Outguessing the machine

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Category: gEEk

  • WinLIRC stuff

    Yes, it means I’m hacking around on a MythTV setup again. LIRC is Linux Infrared Remote Control, a program for receiving keypresses from a remote control (TVs, etc.) on the computer, and/or blasting out simulated remote-control keypresses. WinLIRC is the same thing, for a Windows box*. Its documentation is a bit lacking however, so this…

  • It’s a mean old bitch and it has stupid name, bitch bitch bitch bitch bitch bitch bitch

    So, I got an email back today from a contractee, whereupon I learned: 1) A technology I created, which I envisioned as having significant pro-consumer subversive uses, will instead be used as a carrier for evil (“hey, can it collect usage data to sell to credit-card companies every time they use it? That would be…

  • First New England RepRap User’s Group Meeting at Olin College

    Toward the end of July a couple friends and I had the chance to drop in to the first New England RepRap usergroup meeting. RepRap is short for Replicating Rapid Prototyper (a.k.a. 3D printer), the goal being an open-source machine design capable of making most of its own parts. The machine itself consists of a…

  • Howto: Talk to arbitrary USB devices with Processing (1.0 Beta)

    I’ve been playing with the Processing language (http://processing.org) a little bit and liking it so far. For anyone not familiar, it’s a Java-based rapid-prototyping language that includes very friendly libraries for graphics, sound, video and select hardware (e.g. serial port). One thing I couldn’t find much info on was talking to arbitrary USB devices (not…

  • DIY Magnetic Fridge Poetry

    Like the idea of magnetic poetry kits, but they don’t come with the types of words you want? Here’s an easy way to make your own, specialty kits. Supplies needed: Printer in working condition Magnetic Sheeting – any kind that will feed thru your printer (such as Staples Inkjet Magnetic Sheets), or most any kind…

  • Blinkenlichten RGB LED controller: protocol / firmware (1.2)

    This is the protocol spec and PIC10 firmware download for Das Blinkenlichten (1.2). This version improves handling of the ‘Identify’ command by end devices. Backward compatibility to 1.1 is not affected. I don’t have pretty datasheets, application notes, timing diagrams, or much example code / pseudocode, but I’m sick of sitting on this thing until…

  • Vibe update

    So, Jane and I built the electronics for 30 of them, then I took them home and plugged one in for a test drive. It connected to the USB port, beautifully, then I go to turn up the juice. As soon as there is power going to the motor and it’s getting ready to turn,…

  • Playing with polyurethane casting material

    For a project at work I had to mold some things in this hard clear polyurethane, so my Mechie ordered a giant kit of the stuff – more than the project ever will need (and it has a very limited shelf life). So I mixed up a little more than necessary and used the leftover…

  • Clean Pile / Dirty Pile – laundry management system and method rev2

    As mentioned in a recent post, I own a dresser, which has been stocked with clothing* approximately twice in the last 3.5 years. (Eek, Boston, has it really been that long?) I don’t know who came up with dressers, but they probably didn’t have a day job. “So wait, I’m supposed to take all the…

  • Why Windows asks you for drivers again whenever you plug a USB device into a new port!

    I found this today while searching on another USB-developer-related problem: "Why does Windows not recognize my USB device as the same device if I plug it into a different port?" For those who can’t be bothered to click the link, this occurs if the device doesn’t specify a serial number in its USB descriptors. They…

  • Nintendo DS Lite power (current) consumption, part 2 (and other stuff!)

    This is a continuation of this post, where I hooked up an ammeter as an afterthought while changing the fuse I blew in my DSLite. I didn’t have any games with me and hadn’t fixed it up to sleep with a SuperCard, so these additional numbers are below. Check the prior post for stuff about…

  • Drmn’ Vibe netdemo at Intro.Inter.Tech

    First off, there is a [Big Photo Album] with pics and videos of many of the pieces. (Audio-centric ones didn’t document well since my camera seems to assume the microphone(s) are just there for the photographer to talk to it, and any sound that occurs in front of the camera is just noise.) Also, the…

  • IEEE Sez: Open Source == Terrorism!

    No, that’s not a typo, and not (much) of an exaggeration*. For a limited time, you can read the full article here in IEEE Spectrum of all places (IEEE is the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers). But basically, it exists to draw none-too-subtle comparisons between Iraqi insurgence and the Open Source movement, drawing heavily…

  • intercommunicate

    Quick ‘n dirty, but my demo for the intro.inter.tech show is almost finished. Powered by maraschino cherries and vodka ;-) The show will be this weekend, Sat. 11/03/2007, 2-7pm. ULA Cafe / The Brewery Complex 284 Amory St. Jamaica Plain, MA 02130 It’s aaaart! Bring your friends! Figure 1: "oh, beep me again!"

  • Computers Internet Blog (welcome to my access.log)

    Welcome! You can probably guess what three things this entry is about. When you already know about computers, the Internet and blogs, this is of course the first thing you’d feel a desperate need to Google for, of course! Err…wait, Magic 2^16 Ball is telling me you just found this phrase in your serverlogs and…

  • The answer to the question

    The flag for my house is done and installed! Actually, Kr* did most of the work. I had to relearn how to use a sewing machine and did a few of the easy parts. The house number is 42, so the Hitchhiker’s Guide theme was a no-brainer. :-) Also, the clear-bubbly knob on the end…

  • Landmark navigation

    Random thought of the day… for places like Boston, where street name signs are considered a luxury that should be cherished for their scarcity, Google Maps /etc. should perform an experiment wherein directions are given relative to landmarks instead of street names. E.g.: Turn right (90°) at the Shaw’s onto Walnut St. (0.4mi) Turn hard…

  • Das Blinkenlichten

    [Clicky here for big photo album] Heh, yeah, a little late writing this one. I was meaning to write this up…like, a couple months ago, right after the “public beta”, but didn’t get around to it. So some friends and I had tickets to the Boston leg of the VNV Nation Judgment tour, April 18.…

  • Wicked Smaht idea of the day – re: sucky office suites

    AutoCrossreference So I’m at the office writing up some BS in MS Word and I’ve just typed “(blah blah blah) as shown in Figure…”, because I’m about to refer to a figure. Now to make a crossreference. I select crossreference, the window pops up and defaults to “Table”. WTF? With a modern computer’s gigahertz of…

  • YflTczrDRsinGERKKFSbb6E

    Looks like I have a new project for next week, once this weeks messy proposals nastiness is out of the way. A staffer at a Russian ISP tipped me off to an old malware company learning a new trick, with essentially a distributed, keyboard-watching spy network turning your typos into gold in the form of…