Self-serving media roundup post
So with this crazy iPad launch thing, I got some photos of me in the press! Here’s where I ended up (that I know about):
Boston Globe (My photo was used, a competitor was actually mentioned in the article)
Boston.com (haven’t been able to bring myself to watch that one yet)
TUAW.com (That’s me back by the end of the cattle guards with David Nunez, a partner in DINO)
OK, that’s enough tooting.
An iPad security observation
The moment I had my iPad out and began setting up an email account, I realized that the iPad presents a challenge that the iPhone and iPod touch largely avoided. It is much easier to see someone typing in their password on the iPad than the smaller devices – not only is the keyboard larger, but the password entry fields (and thus the text) is also larger and still displays each character in clear text as they are being displayed. Add to all this the fact that I expect more people will be using their iPads flat on a surface for typing and it’s a bit of a worst-case scenario for password security. Luckily a little user training and common sense is enough to circumvent this security issue – just hold your iPad close and be aware of your surroundings when you are entering passwords.
In: Annoyances, Criticism, Observations · Tagged with: DINO
iPad physical interface objects
I’ll be blogging a lot more over at my studio’s website – which is where I just posted about some physical interface objects I’ve made for the iPad.
In: Uncategorized
Meta-Nixie Clock
I recently caught Matt Mets’ post on hacking a digital photo frame into a clock by generating a static image for each minute of the day, and then automating the action of advancing the image once per minute. This allows for any number of interesting clocks to be made with suggestions ranging from a written-word clock (as Matt’s project did) to photographing various clocks at each minute of the day to photographs of people miming clock hands. I happened to show this post to my husband and he absolutely loved the idea and wanted one for his desk at work. I immediately realized that I had found the perfect Christmas gift for him! Read the rest of this post »In: projects · Tagged with: DINO
lolshield hacking
My friend Jimmie Rodgers, maker extraordinaire has come up with a great new shield for the Arduino which he is calling the LoLshield for “lots of leds”. It’s a charliplexed array of 126 LEDs in a 9×14 grid that pops right onto an arduino. Neat!
A problem with charliplexing is brightness. Since you have to turn each led on and off only one at a time, you must cycle them very quickly and rely on persistance of vision to make it look like many are on at once. The faster you can cycle, the brighter they will seem.
Arduino libraries can be very convenient, but some are slow. Using the original routine which called PinMode() and DigitalWrite() twice for each LED, only limited brightness could be achieved. I worked out a way to use direct port manipulation instead, a process which allows you to directly set the output mode and state of the pins of the ATMega very quickly – and set multiple pins at once to boot! Check out the Arduino Port Manipulation page for more.
Here’s how it works. At the heart, we have a 2D lookup array which contains 4 values for each of the 126 LEDs on the board. The values are what needs to be shoved into the corresponding DDR and PORT registers to turn each LED on. (I used a quick processing sketch to generate this) As an example, let’s walk through the 4 values stored for LED 0, the upper-left LED. It uses pin 13 as its positive pin, and pin 5 as its ground. The values stored are: {32, 34, 32, 0}
void turnon(int led) {int pospin = ledMap[led][0];int negpin = ledMap[led][1];pinMode (pospin, OUTPUT);pinMode (negpin, OUTPUT);digitalWrite (pospin, HIGH);digitalWrite (negpin, LOW);}
void turnonbin(int led){DDRB = ledMapBin[led][0];DDRD = ledMapBin[led][1];PORTB = ledMapBin[led][2];PORTD = ledMapBin[led][3];}
In: projects · Tagged with: DINO
Searching for Space (for your hackerspace)
So, once Em, David and I decided that we didn’t need a space, we immediately started looking for a space. It was as if knowing we did not absolutely need a place made the search easier to handle. As I have mentioned previously, there are a lot of benefits to having a location around which to build a community, but the location need not be a defining part of the community. Still, I do think it’s easier for a community to define itself if it has a physical home. (But it’s not so necessary that a group should wait for space to start doing stuff!)
There are a few things you should know about when looking for spaces. (Warning: this could get a little long)
What kind of zoning fits your needs?
This can be a big one, and is going to vary a lot depending on your location and goals. If you are just getting a private space to have a few people share as a studio, lounge, hackerspace, etc. then you may well be able to get by with a residential place. This will generally keep everything cheaper, but you could run into issues with the landlords (who often frown on non-traditional use of residential space), neighbors (people coming and going at odd hours, suspicious of what you are doing, noise complaints), and government agencies (running many businesses out of a residence is illegal, gathering of people for commercial events is problematic, etc.).
A popular co-working facility I know started in a residential area, which served them well for a while. But with their growth and popularity on the rise, friction with the neighbors and landlords have forced them to look for a new space.
How much space do you really need?
Space is a paradox. It simultaneously goes further than you might expect, and is always smaller than you think. It pays to think this one out well. Get too little space, and you won’t have anything better than the corner of your bedroom where your soldering iron is threatening to send the bed up in a blaze. Get too much space and you may not be able to afford it long enough to get your community off its feet.
In: Observations, projects · Tagged with: DINO, diy, hackerspace
Do you really need a space?
Recently, Emily Daniels, David Nunez and I decided that it was Time To Do Something. We were all struggling with some personal creative projects, and felt that we needed a community of people around us who were making interesting things. With the right kind of people gathered, a lot of magic can happen. We were especially interested in exploring the energy that’s created when productive, enthusiastic, creative people come together – whether they are working on their own projects or a collaboration.
In: Praise, projects · Tagged with: community, DINO, diy, hackerspace
Making money (on twitter, without a record label, with fans)
These days, I am a total fanboy of Amanda Fucking Palmer. (Please check her and her music out if you do not know her and The Dresden Dolls) As with more and more artists, AFP is dissatisfied with her relationship with her music label, Roadrunner Records. While the restrictions on her expression may be the root of her disagreement with them, the problems run much wider – including lack of support, general idiocy, and more. Simultaneously with this realization, AFP has made steps to support herself – on her terms – without the involvement of her label. This is something that has, inarguably, been made possible by the Internet and will likely gain more and more steam in the future.
AFP has a moderately sized, but rabidly loyal fan base. This is not an accident, she is not simply “lucky” – she reaches out to her fans, cultivates the fields and, above all, remains honest and approachable. Such an interested and loyal group of fans seems to be a far more valuable asset to AFP than any record company ever will. And recently, she has really begun to figure out how to tap these fans for what they will gladly, emphatically give to see their favorite artist continue to create.
In: Observations, Praise
New project released: iSrch Rndmzr 3000!
I’ve finally finished the photography for my project, “iSrch Rndmzr 3000! by Subverted Industries”. The “project” really consists both of a device I fabricated (from an Arduino, display, and salvaged enclosure) and the corresponding web site. I’ll let you visit the site for details. My comments on the project can be found under the “about” section at the site.
There will be more to come for the Subverted Industries brand. Keep an eye out.
~w
In: Me, projects
Bizarre.
I’m on a plane. The guy in front of me just reached over and grabbed the back of his chair, stretching. I wanted to lick his hand. Just to see what he would do. I would deny it, of course, because that would make for a more interesting exchange.
Is that wrong?
In: Uncategorized