RSSArchives: August 2007
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August 12, 2007
Perseid meteor shower
Tonight and early Monday am are expected to be great for meteor showers, SPACE.COM has all the details and a top 10 fact page about the annual Perseid meteor shower-
The annual Perseid meteor shower is expected to put on a great show this year, peaking in mid-August with a display of dozens of shooting stars each hour.The Moon will be out of the way, leaving dark skies for good viewing as Earth plunges through an ancient stream of comet debris. Little bits, most no larger than sand grains, will vaporize in Earth's atmosphere, creating sometimes-dramatic "shooting stars."
"It's going to be a great show," said Bill Cooke of NASA's Meteoroid Environment Office at the Marshall Space Flight Center in Alabama. "The Moon is new on August 12, which means no moonlight, dark skies and plenty of meteors." This year the Perseid meteor shower could deliver one or two visible streaks every minute during peak times, Cooke said in a statement yesterday. Urban skywatchers will see fewer due to local light pollution.
The meteors in this shower all appear to emanate from the constellation Perseus. The best times to watch will be late night Aug. 12 through dawn Aug. 13.
"The August Perseids are among the strongest of the readily observed annual meteor showers, and at maximum activity nominally yield 90 or 100 meteors per hour," said Joe Rao, SPACE.com's Skywatching columnist. "However, observers with exceptional skies often record even larger numbers."
SPACE.com -- August Meteor Shower Will Be 'A Great Show' - Link & more.
Posted by Phillip Torrone |
Aug 12, 2007 06:00 PM
Events, Science |
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End of the Weekend Podcast Check
It's the end of the weekend. Have you watched this week's Weekend Projects podcast and read the pdf that goes along with it?
Watch and learn how to mess around with RF modules... and hear some awesome nerd jokes! - Subscribe Link
Posted by Bre Pettis |
Aug 12, 2007 09:50 AM
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A Stirling engine in a teacup
This attractive cup-perched craft project is actually a working papercraft model of a Stirling engine being sold by a Germany science novelty catalog. Sitting on your tea or coffee cup, the heat (or cold) from within will power the engine for up to an hour. The kit costs EUR21.90 (around US$30).
The Stirling engine kit - [via] Link
Human translation of the catalog copy - Link
Posted by Gareth Branwyn |
Aug 12, 2007 09:00 AM
Crafts, Paper Crafts, Science, Toys and Games |
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Korean CargoCycles
Kevin Kelly's Street Use has these (and other) pics of motorcycles and bikes, used in the Dong Dae Mun Market of Seoul, to circulate heavy loads around town. Says the photographer:
These bikes are the grease that make the market smooth, you see them ferrying ridiculously big loads for 500 metres or so to where the products are needed... Note the carefully street modded/welded carrying beds with 90 degree load supports. I've seen fridges, washing machines and dish washers carried on these things without trouble, even the bicycles.
Korean Marketplace CargoCycles - Link
Posted by Gareth Branwyn |
Aug 12, 2007 08:00 AM
Bicycles, Transportation |
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iPhone Hacks at CCC
Some of the iPhone Dev Team, an international team of folks working on hacking the iPhone, are here at Chaos Communications Camp 2007 and they've got an NES emulator and Terminal among other things running on an iPhone. - Link
Posted by Bre Pettis |
Aug 12, 2007 05:20 AM
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August 11, 2007
Decoding a component datasheet
People are always asking me if you can really tell that much from a component datasheet (if you're not an electrical engineer). Greg Lipscomb shows how to figure out what a chip can do by reasoning through a datasheet's pin-out diagram and schematics. Here he uses the datasheet for the Maxim Max756 DC/DC step-up converter chip found in Ladyada's Minty Boost portable USB charger.
DIY DCDC Stepup with Max756 - Link
3.3V/5V Adjustable-Output, Step-Up DC-DC Converters Datasheet (PDF) - Link
Related:
Posted by Gareth Branwyn |
Aug 11, 2007 09:00 AM
DIY Projects, Electronics |
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Condenser mic in a tin can
We continue our impromptu series on tin can tech with this scratch-built condenser mic housed in a food tin.
The ultra-lowtech condenser microphone - [via] Link
Related:
- Fire-powered, bean-tin battery charger - Link
Posted by Gareth Branwyn |
Aug 11, 2007 08:00 AM
DIY Projects, Electronics, Music |
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The Hacker Tool Law in Effect
Today in Germany the Hacker Tool Law goes into effect. With the official name of Paragraph 202C it states that it is illegal to possess, use, produce, or distribute a "hacker tool".
In theory, law enforcement could come and arrest everyone here at Chaos Communications Camp. A group of hackers gathered in solidarity to protest this law. Hackers in Germany have been protesting the making of this law for the past year and are stunned that it passed and has gone into effect.
The term "hacker tool" is left vague. Nmap or other network monitoring system could fall into this category. Software likeKismac, a wifi detection software, closed down today. Phenoelit, a hacker group, also closed down shop and saying goodbye to Germany.
Posted by Bre Pettis |
Aug 11, 2007 06:51 AM
Events |
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August 10, 2007
Reaching Out to Makers in Texas
In preparation for Maker Faire in Austin October 20-21, I'll be coming to Texas in late August and September. We've already spent a lot of time in Austin rounding up makers. Now I want to make sure we reach makers from the entire state of Texas. Are you a maker who lives in Houston, Dallas and San Antonio? Are you involved in making things at Rice or Texas A&M? If so, I'd like to hear from you so I can encourage you to to come to Maker Faire.
If there's interest, I can make plans to meet groups of local makers on one of my upcoming trips. We can organize a meeting in a coffee shop or pub. If you live or work in one of these cities or universities, please contact me. Also, please feel free to send me introductions to makers that should be invited to participate in Maker Faire. You can also direct your fellow makers to the Maker Faire entry form. Our deadline for open entries closes next week, August 15. We will continue to take entries by invitation after that date.
So please help us make sure we see all of Texas at Maker Faire. We've already got a great program lined up but we're always looking to discover more makers.
Posted by Dale Dougherty |
Aug 10, 2007 12:52 PM
Maker Faire |
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Playing with RF Modules - Awesome Electronics Workshop PDFcast
This week's pdf includes Joe's great schematic drawings to illustrate how to play around with an RF module and a Radio Shack recording module! - PDF Link
- In the podcast we show a bunch of RF modules. Here are some links for you to explore them!
- Radio Shack 9V Recording Module (#276-1323A), $10.79 - Link
- Linx Technologies Keyfob Transmitter Basic Evaluation Kit - Link
- RF Digital - Link
- Radiotronix - Link
- Nordic Semiconductor - Link
- Parallax - Link
Posted by Bre Pettis |
Aug 10, 2007 09:00 AM
Electronics, MAKE PDF, MAKE Podcast, Weekend Projects |
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Playing with RF Modules - Awesome Electronics Workshop Podcast
The Awesome Electronics Workshop is back! Joe Grand and Bre Pettis show you how to integrate RF modules into your projects. - Subscribe Link
Note: I'm on a slow connection at CCC. When I've got a better connection, I'll upload the hd version of the video.
Posted by Bre Pettis |
Aug 10, 2007 09:00 AM
Electronics, MAKE Podcast, Weekend Projects |
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| Comments (3)
Top 10 articles you're reading in MAKE 10
We have datas! Here are the top 10 articles read by MAKE subscribers over the last month or so from the latest volume MAKE 10. We'll post these up every so often so you can pop in to your digital edition and see what's getting read the most, or flip the pages in your atomic copy of MAKE. If you want to get MAKE with the free digital edition, subscribe here and use the code CMAKE for an additional $5 off (US only).
The Brain Machine by Mitch Altman. Get altered states of consciousness with this microcontroller-driven sound and light device. Page 90 - Read.
Your Electronics Workbench by Charles Platt. What you need to get started in hobby electronics. Page 58 - Read.
Mortar Shells to Coffee Grounds (Made on Earth) by Amber Henshaw. Azmeraw Zeleke makes coffee machines from spent weapons. Page 20 - Read.
The Biggest Little Chip. An introduction to the versatile 555 timer by Charles Platt. Page 64 - Read.
Sound Effects (Made on Earth) by Megan Mansell Williams. Sound sculpturist Jeroen Diepenmaat has a bird that plays records. Page 18 - Read.
Eight-Step Program (Made on Earth) by David Battino. An 8x8-button USB controller that's also a display, from the designers and musicians at Monome. Page 22 - Read.
We're All Alright (Welcome). MAKE's managing editor Shawn Connally welcomes you to Volume 10: Home Electronics. Page 11 - Read.
RoboHouse by Andrew Turner. Easy-to-implement home automation. Page 74 - Read.
Nice Dice by Charles Platt. Build a pair of electronic random number generators. Page 68 - Read.
Illuminated Circuits
(Art Work) by Douglas Repetto. Artists are using circuit design as both a functional and an expressive medium. Page 28 - Read.
Posted by Phillip Torrone |
Aug 10, 2007 08:00 AM
Announcements |
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Make Labs' Biosphere & More!
It's always hard to tell which MAKE project will be the one that lots and lots of folks make and then share, it looks like for volume 10 a lot of makers are going tabletop biosphereing.
Here's one from our labs, over 5 months and going strong! - Link.
Here are a few photos from the Sparks Research Group - Link.
And this one from Cephalopodcast! They also took some nice macro photos - Link.
More:
Weekend project, make your own tabletop biosphere - Link.
From the pages of MAKE:
The Tabletop Shrimp Support Module (TSSM) is a fun demonstration of the ecological cycles that keep us alive. MAKE 10 - page 110. Subscribers--read this article now in your digital edition - Link or subscribe to MAKE.
Posted by Phillip Torrone |
Aug 10, 2007 07:00 AM
DIY Projects, Science |
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Antique electric safe
Alan sent in this old electric safe on eBay, it buzzed when it was lifted...
German Collectible Antique Safety Box Safe with electronic alarm. 9 1/2 x 7 1/2 x 5 1/4 inches. Very old Safe. With key. Bottom stamped, Made in Germany. With what appears to be a SN of 9500. I don't know how old this is, but I would estimate 1940's to 1950's. But you be the judge of the age. Safe has an electronic internal alarm that would actuate if the box got lifted off any surface. However, the alarm does not work, as the battery has been bad for who knows how long. I have no idea if the alarm would work if a new battery was found for this box. While the outside of the box shows surface rusting, the rust is just that......surface rust. Non seems to be going any further. Key lock works fine. Top handle is missing. Has ONE key included. Safe weighs almost 11 pounds.German Collectible Antique Safety Box Safe electronic - Link.
Posted by Phillip Torrone |
Aug 10, 2007 06:00 AM
Retro |
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LEGO turns 75
Happy 75th birthday LEGO! -
Parties were due to take place around the world Friday for Danish toy firm Lego as its 5,000 global employees prepared to celebrate the company's 75th birthday. Master carpenter Ole Kirk Christiansen started the company on August 10, 1932 in his studio in the town of Billund in Jutland. The headquarters of the global toy giant are still located in Billund. Christiansen created the word "Lego" in 1934 from the Danish words "leg godt" (play well).LEGO turns 75 - [via] Link.
Related:
Posted by Phillip Torrone |
Aug 10, 2007 05:00 AM
LEGO |
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Flying puppets
Cynthia sent in this site with some really nice RC planes and birds made from drinking straws and plastic wrap, the site promos a $15 book/PDF - might be something to check out if you're really in to these. If not the pictures are great - Link.
Posted by Phillip Torrone |
Aug 10, 2007 05:00 AM
DIY Projects |
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Instructional videos from TAP plastics
We've posted about the instructional videos from TAP plastics before, but here they are again and updated! Mold making to repairing scratched iPods - Link.
Posted by Phillip Torrone |
Aug 10, 2007 04:00 AM
DIY Projects |
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Mundo utility bicycle
Fred writes -
The Mundo Utility Bike is designed to promote affordable, scaleable transportation for cargo and people, particularly for developing parts of the world that rely heavily on human-powered mobility in rugged conditions. Of course, it works just as well taking your dog and your camping gear to a lake for a weekend. Or running errands around town. Or hauling a new piece of furniture home that you just picked up at a garage sale. It’s a bike built for anyone, anywhere.Mundo utility bicycle - Link.
Posted by Phillip Torrone |
Aug 10, 2007 03:00 AM
Transportation |
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Auto gadget says "thank you"
This is nice, the little sign thanks you when you drive nicely... Popular Science 1934 - Link.
Times have changed... sorta -
DIY Automotive messages book - Link.
LED car messages - Link.
Posted by Phillip Torrone |
Aug 10, 2007 02:00 AM
Transportation |
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Adding a remote antenna to Parallax's RFID reader
Frequent Maker and Roomba hacker extraordinaire Tobdbot writes -
The Parallax RFID reader is a pretty cool bit of tech. For $40 you get a reader with integrated antenna that outputs ASCII at 2400bps. Unfortunately, the integrated antenna means you can't place RFID tag sensing in tight spaces. You can however circumvent the built-in antenna and add your own. With a remote antenna of your own creation, you can customize its size and shape to fit your application.Adding a remote antenna to Parallax's RFID reader - Link.
From the pages of MAKE:
RFID for Makers. MAKE 06 - page 162. Build this kit to read radio frequency ID tags. From the column Theory & Practice. Subscribers--read this article now in your digital edition or get MAKE 06 from the Maker store - Link.
Posted by Phillip Torrone |
Aug 10, 2007 01:00 AM
DIY Projects, Electronics, Wireless |
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Page 16 of 23 << 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 >>
Features and more @ MAKE!
MAKE @ The NYC Toy Fair 2008 - Covering DIY!HOW TO - Build the arms of assistance.
MADE in Japan - Part I.
MADE in Japan - Part II.
MADE in Japan - Part III.
Make store - Blinky bug kit - Blink!
Make store - Loud Objects Noise Toy Kit
Makers - MAKE Flickr pool contest. Win cool stuff!
Makers - Join the MAKE Facebook page - Meet other makers.
MAKE on Twitter - Tweet! Tweet!
What you're reading in MAKE - Data!
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Phillip Torrone
Senior Editor
Tel: 707-827-7311
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