TechnologyIQ

Now here is a project I could really use here in my own greenhouse. It’s basic setup is great, but it also allows a lot of room for expansion and improvement, so it is a great learning project, too. I think it is always important to start with a simple project and experience some success so you are more inclined to fiddle with it and improve it in the future. For me, I could see adding additional sensors for multiple pots, a solenoid value for controlling water from a hosepipe, alerts, alarms and more. What could you do with this project? Let me know in the comments! Simple Arduino-Controlled, No-Pump Plant Watering I love this simple and clever design. It basically uses a microcontroller-powered servo motor to pinch a watering hose on/off on a gravity-fed plant watering system. No pump required. To control the system, the Norwegian maker, Eirik, used a SparkFun Arduino-compatible RedBoard. To tell when the plants are thirsty, he uses a $5 SparkFun Moisture Sensor. Read the enti...

On August 17, 2016, Arduino.cc upgraded their IDE (Integrated Development Environment) to version 1.6.11 .  If you are working with Arduino microcontrolllers (or the host of Arduino compatible systems) you should check out the new software. There are no big feature additions in this version, but a lot of bug fixes and tweaks. Here are some of the fixes made: ARDUINO 1.6.11 - 2016.08.17 [ide] Fixed a serious bug that prevented some 3rd party boards, installed through external index.json URL, to work correctly. Fixed a bug in boards manager that, in some rare circumstances, could lead to remove bundled  tools when uninstalling a previously installed AVR core builder: fixed regression about inclusion of files in subfolders of the sketch  (see https://github.com/arduino/Arduino/issues/5186 for details) avrdude: reverted to version 6.0.1, until all discovered regressions are solved  (see https://github.com/arduino/Arduino/issues?q=is%3Aissue+is%3Aopen+label%3A%22Component%3A+Avrdu...

What a great, creative project for kids of all ages and a prototype for something that could be very useful. This project uses the LittleBits interlocking electronics kit, but it would be easily recreated using standard Arduino parts. It looks like even the code could be re-used, too. I have an ultrasonic sensor I picked up cheap and some other parts from an Arduino Start Kit . I think I might put this together just for the shear fun of it! See links for parts below.   #InventforGood Bat Vision This device can detect the obstacles on your way using echolocation method just like bats do. It's like you have your own bat-friend who can accompany you wherever you go and tell you if there is something on your way that you cannot see. It is a useful tool for blind people and for people working in the conditions of very low or no visibility. Of course, it can also be used for playing fun games. The voice alert will turn on once you appear within a dangerous distance from the obstac...

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Incredibly Useful, and Free, Guide to Fasteners via Make Magazine Wow! I know that I am always overwhelmed and confused when I go to the hardware store to try and find the proper hardware for a home repair or project. These free guides from Bolt Depot might just be the answer to my Maker prayers. I know I am going to be spending some time in the very near future downloading and perusing all of them. The 28-page guide covers the anatomy of bolts and screws, different head types, drive types, thread count and pitch, and how to measure diameter and length. The majority of the document is full-size “lay-over” reproductions of common (and not so common) fasteners so that you can size the bolts you have by eye-balling them on over the guide. Being more of a visual than a numbers person, I find these lay-over guides extremely helpful. Every page of the guidebook also has a scale accuracy ruler so that you can check to make sure that you properly printed the page for accurate bolt ide...

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While on our recent trip to visit family in Sicily (our 4th trip to this area), we made the time to visit Hackspace Catania , the first makerspace in Italy (if I understood them correctly) which opened 3 years ago in a quiet street in downtown Catania, Sicily. I had found the space during my pre-trip research for interesting places I wanted to see during this visit. With my recent involvement in Hackerspace LA , here in the San Fernando Valley, it made perfect sense to check out as many other makerspaces I could to get some ideas and simply see how other sites were organized. After a couple of emails, we set a time to visit and planned on taking the two older boys in the family along with us. I thought they would find the group very interesting, along with their father and might even provide them a location for classes and events to learn more about technology. Arriving in a relatively quiet street in Catania -- where an old palazzo sits on one corner -- we located the space ...

  Come and see what HAM radio is all about along with Hackerspace LA! Is HAM radio still relevant in this day of cell phones and high-speed Internet connections wherever you go? You Bet! From emergency communication services during natural disasters to communicating with the International Space Station and student satellites in space, HAM radio bridges huge distances in science and between people. Lynn O’Connell  and  Jennifer Oliver O’Connell  will cover basic amateur radio theory and requirements to get you going on your way to enjoying this hobby.   We’ll also have radios on display and knowledgeable individuals that will be happy to answer any question you may have about HAM.  Our Speakers: Lynn O'Connell Jennifer Oliver O’Connell Join us at a Hackerspace Los Angeles weekly meet up.  Come by and mingle with like-minded people and see what others are working on.  Find out what planned activities we have and how you can participate.   If you are interested in helpin...