Hasta La Gadget!

It takes a pretty radical hack to truly grab us, but we’re fairly confident that Matt Richardson is now one of our most favorite dudes ever. He has put together a comprehensive video detailing the setup required to build your own Arduino-powered remote shutter trigger, and while it’s certainly one of the more complicated setups out there, properly executing it can land you self-taken photos like the one above. You’ll need a laptop, a solid DSLR, an Arduino, a DIYer toolkit (you know, tiny screwdrivers and the like) and a good bit of spare time. If you’ve already checked all five from your list, head on past the break and mash play — your weekend project awaits.

[Thanks, Matt]

Continue reading DIYer builds handsfree, Arduino-powered remote camera trigger (video)

DIYer builds handsfree, Arduino-powered remote camera trigger (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 07 Nov 2010 08:06:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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A proof-of-concept vending machine shows how we can dispense with cash for everyday purchases, skipping credit and debit cards altogether and going straight to electronic transfer.

The vending machine uses QR codes, PayPal, a smartphone camera and Twitter. And, to complete the geek-buzzword bingo checklist, the hardware is based in part on Arduino, an open source hardware platform.

“We’re experimenting with ways of taking PayPal payments beyond the web,” PayPal Labs’ Ray Tanaka said. At the PayPal X Innovate 2010 developers’ conference, he showed off a gumball machine that lets people use their smartphone to scan a barcode instead of fishing for change.

Tanaka and his team put together their gumball machine using an ordinary mechanical vending machine, an Arduino processor, a WiShield and a few other smartly chosen basic parts.

Scanning the QR barcode sets the gumball machine in motion. Then the customer gets a Twitter notification that their PayPal payment has gone through and how much they’ve been charged. On the merchant side, Tanaka showed off an instant payment-notification system using an LCD display.

Candy is cute and “gives good demo” (as Steve Jobs puts it), but I can easily imagine 101 even better uses for a simple electronic payment system like this where cash is short and speed is essential. Here’s a short list to get you started:

• parking garages
• public transit
• toll booths
• grocery checkout
• gas stations

In short, anywhere you need to be on the move and would rather not whip out your wallet.

Story via the Arduino Blog and Helablog.

Follow us for real-time tech news and ideas: Tim Carmody and Gadget Lab on Twitter.

See Also:

• Will the Internet of Things Be Open or Closed?
• Spime Watch: Shipping Containers and the Future Internet of Things …
• Laser Etched QR Codes: Digital Graffiti For Gadgets
• Amazon iPhone App Adds Barcode Scanning
• Belly Up to the Bar Code

Continue reading Eigenharp controls WiFi lamp with a little Arduino assistance (video)

Eigenharp controls WiFi lamp with a little Arduino assistance (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 21 Oct 2010 05:25:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Look, not everybody gets to be super smart. Some of us have to struggle along with our mediocre intellects and just bask in the glory of genius. Like this time: we ran into Adam Wolf at Maker Faire in New York, and while many burgeoning hackers were using their Arduino to flip LEDs on and off in vaguely interesting ways, Adam was showing off a 3D raycaster engine. It’s like witnessing some sort of alternate history where Wolfenstein 3D came out for Atari first. Just to give you an idea of the technical challenge: half of the Arduino’s memory is used up by the frame buffer alone! The game is controlled and displayed using the Video Game Shield Arduino add-on from Wayne and Layne (Adam is Wayne), which enables RCA video output and compatibility with Wii nunchucks for dual analog control. Adam actually plans to add enemies and make a full game out of his engine, just to rub it in. Need some visual proof to believe all this? Check out a video after the break. The Video Game Shield will be up for purchase on September 29 for around $22, or you can buy it at the Maker Faire this weekend.

Continue reading Crazy, beautiful human being designs 3D raycaster engine for Arduino

Crazy, beautiful human being designs 3D raycaster engine for Arduino originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 26 Sep 2010 12:10:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Arduino is so much about what is made with Arduino boards that we hardly spare a thought for the boards themselves. Well, Arduino cares, and they’ve just gone about redesigning their base model, now dubbed the Arduino Uno. It’s of course backwards compatible with existing Arduino add-ons, but sets itself apart with a new USB controller with lower latency and driver-free operation on Mac and Linux. This should make Arduino slightly more friendly to the super novices, but of course the USB chip can be reprogrammed by the experts to be all sorts of things. Meanwhile, the Arduino Mega is getting the same USB chip along with an ATMega2560 processor with twice the memory. Right now only 128K is available, but that’s a software limitation and they’re working to unlock the rest of the memory space. The Mega sells for $65, while the Uno goes for $35. Next up? An Arduino board with built-in Ethernet and microSD. Crazy, we know.

Arduino Uno and Arduino Mega 2560 get friendly new USB plugs, new look originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 25 Sep 2010 20:45:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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