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https://hackaday.com/2010/02/25/robothespian-chuck-e-cheese-entertainment-comes-home/ | RoboThespian: Chuck E. Cheese Entertainment Comes Home | Mike Szczys | [
"Robots Hacks"
] | [
"animatronics",
"blender",
"chuck e. cheese"
] | Remember your eighth birthday party when the animatronic band at Chuck E. Cheese sang happy birthday just for you? Now you can enjoy this any day of the year with
RoboThespian
. The complete animatronic platform has been modeled in
Blender 3D
. Animating the robot is as easy as producing an animation from its digital model. Lip syncing is generated automatically, with the handles to the right of the model’s head controlling facial expression.
Using Blender as a choreography tools is brilliant. We’re hoping someone will incorporate this technique in their
Halloween shows
this year.
[Thanks Rob via
BlenderNation
] | 9 | 9 | [
{
"comment_id": "126230",
"author": "Mike Szczys",
"timestamp": "2010-02-25T17:42:56",
"content": "[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gtdHsuRJnAg]",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "126234",
"author": "Dakota",
"timestamp": "2010-02-25... | 1,760,377,488.339124 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/02/25/shiftbrite-coffee-table/ | Shiftbrite Coffee Table | Caleb Kraft | [
"Arduino Hacks",
"home hacks",
"LED Hacks"
] | [
"led",
"shiftbrite"
] | Here’s a project we’ve been wanting to do for a while. Over at macetech.com they’ve posted an
LED coffee table that uses a 9×9 RGB LED grid
. For the LEDs, they used the
shiftbrite modules we’ve seen before
. The table is capable of displaying pre written patterns as well as accepting patterns from a computer via bluetooth. They’ve set it up to connect to a twitter feed and display to a live cam on their site. Though we would love to reproduce this, we need a little more justification than “ooooh, shiny” for the funds involved. Anyone want to donate 100 shiftbrights? | 22 | 20 | [
{
"comment_id": "126217",
"author": "Craig",
"timestamp": "2010-02-25T16:09:00",
"content": "Haha, me too, me too! I only need 11 donated for my project concept!",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "126220",
"author": "Arxix",
"timestamp": "2... | 1,760,377,488.0532 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/02/24/10-bit-rotary-precision-for-servos/ | 10-bit Rotary Precision For Servos | Mike Szczys | [
"Tool Hacks"
] | [
"as5040",
"magnetic",
"rotary encoder",
"servo"
] | [Antonb] added
10-bit encoding to a standard servo
. He’s removed the potentiometer, separated its shaft and used it to rotate a small magnet. By sandwiching an
AS5040 rotatory encoder IC
into the servo’s housing he can now measure the precise orientation of the servo horn. This is made easier by his tiny breakout board for the chip. If you want to layout your own PCB you can download
the EagleCAD files for this device
. Take a look at the final product in the clip after the break.
[yoututbe=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-z0Giro4R7M] | 22 | 22 | [
{
"comment_id": "126132",
"author": "Pete",
"timestamp": "2010-02-24T22:15:29",
"content": "I wonder how many counts the gear backlash produces.",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "126144",
"author": "tim",
"timestamp": "2010-02-24T23:34:54"... | 1,760,377,487.995345 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/02/24/a-second-life-for-dead-hard-drives/ | A Second Life For Dead Hard Drives | Caleb Kraft | [
"home entertainment hacks"
] | [
"iambic",
"telegraph"
] | [AndyUU1CC] has put together directions on how he
built an Iambic Paddle out of some old hard drives
. The
iambic paddle is a device for telegraphy
. More specifically, it is that piece that you always see people clicking with their finger when they send a telegraph. We hadn’t seen an iambic or “dual lever” style before, but we now know that this is not an uncommon design. While it is ultimately just a fancy set of switches, we can’t help but be impressed with the looks of it.
[via
instructables
] | 21 | 21 | [
{
"comment_id": "126088",
"author": "Andrew",
"timestamp": "2010-02-24T18:40:11",
"content": "That was a terrible instructable. Sheesh..a few pics does not and instructable make.",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "126097",
"author": "kyle",
... | 1,760,377,487.780678 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/02/24/bring-the-crane-game-home/ | Bring The Crane Game Home | Mike Szczys | [
"Toy Hacks"
] | [
"arduino",
"claw",
"crane game",
"gantry"
] | Everyone’s familiar with the quarter gobbling crane games. More often than not there’s a child nearby begging a parent for more quarters so they can try their hand at the toy-snatching claw. [Marc.Cryan] put his quarters to a better use by
building a home version of the crane game
.
[Marc] installed a gantry in an archway of his house. The crane trolley rides on this gantry and uses a spool to raise or lower the tether for the claw. Winning copious style-points, he used the case of an old mouse to form the claw. An Arduino controls the different motors in the system and a toy was repurposed to act as the controller. As you can see after the break, it’s more fun than the cinema-lobby version of the game and your kids can play with it for free.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UggcYNUNqn0] | 25 | 25 | [
{
"comment_id": "126081",
"author": "jeff-o",
"timestamp": "2010-02-24T18:07:26",
"content": "Well great. ANOTHER thing I need to build for my kids!",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "126084",
"author": "o-yeah",
"timestamp": "2010-02-24T1... | 1,760,377,488.115576 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/02/24/oscilloscope-doubles-as-a-serial-terminal/ | Oscilloscope Doubles As A Serial Terminal | Phil Burgess | [
"classic hacks",
"hardware",
"Peripherals Hacks"
] | [
"atmega",
"attiny",
"AVR",
"oscilloscope",
"oscope",
"raster",
"scope",
"serial",
"terminal",
"vector",
"vt-100",
"vt100"
] | PC-based USB oscilloscopes are fast becoming all the rage. [Matt Sarnoff’s]
Terminalscope
takes the reverse approach,
adapting an oscilloscope into a full serial terminal
. You may have seen something similar before in the Dutchtronix/SparkFun
O-Clock
, but [Matt’s] project goes one further by adding a
PS/2 keyboard
port for full bidirectional
serial
communication, and with much sharper display resolution to boot.
The mostly VT-100 compatible Terminalscope is built around two
AVR
microcontrollers: an
ATmega328P
runs full-tilt to generate the video signal and handle serial I/O, while an
ATtiny45
handles keyboard input to avoid interrupting the ’328’s duties. Rather than vector trace each character, a raster-scanning approach is used: the beam follows a fixed X/Y path (like a television), while modulating the Z input (beam intensity) to form an image. The device can be connected to a PC via serial port or
USB-to-TTY adapter
, or directly to another microcontroller to debug serial output.
We recently showed an oscilloscope being used as a
multichannel digital logic display
. The Terminalscope provides
yet another use
for this essential bench tool and could nicely round out a “poor man’s” testing setup. The schematic and full source code are available for download. | 25 | 25 | [
{
"comment_id": "126043",
"author": "therian",
"timestamp": "2010-02-24T13:28:32",
"content": "What is a point of using barometer as a hammer if you already have a hammer ?",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "126044",
"author": "nes",
"times... | 1,760,377,488.397363 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/02/23/more-cellphone-controlled-door-locks/ | More Cellphone Controlled Door Locks | Mike Szczys | [
"Cellphone Hacks",
"Security Hacks"
] | [
"lock",
"wrt54g"
] | [Tom Lee] and his colleagues just moved to a new office. The doors are setup like a security checkpoint with electronic strikes and buttons on the inside to allow entry. The button simply completes a low-voltage circuit, activating the strike which made it quite easy to patch into.
They build an interface board
with a small relay to complete that circuit. As we’ve seen before,
Linksys routers have plenty of extra room in the case
so there was no problem housing the new circuit in this tiny network device. Now [Nicko] and his friends can use
a custom app
to input an access code or to verify a device ID from a cell phone and gain entry. The door still has keyed locks in case of a power outage. In fact, the only change made to the system was the addition of two wires to the “door release” button as seen above. See the one-touch device ID authentication in the video after the break.
This hack is similar to the
GSM door entry
from last year. In this case, the phones are communicating with the door via web interface and not the GSM network.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6BUTK1c3L8c]
[Thanks Nicko Margolies] | 16 | 16 | [
{
"comment_id": "125960",
"author": "alex",
"timestamp": "2010-02-24T00:19:56",
"content": "nice hack, guys.i especially like the simple and thoughtful hardware used rather than overkilling it with a uc.not to mention the banana plugs on top are pretty sweet. very frankensteinish :)",
"parent_id... | 1,760,377,488.16569 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/02/23/add-pause-button-to-the-atari-2600/ | Add Pause Button To The Atari 2600 | Mike Szczys | [
"classic hacks",
"home entertainment hacks"
] | [
"atari 2600",
"pause"
] | We’re sure that if there had been a pause button on the Atari 2600 people would never have moved on to next-generation systems. Now you can dig the gaming relic out of the closet and
pause your Atari games
for some good old
om nom nom
.This hack is from the same person who pulled off the
Atari 2600 jukebox
. By reverse engineering the signals used on the
Onyx Jr.
, which has a pause button, the halt method became clear.
The problem is that the Onyx Jr. uses a different processor than the 2600. A different processor means a different pin-out, and now the clock signal needed to synchronize the pause cycle was missing. But eureka, an abstract source was found. The ready signal from another chip can be used to judge the state of the processor. The small PCB above now interfaces with the Atari 2600 in order to patch in the pause circuit.
[Thanks again Yuppicide, keep ’em coming!] | 21 | 21 | [
{
"comment_id": "125867",
"author": "Chris",
"timestamp": "2010-02-23T22:27:42",
"content": "if only i had a power adapter for my 2600, i’d be able to use it…",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "125873",
"author": "googfan",
"timestamp": "20... | 1,760,377,487.842132 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/02/23/precision-grinder-is-a-thing-of-beauty/ | Precision Grinder Is A Thing Of Beauty | Mike Szczys | [
"cnc hacks"
] | [
"beautiful",
"grinder",
"machining"
] | This
beautifully crafted grinder
would make any machining enthusiast salivate.It features a fixture for holding your work at any angle or orientation to the grinding wheel but the slotted bed also allows for other attachments to be used. Two of the examples shown in this highly detailed (machine porn) writeup include sharpening bits and light surface grinding. There’s not much more to say because the pictures speak for themselves.
[Thanks Bud] | 34 | 33 | [
{
"comment_id": "125843",
"author": "David X. Hugo",
"timestamp": "2010-02-23T20:29:15",
"content": "This is much more complex than my grinder.",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "125844",
"author": "Ken",
"timestamp": "2010-02-23T20:29:22",... | 1,760,377,488.293248 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/02/23/looping-foot-pedal/ | Looping Foot Pedal | Mike Szczys | [
"classic hacks",
"digital audio hacks"
] | [
"18f877a",
"guitar pedal",
"loop",
"pic"
] | This guitar pedal
can record, playback, and modify samples. [Colin Merkel], also know for
his work on electronic door locks
, built this to replicate some guitar effects he heard in recordings. By tapping the button at the bottom with your foot the device begins recording. Another tap stops the recording and starts the loop. That’s where the rest of the controls take over, with settings to adjust the speed of playback, volume, and the type of playback looping. The video after the break gives a great demonstration of these features.
[Colin] built this around a PIC 18F877A with a 256k RAM chip to store the sample. There’s a bunch of other components that go into this and we’re dumbfounded that he built it on protoboard. This would be a multi-breadboard prototype for us and we wouldn’t think twice about laying out and etching our own PCB. He admits that the point-to-point soldering stretched his skills to the limit but he doesn’t say how many hours it took to get the circuit up and running. This is a great addition to the
cool guitar pedals
we’ve seen here.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R1ZOEZFlNzE] | 23 | 23 | [
{
"comment_id": "125818",
"author": "andrew",
"timestamp": "2010-02-23T19:16:58",
"content": "That’s pretty sweet. It seems like he could build the controls into the guitar to make them more accessible during a live performance.",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
... | 1,760,377,488.22511 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/02/23/serial-communication-with-cell-phones/ | Serial Communication With Cell Phones | Mike Szczys | [
"Cellphone Hacks"
] | [
"c168i",
"cell phone",
"ftdi",
"serial",
"ttl"
] | Hackaday alum [Will O’Brien] has been doing
some cellphone integration work
. He recently picked up some Motorola c168i cellphones from eBay. It turns out there is a serial port that uses TTL communication with a standard head-phone jack as an interface. [Will] soldered up a connector and used a USB to
FTDI
cable to interface with the phone. To his surprise he was able to read off the stored text messages even though they were PIN protected in the phone’s operating system. The messages on these units were trivial but this is another example of the importance of clearing your data before discarding your devices. | 20 | 19 | [
{
"comment_id": "125802",
"author": "Willegek",
"timestamp": "2010-02-23T18:16:47",
"content": "This is a perfect platform to connect to a micro and listen to incoming texts. Then based on the incoming texts an action could be performed, starting/unlocking a car. And it could only react to a certain... | 1,760,377,488.534855 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/02/23/diy-aluminum-heat-sink-casting/ | DIY Aluminum Heat Sink Casting | Mike Szczys | [
"classic hacks"
] | [
"aluminum",
"casting",
"exhaust",
"peltier cooler"
] | [Peter Wirasnik] has been
casting his own aluminum heat sinks
. He’s working on capturing the heat from a car’s exhaust system and turning it into electricity, kind of
like the candle generator
. In the photo above a standard heat sink is bolted to one side of a Peltier cooler with [Peter’s] own casting on the bottom. That casting will connect to the exhaust pipe and transfer heat to the Peltier while the other heat sink keeps the opposite side relatively cool. What results is a voltage between 600mV and 1V.
We’re not quite sure what the end product will be but
the casting process
is fascinating. He carves the shape of the piece he wants to cast from Styrofoam and embeds it in a box of sand. He then melts salvaged aluminum in a cast iron frying pan using what looks like a propane torch. Once molten, he pours the aluminum into the mold and it burns away the Styrofoam as it fills the void. A little cleanup and he’s got the heat conductive mounting bracket he was after. | 43 | 43 | [
{
"comment_id": "125788",
"author": "cliff",
"timestamp": "2010-02-23T17:13:09",
"content": "ok this might be a stupid question, but could you make the whole exhaust a peltier? by the way a much better way of doing one off pieces and getting WAAAAY better accuracy is to make a wax piece, put it in ... | 1,760,377,488.47977 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/02/23/building-the-yellow-submarine/ | Building The Yellow Submarine | Mike Szczys | [
"Robots Hacks"
] | [
"ATmega32",
"PVC",
"submarine"
] | Submarine builds are always fun but frequently produce headaches when it comes to keeping the water out. [Jason Rollette]
built this ROV to explore a shipwreck in Lake Michigan
. The main structure is PVC and various bilge pumps are used for propulsion. An AVR ATmega32 controls the on board electronics with an Ethernet tether to the surface. He’s even got a visual basic program that displays system information and a video feed. It may not be as stylish as
the last submarine we saw
but it’s amazingly well thought out and well built.
[Thanks Daphreak] | 19 | 19 | [
{
"comment_id": "125786",
"author": "fartface",
"timestamp": "2010-02-23T16:54:28",
"content": "Too bad he is using the worlds crappiest camera.He needs a 0.007 Lux camera that has a fisheye lens. shooting underwater has a magnification effect that needs to be countered.",
"parent_id": null,
... | 1,760,377,488.618659 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/02/22/is-that-some-type-of-new-kindle/ | Is That Some Type Of New Kindle? | Mike Szczys | [
"Misc Hacks"
] | [
"digital picture frame",
"ebook",
"python",
"reader"
] | [Mr C Camacho] picked up an inexpensive digital picture frame hoping to hack into it. He hasn’t had the time to crack open the hardware so that it will do his bidding but he did find a creative way to make it an ebook reader. Using a python script he processes books, creating images of the pages.
The python script, available after the break, takes free books from
Project Gutenburg
and spits out JPG images. Page turning and bookmarking are not what they ought to be but the process does work. The thought of someone staring at a picture frame on the subway is a bit amusing but we’re sure that sooner or later someone will ask if it’s a new version of
the Kindle
.
Usage explanation from the developer:
./process.py book.txt 480 234 16 /usr/share/fonts/truetype/ttf-droid/DroidSansMono.ttf 10 7
param
1 book.txt the file name
2 480 native X resolution of picture frame
3 234 native Y resolution of picture frame
4 16 Number of vertical lines of text required
5 blah.ttf full path and name of a ttf font
6 10 font size to use for lines
7 7 font size for “page no x” at bottom of page
you’ll have to play with it to get it to work right for your size of screen
(its just a hack ;) )
The main thing to get right first is the font size of the width of the screen
from there you can work out the number of lines you can fit…
#!/usr/bin/python
import pygameimport sys
# ./process.py book.txt 480 234 16 /usr/share/fonts/truetype/ttf-droid/DroidSansMono.ttf 10 7
txtname=sys.argv[1]nativeX=int(sys.argv[2])nativeY=int(sys.argv[3])pagelines=int(sys.argv[4])fontname=sys.argv[5]fontsize=int(sys.argv[6])pagenosize=int(sys.argv[7])
f=open(txtname)
def cleanline(l): l=l.strip('\r') l=l.strip('\n') return l
pygame.init()screen = pygame.display.set_mode((nativeX, nativeY))lines=f.readlines()font = pygame.font.Font(fontname, fontsize)pfont = pygame.font.Font(fontname, pagenosize)
for ln in range(len(lines)/pagelines+1): background = pygame.Surface(screen.get_size()) background = background.convert() background.fill((255, 255, 255))
for pl in range(16): if (ln*16+pl)<len(lines): line=cleanline(lines[ln*pagelines+pl]) text = font.render(line, 1, (0, 0, 0)) textpos = text.get_rect(x=4,y=pl*(nativeY/pagelines)) background.blit(text, textpos) text=pfont.render("Page "+str(ln+1),1,(0,0,0)) textpos=text.get_rect(x=8,y=nativeY-pagenosize) background.blit(text,textpos) screen.blit(background, (0, 0)) pygame.display.flip() fn="page%#05d" % (ln+1) pygame.image.save(background,fn+".jpg") | 42 | 42 | [
{
"comment_id": "125615",
"author": "HIrudinea",
"timestamp": "2010-02-22T20:03:26",
"content": "Sure as hell cheaper than a Kindle",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "125619",
"author": "googfan",
"timestamp": "2010-02-22T20:08:56",
"co... | 1,760,377,488.694137 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/02/22/gentle-wake-up-alarm/ | Gentle Wake Up Alarm | Caleb Kraft | [
"clock hacks"
] | [
"alarm"
] | [Michiel], unsatisfied by his Phillips wake up light, decided just to
make his own
. He really wanted programmable weekend alarms as well as an easier to find snooze button. At first, his circuit was not reliable enough, losing several minutes per hour, but he gutted another alarm for the 1Hz crystal. After some carpentry, his final alarm ended up quite nice. After so
many
aggressive
alarm clocks
, it’s nice to see that not everyone needs to be assaulted out of bed.
Correction: apparently, there’s no 1Hz crystal. That was a guess on my part. -[Caleb]
[via
Hacked Gadgets
] | 37 | 36 | [
{
"comment_id": "125587",
"author": "Michiel",
"timestamp": "2010-02-22T17:27:34",
"content": "Guys,I’m always commenting about the Arduino project, so I thought that it would be nice to show one of my PIC based projects.Note that I call it the Noduino…, LOL",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
... | 1,760,377,489.328008 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/02/20/sausage-gun-19mm/ | Sausage Gun 19mm | Caleb Kraft | [
"News"
] | [
"potato",
"sausage",
"spud"
] | [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=frtQXzt1_E0]
If you are anything like us, you find yourself needing, on occasion, to fling sausages at high velocity. [F00] sent in his solution,
the SG19
. While the details are glazed over pretty quickly, we get the point. This is basically a smaller diameter
spud gun
, meant to shoot sausage. While it may not be remarkable in its design, we have to wonder who came up with the idea to use sausage as the ammunition. | 39 | 39 | [
{
"comment_id": "125199",
"author": "IC BS",
"timestamp": "2010-02-20T22:08:00",
"content": "Behold… the lunch musket",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "125200",
"author": "cde",
"timestamp": "2010-02-20T22:10:39",
"content": "Is it fai... | 1,760,377,489.4464 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/02/20/rube-goldberg-ftw/ | Rube Goldberg FTW | Mike Szczys | [
"home hacks"
] | [
"rube goldberg"
] | This video
was on its way to a
links post
until we saw the game of chess right in the middle of it (bishop to H5).
[Tom] and [Ben]
put their Master of Manufacturing Engineering degrees to use by jam-packing every conveyance method possible into a
Rube Goldberg machine
. There’s violin bows, a polo mallet, a rolling candle, a ball-popping umbrella, texting cell phones, toppling jewel cases, and plenty of
ball-on-tracks
implementations. All of that setup and all that the device does is… well, you’ll have to see for yourself.
[Thanks Phil via
DVICE
] | 29 | 29 | [
{
"comment_id": "125184",
"author": "Hacksaw",
"timestamp": "2010-02-20T20:25:16",
"content": "I love these things…They remind me of a time when I had nothing better to do than see what ridiculous thing I could build.Bravo!",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"com... | 1,760,377,489.175061 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/02/19/high-speed-video-from-cheap-digital-camera/ | High Speed Video From Cheap Digital Camera | Mike Szczys | [
"digital cameras hacks"
] | [
"dmd",
"high speed video",
"micromirror"
] | Some researchers from Oxford University have come up with a way to produce high-speed video from a one mega-pixel camera. They’re calling the method
Temporal Pixel Multiplexing
. This method adds a
digital micromirror device
in line with the camera lens. These chips house over a million mirrors and can be found in home theater projectors. By placing one in front of the digital camera, a longer exposure can be used while the DMD redirects the light. This way, one high-resolution image actually contains multiple frames of lower-resolution video. The video is still decent quality and, at a far lower cost than common high-speed video equipment, this is a worthwhile trade off.
[Thanks Andrew via
NewScientist
] | 36 | 36 | [
{
"comment_id": "125003",
"author": "nubie",
"timestamp": "2010-02-19T22:31:52",
"content": "That is cool, neat use of DMD devices.",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "125007",
"author": "Holanddez1'",
"timestamp": "2010-02-19T22:36:51",
... | 1,760,377,488.968062 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/02/19/basement-fusion-reactor/ | Basement Fusion Reactor | Mike Szczys | [
"Misc Hacks"
] | [
"deuterium",
"fusor",
"heavy water",
"nuclear",
"reactor"
] | Do you ever wonder what projects your neighbors have going on in their basements? [Will Jack’s] neighbors might be surprised to find
he’s building a fusion reactor
. The first step toward completing a
Farsworth-Hirsch Fusor
is up and running. The picture above shows heated plasma contained in a magnetic field. Next he just needs to up the voltage and inject some deuterium.
Yeah right!
Deuterium
, aka heavy water, is extremely rare and very difficult to refine. If you’re not familiar with the substance, you should get your hands on the NOVA episode:
Hitler’s Sunken Secrets
.
We’re glad to see that [Will Jack] is donning a lead vest for protections. [
Will O’Brien
] cautioned us about the stray X-rays these things produce when
he covered fusors back in 2007
. | 103 | 50 | [
{
"comment_id": "124963",
"author": "k0ldBurn",
"timestamp": "2010-02-19T21:16:02",
"content": "And I thought I was badass when I rebuilt a broken roomba and got it to run again… This is awesome",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "124966",
"auth... | 1,760,377,489.256785 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/02/19/update-most-interesting-game-in-64-pixels/ | Update: Most Interesting Game In 64 Pixels | Mike Szczys | [
"handhelds hacks",
"Nintendo Game Boy Hacks"
] | [
"8x8",
"led",
"ledboy",
"super pixel bros"
] | [Brad] has
continued working on the Super Pixel Bros game
. We saw
a glimpse of this
a few months ago but he’s added a lot since then. The game now has enemies; one type is similar to
Bullet Bill
, another type drops from the sky and walks toward you, kind of like a
Goomba
. Game play is quite responsive and it’s amazing what he has accomplished with such low resolution. In the video after the break [Brad] mentions that a friend is working on sound effects for jumps and block breaking. We’re assuming that the audio track in the background is already coming from the LEDBOY speaker.
Which reminds us, if you haven’t
checked out the hardware
, do so now. That enameled wire mess makes us shudder just a bit. There many be a kit version coming that will save you the point-to-point soldering madness. If that’s part of the fun for you keep an eye out for the forthcoming release of the hardware schematics.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Avvba3prLlc] | 25 | 25 | [
{
"comment_id": "124947",
"author": "Josh",
"timestamp": "2010-02-19T19:44:36",
"content": "Interestingly, the Super Pixel Bros levels appear to be the perfect resolution of Betabrite LED signs.Each dot in the pictures could be a pixel of the sign.For anyone curious about Betabrite Signs, here’s the... | 1,760,377,489.112394 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/02/19/flexi-knobs/ | Flexi Knobs | Mike Szczys | [
"Multitouch Hacks",
"Peripherals Hacks"
] | [
"flexi knobs",
"mouse",
"multi touch",
"rotary encoder"
] | These boxes, called
Flexi Knobs
, work like a wireless Atari paddle and mouse rolled into one. Each has a rotary encoder that can also be clicked like a button. On the inside is a wireless optical mouse which controls an on-screen cursor which matches the color of the knob. In the video after the break you can see these are being used as midi controls. Each cursor can be locked onto a virtual knob, giving it a physical interface. Because there are several units being used on one machine this creates something of an abstract multi-touch system. This would make a nice interface for other applications with a plethora of settings, like
Blender
.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UuUjf-c6L6U] | 14 | 14 | [
{
"comment_id": "124926",
"author": "Regulus",
"timestamp": "2010-02-19T18:06:54",
"content": "Ah, ok.It’s still one system mouse cursor at a time on screen, but each device an control it in turn.This is pretty neat, but I’d much rather have one mouse-like device and a lot of colored knobs on a larg... | 1,760,377,489.381015 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/02/19/glove-mouse/ | Glove Mouse | Caleb Kraft | [
"Peripherals Hacks"
] | [
"glove",
"mouse"
] | [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UZB2K1wlaZo]
[thetanktheory]
sent us his glove mouse modification
. He has gutted his mouse and mounted the parts on a glove. This is interesting, as he doesn’t have to place his hand on the mouse any more, he just plops it down on any surface and starts mousing. He claims that it is helping his twitch reactions in gaming as somehow it requires less force, but we still see the circuit and batteries mounted on the back of his hand, so we’re not sure how it is helping. Maybe if he moved the laser to his finger tips, he’d be more accurate. | 23 | 23 | [
{
"comment_id": "124914",
"author": "Dan",
"timestamp": "2010-02-19T16:08:47",
"content": "I want a laser on my fingertips…..",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "124917",
"author": "SD",
"timestamp": "2010-02-19T16:13:08",
"content": "Th... | 1,760,377,489.553201 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/02/22/pic-pong-clock/ | PIC Pong Clock | Mike Szczys | [
"clock hacks"
] | [
"18f2520",
"ks108b",
"pic",
"pong clock",
"rtc"
] | [Andrew] built
this pong clock
over the span of a couple of days. The PIC 18f2520 he used can serve as a real time clock with the addition of an external clock crystal. His project proves the usefulness of an oscilloscope as poor board layout caused interference in the crystal connections, something difficult to troubleshoot without this handy lab tool.
Pong clocks
have been
quite popular
. This one is nice because it’s easy to throw together now that [Andrew’s] done the coding work for you. Written in assembly, reading and understanding his code might be a good exercise if your low-level language skills are lacking. | 12 | 12 | [
{
"comment_id": "125565",
"author": "strider_mt2k",
"timestamp": "2010-02-22T14:05:39",
"content": "Haven’t seen the word “Archer” on anything hacky in a while. Very cool!Extra credit for that alone. ;)",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "125569",
... | 1,760,377,489.498768 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/02/21/android-2-1-on-four-more-htc-handsets/ | Android 2.1 On Four More HTC Handsets | Mike Szczys | [
"Android Hacks",
"Cellphone Hacks"
] | [
"android",
"Eclair",
"htc",
"Kaiser",
"Niki",
"Polaris",
"Tilt",
"Vogue"
] | Tired of fighting Windows mobile on your HTC handset? Now you can fight a beta ROM of Android 2.1. [Slm4996] has put in a flurry of work over the last few days to
get Android 2.1 running on the HTC Kaiser (aka AT&T tilt), Vogue, Niki, and Polaris
. Right now everything except the camera and bluetooth is working but there is a
bug tracker
to help with troubleshooting any undiscovered issues. If you want to try it out but don’t want to flash the hacked ROM to your phone you can run it beside Windows Mobile by using
HaRET
.
Correction:
The title of this post originally read “Droid 2.1” in error. We have corrected it to read “Android 2.1”. [Thanks GuyFrom7Up] | 14 | 14 | [
{
"comment_id": "125474",
"author": "guyfrom7up",
"timestamp": "2010-02-22T00:02:23",
"content": "Title should be Android 2.1",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "125498",
"author": "nahtical",
"timestamp": "2010-02-22T02:32:22",
"content... | 1,760,377,489.608159 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/02/21/robocup-bot-places-wheels-perpendicularly/ | Robocup Bot Places Wheels Perpendicularly | Mike Szczys | [
"Robots Hacks"
] | [
"omnidirectional",
"robocup",
"soccer",
"transwheel",
"wheel"
] | [Eric]
built this robot for the 2009 Robocup Jr. competition
. The game ball has IR LEDs inside of it and this little bot uses eight IR detectors for tracking. Four motors mounted perpendicular to each other provide locomotion. Since this would normally have you traveling in circles, he used some omnidirectional wheels walled
Transwheels
. As you can see, they have small rollers built-in and allow movement in any direction if the motors work together. A couple of L298 controller chips handle the motors. [Eric] wrote a program to calculate the PWM necessary to drive the controllers and to coordinate movement of the wheels.
Don’t miss the demo videos after the break and, if you’re not a fan of wheels, stop by and see
the bi-pedal soccer robots
.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OtuZ2HUR2yI]
Offense
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A8fyPCxXI7c]
Defense | 17 | 17 | [
{
"comment_id": "125461",
"author": "mowcius",
"timestamp": "2010-02-21T23:09:13",
"content": "‘need to get perpendicular’remind you of anything?http://www.hitachigst.com/hdd/research/recording_head/pr/PerpendicularAnimation.htmlhaha :)Mowcius",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": ... | 1,760,377,489.663871 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/02/21/hackaday-links-february-21-2010/ | Hackaday Links: February 21 2010 | Caleb Kraft | [
"Hackaday links"
] | [
"exploded view",
"links",
"power plant"
] | Powerplant control room panoramas:
There are two power plants presented in
360 degree panoramas here
. All those dials and switches just get us giddy. The one pictured above was built in 1918 and is still in operation. Not only are the control rooms here, but several other locations around the facility too.
Energy recycling prosthetic foot
:
At first, we thought that this
energy recycling prosthetic foot
was going to be a power generating device to harvest some energy using our weight in the heel compression. Actually, it is showing off a fancy micro controller based system for reproducing our naturally springy step.
Translating in real time with google:
Google is working on a system to do
real time translation of text on your phone
. It is integrated into the “google goggles” software which allows you to search the internet using images from your phone. This is pretty cool, but with google translate and OCR being readily available for quite some time now, we have to wonder; why didn’t we think of that?
Exploded images of everyday objects:
[Adam Voorhes] has put together a small collection of
exploded views of everyday objects
. While they aren’t laid out great for reference, they look good and might make nice artwork in your workshop. | 13 | 13 | [
{
"comment_id": "125418",
"author": "jim",
"timestamp": "2010-02-21T20:38:08",
"content": "Art isn’t hacking unless it’s got LEDs glues to it!",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "125420",
"author": "jim",
"timestamp": "2010-02-21T20:38:46",
... | 1,760,377,490.031889 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/02/21/controllable-leds-spice-up-the-living-room/ | Controllable LEDs Spice Up The Living Room | Mike Szczys | [
"home hacks",
"LED Hacks"
] | [
"incandescent",
"led",
"rgb",
"rs-485"
] | [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YyjDcAzNJQ0]
[Sprite_tm] brings us another great hack by
lighting up the living room
. Unsatisfied with just
replacing incandescent bulbs with an LED alternative
he went with strips of LEDs to illuminate the length of a wall. Starting with a seven-meter strip of the lights, he cut it down to fourteen pieces in order to make the RGB devices individually controllable. [Sprite_tm] whipped up a design for controller boards using RS-485 to communicate with each, and sourcing an ATtiny2313 for the PWM necessary to generate any color. As you can see in the video above, the finished project is brilliant. Oh, and the Lounge Music as a background is nice too. | 28 | 26 | [
{
"comment_id": "125353",
"author": "jh",
"timestamp": "2010-02-21T17:43:21",
"content": "ok… the scanner effect would be great for parties. That’s some cool stuff.KITT FTW",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "125367",
"author": "phillips321",
... | 1,760,377,490.280132 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/02/21/steorn-orbo-motor-replica/ | Steorn Orbo Motor Replica | Mike Szczys | [
"classic hacks",
"green hacks"
] | [
"free energy",
"orbo",
"steorn"
] | Reader [Hjhndr] ran across an interesting set of tests and wanted to know if they’re brilliant or just a load of bull. We’re not making the call on that, but the
tests on a Steorn Orb motor replica
are worth looking at.Keep in mind, people used to think the earth was flat and scientists of the time would have sworn up and down that’s the way things were.
The
Steorn Orbo
is a motor that generates more power than is put into it. At least according to
Steorn Limited
that’s what it does. An independent panel of scientists said otherwise a few years back but that didn’t stop the company from showing off the concept a few more times, most recently a showing in Dublin ended this month.
So anyway, [Jean-Louis Naudin] took what he saw from those demonstrations and built a replica. He’s made several papers about
the principle
as well as his testing available online. There’s a lot of math, a little bit of smoke and mirrors, and several videos. Take a look and let us know what you think in the comments. | 178 | 50 | [
{
"comment_id": "125317",
"author": "sigh",
"timestamp": "2010-02-21T15:05:46",
"content": "Don’t bother us with this crap.",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": [
{
"comment_id": "775452",
"author": "Open thought",
"timestamp": "2012-09-07T16:18:52",
... | 1,760,377,490.119703 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/02/20/rfid-tracking-system/ | RFID Tracking System | Mike Szczys | [
"Misc Hacks"
] | [
"2.4 ghz",
"mesh",
"network",
"rfid",
"tracking"
] | [Nicholas] built
an active tracking system using RFID tags
. The system’s tags operate in the 2.4 GHz band and are used to track either people or assets. The readers are on a mesh network and can triangulate the location of any tag for display on a map. His system is even set up to show the travel history of each tag. [Nicholas] shared every detail in his writeup including some background about available hardware options and how he made his final decisions on what devices to use for the job. His conglomeration of software that ties the whole project together is also available for download. | 42 | 41 | [
{
"comment_id": "125223",
"author": "jg",
"timestamp": "2010-02-21T00:26:15",
"content": "i can finally find my keys. maybe if i implant these in my kids, i can find them too!!!",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "125225",
"author": "Remarknl",
... | 1,760,377,489.979539 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/02/18/cannihilator-can-crusher/ | Cannihilator Can Crusher | Mike Szczys | [
"green hacks"
] | [
"basic stamp 2",
"bs2",
"can crusher",
"solenoid"
] | This box will
crush your cans and deposit them in the bin
below. Branded the Cannihilator, [Jeff Walsh] built this with his two sons, [Jake] and [Ryan]. Early hacking eduction is important if they want their future projects to be regular Hackaday features.
The crushing power is provided by a
solenoid
pneumatic ram. As seen in the video after the break, the can goes in the door on the left, is crushed, then drops through a slot. [Jeff] had fingers and hands in mind when designing this and included a few safety features. The “crush” button is locate on the opposite end from the can slot, there is a kill switch to disable the solenoid, and a keyed switch to shut the whole apparatus down. A Basic Stamp 2 microcontroller handles the electronics with the help of a daughter-board to manage the load switching. This is a nice addition to the
creative can crushers
out there.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PcXpM-dxjLQ]
[Thanks Mike] | 49 | 49 | [
{
"comment_id": "124752",
"author": "googfan",
"timestamp": "2010-02-18T22:08:29",
"content": "Needs a high voltage capacitor bank",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "124757",
"author": "andres",
"timestamp": "2010-02-18T22:27:57",
"cont... | 1,760,377,490.598179 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/02/18/sukhoi-su-27-jet-build-throws-down/ | Sukhoi Su-27 Jet Build Throws Down | Mike Szczys | [
"Toy Hacks"
] | [
"jet",
"model",
"rc",
"su-27"
] | This no model, but
a fully functioning RC jet
. The
Sukhoi Su-27
was the Soviet Union’s counterpart of the F15 and this 1/6.5 scaled version measures eleven feet long and is fully controllable. As if
the 80-page build log
wasn’t enough, the flight video after the break is nothing short of jaw-dropping. The test flights end in smooth landings but with all the time that went into the project that’s got to be nerve-wracking.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6IKnZ_tkecU]
[Thanks M4r1hu4n3 via
Fishkin
] | 53 | 50 | [
{
"comment_id": "124707",
"author": "Stone",
"timestamp": "2010-02-18T20:22:51",
"content": "That is one seriously cool model. If anything was ever begging to be turned into a UAV…!",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "124725",
"author": "Ryan",
... | 1,760,377,490.427285 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/02/18/lathe-modification/ | Lathe Modification | Caleb Kraft | [
"Tool Hacks"
] | [
"calipers",
"lathe",
"mill",
"nerdkits"
] | [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=maB28gXoZV4]
The folks over at NerdKits got a shiny new Smithy 1220xl lathe/ mill. They found, however that adjusting the Z axis wasn’t as accurate as they desired. They decided to
resolve this by installing a digital caliper and an LCD interface
to display the adjustments. The writeup is quite detailed and the results seem to work great. | 21 | 21 | [
{
"comment_id": "124686",
"author": "Josh",
"timestamp": "2010-02-18T19:16:26",
"content": "Be sure to check the accuracy of a digital caliper with a good test standard before using it, especially if it is a cheap one like this. One of the machinists I learned from called calipers (vernier, digital,... | 1,760,377,490.708526 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/02/18/reboot-life-in-a-heartbeat/ | Reboot Life In A Heartbeat | Mike Szczys | [
"Wearable Hacks"
] | [
"arduino",
"ATmega168",
"atmega46",
"conways game of life",
"hoodie",
"life"
] | This
hoodie senses your heartbeat and uses it to control Life
. Conway’s Game of Life, popular in
all kinds of electronics projects
, uses a grid of cells coupled with
a set of rules
to mimic the life and death of simple organisms. This iteration displays the game over your own heart, then taps into your heart rate, resetting the game at the beginning of each cardiac cycle. We guess you could say that Life goes on only if you do not.
The
EKG circuit
that detects the heartbeat is made up of an IR transmitter shining through the tip of your finger to a receiver. An ATmega168 running the Arduino bootloader controls the EKG circuit and resets an ATmega48 which is responsible for Life. [Joe] admits that this is overkill but he’s currently without an AVR programmer; he went this route to make it work. The stylishly-geeky hoodie is taken for a test run (er… test-hop?) after the break.
[vimeo=http://vimeo.com/9528724] | 18 | 18 | [
{
"comment_id": "124666",
"author": "nave.notnilc",
"timestamp": "2010-02-18T18:08:33",
"content": "I want one! :P",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "124669",
"author": "Brad",
"timestamp": "2010-02-18T18:18:10",
"content": "perhaps you... | 1,760,377,490.334767 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/02/18/build-your-own-hub-motor/ | Build Your Own Hub Motor | Mike Szczys | [
"Transportation Hacks"
] | [
"brushless",
"hub",
"motor",
"razor",
"scooter"
] | Hub motors
put the power inside of the wheel. [Teamtestbot] goes deep into the hows and whys of building these motors, from parts, to windings, to the math behind the power ratios. The working example puts an electric motor inside the rear wheel of a Razor scooter.
Past projects used belts
to transfer the work of the motor to the wheel of the scooter. By integrating the motor and the wheel you end up with a much cleaner looking product. Check out the motor testing and the scooter test drive after the break.
For more tips on building your own electric motors take a peek at the
Fly Electric page
we covered back in November.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NazDiO1aarI]
Hub motor testing
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h5e-ad1cz90]
Scooter testing
[Thanks Doug] | 52 | 47 | [
{
"comment_id": "124647",
"author": "walt",
"timestamp": "2010-02-18T17:14:13",
"content": "instructables BOOOO!",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "124648",
"author": "Mr_Bishop",
"timestamp": "2010-02-18T17:15:49",
"content": "Whats th... | 1,760,377,490.516614 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/02/18/the-uber-eeepc/ | The Uber Eeepc | Caleb Kraft | [
"computer hacks",
"Tablet Hacks"
] | [
"EeePc"
] | [F00] wrote in to
show us his Eeepc that has been modded with almost every upgrade
you can cram in one. He has an external cantenna for his wifi, an iPod hard drive, touch screen, added bluetooth with indicator lights, and an internal USB drive for booting linux. While the details are somewhat lacking on his site, you can find an article here for every piece you need to recreate his work. We’ve covered
adding the touch screen
,
mounting external antennas
,
doing it all without solder
, even
changing the form factor
. Not to mention the other Eeepc we’ve seen that was
extremely well endowed
. | 13 | 13 | [
{
"comment_id": "124635",
"author": "strider_mt2k",
"timestamp": "2010-02-18T15:54:02",
"content": "Need more bezel.",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "124641",
"author": "fartface",
"timestamp": "2010-02-18T16:45:03",
"content": "Detai... | 1,760,377,490.649435 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/02/17/now-you-can-record-mermaids-singing/ | Now You Can Record Mermaids Singing | Mike Szczys | [
"digital audio hacks"
] | [
"CAN",
"hydrophone",
"piezo",
"pre-amp"
] | Buy stock in hot glue, this project corners the market on the stuff. [Leafcutter John] uses the hot goop as his water-proofer of choice when
building an underwater microphone
(also known as a hydrophone). By installing a couple of piezo elements on one lid of a tin can he is able to record some amazingly clear audio. This is aided by a pre-amp inside the metal enclosure. By cleaning off the clear coating from the inside of these steel can parts, he was able to solder the seams to keep the water out. In the end, coins are added for ballast and any remaining space is completely filled with hot glue.
He’s got a handful of example recordings on his project page. Here’s an what a running faucet sounds like from under water: | 34 | 34 | [
{
"comment_id": "124510",
"author": "googfan",
"timestamp": "2010-02-17T21:09:02",
"content": "Sounds tinny",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "124515",
"author": "Luke",
"timestamp": "2010-02-17T21:17:53",
"content": "What might also be... | 1,760,377,490.78084 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/02/17/robo-vibe/ | Robo-vibe | Mike Szczys | [
"digital audio hacks"
] | [
"midi",
"solenoid",
"vibraphone"
] | What sounds like a sex-toy is actually the reason these musicians haven’t been practicing. Marv is the
MIDI actuated robotic vibraphone
built by [Tim O’Keefe], [Michael McIntyre], and [Brock Roland]. Every key has a solenoid positioned below it. The beauty here is that other than four small holes used for mounting, the vibraphone hasn’t been altered at all. The solenoids are positioned on the outside edges of the instrument but there’s also a hidden secret. A set of dampers have been installed between the two ranks of keys. These are used to stop dampen ringing keys after the note should have stopped.
These guys have exhibited some beautiful craftsmanship. Check out the videos after the break and if you have the chance, see Marv in person at
BarBot 2010
. If you do attend that robot extravaganza don’t miss your chance to enjoy
a breast-pump actuated cocktail
.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yshWmtZYbtA]
Flight of the Bumblebee performance
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nt_W7A_MQGQ]
Damper testing
[via
Laughing Squid
] | 16 | 16 | [
{
"comment_id": "124498",
"author": "osgeld",
"timestamp": "2010-02-17T20:39:57",
"content": "this is how(modern)player pianos work too",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "124500",
"author": "heltoupee",
"timestamp": "2010-02-17T20:49:30",
... | 1,760,377,490.885571 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/02/17/raise-your-hand-if-you-want-to-listen-to-something-else/ | Raise Your Hand If You Want To Listen To Something Else | Mike Szczys | [
"ipod hacks"
] | [
"ipod",
"laser",
"remote",
"schemer"
] | This track is awful, someone skip it!
This project
does just that with a wave of your hand. A laser beam shines across a room and, when obstructed, it sends a command to an iPod. One wave pauses playback, two waves skips to the next track, and a constant obstruction jumps backward one track.
They’re using a textile-compatible electronics platform called
Schemer
. This is the first time we’ve run across this product which uses a modular system to connect devices via a 1-wire communications bus.
No matter what hardware you use the concept is what interests us. There’s no shortage of
iPod remote
projects to draw on as examples. This method seems a bit more fun than
banging your head for track changes
or
slapping wildly at an over-sized remote
. We’re just a bit concerned about the power consumption of the laser-pointer, perhaps an IR beam would be a more economical choice? | 18 | 18 | [
{
"comment_id": "124475",
"author": "Mr_Bishop",
"timestamp": "2010-02-17T18:56:37",
"content": "Well this is interesting and all but it gives me a better idea. Voice command remote; Im thinking use a single clap to get it to start receiving voice command input. Some commands like ” Play”, Shuffle”... | 1,760,377,490.832843 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/02/17/drink-making-unit/ | Drink Making Unit | Caleb Kraft | [
"Beer Hacks",
"Robots Hacks"
] | [
"alcohol",
"bar",
"breast pump"
] | [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iC9l1jO7Lyc]
3 breast pumps, a Meggy jr RGB (slightly modified) and copious amounts of alcohol. This sounds like a typical weekend at HAD headquarters, but it is in fact the parts list for the
Drink Making Unit
by Evil Mad Scientist Laboratories. Created for the upcoming
Barbot 2010
event, this unit is a cocktail mixer. Load 3 liquids in, program the Meggy and you can push a button to dispense. We are pleased to see how much they modified off the shelf components to make this happen. Yes, there could be major improvements like mixing, more liquid reservoirs, and a better cooling system, but we think this thing is pretty slick. | 35 | 35 | [
{
"comment_id": "124438",
"author": "Mike Szczys",
"timestamp": "2010-02-17T17:07:25",
"content": "He needs to add a scale to the setup. That way he can control the mix by weight",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "124453",
"author": "googfan",
... | 1,760,377,491.062656 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/02/17/binary-clock-uses-ds3232-rtc/ | Binary Clock Uses DS3232 RTC | Mike Szczys | [
"clock hacks"
] | [
"arduino",
"binary",
"breadboard",
"clock",
"ds3232",
"rtc"
] | [Kenneth Finnegan] quenches our clock-a-day compulsion with his
Arduino based binary timepiece
. The clock uses a 5×7 LED matrix as a display and shows month, day, and time. He sourced a DS3232 real-time clock which automatically compensates for temperature to achieve very accurate time keeping. We like the super-cap circuit he added to keep the RTC running if the power is cut.
Is an Arduino overkill here? Well, the code is certainly not filling the 16k available on the ATmega168. At $4.32, the $1-2 you could save by using a lower-grade chip is not worth having to rewrite the code developed during prototyping. [Kenneth] also mentions that
these projects
usually only hang around for a few weeks before they’re re-purposed for the next endeavor.
Take a look at [Kenneth’s] superb hardware walk through in the video after the break. If you’re a fan of clean breadboarding, he’s also made a time-lapse of the circuit building process.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2z051umtdBA]
Clock components explained
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aPnveLrN4DA]
Time-lapse of circuit building. | 24 | 24 | [
{
"comment_id": "124426",
"author": "googfan",
"timestamp": "2010-02-17T16:26:42",
"content": "love them tin-can transistors!",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "124427",
"author": "Sprite_tm",
"timestamp": "2010-02-17T16:27:28",
"conten... | 1,760,377,490.958536 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/02/17/repairing-your-tv-edid/ | Repairing Your TV EDID | Caleb Kraft | [
"home entertainment hacks",
"Video Hacks"
] | [
"edid",
"htpc",
"tv"
] | [Andreas] found that his
home theater PC would not boot one day
. Oddly, if he disconnected his HDMI cable from his TV, it would boot fine. While most of us would have dug into the PC, he realized that it was a signal from the TV that was incorrect. Luckily, LG had included a full schematic with the TV. What he was able to figure out, using a home made snooper was that the
EDID
eeproms had somehow become corrupted. Not to worry, [Andreas] slapped together a full blown I2C interface and prepared to reprogram them with the correct data. He noticed, however, that the eeproms were write protected. On a whim, he decided to write to them any way and found that it was successful. He has some theories as to why they were writable, but says that he doesn’t want to pull the TV back apart to confirm.
[thanks evlapix] | 31 | 31 | [
{
"comment_id": "124418",
"author": "none",
"timestamp": "2010-02-17T16:05:55",
"content": "first link is dead",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "124419",
"author": "Whoever",
"timestamp": "2010-02-17T16:08:36",
"content": "A modern, co... | 1,760,377,491.533177 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/02/16/ultimate-flame-bait-liquid-cooled-arduino/ | Ultimate Flame Bait: Liquid Cooled Arduino | Caleb Kraft | [
"Arduino Hacks"
] | [
"arduino",
"overclock"
] | [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-U-cc_Qcf-w]
We do so many things around here just because “we can”. Though this guy cites this as his reason, we somehow can’t help but wonder if he’s doing it just to troll the Arduino hating crowd. He has decided to
overclock his Arduino
by replacing the crystal and dropping it in some non conductive liquid coolant. Can you guess what sketch he’s running? That’s right, he’s blinking an LED.
Normally we would point out that we have no preference when it comes to Arduino. We simply post what is submitted. Though we are often accused of being Arduino lovers, it is simply just another tool to us. We sometimes delete obnoxious comments that get off topic, threatening, or vulgar because that’s just good house keeping. That being said, we know what to expect here. Go ahead, bash the Arduino. Get it out of your systems. Just keep it non offensive or it will be moderated.
[thanks jfreak09] | 156 | 50 | [
{
"comment_id": "124225",
"author": "kirov",
"timestamp": "2010-02-16T22:06:25",
"content": "arduino stories are offensive themselves so it is hypocritical to ask us not to be in our comments on the matter.but you have no reason to post this story. You even admit it is useless and likely just the au... | 1,760,377,491.841635 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/02/16/the-mini-markade/ | The Mini-Markade | Caleb Kraft | [
"Toy Hacks"
] | [
"arcade",
"tiny"
] | We love arcade games. Who doesn’t? We feel that the “arcade” feeling just can’t be replicated in any other form factor than an arcade cabinet. [Moslevin] must feel the same way too.
He has built, what could possibly be the worlds smallest arcade cabinet
. Aside from a coin mechanism, it is fully functional. It is an ATMega328p running
his own custom software
. The games he has available are Tetris, Invader, and Breakout, all coded by himself as well. We’ve seen
small arcade cabinets
before, but none this small. | 28 | 28 | [
{
"comment_id": "124181",
"author": "moo",
"timestamp": "2010-02-16T18:13:27",
"content": "Thats one small arcade cabinet XD",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "124187",
"author": "l0gic",
"timestamp": "2010-02-16T18:34:53",
"content": "... | 1,760,377,491.289562 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/02/16/adding-words-to-catch-phrase/ | Adding Words To Catch Phrase | Mike Szczys | [
"Toy Hacks"
] | [
"catch phrase",
"game",
"sd",
"usb",
"word list"
] | [Brandon Meyer] spared no expense in
modding the Catch Phrase game to use custom word lists
. The altered version of the game, normal sold for around $25, now comes in at a whopping $230! That’s because the internals were gutted and replaced with an Arduino, 20×2 LCD display, and some other interesting bits. The device now features an SD slot for storing your own lists and a USB port for programming.
At first glance we were hoping some simple EEPROM hacking had unlocked the secrets of the device but that wasn’t he case. We’d love to see some more economical versions of [Brandon’s] prototype. Perhaps reusing the original LCD, replacing the Arduino with the ATmega168 that makes up its core, and using a
diy SD cradle
for a card reader.
So yes, this version is a bit of overkill but still very nicely done!
[Thanks Zoidberg] | 22 | 15 | [
{
"comment_id": "124175",
"author": "googfan",
"timestamp": "2010-02-16T17:42:13",
"content": "230 sounds like alot",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "124176",
"author": "Agent420",
"timestamp": "2010-02-16T17:48:27",
"content": "yeah, ... | 1,760,377,491.465318 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/02/16/microscope-lens-hack/ | Microscope Lens Hack | Mike Szczys | [
"digital cameras hacks",
"Tool Hacks"
] | [
"camcorder",
"ic",
"lego",
"lense",
"microscope"
] | Who doesn’t need to take pictures of the microscopic bits inside of an integrated circuit? [Mojobojo] made an end-run around the expensive equipment by
building a microscopic lens from an old camcorder
. He’s using a regular digital camera with the lens set to its largest zoom level. The camera is pointed into the salvaged camcorder lens where the fine tuning is done. His first iteration was just taped to the desk with a small hand flashlight illuminating the subject. He
upgraded that setup
by building a LEGO enclosure and changing to a much brighter light source. The images he’s getting are quite surprising and this will be very useful during
those extreme hacks
when you need to tap into an IC’s internal data rails.
[Thanks Julius] | 21 | 21 | [
{
"comment_id": "124163",
"author": "agentsmith",
"timestamp": "2010-02-16T16:25:49",
"content": "Awesome hack. Anyone know how he managed to remove the chip packaging?",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "124164",
"author": "decap",
"timesta... | 1,760,377,491.592162 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/02/15/electronic-key-impressioning/ | Electronic Key Impressioning | Mike Szczys | [
"lockpicking hacks"
] | [
"electonic",
"impressioning",
"keying",
"lock"
] | [Barry] shared his postulation on
how electronic key impressioning works
(
google cache
). You may remember
his foil impressioning demo
from earlier in the month, but now he’s addressing a piece of news we must have missed. Apparently,
a handheld impressioning device
is about to hit the market that can tell you the key codes for a lock in a matter of seconds. [Barry’s] guessing at how this is done from his experience with a similar device aimed at car locks. When the circuit board seen above is inserted into a lock, it completes a circuit between the lock housing and the wafer. The firmware monitors the conductors on the tip of the PCB to calculate how deeply the cut should be and at what point on the key.
This would be fun to try with a homemade PCB, any idea how to deal with wrapping traces around the edge of the board like that? | 22 | 22 | [
{
"comment_id": "124028",
"author": "Odin84gk",
"timestamp": "2010-02-15T23:16:40",
"content": "Create a Via at the end of the board.Chop the via in half.That is how you make things like thishttp://www.sparkfun.com/commerce/product_info.php?products_id=9582",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
... | 1,760,377,491.695356 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/02/15/developing-for-iphone-serial-communications/ | Developing For IPhone Serial Communications | Mike Szczys | [
"iphone hacks"
] | [
"interface builder",
"iphone",
"openframeworks",
"serial"
] | [Hcgilje]
threw together a tutorial
on using serial communications in iPhone applications. It builds upon
the DevDot tutorial
which was posted back in 2007. A lot has changed since then; the firmware has come a long way and there are several development tools that now make things a bit easier for you. His examples use
Interface Builder
and
openFrameworks
to demonstrate GUI control of an LED and a servo motor. Now go out and design
your own peripherals
for this popular handset. | 7 | 6 | [
{
"comment_id": "124027",
"author": "deathventure",
"timestamp": "2010-02-15T23:14:41",
"content": "that wind-up bird project you have linked on the site seems very interesting too.",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "124030",
"author": "aw",
... | 1,760,377,491.639354 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/02/15/converting-a-miata-to-all-electric/ | Converting A Miata To All-electric | Mike Szczys | [
"green hacks",
"Transportation Hacks"
] | [
"battery",
"electric vehicle",
"mazda",
"miata",
"nalgene"
] | [Henry Herndon]
converted a Mazda Miata to an all-electric vehicle
. There’s a ton of great information in
his archives
, as well as a round-up video that we’ve embedded after the break. It’s interesting to see him implement two different types of Nalgene bottles as coolant reservoirs. The polycarbonate on the first shattered on him but the soft plastic replacement seems to have done the trick. The batteries add a lot of weight to the vehicle and he ends up refitting the suspension to compensate. [Henry] registered the vehicle with the state and now has a street legal EV of his own design.
Also worth a look is
his post
covering the 2009 Wayland Invitational. There as a large collection of electric vehicle conversions at the get together.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wk-NG2CzkNQ]
[Thanks Anthony] | 23 | 21 | [
{
"comment_id": "123993",
"author": "codypaul",
"timestamp": "2010-02-15T20:48:33",
"content": "This looks really well done",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "124002",
"author": "hc",
"timestamp": "2010-02-15T21:27:16",
"content": "Smar... | 1,760,377,491.76117 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/02/15/hexacopter/ | Hexacopter | Caleb Kraft | [
"Robots Hacks",
"Toy Hacks"
] | [
"copter",
"hex",
"octo",
"quad"
] | [vimeo=http://vimeo.com/6194911]
Quad copters have been pretty popular for the last few years, but this one is new to us. Take the same basic layout, but bump it to 6 rotors. Then you’ll have
the hexacopter
(google
translated
). With 6 rotors, built in GPS and stabilization and a camera mounted on the bottom, this thing is pretty well equipped. You can see how agile and stable it is in the video above. We know it isn’t necessarily new, but it is new to us. Of course, you don’t have to stop at 6 rotors. You could always just
continue on to 8
. | 70 | 50 | [
{
"comment_id": "123978",
"author": "Mike Szczys",
"timestamp": "2010-02-15T19:39:22",
"content": "Too bad it takes soooooooo long to get off the ground. Obviously with only six rotors it’s underpowered.",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "123979",... | 1,760,377,491.922778 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/02/15/hmd-upgrade/ | HMD Upgrade | Caleb Kraft | [
"digital cameras hacks",
"Peripherals Hacks",
"Wearable Hacks"
] | [
"augmented reality",
"hmd",
"hud"
] | [Banfield Design] has put together this instructable on
how to upgrade or re build a head mounted display to be more immersive
and add features. Though you can already buy glasses style viewers for your media devices, they can use some upgrades. For one, you have to supply your own sound, and putting headphones on, over bulky glasses can be painful on your ears. Another area that could use improvement is the light that comes in around the glasses. The current trend is to make them as small as possible, but that tends to let your peripheral vision see the outside world. [Banfield design] wanted to make them more immersive, so he built them into some ski goggles. This not only helped block the light, but allowed for an over the ear style headphone assembly which is much easier on the ears.
A functional improvement came next, by adding a webcam front and center. He could now switch between a live feed of his environment and whatever other inputs he wanted. This could be really fun with some augmented reality. He has a list of future improvements, but he doesn’t mention adding a second camera for stereoscopic viewing of his surroundings. Why would you do that? because it would make
augmented reality much cooler
. | 18 | 18 | [
{
"comment_id": "123953",
"author": "Scott",
"timestamp": "2010-02-15T17:15:57",
"content": "Building in some kind of fog penetrating visualization (eg FLIR) as well as heads-up GPS maps would make these the ski goggles of all time!",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{... | 1,760,377,491.979323 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/02/14/trick-your-ride-tank-conversion/ | Trick Your Ride: Tank Conversion | Mike Szczys | [
"Transportation Hacks"
] | [
"car",
"tank",
"treads"
] | If wheels aren’t your thing you should really consider this
tank-tread retrofit
. It comes with two ramps so that you can drive your car up onto the tread platform. At first we thought this worked by chaining the vehicle’s frame to the tread frame and transferring power through a tread-mill interface. That’s not the case, it seems the transmission needs to be disconnected from the wheels and joined with the tank mechanics. Don’t miss the video antics after the break.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MtacFlDUjRM]
[via
Digg
] | 38 | 38 | [
{
"comment_id": "123890",
"author": "HIrudinea",
"timestamp": "2010-02-15T01:04:58",
"content": "Now that’s what I call a strap on! Looks like the stearing is done by breaking one tread, they must hook the front wheels up to a breaking system. So when will these be in stores, traffic jams piss me of... | 1,760,377,493.753904 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/02/14/homebrew-magsafe/ | Homebrew MagSafe | Jakob Griffith | [
"laptops hacks"
] | [
"accident",
"apple",
"cord",
"magnet",
"magnetic",
"magsafe",
"power"
] | [Freeload] sent us
his custom MagSafe adapter
build for laptops. MagSafe for those unaware is Apples (patented) power adapters that prevent damage to laptops when the cord is accidentally yanked from the socket. While
we’ve seen some custom versions before
of MagSafes they were usually bulky, ugly, and used a ton of unremovable glue. We really like [Freeload’s] because its quick, good looking, and the best part – completely removable without marks or damage. In short, an easy weekend project that could one day save your laptop. | 33 | 33 | [
{
"comment_id": "123854",
"author": "Paul",
"timestamp": "2010-02-14T18:42:50",
"content": "due to owning an aspire one with a 9 cell battery I got from china for 60 bucks, I never have to charge my laptop unless its sitting at home not being used.9 hours :P",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
... | 1,760,377,494.158515 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/02/14/hackaday-links-february-14-2010/ | Hackaday Links: February 14, 2010 | Mike Szczys | [
"Hackaday links"
] | [
"matrix",
"power supply",
"puzzle",
"security",
"t-shirt"
] | $30,000?
Is it art or is it a puzzle? Well, it functions as a game but it’s certainly a work of art and priced accordingly.
The Superplexus
was featured in
Make Mazine
and
Hammacher Schlemmer
sells it for thirty grand (you can’t just click to add it to your cart though). Think of the work that went into developing this! [via
The Awesomer
]
Rollable Display Update
[SeBsZ]
continues work on his rollable display matrix
. He’s got twenty five controller boards now and has them working as a matrix. We originally
covered this in January
but now it’s much easier to see how this can be made portable by mounting it on fabric or canvas. Check out
the demo video
if your interested.
Security testing suite
BackTrack 4 final has been released
. If you didn’t like it
when it was rough around the edges
, you should give it another try. This lean and mean Linux ditro is made for security testing and is approachable for noob and pro alike. [Thanks Steve]
Power on the go
[Csae] uses this
portable power center
to fire up some studio strobes outside. It consists of
a case
, an
uninterruptible power supply
, and a couple of extension cords
all hacked together
into one. At first you might think this is a bit ghetto but it’s portable and it does what is intended.
Happy Valentine’s Day
Giving this
LED-heart adorned shirt
as a gift is sure to make your Valentine head for the hills. This project’s a few year’s old, but
gawdy T-shirts
never go out of style, right? | 15 | 14 | [
{
"comment_id": "123849",
"author": "googfan",
"timestamp": "2010-02-14T17:44:26",
"content": "30,000? mabe $15k but not 30.",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "123850",
"author": "BiOzZ",
"timestamp": "2010-02-14T18:11:42",
"content": "... | 1,760,377,493.680898 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/02/13/ipod-shuffle-headphone-remote-reverse-engineered/ | IPod Shuffle Headphone Remote Reverse Engineered | Mike Szczys | [
"ipod hacks"
] | [
"ATmega88",
"headphones",
"ipod",
"remote",
"shuffle"
] | The headphone remote for the third generation iPod shuffle has a special chip that identifies it to the iPod itself. [David Carne] posted
an in-depth report about the process he used to reverse engineering that protocol
. He’s discovered that the remote uses a peculiar signal to identify it as authentic when the device powers up. We’ve talked about
Apple’s use of peripheral authorization
before and it seems this is no different. [David] did manage to emulate the authentication using an ATmega88. If you’ve got a shuffle 3G sitting around this info will allow you to operate it with a microcontroller in your next project. | 36 | 36 | [
{
"comment_id": "123707",
"author": "kisuke",
"timestamp": "2010-02-13T20:10:12",
"content": "apple cracked againFIRST POST",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "123708",
"author": "Paul Potter",
"timestamp": "2010-02-13T20:18:19",
"conten... | 1,760,377,493.896967 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/02/13/propeller-arcade/ | Propeller Arcade | Mike Szczys | [
"home entertainment hacks"
] | [
"arcade",
"cabinet",
"defender",
"donkey kong",
"frogger",
"mame",
"parallax",
"propeller"
] | This arcade cabinet has been saved from a gruesome death. [Oldbitcollector] picked the broken rig up for $50 and is building a Parallax Propeller based arcade machine. This
began back in October
and he’s
just dropped in a newly painted control panel
to replace the NES controller seen above. He pulled the replacement screen out of an old 19″ TV and found it to be a perfect fit. We didn’t find a complete list of available games but we know he’s got a menu system to choose the game and have seen Donkey Kong, Frogger, Defender, and at least one other in the videos. There’s less choices than
a MAME cabinet
but who needs more than a handful of the old 8-bit gems anyway?
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KYu_VHWY0wo]
Propeller Arcade walkthrough
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dYtSMuI8w_s]
Gameplay footage | 12 | 12 | [
{
"comment_id": "123696",
"author": "googfan",
"timestamp": "2010-02-13T19:19:13",
"content": "clever, but where is he going to put it?",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "123699",
"author": "Spork",
"timestamp": "2010-02-13T19:30:11",
"... | 1,760,377,493.627376 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/02/13/workshop-tour-makes-us-drool-ache-with-envy/ | Workshop Tour Makes Us Drool; Ache With Envy | Mike Szczys | [
"Misc Hacks"
] | [
"workshop"
] | [Mtneer_man] has
a workshop to die for
. The
slide show
that he set up covers the different workbenches and shop setups that he’s had over the years. He’s got a core set of beliefs when it comes to his work area. He prefers to have several different work areas for varying degrees of dirty, greasy, stick, or precision projects. These are luxuries that most don’t have the opportunity to enjoy.
With a setup this nice and this clean it’s amazing he does any projects at all. Wait a sec,his workshop IS a hack. The more recent collections of
his prolific Flickr sets
he details the building and outfitting of yet another workshop in a new structure on his property. We’re going to keep our eyes on this and see where it ends up.
[via
YourlTronics
] | 38 | 38 | [
{
"comment_id": "123667",
"author": "Jerzee",
"timestamp": "2010-02-13T16:38:09",
"content": "Wow, that is one hell of a beautiful shop, it looks like Mike has a strong case of OCD. I can only imagine the work he must be ale to dream up in there, at least I would if I had something like this.",
... | 1,760,377,494.036659 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/02/12/transparent-rubber-enclosures/ | Transparent Rubber Enclosures | Mike Szczys | [
"Tool Hacks"
] | [
"cast",
"enclosure",
"mp3",
"rubber"
] | This clear rubber puck
serves as the enclosure for a diy mp3 player. The wires encapsulated in the rubber are just there for looks but the utility of using this material as a case is fascinating.
Alas, there’s no details on the material other than that it’s clear rubber
.
Update:
[Reboots] picked up on
some info
that we originally missed. Looks like this is made from some
Smooth-On PCM 780
urethane rubber.
We’ve looked into casting our own molds from silicone rubber in the past. That may be the process used here but we can’t tell what allows the two halves to be pried apart. We’ve embedded video after the break that details casting rubber around a part in one solid block, then cutting the rubber off of that to create a mold. We’re also familiar with the
mold making kits from Tap plastics
but as far as we know, they’re always colored and never clear.
We keep our eyes peeled for
new prototyping products
and we want to know more about the materials and the process used to make this cylindrical elastomer. If you’ve got the goods on how this is done, please share them in the comments.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U3EjVQwBC_I]
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NVvGc7VDFvc]
[via
Gizmo Watch
] | 31 | 31 | [
{
"comment_id": "123574",
"author": "googfan",
"timestamp": "2010-02-13T00:05:47",
"content": "waterproof i suppose.",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "123577",
"author": "Arcylon",
"timestamp": "2010-02-13T00:08:59",
"content": "Pehaps... | 1,760,377,493.965316 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/02/12/internet-controlled-scrolling-numitron/ | Internet Controlled Scrolling Numitron | Mike Szczys | [
"Peripherals Hacks"
] | [
"ethernet",
"ipod",
"mbed",
"numitron"
] | How’s this for a first microcontroller project:
a ticker that pulls messages from the Internet and scrolls them on a set of numitrons
. [David Barton] built this using an
mbed microcontroller
. Tapping an ethernet library he got this to pull data from his server by connecting directly to the cat5 cables. The display consists of three numitrons which are incandescent 7-segment displays. In the video after the break you can see him sending messages to it from his iPod touch. This is just a PHP form that writes the submitted message to a file for the mbed to read. As [David] points out, there’s obvious Twittering applications here, but we just like the way it looks!
[flickr video=4345742755] | 11 | 11 | [
{
"comment_id": "123570",
"author": "Brian",
"timestamp": "2010-02-12T23:46:02",
"content": "That is really clever. I love numitron clocks, but this is one of the few truly creative uses I’ve seen beyond simply showing time. Just don’t tell /b/ the address of the server.",
"parent_id": null,
... | 1,760,377,493.577794 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/02/12/spectrum-analyzer-wedged-into-a-cellphone/ | Spectrum Analyzer Wedged Into A Cellphone | Mike Szczys | [
"classic hacks",
"Wireless Hacks"
] | [
"2.4",
"3410",
"cywm6935",
"lcd",
"nokia",
"spectrum analyzer"
] | [Miguel A. Vallejo] wanted a portable spectrum analyzer for the 2.4GHz ISM band. No problem, there’s modules for that are easy to interface with a microcontroller and LCD screen. But carrying around a black project box doesn’t exactly scream ‘cool’ so
he fit his spectrum analyzer inside of a cell phone
. This made a lot of things easier for him; he already had a few old phones, he was able to use both the original battery and the original LCD screen, and a lot of the mounting work is already done for you. The only challenge was to fit his custom circuitry inside. By hacking off part of the CYWM6935 module and cutting some protoboard in the same shape as the original PCB he managed to get everything into this tiny portable package. Now he’s looking for a way to incorporate a charger, and an on/off switch.
If you don’t have an old cell phone sitting around you can
try building a spectrum analyzer that uses a character display
. But we’d suggest hitting up your friends for their old cellphones. The screens are used in
all kinds
of fun
projects
. | 21 | 21 | [
{
"comment_id": "123552",
"author": "tim",
"timestamp": "2010-02-12T22:39:38",
"content": "wow that’s really cool!",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "123558",
"author": "Chris",
"timestamp": "2010-02-12T22:47:06",
"content": "Miguel –Yo... | 1,760,377,494.09253 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/02/12/precision-erector-set-connects-multiple-cameras/ | Precision Erector Set Connects Multiple Cameras | Mike Szczys | [
"digital cameras hacks"
] | [
"camera",
"canon",
"driving",
"erector",
"exoskeleton",
"rig"
] | [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nIWGKowjuIo]
Check out the exoskeleton that [Curt von Badinski]
built for filming driving scenes
. This extremely configurable wrap-around frame resembles a
children’s toy from the past
but allows an almost unlimited set of configurations. Five cameras simultaneous capture the driving scene. The current setup is used to shoot the television show 24.
[Thanks Robert] | 13 | 13 | [
{
"comment_id": "123527",
"author": "wdfowty",
"timestamp": "2010-02-12T20:06:59",
"content": "the youtube quality doesnt do these beauties justice.",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "123533",
"author": "Richard Nibbler",
"timestamp": "2010... | 1,760,377,494.202043 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/02/12/chip-and-pin-broken-and-other-security-threats/ | Chip And Pin Broken And Other Security Threats | Mike Szczys | [
"HackIt",
"Security Hacks"
] | [
"cyberterroism",
"man-in-the-middle",
"pin and chip",
"security"
] | Another exploit has been found in the Chip and PIN system. The exploit is a man-in-the middle attack that wouldn’t take too much know-how to pull off. You can
watch the BBC report
on the issue or
check out the paper
(PDF) published by the team that found the vulnerability. A stolen card resides in a reader that connects to a dummy card via a small cable. When the dummy card is inserted into a card reader, any PIN can be used to complete the transaction. The chip on the original card gets confirmation that the sale was completed via signature and the vendor’s card reader gets confirmation that the pin was correct. The UK based
Chip and PIN
system seems like a great idea, but it has had its share of
security loopholes
. This makes us wonder how hard it is to roll out security patches to the hardware readers in the system. Obviously this needs to be patch but does it take a technician visiting each terminal to flash an upgrade?
Switching to the topic of wide-scale attacks, we caught the
NPR interview
with [James Lewis] on Wednesday when they discussed the growing threat of Cyberterroism. He feels an attack on the US electrical grid is currently the biggest threat and will happen in the next ten years. Obviously taking the grid down would endanger lives and bring things to a standstill; traffic lights, refrigeration, heat, etc. We’re just glad that when asked if he thinks there is already malicious code residing in the control system, he doesn’t think that’s the case.
[Thanks to Whatsisface and Mcinnes] | 22 | 22 | [
{
"comment_id": "123521",
"author": "Sean",
"timestamp": "2010-02-12T19:07:17",
"content": "I could have sworn i read an article where they said they found malicious code in electrical grid computers but removed it, granted this was a few years ago so I could be mistaken",
"parent_id": null,
... | 1,760,377,494.325048 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/02/11/teletype-machine-from-an-electric-typewriter/ | Teletype Machine From An Electric Typewriter | Mike Szczys | [
"classic hacks",
"Peripherals Hacks"
] | [
"ATmega168",
"AVR",
"serial",
"teletype",
"typewriter"
] | This project, by an unknown hacker,
patches into an electric typewriter and uses it as a Teletype
. An AVR ATmega168 microcontroller patches into the key matrix of the typewriter which allows it to artificially type. Now, data can be sent over a serial connection to the AVR for output on the typewriter.
We’re not quite sure what this is going to be used for. We’ve seen
hacks like this for Twitter reading
in the past but he makes no mention of that type of use. Personally, we’d like to have this just to “print” out the occasional letter. Typewriters are so rarely used these days it would be a bit peculiar to get a letter that has the dimpled impressions associated with slamming a die into a piece of paper. | 34 | 34 | [
{
"comment_id": "123316",
"author": "osgeld",
"timestamp": "2010-02-11T23:13:24",
"content": "yea that would be cool as a “printer” but not very practical that Im running to the thrift store RIGHT NOW!!!",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "123317",
... | 1,760,377,494.266718 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/02/11/keyboard-keepalive/ | Keyboard Keepalive | Caleb Kraft | [
"Peripherals Hacks"
] | [
"keepalive",
"keyboard"
] | [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zq25CTEJEMQ]
We’re not going to debate the necessity of this one. [Todd] plays online games that will log you out after a few minutes of inactivity. To resolve this, he has created a
circuit that mimics keyboard activity
at a preset interval. While he notes that there is software for this, he points out that many games block the software. They can’t block legitimate keyboard activity.
[via
HacketGadgets
] | 43 | 43 | [
{
"comment_id": "123283",
"author": "osgeld",
"timestamp": "2010-02-11T21:27:35",
"content": "great, more bot zombies sucking up bandwidth, as everyone else around them yo-yo’s in place",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "123285",
"author": "Age... | 1,760,377,494.476266 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/02/11/dexterous-hexapod-clarification/ | Dexterous Hexapod Clarification | Caleb Kraft | [
"Robots Hacks"
] | [
"hexapod"
] | [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O3ovrT8pWww]
This tip was submitted by [Mike], with the original information
seen in this post
. When I passed the story along to our writer [Mike Szczys] I didn’t send along the entire email conversation. This bot is noteworthy because it has taught itself to walk. In the
build log
you can learn about how it has created its gait and altered it based off of the vision. There are also some great pictures of prototypes there too. While we can all agree that it isn’t as impressive looking initially as the A-Pod, remember that it wasn’t programmed to look impressive. | 14 | 14 | [
{
"comment_id": "123266",
"author": "MysticShadow",
"timestamp": "2010-02-11T20:37:31",
"content": "Wow……just… Wow!!!!!HAD has been HAD!!!",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "123267",
"author": "Mikey",
"timestamp": "2010-02-11T20:42:05",
... | 1,760,377,495.151431 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/02/11/hud-for-real-life-capture-the-flag/ | HUD For Real Life Capture-the-flag | Mike Szczys | [
"classic hacks",
"gps hacks",
"Toy Hacks"
] | [
"gps",
"hud",
"radar",
"xbee",
"zephyreye"
] | If you’ve played any of the Splinter Cell games you’ll remember the PDA that [Sam Fisher] carried around with him. What if you could have one of your own when playing capture-the-flag? [Brad] has created the
ZephyrEye as an electronic command and communications device for real-life games
.
Each player carries around their own unit. The ZephyrEye has a GPS module, Xbee module, LCD screen, and control buttons. This allows a player to setup one of several different games, map out the game field including base locations and flag locations, and monitor a time limit and scoring. Other players can join the game in progress. The best part? The GPS modules report tracking to each handheld and act as radar for your team and the enemy team. We’ve got a couple of demo videos after the break.
Words can’t describe how delighted this would have made us back in the day. We don’t play outside with the other neighborhood kids anymore (insert dirty-old-man joke here) but that might change just because of this device. We may end up joining [
Barney Stinson
] for some amazingly awesome laser-tag games after all.
[Brad’s] posted hardware information and source code so that you can use to throw together a dozen or so units. We think the next version should incorporate
a wearable display
.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w-MWm8Eqn00]
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xUKLX4FYfAI]
[via
Tom’s Guide
] | 27 | 27 | [
{
"comment_id": "123268",
"author": "monkeyslayer56",
"timestamp": "2010-02-11T20:43:41",
"content": "seriously a few weeks ago i had this idea..even planned it out but didn’t have the money to actually do it…",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "123... | 1,760,377,494.927973 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/02/11/veteran-robot-features-eight-legs-and-beagleboard/ | Veteran Robot Features Eight Legs And BeagleBoard | Mike Szczys | [
"Robots Hacks"
] | [
"abs",
"arduino",
"beagleboard",
"iraq",
"robot",
"spider"
] | This spider-bot was built by [Zhanx] during his deployment in Iraq. He didn’t have prior hardware building experience and started out on this project when he received an Arduino to play with in September. Must be a fast learner! The parts are laser-cut from ABS plastic and connected to 24 servos. He sourced an
SSC-32 serial servo control board
to take care of the motor connections.
[Zhanx] has since migrated from the Arduino to a
BeagleBoard
which you can see perched atop the body in the video after the break. This should give him plenty of speed and power to improve the movement routines. There’s some nice work here but adding rubber feet, like on
yesterday’s hexapod
, wouldn’t hurt.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zX0AAvQiXgA] | 18 | 18 | [
{
"comment_id": "123240",
"author": "McSquid",
"timestamp": "2010-02-11T18:43:57",
"content": "For someone with no prior experience…..wow. that’s good.",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "123243",
"author": "Asuraku",
"timestamp": "2010-02-1... | 1,760,377,494.86595 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/02/11/use-an-analog-oscilloscope-to-display-digital-logic/ | Use An Analog Oscilloscope To Display Digital Logic | Mike Szczys | [
"Tool Hacks"
] | [
"18f26k20",
"digital",
"oscilloscope",
"pic",
"signal"
] | [Mike Bradley] wanted to use his oscilloscope to display 8 channels of digital signals. Alas, the analog unit didn’t have this capability. Not to worry,
he threw together an adapter module
that does the trick. Using a PIC 18F26K20 microcontroller he inputs four or eight channel digital logic (at 5V) and filters the output to an analog signal that the oscilloscope can interpret. What you see in the photo above is the result. | 31 | 31 | [
{
"comment_id": "123220",
"author": "medix",
"timestamp": "2010-02-11T17:49:56",
"content": "This woulda been good to have yesterday.. ;)His workbench is too clean!",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "123222",
"author": "osgeld",
"timestamp"... | 1,760,377,494.813077 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/02/11/arduino-helps-you-ski-copper/ | Arduino Helps You Ski Copper | Mike Szczys | [
"Arduino Hacks",
"LED Hacks"
] | [
"8x8",
"arduino mega",
"copper mountain",
"led",
"sign",
"trail report"
] | [Dwight’s] been working on a long-term project to
add a status board for the ski runs at Copper Mountain
ski resort. The board will feature an 8×8 LED module for each run that displays a green O for open trails, a green G for groomed trails, and a red X for closed trails. He’s also got a status board with LEDs embedded in a trail map.
The system relies on SPI for each LED module. An Arduino Mega uses a Xbee module to pull down XML data wirelessly and display it on this board. Since
the trail report is already available online
it’s just a matter of parsing the data in a useful way.
He’s not quite done with the whole thing yet, but keep an eye out for it if you are planning to ski Copper Mountain.
[via
Tom’s Guide
] | 8 | 8 | [
{
"comment_id": "123206",
"author": "AnthonyDi",
"timestamp": "2010-02-11T16:49:41",
"content": "I like practical use projects like this.",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "123211",
"author": "Larry",
"timestamp": "2010-02-11T17:04:27",
... | 1,760,377,494.750337 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/02/10/rgv-laser/ | RGV Laser | Jakob Griffith | [
"Laser Hacks"
] | [
"color",
"colour",
"diffraction",
"driver extension",
"full",
"grating",
"laser",
"portable",
"rgb",
"rgv",
"white fusion"
] | [Carl] sure has come a long way with laser modifications, now introducing his portable
RGV Full Colour Laser
. Although it feels just like yesterday when he showed us his
green spiro
and his
Lego diffraction grating projector
.
But enough of the past, the RGV laser is built using a
White Fusion Mixing Kit
and his own
Full Colour Driver Extension
. We couldn’t find any circuit diagrams or code to build your own at the moment, but it appears fairly straight forward and you can always take a look at
[c4r0’s] Colour Laser
. | 12 | 12 | [
{
"comment_id": "123125",
"author": "krazer",
"timestamp": "2010-02-11T01:17:30",
"content": "Very nice! I like how small the case is, one of the more compact builds I have seen.Although, I still believe minehttp://www.krazerlasers.com/lasers/rgb3/is smaller at the moment, although I PWM modulate t... | 1,760,377,494.70728 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/02/10/picaxe-lego-tank/ | PicAxe LEGO Tank | Mike Szczys | [
"Toy Hacks"
] | [
"08m",
"ir",
"lego",
"PICAXE",
"tank"
] | [TomTheGeek]
built a LEGO tank with a PicAxe controller
. Locomotion is supplied by a Lego Power Function motor controller. He cut an LPF extension wire in half so that he could patch into the PWM signals without altering the motors themselves. You can make out the control circuitry and a small breadboard in the tank’s turret. [Tom] added a laser pointer to the tip of the barrel but we’d like to see an IR LED. The tank is controlled by a infrared remote control and adding TV-b-gone functionality to the toy would create something of a
Rube Goldberg feature
for turning off the tube. But alas, there’s no programming space left for that as the PicAxe 08M is limited to 256 bytes.
There’s a video after the break of this little demon tracking its way around the room. This is a nice addition to
the other LEGO tank
we saw a while back.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7kARbk2TKfE] | 14 | 13 | [
{
"comment_id": "123102",
"author": "vikki",
"timestamp": "2010-02-10T23:43:09",
"content": "he should have made a WALL-E to clean the mess up",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "123106",
"author": "osgeld",
"timestamp": "2010-02-11T00:01:18... | 1,760,377,495.103643 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/02/10/usb-host-mode-for-droid/ | USB Host Mode For Droid | Mike Szczys | [
"Android Hacks",
"Cellphone Hacks"
] | [
"droid",
"usb host"
] | There’s a simple hack to
use your Motorola Droid phone as a USB host
. It is a hardware-only hack that doesn’t require you to crack open your phone,
root it
, or even to change firmware (although device drivers in the stock Android image may be quite limited). The dongle above is used as a key to enable the mode while the phone is booting. This was repurposed from a car charging cable by removing the wires and resistor and shorting the resistor pads. Once the phone is in host mode the dongle is swapped for a simple USB-mini to USB-A socket adapter, built from two cables you probably have lying around. Now you can plug in any device you want.
[Thanks Freezer90] | 41 | 41 | [
{
"comment_id": "123061",
"author": "lowlysoundtech",
"timestamp": "2010-02-10T20:11:28",
"content": "so are we talking input peripherals here or maybe external HDs, USB thumb sticks? Ideas?",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "123065",
"author"... | 1,760,377,495.22825 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/02/10/dexterous-hexapod-rocks-an-atom-processor/ | Dexterous Hexapod Rocks An Atom Processor | Mike Szczys | [
"Robots Hacks"
] | [
"a-pod",
"atom",
"dj roomba",
"hexapod",
"intel",
"z530"
] | [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O3ovrT8pWww]
[Matt Bunting’s]
hexapod caught Intel’s eye
(and their wallet). This coordinated little bot runs Ubuntu on an Atom Z530 processor, popular in netbooks like the Dell Mini 10, and uses a webcam to coordinate and monitor its motion. Intel picked up two of them from [Matt] to exhibit at trade shows. As you can see, the 18 servos provide some gorgeous motion to the beast. It’s no
DJ Roomba
but it approaches the zen-like perfection that is
the A-Pod
.
[Thanks Miked] | 21 | 21 | [
{
"comment_id": "123043",
"author": "vikki",
"timestamp": "2010-02-10T18:20:29",
"content": "EVERYBODY MAMBO!!!",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "123044",
"author": "damis648",
"timestamp": "2010-02-10T18:20:44",
"content": "Looks like... | 1,760,377,495.364843 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/02/10/the-day-after-arduino/ | The Day After Arduino | Caleb Kraft | [
"Arduino Hacks"
] | [
"arduino",
"breadboard"
] | There will come a day in every budding hacker’s life that they realize that plopping an entire arduino in their project and leaving it there is a bit of a waste. [Domiflichi] realized this, and
has shared his next steps with us
. He takes us through the process of removing the ATMega chip and breadboarding it for final use.
For many of you, this is an obvious chain of events. However, there are also many who just haven’t ventured forward and taken this one step that will forever change how their projects are seen by the hacking world. For the anti-arduino crowd, realize that this is an opportunity not to bash a useful tool but to help nurture and lead people to the next step. | 60 | 50 | [
{
"comment_id": "123016",
"author": "PocketBrain",
"timestamp": "2010-02-10T16:36:47",
"content": "What? We’re moving beyond the development/prototyping phase? What next, product?",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "123017",
"author": "Fallen"... | 1,760,377,495.313397 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/02/10/cuecat-meet-arduino/ | CueCat, Meet Arduino | Caleb Kraft | [
"Arduino Hacks",
"home hacks"
] | [
"arduino",
"cuecat",
"scan"
] | [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eUO3vn-ivqo]
Have you ever felt like you needed a portable barcode scanner around the house? No? Well, [Mkanoap] did,
so he made one
. He has hooked his
CueCat
up to his Arduino to capture barcode data and store it on an SD card. He is using it as an inventory tool for his personal library. Where before he had to carry a laptop around to do his scanning, or lug the books to his desk, he now just scans wherever he pleases.
You may notice some silly sounds dubbed over the video. Take note, these are the actual sounds it plays. The camera didn’t pick them up well enough, so he dubbed them in. You wouldn’t want to miss out on the entire experience would you? | 26 | 26 | [
{
"comment_id": "123012",
"author": "SDC",
"timestamp": "2010-02-10T16:08:21",
"content": "That’s a pretty nice project. I bought a Cuecat on eBay (couple of dollars) and did something similar w/ a small Python script and SQLite database on my laptop, but this one is more portable.",
"parent_id"... | 1,760,377,495.641089 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/02/09/wireless-painting/ | Wireless Painting | Mike Szczys | [
"Wireless Hacks"
] | [
"gravity",
"painting",
"pendulum",
"radio controlled",
"servo",
"tom shannon"
] | [
Tom Shannon
] uses science as part of his art. One of his methods when painting is to use this radio controlled paint pendulum. He gave
an interview at his studio
, which we’ve embedded after the break, and goes into detail about this device. It has six different reservoirs that hold the paint colors. Each gravity-fed canister connects to a central nozzle with flexible tubing. The hand held control box has a slider for each color that moves a servo pinching each supply tube. This ingenuity keeps him creating even though Parkinson’s Disease has started to manifest itself with tremors in his hands.
It’s hard to make out the paintings seen above, but the ones on display in the video are pretty amazing. He mentions that anything can be loaded into the hoppers, including tomato sauce. Is anyone else thinking about
large scale pizza constuction
? This also reminds us of the
mechanical bartenders
we’ve
seen in the past
.
[ted id=762] | 18 | 18 | [
{
"comment_id": "122922",
"author": "fenwick",
"timestamp": "2010-02-09T22:03:13",
"content": "Is it mean to say that abstract art could be created just as easily WITH Parkinson’s?",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "122925",
"author": "Blind",
... | 1,760,377,495.419456 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/02/09/tpm-crytography-cracked/ | TPM Crytography Cracked | Mike Szczys | [
"Security Hacks"
] | [
"Christopher Tarnovsky",
"cryptography",
"encrypted",
"Infineon",
"TPM",
"Trusted Platform Module"
] | Trusted Platform Module based cryptography protects your secrets as well as your government’s secrets. Well, it used to. [Christopher Tarnovsky]
figured out how to defeat the hardware
by spying on its communications. This requires physical access so it’s not quite as bad as it sounds, but this does reach beyond TPM to many of the security chips made by Infineon. This includes peripheral security chips for Xbox 360 and some chips used in cell phones and satellite TV.
[Christopher] revealed his hack during
his presentation at Black Hat 2010
. The method is wicked-hard, involving removal of the chip’s case and top layer, then tapping into a data bus to get at unencrypted data. The chip still has some tricks up its sleeve and includes firmware traps that keep a look out for this type of attack, shutting down if it’s detected. Infineon commented that they knew this was possible but regard it as a low threat due to the high skill level necessary for success.
[Thanks Greg] | 36 | 34 | [
{
"comment_id": "122896",
"author": "jkl",
"timestamp": "2010-02-09T19:46:07",
"content": "This paper from 1996 describes several tricks to perform physical attacks on chips:http://www.cl.cam.ac.uk/~rja14/tamper.html",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id... | 1,760,377,495.814972 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/02/09/old-time-music-player-is-brand-new/ | Old-time Music Player Is Brand New | Mike Szczys | [
"digital audio hacks"
] | [
"daft punk",
"digitrola",
"mp3"
] | This looks like a home entertainment center of yore but something’s not quite right. Where is the turntable used to play the music? It turns out that this
Danforth Standard Digitrola
is digital and doesn’t rely upon wax for an input. [Jonathan Danforth] built it as a show piece and it exhibits fine craftsmanship. A sound driver uses the brass horn and the acoustical chamber to put out what sounds like a fine quality end product. Hear it playing some
Daft Punk
in the video after the break. The music comes from an MP3 board inside that has a 50W amplifier and reads the music from an SD card. The only control available to the listener is the brass knob which controls the volume.
[flickr video=4333461422] | 14 | 13 | [
{
"comment_id": "122899",
"author": "Paul Potter",
"timestamp": "2010-02-09T20:05:25",
"content": "Brilliant. Rather steampunk.",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "122900",
"author": "kvmanii",
"timestamp": "2010-02-09T20:06:44",
"conten... | 1,760,377,495.693526 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/02/09/porta-touch-portable-multitouch/ | Porta Touch: Portable Multitouch | Caleb Kraft | [
"Multitouch Hacks"
] | [
"multitouch",
"nui",
"portatouch"
] | [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lHpZ5tM7sN8]
We just found this great
portable multitouch rig called the portatouch
. Made by a user at the NUI group website named [portatouch], this system uses a stripped down LCD as the display with IR LEDs edge lighting a touch surface in front of it. A camera mounted below the LCD picks up the reflections of the LEDs and converts it to touch points. While the implementation isn’t anything new, the package is really great. If you want to learn how to set up the technical side of it all, head over to the
NUI group website
and you’ll find all you want. We would love to see a more detailed breakdown of his rig though. The portability and quick construction are fantastic and seem like they could be reproduced without a ton of custom work. | 4 | 4 | [
{
"comment_id": "122877",
"author": "22gunsonfire",
"timestamp": "2010-02-09T17:30:49",
"content": "Im a sucker for aesthetically pleasing and practical product applications. This is def on my next b-day build wishlist.",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment... | 1,760,377,495.907646 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/02/09/tiny-power-supply-monitor/ | ‘tiny’ Power Supply Monitor | Mike Szczys | [
"classic hacks",
"Tool Hacks"
] | [
"attiny13",
"AVR",
"hd44780",
"high voltage",
"hvsp",
"power supply",
"psu"
] | [Manekinen]
built a power supply monitor
based around an AVR ATtiny13. Voltage and amperage are displayed on a 16×2 LCD character display (we’re not sure what the third number is… samples per second?). This is no small feat considering that the tiny13 is an 8-pin chip. He makes it happen by using the pins for both LCD control and ADC input. To make this happen the HD44780 compliant display is used in 4-bit mode. Check out the video after the break and hit up
the non-translated page
if you want to download the source code and PCB artwork. A note of warning, he’s using the RESET pin for I/O which means once you burn the fuses you’ll need a
programmer that has High Voltage
Serial Programming capabilities if you want to reprogram the chip.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7n9F4LuwhvM]
[Thanks RicoElectrico] | 13 | 13 | [
{
"comment_id": "122831",
"author": "sjc",
"timestamp": "2010-02-09T13:47:20",
"content": "My guess is the 3rd number is the temperature as read by the LM35…",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "122833",
"author": "Sheldon",
"timestamp": "201... | 1,760,377,495.745458 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/02/08/modded-c64-eye-candy/ | Modded C64 Eye Candy | Phil Burgess | [
"classic hacks",
"digital audio hacks"
] | [
"64",
"c64",
"case",
"casemod",
"commodore",
"mod",
"retro",
"synth",
"synthesizer",
"vintage"
] | “Everyone needs a hobby,” they tell us. For the blogger mysteriously identified only as “R,” that hobby would be
an almost fanatical nostalgia for the Commodore 64 computer
.
At first we thought this was a fan community site, but apparently it’s all the work of a single person. [R] has tweaked, extended, repackaged and resurfaced this 1980’s icon in nearly every imaginable way. They tend to gloss over the technical aspects of these mods, but that’s okay – the C64 is such an
exhaustively
documented
system
now that the site dwells mainly on the
aesthetics
and meaning of these reborn devices.
The 64 has made an indelible impression on
electronic music
, and the machines are still sought after by collectors, composers and
circuit-benders
. [R] pays homage by housing these vintage systems in styles reminiscent of even vintage-er
synthesizers
. Any one of these would warrant a post here, yet there’s a whole collection to browse. Check it out!
[via Retro Thing] | 21 | 21 | [
{
"comment_id": "122741",
"author": "tantris",
"timestamp": "2010-02-08T23:20:44",
"content": "the picture on the left reminds me of harold on the red green show",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "122742",
"author": "alvare",
"timestamp": "... | 1,760,377,495.870543 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/02/08/guruplug-the-next-generation-of-sheevaplug/ | GuruPlug, The Next Generation Of SheevaPlug | Mike Szczys | [
"computer hacks",
"home hacks"
] | [
"GuruPlug",
"linux",
"server",
"sheevaplug"
] | Meet GuruPlug, an all-in-one server that is
now available for pre-order
. This is the next generation of the popular
SheevaPlug
that features some added goodies. The base model sells for the same $99 and appears to have the same specs as the original but for $30 more, the GuruPlug Server PLUS moves to 2 Gigabit Ethernet ports, one eSATA connector, and built-in WiFi and Bluetooth. All of this for $129 and it only pulls 5 watts? Wow.
Update:
Thanks to [Foerdi] and to [
Phil Burgess
] for the pointing out that the hardware diagram on
the features page
shows WiFi and Bluetooth for
both
models.
[Thanks Chris] | 50 | 50 | [
{
"comment_id": "122716",
"author": "walt",
"timestamp": "2010-02-08T21:52:06",
"content": "first!it’s still too big to be a plug. would be much cooler if it was a box with a cord. i would’t want this hanging off of my wall.",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"co... | 1,760,377,496.234948 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/02/08/ez430-home-automation/ | Ez430 Home Automation | Mike Szczys | [
"home hacks"
] | [
"433",
"arduino",
"ez430",
"RF",
"texas instruments",
"ti"
] | [Oliver] has been doing some work to
use his TI ez430 Chronos wristwatch for some home automation
. He’s working with a RF controllable lightbulb adapter which operates in the 433 MHz band. A dirt-cheap breadboard-friendly transmitter is
available from Seeed Studios
and he uses this in conjunction with a computer and an Arduino. Before the trolls get to their thing, YES, this is incredible overkill. But remember that he’s prototyping. We hope that if he intends to actually use this setup he’ll migrate to something like an ATtiny2313 running
V-USB
. Better yet, you should be able to tap into the watch’s companion receiver and cut the computer out completely.
If you’re easily amused you’ll appreciate the video of a light turning on and off after the break. If you’re a little harder to please then take a look at
Oliver’s methods of using Python processing
for the watch’s data.
Ok, now we’ve seen
this watch
turning on lights and
unlocking doors
. What else ‘ya got? | 12 | 12 | [
{
"comment_id": "122648",
"author": "darkore",
"timestamp": "2010-02-08T20:16:14",
"content": "wow, so people are actually able to order this watch. unbelievable.",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "122649",
"author": "googfan",
"timestamp":... | 1,760,377,495.957582 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/02/08/built-in-hex-editor-unlocks-plasma-tv-features/ | Built-in Hex Editor Unlocks Plasma TV Features | Mike Szczys | [
"home entertainment hacks"
] | [
"gamma",
"hex editor",
"menu",
"panasonic",
"settings"
] | [Nick] tipped us off about a guide to
unlock extra features on Panasonic televisions
. The hack works on the G10 models of plasma TVs and uses the service menu to gain access to the EEPROM memory. With a few quick steps you can change some data with a built in hex editor, unlocking several new settings menus, or bricking your entertainment centerpiece. We’ve seen some
Samsung TV
hacking in the past and hope that with increased processing power in today’s models we’ll someday see consumer TVs available with open-source firmware so that we can integrate of
our favorite entertainment software
. | 79 | 50 | [
{
"comment_id": "122629",
"author": "Cody",
"timestamp": "2010-02-08T18:49:37",
"content": "Holy shit.a built-in hex editor in a plasma TV?Did I just read that right?",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "122630",
"author": "bluesteelbass",
"t... | 1,760,377,496.152218 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/02/08/mod-in-the-usa-n900-push-competition/ | ‘Mod In The USA’ N900 PUSH Competition | Jakob Griffith | [
"Cellphone Hacks",
"contests"
] | [
"competition",
"cortex",
"maemo",
"N900",
"nokia",
"push",
"usa",
"vegas"
] | Just when you think you’ve heard all you can about the N900 PUSH competition, we have some more news for you.
The original PUSH competition was only for UK members, but now Nokia has introduced the ‘
Mod in the USA
‘ N900 PUSH competition. Similar to
the original
, anyone (within region) can
submit
a cool mod, hack, useful creation that would use the N900. Winners will be selected, and thats when the differences start.
There will be a $10,000 for 1st prize, and smaller prizes for 2nd and 3rd. Plus a trip to Vegas to showcase the 3 winning hacks at CTIA 2010 as well as funding, N900s and support to build the mods.
Don’t have an idea but still want to try? They have a
discussion group
to get the juices flowing, or you could always discuss in our comments.
[Update: The original PUSH competition was actually world wide. Thanks Matt and Ricardo] | 14 | 13 | [
{
"comment_id": "122616",
"author": "kevin mcguigan",
"timestamp": "2010-02-08T16:43:47",
"content": "this may not be the appropriate place for this but i am trying to find a touch screen interface for a 17 inch monitor. please if someone does could they email me.",
"parent_id": null,
"depth... | 1,760,377,496.279014 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/02/07/fat-support-for-any-microcontroller/ | FAT Support For Any Microcontroller | Mike Szczys | [
"Misc Hacks"
] | [
"efsl",
"fat",
"microcontroller"
] | [Rahul Sapre] sent us
a guide to porting EFSL to any microcontroller (PDF)
. The
Embedded Filesystems Library
adds FAT support to C compiled microcontrollers. It is targeted at the AVR line of chips but can be adapted to any architecture that works with a C compiler. [Rahul’s] guide will take you through the process of adapting the latest stable 0.2.8 version to new hardware by using a PIC uC as the working example. The non-stable
development branch of EFSL
is working toward multiple-platform support so consider lending a hand if this interests you. | 24 | 24 | [
{
"comment_id": "122521",
"author": "medix",
"timestamp": "2010-02-08T01:21:02",
"content": "Sweet Jesus, something useful!Gonna have to start working with 24F PICs now..",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "122525",
"author": "tz",
"timestam... | 1,760,377,496.341864 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/02/07/hackaday-links-february-7-2010/ | Hackaday Links: February 7, 2010 | Mike Szczys | [
"Hackaday links"
] | [
"beer",
"chandelier",
"jewelry",
"photo booth",
"robot arm"
] | Bot gives head to passersby
This
free range robot
was spotted at this year’s Kinetica Art Fair. You can place your hand above it and it will stop and pour you a beer. That’s if you consider 7/8 of a glass of head ‘a beer’.
Photo booth adds fun – consumes floor space
Face it, photo booths are fun, and if they’re free a lot of people will use them.
This particular booth
was built in some guy’s apartment, adding the fun but eating up floor space. But this would be a great build for your next group gathering, just like the
Crushtoberfest
. [via
DVICE
]
More human through-hole design
[Fridgehead]
stuck and 5mm LED in his earlobe
and then used a microcontroller to make it pulse. He’s got quite a mop and that’s where he hides the black controller pack. The next version should be RGB and the smallest surface mount packages he can solder. At least this isn’t disgusting like the
LED nipple ring
.
Chandelier your wife will never let you install
This
300 LED chandelier
uses epoxy coated wires draped around the light ring to resemble a more traditional crystal light fixture. It’ll still be a hard sell if you want to hang this over the dinner table. [via
Gizmodo
]
A touch of copper
[Zombie84] built a
prototype of a robot arm
out of copper pipe. There’s not much info here, but you can see some wires in the wrist that appear to function as tendons. This reminds us of the characters from
9
. | 14 | 14 | [
{
"comment_id": "122518",
"author": "Aes",
"timestamp": "2010-02-08T00:36:46",
"content": "“Bot gives head to passersby”Seriously, guys?",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "122524",
"author": "Ayush Sood",
"timestamp": "2010-02-08T01:54:15",... | 1,760,377,496.446484 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/02/07/putting-on-a-show-in-the-rain/ | Putting On A Show In The Rain | Mike Szczys | [
"Arduino Hacks",
"LED Hacks",
"Lifehacks"
] | [
"arudino",
"led",
"MIC2981",
"multiplex",
"umbrella"
] | Let’s face it, walking around in the rain sucks. [Matth3w] is trying to add a little whimsy to an unpleasant experience by
adding an LED matrix to his umbrella
. The array contains 80 LEDs that are individually addressable. This is a mutiplexed array that relies on a MIC2981 source driver for the eight rows (or rings in this case), with the ten columns handled by the Arduino. The effect is quite nice as you can see in the video after the break. Now that he’s proven this works, you might want to etch your own PCB in order to get rid of the Arduino board and prototyping shield, making it easier to waterproof the control circuitry. This would make a nice addition to your
illuminated umbrella stock
.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bn3_SrWwsiM] | 12 | 12 | [
{
"comment_id": "122492",
"author": "Osgeld",
"timestamp": "2010-02-07T20:32:18",
"content": "interesting",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "122507",
"author": "googfan",
"timestamp": "2010-02-07T22:47:32",
"content": "but why?",
"p... | 1,760,377,496.392366 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/02/07/performance-oddities/ | Performance Oddities | Mike Szczys | [
"HackIt"
] | [
"cards",
"jedi",
"magic",
"magician",
"prop"
] | [Mario the Magician] wrote in to let us know that he makes Hackaday a priority every morning with his coffee. Well, so do we. He also included
a link to his homepage
when submitting this revelation. The juicy details that are as much of a fix as the caffeine in the coffee are missing from his posts. But the hacks are solid.
Magicians are hackers. If you could go out and buy the props, the concept are unlikely to impress anyone. [Mario] demonstrates his
Nickel Box
and a
Jedi Mind Trick
he built. The Nickel Box is a mechanical contraption that somehow transports a coin from one part of a cigar box to a tiny little enclosure on top of it. The Jedi Mind Trick uses a microcontroller and an old Star Wars soundtrack cassette tape box to put on a light and sound show while it recovers your chosen card from a shuffled deck. Great demonstrations, but no word on what’s going on inside.
[Mario’s] also has a collection of… performance oddities. His
talking television
takes an audio input and displays a 1950’s-esque oscilloscope effect on an old TV. He’s attempting to stop his heart, or burn the house down, or both with a flyback transformer
lightning box
. And his
drawing automaton
, well, you’ll just have to see it.
We believe in electrons, not magic (even though some say
there are no electrons
). So we want to know how those magic props are built. Like any good magician, [Mario] probably won’t reveal his secrets. If you’ve got the goods this your chance. Write a post detailing your magical prop builds and
send them our way
.
If it’s well done
we’ll feature it here on Hackaday. | 20 | 19 | [
{
"comment_id": "122478",
"author": "James",
"timestamp": "2010-02-07T19:24:42",
"content": "I can guess how the Nickel Box works:When the person deposits the nickel into the slot on the top, you can see his left hand holding the back corner of the box. He gives it a little shake, mentioning that i... | 1,760,377,496.500451 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/02/07/exopc-shows-off-some-guts/ | ExoPC Shows Off Some Guts | Caleb Kraft | [
"computer hacks"
] | [
"tablet",
"touchbook",
"windows"
] | The folks over at Engadget have posted some
pictures of the ExoPC’s insides
. With the recent return of the tablet craze (remember xp tablet edition?) we’re seeing tablets everywhere. This one has some promise on the hardware side, sporting a 1.6GHz processor and 2GB of RAM. Unfortunately we’ve heard using solely a tablet interface with windows7 is somewhat cumbersome even with the built in improvements. We’re not too worried though, a customized appliance style linux interface probably won’t be too far off.
The last couple times we mentioned tablet style computing, people have emailed us about the
Touchbook
. It also seems pretty cool, but seems like switching applications is visibly laggy in the demo video. Then again, a slimmed down interface might reduce some of that drag. | 10 | 8 | [
{
"comment_id": "122469",
"author": "pascal",
"timestamp": "2010-02-07T18:50:34",
"content": "While Linux works with Tablet PC’s panel (i.e. there are Wacom drivers), it really is a long way from Windows: there is no handwriting recognition, just CellWriter (and that’s slower than an on-screen keybo... | 1,760,377,496.613861 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/02/07/altoids-upstaged-by-gift-card-tins/ | Altoids Upstaged By Gift Card Tins | Phil Burgess | [
"Misc Hacks",
"Toy Hacks"
] | [
"altoids",
"box",
"case",
"enclosure",
"mint",
"ps3",
"tin",
"wii",
"xbox"
] | Nothing Earth-shattering here. Just, dare we say it,
really cute!
The venerable Altoids mint tin has become an icon of the maker culture. Browsing through past articles on Hack a Day, Adafruit or Instructables, you’ll find project after project for which these pocket-sized enclosures provided just the right fit. Eminently practical, affordable, but the aesthetics have occasionally left something to be desired.
We recently stumbled upon these nifty gift card holders that resemble miniature versions of current-generation game consoles. They might be the perfect housing for your next microcontroller project…
These were acquired from our local
GameStop
retail store and unfortunately do not appear to be available online. Each will set you back $2.99 — about a buck more than the mints, and without the added benefit of fresh breath. Such is the price of style.
The shapes are varied, but all are a bit larger than the traditional Altoids tin, allowing ample space for a
battery pack
,
breadboard
or
microcontroller
setup. As with the mint tins, of course you’ll want to insulate your project from the interior metal surface. A bit of contact paper or even some index cards are usually sufficient.
In addition to the
Xbox 360
,
Wii
and
Playstation 3
tins depicted here, portable consoles — the
PSP
and
Nintendo DS Lite
— are also available in miniature form. | 27 | 27 | [
{
"comment_id": "122432",
"author": "Luckless",
"timestamp": "2010-02-07T14:46:08",
"content": "Oh me oh my",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "122434",
"author": "woah",
"timestamp": "2010-02-07T15:12:00",
"content": "That’s some clever... | 1,760,377,496.565667 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/02/06/running-bleeding-edge-on-nexus-one/ | Running Bleeding Edge On Nexus One | Mike Szczys | [
"Android Hacks",
"Cellphone Hacks"
] | [
"2.6.32",
"bleeding edge",
"kernel",
"nexus one"
] | We like to run the newest software available. We often encounter problems and things that don’t work because of this, but with open source that just give you the opportunity to contribute and make the package better. Now you can take the fun and daring of bleeding edge to your phone by
installing the latest Linux kernel on the Nexus One
. [Jon Lech Johansen] wrote up that eight step process to install 2.6.32, which should take you just minutes if you already have the Android SDK installed. If you don’t what are you waiting for? | 14 | 14 | [
{
"comment_id": "122370",
"author": "Russ",
"timestamp": "2010-02-06T23:28:35",
"content": "This site consistently posts great articles… but what’s with all the first-person-plural? “We like”… “We encounter”. It’s stilted. My $.02: stick with “I”, since there’s only one name on the byline. Or may... | 1,760,377,496.872131 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/02/06/interfacing-with-an-analog-joystick/ | Interfacing With An Analog Joystick | Mike Szczys | [
"Peripherals Hacks"
] | [
"analog",
"basic stamp 2",
"boe-bot",
"bs2",
"Joystick",
"variable resistor"
] | [Firestorm_x1] put together
a tutorial about interfacing an analog joystick with a microcontroller
. These analog sticks are easy to find; he got his from Goodwill but we’ve got a couple in our junk box right now. The stick uses variable resistors to report its position so it’s just a matter of reading and interpreting that data. After explaining the concepts he demonstrates how to use the joystick to control a Basic Stamp 2 based robot, the Boe-Bot. This could easily be adapted for use with
other robot platforms
. | 12 | 12 | [
{
"comment_id": "122348",
"author": "Fridolin",
"timestamp": "2010-02-06T20:32:36",
"content": "Nice Writeup, but common/old and not really a Hack…",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "122349",
"author": "dooglehead",
"timestamp": "2010-02-06... | 1,760,377,496.823749 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/02/05/ask-a-winner-updates-day-5-answers/ | Ask A Winner Updates Day 5: Answers | Jakob Griffith | [
"Cellphone Hacks",
"News"
] | [
"answers",
"competition",
"interview",
"kaping with the n900",
"N900",
"nokia",
"push",
"questions",
"winner"
] | Not too long ago
we asked our readers
what they would like to hear about from the PUSH N900 winners and their hacks. We got some silly questions, and some serious, we asked both and now the PUSH teams have answered.
The day has passed, the
party is gone
, and all that’s left is the final interview. The
Light Hack Crew
gave us a somewhat shorter response then what we were used to, but it turned out to be just as sweet.
>Thank you for taking the time to answer some questions for HackaDay. We love when a hacker is willing to share their work with us.
>How did you and your team get together? Any fun backstory you care to share?
LIGHTHACK CREW is a trio of 3 crazy coconuts from Perth, Australia . [Dave] and [Tom] have been friends from way back, and [Sharna] is a friend from way, way back,
>Have you and your team worked on any other projects? Cellular related projects? N900 projects?
No this is our first one together.
>What was your main inspiration for your team’s project?
It was [Tom’s] idea for focusing the project of light graffiti, and that made me think of [Sharna] as she is a graffiti stencil artist.
> How do you think people will react when you finish/release?
People will love it as it is fun to create light graffiti and easy to do, all you need is the hacked N900 and the electronic LED can.
>Do you have any future plans with your team? Continued N900 development? Update your current projects?
Hopefully continued development of the Light Hack software and bring it to other devices
>What do you think of the other winners?
well as a skater, long boards mainly, I’m interested in the soldering skaters team, the others are great too,
>Questions from our commentators.
>What are you thoughts on Arduino? Do you intend to use one in your project?
[Tom] is the electronic genius, but I’d say he found the Arduino pretty straightforward.
>How is working with the N900 hardware and software?
Great from the little I have looked at and used, the phone is very powerful, its not running a snapdragon but damn can it multi task! the open source Maemo OS is very cool, the fact that it is linux makes it so much easier to develop for, as so much is setup for it already – SDK installed VM image is the way to go.
>What do you think about the movement of cell phones towards open source software, such as the Maemo? Do you plan to, or have you ever tried Android?
I think its great, I tried the iphone, but objective C was new to me, along with the $100!, haven’t had the time for android yet. But would like to check it out.
>(If you use a secondary power source, example – to run motors) What kind of battery life is expected for your project?
We use 4 AA or 4 AAA batteries at the moment. Im sure we could wire up any sort of battery. The battery life isn’t too bad, as the Bluetooth really only is used when the buttons are pressed, and the LED’s are quite efficient.
>Can we get a list of what you’re using in your project? (example – bluetooth sets, motors, dedicated sensors, etc)
HARDWARE: Bluetooth module, PIC microcontroller
SOFTWARE: I used C, for the language, GStreamer framework for capturing the video, and some basic algorithms for image processing: subtraction and a moving average filter for noise removal.
>And yes, we actually had a reader (Joe) ask the following (feel free to omit)
>How often do you change your underwear? Underwear?
Its 38 degrees im just wearing my boardies J
Thank you again! | 2 | 2 | [
{
"comment_id": "123747",
"author": "Digiturk lig tv",
"timestamp": "2010-02-13T23:23:19",
"content": "SOFTWARE: I used C, for the language, GStreamer framework for capturing the video, and some basic",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "123750",
... | 1,760,377,496.916018 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/02/04/guitar-hero-as-an-instrument-or-midi-controller/ | Guitar Hero As An Instrument Or Midi Controller | Mike Szczys | [
"digital audio hacks"
] | [
"controller",
"guitar hero",
"max",
"midi",
"msp"
] | [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=azfgasnWtW0]
[Robert] wrote a program using Max/MSP that
lets him make music with his guitar hero controller
. There’s another video after the break where he walks through the various features but here’s the gist of it. This works on Mac and Windows and allows a sort of ‘live play’ or midi mapping mode. In the midi mode each key can be configured to do your bidding. His example uses the pick bar to scroll through different samples and the green button the play them or the red button to stop.
The live mode us much more involved. In the software you choose the type of scale and the key you’d like to play in. This makes up for the controller’s lack of enough frets to make it a chromatic instrument and these settings can be adjust from the controller. There is an up-pick offset that makes the upward movement of the pick bar a different note than the downward movement. The motion control can also be used as an input. He
demonstrates pitch bending and cutoff
using that method.
This looks like a lot of fun. He needs to team up with [Joran] to
add drums to the mix
, forming a much more creative rock band than you can buy in the store.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-1AnfCwl260] | 19 | 19 | [
{
"comment_id": "121963",
"author": "uuuu",
"timestamp": "2010-02-04T22:11:46",
"content": "not a hack",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "121975",
"author": "googfan",
"timestamp": "2010-02-04T22:26:25",
"content": "ugh, just what we di... | 1,760,377,496.964489 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/02/04/battery-holder-reuses-blister-pack/ | Battery Holder Reuses Blister Pack | Mike Szczys | [
"Tool Hacks"
] | [
"a23",
"altoids",
"battery",
"blister pack",
"minty"
] | In need of a portable power supply, [Alastair]
threw some batteries into an Altoids tin
. The problem was he didn’t have a holder for these size A23 cells. Inspiration struck and he realized the blister pack they came in fits them snuggly and just needs some conductors to complete the circuit. He pulled some battery contacts from a broken CD player. Using foam-based double-stick tape he added some spring to the contacts and came up with a perfectly sized holder that works wonderfully.
We’ve tried making battery packs by wrapping the entire thing in clods of duct tape. This looks like it works a lot better and there’s still room to fit the batteries and a switch inside of this
minty enclosure
. | 33 | 33 | [
{
"comment_id": "121941",
"author": "CalcProgrammer1",
"timestamp": "2010-02-04T20:49:01",
"content": "I’ve done the same thing for AA’s when I didn’t have any spare connectors, I usually save the packs that Energizer rechargeables come in because they snap closed and are good for storage, but add s... | 1,760,377,497.269791 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/02/04/propeller-takes-step-a-sketch-to-a-new-level/ | Propeller Takes Step-a-Sketch To A New Level | Mike Szczys | [
"classic hacks",
"cnc hacks",
"Toy Hacks"
] | [
"cnc",
"etch a sketch",
"p8x32a",
"propeller",
"propetcher",
"Step-a-sketch",
"stepper"
] | [Mpark’s]
propeller controlled Etch-a-Sketch
is well built and very accurate. He was inspired by the
Step-a-Sketch project
and he’s carried that design through to a stunning conclusion. The driver board was built around a Parallax Propeller P8X32A microcontroller. But this isn’t just a serial controller board for connecting the hardware to a PC running CNC software. He’s included TV out and a keyboard port so that programming can be done on the chip itself.
In the video after the break you can see how precise the plotting is on the Etch-a-Sketch. It is well mounted but also benefits from some software compensation for the toy’s imprecise controls. [Mpark] has also included an erase function that tilts the frame upside-down a few times. This is used not only to erase a drawing but to hide the line created when moving the stylus into its starting position.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MgyZgqImAHA] | 25 | 25 | [
{
"comment_id": "121928",
"author": "Simonious",
"timestamp": "2010-02-04T19:12:30",
"content": "Wow fancy, beats mine:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dZZ4bRZ_ShwBut then I only just got it working and haven’t learned anything about G-code yet (I’m using EMC2 from over athttp://www.linuxcnc.org)Still... | 1,760,377,497.053895 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/02/04/winners-of-the-n900-push-showcase-tickets/ | Winners Of The N900 PUSH Showcase Tickets. | Jakob Griffith | [
"Cellphone Hacks",
"contests",
"News"
] | [
"competition",
"N900",
"nokia",
"push",
"tickets",
"winner"
] | Like all great things, they must come to an end. As such, at 10am PST, this morning – our N900 Push competition came to a close. We had some really awesome answers, some really round about, and of course the obligatory – really bad ones. For those that are just on the EDGE of your seat waiting for the final concluding answer to stop the arguing and fighting – to settle this whole dispute. The answer, and the winners are…After the break.
Just to recap, the question –
You’re working with any one of the team winners in the PUSH N900 competition. Your team needs two like resistors in order to complete the project on time.
Luckily your work drawer is overflowing with resistors, and you know that there are only 4 different values since you pulled them yourself from old junk.
You close your eyes and reach in. What is the minimum amount of resistors you have to pull out to ensure 2 of the same value?
The Correct answer is
5
resistors.
[Talin Salway]
,
[Sari Ibrahim]
,
[James R. Smoot]
,
[Jody Halyk]
, and
[Thomas Remmert]
all sent in the correct answer, were picked by us, and gracefully pass their tickets to another winner. In the end
[Robrecht Noens]
was the only one to respond within our 24 hour limit claiming tickets. Congratulations, and hope you have fun at the N900 PUSH Showcase [Robrecht]!
For all those that sadly, did not win. You can still keep up on the party, [Matt] let us know…
We’ll be updating our
@PUSHN900
Twitter account regularly using the #PUSHN900 hashtag to help follow what you guys are saying.
We’ll be uploading video using
Qik.com/PUSHN900
Keep checking the
PUSH N900 Facebook
page for updates as well.
And finally an explanation: The entire riddle (as a lot of readers repeated to us in the entries) is based on the
Pigeonhole Principle
. In the worst case scenario, you reach in and pull out 4 different values. Thus, you must pull out 5 to ensure at least 2 match. | 13 | 13 | [
{
"comment_id": "121906",
"author": "bob",
"timestamp": "2010-02-04T17:05:49",
"content": "Can someone explain to me what stops me randomly pulling out five similar resistors?",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "121914",
"author": "HarmonyThruCh... | 1,760,377,497.113268 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/02/03/the-mechanical-diode/ | The Mechanical Diode | Mike Szczys | [
"Misc Hacks"
] | [
"diode",
"mechanical",
"rectifier"
] | A diode allows current to travel in only one direction. With that in mind, [Alex]
built a mechanical diode
that will only allow gear rotation in one direction to be transmitted through the system. But wait, by connecting two of these devices together he’s built something of a mechanical rectifier. An electrical
rectifier
converts alternating current to direct current and this mechanical version outputs clockwise rotation no matter what direction of rotation is coming into the device.
There’s video which we’ve embedded after the break as well as many pictures on his site but not much explanation. Here’s what we’ve deduced. The two large gears are inputs. Mounted on top of them is a smaller ratcheting gear that will only turn in one direction. This ratcheting gear selects whether the smallest gear on the left or right will rotate, which then feeds the output gear at the top of this image.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M_CKvfuukRc] | 70 | 50 | [
{
"comment_id": "121734",
"author": "googfan",
"timestamp": "2010-02-03T22:18:46",
"content": "Useless, but cool.Now he needs to build a resistor.",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "121735",
"author": "mungewell",
"timestamp": "2010-02-03T2... | 1,760,377,497.413544 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/02/03/leapfrog-didj-followup/ | Leapfrog Didj: Followup | James Munns | [
"handhelds hacks",
"Linux Hacks"
] | [
"Claude Schwarz",
"Didj",
"followup",
"gp2x",
"woot"
] | Yesterday we mentioned the
Woot! sale
of the Didj, and we had some comments and emails from readers who had purchased one. We couldn’t resist either, and ordered a couple to take apart and modify. We will probably be following the work laid out by [
Claude Schwarz
], who seems to be one of the leading hackers on the scene. [Claude] has done some work in porting the GP2x libraries to the Didj, which gives a tremendous head start to anyone looking to have a working game system any time soon. There will also be a
build log
for everyone to follow along at home, and contribute what you want and have, as well as a follow up How-To when a working system is attained. Happy Hacking, everyone. | 25 | 24 | [
{
"comment_id": "121717",
"author": "taylor",
"timestamp": "2010-02-03T21:16:47",
"content": "Yeah, get me an NES emulator running and I’ll be thrilled! I bought it just because it was cheap and hackable, but I don’t much need it so I’m hoping to turn it into a simple NES box and then give it to my ... | 1,760,377,497.331124 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2010/02/06/update-adafruit-eagle-library-now-with-arduino/ | Update: Adafruit Eagle Library, Now With Arduino | Mike Szczys | [
"Arduino Hacks",
"Tool Hacks"
] | [
"adafruit",
"EagleCad",
"library",
"shield"
] | Adafruit Industries has
just added an Arduino shield footprint
to their EagleCAD library. If you don’t know, the
Arduino headers use non-standard pin spacing
. Learn to deal with it, there’s too many Arduino shields in production to have any hope for a change in the future. This footprint should make it a lot easier to design your own boards. If you use this package make sure you’re getting the library from their github,
they’ve been adding parts regularly
. Setting up
version control
will make sure you always have the latest libraries.
[Thanks pt] | 9 | 7 | [
{
"comment_id": "122346",
"author": "CircuitPeople",
"timestamp": "2010-02-06T19:55:18",
"content": "Just FYI, PCB123 also has an Arduino sheild template (an actual board template, not a footprint). I’ve never used it, but noticed it’s there quite a while ago.",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": ... | 1,760,377,497.457567 |
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