* ThingM February Newsletter 2011! *
CONTENTS
– CtrlM and FreeM Demo Video
– BlinkM Battery Pack (How To)
– LinkM Printable 3D Enclosure
– Near Field Communication (NFC)
– Drumbeat Science Fair
– Awesome projects on our blog
– Submit ThingM Projects!
– Unsubscribe
CTRLM AND FREEM DEMO VIDEO
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ThingM’s newest products – FreeM and CtrlM – let you create wireless
BlinkM circuits.
FreeM is an IR receiver and 9V adapter for BlinkM-family Smart LEDs.
FreeM works with any universal remote via Sony-style TV commands. It
also works with CtrlM.
CtrlM is an I2C IR transmitter. CtrlM can be used with the LinkM
USB-to-I2C adpater, Arduino, or any other I2C controller that can use
a BlinkM. It appears as a BlinkM to BlinkM-aware applications such as
BlinkMSequencer2.
Please visit our recently posted demo video that shows examples of
what a FreeM and CtrlM can do!
BLINKM BATTERY PACK
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BlinkMs are perfect for portable, stand-alone projects! With a
variety of ways to hook a BlinkM to battery sources, you can now add a
long-lasting rechargeable battery pack for BlinkM, BlinkM MinM or
BlinkM MaxM using just pliers! no soldering necessary!
todbot.com/blog/2011/02/25/blinkm-battery-pack-howto/
LINKM PRINTABLE 3D ENCLOSURE
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New enclosure available for ThingM LinMs, our USB-to-I2C adapter! If
you have access to a 3D printer like a Makerbot or RepRep try this
alternate 3D printable enclosure. All the design files are available
on Thingiverse, and can be repurposed to fit other USB as well.
www.thingiverse.com/thing:6523
NEAR FIELD COMMUNICATION
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NFC (Near Field Communication) is a new feature on the Google Nexus S
phone and perhaps Apple’s new iPhone. NFC is based on RFID and
potentially allows for digital payments, secure bidirectional
communication, and “smart” locations that feed data directly to your
phone. Tod will be teaching a NFC workshop in April – exploring fun
hacks you can do on a Nexus S. Please visit the link below for more
details:
where2conf.com/where2011/public/schedule/detail/18443
DRUMBEAT SCIENCE FAIR
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Tod will also be representing Arduino at the Drumbeat Science Fair in
Long Beach! Arduino projects with ThingM BlinkMs will be on display
on Thursday March 3rd from 7 – 9 p.m. Please visit the link below for
more details!
https://wiki.mozilla.org/Drumbeat/DML_science_fair
AWESOME PROJECTS ON OUR BLOG
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We have some wonderful BlinkM projects posted to our ThingM blog this month!
Energy Mementos by James Pierce, a current student from Carnegie
Mellon. James creates small objects that collect small amounts of
electrical energy, stores the energy, and records the energy metadata.
Please visit his blog post for photos, video, and details!
blog.thingm.com/2011/02/thingm-project-feature-energy-mementos/
Miscommunication/Disconnect is a cerebral and experimental project by
Art Center duo Sarah Needham and Jeremy Eichenbaum. They create a
fictional tale to explore how ThingMs BlinkMs can communicate through
pulsing lights and color. Please visit their blog post to discover
more!
blog.thingm.com/2011/02/thingm-project-feature-miscommunicationdisconnect/
All of these projects, plus many more, are on our blog: blog.thingm.com
SUBMIT THINGM PROJECTS
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Do you have any amazing ThingM projects that you would like to share?
We’re currently looking for new ThingM projects to post to our blog.
If you have photos, a project description that talks about your
experience with our products, video, or anyother material you would
like to share, please email us. We look forward to seeing some
amazing projects!
kimkarlsrud@thingm.com