Half-Byte » News http://half-byte.com Doing more with less. Fri, 23 Sep 2011 17:57:27 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.4 Cannibalize lithium 18650 battery cells from an old laptop http://half-byte.com/2011/09/23/cannibalize-18650-battery/ http://half-byte.com/2011/09/23/cannibalize-18650-battery/#comments Fri, 23 Sep 2011 17:57:27 +0000 nibble http://half-byte.com/?p=213 Geek dad over at Wired has a nice write up on how useful old battery cells are from laptops.  If only once cell dies, the whole battery pack is kaput.  So, why not use the cells that still retain charge?

Geek Dad explains

]]> Geek dad over at Wired has a nice write up on how useful old battery cells are from laptops.  If only once cell dies, the whole battery pack is kaput.  So, why not use the cells that still retain charge?

Geek Dad explains

]]> http://half-byte.com/2011/09/23/cannibalize-18650-battery/feed/ 0 Robotics: Seen but rarely heard http://half-byte.com/2011/07/18/robotics-seen-but-rarely-heard/ http://half-byte.com/2011/07/18/robotics-seen-but-rarely-heard/#comments Mon, 18 Jul 2011 20:15:21 +0000 nibble http://half-byte.com/?p=199 I’m always astounded after watching a video of Kiva Systems order fulfillment robots in action.  The Roomba style robots integrate into a warehouse worker’s motions seamlessly.  This is one of the most successful applications of robotics I’ve run across.

“Kiva’s complete warehouse automation solution is sometimes compared to an automated storage and retrieval system [...]]]> I’m always astounded after watching a video of Kiva Systems order fulfillment robots in action.  The Roomba style robots integrate into a warehouse worker’s motions seamlessly.  This is one of the most successful applications of robotics I’ve run across.

“Kiva’s complete warehouse automation solution is sometimes compared to an automated storage and retrieval system (AS/RS), but it’s so much more – more flexible, more accurate, more productive, much easier to use and more cost effective. Kiva is a goods-to-man order picking and fulfillment system like no other, and widely recognized as the leader in eCommerce fulfillment solutions. In distribution centers, warehouses and manufacturing plants equipped with the Kiva MFS, operators stand still while the products come to them. Pallets, cases, and orders are stored on mobile inventory pods that are picked up and moved by a fleet of robotic drive units. As a result, any product can go to any operator at any time to fill any order.”

Some people may be arguing those robots are costing the US jobs, but that is precisely the point.  One day we may all sport a life of leisure, as the robotic overlords take care of us like pets (and hopefully not pests).

]]> http://half-byte.com/2011/07/18/robotics-seen-but-rarely-heard/feed/ 0 Analog meter mantle clock http://half-byte.com/2011/07/14/analog-meter-mantle-clock/ http://half-byte.com/2011/07/14/analog-meter-mantle-clock/#comments Thu, 14 Jul 2011 20:06:09 +0000 nibble http://half-byte.com/?p=196

McIntosh created a beautiful form factor for the mantle clock.  The hours and minutes are shown with an analog meter and the display is lit with a cool blue LED.  Elegant!

The price is a bit hefty, however.

via [...]]]> analog meter mantle clock

McIntosh created a beautiful form factor for the mantle clock.  The hours and minutes are shown with an analog meter and the display is lit with a cool blue LED.  Elegant!

The price is a bit hefty, however.

via Uncrate.com

]]> http://half-byte.com/2011/07/14/analog-meter-mantle-clock/feed/ 0 High school kid builds custom 8bit computer http://half-byte.com/2011/06/23/high-school-kid-builds-custom-8bit-computer/ http://half-byte.com/2011/06/23/high-school-kid-builds-custom-8bit-computer/#comments Thu, 23 Jun 2011 21:36:24 +0000 nibble http://half-byte.com/?p=185 “You think you’re smart? Well, not as smart as this guy. Jack Eisenmann, a programmer who just graduated high school, has built his own 8-bit homebrew computer completely from scratch using an old keyboard, a television, and a ton of TTL logic chips. No, he didn’t buy some computer parts and snap them together; [...]]]> “You think you’re smart? Well, not as smart as this guy. Jack Eisenmann, a programmer who just graduated high school, has built his own 8-bit homebrew computer completely from scratch using an old keyboard, a television, and a ton of TTL logic chips. No, he didn’t buy some computer parts and snap them together; he blueprinted every wire and connection and then built it, wire by wire. After he finished construction, he had to teach it how to communicate, so he created his own operating system and wrote some games for it. That’s dedication.”



The chiptune choice for the soundtrack is more than perfect.

“The new computer is called the Duo Adept and has specs that could be dwarfed by a NES, but it gets the job done. The computer has 64K of memory, 6K of which is dedicated video RAM needed to output a 240×208 black and white image. Since writing a basic hex editor for the Duo Adept, he’s taught it how to count to a googel, and programmed several games including Pong, Life, and a Donkey Kong-like game called “Get Muffin,” where you must get the muffin to win (tip: it’s up the ladder).”

via Yahoo News.

continue to Eisenmann’s web page.

Don’t forget to check out the Homebuilt CPUs WebRing founded by David Brooks at the bottom of the page.

]]> http://half-byte.com/2011/06/23/high-school-kid-builds-custom-8bit-computer/feed/ 0 Unobtrusive video recording glasses http://half-byte.com/2011/06/22/unobtrusive-video-recording-glasses/ http://half-byte.com/2011/06/22/unobtrusive-video-recording-glasses/#comments Wed, 22 Jun 2011 19:14:39 +0000 nibble http://half-byte.com/?p=181 BoingBoing brought this device, which I’ve been wanting for years, to my attention.

Anytime I find myself in a situation where I would want to record it, the moment has passed by the time a camera or smart phone can be brought out of a pocket.  Afterall, those really cherished moments are the most [...]]]> BoingBoing brought this device, which I’ve been wanting for years, to my attention.

Anytime I find myself in a situation where I would want to record it, the moment has passed by the time a camera or smart phone can be brought out of a pocket.  Afterall, those really cherished moments are the most fleeting and a recording device is far too obtrusive and distracting, much like testing quantum mechanics… the test affects the result.


ZionEyez

What I dearly want is to have a camera embedded in my glasses which is constantly recording on a circular buffer.  When I experience a precious moment, a simple tap on the frame downloads the previous hour to a smartphone (or marks the hour as non-writeable).  Later I can edit the video on a computer to make it more tidy and clean.

It looks like someone over at ZionEyez is hot on the trail for developing a device that records unobtrusively.  Although, they don’t have the loop buffer it is still a practical step in the right direction.

Here it is directly from the horses mouth:

“Our engineering team at ZionEyez is currently developing Eyez, the latest innovation in personal video recording technology. Eyez embeds a 720p HD video camera within a pair of eyeglasses designed to record live video data. The recorded data can be stored on the 8GB of flash memory within the Eyez glasses, transferred via Bluetooth or Micro USB to a computer, or wirelessly transferred to most iPhone or Android devices. After a one-time download of the “Eyez” smartphone and tablet app, users can wirelessly broadcast the video in real time to their preferred social networking website.”

Check out their KickStarter page and follow their progress.

Maybe someday you can record what you actually experience.  Or, maybe someday you can act like a spy.  Either way, ZionEyez is a win.

go to the KickStarter page.

go to the ZionEyez official page.

via BoingBoing

]]> http://half-byte.com/2011/06/22/unobtrusive-video-recording-glasses/feed/ 0 Humming bird spy robot http://half-byte.com/2011/06/13/humming-bird-spy-robot/ http://half-byte.com/2011/06/13/humming-bird-spy-robot/#comments Mon, 13 Jun 2011 23:34:32 +0000 nibble http://half-byte.com/?p=165 “The final concept demonstrator is called the ‘Nano Hummingbird’ and is capable of climbing and descending vertically, flying sideways left and right, flying forward and backward, as well as rotating clockwise and counter-clockwise, under remote control and carrying a video camera payload. During the demonstration the Nano Hummingbird flew in and out of a [...]]]> SpyHummer“The final concept demonstrator is called the ‘Nano Hummingbird’ and is capable of climbing and descending vertically, flying sideways left and right, flying forward and backward, as well as rotating clockwise and counter-clockwise, under remote control and carrying a video camera payload. During the demonstration the Nano Hummingbird flew in and out of a building through a normal-size doorway.”

more info.

]]> http://half-byte.com/2011/06/13/humming-bird-spy-robot/feed/ 0 Retro Bluetooth Handset for Sale http://half-byte.com/2011/01/07/retro-bluetooth-handset-for-sale/ http://half-byte.com/2011/01/07/retro-bluetooth-handset-for-sale/#comments Sat, 08 Jan 2011 02:19:49 +0000 nibble http://half-byte.com/?p=149 It looks like those over at ThinkGeek one up’ed me. They threw the whole bluetooth retro-handset idea into a really nice package. So, instead of searching for an old phone handset and making your own, you can hop over to ThinkGeek and buy a pretty black one ($29-$50) that is ready to [...]]]> Retro-BT HandsetIt looks like those over at ThinkGeek one up’ed me. They threw the whole bluetooth retro-handset idea into a really nice package. So, instead of searching for an old phone handset and making your own, you can hop over to ThinkGeek and buy a pretty black one ($29-$50) that is ready to use.

]]> http://half-byte.com/2011/01/07/retro-bluetooth-handset-for-sale/feed/ 0 How Makers Benefit from the Age of Info (video) http://half-byte.com/2010/01/19/how-makers-benefit-from-the-age-of-info-video/ http://half-byte.com/2010/01/19/how-makers-benefit-from-the-age-of-info-video/#comments Tue, 19 Jan 2010 22:42:09 +0000 nibble http://half-byte.com/?p=51 Here’s a great video so you don’t take for granted where we are in the information age and the many untold benefits we get from having the internet at our fingertips. The video helps keep the times in perspective.

It has never been easier to get involved in hobby electronics, especially since you can [...]]]> Here’s a great video so you don’t take for granted where we are in the information age and the many untold benefits we get from having the internet at our fingertips. The video helps keep the times in perspective.

It has never been easier to get involved in hobby electronics, especially since you can learn, find reference information, and quickly order parts from “all around the world”. All those online data sheets, knowledge bases, tutorials, forums, stores didn’t exist ~15 years ago, as David explains.

]]> http://half-byte.com/2010/01/19/how-makers-benefit-from-the-age-of-info-video/feed/ 0 Half-byte was Hacked http://half-byte.com/2010/01/15/half-byte-was-hacked/ http://half-byte.com/2010/01/15/half-byte-was-hacked/#comments Fri, 15 Jan 2010 02:13:44 +0000 admin http://half-byte.com/?p=4 Half-byte was hacked recently due to it using an old version of back-end software that was vulnerable to silly and easy security breaches.

The site should be back to its full glory shortly. I’m taking the opportunity to make changes in security as well as the overall site appearance. Stay tuned.

Update (2010/01/17): Half-byte.com [...]]]> Half-byte was hacked recently due to it using an old version of back-end software that was vulnerable to silly and easy security breaches.

The site should be back to its full glory shortly. I’m taking the opportunity to make changes in security as well as the overall site appearance. Stay tuned.

Update (2010/01/17): Half-byte.com should be back up and running with a new layout and theme. Most everything has been finished except a few more header images need to be created. The ones used now don’t have the best quality.

]]> http://half-byte.com/2010/01/15/half-byte-was-hacked/feed/ 0 Laser Powering a Solar Cell Experiment http://half-byte.com/2010/01/07/laser-powering-a-solar-cell-experiment/ http://half-byte.com/2010/01/07/laser-powering-a-solar-cell-experiment/#comments Thu, 07 Jan 2010 21:45:03 +0000 nibble http://www.half-byte.com/2010/01/07/laser-powering-a-solar-cell-experiment/ How much current does a simple over the counter five dollar laser produce when hitting a small solar panel?  I wasn’t sure, so I did a little experiment.

Using my handy multimeter, I determined the laser circuit was 4.5V at 25 mA.  Since W = V * A, 4.5V x 25mA is 112.5mW.  Now [...]]]> How much current does a simple over the counter five dollar laser produce when hitting a small solar panel?  I wasn’t sure, so I did a little experiment.

Base ReadingUsing my handy multimeter, I determined the laser circuit was 4.5V at 25 mA.  Since W = V * A, 4.5V x 25mA is 112.5mW.  Now that’s just the internal circuit power.  There’s a sticker on the the cheap-o laser explaining the laser output is < 5mW.

I had a small photovoltaic sensor from All Electronics, that has an output of about 0.5 volts.  When placed under a lamp it produced 2mA of current.

Laser ReadingWhen the laser was directed on the sensor, the current registered 4.5mA.  This means 0.5V x 4.5mA is 2.25mW.

The reading includes the background lamp light, so the power generated by the laser hitting the cell is much less.  A lot of the light was lost due to reflection, but my objective wasn’t to test the light output of the laser.  I really wanted to see how much power could be generated on the solar cell side.

]]> http://half-byte.com/2010/01/07/laser-powering-a-solar-cell-experiment/feed/ 1