* ThingM December Newsletter 2010! *
CONTENTS
– Awesome projects on our blog
– Hackable Devices, our newest distributor
– Wifi + Arduino
– Holiday Greetings
– Unsubscribe
AWESOME PROJECTS ON OUR BLOG
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Over the next couple of months we’ll be featuring projects on our blog from
design and engineering students using BlinkMs all over the world.
This month we have The MEAL project from Corinna Sherman of Carnegie Mellon
University. Here’s how she describes it: “For the distracted diner who wants
a subtle reminder to assess how full he or she is while eating, the MEAL
dish is a weight-sensing dish that illuminates with colored light to give
the user a sense of how much food has been eaten since the meal began.
Normal dishware provides no feedback, placing the burden of self-monitoring
entirely on the individual. Mealtime distractions pose less of an issue,
however, when responsive MEAL dishes help people mind their own sense of
satiety with subtle, pleasant cues via ambient light.”
See the full description here:
blog.thingm.com/2010/12/thingm-project-feature-blinkm-in-the-meal-project/
We are also also continuing to post projects that independent makers have
sent us from all over. This month we have another project from Chis Ellerby.
This time Chris used BlinkMs to create a realistic explosive detonator film
prop. Here’s how he described it: “Recently we had the job of creating a
explosives detonator prop, and once again, I just had to put a BlinkM in the
project! When the device is “armed” the screen displays a flashing message
and a 30 second looping countdown begins. This triggers the BlinkM to start
flashing in a Red – Red – Green pattern. The center dash lights were mounted
in a light diffusing case, and looked amazing on set.”
Click here for photos, video, more details, and downloadable PDFs:
blog.thingm.com/2010/12/thingm-project-feature-explosives-detonator/
WELCOME HACKABLE DEVICES, OUR NEWEST DISTRIBUTOR!
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We’re very proud to welcome our newest distributor, Hackable Devices (a
project of Bearstech, a multi-armed Open Source consulting company), based
in Paris! They are more than just an online catalog: they’re also opening a
hackerspace in Paris that’ll give wayward hackers a place to hang out,
collaborate and share their experience.
WIFI + ARDUINO
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Does Arduino’s lack of wireless bugs you? Do you think it sucks that WiFi
Shields for the Arduino cost as much a cell phone? Want something cheap?
Small and cheap WiFi routers like the Asus WL-520gu can run the DD-WRT
Linux firmware and act as serial-to-network gateway for Arduinos (or most
any other USB device)! For more information and to learn how to do it visit
Todbots blog:
todbot.com/blog/2010/12/16/wifi-for-arduino-with-asus-wl-520gu/
HOLIDAY GREETINGS!
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Last but not least – holiday greetings from ThingM! We wish you a very
happy and geeky Christmas and New Year!!!