url stringlengths 37 208 | title stringlengths 4 148 | author stringclasses 173 values | publish_date stringclasses 1 value | categories listlengths 0 12 | tags listlengths 0 27 | featured_image stringlengths 0 272 | content stringlengths 0 56.1k | comments_count int64 0 900 | scraped_comments_count int64 0 50 | comments listlengths 0 50 | scraped_at float64 1.76B 1.76B |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
https://hackaday.com/2009/11/03/8-bit-device-quenches-iphone-envy/ | 8-bit Device Quenches IPhone Envy | Mike Szczys | [
"classic hacks",
"handhelds hacks"
] | [
"atmega644",
"AVR",
"iphone",
"microtouch",
"touch screen"
] | [Peter] deserves an award for doing more with less. He’s
built a handheld device based on an AVR controller
that has features normally associated with much more powerful devices. Here’s what it doesn’t do: no phone calls, no text messages, no accelerometer, and best of all no app approval needed. What it does do is leverage inexpensive, readily available components combined with common homebrew development techniques to create a touch sensitive handheld.
The demo video embedded after the break details the device playing video, rendering 3D objects, and displaying pictures and ebooks with touch scrolling. All of this is running at 60 fps for a smooth picture. The whole thing is no larger than the 320×240 LCD that he salvaged from a broken MP3 player. An Atmel AVR ATmega644 microcontroller ties together the display, a resistive touch screen, and a microSD card for storage. The chip also controls the backlight, a Lithium Polymer battery, and uses USB for PC connectivity, charging, and even a mouse or keyboard interface. He etched the PCB himself for surface mount components and managed to do it with just four jumpers needed on the underside.
This is a big leap forward from the last
AVR based touch sensitive device
we saw. All of the functionality seen in the demo is run using 4k of memory and 32k of programming space. Because [Peter’s] powering this at 3.3v the system clock is limited to 12MHz but he’s managed to make it work. We asked him to post code and schematics and he didn’t hold back. Head over to the
microtouch project page
to download the code, Eagle CAD files, and PCB artwork. All of the demo files are there just waiting for you to build on his hard work. When you’ve got something running, don’t forget to
share it with us
!
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EF3-U9Lb12k] | 69 | 50 | [
{
"comment_id": "105407",
"author": "defyboy",
"timestamp": "2009-11-03T21:35:43",
"content": "Sweet, put linux on it",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "105408",
"author": "PunMaster",
"timestamp": "2009-11-03T21:36:11",
"content": "Ama... | 1,760,377,553.178761 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2009/11/03/wozs-watch-makes-air-travelers-nervous/ | Woz’s Watch Makes Air Travelers Nervous | Mike Szczys | [
"classic hacks",
"Wearable Hacks"
] | [
"nixie",
"Steve Wozniak",
"Woz",
"wristwatch"
] | [
Steve Wozniak
], Last of the freelance hackers and Greatest swordfighter in the world, lives a hacker life you couldn’t even dream about. The folks over at
medGadget ran into him and learned about his watch
. In their interview (embedded after the break) [Steve] shows off the Nixie tube wristwatch
that we can only assume he created himself
.
The watch consists of two tiny tubes, a PCB, and battery. There must be an accelerometer in there because the display is switched off unless the watch is held at a certain configurable angle. Once held in the correct position the display flashes the hours, then the minutes.
The time is set by two buttons inside the watch’s case. [Steve] goes on to explain the trepidation his fellow passengers have when he disassembles the watch mid-flight and starts to monkey around with the buttons inside. Not to be stopped at electronic tomfoolery, he also shares his delight in sneaking ceramic knives on board so that he can properly cut his steaks.
Lifestyle aside,
the small Nixie clock packages
we’ve seen don’t even come close to this. We assume this is pretty hard on the battery and wonder if the watch gets hot if you’re stuck in a long meeting and constantly looking at the time. We can get over both of those limitations just for the cool factor alone.
Update:
Reader [Stephen] left a comment pointing to
the origin of the watch
. It is controlled by a PIC microprocessor, boasts a four-month battery life at 50 viewings per day, and there’s
some code available
. It is for sale but currently out of stock.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m4R3hODnTGo] | 25 | 23 | [
{
"comment_id": "105381",
"author": "Ho0d0o/Heatgap",
"timestamp": "2009-11-03T19:33:36",
"content": "For the life of me I can’t find the site atm, but I did find the supposed maker of Waz’s nixie watch. The site had a quote from him about the watch if I remember correctly. So I’m fairly sure he com... | 1,760,377,553.573659 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2009/11/03/improved-arm-mounted-flame-thrower/ | Improved Arm Mounted Flame Thrower | Mike Szczys | [
"classic hacks",
"Wearable Hacks"
] | [
"burn baby burn",
"fire",
"flame thrower",
"prometheus",
"pyro",
"x-men"
] | [Everett] is at it again with Prometheus, an
arm mounted flame thrower
.This is the third generation of the project and makes some huge advances over the
second generation
we saw last year. We’d say he’s reached cinema/stage-performance quality with his design.
The self-contained system is completely arm mounted with a fuel reservoir mounting behind the elbow. The new version adds an adjustable flow valve actuated by a servo motor to regulate the flame size. An arc generator has been incorporated to replace the lighter from the last version. A microcontroller measures wrist angle and takes care of creating the arc and regulating the fuel supply.
Prometheus is small, controllable, and frightening. See a full demonstration as well as some video of the prototyping process after the break. Does this make you wonder how much burn cream [Evertt’s] needed over the years?
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z2oEP3RWppA]
Extended demonstration video.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K2QeBvtntWs]
Build log video. | 72 | 50 | [
{
"comment_id": "105354",
"author": "Matt",
"timestamp": "2009-11-03T18:13:51",
"content": "This is how super-villains get started.",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": [
{
"comment_id": "1240071",
"author": "Keiro",
"timestamp": "2014-03-06T04:22:59"... | 1,760,377,553.739665 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2009/11/05/electronic-jewelry/ | Electronic Jewelry | Caleb Kraft | [
"LED Hacks",
"Wearable Hacks"
] | [
"jewelry",
"led"
] | [Ellindsey000] posted this
neat little pendant to his flickr stream
. We like the way it looks, and the fact that it is a functional circuit.
The schematic
is even pretty neat. We would maybe wear this, as a belt buckle or something. When we looked at this though, we thought it looked really familiar. Yeah, it kind of looks like the arc reactor from Iron Man, but what we thought of was this
cool looking walker
. As you could probably already tell, it’s the same person. Great job again [Ellindsey000], and thanks for posting the schemtaic. | 19 | 18 | [
{
"comment_id": "105942",
"author": "Daniel",
"timestamp": "2009-11-05T20:25:22",
"content": "The link to “neat little pendant to his flickr stream” is dead. Hovering over it shows “http:///”.",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "105943",
"author... | 1,760,377,553.244639 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2009/11/05/laser-etching-fruit/ | Laser Etching Fruit | Caleb Kraft | [
"home hacks",
"Laser Hacks"
] | [
"etching",
"fruit"
] | Ever annoyed by those pesky stickers on your fruit? They never seem to pull off in one piece and they always leave a little glue behind. Well, the industry might be moving away from them in favor of
laser etching each piece of fruit
. They are using a low energy carbon dioxide laser to etch the skin. The FDA is in the final stages of approval for using this in the states. It is already in use in New Zealand. We might find this a bit weird, but we’ve
seen weirder
.
[via
slashdot
] | 22 | 22 | [
{
"comment_id": "105919",
"author": "andrew",
"timestamp": "2009-11-05T19:10:38",
"content": "why would you call this “weird?” i think it’s pretty cool!",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "105920",
"author": "ino",
"timestamp": "2009-11-05T... | 1,760,377,553.51559 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2009/11/05/automated-coffee-bean-roaster/ | Automated Coffee Bean Roaster | Caleb Kraft | [
"Arduino Hacks",
"home hacks"
] | [
"coffee",
"roast"
] | We’ve featured several different ways to roast coffee beans over the years. This is the next logical step. [Nightlife31] shows us how to use an Arduino and a popcorn popper to create a
fully automated coffee bean roaster
. You’ll have to modify your popcorn machine to be controllable. This means installing your temp sensor and relays. You can see a basic schematic for that in the project page. The rest involves making a fairly simple circuit on an Arduino protoboard attachment. The end result is quite nice. We wouldn’t mind waking up to some freshly roasted coffee beans in the morning. We’ve seen these done with
PID controls
, and directly
controlled by a computer
. There’s even this one that has a much more involved build with a
convection oven mounted on top
instead of a popcorn popper. | 29 | 25 | [
{
"comment_id": "105895",
"author": "clinton",
"timestamp": "2009-11-05T17:10:56",
"content": "nice. now i just need to wake up on time too.great article though.",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "105896",
"author": "Chris",
"timestamp": "2... | 1,760,377,553.642252 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2009/11/04/mac-mini-getting-a-little-more-useful/ | Mac Mini – Getting A Little More Useful | Jakob Griffith | [
"home entertainment hacks",
"Mac Hacks"
] | [
"htpc",
"infrared",
"ir",
"mac",
"non invasive"
] | We’re pretty sure Apple decided to implement an IR sensor in their Mac Mini line simply to mock the user. For those who are unaware, the built in sensor only works with the standard Apple Remote; unless you happen to have a programmable PDA or similar you’re SOL. An alternative solution would be to install a USB IR receiver. But then your beautiful Mac Mini is forced to sit alongside an ugly black box. Why not have the best of both worlds? [SqueeZe] wrote an
(almost) entirely non invasive tutorial
for placing a USB IR receiver inside his Mac Mini. Reminds us of
a certain hack
a while back, but the objective was to get the IR receiver outside of the unit rather than inside. Different people, different worlds.
[Thanks Kiran] | 25 | 24 | [
{
"comment_id": "105759",
"author": "Steve Jobs",
"timestamp": "2009-11-05T01:07:50",
"content": "Or you could just, you know, not buy a mac",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "105763",
"author": "Ethical Hacker",
"timestamp": "2009-11-05T01... | 1,760,377,553.359305 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2009/11/04/hack-a-day-into-the-future/ | Hack A Day; Into The Future | Caleb Kraft | [
"News"
] | [
"announcement",
"future",
"troll"
] | Through the years, our reader base has grown like we never could have imagined. We thank everyone for reading, and owe our gratitude to all who have sent in submissions. We live for them. The more high quality submissions you send in, the more we’ll post. Along with you, we’ve taken part in some really great projects and enjoyed the writing of
some really
great people
.
Now it is time to share our plans for the future with you. We have two announcements that we would like to get your thoughts on.
#1. Content:
Hack a Day first started as an offshoot of Engadget. It was a place where we were able to look at things from a hacker perspective. Contrary to what some people believe, it wasn’t all hardcore electronic engineering. It wasn’t even all projects.
We had fun
, and discussed
our thoughts
on
many things
that weren’t
that complicated
.
As we move forward, we will be covering a wide variety of posts. From
simple things
, like
teardowns
to the
amazingly complex
projects that inspire us all. We intend to get you original content from the perspective of people who are not just consumers, but hackers of all different skill levels.
We are working to make it easier to browse the site, with your specific interests in mind. Our first motion was to add the “Classic Hacks” category which gathers up the more complicated projects. We’re open to other ideas of how to best categorize the content to make your experience better.
#2. Social Interaction:
Since the beginning of Hack a Day, we have been inundated with questions and requests. People are asking for help on existing projects as well as trying to break into the complexities that can lay in front of a beginner. We’ve seen unofficial Hack a Day forums come and go, but we think it is time that we did something ourselves. We’ve been working behind the scenes on a really slick system which allows people to ask questions, get answers, and even rate and give feedback.You will hopefully see this appear in a matter of weeks as we finish up the last bits.
We look forward to seeing some of you shine, sharing your knowledge with the hacker community. | 95 | 50 | [
{
"comment_id": "105677",
"author": "rooftop ridicule",
"timestamp": "2009-11-04T22:15:37",
"content": "cool yay number one. this band is on board",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "105680",
"author": "Benjamin Sølberg",
"timestamp": "2009-... | 1,760,377,553.90776 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2009/11/04/25-scariest-experiments/ | 25 Scariest Experiments | Caleb Kraft | [
"Medical Hacks",
"Misc Hacks"
] | [
"masturbation",
"scary"
] | [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jq06D0xRWmc]
Warning:
This video contains actual footage of a severed dog head, kept alive. Watch at your own peril.
[Annalee] over at io9.com has gathered together the
25 scariest science experiments
. There are some truly frightening pieces, like the
cyborg beetles
which we’ve seen before, all the way to silly stuff like the guy who re grew his thumb using pig powder. Next time you’re thinking of admonishing someone for
creating a flamethrower
, or a
super fast scooter
, consider for a moment that they’re not
burning peoples nasal passages to stop masturbation
or creating zombie severed dog heads like the one in the video above. | 113 | 50 | [
{
"comment_id": "105642",
"author": "evaproto",
"timestamp": "2009-11-04T19:46:30",
"content": "Talking about phantom limbs More like Phantom body. And Man that must be painful. Very cool however.",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "105643",
"au... | 1,760,377,553.819816 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2009/11/04/stereoscopic-3d-with-a-pic-micro/ | Stereoscopic 3d With A PIC Micro | Caleb Kraft | [
"classic hacks",
"home entertainment hacks",
"Portable Video Hacks"
] | [
"3d",
"stereoscopic"
] | [Pyrofer] sent in his
stereoscopic game project
and we are just giddy with excitement. He has hacked apart an old TomyTronic 3D handheld viewer and put new guts in. He’s using a PIC micro to push stereoscopic imagery to twin LCDs. He wrote all code from scratch including the 3d library, wii nunchuck driver, and LCD driver. This thing even has bluetooth so he can play multiplayer if he ever makes a second one. The whole unit is kept alive via a lithium polymer battery so you don’t have to worry about any cords other than the wii nunchuck. This thing is awesome, we would love to play with one. You can see a video after the break.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i1UA4bnOLKw] | 13 | 13 | [
{
"comment_id": "105618",
"author": "John harrison",
"timestamp": "2009-11-04T17:13:04",
"content": "Looks like he has given up on the twin LCD screens and now just has one screen that works for both eyes. Somebody should come up with a view master hack that you can stick an iPhone in…",
"paren... | 1,760,377,553.299472 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2009/11/01/well-take-the-fries/ | We’ll Take The Fries. | Jakob Griffith | [
"handhelds hacks",
"Misc Hacks"
] | [
"ATtiny24",
"choices",
"noise diode",
"paradox",
"random number"
] | We’ve all been there; hardest decision we’ve ever had to make. College and debt or freedom but no career? Start a family or live out alone? The number 2 with a small shake or side of fries?!
[Leon] sent in his
random number generator
, oddly enough not to just generate a number, but help us through with those life altering decisions. Using a
noise diode
like setup he’s able to generate random bits, which an ATtiny24 then converts and displays on a 7 segment LED. His generator also has the ability to set upper and lower limits. Seems like an awful lot of work to avoid the freedom of choice
paradox
, but we enjoyed the project none the less. Check out a video after the break.
[youtube
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UwrfKvZFOuk&feature=player_embedded%5D | 32 | 32 | [
{
"comment_id": "105123",
"author": "Magnavoid",
"timestamp": "2009-11-01T23:14:22",
"content": "Interesting… Very Interesting.",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "105124",
"author": "protozo",
"timestamp": "2009-11-01T23:15:03",
"conten... | 1,760,377,553.978303 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2009/11/01/easy-dial-telephone/ | Easy Dial Telephone | Mike Szczys | [
"home hacks"
] | [
"auto-dial",
"dtmf",
"dual tone multiple frequency",
"telephone"
] | [Taufeeq’s] Grandmother needed to be able to call her family members but due to ailing eyesight and memory this was a difficult task. He decided to help her with this by building
a telephone that will auto-dial a number
at the push of a button. [Taufeeq] built a case to hang on the wall which houses a hook for the receiver and two auto-dial buttons. The buttons are lighted and loosely based on the
LED push buttons
we covered in January. Housed in a separate box are a microcontroller and a dual tone multiple frequency IC used to dial the numbers. These are patched into a PCB from a standard telephone.
The result looks great and makes using the phone much easier with the simplified controls. We’ve included the demonstration video after the break.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OZm_H9hE4Zc] | 30 | 30 | [
{
"comment_id": "105093",
"author": "Will",
"timestamp": "2009-11-01T19:36:46",
"content": "That’s awesome – interesting, neat, practical, helping-of-grandmas… Any one of those would make it cool, but it has it all!",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id"... | 1,760,377,554.220803 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2009/11/01/android-ported-to-meizu-m8/ | Android Ported To Meizu M8 | Mike Szczys | [
"Android Hacks",
"Cellphone Hacks"
] | [
"android",
"Meizu M8",
"Windows CE"
] | [Evow04] has been working hard to
run Android on a Meizu M8 smartphone
and we’re beginning to enjoy the fruits of his labor. The
Meizu M8
is a Chinese cell phone very similar in appearance and hardware to the iPhone. The factory firmware runs Windows CE 6 but there is no official support for Android. It looks like [Evow04’s]
upgrade method is fairly easy
; copy an IMG and BIN file to the root of the phone, backup the Windows CE portion, and then use the upgrade mode to flash the two files.
We’re pretty impressed with Android, especially the potential that it represents. Having another device that runs the OS is a good thing but at $350-$400 this isn’t any cheaper than just buying an Android phone. | 8 | 8 | [
{
"comment_id": "105075",
"author": "Terc",
"timestamp": "2009-11-01T17:36:20",
"content": "Very nice. I love the idea of Android on iPhone hardware, and this is pretty close.Not sure I’d give up my iPhone 3GS anytime soon, but if Android on the same hardware was an option that “anytime soon” might... | 1,760,377,554.270296 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2009/11/01/happy-birthday-internet-heres-40000/ | Happy Birthday Internet, Here’s $40,000 | Jakob Griffith | [
"Misc Hacks",
"News"
] | [
"balloon",
"challange",
"darpa",
"internet",
"social networking"
] | Darpa has
another contest
coming up. You may remember some past Darpa competitions, like the
2007 Urban Challenge
. Where hackers, engineers, and scientists alike came together to build autonomous vehicles. The game this year is to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the Internet.
The rules
are simple enough, find a bunch of red balloons and mark their latitude and longitude. The hard part? There is only 10 balloons – spread across America. It will take an extreme amount of social network engineering, but it all pays off with first place receiving $40,000. | 45 | 45 | [
{
"comment_id": "105057",
"author": "jamieriddles",
"timestamp": "2009-11-01T15:21:16",
"content": "Google Earth?",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "105058",
"author": "mowcius",
"timestamp": "2009-11-01T15:25:26",
"content": "First per... | 1,760,377,554.351464 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2009/10/31/another-mini-keepon/ | Another Mini KeepOn? | Caleb Kraft | [
"Arduino Hacks",
"Robots Hacks"
] | [
"keepon",
"robot"
] | [flickr video = 4060182274]
[Eustice Scrubb] has
posted some videos and pictures
of a robotic “eye stalk” that he’s building. It looks like the final version is using 3 servos in an arrangement like tendons through a slinky jr. The ping-pong ball on the top has a BlinkM inside it. You can see a video after the break that shows the three servo tendons in motion. The whole thing is controlled by an Arduino and one of his pictures states that it plays mp3s and has an internal pendulum. None of his pictures seem to implicitly state what it is meant to do though.
[flickr video = 4045132205] | 21 | 21 | [
{
"comment_id": "104970",
"author": "f.r0ze.n",
"timestamp": "2009-10-31T17:14:25",
"content": "what’s that awesome keyboard behind?",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "104971",
"author": "Chris",
"timestamp": "2009-10-31T17:17:03",
"con... | 1,760,377,554.405104 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2009/10/31/name-that-thing/ | Name That Thing | Caleb Kraft | [
"contests"
] | [
"name that thing"
] | [Alan] over at HackedGadgets.com has been doing a
“Name the Thing” contest
where he occasionally posts an image and people try to figure out what it is. We’ve seen similar posts on some other web sites too. We usually don’t post them here because they’re not only not a hack, they’re usually not even projects. This one, however, caught our eye.
We apologize for posting this, without telling you what it is. The simplest explanation is that curiosity is getting the best of us. We were hoping that you guys could help out. What is this thing? Can we have two? | 55 | 50 | [
{
"comment_id": "104940",
"author": "yonsje",
"timestamp": "2009-10-31T15:12:19",
"content": "Well it’s certainly an interresting contest this week.",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "104942",
"author": "f8l_0e",
"timestamp": "2009-10-31T15... | 1,760,377,554.60056 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2009/10/31/broken-tv-brought-to-life-in-lego-body/ | Broken TV Brought To Life In LEGO Body | Mike Szczys | [
"home entertainment hacks"
] | [
"inverter",
"lego",
"Maxnavox",
"tv"
] | After letting it sit around for about 3 years, [Blake] decided it was time to fix his broken 15″ television. A little trouble shooting showed the problem was with the inverter. The backlight would come on for a few seconds, off for a few seconds, then repeat. By freeing the Magnavox 15MF400T from its metal case he got it working again, but couldn’t find the source of the short. His solution: build a new case out of non-conductive material. Voilà! We have the 15″ LEGO monitor.
It’s not
a very complicated LEGO build
, but it’s the first case mod we’ve seen in a long time that isn’t strictly gratuitous. Join us after the break for more pictures.
Above we see the backside of the monitor. The ladders are a nice touch.
Here is the PCB where the video connections are made. The board appears to be free-floating. Finding a more permanent way of attaching this and perhaps building a LEGO access panel would be a nice improvement.
These are the left over parts of the case. If these are the only discarded parts and the rest of it is useful again, we think it’s a success. | 21 | 21 | [
{
"comment_id": "104935",
"author": "wolfy02",
"timestamp": "2009-10-31T14:26:25",
"content": "wow, i loved my legos when I was a kid. might have to break em out for a few projects like this.",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "104937",
"author... | 1,760,377,554.658034 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2009/10/30/xbmc-running-on-arm/ | XBMC Running On ARM | Mike Szczys | [
"home entertainment hacks"
] | [
"arm",
"beagleboard",
"xbmc"
] | The XBMC team has posted
a teaser showing the current state of the ARM port
of this popular open source media software. We’ve embedded it after the break where you can see the package boot up and playback HD video. In it we see that the system is decoding the signal well, but image rendering needs some tweaking before this will be ready.
The
hardware used is a Beagleboard
which runs a 600 MHz ARM processor, has OpenGL 2D/3D acceleration, puts out HD via a DVI port, and is selling for about $150. The 3″ by 3″ board can be connected to a network using a USB WiFi dongle. Although integrating XBMC by
hacking TV firmware
is a long way off, we’d consider velcroing one of these to the back of our HDTV and getting rid of the hulking PC behind the entertainment center.
Can’t wait for this version to hit a stable release and don’t mind using hardware that is just a bit bigger?
Check out this guide
for setting up XBMC on the
$200 Acer Aspire Revo
.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CYq7f-CrnOc]
[Photo:
Koenkooi
] | 25 | 25 | [
{
"comment_id": "104868",
"author": "nave.notnilc",
"timestamp": "2009-10-30T22:00:13",
"content": "cool, the beagleboard is a nice piece of hardware, and this seems like a useful program for it.I wonder if it has the specs to deal with larger res video, though.",
"parent_id": null,
"depth":... | 1,760,377,554.773041 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2009/10/30/time-lapse-courtesy-of-arduino/ | Time-lapse Courtesy Of Arduino | Mike Szczys | [
"Arduino Hacks",
"digital cameras hacks"
] | [
"arduino",
"intervelometer",
"ir",
"nikon",
"time-lapse"
] | [Ross] put together a small
package for use with time-lapse
photography. The Nikon camera he’s using can snap a picture when it receives an IR command. [Ross’] solution connects an IR LED to an Arduino to generate this signal. The delay between frames is set with a potentiometer that is read in through the ADC. This is quite a bit less involved than
the last solution we saw
.
The unit consisting of an Arduino clone, a 9v battery, and the IR LED on a cable is easy to fit into a camera bag. He’s posted the code and we’ve embedded an example of his work after the break. An enclosure as well as time references around the potentiometer would complete this handy tool.
[flickr video=http://www.flickr.com/photos/tinyenormous/3239591795/] | 11 | 10 | [
{
"comment_id": "104839",
"author": "sean",
"timestamp": "2009-10-30T19:20:59",
"content": "Typical Arudino Envy post here…",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "104841",
"author": "Kaj",
"timestamp": "2009-10-30T19:42:07",
"content": "Hmm... | 1,760,377,554.707433 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2009/10/30/processor-built-with-transistor-transistor-logic/ | Processor Built With Transistor-Transistor Logic | Mike Szczys | [
"classic hacks",
"computer hacks"
] | [
"74ls",
"cpu",
"processor",
"transistor",
"ttl",
"wirewrap",
"z80"
] | [Donn] wanted know exactly what is going on inside of a processor so naturally
he built a CPU out of TTL components
. He had previously built a couple of versions of a computer
based on the Z80 processor
. Using the troubleshooting skills he learned and a second-hand textbook, he set to work using 74LS series chips connected using the wire-wrap method we’re familiar with
from other cpu projects
.
The finished product runs well at 1.8 megahertz, but he also included a 2 hertz clock and a step clock for debugging. At the slower speeds, the register board (seen at the left in the picture above) lights LEDs and can be used to tell what the CPU is currently working on. Programming is accomplished through either a dumb terminal or a PC running a terminal emulator.
His writeup is from about five years ago but that didn’t prevent us from getting that fuzzy feeling in the geek-center of our brain when we read about it. It is well written and thorough so if you’re into this kind of thing there’s plenty to enjoy.
[Thanks Raleigh] | 26 | 26 | [
{
"comment_id": "104823",
"author": "nave.notnilc",
"timestamp": "2009-10-30T18:10:57",
"content": "omg not a hack!!! less software news!!! whar the arduino!!!kidding, kidding :pI kinda want to do something like one of these, but not if it means doing that much wirewrap :\\",
"parent_id": null,
... | 1,760,377,554.834965 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2009/10/30/how-to-create-truetype-from-an-image/ | How To Create TrueType From An Image | Mike Szczys | [
"Misc Hacks"
] | [
"font",
"fontforge",
"glyph",
"TrueType",
"VT220"
] | [Viacheslav] wanted his virtual terminal to have the look of a DEC VT220. He was unable to find a font set that looked just right so he set out to
make his own TrueType font
. He managed to find a sample image of the glyphs that the
VT220
used as fonts. Using a collection of free software he sliced the image into 256 different parts, resized and converted to one-bit index images, and converted these to vector graphics. This was accomplished with a bit of python, an image tracing program, and font editor called
FontForge
.
Take some time to dabble with these font tools. With an adequate sample you should be able to reproduce any font set. We won’t achieve anything as sophisticated as
the font printed with bacteria
, but this will be a start in the right direction. | 13 | 12 | [
{
"comment_id": "104812",
"author": "PunMaster",
"timestamp": "2009-10-30T17:28:42",
"content": "Your “VT220” link just goes to the Wikipedia main page… :(",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": [
{
"comment_id": "3250684",
"author": "Mick",
"timestamp"... | 1,760,377,554.881869 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2009/10/30/arduino-python-integration/ | Arduino “python” Integration | Phil Burgess | [
"Arduino Hacks",
"classic hacks",
"home hacks"
] | [
"arduino",
"boarduino",
"ethernet",
"lcd",
"php",
"snake",
"vivarium"
] | [Cyberspice] informs us she likes snakes. Hey, who doesn’t? She’ll soon be adopting a lovely ball python and wanted to keep close tabs on the sensitive creature’s environment. To that end
she assembled a network-enabled vivarium monitoring system
based on Adafruit’s Boarduino (a minimalist Arduino
clone
), a TMP36 analog temperature sensor, Saelig’s WIZ810MJ Ethernet interface, and a common LCD screen. The Arduino rig periodically issues updates to a web server, which can then generate informative graphs using a set of PHP scripts (what, no
Python
?).
Okay, so we could probably count on one hand the number of readers in need of fancy reptile monitoring and still have fingers left over. There are countless other applications where networked sensor monitoring of this sort is a frequent
necessity
, so the article could be a good starting point for your own projects. There’s lots of source code to work with, on both the Arduino and web server sides. And the parts list demonstrates serious frugality: the Boarduino, the generic LCD, and especially the Ethernet interface; even with the breadboard adapter, this unit is about half the cost of the usual Arduino
Ethernet shield
, leaving more funds available for the
snake
food budget! | 9 | 9 | [
{
"comment_id": "104795",
"author": "tj",
"timestamp": "2009-10-30T16:10:25",
"content": "Anyone else see the SEO?",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "104801",
"author": "nanomonkey",
"timestamp": "2009-10-30T16:52:01",
"content": "tj, ... | 1,760,377,554.931815 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2009/10/30/single-servo-robot/ | Single Servo Robot | Caleb Kraft | [
"Arduino Hacks",
"Robots Hacks"
] | [
"arduino",
"single servo",
"talk"
] | [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EFRPZRovn74]
[Guilherme Martins] rose to a challenge to build a robot with a single servo. His robot is a puppet controller,
called talkie walkie
. In real time, it will move its mouth to the sound of what you are saying. For those really curious, he’s speaking Portuguese and he roughly says “Hi, how’s it going”. He’s using an Arduino with a custom sound sensor, a single servo, a box, and a folder paper mouth.
Building a single servo robot shouldn’t be that much of a challenge, we’ve even seen walking robots with a single motor. There’s this 2 legged
crawler
, and we recall seeing a 4 legged B.E.A.M. walker with a single servo, but can’t find it right now.
[via
RobotsDreams
] | 10 | 10 | [
{
"comment_id": "104779",
"author": "budhaboy",
"timestamp": "2009-10-30T15:05:52",
"content": "scarry terry’s single servo talking bucky skull does the same thing, without an ardino.",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "104780",
"author": "svofs... | 1,760,377,555.095156 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2009/10/30/aida-the-dashboard-bot/ | AIDA The Dashboard Bot | Caleb Kraft | [
"Robots Hacks"
] | [
"AIDA",
"dash",
"gps"
] | [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=huQLyjwskQo]
In an attempt to create more interaction with our vehicles,
researchers have created AIDA
. AIDA is basically a car computer and GPS that has some well designed personification. That cute little face will learn your daily habits and schedules and make recommendations to keep you out of traffic. We really like the idea, and the little bit we see of AIDA already has us falling in love, but won’t the placement be a distraction? We already know some people who give their car a name and treat it like a person, we don’t want to imagine what would happen if their car actually had some interactive personality. AIDA’s motion and emotive display are worthy of the
crabfu
challenge
for sure, but do we want AIDA on our dashboard? Yes, most emphatically. She can sit right by the little hula girl.
[via
BotJunkie
] | 10 | 10 | [
{
"comment_id": "104778",
"author": "JimXugle",
"timestamp": "2009-10-30T15:05:28",
"content": "Yes… but does it run linux? can I add my own programmed behaviors? can I integrate it with my music system? can I get it to stream last.fm? will it compare gas prices from each gas station along my route?... | 1,760,377,555.053254 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2009/10/30/cheating-rockband-again/ | Cheating RockBand (again) | Jakob Griffith | [
"iphone hacks"
] | [
"cheat",
"guitar hero",
"iphone",
"rockband"
] | [youtube
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T0mIkkwUq0g&feature=player_embedded%5D
Sure making a
robot that plays the game
RockBand for you seems a little cheap at first, but no human can possibly hit that 30 triplet note straight ending in a button mashing contest. To finally get his high score [Joe] made a setup to play the game for him, on the iPhone. We’ve seen some
very different
Guitar Hero hacks
before, but none that had to get around the
touch capacitance screen
on the iPhone. What version of the game should be hacked next? We think
Football Hero
would be a good start.
[via
Make
] | 17 | 17 | [
{
"comment_id": "104764",
"author": "Stu",
"timestamp": "2009-10-30T13:26:13",
"content": "Pointless but cool……..",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "104766",
"author": "jeff-o",
"timestamp": "2009-10-30T13:38:52",
"content": "@Stu: Poi... | 1,760,377,556.069731 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2009/10/29/ubuntu-9-10-karmic-koala/ | Ubuntu 9.10 Karmic Koala | Mike Szczys | [
"Linux Hacks",
"News"
] | [
"9.10",
"foss",
"karmic koala",
"ubuntu"
] | Today is the official release of the
latest version of Ubuntu
, the most popular Linux-based operating system. Someone mentioned that there had been a
new release of the Windows OS
recently and if you’re thinking of going with that one, we feel you should a least
give Ubuntu a try
. Now in its 11th official release and codenamed Karmic Koala, this version of Ubuntu continues the traditional six month development cycle by succeeding Jaunty Jackalope which was released in April of this year.
We’ve been running the beta release of
Ubuntu Netbook Remix
for several weeks now. It cut boot time down to between 5-10 seconds and WiFi is already connected by the time the Desktop loads. Speed isn’t the only new feature, graphics have been redesigned, there is a new app store that serves as a front end for the extensive free software repositories, and the newest kernel and software versions are included.
We’ve been using this open source operating system since its third release, Breezy Badger. We love it for the quality, convenience, and the fact that we can get our fingers into the code and hack around a bit. | 108 | 50 | [
{
"comment_id": "104644",
"author": "Naer Dinsul",
"timestamp": "2009-10-29T19:13:18",
"content": "Uhm, not to be a pedant, but I believe you meant “succeeding Jaunty Jackalope which was released in April of this year”",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_... | 1,760,377,555.204179 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2009/10/29/linux-iphone-sync-draws-near/ | Linux IPhone Sync Draws Near | Mike Szczys | [
"iphone hacks",
"Linux Hacks"
] | [
"iphone",
"ipod touch",
"libgpod",
"linux",
"sync",
"usbmuxd"
] | [Emuboy] lets us know about some software advances that will
make iPhone and iPod Touch syncing possible under Linux
. Apple made big changes to how the iPhone syncs compared to legacy iPods. Locking out all communications other than through iTunes was surely part of their motivation. This has left Linux users out in the cold with shoddy sync capabilities which should be coming to an end. If successful, syncing will be be possible with phones that have not been
jailbroken
.
One of the biggest hurdles in reverse-engineering the new protocol is the non-standard way in which the devices communicate over USB. The
usbmuxd
developers have been working to implement communications and now have a Release Candidate for the 1.0.0 version. Along with testing of this package,
libgpod
is now being updated to play nicely with the new database format and hash of the iPhone.
This isn’t quite at the plug-and-play level of convenience yet but if you’re comfortable working with Linux packages you should be able to get this working and help report any bugs you might find. But if you’re tired of open source playing cat and mouse with Apple you can always switch over to a device based on
Android
. | 11 | 10 | [
{
"comment_id": "104635",
"author": "Skitchin",
"timestamp": "2009-10-29T18:15:08",
"content": "Apple, once again graying the line between proprietary and anti-competitive practices.",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "104738",
"author": "Heatga... | 1,760,377,555.414101 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2009/10/29/read-about-trash-hackers-for-free/ | Read About Trash-hackers… For Free | Mike Szczys | [
"HackIt"
] | [
"creative commons",
"Doctorow",
"ebook",
"Makers"
] | [Cory Doctorow] has
published a novel about the near future and a couple of hackers
who can make anything from the stuff lying around. We like a good sci-fi novel, and have no shortage of recommendations (go read
Snow Crash
) for those who need them. We’re adding ‘Makers’ to our must read list.
Not only is this book about you, but its release most likely agrees with your life philosophy. You can
download this book
, right now, for free, legally. This is because it has been release under the creative commons license. Best of all, if you like the book and
want to make a donation
, you are directed to purchase a book on behalf of a school or other program that has requested a copy but doesn’t have the funds to acquire it themselves.
So,
buy the book
if you want a physical copy, download it if you prefer that method, but either way we think this is better than
stealing the printed word
. | 21 | 19 | [
{
"comment_id": "104630",
"author": "svofski",
"timestamp": "2009-10-29T17:29:09",
"content": "I’d gladly accept one of those what appears to be IBM Model M clicky keyboards.",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "104631",
"author": "Cabe",
"ti... | 1,760,377,555.472525 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2009/10/29/halloween-props-techy-jack-o-lanterns/ | Halloween Props: Techy Jack-o-lanterns | Caleb Kraft | [
"Arduino Hacks",
"home hacks"
] | [
"halloween",
"jack",
"pumpkin"
] | [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UeYS_Tjf7pQ&feature=player_embedded]
Halloween is this weekend. If you still have some time and parts available, you might be looking to spice up your Jack-o-lantern. We’ve found a few projects that we thought might be nice to share. None of them would merit a post on their own, so we thought we would just round them up and share them all at once. They all appear to be powered by the Arduino, which we know will bring some comments. Just to clear up some questions, they don’t pay us to advertise Arduinos. People just do a lot of projects with them.
First, the
silly string shooting Jack-o-lantern
which you can see above. He’s using a single servo hooked to an Arduino and a motion sensor. When it detects motion, it lets out a short squirt of silly string. You can download the code from the project page. We might suggest you arrange this in a manner to avoid spraying directly into some kids eyes.
Check out the next two after the break.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fF5Q5mIKb2U]
Second, we have the
flickering LED Jack-o-lantern
that changes based on your movement. Again, powered by an Arduino and a proximity sensor, it doesn’t get much simpler.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n3K02Rjbexs]
Lastly, we bring you the
music synchronized LED pumpkin
. This one has a nice carving of a drum set on the front, lit from behind in rhythm with the music. Again, this is controlled by an Arduino. The setup is fairly simple and you can download the source code from the project page. | 10 | 10 | [
{
"comment_id": "104623",
"author": "monkeyslayer56",
"timestamp": "2009-10-29T16:07:25",
"content": "cool",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "104624",
"author": "Ian",
"timestamp": "2009-10-29T16:13:53",
"content": "I made a remote cont... | 1,760,377,555.66884 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2009/10/29/keepon-eat-your-heart-out/ | Keepon, Eat Your Heart Out | Caleb Kraft | [
"Robots Hacks"
] | [
"dance",
"dancing",
"keepon"
] | [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CJmyf4vg2hg]
[Ruyck] sent us this video of his
mini Keepon robot
. For those who haven’t been initiated,
Keepon
is a very emotive, and extremely expensive, dancing robot. He is deceptively simple looking, but as you can see in [Ruyck]’s version, it is fairly complex. [Ruyck] has used a mini RC collective pitch helicopter assembly for the motion, which makes controlling it fairly intuitive. At first, we were not too impressed with [Ruyck]’s final implementation, which you can see along with a comparison video of Keepon after the break. Then we realized, all he as to do is find a way to attach the bottom of the foam body to the base to achieve much more of the squash and stretch motion of keepon. A little creative programming and this little fellow could be made autonomous and synchronized to music.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hRuB2PNAXI4]
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3g-yrjh58ms&NR=1] | 7 | 7 | [
{
"comment_id": "104618",
"author": "Sc00ter",
"timestamp": "2009-10-29T15:37:58",
"content": "Nice, but not quite as cool as a real keepon. The bouncing and squishyness is what makes it.Doesn’t seem far off however :) Can’t wait for version 2",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": ... | 1,760,377,555.628857 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2009/10/29/libtisch-1-0-released/ | LibTISCH 1.0 Released | Jakob Griffith | [
"Misc Hacks",
"Peripherals Hacks"
] | [
"libtisch",
"multitouch",
"tangible interface",
"tisch"
] | [Florian] is proud to announce
libTISCH 1.0
is finally ready for release. We told you about libTISCH just
under a year ago
and how it is a multitouch framework that factors more on the software side of things, instead of hardware for multitouch interfaces. A lot has changed including more widgets, more gestures, more hardware support, and some other nice features. If you’re looking into making your own multitouch surface, or making your own widgets for a multitouch surface – libTISCH would be a great place to start. | 2 | 2 | [
{
"comment_id": "104614",
"author": "Sprite_tm",
"timestamp": "2009-10-29T14:30:32",
"content": "Now I’m tempted to create multitouch-hardware and name it ‘badoom’ and make it use this as the software part. Why? I’d have a ‘badoom-tisch-based system’ :P",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"... | 1,760,377,555.510765 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2009/10/28/upgraded-atari-1024stf/ | Upgraded Atari 1024STf | Mike Szczys | [
"computer hacks"
] | [
"1024 ST",
"atari",
"Case mod",
"EEE keyboard"
] | [Gerritt] wanted to give his crippled Atari 1024 STf a new purpose in life. He cracked it open and set to work
filling it with some modern components
. The keyboard from the
nearly 25-year-old dinosaur
doesn’t have all the keys we’re used to, nor did they all work, so he replaced the original with a 101 key model. The internal hardware was replaced with a microATX board, a picoPSU, Bluetooth and WiFi transceivers, a hard drive, and a slot-fed DVD drive. He even rebuilt the original mouse to use the circuitry from an optical mouse.
The final product is a 1.6GHz Pentium Mobile with one gig of ram. Now he has no need to pick up an
EEE Keyboard PC
when they hit the market. | 42 | 42 | [
{
"comment_id": "104491",
"author": "Josh",
"timestamp": "2009-10-28T18:22:17",
"content": "Awesome. I want one.",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "104493",
"author": "monkeyslayer56",
"timestamp": "2009-10-28T18:27:34",
"content": "tha... | 1,760,377,555.586143 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2009/10/28/xerox-ink-will-print-circuits/ | Xerox Ink Will Print Circuits | Mike Szczys | [
"News",
"Tool Hacks"
] | [
"ink",
"printable circuit",
"silver bullet",
"Xerox"
] | Xerox has announced a breakthrough in printable circuits. They’ve
developed a conductive ink called “silver bullet”
that can be printed on many different types of substrate to create circuits. The key part of the new ink is its lower melting point. Plastic film substrate melts at 150 degrees Celsius but the ink is liquid when ten degrees cooler to avoid damaging the film. This begs the question: how do you then solder components to the circuit?
The benefits of
printable circuitry
are obvious. Aside from cheaper and easier RFID, disposable circuits like greeting cards, and fabric-based electronics, we’re hoping this will facilitate more environmentally friendly PCB fabrication. That really depends on the ink’s production process and the resilience of the resulting circuitry.
[via
Gizmodo
] | 40 | 40 | [
{
"comment_id": "104478",
"author": "Dunbar",
"timestamp": "2009-10-28T16:10:06",
"content": "I think this one is a bit early to really be useful, but I’ll bet they’re counting on conductive glues (that are available today) to become popular and maybe printable semiconductors to be developed (imagin... | 1,760,377,555.845154 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2009/10/28/mr-wake-wakes-up-and-runs/ | Mr. Wake, Wakes Up And Runs | Caleb Kraft | [
"home hacks"
] | [
"alarm",
"clocky"
] | [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kdeqd-e0mjI]
[isotope] must really hate himself. He has built a torture device of pure evil.
Mr. Wake
, his alarm clock robot, should be considered a torture device. This cute looking little bot, with its bright and colorful clock and neat plastic tube frame is an alarm clock. As soon as it’s alarm goes off, Mr. Wake starts watching for you. If it detects your presence, it takes off, only to wait for you to stumble, bleary eyed, to its current location. Do you know what it does when you catch up to it? It takes off again. Why would you build a robot that you know you are just going to destroy in a groggy fit of animalistic rage?
We actually like Mr. Wake more than
clocky
, simply for its hackish feel. If you really really have problems getting up, you may want to consider something
a little more drastic
.
[via
Makezine
] | 12 | 12 | [
{
"comment_id": "104467",
"author": "monkeyslayer56",
"timestamp": "2009-10-28T15:44:23",
"content": "needs to go faster… but ya that is cool",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "104474",
"author": "Skitchin",
"timestamp": "2009-10-28T15:56:0... | 1,760,377,555.936018 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2009/10/28/hot-off-the-presses-its-android-2-0-sdk/ | Hot Off The Presses Its Android 2.0 SDK. | Jakob Griffith | [
"Android Hacks"
] | [
"2.0 sdk",
"android",
"developer challange"
] | Today Google released the Android 2.0 SDK, allowing developers to begin writing for their latest cell phone platform. Unlike programming for Apple’s iPhone or Touch, however, there isn’t as much documentation on the installation and setup process. AndroidandMe
steps in
at this point for all those that have gone a muck by writing a very detailed how-to on the install process. So what are you waiting for, start now and you might just be the next
Android Developer Challenge
winner.
[Thanks Taylor]. | 7 | 7 | [
{
"comment_id": "104468",
"author": "cromag",
"timestamp": "2009-10-28T15:45:00",
"content": "OK, I don’t want to be “that guy” but:a muck? I think you mean amok.",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "104473",
"author": "JBot",
"timestamp": "2... | 1,760,377,555.890925 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2009/10/28/headpiece-jabbing-for-smiles/ | Headpiece Jabbing For Smiles | Devlin Thyne | [
"Arduino Hacks",
"Lifehacks"
] | [
"biofeedback",
"happy",
"haptic",
"hat"
] | [
Lauren
] has created a facial conditioning device dubbed the
Happiness Hat
. The hat measures a sensor at the wearer’s cheek to determine if the wearer is smiling. When the hat does detects the wearer is not smiling, it activates a servo that prods the wearer. This project is fairly unique in that it provides haptic bio-feedback of what the body is doing, a similar project to the
Happillow
. While the Happiness Hat seems to work for treating the outward symptoms of unhappiness, this is but an early step towards the
droud
. | 33 | 32 | [
{
"comment_id": "104450",
"author": "Caleb Kraft",
"timestamp": "2009-10-28T13:11:43",
"content": "Her expression is priceless. it’s amazing how you can tell when someone has a forced smile.",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "104451",
"author":... | 1,760,377,556.018416 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2009/10/27/cnc-used-to-make-3d-video-using-one-camera/ | CNC Used To Make 3D Video Using One Camera | Mike Szczys | [
"cnc hacks",
"digital cameras hacks"
] | [
"3d",
"CamBam",
"gantry",
"sketchup",
"Stereo Movie Maker",
"stereoscopic"
] | [Gabriel] is
making 3D movies using only one camera
. This should be impossible because true 3D needs to be stereoscopic, with images from different perspectives for each eye. He’s worked this out by mounting the camera on a CNC gantry and programming it to make two passes along slightly different paths. He’s plotting the camera paths using
SketchUp
and a plugin that exports paths as
CamBam files
, automatically adjusting for perspective. The two videos are then merged using
Stereo Movie Maker
.
We’ve embedded both a 3D video as well as behind-the-scenes filming video after the break but you’ll need the red and blue 3D glasses to view the former. It’s not too much of a stretch to tweak his methods and use this for stopped motion video where one button press takes a frame for each eye. Now, who will be the first to bring us a Star Wars remake filmed in stopped-motion 3D using
the original action figures
?
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DIp5kyBB6JY]
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KKjOpRsZiHE] | 23 | 21 | [
{
"comment_id": "104348",
"author": "grovenstien",
"timestamp": "2009-10-27T22:10:57",
"content": "Wow this is an amazing way to over complicate something! i love it!",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "104353",
"author": "EFH",
"timestamp":... | 1,760,377,556.131391 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2009/10/27/football-hero/ | Football Hero | James Munns | [
"Peripherals Hacks",
"Toy Hacks"
] | [
"arduino",
"football",
"frets on fire",
"guitar hero",
"kasabian",
"soccer"
] | For
Kasabian’s
new single
Underdog
, they decided to do something original. After dreaming up a Guitar Hero style controller powered by
soccer
football players, they set out to make it happen. Using 5 wall mounted pressure sensors connected to a
microcontroller
, they hooked up the rig to a computer running
Frets on Fire
(an open source Guitar Hero clone) with a custom version of their single. After an afternoon of practice, the team was able to 5 star the song, and while this isnt the
only
or
most complex
Guitar Hero hack, we would love to have this in our house.
Video after the break.
[youtube =
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KmjijvX50FQ%5D | 17 | 17 | [
{
"comment_id": "104339",
"author": "SheeEttin",
"timestamp": "2009-10-27T21:17:44",
"content": "Well, that’s one way to get a workout (and practice your kicks (and have fun) at the same time).",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "104341",
"autho... | 1,760,377,556.189352 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2009/10/27/these-midi-controllers-stink/ | These Midi Controllers Stink! | Mike Szczys | [
"Arduino Hacks",
"digital audio hacks"
] | [
"BeatSneaks",
"miki controller",
"shoes"
] | Well, maybe saying it stinks is too harsh. But if you
build a midi controller out of an old pair of skate shoes
you can be certain that they smell. [Thobson] put odor issues aside and added four force sensitive resistors to his shoes (one in each heel and one under the ball of each foot) for a creation he calls BeatSneaks. As force is applied to the resistors, they become less resistive. This change in resistance is measured by the ADC inputs on an Arduino and used to trigger midi events via USB. There’s video after the break, and [Thobson’s] has provided the
schematic
and
code
that he used for his addition to a growing family of
unusual musical interfaces
.
Does this make tap dancing cool again?
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3dnGXprvS04] | 10 | 10 | [
{
"comment_id": "104329",
"author": "JD",
"timestamp": "2009-10-27T20:33:24",
"content": "What do you mean, “again”?",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "104333",
"author": "nate",
"timestamp": "2009-10-27T20:52:47",
"content": "Reminds m... | 1,760,377,556.288181 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2009/10/27/piecax-the-poltergeist-reinvents-the-knock-block/ | Piecax The Poltergeist Reinvents The Knock Block | Mike Szczys | [
"Misc Hacks"
] | [
"Halloween props",
"knock block",
"PICAXE",
"Poltergeist"
] | [AndyGadget]
built a haunted box
as part of his Halloween preparations. This follows in the footsteps of the
Knock Block we saw earlier
this month but makes several hardware changes. He’s replaced the solenoid with a DC motor that rotates an arm to do the knocking. He’s avoided any CNC work by using a softwood box from a craft store as the enclosure. For control circuitry he’s used an 8-pin PICAXE Microcontroller that ‘listens’ for knocking on the box via a piezo buzzer. It will mimic knocks back to you, and if it hears the right combination
The Addams Family theme song
is played. This
useless machine
will make a great office conversation piece and with this simplified design it’s much easier to build than the Knock Block. See it perform after the break.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DSk1qTC_2uQ] | 13 | 13 | [
{
"comment_id": "104312",
"author": "Mike D.",
"timestamp": "2009-10-27T19:06:54",
"content": "Nice work.",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "104317",
"author": "polymath",
"timestamp": "2009-10-27T19:20:44",
"content": "The Adam’s famil... | 1,760,377,556.238501 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2009/10/27/bigdogs-bipedal-brother/ | BigDog’s Bipedal Brother | Caleb Kraft | [
"News",
"Robots Hacks"
] | [
"bigdog",
"biped",
"boston dynamics"
] | [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=67CUudkjEG4]
Boston Dynamics is at it again. This time, they’ve created a
creepy biped with a natural gait
. It may look very similar to BigDog, because it really is almost the same system. Named PETMAN, this biped system is being designed to help test chemical protection suits. This bot can stress the suit by walking, running, and even crawling in a room filled with poison gas. Not only can PETMAN walk, run, and crawl, but it can also sweat and change its temperature. That’s pretty cool. Like BigDog, the most impressive part is when they give it a
shove and it recovers
with a motion that seems almost organic. | 28 | 27 | [
{
"comment_id": "104297",
"author": "irlolcopter",
"timestamp": "2009-10-27T18:11:57",
"content": "How about adding a pair of Jazz hands?",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "104303",
"author": "Noah Buddy",
"timestamp": "2009-10-27T18:35:32"... | 1,760,377,556.367923 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2009/10/27/digital-tuner-reverse-engineering/ | Digital Tuner Reverse Engineering | Mike Szczys | [
"classic hacks",
"home entertainment hacks"
] | [
"encoder",
"Hauppauge",
"HVR-1600",
"i2c",
"linux",
"logic analyzer",
"tuner"
] | Hackaday alum [
Ian Lesnet
] tipped us off about some
reverse engineering of the HVR-1600
, an analog and digital television encoder/tuner. The project was spawned when [Devin] noticed his Hauppauge HVR-1600 didn’t tune channels in Linux quite as well as it did in Windows. He had a hunch this was due to improper initialization settings for either the tuner chip or the demodulator.
To fix this he used two test points on the board to tap into the
I2C bus
. Using
a logic analyzer
he captured the command traffic from the bus while running Linux, then while running Windows. By filtering the results with a bit of Perl, and comparing them by using
diff
, he tracks down and finds the variation in the commands being sent by the two drivers. After a bit of poking around in the Linux source and making the necessary changes, he improved the tuning ability of the Linux package.
[Devin’s] work looks simple enough, and it is. The difficult part of this process is being smart enough to know what you’re looking for, and what you’ve got once you’ve found it. | 32 | 32 | [
{
"comment_id": "104280",
"author": "polossatik",
"timestamp": "2009-10-27T17:15:41",
"content": "what, no buspirate killed during this experiment?",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "104281",
"author": "evaproto",
"timestamp": "2009-10-27T1... | 1,760,377,556.470292 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2009/10/27/parts-chronodot-rtc-module-ds3231/ | Parts: ChronoDot RTC Module (DS3231) | James Munns | [
"Parts"
] | [
"chrono",
"clock",
"doh",
"dot",
"DS3231",
"i2c",
"macetech",
"review",
"TCXO"
] | Macetech’s ChronoDot
is a Real Time Clock module for projects requiring highly accurate time keeping and measurement. The ChronoDot uses the
DS3231
chip, which features
a TCXO
to compensate for variations in temperature which affect normal oscillators, like the ones in most microcontrollers. The DS3231 uses simple I2C commands and registers for storing and retrieving time, but also features a variable output that goes all the way down to 1.000 hz for low power, interrupt style timekeeping applications. With the provided watch battery, the ChronoDot can keep time in idle mode for up to 8 years.
Normally the
ChronoDot
comes mostly assembled, requiring you to only solder on the watch battery. However, due to a manufacturing mistake, Macetech is selling a version with the header pins on the wrong side they call the
ChronoDoh
. This module is currently nearly half off the regular price of $14.99, which makes it a great low cost addition to a project. Macetech has sent us a couple of these modules to demonstrate how functional they still are.
Because of this mistake, using these parts as a breadboard tool is made a little bit harder, as the silkscreen pin names are only on the “top” side. However, if a project is designed around this part, or if alternate tools such as a wire ribbon or probes were used, this problem would disappear. It would also be possible to desolder the header pins and remount them, but there is always the possibility of lifting the pads, or otherwise causing damage to the parts whenever desoldering is involved.
We set up one of the ChronoDoh modules as demonstrated, and pinned out the I2C connection using a “right side up” ChronoDoh as reference. The Dot must have an external VCC signal to respond to I2C commands, and will only silently keep time when powered by the watch battery. For the ChronoDo(h/t), sample Arduino code and schematics are provided on Macetech’s website, making initial set up and testing a breeze. We used a
Teensy++ running the Teensyduino loader
to simplify the process. The sample code simply displayed the time reported over I2C by the Dot, which seemed to be the time since the Dot first received 5V power (when it was most likely initialized). The chip reported that the time was 00:01:55, which meant that it was time to update the registers. Unfortunately, this is where the sample code leaves off, though the provided documentation does provide a list of all of the relevant registers (page 11 of the datasheet).
After
setting the I2C registers
, the ChronoDoh was correctly keeping time, so we decided to test the accuracy. We set up the other module, put it in our freezer for a week, then tested the two against each other. Wonderfully, they both reported identical times. Though unscientific, this is backed up by the
ongoing accuracy test
by the makers of the DS3231, which claims an accuracy of “± 2ppm at 0C to +40C (~1 minute per year)”.
These breakout boards are a great way to test out this chip,
which
has
tons
of
applications
, on an easy to use breakout board, which is what Macetech does best.
Hack a Day review disclosure
: Macetech gave us a couple free ChronoDohs to review for this post. | 18 | 18 | [
{
"comment_id": "104267",
"author": "nemo",
"timestamp": "2009-10-27T16:08:55",
"content": "round pcbs make me cringe.",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "104270",
"author": "monkeyslayer56",
"timestamp": "2009-10-27T16:20:33",
"content"... | 1,760,377,556.553193 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2009/10/27/head-mounted-computer-with-spit-bailing-wire/ | Head-mounted Computer With Spit, Bailing Wire | Phil Burgess | [
"Android Hacks",
"Cellphone Hacks",
"classic hacks",
"Phone Hacks",
"Wearable Hacks"
] | [
"android",
"ghetto",
"hmd",
"htc",
"wearable"
] | [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QyrjBMAa6xE]
Oh, for crying out loud! While we were all giddy reporting on yesterday’s
wonderfully done head-mounted computer
, [Andrew Lim] of
recombu.com
comes along and essentially does the same thing with an
HTC
Magic handset and three dollars worth of Harbor Freight crap. Linux kernel, WiFi, accelerometer, the whole nine yards. Consider our collective ass handed to us.
Funny thing is,
either
of these could be considered The Consummate Hack. One flaunting the creator’s know-how with its custom-designed parts and delicate engineering, the other exhibiting a more
punk
flair with random scraps and off-the-shelf technology achieving much the same effect — a solution so obvious we were blind to it. Whatever your outlook, this is a great day to be a hacker!
[via
slashdot
] | 26 | 26 | [
{
"comment_id": "104258",
"author": "monkeyslayer56",
"timestamp": "2009-10-27T15:08:22",
"content": "hacking a hack :) i like it",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "104261",
"author": "Andrew Moyer",
"timestamp": "2009-10-27T15:29:51",
... | 1,760,377,556.629766 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2009/10/27/remote-controlled-claw-of-doom/ | Remote Controlled Claw Of Doom | Jakob Griffith | [
"Toy Hacks"
] | [
"claw",
"internet",
"Parallax Propeller",
"remote control",
"robot"
] | [youtube
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P-9_dMJKh9E&feature=player_embedded%5D
Robotic claws are awesome, period. [Jeremy’s]
Remotely controlled robotic claw
, thats just a whole new level of cool – even if the intention is to just pick up blocks. The setup is simple enough, a
Parallax Propeller
controls the whole system by first polling a web server for changes in variables that the user has invoked. Those changes are then passed to relays that control the claw. To keep from fumbling in the dark, he’s even included a webcam. We hate to see that he’s used such expensive equipment to just control a toy, but maybe one day he’ll move to
bigger and better things
. | 13 | 13 | [
{
"comment_id": "104249",
"author": "monkeyslayer56",
"timestamp": "2009-10-27T13:50:00",
"content": "1+ for making do what it wasn’t intended-1 for not making the claw :)",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "104250",
"author": "Reggie",
"tim... | 1,760,377,556.728701 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2009/10/25/double-sided-surface-mount-pcb-population/ | Double Sided Surface Mount PCB Population | Mike Szczys | [
"Tool Hacks"
] | [
"epoxy",
"pcb",
"reflow",
"surface mount"
] | [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6M3MeADb1dE]
Above is a video detailing one method for
populating a two sided surface mount PCB
. We covered
using a stencil
to apply solder paste for a PCB a few weeks ago. In the comments there was a debate about the virtue of using stencils as well as a
question
about how two sided boards are populated. This was a good question because reflowing a board twice can cause components on the underside to fall off.
[Wim L’s]
comment
mentions that there are a couple of methods for two sided population. In the video you will see that a stencil is not being used, but instead, paste is applied by a pedal actuated syringe. The paste is applied to the underside of the board first, then a teeny dot of epoxy is added to hold the component in place. Each part is then positioned normally and baked in a reflow oven. This process both reflows the solder, and cures the epoxy. When the board is reflowed a second time, the epoxy holds the bottom components in place as the top solder reaches its melting point.
This method of applying solder paste is slower than using a stencil. But if done correctly, every component can get the amount of solder needed. | 20 | 18 | [
{
"comment_id": "103935",
"author": "Mike M",
"timestamp": "2009-10-25T18:27:26",
"content": "I used to make double sided boards all the time using the syringe method. I did it manually but also used a low cost manual pick and place from Bomir that has a built in electronic programmable dispenser.Un... | 1,760,377,557.147616 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2009/10/25/halloween-props-pie-of-sauron/ | Halloween Props: Pie Of Sauron | Mike Szczys | [
"home hacks"
] | [
"cylon",
"dekatron",
"Halloween props",
"jack-o-latern"
] | [Richard] combined creative carving with vacuum tube electronics
for a unique pumpkin offering
. He used the stencil-and-cut method of carving, making use of an inexpensive carving kit for great results. He salvaged an LED module from a flashlight to provide the internal illumination, but it’s the center feature that we like the best. [Richard’s] used a glow-transfer counting tube, or
dekatron
, which provides something like a circular
cylon eye
to the project. There’s a video of this after the break.
You might not have access to a wicked-looking dekatron but we’re guessing you’ve got a microcontroller and some LEDs lying around that can serve as a stand-in for one night. We’d love to do a reader jack-o-lantern roundup, so if you build something, send us a picture!
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S2pWf4ftmik] | 12 | 12 | [
{
"comment_id": "103903",
"author": "EMiL",
"timestamp": "2009-10-25T13:09:21",
"content": "k3wl! =)",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "103905",
"author": "strider_mt2k",
"timestamp": "2009-10-25T13:21:03",
"content": "I see…you…",
... | 1,760,377,556.684457 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2009/10/24/use-iphone-to-run-yourself-over/ | Use IPhone To Run Yourself Over | Mike Szczys | [
"iphone hacks",
"Transportation Hacks"
] | [
"autonomous vehicle",
"darpa",
"iphone",
"mariokart",
"remote control",
"urban challenge"
] | The Spirit of Berlin team has developed an
iPhone app to remotely control a minivan
. They didn’t have to do much to the vehicle to get this working because the platform was developed for the
2007 Darpa Urban Challenge
. The iPhone connects with the driving circuitry via WiFi and offers a gas button, a brake button, and a steering button to enable the accelerometer for turning. The front camera video is transmitted to the iPhone in real-time.
In the picture above you can see the operator in the center of the van’s camera view. It looks like the van’s top speed is limited, but remembering our own ineptitude in
piloting RC vehicles
, we hope this doesn’t result in a
Darwin Award
. We’ve embedded a video after the break. Everyone loves to see some Mario Kart reeneactment. You can catch some around 2:28 into the video. Enjoy.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oHDwKT564Kk]
[Thanks Miketron] | 39 | 39 | [
{
"comment_id": "103809",
"author": "wdfowty",
"timestamp": "2009-10-24T21:08:08",
"content": "I smell demolition derby gone geek",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "103819",
"author": "Shadyman",
"timestamp": "2009-10-24T21:54:14",
"con... | 1,760,377,556.889772 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2009/10/24/desktop-decepticon-repurposes-cell-phone/ | Desktop Decepticon Repurposes Cell Phone | Mike Szczys | [
"Cellphone Hacks"
] | [
"decepticon",
"figurine",
"model",
"repurpose"
] | We’ve got a few old cell phones sitting around and apart from salvaging the LCD screen we’re not quite sure what to do with them. [Gingerpete50]
turned his into a desktop Decepticon figurine
. This masterpiece is a delightful conversation piece and when he’s tired of it decorating his cubicle, we’re sure there will be plenty of people he can hand it down to. The figure doesn’t transform back into a cell phone and it uses a few extra parts he had on hand, but neither of these things bother us. What it does have is some articulated joints and a few LEDs that you can see above. We haven’t tried our hand at custom model building, but after seeing this you can be assured it’s on our list. | 20 | 20 | [
{
"comment_id": "103798",
"author": "MakesLoveToArduinos",
"timestamp": "2009-10-24T19:49:15",
"content": "GINGERPETE!!! Everyone knows gingers have no soul. And no soul = no hax.",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "103803",
"author": "therian... | 1,760,377,557.096141 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2009/10/24/vodaphone-ringtone-music-commercial/ | Vodaphone Ringtone Music Commercial | Caleb Kraft | [
"Cellphone Hacks"
] | [
"cell phone",
"vodaphone",
"william tell"
] | [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R3nSoEhY8SM]
When we first saw
Vodaphone’s ringtone commercial
where 1000 cell phones perform a section of the William Tell overture, we just assumed it was some slick video editing, not to be taken seriously. Apparently, we were wrong. They actually did this. They actually sent text messages to all the phones in correct timing to play the music. In the video after the break, you can see some details on how they pulled it off. They had to perform this during non peak usage hours to ensure that all their texts went through. We think this project is pretty impressive. Actually, we still don’t know how they pulled it off, we can’t seem to predict how long a text message will take to reach its destination with any kind of reproducible accuracy.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RttlDzRPw9A]
[via
Makezine
] | 22 | 22 | [
{
"comment_id": "103783",
"author": "Dave",
"timestamp": "2009-10-24T17:19:10",
"content": "Isn’t it 1812 from tchaikoswki?",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "103784",
"author": "bearchild",
"timestamp": "2009-10-24T17:25:28",
"content"... | 1,760,377,557.200953 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2009/10/24/halloween-prop-glowing-spooky-eyes/ | Halloween Prop: Glowing Spooky Eyes | Caleb Kraft | [
"News"
] | [
"halloween"
] | Would you like some spooky glowing eyes that light up and play a sound when someone gets near?
This circuit
makes it pretty simple. It uses a single phototransistor to detect someones presence. Instead of having a preset threshold that needs to be met, it simply triggers any time there is a sufficient change in the amount of light it detects. If you put one of these in a nice dark spot, your halloweeners will only see the LEDs and perceive them as eyes. It might also be cool to somehow add motion to this.
We’re running out of time to
prepare for Halloween
, don’t forget to send in your projects.
[via
HackedGadgets
] | 6 | 6 | [
{
"comment_id": "103843",
"author": "j s",
"timestamp": "2009-10-25T00:31:12",
"content": "I’ve never seen a PIC in that kind of package before.",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "103873",
"author": "PidGin128",
"timestamp": "2009-10-25T05:... | 1,760,377,558.763103 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2009/10/24/the-best-robotics-competition/ | (the) Best Robotics Competition | Jakob Griffith | [
"HackIt",
"Robots Hacks"
] | [
"best",
"competition",
"enhs",
"robotics"
] | If you give a mouse a cookie, he will ask for a glass of milk. If you give a team of geeks a box full of parts ranging from aluminum to plywood to motors to RF interfaces, they will build a robot. Introducing
Best Robotics
, a volunteer group that gives schools a box of hardware and 6 weeks to build a robot that will compete against other schools for the title of champion.
This past Saturday the17th, the OKBest regional competition was held and I, HaD writer [Jakob], was lucky enough to be invited personally to not only watch – but compete. Check out our full breakdown after the jump.
First an explanation of the competition. Each year the ‘goal’ changes but always includes several of the same concepts. Remote controlled robots must pick up different items for points, assemble something for multipliers, and signal a tie breaker. This year the robot’s task was to scavenge and collect tennis balls, racket balls, soup cans, beach balls, and 6inch PVC pipe sections – easy right?
Well not when those tennis balls are catalysts, racket balls are water, soup cans are energy, beach balls are CO2, and the PVC represents benzene. See where we’re going, if not think chemistry. It gets harder when you learn almost none of those game pieces are in play unless you send an IR signal to the game field. We haven’t even gotten to the 2 foot size restriction in all 3 dimensions and the finite parts list. Those who want to read more about the game and rules this year can find it
here
.
So how did
I
get the chance to compete? Well, being team captain really helps. Meet team ENHS. The past two years we’ve come nearly in last place and this this was our third, and potentially final time to partake within Best; it was time to stop being the underdogs.
Our robot design included an undercarriage ‘stomach’ and frontal ‘mouth’ that could be raised and lowered to capture the tennis balls, racket balls, and soup cans. We decided against attaining CO2 and benzene after finding we could achieve a max score of about 21 million points without them. The control system, programming, and IR commands were all handled by yours truly – while the rest of the team did most of the construction – and painting.
The great thing about Best is that if you don’t have an engineering degree, or even know what a motor does. There are awards that can actually get you to first place by best documentation, most enthusiasm, best T-shirt design, most interesting interview, and several others. But it still exposes people to robots and their construction, hopefully to influence them towards a career in technology.
So how did we actually do? 5th place overall out of 12. Not to bad considering last year we got 18th out of 17 teams (we don’t know how we managed that either). Win or lose, the experience, knowledge, and fun we gained from the competition will last a lifetime. The competition however will not, as funding for Best has declined over the years and our region next year will not play host. Hats off to the best year of Best. | 32 | 32 | [
{
"comment_id": "103759",
"author": "nave.notnilc",
"timestamp": "2009-10-24T13:43:00",
"content": "it’s a tragedy when money can’t be found for things like this :(",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "103761",
"author": "S133p",
"timestamp":... | 1,760,377,559.309851 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2009/10/23/halloween-props-skeleton-springs-from-coffin/ | Halloween Props: Skeleton Springs From Coffin | Mike Szczys | [
"home hacks"
] | [
"Halloween props",
"pneuma",
"pneumatic",
"skeleton"
] | [Tony’s] trying to scare the kids again this Halloween. This year’s creation is
a skeleton that springs up from a coffin
. His creepy coffin is built from plywood and in the classic style it gets narrower at each end. Inside, there’s a full-sized rubber skeleton affixed to a 2×4. Pneumatic rams are used to lift the lid and spring forth the skeleton from the dead.
He’s planned his performance well. The finished system uses a
fog machine
and looped audio for ambiance. A motion sensor detects innocent victims approaching, kills the music, opens the coffin lid, and adjusts the lighting. The coffin is right next to the door so when the doorbell is pushed and the skeleton springs upright this should scare the bejesus out of you. See how effective this in the video after the break.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HEzcX-fJcdk] | 7 | 7 | [
{
"comment_id": "103603",
"author": "chris",
"timestamp": "2009-10-23T21:21:36",
"content": "Don’t forget to use a puff of compressed air aimed at the victims to assault all their senses.",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "103617",
"author": "c... | 1,760,377,559.076699 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2009/10/23/sparkfun-gets-a-cease-and-desist/ | SparkFun Gets A Cease And Desist | Caleb Kraft | [
"News"
] | [
"law",
"lawyer",
"sparc",
"sparkfun"
] | [Nate] over at SparkFun Electronics has
posted a cease and desist letter he received from SPARC industries
. Apparently their legal department feels that his name is close enough to theirs to ignite a legal battle. They are demanding that he transfer his domain to them immediately to extinguish the flames. This all seems a bit silly, his name isn’t really at all like theirs and his product isn’t similar either. To add to the peculiarity of this, going to
their site
throws up a big red malware warning for us (in chrome).
[thanks IraqiGeek] | 137 | 50 | [
{
"comment_id": "103558",
"author": "mowcius",
"timestamp": "2009-10-23T19:36:24",
"content": "What idiots…On firefox I get:Reported Attack Site!This web site athttp://www.sparc.orghas been reported as an attack site and has been blocked based on your security preferences.Attack sites try to install... | 1,760,377,558.942424 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2009/10/23/poddwatt-tube-amp-with-mp3-in-mind/ | Poddwatt: Tube Amp With Mp3 In Mind | Mike Szczys | [
"classic hacks",
"home entertainment hacks"
] | [
"high gain",
"ipod",
"mp3",
"tube amp"
] | [Bruce] has
designed a push-pull tube amp
that has enough gain to connect to a portable audio player. The design is closely related to
his OddWatt offering
from a few years ago. The new amp has many redesigned circuits and the new hardware choices drop the price tag of the parts by about $50.
This little wonder pumps out 5-7 watts and [Bruce] is please with the end result. It doesn’t put out quite as much low-end as the
KT88 amp we saw last year
, but compared to
some other iPod speaker solutions
this provides stellar audio. | 41 | 39 | [
{
"comment_id": "103554",
"author": "samurai",
"timestamp": "2009-10-23T19:30:08",
"content": "Can someone explain to me why audiophiles that build these amps are totally cool with 0.5% distortions, when they could get more power, efficiency, and less distortion out of a single, cheaper IC?I just do... | 1,760,377,559.154521 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2009/10/23/make-your-own-snes-games-with-developer-cartridge/ | Make Your Own SNES Games With Developer Cartridge | Mike Szczys | [
"Nintendo Hacks"
] | [
"atmega644",
"AVR",
"debug",
"develop's cartridge",
"snes",
"super nintendo"
] | Have you always wished that you could develop games for the Super Nintendo but couldn’t because you were only 4 years old when it was released in 1990? Here’s a second chance. [Max] and his team have created a
SNES developer’s cartridge
that allows you to load your own code, run it on the SNES, and debug as needed. At its core is an Atmel AVR ATmega644 that is running a boot loader, allowing for firmware updates via USB. Once the system is powered on, ROM code is sent over USB to the 16 megabits of onboard SRAM. A debug terminal can be connected with an RS232 converter, providing status information and allowing some register manipulation.
We can believe there are a few hardcore SNES fans out there who will take the time to write custom code. We could also see this being used for the purposes of SNES sythesized music. But is there a wide demand for this type of hardware? If you’ve ever looked into developing for the SNES, let us know in the comments. | 75 | 50 | [
{
"comment_id": "103491",
"author": "Hackius",
"timestamp": "2009-10-23T15:38:00",
"content": "I was 5 thank you very much",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "103495",
"author": "salzar",
"timestamp": "2009-10-23T15:53:15",
"content": "I... | 1,760,377,558.853772 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2009/10/23/hot-air-pencil-for-under-20/ | Hot Air Pencil For Under $20 | Caleb Kraft | [
"Tool Hacks"
] | [
"heat pencil",
"smd",
"solder"
] | Here’s a project from back in 2001 that might be of interest to some of you. It is a guide on how to
build your own hot air pencil for SMD soldering
. He is using a super cheap 45W soldering iron from
“the shack”
combined with a pump type desoldering tool and an aquarium pump. He says it works pretty well, and we don’t see why it shouldn’t. This is a pretty elegant solution. There are also some
more recent versions
of this mod, but the idea is basically the same.
[thanks Stuart] | 36 | 33 | [
{
"comment_id": "103472",
"author": "Dan",
"timestamp": "2009-10-23T14:21:47",
"content": "Hmm. Could you reverse the airflow and make a powered de-soldering iron like they have on those nice soldering stations?",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": [
{
"comment_id": ... | 1,760,377,559.456953 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2009/10/23/psystar-taunts-apple-a-second-time/ | Psystar Taunts Apple A Second Time | Phil Burgess | [
"downloads hacks",
"Mac Hacks"
] | [
"apple",
"hacintosh",
"osx86",
"psystar"
] | As if bankruptcy shenanigans and an unresolved exchange of lawsuits with Apple weren’t enough, Mac clone maker Psystar is
really
swatting the beehive now
with the release of Rebel EFI
, a $50 software package that promises a straightforward installation of Mac OS X on a variety of commodity x86 systems.
Setting up one’s own “
Hackintosh
” system has traditionally been a painstaking process of duplicating the OS install disc and fiddling around with various kernel extensions. Rebel EFI claims to do away with all this, bringing click-and-drool simplicity to the Hackintosh experience. The package can be downloaded free of charge in order to test compatibility with one’s hardware before committing to buy; in this trial mode, the system is limited to two hours run time. Minimum requirements include an Intel Core 2 Duo, Core 2 Quad, Core i7, or Xeon Nehalem CPU.
Normally we’re all for
voiding warranties
,
challenging EULAs
, and
sticking it to The Man
, but some have been calling Psystar’s underdog image a charade, claiming the commercial Rebel EFI software is simply an uncredited derivative of open source efforts such as the
Chameleon bootloader
. Whether or not this proves true, it will be interesting to see how this whole surreal skit plays out between Apple, Psystar and the open source Hackintosh community. | 35 | 33 | [
{
"comment_id": "103462",
"author": "strider_mt2k",
"timestamp": "2009-10-23T13:24:04",
"content": "The legal brief from Psystar actually says, and I quote, “Go and boil your bottom, you empty-headed animal food trough water!”",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"... | 1,760,377,559.527072 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2009/10/22/unreasonably-bright-bike-light-apparently-hunts-deer/ | Unreasonably Bright Bike Light Apparently Hunts Deer | Mike Szczys | [
"LED Hacks",
"Transportation Hacks"
] | [
"bike",
"light",
"lumens",
"nickel metal hydride"
] | [Jukka] wanted a bike light that wasn’t afraid to go into the woods during the dark winter.
He put together a lamp
that uses eight 3 Watt LEDs to pump out 1680 lumens (
english translation
). The high power LEDs were mounted on a large aluminum heat sink and use lenses to optimize the beam of light. The system uses a 2 amp driver board that he assembled himself. Power is provided by sixteen AA Nickel Metal Hydride batteries that are housed along with the driver circuit in a water bottle.
This more than doubles the output of the
last bike light we thought was too bright
. Where will this lumen-arms-race stop?
[Thanks Sami] | 79 | 50 | [
{
"comment_id": "103297",
"author": "Dan",
"timestamp": "2009-10-22T20:05:11",
"content": "Bright is good but how long does it run?",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "103298",
"author": "silvs",
"timestamp": "2009-10-22T20:07:44",
"cont... | 1,760,377,559.239588 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2009/10/21/war-monument-hacking/ | War Monument Hacking | Mike Szczys | [
"Cellphone Hacks",
"LED Hacks"
] | [
"cell tower",
"eternal flame",
"natural gas",
"war monument",
"world war II"
] | [Timo] tipped us off about a
War Monument that has been… upgraded
. The story starts when a monument was erected in
Cherkassy, Ukraine
to commemorate the ultimate sacrifice that was made by Russian soldiers during World War II. The huge statue and expansive plaza were capped off by an eternal flame. Unfortunately, when the Soviet Block broke up, the natural gas that had been provided by the government became a luxury so the flame was extinguished.
The eternal flame sat unlit, a sad commentary to the remembrance of the dead. But how to fix this issue? As cell phone companies came into the area, a need for cell phone towers arose. At some point a solution was reached; a cell phone tower was built in the bowl of the eternal flame and then wrapped with an
LED marquee
. The marquee now displays the image of a flame in perpetuity.
We’re not quite sure what to think about this. After some adjustment, the
substitution of LEDs for flames
will probably become accepted. The monument is now providing a useful purpose for the living, and once again shows a flame. We think that having something there showing that the memory is still alive is much better than the message an unkempt derelict sends. | 42 | 42 | [
{
"comment_id": "103025",
"author": "Oxin",
"timestamp": "2009-10-21T19:17:02",
"content": "I like the use of LEDs instead of natural gas. It’s definitely the greener solution but I’m not sure I’d be able to look at the statue again and not instantly think “cell phone tower”.",
"parent_id": null... | 1,760,377,559.033323 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2009/10/21/mind-control-via-serial-port/ | Mind Control Via Serial Port | Mike Szczys | [
"Toy Hacks"
] | [
"brain waves",
"db9",
"header",
"pcb",
"rs232",
"uncle milton's force trainer"
] | [Zibri] found a very simple method for
using brain waves as a controller via a DB9 serial port
. He’s using Uncle Milton’s Force Trainer which we saw yesterday in the
brain controlled Arduino
. In that project the Arduino tapped into the LEDs and interfaced those signals with a computer via USB. This time the connection was made using an RS-232 transceiver to pass data from the programming header inside of the toy’s base unit to a computer over the serial port. Tapping into the programming header has a lot more potential and should be more reliable than sniffing logic out of LED connections. [Zibri] has written an application to display the received data but it doesn’t look like he’s made the code available for download.
Apparently he tipped us off
about a week ago. We recall seeing this submission but as you can tell it’s a little bit light on the detail. So if you want your tips to be at the front of the line, make sure you
do what you can to fill us in on all the details
of your project. At our request [Zibri] provided a picture of the PCB from the Force Trainer’s base unit. See it after the break. | 23 | 15 | [
{
"comment_id": "103009",
"author": "Zibri",
"timestamp": "2009-10-21T18:24:56",
"content": "I have no problem releasing the code of that very lame app.. but as soon as you connect to the serial port you will see it’s not needed..It’s plain ASCII..It outputs values in this way:0 0 040 40 040 40 040 ... | 1,760,377,559.588335 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2009/10/21/skii-bot/ | Ski Bot | Caleb Kraft | [
"Robots Hacks"
] | [
"carve",
"robot",
"skii"
] | [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=luzs63dGHQs]
[Bojan Nemec] has come up with
a robot that can ski better than us
. Not that skiing better than us is a hugely lofty goal. The bot is capable of skiing using standard, off the shelf skis. It has a dual computing system. One system only does steering and balance while the other does all the vision and control. He’s using the
carving
technique of skiing, stating that normal skiing is just too hard for a robot. That sounds like a challenge to us. You can check out the blooper reel, which is still better than us, after the break.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AxqQ_gGlaLo]
[via
Neatorama
] | 13 | 12 | [
{
"comment_id": "102985",
"author": "Jay",
"timestamp": "2009-10-21T17:09:18",
"content": "Cool! It looks like an AT-ST with skiis.",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "103008",
"author": "Alan",
"timestamp": "2009-10-21T18:22:42",
"conte... | 1,760,377,559.799156 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2009/10/21/yahoo-hires-strippers-for-hackers/ | Yahoo Hires Strippers For Hackers | Caleb Kraft | [
"News"
] | [
"hackers",
"strippers",
"yahoo"
] | Yahoo has
issued a public apology
for an event that occurred at their recent Hack Day in Taiwan. Apparently they hired strippers for the event, two years in a row. The girls did their usual bump and grind all over some poor hackers. Poor guys. While there is a part of us that says, “what about the little girls getting into hacking?” the other part of us says, well, you know what it says. Wow, we’re suddenly feeling the urge to use yahoo for all of our services. How peculiar.
[via
BoingBoing
] | 62 | 50 | [
{
"comment_id": "102965",
"author": "Mic",
"timestamp": "2009-10-21T16:04:48",
"content": "I hear it’s wild tia-poon season over there about this time of the year.",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "102966",
"author": "grovenstien",
"timest... | 1,760,377,559.684149 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2009/10/21/industrial-robots-producing-art/ | Industrial Robots Producing Art | Caleb Kraft | [
"Robots Hacks"
] | [
"art",
"mosaic"
] | [blip.tv ?posts_id=2728039&dest=-1]
Here is an interesting project that should spark some good discussion.
Artaic is a company that is using industrial robots to produce mosaics
. They are then selling these mosaics as fine art. As you can see, some of the examples are quite nice looking. However, we have to wonder what the draw is to own one that is made by a robot. Is it really that much different from just printing an image? We really do think it is a cool project and an efficient way of producing these mosaics. We would really love to see one of those
super fast delta robots
doing the work.
We’re trying to reduce the negativity here at Hackaday. We are passionate geeks and hackers, and as such, we tend to jump straight to the negative points. We hope you guys will follow along with us and try to be constructive in the comments. That being said, the video did seem a bit pretentious, didn’t it?
[via
BotJunkie
] | 26 | 24 | [
{
"comment_id": "102948",
"author": "andrew",
"timestamp": "2009-10-21T15:21:23",
"content": "It didn’t seem that bad to me. I did, however, notice at 2:04 you can see the robot misplaced a few tiles. Hopefully they can iron out that problem.",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies":... | 1,760,377,559.976137 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2009/10/21/iphone-bounce-controlled-dance-lights/ | Bouncy IPhone Controlled Dance Lights | Caleb Kraft | [
"home entertainment hacks",
"home hacks",
"iphone hacks",
"ipod hacks"
] | [
"dance",
"iphone",
"ipod",
"itouch",
"lights"
] | [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4GmYcn8vb1U]
[John Boiles] introduces us to dimlet, his
portable network controlled light dimmer
. Inside the box is a fonera 2100 router that is running openWRT connected to an unnamed AVR microcontroller. Right now, he’s controlling the unit with his iPhone. It has three modes of control; a manual “slider” mode, an accelerometer controlled “dance” mode, and a programmable “tap” mode. You can download all the source code and schematics on his site.
[via
Makezine
] | 19 | 18 | [
{
"comment_id": "102942",
"author": "monkeyslayer56",
"timestamp": "2009-10-21T14:23:55",
"content": "may i guess what they “unnamed AVR microcontroller” is?…",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "102943",
"author": "Caleb Kraft",
"timestamp":... | 1,760,377,559.916735 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2009/10/21/ps3-laptop-courtesy-of-ben-heck/ | Ps3 Laptop Courtesy Of Ben Heck | Jakob Griffith | [
"home entertainment hacks",
"Playstation Hacks"
] | [
"adam savage",
"ben heck",
"laptop",
"ps3"
] | [Ben Heck] may be the coolest person ever (take that [Adam Savage]). You would think that after producing so many laptop versions of gaming consoles he would grow tired or we would be bored of them. But no! We love each and every new production – including his latest
laptop-ified Ps3
. Not too much in the terms of ‘new’ comes from his latest article, but it does reaffirm some things including: why make what you can buy, cheap foam sheet should be purchased by the ton, and use the screws from an overheated Xbox 360 when you lose the Ps3 originals. Oh, and [Adam] we were just kidding, you know we will always love you. Check out a video after the break.
[Via
Ps3Mods
]
[youtube
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SXZ5bI_yZTk&feature=player_embedded%5D | 16 | 16 | [
{
"comment_id": "102932",
"author": "monkeyslayer56",
"timestamp": "2009-10-21T13:20:32",
"content": "i may get a PS3 just so i can do this :) btw nicely done looks good like it was from a manufacture like that :)",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": ... | 1,760,377,560.030535 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2009/10/26/inpulse-watch-gets-blackberry-data-via-bluetooth/ | InPulse Watch Gets BlackBerry Data Via Bluetooth | Mike Szczys | [
"Arduino Hacks",
"Cellphone Hacks",
"Wireless Hacks"
] | [
"blackberry",
"bluetooth",
"inPulse",
"watch"
] | [Eric] just told us about the
watch he developed that displays info from a BlackBerry
via Bluetooth. The watch displays updates, message alerts, incoming call information, and… tells time. Setup and control is handled with the BlackBerry keypad. The device is charged with a micro-USB connection and will last for about four days without a recharge. We’d chalk up the rather long battery life to the use of an OLED display, which will use less energy when a portion of the display is left black.
So why is it here? Well, he’s got a couple of blog posts that detail
two
of the
final
prototypes that you might find interesting. What else? Oh yeah, his original prototype used an Arduino with a Nokia 3310 LCD display. For those of you who continually call the
Arduino a worthless toy
, looks like it’s good enough to use when taking a product to market. | 32 | 31 | [
{
"comment_id": "104158",
"author": "alexsfox",
"timestamp": "2009-10-26T23:43:31",
"content": "The Arduino may not be a toy (it’s just a development kit with an Atmel MCU)… however most of the “innovative” crap posted that involves an Arduino is just that–crap.Since the Arduino is one of the easier... | 1,760,377,559.868049 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2009/10/26/head-mounted-computer/ | Head-mounted Computer With Linux, WiFi | Phil Burgess | [
"classic hacks",
"Linux Hacks",
"Wearable Hacks"
] | [
"gumstix",
"hmd",
"linux",
"omap",
"wearable"
] | Most wearable computers we’ve seen feature a head-mounted display tethered to a small PC system in a backpack or worn on a belt.
Here’s a slick little system that does away with the cord, fitting the entire system in the glasses
.
[Pascal Brisset’s]
WXHMD
is based on the tiny
Gumstix
Overo Fire computer-on-module which features a beefy, 3D-capable
OMAP
processor that runs Linux. The Gumstix is interfaced with a Vuzix VR920
head-mounted display
that includes a three-axis
accelerometer
and
compass
. Tying these together is a custom video digital-to-analog converter board of [Pascal’s] own design, created using
direct-to-PCB
inkjet printing techniques. For less than $1,000 total in parts, the result is a spatially aware six ounce computer, with display and battery and all, that fits neatly over the bridge of one’s nose.
It’s a fantastic hack and a nicely documented project, though even the device’s creator himself questions whether having a pair of microwave transceivers and a LiPo battery strapped directly over one’s eyes and brain is such a good idea.
[thanks w3pt] | 34 | 34 | [
{
"comment_id": "104142",
"author": "Quvmoh",
"timestamp": "2009-10-26T22:34:18",
"content": "Just one step closer to designer wet ware so i can surf while in meetings…",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "104149",
"author": "cath0de",
"times... | 1,760,377,560.130228 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2009/10/26/how-to-overlay-images-by-using-greasemonkey/ | How To Overlay Images By Using Greasemonkey | Mike Szczys | [
"HackIt"
] | [
"firefox",
"greasemonkey",
"hackaday nostalgia",
"image overlay",
"javascript"
] | Today we’re going to take a look at writing scripts for the
Greasemonkey add-on for Firefox
. This add-on allows us to use JavaScript to make changes to the way webpages are displayed on our browser. These changes can only be seen by a copy of Firefox that is running a particular script. As an example, we’re going to write a script that adds a border to the banner image of each article on Hack a Day by overlaying the image you see above. Find out how it’s done after the break.
Our Goal:
We want to make the top image for each article look like it has been printed with a white border and then taped on each corner to the page. This is an effect that
we used to use on our posts
and a Greasemonkey script is a good way to re-implement the effect if you miss that image style.
What You Need:
Install
Firefox
Install the
Greasemonkey add-on
.
Download and install our script:
hackaday_nostalgia.user.js
How It Works:
Greasemonkey runs JavaScript on top of the pages that have been loaded by Firefox. The first part of the file is a set of comments that tell Greasemonkey what it’s dealing with:
// ==UserScript==
// @name Hackaday Nostalgia
// @namespace
http://hackaday.com
// @description Overlay photograph border and taped corners for article images at Hack a Day.
// @include
http://hackaday.com/*
// ==/UserScript==
The name, namespace, and include lines are all required for the script to work. Name is what you want to call your script. Namespace is a URL that identifies the script uniquely in case there are two scripts with the same name. Include tells Greasemonkey what pages this script should be applied to. In our case we only want to monkey with the images on hackaday.com so we’ve included all addresses from that domain.
Now that we’ve identified what pages we want to alter, we can parse the document and pull out the elements we want ot change. The first thing to do is examine the page source of our target:
<div class='snap_preview'><p><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-17747" title="plotter-with-300w-laser" src="http://hackaday.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/plotter-with-300w-laser.jpg?w=470&h=313" alt="plotter-with-300w-laser" width="470" height="313" /></p>
With a little digging we can find the line you see above that includes the IMG element for the title of a post. We’re in luck, the page builds each post wrapped in a DIV of the Class ‘snap-preview’. We can use Greasemonkey to parse the page looking for these DIVs and then alter the first IMG element in each one:
//get all DIVs of the snap_preview class
var allDivs, thisDiv;
allDivs = document.evaluate(
"//div[@class='snap_preview']",
document,
null,
XPathResult.UNORDERED_NODE_SNAPSHOT_TYPE,
null);
In the code above we are using the evaluate function to pick out DIVs that are in the ‘snap-preview’ class. We load them into an array called allDivs which we can then step through:
//step through each DIV
for (var i=0; i<allDivs.snapshotLength; i++) {
thisDiv = allDivs.snapshotItem(i);
//Alter the first img of each DIV
var image = thisDiv.getElementsByTagName('img');
//Make sure we've got an IMG in this DIV
if (image[0]) {
//Save original source URL
var orig_src = image[0].src;
//Concatenate for CSS use
orig_src = 'url(' + orig_src + ')';
//Set original as background
image[0].style.background = orig_src;
//Set Hack a Day overlay as image
image[0].src = 'http://hackaday.com/files/2009/10/had_frame.png';
}
}
This block of code is where the magic happens. A loop is used to step through each DIV we grabbed in the previous code snippet. We grab the IMG element by using the getElementsByTagName function. All IMG elements are put into an array called ‘image’, but we only want to alter the first image in each post so we’ll always reference image[0].
For the image border and tape effect, we used
the GIMP
to create a PNG file that has transparency where we want the original picture to show through. We need the original picture to be behind the overlay so we’re making it a background image using the CSS property ‘background’. The PNG overlay is then set as the new SRC for the IMG element.
That’s all it takes, now images will be overlayed with the border image you see at the top of this post.
Benefits and Drawbacks:
There are some drawbacks to using this system; the overlay covers up the borders of the original image, older posts that already have this image effect will have it applied again, the overlay will be stretched to match each original image which can look weird depending on image height, and the overlay image we’ve provide is of rather low quality (you can probably do better yourself).
Our method uses a very small amount of code and doesn’t require the original image size to be recalculated.
The Next Step:
Now that we’ve showed you how to do this much, you may want to take it one step further. The original picture style also made the images black and white. Can you make the script do this as well? To get started in the right direction, you might want to look at the
Pixastic JavaScript image manipulation library
(site dead, try
Internet Archive version
and
the GitHub repo
) and its desaturate function.
Overwhelmed?
If you need some help deciphering what we did here just use your online resources:
Dive into Greasemonkey
: An online book to help you learn greasemonkey scripting
HTML Dog
: A best practices guide to HTML and CSS
http://www.htmldog.com/ | 26 | 26 | [
{
"comment_id": "104110",
"author": "tj",
"timestamp": "2009-10-26T17:51:41",
"content": "Anyone know a plugin or extension that blocks cross domain content and CSS z-order? I can’t stand the new ad systems that replaced popups.",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
... | 1,760,377,560.193124 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2009/10/26/halloween-props-servo-eyes/ | Halloween Props: Servo Eyes | Caleb Kraft | [
"Arduino Hacks",
"home hacks"
] | [
"arduino",
"eyeball",
"halloween"
] | [flickr video =http://www.flickr.com/photos/todbot/3991211183/]
If you’re wanting to spice up a Jack-o-lantern, why not give it some spooky eyes that will look around? [todbot]
shows us how to set this up
using an Arduino and 3 servos. His rig uses a hobby servo to control the entire head’s orientation and a smaller servo for each eye’s movement. Their motion is random, but quite convincing. He has them all stuck together with popsicle sticks, but you would probably move the location of the large servo to rotate the entire pumpkin, or whatever other prop you put it all in. You can download the Arduino sketch and give it a try your self. We might suggest building a simple rack and pinion rig to rotate both eyeballs with a single servo.
[via
HackedGadgets
] | 13 | 13 | [
{
"comment_id": "104090",
"author": "Jay",
"timestamp": "2009-10-26T15:14:26",
"content": "Nice :D",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "104100",
"author": "googfan",
"timestamp": "2009-10-26T16:25:39",
"content": "iT’S THE MONEY YOU COULD... | 1,760,377,560.294101 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2009/10/26/halloween-props-alien-costume/ | Halloween Props: Alien Costume | Caleb Kraft | [
"home hacks"
] | [
"alien",
"costume",
"Halloween props"
] | [creatrope] sent in this slick
Alien costume that he made for his son
. The costume does look decent, but not professional. For something tossed together from parts around the house, it looks fantastic. The real kicker, is the fact that it has the
retractable inner mouth
. The retractable mechanism is constructed from Legos and extends when his son opens the mouth. We think he did a fantastic job with this costume, but if you’re looking for something a little more polished, check out
this Alien
made by [Asy0uw1sh ] you can see a little more detail on
how it works here
. | 13 | 13 | [
{
"comment_id": "104088",
"author": "chris",
"timestamp": "2009-10-26T15:04:31",
"content": "Hey, I think that guy fixed my cable TV the other night!",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "104089",
"author": "cyanide",
"timestamp": "2009-10-26T... | 1,760,377,560.245489 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2009/10/25/extended-ir-input/ | Extended IR Input | Jakob Griffith | [
"home hacks"
] | [
"cable box",
"input",
"ir",
"tv"
] | We’re not sure why [Roteno] prefers to have his TV and cable boxes not face him when he’s sitting on the couch,
but to each their own
. You may already see many problems with this setup: discoloration from LCD viewing angle, difficulty playing Wii, oh and most importantly – not being able to change the channel with his IR remote. [Roteno] was lucky enough, however, to have an IR remote input on the back of his cable box. All it took was a 3.5mm jack and a spare IR receiver and he was back in business. Sure it’s not as technical as
some
of our cable or
IR hacks
and we would like to see someone try this who doesn’t have as easily accessible IR input on the back of their cable box. But either way, here’s one more step to never having to
leave that couch
. | 18 | 18 | [
{
"comment_id": "103959",
"author": "gary",
"timestamp": "2009-10-25T20:23:52",
"content": "i found this helpful, even if it doesn’t fit other people’s definition of a ‘hack’, i’ve always seen those ports and wondered what i would need to make use of it.",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
... | 1,760,377,560.446045 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2009/10/25/diy-plotter-with-laser/ | DIY Plotter With Laser | Mike Szczys | [
"classic hacks",
"cnc hacks",
"Laser Hacks"
] | [
"pcb",
"plotter",
"resist",
"wood burning"
] | [Viacheslav]
built a plotter
that is fast and accurate. He wanted to take it one step further and added a laser in place of the pen. The 300 mW unit does a nice job of wood-burning any pattern sent to it, but isn’t strong enough to serve as a laser cutter for anything other than thin-film. We wonder if it can be used to cut solder paste stencils for
surface mount PCB production
.
In the video after the break you can see some plotting that uses a pen. In addition to writing on paper, [Viacheslav] has tested this as a method of applying etch resist to a copper clad board for PCB production. He’s able to achieve 0.8 mm pitch but the production process is limited by the resist pen’s tendency to wear out quickly and to only prevent etching for a short period of time (compared to toner transfer resist).
Just like with his
touch sensitive keypad project
, he’s taken the time to thoroughly
document his work
. Build notes, pictures, CAD files, and source code are all available for your perusal and hackage.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ei1yX3iUT80] | 39 | 37 | [
{
"comment_id": "103943",
"author": "Matt",
"timestamp": "2009-10-25T18:58:08",
"content": "Slight (but important) error. Its a 300mW laser, not a 300W laser. A 300 Watt could easily cut through almost anything if it is in the right frequency range for the material.",
"parent_id": null,
"d... | 1,760,377,560.525544 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2009/10/22/drone-lab-brings-the-excitement-of-hypnotoad-home/ | Drone Lab Brings The Excitement Of Hypnotoad Home | Mike Szczys | [
"digital audio hacks"
] | [
"Drone Lab",
"Hypnotoad",
"kit",
"synthesizer"
] | [Peter] tipped us off about
his new synthesizer kit, Drone Lab
. It has the things we look for a synthesizer: knobs, inputs, switches, wacky sounds. You can get your soldering on with the kit version, or buy these pre-built. Peter bills this as an open source kit but we didn’t see board artwork, just a schematic.
What we didn’t expect is its ability to mimic the
Hypnotoad
. As seen in the video after the break, the glorious sounds of your favorite television show can now be created in your own home. If you’ve never seen an episode of the Hypnotoad (gasp!) we’ve got that covered after the break as well.
ALL GLORY TO THE HYPNOTOAD!
Update:
PCB artwork
has now been posted
just below the schematic.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kNJYZxuOmwM]
Drone Lab doing what it does best.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zq4t_DjeF_k]
Everybody Loves Hypnotoad | 32 | 32 | [
{
"comment_id": "103279",
"author": "jfrench",
"timestamp": "2009-10-22T19:07:00",
"content": "props to Pete and Chris, of Casperelectronics and Electromagics, respectively. i swung by Casperland the other day and got to play with the new Dronelab – it is extremely awesome. i’m gonna get mine soon!p... | 1,760,377,560.641936 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2009/10/22/driving-usb-peripherals-with-arduino/ | Driving USB Peripherals With Arduino | Mike Szczys | [
"Arduino Hacks"
] | [
"character lcd",
"usb host",
"usb keyboard"
] | Circuits@Home have managed to
host a USB keyboard with an Arduino
and display the keyboard inputs on a character LCD. This uses the
USB host shield we covered in August
. That host shield includes a MAX3421 which is used here to drive the character LCD.
The control code for the keyboard ends up being fairly simple. The keyboard is polled for entries. The HID input is then examined and converted to ASCII codes for use with the LCD screen. This could make for an excellent controller or debugger for embedded systems. The Arduino, shield, and LCD could be integrated into the keyboard itself with an I/O port for connecting to your project. Commands can be typed out and sent through the I/O port when enter is pressed, with feedback displayed on the screen.
The example code provided with this project lays out the framework for hosting peripherals. We’re looking forward to more projects, and code libraries that take advantage of this new functionality. | 11 | 11 | [
{
"comment_id": "103292",
"author": "mowcius",
"timestamp": "2009-10-22T19:45:03",
"content": "Yeah that is brilliant. I have been watching that but had not noticed that the keyboard code had appeared.A board is on my list. I have 40×4 LCD that I am hopefully going to implement into a keyboard to mi... | 1,760,377,560.573138 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2009/10/22/score-online-with-robot-soccer/ | Score Online With Robot Soccer | Mike Szczys | [
"Robots Hacks"
] | [
"bioloid",
"robocup",
"soccer",
"zig-bee"
] | [Erik] and [Heni] have been using soccer as a way to improve code development techniques in robotics.
Their soccer playing robots
won first prize in the development competition at the 2007
RoboCup
competition. They are using a teaching method they call Kinesthetic Bootstrapping to program the motions of the
Bioloid robotic platform
. The robots are moved by hand and those motions are recorded twenty times per second. The recorded data is then optimized in software and ready for playback in the robot.
After the break you’ll see a video of the robots playing soccer against each other. They receive commands from a computer via zig-bee with Nintendo Wii remotes as the user interface. That’s all fine and dandy, but perhaps you should try your own hand at a game. [Erik] and [Heni] developed a
web interface that allows you to control the bots
over the internet. We tried it out yesterday and had quite a bit of fun. We set the video stream to “Spectator” and “Jpeg Server Push” to get an image. You’ll have to wait until next week to play because the bots need someone to pick then up when they fall over. Live play is scheduled for Mondays and Wednesdays from 4-6pm GMT+2. That should give you plenty of time to
program your Arduino to say
“Gooooooooooaaaaaaaaaaaaaalllllllllll!!!” when you score.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aJeGn8PB8hA]
[Thanks Richard] | 4 | 4 | [
{
"comment_id": "103267",
"author": "nave.notnilc",
"timestamp": "2009-10-22T18:44:45",
"content": "is their streaming going to be able to hold up under hackaday? :P",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "103273",
"author": "Mike Szczys",
"time... | 1,760,377,560.741273 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2009/10/22/magic-mouse-and-macbook-teardowns/ | Magic Mouse And MacBook Teardowns | Phil Burgess | [
"laptops hacks",
"Mac Hacks",
"Peripherals Hacks",
"Teardown"
] | [
"apple",
"mac",
"macbook",
"magic mouse",
"mouse",
"teardown"
] | The folks at iFixit must hold some kind of record for fastest-voided warranty. It’s been less than 48 hours since Apple unleashed a torrent of new computers and peripherals, and they’ve already set upon the new wares like a pack of ravenous, spudger-wielding
Velociraptors,
photoblogging the splayed entrails for our edutainment.
The refreshed MacBook holds few surprises
, resembling a
Star Trek
teleportation mix-up between the prior 13″ white MacBook and the current 13″
MacBook Pro
. It retains a white polycarbonate case much like its predecessor while adopting a subset of the Pro’s components — CPU and GPU, glass trackpad, Mini DisplayPort, and the long-lived but sealed battery. Internally the system is still a maze of different-sized Torx, Phillips and tri-wing screws, but they do report this latest revision to be easier to dismantle for repair.
More novel inside and out is the new Magic Mouse
, which early reports suggest may finally redeem Apple’s eleven year
train wreck of mice
. There’s not much to see on the bottom half — it’s a typical wireless mouse consisting of batteries, laser tracker and a Bluetooth chip. The top is something to behold though, with nearly the entire surface encrusted in
capacitive sensors
capable of gestural input. It resembles a miniature version of
this electrostatic interface we saw in April
.
No teardowns of the new iMacs, Mac mini or Time Capsule have taken place yet, but it’s surely just a matter of time. Even
Velociraptors
need to eat and sleep.
Update:
27″ iMac teardown added
. Rawr! | 17 | 15 | [
{
"comment_id": "103231",
"author": "tj",
"timestamp": "2009-10-22T16:12:24",
"content": "Nice refined design.",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "103235",
"author": "TN",
"timestamp": "2009-10-22T16:31:02",
"content": "27″ imac Teardown... | 1,760,377,560.699723 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2009/10/22/gear-clock/ | Gear Clock | Jakob Griffith | [
"home hacks",
"Misc Hacks"
] | [
"analog",
"digital",
"gear clock",
"motor",
"pic",
"stepper"
] | [youtube
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zkLIKfdYW3I&feature=player_embedded%5D
Analog clocks now a days get no respect. Everyone is
digital this
, or
binary that
, and we admit it is nice to look over and see the time promptly displayed. But there’s something about the quiet ticking and ominous feeling you get when around a large intricate clock that you know some serious time has been invested.
Nostalgia feelings aside, [Alan] from
Hacked Gadgets
introduced us to his
Gear Clock
. While it’s not a new idea, and in fact we have
a few
around the office, his concept really inspired us. His clock is driven via stepper motor and a PIC, allowing for the time to be fairly accurate. The only small problem he mentions is the poor paint job, but we think it looks amazing regardless. | 21 | 20 | [
{
"comment_id": "103211",
"author": "pod",
"timestamp": "2009-10-22T14:20:20",
"content": "it’s beautiful!",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "103212",
"author": "Alex",
"timestamp": "2009-10-22T14:22:11",
"content": "Looks cool. I woul... | 1,760,377,560.854647 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2009/10/21/hackable-geiger-counter/ | Hackable Geiger Counter | Devlin Thyne | [
"hardware"
] | [
"geiger",
"geiger counter",
"radiation",
"usb"
] | [Aaron] A.K.A. [
A1ronzo
] at SparkFun has put together a hackable
USB Geiger Counter
. In his
tutorial
, he gets the Geiger counter to work as a random number generator. Later, he analyzes and discusses how well it works as a random number generator. In the past, we have seen a number of radiation detectors hacks such as the
Mr. Fission
digital Geiger counter, a
count accumulator
, and a
Polonium detecting pen
, Besides our inital thoughts of speeding up the number generation, and using it as a special character device, what else can you come up with to do with this device? | 41 | 41 | [
{
"comment_id": "103074",
"author": "SchrodingersCat",
"timestamp": "2009-10-21T22:15:53",
"content": "Detect radiation.",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "103075",
"author": "gen",
"timestamp": "2009-10-21T22:22:23",
"content": "Make s... | 1,760,377,560.962847 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2009/10/21/bluetooth-cartridge-for-nintendo-ds/ | Bluetooth Cartridge For Nintendo DS | Mike Szczys | [
"Nintendo Hacks",
"Wireless Hacks"
] | [
"ATmega168",
"bluetooth",
"Nintendo DS",
"rn-41"
] | We’ve received tips from a few different people about a new
Bluetooth module that connects as a game cartridge for the Nintendo DS
. This is a homebrew solution and not an official Nintendo add-on. The cartridge houses an ATmega168 microcontroller which provides the interface between the DS and a
Roving Networks RN-41 bluetooth module
.
They’ve
provided a schematic
for the device but we didn’t see any board artwork or pictures of the internals so you’re on your own for board layout. The libraries needed to use the bluetooth connection with homebrew software are up for download. This should provide a nice way to use the DS with a Bluetooth GPS module, or perhaps as a discrete Bluetooth sniffer and spoofer. | 14 | 14 | [
{
"comment_id": "103049",
"author": "Eric",
"timestamp": "2009-10-21T21:08:11",
"content": "This is cool, but you need a slot-2 software solution to avoid cart swapping, as the article says.Personally, I would have gone the other way, utilizing the slot-2 side for the bluetooth and used the slot-1 s... | 1,760,377,560.798572 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2009/10/20/well-engineered-diy-segway/ | Well Engineered Diy Segway | Mike Szczys | [
"Arduino Hacks",
"Transportation Hacks"
] | [
"accelerometer",
"balancing",
"diy",
"gyroscope",
"segway"
] | [Mark] wanted a Segway but why buy something if you can have more fun building it? His end product is an
amazing homemade version of the self-balancing transportation
package. We’ve seen several
projects that include auto-balance
, but this one is large enough to ride on and has a bit of an advantage in the design. The motors, batteries, and other components are mounted below the wheel hubs and are weight balanced. This means that the device wants to find balance naturally, even when the electronics are switched off.
The frame was modeled in CAD and then welded together. For propulsion [Mark] has installed two 750 Watt motors which will use sprockets and chains to turn the wheels. The machine balances based on data from both a gyroscope and an accelerometer, with the entire packaged tied together using an Arduino.
[Mark’s]
build log
is well laid out and details each part of the build with a different post. His two most recent entries include
video of the unit balancing
and of him
riding the 95% completed project
. A big thanks to [Mark] for taking the time to document this so that we can share in the excitement of a well-executed project. | 36 | 36 | [
{
"comment_id": "102767",
"author": "Marc",
"timestamp": "2009-10-20T21:40:18",
"content": "Hopefully there will be documentation soon…I don’t see any build info, and I want to make one!!",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "102775",
"author": "d... | 1,760,377,561.14378 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2009/10/20/freeboot-gives-the-xbox-360-jtag-hack-new-life/ | FreeBOOT Gives The Xbox 360 JTAG Hack New Life | Mike Szczys | [
"Security Hacks",
"Xbox Hacks"
] | [
"cygnos360",
"exploit",
"freeBoot",
"jtag",
"microsoft",
"mod chip",
"xbox 360"
] | There has been another development in the never-ending battle that is Microsoft trying to keep its gaming system closed to unauthorized use.
Xbox-scene reports that a new hack
called freeBOOT v0.01 allows the Xbox 360 to upgrade to the newer kernels, but allows the option of rebooting to an older kernel in order use the JTAG exploit and gain access to the hardware.
In case you missed it, the
JTAG hack
is a way to run
homebrew code on an Xbox 360
. Exploiting this hack makes it possible to boot a Linux kernel in about five seconds. We’ve long been fans of the
homebrew work done with XBMC
on the original Xbox and hope that advances like this will lead to that end. We want this because the older hardware cannot handle high definition content at full resolution but the Xbox 360 certainly can.
This exploit is still far from perfect. It currently requires that the
Cygnos360 mod chip
be installed on the system. A resistor also needs to be removed from the board to prevent accidental kernel updating. That being said, this is still progress. If you’re interested in step-by-step details,
take a look at the text file instructions provided
.
[Thanks wdfowty] | 39 | 33 | [
{
"comment_id": "102736",
"author": "monkeyslayer56",
"timestamp": "2009-10-20T20:14:55",
"content": "@kirovya but that update will probably open up 15 more doors then were closed :)",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "102743",
"author": "tehgri... | 1,760,377,561.066554 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2009/10/20/boombox-warns-construction-ahead/ | Boombox Warns Construction Ahead | Mike Szczys | [
"digital audio hacks",
"home entertainment hacks"
] | [
"boombox",
"cnc",
"gel battery",
"road sign",
"stereo"
] | [Sam]
built himself a boom box
using salvaged parts and a car stereo. The case was cut using a CNC router he had access to at his school. The front panel is cut from a “Construction Ahead” road sign. The size of the case is based roughly on the rotting enclosures from which he pulled the speakers. He’s included connectors for external speakers as well as a USB charging port. The unit is powered by a gel battery and is recharged using an automotive battery charger.
A boom box lets you take the party anywhere. We like this one because of the
pop art
feel of the finished project. | 21 | 21 | [
{
"comment_id": "102719",
"author": "monkeyslayer56",
"timestamp": "2009-10-20T19:10:01",
"content": "well i guess putting a car stereo in a custom case is good.",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "102723",
"author": "JD",
"timestamp": "2009... | 1,760,377,561.201537 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2009/10/20/brain-control-for-the-arduino/ | Brain Control For The Arduino | Mike Szczys | [
"Arduino Hacks"
] | [
"arduino",
"brain control",
"mind control",
"uncle milton's force trainer"
] | When we hear about a brain controlled Arduino project we immediately think about a coding nightmare. As always, the simple hacks are the best hacks. [Joel] and [Akshay]
used hardware from a kid’s game as a brain interface
for an Arduino.
We came across the video (embedded after the break) of their work and asked for more info on what we thought was an incredibly difficult hack. It turns out they purchased
Uncle Milton’s Force Trainer
which uses a headset to measure brain waves and has a base unit that reacts to these measurements. Hacking into this device didn’t require reverse engineering of anything. They took the easy route, and tapped into the five LEDs on the base unit. As the game measures greater levels of concentration, it lights up more LEDs.
So far tapping into the game is just a proof of concept. It’s up to you to implement a brain controlled
beer bot
.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=28DnXLtrVqU]
Above is the video of the Force Trainer interfaced with an Arduino and used to control the music based on your concentration.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LJbIGJrQK84]
Above is a video review of Uncle Milton’s Force Trainer at a toy trade show. | 20 | 18 | [
{
"comment_id": "102692",
"author": "monkeyslayer56",
"timestamp": "2009-10-20T18:08:17",
"content": "ahhh :( i was hoping they were hacking into the headset o well i guess first things first",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": [
{
"comment_id": "478976",
"a... | 1,760,377,561.264931 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2009/10/20/mit-rethinking-popup-books/ | MIT Rethinking Popup Books | Caleb Kraft | [
"LED Hacks"
] | [
"book",
"kids",
"led",
"pop-up",
"popup"
] | [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AI-6wMlaVTc]
We know the folks at MIT are the cutting edge scientists of tomorrow right?
We’re always impressed
by the stuff coming out of their labs. Well,
almost always
. This rethinking of pop-up books does not let us down. We’ve seen some pretty complicated pop-up books. Some that made us really wonder how they pulled it off. But all of those were simply paper and card stock. At MIT, they’re wondering how we can improve the interactive experience now that the electronic components are so cheap and easily available. Even if you don’t have kids, or have no interest in pop-up books, consider this some inspiration for things like packaging and art. This looks fantastic and we know we would enjoy it. Then again, a few flashing LEDs always pique our interest.
[via
Gizmodo
] | 32 | 32 | [
{
"comment_id": "102657",
"author": "sly",
"timestamp": "2009-10-20T16:38:52",
"content": "oooo… blinky lights… *stares*",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "102658",
"author": "MI6Labs",
"timestamp": "2009-10-20T16:38:59",
"content": "Wo... | 1,760,377,561.523525 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2009/10/20/two-factor-authentication-using-a-hardware-token/ | Two-factor Authentication Using A Hardware Token | Mike Szczys | [
"Security Hacks"
] | [
"encrypted",
"key",
"SecurID",
"vpn"
] | We ran into a friend a while back who was logging into her employer’s Virtual Private Network on the weekend. She caught our attention by whipping out her keys and typing in some information from a key-fob. It turns out that her work uses an additional layer of protection for logging into the network. They have implemented a username, pin number, as well as a hardware token system called
SecurID
.
The hardware consists of a key-fob with an LCD screen on it. A code is displayed on the screen and changes frequently, usually every 60 seconds. The device is generating keys based on a 128-bit encryption seed. When this number is fed to a server that has a copy of that seed, it is used as an additional verification to the other login data.
This seems like a tech trickle-down of the code generating device from
GoldenEye
. It does get us thinking: with the
problems free email services have been having
with
account theft
, why aren’t they offering a fee-based service that includes a security fob? With the right pricing structure this could be a nice stream of income for the provider. We’re also wondering if this can be implemented with a microcontroller and used in our home network. As always, leave comments below and let us know if you’ve already built your own system using these principles.
Update:
Thanks to Andre for his comment that tells us this type of
security is available for Apache servers
. The distribution includes a server side authentication system and a Java based token generator that can run on any handheld that supports Java. | 106 | 50 | [
{
"comment_id": "102611",
"author": "matthack",
"timestamp": "2009-10-20T15:30:58",
"content": "Its hacked…",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "102612",
"author": "paul",
"timestamp": "2009-10-20T15:32:09",
"content": "to my recollection... | 1,760,377,561.46307 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2009/10/20/reprap-in-space-sorta/ | RepRap – In Space! (sorta) | Jakob Griffith | [
"home hacks",
"Misc Hacks"
] | [
"future",
"reprap",
"space"
] | [vimeo
http://vimeo.com/7141942%5D
We aren’t exactly sure how or even why you would need to
RepRap in space
, but we guess their team needed something to do while designing and printing
their next version
. They figure that if they can print completely upside down in -1G and then upside up in 1G, that 0G hopefully wont be a problem; hopefully being the keyword.
Even if it isn’t
true
space printing, the concept opens several new doors. Instead of having risky rocket or shuttle launches when the secondary air oscillator on the IIS is struck by an asteroid, print a new one. Or perhaps, the ocean floor research facilities’ external hull is punctured by an asteroid, print a new one. Or the HaD office chair breaks because [Mike] was hit by an asteroid, print a new one.
Lets not get ahead of ourselves here. But alongside
circuit board printing
, perhaps in-home fabrication is the way of the future. What would you like to print? Before you answer, yes, we will release the [Mike©] plans.
[Thanks Julius] | 20 | 20 | [
{
"comment_id": "102584",
"author": "anon",
"timestamp": "2009-10-20T13:30:12",
"content": "You really can’t see the utility in being able to fab parts from scratch on the space station or in the shuttle?Really?Did you ever see Apollo 13?",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
... | 1,760,377,561.73947 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2009/10/19/dresser-tool-chest-isn%e2%80%99t-as-ghetto-as-you%e2%80%99d-think/ | Dresser Tool Chest Isn’t As Ghetto As You’d Think | Phil Burgess | [
"home hacks",
"Tool Hacks"
] | [
"chest",
"drawers",
"frugal",
"organization",
"tool"
] | A dedicated rolling chest for one’s tools is among the most indulgent yet worthwhile acquisitions. Having everything mobile and organized for quick access improves efficiency and keeps the shop tidy. But
holy living crap,
have you
priced
these things? Even a mediocre setup costs more than the gross national product of some small nations!
Here’s a project that tarts up a dresser into a passable tool chest
. Using casters, modern drawer pulls and a tidy paint job, they turn a nasty old dresser into something presentable. It’s nowhere near as slick as the commercial units…no ball bearing glides, not chemical resistant, and your macho
grease monkey
friends will just roll their eyes…but if you’d rather spend your hard-earned money on
more
and
better
tools
than a pretty box to put them in, this might be just the thing. From across the room, you’d hardly know the difference.
A good tool chest will include several shallow drawers so that all the tools are visible at a glance and not buried in a jumble. If searching for a piece of furniture to re-use, look for something with multiple slim drawers rather than just a few deep ones; a large jewelry chest might work well.
[via
Craftynest
] | 43 | 43 | [
{
"comment_id": "102448",
"author": "Sobachatina",
"timestamp": "2009-10-19T21:19:49",
"content": "I have a similar tool chest that is a repurposed hospital cart. It’s metal, nicely sized, and I got it for free from a hospital that was upgrading.The biggest problem is that mine is pink. Maybe I’ll t... | 1,760,377,561.603144 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2009/10/19/cnc-hot-wire-cutter-from-scanners/ | CNC Hot Wire Cutter From Scanners | Mike Szczys | [
"cnc hacks"
] | [
"ATmega128",
"Atmel",
"AVR",
"cnc",
"cutter",
"hot-wire",
"microcontroller",
"scanner"
] | [Raul]
built a CNC hot wire cutter
that he uses for cutting shapes out of foam. His device uses two flat bed scanners to provide two planes of motion. One scanner arm has the foam mounted on it and provides the Y-axis movement. The other scanner has the hot wire mounted on it and provides the X-axis movement. The cutting wire is mounted on a flexed bow made from heavy gauge coat hanger wire.
He tapped into the logic board of one scanner to gain access to the motor movements. The other is connected through a couple of H-bridges. Both are controlled by an Atmel AVR ATmega128 which in turn takes its commands from a connection with a computer printer port. A python program uses vector graphic files in SVG format and traces the outline for cutting.
We’ve got a video of this in action after the break. At our request, [Raul] took some time to post
a set of pictures
and make comments on them. Thanks for the hard work and great job!
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y1G15yUXb04] | 29 | 29 | [
{
"comment_id": "102417",
"author": "kirov",
"timestamp": "2009-10-19T20:02:30",
"content": "yet another useless hack. I suppose if you need a thin piece of foam less than 7 x 7 cut out this will be perfect for you, but my bet is the creators never use it other than exhibiting how “31337” their hack... | 1,760,377,561.677378 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2009/10/19/10gui-multi-touch-for-all-ten-digits/ | 10gui: Multi-touch For All Ten Digits | Mike Szczys | [
"Peripherals Hacks"
] | [
"10gui",
"fingers",
"gui",
"linux",
"multi touch",
"pressure sensitive",
"touch pad"
] | The race for the next revolutionary input design is an ongoing event. [Clayton Miller’s] newest offering in the contest is a
multitouch concept that separates the display from the screen
and is meant to utilize all fingers. His video explanation includes a description of the physical input device, a software implementation, and a demonstration of how a finished system will work. After the break we’ll look at the hardware, the software, and the concept video.
The implementation is pretty simple. A pressure sensitive and proximity sensitive pad is used as the interface. The hardware can tell when your fingers are resting on it and when there are pressure increases for “clicking” inputs. This is basically a very large laptop touch-pad that can also sense pressure. This removes the issue of hands obstructing the screen that you encounter with
multi-touch displays
.
[Clayton] goes further with his design. He’s come up with a Graphic User Interface concept that should be incredibly simple to implement. The example is a Linux-based system that modifies how, where, and when menus and windows are used. The multi-touch pad has zones to the left and right edges that control the menu system. A single finger acts in the same way a mouse cursor does. Two fingers work for click-and-drag as well as pinch zooming. Three fingers do the same for different windows.
The video is well made and the concept seems like it could be right around the corner. Possible caveats to widespread adoption include the learning curve for a transition from a mouse to this, as well as the dexterity necessary to use it well. We’d like to get our hands on one, and would be interested in working with something similar to the
BumpTop
to manage data and organize our digital storage in a more physical way.
[vimeo=http://vimeo.com/6712657]
[Thanks Tex©] | 37 | 37 | [
{
"comment_id": "102400",
"author": "landon",
"timestamp": "2009-10-19T19:07:59",
"content": "looks like a wonderful alternative to the mouse, can’t wait to see it commercialized.",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "102402",
"author": "grovensti... | 1,760,377,561.910953 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2009/10/19/dso-nano-oscilloscope-reviewed/ | DSO Nano Oscilloscope Reviewed | Phil Burgess | [
"Reviews"
] | [
"oscilloscope",
"oscope",
"portable",
"review",
"scope",
"seeed studio"
] | We’ve been eyeing Seeed Studio’s
DSO nano
digital storage oscilloscope with a mix of intrigue and skepticism. A pocket-sized $89 storage ’scope? This is a joke, right? Hack a Day reader [Blair Thomson]
has written a thorough review based on his experience with one of the beta test units
, and it might be a winner after all.
[Blair] feels the unit compares favorably to buying a similarly-priced secondhand analog
oscilloscope
. The DSO nano wins major points for ease of use, a good range of functionality, and of course the whole portability thing (the enclosure is a repurposed portable media player). Can’t say we’re entirely convinced though. As a single-trace ’scope with 1 MHz bandwidth, the DSO nano may be extremely limiting for anything but basic hobbyist use…which, to be fair, is exactly how they’re marketing it. We can see a place for this the same way there’s a place for
$10 multimeters
— an inexpensive, toss-in-the-toolbag second ’scope to quickly test for vital signs, something that might complement but not replace a good bench unit. | 51 | 50 | [
{
"comment_id": "102381",
"author": "Sobachatina",
"timestamp": "2009-10-19T18:21:15",
"content": "Why does this post sound so critical?“anything but basic hobbyist use”? You mean like most of the projects that this website features?Most people don’t have >$2k to spend on a scope. If this works it i... | 1,760,377,561.834392 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2009/10/19/awesome-robots-love-fanta/ | Awesome Robots Love Fanta | Caleb Kraft | [
"Robots Hacks"
] | [
"dexterity",
"fanta",
"robot"
] | [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SOESSCXGhFo]
What you are seeing above is not a commercial for Fanta, though we think it would have been a good one. It also isn’t being played at an accelerated speed. That is a
real time demonstration of the accuracy and speed the ABB robots achieve
. We were surprised, even shocked, when we clicked play. We don’t know who came up with this idea, but we want those robots, and we want some Fanta. We’re a bit curious what industry needs beverage tracing robots though.
The last time we saw such amazing feats of robot awesomeness, they were
bouncing balls and catching stuff in mid air
. | 28 | 28 | [
{
"comment_id": "102369",
"author": "monkeyslayer56",
"timestamp": "2009-10-19T17:09:28",
"content": "WOW! fast…",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "102376",
"author": "The_Evil_Machinist",
"timestamp": "2009-10-19T17:50:02",
"content": ... | 1,760,377,562.044192 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2009/10/19/shift-powered-pumpkins/ | Shift Powered Pumpkins | Jakob Griffith | [
"home hacks",
"LED Hacks"
] | [
"halloween",
"led",
"shiftbrite"
] | [Garret] and a couple of friends
totally stole our idea
wanted to
light up their pumpkins
a bit differently this year. They used some ShiftBrites and all the corresponding shift hardware (who knew there was
so much shift
out there) to bring their carved orange minions to life. Yes, this could be done a lot less modulated by using a regular LED and perhaps a PIC. Maybe it’s not the most technically challenging, but hey its in the spirit of Halloween – one of our favorite holidays. Speaking of which, doesn’t
that fence
look familiar? Check out a video after the break.
Seriously,
Mutton
Chops?
[youtube
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qJIjwZnU-dw&feature=player_embedded%5D | 15 | 15 | [
{
"comment_id": "102390",
"author": "kirov",
"timestamp": "2009-10-19T18:46:02",
"content": "woo look at me i can stick LEDs into a pumpkin",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "102395",
"author": "wdfowty",
"timestamp": "2009-10-19T18:57:29",... | 1,760,377,561.973012 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2009/10/19/build-your-own-wristwatch/ | Build Your Own Wristwatch | Mike Szczys | [
"LED Hacks"
] | [
"16f88",
"Microdot",
"pic",
"surface mount",
"wrist watch"
] | [rgbphil] has done a great job
detailing how he built his Microdot wristwatch
.This project is a lot more approachable than the
pong watch
we saw last month. If you’ve made a few printed circuit boards, but haven’t yet tried working with surface mount component, this is a great way to give it a try.
The parts count is pretty low, a few switches, resistors, capacitors, LEDs, a watch crystal, and a PIC 16F88 microcontroller.[rgbphil] is
using a charlieplex
so that a separate shift register is not needed to drive all of the LEDs. He goes into detail about the process of laying out the circuit. Some of the problems he encounters include how to manage all of the charlieplex connections in a simple way, how to program the chip once it’s on the board, and how to layout the controls for the device.
The display looks great in the video we’ve embedded after the break. We’re going to add these components to our next parts order and make this project part of the plan for getting us through the long cold winter ahead.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gbi1DIKptIY] | 12 | 12 | [
{
"comment_id": "102355",
"author": "kirov",
"timestamp": "2009-10-19T15:53:02",
"content": "too bad if you wear this thing you look like a pretentious douche to everyone. “OMG GUYS LOOK AT ME I’M SO COOL I WEAR AN OVERSIZED CIRCUIT BOARD FOR A WATCH”. Couldn’t they have at least TRIED to make it lo... | 1,760,377,562.096736 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2009/10/19/lunar-auto-repair-depends-on-the-sticky-stuff/ | Lunar Auto Repair Depends On The Sticky Stuff | Mike Szczys | [
"Transportation Hacks"
] | [
"lunar rover",
"moon",
"nasa",
"repair"
] | When you’ve got problems with your lunar rover you can’t just “trust the Midas touch”. Every unexpected repair that happens outside of the Earth’s atmosphere is a hack and it seems the common ingredient in each one is Duct tape. If you’ve seen the movie Apollo 13 you know it was used in making a square carbon dioxide filter fit into a round filter socket. [XD] let us know about another hack where
NASA used Duct tape to replace a fender on the lunar rover
during the Apollo 17 mission.
The rover kicks up a lot of moon dust as it cruises around on its wire tires. When a rear fender started to come loose it was secured with duct tape. We delighted in watching a moon-man tear off chunks of tape for the fix, shown in the video after the break. When the fender finally flew off of the vehicle, the engineers on the ground came up with a way to replace it using laminated maps and more duct tape.
We’ve been
critical of the use of duct tape
in the past. But when you’re in a bind, accept no substitutes.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E08PAv43Zdw] | 15 | 15 | [
{
"comment_id": "102344",
"author": "monkeyslayer56",
"timestamp": "2009-10-19T14:50:57",
"content": "this proves it DUCT TAPE FTW!!!",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "102346",
"author": "kirov",
"timestamp": "2009-10-19T14:56:11",
"co... | 1,760,377,562.159306 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2009/10/19/reverse-geocache-puzzle/ | Reverse Geocache Puzzle | Zach Banks | [
"Arduino Hacks",
"classic hacks",
"gps hacks"
] | [
"arduino",
"geocache",
"gift",
"gps",
"lcd",
"puzzle",
"servo"
] | [Mikal] wanted to create an awesome electronic wedding gift for his friend who was moving to France. After experimenting with a few things, he settled on
creating a puzzle box that would only open in a certain location
. Since his friend introduced him to the Arduino, he fittingly used one in the design, along with a
serial GPS module
and a mini character LCD. The box itself is locked using a servo-controlled chopstick, which could theoretically be snapped if [Mikal] really screwed something up. To save battery life, he used a small
Pololu module
to provide power that uses only 0.01
micro
amps in standby, and can be shut off by the Arduino.
The box was designed to be mysterious yet self-explanatory. When the button on the front is pushed, the box comes to life for 3 minutes, displaying the distance away from secret location. Additionally, it warns how many tries are left: the button can only be pushed 50 times before it is sealed “forever”. In order to open the box, you have to be within 2km of the destination. Theoretically, you can narrow down the location to one of 2 points after 2 readings, but a less scientific approach would probably be a lot more fun.
This seems like an amazing gift, and the same concept could be repurposed into hundreds of other devices. For extra fun, he could have placed it at a geocache location. | 32 | 31 | [
{
"comment_id": "102324",
"author": "wolfy02",
"timestamp": "2009-10-19T13:07:39",
"content": "thats a really awesome idea. when I read the title I was puzzled for a bit, then I had one of those duh moments. Really cool though, good to see people still geocache.",
"parent_id": null,
"depth... | 1,760,377,562.480168 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2009/10/18/3d-magnetometer-mouse-in-processing/ | 3D Magnetometer Mouse In Processing | Zach Banks | [
"Arduino Hacks",
"Peripherals Hacks"
] | [
"3d",
"accelerometer",
"arduino",
"cad",
"gyro",
"magneto",
"magnetometer",
"mouse",
"processing",
"solidworks"
] | [etgalim] works in Solidworks extensively and wanted a more intuitive way of rotating objects onscreen. To do this, he
created a mouse that responds to rotation
. He put a 3D
compass module
inside an old mouse and wired it up to an Arduino. The Arduino then relays the I2C sensor data to the computer. So far, he has a Processing script that uses the mouse to rotate a cube, but eventually he wants to write a Solidworks plugin. It’s a bit shaky, and we think it would be a bit smoother (and cheaper) if he used
gyros
like the
jedipad
. Video after the jump.
[youtube
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4PgvRAeuIrk%5D | 22 | 22 | [
{
"comment_id": "102203",
"author": "Jim",
"timestamp": "2009-10-18T22:45:54",
"content": "It looks like it would be easier to use if the cube kept rotating while the mouse was tilted.",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "102204",
"author": "Andy... | 1,760,377,562.242696 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2009/10/18/alzheimers-victims-fitted-with-lojack/ | Alzheimer’s Victims Fitted With LoJack | Mike Szczys | [
"gps hacks"
] | [
"Alzheimer's",
"design",
"gps",
"tracking"
] | First it was for finding stolen cars, then keeping track of criminals, now
Alzheimer’s sufferers are being fitted with tracking devices
. This has been going on for some time now, but unlike the
old tracking devices
we’re seeing an update in technology to take advantage of the cell network for communications. The person wearing the device can be located using Uplink Time Difference Of Arrival or
U-TDOA
. This is the same technology that is used by 911 services to calculate the location of a cell phone.
Alzheimer’s is a frightening disease
. The thought of a loved one wandering off with nothing to identify them and no recollection of who they are is a fear of every family dealing with the illness. There’s no doubt that this is a cost-effective solution that really works.
But from our perspective, can someone hot-glue a $3
Seiko
to this thing? If you were designing this, would you even consider something that straps to your wrist and doesn’t have a clock on its face?
Update:
Andrew corrected an error in the original post. This system uses U-TDOA for location, not GPS.
Update:
Jeremy works for LoJack
and has informed us that the product in the post and the technology used have nothing to do with the LoJack brand of products. | 23 | 23 | [
{
"comment_id": "102177",
"author": "bob",
"timestamp": "2009-10-18T21:09:08",
"content": "Just draw a few clock hands on the front, if the alzheimers is bad enough they wont know the difference.",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "102178",
"aut... | 1,760,377,562.309068 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2009/10/18/samsung-tv-firmware-hacking/ | Samsung TV Firmware Hacking | Mike Szczys | [
"home entertainment hacks"
] | [
"firmware",
"hex editor",
"samsung",
"telnet",
"tv"
] | [Erdem] is leading up the efforts to
reverse engineer Samsung TV firmware with a project called SamyGo
. Official Samsung firmware uses the Linux kernel, making it a familiar system to work with for many developers. So far they’ve implemented NFS and SAMBA for sharing files over the network, improved playback from USB devices, and unlocked the ability to use non-Samsung WiFi dongles.
In order to make changes to the system, you need to
enable a telnet connection on the device
. The SamyGo team accomplished this by changing an official version of the firmware in a hex editor to start the telnet daemon at boot time. This altered firmware is then flashed using Samsung’s built in upgrade system. Once telnet is enabled, non-official firmware can be manually flashed.
We’d love to see this project expand to other TV Brands in the future. In fact, we were looking for something like this back in June when we realized that our Sony Bravia runs a Linux kernel and can be updated via USB drive. Be careful if you want to try this out. We can only imagine the fallout after telling your significant other that you bricked a high-priced LCD. | 80 | 50 | [
{
"comment_id": "102153",
"author": "Zeecue",
"timestamp": "2009-10-18T20:03:20",
"content": "NiceI just got my Samsung UE46B7050 LED tv, and was thinking about if only a samsung wifi dongle would work.",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "102158",
... | 1,760,377,562.565876 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2009/10/18/cheap-and-flimsy-pc-case-provides-no-protection/ | Cheap And Flimsy PC Case Provides No Protection | Mike Szczys | [
"computer hacks"
] | [
"case",
"fail",
"mod"
] | [Rafael] tipped us off about
a “case mod” he completed for his PC
. The email he sent provides no details and the link just shows five pictures of his computer in a “dead file” container (we’re guessing he doesn’t want to be an
Internet sensation
). What we get out of this is that he took a corrugated plastic box meant to house old files on shelves, and thew a set of computer parts inside of it.
This would be a great hack if [MacGyver] needed a computer to defuse a ticking bomb while trapped inside of a room built completely out of metal. The plastic provides protection from shorting out the motherboard but, other than low cost, that’s the only upside of this hack.
The downside here is obvious, there’s no protection from physical damage. In fact, a good bump might flex the box enough to slam the motherboard into the PSU housing. And what’s with the external WiFi fob? We could understand the point of this a bit better if it could blend in with a rack of archived files in the back room.
We give this one an ‘A’ for creativity, a ‘B-‘ for execution, and an ‘F’ for longevity. This should have been built in an acrylic case sized to fit perfectly in the yellow plastic box. But what does your unorthodox PC case look like?
Let us know by sending in a tip
. | 63 | 50 | [
{
"comment_id": "102060",
"author": "Bonkers",
"timestamp": "2009-10-18T15:37:32",
"content": "The idea seems to be reasonably handy for a temporary case when assembling a junker, and it could be reinforced with a little scrap wood.Of course any old container could be adapted and plenty of folks hav... | 1,760,377,562.649775 |
Subsets and Splits
No community queries yet
The top public SQL queries from the community will appear here once available.