Author: John

Google Down?

Google 

I’ve had to temporally pull my Google based ads off my site because they just don’t load. Whatever servers normally serve up those little potential pennies are having a bit of a rest. Could this be the mark of a system wide problem with the 800 pound search gorilla? Maybe it’s just a local thing, someone forgot to plug a router back in or perhaps it’s the work of a group looking to get in the news. Anyway, you all get a break form the ads for a while. Keep coming back though if that’s why you were here in the first place. 🙂

 

Zektor’s Vector Generator

Tempest vector graphicsThis is on hell of a cool device. It lets you link up a vector monitor, that’s a TV with X and Y inputs.. Oh wait, you say you don’t have one of those? No problem, you can use a two channel oscilloscope. Huh? You don’t have one of those either? OK, well your a little low on luck, but if you look around I’m sure you can find one. If your truly hard core you could pony up the bucks and buy a classic Vectrex game system. These can be driven by the ZVG. I used to own a Vectrex… Pardon me, I get a little emotional about that. I wish I’d never sold it. Anyway, where was I, oh yeah. The ZVG takes a vector monitor and lets you run vector MAME games on it vie you computer. So you can have the stunning quality of a crisp vector display while you kick some Fuseball ass

[via Retro Thing]

ZVG-Overview

The Stereo Window

Set the window 

 

 

If you like to make 3D images with your camera this tip on the ‘stereo window’ will help you out quite a bit. I know I should go back through many of my images and nudge them around a but but you know how those things go… By the way, if your looking for a smashing (and free) program to make you images, go get the latest version of StereoPhoro Maker.

Spicy Stuff: Stereo Image "Window"

DIY – RGB mood lamp

RGB LED Light

I have all the parts to make one pf these, I just have to get off my rear and put everything together. The project uses LEDs (red, green, blue) and a PIC miceocontroller to cycle through combinations that are set via three DIP switches. in fact, this is exactly what you need:

– 3 transistors
– one PIC 16F628 and a programmer
– a small perforated circuit board
– some resistors
– a battery holder (4 x AAA)
– a nice casing
– diy silicons (clear caulking – John)
– red, green and blue extra bright leds

Easy, eh? 

[via MAKE] 

RGB mood lamp

Tape – An Analogue Sound Installation

TAPE

Cool, I’ve been facinated by things like this for quite some time now.

An electro-kinetic sound installation, Tape uses simple analogue playback to allow users an arena in which to play with self-recorded sound and explore the effects of playback and sound synthesis. Housed in a transparent acrylic panel, Tape allows its user not only to view the oft-hidden components needed to record sound, but also to manipulate them as they see fit. Using Tape’s continuous tape loop and assemblage of appropriated and hand built electro-mechanical analogue parts, the user can not only record and play sounds, but physically slide, twist and move these components within the panel to explore their roles and uses.

Tape on Pixelsumo

Panographies: Panoramas on Steroids

My computer desk

 

 

 

Never one to shy away from a photographic tutorial, when I saw this one I remembered making (trying) to make photo montage panoramic images in my darkroom when I was in high school. Lets just say I was ready for the photo manipulation abilities of a computer when I got my first copy of Photoshop.

This is a fun little tutorial that will show you how to stitch together images to form a panoramic but without all that messy photomergings and tweaking on perspectives. You get an image that is quite artistic and pleasing to the eye.

 Panographies: Panoramas on Steroids