The new year is just around the corner, how would you like some cool swag from Hacked Gadgets to kick it off? We are going to be giving the lucky winner two great magazine subscriptions for a year, lots of LEDs and a gift certificate to Think Geek!
All you have to do yo enter is make two postings in the Hacked Gadget forum and one post on an article on the main site. Click here for more contest details.
Cool Contest Prizes
1 Year of Make Magazine
“The first magazine devoted entirely to DIY technology projects, MAKE Magazine unites, inspires and informs a growing community of resourceful people who undertake amazing projects in their backyards, basements, and garages.”
1 Year of either Nuts and Volts or Servo (your choice)
“Nuts & Volts is written for the hands-on hobbyist, design engineer, technician, and experimenter. The diversity of subjects appeals to all levels of experience and […]
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How would you like to get your hands on a Roboreptile for free? If you are nodding your head you might want to visit our friends over at RoboCommunity, they are holding a contest where you could win one.
“We know that you’re spending a lot time and effort to get gifts for your friends and family, and probably not much for yourself. Here’s your chance to win a Roboreptile just for you and just in time for the holidays!
To Enter:
Entry is simple - just sign up as a RoboCommunity member. RoboCommunity is free to join and registration is easy! The contest ends Dec 20, 2006, so hurry. The drawing will take place soon after. ”
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Everyone who has a love for gadgets knew James Kim. James was a senior editor for CNET showing the world all the great gadgets. He died a hero, walking 12 miles in the snow trying to save his family. His wife Kati, daughters Penelope and Sabine were found alive.
You will be missed James.
To send the family words of encouragement or give a donation please go to jamesandkati.com
WCCO has a news cast online about the sad news.
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uC Hobby has some news about a microcontroller design contest. Looks like the free controllers are gone but you can still enter and get some prize money.
“Circuit Cellar, Luminary Micro, and Keil are running a design competition with $10,000 in prizes. Entering the contest will get you a free ARM microcontroller development kit and your entry may be published in the Circuit Cellar hobby electronics magazine. The kit includes a limited version of the Keil embedded software development tool.”
Thanks David.
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There is a good article about selecting the right microcontroller serial bus in this months Electronic Products magazine. Many people are like me, they use what they know. This article has a good explanation of the differences so that we can make a better informed decision for the next product.
“At the heart of most of today’s advanced electronic products is a microcontroller that communicates with one or more peripheral devices. At one time, microcontroller periphery was memory mapped and connected to the data and address bus.
Chip-select signals were decoded from address lines to give each component its unique location in the limited address range. The access time was short, but the overhead inflated the package size and overall cost. The obvious alternative is a serial interface, and there are some options in this area.
Key differences in available serial interfaces include data rate and operating voltage. One also needs to consider:
• […]
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Sparkfun has put together a good guide on how to solder surface mount components.
“More and more ICs come in surface mount packages only these days. And I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard someone say ‘Well I can’t solder that because it’s SMD’. They’re wrong! You can solder anything. That’s right, anything from your own dorm-cell-room.
This tutorial will show you just how to solder crazy things like this connector, leadless ICs, etc. There are a very few tools that are required and a handful that are recommended but you’ll be able to solder:”
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Here is a simple project work surface idea from uC Hobby. I might be able to get rid of the old magazines that currently serve to protect my table.
“In a few steps, a recycled Tower PC case cover is converted into an excellent working surface. This surface will protect your desk or counter top from solder splashes and scratches. Since the plate is made of steel, you can mount tools or use magnets to hold things in place.”
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What happens when you apply way too much voltage to a circuit? Watch the video and see for yourself!
“Check out this video by Legs & MrPinky showing you exactly what happens when you apply 240V of AC power to various different computer hardware, there’s also a sledgehammer introducing itself to a hard drive thrown in for good measure…..”
Via: Hack247
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Forget billboard advertising, I would wear a cool stylish jacket (or other clothes) for a cut in ad revenues.
“Philips Research seems to be very keen on attracting the tech savvy attention at this year’s IFA (Internationale Funkausstellung) with a world-first demonstration of the jackets and furniture that are set to change the face of global fashion. The jackets and furniture feature its innovative Lumalive technology. Lumalive textiles make it possible to create fabrics that carry dynamic advertisements, graphics and constantly changing color surfaces. Philips Research has made immense progress in fully integrating Lumalive fabrics into garments demonstrated by the jackets worn by Philips’ hostesses at the show. The first generation jackets are all set to commercialize through companies partnering Philips Research. What makes Fabric out-of-the-world is flexible arrays of colored light-emitting diodes (LEDs) that are fully integrated into the fabric.”
Via: NewLaunches
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