Make: Online: iPod Archives

iPod Archive: iPod

November 4, 2009

iPod touch POS system

If you've ever shopped at an Apple store you've probably experienced their relaxed point of sale (POS) system. You walk in, try out new gear, talk to a sales rep, swipe your card, sign a screen, blurt an email address, and you're out of there. Usually you skip the register, yet your wallet always seems lighter after each visit. It's all very smooth and thought out. But something has always bugged me about the whole process. The sales reps have always used a third-party mobile device to complete the transaction. It just didn't go well with the jeans and black turtleneck vibe.

Well, it would seem that Apple has picked up on customers pestering them about this minor user experience discrepancy and are about to remedy the situation with a new POS system based on their wildly popular iPod touch mobile entertainment device. Dubbed EasyPay, each unit will consist of a iPod touch and a special case which houses a barcode scanner, card reader, extra battery and mini-USB connector. The system runs custom POS software and uses a Pogo Sketch stylus to capture cardholder signatures.

Apple's new iPod touch-based EasyPay checkout [via AppleInsider]

October 20, 2009

iPod-accelerometer-controlled dance floor lights

John Boiles, he of the iPod-controlled RC car, also produced this sweet wirelessly controlled light dimmer, which he demonstrates in this video, controlling different sets of X-mas lights by shaking his iPod. See it work around 1:40, then be sure to check out the dance party at 2:40. The iPod is enclosed in the "law book" prop everyone is shaking around, together with their booties, while they rock out to vintage Bon Jovi, et. al.

iPod-controlled RC car

More Dorkbot Austin goodness! John Boiles demonstrated this radio-controlled car steered using his iPod's built-in accelerometer via its built-in WiFi transmitter. All you have to do is tilt the iPod, and the car goes. It starts to move around 1:10.

October 15, 2009

iPhone PS/2 keyboard interface with Arduino

It's tricky getting a keyboard working with an iPhone. Why is that? Does Apple go out of their way to make the two incompatible? It sure seems like it. With such an awesome touch interface you'd think they'd have the keyboard thing figured out. Luckily there are folks like maker Ben Kurtz who go out of their way to scratch an itch. Using an Arduino Diecimila, breakout board, female PS/2 connector, and sundry components Ben has built an interface to connect a full-sized keyboard to his jailbroken iPhone. It's a bit circuitous, but it gets the job done using easily resourced parts.

How To Connect a PS/2 Keyboard to the iPhone [via hackaday]

If you're interested in building a jailbreak-free keyboard interface for your iPhone, check out chapter 12 in iPhone Hacks.

In the Maker Shed:

October 14, 2009

Coffee sleeve iPhone stand

The onslaught of DIY iPhone stands continues. This time around we find ourselves in a cafe with a warm beverage and the need to watch BMX stunt videos. Luckily we remembered to bring along our nice utility scissors and the Barista was kind enough to include a cup sleeve with the drink. The overall execution and reuse of recyclables on this project should gain high marks for those keeping score at home.

October 12, 2009

How-To: Make an easy iPhone alarm clock stand

This has to be my favorite iPhone stand to date. Its simple one piece design is easy to fabricate and lays flat when not in use. Follow along with this Instructables as maker jonpoate steps through the process. [via lifehacker]

Photoshop on the iPhone

Adobe has released a version of their Photoshop.com Mobile app for the iPhone. It's not the full-featured professional software known for it's reality altering effects, but rather a slimmed-down version compatible with their photoshop.com service. You'll have the ability to perform basic operations on your images like crop, rotate, and flip. You'll also be able to do basic color correction and apply simple filters and effects.

After making personalized edits, users can upload photos from their iPhone to their Photoshop.com account to view and retrieve their images at a later time from any Internet-connected computer. In addition, Photoshop.com Mobile for iPhone provides the ultimate digital photo wallet, giving users access to their entire Photoshop.com library directly from their iPhone.

October 7, 2009

iPhone headphone mod

I've come across some pretty cool headphones, but most of them lack the mic and remote of the newer Apple earphones that come with the iPhone. This mod is pretty much what you'd expect, but sometimes a good visual cue helps trigger the creative process. In the accompanying video Andreas Ødegård walks through swapping out the inferior Apple drivers for a set of Sennheiser CX300 drivers from a broken pair. Not only does this create a superior product that could never be purchased in a store, but it re-uses something that would otherwise have been thrown out with the trash.

October 6, 2009

Build iPhone apps with Flash

It would seem that Adobe has squeezed Flash onto the iPhone. It is not in its usual guise as a browser plugin, but rather as a method to build full-fledged apps downloadable from the iPhone App Store. This should come as good news to folks familiar with the popular content creation software. In one fell swoop Adobe has lowered the barrier of entry to developing for the iPhone.

October 5, 2009

Wooden hand crank iPhone dock automata

This wooden hand crank iPhone dock automata by Murtaza Lakdawala is equal parts form and function. Turn the crank and watch the gears mesh as the automata changes the iPhone's orientation from portrait to landscape.

[via Gizmodo]

September 28, 2009

Notepod prototyping notepad

If you're designing a user interface for an iPhone app the appropriately named NotePod seems like it would be perfect for knocking out a quick sketch. The full-scale die-cut 100pp pad features rounded corners and the familiar minimalist iPhone interface.

[via swiss-miss]

September 24, 2009

Recumbent mobile media stand hack

If you've ever tried to watch a movie on your phone in bed then you'll definitely appreciate this free-standing phone stand hack from Andrew over at Recombu. There's never been an easier way to get your lazy on. Enjoy.

[via recombu]

September 21, 2009

Foldable mobile device stand that fits in your wallet

If you've ever been stuck on a cross-country flight and needed something to prop up your mobile while you watched a movie, then you'll love this clever adjustable folding stand from the creator of the iPhone Paper Clip Stand. The design itself is ripe for modification. Laser-etched business cards anyone?

[via iPhone Atlas]

September 14, 2009

LEGO rotating dock for iPhone/iPod touch

Stephen "Doc" Combs of Bricks in my Pocket fame pieced together this fully functional LEGO rotating dock for an iPod/iPod touch. Besides watching video in landscape mode it's perfect for use with an alarm clock app.

As I began to create this little contraption I said to myself, "How could this be a bit cooler and more functional?" The answer was to make it a rotating dock so I could watch movies and apps in landscape mode.

[via hackaday]

September 9, 2009

iPhone robot mask

The folks over at recombu.com demonstrate a subtle finesse of low and high tech in this retro-futuristic iPhone robot mask tutorial.

If you're like the Recombu team then you'll often struggle to decide what to wear to a fancy dress party, but we think we've come up with a pretty nifty solution. Using an iPhone, the MouthOff app and some household goods we've created a robot mask.

[via Andrew Lim]

In the Maker Shed:

September 8, 2009

Arduino iPod Remote

Maker David Findlay gets his Arduino Nano talking AAP to his iPod using a SparkFun PodGizmo connector, BOB-08745 Logic Level Converter, and a ginormous red button.

Of course, hooking up wasn't going to do much without some code to talk Apple Accessory Protocol, so that was the next task. I wrote an Arduino library for the parts of the Apple Accessory Protocol that I was going to need, and a bit more besides. I posted it on github in case anyone else wanted to use it. It comes with a couple of example sketches: a play/pause one using Simple Remote mode (wonder where I got that idea from); and one for Advanced Remote mode that pulls back information for the track that the iPod is currently playing. The latter could form the basis of an Arduino-based dock that showed track information on an LCD display, for example.

August 21, 2009

Model for 3D printing on iPod

Originally designed to be a mobile media playback device, the iPod now resembles a workstation that fits in your pocket. It may seem passé now, but there was a time when real-time 3D meant desk-sized workstations that cost as much as a luxury car, now it fits in your pocket and costs as much as a decent night out. Of course you're not going to design an engine or skyscraper with an iPod, but with this proof-of-concept instructables you can start to see some of the creative potential of modern hand-held devices. Low-cost paint apps, music apps, video apps, 3D modelers; they may not replace the workstation anytime soon, but creative people are starting to notice the tools laying dormant in their pockets and are starting to use them.

[via James Hudak]

August 20, 2009

Dinosaur iPhone dock

There's something oddly appealing about charging a mobile phone on the back of a dinosaur. Heck, even mentioning that to someone sounds absurd. Yet here we are; iPhones and dinosaurs living together in harmony. What a fun dock mod. Though, if I were building a similar dock I'd go for the plastic pineapple.

[via iPhoneSavior]

August 18, 2009

Autonomous bot uses iPod for serial display

From the MAKE Flickr pool

Flickr member DEFNET's autonomous four-wheeler sports an iPod to display serial data -

This is my autonomous robot. It uses an Arduino to control it, an ultrasonic sensor, and an iPod displays output data through the serial port.
It drives using two servos modified for continuous drive. The servo for the sensor does not presently work because using the default code library I can only control two servos.
When it gets too close to a wall it backs up, turns to look both ways, and chooses the way with least obstruction. All while outputting distance and decision information to the serial port.

Awesome contrast between the cardboard enclosure & iPod Touch! Have a closer look on the project's photo page.

August 14, 2009

Spying on the biggest iPod ever (Jalopy style)

With iPod rumor season upon us (videocams? microphones for VoIP calls!), it's time to gaze back fondly on those quaint iPods of yestermonth. And the quaintest has got to be Mister Jalopy's World's Biggest iPod hack, as seen in MAKE, Volume 04.

Who doesn't love MJ's fat little iPod (is that a 3rd Gen?) grafted into a lovely 1940s radio cabinet, complete with a Panasonic turntable and Mac mini to rip old vinyl to MP3s, and the original working radio buttons hacked to control the iPod. Journalist and author Kurt Andersen, the host of public radio's Studio 360 (and former editor of Spy magazine), recently visited Mister Jalopy's Garage for an interview and grabbed this video of the World's Biggest iPod in action.

More at Hooptyrides.com.