Hasta La Gadget!

While we’ve been fans of the MacBook Pro with Retina display, iFixit hasn’t been so keen — a company based around DIY repairs isn’t fond of a system where most components are glued or soldered into place. That hasn’t stopped the team from developing a repair manual for those who want to give maintenance a try. A total of 16 guides show us how to disassemble or remove those parts that stand a realistic chance of leaving the system unscathed. While that does include some key components, iFixit continues to fly some caution flags: getting to one part often requires taking apart others, and removing the battery carries the very real possibility of permanent damage. If you’d still prefer to upgrade the SSD yourself (when an option) than pay Apple more for a custom order, there’s now a helping hand for your thriftiness.

Filed under: Laptops

iFixit produces repair manual for MacBook Pro with Retina display, tests DIY’s limits originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 08 Aug 2012 11:36:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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We caught our first glimpse at the new, simplified Arduino Leonardo at Maker Faire back in September of last year. At the time, we were promised a late October shipping date, but it failed to materialize. Finally, Massimo Banzi has taken the wraps off the slimmed down microcontroller and its now in stock at retailers across the web. The Leonardo sports a new pin layout, dubbed R3 (which the Uno has also been updated with), that will become standard across all Arduino boards. That’s a big deal for shield makers who only have to design and manufacture an add-on once to ensure it’s compatible with the entire product line. The new layout also adds some extra pins and versatility, especially in the realm of shields, which can use to the new IOREF pin to determine the voltage of the processor and thus its model. That means a shield doesn’t have to be designed specifically with the new ARM-based Due in mind. The other big news is that the circuitry for converting USB to serial communication and the processor itself have been combined, which not only simplifies the design and drives down costs, but allows it to communicate directly with a computer and imitate all sorts of accessories (such as keyboards and mice). Best of all, is the price. The Leonardo, complete with headers, costs just $25 — a good $10 less than the Uno — while the headerless, solder-friendly version retails for $22.50. Check out the video after the break for a few more details from Massimo himself.

Continue reading Arduino Leonardo finally launches with new pin layout, lower price (video)

Filed under: Misc. Gadgets

Arduino Leonardo finally launches with new pin layout, lower price (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 23 Jul 2012 22:27:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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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

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

Leave it to Adafruit to really help a product deliver on its DIY promise. Those pins on the Raspberry Pi taunted us from the moment we laid our hands on it, and not just cause we weren’t sure what to do with them. The board’s makers didn’t exactly make playing with them easy. Actually, prototyping a project with a Pi embedded seemed like a logistical nightmare destined to become a mess of wires. The Pi Cobbler solves that problem with a ribbon cable, some header pins and a custom PCB. The kit lets you easily run those 26 I/O pins to solderless breadboard… after you’ve soldered together the Cobbler, of course. The whole, unassembled package will set you back just $7.95, which sounds like a pretty sweet deal to us. Especially since each pin is nice and clearly labeled. Hit up the source link to order yours.

Adafruit’s Pi Cobbler breakout kit puts Raspberry Pi’s pins to work originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 02 Jul 2012 23:36:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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