Hasta La Gadget!

BMOW (Big Mess O’ Wires) is a DIY PC, complete with a hand wrapped 8-bit CPU. Built by a game developer named Steve Chamberlain, this bad boy operates at 2MHz and sports 512KB memory, two-color video output, and a 512 x 480 display. According to Wired, the processor is closest in design to the MOS Technology 6502 (previously seen in such classic machines as the Apple II, Commodore 64, and some early Atari game consoles), and it took him about a year and a half from design to finish. Visitors to the Maker Faire in San Francisco can see the machine in person (and play chess on it, to boot) over the weekend. The rest of yinz can feel free to hit the read link for meticulous build details and lots of colorful pictures.

[Via Wired]

Filed under: Desktops

Homebrew PC features 2MHz hand-wrapped CPU originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 29 May 2009 14:38:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Well, it wasn’t too hard to see this trend coming, but it looks like Foxconn is among the first out of the gate with a Moblin-running netbook at Computex Taipei, with its new SZ901 model opting for Linpus’ just-revealed distribution of the OS. As you might expect, however, there aren’t exactly many surprises beyond that welcome addition, with the 10.1-inch netbook packing the usual Atom N270 processor, 1GB of RAM, a 160GB hard drive, and built-in 3G, along with a glossy finish all around. No word on a price or release date just yet, but this is Foxconn after all, so there’s a good chance this one could be showing up under any number of different brands. Head on past the break for a quick hands-on courtesy of the folks at Netbooknews.de.

Continue reading Foxconn shows off Moblin-running SZ901 netbook

Filed under: Laptops

Foxconn shows off Moblin-running SZ901 netbook originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 29 May 2009 13:54:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Maker Faire, the largest festival for DIYers, crafters and hackers, happens Saturday and Sunday, May 30 and 31, in San Mateo, California. More than  80,000 people are expected to attend this year to check out what the 600 odd makers have to show, including robotics, music, crafts and food.

Here are some of the highlights:

• Steve Chamberlin’s 8-bit homebrewed CPU.  Nearly 1,253 pieces of wire were individually hand wrapped to create the connection and Chamberlin has built a functional computer based on it. The computer and the CPU will be on display in booth 296 at the main Expo Hall.
• A group of Disney Pixar’s Wall-E movie aficianados will also be showing their handmade Wall-E robots and other characters from the movie. The hobbyists have  created life-size, fully functional replicas from the scratch that are indistinguishable from their namesakes in the movie. The robots will be on display at booth 147 in the Expo Hall.
• There will also be interesting musical instruments on display such as the Yotam Mann’s multitouch musical pad. The musical pad has optical lasers, a webcam and some custom software rigged together to provide an inexpensive way to make some cool music. The contraption will be on display at booth 211 in the Expo Hallo.
• The Bay Area Lego Users Group (BayLUG), which has more than 100 members, will show an entire city constructed of Lego bricks. The exhibit, with individual members responsible for building a single city block, will measure about 2,000 square feet.
• Other cool exhibits include Daniel Fukuba’s DIY Segway. Fukuba, with some help from other Segway enthusiasts, has created a balancing scooter, first with a wooden frame and then an aluminum frame.  “I started with raw, plain PCB boards and soldered on all the components for the speed controller and the logic controller,” says Fukuba. The project took about two months and $4000. And at the Faire, he will be sharing his expertise on how to do it yourself. Fukuba’s DIY balancing scooter will be on display at A1 in the Bike Town pavilion.
• We are also eager to see the two-person self-propelled Ferris Wheel where riders use their arm muscles to shift their weight and turn the wheel. This Ferris Wheel is about 20 feet tall, made of plywood and will be in the Midway M2 area.
• Don’t forget to also check out the CandyFab Project that uses low-cost, open-source fabrication to create 3D sugary confections. A completely new CandyFab machine will be on display at booth number 293 in the Expo Hall cranking out some sweet goodies.

Know of some other cool exhibits or events at the Faire? Post them in the comments below.

And follow @gadgetlab on Twitter, where we’ll be tweeting throughout the weekend with tips on the most interesting, fun and wacky things to see. Stay.

For more on the event, check out O’Reilly’s Maker Faire website.

Photo: Wire wrapped 8-bit CPU/Steve Chamberlin

You’re already well aware of what GigaPan’s wild camera robot is capable of when its in masterly hands, but have you ever wondered if such a device is practical for folks who don’t have excellent seats for events such as Presidential inaugurations or the Arirang Mass Games? We’ve been toying around with an Epic 100 for the past week and change, and now that we’ve had a moment to upload a few of our own panoramas, we figured we’d toss our two pennies into the ring. Eager to know if this gigapixel image creator is really worth its avoirdupois in cold, hard cash? Head on past the break to find out.

Continue reading GigaPan Epic 100 hands-on and review, panorama style

Filed under: Digital Cameras, Peripherals

GigaPan Epic 100 hands-on and review, panorama style originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 29 May 2009 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments