url stringlengths 37 208 | title stringlengths 4 148 | author stringclasses 173
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
https://hackaday.com/2010/07/15/3d-printing-with-chemicals/ | 3D Printing With Chemicals | Jakob Griffith | [
"cnc hacks",
"Tool Hacks"
] | [
"3d",
"chemical",
"layer",
"light",
"liquid",
"polymer",
"printer",
"projector"
] | From the horse’s mouth
,
“In this lithography experiment light creates free radicals from phenylbis(2,4,6-trimethylbenzoyl)phosphine oxide which induce polymerization of 1,6-hexanediol diacrylate.”
Or for those without a Chemical Engineering degree, light from a (high resolution) projector interacts with a special liquid, producing a hard polymer on the surface. A platform within the liquid is lowered, taking the layer of polymer with it. Shine the projector again to produce another layer: lather, rinse, repeat. Long story short, an atypical
3D printer
using
light
on a very
small scale
.
You get the chemicals and lab equipment, we’ll get the laptop and projector, and for goodness sake [Jimmie] stop bumping the table.
[Thanks Tomas] | 45 | 45 | [
{
"comment_id": "159171",
"author": "wjp4bs",
"timestamp": "2010-07-15T21:09:28",
"content": "Video, dammit. We require VIDEO.Sounds really cool though.",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "159172",
"author": "osgeld",
"timestamp": "2010-07-... | 1,760,377,407.967032 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/07/20/4-player-snes-and-more/ | 4-player SNES And More | Mike Szczys | [
"Nintendo Hacks"
] | [
"controllers",
"four",
"hub",
"snes",
"super nintendo"
] | [Mr.X] added
support for four controllers to his Super Nintendo
(
Google translated
) by internalizing the multi-player adapter. In the video after the break you’ll notice that he also added some bling to the case by positioning the power LED beneath the logo and adding a two-digit display. There is a switch on the back that allows him to choose PAL or NTSC standards with the current setting shown on that display. While most people are going with emulators, [Mr.X] ended up with a custom piece of hardware with a clean finish.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GmtiLpopevs] | 18 | 18 | [
{
"comment_id": "160626",
"author": "okay",
"timestamp": "2010-07-20T14:51:01",
"content": "That looks good, makes me want to buy one and mod it too.",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "160633",
"author": "anon",
"timestamp": "2010-07-20T15:... | 1,760,377,407.359379 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/07/20/wifi-hotspot-powered-by-wind-turbine-and-solar-panel/ | Wifi Hotspot Powered By Wind Turbine And Solar Panel | Caleb Kraft | [
"green hacks",
"Solar Hacks",
"Wireless Hacks"
] | [
"solar",
"turbine",
"wind"
] | [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z-MZmQqxrYM]
Students at the Rochester Institute of technology have put together this
WiFi hotspot that is powered by a wind turbine and a solar panel
. It gets its signal through a parabolic antenna pointed at a near by building and repeats it for use in the vicinity. They are using a 30W solar panel, along with a 1/4 horse power 90V DC motor to charge two 6V batteries in series. On a windy day, the turbine has yielded 120W. Something interesting to note is a comment they made about blades. Though the ultimately decided to mimic a commercial design for wind turbines, they found the most efficient to be a single wood prop. Unfortunately, that prop was destroyed.
[via
HackedGadgets
] | 19 | 19 | [
{
"comment_id": "160612",
"author": "Jon",
"timestamp": "2010-07-20T13:42:25",
"content": "I lived in st. Louis Park, MN they had plans to put in a city wide solar powered wifi network… The contract was dissolved due to delays in deployment but solar powered wifi is nothing new… a bit of 802.11s wo... | 1,760,377,408.063393 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/07/19/avr-guardian-filters-out-dogs/ | AVR Guardian Filters Out Dogs | Mike Szczys | [
"home hacks"
] | [
"alarm",
"barrier",
"cat",
"dog",
"gate"
] | Cats and dogs can get along quite nicely when they are raised up together. The problem with this type of arrangement tends to be keeping dogs out of the cat box and away from the cat food. [Ryan Meuth] tried out
a simple electronic barrier to keep the dog away
. It uses an IR transmitter and receiver to shine a beam of invisible light across the doorway to his cat room. In the demo after the break you’ll see that he took steps to make sure the cats don’t set off the alarm. The beam of light is set high enough that their bodies don’t get in the way, and the firmware measures the amount of time the beam was broken in order to avoid false positives caused by the cats’ tails. If the dog does try to get into the room it will break the beam and set off a high-pitched alarm sound.
It’s interesting that the dog doesn’t like the sound but the cat’s don’t seem to be scared of it. Also, we’ve got a less-than-ferocious feline that would love to chew on the cord that connects the two modules. Still, it’s a solution that works for [Ryan] and could be incorporated into
an automatic feeder
to keep the dog away from feedings while you’re out of the house.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3b4aDtxCImQ] | 29 | 29 | [
{
"comment_id": "160459",
"author": "The Cageybee",
"timestamp": "2010-07-19T21:33:03",
"content": "Aawww. Lovely cats and dog.Poor dog was hanging his head as if he’d done something wrong.The Cageybee",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "160464",
... | 1,760,377,407.427826 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/07/19/pic-based-picture-frame/ | PIC Based Picture Frame | Mike Szczys | [
"classic hacks",
"Multitouch Hacks"
] | [
"24hj",
"24HJ256GP206",
"JVRDesign",
"lcd",
"pic",
"picture frame",
"touch screen"
] | Take a PIC 24HJ256GP206 processor and add a dash of knock-off touchscreen and a pinch of SD card compatibility for a DIY digital picture frame. [Daniel] wrote his own driver for the HX8347 controlled LCD that can achieve 15 FPS at 320×240 resolution with 16-bit color. As this was a gift for his wife, [Daniel] included a heart-shaped ring of LEDs that fade in and out like an electronic pulse. He notes that the JPEG decoder runs rather slow but that’s mostly because of the bottleneck caused when accessing data from the SD card. We’ve got more pictures and a link to the source code after the break.
Source Code | 29 | 29 | [
{
"comment_id": "160424",
"author": "DeadEagle",
"timestamp": "2010-07-19T19:26:59",
"content": "Would anyone happen to know what model LCD that is?I’m working on my Senior project and I’d really like to be able to implement a nice color screen, but I can’t find one that interfaces with a PIC even r... | 1,760,377,407.614456 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/07/19/nixie-sudoku-a-look-at-the-hardware/ | Nixie Sudoku: A Look At The Hardware | Mike Szczys | [
"classic hacks",
"home entertainment hacks"
] | [
"ArduiNIX",
"nixie",
"nixie duo",
"ogi lumen",
"pcb",
"sudoku"
] | We’re always happy to receive a tour of the guts that make things work. [John Sarik] posted several
pictures and descriptions of the hardware
that makes up his
Nixie Sudoku build
. The modular design uses professionally made circuit boards which greatly improve the durability of a large set of circuits such as this.
The design draws on good ideas from similar hardware.
The Nixie Duo kit
from Ogi Lumen allows tubes to be mounted on top of driver boards with cascading shift registers for control of up to 8 tubes. The
ArduiNIX shield
makes the high voltages needed for Nixies easy to control with an Arduino. No, [John] didn’t just order these kits and plug them into each other. He designed his own boards to suit his needs. Each driver board can control 9 tubes in a 3×3 grid, all on one PCB. His high voltage board can supply enough juice for the whole system which is tied together with a single Arduino board.
His writeup is quite interesting so do take a look. He also filmed a walk through video which we’ve embedded after the break. It clears up some questions, such as showing the use of a blinking decimal point to indicate the current cursor position.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YoixTdJzMoE] | 8 | 8 | [
{
"comment_id": "160415",
"author": "M4CGYV3R",
"timestamp": "2010-07-19T18:43:05",
"content": "I think looping the auto-solver and using it as a cool retro decoration is equally an option to playing it.",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "160416",
... | 1,760,377,408.013706 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/07/19/android-development-101-part-2improved-hello-world/ | Android Development 101- Part 2:Graphical Elements | Greg R. Jacobs | [
"Android Hacks",
"Software Development"
] | [
"android",
"development",
"software"
] | In this tutorial, we will be continuing from where we left off with the “
hello world
” application. This time adding a graphical user interface (GUI) and a “toast”. The GUI will consist of a button, textbox and a label. The “toast” will be issued onto the screen when the button is pressed.
Some may wonder what a toast is. Well, for non-programmers, a toast is a text notification that for the most part is used only to display an error on the screen (I am a big fan of using toasts instead of an alert on the screen as its less intrusive). For this article we will use a toast to display a message on the screen that will take the text in the textbox and issue a “Hello Greg” onto the bottom of the screen. After this article completed you will be able to successfully make toast commands, design the layout of the hello world program, and pull text from a textbox.
We are going to start off by copy our
existing Hello World project
so that we can use the original in every way but have two separate projects to show the difference and both can be used as references. To do this we will right click on the root of our
HelloWorld
project in the right hand pane (Navigation Explorer), navigate to copy (
not
Copy Qualified Name
) and click it. Then find a blank space in the Navigation Explorer, right click again and click paste. You will be asked to supply a new name for this project and whether to use the default location. We will name the new project
ImprovedHelloWorld
and we will leave the checkbox checked that says “use default location”. Press
OK
and the new project will be generated from the old one.
The first thing we are going to accomplish is changing the
strings.xml
file to add another node under
app_name
. We will do this by copying the node above it and pasting the copied material directly under the last
</string>
element. Then we will change the name of the string to press and in between we will write
Press Me!
. Next we will alter the
hello
node and change the text to say
Enter Your Name Here:
instead of
Hello Android, Hello World!
. This being accomplished we now need to design the GUI (Graphical User Interface).
To do this navigate to main.xml and we are going to go over what everything does up to this point. We first off have a node called
LinearLayout
which essentially creates a space for adding objects such as textboxes, buttons and the like and will format the layout for us. So LinearLayout will organize one thing right after the other in a one column and one row type of deal. Next we have a
TextView
which in any other label we could call a label. Now to go over what all of the parameters are in the nodes we just mentioned.
android:layout_width
&
android:layout_height
are used to determine what will happen to an object when it is used within a layout. There are two options when using this and they are
fill_parent
or
wrap_content
.
fill_parent
will do exactly as it states, it will size the object so that it will fill the screen either vertically or horizontally.
wrap_content
will format the object to expand or shrink to the size of the content displayed within. Both of these variables can be used in many different objects including but not limited to
Layouts
,
Text Views
,
Text Boxes
, and
Buttons
. android:text is used in certain objects like TextViews and TextBoxes to display text to the user. As of right now, we are presenting the user with text but calling it from strings.xml instead of entering the text right in the node itself. To reference
strings.xml
all that is needed is to put
@string/pres
s, where press is the name of your variable, inside the quotations.
Now that we are familiar with the terms, we will need to modify this to first house a label, textbox and finally a button. To do this we will simply add a textbox and button since we already took care of the label in the
string.xml
. To add a Textbox we will start on a new line under ending of the
<TextView />
node. Just to be clear I will add code inline and explain why we are adding it afterwards.
<EditText android:id=”@+id/helloName” android:layout_width=”fill_parent” android:layout_height=”wrap_content” />
. EditText will be our textbox in this instance. Also when giving items an ID it is best to follow these practises of adding
@+id/
before your variable name which makes it possible to tie into your
.java
file later. Next we will add
<Button android:id=”@+id/go” android:layout_width=”fill_parent” android:layout_height=”wrap_content” android:text=”@string/press” />
directly underneath the ending of our
EditText
node. Notice we are referencing the
string.xml
and calling the node that says
Press Me!
which will appear on our button now. If you were to run this project now you would be able to see the layout of the program we just made but we are unable to get it to do anything except enter text in the textbox.
This next section will contain a lot of code and I will provide most of the screenshots of the code to help you through. First, it is good to realize every time you would like to reference an object in your layout we need to import it. We will need to add imports for our button and textbox. We can do that bu adding these lines of code to the imports section at the top:
import android.widget.Button;
import android.widget.EditText;
After that we will need to include four more imports, the first being for event listen to add to our button, the second will be for the toast that we will call when the event handler runs, the third being the context of the application and the fourth to get the view of the application and handle the layout and interaction. These imports can be added under the previous ones and will look like this:
import android.view.View.OnClickListener;
import android.widget.Toast;
import android.content.Context;
import android.view.View;
After these are added to your imports we are ready to get into coding the event handler for our button and the onCreate functions, which is called when the program is started. To make things easier and to complement the screenshot, I will post the rest of the code and explain what the important lines are doing and why we are using them.
public class HelloMain extends Activity {
EditText helloName;
We are creating a reference to our textbox above any function so that it only has to be declared once but instantiated many times if need be.
/** Called when the activity is first created. */
@Override
public void onCreate(Bundle savedInstanceState)
{
super.onCreate(savedInstanceState);
setContentView(R.layout.main);
// Capture our button from layout
Button button = (Button)findViewById(R.id.go);
// Register the onClick listener with the implementation above
button.setOnClickListener(mAddListener);
}
Above we capture the button from the layout using a variable. With this variable we are going to assign it an onClick Event Handler as shown on the last line above. Below we are creating the Event Handler for it to be hooked in above. After creating this function it will be able to pull the text from the TextBox and display it with static text.
// Create an anonymous implementation of OnClickListener
private OnClickListener mAddListener = new OnClickListener()
{
public void onClick(View v)
{
long id = 0;
// do something when the button is clicked
try
{
helloName = (EditText)findViewById(R.id.helloName);
Here we instantiate the TextBox we declared earlier and capture the Textbox in the layout by finding it by the ID that we gave it.
Context context = getApplicationContext();
CharSequence text = "Hello " + helloName.getText() + "!";
int duration = Toast.LENGTH_LONG;
Toast toast = Toast.makeText(context, text, duration);
toast.show();
The above code will take Context (the facet to our applications enviroment) and and add it to our Toast along with our dynamic CharSequence text and the length the Toast will appear onscreen, which in this case we want it to be longer. It is key to note how to make a Toast as it is more efficient that popping up textboxes to the user as well as it is less distracting.
}
catch (Exception ex)
{
Context context = getApplicationContext();
CharSequence text = ex.toString() + "ID = " + id;
int duration = Toast.LENGTH_LONG;
Toast toast = Toast.makeText(context, text, duration);
toast.show();
}
}
};
}
The last thing we are doing for this function is putting all the important stuff mentioned above into a try catch statement which will try our important code and if there is an error it will display a Toast letting us know there was an error and a message about that error. For functions such as these is it crucial to have precautions in place to catch errors and not have a program force close. It is important to put the user first in thinking about UI and any error messages that might occur. If an error somehow sneaks into your program try catch statements will catch the error and make it “cute and fuzzy” for the user.
Top half of code:
Bottom half of code, elapsed by previous view of code:
After we have coded the main content for our .java file, we can now proceed to run the application and view our completed Improved Hello World program. Notice that when you press the button and your textbox has not text in it that the program will still function correctly. This is a good feature to have so that you don’t start seeing Toasts containing error messages. The completed product should look like this when the button is pressed:
This would conclude our Improved Hello World example but the learning is far from over. Next post we will examine Databases and a look into some simple queries as well as building a database from the ground up. As always, if you have any problems with coding this article, feel free to leave a comment and I will assist in any way possible! If you can’t wait for the next post you can read up on
databases
before the next posting. Until next time, Happy Hacking!
Continue on to Part3:
Introduction to Databases | 82 | 50 | [
{
"comment_id": "160343",
"author": "Abyss Knight",
"timestamp": "2010-07-19T14:45:25",
"content": "I would love to do these tutorials, but for some reason your images are scaled down and don’t have larger versions. Any chance you could update this one, and the hello world tutorial with links to lar... | 1,760,377,407.885515 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/07/19/xbox-360-hard-drive-adapter-redux/ | Xbox 360 Hard Drive Adapter (redux) | Jakob Griffith | [
"Xbox Hacks"
] | [
"360",
"adapter",
"hard drive",
"sata",
"xbox"
] | [Chlazza] let us know about their
Xbox hard drive to SATA adapter
, allowing the use of an Xbox 360 (original) hard drive on a PC without voiding the drive’s warranty. Looking for a fun and enriching experience
read: really bored
and inspired by a previous
adapter we featured
, [Chlazza] set out to make their own and ended up succeeding with a board that costs less than $1 in parts. Of course the drive uses its own Fat32 based file system so there is still some hacking to do if you intended to read the data, but this is a step in the right direction. | 24 | 24 | [
{
"comment_id": "160327",
"author": "Brennan",
"timestamp": "2010-07-19T13:08:57",
"content": "On a side note, I think it is absolutely ridiculous what Microsoft has done with the Xbox 360 hard drives. Ugh.",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "160332... | 1,760,377,407.489084 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/07/14/fankart-and-the-holyfkted-fan/ | Fankart And The HolyF***k!ted Fan | Caleb Kraft | [
"Robots Hacks",
"Toy Hacks"
] | [
"prop",
"radio control",
"rc"
] | Inspired by a ducted fan project to simulate lunar landers he had seen recently, [Charles Guan] decided to do the next logical thing and
make a ducted fan driven shopping cart
. The first iteration had a bare prop mounted to the front of the cart. Steering was done by mounting a servo to the front wheels. This ridiculously dangerous shopping cart can be seen in the videos buzzing around the halls and parking lots of MIT. The second iteration that has the ducted fan drive seems not only slightly safer, but somewhat quicker as well. He does mention that the prop shape isn’t really optimal for a ducted design, so expect future revisions to be everything you would expect from a fan powered shopping cart.
He has built a more practical mobile shopping cart, if there is such a thing, called
Lolriokart
. This thing probably deserves its own post as well as it is a fully drive-able shopping cart. You can see a video of it in action after the break.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=29J3ZCtIYwY]
[via
Makezine
] | 44 | 44 | [
{
"comment_id": "158743",
"author": "Michiel145",
"timestamp": "2010-07-14T14:28:43",
"content": "LMAO! :D",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "158745",
"author": "osgeld",
"timestamp": "2010-07-14T14:35:47",
"content": "This was cool til... | 1,760,377,407.694758 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/07/13/rbd-robotic-beer-delivery/ | RBD (robotic Beer Delivery) | Mike Szczys | [
"Beer Hacks",
"Robots Hacks"
] | [
"bottle",
"pr2",
"willow garage"
] | Those crazy programmers over at the Willow Garage are at it again. This time around they’ve created
a robotic wench to deliver the beer
. When thirst strikes you can fire up a web interface and drag a picture of your beer into a shopping basket. Once you submit your order the bot will raid the fridge and return with your frothy treat. It will even open the bottle for you but, as you can see after the break, this is where your beer becomes truly frothy.
So we’ve seen
the PR2 playing pool
, and now as a barmaid. Willow Garage just joined
SparkFun
on our list of places we wish we worked.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c3Cq0sy4TBs]
[Thanks Jonathan] | 25 | 25 | [
{
"comment_id": "158527",
"author": "macona",
"timestamp": "2010-07-13T19:39:41",
"content": "Two out of the four beer selections are made in Oregon!",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "158529",
"author": "Mikey",
"timestamp": "2010-07-13T19... | 1,760,377,407.548824 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/07/13/shred-air-with-theremin-hero/ | Shred Air With Theremin Hero | Jakob Griffith | [
"digital audio hacks",
"home entertainment hacks"
] | [
"air guitar",
"fun",
"game",
"guitar",
"guitar hero",
"theremin"
] | [youtube
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sBhOB7CfUoY%5D
Remember those Ebay auctions of air guitars going for several thousands of dollars? We don’t either, but
Theremin Hero
(more info in the
YouTube description
) is about as legit as you can get to actually rocking on nothing but air.
Much like using a
theremin to control Mario
, the vertical antenna acts as the fret board while the horizontal one detects strumming. Combine the output of the theremin with some custom software (yet to be released) and Guitar Hero and you have Theremin Hero Air Guitar.
[via
Bob’s House of Video Games
] | 16 | 16 | [
{
"comment_id": "158509",
"author": "mowcius",
"timestamp": "2010-07-13T18:47:46",
"content": "that seems rather impressive :)",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "158531",
"author": "Mikey",
"timestamp": "2010-07-13T19:46:26",
"content":... | 1,760,377,408.125877 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/07/13/homemade-induction-generator/ | Homemade Induction Generator | Mike Szczys | [
"home hacks"
] | [
"generator",
"Honda",
"induction"
] | [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RTTgLYzfQrE]
[Tyler LaVite] tipped us off about
the generator he built
. He combined a 5.5 horsepower Honda motor with a 10 horsepower electric bandsaw motor. To get an
induction generator
to produce alternating current you must feed electricity into the system to start the magnetic flux. [Tyler’s] solution was to include a bank of capacitors totaling 230mF which charge from the motor, then release back into the system. It’s not as green as the
syngas generators
we’ve seen since it still uses fossil fuel, but it reuses old parts sending less to the landfill. | 33 | 31 | [
{
"comment_id": "158504",
"author": "Charper",
"timestamp": "2010-07-13T18:36:02",
"content": "Did you include the syngas comment as an attempt at trolling or something?Please, please had – stop spreading the pseudoscience nonsense!",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{... | 1,760,377,408.464882 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/07/13/a-pair-of-rube-goldberg-builds/ | A Pair Of Rube Goldberg Builds | Mike Szczys | [
"home hacks"
] | [
"rube goldberg"
] | [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KJfhgrNQnq4]
Here’s a couple of videos of
Rube Goldberg machines that [Austin] built
. The one above was completed in 2008 as a commercial contest entry for something-or-other. After the break you can see his build from 2007 which was just for fun. Both are quite nice additions to our collection of
the complicated devices
. We especially like the use of a sub-woofer to move a ping-pong ball and a vibrating cell phone for some wireless integration.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vap-iLEkkqY] | 19 | 19 | [
{
"comment_id": "158458",
"author": "Dave",
"timestamp": "2010-07-13T16:26:10",
"content": "Now that is just WAY TOO Cool!",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "158467",
"author": "Paul",
"timestamp": "2010-07-13T16:41:18",
"content": "WOW... | 1,760,377,408.353362 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/07/13/key-fob-programming/ | Key Fob Programming | Mike Szczys | [
"HackIt",
"Repair Hacks"
] | [
"fob",
"key",
"keyless",
"reprogram"
] | [Fileark] has
instructions for reprogramming keyless entry devices
for your car. His demonstration video, which you can see after the break, shows how to make one key fob work for two different vehicles. In this case he’s working on a couple of Chevrolet trucks but there are instructions for GM, Ford, Dodge, Toyota, and Nissan. If you need to reprogram one of these you may find this useful, but we’re wondering how it can be incorporated into a project. If you can sniff out the communications that are going on during the programming you should be able to build and pair your own devices with a vehicle. Wouldn’t it be nice to
incorporate your keyless entry into your wristwatch
?
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WxrKq0aI0iM] | 57 | 50 | [
{
"comment_id": "158433",
"author": "freekyfrogy",
"timestamp": "2010-07-13T15:20:06",
"content": "Do they have the frequencies for Lamborghini’s?",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "158448",
"author": "James",
"timestamp": "2010-07-13T16:03... | 1,760,377,408.301583 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/07/13/delfly2-and-delfly-micro/ | DelFly2 And DelFly Micro | Caleb Kraft | [
"Robots Hacks"
] | [
"bird",
"bug",
"flying",
"ornithopter"
] | [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Mxq-nr9xyY]
The video you see above is the on board footage of the
DelFly2
autonomous
ornithopoter
robot. Weighing 16 grams, it carries a small camera and can provide a live feed. If you’re amazed at the tiny size and weight of the DelFly2, check out the
DelFly micro
, video after the break, that weighs 3 grams. Remember when
we thought 17 grams was small for an ornithopter
?
All processing for the DelFly2 is done at a base station and transmitted to the flying bot to keep the weight down. The team also had to create their own brushless motor that runs at 60% efficiency and weighs only 1.6 grams. The 130mAh battery can sustain 15 minutes of horizontal flight or 8 minutes of hovering.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L17Ox4FQTkM]
[via
BotJunkie
] | 15 | 15 | [
{
"comment_id": "158419",
"author": "prime",
"timestamp": "2010-07-13T14:25:07",
"content": "I want one.It’d completely freak my cockatiel out.",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "158421",
"author": "andrew",
"timestamp": "2010-07-13T14:27:3... | 1,760,377,408.401255 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/07/15/android-dev-101-%e2%80%93-part-1hello-world/ | Android Development 101 – Part 1:Hello World | Greg R. Jacobs | [
"News",
"Software Development"
] | [
"android",
"app",
"development"
] | This article will focus on developing a simple hello world program for android using Java. Google has recently released a “
cute and fuzzy
” programming environment for beginners to get into but I haven’t had the chance to try it, so we will be focusing on the Eclipse IDE here, which you should have set up in the
last post
. When creating a text based project there are two very important items. It will involve creating an android project, going through the necessary steps to complete both the (1) XML files and the (2) Java file and get this project ready for production and eventually deployment. The requirements of this project are simple, know the basis of XML (for new comers if you don’t that’s OK too, you will learn) and know Java (very basic knowledge but you will learn as we go and we will modify a few parts of the java file today).
Start by firing up Eclipse and clicking
File
,
New
then
Project
. We are going to navigate to
Android
folder and select
Android Project
and click next. If you have updated your Android SDK correctly, your next screen will look like this. This screen requires we enter all data correctly including Project Name, Build Target, Application Name, Package Name, Create Activity, and Min SDK Version. These are important terms to know because they will control what keywords you can access and what your project looks like when you first create it. So to summarize:
Project Name:
Will be the name you would like to use for your new project. In this instance we will use “HelloWorld” (I am a programmer and loath spaces you might choose to have them but it shouldn’t make a difference)
Build Target:
This will specify what API you will be utilizing in your projects. It is key to choose wisely or you may lose out on a wider audience than anticipated. It is always best to think of what your program will use and see if a lower build will support those functions before cornering yourself with a higher API. For this program we are going to choose Android 1.5
Application Name:
Will be the name you choose for your Application to be called. This can be changed later on and for right now we make that field equal Hello World.
Package name:
The package name will consist of your company’s standard package name that you would use or in my case I use my entrepreneurial one. For this I am entering in
com.gregrjacobs.helloworld
but you can enter in anything you wish. Also, make sure it is in all lower case for good coding practices.
Create Activity:
You will want to make sure that the box is checked before
Create Activity
because this option will do most of the work you just have to give it a name. NOTE: do not call this “Activity” as your project will cease to function and you have to go through the pain of making it all over again or manually correcting it. I am going to use
HelloMain
as my activity name, again use what you wish though.
Min SDK Version:
This will have to be a number you enter denoting the platform you would like to target and if this application will show up in the marketplace of certain devices. If you look to the build target devices after platform tab on Android 1.5 you will see the number 3 and that will be our minimum SDK Version. Once everything is filled out press
Finish
.
This will create the core of our project ranging from the Android 1.5 JAR file to our Java and XML files. The most important things right now are the files in the src/
com.gregjacobs.helloworld/
folder and the files in the
res/
folder. First we will look at the
main.xml
which is located in
res/layout/
. This file will hold the layout of your application including textboxes, labels, dateTimePickers and the like. In the
main.xml
we will see that we are using a LinearLayout which will organize items into a single row or column. This can be handy sometimes (other times not so much) and for this example it will work, so leave it like this because we will be displaying text so it makes no difference. Next is the
strings.xml
file which will conveniently house
all of strings in the application. This is especially useful to keep the clutter out of your Java and
main.xml
file. We are actually going to change the string called “hello” from
Hello World, HelloMain!
to
Hello Android, Hello World!
And our string named
app_name
can stay how it is.
After doing this we are going to navigate to the package name we created and open
HelloMain.java
and this will contain the code to run the XML files we were just looking at. The first line will contain our package name that the java file is associated with. Next, in the picture above, we have imported the OS bundle and the activity function that will run our app. Later on when we explore adding textboxes and labels we will be importing widgets into our files and we will put the imports just under these two shown above. Next is our class that basically says when the application starts up, set the view of the screen to the layout labeled
main
. This is interesting in the sense that you can design many different layouts depending on the state you application is in. Of course with a hello world program we only need this one layout but the option is there for you to experiment with.
When we are done tweaking everything we wanted, we are going to build the application and run it on the emulator we created
last post
. To do this we go to the top of the eclipse screen and navigate to the button that looks like this
and press it. This will prompt you to say what type of project you would like to run. We want to run an
Android Application
and press ok.
The emulator should pop up onto your screen and load up. The first load time of your emulator will be atrocious but after that you should have no problems with load. When the emulator is done loading it may ask you to press
Menu
to unlock, do so by pressing menu just under the screen. You don’t have to navigate to load your project it will do it by itself it just has to load the rest of the software and you should end up with a result like this:
When working with tools like the eclipse IDE and AndroidSDK, making simple text based programs is a breeze. The next post coming to this series will get somewhat more difficult by developing an improved Hello World program. If anyone had any problems with this today make sure to leave a comment and I will try to get back to you before the next post. If you can’t wait to look ahead to designing an interface for your android application or looking into databases, these are the places to go;
Data Storage
and
User Interface
. Until next post, happy hacking.
Continue on to Part2:
Graphical Elements | 80 | 50 | [
{
"comment_id": "159146",
"author": "n2o",
"timestamp": "2010-07-15T19:16:48",
"content": "Now this is something relative to my intrests!",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": [
{
"comment_id": "453506",
"author": "Troll",
"timestamp": "2011-09-12T16:4... | 1,760,377,409.146208 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/07/15/that-light-switch-is-disgusting/ | That Light Switch Is Disgusting! | Mike Szczys | [
"Misc Hacks"
] | [
"creepy",
"disgusting",
"hair",
"ooze",
"switch"
] | [Katrin Baumgarten] has fourteen
switches that are made to gross you out
. From a button that retreats into its hole as your finger approaches, to a mysterious goo-oozing faceplate, to a hairy housing that gets aroused as your try to flip it on, the intrigue is enough to get you to try out the next creepy node in the network. There’s a clip of several different switches after the break and if that’s not enough she’s got more on
her Vimeo channel
.
[vimeo=http://vimeo.com/13361854] | 18 | 18 | [
{
"comment_id": "159111",
"author": "amishx64",
"timestamp": "2010-07-15T17:18:29",
"content": "Funny as hell. I wouldn’t put one in my home tho.",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "159120",
"author": "Arthur hall",
"timestamp": "2010-07-15T... | 1,760,377,408.865133 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/07/15/foam-board-servo-driven-arm/ | Foam Board Servo Driven Arm | Caleb Kraft | [
"Arduino Hacks",
"Robots Hacks"
] | [
"arm",
"robot",
"servo"
] | [Lucky Larry] posted some pictures to the Hack a Day flickr pool that caught our eye. He
made a quick and cheap servo driven arm
. Constructed from foam board and some hobby servos, he’s using an Arduino for the brains. You can download the pattern for the arm pieces as well as the code on his site.
He ultimately finds that he has positioning issues that he blames on the cheap servos. You can see in the video on his site that the circles it is drawing are drifting one direction. | 10 | 10 | [
{
"comment_id": "159064",
"author": "andrew",
"timestamp": "2010-07-15T14:28:04",
"content": "I think it’s more likely that the drift is caused by poor tolerances in the foam board construction, movement of the base of the arm, movement of the writing surface, or some combination of those. Otherwise... | 1,760,377,408.765653 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/07/14/arduino-space-program/ | Arduino Space Program | Jake W | [
"Arduino Hacks",
"Toy Hacks"
] | [
"nasa",
"rocketry",
"space"
] | With the recently
proposed cuts to NASA
, our friends across the pond (in Northampton UK) decided to take action with a space program of their own… at least at a miniature scale. NortHACKton, a hackerspace in Northampton decided to host a rocketry day consisting of rockets powered by chemical reactions, pressurized water bottles, and even one that employed an
Arduino controlled launch system
, akin to a few we have
seen
in the
past
. It essentially consists of a countdown and automated ignition system.
Schematics
and source code are available for those adventurous enough to embark on missions of their own. | 88 | 50 | [
{
"comment_id": "158863",
"author": "Brennan",
"timestamp": "2010-07-14T21:23:05",
"content": "Props for using the Sure 0832 dot matrix display. Those things are awesome.",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "158869",
"author": "Ted Zissou",
"... | 1,760,377,408.721358 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/07/14/3-camera-booms-for-your-wednesday-afternoon/ | 3 Camera Booms For Your Wednesday Afternoon | Jakob Griffith | [
"digital cameras hacks"
] | [
"andrew",
"bill van loo",
"boom",
"cable",
"camera",
"cheap",
"crane",
"jig",
"rig"
] | [Andrew] tipped us off about his
Cable Cam
built out of some lumber and clothes line. It is small enough to fit into a backpack, includes a safety line and the camera can pan and tilt. A future version is planned with a small remote motor to move the trolley more effectively.
[Andrew] accidentally linked us to his other
Camera Crane
, taking the same ‘
cheap
yet effective’ approach as his Cable Cam. Once again, just some lumber and creative engineering are used to pull this one off.
For those without the ability to weld, check out [Bill Van Loo’s]
all wood version of a Camera Crane
. Same parallelogram design, without remote video output or central pivot. | 5 | 5 | [
{
"comment_id": "158828",
"author": "loans",
"timestamp": "2010-07-14T19:06:12",
"content": "Built out of lumbar?",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "158836",
"author": "fartface",
"timestamp": "2010-07-14T19:24:16",
"content": "I love s... | 1,760,377,408.810785 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/07/14/programmable-game-boy-cartridge-walk-through/ | Programmable Game Boy Cartridge Walk Through | Mike Szczys | [
"Nintendo Game Boy Hacks"
] | [
"desoldering",
"plcc",
"soldering",
"zif"
] | We looked at [Gerry’s] PLCC based programmable Game Boy cartridge
back in May
and mentioned that he was working on a how-to video. He did quite a bit more than that. He’s made
a PDF version of the instructions
but went into deep detail with a collection of four videos on
his YouTube channel
. We’ve embedded all four after the break. They include an introduction and background about the cartridges, desoldering the ROM chip, preparing sockets and wire, and making the solder connections. Whether you’re interested in this particular hack or not, seeing [Gerry’s] soldering practices make the videos worth watching.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=08sBZSciXWk]
Introduction and cartridge background
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KIRMON1e93s]
Desoldering ROM from an old cartridge
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x0E2G9DZtfM]
Preparing chips sockets and wire
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P4pIjXo845Y]
Soldering wire to the pads | 41 | 41 | [
{
"comment_id": "158809",
"author": "nvrdie",
"timestamp": "2010-07-14T17:58:35",
"content": "eeeeeeeehm.. eeeehm..",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "158811",
"author": "okay",
"timestamp": "2010-07-14T18:04:31",
"content": "Anyhow, ni... | 1,760,377,409.053281 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/07/14/panoramic-and-spheric-tripod-rig/ | Panoramic And Spheric Tripod Rig | Mike Szczys | [
"digital cameras hacks"
] | [
"arduino",
"camera",
"panoramic",
"servo",
"spherical"
] | This simple yet precise build takes your camera for a spin in order to
take spherical and multi-row panorama photographs
. The rig mounts to a tripod, using two servo motors for motion, producing images that can be stitched together perfectly. An Arduino handles the hardware with an LCD interface for dialing in the settings.It’s not
the cheapest way to get 360 degree shots
but the
example
images are amazing.
[Thanks Juan] | 12 | 12 | [
{
"comment_id": "158760",
"author": "imsolidstate",
"timestamp": "2010-07-14T15:28:55",
"content": "Wow, nice build and stunning images. I like panoramics. I’ve been messing with converting a scanner but this seems way better.Couldn’t find any info on the software package used to stich the photos th... | 1,760,377,409.1963 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/07/13/electronic-vuvuzela/ | Electronic Vuvuzela | Mike Szczys | [
"digital audio hacks"
] | [
"555",
"noise",
"vuvuzela"
] | [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AHsgRuAKJdQ]
Want to annoy fellow fans but don’t have the lung power to do the job? [Hunter’s]
electronic vuvuzela
is just the thing you need. The plastic noisemakers were so prevalent at the world cup this year that some
folks came up with audio filters
to remove the sound. The electronic rendition is much smaller, using a 555 timer to mimic the instrument on a small speaker. [Hunter’s] build has buttons for five different notes which can be altered with some potentiometer. There’s no schematic but then again for something that’s annoying you don’t want to make it too easy to replicate.
Update:
Hunter added the schematic to his site which spell doom for those who enjoy peace and quiet. | 27 | 27 | [
{
"comment_id": "158382",
"author": "Fogger",
"timestamp": "2010-07-13T11:49:55",
"content": "Noooooooooooooooo!",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "158383",
"author": "Sammy",
"timestamp": "2010-07-13T11:49:56",
"content": "How old is h... | 1,760,377,409.328259 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/07/12/programmable-drum-machine/ | Programmable Drum Machine | Mike Szczys | [
"Musical Hacks"
] | [
"drum",
"machine",
"sequencer",
"tape"
] | This sequencer, called
Drumssette
, uses audio tape to churn out some beats. [Mike Walters] built this around a Tascam four track cassette recorder. The tape inside has a different drum sound on each of the tracks, with a corresponding row of red buttons. Pushing a button adds the drum sound to the loop on that beat. He’s using a series of digital logic gates to patch through the sounds as well as clocking the device from one of the tape’s tracks. It’s pretty neat to see the focus selector used in the video after the break to sync up the beginning of the repeated drum patterns. This isn’t the first time we’ve seen [Mike’s] work. If you missed it last year take some time to review the
Melloman
.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vaK_oTPIxNY]
Hardware walk through
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=spp2m0t2jxg]
Audio demonstration | 13 | 13 | [
{
"comment_id": "158120",
"author": "Anon",
"timestamp": "2010-07-12T22:08:39",
"content": "Nice sound! Looks factory made!Also, lol @ dog.",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "158154",
"author": "Richard D. Bartlett",
"timestamp": "2010-07-1... | 1,760,377,409.380668 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/07/12/update-acrobatic-quadcopters-team-up/ | Update: Acrobatic Quadcopters Team Up | Mike Szczys | [
"Robots Hacks"
] | [
"lift",
"quadcopter",
"swarm"
] | We usually envision small wheeled robots when we thing about swarm robotics but these
cooperative quadcopters
make us think again. This is an extension of the same project that produced those
impressive aerial acrobatics
. It may not be as flashy, but watching groups of the four-rotored flyers grab onto and lift loads is quite impressive. There is also a shot of one dropping a 2×4 and immediately compensating for the loss of weight. We’re not certain, but it looks like team lifting doesn’t require the 20 high-speed camera rig that the acrobatics did. We’ve embedded the demonstration video after the break.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YBsJwapanWI]
[Thanks Balbor] | 34 | 34 | [
{
"comment_id": "158082",
"author": "Craig",
"timestamp": "2010-07-12T21:13:14",
"content": "Swamp robotics?? Should that be *swarm* robotics? lol",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "158084",
"author": "MS3FGX",
"timestamp": "2010-07-12T21:1... | 1,760,377,409.267905 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/07/12/a-letter-from-jason-calicanis-the-owner-of-hack-a-day/ | A Letter From Jason Calacanis, The Owner Of Hack A Day | Caleb Kraft | [
"News"
] | [] | HaD Community,
We’ve heard the feedback, death threats and *sigh*s regarding the more accessible “top X” posts we’ve published recently. we’re going to pause on these while we internally discuss the mission and goals of Hackaday.
For background, I came up with the name Hackaday while brainstorming a site for hacks with [Phillip Torrone], who was then working on a hack every two or three weeks for a new blog called Engadget which [Peter Rojas] and I had founded. When we sold Weblogs Inc, the parent company of Engadget, Hackaday and 100 other blogs to AOL I pulled Hackaday out of the deal at the last-minute.
Why? Well, let’s just say that this dark overlord realized the dark overlords at the bigger Death Star (known as Time Warner) would not take kindly to having their set-top boxes and DVD players hacked. The head of legal department at said Death Star almost exploded when she read Hackaday.
Hackaday then existed in a shell company before I bought it from my former partners at weblogs inc. I did this, as opposed to selling it or shutting it down, because I know Hackaday is a unique place for a unique group of folks to share what they are working on.
My thinking has been “as long as I don’t lose too much money on this I’m fine with HaD just chugging along.” I’m happy to say that while I’ve lost a little money it’s not a lot (well, not happy, but not devastated. :-)
All that being said, I’d like to see Hackaday grow and expand its mission beyond “one hardware hack a day.” That’s why I asked the Hackaday crew to set up
answers.hackaday.com
and try out a Q&A forum for folks… which you guys seem to have embraced and used. It’s seems to be getting some traffic and is providing some utility.
What I’d like to see is for “classic hackaday” to expand into a place where a wider audience can learn and be inspired to hack *anything*.
So, if a casual internet users wants to rip their DVR apart and try upgrading the hard drive we should be the place they can learn how to do that. If they have a problem, they can ask a question here too.
If someone wants to jailbreak their iPhone or rip their iPad apart and embed it in the dashboard of their car they should be able to do that here.
… or if they want to learn some life hacks related to their Gmail account, we have a long article with the top 25 lifehacks for that.
So, my proposal to the community is to:
a) Keep doing exactly what we’ve done an RSS feed called “classic”
b) Expand the mission statement to something along the lines of “hack everything” (or maybe “hack anything” sounds more ambitious/fun?). Perhaps best said is: “hack everything, and inspire and help others to do that same.”
Thoughts? Feedback?
-Jason Calacanis | 280 | 50 | [
{
"comment_id": "157900",
"author": "UltraMagnus",
"timestamp": "2010-07-12T18:09:19",
"content": "just stick to hacks is all we ask, hardware, software, life, wetware, whatever, it is what you are good at.“best ofs” reviews, and “how to use software for what it was intended” are just not what peopl... | 1,760,377,409.551327 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/07/12/android-development-101-%e2%80%93-a-tutorial-series/ | Android Development 101 – A Tutorial Series | Greg R. Jacobs | [
"Software Development"
] | [
"android",
"app",
"development"
] | Android is the prime OS for developing applications in today for many reasons. The main reasons being that it is Open Source and Intuitive. In addition it uses Java for development, which is quite an easy language to get used to and develop in. This being said, a lot of you have great ideas for Android applications or applications in general but don’t know where to start. This series will take you behind the scenes and introduce you to the software that will be your best friend while developing for android. On this journey we will start with a “Hello World” and move on from there to create a database driven application with a touch and scroll interface. The final result will look something like this:
Working with tools to develop Android applications will be your greatest asset as you will come to realize early on. All of the tools I use will be listed to make development speedy and efficient while still looking good along the way. At best you will need to acquire
Eclipse
, I recommend the Eclipse IDE for Java EE Developers version as it is amazing for other types of development as well. The next tools you will get are the
Android SDK
, which allows you to hook the SDK into eclipse to reference its API and design an efficient functioning program. After that, this part is optional, look into
DroidDraw
which is essentially a GUI for designing the interface side of things so that you don’t have to blindly hack your way through the Android SDK and Java jungle.
Eclipse is fairly straightforward to setup and start using the Android SDK, you just have to download a package to include the SDK to Eclipses referenced files. To do this we will go to
Help
and then to
Install New Software
. We want to click
Add
to be able to look up just Google’s packages they want us to download. In the location field enter
https://dl-ssl.google.com/android/eclipse
and click OK. Check both boxes and proceed to the next screen. You should make sure
Android DDMS
and
Android Development Tools
are both listed before going on. Accept license agreements and click Finish. You will have to restart Eclipse but after that your hook in is ready to be setup.
Android SDK is fairly straight forward to download for any system but updating it and hooking it into Eclipse is the key. After downloading the zip file (I’m using Windows/Linux but Windows examples will be default), unzip it to your C Drive and label the folder it will enter AndroidSDK. After entering said folder double click on the setup icon which will take you to the screen that shows you all the updates available for download. Download the latest updates and proceed to the top option
Virtual Devices
where you will make your first emulator. NOTE: if an update list does not show you will have to set the setup client to use http instead of https. When creating the emulator the name doesn’t matter and all you really need to set is a version you want to develop on. We will pick Android 1.5 from the list because if you decide to market an application you can reach more people and for the API’s we will use we don’t need 2.1 or 2.2. After setting up your emulator you are ready to have the two meet for the first time.
Going into Eclipse you will click the
Window
button and navigate to the
Preferences
option and click it. Select the Android option on the left and there will appear in the right side of the window a blank screen with a browse button. Click the button and find your AndroidSDK directory in the C drive and select that folder. Clicking
Apply
will make the blank window you were looking at show many different versions of the Android SDK and if you are able to see it you are on the right track. Click
OK
and we are ready to start developing.
NOTES: DroidDraw will be spoken about in another post in this series and we will use it to make part of our interface and the other half we will code ourselves. For everyone else developing in Linux I have found an
awesome post
that will describe how to set up your environment for Ubuntu and can possibly be transitioned for Red Hat and the like. Anyone who is having trouble feel free to let me know the issues you are having and I will try my best to not leave you behind before the next post.
If you can’t wait for the next post, browse the examples on the
Android Developers website
.
Articles used for reference:
Android Developers –
Installing ADT Plugin
Continue on to
Part 1, Hello world
. | 61 | 50 | [
{
"comment_id": "157869",
"author": "captain obvious",
"timestamp": "2010-07-12T17:19:37",
"content": "Vote with your comments!If new stuff is coming to hackaday, let it be this!",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "157872",
"author": "biozz",
... | 1,760,377,409.467632 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/07/12/stretch-bike/ | Stretch-bike | Mike Szczys | [
"green hacks"
] | [
"bike",
"cargo",
"stretch",
"weld"
] | This long bike
is built for haulin’. After needing to find a truck to transport his welding equipment (ironically in order to build
another bike
) [Nick Johnson] decided it was time to make a two-wheeled cargo transport. He extended the frame in order to add a cradle in the front. Eventually there will be sides on that box but for now it works like a charm for transporting his groceries. With the long wheel-base this should be pretty stable as long as you balance your cargo. We’d certainly be more apt to try a ride on this rather than
the double-decker death-trap
from a few weeks ago. | 26 | 26 | [
{
"comment_id": "157829",
"author": "Jager",
"timestamp": "2010-07-12T15:55:55",
"content": "If I were going through the extra lengths of modding the bike, I would double up the front tire so that load balancing is less of an issue. Just my preference, anyways.",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": ... | 1,760,377,409.820264 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/07/12/top-5-twitter-clients-for-android-2/ | Top 5 Twitter Clients For Android | Greg R. Jacobs | [
"News",
"Reviews"
] | [
"android",
"apps",
"twitter"
] | With the growing popularity of the Android OS for smartphones, it has become a contender for the likes of Apple’s iPhone. With the rise of Android came the facet it revolves around; Open Source. Besides it revolving around being open sourced it also has deep roots with social media. There has been an outbreak of different Twitter applications for the Android devices, each with their ups and downs suited for different types of users ranging from the socialite to the power users of twitter. These are the top 5 Twitter clients for Android (A phone running Android 2.1 OS – Éclair – will be used but most of these will be compatible with 1.5 & 1.6 OS and will be stated if they are not available to all OS versions) :
Twitter for Android
(Free)
This is the official application for accessing Twitter from your Android mobile device. Developed by Twitter themselves, it is the most comprehensive application on the market considering it was developed by the creators of Twitter. This has everything the average socialite would ever need as well as having the features Power Users will crave. Here are some of the pros and cons:
Pros:
Interface:
The interface of Twitter for Android is very crisp and concise for you to navigate to what they want quickly and efficiently. When first starting the app, you are presented with options of what they would like to do such as view tweets, lists, mentions, retweets, direct messages and view profile. It seems that the developers of Twitter for Android have taken a page out of Google’s handbook because load times are blazingly fast. The toolbar at the top of the application contains the ability to post updates to your page and to find certain tweets or people based on keyword and/or location. As well, the location map marker in the corner which will allow finding tweets closest to your location. It is also good to note that the Twitter logo at the top left of any screen will direct you back to the main menu.
Speed:
The loading times, as mentioned above, are quite fast. This is excellent for the user on the go who doesn’t want to wait around for the whole application to load before submitting a tweet. This may decrease on users with less RAM but not by much.
Trending Topics:
When navigating to twitters site a lot of trending topics appear. Bringing this feature to the mobile community and making it look good requires some finesse. Twitter for Android has been able to do this quite skilfully, having that little blue bird at the bottom of the main menu tweeting three changing trending topics around itself. This is quite innovative in itself because as of right now the UI for Android apps has been quite lacking but this goes to show that if you really dig into Android you can receive the same quality UI as an iPhone has in terms of apps.
Cons:
Availability:
Twitter for Android is only available for users with the 2.1 OS (Éclair) which will unfortunately leave out the fragmented versions of Cupcake (v1.5 OS) & Donut (v1.6 OS). This will be quite disappointing for most users out there since those versions lead in numbers (until updates are released).
HootSuite
(Paid & Free)
Price: US $2.99
This is the next best thing if users out there aren’t interested in an official application for Twitter. Hootsuite enables users to manage multiple Twitter accounts, as well as being a dashboard for many social media outlets. It contains the usual suspects; Facebook, MySpace, LinkedIn and Foursquare but also allows room for lesser used networks or hubs such as Ping.fm and WordPress (just added). Since being designed for the Android, HootSuite has trimmed down the interface and as of right now the user is able to only post tweets. This client is available to all versions of Android including the latest FroYo build. You should also note that the free version does not include stats and is limited to 3 accounts. Here is a look at the good and bad:
Pros:
Scheduling:
The ability to post tweets at certain points throughout the day without having to login to Twitter every time to do so is very desirable. If the user knows what they will be doing at a certain point throughout the day then scheduling updates for those times is a great way to not deter them from what they are doing. All that needs to be done is tap the top right button and click on the calendar button to schedule a date and time.
Statistics Tracking:
The greatest thing about HootSuite is the statistics tracking that is tightly integrated with the client. When on the main page, press the menu button and click on Stats to see the number of clicks per tweet you have made (accounting for the fact that you put a link in your post) as well as the rating of the tweet you made based on the number of clicks it has received. This is very useful information to monitor how many clicks you get per post and what keywords were used to get that many clicks a post.
Cons:
Very Chatty:
This particular client, when it loads, will load all of your accounts and lists and try and update them all at once. This can make for a very slow beginning to your tweets throughout the day. As well to note, if you have a task manager, it would be best to avoid ending HootSuite completely to avoid the clunky start-up it every time you press the icon. The best way to do it is use Androids multitasking capabilities to start the app then go do something else on the phone while it loads.
Twidroyd
(Paid & Free)
Price: US $3.99
With Twidroyd being claimed as the
“industries standard twitter client”
, this app has a lot to live up to. With such high hopes comes a high feature base including but not limited to, the ability to add plugins, edit lists, native bit.ly support and tweet outbox incase you are disconnected from your network. These features will only be available on the paid version but the price would be well worth it just for the ability to use plugins. This client looks like it has a lot to offer so let’s take a look at the good and bad.
Pros:
Layout:
Twidroyd has a simplistic interface and an easy learning curve. Buttons are easily identifiable and don’t leave you wondering where the hell you’re going. This is the type of an app that a power user and just your average socialite would use. Easily adaptable to any user is its strongest suite, if a casual user doesn’t want all the extras they don’t have to use them but they are there for the power user if they so require.
Plugins:
Want to extend your twitter client to be able to view your position on a map or maybe one to read out you notifications to you? Well Twidroyd has you covered! This is an amazing feature to have because it leaves the platform open for innovation, which if I remember correctly, is Google’s concept of Android.
Cons:
Free Features:
This is an amazing product by any measure of stick you test it on but the free features are lacking. Bit.ly support would be great because it allows you to track click stats on your posts but sadly if you go free it will not be available. Maybe in future versions when they add more features they might add a few to the free version to say they were thinking of you!
Seesmic
(Free)
Seesmic has focused its efforts on a whole suite of tools that can pull information from many social networking sites and present it to you in an easy to read format. This has been brought to the Android OS in a more minimalistic yet crisp interface. Unlike the iPhone version, the client for Android can only add Twitter usernames and note Facebook profiles and the like. Everything is presented in a straightforward manner at the top of your screen, with the ability to switch from your timeline, replies, messages, and your profile. If the red bar at the top of the page is pressed and you are anywhere on the page but the top, the screen will move to the starting position.
Pros:
Functionality:
When in Seesmic, the ability to make a new post is as easy as pressing the menu button. When composing a tweet the availability attach a picture or video and upload it to tweetphoto.com – a real-time media sharing website – is as simple as taking a picture, the rest is done for you. Attaching your location becomes as easy as pressing the location icon and picking between attaching your location, attaching location map link, or location address. Last but no least is the automatic URL shortener which comes in handy for doing multiple links for one tweet (spam anyone?). The ability to do all this from the composition screen is an awesome feature and clients are quick to adopt it but Seesmic was amongst the first to venture and do it.
Cons:
Plugin Support:
With clients starting to use plugins for their products, this client is lacking. This is also an opportunity for Seesmic to look at what clients like Twidroyd are doing and build and improve an what they like and innovate new ways of using plugins. Who knows, maybe we will finally be able to see
Foursquare
,
TripIt
,
Glympse
,
Waze
,
Tungle.me
, and
Yelp
integrate as proposed by [Robert Scoble] in his post
Location 2012: Death Of Information Silos
[TechCrunch].
Touiteur
(Paid & Free)
Price: €1.99
Not to be fooled by its French name, this is among the top Twitter clients today. Designed by LevelUp Studio’s it boasts a clean beautiful interface that could rival the iPhones classic user interface (UI). This app does come with a free and paid version so it’s key to note what you would like from this client. The paid version will unlock multiple accounts, 3 widgets for home screen, URL shortening, customization, and viewing webpages and multimedia within the program.
Pros:
User Interface:
Probably the best interface we have seen for Android to date. The sheer simplicity and style draws memories of iPhone’s UI. If you are a fan of the iPhone’s interface then this is the client for you. Everything is laid out at the bottom of the screen and speed depends on how many accounts you have.
Ingenuity:
When clicking on a tweet, the page is expanded and you are given the option to choose a number of options which include reply, links, retweet, message and more. This is a feature definitely worth mentioning because it does not take you away from the tweets at hand and still allows you do what you wish with that tweet unlike other clients who have you view the tweet separate before performing an action.
Cons:
Free Widgets:
The lack of free widgets available to free users is disappointing and should at least include one to satisfy the user who doesn’t want to spend €1.99 on a twitter application.
Verdict:
Twitter is becoming an integral part of people’s social networking portfolio and as such, should have some free (hopefully), premium Android clients. Android supports widgets, most apps give you widgets to simplify the way you access information and take it in and some of these clients have that ability already, so will integrate it later (here is to hoping!). These clients incorporate the average socialite to the power users of twitter and as such they have gained recognition by many. Many will note that some clients only had one or two pros and cons and that is because most features are generic in any client for twitter, these focus on what makes them stand apart. These five described here aren’t the only good ones and more are sure to follow but these are the crème of the crop for now. | 64 | 50 | [
{
"comment_id": "157762",
"author": "wtf",
"timestamp": "2010-07-12T14:21:15",
"content": "What the hell has happened to this site. Are you serious? Are you becoming a software mod site like lifehacker is known for? How about hacking Android on an HTC, now thats cool. Not: “here’s 5 twitter apps... | 1,760,377,409.909024 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/07/12/make-your-own-toner-transfer-paper/ | Make Your Own Toner Transfer Paper | Jakob Griffith | [
"Misc Hacks"
] | [
"board",
"circuit",
"etch",
"matthew sager",
"paper",
"pcb",
"print",
"toner transfer"
] | Who would have thought that
some corn starch
could be made into
toner transfer paper
? We’re not sure of the advantages (perhaps its cheaper?), but if you have a lot of time or just love to get sticky [Matthew Sager] shows the proper method for making the paper, printing, and then etching a PCB.
If you’re just getting started making PCBs, we recommend you check out these
DIY circuit etching videos
to get a better grasp on the printing and etching steps. | 17 | 16 | [
{
"comment_id": "157750",
"author": "koen",
"timestamp": "2010-07-12T13:19:44",
"content": "this is pretty cool will try for myself soon",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "157752",
"author": "osgeld",
"timestamp": "2010-07-12T13:48:41",
... | 1,760,377,409.694977 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/07/11/chess-table-physical-interface-for-internet-games/ | Chess Table: Physical Interface For Internet Games | Mike Szczys | [
"Multitouch Hacks"
] | [
"chess",
"graphic",
"lcd",
"led",
"projector"
] | Wanting to get back to playing with actual pieces, [Thomas Pototschnig] built
a chess table that interfaces with the Internet
. The table uses an custom setup to project the board on the frosted surface of the table. Chess moves from your internet opponent are displayed as arrows on the board so you can move the pieces. Your moves are detected by a webcam below the surface as this table actually functions as a multitouch display. From the description, it sounds like the projector was made from a 128×64 graphic LCD display. A 64×64 pixel area is used, with an LED below and a lens above. This works remarkably well. See for yourself after the break.
Want some other options for your chess setup? You can
play against a robot arm
, or if you’ve got 144 square feet of extra space you can build
a really big board
for the occasional game.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vWxy01oAM68]
[Thanks Doug] | 15 | 15 | [
{
"comment_id": "157637",
"author": "Dan Cardin",
"timestamp": "2010-07-12T00:31:22",
"content": "would be cool to make them magnetic and have magnets move around the pieces from beneath the board, but then you’d might run into problems from stuff like diagonal movement and knights.",
"parent_id... | 1,760,377,409.750903 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/07/11/16-pixel-handheld-gaming/ | 16-pixel Handheld Gaming | Mike Szczys | [
"handhelds hacks",
"LED Hacks"
] | [
"16F628",
"bi-color",
"great race",
"matrix"
] | What we need in today’s handhelds is LESS resolution. Take a look at the video after the break to see the exciting action that [Bruno Pasquini]
4×4 LED matrix handheld game
delivers. The device is made up of 16 bi-color LEDs, four buttons, and a PIC 16F628. There’s no schematic yet but it looks like there’s no need for shift registers, just some transistors to handle the current load for the rows of each color. We’ve seen a
64-pixel handheld that plays Super Mario Brothers
, but this portable brings a top scrolling racing game with just 25% of that display size.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bilCpOhulCI]
[Thanks Mike] | 19 | 19 | [
{
"comment_id": "157557",
"author": "nezoomie",
"timestamp": "2010-07-11T16:29:48",
"content": "That’s beatiful. Really.",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "157561",
"author": "smaddox",
"timestamp": "2010-07-11T16:53:06",
"content": "Lo... | 1,760,377,409.969752 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/07/11/adding-speach-recognition-to-your-embedded-platform/ | Adding Speech Recognition To Your Embedded Platform. | Caleb Kraft | [
"Cellphone Hacks",
"handhelds hacks"
] | [
"voice recognition"
] | [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OEUeJb6Pwt4&feature=player_embedded]
Last week, we posted a story about how to
configure speech recognition at a beginner level
. Several of the commenters expressed an interest in doing speech recognition for embedded devices. [Nickolay Shmyrev] volunteered to write some directions for those people. In this article, [Nickolay] will be taking you through the basics of setting up your embedded device with
CMUsphinx
an open source toolkit for speech recognition. He gives programming examples in both C and python. Though we are hosting this, we haven’t set it up and tried it, so please direct any questions you have at [Nickolay] in the comments.
Here we will consider how is it possible to implement speech recognition functions on using
Pocketsphinx library from CMUSphinx project
The advantages of using Pocketsphinx are:
Pocketsphinx is resource-efficient. It can perfectly run on embedded platforms. though it’s not limited to them, you can use pocketsphinx on your desktop/server. Pocketsphinxvhas support for fixed-point only arithmetics so can run without FPU. It is also optimized towards some popular platforms: Blackfin, Maemo, IPhone.
Pocketsphinx supports many languages out-of box. It supports US English, Chinese, French, Russian, German, Dutch and more without need to train anything.
Pocketsphinx is completely free software.
Available bindings for several programming languages are present.
So Pocketsphinx is really the best choice for your speech recognition library.
Before you are going to start with programming speech interfaces there are several things you need to know
Speech recognizers require you to specify the words they will understand (so-called grammar), they will not understand anything else except specified language.
Speech is by nature inaccurate, you need to put this in the corner of speech interface design. Recognizer return you confidence value of the recognized text. Make sure you use this confidence value to reject unreliable results. If recognizer is not confident, try to input the text again, ask for additional information, confirm user intentions.
It’s not the task of the speech recognition library to do sound input. Audio interfaces are often device-specific. You need to record audio in your application and put it in special format – PCM, mono, 8kHz, 16-bit. Doublecheck that. If you have mp3, convert it. If you have audio with 44.1kHz, downsample it.
Let’s start with simple test. Once you installed Pocketsphinx, just run Pocketsphinx_continuous
without any arguments. Wait till
READY…
will appear on terminal then say something. Pocketsphinx will record audio from your microphone and output recognition results.
000000001: hello (-11998485)
You failed to make it recognize hello? Don’t worry, some people find that it’s a hand of fortune who produce the recognition results. Count you are lucky.
Now let’s try to learn how to specify the grammar, the language that Pocketsphinx will recognize.
It’s done using grammar files which are written in
JSGF format
.
This is rather simple human-readable text format, probably it’s better to start with example:
#JSGF V1.0;
grammar goforward;
public <move> = go <direction> <distance> [meter | meters];
<direction>= forward | backward;
<distance>= (one | two | three | four | five | six | seven | eight | nine | ten | twenty)+;
You see it can specify alternatives, repetitions and skips. Basically JSGF describes
finite state automation for the recognizer. The more restrictive your grammar is, the
better will be recognition accuracy. But don’t forget to include all those fillers
and false starts in real grammar. User will not say to the device
“Pizza with pepperoni”
They will say instead
“I want, let me think… three pizzas with pepperoni no… with onions”
And your grammar should cover that. Once you’ve created your grammar, store it as
grammar.jsgf. Also, record audio file at 8khz mono and name it “myrecording.wav”.
Now, let’s do some of the programming. To demonstrate how speech recognition application is created, let’s first try to use Pocketsphinx with Python. Python API is really simple, example is just six lines of code. To recognize speech you need to accomplish 3 steps and here they are:
#!/usr/bin/python
#Step 1, Initialization
import pocketsphinx as ps
decoder = ps.Decoder(jsgf=’/path/to/your/jsgf/grammar.jsgf’,samprate=’8000′)
# Step 2, open the audio file.
fh = open(“myrecording.wav”, “rb”)
nsamp = decoder.decode_raw(fh)
# Step 3, get the result
hyp, uttid, score = decoder.get_hyp()
print “Got result %s %d” % (hyp, score)
Now, let’s do the same with C. It’s not really different from python, just more suitable
for your device.
#include <pocketsphinx.h>
int
main(int argc, char *argv[])
{
ps_decoder_t *ps;
cmd_ln_t *config;
FILE *fh;
char const *hyp, *uttid;
int16 buf[512];
int rv;
int32 score;
/* Initializing of the configuration */
config = cmd_ln_init(NULL, ps_args(), TRUE,
“-samprate”, “8000”,
“-jsgf”, “test.jsgf”,
NULL);
ps = ps_init(config);
/* Open audio file and start feeding it into the decoder */
fh = fopen(“myrecording.wav”, “rb”);
rv = ps_start_utt(ps, “goforward”);
while (!feof(fh)) {
size_t nsamp;
nsamp = fread(buf, 2, 512, fh);
rv = ps_process_raw(ps, buf, nsamp, FALSE, FALSE);
}
rv = ps_end_utt(ps);
/* Get the result and print it */
hyp = ps_get_hyp(ps, &score, &uttid);
if (hyp == NULL)
return 1;
printf(“Recognized: %s with prob %d\n”, hyp, ps_get_prob (ps, NULL));
/* Free the stuff */
fclose(fh);
ps_free(ps);
return 0;
}
On Linux, compile the demo with simple command line:
gcc `pkg-config pocketsphinx –cflags –libs` demo.c -o demo
and run
./demo
If it works, it’s ready to be included into your device. Read more about Pocketsphinx functions
in API guide:
http://cmusphinx.sourceforge.net/api/pocketsphinx/
Once you are done with basic examples, it’s time to build your application using Pocketsphinx.
Free your mind when you design that, don’t just focus on simple commands like “turn on lights”. Modern applications include intelligent logic analysis, continuous dictation support and many more things.
Try to be reasonable, design your interface and grammars, think about user and your speech
application will be successful.
Still don’t believe it will work? Check this video demonstrating pocketsphinx running on Nokia N800(at the top of the post). For more details on Pocketsphinx, CMUSphinx project, speech recognition visit
http://cmusphinx.sourceforge.net
Adding speech recognition feature to your device
Here we will consider how is it possible to implement speech recognition functions on using
Pocketsphinx library from CMUSphinx project (
http://cmusphinx.sourceforge.net
)
The advantages of using Pocketsphinx are:
* Pocketsphinx is resource-efficient. It can perfectly run on embedded platforms
though it’s not limited to them, you can use pocketsphinx on your desktop/server. Pocketsphinx
has support for fixed-point only arithmetics so can run without FPU. It is also optimized
towards some popular platforms: Blackfin, Maemo, IPhone.
* Pocketsphinx supports many languages out-of box. It supports US English, Chinese, French, Russian, German, Dutch and more without need to train anything.
* Pocketsphinx is completely free software.
* Available bindings for several programming languages are present.
So Pocketsphinx is really the best choice for your speech recognition library.
Before you are going to start with programming speech interfaces there are several things you need to know
* Speech recognizers require you to specify the words they will understand (so-called grammar), they
will not understand anything else except specified language.
* Speech is by nature inaccurate, you need to put this in the corner of speech interface design.
Recognizer return you confidence value of the recognized text. Make sure you use this confidence
value to reject unreliable results. If recognizer is not confident, try to input the text again,
ask for additional information, confirm user intentions.
* It’s not the task of the speech recognition library to do sound input. Audio interfaces
are often device-specific. You need to record audio in your application and put it in special
format – PCM, mono, 8kHz, 16-bit. Doublecheck that. If you have mp3, convert it. If you have
audio with 44.1kHz, downsample it.
Let’s start with simple test. Once you installed Pocketsphinx, just run Pocketsphinx_continuous
without any arguments. Wait till
READY…
will appear on terminal then say something. Pocketsphinx will record audio from your microphone and output recognition results.
000000001: hello (-11998485)
You failed to make it recognize hello? Don’t worry, some people find that it’s a hand of fortune who produce the recognition results. Count you are lucky.
Now let’s try to learn how to specify the grammar, the language that Pocketsphinx will recognize.
It’s done using grammar files which are written in JSGF format.
http://java.sun.com/products/java-media/speech/forDevelopers/JSGF/
This is rather simple human-readable text format, probably it’s better to start with example:
#JSGF V1.0;
grammar goforward;
public <move> = go <direction> <distance> [meter | meters];
<direction> = forward | backward;
= (one | two | three | four | five | six | seven | eight | nine | ten | twenty)+;
You see it can specify alternatives, repetitions and skips. Basically JSGF describes
finite state automation for the recognizer. The more restrictive your grammar is, the
better will be recognition accuracy. But don’t forget to include all those fillers
and false starts in real grammar. User will not say to the device
“Pizza with pepperoni”
They will say instead
“I want let me think… three pizzas with pepperoni no… with onions”
And your grammar should cover that. Once you’ve created your grammar, store it as
grammar.jsgf. Also, record audio file at 16khz mono and name it “myrecording.wav”.
Now, let’s do some of the programming. To demonstrate how speech recognition application is created, let’s first try to use Pocketsphinx with Python. Python API is really simple, example is just six lines of code. To recognize speech you need to accomplish 3 steps and here they are:
#!/usr/bin/python
#Step 1, Initialization
import pocketsphinx as ps
decoder = ps.Decoder(jsgf=’/path/to/your/jsgf/grammar.jsgf’,samprate=’8000′)
# Step 2, open the audio file.
fh = open(“myrecording.wav”, “rb”)
nsamp = decoder.decode_raw(fh)
# Step 3, get the result
hyp, uttid, score = decoder.get_hyp()
print “Got result %s %d” % (hyp, score)
Now, let’s do the same with C. It’s not really different from python, just more suitable
for your device.
#include <pocketsphinx.h>
int
main(int argc, char *argv[])
{
ps_decoder_t *ps;
cmd_ln_t *config;
FILE *fh;
char const *hyp, *uttid;
int16 buf[512];
int rv;
int32 score;
/* Initializing of the configuration */
config = cmd_ln_init(NULL, ps_args(), TRUE,
“-samprate”, “8000”,
“-jsgf”, “test.jsgf”,
NULL);
ps = ps_init(config);
/* Open audio file and start feeding it into the decoder */
fh = fopen(“myrecording.wav”, “rb”);
rv = ps_start_utt(ps, “goforward”);
while (!feof(fh)) {
size_t nsamp;
nsamp = fread(buf, 2, 512, fh);
rv = ps_process_raw(ps, buf, nsamp, FALSE, FALSE);
}
rv = ps_end_utt(ps);
/* Get the result and print it */
hyp = ps_get_hyp(ps, &score, &uttid);
if (hyp == NULL)
return 1;
printf(“Recognized: %s with prob %d\n”, hyp, ps_get_prob (ps, NULL));
/* Free the stuff */
fclose(fh);
ps_free(ps);
return 0;
}
On Linux, compile the demo with simple command line:
gcc `pkg-config pocketsphinx –cflags –libs` demo.c -o demo
and run
./demo
If it works, it’s ready to be included into your device. Read more about Pocketsphinx functions
in API guide:
http://cmusphinx.sourceforge.net/api/pocketsphinx/
Once you are done with basic examples, it’s time to build your application using Pocketsphinx.
Free your mind when you design that, don’t just focus on simple commands like “turn on lights”. Modern applications include intelligent logic analysis, continuous dictation support and many more things.
Try to be reasonable, design your interface and grammars, think about user and your speech
application will be successful.
Still don’t believe it will work? Check this video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OEUeJb6Pwt4
demonstrating pocketsphinx running on Nokia N800. For more details on Pocketsphinx, CMUSphinx project, speech recognition visit
http://cmusphinx.sourceforge.net | 26 | 21 | [
{
"comment_id": "157529",
"author": "nebulous",
"timestamp": "2010-07-11T13:28:28",
"content": "The word in the title should be ‘speech’. Just thought I’d mention it. Looks like good info, will read later (after Holland wins the cup)",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
... | 1,760,377,410.212369 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/07/10/cubestormer-quick-solutions-from-lego-parts/ | CubeStormer; Quick Solutions From LEGO Parts | Mike Szczys | [
"Misc Hacks",
"Robots Hacks"
] | [
"lego",
"mindstorm",
"rubiks cube",
"solver"
] | [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eaRcWB3jwMo]
CubeStormer solves Rubik’s cubes
and it does it quickly! Made entirely out of LEGO, a Mindstorm web camera is used to scan in the cube with four mechanical hands for manipulation. The device is capable of solving a random cube in less than 11 seconds. That’s quite a bit faster than
the last Minstorm solver we saw
, and
the CuBear solver
we are so fond of.
[Thanks Ferdinand] | 20 | 20 | [
{
"comment_id": "157209",
"author": "Decius",
"timestamp": "2010-07-10T18:07:45",
"content": "That was intense!",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "157212",
"author": "spyder_21",
"timestamp": "2010-07-10T18:09:58",
"content": "that’s fa... | 1,760,377,410.265066 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/07/10/try-as-you-might-scooty-wont-fall-over/ | Try As You Might, Scooty Won’t Fall Over | Mike Szczys | [
"Robots Hacks"
] | [
"balancing",
"pic32",
"scooty"
] | Scooty is a balancing robot
based around a PIC32. The project is the first iteration in a long road toward a ridable version. The video after the break shows some incredible promise. Scooty is pitted against a large rubber ball. The two roll into each other but Scooty maintains balance thanks to that powerful processor, an inertial sensor, and a range finder.
Scooty versus a ball isn’t really fair to the ball. We’d like to see Scooty versus
the ball balancing robot
.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l0EFWTlT-BI]
[via
Tom’s Guide
] | 20 | 20 | [
{
"comment_id": "157189",
"author": "svofski",
"timestamp": "2010-07-10T17:12:33",
"content": "Great job. Nice to see a pic32 project too, haven’t seen a lot of them yet.",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "157193",
"author": "some",
"timest... | 1,760,377,410.146979 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/07/10/electric-mountainboard-with-wireless-control/ | Electric Mountainboard With Wireless Control | Mike Szczys | [
"Transportation Hacks"
] | [
"arduino",
"LiFePO4",
"lithium iron phosphate",
"mountainboard",
"ps2"
] | [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AkhjeEDaagQ]
[Andres Guzman] is chauffuering himself around the University of Illinois campus thanks to his
wirelessly controlled mountainboard
. He added a brushless motor to drive the rear axel with the help of a chain. Power is provided by a Lithium Iron Phosphate battery which we’ve seen
used in other electric vehicles
due to its lightweight properties. A wireless PlayStation 2 controller operates the motor but steering remains a lean-to-turn system. | 28 | 28 | [
{
"comment_id": "157172",
"author": "Nomad",
"timestamp": "2010-07-10T16:21:52",
"content": "Is it the video/camera or is this thing really that loud?Nice build though…except for the noise.PS: And don’t even start blaming him for using an Arduino!",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replie... | 1,760,377,410.412856 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/07/10/top-10-features-wed-like-to-see-in-android-3-0/ | Top 10 Features We’d Like To See In Android 3.0 | Jacob Nahin | [
"Android Hacks",
"Rants"
] | [
"android",
"apple",
"google",
"iOS 4"
] | UPDATE:
Hello HaD readers,
Sorry for the delay in updating this. I was on probation while the editors worked with Jason to figure out some things.
Clearly, for my recent debut article, I didn’t research Android OS well enough. After reading each of your comments, I realize that the article fell short of HaD’s and its readers standards for high-quality writing and reporting. Every point I made in the article were problems I noticed in my experience with Android, but I should have done more research on others’ experiences and the capabilities of each version of the OS. To each reader, I am sorry and will do better by you in future posts.
Poor Google. Despite its numerous capabilities with smartphones spread across a variety of carriers, Android still struggles to garner the prestige and positive perceptions of iOS 4. Sales continue to rise, but at the end of the day, the average person is still left lusting for an iPhone. Well, here are 10 features that should be added to Android 3.0 that could change the tide.
1. A no-brainer task manager.
Google says Android doesn’t need a task manager, that it closes programs efficiently without any user-intervention, substandard apps often suck memory dry. Because of this, Android users are forced to download complicated task-managers, each with its own odd UI, and weigh which one works the best. Google, please fess up to the problem and put something in there a computer novice could use. Something with big buttons would be nice.
2. Stable Multitasking
Speaking of crashes, multitasking on Android is a mess. A little optimization here wouldn’t hurt. Better yet, while this may run counter-productive to us power-users, why not release a lite version of Android 3.0 that doesn’t support multitasking? Not every user needs it and lower-end phones would appreciate it
3.
Swype
Google, your Android keyboard sucks. That’s why the fine folks at Swype Inc developed their product. Sure, some of the newer Android phones like the
Droid X
are releasing with it built in, but it would be a boon for the OS to come packaged with this software.
4. IR- sender support
On the hardware side of things, an IR-sender support is a “duh.” Imagine a next generation of remotes running on Android. Better yet, how would you like to control your lights and home-entertainment center with your phone without the sometimes-complicated mess of configuring through a network?
5. Universal pinch-to-zoom
Some apps have it. Some apps don’t. C’mon, this should be standard by now.
6. Folders
Google,
you copied iOS’s homescreen UI
, why not do it again? Many of users have outgrown their limited pages and would like a way to add some organization to their mobile lives.
7. SD-Card support for app-storage
If users are going to download a ton of apps from the Android Market, they need somewhere to put them. Users with rooted phones can already do this, but expandable storage should be standard in app-filled world with insatiable memory lust.
8. Built-in syncing
If the Android is going to succeed as a user-friendly platform, it needs to make it easy for people to add their music, photos, and video to their phones. It’s simple Google. Develop some web-based software and launch it as a beta. You do it for everything else…
9. Standardized UI for all apps
I’m all for artistic interpretation, but the reason so many functional apps get low scores is because they work differently than the rest of the OS. Once again, do what Apple did and come up with better UI guidelines.
10. Better market
Why can’t I queue downloads from the web? That would be awesome. How about a better way to navigate the store from my laptop? Despite the thousands of apps the Android Market hosts, it is stuck with the same problems as Apple’s iOS4. More importantly than any of the above, Google needs to innovate here. Change the way mobile markets work Google and you could win this war.
Photo courtesy [quinn.anya] | 161 | 50 | [
{
"comment_id": "157141",
"author": "Jon Ward",
"timestamp": "2010-07-10T15:08:02",
"content": "I hear everyone talking about Swype, which isn’t even out yet when I’ve been using SlideIT for a while now and LOVE it. I’ve used the Swype beta and I gotta say, SlideIT just works better. Its dictionar... | 1,760,377,410.348873 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/07/10/solar-mintyboost/ | Solar MintyBoost | Devlin Thyne | [
"Cellphone Hacks",
"handhelds hacks",
"iphone hacks",
"ipod hacks"
] | [
"lipoly",
"MintyBoost",
"solar"
] | We
first wrote
about the MintyBoost back in 2006. Today, Adafruit has created a tutorial for making a
solar powered MintyBoost
. Using a
MintyBoost
, a
solar panel
,
LiPo battery
and a
charger
, they built on their
Solar LiPoly tutorial
. They fed the power tap output of the LiPoly charger into the battery input of the MintyBoost to perform the voltage step-up for USB devices. Based on an
instructable
that used SparkFun parts, this tutorial shows how to use parts that are available from one source. We hear that there will be some evolution of the MintyBoost coming down the line that will including charging capabilities. | 9 | 9 | [
{
"comment_id": "157138",
"author": "EquinoxeFR",
"timestamp": "2010-07-10T14:42:56",
"content": "Hi,A great project ! I did one a few months ago. Very useful on sunny days.http://www.equinoxefr.org/post/2010/01/24/chargeur-solaire-pour-gadgets-usb-telephone-gps/(in french)I can power smartphone, ip... | 1,760,377,410.52734 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/07/09/server-enclosure-from-22-rolls-of-tape/ | Server Enclosure From 22 Rolls Of Tape | Mike Szczys | [
"computer hacks"
] | [
"duct tape",
"enclosure",
"frame",
"server"
] | Who needs metal, wood, or acrylic if you are talented with duct tape? This server is housed in a
20-sided enclosure made entirely of duct tape
, 22 rolls of it. A team of seven completed the project after eight build session over the course of about ten days. It’s currently in use at this year’s MillionManLan 9 as confirmed by this
incredibly boring live feed
.
However whimsical, we do appreciate
the build process
. Tubes are rolled until they reach the specified thickness, then cut to length on a chop saw. More sticky stuff is applied to the joints and piece by piece the frame comes together. From the diagram laying off to the side in one of the pictures it looks like they did the smart thing by designing this in CAD before getting their hands dirty sticky. | 32 | 32 | [
{
"comment_id": "156902",
"author": "biozz",
"timestamp": "2010-07-09T20:21:15",
"content": "im sorry but i must ask … WHY?!?!",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "156919",
"author": "Scott",
"timestamp": "2010-07-09T20:57:30",
"content":... | 1,760,377,410.483374 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/07/09/waking-up-with-the-fake-sun/ | Waking Up With The (fake) Sun | Mike Szczys | [
"clock hacks"
] | [
"alarm",
"attiny13",
"lamp",
"sunrise",
"TRIAC"
] | [Bogdan] has some trouble getting up in the morning. A blaring alarm will do the trick but that’s no way to start the day. To get him through the dark winter months he wanted to try
a sunrise simulator
. He patched into the alarm signal of his bedside clock, intercepting the command from the clock’s microprocessor and using it as an input for his own ATtiny13. From there, the tiny13 gradually brightens a 150W halogen lamp using a triac until his room is as bright as a July morning. A signal is then sent to the alarm clock’s audio amplifier to turn on the audible alarm. He’s got the system set for a 20-minute sunrise so it’s just a matter of programming his alarm 20-minutes early than the ‘I absolutely have to get out of bed now’ time. | 38 | 37 | [
{
"comment_id": "156844",
"author": "dan",
"timestamp": "2010-07-09T19:11:11",
"content": "This is great; being woken by a loud noise is horrible start to the day. Especially when it is the same loud noise every day. It’d be nice if someone made a ‘plug-through’ device that could go between any lamp... | 1,760,377,410.722493 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/07/09/autonomous-battery-exchange/ | Autonomous Battery Exchange | Mike Szczys | [
"Robots Hacks"
] | [
"battery",
"carousel",
"marXbot",
"swap"
] | That may look like a Ferris wheel but it acts a battery replacement station for small robots. The
marXbot
heads to the battery station when it gets low on juice. Once in the cradle, arms on each side hold the bot in place while the low battery is sucked out and a fresh one from the 15-slot carousel is inserted. The robot doesn’t power down but relies on stored electricity from some large capacitors during the changeover. See it happen after the break.
A while ago we saw
a robot that could plug itself into a wall outlet
. That’s great because the robot doesn’t have to return to a charging station, but it still has to wait for its battery to top off. With a few strategically placed battery stations it’s easy to keep a robot up and running with almost no down time for a battery swap.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zEeLjeJslH4]
[via
BotJunkie
] | 24 | 24 | [
{
"comment_id": "156814",
"author": "eight",
"timestamp": "2010-07-09T18:17:43",
"content": "this is kind of creepy",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "156816",
"author": "mowcius",
"timestamp": "2010-07-09T18:22:32",
"content": "very ne... | 1,760,377,410.589894 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/07/09/nixie-sudoku/ | Nixie Sudoku | Mike Szczys | [
"classic hacks"
] | [
"arduino",
"nixie",
"recursive",
"solver",
"sudoku"
] | [John Sarik] asked himself why a project should only have a handful of Nixie tubes? Without a good answer to his query he went ahead and
built this Sudoku game
using 81 Nixie tubes. There’s not much of a description for his work but here’s how we think things go: The two knobs manipulate a cursor, one for rows and the other for columns, while the keypad is used to input your chosen number. The system is Arduino based and [John’s] linked to his code, schematic, and board layout files on Dropbox. He’s even written a recursive solver which can be seen in the video after the break. Would it be inappropriate to bring this to work and whip it out during some down time?
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xdmOi67PPvs]
[Thanks async1ronous] | 20 | 20 | [
{
"comment_id": "156794",
"author": "Brennan",
"timestamp": "2010-07-09T16:30:35",
"content": "Nice, I like it! The solver algorithm is a good inclusion. If he REALLY wants to impress people though, he should build a Sudoku generator that cranks out unique puzzles with exactly one correct solution u... | 1,760,377,410.645281 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/07/09/get-started-with-speech-recognition/ | Get Started With Speech Recognition | Rachel Fee | [
"how-to"
] | [
"handsfree",
"software",
"speech",
"voice"
] | Speech recognition makes it easier for us to be lazy with our devices – or perhaps set up the coolest voice-controlled project around. After the
voice controlled home automation
post, we received a lot of emails asking “how can I make it recognize my voice?”. Whether your project involves a PC or an Android phone, a high-budget, or no budget at all, there is a solution out there. Join us after the break for a complete set of instructions on setting up speech recognition, and some of the best software options out there to meet your needs.
Got a Microphone?
Using a microphone is the only way to get your voice commands to the computer for interpretation. If you’ve got a laptop, you’re probably set to go, as most laptops come with microphones already built in. Not sure? Look for a small hole around the screen or keyboard. It may be labeled, but not always. You can also try checking the list of features in your computer’s manual, or head to your control panel and select “Sound”. In this pop-up window, you’ll find a tab titled “Recording”. If you’ve got a mic installed, it will be listed here.
If you’re using a desktop, you’ll likely have to buy an external microphone. Many webcams include a built-in mic – check the package to make sure. Some newer media keyboards also include a microphone. If this is the case for you, you may have to reposition your keyboard out of confined space to reduce echo. If you’re a PC or Xbox 360 gamer, you might have a headset used to communicate with other players live. This can double as a mic for voice recognition. Don’t have any of these? Head to your nearest store which sells computer accessories – try Best Buy, Future Shop, RadioShack, or your favorite locally-owned retailer. A basic, usable microphone can range from a few dollars to hundreds of dollars. While a six hundred dollar microphone is unnecessary unless you plan to record a studio album with your computer, it might be a good idea to stay away from the cheapest of the cheap – these can often have a choppy and uneven sound of which your computer can not interpret. Generally a headset mic (or gaming headset) is the best way to go, as it sits close to your mouth for minimal interference. Make sure the mic you choose is compatible with your computer’s operating system and has an input your computer uses, and buy away!
Flickr: [Yoppy]
[Link]
Set Up Your Voice Recognition Software
Window 7 or Windows Vista
Voice recognition on either of these operating systems is as easy as a few clicks. With these operating systems, voice commands are thorough and simplistic, allowing you to control everything from form navigation, menu navigation, Office programs, and more. For almost anything you need to do, there is a voice command. To get started, head to the control panel and select “Speech Recognition”.
From here, you can test your microphone, train your computer to understand your individual style of speech, or view and print a reference card containing the commands your computer will understand.
You can also take a tutorial which teaches you the ins and outs of speech recognition in one simple lesson. Select the “Start Speech Recognition” option when you’re ready to get started. This leads you through optimizing your computer’s sound input with positioning tips and speech tests, and guides you through the rest of the configuration in a very user-friendly manner. When you finish the wizard, you’ll be ready to go!
You can refer back to the speech recognition reference card as often as you need to review the commands your computer will understand.
Windows XP
Voice recognition in XP is as easy to set up as it is with the newer Windows operating systems, however, it lacks the vast array of features that Vista and 7 offer. Speech recognition is supported by all Microsoft Office programs, however, only 2002 and 2003 versions are supported. With a version earlier that 2002, or with 2007 or 2010 versions in XP, you’re out of luck, as built in speech recognition is not supported. Otherwise, basic commands are not always supported, and speech recognition cannot be used with all programs. In general, you will have to enable speech recognition specifically for each program with which you wish to use it, and it will not be available in all programs.
Windows XP uses a speech recognition engine which comes with Office XP, though is not always installed by default. Open control panel, and from classic display, select the “speech” option. If you’re using the newer, categorical menu in XP, you’ll have to first select the “Sounds, speech, and audio devices” option.
Youtube: [mickmoose429992]
[Link]
If you see a “speech recognition” tab in “speech properties”, you’re ready to go, as the engine has already been installed.
Youtube: [mickmoose429992]
[Link]
If this option is missing, you’ll need to install it. From the control panel, select the “add or remove programs” option.
Youtube: [mickmoose429992]
[Link]
Find Microsoft Office XP, and select the “change” option. Be careful not to uninstall!
Youtube: [mickmoose429992]
[Link]
Find “features to install”, select the “alternative user input” option, followed by the “speech” option. Select “run from my computer” and click update. This automatically includes speech recognition in all Office programs, and makes the feature available to other programs.
Youtube: [mickmoose429992]
[Link]
Mac OS X
Apple was one of the first to come out with speech recognition – a crazy idea at the time. This was back in 1993. We’ve come a long way since then, from more fluid, user-friendly controls to the ability to perform almost any action without ever touching your keyboard. Setting up speech recognition in OS X is a breeze. Once you’ve got you mic ready, select “system preferences” from the Apple drop-down menu. From this menu, select the “speech” option.
Youtube: [fifedjdomo]
[Link]
Enabling “Speakable Items” will turn on the default commands, allowing you to perform most basic tasks.
Youtube: [fifedjdomo]
[Link]
Through available options, you can set up your microphone and further customize the use of the program. The set of commands used to control your computer is fully customizable. Pair this with VoiceOver, a program designed for the blind, and you’ll hardly need to touch your computer in order to use it.
Linux Ubuntu
Linux does not currently have a complete solution for speech recognition. Though several projects have been started, none have been finished. There are several pieces of software that can perform some of the speech recognition tasks that Windows or Mac can accomplish, but nowhere near as thoroughly or easily. There is also no proprietary software for speech recognition with Linux, however, there are some partially-completed open source solutions for Ubuntu. Julius Speech Recognition engine is one of these utilities – a program used to interpret and execute a set of pre-determined voice commands. Detailed instructions for installation can be found
[here]
.
Youtube: [jgraves1141]
[Link]
Documentation on the installation and use of Julius is
very
limited due to the fact that the program is not completely finished, so you may not want to attempt an install unless you are completely comfortable with the use of Linux. The Julius package available for download contains two parts – an installer, and the program. First run the installer which will take you through the installation of Julius.
Another great solution is to use a Windows-based program such as Dragon NatuallySpeaking in combination WineHQ, however, there are lapses in fluidity that often have to be worked-around. For example, in some cases, a basic paragraph must be narrated to Dragon’s text editor and then copy-pasted into the appropriate location rather than transcribed directly to the appropriate program.
WineHQ:
[Link]
Top Third Party Proprietary Software
If you have an older operating system, or simply don’t like the speech recognition software included with your operating system, a third party program may be what you need. There are dozens of free and paid speech recognitions out there, customizable, non-customizable, open source, for business, for personal use, and more. With so many options, you’re sure to find exactly what you want at a cost you can afford. Some of the most popular:
Dragon NaturallySpeaking
Dragon is a name that pops up over and over when searching for speech recognition software. Made for PC, it’s highly regarded for its speed, accuracy, ease of use, and large number of commands. The basic version of Dragon for home use is around $100 US, though many versions are available with more specific features, such as packages for medical or legal offices. These packages can cost over a $1000 US, though are unnecessary for the basic user. Dragon NaturallySpeaking software packages also include a mic, so you won’t have to try and find your own. In addition to Windows, many users have claimed great success with Dragon in combination with WineHQ for Ubuntu.
Dragon NaturallySpeaking:
[Link]
MacSpeech Dictate
MacSpeech is produced by the same makers as Dragon NaturallySpeaking. It was built from the ground up, rather than being ported, so it is free of the bugs that typically come with adapted software. Similar to Dragon, MacSpeech offers not only dictation recognition, but customizable speech commands as well, and includes a mic in the package. Also following the Dragon theme, medical and legal versions are available, as well as an international edition which supports Italian, French, and German in addition to English. These speech recognition tools for Mac range from $150 US to $600 US.
MacSpeech Dictate:
[Link]
IBM ViaVoice
IBM’s ViaVoice recognition software is designed primarily for use with small mobile devices and vehicle automation systems, though it’s quite highly regarded amongst computer users as well. ViaVoice offers text-to-speech in addition to voice recognition. The command library is intuitive, and the user does not need to stick to a standard set of commands to make use of all the features – the program can interpret most commands as they are given. The speech library contains over 200 thousand words; far more than the average person’s vocabulary. Supported by IBM ViaVoice, in addition to many mobile OS’s, are standard Windows and Mac operating systems.
Third Party Open Source and Free Software
Open source or free voice recognition software that works well is extremely difficult to find – there is really no winner in the open source race for free voice software. In fact, there is hardly a race at all. Numerous open source Linux projects have been started, but due to the extreme scale, none have been finished. Below is a project you can contribute to in order to get the ball rolling on some great open source speech recognition software, as well as a toolkit for your own uses.
VoxForge
VoxForge is a project working to compile a collection of transcribed speech for use with both open source and free voice recognition engines. Upon the completion of this project, free open source speech recognition programs should be given the jumpstart to increase significantly. If you’d like to help the project, you can visit the VoxForge website
[here]
.
VoxForge:
[link]
CMUSphinx
Sphinx is now on version 4 (Sphinx 4). Perhaps the most (or only) popular open source speech recognition tool, Sphinx is licensed under BSD and is written in Java. Sphinx also offers a mobile version called “PocketSphinx”. This may be more useful for developers than the average user, but it’s one of the only solutions available, not to mention a versatile and thorough one. It does not come ready to go out of the box, but rather is a tool that can be utilized by developers. It certainly needs some work before it’s ready to go.
CMUSphinx:
[Link]
How to Install CMUSphinx
Setting up CMUSphinx is not the easiest task, but it is likely to pay off with a great product. This install needs to be done manually.
Before you get started, you’ll need a few things – Perl, in order to run the scripts, and a C complier for the source code. Perl is free, and included with most Linux distributions. GCC (GNU Compiler Collection) is a good tool for the C portion of the source code. A word alignment program is also necessary – CMU suggests “Sclite”, a tool specifically used for speech recognition programs.
The databases you will need are available
[here]
. You’ll need either AN4 or RM1. Next, you’ll need to set up the trainer. A trainer helps your computer interpret your commands. Set up the tutorial – this will include copying the scripts to the proper area. The decoder is next. Though you can pick any decoder you choose, CMU describes the installation with Sphinx 3, and encourages you to perform your testing with Sphinx 3. Once you have all of the appropriate files in the correct directory, it’s time to compile, and set up the tutorial. Perform a training run, and finally, perform a decode. This set-up is extremely complicated, as is likely best left to the professionals – certainly not something for most average users.
Full instructions can be found on the Carnegie Mellon University’s Sphinx website
[here]
.
This demo shows Sphinx in action:
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=owJS5XwXAEA]
You’re Ready To Go!
Once you’ve got your mic functional and in-place, as your speech software set up and configured, you’ll be ready to get started! Sit back and get talkin’! | 52 | 48 | [
{
"comment_id": "156788",
"author": "Pelrun",
"timestamp": "2010-07-09T16:09:48",
"content": "When did this become windows help?",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "156791",
"author": "Kaeles",
"timestamp": "2010-07-09T16:13:25",
"conten... | 1,760,377,410.922915 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/07/09/meter-clock/ | Meter Clock | Caleb Kraft | [
"clock hacks"
] | [
"analog",
"clock",
"meter"
] | This
analog meter clock
was built by [Len Bayles]. Its 3 meters are controlled by an AT89c2051. The circuit itself is very simple, and available on the site. The meters are powered from a DAC, with a quad amp in between to keep the meter from drawing too much current.
[via
HackedGadgets
] | 14 | 14 | [
{
"comment_id": "156763",
"author": "darkore",
"timestamp": "2010-07-09T14:26:25",
"content": "The op-amps are not for keeping the meter from drawing too much current. On the contrary, they are there to provide enough current to the meters :)",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": [... | 1,760,377,410.776801 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/07/08/control-a-tv-with-glcd-commands/ | Control A TV With GLCD Commands | Mike Szczys | [
"classic hacks"
] | [
"18F452",
"glcd",
"pic",
"tv"
] | [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t3gMjuVdQnA]
This hack lets you
use a TV in place of a graphic LCD screen
. But we like to think of this less as a replacement for a GLCD and more of a simple way to get your information onto a television. A PIC 18F452 acts as a translator between the GLCD parallel inputs and a composite video output. There are some malformed image links on the page which we’ve fixed and linked to after to the break so that you can take a look at the schematic, component layout, and PCB artwork. The assembler code and hex file are available for download but you’ll need to register to get access to them.
Working image links:
Schematic
Component Layout
PCB Artwork
[Thanks Flacoclau] | 7 | 7 | [
{
"comment_id": "156611",
"author": "HackerK",
"timestamp": "2010-07-08T21:25:45",
"content": "This is cool! I like PICs. ;)",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "156702",
"author": "elektrophreak",
"timestamp": "2010-07-09T06:46:04",
"con... | 1,760,377,411.292735 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/07/08/stylin-hmd/ | Stylin’ HMD | Jakob Griffith | [
"home entertainment hacks",
"Video Hacks",
"Wearable Hacks"
] | [
"display",
"head",
"hmd",
"resolution",
"staffan",
"sunglasses"
] | Watch out,
these sunglasses
are actually a
head mounted display
. [Staffan] says he’s wanted dataglasses since ’95, but whats currently out there makes the user look ridiculous, and we
have to agree
. While his forum posts are a little lacking in detail, he’s promised us more info soon. And for now lets us know at least the resolution, well sort of: Its either 480×1280 or 480x427x3,
you can be the judge
. Update: [Staffan] has clarified “The resolution is 480*1280 true pixels. It is accomplished by spanning the screen across two Kopin CyberDisplay VGA modules.”
Regardless, [Staffan] is looking for help perfecting the glasses, with what in particular we’re not sure, but the project looks promising and we hope he keeps up the good work. | 22 | 22 | [
{
"comment_id": "156552",
"author": "Nick",
"timestamp": "2010-07-08T18:24:32",
"content": "Probably the most sleek pair I’ve seen thus far.Hopefully there’s a video coming soon???",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "156556",
"author": "andrew",... | 1,760,377,411.097655 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/07/08/building-an-electric-kart/ | Building An Electric Kart | Mike Szczys | [
"Transportation Hacks"
] | [
"electric",
"henry herndon",
"kart"
] | [Henry Herndon] is working on
building an electric kart
, mostly with surplus parts. He’s got
some experience with electric vehicles
but that doesn’t mean the build is going without a hitch. So far he’s come up with a way to
make the peculiar motor shaft play nicely
with his rig but once everything was put together he had trouble with the chain coming off of the cogs.
We know there’s a lot of links here so far but just a couple more: [Henry] took some shots of
the kart chassis
before adding the motor, and just for fun, take a look at
his scotch tape dispenser
. When you’re done clicking on those join us after the break for some test drive footage.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pzLCLKqZYl0]
[Thanks FaultyWarrior] | 12 | 12 | [
{
"comment_id": "156549",
"author": "Heatgap/Ho0d0o",
"timestamp": "2010-07-08T18:13:16",
"content": "The pickup and speed of the cart is pretty nice. I think I’d rather go with a Briggs and Stratt or Tecumseh though.",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_i... | 1,760,377,411.144744 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/07/08/leapster-explorer-continues-the-didj-tradition/ | Leapster Explorer Continues The Didj Tradition | Mike Szczys | [
"handhelds hacks"
] | [
"Didj",
"explorer",
"Leapfrog",
"leapster"
] | Leapfrog has a new device out called the Leapster Explorer. [The Moogle] has been
poking around the insides
and he patched into the serial bus to get
USB host mode
running. Because the same cartridge interface is used for the Didj and the Explorer, tools like
the DJHI
should continue to work. The $70 price tag makes this a no-brainer if you interested in doing some portable hacking. We’ve seen promising Didj hacks such as
OpenGL
and
Video out
, hopefully the new hardware will help advance the cause. | 14 | 13 | [
{
"comment_id": "156523",
"author": "strider_mt2k",
"timestamp": "2010-07-08T16:30:39",
"content": "It’s impressive what’s been done on these devices.Wow, you guys are insane in the best way!",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "156534",
"author"... | 1,760,377,411.254908 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/07/08/stepping-beyond-the-ethernet-shield/ | Stepping Beyond The Ethernet Shield | Mike Szczys | [
"Arduino Hacks"
] | [
"enc28j60",
"ethernet",
"nic"
] | We’ve said it time and again, the Arduino is a prototyping platform. In that spirit, [Doug Jackson] shows you how to conserve the expensive Arduino board and Ethernet shield by
building your own Arduino Ethernet module
. You may remember the ENC28j60 as
a NIC for your microcontrollers
. [Doug’s] board makes use of that chip and adds an ATmega168 with a crystal, power regulator, breakout pins, and even a few DIP switches which can come in quite handy. | 22 | 21 | [
{
"comment_id": "156485",
"author": "nave.notnilc",
"timestamp": "2010-07-08T15:07:21",
"content": "nice; single-sided, mostly through-hole, no super-expensive or weird parts, and arduino-compatible. now I just need something useful to do with one!",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"repl... | 1,760,377,411.203492 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/07/08/introductions-3-new-writers/ | Introductions: 3 New Writers | Caleb Kraft | [
"News"
] | [
"basic",
"beginner",
"reviews"
] | We would like to introduce our new writers [Rachel Fee], [Greg Jacobs], and [Jacob Nahin]. They will be focusing on software reviews and tutorials in response to the daily requests for posts that don’t require that you be an electrical engineer to understand.
The Hack a Day community is growing very fast and we are happy to be a valued source of information to our readers. | 65 | 50 | [
{
"comment_id": "156452",
"author": "Hacker Harry",
"timestamp": "2010-07-08T14:27:26",
"content": "welcome aboard :)",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "156453",
"author": "Sprite_tm",
"timestamp": "2010-07-08T14:31:09",
"content": "Wha... | 1,760,377,411.49204 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/07/08/wear-a-helmet-rollerblades-with-attitude/ | Wear A Helmet, Rollerblades With Attitude | Jakob Griffith | [
"Transportation Hacks"
] | [
"custom",
"efficient",
"frame",
"lilipad",
"motors",
"rollerblades",
"wireless"
] | Wireless controller, more powerful custom-made motors, stronger frame, and with a name like
DeathBlades
, we can’t think of a single reason why you would prefer
heel treads
,
well everyone was
young at one time
.
[Charleg] has been testing out a
slightly new frame
, despite having only half the motors necessary, and is getting great results hitting around 23Wh/mi. If you’re looking to build your own, his blog has
a post
for
nearly every
aspect
of the design
.
[Thanks Jerome Demers] | 13 | 13 | [
{
"comment_id": "156426",
"author": "Heatgap/Ho0d0o",
"timestamp": "2010-07-08T11:26:06",
"content": "No video? It would be nice to see them in action, but your right they already sound better than tread-watchamacallitz..",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comme... | 1,760,377,413.149358 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/07/07/touch-screen-using-range-sensors/ | Touch Screen Using Range Sensors | Mike Szczys | [
"Multitouch Hacks"
] | [
"arduino",
"flash",
"range finder",
"touch",
"ultrasonic"
] | This
touch screen relies on measurements from two range finders
to track your finger as you press buttons. [James Alliban] put this together as his first Arduino project. We’re familiar with [James’] background because of his informative
augmented reality business card
. As the Arduino picks up data from the range finder it sends it to a Flash script that is running on the PC.
As we watched the video after the break a lot of questions came to mind. What kind of angle do these Ping sensors have? Will there be interference problems if they were placed perpendicular with each other? Would you get more accurate data if they were not both on the top of the screen? For now this is just a preliminary experiment, but we like the concept and may give it a try ourselves.
[vimeo=http://vimeo.com/1125833]
[Thanks Juan] | 17 | 17 | [
{
"comment_id": "156249",
"author": "biozz",
"timestamp": "2010-07-07T21:31:06",
"content": "its almost annoyingly accurate for a sonar sensor",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "156254",
"author": "Joe",
"timestamp": "2010-07-07T21:39:59",
... | 1,760,377,413.10289 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/07/07/heel-treads-make-shoes-go/ | Heel Treads Make Shoes Go | Mike Szczys | [
"Transportation Hacks",
"Wearable Hacks"
] | [
"electric",
"jetsons",
"motor",
"shoes",
"treak"
] | Motorized treads
as a replacement for the heel of your shoe? Okay, remember how
The Jetsons
had moving sidewalks everywhere so you wouldn’t have to walk at all? Well, there’s a much more efficient way to do it and Treadway Mobility seems to have figured it out. In the video after the break you can see several of their prototype units zipping the wearer around quite happily. We think the best part is that with the tread locked in place you can stand and walk like normal, assuming you don’t feel like you have a block of concrete attached to each foot. Maybe the real question is which is more geeky, this or
the power lace shoes
?
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FB9Yrr25P8M]
[Thanks Edward] | 50 | 50 | [
{
"comment_id": "156218",
"author": "Brennan",
"timestamp": "2010-07-07T20:16:24",
"content": "The human portrayl in the movie Wall-E seems more plausible every day.",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "156219",
"author": "Brennan",
"timestam... | 1,760,377,413.231937 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/07/07/whole-house-current-monitoring/ | Whole House Current Monitoring | Mike Szczys | [
"classic hacks",
"green hacks",
"home hacks"
] | [
"18f4520",
"current",
"lm358",
"meter",
"monitor",
"msp6s21",
"power",
"rms"
] | [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HlRBrTTLQFU]
[Debraj Deb] put together a current monitoring
device that interfaces with the circuit box
at his house. The system is controlled by a PIC 18F4520 and uses an LM358 Op-Amp to rectify the AC signal, as well as an MCP6S21 for range adjustments for detecting both high or low current loads. The data displayed on a character LCD includes average,
RMS
, and peak current. For now the data is saved to an EEPROM and can be dumped using a serial connection but [Debraj] plans to add a GSM modem so he can send energy use data to his cell phone.
[Thanks Ganesh] | 46 | 46 | [
{
"comment_id": "156203",
"author": "Nick McClanahan",
"timestamp": "2010-07-07T19:06:12",
"content": "Very cool & useful. Wonder how hard it is to plug into the google power stuff. Placing in eeprom isn’t very useful, but getting it out automatically would be better.",
"parent_id": null,
... | 1,760,377,413.785283 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/07/07/humble-homes-simple-shacks/ | Humble Homes, Simple Shacks | Caleb Kraft | [
"home hacks",
"News"
] | [
"construction",
"diy",
"shack"
] | [Derek] puts the “hack” into the word shack. We really enjoyed his “little yellow house” videos and
shared them with you
. After that, we discovered that he has published a book. No, he didn’t
have
it published,
he
published it. This guy is DIY through and through. “
Humble Homes, Simple Shacks, Cozy Cottages, Ramshackle Retreats, Funky Forts (And Whatever The Heck Else We Could Squeeze In Here)
” was hand produced by [Derek] himself. It includes plans for a number of different shacks, ranging in size from too tiny for an adult to large enough to house a family. Not all of them are completely practical, but there are several that would make perfect workshops.
We got a copy of the book and have been getting lost in the seemingly endless illustrations. We highly recommend that you do so as well, if you have any interest in building from scrap, or unique structures. Even if you aren’t that interested in construction, the eclectic style and humorous rants about waste might just be enough to keep this book around. | 10 | 10 | [
{
"comment_id": "156198",
"author": "UltraMagnus",
"timestamp": "2010-07-07T18:36:21",
"content": "this is the second book ad you have posted in a week, how much are you guys getting paid for this?",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "156205",
"a... | 1,760,377,413.493098 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/07/07/nexus-one-gets-linux/ | Nexus One Gets Linux | Jakob Griffith | [
"Android Hacks"
] | [
"debian",
"interface",
"linux",
"shell",
"ubuntu",
"vnc",
"x11"
] | [youtube
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3wQ9XogfjRU&feature=player_embedded%5D
Considering how hackable the Nexus One is already, we can only imagine a whole new host of interesting things thanks to
Ubuntu running on the device
. [Max Lee] set his heart out on getting not just Ubuntu on the Nexus One, but also Debian, and he wrote a perfect install guide to help out those wanting to give it a shot.
He cheated a little bit by having Ubuntu run in the background while the X11 interface is simply VNCed, but he still did an awesome job with
plenty of pictures and details
to help you achieve Ubuntu on your Nexus One. | 21 | 21 | [
{
"comment_id": "156177",
"author": "wifigod",
"timestamp": "2010-07-07T17:16:53",
"content": "Uhh, Android IS Linux (o.O) Misleading title.Other than that, awesome tutorial!",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "156186",
"author": "wizbang2010",
... | 1,760,377,413.709863 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/07/07/multi-layer-display-uses-water-instead-of-screen/ | Multi-layer Display Uses Water Instead Of Screen | Mike Szczys | [
"cons",
"Video Hacks"
] | [
"display",
"drops",
"projector",
"tetris",
"water"
] | This
multi-layer display uses droplets of water
as a projection medium. This way, several different projected areas can be seen for a not-quite-3D layering effect. The trick is in syncing up all aspects of the apparatus. There are three manifolds, each with 50 stainless steel needles for water drop production. A solenoid valve actuates the drops, a camera images them mid-air, and a computer syncs the images of the dots with a projector. In the video after the break you can see the SIGGRAPH 2010 presentation that includes a description of the process as well as action shots including a 3-layer version of Tetris.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L0i-uTa4kv4]
[Thanks Mid_Sci via
theEngineer
] | 17 | 17 | [
{
"comment_id": "156170",
"author": "mostlymac",
"timestamp": "2010-07-07T16:31:34",
"content": "If anybody’s been to a Disney theme park, they’ve seen water used as a projection screen. This takes it a step further by allowing for multiple layers. It’s fascinating to see how they designed all this ... | 1,760,377,413.283979 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/07/07/wireless-face-tracking-camera/ | Wireless Face Tracking Camera | Caleb Kraft | [
"Arduino Hacks",
"digital cameras hacks"
] | [] | [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8luy8jP1UNs]
A student team at University of Massachusetts have built this
wireless face tracking camera system
. Using a small 2-axis motorized camera meant to be mounted on model airplanes, an arduino, and some custom software, they can track faces and keep them in frame in real-time. This is pretty cool, but maybe
not quite as groundbreaking
as they make it sound. We think it is pretty awesome though. You can download the software and schematics on their site.
[via
MakeZine
] | 11 | 10 | [
{
"comment_id": "156131",
"author": "sibmad",
"timestamp": "2010-07-07T14:13:37",
"content": "Hehe. A couple of years ago I made a userspace (python) driver for the Webcam Rocket Launcher (http://www.thinkgeek.com/geektoys/cubegoodies/a1c2/), making it capable of tracking and shooting faces. Made my... | 1,760,377,413.535879 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/07/07/texting-with-some-walkie-talkies/ | Texting With Some Walkie-talkies | Mike Szczys | [
"classic hacks",
"Radio Hacks"
] | [
"ASCII",
"frs",
"modem",
"radio",
"text"
] | [Travers Buda] is giving new life to his abandoned childhood toys. He cracked open a set of Family Radio Services radios he had received for a birthday which work up to 2 kilometers apart. With just a bit of extra circuitry he was able to
get them to act as wireless modems
. The system functions but it looks like it would benefit from some more refinement, including error correction. In the end [Travers] manages to send and receive ASCII based messages at a whopping baud rate of 10. | 44 | 42 | [
{
"comment_id": "156118",
"author": "Steve",
"timestamp": "2010-07-07T13:29:14",
"content": "Technically, the license granted by the FCC specifically disallows transmitting “data” on the family radio bands, which includes touch tones. But the odds of getting ‘caught’ are pretty much zero… I looked... | 1,760,377,413.445518 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/07/06/dacatron-stand-in/ | Decatron Stand-in | Mike Szczys | [
"LED Hacks"
] | [
"captain nelson",
"decatron",
"fake",
"led",
"liquor"
] | Think the swirling glow of a Decatron is cool but don’t want to deal with the voltage issues? [Osgeld] sidestepped the problem by developing
a fake Decatron
. Admiral Nelson (Captain Morgan’s cheaper cousin) provided the enclosure in the form of an airplane sized liquor bottle. The LEDs are common-something (not sure if it’s anode or cathode) so they end up being individually addressable through the mess of wires coming out the end. This will greatly simplify that
kitchen timer
we’ve been meaning to build. See the blinking lights go around and around after the break.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fILZD6czgbI] | 66 | 50 | [
{
"comment_id": "155843",
"author": "Morten",
"timestamp": "2010-07-06T18:10:13",
"content": "check the videos before posting maybe?",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "155844",
"author": "osgeld",
"timestamp": "2010-07-06T18:10:49",
"co... | 1,760,377,413.369202 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/07/06/mini-racing-cabinet/ | Mini Racing Cabinet | Mike Szczys | [
"home entertainment hacks"
] | [
"arcade",
"cabinet",
"daytona",
"mame",
"racing"
] | Here’s another
small arcade cabinet
. This time around it’s the racing simulator Daytona USA. [Pocket_lucho’s]
cabinet work has been featured before
and he did some fine work with the control interface on this build. The wheel is from the controller of an RC car and the gear lever from a heavily used toy. He fashioned two pedals using gate hinges and a couple of leaf switches. The guts pack quite a punch with a mini ITX motherboard running the show. This will look great next to
Ms. Pac-Man
. Check out the video after the break.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BNHYtaiDs_8] | 10 | 10 | [
{
"comment_id": "155822",
"author": "sp00nix",
"timestamp": "2010-07-06T17:15:12",
"content": "Day-he-TONAAAAA It’s going!",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "155824",
"author": "sp00nix",
"timestamp": "2010-07-06T17:16:58",
"content": "... | 1,760,377,413.832993 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/07/06/bassoforte-and-other-new-instruments/ | Bassoforte And Other New Instruments | Mike Szczys | [
"Musical Hacks"
] | [
"bass",
"diego stocco",
"hans zimmer",
"piano",
"sand",
"string"
] | [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lhp6P9Ygsoc]
[Diego Stocco] makes music with instruments he assembled. For instance, his Bassoforte uses piano keys, the neck and strings from an electric bass, and what look like some cymbals. Throw in a hammer from that piano and a double bass bow (plus heavy use of audio software) and he’s in business. Big business actually, his work has been in video games such as The Conduit and in feature films like Sherlock Holmes where he worked with Hans Zimmer. Bassoforte isn’t his only invention, he’s got several more including
the Experibass
string family on one instrument, the
Light Controlled Oscillator
, and
sand music
using the fine aggregate along with some piezoelectric film transducers.
[Thanks LuciusMare] | 29 | 29 | [
{
"comment_id": "155808",
"author": "Gert",
"timestamp": "2010-07-06T16:48:08",
"content": "That… sounds like shit.How is this a hack.Making instruments from random parts is something everyone tries in their life.Making it sound good now that’s a skill.",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"... | 1,760,377,413.960485 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/07/06/connecting-a-nokia-3310-lcd-using-an-avr/ | Connecting A Nokia 3310 LCD Using An AVR | Caleb Kraft | [
"Peripherals Hacks"
] | [
"atmega",
"AVR",
"lcd",
"nokia"
] | In this instructible, [wkter] takes us through the process of
running a Nokia 3310 LCD display using an ATmega8
. This instructible isn’t a beginners project as he assumes you already have a strong understanding of how to work with these components and their programming languages. He is very thorough with information though, providing datasheets, pinout diagrams, and source code. Once you get this down, you could go a little further and make
Conway’s game of life
. | 7 | 7 | [
{
"comment_id": "155791",
"author": "Smoker_Dave",
"timestamp": "2010-07-06T15:22:26",
"content": "Soldering to those LCD’s is a real pain!",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "155798",
"author": "Roboguy",
"timestamp": "2010-07-06T15:51:22",... | 1,760,377,414.059147 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/07/06/30-mph-electric-mountain-bike/ | 30 Mph Electric Mountain Bike | Caleb Kraft | [
"Transportation Hacks"
] | [
"bicycle",
"e-bike",
"electric"
] | [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xBn-VIzJsSk]
A 48 volt power house pushes this mountain bike at speeds up to 30Mph. That’s a bit of a boost from many off the shelf E-bikes. [Jennifer Holt] wanted speed, and to retain the off road capabilities of her bike, so she
made a custom one
. As you can see in the video, this thing gets going fast and hills are no problem. She says that it will toss you off if you slam the throttle, and we believe her. We know some of you will insist on chiding her because she’s not wearing a helmet in those videos. She did manage to break her elbow offroading in the video after the break. That part is edited out though.
[via
Makezine
]
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5YlDcfW0btM] | 40 | 39 | [
{
"comment_id": "155768",
"author": "jongscx",
"timestamp": "2010-07-06T13:50:41",
"content": "I’m more ragging on the fact that this is an electric motorcycle/motocross built using bicycle parts.I’d always assumed that a bicycle needed pedals…",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies":... | 1,760,377,414.251041 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/07/05/power-laces-take-us-5-years-into-the-future/ | Power Laces Take Us 5 Years Into The Future | Mike Szczys | [
"Wearable Hacks"
] | [
"arduino",
"back to the future",
"laces",
"servo",
"shoes",
"sneakers"
] | [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ROEZs0HpFQc]
Back to the Future Part 2 provided a glimpse of a future that included hover boards and holographic advertisements. But you don’t have to wait until 2015 to get your hands on at least some of the technology. [Blake Bevin] has produced a pair of
shoes with power laces
as seen in the film. Of course present day technology doesn’t allow him to make the mechanical parts disappear so you’ll have to deal with two servo motors and an Arduino hanging off of your heels. But hey, at least you won’t have to tie your own shoes like some 20th century peasant. No word on
using these for a little theme music
as you walk around but maybe that’s something from the more distant future. | 36 | 36 | [
{
"comment_id": "155550",
"author": "Solderguy",
"timestamp": "2010-07-05T18:10:20",
"content": "First!Also,great concept! I would totally buy this if it wasn’t such a fruity color!",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "155551",
"author": "Vonskip... | 1,760,377,414.364904 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/07/05/wireless-garage-door-indicator/ | Wireless Garage Door Indicator | Mike Szczys | [
"home hacks"
] | [
"attiny13",
"garage door",
"RF",
"wireless"
] | [Sixerdoodle’s]
garage door indicator
tells him if the door is open or closed. He was inspired by
the hack from last September
but wanted to make it wireless. The setup uses an RF transmitter/receiver pair from Sparkfun, each controlled by an ATtiny13 microcontroller. We found his battle with RF interference from other devices to be interesting. Working out those bugs made for a great learning experience. | 13 | 13 | [
{
"comment_id": "155544",
"author": "jc",
"timestamp": "2010-07-05T17:28:28",
"content": "I’ve been contemplating a variant of this. I’d like to know when I drive off and leave the door open. I’d like a receiver in the car that squawks when I get to the end of the drive way and the door is open.Wi... | 1,760,377,414.012798 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/07/05/reverse-engineering-an-rf-clicker/ | Reverse Engineering An RF Clicker | Caleb Kraft | [
"classic hacks",
"Wireless Hacks"
] | [
"class",
"RF"
] | [Travis Goodspeed] has
pulled apart a TurningPoint response card
, which is an RF device for answering quizzes, attendance checks, and casting votes in a classroom setting. After tearing it apart, he set out to reverse engineer it and managed to get quite a lot done. At this point he can spoof cards, so he could fake his or several people’s attendance. He can also sniff the packets as they are sent, opening up a plethora of opportunities to mischief. The one that was mentioned in the tip line was to simply repeat the answer that was most often sent for the quizzes. The writeup is very detailed and has great pictures. Good job [Travis].
[thanks Springuin] | 17 | 17 | [
{
"comment_id": "155543",
"author": "atrain",
"timestamp": "2010-07-05T17:26:05",
"content": "I was planning on doing this with my clicker as well (brand: einstruction). It runs a Motorola cpu with a separate RF chip and firmware is on a eeprom. It also has 6 test pins labelled PROG in the battery c... | 1,760,377,414.113766 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/07/05/marvelous-magnetic-machines/ | Marvelous Magnetic Machines | Caleb Kraft | [
"News"
] | [
"book",
"motors",
"scrap",
"trash"
] | [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BNp-ICvvM1o]
[HP Friedrichs] wrote in to tell us about an
upcoming book titled Marvelous Magnetic Machines
. Ordinarily, we skip over promotional hype. After watching his promo video though, we couldn’t help but share. We want a copy of this book. In this book you’ll find details on how to build a number of different motors from scrap. You can see several variations in the promo video. He also notes that the music was created by himself and some friends a few years ago. If [H.P. Friedrichs] sounds familiar, it is because he’s been
sending us fantastic project
s since at least 2006. | 15 | 15 | [
{
"comment_id": "155520",
"author": "okay",
"timestamp": "2010-07-05T14:50:25",
"content": "Cool machines, crappy promo vid.",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "155526",
"author": "elkolord",
"timestamp": "2010-07-05T15:15:52",
"content"... | 1,760,377,414.298935 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/07/04/wireless-presenters-easily-cracked/ | Wireless Presenters Easily Cracked | Jakob Griffith | [
"Security Hacks",
"Wireless Hacks"
] | [
"arduino",
"dongle",
"keynote",
"presenter",
"spi",
"usb",
"wireless"
] | While
hacking a wireless presenter
doesn’t sound like something worthwhile or interesting, [Niels Teusink] demonstrates that these little devices often are a lot more powerful than we give them credit.
With an Arduino, plenty of research, and some heavy sniffing of a wireless presenter’s SPI and then wireless interface [Niels] is able to emulate an entire keyboard. Sending commands as harmless as “next slide” to the devastating “[Win+R] Format C:”. Hopefully anyone planning such a project at the next Apple or Microsoft keynote just intends some gentle fun.
Related:
Wireless keyboards easily cracked
.
[Thanks Dan Ransom] | 18 | 18 | [
{
"comment_id": "155387",
"author": "D_",
"timestamp": "2010-07-04T21:21:39",
"content": "I can appreciate Niels efforts, and sharing the discoveries online. While I’m not compelled to duplicate his efforts there is something to be learned from the details of his process. Thanks to Niels for posti... | 1,760,377,414.420987 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/07/04/robotseverywhere/ | RobotsEverywhere | Caleb Kraft | [
"Android Hacks",
"Robots Hacks"
] | [
"android",
"robots"
] | [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WWh6MFUCZ-U]
[Spiritplumber] has been sending us updates on a promising project he’s working on called RobotsEverywhere. We’re not completely sure if that name covers the project itself, or just the name of
his group that is selling robots
(and
giving us schematics and source code
). Either way, they have some really cool stuff. The really cool part about many of the bots is that they are using
Android phones as their brains
and they use the same system on land, air, and water. There’s tons of information sprinkled around the site and the Wiki, take a few minutes and look around. | 10 | 10 | [
{
"comment_id": "155380",
"author": "Riley August",
"timestamp": "2010-07-04T20:37:47",
"content": "The actual name of the project is Robots Anywhere, and lets you do just what the name suggests: turn damn near anything into a robot with a bit of hacking, a completely stock Android phone (yes, you d... | 1,760,377,414.537365 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/07/04/hard-drive-destruction-plan/ | Hard Drive Destruction Plan | Caleb Kraft | [
"Security Hacks"
] | [
"Thermite"
] | [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jhfF2Et77aw]
[Wolf] emailed us to show us his
Self destructing Hard Drive
tutorial. He’s using thermite, like
we did
, but he’s put a little more effort into the delivery system. In the video, you can see a huge spray molten iron. This is because his “jet”, the block of wood hollowed out to focus the thermite on to the hard drive didn’t hold a seal at the top. Not too bad for try #1. He could probably build this to be more contained, but even then it will most likely turn into “entire self destructing office” if it were to actually be used. A little common sense goes a long way here folks, this is molten metal and is extremely hot and dangerous. | 56 | 50 | [
{
"comment_id": "155335",
"author": "Matlo",
"timestamp": "2010-07-04T18:29:48",
"content": "This is not a hack this is just stupid and dangerous for the environment…",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "155336",
"author": "DC",
"timestamp": ... | 1,760,377,414.700469 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/07/04/calibrate-those-instruments/ | Calibrate Those Instruments | Caleb Kraft | [
"Tool Hacks"
] | [
"calibration"
] | This tip was a pleasant surprise on a Sunday morning.
This site explains cheap and relatively easy ways of calibrating
the instruments we hold so dear. Not only how, but when and why. Included are instructions on calibrating Voltage (DC and AC), frequency, RF and more.
[thanks Jan] | 21 | 21 | [
{
"comment_id": "155312",
"author": "1000100 1000001 1010110 1000101",
"timestamp": "2010-07-04T16:25:16",
"content": "Good write-up.Some years back I found an exceptionally nice-looking rock that I now use as a measure of weight.",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
... | 1,760,377,414.610277 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/07/03/free-laundry-redux/ | Free Laundry Redux | Jakob Griffith | [
"Security Hacks"
] | [
"bus pirate",
"laundromat",
"laundry",
"pseudo",
"smart card"
] | [Koala] was worried his
pseudo smart card trick
wouldn’t be considered a HackaDay worthy. We’re more worried the internet police will find this article and have us all tarred and feathered.
Jokes aside, it seems Laundromat owners sure aren’t learning. Long story short, using a Bus Pirate and a
few techniques
we’ve
seen before
for smart card hacking [Koala] is able to write whatever amount he needs onto his pseudo smart card; thus giving him a
free load of laundry
. | 53 | 50 | [
{
"comment_id": "155131",
"author": "Omni5cience",
"timestamp": "2010-07-03T19:02:53",
"content": "Gah! I’ve been slowly working on what is basically the same thing.",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "155133",
"author": "BadWolf",
"timestam... | 1,760,377,414.892322 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/07/03/no-touch-led-lamp/ | No Touch LED Lamp | Caleb Kraft | [
"LED Hacks"
] | [
"lamp",
"light"
] | [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8wV2UIOV1Fk]
This
elegant looking lamp
uses capacitance sensing to turn on and off. [Mikey77] takes us through the process of making the curved circuits and putting it all together. The circuit is built to be modular, so he could use it elsewhere. That’s a pretty good idea for someone who is always tossing projects together. As usual, schematics are available in the instructable. We love this design and would proudly use this at our office desk. | 10 | 10 | [
{
"comment_id": "155114",
"author": "brian4120",
"timestamp": "2010-07-03T17:16:31",
"content": "Very impressive. I didn’t know that they had thin clad board like that.",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "155124",
"author": "Fizzle",
"timest... | 1,760,377,414.989586 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/07/03/robostool-follows-you-to-your-chair/ | Robostool Follows You To Your Chair | Caleb Kraft | [
"Robots Hacks"
] | [
"norris",
"stool"
] | [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yF6ZL-WerYo]
[Steve] shares another project with us, this time a
robotic foot stool
. A Parallax Propeller micro controller, some linear actuators, servos, and a slew of sensors are enclosed in this vinyl covered cube. It has 3 modes, remote control, follow me (seen in the video above), and come to the beacon. This, along with
[Steve]’s other creations
make us think that his ultimate goal is to have a house full of servant bots eager to carry out every task that would pull him from his chair. That seems like a noble goal to us. You can download source code and schematics from his site. Join us after the break to see more pictures and videos of Robostool.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lPnwycXY6lk]
Here you can see the mode where Robostool comes to him. We’re curious how it knew which way to go.
Here is a picture of the internals.
[via
HacknMod
] | 14 | 13 | [
{
"comment_id": "155105",
"author": "sM10sM20",
"timestamp": "2010-07-03T15:36:01",
"content": "Original and professional, great work.",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "155107",
"author": "PocketBrain",
"timestamp": "2010-07-03T15:38:51",
... | 1,760,377,414.947029 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/07/02/oled-hack-saves-juice-on-nexus-one/ | OLED Hack Saves Juice On Nexus One | Mike Szczys | [
"Android Hacks",
"green hacks"
] | [
"nexus one",
"oled",
"red"
] | Want to really stretch the battery life on your phone? If you have an OLED display [Jeff Sharkey] may have the answer. He did some testing with his Nexus One to
see if color alterations can save on current
. Darker colors draw less amperage and he found that the red pixels are the most efficient. He did a little work with
SurfaceFlinger
, which handles the display on Android devices to make this easy, but what will you get by going red? He measured that using only the red pixels dropped the current use down to 35% of what the full color display was pulling. This reminds us of those efforts to
save energy by running a black background with Google
. Whether you use it or not his post is an interesting read. | 35 | 34 | [
{
"comment_id": "154891",
"author": "pRtkL xLr8r",
"timestamp": "2010-07-02T19:16:30",
"content": "Save energy or no, night vision mode is kinda cool",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "154893",
"author": "macona",
"timestamp": "2010-07-02T1... | 1,760,377,415.64105 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/07/02/tomato-irrigation/ | Tomato Irrigation | Mike Szczys | [
"green hacks"
] | [
"irrigation",
"Tomato",
"vegetable",
"water"
] | No hack will be more readily accepted by the significant other more than an automated vegetable watering system. [Jouni’s]
homemade rig keeps those tomatoes happy
with just the right amount of moisture. A bucket serves as the reservoir, a submersible pump gets the water to the soil through a bit of plastic hose. An Arduino monitors the soil sensor, watering and
tweeting about it
when things dry out too much. Don’t miss
the soil moisture sensor post
if you need some tips on how to get that end of things working. The rest is pretty straightforward. | 31 | 31 | [
{
"comment_id": "154864",
"author": "toaste",
"timestamp": "2010-07-02T18:13:44",
"content": "Instructions for another awesome self-watering container take a bottom-up approach, with a several-gallon reservoir in the bottom that slowly wicks up into the soil.Concept and detailed instructions for one... | 1,760,377,415.058883 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/07/02/coded-safety-for-diy-laser/ | Coded Safety For Diy Laser | Mike Szczys | [
"Laser Hacks"
] | [
"code",
"lock",
"pic",
"safety"
] | [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2yVtJia5UWY]
Finally we see a hack that is focuses on
safety when it comes to high-power laser hacks
. A safety switch has been added to the butt of the flashlight body which houses the laser diode. When the safety is flipped on an LED blinks to prompt the user for a security code. If you enter the correct code on a momentary push switch, electrical access to the laser is enabled. There are also a couple of nice features such as continuous on and auto shutoff.
This would be hard to implement if you’re working on
a watertight package
but we like the fact that an unsuspecting house guest won’t go blind if searching for a flashlight during a storm. One last thing, the code entry system is PIC based which reminds us of [Alan Parekh’s]
one-button system
. | 16 | 16 | [
{
"comment_id": "154854",
"author": "jh",
"timestamp": "2010-07-02T17:44:39",
"content": "now that’s a nice hack.",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "154870",
"author": "willyshop",
"timestamp": "2010-07-02T18:36:39",
"content": "That’s ... | 1,760,377,415.162036 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/07/01/microcontrollers-access-the-web/ | Microcontrollers Access The Web | Caleb Kraft | [
"Peripherals Hacks"
] | [
"10base",
"iobridge",
"network"
] | [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ExoJDxBGEBU]
[Kenneth Finnegan] is back with another video showing some cool stuff he’s doing to
connect his microcontrollers to the internet
. Usually, we see this done with a prebuilt module like an iobridge. [Kenneth] is using a Microchip ENC28j60 module for the communication and he’s managed to stuff it all onto a tiny
Electroboards
piece. [Kenneth] is starting to become
a regular around here
.
[via
HackedGadgets
] | 10 | 9 | [
{
"comment_id": "154463",
"author": "deathventure",
"timestamp": "2010-07-01T14:13:30",
"content": "Neat project. The only time I think wire becomes a problem due to EMF is when it gets to lengths above a few inches. May get some interference, but I don’t think it’s enough to wreak havok. Same idea ... | 1,760,377,415.203275 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/07/01/project-apex-apad-mod/ | Project Apex, Apad Mod | Jakob Griffith | [
"Android Hacks"
] | [
"8500mAh",
"andriod",
"apad",
"battery",
"m002",
"mod",
"project apex",
"slate",
"speaker"
] | [Carnivore] tried to break as many (unofficial) records as possible when he modified his Apad/M002 into what he calls
Project Apex
. Record number 1: [Derek] claims this is the first Apad mod, ever. Record number 2: 8500mAh battery, giving the device a 12 hour life which is longer than any other
Android slate
. Record number 3: beautiful factory-looking finish. Okay, so that last one isn’t really a record, but we thought Project Apex deserved it anyway. There are a few other modifications done to the device as well; click the link or catch a video of him showing off the slate after the jump.
[Thanks Derek Hughes]
[youtube
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VAaVDPW_gnQ%5D | 17 | 17 | [
{
"comment_id": "154445",
"author": "chrelad",
"timestamp": "2010-07-01T13:24:56",
"content": "Awesome ergonomics! Thanks for the video :D",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "154450",
"author": "sM10sM20",
"timestamp": "2010-07-01T13:40:04",... | 1,760,377,415.113812 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/06/30/physical-tone-matrix/ | Physical Tone Matrix | Mike Szczys | [
"classic hacks",
"digital audio hacks"
] | [
"led",
"matrix",
"monome",
"touch"
] | [Andrew Jenner] pulled off something amazing with this
Physical Tone Matrix
. He wanted to build a physical version of
a flash applet he had seen
. Two layers make up the main user interface. The top layer is a sheet of acrylic that acts as a touch interface and below there’s an LED matrix. [Andrew’s] touch interface uses wires running throughout the acrylic as contacts which are polled via transistor pairs. As you can see in the video after the break it works well and we like the fact that there’s a tactile component (due to the bumpy wires) you don’t get when working with a touchscreen.
The 16×16 grid of LEDs on the bottom layer correspond to each ‘button’ on the touch matrix hand have some extra functions such as playing
Conway’s Game of Life
. This fantastic build still has a couple of kinks to work out, most notably the interference in the audio circuit, but we’re quite impressed at what he’s achieved quickly. Plus, this is more economical than a monome and larger than some of the
monome clones
we’ve seen.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JjCh9pMBwJI] | 33 | 33 | [
{
"comment_id": "154336",
"author": "kernelcode",
"timestamp": "2010-06-30T22:11:40",
"content": "I like this a lot!",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "154337",
"author": "Brennan",
"timestamp": "2010-06-30T22:12:16",
"content": "To tho... | 1,760,377,415.27032 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/06/30/didj-composite-video-out/ | DIDJ Composite Video Out | Mike Szczys | [
"handhelds hacks"
] | [
"bga",
"composite",
"Didj",
"Leapfrog",
"tv"
] | [Nirvous] managed to get
composite video out working on the DIDJ
. He knew that the CPU had the ability to generate the signal, and that similar devices already had this capability. After studying some DIDJ teardowns he figured out which connection on the processor should provide the appropriate signal. Next was the firmware side of things and after sifting through a lot of code he was pleased to find a flag that looked like it would enable video out. Some cross-compiling, soldering, and a low-pass filter got it to work.
If you’ve been
hacking around on the device
you might try this. The CPU uses a ball grid array so soldering is a bit difficult. We covered
a BGA soldering trick
that might be just the thing so check it out before you retreat into your soldering-fortress of solitude. | 8 | 8 | [
{
"comment_id": "154314",
"author": "The Moogle",
"timestamp": "2010-06-30T20:20:16",
"content": "“The CPU uses a ball grid array so soldering is a bit difficult. ” ummmm why are you removing the cpu again? We did this to a bad Didj board just to trace things out…see this page for more info and fun ... | 1,760,377,415.446466 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/06/30/nes-controller-to-usb-gamepad/ | NES Controller To USB Gamepad | Mike Szczys | [
"Nintendo Hacks"
] | [
"arduino",
"ATmega168",
"AVR",
"controller",
"hid",
"usb"
] | Regular Hackaday reader [Osgeld] is at it again with this
USB conversion for an NES controller
. This is a ubiquitous hack that we started seeing
very early on
, sometimes involving
an adapter kit
, and other times
including things like a thumb drive and USB hub
. But this time around is truly a bare-bones version. He’s using an Arduino but it’s really just an AVR ATmega168 running the bootloader. We’d wager this can be done with an ATmega8 just as easily. Grab a couple of diodes (we never seem to have the 3.6v zener diodes around when we need them), a couple caps and resistors, a crystal and you’re in business. The hack wires each button to a pin and implements a keyboard HID that can be mapped for any purpose you desire. | 24 | 24 | [
{
"comment_id": "154296",
"author": "Eric",
"timestamp": "2010-06-30T19:03:56",
"content": "Atmega8 can definately do it.I believe there is an open source project on it (from what i saw, it supports up to 4 controllers at once, including a mix match of snes controllers and also support the 4 port ne... | 1,760,377,415.510979 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/06/30/holy-robin-trap-batman/ | Holy Robin Trap Batman! | Jakob Griffith | [
"home hacks"
] | [
"attiny13",
"batman",
"bird",
"cardboard",
"mirror",
"robin",
"solenoid",
"trap"
] | [Matt Meerian] introduced us to his kludge of cardboard, tape, mirrors, and electronics in the form of a clever non lethal
robin trap
. Whenever a pesky robin would enter the box, a sensor is triggered, the solenoid drops a lid, and the bird is contained (and we assume taken far away after that).
Of course the plan backfired; we wont spoil what happened, but you can click the link above to find out.
Related:
Arduino Mouse Trap | 24 | 24 | [
{
"comment_id": "154253",
"author": "Xeracy",
"timestamp": "2010-06-30T17:32:08",
"content": "awesome. wonder if it would actually work…",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "154254",
"author": "djrussell",
"timestamp": "2010-06-30T17:33:33",
... | 1,760,377,415.568979 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/06/30/how-to-design-your-gears/ | How To Design Your Gears | Caleb Kraft | [
"Parts",
"Tool Hacks"
] | [
"gear",
"laser",
"ponoko"
] | [Dustyn Roberts] takes us through the process of
designing gears for a specific application
. Using
Inkscape
and
Ponoko.com
[Dustyn] takes us from equation to physical gear. While there is a plugin for Inkscape that allows you to basically drag and drop gears, this writeup will take you through the math to get exactly what you need. Those laser cut wooden gears are pretty cool looking too. | 32 | 30 | [
{
"comment_id": "154208",
"author": "guffguff",
"timestamp": "2010-06-30T14:35:58",
"content": "Wow! This entry is really engaging!Dear god…I’ll get my coat…",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "154209",
"author": "zerth",
"timestamp": "2010-... | 1,760,377,416.175744 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/07/02/great-interactive-led-puzzle/ | Great Interactive LED Puzzle | Mike Szczys | [
"LED Hacks"
] | [
"8x8",
"arm",
"cortex-m3",
"puzzle",
"stm32f105"
] | The GLIP project
takes the delight of blinking LEDs and combines it with the ingenuity of modular communications. This takes
the Puzzlemation concept
a few steps further. In that project the modules were programmed through a base station and could be removed and used as a puzzle from there. The GLIP project uses a master block that you can see tethered in the photo. But the blocks communicate with each other via an infrared protocol. This way they can be continuously updated as they are place next to each other. Each module includes an STM32F105 ARM Cortex-M3 processor, quite a punch for the little blocks. Take a look at what they can do after the break.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tPrO4Gg0kNM]
[Thanks Skappy] | 13 | 13 | [
{
"comment_id": "154833",
"author": "Itwork4me",
"timestamp": "2010-07-02T16:35:33",
"content": "Awesome!!!",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "154834",
"author": "nubie",
"timestamp": "2010-07-02T16:41:21",
"content": "Aaaagh, please us... | 1,760,377,415.693503 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/07/02/three-pendulum-harmonograph/ | Three Pendulum Harmonograph | Jakob Griffith | [
"Misc Hacks"
] | [
"circle",
"coffee table",
"frequency",
"harmonograph",
"lissajous curves",
"picture",
"plans",
"weight"
] | Just the other day we were thinking “You know what we need more of around here? Harmonographs!” And our requests were answered when [Paul] sent in his
three pendulum harmonograph
. For those unaware, it’s a mechanical device that draws Lissajous curves or “really cool circles” to quote some of our staff.
[Paul]
includes all the plans
necessary to make your own harmonograph and begin drawing today. If you can’t wait, there’s a video of the three pendulum harmonograph etching a masterpiece after the jump.
[youtube
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WX8jWg8CqCM%5D | 18 | 18 | [
{
"comment_id": "154818",
"author": "Drake",
"timestamp": "2010-07-02T15:09:01",
"content": "I wonder if a rotational axis would make interesting drawings as well",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "154821",
"author": "Mythgarr",
"timestamp"... | 1,760,377,415.749822 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/07/02/store-update-remember-this/ | Store Update: Remember This? | Caleb Kraft | [
"News"
] | [
"schwag",
"store"
] | The
Hack a Day store
has a couple new items. It was brought to our attention that we once held a
T-shirt contest
, and people really wanted access to that design. Well, now you can get it. The design on the shirt will be roughly 13″x10″ and located at the hem under the right arm. Please note that this is not identical to the previously made ones that you may have noticed at
CES
. The design is also available as a large sticker.
We would love to see our stuff in the wild, so please upload your pictures to Flickr and put them in the
Hack a Day pool
. | 21 | 16 | [
{
"comment_id": "154785",
"author": "pod",
"timestamp": "2010-07-02T13:09:23",
"content": "great, I love them!",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "154786",
"author": "pod",
"timestamp": "2010-07-02T13:12:51",
"content": "forgot to add, a... | 1,760,377,415.804472 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/07/01/arduino-webserver/ | Arduino Webserver | Mike Szczys | [
"Arduino Hacks"
] | [
"data logger",
"ethernet",
"shield",
"webserver"
] | The Arduino platform should be perfect for throwing together a lightweight webserver because of the availability of quality shields that take care of the hardware for you. As [Ovidiu Predescu] found, there are a few hiccups along the way and he’s put together
a guide that covers
the workarounds. Specifically, using an Ethernet shield and data logging shield at the same time produces a bus conflict which he sidesteps by cutting the CS pin trace on the data logging board and moving it to a different pin. There is also a bug with one of the chips on the Ethernet shield that is fixed using a similar method. So if you’re not just going to
etch your own webserver hardware
maybe this is the next best thing. | 69 | 50 | [
{
"comment_id": "154549",
"author": "The Moogle",
"timestamp": "2010-07-01T20:25:38",
"content": ":-p mine was actually hosting my page when my server died.See here for more infohttp://wtfmoogle.com/?p=1110was first seen herehttp://www.adafruit.com/blog/2010/06/15/arduino-web-server/",
"parent_i... | 1,760,377,416.262418 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/07/01/open-source-logic-analyzer-software/ | Open Source Logic Analyzer Software | Mike Szczys | [
"Tool Hacks"
] | [
"eclipse",
"logic analyzer",
"logicanalyzer",
"sump"
] | [Christian Weichel] has been hard at work developing
LogicAnalyzer
, an open source tool that may interest you. It is designed with
SUMP Logic Analyzers
in mind but a main goal is expandability. What this means is that it plays nicely with things like the
Open Workbench Logic Sniffer
or you can do a bit of fiddling to get it to work with your own designs. The program is based on Eclipse so you should be familiar with how it works and you can get it running easily on multiple platforms. Take a look at
the wiki
for a quick start. | 15 | 15 | [
{
"comment_id": "154527",
"author": "biozz",
"timestamp": "2010-07-01T18:59:03",
"content": "can it transmit also?",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "154541",
"author": "Christian",
"timestamp": "2010-07-01T19:42:12",
"content": "That d... | 1,760,377,416.018284 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/07/01/wasp-sucker-clears-the-air/ | Wasp Sucker Clears The Air | Mike Szczys | [
"home hacks"
] | [
"blower",
"trap",
"wasp",
"yellow jacket"
] | [Matthias Wandel] had something of a wasp problem so
he built this trap to catch the pesky fliers
. These look like
Yellow jackets
and they can build some huge nests (check out
the picture
of a 2-year old dwelling). We’ve experienced a large nest in the walls of an apartment and weren’t as clever at fixing the issue. [Matthias’] solution uses a 1/3 horsepower blower to snatch the wasps out of the air and retain them in the trap above. The trap sits on the blower with some insect netting as a filter, the hose acts as the inlet and is placed at the entrance to their lair. It took nine hours to fill this trap; we wonder where he chose to release them. Enemies of [Mr. Wandel] beware.
[Thanks Trebu] | 83 | 50 | [
{
"comment_id": "154493",
"author": "nubie",
"timestamp": "2010-07-01T17:12:08",
"content": "Yep, wasps are a huge problem around here.Doesn’t help in the least that my mother claimed insects could kill me, and I watched Killer Bees as a child.Working through it, breathe, breathe.This ought to help,... | 1,760,377,416.107175 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/07/01/rfid-transplant/ | RFID Transplant | Mike Szczys | [
"Wireless Hacks"
] | [
"acetone",
"pre",
"rfid"
] | [Zach Charat] didn’t want to carry around yet another card with him so
he transplanted the RFID guts from his card to his phone
. Soaking the card in nail polish remover for twelve hours got him nowhere, but when he broke out the acetone the card was falling apart in 30 seconds. Above you can see the tiny chip and loop antenna that were left after ditching the plastic. The black bits are electrical tape which he then used to embed this in his Palm Pre’s touchstone charger plate ( which we just
saw this in a hack last week
).
This works, and while you’re waiting for the world to implement the
Leeloo Dallas Multipass
it’s a great solution.
[Thanks Coveredwagonkid via
Pre Central
] | 21 | 20 | [
{
"comment_id": "154473",
"author": "lwatcdr",
"timestamp": "2010-07-01T15:19:24",
"content": "Very cool. The regular Palm back would probably work just as well.I wounder if you could up more than one chip in and have it work?The downside? Well if you ever want to sell your cell phone you may want t... | 1,760,377,416.319837 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/06/29/power-cycling-a-problematic-modem/ | Power Cycling A Problematic Modem | Mike Szczys | [
"Misc Hacks"
] | [
"DD-WRT",
"power cycle",
"relay",
"router",
"serial"
] | [Gigawatts] struggled against a shoddy Internet connection for quite some time. Changing modems, having the line serviced, and spending far too much time on the phone didn’t do any good. In fact, the only thing that fixed the problem was power cycling the modem once it stopped responding. His solution was to
automate the power cycling process
. He added a cron task to his router which is running DD-WRT, a favorite firmware alternative for
hacked routers
. The script monitored the WAN connection and when it went down it would toggle one of the serial port pins. He whipped up an outlet box with a relay in it and used that serial pin to cut the power going to the modem. A workaround yes, but it was the only thing that brought an end to his frustration. | 53 | 50 | [
{
"comment_id": "154007",
"author": "transistorman",
"timestamp": "2010-06-29T20:09:18",
"content": "WHAAATI totally did this months agoit works well for certain scenarioshttp://transistor-man.com/lazarus.html",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "154... | 1,760,377,416.488377 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/06/29/acrylic-hackintosh-housing/ | Acrylic Hackintosh Housing | Mike Szczys | [
"computer hacks"
] | [
"acrylic",
"case",
"dremel",
"hackintosh",
"rotary tool"
] | [Rui Gato] needed a powerful yet portable machine for his performances. If it’s on stage shouldn’t it look good too? We loved watching him
construct an acrylic case for his setup
. He’s skilled with a rotary tool and the work he put into the case fan grill alone is impressive. Video after the break.
[vimeo=http://vimeo.com/3138517] | 47 | 47 | [
{
"comment_id": "153986",
"author": "Anon",
"timestamp": "2010-06-29T19:21:25",
"content": "All of this for a Mac..Well, still a great build",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "153987",
"author": "Ben Wright",
"timestamp": "2010-06-29T19:23:... | 1,760,377,416.404937 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/06/29/fpc-arduino/ | FPC Arduino | Mike Szczys | [
"Arduino Hacks"
] | [
"ATmega168",
"flexible printed circuit",
"fpc",
"seeed studios"
] | Seeed Studios has a new version of the Arduino that they’re calling the
Seeeduino Film
. Instead of the traditional fiberglass substrate they’ve used a resin material to produce a
Flexible Printed Circuit
(FPC). In addition to its flexibility their aim with this prototype was to keep it modular. From what we can see each of the four squares is a different component in the Arduino system. The photo above has the USB interface on the nearest node, then the power regulator, the microprocessor, and finally the remaining peripheral connections. This material can easily be cut with a pair of scissors so the programming section can be removed once the firmware is burned to the chip. It will be interesting to see final pricing and package options. We wouldn’t mind having an FPC ATmega168 breakout board around, but specifially this would fit nicely in a watch band if you were
building your own wristwatch
.
[Thanks Juan] | 30 | 30 | [
{
"comment_id": "153953",
"author": "poiso",
"timestamp": "2010-06-29T17:19:25",
"content": "insert relative complate of an arduino here.",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "153957",
"author": "Erik",
"timestamp": "2010-06-29T17:26:12",
... | 1,760,377,416.55295 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/06/29/sidecar-reminiscent-of-conjoined-twins/ | Sidecar Reminiscent Of Conjoined Twins | Mike Szczys | [
"Transportation Hacks"
] | [
"carbon fiber",
"motorcycle",
"sidecar"
] | Finally,
an answer
to the problem of sidecar dorkiness. [François Knorreck] spent
ten years hand crafting a sidecar
with a beautiful design and a luxurious interior for two. The frame is aluminum, the body is mostly carbon fiber, and there are countless details such as automatic chain tension control and steering for the sidecar wheel that make this more than just a pretty paint job.
[Thanks Geekabit] | 41 | 41 | [
{
"comment_id": "153929",
"author": "SS",
"timestamp": "2010-06-29T16:04:26",
"content": "WTFuggly F! is that awful thing?!",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "153930",
"author": "Nomad",
"timestamp": "2010-06-29T16:05:05",
"content": "D... | 1,760,377,416.626317 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/06/29/programmable-origami/ | Programmable Origami | Caleb Kraft | [
"Misc Hacks"
] | [
"folding",
"mit",
"origami"
] | [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vZf3lo-16wQ]
Researchers at MIT have come up with this slick demo of, what they call,
programmable matter
. This flat sheet covered in tiny foil actuators can be programmed to fold into specific shapes. Shown in the video above is a boat and an airplane. Using the concepts set down by origami through the years, they can divide the sheet into triangles in specific arrangements to make certain shapes possible. This one is fairly simple, but judging by some of the insane origami we’ve seen around, this could get pretty cool.
[via
slashdot
] | 15 | 15 | [
{
"comment_id": "153901",
"author": "osgeld",
"timestamp": "2010-06-29T14:42:32",
"content": "both practical and useful(poke poke)",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "153903",
"author": "Bob",
"timestamp": "2010-06-29T14:51:03",
"content... | 1,760,377,416.782831 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/06/28/cameras-perch-on-power-lines-steal-electricity/ | Cameras Perch On Power Lines, Steal Electricity | Mike Szczys | [
"Misc Hacks"
] | [
"camera",
"covert",
"induction",
"quadcopter"
] | [Tim] let us know about a video outlining some
covert camera devices the Air Force is developing
(dead link, try
the Internet Archive version
). The video takes a lot of time to explain induction to those who’ve never heard of it but we liked to see the bird-like concept animations. They’ve already developed cameras that will clamp on to power lines in order to use induction as a power source. Shown in the video is an eight-rotor quadcopter they’re hoping to use to deliver the camera covertly. But the animations show a winged robot similar to a hawk that has a camera for a head. Having seen some of the
other flying devices in development
this may not actually be that far off. | 74 | 50 | [
{
"comment_id": "153724",
"author": "sM10sM20",
"timestamp": "2010-06-28T20:39:54",
"content": "I could swear I saw this posted on Wired 3 months back, never the less neat read.",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "153725",
"author": "Not Anonymo... | 1,760,377,417.201283 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/06/28/touchscreen-scooter-computer/ | Touchscreen Scooter Computer | Mike Szczys | [
"Arduino Hacks",
"Transportation Hacks"
] | [
"computer",
"DS18B20",
"scooter",
"temperature"
] | [Kurt’s]
scooter computer
started off as a way to use a couple of LEDs to show the battery charge on his hog. It was based on a Arduino and used a voltage divider to judge how much juice was left. But then he ran across a touch-screen OLED shield for the Arduino and the project started to take off. Now he’s got battery, temperature, real-time clock, and GPS running through the slick-looking display. It may not be a full-blown motorcycle but it gives the
computer interfaces
we’ve seen
for other bikes a run for their money.
[Thanks Mowcius] | 38 | 37 | [
{
"comment_id": "153699",
"author": "Vassilis Papanikolaou",
"timestamp": "2010-06-28T19:30:35",
"content": "Really amazing work !",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "153709",
"author": "Joe",
"timestamp": "2010-06-28T20:02:52",
"content... | 1,760,377,417.112078 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/06/28/houses-to-go-from-leftover-scraps/ | Houses To Go From Leftover Scraps | Mike Szczys | [
"green hacks",
"home hacks"
] | [
"yellow house"
] | [Derek Diedricksen] builds
nomadic houses from left over building materials
. Some are large enough to haul behind a vehicle or, in the case of the one above, small enough to tote around like a wheelbarrow. We love them because not only do they reuse material that might commonly hit the landfill, but they look good. Check out the first couple of episodes from the Yellow House series after the break. Then take some inspiration from [Derek’s] success and see if you don’t already have enough in your junk pile to get started.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GEvYT3CMtQI]
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LmR3kx660gw]
[Thanks Anonymous via
NPR
] | 22 | 22 | [
{
"comment_id": "153683",
"author": "biozz",
"timestamp": "2010-06-28T18:34:29",
"content": "sounds like a nice weekend “hay look what i did” project but i dont find it to be that interesting or much of a cool hack",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id":... | 1,760,377,416.930205 |
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