O-rings. They’re those small, looped elastomers that mechanics and
photography hobbyists always seem to say they need when they’re in the
middle of some project. I was pretty much blown away by how useful these little buggers were, which led me to think about what the world would be like without o-rings–and let me just say, it wasn’t pretty.
Some folks we met in Charlotte had a mission: they wanted to win a contest (sponsored by Red Bull) for the coolest Arduino project in the land. I think they may have nailed it. The project, built by engineers and designers for Edison Nation, turns an ordinary desk into a booze-infused party zone when the clock hits five (or when you slap the Swingline stapler.)
The project has been submitted to the Red Bull website and the guys could use your help getting to the top so they can head out to the 2012 Maker Faire in NYC.
Sadly the Red Bull website is an absolute mess and there is no visible means of voting, but if you figure it out, give these guys a nod. It’s not every day that you see a system that can turn an office into a red-hot, robotic bar.
Quite possibly the two greatest things in the world — beer and Arduino — have been married once again in a hack does them both justice. Accomplished maker and alcohol enthusiast Jeff Karpinski turned a spare Uno and an Ethernet shield into a gadget that automatically checks him in on Untappd. The build is connected to his kegerator through a hall-effect flow sensor that sits in his tap lines. Every time he pulls himself a pint of homebrew, the Aruino makes an API call to the so-called Foursquare for beer nerds, and updates his profile. Obviously, publishing to the site every time the keg is tapped could get messy, so there’s an automatic five minute time out to avoid getting repeat hits just for topping off. There’s also a button that manually engages the five minute lock out, allowing Jeff to pour his buddies a cold one without claiming the drink for himself on Untappd. And updating is a snap thanks to the simple web server that’s integrated. Changing what beer is on tap in the API call is as simple as opening a web browser. Interested in upgrading your own kegerator? Check out the source link for complete instructions and a parts list.
Filed under: Misc. Gadgets, Internet
Arduino Kegerator hack checks in your homebrews on Untappd originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 18 Jul 2012 14:49:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink 
Hack a Day | 
Jeff Karpinski | Email this | Comments
While some pay-TV providers are tied up in nasty battles with the studios that provide them content, Comcast and Scripps have just inked an agreement to bring the company’s lifestyle programming to cable subscribers over the internet. As noted in the press release (embedded after the break) the multi-year deal brings HGTV, DIY Network, Food Network, Cooking Channel, Travel Channel and Great American Country to Comcast’s TV Everywhere portal, via mobile (and “other” devices) and on Scripps websites. Probably not a minor element in the deal is the inclusion of support for Comcast’s on the fly ad-insertion for VOD, which should push the efforts of both partners along, although potentially unskippable ads could be less viewer friendly.
Continue reading Comcast, Scripps deal brings more internet streaming video on Xfinity TV
Filed under: Home Entertainment
Comcast, Scripps deal brings more internet streaming video on Xfinity TV originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 17 Jul 2012 04:38:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | | Email this | Comments
Summer camp doesn’t have to mean poorly ventilated cabins, boring activities and terrible food. In fact, put the concept in the hands of Google and Make, and there’s not even a need to leave the comfort of your own home. The two have teamed up to deliver Maker Camp on Google+, a six week summer program designed to encourage kids to embrace their inner maker. The sessions will run every weekday starting July 16th. On Mondays through Thursdays a new set of instructions for the teen participants to tackle will be posted on Google+, then, in the afternoon, a counselor (often one of Make’s own editors) will hold a Hangout to discuss the project and let the campers share their photos, videos and thoughts. Every Friday Make will host “field trips” via Hangouts. There’s no need to register and no fee, the only requirements are that you be between the ages of 13 and 18, and have a Google+ account. Check out the videos after the break and the source links for more info.
Continue reading Maker Camp brings DIY fun to teens via Google+ Hangouts
Maker Camp brings DIY fun to teens via Google+ Hangouts originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 17 Jul 2012 01:50:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink All Things D | Google, Make, Make (Google+) | Email this | Comments
There is a new project known as G.A.U.N.T.L.E.T. (Generally Accessible Universal Nomadic Tactile Low-power Electronic Typist) which is a fancy name for a DIY Wireless Typing Glove. Developed by a pair of former design students, this DIY glove is right now in its beta stages, and will basically enable anyone to type on any smartphone or computer with but a single hand, which makes us wonder at the possibilities of those who have only the use of just one hand to be able to use the computer in a more deft manner than ever before. Of course, able-bodied folk might be able to find a different use for their other hand while they are at it.
The DIY Wireless Typing Glove’s creator, Jiake Liu, is the co-founder of Kabob.it, a menu service for eateries. This glove is an experiment that he worked on back at college, where it had gone through a fair number of versions already. Electrically conductive embroidered letters are utilized to send signals over a Bluetooth connection, and there is the possibility that this project will see an improvement over time.
By Ubergizmo. Related articles: Raspberry Pi is at the heart of this BBC Micro-inspired keyboard , SNES-001 does a Wii U,
Believe it or not, there’s a potentially cheaper (and more customizable) way to get NVIDIA’s quad-core Tegra 3 into your life than to spring for a Nexus 7. Kontron is readying a rare Mini-ITX motherboard, the KTT30, that combines the ARM-based chip with expandable RAM and a trio of mini PCI Express slots for expansion like a micro SATA drive or a 3G modem. The external ports are more the kind you’d find on a do-it-yourself x86 PC, too: full-size HDMI, USB and even Ethernet make a show at the back. The only hurdles are an unusually throttled back 900MHz processor speed and, quite simply, the lack of release details. Kontron hasn’t promised more than a release “coming soon” — with much more complete Tegra 3 devices now hitting the $199 mark, though, we can’t see the KTT30 putting much strain on any budding hobbyist’s wallet.
Filed under: Desktops
Kontron preps first Tegra 3-based Mini-ITX board, homebrew gets an ARMful originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 15 Jul 2012 23:35:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink FanlessTech, Blogeee (translated) | Kontron | Email this | Comments
Google’s mysterious, if not ominous Nexus Q has already been hacked to launch apps of varied origins, but there’s one particular app that stands above all: Pong. Or, Brick Defender — you know, what’s a generic title amongst friends? BrickSimple managed to hack the Q for Pong playback, using the spinning top (read: volume wheel) to move the lower bar in the game. We’ll let you get right to the action; the video’s embedded after the break, and the code snippet necessary to duplicate it is there in the source below.
Continue reading Nexus Q repurposed to play Pong, games with your heart (video)
Filed under: Misc. Gadgets, Gaming
Nexus Q repurposed to play Pong, games with your heart (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 13 Jul 2012 04:15:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Yeah, you love your dog, but is he or she really pulling his or her weight? A new project from Adafruit brings an on-board computer to your roaming canine, tracking the distance to your and your pup’s goal with a progress bar. The project is pretty simple, and Adafruit offers up most of the supplies, including the GPS and Atmega32u4 breakout boards — though you’ll have to procure your own fabric to make the big flower and some black nail polish to blot out the bright LEDs. The functionality isn’t quite as advanced as, say, products from Garmin — nor is it going to fill up your Twitter stream, but the collar does have the potential to track your mutt’s walks around the neighborhood with a few tweaks.
Continue reading DIY GPS dog collar helps your pup fulfill its mobile computing potential
Filed under: GPS
DIY GPS dog collar helps your pup fulfill its mobile computing potential originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 12 Jul 2012 22:38:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Adafruit | Email this | Comments
That homemade bug-zapping lightsaber not quite floating your boat? Then how about building your own electric vehicle? That’s the opportunity that MODI Corporation in Japan hopes to sell when its “Pius” kit car — not to be confused with the Toyota Prius — becomes available next spring. Specs from the official site for the “micro compact car” reveal a vehicle that’s 885mm tall, 1,230mm wide and 2,500mm long. Range on a full charge is 25 kilometers or a little over 15 miles. Top speed is 35km/h, which sadly disqualifies it from the list of vehicles Doc Brown can use for time travel. The company expects to sell the one-seater to colleges and mechanic schools for use as a learning tool on how EVs work. MODI Corporation hasn’t provided pricing for the vehicle but announced that it will be available in six colors, including white, red and blue. Yes, it isn’t quite up to snuff with Drayson Racing’s 850-horsepower B12/69EV. Then again, we don’t think they have do-it-yourself kits for that one.
Filed under: Transportation
Japanese company releasing do-it-yourself Pius electric vehicle, name sounds vaguely familiar originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 12 Jul 2012 09:19:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink Nikkei Tech-On! | MODI Corporation (Japanese) | Email this | Comments
This is site is run by Sascha Endlicher, M.A., during ungodly late night hours. Wanna know more about him? Connect via Social Media by jumping to about.me/sascha.endlicher.
