Location based videos

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Neat GPS / video project @ the DeLorme blog using their Xmap software, Chip writes-

Eight members of Team DeLorme’s cycling group made the long trip from Yarmouth, Maine, down to New York City to participate in the 2008 NYC 5 Boro Bike Tour. The weather was great and the opportunity to ride through the heart of such an impressive city without any automobile traffic was amazing!

The 5 Boro Bike Tour is even bigger in person than described on Bike New York’s web site. You really have to be in the middle of the pack to appreciate what 30,000 cyclists look like! I’ve uploaded video clips (See a couple of favorite videos at the end of this post) from a helmet cam along with some photos taken by people in our group. Check them out to get a feel for the magnitude of this event. I see why the ride has earned the title of ”largest recreational cycling event in the nation!”

As usual, the Earthmate GPS PN-20 was with me throughout the ride. While it was impossible to get lost with that many riders, it was still good to see where we were on the route. I’ve included a screen shot from our XMap software so that you can see how I’ve linked the video clips into the map to make a nice project file for sharing with the other riders.

Add-Art – turn the adverweb into an art gallery

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Add-Art is an ad blocking extension for Firefox, but it’s a bit different from other ad blocking hacks. Instead of simply removing ads, leaving a score of empty holes in ad-laden sites, Add-Art replaces all those nasty skyscrapers and leaderboards with a selection of images from a contemporary artist. The image above, for instance, is a cropped banner from Add-Art’s current show, Hotel Vue des Alpes by Monica Studer and Christoph van den Berg.

In addition to turning your browser into an art gallery, blocking ads might actually speed up your browsing experience a bit. The Add-Art images are distributed with the plugin and are loaded locally from your machine, so there’s no download involved for any of the ad units. Just think of all those bytes you could be saving while viewing lovely mountain scenery instead of dancing mortgage dudes.

Add-Art Firefox Plugin
Hotel Vue des Alpes

MAKE NYC meeting (photos)

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Monday night’s MAKE NYC meet up was PACKED @ NYCResistor! Makers learned how to create their own PCBs for electronic projects and demonstrations of different PCB making techniques. More photos here. Love the xkcd PCB!

MAKE NYC write up of the event and the information / files to your own flashlight.

More:

From the pages of MAKE:
Make Pt0774
Printed Circuit Boards. Step-by-step instructions for making your own PCBs at home. Subscribers–read this article now in your digital edition or get MAKE 02 in the Maker Shed.

Subscribe to MAKE here, use the code CMAKE and get $5 off USD!

Robotic saxophone player will hit the notes

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This Saxophone playing robot from Japan is pretty adept at its craft. Check out the video at the link below of it tearing up John Coltrane’s “Giant Steps.” Also there are some nice close-up photos of the onboard gears and motors.

Japanese saxophone-playing robot proves we have come a long way

Mobile Wii station might make you seem like a hypocrite

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This mobile Nintendo Wii station is built with an HD monitor powered partly by solar energy. Inside is a battery, power converter and solar panel that generates enough juice to power the Wii. Pretty cool idea for a portable console, although it might be hard to see the screen, not to mention the fact that you are playing video games outside when you should probably be playing “actual” sports since you are outside already.

Solar Powered Wii via Tom’s Games

Use DMX to control your lights

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This cool new DMX module from Tinker (the team behind the immensely popular Arduino controller) is a device that can receive DMX messages and control many different types of lights. It is powered by 12 volts DC and set inside a DIN enclosure. DMX messages are converted into PWM signals driving 4 power MOSFETs and DMX address is set via the onboard DIP switches. Pretty cool piece of hardware with some code samples to boot!

DMX Interface

Fashioning Technology by Syuzi Pakhchyan – CRAFT Video Podcast


Download the MP4 Video or HD Version | Subscribe to CRAFT in iTunes

We are excited to announce a new book from CRAFT — Fashioning Technology: A DIY Intro into Smart Crafting by Syuzi Pakhchyan, is available starting today. Learn how to take your craft projects to the next level with “smart” materials where you can create accessories, housewares, and toys that light up, make sounds, or do even more. Fashioning Technology offers jargon-free primers and lots of how-to projects that will have you making — and even wearing — functional works of art. Watch this special CRAFT Video Podcast and get a preview with Syuzi herself as she takes you through some of the fun projects!

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Buy Fashioning Technology by Syuzi Pakhchyan in the Maker Shed today!

This book demonstrates how to blend sewing and assembly techniques with traditional electronics to assemble simple circuits using conductive thread, solder joints for snaps, and switches for buttons. With the sewing machine as a viable substitute for the soldering iron, you can craft a new generation of objects that are interactive, quirky, and fashion-conscious.

Look for Fashioning Technology Kits soon this Summer in the Maker Shed! For now, check out the rest of our CRAFT Kits.