I'm thinking that I found myself a diy project! Junkyard Jumbotron is the brainchild of Rick Borovoy, Ph.D. and Brian Knep at MIT's Center for Future Civic Media. I do believe that I have all of the required parts and I'll post my own video if it all comes together. Check out the video below, all you need to know is there.
European scientists have taken it upon themselves to create a network of databases that future robots will use to to share information about the world... our world... their world? According to Fastcompany.com "They will, if all goes as planned, use the network to store and retrieve information about objects, locations (including maps), and instructions about completing activities. Robots will be both the contributors and the editors of the repository."
The EU-funded RoboEarth project will ensure that each robot's experiences are saved and made available to the others to search and expand upon in a communal learning experience similar to what we humans know as the internet. May I just say that I love robots!
Sadly I missed this project some how... It seams as though Google (YouTube), Ridley Scott, Kevin Macdonald, LG, the Sundance Film Festival have teamed up in an open project that's aim was to document what life was like on earth on July 24, 2010. The Life In A Day project asked for submissions of video captured on July 24th from anyone interested. The work will be compiled and edited over the next several months and the documentary screened at the Sundance Film Festival in 2011. It's not too late however to submit your video, if you captured any yesterday, as the project is accepting submissions until July 31st.
Some time ago, I purchased this T-shirt from Think Geek and it was the hit of the company pot luck! I do believe however that I've been trumped... well done Chris Ball!
There's a Python script (gmail.py) to be run on any Bluetooth-enabled
device with Python installed (I use an Android phone, you could use a
laptop). The script simply downloads your Gmail RSS feed to see how
much unread e-mail you have, and sends that number over a serial port
every two seconds. I use /dev/rfcomm0, which is the serial device that
connects my phone to the Bluetooth dongle on my Lilypad.
There's also a C program (lilypad.pde) that runs on the Lilypad, reads
a number over the serial port, and renders that number on a set of LEDs
(I use seven LEDs). That's it."
I can only assume that when you are a former special effects guy at Disney Imagineering there are certain expectations placed upon you to prepare a Christmas light show that even the Clark Griswald would be proud of. That can be the only conceivable explanation for what Ric Turner has created with his Christmas light version of Guitar Hero, well that and the totally awesomeness of it!
Thanks to Cnet for pointing us to the Make posting.
Projects developed, by MIT students and former students, both in the classroom and independently are proving the worth of cellphones as useful devices, beyond the obvious, and particularly in developing nations. Software developed as entries to MIT's IDEAS or $100K business competitions, or as part of the MIT Media Lab's NextLab program are being used to help residents of underdeveloped countries to increase their incomes, learn to read, navigate to where they're going and diagnose their ailments. The fact that cellphones are small, relatively cheap in comparison to computers, and increasingly more powerful and connected, makes them ideal for these countries that have little in the way of infrastructure. The MIT News provides details of some of the projects here.
If you are computer science student Luke Andersen you'd make a pc! Luke first created his plans for a lego PC using a simple CAD program and he's made the plans available for download via his blog. Here is a time lapse video that Luke created while assembling his gleaming lego beauty!
I'm not exactly sure why anyone would need to do this much braiding, unless you are a fraternity of assassins looking to modernize your operations... but it's a cool Mindstorms application just the same.
Have you ever wondered how to make a marshmallow gun, a duct tape wallet, or a levitating book shelf? If you answered yes to any of the above then instructables.com is the place to go! There are more DIY projects here than you can tackle in one summer and user comments to go along with them. The site offers user generated instructions on all sorts of projects, including some that you probably don't want to try at home. I'd be a little bit concerned about anything that involves fire or fire propellants, particularly if you have children and/or you value your home. You can avoid these projects by staying out of the 'not liable' category. The instructions are very visual so if you are that type of learner you'll have a field day, but because they are user generated the results may vary. You can usually tell which ones might give you trouble by reading the comments of those who have attempted them before you. I'd recommend skimming through the comments before you attempt your project anyway, they often include nice upgrades.
