "2010-08-26T19:46:24",
"content": "Man! I’ve been looking for something like this for a very long time!",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "173760",
"author": "JeffR",
"times... | 1,760,377,385.594135 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/08/26/building-a-laser-cutter-from-a-weak-laser/ | Building A Laser Cutter From A Weak Laser | Mike Szczys | [
"Laser Hacks"
] | [
"cnc",
"cutter",
"diode",
"ir",
"laser",
"sls"
] | We covet laser cutters and
this diy model with a 1 Watt IR diode
may be well within our price range. Most commercially available laser cutters, and
some homemade ones
, work in the 20-100 Watt ranges, using a CO2 laser. They have more than enough power to cut right through a lot of materials so how can a 1W diode compare? It seems that the weaker laser is still quite powerful right at its focal length, so moving that point along the Z axis will let you burn away a larger depth of material. The test rig seen above uses optical drive components for the three axes and managed to cut a rectangular piece out of the black plastic from a CD case.
This isn’t [Peter’s] first try with CNC lasers. He’s the one that’s be working on
an open source selective laser sintering
platform.
[Thanks Osgeld and Vesanies] | 24 | 22 | [
{
"comment_id": "173721",
"author": "barry99705",
"timestamp": "2010-08-26T18:16:18",
"content": "Insert “You’ll shoot your eyes out” comments below.",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "173722",
"author": "spiritplumber",
"timestamp": "2010-... | 1,760,377,386.06447 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/08/26/hacking-a-code-protected-hard-disk/ | Hacking A Code-protected Hard Disk | Mike Szczys | [
"Security Hacks"
] | [
"16f883",
"diskgenie",
"encrypted",
"hdd",
"istorage",
"keypad",
"pic",
"usb"
] | Our friend [Sprite_TM] took
a look at the security of a code-protected hard disk
. The
iStorage diskGenie
is an encrypted USB hard drive that has a keypad for passcode entry. After cracking it open he found that the chip handling the keypad is a PIC 16F883 microcontroller. He poked and prodded at the internals and found some interesting stuff. Like the fact that there is an onboard LED that blinks differently based on the code entered; one way for the right code, another for the wrong code of the right number of digits, and a third for a wrong code with the wrong number of digits. This signal could be patched into for a brute force attacking but there’s a faster way. The microcontroller checks for the correct code one digit at a time. So by measuring the response time of the chip an attacker can determine when the leading digit is correct, and reduce the time needed to crack the code. There is brute force protection that watches for multiple incorrect passwords but [Sprite_TM] even found a way around that. He attached an AVR chip to monitor the PIC response time. If it was taking longer than it should for a correct password the AVR resets the PIC before it can write incorrect attempt data to its EEPROM. This can be a slow process, but he concluded it should work. We had fun
watching the Flash_Destroyer
hammer away and we’d like to see a setup working to acquire the the code from this device. | 26 | 26 | [
{
"comment_id": "173690",
"author": "goldscott",
"timestamp": "2010-08-26T17:03:54",
"content": "AVRs attacking PICs?! Noooo!!!",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "173698",
"author": "Zem",
"timestamp": "2010-08-26T17:19:07",
"content": ... | 1,760,377,386.178817 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/08/26/burglar-alarm-in-a-zippo-lighter/ | Burglar Alarm In A Zippo Lighter | Caleb Kraft | [
"Microcontrollers",
"Security Hacks"
] | [
"alarm",
"spy",
"zippo"
] | [Madmanmoe64] has really done a fantastic job with this
burglar alarm built into a zippo
. He crammed a picaxe microcontroller, some IR LEDs, an IR sensor, a battery and various switches in there quite well. It almost closes perfectly, something we think he could remedy if it really bugged him that much.
It has several modes, all initiated by a different sequence of button presses. There is the proximity alarm, which sounds when something moves very close. The reverse proximity alarm which sounds when you remove something from its immediate vicinity. A doorbell mode, and a silent alarm mode. Check out the video after the break to see it in action.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d4LkrV53E6E] | 10 | 9 | [
{
"comment_id": "173657",
"author": "m!nus",
"timestamp": "2010-08-26T14:04:42",
"content": "The video is probably interesting, unfortunately it contains content from EMI and isn’t available here in Germany.",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": [
{
"comment_id": "811... | 1,760,377,386.448525 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/08/25/take-better-pictures-of-your-projects/ | Take Better Pictures Of Your Projects | Mike Szczys | [
"digital cameras hacks"
] | [
"better",
"led",
"levels",
"photography"
] | [PT] let us know about a fantastic
guide to taking better photographs of your projects
. It’s a hefty read but well worth the effort. Author [Johngineer] helps us understand how to use simple (and possibly inexpensive) tools like lights, mirrors, and a background material. He also gives some tips on how to recognize what your image processing software is telling your about your photography skills (get the correct camera setup and you won’t need correct your levels in The GIMP). There’s even some tips on photographing LEDs,
a topic we’ve seen before
, which you’re bound to find useful when trying to make that blinky thing you built into an
Internet sensation
. | 11 | 11 | [
{
"comment_id": "173387",
"author": "PocketBrain",
"timestamp": "2010-08-25T21:48:33",
"content": "Take this to heart! I usually try to get my photos on a white background with diffuse lighting. Maybe I should blog my hackety ligting rig.",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
... | 1,760,377,386.377983 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/08/25/wristwatch-board-with-throwback-digits/ | Wristwatch Board With Throwback Digits | Mike Szczys | [
"clock hacks"
] | [
"16f628a",
"7 segment",
"crystal",
"led",
"pic",
"wristwatch"
] | This
wristwatch circuit board
has some pretty interesting digits. They’re older components that give a classic look to your wristwatch display. On board you’ll find a PIC 16F628A running with an external clock crystal. The display isn’t always illuminated (kind of like
Woz’s watch
) in order to save the batteries, but can be woken up for a short time with the push of a button.
The steam-punk-ish body
seen to the left is the just first try. This guy has four more boards left so it should be fun to see what he comes up with.
[Via
Hackaday Flickr Pool
] | 22 | 22 | [
{
"comment_id": "173354",
"author": "Tech B.",
"timestamp": "2010-08-25T20:13:55",
"content": "I love how most posts on here that have anything to do with time, it displays 4:20. For that I give this place kudos.As for the watch… wait, what was I thinking about¿ lolbut really, cool watch.",
"par... | 1,760,377,386.275271 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/08/25/modem-used-in-an-alarm-system/ | Modem Used In An Alarm System | Mike Szczys | [
"Security Hacks"
] | [
"16f628a",
"alarm",
"modem",
"pic",
"pir",
"sensor"
] | This
alarm system senses motion and then alerts you by phone
. [Oscar] had an old external modem sitting around and, with some wise hardware choices, he came up with a simple circuit to use it. First up is the PIC 16F628A chosen because it doesn’t require an external crystal. This connects with the modem via a DS275 RS232 transceiver because it requires no external parts for connection. The final portion of the puzzle is a PIR sensor that triggers a pin interrupt in the sleeping PIC, which then dials your number to alert you. It doesn’t look like anything happens other than your phone ringing, but that’s enough for a simple system. We’re just happy to see how easy it was to use that modem… time to go hunting for one in dreaded junk trunk. Don’t miss the clip after the break.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WYHL4va0dgY] | 22 | 22 | [
{
"comment_id": "173344",
"author": "JeffR",
"timestamp": "2010-08-25T19:22:58",
"content": "Cool, just point it to the google voice number and I can has a record of how many times my liqueur cabinet is accessed when I am not there :)",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
... | 1,760,377,386.332658 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/08/25/el-wire-make-it-connect-it-power-it/ | EL Wire: Make It, Connect It, Power It | Mike Szczys | [
"chemistry hacks"
] | [
"ac",
"el",
"electroluminescent",
"jeri ellsworth",
"panel",
"pcb",
"phosphors",
"power supply",
"psu",
"wire"
] | [Jeri’s] back with a series of videos that outlines the
step-by-step electroluminescent wire manufacturing
, making
EL panels from PCBs
, and
assembling power supplies for EL hardware
. These concepts are actually quite approachable, something we don’t expect from someone who
makes their own integrated circuits
at home.
The concept here is that an alternating current traveling through phosphors will excite them and produce light. You need two conductors separated by a dielectric to get the job done. For wire, [Jeri] uses one strand of enameled magnet wire and one strand of bare wire. The enamel insulates them, protecting against a short circuit.
But that’s not all, she also tests using a circuit board as an EL panel. By repurposing the ground plane as one of the conductors, and using the solder mask as the dielectric she is able to paint on a phosphor product resulting in the glowing panel.
Finally, you’ve got to get juice to the circuit and that’s where her power supply video comes into the picture. We’ve embedded all three after the break. It’s possible that this is cooler than blinking LEDs and it’s fairly inexpensive to get started. The circuitry is forgiving, as long as you don’t zap yourself with that alternating current.
EL wire manufacturing
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cV2HS7_Mg6o]
Making EL panels from PCBs
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h4O3BGjxd5I]
EL power supplies
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AcXHx5ikjM4] | 32 | 32 | [
{
"comment_id": "173247",
"author": "Hiroe",
"timestamp": "2010-08-25T15:50:10",
"content": "Did the green pixel move?",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "173263",
"author": "kyle",
"timestamp": "2010-08-25T16:18:00",
"content": "wow a p... | 1,760,377,386.731186 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/08/25/electric-scooter-sings-as-it-travels/ | Electric Scooter Sings As It Travels | Mike Szczys | [
"Transportation Hacks"
] | [
"battery",
"electric",
"lead-acid",
"lithium",
"motor",
"scooter"
] | [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MaQuRnZYKPc]
This
scooter has been fitted with a three-phase induction motor
. It reminds us of the sound effects from vehicles in
the
Jetsons
. Right now they’re using lead-acid batteries and get about 15 miles of range from one charge. Once they switch over to lithium polymer they calculate the range will be closer to 45 miles due to the reduced weight and increased capacity. Not bad for $600 in parts, and we’d bet it’s both faster and more stable than
the one-wheeled-wonder
we saw last week. | 34 | 32 | [
{
"comment_id": "173195",
"author": "po",
"timestamp": "2010-08-25T13:30:35",
"content": "It Sings!",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "173199",
"author": "Jake",
"timestamp": "2010-08-25T13:48:29",
"content": "I was in Elk Rapids, Michi... | 1,760,377,387.319213 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/08/24/in-dash-motorcycle-display/ | In-dash Motorcycle Display | Mike Szczys | [
"News",
"Transportation Hacks"
] | [
"16f877a",
"computer",
"ecm",
"motorcycle",
"pic",
"temperature"
] | [Muth]
added an auxiliary display to his motorcycle
instrument panel. He started out prototyping with a PIC 16F877A which he used to access information through the ECM diagnostic connection. Once he had that working he found this tiny display which fits perfectly between the speedometer and tachometer. There’s a short demo after the break where you can see a past-30-minute history of the Adaptive Fuel Value and the engine temperature as well as a secondary information screen.
This is another nice addition to our collection of
vehicle displays
,
scooter controllers
,
gear indicators
, and
motorcycle computers
.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MqplGkaLw5A] | 26 | 26 | [
{
"comment_id": "172972",
"author": "CutThroughStuffGuy",
"timestamp": "2010-08-24T21:56:59",
"content": "Going past 230 km/h would result in inaccurate speed displays!",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "172977",
"author": "Jordan",
"timest... | 1,760,377,386.847569 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/08/24/adventures-in-consumer-electronics-control-cec/ | Adventures In Consumer Electronics Control (CEC) | Mike Szczys | [
"home entertainment hacks"
] | [
"18f87j50",
"audio",
"cec",
"consumer electronics control",
"hdmi",
"pic",
"trueHD"
] | [Valkyrie-MT] was frustrated by the inability to control TrueHD audio volume from his computer. That’s because digital audio passes through the cable to the receiver where the volume adjustments are done. This meant that his RF computer remote was no good because the receiver uses an IR remote. He set out to find a way to get around this and ended up
working with the Consumer Electronics Control (CEC) protocol
.
The
CEC protocol
is a 1-wire serial bus built into the HDMI standard. The solution he settled up required one solder connection on the motherboard as well as the internal USB translator module seen above. That translator box,
called the RainShadow
, is a PIC 18F87J50 controlled board that translates incoming commands from the USB connection and sends them out as CEC hex codes. A bit of code writing and [Valkyrie-MT] is in business. You can see in the video after the break that it’s not just controlling audio, he can now control the entire entertainment center including turning on the TV and setting it to the appropriate input.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kE47CxD5xrQ] | 15 | 15 | [
{
"comment_id": "172938",
"author": "f8l_0e",
"timestamp": "2010-08-24T19:31:12",
"content": "Damn, this post makes me wish HAD included a rep system. Kudos.",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "172941",
"author": "ino",
"timestamp": "2010-0... | 1,760,377,386.784976 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/08/24/digital-view-master/ | Digital View-Master | Mike Szczys | [
"Toy Hacks"
] | [
"3d",
"key chain",
"lcd",
"stereoscopic",
"view-master"
] | Who could forget the stereoscopic goodness of a View-Master? [Tuttle] put a modern flair on the classic optical device by
adding two 1.5″ LCD screens
. The screens replace the film disk of the original, showing slightly different images to produce a 3D effect. No word on a camera rig used to take the original images, but for our money this a great way to make something out of those useless key chain picture frames. | 27 | 27 | [
{
"comment_id": "172910",
"author": "Zat",
"timestamp": "2010-08-24T18:33:14",
"content": "Now, start watching Avatar in 3D! :D",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "172915",
"author": "HackJack",
"timestamp": "2010-08-24T18:42:28",
"conte... | 1,760,377,387.05397 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/08/24/pet-gaming-computer-module/ | PET-Gaming Computer Module | Jakob Griffith | [
"LED Hacks"
] | [
"cartridge",
"controller",
"display",
"fpga",
"full color",
"led",
"zilog ez80"
] | This 64×48
full color LED display
goes much further than we expected at first glance. The display is actually a computer with a Zilog eZ80F91 core utilizing an FPGA for the hardware interface. Some nifty applications currently built include mostly games, but there is also visualizations, network file systems, video streaming, and even a MIDI synth.
It originally looked to be more of a console, with controllers, game pads, and cartridges, but the latter ended up not working out. What else would you do with a
giant LED display
? | 9 | 9 | [
{
"comment_id": "172871",
"author": "Osgeld",
"timestamp": "2010-08-24T17:21:30",
"content": "“What else would you do with a giant LED display?”dunno, mine just sits on my oscilloscope (though 32×32 is not giant)",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "... | 1,760,377,386.992448 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/08/24/top-5-integrated-development-environments/ | Top 5 Integrated Development Environments | Greg R. Jacobs | [
"Software Development"
] | [
"dev",
"development",
"platform"
] | So, you want to do some programming but don’t have the budget of a major corporation? This is just the thing for you because all of these development environments are free of charge! Many Integrated Development Environments are marketed towards companies who have money to pay for such expensive environments. Here are the Top 5 Integrated Development Environments that are most widely used and recognized. Some will be used when programming past and future tutorials. The following are listed in no particular order and all make an excellent development environment.
There are alot more IDE’s out there that were not mentioned but should have been. We have posed the question at Hack A Day Answers
“What are your Top 5 IDE’s?”
Give us some feedback and we will be back with a revised list from the comments you give us!
Visual Studio Express
Visual Studio has an advantage when it comes to programming. This IDE is mostly used by corporate programmers to produce .NET code. Sometimes people want to try the product without investing thousands of dollars first, so Microsoft has the Express editions for all of their products. This makes it perfect for casual users that want to hack out some code as a hobby or programmers who need a free solution to code in C#. Be warned though, if the application developed by someone using the express versions of Visual Studio takes off and starts making money it would not be surprising to see big brother step in and start asking questions.
Advantages
Intellisense
For those who don’t know what Intellisense is, here is a brief overview. Intellisense is Microsoft’s way to make programming in .NET as painless as possible. When you start programming in Visual Studios IDE you will notice a suggestion box will appear when you start typing anything within the IDE, this is to notify the user what methods and functions are available (R.I.P. Clippy). When clicking on one of the methods in the suggestion box the environment will tell you exactly what the method will do and how many and what parameters are needed. The ability to make decisions on what functions and methods to use based on intellisense is a powerful feature that many would find useful, if not life changing.
Automatic code formatting
With a product like Visual Studio you get what you pay for. When you start coding a method and go to enter the “{“ brackets, the code inside those brackets will actually indent to the right. A very handy feature for a code monkey who is just looking to get the program done. As well, there are options to enhance the colors to see variables as a different color than a method header which is very useful when going through hundreds of lines of code to find a bug. Both these things may be minute details but in the end are designed to save the developer time and money.
Extensibility
Something that you don’t like about Visual Studio? Code a new tool for it or use one of the many available to the developers using Visual Studio Gallery. This site is a wealth of fixes for things that developers didn’t like with Visual Studio and decided to fix.
Compiles Code
Cons
CPU Hog
When running Visual Studio it is a must that you have plenty of RAM to spare. This is a beast when it comes to developing apps and for good reason. If you take the plunge and sacrifice RAM to run this IDE you are equipped with one of the most comprehensive GUI’s (once you learn to navigate it) for developing in the .NET framework.
Overwhelming GUI
If you have never used Visual Studio before, then you are in for a surprise. When first starting it up, the layout of buttons and panes can be a little/very confusing at first. This will take time to adjust, so the downfall is there is a steep learning curve with the layout.
Cost
With the 2008 Professional edition of Visual Studio costing a thousand dollars (without MSDN subscription) and upwards if you are looking for additional features and subscriptions. This can be a real turn off for the hobbyists but that’s where the express versions will become redeeming.
Eclipse
This is the best alternative if you are not a big fan of Microsoft’s Visual Studio. The interface is a lot cleaner and concise than Visual Studio and the languages that are possible to use extend past the .Net Framework. Besides being the number on way to develop Android applications via the Android SDK, it is fully extensible to use languages such as Ruby, C, C++ and many many more.
Advantages
Language Extensibility
The languages mentioned above are not limited by Microsoft and anyone is free to develop plug-ins for different languages and to make the development environment easier to use. Also, the ability to use this on Linux is a great sway for many people who don’t like to be bound by Microsoft’s operating systems and like full control of their OS.
Free
Besides being fully customizable and extensible, the next best thing about eclipse is it’s free. This is good news for hobbyists and casual programmers wanting to just hack out some code in their free time.
Compiles Code
Cons
Steep Learning Curve
With so much available to upgrade and add on, the learning curve of eclipse will be quite steep. The best way to get past this is to just try coding something. Making mistakes when coding could never be so beneficial. Once you start learning from your mistakes you will learn the fastest way to accomplish what you are trying to do.
Netbeans
The is the number one alternative to Eclipse. This program is extensible and free, and it compiles code which is a bonus. When installing Netbeans it comes with a Java server called GlassFish that you could deploy on your computer for your testing environment. This server is the second biggest server for Java next to WebSphere (which is a whole different ball game).
Advantages
Extensible
Again, extensibility is a must have for the development environments out there to survive. Instead of having multiple programs for multiple different languages combining them into one program gains recognition from developers and the software programs that combine it all but the kitchen sink are utilized more often because of the simplicity and ease of access to the languages developers want.
Compiles Code
Free
Cons
Bloated
While using this program you may notice that your computer slows down, throws errors in your program that you didn’t know existed etc. This is a tough software program to master and when coding you have to be careful to dot the I’s and cross your T’s. This may not be the case for you and Netbeans might be all sunshine and rainbows but it is always best to be safe, rather than sorry later on when you have hundreds of projects.
kate
Kate is exactly how the website describes it, a text editor. Not to be looked down upon as it does a lot more than a regular text edit can do and that is what makes this an indispensable product.
Advantages
Uses Linux
Code Folding
This is probably one of the best features for kate. [Mike Szczys] explains that there is a small column to the left of the code. Any line that is an opening bracket that column will have an arrow next to it. If you click the arrow it will fold all of the code between the opening and closing brackets. Very useful for large source packages.
Cons
KDE Overhead
250 Mb of overhead just to use the application. This is not just one package but several packages that are required to be on the system just to start the application. This may not be the best choice if you are using a net-book for development purposes on the go but if you have a Linux box at home this would do just fine.
Doesn’t Compile Code
gedit
gedit is the official editor of the gnome desktop and comes installed once the system is setup. Very useful for the user that is casually editing code and not undertaking major projects. This would be a good companion to Netbeans or Eclipse.
Advantages
Uses Linux
Already Installed on gnome systems
This is a major bonus for Linux users. If the application is already installed on the system would you be more likely to use it? Either way, if you don’t have to hunt down a program from the software manager then it must be
Code Highlighting
gedit offers the ability to highlight your code and figure out where the bugs are by giving you a fresh perspective. This can also be used for web development, to help developers see where the start of nodes are and where to submit the end nodes, doing this could cut down drastically on XHTML issues. While it may not do almost everything like Netbeans or eclipse, it is a handy tool to have on the computer.
Tabbed
This feature allows multiple source packages open at once to jump back and forth between if need be. This is a highly useful when comparing documents and debugging code.
Cons
Doesn’t Compile Code
All of the development environments are amazing choices. It all depends on what you want to do when programming and the tools you would like to have available. Microsoft Visual Studio express editions came in first because of the extensibility and comprehensiveness of the product. This provides eclipse, netbeans and other development software a goal to reach for when marketing to the masses. Remember, it’s not the size of the install it’s how you use it. Until next time, Happy Hacking! | 185 | 50 | [
{
"comment_id": "172764",
"author": "GZPhreak",
"timestamp": "2010-08-24T14:37:25",
"content": "gedit? How abouthttp://www.codeblocks.org/?",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "172765",
"author": "Franklyn",
"timestamp": "2010-08-24T14:38:23"... | 1,760,377,386.948676 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/08/24/attiny2313-prime-number-generator/ | ATtiny2313 Prime Number Generator | Mike Szczys | [
"Microcontrollers"
] | [
"attiny2313",
"AVR",
"generator",
"led",
"matrix",
"prime number"
] | [Scott Harden’s]
prime number generator
exhibits a great way to use an LED matrix to present readable information. The project resides in a hinged wooden box with a grid of holes on the lid for the LEDs. [Scott] has overlaid the matrix with a printout showing powers of two that represent different prime numbers. Inside you’ll find an ATtiny2313 microcontroller that handles the column scanning and prime number testing. We’ve embedded a video the break where [Scott] explains the project in great detail, but you should also check out his
prototyping
and
construction
pages.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k4Req0I7lbY] | 9 | 9 | [
{
"comment_id": "172755",
"author": "ColinB",
"timestamp": "2010-08-24T13:26:34",
"content": "It’s weird that the photo has 2**13 twice but the video has 2**23 in the right spot.",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "172758",
"author": "ColinB",
... | 1,760,377,387.198954 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/08/24/surgical-microscope-gets-led-retrofit/ | Surgical Microscope Gets LED Retrofit | Mike Szczys | [
"Tool Hacks"
] | [
"bulb",
"led",
"microscope",
"replacement",
"retrofit",
"surgical"
] | [Roberto Barrios] picked up a surgical microscope to add to those other fun lab toys you seen in the background. These work very well when soldering small components because they don’t have to be as close to the viewed objects as traditional microscopes. But [Robert] didn’t care for the heat generated by the incandescent bulb so
he build his own LED replacement
. If you recognize his name it’s because we saw
a beautifully crafted in-visor GPS system
that he built back in April. This project exhibits the same level of craftsmanship in which he utilized the base of a spare bulb to add an LED, heat sink, and driver board that is adjustable on all three axes.
He also mentioned that he overhauled his site design and it now plays nicely with all browsers. | 16 | 16 | [
{
"comment_id": "172733",
"author": "Jake",
"timestamp": "2010-08-24T11:59:07",
"content": "I have to ask, what surface mount component requires a surgical microscope to solder!?The only time I’ve used the microscope at work was when I had to tack ~40 guage mag wire to the ribbon cable traces that l... | 1,760,377,387.250681 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/08/23/wifi-controlled-arduino-bot/ | WiFi Controlled Arduino-bot | Mike Szczys | [
"Arduino Hacks",
"Robots Hacks"
] | [
"asynclabs",
"range finder",
"servo",
"wishield"
] | This little robot
was built very quickly thanks to the rapid prototyping capabilities of the Arduino. It uses a
WiShield 1.0 from AsyncLabs
to connect to a wireless network for control via a TCP connection. The body and wheels are wood, with a servo for each motor and a third used to scan a range finder from side to side. We’ve embedded a triad of demo videos after the break that take you through the various feature development of this platform. You’ll see control via
a hacked Zipit
, as well as joystick control. There’s also a couple of stages of autonomous movement where the distance information comes into play.
Zipit control:
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BSYBrEvtsis]
Improved autonomy:
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q_qXa6eLjSs]
Joystick control:
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=65u9FBEoGVE] | 9 | 9 | [
{
"comment_id": "172548",
"author": "Killer346",
"timestamp": "2010-08-23T19:08:01",
"content": "Pretty interesting little bot. Should have a camera or something on it.",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "172567",
"author": "dhinkle9",
"time... | 1,760,377,387.3658 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/08/23/profit-less-space-program-launches-in-one-week/ | Profit-less Space Program Launches In One Week | Mike Szczys | [
"News"
] | [
"copenhagen suborbital",
"launch",
"rocket",
"space",
"submarine"
] | The
Copenhagen Suborbitals
are now within one week of their first launch. We looked in on
the non-profit and non-secretive space program
back in March but we had no idea the group had a frickin’ submarine at their disposal. What you see above is the rocket on its floating launch platform. The submarine will haul it out into the Baltic Sea for launch. There’s not much room in the craft for an astronaut but it will be a horrifying an exhilarating flight. According to
the spacecraft page
the human payload will be in a half-sitting, half-standing position looking up through an acrylic nose dome. This first launch will not be manned, but once they get through the tests this will be one crazy ride. | 40 | 40 | [
{
"comment_id": "172524",
"author": "parag0n",
"timestamp": "2010-08-23T17:59:18",
"content": "That submarine?They built that too. See the thread on it athttp://forums.somethingawful.com/showthread.php?threadid=3005279",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment... | 1,760,377,387.441725 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/08/23/indestructible-ti-89/ | Indestructible TI-89 | James Munns | [
"handhelds hacks"
] | [
"aluminum",
"calculator",
"graphing",
"ti"
] | Sometimes, expensive calculators hit the floor. It’s happened to almost anyone with a graphing calculator from TI or HP. Sadly, they don’t always bounce. After this happened to [Howard C.], an Industrial Engineering student from U. of Iowa, he decided to spend $50 on milling his own replacement case out of aluminum rather than trashing the device over a broken battery compartment. [Howard] chose to send us the story rather than write his own blog, so we’ve included all the great pictures he sent us after the break. | 65 | 50 | [
{
"comment_id": "172500",
"author": "Jeremy",
"timestamp": "2010-08-23T17:10:00",
"content": "Wow, that looks pretty sweet! I think if I was modifying my TI-89, I would put in a better battery system such as lithium. Then when I grab my calculator after months of no use, it will still be ready for... | 1,760,377,387.600163 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/08/23/a-different-take-on-electric-motor-cars/ | A Different Take On Electric Motor Cars | Jakob Griffith | [
"Transportation Hacks"
] | [
"car",
"controller",
"electric",
"magnet",
"motor",
"pcb",
"vehicle",
"winding",
"wire"
] | [Craig Carmichael] has been hard at work on his
electric hub motor for cars
. Unlike
typical electrical vehicles
the plan is to bypass the transmission, differential, and everything else all together by connecting directly to the hub of the wheel. The goal of giving greater thrust and still allowing the use of a gas engine if need be.
There’s really too much detail for us to even begin to try to explain the entire project in a short recap, but [Craig] builds the
entire motor
(from magnets to coil windings) and wires his
own controller
(from schematic to finished PCB), all while documenting the process thoroughly for those wishing to make their own. | 43 | 43 | [
{
"comment_id": "172474",
"author": "dan",
"timestamp": "2010-08-23T15:41:37",
"content": "Should’ve been ‘a different SPIN on electric motor cars’.",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "172477",
"author": "Pablo Rivera",
"timestamp": "2010-08... | 1,760,377,387.51362 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/08/23/hexapod-controlled-by-android-and-iphone/ | Hexapod Controlled By Android And IPhone | Mike Szczys | [
"Android Hacks",
"iphone hacks",
"Robots Hacks"
] | [
"accelerometer",
"bluetooth",
"hexapod",
"wifi"
] | [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NvEBUd_EqbQ]
This video
is a blatant example of having too many high-end toys but we love it anyway. [Robert Stephenson] is controlling a rather awesome-looking hexapod via a Bluetooth connection to his HTC Hero. The app allows on-screen selections to decide which portion of the robot will move as a result of accelerometer data from the handheld. The only thing we saw that was missing is a camera feed to the phone.
But this hack doesn’t stop there. The Hero can be used to host a WiFi network while still connected to the hexapod. The second half of the video shows an iPod Touch connecting via WiFi and controlling the bot. Now head on over to the laser cutter to
start that hexapod build
, and finish up by getting elbow-deep into some
Android development
. | 10 | 10 | [
{
"comment_id": "172471",
"author": "M4CGYV3R",
"timestamp": "2010-08-23T15:34:16",
"content": "“This video contains content from UMG. It is restricted from playback on certain sites.”Fuck you, music Nazis. Die in a fire. Soon, preferably.",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
... | 1,760,377,388.007933 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/08/22/hackaday-links-august-22-2010/ | Hackaday Links: August 22, 2010 | Mike Szczys | [
"Hackaday links"
] | [
"amiga",
"backlit",
"balloons",
"cannon",
"chrome",
"demo",
"el",
"tabs",
"transformers"
] | EL back-lit keyboard
A couple bucks worth of EL wire gives a nice green glow to [Mark Shasha’s] T400 Elite. Hopefully [Jeri Ellsworth] has some time to pull those how-to videos together so that we can
make our own EL wire
to replicate this hack.
Mini kaboom
This tiny cannon is right out of Night at the Museum. It works just like its much bigger brothers would; fill with powder, insert cannon ball, and light with a fuse. Both
the introduction
and
the follow-up
videos document the destruction of various objects using the diminutive weapon. [Thanks Thorsten]
Don’t close that browser
We use Google Chrome quite a bit because it tends to be more responsive when opening massive numbers of tabs while researching featured hacks. But there’s some things we don’t like about it. Lack of built-in PDF support under Ubuntu comes to mind, but a smaller thorn in our side is that closing the last tab will also close the browser window. [Ted Schaefer] got tired of the same thing so he wrote an
extension called Last Tab Standing
to trap that last browser tab, opening the default window instead of closing the browser.
Amiga demo winner
This
4K demo for the Amiga AGA
is the
top ranked submission
from Breakpoint 2010. [Osgeld] tipped us off about this and made the point that although it’s four times the size of
those 1K JavaScript demos
, the Amiga code doesn’t get to take advantage a pre-existing framework like Java does enjoy the benefits of running inside of a browser . Is this doing more with less?
Transformers balloon sculptures
If you’re having trouble finding that art piece to fill up your dining room you should consider building transformers out of balloons. The sculpture above is
a free-standing Optimus Prime
but the artist has also turned out Megatron, Grimlock, and others. [Thanks W01F] | 24 | 24 | [
{
"comment_id": "172279",
"author": "sneakypoo",
"timestamp": "2010-08-22T22:54:10",
"content": "Jeri has already put out a couple of more vids on the diy EL Wire:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cV2HS7_Mg6o&feature=channelhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h4O3BGjxd5I&feature=channel",
"parent_id": n... | 1,760,377,387.899095 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/08/22/giving-an-ir-transmitter-some-strength/ | Giving An IR Transmitter Some Strength | Mike Szczys | [
"home entertainment hacks"
] | [
"ir",
"RF",
"thomson",
"transistor",
"transmitter",
"video sender",
"vs360u"
] | [Jkx] was using a Thomson VS360U video transmitter to make a wireless connection between a cable box and his television. The system using an RF remote, but relies on an IR transmitter to communicate between the base station and the cable box. He found the IR module that comes with the device is under-powered and
set out to fix the situation
. Using a scope he found the pin that drives the IR LED. The board above contains a boost circuit that patches into voltage and ground, using the pin he sniffed out to control the base of a transistor. Now the device has enough power to reliably control the cable box. | 17 | 17 | [
{
"comment_id": "172229",
"author": "mjrippe",
"timestamp": "2010-08-22T18:42:47",
"content": "What, no lasers? Seriously though this is a simple and elegant solution. Well, perf board is about as elegant as *I* get. Well done!",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
... | 1,760,377,387.780171 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/08/22/another-home-built-laser-projector/ | Another Home-built Laser Projector | Mike Szczys | [
"Laser Hacks"
] | [
"atmega64",
"galvanometer",
"laser",
"projector",
"vector"
] | [Jarrod] sent us a link to this
home-built laser projector
after seeing a different projector that we
featured yesterday
. This system is fundamentally different. [ChaN], who finished the project several years ago, didn’t use a loudspeaker to move the mirrors, but instead build his own closed-loop Galvanometers. Two of these are controlled by an ATmega64 to produce incredibly clean and accurate vector images. It’s not just the images that are impressive, his hardware is laid-out with skill and forethought that make hiding it in a case a sacrilege. | 21 | 21 | [
{
"comment_id": "172214",
"author": "zeropointmodule",
"timestamp": "2010-08-22T17:49:25",
"content": "just the thing for projecting targeted ads onto convenient walls…bonus if it autodetects via bluetooth the type of phone they are carrying and then displays accessories and applications for it..",
... | 1,760,377,387.837186 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/08/22/laminar-water-jet-explained/ | Laminar Water Jet Explained | Caleb Kraft | [
"home entertainment hacks"
] | [
"fountain",
"water"
] | [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ijn98G0I99E]
[Dave] has put together this
laminar water jet
, mainly from PVC and drinking straws. There isn’t a project page, but he does go into a little depth explaining how it works. The water enters at the bottom and is slowed down by a series of sponges, then forced through a column of drinking straws. It then pools at the top before being forced through a perfectly smooth and sharp nozzle. We did manage to find this
other video, making one for $15
that has a ton of information and links. How long before we see a submission of a complete music synchronized fountain in one of our readers yard? | 37 | 35 | [
{
"comment_id": "172174",
"author": "Anonymous Coward",
"timestamp": "2010-08-22T14:40:11",
"content": "Let me guess, the video has some commercial music in the background? Youtube just shows me “This video is not available in your country.” when accessing it from Germany.",
"parent_id": null,
... | 1,760,377,388.421869 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/08/15/hackaday-links-august-15-2010/ | Hackaday Links: August 15, 2010 | Mike Szczys | [
"Hackaday links"
] | [
"inkjet",
"laser cut",
"star wars",
"starwars",
"uncanny valley"
] | Creepy or not?
Do you find
these faces
creepy or cute? They can display a huge range of facial gestures and the German engineers who designed them were trying to avoid
the uncanny valley
. That’s the point at which human features on a robot seem quite real, but are off in just the right way as to cause revulsion. [Thanks Simon]
Water in your ink cartridge
Like all great hackers [Dean] digs through his neighbors’ trash. He found an inkjet printer but wanted to test it out before buying new cartridges. The old ones were dried up but he
revitalized them with an injection of filtered water
. It might get you through that quick printing project without a trip to Walgreen’s.
Laser-cut LP record
[Niklas Roy] demonstrates
a laser-cut LP record
. He’s using acrylic as a medium, kind of like a big CD with grooves in it. He’s got several tracks that are simple loops instead of the longer spirals you may be familiar with. They definitely sound different but it’s up to you to decide if that’s by design, or a fluke.
Star Wars cinema
Ever wonder what to do with those classic toys you’ve got sitting around?
Here’s a little video
that envisions your life with an AT-AT as the house pet. [Thanks Gabe via
Wired
] | 20 | 20 | [
{
"comment_id": "168950",
"author": "zool",
"timestamp": "2010-08-15T22:22:45",
"content": "did he try just shaking the ink cartridge first, that works a lotlaser record was ok but it’s just loops and not really something recordedit would be interesting if you could actually cut a song with itmaybe ... | 1,760,377,387.964169 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/08/15/making-el-wire/ | Making EL Wire | Mike Szczys | [
"chemistry hacks"
] | [
"el",
"electroluminescent",
"inductor",
"jeri ellsworth",
"phosphors",
"wire"
] | [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3RKBGxJJmwg]
[Jeri Ellsworth]
adds electroluminescent wire to the list of things she makes
. The materials list is incredibly low. The common components are epoxy coated magnet wire for the center conductor and bare wire for the second conductor. The part you don’t have on hand is phosphors, although she does link to a source.
The bad news: she doesn’t show us the build process or share the details about the inductor that fires this thing up. The good news: in-depth videos are on the way. In the mean time you can marvel in her glowing success at the end of the video, or check out some of
her other electroluminescent fun
. | 43 | 43 | [
{
"comment_id": "168921",
"author": "Tom",
"timestamp": "2010-08-15T20:16:14",
"content": "There is a green pixel in the video. I though my monitor was going bad.BTW : This is awesome.",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "168923",
"author": "zero... | 1,760,377,388.309914 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/08/15/more-car-audio-input-hacking/ | More Car Audio Input Hacking | Mike Szczys | [
"digital audio hacks",
"ipod hacks"
] | [
"audio",
"car",
"cassette",
"deck",
"head unit",
"ipod",
"pic"
] | [Dave] pulled the head unit out of his dashboard to
add an iPod input
. He took a much more invasive route than
the other hack we saw
a few days ago. He actually patched into the audio lines going from the Dolby reader head chip to the amplifier.
The first step was to trick the deck into thinking it had a cassette inserted. He scoped an enable pin on one of the chips to discover the timing and emulated that signal using a PIC microprocessor. From there he popped off the chip that reads the tape data, patching directly into the audio out traces. This presented some noise issues when charging the iPod but [Dave] fixed that with some decoupling capacitors. | 19 | 19 | [
{
"comment_id": "168892",
"author": "Brennan",
"timestamp": "2010-08-15T18:09:24",
"content": "That is just TOO COOL. Great job man!!! Truly the definition of a hack!",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "168893",
"author": "andrew",
"timestam... | 1,760,377,388.064565 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/08/15/new-nook-says-no-root-for-you/ | New Nook Says: No Root For You! | Mike Szczys | [
"Android Hacks"
] | [
"b&n",
"Barnes & Noble",
"ereader",
"Nook",
"root",
"sd"
] | That is a blurry image of a Barnes & Noble
Nook eReader stuck in an infinite reboot loop
. This is the result of trying to downgrade the firmware to 1.0 in preparation to
soft-root the device
. So after a few failures the device will recover itself, right? It doesn’t look that way. No problem, don’t you just pop it open and
re-write the OS to the SD card inside to do a hardware root
? Nope, it looks like the newest hardware revision has replaced that convenient SD card with a memory chip.
For now it’s a brick, but we’re sure there will soon be a way to fix this. A bit of solder, some wires, and a reflash should work much in the same way
an EEPROM recovery
does. That is, if you have an original image to work with.
So for now, be careful not to attempt to root your nook if the serial number starts with 1003.
[Thanks Ken] | 47 | 47 | [
{
"comment_id": "168865",
"author": "Henrik Pedersen",
"timestamp": "2010-08-15T16:17:54",
"content": "What I hate about this is when you buy hardware, you expect to own it. This is just like Apple products. “If you can’t hack it, you don’t own it”",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"repl... | 1,760,377,388.239596 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/08/15/ym2149-gets-new-life/ | YM2149 Gets New Life | Jakob Griffith | [
"digital audio hacks"
] | [
"chiptune",
"generation",
"MCU",
"music",
"sound",
"yama",
"ym2149"
] | [MicroMinded] took us way back to our childhoods with his
experiments
and subsequent
YMstream music player
based on the Yamaha YM2149 sound generator used in old arcade systems, computers, and even phones (
think
chiptune
). This reminds us of the
Chipophone
, only this time the sound is achieved from ICs used back in the day, rather than MCU waveforms.
There is still some work to be done to make the music player have a bit more functionality, but for now source is available if you want to make your own. Of course you might come across a small problem; finding an SSG is a tad bit more difficult than say, an Arduino. If a good resource is found, please share it in the comments!
[Thank you Andrew Kretschmer for sending in the chiptune mp3s] | 6 | 5 | [
{
"comment_id": "168826",
"author": "bhtooefr",
"timestamp": "2010-08-15T14:33:00",
"content": "There’s a few variants of that family.The YM2149 is Yamaha’s version, but it’s a clone of the General Instrument AY-3-891x family. AY-3-8910 should even be pin compatible.And, there’s tons of these chips ... | 1,760,377,388.352783 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/08/14/google-maps-wristlet-navigator/ | Google Maps Wristlet Navigator | Mike Szczys | [
"Transportation Hacks"
] | [
"brass",
"direction",
"google",
"maps",
"navigation",
"paper",
"scroll",
"wrist"
] | This
on-wrist navigation system
uses Google Maps and something called… paper. This is a throwback to scroll-based directions from the 1920’s and 30’s that [Simon] built. He soldered a couple of brass tubes to a brass back plate, then added sides and a face crystal. Now he prints out step by step direction from the popular mapping website and winds them onto scrolls. We’re not sure that we’d take the time to do this, but hey, at least the screen resolution is fantastic and you don’t have to worry about battery life. | 50 | 50 | [
{
"comment_id": "168632",
"author": "Jordan",
"timestamp": "2010-08-14T20:03:28",
"content": "It’s streamlined steampunk.",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "168639",
"author": "l33ThAXOR",
"timestamp": "2010-08-14T20:18:03",
"content": ... | 1,760,377,388.506286 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/08/14/hacked-ac-and-ash-filter/ | Hacked AC And Ash Filter | Mike Szczys | [
"home hacks"
] | [
"air conditioner",
"ash",
"fire",
"ice",
"moscow",
"smoke",
"water"
] | Moscow is in a bit of a hot spot right now, dealing with a heat wave and enormous wildfires. The combination of smoke, ash, and heat was driving Andrew up a wall so
he built a contraption to provide some relief
. It has two chambers, the bottom houses ice water, the top is an air baffle. A small DC fan pumps air into the upper chamber where it encounters the water being sprayed in from the lower reservoir. What results is a heat exchange similar to other
diy AC setups
we’ve seen. But Andrew also notes that after running the device for a while the smell of smoke and ash is gone. Can this setup be seen as an effective way to trap airborne smoke particles? | 26 | 26 | [
{
"comment_id": "168594",
"author": "Perkee",
"timestamp": "2010-08-14T18:13:40",
"content": "This is similar to how a scrubber on top of a coal smokestack works; the aerosols get hit by the water and carried out. Rock and roll.",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
... | 1,760,377,388.573151 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/08/21/vector-plotter-with-lasers/ | Vector Plotter With Lasers | Jakob Griffith | [
"Laser Hacks"
] | [
"cdrom",
"hdd",
"laser",
"plotter",
"speakers",
"vector",
"xy"
] | [Hubert] sent in
his experiments
using HDDs, CDROMs, speakers, and other components to make an XY laser plotter. Those carefully reading will note, its not all three to make one plotter, but rather three plotters each using a separate system. The setups have their advantages and disadvantages, and [Hubert] is sure to point them out; including circuit diagrams and pictures to help you on your own trials.
There is a little difficulty in reading
English not so good
, but considering we’ve never seen a single-laser vector plotter done before (
spirographs
come close, and no one wants to wait
85 seconds
) it’s still very impressive.
[Thanks TJ] | 13 | 13 | [
{
"comment_id": "172010",
"author": "TJ",
"timestamp": "2010-08-21T18:35:40",
"content": "Those weren’t my experiments (but, I did send in the link), I don’t want to be seen taking credit for other people’s work.",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "... | 1,760,377,388.629265 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/08/21/laser-microscope-projection/ | Laser Microscope Projection | Caleb Kraft | [
"Laser Hacks"
] | [
"dangerous",
"easy",
"lasers",
"quick"
] | Ok, we’ll start this off by saying, looking at lasers can damage your eyes. Be careful. Now that we’ve got that absolutely clear, we couldn’t help but find this
super quick and dirty laser microscope
fascinating. Basically, they are just pointing a laser through a drop of water suspended from the tip of a syringe. The image of the contents of the drop are projected on a nearby wall. The drop seen in the video after the break was taken from a potted plant and you can see all kinds of life squirming around in there. Just don’t try it with
this laser
.
[via
HackedGadgets
]
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2aK_a-jr-tI] | 35 | 33 | [
{
"comment_id": "171953",
"author": "andrew",
"timestamp": "2010-08-21T14:35:23",
"content": "cool",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "171954",
"author": "okay",
"timestamp": "2010-08-21T14:40:13",
"content": "That is awesome! I will be ... | 1,760,377,388.704039 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/08/20/electric-motorcycle-rocks-one-wheel/ | Electric Motorcycle Rocks One Wheel | Mike Szczys | [
"Transportation Hacks"
] | [
"balancing",
"motorcycle",
"one wheel",
"ryno motors",
"segway",
"unicycle"
] | We had to call it an electric motorcycle in the title because electric unicycle just sounds lame. But the video after the break shows you that
this prototype is anything but lame
. It takes minimalism to the extreme when you’re talking about powered transportation. The self-balancer is reminiscent of a Segway but the rider sits astride one wheel rather than the standing form-factor that [the Woz]
loves so much for gaming
. Looks like
Ryno Motors
is trying to gather capital to put these into production. We’re not going to hold our breath until we see them in the wild, but we’d be surprised if they don’t pop up on the big screen at some point in the near future.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wBgt0wj3Hzk] | 60 | 50 | [
{
"comment_id": "171731",
"author": "Anonymous",
"timestamp": "2010-08-20T21:38:54",
"content": "“How fast can it go?”“20”Stopped watching right there.",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "171732",
"author": "chango",
"timestamp": "2010-08-20... | 1,760,377,388.787355 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/08/20/microscope-camera-adapter/ | Microscope Camera Adapter | Mike Szczys | [
"digital cameras hacks"
] | [
"adapter",
"composite",
"lense",
"microscope"
] | [Ben Krasnow] is capturing some great snapshots
using a microscope adapter and some tricks
. The camera attachment is just a lens adapter ring with a tube added. Unlike
other microscope imaging hacks we’ve seen
he used a real microscope but found that the pictures had a bit of light distortion to them. The camera sensor was picking up a glare reflected on the inside of the black tube. By adding a washer and repositioning the apparatus he got over that hurdle. The final part of the puzzle is image processing. By taking several pictures at different focal lengths and compositing them he gets killer photos like the compound eyes of that house fly seen above. | 17 | 17 | [
{
"comment_id": "171668",
"author": "Jess",
"timestamp": "2010-08-20T17:45:12",
"content": "Every time I look at the preview image I go bum bum BUMMMM when looking at the frames.",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "171674",
"author": "Gottabetha... | 1,760,377,388.839565 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/08/20/1w-blue-laser-remarkably-easy-and-dangerous/ | 1W Blue Laser – Remarkably Easy And Dangerous | Mike Szczys | [
"Laser Hacks"
] | [
"1w",
"blue",
"boost converter",
"diode",
"laser"
] | [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lE3F7vjYx4U]
We’ve been covering Laser Hacks pretty much since the beginning but it’s surprising to see the niche market that has sprouted up around building powerful handheld modules. [Styropyro] filmed the video above as
a tutorial on building a 1W blue laser
. The “flashlight” that he starts with includes a heat sink intended for a laser diode. It seems there’s a lot of choices when
choosing one of these build kits
. A one Watt blue laser diode is press fit into the heat sink and wired in place. The body of the device receives a boost converter to get the batteries up to 1A, and once the assembly is complete the burning begins. It lights candles, matches, and pops balloons; the normal laser demo goodies.
So it’s a pretty easy build. But it’s also easy for someone being careless to damage their eyes. As [Styropyro] mentions in his comments, just looking at the dot created by the laser will damage your sight. | 92 | 50 | [
{
"comment_id": "171633",
"author": "grenadier",
"timestamp": "2010-08-20T15:38:34",
"content": "Oh no, the shit sure has hit the fan now. We can all expect lasers to be banned within the end of the year.",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "171637",... | 1,760,377,389.287746 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/08/20/microsoft-engineers-reinvent-the-optimus-keyboard/ | Microsoft Engineers Reinvent The Optimus Keyboard | Mike Szczys | [
"Multitouch Hacks",
"Peripherals Hacks"
] | [
"contest",
"innovation",
"keyboard",
"microsoft",
"optimus",
"uist"
] | Looks like Microsoft has come up with
a pretty slick little keyboard
. It’s very much like
the Optimus
, which has an OLED screen in every key, except that it doesn’t have a screen in every key. Instead there’s just one screen on the whole unit and they keys have been overlayed on top while allowing the image to show through. Brilliant really, since this should drastically reduce the $2400 price tag of the original. That is, if you could buy the device. Microsoft’s not selling this hardware (yet anyway), but offering it up as test hardware for the
UIST Innovation Contest
. It will be interesting to see what the students come up with. This keyboard should be easier to program for since it involves manipulating just one screen. There is also extra space at the top that is touch-sensitive. See for yourself after the break.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ojusRO38Tdc]
[Thanks FaSMaN via
Gizmodo
] | 46 | 46 | [
{
"comment_id": "171556",
"author": "Mark429",
"timestamp": "2010-08-20T13:28:27",
"content": "Awesome, I hope this is less than $250",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "171579",
"author": "MrBishop",
"timestamp": "2010-08-20T13:37:50",
... | 1,760,377,388.918502 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/08/19/fpslic-powered-led-matrix/ | FPSLIC Powered LED Matrix | Mike Szczys | [
"classic hacks",
"LED Hacks"
] | [
"8x8",
"at94k",
"Atmel",
"AVR",
"bicolor",
"fpslic",
"matrix",
"pong"
] | [Mathieu]
built this display
in hopes that he can play pong on it. You can imagine the headache that awaits when trying to figure out how to drive the 6144 bi-color LEDs. I must have worked out because the thing looks great in the video after the break. The solution he chose was a bit unfamiliar to us though. He used a
Field Programmable System Level Integrated Circuit produced by Atmel
, or FPSLIC. This is a kind of mash-up of components we’re more accustomed to.
The AT94K is a single chip that houses an 8-bit AVR microcontroller, and FPGA, and SRAM. This project uses that FPGA to handle the multiplexing of the display via code written in
VHDL
. The AVR core receives data via a USB port, stores two images in the SRAM (one for each LED color), and then outputs it to be drawn on the display. On second thought, this project sounds like fun and it’s a great way to get start learning that VHDL you’ve been putting off.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5PH4c5tr6Ss] | 23 | 23 | [
{
"comment_id": "170376",
"author": "Steve",
"timestamp": "2010-08-19T21:16:28",
"content": "You must have worked out?",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "170394",
"author": "catzburg",
"timestamp": "2010-08-19T22:16:59",
"content": "I t... | 1,760,377,388.984615 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/08/19/replace-batteries-with-usb-power/ | Replace Batteries With USB Power | Mike Szczys | [
"green hacks"
] | [
"adapter",
"apple",
"battery",
"dowel",
"magic",
"trackpad"
] | [Mark Bog] thought it was a waste to use batteries for his desktop touch pad. Quite frankly we agree that if you can avoid using disposable cells you should. He ditched the dual AA batteries inside of his Magic Trackpad and
built a battery-sized adapter to feed it some juice
. It consists of a dowel of similar diameter with a screw in each end. He scavenged a USB cord, connecting hot and ground wires to the corresponding pole of the adapter. Now his Trackpad is USB powered and never in need of a battery replacement or even a recharge.
We’re not familiar with the inner workings of Apple’s Magic Trackpad. We assume there’s a voltage regulator inside and we hope it doesn’t have a problem working with the 5V regulated power coming in from the adapter. If you’ve got the skinny on the hardware we’d love to hear about it in the comments. One last thing: because the forum linked above requires a login to view the images in the post, we’ve embedded the rest of them after the break for your convenience.
[Thanks to Patrick for the tip and the images] | 47 | 43 | [
{
"comment_id": "170352",
"author": "Josh",
"timestamp": "2010-08-19T20:26:09",
"content": "I was going to make some sny remark about how he spent ENTIRELY too much money on his setup there…While thats still true, i just realized its all running off his macbook, thats pretty cool. The fact that appl... | 1,760,377,389.198076 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/08/19/modchip-hacks-ps3-via-usb-port/ | Modchip Hacks PS3 Via USB Port | Mike Szczys | [
"Playstation Hacks"
] | [
"backup",
"dongle",
"hard drive",
"modchip",
"playstation 3",
"psjailbreak",
"usb"
] | [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4jOEbZEkp9A]
It’s been a long time coming, but the video above shows a modchip circumventing the PlayStation 3 security by running a game from a hard drive. The sites
Ozmodchips.com which sells the modchip
, and
psx-scene.com which has confirmed them as working
are both unstable right now due to heavy traffic. But here’s what we know. The device is called the PS Jailbreak and can be used to dump PS3 games to the hard drive of a PlayStation3 running the most current firmware (3.41). Dumped games can then be played from the hard drive by selecting them from a menu that the modchip spawns. It’ll cost you though. The current preorder price is $169.99 AUD or $147.47 US dollars with a projected delivery date of August 27th.
[Thanks Charlie via
Slashdot
] | 74 | 50 | [
{
"comment_id": "170272",
"author": "Jordan",
"timestamp": "2010-08-19T17:32:33",
"content": "that’s crazy awesome, but soon all modding will be done wireless-ly.",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "170280",
"author": "Ian",
"timestamp": "20... | 1,760,377,389.428707 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/08/19/todays-arduino-moment/ | Todays Arduino Moment | James Munns | [
"Arduino Hacks"
] | [
"arduino",
"digitalwrite",
"oled",
"shield"
] | We have gotten a number of Arduino tips in the last couple days, and we thought we would combine them for your convenience. The first tip we received was for some hints provided by [Bill] on some
digitalWrite() alternatives
. Similar to some
previous research
we covered, this tip also includes some tips on how to make the direct register writing a little easier by using #define to simplify things. Obviously this wont be as idiot-proof as digitalWrite() is, but we think you can handle it.
Our second tip is for a set of
OLED displays from 4dsystems
sold as Arduino Shields. They have a couple of different sizes from .96″ to 1.7″, depending on your needs and budget. There is no official display library for them yet, but 4dsystems have been kind enough to provide a
few
resources
to
work
from. Hopefully we’ll see a few great applications from this, maybe a much bigger
pixel Mario
? A much smaller
Game of Life
? Feel free to
send us your projects
, or leave your ideas in the comments! | 21 | 20 | [
{
"comment_id": "170294",
"author": "matt",
"timestamp": "2010-08-19T18:06:02",
"content": "“Direct port access is not for the faint of heart”… lmfaoSBI/CBI instructions take 2 cycles, but the OUT instruction only takes 1. So couldn’t you do this:register unsigned char toggleMask = _BV(bit);PINB = t... | 1,760,377,389.346829 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/08/19/lee-harts-memebership-card/ | Lee Hart’s “Memebership Card” | Caleb Kraft | [
"Microcontrollers"
] | [
"1802",
"cosmac",
"retro"
] | [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hbsPddZsmVI]
In an act of retro revival, [Lee Hart] has created this “
Membership Card
“, an altoid tin sized tribute to the 1802 CMOS chip. Made popular in the late 70s in the RCA COSMAC ELF computer, the 1802 stole many a hackers heart. There’s tons of information available if you explore the site, from history to kit building experiences.
[via
Retro Thing
) | 38 | 36 | [
{
"comment_id": "170227",
"author": "Onelix",
"timestamp": "2010-08-19T14:50:19",
"content": "I do not understand what it does.",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "170232",
"author": "Edward",
"timestamp": "2010-08-19T15:13:46",
"content... | 1,760,377,391.539994 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/08/19/7-segment-sudoku/ | 7-segment Sudoku | Mike Szczys | [
"classic hacks"
] | [
"7 segment",
"nixie",
"shift register",
"sudoku"
] | [John Sarik] keeps cranking out new ideas for his digital Sudoku project.
This time he’s using 7-segment displays
for each digit. The game play works the same as
the Nixie Tube version
, but this makes things quite a bit easier to build. The board above is one of the nine modules that make up the game. They each use three shift registers to drive the nine 7-segment displays. With the help of five resistors all of the multiplexing is addressed via the serial input on those chips. | 4 | 4 | [
{
"comment_id": "170223",
"author": "catzburg",
"timestamp": "2010-08-19T14:32:14",
"content": "9!!?!? wow",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "170225",
"author": "chris",
"timestamp": "2010-08-19T14:45:49",
"content": "minuturised it wou... | 1,760,377,391.375137 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/08/18/make-iphone-a-penetration-testing-tool/ | Make IPhone A Penetration Testing Tool | Mike Szczys | [
"iphone hacks",
"Security Hacks"
] | [
"aircrack-ng",
"ettercap",
"jailbreak",
"nikto2",
"penetration testing",
"pentesting",
"set"
] | [Nicholas Petty] has posted a guide to
setting up your iPhone as a penetration tester
. You already carry it around with you and, although not too beefy, it does have the hardware you need to get the job done. So if you’re not interested in
building a drone
or
carrying around a boxy access point
try this out. The first step is to jailbreak your device and setup OpenSSH so that you can tunnel in for the rest of the setup. From there the rest of the setup is just acquiring build tools and compiling pentesting programs like
Aircrack-ng
,
Ettercap
,
Nikto2
, and the
Social Engineering Toolkit
. You’ll be up to no good testing your wireless security in no time. | 27 | 25 | [
{
"comment_id": "169988",
"author": "giovannizero",
"timestamp": "2010-08-18T20:10:18",
"content": "Very cool, I’d like to see a similar guide for android.",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": [
{
"comment_id": "2955526",
"author": "Classic Toxin",
"t... | 1,760,377,391.203606 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/08/18/needs-more-leds-emsl-biggified-conways-game-of-life/ | Needs More LEDs, EMSL Biggified Conway’s Game Of Life | Jakob Griffith | [
"home hacks",
"LED Hacks"
] | [
"atmega164p",
"conway",
"game of life",
"giant",
"ir",
"large",
"led",
"leo villareal",
"table"
] | Evil Mad Scientist Laboratories has
proven bigger is better
with their colossal LED table running
Conway’s Game of Life
. At the heart of the system is 44 ATmega164Ps controlling 352 LEDs on a 32×44 inch table; and to make it interactive IR LEDs detect the presence of objects.
The display is set up as an exhibit at the San Jose Museum of Art in tribute to
[Leo Villareal]
. To see a demo, catch a video after the divide.
Related:
Colossal LED tables
, and
Conway’s Game of Life
. Why has it taken so long to combine them?
[youtube
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9F5oER98xh8&feature=player_embedded%5D | 33 | 32 | [
{
"comment_id": "169947",
"author": "turn.self.off",
"timestamp": "2010-08-18T18:15:07",
"content": "i do wonder if it would work better if they replaced the top cover with one based on the system used in ms surface and similar.",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
... | 1,760,377,391.136848 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/08/17/super-simple-arduino-setup-lowers-electricity-bills/ | Super Simple Arduino Setup Lowers Electricity Bills | Jakob Griffith | [
"home hacks"
] | [
"ac",
"air conditioning",
"arduino",
"peter",
"system",
"thermostat"
] | An Arduino with 40 lines of code, a temperature resistor, and servo are all that’s truly needed to save some dough with
this thermostat
by [Peter Hamilton]. LEDs and a potentiometer are added as well to help set and read the desired temperature. With or without said additional parts, the hack is still ridiculously simple and we’re wondering why we didn’t have a similar setup on our blisteringly cold office AC system before seeing it.
Though, we’re going a bit further with our version, plans are in the making to add timers to turn off the system for extended hours while no one is at the office. What would you add? | 38 | 38 | [
{
"comment_id": "169552",
"author": "flakelabs",
"timestamp": "2010-08-17T13:34:02",
"content": "I’ve been thinking about this problem for a long time.First an sd card or xbee to log information.Now this is where it gets fun. I conjecture you could use an outside temp and correlate runtime for your ... | 1,760,377,391.33619 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/08/16/brain-wave-skimming-on-the-go/ | Brain Wave Skimming On The Go | James Munns | [
"Medical Hacks",
"Peripherals Hacks",
"Toy Hacks"
] | [
"bluetooth",
"mattel",
"Mentok",
"mind flex",
"mindflex",
"MOG"
] | Master EEG hackers [MOG] and [Tim] over at the Makers Local 256 have been working on creating a
Bluetooth EEG listener
made from a
Mattel Mindflex
. This build is based on an
earlier build
of a group called [Frontier Nerds] (thanks for the heads up [Nathan]!), but this version ditches the Arduino in favor of a basic serial to bluetooth adapter for the sake of power efficiency (as well as not having to keep an Arduino strapped to you head). We have covered a
few
Mindflex
hacks
before, but this seems to be the most useful in a practical sense. They have included the code for a Bluetooth serial data logger, and the earlier build shows a good example of captured data visualization. | 16 | 16 | [
{
"comment_id": "169258",
"author": "Graham",
"timestamp": "2010-08-16T22:08:56",
"content": "Honestly I don’t even care what the post is about. You guys win just for using the picture of Mentok. Hackaday is now forgiven for any and all grievances.",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"rep... | 1,760,377,391.427471 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/08/16/using-videotape-tape-as-a-controller/ | Using Videotape Tape As A Controller | Mike Szczys | [
"Musical Hacks"
] | [
"bodystick",
"cd40106",
"oscillator",
"tape",
"VHS",
"videotape"
] | Behold
the Bodystick
, an instrument built and demonstrated by [Erich Lesovsky]. It’s a bit like a string bass but instead of strings there is a strip of VHS tape. Apparently not all VHS tape will work, but if you have the right kind you can run voltage through it and then change the resistance with a touch of your finger. It seems that the hand not touching the tape needs to be touching a conductive pad, completing the circuit. The resulting resistance changes the oscillator values on a CD40106 CMOS chip. This project is a bit out there (just like
[Erich’s] Mega-Tape-O-Phone
), and in keeping with its peculiarity is the demo video after the break. Enjoy!
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wSDPzwa1YFE] | 25 | 25 | [
{
"comment_id": "169229",
"author": "regis",
"timestamp": "2010-08-16T21:05:13",
"content": "This reminds me a bit of a hack Laurie Anderson did — She replaced the string on her bow with a piece of audio tape, and put a tape pickup head on her violin, and she could move the bow back and forth to sam... | 1,760,377,391.262831 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/08/16/home-claw-game-delights-the-little-ones/ | Home Claw Game Delights The Little Ones | Mike Szczys | [
"Toy Hacks"
] | [
"claw",
"game",
"lego",
"nxt",
"rcx"
] | After seeing Toy Story [Will Gorman’s] son wanted to play the Crane Game. Rather than hanging out in the lobby of the pizza parlor, [Will]
built one at home using Lego
. The skill crane as he calls it has a large gantry to travel over the top of the treasure box. The claw can move side to side on the gantry, dropping for a chance at some loot once it’s in the right place. See a successful run in the video after the break and if you can’t help yourself, there’s
build instructions
that will have you up and running in no time. But you don’t have to build it out of Lego, sometimes
you just need some junk to pull one of these together
.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V_DFsHLyQno] | 9 | 9 | [
{
"comment_id": "169208",
"author": "dan",
"timestamp": "2010-08-16T19:38:32",
"content": "There’s a claw machine in some bar in LA where you try to pick live lobsters out of a saltwater tank. If you manage to grab one, they cook it up for you. Talk about playing with your food…",
"parent_id": n... | 1,760,377,391.059899 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/08/16/robot-follows-the-rules-of-the-road/ | Robot Follows The Rules Of The Road | Mike Szczys | [
"Robots Hacks"
] | [
"Altera",
"intersection",
"netbook",
"traffic",
"vb.net",
"vhdl"
] | [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y6R0wO1o01g]
This is a fantastic high school project. [Shmendrik213] built and robot a programmed it
to follow common traffic rules
. The robot drives itself with a DC motor, using one servo for steering and another to pan a webcam back and forth. The netbook that comes along for the ride is running a VB.NET program that can detect an upcoming intersection, read the street sign, and react based on other cars currently at the intersection.
The hardware is running on an Altera processor using firmware programmed in VHDL. We remember building a tissue box holder for one of our high school projects. Looks like the times have changed since then. | 15 | 15 | [
{
"comment_id": "169179",
"author": "Tokamak",
"timestamp": "2010-08-16T18:16:28",
"content": "I wish I have some of those great fpga chips, I would build a managed microcontroller :D for school project!",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "169181",
... | 1,760,377,391.471779 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/08/16/androidome-monome-for-android/ | Androidome: Monome For Android | Mike Szczys | [
"Android Hacks",
"digital audio hacks"
] | [
"android",
"anroidome",
"app",
"monome"
] | [Ewan Hemingway] tipped us off about
his new Android app, Androidome
. This is the first one he’s turned out after going through
our Android development tutorials
. It combines an app running on his Android 2.1 device with a computer running Max/MSP 5. The two don’t needed to be tethered, they just need to be on the same wireless network. This won’t be the best solution if you’re doing live performances, as the buttons on the screen end up being quite small. But as you can see after the break, it’s a great way to get into working with the Monome interface and decide if you want to
build a dedicated physical version
of the tool.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BKGSVqYQFiY] | 10 | 10 | [
{
"comment_id": "169188",
"author": "dext0rb",
"timestamp": "2010-08-16T18:38:38",
"content": "very cool, thanks for the source.",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "169219",
"author": "vonskippy",
"timestamp": "2010-08-16T20:17:03",
"con... | 1,760,377,391.013524 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/08/16/gameboy-analog-meter/ | GameBoy Analog Meter | Caleb Kraft | [
"Microcontrollers",
"Nintendo Game Boy Hacks",
"Nintendo Hacks"
] | [
"gameboy",
"nintendo"
] | Here’s an interesting setup
using a GameBoy Advance as an interface and power supply for a PIC microprocessor
. He’s got the PIC connected to the serial port of the GameBoy Advance and is able to pass and retrieve data for display on the screen. You can see above that he is showing two analog values from the pic. You can download the schematic and source code and see a few more pictures, but that’s about it.
[via
HackedGadgets
] | 30 | 29 | [
{
"comment_id": "169140",
"author": "Heatgap/Ho0d0o",
"timestamp": "2010-08-16T14:42:13",
"content": "Sweet job. Give that Advance some re-purpose!",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "169143",
"author": "JB",
"timestamp": "2010-08-16T15:06:3... | 1,760,377,391.943249 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/08/18/drone-cracks-wifi-from-on-high/ | Drone Cracks WiFi From On High | Mike Szczys | [
"Security Hacks"
] | [
"drone",
"penetration",
"uav"
] | The WiFi Aerial Surveillance Platform, or WASP for short, is
an autonomous drone aircraft that sniffs out WiFi
networks. But it packs a much larger punch than that. Built into this US Army surplus target drone you’ll find an ITX form-factor computer with a Via C7 500 MHz processor that is running
Backtrack 4
, the popular penetration testing Linux suite. But what if you want to do some real heavy lifting that the onboard PC can’t handle quickly? They’ve thought of that too. There’s an integrated 3G modem which allows for control over the Internet and facilitates the outsourcing of load-intensive operations to the cloud. It’s not
shooting fireworks from the wings
, but this payload has the potential to cause way more trouble.
[Thanks Spore] | 47 | 47 | [
{
"comment_id": "169899",
"author": "Nirav",
"timestamp": "2010-08-18T16:14:33",
"content": "all I have to say is..WTF..OMG! that has to be the most hardcore hardware project I’ve seen in months.",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "169901",
"aut... | 1,760,377,391.875928 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/08/18/mbed-robo-rover/ | Mbed Robo-Rover | James Munns | [
"Robots Hacks"
] | [
"first!",
"mbed",
"robo",
"robot"
] | There are a ton of rapid prototyping available on the market these days which all cater to different niches. Todays project, a
robotic rover on a 4 wheel chassis
, is based on the
NXP mbed
. The mbed is a popular board for higher need applications, and is centered around an ARM Cortex core.
This multi-part writeup is a great place to start for people who are looking into making a robot of any kind. [Aaron] explains a lot of important concepts that are often overlooked by novices of robot building, including the importance of movement feedback such as quadrature encoders, as well as the usefulness of Inertial Measurement Units (IMUs) to maintain bearing and terrain awareness. This project is nearing completion, and promises to deliver essential material such as source code, a bill of materials, and the robot in action.
This could also be a valuable tool for any
FIRST
teams looking to understand some of the necessary ideas in creating a robot. Are there any Hackaday readers out there participating in or mentoring a FIRST (or any other robotic competition) team? We would love to hear from you! | 11 | 11 | [
{
"comment_id": "169854",
"author": "Luke",
"timestamp": "2010-08-18T13:23:39",
"content": "I mentor the Rolling Thunder Robotics team (#2421) in Springfield, VA. My first year I was really amazed how well the kids took to building robots. FIRST is definitely a great program for learning electronics... | 1,760,377,392.048005 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/08/17/building-a-discrete-digital-analog-converter/ | Building A Discrete Digital-analog-converter | Mike Szczys | [
"digital audio hacks"
] | [
"dac",
"digital to analog converter",
"ladder",
"r-2r",
"resistor"
] | Want to take back control of how your digital audio files become sound? One thing you can do is to
build your own digital to analog converter
. This one is made from discrete components, centered around a resistive ladder. Yes, there are a couple of integrated circuits in there which are used for demultiplexing the incoming signal but the magic happens in that R-2R network. The project is an interesting read and makes a point of looking at the issues raised when trying to precision match resistors. Apparently it can be done with 0.1% components if you have a lot of them and a multimeter that can measure down to seven decimal places.
[Thanks Bigbob] | 26 | 26 | [
{
"comment_id": "169681",
"author": "octel",
"timestamp": "2010-08-17T19:56:28",
"content": "This reminds me of the ‘Covox Speech Thing’ marketed in the late 1980s as a cheap sound card for attaching to the parallel port of a PC.It had a very unique sound!",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
... | 1,760,377,392.000386 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/08/17/ride-fly-segway-diy/ | Ride Fly: Segway DIY | Jakob Griffith | [
"Transportation Hacks"
] | [
"12ah",
"500 watt",
"diy",
"sb-scooter",
"segay"
] | [vimeo
http://vimeo.com/4317930%5D
The video above is the final
working DIY Segway
from [sb-scooter]. The website and build log don’t have a lot of information at the moment, but you can still gawk at several pictures of the
construction
(and a picture is worth 1000
German
words).
For those looking for the nitty gritty, with some quick math we figure its two 500 watt motors, powered by 12Ah batteries, will last about 90 minutes. If you’re looking for more details or to build your own,
you’re as lost as we are
.
[Thanks Panikos] | 9 | 9 | [
{
"comment_id": "169652",
"author": "Colecoman1982",
"timestamp": "2010-08-17T17:43:36",
"content": "This looks like a nice implementation, but it is far, far, from being original. If you want a write-up, in English, with info on how to build your own version, check out Trevor Blackwell’s project p... | 1,760,377,392.088721 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/08/17/negative-laser-etching/ | Negative Laser Etching | Mike Szczys | [
"Laser Hacks"
] | [
"etch",
"laser cutter",
"pcb",
"spray paint",
"toner transfer"
] | [James] has been refining a method of
negatively etching metal with a laser
. He had been using a product called Thermark which is designed for this process, but it’s quite expensive. He found that paint designed for wood stoves works just as well. To prepare the surface he bead blasted it and then cleaned of the residue and finger prints off with acetone. The board was preheated in an oven before covering it with the spray paint. He ran the laser at 98/100 power and 90/400 speed at a step size of 0.1mm to achieve the results above. This should immediately make you think about
making circuit boards
. We’d love to ditch the toner transfer and we’re always looking for one more reason to get a laser cutter. | 23 | 23 | [
{
"comment_id": "169603",
"author": "James",
"timestamp": "2010-08-17T16:06:17",
"content": "Oi! Don’t give spoilers for my next project! :D Laser etched then chem-etched circuit boards may be right after the shaft encoder.Thanks for the feature! I updated the laser cutter speed to 300 after you wro... | 1,760,377,392.274293 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/08/17/a-desktop-made-of-air/ | A Desktop Made Of Air | James Munns | [
"laptops hacks",
"Mac Hacks"
] | [
"air",
"keyboard",
"laptop",
"macbook"
] | [Bart] managed to get his hands on a
Macbook Air for free
. The catch was that the monitor hinge was broken and the laptop wasn’t in too great of a condition. Rather than scrapping it or using it as a
cake cutter
, he decided to turn it into a keyboard PC. By removing the internals he was able to fit all of the components with minimal modification. [Bart] has added a few things to make it a functional desktop, such as integrating a USB hub under the the keyboard and fitted the keyboard with a Magic Trackpad. As with any great hack, the project is still in progress, and we can’t wait to see the final touches as it comes together. | 19 | 19 | [
{
"comment_id": "169588",
"author": "donw35",
"timestamp": "2010-08-17T15:11:47",
"content": "how cool, I started with a Commodore 64 way back, looks like this type of keyboard PC has a place in the market again.",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "... | 1,760,377,392.212614 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/08/17/repairing-the-itona-vxl-thin-client/ | Repairing The Itona VXL Thin Client | Caleb Kraft | [
"computer hacks"
] | [
"cluster",
"thin client"
] | [Jim] was the happy recipient of 11 non working Itona VXL thin clients. The units he received were 800Mhz CPUs with 256 MB of Ram and 256MB of storage. None would power up. Upon internal inspection, he found a common theme. Leaky bulging capacitors in the power supplies. Since these came with custom 50W power supplies, he opted to
simply replace the caps instead of replacing the supplies themselves
. Now he has 11 fully functional units. There are great pictures and lots of info on his site, but what he doesn’t talk about is what he’s going to do with them.
Why don’t you pop on over to our
Hacker Q&A and tell us what you would do with them
. | 33 | 31 | [
{
"comment_id": "169567",
"author": "osgeld",
"timestamp": "2010-08-17T14:10:40",
"content": "yea recapping, people that deal with vintage computers do it all the timeif I had my guess on these units, that little 50W power supply probably runs a bit hotter than intended (especially over time when du... | 1,760,377,392.343606 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/08/14/portable-wifi-penetration-testing/ | Portable WiFi Penetration Testing | Mike Szczys | [
"Security Hacks"
] | [
"ATmega88",
"hd44780",
"la fonera",
"openwrt",
"pentest",
"wifi"
] | Inside this box you’ll find a La Fonera wireless access point. [Emeryth] and his band of miscreants built this
portable device for WiFi security testing
. The AP is running OpenWRT and has been set up to use the 16×4 character display as a terminal. An ATmega88 connects the LCD as well as six buttons to the UART of the La Fonera. From there, a set of Ruby scripts takes care of the communication protocol. As you can see after the break, this setup allows you to scan the area for WiFi, showing channel, SSID, and MAC information. Although not specifically outlined in the video we suspect there’s some more devious tricks up its sleeve too.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bPdmfo15eyw] | 25 | 24 | [
{
"comment_id": "168569",
"author": "sM10sM20",
"timestamp": "2010-08-14T16:18:04",
"content": "I fukken love it!!!",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "168570",
"author": "isama",
"timestamp": "2010-08-14T16:22:44",
"content": "that’s a ... | 1,760,377,392.152008 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/08/14/rs232-and-rs485-networking-no-code-required/ | RS232 And RS485 Networking – No Code Required | Mike Szczys | [
"Misc Hacks"
] | [
"ethernet",
"lantronics",
"rs232",
"rs485",
"xport"
] | Here’s
a serial to Ethernet module
that you won’t have to write firmware to build. It uses
a Lantronix XPORT module
which takes care of all the work for you, including an embedded webserver. Both RS232 and RS485 data buses are connected to the XPORT serial input via a level converter to step the signal down to 3.3V. This solution comes at a price because of the ethernet module, but it would make a nice prototyping tool for testing projects that work on the two serial protocols. | 21 | 21 | [
{
"comment_id": "168542",
"author": "strider_mt2k",
"timestamp": "2010-08-14T14:19:59",
"content": "Nice!It reminds me of some of the proprietary communications adapters I’ve seen used in the industrial process controls sphere, only without the proprietary. ;)",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1... | 1,760,377,392.400633 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/08/13/building-a-yagi-uda-antenna/ | Building A Yagi-Uda Antenna | Mike Szczys | [
"Wireless Hacks"
] | [
"antenna",
"arrow",
"conduit",
"international space station",
"iss",
"satellite",
"shaft",
"yagi",
"yagi-uda"
] | [Tommy Gober]
built this Yagi-Uda antenna
that has some handy design features. The boom is a piece of conduit with holes drilled in the appropriate places. The elements are aluminum arrow shafts; a good choice because they’re straight, relatively inexpensive, and they have #8-32 screw threads in one end. He used some threaded rod to connect both sides of the reflector and director elements. The driven elements are mounted offset so that a different machine screw for each can be connected to the appropriate conductor of the coaxial cable. The
standing wave ratio
comes in right where it should meaning he’ll have no trouble picking up those passing satellites as well as the International Space Station. | 35 | 34 | [
{
"comment_id": "168310",
"author": "washer",
"timestamp": "2010-08-13T20:29:12",
"content": "awesome. wouldn’t mind seeing more AARL stuff on HAD",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "168311",
"author": ":)",
"timestamp": "2010-08-13T20:35:3... | 1,760,377,392.537367 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/08/13/a-collection-of-quick-line-followers/ | A Collection Of Quick Line-followers | Mike Szczys | [
"Robots Hacks"
] | [
"atmega328",
"baby orangutan",
"line follower",
"optical",
"pololu"
] | Here’s
a nice collection of line-following robots
(
translated
). They’re fast and they stay on track even through sharp turns. They center around a Baby Orangutan board which features an ATmega328 microcontroller and two motor driver channels. These drive the geared motors and use optical sensors to track a dark line on a light surface. There’s
plenty of build and testing information
(
translated
) if you’re interested in the gory details. Or just jump past the break to see the red on doing its thing.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0b8c88wcK8M]
[Thanks Jim]
http://translate.google.com/translate?js=y&prev=_t&hl=en&ie=UTF-8&layout=1&eotf=1&u=http://jmnlab.com/robotzero/robotzerov.html&sl=auto&tl=en | 18 | 18 | [
{
"comment_id": "168289",
"author": "LazyMegaMan",
"timestamp": "2010-08-13T18:43:46",
"content": "So… People have been trying to get cars to drive themselves for years. But they’ve been basing this on a large array of expensive cameras, real-time 3D laser scanning, and other environmental tracking ... | 1,760,377,392.594799 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/08/13/making-the-blubdial-clock-touch-sensitive/ | Making The Bulbdial Clock Touch Sensitive | Mike Szczys | [
"clock hacks"
] | [
"bulbdial",
"mute",
"resistive",
"touch sensitive",
"transistor"
] | We never thought about it before, but having the controls on the bottom of a clock is a bit of an inconvenience. [Alex Whittemore] mutes the LEDs on his clock each night and after a while, decided he should
make the mute button into a touch strip
on the case. You’ll remember that
the Bulbdial clock
uses colored LEDs to create the effect of a sun-dial, casting colored shadows for each hand of the clock. It makes sense that this would put off a pretty good amount of light at night. [Alex’s] original thought was to use a capacitive touch sensor but complexity and cost were in his way. What he ended up with is a resistive touch switch based off of two metal strips. He used metal repair tape but suggests copper foil as he was unable to solder to tape. When your finger touches the two strips it completes the circuit for the base of a transistor, which in turn grounds the mute button on the clock. Cheap, simple, and illustrated in the video after the break.
[vimeo=http://vimeo.com/14102230] | 14 | 13 | [
{
"comment_id": "168259",
"author": "Anon",
"timestamp": "2010-08-13T16:42:10",
"content": "The title says “Blubdial” instead “Bulbdial”.Alternatives are Lumie as a sunlight alarm clock",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": [
{
"comment_id": "168286",
"author"... | 1,760,377,392.699379 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/08/13/porting-code-to-msp430/ | Porting Code To MSP430 | Mike Szczys | [
"Microcontrollers"
] | [
"AVR",
"eeprom",
"flash",
"info flash",
"msp430",
"port",
"ported"
] | I took a little time to look into
porting code written for AVR
in order to run it on the MSP430 architecture. It’s easier than you think, being mostly small differences like an extra step to enable pull-up resistors. But there is a lot to be learned in order to transition away from using EEPROM.
Since the TI chips don’t have EEPROM you need to use the Info Flash, a topic which I detail in the article linked at the top. This flash memory must be erased before writing because a write operation can only change high bits to low, not the other way around. And an erase operation clears an entire 64 kB segment, not just the bytes you want to write to. It’s different but manageable.
Oh, and if you were wondering, I ported the code I wrote for the
garage door coded entry project
. | 18 | 18 | [
{
"comment_id": "168232",
"author": "Franklyn",
"timestamp": "2010-08-13T15:15:28",
"content": "Does anyone know a good distributor to pickup this board from ?. They seem to be sold out everywhere except the TI estore where the shipping is $15.",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies":... | 1,760,377,392.64919 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/08/13/eyemario-play-mario-with-your-eye-movements/ | EyeMario, Play Mario With Your Eye Movements | Caleb Kraft | [
"Medical Hacks",
"Nintendo Hacks",
"Wearable Hacks"
] | [
"eye tracking",
"mario"
] | [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4j2kw5MJK24]
The folks at Waterloo Labs have delivered a quite amusing project where they built a system to
control Mario with eye movements
. Unlike the other eye movement systems we’ve seen that use
imaging to detect where you are looking
, this one is using electrodes on muscles in your face. Not only do they supply a fairly amusing video, they also have a pretty good amount of detail on the project site. Be sure to click on the links in the “additional resources” section at the bottom if you want hardware and software details on the build. The last time we saw these folks, they were
using real guns to control video games
.
[via
Procrastineering
] | 16 | 16 | [
{
"comment_id": "168222",
"author": "chango",
"timestamp": "2010-08-13T14:46:09",
"content": "Am I the only one who notices that the whole Waterloo Labs thing is some sort of NI marketing stunt?",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "168235",
"auth... | 1,760,377,392.835039 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/08/13/cybraphon-rocks-hard-to-the-mood-of-the-internet/ | Cybraphon, Rocks Hard To The Mood Of The Internet | Jakob Griffith | [
"home entertainment hacks"
] | [
"beat",
"chimes",
"cigar box",
"cybraphon",
"farfisa",
"internet",
"mood",
"organ",
"record player"
] | Start off with a beat, wood sticks on cigar boxes will do. Add some chimes as accent, a Farfisa organ or record player for a voice, several other instruments for harmony and dissonance, and you’re still just on the tip of the iceberg for
understanding Cybraphon
.
Not only is this antique wardrobe completely autonomous, playing music with over 60 robotic instruments, its song are based on the current
mood of the internet
. You definitely don’t want to miss the video (
or pictures
) on this one, catch it after the rift.
[Thanks to PsychoNerd91]
[vimeo
http://vimeo.com/5441128%5D | 13 | 13 | [
{
"comment_id": "168167",
"author": "DPTR",
"timestamp": "2010-08-13T13:32:24",
"content": "Wow… this is really quite good for automated. Everything seems pretty in sync. Scary yes… but good :)",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "168231",
"autho... | 1,760,377,392.939897 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/08/12/2-foot-tall-pov-globe/ | 2 Foot Tall POV Globe | Jakob Griffith | [
"LED Hacks"
] | [
"globe",
"led",
"persistance of vision",
"POV",
"sd",
"spi",
"ytai"
] | [Ytai] let us know about his
POV globe
, all
four parts
of its
current progress
. While he says he was inspired to write up the project from a
YouTube clip
, we know the
real reason
. Regardless, the plan is to have a 2 foot diameter globe with 256 LEDs spinning at 50 revolutions per second streaming images from an SD card using SPI. While the project isn’t completed yet, we know [Ytai] will pull through like
he has in the past
, and you can be sure we’ll keep you up to date on his progress. | 18 | 18 | [
{
"comment_id": "167980",
"author": "Jordan",
"timestamp": "2010-08-12T21:06:58",
"content": "That’s just awesome.<>",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "167986",
"author": "asheets",
"timestamp": "2010-08-12T21:22:42",
"content": "My sug... | 1,760,377,392.888921 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/08/12/gba-emulator-ported-to-didj/ | GBA Emulator Ported To Didj | Mike Szczys | [
"handhelds hacks",
"Nintendo Game Boy Hacks"
] | [
"Didj",
"emulator",
"explorer",
"gba",
"leapster",
"rom"
] | Tired of messing with the hardware of the Didj you picked up? Now you can use it for gaming on that last road trip of the summer. A
Game Boy Advanced emulator has been ported
for use on both the Didj and the Explorer. You’ll have to dig up a copy of the original bios for a GBA as well as some ROMs, but the rest seems pretty straight forward. We are still holding out hope for
Doom or Quake on the Didj
, but this will help us wait a bit longer.
[Thanks Nirvous via
Rosincore
] | 18 | 17 | [
{
"comment_id": "167964",
"author": "Mr_Bishop",
"timestamp": "2010-08-12T20:04:09",
"content": "So what your saying is that POS is finally worth buying? Good show people I love to see a good game of pokemon on non-Nintendo hardware.",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
... | 1,760,377,393.124266 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/08/12/beer-fridge-holds-ipad-hostage/ | Beer Fridge Holds IPad Hostage | Mike Szczys | [
"Beer Hacks"
] | [
"arduino",
"flow sensor",
"ipad",
"kegbot",
"lm335a"
] | A hackathon by the engineers over at Yelp produced this
iPad-centric beer fridge
. A thirsty dude bellies up to the contraption, swipes his or her RFID card, then dispenses a glass of frothy goodness. The iPad display shows information about what’s on tap, and allows you to give it a rating. This is based on
kegbot
but it has a few extra tricks. Instead of measuring how much beer is left via weight, this version uses a flow sensor on the beer lines. Temperature data is recorded from an analog sensor affixed to the keg itself, and the whole shebang is pulled together via an Arduino connected to the serial port of the iPad. You can even check on the keg over the Internet. See for yourself after the break.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BwVoir5HSo4] | 15 | 15 | [
{
"comment_id": "167973",
"author": "BuRn",
"timestamp": "2010-08-12T20:43:59",
"content": "Wow I’m almost impressed… but mostly saddened, how bored these guys must really be. I mean sure I appreciate the hard work that went into it, but seriously its Stella! :DAlthough i imagine at home it would be... | 1,760,377,392.993681 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/08/12/adding-an-input-to-an-old-head-unit/ | Adding An Input To An Old Head Unit | Mike Szczys | [
"digital audio hacks"
] | [
"avc-an",
"carolla",
"cassette",
"input",
"tape",
"toyota"
] | Tape decks in cars? Yes, that used to be quite common before optical media took over road. [Nirav Patel’s] 2004 Toyota Corolla had a deck that he used with a tape adapter in order to listen to music from his iPhone. But one day something happened and, although the adapter still worked, the cassette player started making distracting noises. [Nirav] set out to quiet the noise and
install an auxiliary audio input
for the sound system. There were some tripping points along the way, like breaking everything and starting a small fire, but perseverance got him to his goal. Because these units are built with compatibility for things like CD changers they have a communications bus called AVC-Lan. This protocol has been
sniffed out and documented
, and [Nirav] even found
an existing audio-input hack
that he based his design around. Now he’s able to plug directly into the dash and ditch the cassette adapter.
We’ve seen [Nirav’s] work a few times before. He’s shown us
a first person shooter controller
and his site was a resource in our
Launchpad programming with Linux
post.
[via
Make
] | 38 | 35 | [
{
"comment_id": "167887",
"author": "cde",
"timestamp": "2010-08-12T16:17:49",
"content": "No code makes this worthless.",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "167888",
"author": "LG",
"timestamp": "2010-08-12T16:22:00",
"content": "Thank y... | 1,760,377,393.068946 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/08/12/airsoft-minigun-packs-quite-a-punch/ | Airsoft Minigun Packs Quite A Punch | Mike Szczys | [
"Misc Hacks"
] | [
"airsoft",
"ammo",
"automatic",
"bb",
"minigun"
] | [Kuba_T1000]
built a multi-barrell Airsoft minigun
with an unbelievable firing rate and an almost inexhaustible ammo pack. The gun is made entirely from aluminum which meant some time on the CNC machine. The six barrels don’t rotate but they are all used, resulting in the carnage shown in the video after the break. That large box you see is the ammo pack, which can hold 16,000 BBs and uses an electric feed system to reach the necessary delivery speeds. It is certainly not something you’d want to run into as part of
an automated turret
.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gsKLQlPxCG8]
[via
Hacked Gadgets
] | 34 | 34 | [
{
"comment_id": "167854",
"author": "chango",
"timestamp": "2010-08-12T14:16:47",
"content": "He should name it Reason.",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "167855",
"author": "Macpod",
"timestamp": "2010-08-12T14:23:39",
"content": "Look... | 1,760,377,393.19182 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/08/12/one-handed-gamecube-controller/ | One-handed GameCube Controller | Mike Szczys | [
"Peripherals Hacks"
] | [
"accelerometer",
"attiny44",
"controller",
"dac",
"gamecube",
"hand"
] | [Hasse]
built a one-handed video game controller
for his brother. He fit everything he needed into the body of an existing controller and came up with a very usable system. The controller will be right-hand only, so the left shoulder button was moved underneath the right side where your middle finger can get at it. This leaves the d-pad and the left analog stick to account for. By combining an ATtiny44A, an accelerometer, and a digital to analog converter the controller can sense motion. The microcontroller reads in the accelerometer data, gives user feedback via four added LEDs on the d-pad, and the DAC feeds the appropriate signals back into the controller as if you were using the stick. There is even a switch to select whether the motion data is mapped to the analog stick or to the d-pad. We’ve included a demo video after the break.
Find that you also need some one-armed typing assistance? Check out this
half-qwerty keyboard hack
.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=45A2glYyezo]
[Thanks Wim and Jeroen via
Tweakers
] | 10 | 10 | [
{
"comment_id": "167848",
"author": "MS3FGX",
"timestamp": "2010-08-12T13:54:09",
"content": "Nice build here, seems to work pretty well. Hope his brother enjoys it.",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "167851",
"author": "dmcbeing",
"timesta... | 1,760,377,393.242046 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/08/11/how-to-launchpad-programming-with-linux/ | How-to: Launchpad Programming With Linux | Mike Szczys | [
"Featured",
"how-to",
"Microcontrollers"
] | [
"launchpad",
"msp430",
"mspdebug",
"mspgcc",
"ti"
] | When TI released their
Launchpad development board
at the end of June it generated a lot of Buzz. Here’s a package that delivered a programmer, debugger, two microcontrollers, and some accessories for less than five bucks (including shipping). They even provided a choice of two software suites but only for users running Windows who don’t mind proprietary software. If you’re looking to go another way you should consider trying out the open source alternative MSPGCC. After the break we’ll take a look at getting the tool-chain up and running in a Linux environment.
We’ll be working with Ubuntu 10.04 Lucid Lynx. When the Launchpad is connected to USB it is identified and mounted to /dev/ttyACM0. It’s not immediately apparent how to use the device but fortunately it can be done. To talk to the hardware for programming and debugging we’ll need to use MSPDebugger. For compiling our code we’ll be using the
MSPGCC open source compiler package
.
Compiling and Installing MSPGCC
The first thing we’ll need to do is satisfy our build dependencies.
sudo apt-get install subversion gcc-4.4 texinfo patch \
libncurses5-dev zlibc zlib1g-dev libx11-dev libusb-dev \
libreadline6-dev
Now we’ll checkout the source code from the subversion repository:
svn checkout https://mspgcc4.svn.sourceforge.net/svnroot/mspgcc4
Next we enter the directory and start compiling:
cd mspgcc4
sudo sh buildgcc.sh
This will take some time so
go read some posts
and come back in 20-45 minutes.
To add the tools we just installed to the path, we need to edit the /etc/profile file:
sudo nano /etc/profile
Add this line to the end of the file (CTRL-X to exit once you’re done):
export PATH=${PATH}:/opt/msp430-gcc-4.4.3/bin
Now reload the profile you just edited for this to take effect:
source /etc/profile
Great, now you have the tools necessary to compile your C code into an .elf file that the microprocessor will understand. Next we’ll need a way to get that file onto the chip.
Compiling MSPDebug
We’ll use the
MSPDebug instructions
for downloading and compiling. First you need to
go to the download page and get the latest version
. We downloaded version 0.9 and will use that in the filename for the following commands. Now go to the directory where you saved that download and unpack the archive, compile, and install the package using the following set of commands:
tar xvfz mspdebug-0.9.tar.gz
cd mspdebug-0.9
make
sudo make install
That should take just a few seconds and it’s the last of the tools that we need. Next we can use our new software to connect with the device.
The code
It’s best to try out some proven code the first time around.
Download our simple code package
to test out the compiler and use the debugger for programming. This is much simpler than the temperature demo found on
Ramblings and Broken Code
be we are using their Makefile and once you’re comfortable with the process there’s a lot of great code examples in that package.
Unpack the code, open a terminal window, and navigate to the directory where the files are located. Compile the file by typing:
make
If that went well, great. If you get an error like “msp430-gcc: command not found” there’s something wrong with your path to the MSPGCC tools.
Connecting to the chip
MSPDebug is what we use to connect to the chip. The following command will most likely NOT work for you:
mspdebug rf2500
Spitting out the error message:
Trying to open interface 1 on 033
rf2500: warning: can't detach kernel driver: Operation not permitted
rf2500: can't claim interface: Operation not permitted
rf2500: failed to open RF2500 device
This is most likely caused by a permission problem. This will work if you add ‘sudo’ to the beginning but that’s not ideal. Let’s add a UDEV rule to take care of the Launchpad every time we plug it in. We need to create a rule file that has this line of code in it:
ATTRS{idVendor}==&quot;0451&quot;, ATTRS{idProduct}==&quot;f432&quot;, MODE=&quot;0660&quot;, GROUP=&quot;plugdev&quot;
Use nano to open and edit this file. Press CTRL-X to exit when you’re finished, then reload UDEV:
sudo nano /etc/udev/rules.d/46-TI_launchpad.rules
sudo restart udev
*** If you need more help with this, take a look at
our guide to writing udev rules
***
Unplug the Launchpad and plug it back in. Make sure you’re in the same directory as the ‘main.elf’ file created by the compiler earlier. Now give MSPDebug another try:
mspdebug rf2500
Now you will be greeted with the (mspdebug) prompt. It’s just a matter of programming the chip and running that program:
prog main.elf
run
Both LEDs will start blinking at about 1 Hz. Congratulations, you’ve compiled and loaded a program using open source tools.
A look into how the code works:
Let’s take a quick look into how this simple program works in an effort to get you comfortable with learning to code with MSPGCC. The keywords used in the code are defined in the include files from MSPGCC. You need to spend some time in the /opt/msp430-gcc-4.4.3/msp430/include/msp430 directory until you get used to the keywords. Once you get the hang of it you can probably guess new keywords based on what you read in the datasheets for the microprocessors.
Our code blinks two LEDs. Blinking means we need to use some method of tracking time. First let’s investigate the system clock:
Download a copy of
the MSP430x2xx family datasheet
(we’re using Rev. E) and follow along. This is a more useful document than the chip-specific datasheet as it lists the operating information for all of the peripherals.
Review the various system clock features in Section 5.1 paying attention to LFXT1CLK, VLOCLK, and ACLK. Next read Section 5.2 on page 289 which tells us that after power-up the system clock will be running at 1.1 MHz. If we used the system clock for timing we’re going to have trouble counting high enough with a 16-bit timer for a meaningful delay. Be we can use the auxiliary clock instead. The same page of the datasheet tells us that the ACLK is sourced from LFXT1CLK (an external crystal or clock source) but let’s change that. The VLOCLK can be used as a source for the auxiliary clock and it runs at 12 kHz, so 1-second timing is well within the range of a 16-bit counter. Let’s set up the clock source. Section 5.2.2 clearly tells us “VLOCLK source is selected by setting LFXT1Sx = 10 when XTS = 0.”. Now we just check the register description until we find that LFXT1S is set on register BCSCTL3 and then write code to implement this setting:
BCSCTL3 |= LFXT1S_2;
Next we want to set up an interrupt based on the auxiliary clock. In Section 12 you can read about TimerA. We’ll configure it to run in UP mode. On page 410 the configuration of the timer control register TACTL is covered. We need TASSELx to be set to use ACLK and MCx configured for UP mode. Notice that the settings for each portion of the register are listed in binary next to the description. We can use these to select the proper bits. Setting the MC bits to 1 (binary 01) and TASSEL bits to 1 (binary 01) with the following code:
TACTL |= TASSEL_1 | MC_1;
Now we must enable the capture/compare interrupt for TimerA compare/capture register 0:
TACCTL0 = CCIE;
Now we can start the timer by writing a value to it. Because we are using the internal very low oscillator at 12 kHz, we can count up to 11999 to keep track of about 1 second passing (0 is counted and that’s why we set the compare match for one cycle less than the clock speed):
TACCR0 = 12000;
And finally we enable global interrupts:
eint();
Now we just need some code in an Interrupt Service Routine that will toggle the LEDs:
interrupt(TIMERA0_VECTOR) TIMERA0_ISR(void) {
LED_OUT ^= (LED0 + LED1); //Toggle both LEDs
}
We pulled all of this together to make the example file. Take some to trying to understand what the datasheet is telling you. Although they can be confusing, everything you need to know is there.
Resources:
Our example code
Using the TI MSP430 LaunchPad with Ubuntu 10.04
Installing MPSGCC4 and MSPDEBUG on Kubuntu 10.04
MSP430 Launchpad on Linux
MSPGCC
MSPDebug
MSP430G2313 Datasheet
(PDF)
MSP430x2xx Family Datasheet
(PDF)
TI MSP430 Launchpad Wiki
How to write udev rules | 139 | 50 | [
{
"comment_id": "167659",
"author": "JMLB",
"timestamp": "2010-08-11T20:02:41",
"content": "Still waiting for mine I ordered it 1 day after it came out and it was back ordered until September 13 at mouser",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "167660",... | 1,760,377,393.328699 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/08/11/droidx-gets-a-custom-recovery-image/ | DroidX Gets A Custom Recovery Image | Caleb Kraft | [
"Android Hacks",
"News"
] | [
"droid",
"droidx",
"motorola",
"rom",
"root"
] | [Birdman] has managed to
push a custom recovery image to the DroidX
. This previously impossible action opens the doors to all kinds of fun hacking. While you can’t just drop a custom Rom on the phone right now, this is the first step in making that happen. You can find the directions in the post, but they’ve got a while to go before they become as easy as something like a jailbreak.
[via
phandroid
] | 18 | 18 | [
{
"comment_id": "167650",
"author": "Zachariah Perry",
"timestamp": "2010-08-11T19:24:23",
"content": "Awesome.",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "167665",
"author": "MS3FGX",
"timestamp": "2010-08-11T20:23:20",
"content": "Good news, a... | 1,760,377,393.380275 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/08/11/msp430-based-single-led-clock/ | MSP430 Based Single LED Clock | Mike Szczys | [
"clock hacks"
] | [
"bi-color",
"clock",
"kenneth finnegan",
"launchpad",
"led",
"msp430",
"msp430g2101"
] | [Kenneth Finnegan’s]
latest clock
makes use of the TI Launchpad for programming and debugging MSP430 microprocessors.
We took a look at the Launchpad
when it was released and we’re glad to see some hacks resulting from availability of that tool. The clock reads out the time using a bi-color LED. Press the button and a series of flashes will tell you the time. A three-position toggle switch is used along with the push button for setting the time. The protocol he developed is outlined in his demo video after the break.
We like [Kenneth’s] use of a plastic electrical box as a project box. They’re cheap and you can find them everywhere in many different sizes. He mentions the difficulty in drilling through the faceplate. We’ve had our share of shattered plastic trying to drill holes in the darn things. If you’ve got some tips on faceplate-modification we’d love to hear them.
This clock is sure the polar opposite from
the TTL clock
that [Kenneth] showed us back in March, trading jumper wires for lines of code. We’re going to give this one a try, hopefully fixing the button debounce along the way.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JcTP4OqlTfs] | 62 | 50 | [
{
"comment_id": "167617",
"author": "P2 of BORG",
"timestamp": "2010-08-11T18:15:23",
"content": "Have you ‘tried’ using a vinyl (flexible) faceplate?Works like a charm! :-)",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "167620",
"author": "Vonskippy",
... | 1,760,377,393.599253 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/08/11/snapping-pics-at-the-right-moment-with-a-pressure-plate/ | Snapping Pics At The Right Moment With A Pressure Plate | Mike Szczys | [
"digital cameras hacks"
] | [
"camera",
"flash",
"fruit",
"pressure",
"relay"
] | [BiOzZ] built a
pressure sensitive camera accessory
to snap pictures at just the right moment. Before turning out all the lights the camera is set up with a twenty-second timer and a three-second exposure. The pressure plate doesn’t take the photo, but fires the flash to catch an image in the middle of the action.
The hack uses a piece of acrylic as the base of the pressure plate. A switch is constructed by placing aluminum tape on the base, and attaching a thin metal strip that is bent to add just a bit of spring. When an object is place on the plate the thin metal contacts the aluminum tape completing the circuit, a change in the weight breaks it. A simple circuit connects to this, using a relay to actuate the flash from a disposable camera. This is perfect for documenting the moment when you exercise that fruit-induced rage that has been consuming you lately. | 22 | 22 | [
{
"comment_id": "167604",
"author": "blodgar",
"timestamp": "2010-08-11T17:07:18",
"content": "Photo inspired by the famous Allman Bros. album, “Beat a Peach”!",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "167609",
"author": "Bob",
"timestamp": "2010-... | 1,760,377,393.511893 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/08/11/road-tour-on-a-bike-with-an-attitude/ | Road Tour On A Bike With An Attitude | Mike Szczys | [
"Transportation Hacks"
] | [
"bike",
"cancer",
"precious",
"twitter"
] | This is Precious. Precious is a bike that the folks over at BreakfastNY have anthropomorphised for a good cause.
By adding sensors
for a variety of data sources to the bike, and transmitting them back to a server via a cellular module, Precious can spit out cheeky comments about the ride on its Twitter feed. Right now Precious is on his way across the country powered by his rider, Janeen, to raise money and awareness for cancer research. You can track the progress, enjoying some attractive web design and reading the oft-beligerant comments from the bike, at
yesiamprecious.com
.
Although there’s no specifics about the hardware, we saw the typical project box during the teaser video. Inside you’re sure to find the usual suspects. Considering that speed, cadence, grade, temperature, humidity, and GPS data are all available on high-end bike computers we hope they found a way to just read in that data. But your guess is as good as ours; start speculating in the comments. | 11 | 11 | [
{
"comment_id": "167577",
"author": "Stunt21",
"timestamp": "2010-08-11T15:23:53",
"content": "I think I should do something like that for my downhill bike! :)Ride!",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "167580",
"author": "isama",
"timestamp":... | 1,760,377,393.648345 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/08/10/android-development-101-part-6getting-ready-for-market/ | Android Development 101 – Part 6:Getting Ready For Market! | Greg R. Jacobs | [
"Android Hacks",
"Software Development"
] | [
"android",
"development",
"software",
"tutorial"
] | In this tutorial we are going to cover packaging one of our applications into an .apk file and getting it ready for the Android Market. After we have completed this tutorial you should be able to use the tools provided in the AndroidSDK to sign your application, put the application on your phone and install it or send it to the Android Market. These will be great assets to have if you decide to develop applications that you may want to charge for. This tutorial will also be a change from the normal ones because it will include little, if any, code.
To start off, if you have great aspirations for marketing your applications to others make sure to sign up for a
developer account
and pay the one time fee of
$25 USD
. This will ensure that not just anyone is publishing to the market. If your not looking to shell out the money then you can continue with the tutorial and give anyone who wants your app the file to put on their SD card. Whether you decide to do this step or not we still need to version our application. We are going to use the
EnhancedQuotes
Project for this example. We are going to open up the
Android Manifest
in enhanced quotes and put some code in here so we can version our application.
Versioning an application means that we make the application able to accept updates if something breaks or we are adding more features. Once the Android Manifest is open we are going to modify the line where it says
<manifest xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android" package="com.gregjacobs.enhancedquotes" >
and add in
<android:versionCode=”1” android:versionName=”1.0” >
so that the line should look like
<manifest xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android" package="com.gregjacobs.enhancedquotes" android:versionCode=”1” android:versionName=”1.0”>
This tells the device we run the app on that this is version one and anything that comes along that is higher will be upgraded. We need to add in a minSDKVersion as well so the Android Market can tell which devices can use our application. We need to add
<uses-sdk android:minSdkVersion="3" />
underneath the /application node that will be shown below. We also want to add a specific icon so that our application stands out from all the other ones on a persons device. I chose
this icon
and saved it to an easy to find place, naming it icon.png, then dragging onto the drawable folder in res/. Eclipse will ask you if you would like to overwrite, just say yes.
We now need a private key that will allow us to sign applications by using this key in the signing process. It will have to be your, it will show its either for your work or personal development depending on how its created and have a period of time before it expires. To make a private key we are going to use the keytool found in our
C:/Program Files/Java/jre6
folder. Once inside the jre6 folder, hold
shift
and
right click
on the bin folder and choose the option that says
Open command window here
. Once in the command promp we are going to run
keytool
with a bunch of commands that will assist us in making a private key. The command to be entered into the command window will be as follows:
keytool -genkey -v -keystore C:/MyKeygen.keystore
-alias MyKey -keyalg RSA -keysize 2048 -validity 10000.
Now that we have the command entered we can step through and determine what each of these variables is doing for the keytool.
-genkey –
Initiates the start of the making a key pair.
-v –
Enables output to be shown to the user making the keystore.
-keystore –
After this variable will contain the location and the name of the keystore we are going to make.
-alias –
Gives the keystore a shorter name or nickname if you will.
-keyalg –
This is the type of encryption used and can be either RSA or DSA encoded.
-keysize –
The size of each key that is generated. This is recommended to be at least 2048 bits or higher as stated by Google. The default is 1024 bits.
-validity –
The number of days the key is valid. This should be no less than 10000 but is recommended to go higher.
After pressing enter when done entering the command above you will be prompted to answer a series of questions so Google can validate this key. The first question will be a password for the key and it will prompt you to re-enter it as well. The password will not show up when pressing keys but it is working and it is key to remember this password because we will use this when packaging our app. Next question will ask for your first and last name. The thirst question asks for the unit you are in, I put development since we are programming for android. Next is your organization, remembering if you aren’t programming for one just enter your name or whatever you wish. Next is just the city you are located in. Then state or province depending on your locale. Enter the two digit country code that you are in, for example Canada would be CA and United States of America would be US. It will then prompt us if this information is correct, if it is type n yes then press enter. It will now prompt you for a password for mykey, press enter as we will use the same key as the keystore password.
We are now ready to sign the application and get it ready for deployment to the Android Market. We do this by going to eclipse and in the Package Explorer right click on EnhancedQuotes, go to
Android Tools
then click
Export Signed Application Package…
. This will open up a dialog box asking you the project you want to export, click
next
as the one we want is selected. Now we want to click the
browse
button on this page and locate our keystore file we created earlier, make sure to enter the password for it and click
next
. Choose the alias we created for it and enter the same password as before and click
next
. Now choose the destination for the
APK
file we are about to create, I am choosing the
C Drive
. Click Finish and the
APK
file will be created in the directory we chose.
We now have two choices for publishing our app, the first being deploy on your android device by dropping it on the SD card and downloading an app installer like
appInstaller
from the marketplace or deploy to the android community via the
Developer Publish
site. We are going to publish to market in this tutorial. Navigate to the
publisher site
, log in and then click on the button that says
Upload Application
. We now need to find the
APK
file via the first browse button then enter some information about the application. After filling out the
Title, Description, Application type and category, choosing your publishing options and filling out contact information and finally agree to the terms by checking the checkboxes
we can finally press
Publish
. After pressing Publish the application is sent to the market and you can have millions of Android users use your application. In the demo of this application the app I signed was actually sent to market and can be found by clicking search in the Market and entering in
Quotes Viewer/Generator
. The link provided will only work on an android device, or you could scan the QR code below if you wanted to get there faster.
APK File
This series of tutorials has covered the basics of development in an Android Environment to packaging up your applications and getting them ready for market. Now that we have the basics of Android development down we can start on tutorials about more advanced subjects including but not limited to bluetooth control/chat. I hope everyone that has read Android Development 101 has found it useful and looks forward to more. Happy Hacking until the next tutorial! | 25 | 25 | [
{
"comment_id": "167404",
"author": "Filete",
"timestamp": "2010-08-10T20:27:04",
"content": "Many Thankss for all the tutorials. From Spain",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "167408",
"author": "dext0rb",
"timestamp": "2010-08-10T20:40:33"... | 1,760,377,393.878451 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/08/10/super-simple-inch-worm-mechanism/ | Super Simple Inch Worm Mechanism | Caleb Kraft | [
"Robots Hacks",
"Toy Hacks"
] | [
"feet",
"legs",
"locomotion",
"mechanism"
] | [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dvplpWJ9CcI]
Sticklers for the definition of “robot” should simply avert your gaze for the opening title of the video. [Randofo] has posted this
beautifully simple inch worm mechanism
using only a ruler, some connectors, a switch, a servo, a comb, some batteries, and a couple Tupperware containers. It inches, as it was designed to do, quite well. We’re especially fond of the use of a comb as an easily modifiable switch activator. | 21 | 21 | [
{
"comment_id": "167316",
"author": "nave.notnilc",
"timestamp": "2010-08-10T15:12:08",
"content": "good to see well-thought-out mechanics in a simple robot, err, motile electromechanical platform :Pmaybe stick something a little more frictiony on the bottom?",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,... | 1,760,377,393.994098 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/08/10/out-now-el-coat-coming-soon-el-hat/ | Out Now: EL Coat, Coming Soon: EL Hat | Jakob Griffith | [
"Wearable Hacks"
] | [
"arduino",
"clothing",
"coat",
"controller",
"el",
"electroluminescent",
"glow",
"high voltage",
"hot topic",
"inverter",
"wire"
] | [Render] says
his coat
is simply “enhanced with EL wire”, but we know the truth. He’s secretly an alien that can’t block out all of his glowing green skin with a the black coat. No? Fine,
You can put away the sewing machine, [Render] simply used a needle and fishing line to attach ~50-70 foot of electroluminescent wire to the outside of a coat he picked up at a
local clothing shop
. Solder and program in an inverter and
controller board thanks to SparkFun
, and you’re ready to go.
Just double check all your connections, high voltage directly on your person is not fun.
Trust us
. | 41 | 39 | [
{
"comment_id": "167299",
"author": "Darkrocker",
"timestamp": "2010-08-10T13:42:10",
"content": "Wow, that definitely looks… umm interesting. Not my style but points for creativity. Would be great to wear to a rave! :D",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment... | 1,760,377,393.813681 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/08/09/rgb-lamp-bulb-replacement/ | RGB Lamp Bulb Replacement | Caleb Kraft | [
"Arduino Hacks",
"LED Hacks"
] | [
"ikea",
"led",
"pwm"
] | [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TwZBMJS1teg]
Wanting to make some unique and interesting gifts for his nieces as well as improve his PCB skills and expand beyond Arduino, [Jay] has made these
color changing Ikea lamps
. He’s using an ATTiny2313 for the brains, a handful of RGB LEDs plus 3 warm white LEDs to keep the wife happy. you can download the schematic and PCB files if you want to reproduce this one yourself. You can see his PCB making skills have improved since the
nursery room temperature monitor
. We think his nieces will be pleased with their gifts.
[via
HackedGadgets
] | 14 | 13 | [
{
"comment_id": "167080",
"author": "Scott",
"timestamp": "2010-08-09T15:20:12",
"content": "Why is every post with a microchip tagged as an “arduino hack”? This has as much to do with arduino as it does with Lego Mindstorms. I don’t understand HAD’s fetishism with arduino.This is a WONDERFUL microc... | 1,760,377,394.173449 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/08/09/guide-to-producing-tilt-shift-photography/ | Guide To Producing Tilt-shift Photography | Caleb Kraft | [
"digital cameras hacks"
] | [
"lens",
"miniature",
"tilt-shift"
] | [Bhautik] is back again with more tilt-shift photography. This time, hes brought us a
quite in depth guide to tilt-shift photography
. He covers the technical side of how tilt-shift works, showing the differences in several methods. There is a breakdown of different cameras and ease of modification as well as links to
several
of his past
projects
. He even shows comparisons between instant tilt-shift Photoshop methods and the real thing, pointing out key things to look for to identify the real deal. | 26 | 23 | [
{
"comment_id": "167067",
"author": "elektrophreak",
"timestamp": "2010-08-09T14:25:39",
"content": "Thanks, I love tilt-shift photography!",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "167108",
"author": "Michael",
"timestamp": "2010-08-09T17:21:04",... | 1,760,377,393.942043 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/08/09/spin-peggy-get-3d-pov/ | Spin Peggy, Get 3D POV | Jakob Griffith | [
"LED Hacks"
] | [
"3d",
"display",
"don smith",
"led",
"peggy",
"persistance of vision",
"POV",
"spin",
"volumetric",
"wes faler"
] | We put a temporary ban on posting POV projects after receiving several LED spheres back in May. But we had to lift the injunction after seeing this superb
Volumetric 3D POV display
by [Wes Faler] and [Don Smith].
Their creative use of several readily available components adds to the alluring setup; the central elements being just a box fan and
Peggy kit
from
EMSL
. The video after the jump doesn’t really do the project justice, but if you missed it at
Maker Fair Detroit
and can’t make your own it’s the best you’re going to get.
[youtube
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6xtUwAwZf0E%5D | 19 | 19 | [
{
"comment_id": "167057",
"author": "TexasWilly",
"timestamp": "2010-08-09T13:38:29",
"content": "Very cool, also I like Office Space playing in the background.",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "167068",
"author": "elektrophreak",
"timesta... | 1,760,377,394.047033 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/08/08/behind-the-scenes-of-a-1k-graphics-demo/ | Behind The Scenes Of A 1K Graphics Demo | Phil Burgess | [
"Misc Hacks",
"Software Development"
] | [
"1K",
"demo",
"demoscene",
"graphics",
"javascript",
"optimization"
] | Programmer/designer [Steven Wittens] has posted a fantastic write-up on the
black art of producing compact demo code
, dissecting his own entry in the
1K JavaScript Demo Contest
. The goal is to produce the best
JavaScript
demo that can be expressed in 1024 characters or less and works reliably across all standards-compliant web browsers.
[Wittens] details several techniques for creating a lot of visual flash in very few bytes, including the use of
procedural graphics
rather than fixed datasets, exploiting
prime numbers
to avoid obvious repetitions in movement, and strategically
fudging
formulas to save space while adding visual interest. These methods are just as applicable to other memory-constrained situations, not just JavaScript — some of the contest entries bear a resemblance to the compact microcontroller demos we’ve
previously showcased
, except running in your browser window.
The contest runs through September 10th, allowing ample time to come up with something even more clever. Whether he wins or not, we think [Steven] deserves special merit on account of having one of the most stylish blogs in recent memory! | 38 | 38 | [
{
"comment_id": "166828",
"author": "h3po",
"timestamp": "2010-08-08T19:20:20",
"content": "wow, this javascript won’t even run at more than 5fps in my firefox 3.6.8 on one of my quadcores cores @3,0ghz",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "166831",
... | 1,760,377,394.125718 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/08/08/adding-a-microphone-jack-to-a-ham-radio-handset/ | Adding A Microphone Jack To A HAM Radio Handset | Caleb Kraft | [
"home hacks",
"Wireless Hacks"
] | [
"ham",
"radio"
] | [dajjhman] wrote in to show us how he
added a microphone jack to the handset of his Yaesu
radio while retaining the DTMF functions. He states that there were some adapters available on the market, but they are non standard and didn’t really fit his needs. The modification itself is pretty simple, especially with his great documentation and clear pictures. For anyone else who might need this setup, this should be a great resource. | 18 | 17 | [
{
"comment_id": "166818",
"author": "xeracy",
"timestamp": "2010-08-08T18:33:10",
"content": "is it true that the modification of any radio transmission/receiver device is illegal? so sayeth the fcc…",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": [
{
"comment_id": "166839",
... | 1,760,377,394.227152 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/08/08/chainsawflashlight-overkill/ | Chainsaw/flashlight Overkill | Caleb Kraft | [
"Tool Hacks"
] | [
"flashlight",
"overkill",
"vampire"
] | [Robbtoberfest] has earned our admiration with this
crazy chainsaw powered spot light
. It looks horribly dangerous, extremely inefficient, and woefully under engineered. We absolutely love it.
This could be plucked from a video game or a movie and seems to be one UV bulb away from being the ultimate post apocalyptic zombie vampire Armageddon weapon. He has taken apart a chainsaw and attached it to a DC treadmill motor using a couple of bike sprockets and a chain. That DC motor then feeds a car headlight directly. As you can see in the video, when he cranks the gas, it shines pretty brightly. The unfinished nature of this is due to a deadline for a contest on instructables, so he plans on adding a protective cowl, some fancy paint work, and a voltage regulator down the road.
While this may be inefficient, it is certainly a step up from a
steam powered spud gun
. | 45 | 42 | [
{
"comment_id": "166780",
"author": "Nomad",
"timestamp": "2010-08-08T14:31:28",
"content": "This is totally an anti-vampire weapon :Di think i’m going to make a 3D model of this",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "166782",
"author": "HARaaM",
... | 1,760,377,394.303587 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/08/07/solar-panel-charger-analysis-with-ladyada/ | Solar Panel Charger Analysis With Ladyada | Caleb Kraft | [
"Arduino Hacks",
"Solar Hacks"
] | [
"adafruit",
"ladyada",
"solar panel"
] | [vimeo =
http://vimeo.com/13936259%5D
[Phillip Torrone], one of the original crew of HackaDay, now working with [LadyAda] tipped us off to this video of her
explaining the device they built for configuring
the charging circuits to be used with their solar panels. Unlike most of their tutorials, this one is not intended to be a final product sold on their store. Rather, this is a project that helps them deliver the best quality they can.
The unit itself is built around an Arduino and can log the statistics to an SD card, show battery voltage, panel voltage, and current from panel to charger. You can see in the video above how she uses this to refine her design in real time for optimal results. | 24 | 24 | [
{
"comment_id": "166527",
"author": "stol24",
"timestamp": "2010-08-07T15:40:08",
"content": "nice case.. (that sounds more like an industrial complex than a park btw..)",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "166530",
"author": "Al Drig",
"time... | 1,760,377,394.391614 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/08/07/texas-instruments-watch-claims-its-a-computer-mouse/ | Texas Instruments Watch Claims It’s A Computer Mouse | Jakob Griffith | [
"computer hacks",
"Wearable Hacks"
] | [
"chronos",
"ez430",
"flying",
"interface",
"mouse",
"snap"
] | [youtube
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TDL3JRG_zrs%5D
[Jack Toole] and his team [Aaron King] and [Libo He] sent in their computer interface dubbed the
Chronos Flying Mouse
. The video above explains the concept very thoroughly, but we’ll reiterate some of the highlights here. The project uses a
Chronos EZ430
with its accelerometers to wirelessly transmit delta positions of the user’s wrist. Add a little open source software and you have a regular PC mouse, a video game joystick, a game wheel, and a few other different devices in one. We just love the suave feeling of snapping to click. | 54 | 50 | [
{
"comment_id": "166479",
"author": "tulcod",
"timestamp": "2010-08-07T12:47:50",
"content": "yes, being able to hold a book really is an extra feature. who would’ve known.i can’t say i’m impressed; these guys basically did for chronos what johnny lee did for the wiimote, except that johnny’s implem... | 1,760,377,394.544573 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/08/06/open-graphing-calculator-beagleboard-r/ | Open Graphing Calculator: Beagleboard + R | Mike Szczys | [
"handhelds hacks"
] | [
"beagleboard",
"beagletouch",
"calculator",
"graphing",
"open source",
"r project"
] | It looks like we missed the boat on this one but just in case you missed it everywhere else on the Internet, last Saturday [Matt Stack]
introduced the world to a completely open source calculator
. This marries two heartily tested open source projects; the
R Project for Statistical Computing
and the
Beagleboard
. The hardware side of things is very similar to
that Linux tablet from back in June
. It uses a stock Beagleboard with the BeagleTouch module.
Why do we care? First off, don’t forget what’s under the hood. That ARM processor kicks the 6 MHz Z80 processor found in TI’s calculators to the curb. The R language is a boon as well, offering plots of almost limitless quality and allowing extensibility that can’t be equaled with the current non-open offerings. But mostly because it’s a hack. We like seeing
software run on hardware it wasn’t intended for
. | 24 | 24 | [
{
"comment_id": "166259",
"author": "lwatcdr",
"timestamp": "2010-08-06T19:24:29",
"content": "Very cool.A suggestion I have would be to replace the beagle board with a GumStik to make the package a little smaller.Over all really cool.",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
... | 1,760,377,394.459544 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/08/06/miniscule-intervalometer/ | Miniscule Intervalometer | Mike Szczys | [
"digital cameras hacks"
] | [
"10f222",
"12f675",
"canon",
"dslr",
"intervalometer",
"pic",
"small",
"time-lapse"
] | Calling
this intervalomemter
small would be a glaring understatement. It’s tiny enough to fit inside the plastic cover for a 2.5mm jack for use with a Canon DSLR camera. We should point out that the image we put together is a bit misleading. The picture of the jack is
version 1
of this circuit and uses an 8-pin SOIC chip. The board in the oval is version 2, with a PIC 10f222 SOT23-6 package making it
even smaller
than the original version.
This is used for time-lapse photography. When plugged in the chip draws power from the camera. Get this: it learns the timing interval by listening for the first two images. Once you’ve snapped the first two pictures the PIC will continue to take images based on that initial delay. Amazing.
[Thanks AW via
DIY Photography
] | 43 | 43 | [
{
"comment_id": "166207",
"author": "Brennan",
"timestamp": "2010-08-06T17:02:22",
"content": "Pretty clever software design but I would hardly call it “amazing.” I could whip that up in 15 minutes.",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "166212",
"... | 1,760,377,394.63646 |
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