August 2009

CRISTAL - Control of Remotely Interfaced Systems using Touch-based Actions in Living spaces
Complex Hacks

2

  This CRISTAL remote system by the folks at Media Interaction Lab would be a welcome addition to any complex home theater setting. The intuitive ease of use is something that current remote controls can only dream about. Recently some remote controls have incorporated color LCD displays to attempt to allow additional functionality but it can only go so far. Now that projection technology has been dropping in price I

Smart Tweezers Hack
DIY Hacks

3

  The guys over at Openschemes have hacked a set of Smart Tweezers to measure voltages. The internal DMM chip that was used in the Smart Tweezers has voltage measurement capability however it was never meant to be used. It also seems that even if you purchase one of these Smart Tweezers you should probably adjust the internal calibration pot to allow more precise measurements. "Disassembly of the MS8910 is

Computerized Office Disco Ball
DIY Hacks

1

  If your next office party needs a tiny amount of fun added you could whip up this cool disco ball. Yes, the same effect could have been created in about 5 minutes with no complexity but what fun would that be? "For fun, Sid created a disco-ball wired to a servo-mechanism by a switch. Then, added a microcontroller (from a WSNnode) and some helping FETs. Then, controlled the node

Guess the Price Contest 5
Contests

38

  Above is an electronic board, the source will not be given to add to the challenge. This contest will run for one week (Aug 29 – Sept 4, 2009). Ending time is based on central standard time. To enter, leave a comment with your best guess of the item price. If you know the source of the ad please do not provide it in the comments. The winner will

JAN6418 Valve Preamplifier Kit Build
DIY Hacks

1

  If you are into audio and kit building have a look at this cool JAN6418 Valve Preamplifier Kit Build. Not very many areas of electronics have kept tubes alive but this kit uses two of them as the heart of the circuit. "Oatley Electronics in New South Wales Australia makes a few kits based around the Raytheon JAN6418 sub-miniature valve (tube). These 6418 valves look like small Christmas Tree

DIY LED Tube Light
DIY Hacks

3

  If you have been thinking about making some of your own DIY LED lighting have a look at this DIY LED Tube Light project for some inspiration. There is lots of build details and tons of good pictures to get some great ideas. "The LEDs in the lamp designed are driven using a linear current regulator. The following is a parts list for this circuit. This website will not

EyeWriter
Complex Hacks

4

  The EyeWriter is a cool piece of hardware that serves an important task. Tony Quan was diagnosed with ALS in 2003. The disease has left him almost completely physically paralyzed except for his eyes. With EyeWriter Tony can now draw with his eyes. "The EyeWriter project is on ongoing collaborative research effort to empower people, who are suffering from ALS, with creative technologies. The project began in Los Angeles,