With version 5 of the WRT54G, Linksys decided to dump Linux and start using VxWorks. This made buying a WRT a gamble if you wanted one with Linux. DD-WRT recently released a micro version that supports version 5. You’ll need a JTAG cable to install it since very little is known about VxWorks bootloader. Even with this new firmware it’s hard to ignore that the router is underpowered and you’d be better off with something else.
[via Digg]
I’m sure most people that have built a CarPC are already familiar with shutdown controllers, but I think this hack is pretty clever. Computers don’t like being turned off suddenly so you need to figure out how to power down the PC safely. This circuit has a serial connector and appears to XP as a generic UPS. When the ignition is turned off it breaks the 5V line to COM pin 8. XP responds by hibernating. Once the computer shuts down the relay for the power inverter opens. When the ignition is switched on the inverter powers up and the computer turns on.
[thanks SilverPill]
UPDATE: I’ve solved my issues click the “Continue reading” link.
I’m sure you saw the news of Apple releasing the Windows bootloader Boot Camp yesterday. My current desktop machine is a Core Duo Mac mini so I figured I’d give it a shot (so I could run four folding threads, naturally). I downloaded the Boot Camp package and upgraded the mini’s firmware. The first thing the Boot Camp install assistant does is burn a driver disc for use after the XP install is complete. Once this is done it shrinks the HFS+ partition and creates an empty partition for Windows. It then asks you to insert the XP install disk (must have SP2). The Windows install proceeded normally and Windows booted. This is where my trouble began: the drivers didn’t apply cleanly. I could have retried but for one serious problem. To get the initial boot device selection screen to appear you have to hold down the “alt” key while the machine is starting. The only USB keyboard I have is a Gyration wireless one. The boot menu only showed up at best 1 in 10 attempts. Apple does provide software to choose which OS you want to boot by default, but since the Windows drivers didn’t install there was no guarantee I could flip the switch back to OS X once I was in XP. I decided the flaky “alt” key detection was probably my wireless keyboard not being fully initialized, so I made a late night run to the Megalomart to buy the cheapest wired USB keyboard they had. I plugged it in and tried to bring up the boot menu; it didn’t work a single time. So, my experiment is over for now since I don’t want to get trapped in XP. Hopefully they fix this public beta so that is has an actual boot menu, with a countdown, like every other bootloader. UNEASYsilence has a video of how this install should go.
Tom Walsh has been hard at work building an add on board for the Zipit Wireless Messenger “IM Device for Teens”. The board adds a mini-SD card slot, RS-232 (using a mini-USB connector) and a power supply for an EL backlight. I’m impressed that he got everything to fit inside of the case, very slick. A year ago we covered putting Linux on these devices. Have any of you readers picked up one and what fun tricks can it do? I looked around and they still cost over $90. I should probably just resurrect my Zaurus and be happy
[Ryan Walker] had recently constructed a 16 R/C servo controller board and needed a platform to test it with. He wired 6 cheap TS-53 servos from Tower Hobbies to the bottom of an empty box. He’s got push buttons on the top for direction control. It uses a PIC18F452 for processing and the board was routed on an LPKF circuit board mill. There are videos on his site, but try using these cached links first: walking on a table and walking on carpet.
Ugh, I didn’t expect this “sonic nuisance” meme to last past yesterday, but here we are with a different project from [jay]. ThinkGeek sells a device called the Mind Molester that emits a chirp every three minutes making it hard to find but frequent enough to drive you insane. Jay figures ThinkGeek’s markup was somewhere around 1250% and decided to build his own. The device uses a Picaxe microcontroller and emits four different sounds a random intervals.
imakeprojects.com started recently with the promise of delivering one project every two weeks. Yesterday was their second release: sonic grenades! They picked up a couple 110dB personal alarms at the Dollar Store and modified them. Now instead of going off immediately, there is a 5 second “fuse” indicated by a flashing LED; giving you plenty of time to lob it into your roommates space. After a minute of being active, the grenade will start chirping every 10 seconds until you replace the pin which should help you find it. There’s a video demo at the bottom of the page.
[thanks JErome]
