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https://hackaday.com/2009/10/18/laser-raygun-boasts-300mw-hunts-klingons/ | Laser Raygun Boasts 300mW, Hunts Klingons | Mike Szczys | [
"Laser Hacks"
] | [
"blu-ray",
"boost",
"diode",
"kill",
"laser",
"phaser",
"stun"
] | Phasers come with two settings: stun and kill. [Luke] took this seriously when he put
two Blu-ray lasers into a toy raygun
. He picked up the toy from Amazon for about twenty bucks and set to work.
The laser diodes are both pulled out of a 6x BD-R burner, which we think is a pretty expensive source to scavenge from. [Luke] removed the toy circuitry, reusing the trigger, top switch, and battery pack. The two diodes are mounted on a swiveling carriage which is turned 180 degrees to switch between the two diodes. A boost driver converts the 3v from the batteries up to 7v for the diodes.
This is a skillful conversion and [Luke] should be proud. Don’t miss the video after the break and if you’re thirsty for more
take a look at the last hand held laser we featured
. | 39 | 39 | [
{
"comment_id": "102051",
"author": "kirov",
"timestamp": "2009-10-18T14:58:53",
"content": "300 mW is an extremely dangerous level of power for a laser. At that point it can reflect off of any remotely shiny object (or even the air) and cause eye problems if you don’t have eye protection. I can’t w... | 1,760,377,564.468115 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2009/10/16/mouse-runs-through-vr-maze/ | Mouse Runs Through VR Maze | Caleb Kraft | [
"Peripherals Hacks"
] | [
"dome",
"mouse",
"projection",
"vr"
] | In an effort to determine the brain of animals during movement,
scientists have built this contraption
. It is a VR pod for a mouse. While we’re pretty sure/hopeful that none of you need a mouse VR system, we think the rig is interesting enough to stand on its own. It appears to be a convex mirror setup, projected in a dome. The controller is interesting in that it looks like a giant trackball hack. They’re using an optical mouse rigged to a ball floating on a cushion of air. This makes it much easier for the mouse to move. There’s a video of the whole thing in action after the break.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1DJOTEDBA2c]
Does that mouse look like he’s in control to you? he looks like he’s just instictually trying not to fall off of the giant ball. Notice that he never really stops or turns left. Just keeps running in that same general direction.
[via
BoingBoing
] | 34 | 34 | [
{
"comment_id": "101715",
"author": "Skitchin",
"timestamp": "2009-10-16T16:19:50",
"content": "Hahahaha! Wow, they really didn’t do such a good job on the movement interface – the mouse seems very frustrated with how he’s positioned on the sphere. I do find the idea of an animal in a VR environment... | 1,760,377,564.272828 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2009/10/16/skittles-the-robotic-blimp/ | Skittles, The Robotic Blimp | James Munns | [
"Robots Hacks"
] | [
"airship",
"blimp",
"high school",
"robot",
"skittle"
] | Funky Shiitake Mushrooms
, a high school design team from Fremont, CA, have created a low cost airship they call Skittles the Second. Skittles is a remote control robotic blimp, complete with 4 reversible propellers, wireless video, and 2.4 a GHz remote control. Somewhere between a regular
RC blimp
and a
Predator Drone
, Skittles and FSM have managed to gain a large number of awards including winning the
Digital Open
grand prize. The ship performs amazingly, and can perform a full 360 in just over one second. There is a video after the break.
For the future, the group plans to give the ship
autonomous capabilities
, in order to avoid losing another drone in strong wind. Fortunately, after that happened to Skittles the first, they were able to hunt it down after it had floated 3 miles down the road. Since they are all high school students under 17, we would say they have a lot of potential. I, for one, welcome our new robotic blimp overlords.
[youtube = ‘
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uu6kHGhYnZc’%5D | 18 | 18 | [
{
"comment_id": "101702",
"author": "chiefcrash",
"timestamp": "2009-10-16T15:17:57",
"content": "Will a little boy pretend to climb inside so we can half round the clock news coverage of this thing?",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "101703",
... | 1,760,377,564.6094 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2009/10/16/rfid-enabled-robot-tail/ | RFID-enabled Robot…mood…tail…thingy. | Phil Burgess | [
"Arduino Hacks",
"Robots Hacks"
] | [
"animatronic",
"arduino",
"nunchuk",
"rfid",
"tail",
"wii"
] | Furries: is there nothing they cannot do? Well okay, “shower” remains an elusive concept, but wearable technology seems to be in,
as evidenced by this robotic mood tail
. [Wei-Chieh Tseng]’s adorable Arduino-driven fashion accessory operates either via Wii
Nunchuk
or a set of
RFID
cards tagged with specific emotions to depict.
Details are scant. It appears to have been a project for a physical computing or design class. One thing’s for certain: Halloween is going to be
awesome.
[via
Engadget
] | 38 | 38 | [
{
"comment_id": "101691",
"author": "strider_mt2k",
"timestamp": "2009-10-16T14:07:08",
"content": "Sure, you’re PICTURING it on some cute girl, but you know it’s far more likely to be seen on some big, sweaty douche who thinks it’s funny to act like Barf from Spaceballs and put his tail in your dri... | 1,760,377,564.786894 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2009/10/16/animatronic-winged-demon-terrorizes-local-garage/ | Animatronic Winged Demon Terrorizes Local Garage | Jakob Griffith | [
"home hacks"
] | [
"animatronic",
"flying ghost",
"halloween",
"pants",
"winged demon"
] | Halloween is on its way, and if you’re going to do it right, you’re going to
overdo it
right. A few days ago we showed you
[Jake’s] flying Crank Ghost
, the idea is simple and creates lovely motion that is sure to scare some small children. But what if you want people leaving your little shop of horrors needing a new pair of pants? Meet the
Animatronic Winged Demon
by [Woody]. Very little info is given except for the touch screen controller, the central control system, and his unique use of a modular skeleton, but the project is very impressive none the less. If the demon doesn’t scare you, take a look at the miles of wires needed to control it. Check out a video after the break.
[via
HackedGadgets
]
[youtube
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J42DAbkb9ig&feature=player_embedded%5D | 11 | 11 | [
{
"comment_id": "101685",
"author": "bobob",
"timestamp": "2009-10-16T13:36:02",
"content": "are you fucking serious??? all that hardware,wiring,and control systems just to make that thing open it’s wings/arms and throw it’s head back!!thats the most wasteful example of overkill i’ve EVER seen.",
... | 1,760,377,564.32356 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2009/10/15/sphere-bots-get-some-new-skills/ | Sphere Bots Get Some New Skills | Caleb Kraft | [
"Robots Hacks"
] | [
"sphere"
] | [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OWkK-o4Vq-A]
Spherical robots , or in this case RC vehicles are pretty versatile. They travel about the same on most terrains, including water in some cases. That’s not to say that they travel particularly well on those terrains though. The common problem is that they can’t really climb over bumps very well,
until now
. We’ve seen
a few
versions
of sphere bots, but they all seem to need fairly level smooth surfaces, aside from that one that
went in the water
. We hadn’t seen any that really had the oomph necessary to climb stairs though. Actually, we still haven’t seen that, but he says it can in the interview you can watch after the break.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ML2UjOeiZDw] | 34 | 34 | [
{
"comment_id": "101571",
"author": "Pard",
"timestamp": "2009-10-15T20:03:38",
"content": "I made a sphere bot using a hamster ball and a series of motors with weights on them. They are fast and fun. Would love to see how this thing conquers stairs.",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"rep... | 1,760,377,564.850814 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2009/10/15/72-led-persistence-of-vision-globe/ | 72 LED Persistence Of Vision Globe | Mike Szczys | [
"classic hacks",
"LED Hacks"
] | [
"atmega8",
"Atmel",
"AVR",
"display",
"globe",
"headphone",
"jack",
"led",
"persistence of vision",
"POV"
] | [Ben] told us about
his POV globe
yesterday. We took a look and saw just one photo and the code with no real explanation of his project. He certainly set to work over night and now we see
all the goodies we look for in a great build log
. He even threw the Hackaday logo up for our enjoyment. His build is well executed and he found some creative ways around the common problems in these projects. We take a closer look after the break.
[Ben’s] design looks much like an actual globe, with a base, a frame, and a rotating ring mounted with its axis tilted (
just like the earth
). 72 surface mount LEDs are used for the display, a PC fan with the blades removed provides the rotation, and a reed switch in conjunction with a magnet is used to sync the rotation with the display parsing.
Surface mount components are meant to be placed and reflowed on a circuit board. They are usually considered too small for free-form circuits. [Ben] made this process work for him by lining up all 72 LEDs face down on the sticky side of some masking tape. This made it much easier for him to solder together the multiplex needed to interface them with the microcontroller. You can see he is using varnished wire that can be soldered directly without the need for stripping. [Ben’s] using a slice of a clear DVD-R container cover as the rotating ring for the display. On the right side of the picture above you can see the completed LED multiplex installed in this transparent ring.
Getting power to the rotating part of a
POV display
is always an issue to consider. [Ben] tried feeding the connection through a brush motor but had problems with power loss. His next attempt involves using a headphone jack and connector as the pivot point. Regulated power and ground are passed through two of the connections and he’s had great success with this system. Above, you can see the connector before it is fully inserted in the jack on the protoboard.
A reed switch is glued to the transparent ring and is actuated when it passes a bar magnet on the frame. This allows the microcontroller to measure the rotation of the ring, and sync the display output.
[Ben’s] done a great job here. He salvaged a lot of the parts, including the LEDs. He’s chosen an Atmel AVR ATmega8 for the microcontroller. This is an inexpensive and readily available chip that is pin compatible with the more powerful ATmega168 so there is a possibility of future upgrade if animations or other functionality are desired, requiring more programming space. We would suggest a decoupling capacitor on the power pins of the uC in order to help filter out any noise on the lines, especially considering the rotating connection used to provide the regulated power.
WE WANT ONE! | 34 | 33 | [
{
"comment_id": "101561",
"author": "Stu",
"timestamp": "2009-10-15T19:31:09",
"content": "Wonderful idea that audio jack power xfer point.I was forced to abandon my POV design (just a line of LEDs going in a circle) because of power transfer difficulties to the graphics driver circuit.It seems now ... | 1,760,377,565.020191 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2009/10/15/halloween-prop-diy-fog-machine/ | Halloween Prop: DIY Fog Machine | Mike Szczys | [
"home hacks"
] | [
"fog",
"fog juice",
"Halloween props",
"iron",
"machine",
"roasting pan"
] | Reader [Daniel] told us about a
video detailing how to make your own fog machine
. This project uses two disposable roasting pans to create a fog chamber. Inside you will find an upside-down clothes iron to convert fog liquid into a gas. The liquid is gravity-fed from a water-bottle reservoir on top, converted to smoke by the hot iron, then the newly created smoke is directed out of the chamber by a 12 volt fan.
You probably have an old iron sitting around (especially if you use the
toner transfer method for making PCBs
), as well as a fan of some type. The build method used in the video is not at the level we usually look for. Using one blade of a pair of scissors is not what we recommend for stripping wire insulation. We also don’t advocate hot gluing a wire to a battery for a reliable connection (for that you’d want
wire glue
). But with better building techniques, and perhaps an air intake fan for better fog direction, this has potential.
The project is predicated on the availability of “fog juice”. We’re probably not going to head out and buy a bottle of that so
look into making some yourself
from glycerin and demineralized water. | 30 | 28 | [
{
"comment_id": "101540",
"author": "kirov",
"timestamp": "2009-10-15T18:04:42",
"content": "when will you get back to posting real hacks and stop playing pattycakes with aluminum pans and irons",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "101542",
"auth... | 1,760,377,564.39528 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2009/10/18/1480w-scooter-motor-guarantees-head-trauma/ | 1480W Scooter Motor Guarantees Head Trauma | Mike Szczys | [
"Arduino Hacks",
"Transportation Hacks"
] | [
"1480w",
"brushless",
"electric",
"scooter"
] | [Jerome’s] been working on some
improvements to an electric foot scooter
he picked up from a friend. He ordered up a powerful brushless motor and some lithium batteries. His system uses a belt drive and at 33 volts it can reach 25 miles per hour.
He had some problems with too much torque when the motor was first started. This resulted in unintentional wheelies, which sounds really cool if you’re not the one trying to hang on to the scooter. [Jerome] is using an Arduino to control the system so he built in the ability to gradually ramp up the speed of the motor and also added the ability to control the speed via remote control. You should note in the video after the break that [Jerome] is test-piloting his build sans-helmet.
So, we spend a lifetime and countless sums of money filling our noggins with knowledge. This is a precarious investment since a rather small bump to the melon could corrupt all of that data and end the once spectacular cognitive power. If you’re smart enough to build a foot scooter that can go 25mph, be smart enough to wear a helmet when you ride on it!
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KYjtulQ3ocs] | 79 | 50 | [
{
"comment_id": "102029",
"author": "S",
"timestamp": "2009-10-18T13:31:24",
"content": "Mike is very wise. Ask your local ER doctor about head injuries without helmets. After you vomit and then cry yourself to sleep, you’ll find yourself reaching for your helmet without even thinking about it.",
... | 1,760,377,564.551058 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2009/10/17/nes-processor-cloned-on-a-fpga/ | NES Processor Cloned On A FPGA | Mike Szczys | [
"Nintendo Hacks"
] | [
"cpld",
"fpga",
"nes",
"nintendo",
"processor"
] | [Bradley] decided to tackle the challenge to
recreate the original Nintendo Entertainment System’s processor
in a Field Programmable Gate Array. Say what? The original NES is a
Legacy System
, still used but no longer manufactured. If a system breaks, it becomes more and more difficult to repair or find replacements parts as time passes. By using a
programmable integrated circuit such as a CPLD
or a FPGA to clone the functionality of the original hardware, legacy systems can live on long after the original hardware has given up the ghost.
It took [Bradley] about a year to fully implement the NES processor as part of his Master’s project at
Bradley University
. He used what was known about the processor combined with some detective work with logic probes along the way. The programming was done in
VHDL
and those files are available for download (
click on Documentation
).
With the ubiquity of
NES emulators on every device
known to man you probably won’t be replicating this unless you want a reason to play with a FPGA. What interests us is the hardware solution this type of work provides for obsolete hardware that still serves a useful purpose. If you’ve used a FPGA or similar device to keep an old system running, let us know about it in the comments. | 58 | 50 | [
{
"comment_id": "101942",
"author": "Zengar",
"timestamp": "2009-10-17T23:26:00",
"content": "Kirov, did you read the last paragraph of the post? The one where they say that it isn’t the actual end result that they are posting this for but rather the process of cloning the processor?I don’t have any... | 1,760,377,564.71019 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2009/10/17/radio-cabinet-media-center/ | Radio Cabinet Media Center | Mike Szczys | [
"classic hacks",
"home entertainment hacks"
] | [
"18f4450",
"media center",
"Philco",
"pic",
"radio",
"xubuntu"
] | [Jon] picked up an old Philco radio from a pawn shop for $81. The electronics were shot and the controls had seen better days. So he set to work
giving this old beast a makeover
, turning it into a beauty of a media player.
The face plate for the controls had seen better days. His solution was to replace it, which gave him more options for mounting a display and controls. A menu system was implemented on the LCD display using a PIC18F4450 microcontroller. The chip also takes care of the three rotary encoders for the user interface and integrates the whole thing with the PC backend.
We’ll be the first to admit that a full PC is overkill in this situation. That being said, this was slow, unused system that is seeing new life. But is it worth the added noise and energy costs? Who knows, we think this leaves a lot of room for future revisions. Perhaps an
NAS
and wireless controls via iPhone or a similar device?
We’re a bit disappointed that [Jon] didn’t do some work to get better sound out of this. With a great big cabinet like this, the right speakers with a
tube amp
will produce some sweet sound. Certainly most things would be better than just using a pair of computer speakers. We’ll keep our eye out for an update that adds a tube kit to the project. | 26 | 25 | [
{
"comment_id": "101935",
"author": "kirov",
"timestamp": "2009-10-17T22:29:06",
"content": "OH MY GOD GUYS DID YOU SEE THAT HE MODIFIED SOMETHING THAT WAS NOT SUPPOSED TO HOUSE A COMPUTER AND HE STUFFED A COMPUTER INTO IT THAT HAS LITERALLY NEVER BEEN DONE BEFOREyet another story from the “not actu... | 1,760,377,565.08237 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2009/10/17/the-glass-recycling-game/ | The Glass Recycling Game | Mike Szczys | [
"green hacks"
] | [
"arcade",
"bottles",
"recycling",
"the fun theory"
] | Operating under the premise that glass bottles were not being recycled as much as plastic or aluminum because there’s no payment for the effort, the team at The Fun Theory set out to add a non-monetary incentive. Here is the fruit of their efforts,
the Bottle Bank Arcade
. Now recycling glass bottles comes with a bit of a game.
A light flashes above one of the holes in the recycling bin and then rewards points if a bottle is inserted there quickly enough. This
Simon says
type concept proved incredibly popular in the video embedded after the break. We would image some of the kids in the video made their parents haul them home and back with some empties so they could play.
In one evening, this modified bottle bank was used over 100 times, while a nearby low-tech repository was used just twice. This is a great way to use some tech knowledge, a love of hacking, and desire to spread joy in order to make the neighborhood more fun and help increase the amount of trash that ends up being recycled. This is the same team that put together the
musical subway steps
, we hope they keep this trend going!
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zSiHjMU-MUo] | 27 | 27 | [
{
"comment_id": "101914",
"author": "sneakypoo",
"timestamp": "2009-10-17T21:16:05",
"content": "If anyone wonders what the kid screams at the end it’s: “No one will beat our high-score!”",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "101915",
"author": "b... | 1,760,377,565.20334 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2009/10/17/polycarbonate-fish-uses-three-servos-to-swim/ | Polycarbonate Fish Uses Three Servos To Swim | Mike Szczys | [
"Robots Hacks"
] | [
"16f877a",
"doom",
"epoxy",
"fish",
"hot glue",
"pic",
"polycarbonate",
"servo",
"varnish"
] | [Amnon] is learning the hard way that water and electronics don’t always like to play nicely together. He’s been working on creating
a swimming fish that uses three servos
to flex a sheet of fish-shaped polycarbonate. This photo doesn’t really do the project justice but you can get a better idea of what he’s accomplished by watching the videos after the break.
The three servos along with some distance sensors for obstacle avoidance are all controlled by a PIC 16F877A microcontroller. [Amnon] tried out three different waterproofing methods; coating the device in varnish, dipping it in hot glue, and dipping it in epoxy. The first two resulted in water damage to the electronics, but the third managed to work. It kept the water out, but also prevents reprogramming of the controller.
Although not successful, we would have loved to see the process of dipping the fish in a churning vat of molten glue. Once perfected, this may be the perfect platform for
carrying our weapons of doom
.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=haJMsdAec6U]
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TJ092I0Ykh8] | 15 | 14 | [
{
"comment_id": "101902",
"author": "Potterda42",
"timestamp": "2009-10-17T19:47:33",
"content": "Very nice, I would also have liked to see it dipped in molten glue. I like this idea, perhaps there is a way to waterproof it using removable casing?",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replie... | 1,760,377,565.262014 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2009/10/17/easy-touch-capacitance/ | Easy Touch Capacitance | Jakob Griffith | [
"News",
"Peripherals Hacks"
] | [
"touch"
] | [youtube
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=euv8ZLgPh8A&feature=player_embedded%5D
[Humberto] from NerdKits is one of our
favorite tipsters
. We like how he can take a concept that seems so extremely complicated, in this case
touch capacitance sensing
, and present it in a clear and concise manner thats impossible to not love. As previously mentioned the most recent NerdKits hack is on touch capacitance; by using a resistor capacitor pair and some clever switch timing, anyone is able to detect the presence of a human limb. Now who’s going to be the first to adapt this concept further in their own hack? | 15 | 15 | [
{
"comment_id": "101881",
"author": "Rui",
"timestamp": "2009-10-17T15:02:32",
"content": "Years ago, i found how to replace a computer on/off switch with a capacitive surface.I already wanted to apply that same schematic to another project, but never found that webpage again not even information re... | 1,760,377,565.48267 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2009/10/16/tying-the-knot-with-makerbot/ | Tying The Knot With MakerBot | Phil Burgess | [
"cnc hacks",
"Wearable Hacks"
] | [
"engagement",
"love",
"makerbot",
"marriage",
"proposal",
"ring"
] | De Beers would have you believe that only diamonds will do, but hackers are hardly ones to follow convention. How better to say “I love you” than with a
MakerBot-extruded black ABS engagement ring
? [Adam Elkins] did just that, creating the design with a combination of
GIMP
,
SketchUp
and
Blender
, then producing the final output on a
MakerBot
at Philadelpha hacker space
Hive
.
From the
steampunk wedding
at the 2008
Maker Faire
, to the science-meets-romance web comic
xkcd
, hackers certainly have some
unique
ways of expressing their devotion. What are some of the wildest or most charming that you’ve seen? Comments are open…speak now or forever hold your peace.
Oh, and the engagement ring? She accepted. Congratulations to the lucky couple!
[via
MakerBot blog
] | 51 | 50 | [
{
"comment_id": "101747",
"author": "kirov",
"timestamp": "2009-10-16T18:06:36",
"content": "hurf durf guys look at me i have a 3d printer am i cool nowcommon whats next in the line of “omg guys look what i can print out” line of stories. We get it you can use photoshop and CAD you don’t need to pos... | 1,760,377,565.428094 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2009/10/15/morphing-robot-demonstrated-at-iros/ | Morphing Robot Demonstrated At IROS | Mike Szczys | [
"Robots Hacks"
] | [
"blob",
"darpa",
"inflate",
"irobot",
"IROS",
"jamming",
"robot",
"skin"
] | A morphing robot was demonstrated at the IROS conference this week. This orb has no rigid structure but uses some type of “inflation” system for locomotion. This
robot concept is offered up by the iRobot company
as part of a DARPA initiative they’re working on. The “inflation” is really a substance in the skin that can be converted from a liquid-like state to a solid-like one. They call this “The Jamming Concept” and give a layman’s explanation in the video we’ve embedded after the break.
When moving, this white ball is a churning, turning, bulging mass of terror. The just-about-to-hatch pods from Alien, or perhaps something from Doom 3 come to mind. The
hexapod from IROS that we covered yesterday
was amazing, but this really creeps us out. What’s more, this is footage from the iRobot prototypes of a year ago. The newer stuff can do much more, like having several of these things glob together into one unit.
We’re glad that [DarwinSurvior] sent us
the tip
on this one, but now we’re not going to be able to sleep at night.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SbqHERKdlK8] | 31 | 31 | [
{
"comment_id": "101525",
"author": "monkeyslayer56",
"timestamp": "2009-10-15T17:12:57",
"content": "I WANT ONE!!",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "101526",
"author": "Oler",
"timestamp": "2009-10-15T17:13:45",
"content": "looks verry... | 1,760,377,565.3274 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2009/10/15/turntable-sequencer-scratches-with-coins/ | Turntable Sequencer Scratches With Coins | Mike Szczys | [
"Arduino Hacks",
"digital audio hacks"
] | [
"arduino",
"coin",
"scratching",
"sequencer",
"ttymidi",
"turn table"
] | [tvst] has an interesting take on a sequencer.
His design uses coins on a turn table
to trigger midi events in a loop. There are four tracks available, each having its own sensor above the spinning platform. The sensors consist of an IR transmitter and receiver setup as a voltage divider. When something passes below the IR transmitter and reflects the infrared waves back up to the receiver, the output of the sensor moves to digital high. The four sensors are connected to an Arduino which is
used in conjunction with ttymidi
, which converts the Arduino data into midi events.
We like
projects that provide a more tangible interface
for the user. Coins work well for this setup. They reflect infrared enough to trigger the sensors, and they’re easy to pick up and move without upsetting the rest of the tracks. It would be great if this could be expanded to differentiate between coins (pennies versus dimes, etc.) in order to increase the resolution from four different events to eight or more. Check out the video after the break.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IXOQISfoRks] | 10 | 10 | [
{
"comment_id": "101510",
"author": "strider_mt2k",
"timestamp": "2009-10-15T16:05:48",
"content": "I didn’t quite understand until I saw the video.That’s pretty neat right there man.",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "101520",
"author": "Wrait... | 1,760,377,565.606775 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2009/10/15/nes-guitar/ | NES Guitar | Caleb Kraft | [
"digital audio hacks",
"Nintendo Hacks"
] | [
"guitar",
"nes"
] | [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2WUNyImfBPQ]
[Dave] set out to build the ultimate NES guitar. He’s apparently done a pretty good job,
this thing is pretty remarkable
. Every detail is covered in NES goodness. The body is a console, the head is a cartridge, his knobs are even replaced by goofy little heads of Mario and friends. We think he should do some custom pixel art inlays in the fretboard next. Skip to about 2:00 to hear him play a Nintendo medley on it. | 17 | 17 | [
{
"comment_id": "101493",
"author": "l",
"timestamp": "2009-10-15T14:34:19",
"content": "Oh my wow",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "101495",
"author": "monkeyslayer56",
"timestamp": "2009-10-15T14:48:02",
"content": "wow and a lot a N... | 1,760,377,565.72464 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2009/10/14/finally-a-keyboard-for-the-iphone/ | Finally, A Keyboard For The IPhone | Jakob Griffith | [
"classic hacks",
"iphone hacks",
"Peripherals Hacks"
] | [
"iphone",
"keyboard"
] | We can’t say we’ve had problems typing on our iPhones here at HackaDay, must be the elfin fingers, but for [Ben Kurtz] it was a real pain. The
obvious solution
is to carry around an Arduino, 9 volt battery, iPhone breakout board, a ps2 keyboard, and of course the iPhone itself. Well, maybe it could be a little smaller with fewer parts, but at least it works. The Arduino reads input from the keyboard and converts it to serial, then the iPhone pulls the data via VNC. Like we said, a little roundabout, but we love the amount of ingenuity involved. | 31 | 31 | [
{
"comment_id": "101369",
"author": "monkeyslayer56",
"timestamp": "2009-10-14T23:40:23",
"content": "love the smell of an arduino :)",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "101371",
"author": "andrew",
"timestamp": "2009-10-14T23:58:49",
"c... | 1,760,377,565.676336 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2009/10/14/snega2usb-preorder-now-available/ | Snega2usb Preorder Now Available | Gerrit Coetzee | [
"home entertainment hacks",
"Nintendo Hacks"
] | [
"AVR",
"cart",
"cartridge",
"diy",
"electronics",
"emulator",
"genesis",
"megadrive",
"microcontroller",
"nintendo",
"sega",
"snega2usb",
"snes",
"super nintendo",
"superfx",
"usb"
] | [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ySs4cRVzPAY]
We’ve been watching
the development
of the snega2usb since it’s
debut
on Hackaday. Now it’s grown up and is ready to be manufactured. In the low quality video above [Matthias] shows some of the latest high quality additions to the board. It now has a case, shiny new firmware, production made PCB, and game pad ports. The snega2usb is
shipping this December for those who preorder now. | 10 | 10 | [
{
"comment_id": "101351",
"author": "Dan P",
"timestamp": "2009-10-14T21:49:08",
"content": "The amount of devotion this guy is putting into this device is phenomenal. I’ve been watching the development of this hardware since Hackaday initially posted it and have been throughly impressed with his pr... | 1,760,377,565.827097 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2009/10/14/online-chip-reference-trims-the-fat/ | Online Chip Reference Trims The Fat | Phil Burgess | [
"News",
"Parts"
] | [
"cheat sheet",
"chip",
"database",
"ic",
"online",
"parts",
"search"
] | Quick: which pins are used for I2C on an ATmega168 microcontroller?
If you’re a true alpha geek you probably already know the answer. For the rest of us,
ChipDB is the greatest thing since the resistor color code cheat sheet
. It’s an online database of component pinouts: common
Atmel
microcontrollers, the peripheral ICs sold by
SparkFun
, and most of the 4000,
7400
and LMxxx series parts.
The streamlined interface, reminiscent of Google, returns just the essential information much quicker than rummaging through PDF datasheets (which can also be downloaded there if you need them). And the output, being based on simple text and CSS, renders quite well on any device, even a dinky smartphone screen.
Site developer [
Matt Sarnoff
] summarizes and calls upon the hacking community to help expand the database:
“The goal of my site isn’t to be some comprehensive database like Octopart; just a quick reference for the chips most commonly used by hobbyists. However, entries still have to be copied in manually. If anyone’s interested in adding their favorite chips, they can request a free account and use the (very primitive at this point) part editor. Submissions are currently moderated, since this is an alpha-stage project.” | 14 | 14 | [
{
"comment_id": "101316",
"author": "ProblemChild",
"timestamp": "2009-10-14T20:20:17",
"content": "I normally don’t like negative posts. But I hope that they get a lot more data in there before long otherwise unless you are an Arduino nut there isn’t that much in there !",
"parent_id": null,
... | 1,760,377,565.778746 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2009/10/14/add-a-key-fob-opener-to-your-door/ | Add A Key-fob Opener To Your Door | Mike Szczys | [
"classic hacks",
"home hacks"
] | [
"555",
"door opener",
"dorm",
"printer",
"RF",
"timer",
"Vassar"
] | It seems like creating an automatic dorm room door opener is a rite-of-geek-passage each fall. [Adam], a student at
Vassar
, passed with flying colors by
creating this clean setup
. We’ve got video, more pictures, and a description after the break.
Above we see the device mounted on the inside of the door. The larger box houses a printer head carriage that does the physical turning of the handle. When the carriage moves from right to left it pulls a string attached to a long lever on the door handle (seen in the picture at the top of the post), providing the turning motion. Below this box is the control circuitry that we’ll look at next.
Here we have the brains of the operation. In the project box on the left is a board that takes care of the wireless fob communications. [Adam] tells us this works from about 250′, uses a roll algorithm over RF for security, and has a dedicated 12v DC power supply. In the middle is the timer circuit that controls the motor operation, with four 9v batteries providing the motor with power.
Motor control is provided by a timing circuit using three 555 timer ICs. [Adam] based his design off of a
two chip delay circuit
but scaled it up to three to give him more options. The circuit is responsible for driving the motor until the latch is open, holding for a set amount of time, then returning the motor to its original position.
Because he’ll be moving out at the end of the year, [Adam] wanted to make the system easily transportable. He’s used a jack system so that the controller can be mounted either above or below the motor unit at his next residence.
This works well and with the covers on the project boxes it’s not
the duct-tape mess of the last door opener
we saw. Nice work!
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GJVnNBD6aw4] | 27 | 27 | [
{
"comment_id": "101286",
"author": "b",
"timestamp": "2009-10-14T18:37:24",
"content": "that’s really cool!! very neat looking to great job!muah ha ha first post!",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "101287",
"author": "Concino",
"timestamp"... | 1,760,377,565.892313 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2009/10/14/dell-mini9-tablet/ | Dell Mini9 Tablet | Caleb Kraft | [
"Netbook Hacks"
] | [
"netbook",
"tablet"
] | [Rob928] has done a fantastic job
converting his Dell mini9 into a tablet
. He has done several updates, such as an SSD hard drive and touchscreen. The final product looks quite nice. From a few feet away, we wouldn’t have noticed that it was a home made one. We’ve seen several tablet conversions before from
macbooks
to
EeePCs
.
[via
Engadget
] | 10 | 10 | [
{
"comment_id": "101253",
"author": "monkeyslayer56",
"timestamp": "2009-10-14T17:04:38",
"content": "looks good",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "101283",
"author": "Anonymous",
"timestamp": "2009-10-14T18:32:42",
"content": "A real h... | 1,760,377,565.940217 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2009/10/14/it-has-blades-dysons-little-white-lie/ | It Has Blades: Dyson’s Little White Lie | Mike Szczys | [
"Rants"
] | [
"bladeless",
"dyson",
"fan",
"ionic wind",
"marketing",
"p.t. barnum"
] | ‘There’s a sucker born every minute” -P.T. Barnum
This morning we’ve been having a heated discussion at the Hack a Day offices (read:
legion of doom
) over
Dyson’s new offering
, a “bladeless fan”. At first this seemed extremely exciting, but how is the air being moved? We were hoping for a device operating via
ionic wind
but that’s simply not the case. Some of us think the bladeless claim is an outright lie, others understand it from a marketing stance, but we all agree: a fan with blades is still moving the air.
Dyson’s own information page
states that “an energy efficient brushless motor” draws the air in with similar technology used in “superchargers and jet engines”, both of which
use blades!
The fan blades are in the base of this unit, they take in air and blow it out the ring. Just because you can’t see a fan, can we call our computers bladeless, or an air conditioner bladeless?
Enter the
P.T. Barnum reference
. Known as a man who could sell anything, his legacy lives on in the Dyson corporation. At 200 british pounds (~$320) for a ten inch desk fan, what are you getting that’s better than a traditional fan? The design supposedly amplifies the air movement fifteen times, but we’re skeptical about that figure as there’s no energy-saving claim to go along with such an incredible power boost. One thing is certain, you will NOT get a fan without blades for your sterling… just one with hidden blades plus a huge marketing campaign.
[Thanks Gareth] | 112 | 50 | [
{
"comment_id": "101212",
"author": "tim",
"timestamp": "2009-10-14T15:53:38",
"content": "for sure it is note the air speed that is X 15,but only the flow",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "101215",
"author": "Caleb Kraft",
"timestamp": "2... | 1,760,377,566.2283 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2009/10/14/dash-clever-construction-and-resilience-in-robotics/ | DASH: Clever Construction And Resilience In Robotics | Mike Szczys | [
"Robots Hacks"
] | [
"hexapod",
"ieee iros",
"muscle wire",
"polymer laminate",
"robot",
"uc berkeley"
] | [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LsTKAtBBkfU]
Behold the Dynamic Autonomous Sprawled Hexapod (DASH). The
video above
was presented at the 2009 International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems. In it we see the toils of a team from UC Berkeley’s Biomimetic Millisystems Lab. They’ve developed a robot propulsion system that mimics some of the best aspects of cockroaches and other insect bodies: speed, economy of motion, ability to survive large falls without damage, and the capability to traverse obstacles. Let’s take a look at how they put this together after the break.
We see a hexapod (six-legged) robot manufactured using cardboard and a polymer sheet. First, the general features for each part are laser cut from a sheet of cardboard (non-corrugated) in a mirrored pattern. A polymer sheet is then glued to one side of the pattern, the other side is folded over and glued to the top of the polymer. The whole thing takes a trip through a laminator and then heads back to the laser cutter to finish cutting out the pieces. If you’ve got these tools, this makes for a very fast build process. They claim the robot can be assembled in one hour.
With this particular design, the entire body of the bot provides propulsion. There are two different frames which rotate in relation to each other, each moving three of the legs in a rowing pattern. Directional propulsion is provided by flexing the entire frame diagonally using muscle wire. Because of the resilience of this building material, the ability of the frame to flex and return to shape also provides protection from falls. We see the device thrown off of a building and continue on without any apparent damage.
Make sure you take a look at the
folded robot prototyping information
the Berkeley team has previously posted on their website. They dip a bit more into the details of producing the laminated cardboard composite for the bodies. The work in the video is a big leap forward from their prototypes and leaves us wondering what will come next?
[via
IEEE Spectrum
] | 8 | 7 | [
{
"comment_id": "101205",
"author": "aztraph",
"timestamp": "2009-10-14T15:34:15",
"content": "Neat, I bet it could run across water with very little modification.",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "101219",
"author": "RonaldRaygun",
"time... | 1,760,377,566.40469 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2009/10/14/led-pocket-watch/ | LED Pocket Watch | James Munns | [
"Wearable Hacks"
] | [
"led",
"pocket",
"watch"
] | Today, it is not difficult to find
all kinds
of
watches
with
LED displays
. After [Paul]’s grandfather, a master
horologist
and pocket watch collector, passed away, he decided to
retrofit a broken watch
left to him with a custom LED face. Starting from scratch, he designed a PCB complete with 133 (hand soldered) LEDs, room for a temperature controlled oscillator for real time clock capabilites, a LiPo battery, and a cell phone vibrator to provide a simulated “second hand tick” feeling. The whole watch is powered by a PIC 16F946.
This is currently version 1, and he has already begun work on version 2. He plans on adding a more compact, lower power TCXO, automatic NTP syncing, and a USB port for charging and reprogramming. He has a number of detailed videos, and we have a demo video after the break.
[digg=http://digg.com/gadgets/LED_Pocket_Watch]
[youtube = ‘
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lex53AY7Fmo’%5D | 59 | 50 | [
{
"comment_id": "101180",
"author": "polymath",
"timestamp": "2009-10-14T14:13:33",
"content": "Sweet! It’d be great for a steam punk Halloween costume, hell it’d be great for everyday use. I’d like to see one with color LCD. Maybe yank the screen from an old cell phone or one of those “wrist TVs”."... | 1,760,377,566.321547 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2009/10/14/cnc-router-on-the-way/ | CNC Router On The Way | Jakob Griffith | [
"cnc hacks"
] | [
"cnc",
"emc2",
"open source cam",
"router",
"tim taylor"
] | [vimeo
http://vimeo.com/7019823%5D
We love
CNC hacks,
so when [Jonny] sent in his
nearly complete CNC router
we were ecstatic. There are only a couple of posts thus far, and it takes some digging, but its pretty easy to understand his mindset and overall plan while making the CNC. It currently has full 3 axis movement and he replaced the previously dinky Harbor Freight Dremel with a much more powerful DeWalt that even
Tim Taylor
would be proud of. Software side of things he uses a combination of
EMC2
and their collection of
open source CAM codes
. The project is coming along nicely and more updates are promised. Check out some more videos after the break.
[vimeo
http://vimeo.com/7019805%5D
[vimeo
http://vimeo.com/7019773%5D | 13 | 13 | [
{
"comment_id": "101168",
"author": "The_Evil_Machinist",
"timestamp": "2009-10-14T13:37:17",
"content": "I’m sorry, I have to do this but, I am tired of people trying to make their own NC equipment. Yea its a cool project and he did a nice job with the lead screws and gib ways, but still. Two hose ... | 1,760,377,566.547471 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2009/10/13/100-portable-wikipedia/ | $100 Portable Wikipedia | Zach Banks | [
"Linux Hacks",
"News"
] | [
"freerunner",
"microsd",
"openmoko",
"portable",
"wikipedia",
"wikireader"
] | OpenMoko, the company behind the
FreeRunner open-source phone
, released their latest product today:
WikiReader
. It’s a small mobile device for browsing Wikipedia. Rather than use a wireless network to pull data off of the web, it has local copy of the database on a 8GB microSD card. This approach
has been used before
, and it lets the WikiReader be compact and really cheap. It uses a Kindle-esque touch-screen display that allows it to run on 3 AAA’s for about a year. The device itself costs just $99, but you can choose to receive updates by snail mail for just $29/year. Alternatively, you can just download the +4GB file and dump it on the card.
Like the FreeRunner, this project is also open-source.
The code isn’t available yet
, but they say it will be released soon. With luck, the device will be really easy to hack. | 78 | 50 | [
{
"comment_id": "101055",
"author": "Knightrous",
"timestamp": "2009-10-13T23:09:34",
"content": "Very keen to see this thing hacked.",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "101056",
"author": "_matt",
"timestamp": "2009-10-13T23:13:13",
"co... | 1,760,377,566.499357 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2009/10/13/jamin-to-bach-commodore-64-style/ | Jamin’ To Bach, Commodore 64 Style | Mike Szczys | [
"classic hacks",
"digital audio hacks"
] | [
"atmega8",
"Atmel",
"AVR",
"commodore 64",
"midi",
"mos6581",
"sid"
] | [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MOhzkWZHBfM]
[thrashbarg] missed the sounds of the Commodore 64 and longed to hear the great masters in 8-bit glory. To get his fix, he
created a midi device using the original Sound Interface Device
from those long-dead systems. He’s interfaced the
MOS6581 SID
with an Atmel AVR ATmega8 microcontroller. The receiving pin for the AVR’s UART is used as a MIDI-IN connection, with the microcontroller converting midi data into the proper sound generation specs for the SID. The result is the 10 minutes of [Bach]’s Brandenburg Concerto heard in the embedded video above.
We have no idea where he picked up this obsolete chip, but if you want to give this a try, perhaps you’ll have some luck
emulating the MOS6581 by using another ATmega8
. | 25 | 25 | [
{
"comment_id": "101039",
"author": "Ben Ryves",
"timestamp": "2009-10-13T22:21:55",
"content": "Sounds very nice. If you like this sort of thing I expect you’d also like the arrangements and performances by Walter/Wendy Carlos!",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
... | 1,760,377,566.773008 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2009/10/13/olpc-pedal-power/ | OLPC Pedal Power | Mike Szczys | [
"green hacks",
"Netbook Hacks"
] | [
"Afghanistan",
"olpc",
"xo"
] | A One Laptop Per Child group out of Afghanistan have come up with a way to
power the XO using pedals
. The system interfaces a set of pedals with the
Freeplay hand-crank charger
, freeing up both hands for typing. Although not as compact, using both legs makes power generation much easier. Apparently a child as young as 3rd grade is able to pedal this well enough to power the computer in real time.
We just hope this contraption is used for learning and betterment, and not in a pedal-for-porn scenario.
[via
Gizmodo
] | 30 | 30 | [
{
"comment_id": "101016",
"author": "kirov",
"timestamp": "2009-10-13T21:10:06",
"content": "FAKE",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "101019",
"author": "Skitchin",
"timestamp": "2009-10-13T21:17:37",
"content": "Forget that, I’m not sit... | 1,760,377,566.655545 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2009/10/13/halloween-props-flying-crank-ghost/ | Halloween Props: Flying Crank Ghost | Mike Szczys | [
"home hacks"
] | [
"crank ghost",
"ghost",
"Halloween props",
"microwave"
] | [Jake’s]
projects
have become
regular
features
here on Hack a Day. He keeps the Halloween hack-fest rolling with his
Flying Crank Ghost
. For the ghost he used a store-bought skull but sculpted some hands himself out of Styrofoam. The body is fashioned from coat hangers with a bit of creepy fabric draped over the hole thing to complete the look.
He added some very convincing motion to the ghoul using a salvaged microwave turntable motor. The motor is mounted in the center of a two crossed boards, and has an armature attached to it. Three strands of monofilament attach to the end of the armature, run through eyelets on the ends of the crossed boards, then attach to the head, and each arm. When the motor is turned on, the armature turns, moving the head and hands up and down at different rates. Take a look at the embedded video after the break to see the final product.
[Jake] does mention that the motor he used is a bit underpowered. We figure this only needs to hold up for one night, so dig through your junk bin and see if you can throw one of these together in a few hours.
[vimeo=http://vimeo.com/7010705] | 5 | 5 | [
{
"comment_id": "101002",
"author": "David S",
"timestamp": "2009-10-13T20:23:04",
"content": "Super creepy. Nice job!",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "101025",
"author": "VIPER!",
"timestamp": "2009-10-13T21:37:21",
"content": "CREEP... | 1,760,377,566.588959 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2009/10/13/binary-adder-will-give-you-slivers/ | Binary Adder Will Give You Slivers | Mike Szczys | [
"Misc Hacks"
] | [
"adder",
"adding machine",
"binary",
"digital",
"marble"
] | A while back we looked at [Matthias’]
one-pin dot matrix printer
. Now we’re jumping over to his woodworking website to feast on his
wooden binary adding machine
. His creation uses glass marbles as the data for this device. A resolution of up to six bits can be set on the top of the adder, then dropped into the machine as one number. With each new drop, the number is added to the total stored in the machine. The device is limited to totals less than 64. If a larger number is enter, the device wraps around back to zero by dumping the 7th bit off the end. He’s even got a master clear that allows you to easily read the stored total and evacuate the “data” from the machine.
This has quite a few less wires than
the last binary adder we looked at
… wait, it has no wires! But we still love it. A physical representation of what is going on with binary math really helps grasp what the magic blue smoke inside those silicon chips is all about. Don’t miss his video walk through of the adding machine embedded after the break. Can’t get enough of marbles interacting with wood? He’s got a
few more projects you might enjoy
. | 25 | 24 | [
{
"comment_id": "100989",
"author": "Hackius",
"timestamp": "2009-10-13T19:16:32",
"content": "I thought hackaday covered this a few years ago. It’s been online for about 6 years. Nomatter it’s a great hack but what’s more important is that it doesn’t use any tech. This might aswell have been discov... | 1,760,377,566.842022 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2009/10/13/robot-einstein-could-save-humans-from-killbot-destruction/ | Robot Einstein Could Save Humans From Killbot Destruction | Mike Szczys | [
"Robots Hacks"
] | [
"android",
"einstein",
"emotions",
"empathy",
"facial recognition",
"robot"
] | Earlier this year we saw the
Einstein robot that is being developed to facilitate human facial emotions
in robots. [David Hanson], the man in charge of this project,
has given a TED talk on his work
that includes a show-and-tell of his most recent progress. We’ve embedded the video after the break for your enjoyment.
The Einstein robot (head only in this video) shows off the ability to recognize and mimic the facial emotions of the person in front of it. There is also video of a
Bladerunner-esque
robot looking around a room, recognizing and remembering the faces of the people it sees. [David] makes a very interesting proclamation: he’s trying to teach robots empathy. He feels that there is a mountain of R&D money going into robots that can kill and not much for those that can sense human emotions. His hope is that if we can teach empathy, we might not be annihilated when robots become smarter than us.
That’s not such a bad idea. Any way you look at it, this talk is interesting and we wish the five-minute offering was five-times as long. But [Mr. Hanson’s] facial hair alone is worth clicking through to see.
[ted id=657]
[photo:
Bot Curiosity
] | 17 | 17 | [
{
"comment_id": "100976",
"author": "walt",
"timestamp": "2009-10-13T18:25:32",
"content": "goofy faces on robots = gay",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "100977",
"author": "Skitchin",
"timestamp": "2009-10-13T18:27:19",
"content": "@1... | 1,760,377,566.711805 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2009/10/13/daft-punk-replica-helmet/ | Daft Punk Replica Helmet | Phil Burgess | [
"Misc Hacks",
"Wearable Hacks"
] | [
"cosplay",
"costume",
"daft punk",
"helmet",
"mold",
"resin",
"silicone"
] | For all their varied and entertaining uses, circuits and code comprise only part of the complete hacking experience. To really put your project over the top, sooner or later you’ll want to possess some physical
fabrication
skills. Consider the works of [Ben Heckendorn]: He’s always done a fantastic job with the electronics, but it’s the
fit
and
finish
of
the
enclosures
that make him a
legend
.
“Fabrication” usually conjures images of shop tools — saws and sanders and drills — all tremendously useful skills worth learning, and easily within reach of most home shops or garages. Recently, the techniques of
mold making and casting
have seen something of a DIY renaissance. Mold making is nothing new, the basic concepts go back millennia, but in just the past few years the materials for extremely high-quality molds have become safer, simpler to use, and easier to acquire.
This being
Halloween
month, what better example of the medium than
this impeccable replica helmet
styled after half of the musical duo Daft Punk (a
recurring
theme
among Hack a Day contributors), created by prop maker [
Harrison Krix
]. After sculpting an original master part (from common hardware store and art store materials, we might add), a one-piece flexible mold is built up from silicone, which captures every minute detail, and later the helmet form is cast from a thin layer of resin. The visor is
vacuum formed
. A follow-up with the internal electronics build is yet to be posted, but even at this stage the shell alone is so refined it looks straight off a showroom floor. If mold making can do this for someone’s noggin, imagine what it can do for your next creative hardware project. Smooth-On, a major supplier of these materials, has a
free PDF introduction and a set of tutorials
on their web site.
[thanks Wolf] | 12 | 12 | [
{
"comment_id": "100966",
"author": "Aphex13",
"timestamp": "2009-10-13T17:39:24",
"content": "I want one…",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "100986",
"author": "Concino",
"timestamp": "2009-10-13T19:02:52",
"content": "WOW! Inspiration... | 1,760,377,566.896782 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2009/10/13/haptic-halluc-2/ | Haptic Halluc 2 | Caleb Kraft | [
"home entertainment hacks",
"Peripherals Hacks",
"Robots Hacks"
] | [
"dome",
"halluc",
"haptic",
"hull",
"octopod",
"projector",
"robot"
] | [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E4UKXyPlO8Q]
We can not express the childlike glee that we experienced watching this video. We want so badly to have
one of these setups
. What you are seeing is a half dome projected cockpit with two haptic controllers in the style of a delta robot. This is controlling the Halluc robot which is a hybrid wheeled octopod. The dome can and has been
done at home fairly simply
, and we suspect that you guys could come up with some similar delta controllers. So who wants to build one and donate it to hackaday?
[via
BotJunkie
] | 7 | 7 | [
{
"comment_id": "100955",
"author": "monkeyslayer56",
"timestamp": "2009-10-13T16:13:07",
"content": "if i get the money i should build one of those :)",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "100958",
"author": "strider_mt2k",
"timestamp": "2009... | 1,760,377,567.075937 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2009/10/13/how-to-populate-a-surface-mount-pcb/ | How To Populate A Surface Mount PCB | Mike Szczys | [
"Tool Hacks"
] | [
"Kapton",
"pcb",
"reflow",
"smt",
"stencil",
"surface mount",
"temperature marker",
"toaster oven",
"USB Isolator"
] | Let’s face it friends, everything is moving toward surface mount components. We’ve seen quite a few features here that cover using
stencils to populate boards
and using
ovens to reflow
. [Oleg] has put together
a tutorial on the process he uses
to populate and reflow his own boards.
[Oleg] is the creator of the
USB Isolator
and therefore has a need to frequently populate the same board. He’s using an acrylic frame that fits the PCB perfectly to hold it in place so that paste and be applied right up to the edges of the board. He
ordered a laser cut Kapton stencil
for applying the solder. The paste is squeegeed into the stencil holes, the stencil is removed, and parts are placed with tweezers and a steady hand. For the final step, the boards go into an old toaster oven for reflow.
[Oleg] uses temperature marker on his boards to monitor the progress of the reflow. This marker is basically a crayon that begins to melt at a specific temperature. When the board has cooled, the melted mark can be scraped away or removed with alcohol.
Of course this is only really useful if you have a bunch of high-quality boards to populate. But with the relatively low cost of getting
professionally made boards
we think the need for this type of assembly process is on the rise. | 19 | 19 | [
{
"comment_id": "100941",
"author": "medix",
"timestamp": "2009-10-13T15:06:17",
"content": "“How to populate a surface mount PCB”: Very carefully ;)",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "100947",
"author": "grovenstien",
"timestamp": "2009-10... | 1,760,377,567.18709 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2009/10/12/halloween-props-the-honking-pumpkin/ | Halloween Props: The Honking Pumpkin | Caleb Kraft | [
"home hacks"
] | [
"haloween prop",
"horn",
"jack o lantern",
"pumpkin",
"scare"
] | We see a lot of Halloween projects attempt to scare people. Many of them work with the element of surprise, jumping or flashing lights when triggered. We’ve noticed though, people have come to expect those things. This project is a real sleeper. No one expects a couple car horns to blare in their face when they push the pumpkin’s nose. We know it would make us jump. You can see it in action as well as get the entire circuit
from his site
. We doubt his neighbors will find it as amusing as we do.
[via
Hacked Gadgets
] | 12 | 12 | [
{
"comment_id": "100712",
"author": "killerabbit",
"timestamp": "2009-10-12T15:25:31",
"content": "Ha! Love it.",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "100713",
"author": "Michael",
"timestamp": "2009-10-12T15:29:08",
"content": "we’ll see ... | 1,760,377,567.128748 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2009/10/12/home-made-rollerbar-mouse/ | Home Made Rollerbar Mouse | Caleb Kraft | [
"classic hacks",
"Peripherals Hacks"
] | [
"input",
"mouse",
"rollerbar",
"steampunk"
] | [Judyofthewoods] has hacked together this
rollerbar mouse
. We’ve heard people talk about these in a positive way, going on about how comfortable they are. We haven’t really experimented with one much to verify. This one looks surprisingly nice considering it is made from scrap. The image above is showing it without the cover that hides the hot glue and optical sensor. There isn’t much of a writeup, but as you can see from the picture, there isn’t much necessity for one either. She seems to have done a great job stating that it is fairly smooth with only minor jittering. | 20 | 20 | [
{
"comment_id": "100705",
"author": "make",
"timestamp": "2009-10-12T14:28:55",
"content": "I don’t get it? How does a rollerbar mouse work? I’ve never heard of it before, and I can’t seem to find much information how to actually use it.",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
}... | 1,760,377,567.335426 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2009/10/12/cheap-and-easy-top-down-camera-quadpod/ | Cheap And Easy Top-down Camera Quadpod | Mike Szczys | [
"digital cameras hacks"
] | [
"camera",
"mount",
"plexiglas",
"quadpod",
"threaded rod",
"tripod"
] | We keep waiting for evolution to give us that third arm but in the mean time, this may be the solution for holding the camera while you document your projects. [DHagen] has made a
four legged tripod (quadpod) for his camera
in order to use it as a digital copy machine. We’ve spent many a night trying to get a steady and sharp video of an LCD or array of LEDs in action to document our weekend tinkering and this will make that all a lot easier.
His build uses materials that will total between $10-$20 at the hardware store down the street. A chunk of scrap wood is connected to the camera using a bolt in the threaded tripod hole of the camera. Two L-brackets are attached to the wood so that one is on either side of the camera lens. This leaves two mounting holes on either side of the lens to attach threaded rod using nuts. The assembly is capped off with a square of acrylic (plexiglas).
Quick and clean. It’s not
the cheapest camera mounting solution we’ve seen
, but it sure does a good job. | 12 | 12 | [
{
"comment_id": "100697",
"author": "monkeyslayer56",
"timestamp": "2009-10-12T13:35:52",
"content": "truly a “why didn’t i think of that” i think (i just thought of an array of cameras…)",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "100701",
"author": "P... | 1,760,377,567.385115 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2009/10/11/analog-space-invaders-with-human-controller/ | Analog Space Invaders With Human Controller | Mike Szczys | [
"HackIt"
] | [
"analog",
"human-based controller",
"smart ass",
"space invaders"
] | [fidepus] put together a
pretty nifty version of the game Space Invaders
. This is an analog version that involves an ink and paper based display system.
He printed out one piece of paper for each different enemy, mother ship, laser beam, and player vehicle. The human-based controller is used to move the pieces in all directions. When it comes time for a row to move downward, the pieces are removed from the game grid and relocated to their new position using a scotch-tape-actuator.
We think the most successful part of this hack was [fidepus’] ability to integrate sound effects into the controller system. The human-based controller puts out mono sound with a “pew-pew” for laser blasts and a “dirnk-dirnk… dirnk-dirnk” for the enemy movements.
Although there is no code nor a schematic provided, we think this system shouldn’t be too hard to reverse engineer. | 79 | 50 | [
{
"comment_id": "100523",
"author": "monkeyslayer56",
"timestamp": "2009-10-11T22:52:37",
"content": "odd…",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "100524",
"author": "DubMuffin",
"timestamp": "2009-10-11T22:55:11",
"content": "…",
"paren... | 1,760,377,567.469569 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2009/10/11/stove-built-from-beer-can-hobos-rejoice/ | Stove Built From Beer Can. Hobos Rejoice. | Mike Szczys | [
"green hacks",
"Misc Hacks"
] | [
"alcohol",
"backpacking",
"heineken",
"penny stove",
"stove"
] | [Charles] sent in a tip about an
alcohol based stove built from beer cans and a penny
. The burner is efficient, lightweight, and tiny all while still packing a pretty big punch. It can boil water for sterilization, cook some rice for your meal, or make a spot of tea. The penny is used as the regulating valve. The cup in the burner has a hole in the center where the penny is placed using gravity to create a seal. Denatured alcohol is then poured into the cup and outer ring and lit on fire. As the burning alcohol warms up the cup, it starts to leak under the penny and into the fuel cup where it then begins to boil. This boiling alcohol expands as gas and exits the small holes around the outside of the burner, creating flames similar to the ones you use on your gas stove at home.
The genius here is that everything needed to make this is cheap and available anywhere. The basic build tools include a knife, drill bit, hole punch, two beer cans, a penny, and denatured alcohol. In a bind, you could complete the build using a pocket knife and without the drill bit or hole punch. It is also a nice alternative to hauling around a disposable propane canister when camping or backpacking. We’ve covered
an aluminum can stove
quite a while ago but that old link is dead and we think this is just as fun the second time around. | 52 | 50 | [
{
"comment_id": "100475",
"author": "Shabadage",
"timestamp": "2009-10-11T16:22:55",
"content": "Some one else has made one from beer bottle caps as well. Think you can find it on instructables (along with a thousand variations on this stove).",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies":... | 1,760,377,567.747669 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2009/10/11/hack-together-some-science-stuff-win-money/ | Hack Together Some Science Stuff, Win Money | Caleb Kraft | [
"contests"
] | [
"contest",
"low cost",
"science"
] | Ok hackers, it is time to show what you are made of. [Michael] has issued a challenge. He is willing to pay for hacked together science tools that meet some accuracy and price requirements. You could win money for doing what most of you are already doing. He needs a few specific things, so go to his site to see
what he’s looking for
. The goal here is to bring scientific equipment down to a price level that allows a broader audience to access it. Come on guys, it’s for science!
[via
Makezine
] | 24 | 24 | [
{
"comment_id": "100470",
"author": "Hackius",
"timestamp": "2009-10-11T15:42:08",
"content": "Liquid nitrogen generator for 100$? Wow",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "100484",
"author": "bob",
"timestamp": "2009-10-11T17:56:52",
"con... | 1,760,377,567.595367 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2009/10/11/nes-controller-storage-with-security/ | Nes Controller Storage With Security | Caleb Kraft | [
"Nintendo Hacks"
] | [
"konami",
"nes",
"nintendo"
] | [Joven] wrote in to show us his unique
NES controller mod
. He initially thought of just putting some flash storage in his controller like so many others. Then he got the idea to a security feature. You must first enter a code to access the memory. What code? Yes, that one. He chose the
Konami code
. As he notes, this may not be the wisest choice for security purposes, but it sure is cool. At least it isn’t controlling something that really would require security,
like his door
. You can see a video describing the project after the break.
[vimeo=http://vimeo.com/6991298] | 17 | 17 | [
{
"comment_id": "100457",
"author": "anon",
"timestamp": "2009-10-11T13:46:51",
"content": "You could always tell who had friends with that one.",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "100458",
"author": "Entropia",
"timestamp": "2009-10-11T14:1... | 1,760,377,567.52765 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2009/10/13/diy-dyson-vac-hack/ | DIY Dyson Vac Hack | Phil Burgess | [
"home hacks"
] | [
"dust",
"garage",
"shop",
"vac",
"vacuum",
"workshop"
] | [James Dyson] may have built eleventy billion prototypes to perfect his famous cyclonic vacuum, but sometimes just one will do the trick.
A cyclonic separator is used in workshops to keep larger cruft out of the dust collection system. The airflow inside a separator creates a vortex that flings heavier bits and particles to the periphery of the chamber, where they settle out the bottom, while relatively clean air escapes the vacuum port at the top. This makes for fewer filter changes and a more consistent pull from the vacuum.
You can go buy a fancy professionally-made separator, but [neorazz] shows
how to create one from an assemblage of PVC fittings and a five gallon bucket
. The design may lack the power and slick design of the big units, but for garage hack use this may be all you ever need. They demonstrate it to be about 95% effective, and it’s very simple to make. A
prior cyclonic separator hack
appeared a bit more work-intensive, but the principle is all the same. It all comes down to what skills you possess and what parts you have on hand. | 15 | 15 | [
{
"comment_id": "100932",
"author": "grovenstien",
"timestamp": "2009-10-13T14:04:47",
"content": "This post sucks! He He!",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "100933",
"author": "dnm",
"timestamp": "2009-10-13T14:16:49",
"content": "I’ll... | 1,760,377,567.653123 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2009/10/13/a-different-breed-of-camera-controllers/ | A Different Breed Of Camera Controllers? | Jakob Griffith | [
"digital cameras hacks"
] | [
"automated",
"AVR",
"camera",
"cheap",
"control",
"wireless"
] | We’ve covered almost every way possible to remotely control a camera setup, from
lasers
, to
Lego
, to
doorbells
, and even having a
Nintendo DS run the show
. But at the end of the day, what if you want something that’s small, simple, has amazing flexibility for future additions, and most importantly doesn’t take away your favorite game system. [Whiternoise] wrote up an extremely
detailed guide
on getting an AVR to control your camera. We like the clean look the final product has, and the large amount of possible add-ons is a major plus. What do you look for in a cheap multi-function wireless camera controller? | 6 | 6 | [
{
"comment_id": "100927",
"author": "Sturmflut",
"timestamp": "2009-10-13T13:48:45",
"content": "No Arduino?",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "100981",
"author": "Whiternoise",
"timestamp": "2009-10-13T18:39:48",
"content": "It is the ... | 1,760,377,567.909182 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2009/10/12/itunes-lp-theres-a-hack-for-that/ | ITunes LP: There’s A Hack For That | Phil Burgess | [
"digital audio hacks",
"downloads hacks",
"home entertainment hacks",
"News"
] | [
"apple",
"disney",
"itunes",
"itunes lp",
"lp"
] | One of the most-hyped features of iTunes version 9 is the addition of “iTunes LP,” which aims to recreate the classic
record album experience
with artwork and photos, lyrics, and liner notes — provided, of course, that you can pony up the purported $10,000 for production and you’re not one of those filthy indie labels.
Almost immediately upon its release, folks set about dismantling the iTunes LP format and found that it largely consists of an unprotected combination of HTML, CSS and JavaScript files. Such information is now scattered about the web, but a new site,
iTunesLP.net
, is jockeying to be the one-stop shop both for LP creation tutorials and for fan-made LP downloads (sans the copyrighted music tracks — bring your own). The first LP available for download there is [Walt Disney]’s 1957 release of
Fantasia,
faithfully reproducing the original 24-page color program in all its politically incorrect glory. Check it out…quickly, before Apple and Disney lay the smack down. | 8 | 8 | [
{
"comment_id": "100808",
"author": "Gopher",
"timestamp": "2009-10-12T21:04:56",
"content": "Wonderfull!",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "100815",
"author": "Funky Gibbon",
"timestamp": "2009-10-12T21:18:45",
"content": "Wait a Minut... | 1,760,377,567.798783 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2009/10/12/take-the-python-challenge/ | Take The Python Challenge | Mike Szczys | [
"HackIt"
] | [
"IDLE",
"learn",
"python",
"Python Challenge"
] | It’s hard to believe that we haven’t covered this one before. If you enjoyed out
Barcode
challenges
from last week, perhaps now is the time for you to
take the Python Challenge
. We made it through the first 18 levels about a year back but with a total of 33 levels we’re not even close to being finished.
This is an excellent opportunity to learn Python if you’ve never tried it, or test your skills if you’ve already got them. We’d suggest using
IDLE
which is available as part of the
Python language download
. Because Python is an interpreted language, IDLE allows you to try out each line of the code you are writing and add it to your program as you get different sections working.
The levels start out fairly easy and require some sniffing around, such as looking at the source code, and dissecting images with Python’s various libraries. As you pass each level, you will be granted access to the Python Challenge forums in order to see how others solved the level. By solving each level and then seeing what different solutions entail you grow your knowledge of the language and reinforce your understanding of how to use it. | 24 | 24 | [
{
"comment_id": "100803",
"author": "Falcolas",
"timestamp": "2009-10-12T20:45:44",
"content": "Yeah, but don’t do this if you are not a fan of riddles. Programming skills I’ve got in spades. Riddle skills I don’t got.",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_... | 1,760,377,567.863036 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2009/10/12/easter-egg-challenge/ | Easter Egg Challenge | James Munns | [
"contests",
"hardware"
] | [
"atari",
"challenge",
"easter",
"egg",
"hardware"
] | Often, hardware designers include nonfunctional additions into designs to make them feel more personal. Commonly known as
easter eggs
, these additions can often go unnoticed by the public for years. While taking apart an Atari San Francisco Rush: The Rock sound board, reader [Jason] noticed a hidden message on the PCB (see above). Other more recent hardware easter eggs include the inside of the Zune HD, which has the inscription “For our Princess” to commemorate a development team member who passed away, or the Amiga 1000 which features the signatures of the design team on the inside if the case (Pictures after the break).
What we want from you: We want to see the best
HARDWARE
easter eggs you have found or seen. Leave us a comment with a video, picture, or article that explains what you found, and possibly the background story behind it. Anyone can
google easter eggs
, and we all know about the easter eggs all over DVDs, video games, etc, but we prefer the kind you find when you are busy voiding your hardwares warranty.
Edit: good catch, that was the Amiga 1000 not an Atari 1000. Thanks to all the commentors.
Atari 1000 case [via
OldComputers
]
Zune HD internals [via
iFixit
] | 72 | 50 | [
{
"comment_id": "100766",
"author": "koe",
"timestamp": "2009-10-12T19:05:55",
"content": "The signatures are from inside an Amiga 1000 (not an Atari)",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "100767",
"author": "hacknet",
"timestamp": "2009-10-12... | 1,760,377,568.178938 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2009/10/12/underwater-laser-just-add-shark/ | Underwater Laser, Just Add Shark | Mike Szczys | [
"Laser Hacks",
"News"
] | [
"flashlight",
"laser",
"sharks with lasers",
"under water",
"waterproof"
] | [iskor12]
put together a blu-ray laser
that is waterproof and packs quite a punch. At 182 mW there is enough power here to pop dark colored balloons (see the video after the break). To make this happen, he found an LED flashlight that has rubber o-rings for waterproofing. Although small, there is enough space in the case to house the battery, driver, and laser diode. A thick ring of aluminum is placed around the laser diode to act as heat sink.
We’ll admit, we don’t know that much about lasers. This is probably the wrong question to ask, but now that he has this what do you do with it? Leave us a comment about your plans for this diabolical creation.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0z44GjKDKV8]
[Thanks Bob] | 30 | 30 | [
{
"comment_id": "100747",
"author": "DW",
"timestamp": "2009-10-12T18:15:52",
"content": "“This is probably the wrong question to ask, but now that he has this what do you do with it?” Wear safety goggles. Reflected laser light is not to be screwed with. You get one set of eyes.That said, it’s int... | 1,760,377,568.085602 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2009/10/12/emulator-in-nes-cartridge-so-clean-it-looks-factory-made/ | Emulator In NES Cartridge – So Clean It Looks Factory Made | Mike Szczys | [
"Nintendo Game Boy Hacks",
"Nintendo Hacks"
] | [
"ben heck",
"cartridge",
"emulator",
"game boy",
"game boy color",
"mod",
"nes"
] | We extend our congratulations to [airz] over at the ben heck forums. He
put together a mod that fits an emulator into an original NES cartridge
and utilizes a butchered original NES controller; and he did an amazing job!
He is using a cheap but full featured emulator board. It comes with 4 gigs of memory but also has an SD card slot. NES, Game Boy, and Game Boy color ROMs can all be played on the 2.8″ color LCD but the system also features a TV out connector for use with a larger screen as well.
The cuts that [airz] made in the case are amazing, easily eclipsing the last
cartridge emulator mod
we saw. The holes for the controls look as if the plastic was molded that way. For realism he also cut off the PCB interface on the business end of the cartridge and glued it in place. Apparently it took three cartridges, two controllers, and two of the emulators to make it this nice, but if you want to make an omelet…
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vJXPfznWLPU]
[via
Gizmodo
] | 36 | 36 | [
{
"comment_id": "100734",
"author": "monkeyslayer56",
"timestamp": "2009-10-12T17:26:21",
"content": "nice job :) but do we still play those games?",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "100739",
"author": "walker",
"timestamp": "2009-10-12T17:... | 1,760,377,568.25747 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2009/10/10/multi-touch-lcd-from-leds/ | Multi-touch LCD From LEDs | Jakob Griffith | [
"LED Hacks",
"News",
"Peripherals Hacks"
] | [
"lcd",
"led",
"multitouch"
] | [youtube
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BiJsBaBAUL4%5D
[Thomas] promised nearly a year ago he would give the community code and schematics of how he made his
LED Multi-touch panel
, but we would have to wait for his next version first. Well
its finally here
, bigger and better then we could ever have imagined. His new version is organized as a 48 by 32 matrix of 1536 LEDs, but he’s gone further by placing it behind a stripped LCD to make a multi-touch display. It doesn’t seem nearly as fast or accurate as
the original
, but potentially could be more portable than
ones we’ve seen
before. And yes, this time around he included how his
LED matrix is made
. | 8 | 8 | [
{
"comment_id": "100359",
"author": "digidev",
"timestamp": "2009-10-11T02:00:55",
"content": "sweet/1",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "100366",
"author": "tjhooker",
"timestamp": "2009-10-11T02:44:30",
"content": "Nothing code and ci... | 1,760,377,570.469587 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2009/10/10/diy-cell-phone-alti-variometer/ | DIY Cell Phone Alti-variometer | Mike Szczys | [
"Cellphone Hacks",
"Misc Hacks"
] | [
"alti-variometer",
"altitude",
"atlimeter",
"cell phone",
"java",
"paragliding",
"sparkfun",
"variometer",
"Weather Board"
] | [Vlad-Andre] used some of his free time to
build an alti-variometer
. He does some para-gliding near restricted air space and wanted a backup altitude warning that would help keep him below the mandated altitude. His solution uses the SparkFun Weather Board in conjunction with their BlueSMiRF dongle to measure altitude and transmit it via Bluetooth. From there, he wrote a program to grab the transmitted data with his cell phone and display the information. His application also has the ability to set altitude warnings and log changes over time.
Using this system he is able to get altitude data with 3.5 inch accuracy. Because the capture application is written in Java it should be easy enough to make this work on other cell phone models. The project is clean and works well but we estimate the cost of the parts to be between $250-300, making it out of reach for those who don’t have a specific need for these types of measurements. This is especially true for paragliders who have
much less expensive options
available to them.
[Thanks Carl-Emil] | 7 | 7 | [
{
"comment_id": "100325",
"author": "Andrew Cooper",
"timestamp": "2009-10-10T19:36:58",
"content": "It is not the cost, but the challenge and experience that matters. He did it.",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "100328",
"author": "kyoorius"... | 1,760,377,570.133689 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2009/10/10/32gb-solid-state-zune-upgrade/ | 32GB Solid State Zune Upgrade | Caleb Kraft | [
"digital audio hacks",
"home entertainment hacks"
] | [
"mp3",
"solid state",
"ssd",
"zune"
] | [Andrew] wrote in to show us how he
upgraded a broken Zune to solid state
. He had one that was giving the Error code 5 when it booted. This means the hard drive is bad. He was able to find a compatible solid state 32Gb drive that, with a little bit of case modification, he made fit. Everything fit back into the Zune and looked completely stock. This was all done for less than $130. He seems pretty proud of getting a 32GB Zune for $150, and we don’t think that’s too big of a deal. We found a bunch of them on eBay for under $100. He even states that he doesn’t see any performance or battery life improvements. So why do we post this? Well, we like to see stuff split open and we actually like the idea of a no-moving-parts mp3 player. We’re hard on our electronics and the thought of that platter getting jarred over and over and over and over really bothers us. Great job [Andrew]. | 20 | 19 | [
{
"comment_id": "100281",
"author": "thethirdmoose",
"timestamp": "2009-10-10T15:30:52",
"content": "I don’t get you guys. If someone flashes an LED using an Arduino, you go crazy. When someone does something that’s actually a hack, you “don’t think it’s too big a deal.”",
"parent_id": null,
... | 1,760,377,570.29963 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2009/10/10/ir-air-conditioner-timer/ | IR Air Conditioner Timer | Caleb Kraft | [
"home hacks"
] | [
"airconditioning",
"cool",
"heat",
"ir"
] | [Tom] has an office job in China. His office is cooled by a small single room air conditioner. In an effort to make his office a little more comfortable, he
built this IR timer unit
. It cools his office down before he gets there so he doesn’t have to wait for it in the morning. He started by decoding the IR signal from the remote for the unit. He then built this ATiny13 based remote. He notes that the internal clock of this thing isn’t that accurate. power cycling it every day seems to help. It is also pretty cool that he built the unit to not only send the cooling code, but he can switch it to the heating code for the winter.
[thanks Mario] | 20 | 20 | [
{
"comment_id": "100271",
"author": "monkeyslayer56",
"timestamp": "2009-10-10T14:02:34",
"content": "very interesting now i wonder what else i can apply that too….",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "100273",
"author": "gomer pyle",
"timest... | 1,760,377,570.0458 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2009/10/09/external-gps-for-ipod-and-iphone/ | External GPS For IPod And IPhone | Mike Szczys | [
"gps hacks",
"iphone hacks",
"ipod hacks"
] | [
"bluetooth",
"gps",
"iphone",
"ipod touch",
"roqyGPS"
] | Ever wish your iPod touch or older generation iPhone had GPS capability? Now it can by using a
Bluetooth GPS module along with the roqyGPS app
.
In April we saw a pretty creative way to
add GPS to an iPod
by using a homebrew accessory. The new app is a better solution because it utilizes the larger screen and more functional UI of the iPod touch. We’re glad to see this come along because we’d
rather not upgrade to the iPhone 3G just to get GPS support
. roqyGPS has a fairly long
supported hardware list
, which should make it relatively inexpensive to pick up a GPS module either on sale or second-hand.
We’ve got a video of the release candidate after the break. As always, we’d like to hear from anyone already using this so please leave your thoughts in the comments.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=75PYgEO3914] | 23 | 23 | [
{
"comment_id": "100205",
"author": "Jay",
"timestamp": "2009-10-09T21:16:26",
"content": "This isn’t the first GPS for iPod touch to be released. Orange Gadgets has the iGPS360 and xGPS is on Cydia.I’t works pretty well.(no i don’t work for them)",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replie... | 1,760,377,570.239201 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2009/10/09/pov-fan-eeprom-hack/ | POV Fan EEPROM Hack | Mike Szczys | [
"LED Hacks",
"Security Hacks"
] | [
"barcode",
"blackhat",
"cenzic",
"challenge",
"eeprom",
"fan",
"persistence of vision",
"POV",
"swag"
] | Hacking with Gum got their hands on one of the persistence of vision display fans that
Cenzic
was giving away at
Blackhat
this year. It’s not the
biggest fan-based POV display
we’ve seen but it’s still a fun device to tinker with. They
hacked into the EEPROM on the device
in order to change the message the fan displayed.
This is very similar to the other
EEPROM reading/writing
we’ve
seen recently
. Hacking with Gum read the data off of the EEPROM and then disassembled it to discover how the message data is stored on the chip. This was made easier by noting the messages displayed when the fan is running. The first byte of data shows the number of words in the message, then each chunk of word data is preceded by one byte that represents the number of letters in that work. Data length was calculated based on the number of pixels in each display character. Once he knew the data-storage scheme, it was just a matter of formatting his own messages in the same way and overwriting the chip.
This is a great write-up if you’re looking for a primer on reverse engineering an unknown hardware system. If you had fun trying out our
barcode
challenges
perhaps deciphering EEPROM data from a simple device should be your next quest.
[Thanks James] | 4 | 3 | [
{
"comment_id": "100368",
"author": "bill hates",
"timestamp": "2009-10-11T03:06:25",
"content": "You can buys these fans for two dollars at Walgreens..",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "100410",
"author": "Chris",
"timestamp": "2009-10-11... | 1,760,377,570.088917 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2009/10/09/safelock-biometric-typing-security/ | Safelock: Biometric Typing Security | Mike Szczys | [
"Peripherals Hacks",
"Security Hacks"
] | [
"biometrics",
"password",
"safelock",
"smu",
"uist"
] | [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_vMb9JUhC1g]
We’ve seen some ways to
bypass biometric security measures
but here’s a new offering that we think will be hard to fool. The
Safelock system is used in conjunction with a password
to identify a specific user. This software records your typing style including the time between keystrokes, the time keys are held, and key pressure data. This information is then normalized and compared to the information stored about the user when the password was originally set. If you don’t fall within specifications that match the stored data, you won’t get in even with the right password.
The icing on the cake is that Safelock will look for malicious users. If you enter the wrong password, it will begin to record and analyze your typing style. If you make enough incorrect attempts you will be labeled as a security threat and locked out of the system altogether. We can only think of one reliable way to circumvent this and that’s using a man-in-the-middle method of recording the keyboard inputs of the legitimate user for playback later.
This is an innovative user identification system and we’re not the only ones that think so. [Jeff Allen] and [John Howard], students at
SMU
won first prize for the
Student Innovation Contest
at the 2009 User Interface Software and Technology Symposium. | 33 | 33 | [
{
"comment_id": "100164",
"author": "Aaron Kafton",
"timestamp": "2009-10-09T19:08:47",
"content": "Add this with the pressure sensitive keyboard and its almost unbeatable",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "100168",
"author": "MS3FGX",
"tim... | 1,760,377,570.423898 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2009/10/09/portable-digital-stereoscopic-image-viewer/ | Portable, Digital Stereoscopic Image Viewer | Caleb Kraft | [
"digital cameras hacks"
] | [
"3d",
"convergience",
"polarized"
] | [madaeon] couldn’t find a digital viewer for his stereoscopic 3D images. He felt that he could probably build one,
so he did
. He found two identical digital picture frames and made a custom rig to hold the two frames. The method he is using involves polarized lenses, so you do have to put glasses on to see it. Being polarized though, you get full color, like modern 3D movies. We think it would be even nicer
to see them without glasses
, but some people have a really hard time with this style of 3d image. | 6 | 6 | [
{
"comment_id": "100198",
"author": "babble",
"timestamp": "2009-10-09T20:46:11",
"content": "I love this kind of thing, I have felt for a long time now that we all need to take 3d pictures and videos.",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "100244",
... | 1,760,377,569.987697 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2009/10/09/4500-book-about-a-car-you-cant-afford/ | $4500 Book About A Car You Can’t Afford | Mike Szczys | [
"cnc hacks",
"Transportation Hacks"
] | [
"car",
"cobra",
"mill"
] | The folks over at Kirkham Motorsports have turned out two things of beauty. The first is a sky’s-the-limit milled aluminum car. The second is a book about the making of the car that runs $4500 per copy. Why so much for a book? The binding is milled out of a 35 pound aluminum billet.
The project spans a 2 1/2 year build cycle and showcases the gamut of craftsmanship. The extremely detailed
build log is available at their website in PDF form
. Of particular interest to us is Chapter 10: Milling. The sheer volume of machined parts for this roadster is mind-boggling. There’s also plenty of CNC pipe bending involved with the body work in Chapter 18.
Finish up your work this morning and spend the rest of the day with this fantasy creation. If you’ve got too much to do, why not shell out for the hard-copy version and devote your weekend to metal-working romance?
[via
Makezine
] | 24 | 24 | [
{
"comment_id": "100148",
"author": "Till",
"timestamp": "2009-10-09T18:05:43",
"content": "i buy two",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "100151",
"author": "Nico",
"timestamp": "2009-10-09T18:08:58",
"content": "Looks nice indeed. So, a... | 1,760,377,570.361394 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2009/10/09/metal-race-combines-operation-and-calculator-game/ | Metal Race Combines Operation And Calculator Game | Mike Szczys | [
"Arduino Hacks",
"classic hacks"
] | [
"arduino",
"graphing calculator",
"operation",
"RACE",
"ti-83"
] | [Greg] was feeling nostalgic about the game RACE for to TI-83 graphing calculator. In the game, your car is stationary with controls to move the scrolling maze from side to side in order to avoid a crash. He set out to build a
physical version of the game
with a don’t-touch-the-side concept that reminds us of
Operation
.
The game board is a wire frame constructed from paperclips then attached to a motorized frame. The vehicle is also metal and is attached to the lens sled from a scrapped CD-ROM drive. The maze scrolls from left to right with up and down vehicle motion controlled by two arcade buttons. An Arduino controls the motors and monitors the button inputs. He has plans to add a buzzer that sounds when the metal car “crashes” in to the wire walls of the maze. We’ve embedded video of the working game after the break. For more build photos
take a look at his flickr set
.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q4grjI1MrF8] | 9 | 9 | [
{
"comment_id": "100119",
"author": "MrX",
"timestamp": "2009-10-09T16:30:04",
"content": "The idea is cool but the implementation is kind of lame.",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "100121",
"author": "Jeremy C",
"timestamp": "2009-10-09T1... | 1,760,377,570.17717 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2009/10/09/adding-a-keypad-to-a-key-card-lock/ | Adding A Keypad To A Key Card Lock | Phil Burgess | [
"classic hacks",
"Security Hacks"
] | [
"door",
"duct tape",
"keypad",
"lock",
"microchip",
"pic",
"pic16"
] | [Colin Merkel] had a little problem: he was continually forgetting his electronic key card, locking himself out of his own dorm room. Like any normal Hack a Day reader, rather than getting in the habit of always carrying his card, the natural impulse of course is to
build this elaborate rig of electronics and duct tape
. Right?
The result is an additional keypad that can be used to gain access…not by altering the existing electronic lock, but with a secondary mechanism that operates the inside door handle. An 8-bit
PIC
microcontroller scans the outside
keypad
(connected by a thin ribbon cable), and when a correct access code is entered, engages a 12 volt DC motor to turn the handle. It’s a great little writeup that includes a parts list, source code, and explains the process of keypad scanning.
It’s similar to the
RFID-based dorm hack
we previously posted. By physically operating the handle, most any approach could be used:
facial recognition
, other
biometrics
,
DDR pad
, or whatever inspired lunacy you can dream up. | 19 | 19 | [
{
"comment_id": "100090",
"author": "Chris N",
"timestamp": "2009-10-09T15:32:27",
"content": "SMS of course… Open your dorm room from anywhere.",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "100092",
"author": "jc",
"timestamp": "2009-10-09T15:34:57"... | 1,760,377,571.638085 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2009/10/09/hulu-desktop-for-linux-finally/ | Hulu Desktop For Linux . . . Finally | Brett Haddock | [
"downloads hacks",
"home entertainment hacks",
"News"
] | [
"hulu",
"Hulu Desktop",
"linux",
"television",
"tv"
] | The folks over at Hulu Labs have been busy it seems, as they have just released a version of their
desktop client for Linux
. Windows and OSX versions of the desktop client have been out for some time now, but Linux has been left in the dark. Functionality wise, it operates and plays videos identically to its counterparts. The Linux version can also be controlled via an IR remote. We certainly are excited to add this to our entertainment systems. The release is a bit of a surprise, but a welcome change to the usual treatment of Linux, and it’s nice to see the mainstream start to recognize it. Plus, this is just more ammunition for getting rid of those monthly cable/satellite subscriptions. | 28 | 28 | [
{
"comment_id": "100059",
"author": "Caleb Kraft",
"timestamp": "2009-10-09T14:07:53",
"content": "finally!",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "100060",
"author": "spacecoyote",
"timestamp": "2009-10-09T14:10:40",
"content": "I have a fe... | 1,760,377,571.574285 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2009/10/09/beauty-in-destruction/ | Beauty In Destruction | Phil Burgess | [
"Misc Hacks",
"News",
"Video Hacks"
] | [
"bullet",
"fps",
"impact",
"million",
"photography",
"projectile",
"speed",
"testosterone",
"velocity",
"video"
] | [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QfDoQwIAaXg]
This is not a hack. In fact it’s a promotional montage for a collection of scientific equipment that few of us could likely afford. But like yesterday’s
giant marionettes over Berlin
, sometimes even a
costly and delicately-orchestrated achievement
transcends its own not-a-hack-ness, fulfilling our brains’ lust for wonderment all the same.
Kurzzeit
of Germany produces ballistics measurement equipment. The video depicts various combinations of projectiles and
targets
at up to one million frames per second, revealing unexpected beauty in hitherto unseen phenomena, and is
the best damn ten minutes you will waste on the internet all day! | 49 | 49 | [
{
"comment_id": "100040",
"author": "Johnnu Num 5",
"timestamp": "2009-10-09T13:16:37",
"content": "That is so awesome!!!!!!!!!",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "100041",
"author": "napalm",
"timestamp": "2009-10-09T13:21:41",
"content... | 1,760,377,571.722521 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2009/10/08/maggy-locked-and-loaded/ | Maggy, Locked And Loaded | Jakob Griffith | [
"Misc Hacks"
] | [
"3",
"blackjack",
"coil gun",
"jak",
"maggy",
"stage"
] | Some readers may remember [Paul] from his project
Jak, the blackjack robot
; but his interests have moved toward coil gun creation.
Maggy
, his latest weapon, may not be the
prettiest
of coil gun we’ve seen, or the
most environmentally friendly
, but does look to be promising. Featuring a triple stage, logic based accelerator instead of the typical single stage, it can fire a 10 gram projectile (theoretically) up to 85 km/h! Check out how he’s gone from a single pistol to his current monster on
his site
, and a video of his work in progress after the jump.
[youtube
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2U5D0d7d8NY&feature=player_embedded%5D | 18 | 18 | [
{
"comment_id": "99901",
"author": "monkeyslayer56",
"timestamp": "2009-10-08T23:29:44",
"content": "sweet but would have loved to have seen it shoot something…btw ARDUINO lol",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "99915",
"author": "Mic",
"tim... | 1,760,377,571.213012 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2009/10/08/giants-roam-berlin/ | Giants Roam Berlin | Jakob Griffith | [
"Misc Hacks",
"News"
] | [
"berlin",
"marionette",
"puppet"
] | I can hear the comments now: “Not a hack.” Yeah that might be true, but it’s still enormous puppets running around Berlin – that in its own right is pretty cool. The show, put on by the street theater group
Royal De Luxe
, is part of the 20th anniversary for the fall of the Berlin Wall. Spectators watched as the Big Giant rose from the water in search of his niece, the Little Giantess. We won’t spoil the ending, but
its a happy one
. Reminds us of the similar giant marionette group La Machine, and their
La Princesse
. | 27 | 27 | [
{
"comment_id": "99883",
"author": "That commenter",
"timestamp": "2009-10-08T22:30:59",
"content": "Not a hack.",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "99890",
"author": "monkeyslayer56",
"timestamp": "2009-10-08T22:54:26",
"content": "not ... | 1,760,377,571.088643 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2009/10/08/a-stirring-hack/ | A Stirring Hack | Devlin Thyne | [
"home hacks",
"Tool Hacks"
] | [
"arduino",
"Chemistry",
"magnets",
"stir"
] | [
Oleg
] of Circuits@Home and maker of the
USB Isolation Board
and the
USB Host Shield
has a new, two-part hack for his chemistry set. In
Part 1
of this hack, [Oleg] discusses the method he uses to make a stir bar spin and what types of stir bars work the best.
Part 2
discusses the motor control code and circuit. Given the ample amount of capability leftover in the
Arduino
he used, we would like to see this stirrer paired with a heating element to have a complete hotplate/stirrer. What do you think you could do with or to improve this device? | 29 | 29 | [
{
"comment_id": "99857",
"author": "RazorConcepts",
"timestamp": "2009-10-08T21:18:07",
"content": "Those of you who are sarcastically going to mention arduino to be funny, just STFU now and not bother posting.",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "99... | 1,760,377,571.157167 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2009/10/08/a-modular-halloween-with-grid-beam/ | A Modular Halloween With Grid Beam | Phil Burgess | [
"home hacks",
"Tool Hacks"
] | [
"animatronic",
"erector",
"gag",
"grid beam",
"gridbeam",
"halloween",
"scare"
] | The fantastic Creatrope blog has a great article
on quickly assembling
animatronic
Halloween gags using salvaged electric motors,
pvc
pipe, and “grid beam” construction.
Grid beam
is a prototyping and building medium that’s like a giant hippie Erector set. You can’t buy grid beam, but with a
drill press
, a jig, and some square stock you can create your own unlimited supply. It’s ideal for “sketching” and temporary constructions like these Halloween props. After use, everything can be dismantled, stored flat, and later reused for the next [
Herbie Hancock] music video
creative project. Looks like fun!
The article wraps up with some valuable pointers on getting started with grid beam and where to acquire parts. | 3 | 3 | [
{
"comment_id": "99856",
"author": "MadMod",
"timestamp": "2009-10-08T21:12:27",
"content": "OMG THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR SHOWING ME GRID BEAM!!IT IS AMAZING!! (Sorry for the caps but it requires emphasis lol) My next project will be an automated CNC Grid Beam hole driller! :Dhttp://www.gridbeamers.com... | 1,760,377,571.02746 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2009/10/08/installing-a-starscape-ceiling/ | Installing A Starscape Ceiling | Mike Szczys | [
"home hacks",
"LED Hacks"
] | [
"ceiling",
"fiber optic",
"illuminator",
"led",
"stars",
"starscape"
] | [Mike Galloway] set out to
install a lighted starscape in the ceiling
of the baby room. We remember first coming across this type of thing at a Planet Hollywood restaurant at least 10 years ago. We’ve always wondered how difficult this type of thing is to install.
This setup involves an LED based illuminator and bundles of fiber optics. [Mike] first mounted the illuminator in the corner of the room at ceiling level and ran the bundles of fiber optics up into the attic. He then used a cordless dremel to drill 1/16″ holes, one for each fiber in the bundle. This translates to a lot of holes! Once everything was in place, he filled the holes with glue to hold the fibers in place, and snipped off the excess from the room-side using a fingernail clipper. We’ve embedded his video of the system in action after the break.
This may take some time, but it seems easy enough and now we know how these ceilings work.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jr8WfF3U80A] | 33 | 33 | [
{
"comment_id": "99812",
"author": "Bonkers",
"timestamp": "2009-10-08T18:08:45",
"content": "This would be a lot easier if installing a fine mesh or some other perforated material instead of a standard ceiling.",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "9... | 1,760,377,571.51021 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2009/10/08/ik-a-sketch-collaborative-scribbling/ | Ik-a-sketch Collaborative Scribbling | Mike Szczys | [
"home entertainment hacks",
"Misc Hacks"
] | [
"art",
"conference",
"ik-a-sketch",
"picnic",
"rfid",
"social networking"
] | At this year’s
PICNIC conference
[Neil Mendoza] and [Edwin Dertien]
built a giant Etch-a-Sketch to help bring attendees together
. The drawing area is a rear-projection screen, rather than
a physical powder based setup
, and is surrounded by the familiar red frame with vertical and horizontal control knob. Because the two knobs are too far apart for one person to use at the same time, two people must work together to move the stylus.
To help break the ice the device was designed to incorporate social networking. Each knob requires that an RFID (embedded in the conference badges) be scanned by the person controlling it. Both users are then connected as friends through a social network and when they’re done “making art”, the beauty of their creation is delivered to them via email.
We don’t know about you, but our etch-a-sketch attempts have always been crappy. There are
some folks who can turn out a masterpiece
on the thing, but this is really just meant to grab your interest for a minute or two and help you meet some people. One feature that should be noted, this giant device requires shaking to erase the image. | 6 | 6 | [
{
"comment_id": "99806",
"author": "monkeyslayer56",
"timestamp": "2009-10-08T17:41:19",
"content": "i stink at anything related to art… but cool",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "99807",
"author": "John Hopkins",
"timestamp": "2009-10-08T... | 1,760,377,571.260458 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2009/10/08/barcode-challenge-part-2/ | Barcode Challenge – Part 2 | Mike Szczys | [
"HackIt",
"News"
] | [
"barcode challenge",
"calc",
"code 128",
"openoffice",
"photoshop",
"solution",
"winner"
] | Yesterday we issued a
barcode challenge
in honor of the Barcode’s birthday. Congratulations to [
The Moogle
] for winning this challenge.
His submission
offers a very detailed explanation of how he solved the puzzle using Photoshop, OpenOffice Calc, and some web resources. We’ve got a detailed writeup on it after the break.
Honorable mentions go to [nex] for putting up a
Java solution
and to [
jwmaag
] for showing a
Python solution
. Finally, kudos to all who used a
CueCat
in one way or another to decode the string. Just having one of those still around is pretty hack-it-y.
Because of the ubiquity of Barcode scanners and online image translation programs the challenge might have been a bit too easy. Do you think you’re up for a greater challenge?
Download the new barcode
and get to work. This one should be quite a bit harder to decipher. Once again, leave a comment that includes the message stored in the Barcode. Please remember, only entries that solve the puzzle and include a full description of the process will be considered. Good luck, and let the games begin.
Update:
It only took [JP] 19 minutes to
post a correct solution
to the new Barcode. Great work!
[
The Moogle’s
] winning solution:
First, [The Moogle] opened up the barcode in Photoshop, zoomed in, and added a grid of lines below to help in reading out the binary code. The red markers were used to help delineate between data chunks.
The image was then put into a spreadsheet program (OpenOffice Calc in this case) and the binary for each chunk was read out by hand.
He formatted the binary in order to make sure he hadn’t made errors, then used a lookup table for
code 128
to generate the characters from each data chunk.
Nice work! This solution was executed with tools that everyone has and knows how to use. | 40 | 40 | [
{
"comment_id": "99775",
"author": "Ben",
"timestamp": "2009-10-08T16:16:58",
"content": "i got the same code“hackaday.com – hacking since 2004”i usedhttp://zxing.org/w/decode.jspx",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "99776",
"author": "JP",
... | 1,760,377,571.440189 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2009/10/08/william-kamkwamba-talks-windmills-with-jon-stewart/ | William Kamkwamba Talks Windmills With Jon Stewart | Mike Szczys | [
"green hacks"
] | [
"circuit breaker",
"Daily Show",
"generator",
"google",
"Jon Stewart",
"ted",
"William Kamkwamba",
"windmill"
] | Last night
[Jon Stewart] interviewed [William Kamkwamba]
on The Daily Show. [William] is the young man from Malawi who at the age of 14
built a windmill generator out of discarded items
. Now at 22 years old, [William] is working on his SAT scores in hopes that he can attend college in the US. We get a bit more insight about him and his build as he promotes
his new book
.
[William] was 14 when he completed the three month long build of his generator. He had previously dropped out of school because “my country was experiencing some famine”. The only resource he had at his disposal was a library that is funded by the US government (sounds like that turned out to be a good investment!).
After seeing a photograph of a windmill he was driven to succeed by the mantra: “somewhere somebody did it, it didn’t fall from the sky”. He goes on to explain how he built a circuit breaker (pictured above) to prevent a short circuit from burning his house down. Two nails are wrapped in wire with a magnet in the middle. If there is a short circuit, one of the nails will repel the magnet while the other attracts it. The nail is connect to a switch and when it moves to one side the switch is opened, breaking the circuit. Upon hearing this, [Stewart] makes the obvious comparison between [
Macgyver]
and [Kamkwamba].
One of the most endearing points in the interview is a story [William] shares about his first experience with the Internet. He was invited to the
TED conference in 2007
and someone asked him if he’d used the Internet. Of course he hadn’t and they then started talking about using Google. When the search engine was explained to him he suggested that “windmill” be entered as a query. When millions of hits were returned his revelation was “Where was this Google all this time?”.
This is an amazing story that we can’t get enough of here at Hack a Day. Make sure you don’t miss the interview which starts 12:25 into the
episode
. | 36 | 36 | [
{
"comment_id": "99760",
"author": "Rich",
"timestamp": "2009-10-08T15:33:53",
"content": "I saw that interview last night and really enjoyed it. It’s a good reminder that good things can still be accomplished without expensive components or the Internet. Don’t get me wrong, I get the jitters if I... | 1,760,377,571.801456 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2009/10/07/scare-em-silly-with-a-moving-pumpkin/ | Scare ’em Silly With A Moving Pumpkin | Mike Szczys | [
"Robots Hacks"
] | [
"attiny2313",
"evilmadscientist",
"halloween",
"lego",
"pumpkin",
"robot",
"servo"
] | Halloween is a scary time for the little ones. It’s dark, they can barely see through their injection molded Spiderman masks, but it’s all worth it for the candy.
Our friends over at
Evil Mad Scientist Labs have produced a pumpkin that moves on its own
. The little pumpkin was disemboweled from the bottom and its guts were replaced by a simple robot. Three Lego wheels provide this base with one attached to a continuous rotation servo that provides the motion. The device is powered by 3 AAA batteries and powered by an Atmel ATtiny2313 microcontroller. For added terror there are two green LEDs that act as ghoulish eyes.
We’ve embedded the video of the Rovin Pumpkin in action after the break. This is a wonderfully simple way to spice up your front porch decorations on All Hallows’ Eve.
[flickr video=http://www.flickr.com/photos/oskay/3990101868/] | 4 | 4 | [
{
"comment_id": "99431",
"author": "strider_mt2k",
"timestamp": "2009-10-07T17:22:26",
"content": "-and then they win my heart back with the cuteness.:P",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "99472",
"author": "raged",
"timestamp": "2009-10-07T... | 1,760,377,571.852552 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2009/10/07/barcode-challenge/ | Barcode Challenge | Mike Szczys | [
"HackIt",
"News"
] | [
"anniversary",
"barcode",
"challenge",
"google"
] | This morning we logged into Google to find a Barcode instead of the normal logo (how strange that Google would
change their graphic
!). Apparently today is the anniversary of the
Barcode
. This method of easily labeling items for computer scanning is used for every type of commodity in our society. But do you know how to get the cryptic information back out of the Barcode?
Here’s the challenge: The image at the top of the post was created by the devious writers here at Hack a Day. Leave us a comment that tells us what the message says and explains how you deciphered it. There are
programs that will do this
for you and some
smartphones can do this
from a picture of the code, but we’re looking for the most creative solutions.
The winner will be decided in a totally unfair and biased way and gets their name plastered all over Hack a Day (and possibly slandered a bit). So get out there and start decoding that machine-readable image.
Update:
We’ve announced a
winner for this challenge
. | 184 | 50 | [
{
"comment_id": "99355",
"author": "JD",
"timestamp": "2009-10-07T16:09:01",
"content": "Tool:http://www.datasymbol.com/barcode-recognition-sdk/barcode-reader/online-barcode-decoder.htmlResult:hackaday.com – hacking since 2004H",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": [
{
... | 1,760,377,572.222014 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2009/10/07/ed-the-electric-delorean/ | ED, The Electric DeLorean | Jakob Griffith | [
"Transportation Hacks"
] | [
"back to the future",
"car",
"DeLorean",
"z2k-hv"
] | Who wouldn’t want a DeLorean, honestly it has to be the one of the coolest cars around, what with its gull wing doors and stainless steel siding. Joking aside [Tom Neiland] and [Dave Delman] went even further, creating eD, the
electric DeLorean
. It contains around 910 pounds of deep cycle lead batteries, custom transmission adapter plate, and a WarP 9 DC motor controlled by a water cooled 2000 amp Z2K-HV, all together to produce 200 horsepower reaching over 85 miles per hour.
The project cost ended up around $18,000 and they plan to add even more including a digital dash and Lithium batteries to extend the cars travel distance from the currently limited 30-40 miles on a single charge. Unfortunately the two couldn’t get their flux capacitor working, but we feel Dr. Brown would still be proud. Check out a video after the break and the
writeup at Jameco
.
[Thanks
Tech Olive
]
[youtube
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iB-Dj3dPN-w&feature=player_embedded%5D | 34 | 34 | [
{
"comment_id": "99340",
"author": "HogieWan",
"timestamp": "2009-10-07T15:03:06",
"content": "Flux Capacitor is useless if the car only gets up to 85",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "99341",
"author": "monkeyslayer56",
"timestamp": "2009... | 1,760,377,572.337447 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2009/10/07/record-eight-1seg-stations-at-once/ | Record Eight 1seg Stations At Once | Mike Szczys | [
"Cellphone Hacks",
"Wireless Hacks"
] | [
"1seg",
"capture",
"ISDB-T",
"mpeg2",
"one seg",
"oneseg",
"PVR",
"terrestrial"
] | [Aaron] tipped us off about a project over at mobilehackerz. They built something of a
PVR for 1seg broadcast stations
(
Google translation
). The
1seg
broadcast standard is aimed at mobile video service and available in countries like Japan and Brazil. Their terrestrial TV signals (
ISDB-T
) are divided into 13 segments per channel but the HD broadcasts only use 12 of those segments. This allows the 1seg data to be broadcast in the 13th segment.
mobilehackerz wanted to record each station’s complete daily broadcast. So they picked up a bunch of USB tuner fobs and chained them together with two powered USB hubs. The video is delivered in a type of MPEG2 format so once pulled out of the air the stream can be dumped directly onto disk. It seems they’ve
got some code available
for this system but even with
the translated page
we can’t really figure out what it does. If you’re Japanese skills are strong, fill us in with a comment.
At 3000 yen (about $34) per tuner this is not the most economical PVR capture system we’ve seen. Add to that the 15 fps broadcast and we’re not sure this is of all that much use. But then again, if you have to ask “what is it for?” you’re missing the essence of the hack.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ISDB-T#ISDB-TIS | 14 | 14 | [
{
"comment_id": "99327",
"author": "David Ruger",
"timestamp": "2009-10-07T13:37:30",
"content": "If you would like a translation, I can help you, but it won’t be cheap",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "99328",
"author": "rasz",
"timestamp... | 1,760,377,572.132715 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2009/10/06/exploding-processors-for-real/ | Exploding Processors For Real | Caleb Kraft | [
"computer hacks"
] | [
"fire",
"potassium chlorate",
"Thermite"
] | [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X3whIm282X0]
After we posted the “
High explosives pc case
” earlier we saw a resounding outcry in the comments for combustible destruction. Oddly enough, we got a submission of something along just those lines. [tazzik] has taken the heat sink off of his athlon 1400+ and
covered the poor processor in potassium chlorate
. As you can see in the video, this was not a very effective heat management decision. It is definitely fun, but nowhere near as explosive as our
thermite shenanigans
.
[thanks Steve] | 57 | 50 | [
{
"comment_id": "99196",
"author": "dumdum",
"timestamp": "2009-10-06T22:04:00",
"content": "ok, this is just stupid. What is this for? A bunch of juvenile delinquents?",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "99197",
"author": "psycodrew",
"ti... | 1,760,377,572.419483 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2009/10/06/halloween-prop-bigmouth-billy-bass/ | Halloween Prop: Bigmouth Billy Bass | Caleb Kraft | [
"home hacks",
"Toy Hacks"
] | [
"bass",
"halloween"
] | Back in 2001, the Bigmouth billy bass was still relatively new.
Hacking one to record and play back both audio and movement
was quite a new feat. You can read all about how they pulled it off. Though most of us agree that this could be done easier now, with off the shelf microcontrollers, this is a great example of constructing your own system to fit the need. We’ve seen a
similar hack done very recently with an mbed microcontroller
. | 8 | 8 | [
{
"comment_id": "99312",
"author": "McSquid",
"timestamp": "2009-10-07T12:01:56",
"content": "Just when i thought id never have to look at one of these things again. thanks alot hackaday",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "99317",
"author": "Jea... | 1,760,377,572.264988 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2009/10/06/five-concept-mice-add-multi-touch-control/ | Five Concept Mice Add Multi-touch Control | Mike Szczys | [
"Multitouch Hacks",
"Peripherals Hacks"
] | [
"articulated",
"capacitive",
"laser",
"mashable",
"mice",
"microsoft",
"mouse",
"multi touch",
"qwerty"
] | [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SLw1MXTDlAE]
Microsoft is showing off five concepts for added mouse functionality. All of them seek to replace traditional move-and-click with touch sensitivity through either capacitive sensing, video recognition, sensor articulation, or laser scanning. We’re excited about the prospects of some of these features but at the same time wonder what this does to the price of this much-abused peripheral. After the break we’ll touch on each of the devices, along with time references for the video embedded above.
Capacitive Mouse (0:00)
The first offering is the closest to what we have now. It is a standard mouse that has a capacitive pad covering the body. This pad detects and reports any touches, demonstrated by on-screen blotches where the hand makes contact. We see this as a laptop touch-pad wrapped around a desktop mouse. Wrap it up and ship it out, we want one!
Video Multi-touch Mouse (1:52)
The next concept uses a curved piece of acrylic as the part of the body where you’d usually find the buttons. The secret to the sensing is a built in camera that passes image data to the computer. The touch sensitivity is provided by analyzing the image data. We’re a bit skeptical that this processing can be done inside of the mouse but we guess that’s for the R&D guys to work out. Also, how clean does the acrylic need to be to get a good image for processing?
Articulated Mouse (3:28)
Definitely the weirdest of the bunch. This is three mice in one, with a traditional mouse senor under an articulated pad for your thumb, and another for your pointer finger. The third sensor is in the mouse body itself where the palm of your hand rests. Tactile buttons can be added to the two satellite pads. We’re sure someone has a great use for this, but it would probably be no more popular than trackballs were.
Orb Mouse (4:56)
The orb is another camera-based design. Instead of a curved sheet of acrylic it utilizes a dome-shaped piece. The same concerns about video analysis exist but make sure you watch the demonstration of this used as a one-handed FPS controller.
Side Mouse (6:34)
This mouse makes your desk into the multi-touch area. It uses infrared laser scanning to pick up finger presses and motions in the general area around the mouse body. This reminds us of the
laser qwerty keyboard
and may be just as cool, who knows? We would anticipate some degree of a learning curve in using this device.
Conclusion
We’d love to see new and improved input devices readily available at a bargain price. Are those goals attainable? This really is inventing a better mouse(trap).
[via
Mashable
]
[Thanks Alex] | 34 | 34 | [
{
"comment_id": "99173",
"author": "JayNix",
"timestamp": "2009-10-06T20:25:05",
"content": "These are extremely novel ideas. However, I don’t think the wheel needs to be re-invented.",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "99180",
"author": "JKirch... | 1,760,377,572.638106 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2009/10/08/nokia-destroying-phones-for-fun-and-profit/ | Nokia: Destroying Phones For Fun And Profit | Caleb Kraft | [
"Cellphone Hacks"
] | [
"cell phone",
"testing",
"wear"
] | No matter how grumpy you are in the morning, this video should make you smile. This is one of the jobs many of us dream of.
Take a tour around Nokia’s product testing facility with Engadget
. Watch in the video as phones are squashed, pinched, smacked, baked, shaken, dialed, slid, opened, and closed repeatedly. Sure, we don’t get to see any of them obliterated, but it sure is fun to see those machines at work. Each one of these tests will be run until the phones eventually come apart or cease to function. Too bad they didn’t show us that part of it. | 12 | 12 | [
{
"comment_id": "99742",
"author": "Spork",
"timestamp": "2009-10-08T14:11:13",
"content": "Awesome. This post did make me smile this morning.",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "99753",
"author": "monkeyslayer56",
"timestamp": "2009-10-08T1... | 1,760,377,572.685264 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2009/10/08/software-auralization/ | Software Auralization | Phil Burgess | [
"digital audio hacks"
] | [
"auralization",
"code",
"music",
"programming",
"software"
] | Have you heard the latest track by
gzip?
Maybe it’ll end up on a “Greatest Hits” album alongside Philip Glass.
Visualization techniques such as
animated algorithms
can help programmers better grasp the abstract theories that make software work. Could
auralization,
the sound equivalent of visualization, provide similar insights? Postgrad student (and J. S. Bach fan) [Cessu]
developed a program to do just that
. By carefully mapping registers to notes, and slowing the tempo to a human timescale, the result is a cacophonous machine that offers a glimpse into the operation of various programs. You might find the resulting minimalist “music” insightful, entertaining…or maybe just incredibly grating.
[thanks Shadikka] | 13 | 13 | [
{
"comment_id": "99731",
"author": "babble",
"timestamp": "2009-10-08T13:31:17",
"content": "I reverse engineer win32 applications, more so some years ago but occasionally still do today.The looping sequences of audio are familiar to me. lol.",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": [... | 1,760,377,572.472872 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2009/10/07/hack-a-usb-port-into-your-2010-prius/ | Hack A USB Port Into Your 2010 Prius | Mike Szczys | [
"Transportation Hacks"
] | [
"adapter",
"power",
"prius",
"toyota",
"usb",
"warranty"
] | [Rosenberger31] did a nice job of
adding a USB port to his 2010 Toyota Prius
. He removed the access door on the console where the traditional “cigarette lighter” 12 volt port is located. A Dynex 12-volt to USB adapter was piggy-backed onto the power lines and the USB connector was then fit into the blank accessory plate next to it.
There is no data connection here, the port only provides 5v regulated power to devices plugged into it. None the less, it is still a pretty nice looking alternative to having a power adapter hanging out of the dash all the times. If you try this, heed one of the warnings from the comments and make sure you add a switch if you vehicle powers the 12 volt port even when the car is not running.
This makes us wonder: will this void your warranty? | 46 | 46 | [
{
"comment_id": "99582",
"author": "Andrew",
"timestamp": "2009-10-07T22:28:32",
"content": "I’m not 100% sure if it’s available on the new Prius or not, but some of the new Toyotas include a USB port that’s connected to the stereo, and will play songs off an iPod or USB stick, in addition to being ... | 1,760,377,572.817675 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2009/10/07/center-speaker-amp-for-an-ipod/ | Center Speaker Amp For An IPod | Mike Szczys | [
"digital audio hacks"
] | [
"amp",
"amplifier",
"audio",
"center channel",
"goodwill",
"ipod",
"lm4950",
"protoboard",
"speaker"
] | A few weeks ago we saw [Jaroslaw’s]
universal credit card spoofer
. Now he’s sent in a project that incorporates an amplifier into a
center speaker for use with an iPod
or any device with an audio jack.
The build has two main components; an
LM4950 audio amplifier
and a center channel speaker he picked up for $3 at
Goodwill
. The circuit used is straight from the datasheet and he’s provided the four necessary resistor values for you in his writeup. An old set of headphones was butchered for the audio connector and DC power can be provided by any 6-12V source.
The final circuit was built on some protoboard. The speaker housing has plenty of room to fit everything in for a nice finished look. Pretty simple, and except for the IC, this should be an easy salvage project for most folks. | 12 | 12 | [
{
"comment_id": "99553",
"author": "Yaffi",
"timestamp": "2009-10-07T21:03:23",
"content": "kostenlose Kleinanzeigen",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "99560",
"author": "WeblionX",
"timestamp": "2009-10-07T21:26:19",
"content": "I wond... | 1,760,377,572.738424 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2009/10/07/the-subway-never-sounded-so-good/ | The Subway Never Sounded So Good | Mike Szczys | [
"Transportation Hacks"
] | [
"commute",
"josh bell",
"piano",
"pressure sensor",
"subway",
"synthesizer"
] | [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ivg56TX9kWI]
Reader [Philippe] tipped us off about this video showing a set of
subway steps being turned into a piano keyboard
(
english translation
). The creators wanted to make taking the stairs rather than riding the escalator a bit more fun. They added pressure sensors to each step, then covered them with white and black keys to resemble a keyboard. When a passenger puts their weight on a step, the corresponding pitch is played out loud.
We may have lied in the title as this doesn’t really compare to
hearing Josh Bell play for pocket change
at your train stop. But coming across this setup on an otherwise mundane commute would really brighten up our day. | 23 | 23 | [
{
"comment_id": "99533",
"author": "Nextuz",
"timestamp": "2009-10-07T20:12:09",
"content": "Thats a nice comercial for contest about the “fun”theori… =)here they have thw deepest garbagecan in the world..http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4wOe0aqYguY",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replie... | 1,760,377,573.086608 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2009/10/07/tv-b-gone-zilla-rar/ | TV-B-Gone-zilla! Rawr! | Phil Burgess | [
"home entertainment hacks",
"LED Hacks",
"Video Hacks"
] | [
"flashlight",
"infrared",
"ir",
"led",
"remote",
"shenanigans",
"tv",
"tv-b-gone",
"tvbgone"
] | TV-B-Gone
: antisocial nuisance or harmless prank? Whatever your feelings, there’s no denying this device has become a staple of the DIY hacking crowd, as evidenced by the countless
derivatives
since
hatched
. This latest mutation crushes them all.
[manekinen] from the Polish electronics blog
Elektroda
(“Electrode”) wasn’t satisfied with high-power TV-B-Gone designs using multiple 5mm infrared LEDs, so he created his own using a single one-Watt monster. The device is concealed in an ordinary
flashlight
casing, making it somewhat inconspicuous. A custom PCB containing an ultra-minimalist version of the TV-B-Gone circuitry sits just behind the reflector. The choice of reflectors determined maximum distance vs. coverage…they opted for distance. Specific figures aren’t given, but we estimate this thing could shut off televisions on Mars.
The original article (
Polish
or
Google-ized Englis
h) includes construction photos and an archive (.rar) of project files including Eagle schematics and C source code.
Would it be totally irresponsible to mention there’s now a 3-Watt version of this LED? We’re just sayin’.
[thanks RicoElectrico] | 34 | 30 | [
{
"comment_id": "99520",
"author": "daler",
"timestamp": "2009-10-07T19:42:31",
"content": "Now we just need one that utilizes an infrared laser and rifle scope.",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": [
{
"comment_id": "979401",
"author": "furrysalamander",
... | 1,760,377,572.962575 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2009/10/07/hardware-hd-decoder-in-a-netbook/ | Hardware HD Decoder In A Netbook | Caleb Kraft | [
"home entertainment hacks",
"Netbook Hacks",
"Portable Video Hacks",
"Video Hacks"
] | [
"hd video",
"high def",
"netbook"
] | [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bGEeTSJiy8g]
[banzai] wasn’t happy with the performance he was getting out of his Samsung netbook. He
decided it was time to do something about it
. He noticed that Dell and HP both sell an optional HD decoder card for their netbooks. After a short search, he found one on ebay for only $24. He had to give up his internal wireless, but he doesn’t mind using a USB wireless dongle. Sure this isn’t horribly complicated, but he has information here that might help smooth out the process.
[via
OlivierDole
] | 22 | 22 | [
{
"comment_id": "99465",
"author": "The Moogle",
"timestamp": "2009-10-07T18:05:55",
"content": "why not populate the second slot and have both?",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "99474",
"author": "otomoton",
"timestamp": "2009-10-07T18:20... | 1,760,377,573.145951 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2009/10/06/psp-plus-second-stick-camera-32-gigs/ | PSP Plus Second Stick, Camera, 32 Gigs | Mike Szczys | [
"PSP Hacks"
] | [
"analog stick",
"internal camera",
"mod",
"nub",
"psp",
"psp go",
"usb"
] | [JoblessPunk] recently finished his
what-a-psp-should-be mod
. He’s internalized a camera and added a switch in the body to toggle between using the camera or using the USB port. There’s an additional analog stick, and added charging functionality via the USB port. He’s also packed in an additional 32 GB of flash memory. The device is of course running custom firmware which facilitates the ubiquitous flock of emulators and homebrew apps.
We agree that the original PSP is a pretty powerful handheld that never saw a full realization of its potential. With the impending release of the next generation
PSP Go
we hope the price and availability of the older units leads to more mods of this sort. Check out the video after the break.
Here’s a well made video from [JoblessPunk] detailing his work. The first half is propaganda to help find partners for a future commercial venture involving these mods. The second half shows-off the new features, connectors, control, etc. Try to resist the urge to strangle when you get 25 seconds into the video; it’s all uphill from there.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-5zdn79PNPA] | 27 | 27 | [
{
"comment_id": "99154",
"author": "babble",
"timestamp": "2009-10-06T19:04:51",
"content": "sigh, shame about the techno.",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "99156",
"author": "babble",
"timestamp": "2009-10-06T19:09:17",
"content": "si... | 1,760,377,573.031383 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2009/10/06/nikon-coolpix-s1000pj-teardown/ | Nikon Coolpix S1000pj (teardown) | James Munns | [
"digital cameras hacks",
"Teardown"
] | [
"coolpix",
"digital camera",
"ifixit",
"nikon",
"pico",
"projector",
"teardown"
] | Earlier this year, Nikon released the
Coolpix S1000pj
, a 12 megapixel point and shoot with the usual features, including image stabilization, face recognition, etc. However, the S1000pj features a built in projector into the usual diminutive point and shoot footprint, and also comes with a remote for controlling the projector in display mode, or for remote shooting.
iFixit
has gotten a hold of the unit, and detailed the difficult teardown process, which included component desoldering to get the extremely compact system completely apart. It is also interesting to compare this setup to other
stand alone pico-projectors
we have covered. | 7 | 7 | [
{
"comment_id": "99145",
"author": "VIPER!",
"timestamp": "2009-10-06T18:40:22",
"content": "Projectors Inside a Camera AWESOME!!! Now we have a Use for the I Pod Video.",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "99191",
"author": "aztraph",
"times... | 1,760,377,573.419954 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2009/10/06/high-explosives-pc-case/ | High Explosives PC Case | Mike Szczys | [
"computer hacks"
] | [
"ammo case",
"Case mod",
"dvd",
"explosives",
"gfaf",
"htpc",
"steel"
] | [Ilias] let us know about his new
HTPC case mod
. He took a surplus Ammo-case and with a bit of work turned it into a livingroom
eye-sore
masterpiece. His build has some nice touches, including a slot-fed DVD player, switch-based fan control, and key-and-button “nuclear launch” type power-on controls.
A few things to learn from this project: Cleanly cutting holes in a steel case for the connectors is tough. You can see that [Ilias] did a pretty good job with it and in several cases used rubber gaskets to cover the rough edges. Secondly, the slot fed DVD had to be mounted upside-down. We assume this will be fine, but we’d like to hear a follow-up after a few years of heavy use. Finally, the GFAF (
girlfriend acceptance factor
) ran very close to critical on this build as [Ilias] didn’t clean up the metal shavings on his porch and ended up with rust stains everywhere.
Case mods
are an enjoyable hobby. We hope this will inspire you to take the leap. If you do, don’t forget to
send your completed project into our tip line
. | 19 | 19 | [
{
"comment_id": "99126",
"author": "monkeyslayer56",
"timestamp": "2009-10-06T17:18:13",
"content": "hehehe now have it explode if the right password isn’t entered…",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "99132",
"author": "risu",
"timestamp": "... | 1,760,377,573.242982 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2009/10/06/atv-brings-skynet-closer/ | Robot Security Patrol Brings Skynet Closer | Mike Szczys | [
"Robots Hacks",
"Security Hacks"
] | [
"abomination",
"atv",
"autonomous",
"drone",
"overlord",
"robot",
"surveillance",
"terminator"
] | The students at the University of Oklahoma have put together a robot that will surely join the
other drones
in our future robot overlord regime. This autonomous vehicle was produced to replace human security patrols which can be both boring and dangerous. Intent on delivering surveillance to most locations, an all terrain vehicle was used as the base. It can navigate by itself through an obstacle avoidance system and communicate video and audio wirelessly. After the break we’ll take a look at the systems that make this work.
The team implemented steering controls by mounting a geared motor to the front of the ATV. This steering motor interfaces with a gear they added to the steering column via a chain. Obstacle avoidance is facilitated by sonar sensors on the front and sides of the chassis. These sensors can detect ground level obstacles such as curbs.
The vehicle uses both pre-programmed as well as sensor-based behavior. To start, the patrol route is fed into the program. Once unleashed, the bot uses a combination of this data, as well as input from a GPS module, digital compass, and the range finders to complete its mission. All of these components are tied together by the onboard
Toughbook
in conjunction with a 16-bit microcontroller. A wireless router provides connectivity for transferring data as well as remote joystick based control if needed.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P1F0RYnvQkk]
Project developers [Fares Beainy] and [Sesh Commuri]
sent us their paper detailing the project
(PDF). The readily available, inexpensive hardware used to complete this bot says a lot about how far we have come with technology. It shouldn’t be too much longer before this type of hardware shows up in your town sweeping the streets for criminal scum (or humans recently escaped from the processing facility). | 11 | 10 | [
{
"comment_id": "99116",
"author": "Robert Perkins",
"timestamp": "2009-10-06T16:29:57",
"content": "Wow. This is awesome, because hey… free Toughbook!",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "99120",
"author": "Daniel",
"timestamp": "2009-10-06T... | 1,760,377,573.294054 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2009/10/06/how-to-crack-a-master-lock/ | How To Crack A Master Lock | Mike Szczys | [
"lockpicking hacks"
] | [
"brute force",
"master lock",
"picking",
"vulnerability"
] | Long, long ago we covered
a method to crack a Master lock
in about 30 minutes or less. Here’s a revival of the same method but now the
instructions to retrieve the combination are in info-graphic format
created by [
Mark Edward Campos
].
If you didn’t get to try this the first time around, here’s how it works: A combination of a physical vulnerability, math, and brute force is used. First, the final number of the code can be obtained by pulling up on the latch while the dial is rotated. Because of the way the lock is built the correct number can be extrapolated using this trick. Secondly, a table of all possible first and second number combinations has been calculated for you. Third, it’s your job to brute force the correct table of possibilities which includes only about one hundred combinations.
We’re not really into felony theft and hopefully you’re not either. But, we have a nasty habit of needing to use a combination lock that’s been in a drawer for a few years and having no idea of what the correct code might be.
Update:
We’ve had a lot of comments about shimming as a better method. For your enjoyment we’ve embedded a video after the break that details how to shim a Master lock using a beer can. Just remember: friends don’t let friends drink and shim.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bXRUd63ycTU] | 68 | 50 | [
{
"comment_id": "99105",
"author": "monkeyslayer56",
"timestamp": "2009-10-06T15:03:55",
"content": "this could be usefull… both good and evil…",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "99113",
"author": "Jesse",
"timestamp": "2009-10-06T16:05:38"... | 1,760,377,573.375841 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2009/10/06/there-i-fixed-it-a-blog-about-hacking-poorly/ | There I Fixed It: A Blog About Hacking, Poorly. | Gerrit Coetzee | [
"home hacks",
"Misc Hacks"
] | [
"blog",
"fix",
"hacks",
"humor",
"quick hack",
"thereifixedit"
] | Thereifixedit.com is a site filled with dubious innovations.
Some of them are cool, some of them are clever, and most of them are terrifying. Anyone who has ever stood in front of a broken household appliance with a roll of duct tape, one screw driver with a bit chipped off the flat part, and determination will laugh themselves silly browsing through this site. Maybe some of the
ghetto hacks
we covered before should be in this list.
[Thanks for the link Dad] | 24 | 24 | [
{
"comment_id": "99093",
"author": "monkeyslayer56",
"timestamp": "2009-10-06T14:17:05",
"content": "lol funny",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "99096",
"author": "sean",
"timestamp": "2009-10-06T14:28:21",
"content": "Best use yet for... | 1,760,377,573.484735 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2009/10/06/doom-on-a-picture-key-chain/ | Doom On A Picture Key Chain | Jakob Griffith | [
"handhelds hacks",
"home entertainment hacks",
"Linux Hacks"
] | [
"bifferboard",
"doom",
"key chain",
"ssh"
] | [vimeo
http://vimeo.com/6878807%5D
Alright, so Doom isn’t actually
running on the key chain
itself, but rather a
BifferBoard
: a small 150MHz x86 containing ethernet, serial, and even USB with only one watt of power consumption! The project is to show how easy it is to program the BifferBoard and getting it
talking to other hackable items
– such as the picture key chain for a display. Doom does appear a bit slow, but [Biff] figures its do to how haphazardly it grabs keyboard input over SSH. | 16 | 16 | [
{
"comment_id": "99084",
"author": "Sprite_tm",
"timestamp": "2009-10-06T13:29:23",
"content": "The project makes use of the ST2205 picture frame hacking project I started:http://picframe.spritesserver.nl/wiki/index.php/Main_Page. It’s a shame that the guy who did this hack kept the remood licensing... | 1,760,377,573.570571 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2009/10/05/thermoelectric-solar-power/ | Thermoelectric Solar Power | Devlin Thyne | [
"Solar Hacks"
] | [
"peltier",
"photovoltaic",
"power",
"solar",
"thermoelectric"
] | [Colin] has put together an instructable for a
solar power generator
that uses the thermoelectric effect instead of the photovoltaic (PV) effect. We have seen Peltier devices used in cooling
cans
,
solder paste
,
backs
, and
hacked hard drives.
This is the first hack we have seen where a Peltier device is used to generate electricity from heat, essentially running the device backwards. The thermoelectric effect is the same principle that is used to generate electricity in
radioisotope thermoelectric generators
used in deep space probes such as Cassini. What applications can you come up with to use the thermoelectric effect as a power source? | 41 | 40 | [
{
"comment_id": "98965",
"author": "polymath",
"timestamp": "2009-10-05T21:53:11",
"content": "i wonder what kind of efficiency you can get out of this? would it be same as when running it normally? or do they function better as generators. I have to admit that I know very little about peltier.",
... | 1,760,377,573.739947 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2009/10/05/vocoding-with-a-piano/ | Vocoding With A Piano | Caleb Kraft | [
"digital audio hacks"
] | [
"piano",
"talk",
"vocode"
] | This
really cool project allows a grand piano to “speak”
. We don’t know any details about its construction but we had to share. The keys are being hit by solenoids in a manner to replicate human speech. Click through to the video, it’s worth it. You may have to allow the popup to see the video, and it is in german, but the piano is clearly speaking english. We want one to keep around the office. It could read our emails to us.
(Edit from 2015: The link went bad,
but it can be found elsewhere on YouTube
.)
[via
matrixsynth
] | 43 | 39 | [
{
"comment_id": "98931",
"author": "Ben Ryves",
"timestamp": "2009-10-05T19:36:49",
"content": "I think the link should behttp://www.3sat.de/kulturzeit/tips/138237/index.html?Very interesting stuff, though I don’t think I’d have understood what it was “saying” without the subtitles..!",
"parent_... | 1,760,377,573.815137 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2009/10/05/pocket-multimeter-review/ | Pocket Multimeter Review | Mike Szczys | [
"Tool Hacks"
] | [
"ebay",
"harbor freight",
"ladyada",
"mikey sklar",
"multimeter",
"pocket",
"radio shack",
"review"
] | Reader [Mikey Sklar] told us about a
review he wrote covering 3 different models of pocket multimeters
. We’re sure that you’ve had the same experiences we have being the go-to-guy or got-to-gal for all things electrical. For our sort, having a multimeter on hand at all times has become an expectation.
[Mikey] looks at a model from
ebay
,
Harbor Freight
, and
Radio Shack
. Not surprisingly, the ebay offering doesn’t rate too well but does get the job done. We were surprised to read that he picked up the Cen-Tech model for about $10 at Harbor Freight. Although it may no longer be sold there (we haven’t checked) [Mikey] seems pretty happy with it so we’ll be on the lookout during our next tool-buying trip. We’re unfamiliar with the tiny Radio Shack 22-820 but we’ve always been happy with our larger 22-811. The 22-820 allows the probes to be folded up inside of the case cover for a truly pocketable package.
You can never have too many meters at your disposal and we’ll have to keep this article in mind the next time we’re shopping for another. Never used a multimeter before? Take a look at the tutorial [Mikey] linked to
over at ladyada
. | 33 | 32 | [
{
"comment_id": "98902",
"author": "localroger",
"timestamp": "2009-10-05T18:11:04",
"content": "Cen-Tech makes an even cheaper multimeter with no CT model number, but it’s Harbor Freight item ITEM 90899; it’s currently listed at $4.99 and I’ve seen it at $2.99 in the local store. This is a fine li... | 1,760,377,573.968075 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2009/10/05/jump-start-your-car-with-sega-parts/ | Jump Start Your Car With Sega Parts | Mike Szczys | [
"Misc Hacks",
"News"
] | [
"amps",
"ghetto",
"jump start",
"macgyver",
"power supply",
"sega",
"volts"
] | [Jenn’s] family is a single-car household. Because of this, it’s a little more difficult to get a jump start when the headlights run down the battery. Not wanting to ask the neighbors for help, her husband [
Richard
] decided to come up with his own solution.
Rummaging through the parts on hand, [Richard] went with his old friend Sonic the Hedgehog. He used two 12-volt, 1 amp
Sega Genesis
power adapters in parallel hooked up to a 12 volt, 3 amp power supply. The end result is a 12-volt 5 amp source hooked to the car’s electrical system and used to get their road machine started.
We have enjoyed some of [Richard’s] offerings in the past, such as
Super Nintoaster
and the
Super Genintari
but this is a bit less… eloquent. A few questions do come to mind. First of all, is this the best way to use parts of your 20-year-old gaming system? How many amps does your average car starter pull down? And finally, what kind of issues are we looking at with the lead acid battery under these conditions? Weigh in on the conversation in the comments. | 47 | 46 | [
{
"comment_id": "98883",
"author": "Fallen",
"timestamp": "2009-10-05T17:09:53",
"content": "That definitely would not be enough to jumpstart a car. IIRC starters draw hundreds of amps of current. The one in my car is fused for 200A. It depends on the temperature what it draws.Anywho he probably jus... | 1,760,377,573.89651 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2009/10/05/halloween-props-low-cost-popup/ | Halloween Props: Low Cost Popup | Caleb Kraft | [
"home hacks"
] | [
"halloween",
"pneumatic"
] | [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XJoedH9thds]
[Backroads] has put together this nicely detailed writeup explaining how to
make a low cost popup prop
. He’s using a single pneumatic valve and a home made PVC piston to raise and lower a scary mask. He’s using an off-the-shelf 110v AC valve controller to control the valve. A flickering light, a “screamer” and a fog machine help fill out the project. The result is quite nice. We would be tempted to put a pressure sensor in front of it to optimize the scare timing. | 3 | 3 | [
{
"comment_id": "98878",
"author": "spacecoyote",
"timestamp": "2009-10-05T16:27:42",
"content": "He should decorate the garbage can.",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "98894",
"author": "Nigel Spowage",
"timestamp": "2009-10-05T17:42:05",
... | 1,760,377,574.059999 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2009/10/05/building-an-ir-receiver-for-the-popcorn-hour-c-200/ | Building An IR Receiver For The Popcorn Hour C-200 | Caleb Kraft | [
"computer hacks",
"Peripherals Hacks"
] | [
"infra red",
"ir",
"popcorn hour c-200"
] | [Linuxworks] has posted a writeup on how to
build an IR module for the popcorn hour c-200
. We weren’t familiar with the
popcorn hour c-200
, so we had to look it up. It seems to be a media center pc sort of thing. We’re not reviewing the unit itself, since we’ve never used one, so we’ll just get back to the mod. The device uses an RF remote, which some people didn’t like as much. Luckily it has an expansion port which can be utilized to get IR signals into the machine. [Linuxworks] has used a cheap IR sensor and a standard headphone plug. He notes that equipment passing power through these plugs should be turned off before plugging them in or removing them as they short momentarily during insertion. | 10 | 10 | [
{
"comment_id": "98869",
"author": "frollard",
"timestamp": "2009-10-05T15:25:57",
"content": "Why would anyone not like rf (other than it doesn’t accept your universal remote signal…)The popcorn hour is an AWESOME ‘cheap’ htpc option. it’s a much more refined all in one box than the made-in-china ... | 1,760,377,574.020369 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2009/10/05/monome-case-mod-vintage-radio/ | Monome Case Mod: Vintage Radio | Mike Szczys | [
"digital audio hacks",
"Peripherals Hacks"
] | [
"casemod",
"faceplate",
"monome",
"radio",
"vintage"
] | We’ve seen a lot of
the Monome
, a USB based controller often used as a sampler,
here at Hack a Day
. This is one of the more creative hacks. [brothernigel] took a Monome 40h kit and fit it inside the case of a vintage radio. The faceplate was a custom order to fit his purposes and incorporates the original radio frequency display. The USB port was well placed in the side of the wooden housing. For extra “soul”, pen and ink art adorns the insides.
His work log gallery
takes you through the process from start to finish.
We never noticed before, but the Monome makes a great vintage-looking-electronics project. All the lighted buttons are straight out of a ’60s military command center.
[Thanks Antonio] | 4 | 4 | [
{
"comment_id": "98868",
"author": "raged",
"timestamp": "2009-10-05T14:31:29",
"content": "Nicely made",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "98880",
"author": "darksim905",
"timestamp": "2009-10-05T16:46:13",
"content": "That didn’t look ... | 1,760,377,574.103423 | ||
https://hackaday.com/2009/10/04/dance-of-the-construction-cranes/ | Dance Of The… (construction) Cranes | Jake W | [
"LED Hacks",
"Misc Hacks"
] | [
"brandon vickerd",
"crane",
"illuminated",
"nuit blanche",
"synched"
] | [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gP_RhEstx_c]
Hacking is all about using parts and
resources in an unconventional way
. If stringing a
pair of high-rise cranes
with
LED Christmas lights
and making them move to a piece of classical music isn’t unconventional, then we don’t know what is. For nearly a quarter of every hour last night, 2 crane operators, along with two ‘choreographers’, swung and spun the cranes around in a coordinated fashion.
The project was
created by [
Brandon Vickerd
] as
part of Nuit Blanche
. Its purpose was to showcase the technology that builds the cities we live in. A live video stream from various viewpoints was projected on site, below the cranes. | 16 | 16 | [
{
"comment_id": "98764",
"author": "catzburg",
"timestamp": "2009-10-04T20:09:35",
"content": "I hear nothing!",
"parent_id": null,
"depth": 1,
"replies": []
},
{
"comment_id": "98781",
"author": "Will",
"timestamp": "2009-10-04T21:31:59",
"content": "Music Would be n... | 1,760,377,574.169977 |
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