Andrew Schneider is a performance artist, body hacker, and inventor of Experimental Devices for Performance. His inventions are sublime while his performances are spellbinding. He recently lit up IgniteNYC and the above video comes from the Wall Street Journal’s “Tech Dairy.” More information can be found on Andrew’s website.
Justin was showing me the nearly-finished SpookyBox and I had to take a photo. Concealed within the seemingly benign exterior is an Arduino-powered dynamo of spookiness, when coupled with the Processing programming language and a touch of evil genius.
We sort of took a break on classes in October, but we’re back in full force in November with a programming-oriented lineup. Here are the various classes we’re offering:
Arduino Programming 101: Hello World
Sunday, November 02, 2008
1 session, 2 hours
The Arduino is a simple yet powerful microcontroller board. More info here: arduino.cc
This is your friendly introductory class. We’ll cover what an Arduino is, how to program your arduino, what a variable is, what a function is, how to call a function, basic statements. Most importantly, we’ll cover where to get help if you need it. Once we get a handle on how everything works, we’ll go about writing a simple program to blink an LED when a button is pressed.
If there is time, we’ll keep adding features and doing cool things.
An Arduino and a Danger Shield will be provided for use, but please bring a laptop if possible.
Instructor: Zach Smith
Beginning PHP: Getting Started
Saturday, November 08, 2008
Instructor: Kelly Farrell
2 hours, 1 session
Learn the basics of PHP, one of the most popular languages for
creating dynamic web pages and web applications. In this class you’ll
learn what you need to get started with PHP. We’ll cover what you need
to pick a web host, how to work with PHP files, and some basic syntax.
This class is perfect for people with little or no web programming
experience. Please bring a laptop to work on. If you already know your
way around SFTP and have a favorite code editor, skip ahead to
Beginning PHP: Variables, Functions, & More
Arduino Programming 102: If Funky, Get Loopy
Sunday, November 09, 2008
1 Session, 2 Hour
Instructor: Zach Smith
Its recommended that you take the 101 class, but it is not required.
The Arduino is a simple yet powerful microcontroller board. More info here: arduino.cc
This class is focused on taking all the fundamentals of Arduino programming, and creating a useful program. We’ll dive into the wonderful world of if/then/else statements. We’ll traverse the ocean of loops and exit into a wonderful paradise of useful, functioning programs.
This class is based around the Arduino and the NYC Resistor Learner Shield, which is a fun device that has lots of cool, preset inputs/outputs for you to easily explore. We will be covering the basic functions of this device as well.
An Arduino and Danger Shield will be provided to each student, but please bring a laptop if possible.
Beginning PHP: Variables, Functions, & More
Saturday, November 15, 2008
Instructor: Kelly Farrell
2 Hours, 1 session
Learn the basics of PHP, one of the most popular languages for
creating dynamic web pages and web applications. We’ll cover
variables, functions, constants, handy tricks to make things easier,
and what you’ll need to get your first script up and running.
For this class you’ll need to be familiar with SFTP and basic HTML
concepts. If you’re starting from scratch consider taking Beginning
PHP: Getting Started. Please bring a laptop to work on.
Arduino Programming 103: Sensory Overload
Sunday, November 16, 2008
1 Session, 2 Hours
Instructor: Zach Hoeken
It is recommended that you take the 101 and 102 classes, but it is not required.
The Arduino is a simple yet powerful microcontroller board. More info here: arduino.cc
During this class, we will explore the many different ways of gathering information from the outside world. The NYC Resistor Learner shield has many interesting sensors including a light sensor, a temperature sensor, a knock sensor, and some sliders. We will be examining each of these sensors and showing you how to use them in your programs.
An Arduino and Danger Shield will be provided to each student, but please bring a laptop if possible.
It’s very likely we’ll add more classes very soon, so make sure you check our updated class list!
It’s party time at the hacker space again! This time bring your costume (no, really — or we’ll put one on you). Spend Halloween with us at NYC Resistor. With drinks, costumes, candy and spooky things aplenty, you can’t go wrong.
When: Friday, October 31st @ 9PM – ???
Where: NYC Resistor HQ, 397 Bridge Street Brooklyn NY 11201
Cover: $10.
They have been encarcerated in the EVIDENCE ROOM for over three month now, they seemed to be lost forever but they survived all procedure: my breathing books. In June I had been detained by TSA, Police, FBI and CIA in Newark Airport on my way back to Germany for more than 4 hours. The reason for the official’s irritation was that I tried to carry a fully assembled electronical mechanism hidden in books. Given that that is not the smartest idea ever, it escalated over the top. I had been questioned, examined and interrogated, they ran a test on me and offered their result afterwards: “we think by now you must be a good person, ’cause now we know how often you change your underwear.” Humiliating!
Lost my flight, lost my project, couldn’t take part in an exhibition in G.
After most official attempts (governor’s letters etc.) failed to get my stuff back over the past months, I tracked down the Officer that had been in charge that day. Suddenly, when I finally managed to get hold of him, it seemed so easy: I was allowed to go and pick up my properties.
It involved a handover situation of semi-professional drugdealer level: At Terminal A of Newark Liberty International Airport I had to get into Mr. Napolitana’s allover white car (laquered from the outside and powdered from the inside, since on his way to our meeting point his fire extinguisher went off in his trunk!) After we agreed on business – I had to give a few signatures- I was handed a big black garbage bag – equally dusted- and he drove off into the bureaucratic void he came from.
Each of the books has now been refined with the Officer’s name and the very case number.
I am trying to make an exhibition happen soon -with all evidence material – and you are all invited, I keep you posted!
I like to hack on the go. So I made a charming little mini lab out of a cigar box and some electronic parts. It’s got a breadboard, a built-in Arduino, a couple of places to put loose parts and a control panel on one side. The control panel is the best part with LEDs, potentiometers, a switch and a button all mounted on the side of the box. I love it so!
Over at my personal blog I’ve written up the epic history of the blinkenlights project as well as the fantastic and imminent arrival of blinkenlights in Toronto. Check em.
We’ve been getting excited about teletypes and making machines talk to each other. But nothing quite describes the 1930s beauty (that Matt got for $1 on Ebay…. plus $100 for shipping) quite like the pictures. Behold the Teletype:
We spent about 4 hours tonight cleaning it up and figuring out how it worked before we downloaded the manual for assurance that our conjunctures were correct. This machine is electro-mechanical with a big emphasis on the mechanical. It has a relay, a massive lightbulb looking fuse, a solenoid, massive AC motor, and more mechanical parts that any of us have seen on a communicatory device in a long time. It’s peices have been banged up a bit, but having figured out the mecanics of it, we’re pretty sure we can get it up and running with some possible minor welding.
The clicks and sounds and gears were quite satisfying! And we did get the motor powered up tonight – here’s a video of it:
More glorius pictures here:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/littlegreenfroggy/sets/72157607651690722/
Computer Numerical Control Machine in the house. Made of MDF, skate bearings, aluminum stock, and a dremel.
Noisebridge Has A Space
As if to throw the gauntlet down before our friends to the north, the San Francisco Hacker Space Noisebridge signed their lease today. Take that Canadia!
Their new space is ground level (something we had once hoped for here in NYC). They’re also only a few blocks from the best jicama salad in the SFO region. They got started in February 2007 and have been working hard for over a year and a half. They’ve even managed to establish non-profit status*, so if you’re looking for somewhere to throw your stock market windfall (uh. oops. . . .) Anyway, we couldn’t be happier to congratulate them on their new home.
Read more about them at their site: http://noisebridge.net/
*Correction, per Al’s comment: They’re still in the process of establishing themselves as a non-profit. You can give them money anyway. Really. Psychology research says it will make you feel good.
