After many months, my Kaypro 2 is finally up and running! Weighing in at around 30 lbs, with a 4 Mhz Z-80 processor, 64kb of RAM, (upgraded!) dual 360kb floppy drives, and the rock-solid CP/M 2.2 operating system, this box is a lean, mean computing machine. NYCR-BBS, anyone?
A hackerspaces is born in Montreal. http://foulab.org/
Voltage, amperage, current, ohms. It’s enough to make your head spin if you’re just getting started making things with electricity. Electricity .01 will give you a handle on the big three of direct current and how to trade them off. After this class you’ll understand voltage, current and resistance, though not why they’re abbreviated E, I and R. We’ll be making electricity from scratch two ways, messing with multimeters, and rocking out with resistors. We will not, alas, be blowing anything up.
Sunday, November 16
1 1/2 hours, taught by Max Whitney
We’ve fleshed out our class schedule through the end of the year, check out some of our awesome upcoming classes!
Software Programming
PHP 001: Getting Started – Nov 8
PHP 101: Variables, Functions, & More – Nov 15
Processing 101: Hello Pixel – Nov 22
Hardware Programming
Arduino Programming 102: If Funky, Get Loopy – Nov 9
Arduino Programming 103: Sensory Overload – Nov 16
Arduino and Processing – Nov 12
Processing + Arduino – Dec 13
Wireless Wearables – Dec 14
General Electronics
Joule Thievery – Nov 15
Electricity .01 – Nov 16
I recently updated my arduino ambient orb to use some boards I got cut at a boardhouse in Colorado, and handed off a few of the finished products off to various friends of mine. Well, my good friend John Erickson tossed together an awesome script for the election returns tonight. The orb starts off dark, and the script periodically checks the election results. As the results come in, the orb will gradually get brighter and brighter blue or red based on who is pulling in the EVs.
I grabbed his script and a spare board I had with me at the office, and used a plastic cup to whip up a quick electoral ‘orb’:
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| Obama wins! | McCain wins! |
I can’t wait to see the results tonight!
You can get the code for the electoral vote script from here and the full code and eagle schematics for the orb here.
Leah Buckley made these really impressive paper circuits using ‘computational sketches made with paper, conductive paint, magnetic paint, and magnets’.
I’m creating a video a day for every weekday in November and I kicked it off by making videos through the weekend as well I’m posting them to my blog everyday. Subscribe in iTunes and you wont’ miss any of them!
Remember that part of Tron when the Master Control Program digitizes Flynn with a laser? Raphael Abrams is making a low resolution probe in which he will basically do the same thing with a few components! Learn more about this probe thing!
Have you ever wanted a box that could control anything? Justin Day created the spooky box as both a physical and virtual interface for working with processing, a programming language popular with artists. Learn more about the spooky box thing!
Adam Cecchetti wanted a chess set and he wanted it now so he rapid prototyped one using inkscape to design it and a lasercutter to cut it out of acrylic. Learn more about his chess set thing!
Stay tuned for more!
Zombie Pumpkin has just hacked this post to remind you that Resistor’s Halloween Gigante Party Super-Especial is Friday October 31st, from 9 p.m. onwards. Come in costume, or one will be assigned to you. Possibly me.
$10 cover includes lots of delicious beer!
Ready to do the (seemingly) impossible? Of course you are! Take the “Joule Thievery” class here at NYCR. From the class description:
“A Joule Thief is a simple electronic circuit that can extract useful work out of a very feeble power source. It can be used to extend the life of batteries, gather power from a dimly lit solar cells or a tiny windmill. It’s a fascinating device, and is very easy to build. You will learn about transistors, inductors, diodes, LEDs and more! This is a great introductory course for absolute beginners.”
$25, taught by Raphael Abrams
Ages 12 and up wlecome!
Ever wanted to grow grass in your cubicle? I did. But the grass kept dying. So I made a custom grow light out of LEDs, and now I have the nicest lawn on my block. Build photos, schematic, sourcecode, etc. are on the project page.