Sunday, December 31, 2017

Adafruit’s Top Ten Blog Posts of 2017 #AdafruitTopTen

We had a ton of great blog posts this past year. Three things grabbed our readers attention more than most: fidget spinners, Raspberry Pi Zero W and Ladyada. Ringing in the new year we have a countdown of our Top 10 Blog Posts of 2017.

10.) Create your own wireless IP camera with a Raspberry Pi Zero @Raspberry_Pi #PiDay #Raspberrypi

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9.)Ladyada @adafruit & makers removed from @whitehouse website #WHChamps #NationOfMakers @mfgday @makerswomen

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8.) Pi Zero W FAQ (Frequently asked questions) @Raspberry_Pi #PiZeroW

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7.) The Melzi Problem, or, Why Did My Wanhao i3 Duplicator Catch on Fire?

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6.) Getting started with the Raspberry Pi Zero W WiFi and Bluetooth #piday #raspberrypi @Raspberry_Pi

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5.) Limor “ladyada” Fried on the cover of @MAKE magazine #MakeV57

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4.) Facebook bans @adafruit ‘s Ladyada… @facebook @finkd

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3.)Customizable Fidget Spinner #3DThursday #3DPrinting

2.) How To Build a LEGO FIDGET SPINNER

1.) Welcome to the Adafruit CircuitPython Beta!

Circuitpython

MADE: Grain Surfboards #ManufacturingMonday

Watch York, Maine based Grain Surfboards’ making process in this hypnotic video from Bloomberg on YouTube:

In this episode of Bloomberg Pursuits’ MADE series we visit a shop in York, Maine. Grain Surfboards are built through an additive process that has much in common with traditional wooden ship-building. Planks of wood are cut and glued onto an internal wood frame before being sanded down to their final shape.

See more

Adafruit’s Top Ten Blog Posts of 2017 #AdafruitTopTen

We had a ton of great blog posts this past year. Three things grabbed our readers attention more than most: fidget spinners, Raspberry Pi Zero W and Ladyada. Ringing in the new year we have a countdown of our Top 10 Blog Posts of 2017.

10.) Create your own wireless IP camera with a Raspberry Pi Zero @Raspberry_Pi #PiDay #Raspberrypi

FinishedMounted 1

9.)Ladyada @adafruit & makers removed from @whitehouse website #WHChamps #NationOfMakers @mfgday @makerswomen

28438988775 4c74191d3a o

8.) Pi Zero W FAQ (Frequently asked questions) @Raspberry_Pi #PiZeroW

NewImage 44

7.) The Melzi Problem, or, Why Did My Wanhao i3 Duplicator Catch on Fire?

Melzi flaws2 blog 1

6.) Getting started with the Raspberry Pi Zero W WiFi and Bluetooth #piday #raspberrypi @Raspberry_Pi

NewImage 8

5.) Limor “ladyada” Fried on the cover of @MAKE magazine #MakeV57

M57 CVR hr

4.) Facebook bans @adafruit ‘s Ladyada… @facebook @finkd

Adafruit 2870

3.)Customizable Fidget Spinner #3DThursday #3DPrinting

2.) How To Build a LEGO FIDGET SPINNER

1.) Welcome to the Adafruit CircuitPython Beta!

Circuitpython

Arduino Geocache Locator #Geocaching

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This is an awesome geocache locator with a great write up. Minimal soldering so it can be easily assembled and disassembled. Shared by seanhodgins on Instructables:

The Arduino Geocache Locator is a small device that lets you program in GPS locations, and then you can use the LEDs on the top as a navigation tool to get to your location. I love making gifts for my family members for Christmas, especially for my little nephew, and I have wanted to pursue this idea for awhile, so I thought it would make a great gift for him for Christmas this year.I also created a small story about having to locate 4 missing stones which I have hid around his town in various locations. He can go and find these geocaches with his mom when they go out to explore.

Check out the full guide!

Fascinating Footage Recorded on a GoPro Being Dropped 110 Feet Down Into a Water Well

Via Laughingsquid

YouTuber bethyalamode dropped a GoPro camera into their water well to see what exactly was down there. The 110-foot trip turned out to be quite fascinating as they ventured past caves inside of limestone.

Our well drilling report from Barney Moravec mentioned that there were caves in the limestone at 110′. What could that possibly mean? We sent down a GoPro to find out.

CircuitPython 2FA TOTP Authentication Friend

hacks_pyotp.jpg

Having 2 Factor Authentication on all your accounts is a good way to keep your data more secure. With 2FA logins, not only is a username and password needed, but also a one-time-use code. There's a few different ways to get that code, such as by email, phone or SMS. But my favorite way is to do it is via a 'Google Authenticator' time-based OTP (one time password), also known as a TOTP.

Using an app on your phone like Authy or Authenticator, you set up a secret given to you by the service, then every 30 seconds, a new code is generated for you. What's extra nice is that the Google Authenticator protocol is supported by just about every service and phone/tablet

I don't own a phone! So I have to ask Mr. Ladyada for an authenticator code. Or I can use my tablet, but it's not always at my desk. And I don't want to buy a phone just for using 2FA!

Luckily for us, the Google Authenticator protocol is really simple - You just need to be able to know the current time, and run a SHA1 hash.

I decided to build a simple device that all it does is generate TOTP's for me, using CircuitPython - my favorite programming language! It uses a Feather ESP8266 which has WiFi so it can connect to NTP to get the current time on startup, and a Feather OLED to display text nice and clearly.

Every time I need a new code, I just click the reset button and within 2 seconds I've got my 3 most common TOTP's on hand (yes its that fast!)

THIS IS NOT A QUESTION MORE OF A COMMENT. YOU ARE PROGRAMMING THE TOTP SECRET INTO THE FLASH OF THE MICROCONTROLLER AND ITS NOT ENCRYPTED OR PROTECTED AT ALL ANYONE COULD BREAK INTO YOUR APARTMENT, GO TO YOUR BEDROOM, LOOK ON YOUR DESK, FIND THIS AND THEN CONNECT IT UP TO THEIR HACKER LAPTOP TO GRAB YOUR SECRET KEY THEN IF THEY HAD YOUR USERNAME AND PASSWORD THEY WOULD BE ABLE TO LOG IN AS YOU AND THIS IS REALLY INSECURE ITS SO IRRESPONSIBLE TO CONSIDER PUBLISHING A PROJECT LIKE THIS BY THE WAY DID YOU SEE THAT SNOWDEN APP? MAYBE YOU CAN RUN THAT ON A PHONE SO YOU CAN WATCH YOUR DESK REMOTELY AND MAKE SURE NOBODY BROKE IN TO STEAL YOUR FEATHER? OH WAIT YOU JUST SAID YOU DON'T HAVE A PHONE. OK I DONT KNOW WHAT MY QUESTION IS

This project is probably not for you

Last updated on 2017-12-30 at 11.42.55 PM Published on 2017-12-30 at 11.54.58 PM

Breathtaking 6K Time-Lapse Captures SpaceX Rocket Launch Over California

via My Modern Met

Social media lit up with conspiracy theories after SpaceX launched the Falcon 9 rocket from the Vandenberg Air Force Base near Santa Barbara, California on December 22. The streaking trail it left in the sky had people thinking they’d spotted a UFO, but photographer and filmmaker Jesse Watson knew better.

Setting up in Yuma, Arizona, Watson shot an incredible time-lapse of the rocket launch, capturing the wisps of smoke that traced their way across the city skyline. After learning of the launch a few days in advance, Watson set about finding the perfect location to capture the event in an entirely new way. “I wanted to capture this amazing spectacle in a fashion that I haven’t seen previously, as most of what I have seen is cell phone video or newsreels,” he writes on Vimeo.  Though the launch was about 400 miles away, Watson knew from prior experience watching such events that he’d have a clear view.

Using Google Maps and The Photographer’s Ephemeris to find the perfect location and line up the shot, Watson was ready for his first rocket launch time-lapse. Arriving two hours prior to launch time, Watson shot for 45 minutes prior to the 6:27 pm event in order to have enough footage to lead into the video. And then, it was time for the show. “[Launch time] came by and I didn’t see anything, I was a little disheartened at first thinking maybe it wouldn’t show up or that something happened and they did not launch, but continued to roll the time-lapses,” Waston shares. “Then after what seemed like ages, but in reality, probably only a minute or two the Falcon 9 rocket blasted into the horizon and my cameras’ field of view.”

Saturday, December 30, 2017

From the Forums: Reaction Game for Circuit Playground Express | #circuitpython #adabox

Inspired by Simple Simon, AdaBox subscriber Ron wrote on the forums about this simple and fun Reaction Game for the Circuit Playground Express!

Adabox006 delivered my first CPx. I recently purchased the Feather M0 Express but hadn’t even put headers on it yet so the CPx was my first real chance to play with it and Circuit Python. I pretty quickly had the idea to use the 10 neopixels to create a game that tested reaction time and it was quite simple to do. Below I will described what I used, link to a video of the game in action, as well as link to the readme and code.py on Github.

The BOM is trivial as it only requires the CPx and a power source. You can power it from a USB cable but that’s not very convenient since you need to hold it in your hand and react quickly. I power mine with a small lipo battery I attached to the back of the CPx using Scotch double-sided tape but it can also be powered using the AAA holder that came with Adabox006.

  • The neopixels will cycle counter clockwise. All will be blue except one which will be red which is the player’s target
  • The object of the game is to touch the pad A7 right when the one LED changes to red (random for each game)
  • When first started the neopixels will all flash blue except for #1 being RED indicating the initial difficulty setting of 1 (easiest)
  • Press push button B to start the game. It will turn off all of the neopixels for 1 second so you can prepare then begin cycling until you touch A7
  • If you get it right a little victory tone set is played and all the neopixels turn GREEN
  • If you miss then there is a sadder tone and the neopixels go RED
  • You can hit push button B to play again
  • If you want to increase the difficulty press push button A. Difficulty is 1 to 5 and the number of RED neopixels shows the current difficulty setting
  • Difficulty 5 has the game run as fast as it can

Read more here and check out the code repository here on GitHub.

This Video Is 2D And 3D Simultaneously: the Pulfrich Effect #3D #DoctorWho

YouTuber Tom Scott shares this video explaining the Pulfrich effect. You are going to look a little silly trying to cover one eye with a pair of sunglasses but it does work! Grab a pair of sunglasses and try it for yourself.

Via YouTube:

Hold on tight, because with a stabilised camera shot and a pair of sunglasses, you’re about to see a video that works in both 2D and 3D at the same time. The technique’s called the Pulfrich Effect, and this is how it works.

The BBC’s terrible 90s Doctor Who special, Dimensions in Time, can be seen here, complete with its Noel Edmonds-filled framing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NQCeM…

See more!

This Video Is 2D And 3D Simultaneously: the Pulfrich Effect #3D #DoctorWho

YouTuber Tom Scott shares this video explaining the Pulfrich effect. You are going to look a little silly trying to cover one eye with a pair of sunglasses but it does work! Grab a pair of sunglasses and try it for yourself.

Via YouTube:

Hold on tight, because with a stabilised camera shot and a pair of sunglasses, you’re about to see a video that works in both 2D and 3D at the same time. The technique’s called the Pulfrich Effect, and this is how it works.

The BBC’s terrible 90s Doctor Who special, Dimensions in Time, can be seen here, complete with its Noel Edmonds-filled framing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NQCeM…

See more!

Using VCNL4010 Proximity Sensor

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The VCNL4010 sensor is a nice way to add a small-distance proximity sensor to your microcontroller project. For longer distances (in the range of cm, you can use a SHARP IR distance sensor, but those are only good if the object is over 10 cm away. The VCNL4010 is designed for much shorter distances, no more than 200mm (about 7.5") and under our experimentation we found it worked best at distances of about 10-150mm. It would be good for say detecting when a hand moved nearby, or before a robot smacks into a wall. The sensor also has an ambient light sensor built in.

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The sensor uses an infrared LED to bounce light off objects in front of it and time how fast it takes for the light to return.  You could do all this yourself with LEDs and light sensors, but the VCNL4010 wraps all that logic up into a stand-alone chip for you!  With the VCNL4010 you can easily read the proximity (i.e. if an object is near or far) and even ambient light level over a simple I2C connection. 

Best of all the with a CircuitPython module you can use the VCNL4010 from Python code!  This guide shows how to connect and use the VCNL4010 with a CircuitPython or Arduino board.

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This sensor is easy to use with any microcontroller that has i2c capability. It is 5 volt compliant so you can use it with 3.3V or 5V logic with no risk of damage. There is an onboard 3.3V ultra low dropout regulator so you can power it with 3.3 to 5.0V. However, if you can give it 5.0V that is ideal since the VIN voltage powers the IR LED and the higher the voltage you can give it, the more powerful it is.

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Last updated on 2017-12-28 at 09.48.28 PM Published on 2017-12-29 at 02.13.37 PM

Friday, December 29, 2017

Leveling Up a Skyrim Lexicon Prop

If you’re longing to make a Skyrim Lexicon as a prop and want to dress it up a little — okay, more than a little — follow in the footsteps of Twitter user Missus Boot, a.k.a. @bigstompyboot. They made the Lexicon by 3D printing the portable information repository. It has an extra upgrade by being fitted for a Raspberry Pi and Alexa.

Don’t forget to use the #adafruit hashtag to show us what you’re creating!

Leveling Up a Skyrim Lexicon Prop

If you’re longing to make a Skyrim Lexicon as a prop and want to dress it up a little — okay, more than a little — follow in the footsteps of Twitter user Missus Boot, a.k.a. @bigstompyboot. They made the Lexicon by 3D printing the portable information repository. It has an extra upgrade by being fitted for a Raspberry Pi and Alexa.

Don’t forget to use the #adafruit hashtag to show us what you’re creating!

CBSN On Assignment: @AdamYamaguchi Visits Japan to Talk Robots, Population Decline, and the Future-Human Condition | @hiroshiishiguro @CBSNews #robots

In a segment from On Assignment by CBSN Adam Yamaguchi visits Japan to report on how robots are becoming both a practical and perhaps emotional replacement for humans in a country with a rapidly declining population (and therefore fewer people to staff jobs, work at hotels, fewer kids to teach in schools, and other dilemmas associated broadly with a country’s population and economy). The nearly 12-minute segment includes conversation with Hiroshi Ishiguro, other roboticists, doctors, and someone who lives with a humanoid robot named Pepper (first image below).


Roboticist Hiroshi Ishiguro

Click the image below to watch the video on CBSN On Assignment:

Tips & Tricks for Making Edge-Lit Signs | via @noisebridge

Noisebridge recently installed some edge-lit signs throughout their hackerspace (they’ll have to dismantle the signs in 2018 when they’re forced to move but that’s another story). They’ve got a blog up about the making of those signs – including thoughts on costs, pointers, and tips & tricks for making edge-lit signs (using 3/8″ clear acrylic for the display). The signs look great and I’m sure add an immediate visual *pop* to their hackerspace.

In case you’ve been wondering about those new signs in our space…

I’ve received a few requests for how we put together the signs that now identify the different workshop areas of our space.

Here is how they were made and installed:

LINEWORK

The designs of the signs went from sketchbook to AutoCAD. Then from AutoCAD to RDworks (The laser cutter software that came with our laser cutter).

The important thing is to note that RDworks imports .dxf files and will separate linework by its color. It doesn’t care about CAD layers (I think it behaves similarly with other programs like Illustrator and Inkscape). I used 3 or 4 line colors: one that was intended to cut through the acrylic, one for cutting halfway through the acrylic, and one that defined the bounds of the sign but was not cut at all. On a few sings I used a fourth color to create a shallower hatch across the letters to help them pick up more light.

Read more here – and watch it in action below:

Build a Binary Clock with Raspberry Pi – And how to tell the time #piday #raspberrypi @Raspberry_Pi

Engineerish shares this fun project with a great explanation of the binary clock. Via YouTube:

In this video I’ll be showing how I built a binary clock using a Raspberry Pi, NeoPixels and a few lines of Python.

I also take a stab at explaining how the binary number system works so that we can decipher what said clock is trying to tell us.

Learn more


3055 06Each Friday is PiDay here at Adafruit! Be sure to check out our posts, tutorials and new Raspberry Pi related products. Adafruit has the largest and best selection of Raspberry Pi accessories and all the code & tutorials to get you up and running in no time!

Zach turned a Furby into an Amazon Echo. Introducing: Furlexa #Raspberrypi

Via howchoo

I thought I’d make Furby a little less annoying and give him an upgrade with a real brain. Step aside, Tin Man.

By combining a Raspberry Pi Zero W (a tiny computer), Amazon’s (mostly) open-source Alexa Voice Service software, and a few other electrical components, I converted my normal Furby into an Amazon Echo.

I give you: Furlexa.

It is my hope that you can either use this guide as a fun read or to build your own Furby Echo — I tried to write it in a style that any crowd would enjoy and I hope that I accomplished that goal.

Read the detailed tutorial here!


3055 06Each Friday is PiDay here at Adafruit! Be sure to check out our posts, tutorials and new Raspberry Pi related products. Adafruit has the largest and best selection of Raspberry Pi accessories and all the code & tutorials to get you up and running in no time!

New Products 12/27/2017 (Video)

New Products 12/27/2017 (Video)


How Raspberry Pi Spy Built this Ikea Retro Arcade Table #piday #raspberrypi @Raspberry_Pi

NewImage

From Raspberry Pi Spy:

In a previous post I introduced my IKEA Arcade Table which is based on a Raspberry Pi 3 running RetroPie. I’m sure people might be interested in how I made it so I’ll go into a little bit more detail here.

How I approached this project was heavily influenced by my own abilities, what tools I had available and what parts I was able to obtain or buy. For these reasons other people’s arcade table projects will look different. Hopefully this article will at least act as some inspiration for others even if it is not copied exactly.

I have a arranged the sections in the rough order in which I acquired or thought about the parts.

Read more


3055 06Each Friday is PiDay here at Adafruit! Be sure to check out our posts, tutorials and new Raspberry Pi related products. Adafruit has the largest and best selection of Raspberry Pi accessories and all the code & tutorials to get you up and running in no time!

Turn your Raspberry Pi into a Hamster Fitness Tracker @Raspberry_Pi #PiDay #RaspberryPi

from by Raymond Jacobs and Jamie Bailey via hackster.io

Have you ever wondered just how much your hamster runs throughout the day/night? How far? How fast? The results are unbelievable.

The measurement system is very simple.  The laser break beam sensor will be aimed at a small target on the wheel that will only reflect the beam once per full rotation of the wheel. The Pi will detect each time the wheel turns a full rotation and calculate the distance traveled and speed (the distance traveled is simply the circumference of the wheel).  The resulting measurements will be captured and streamed to a data visualization that you can look at when you wake up each morning (because your hamster is probably getting his workout on while you sleep at night).

The laser break beam sensor from Adafruit is a good choice for this project because of its simplicity to wire up and use.  No extra weight will be added to the wheel to make it harder to spin for your 2 oz. dwarf hamster.  Both the laser transmitter and receiver are built into the same small plastic housing.  If the laser beam reflects off of a target within 1 meter or so, the receiver detects and outputs the break.  This is much better than a traditional laser break sensor that requires a separate receiver that must be aligned to the laser (like your garage door sensor that can easily get off track if you touch it).  The laser break beam sensor will have three wires to attach.  Attach the red wire to 5V.  Attach the black wire to ground.  The blue wire will be the sensor output.  Connect this wire to a 10K ohm pull-up resistor and to an input pin on your Pi as shown below.  *Warning* Do not shine the laser into the living area of your hamster!!! You could cause damage to your hamster’s eyes. If your wheel is inside the cage, consider using a magnetic contact switch instead of a laser break beam sensor.

Full project breakdown here!


3055 06Each Friday is PiDay here at Adafruit! Be sure to check out our posts, tutorials and new Raspberry Pi related products. Adafruit has the largest and best selection of Raspberry Pi accessories and all the code & tutorials to get you up and running in no time!

Spy Pi Takes a Picture and Activates a Pair of Jawa Eyes in a Picture Frame | #RaspberryPi #piday

Justin Flory took a tour of projects at the Rochester Mini Maker Faire and took note of the Spy Pi project by Taylor Bowling. A simple motion-sensor (PIR) picture taking device, it cleverly hides LEDs inside the head of a Jawa (or anywhere where two LEDs make sense) – so you probably see the picture frame, then acknowledge it, laughing, all the while a camera embedded in the picture frame attached to a Pi is taking your picture 😉

Python code for a security themed picture frame, which uses a PIR motion sensor to activate LED lights and a camera to take a photo when motion is detected.

The SpyPi.py file is the intended mode for the project. With this code, the motion sensor will trigger two LEDs, the eyes of the portrait, to fire, followed by the capturing and storing of the photo. The SpyPi_DisplayMode, however, removes the motion sensor entirely. With this code, a time can be specified to show just the camera feed and LED lights, which is good for showing off the project on a monitor.

Read more here and see the GitHub repo here.

The Pocket Sized Retro TV @Raspberry_Pi #PiDay #RaspberryPi

FQ69GHDJB6U569P MEDIUM

Awesome build and write-up from Anders Severinse.

This guide shows you how to make and setup a retro-looking TV, with a Raspberry Pi, a Touchscreen and some 3D printed parts.

Read more.

The Pocket Sized Retro TV @Raspberry_Pi #PiDay #RaspberryPi

FQ69GHDJB6U569P MEDIUM

Awesome build and write-up from Anders Severinse.

This guide shows you how to make and setup a retro-looking TV, with a Raspberry Pi, a Touchscreen and some 3D printed parts.

Read more.

World of Warcraft Cosplay Made with NeoPixel LEDs

To add lighting effects to a costume, Nic Neidenbach turned to NeoPixel LEDs from Adafruit. He made a set of World of Warcraft armor from the game’s Cataclysm expansion. Instead of appearing metallic and being made from EVA foam, it’s a fabric based armor. The LEDs add just the right amount of glow at the sleeves and the shoulders.

What does your most recent cosplay look like side by side with its inspiration?

via Twitter

The Pocket Sized Retro TV @Raspberry_Pi #PiDay #RaspberryPi

FQ69GHDJB6U569P MEDIUM

Awesome build and write-up from Anders Severinse.

This guide shows you how to make and setup a retro-looking TV, with a Raspberry Pi, a Touchscreen and some 3D printed parts.

Read more.

The Pocket Sized Retro TV @Raspberry_Pi #PiDay #RaspberryPi

FQ69GHDJB6U569P MEDIUM

Awesome build and write-up from Anders Severinse.

This guide shows you how to make and setup a retro-looking TV, with a Raspberry Pi, a Touchscreen and some 3D printed parts.

Read more.

World of Warcraft Cosplay Made with NeoPixel LEDs

To add lighting effects to a costume, Nic Neidenbach turned to NeoPixel LEDs from Adafruit. He made a set of World of Warcraft armor from the game’s Cataclysm expansion. Instead of appearing metallic and being made from EVA foam, it’s a fabric based armor. The LEDs add just the right amount of glow at the sleeves and the shoulders.

What does your most recent cosplay look like side by side with its inspiration?

via Twitter

TweetBulb: Tweet to Smart Light Bulbs and Watch on YouTube! @Raspberry_Pi #PiDay #RaspberryPi

By Xuchen Yao via hackster.io

TweetBulb is an experiment of the idea “Texting as a Universal UI”, i.e., controlling things via a text message, without any specialized apps. The underlying core technology is a natural language semantic parser that converts text to API calls.

Full project breakdown here!


3055 06Each Friday is PiDay here at Adafruit! Be sure to check out our posts, tutorials and new Raspberry Pi related products. Adafruit has the largest and best selection of Raspberry Pi accessories and all the code & tutorials to get you up and running in no time!