Hackaday Links: October 10, 2010

October 10, 2010 by Mike Szczys 21 Comments

Old timey pics with a new timey camera

Update: We’ve already looked at this one… see the full article for all the details.

One way to get old-looking photographs is to use a vintage camera. Then again you can just connect a 1908 lens to a modern dslr with great results. [Thanks MS3FGX]

Cheap iPad mounting bracket

Need a way to hang your iPad but don’t want to spend some bucks? [Tumbleweed] used a $3 plate hanger to do the trick.

Hand engraving

You can get free laser engraving when you buy an iPhone but it won’t look as good as this does. [Viljo Marrandi] spent eight hours on this, but most of the time was spent resharpening tools dulled by the tough metal.

Let time prevent your computer from going idle

Want to keep your screen saver from running? No need to change settings, software, or use special hardware. Just set your mouse on an analog watch and let the moving hands jiggle it around. [Thanks Lovro]

New A4 Jailbreak Debacle Puts The Brakes On For IPad

October 10, 2010 by Mike Szczys 26 Comments

If you’ve been waiting in the wings for the next Jailbreak to be release you should know there’s been a bit of a speed bump. [ChronicDevTeam], which has been working on an exploit for A4-based iOS devices called SHAtter, tweeted last Thursday that the fully tested, untethered, and unpatchable package knows as greenpois0n would be released today. But on Friday [Geohot], who you may remember from the PlayStation 3 Hypervisor exploit, rolled out his own mostly untested and admittedly beta jailbreak called limera1n.

So where does that leave the situation? Because [geohot] used a different exploit, the [ChronicDevTeam] decided not to release greenp0ison. If they did, it would give Apple a chance to block two different exploits. Instead they are working feverishly to incorporate, test, and repackage using the same exploit as limera1n.

If you don’t want to wait, jailbreak now, but you risk problems with an unstable exploit method that is only available for Windows.

[via @ChronicDevTeam]

3D Digital Light Art Using IPad And Camera Trickery

September 17, 2010 by Mike Szczys 11 Comments

This light art is created by a moving display playing an animated image through several camera exposures. In this case the display they’re using is an iPad, but that really doesn’t matter as it’s just a high-quality screen and it’s portable. 3D animations are generated in software and then sliced into cross sections. As the camera rolls, the cross sections are displayed in order and the location of the screen is moved. Very much like light painting with an LED or a Roomba, the bright image remains and can be strung together for the 3D effect seen in the video after the break.

Using the cross sections of the video reminds us of what a three-dimensional object looks like to a two-dimensional being. If you have no idea what that means you should take a look at this video on imagining the tenth dimension.

Continue reading “3D Digital Light Art Using IPad And Camera Trickery” →

Beer Fridge Holds IPad Hostage

August 12, 2010 by Mike Szczys 15 Comments

A hackathon by the engineers over at Yelp produced this iPad-centric beer fridge. A thirsty dude bellies up to the contraption, swipes his or her RFID card, then dispenses a glass of frothy goodness. The iPad display shows information about what’s on tap, and allows you to give it a rating. This is based on kegbot but it has a few extra tricks. Instead of measuring how much beer is left via weight, this version uses a flow sensor on the beer lines. Temperature data is recorded from an analog sensor affixed to the keg itself, and the whole shebang is pulled together via an Arduino connected to the serial port of the iPad. You can even check on the keg over the Internet. See for yourself after the break.

Continue reading “Beer Fridge Holds IPad Hostage” →

Jailbreak Your Apple Products

August 2, 2010 by Jakob Griffith 31 Comments

It’s finally here, after being declared completely legal to jailbreak your iPhone, JailbreakMe 2.0 is released.

Now, any and all iDevices can be jailbroken by simply visiting the URL above; however, before you start your devious adventure in the land of apps not approved by big brother Apple, there are a few issues.

The webpage is being slammed at the moment so you’ll have to wait. There is a chance the jailbreak will not work, and you could brick your phone. MMS and Facetime are having complications after jailbreaking. And finally, carrier unlock still needs to be done with ultrasn0w.

But beyond those small stepping stones, jailbreaking is just a touch away.

IPad Arcade Dock Has Hidden Projector

July 20, 2010 by Mike Szczys 18 Comments

This iPad dock is a well-executed gaming accessory. [Linkreincarnate] used a Hori Wii fighting stick as the controller. In his hardware explanation he outlines several benefits of this choice including built-in support in most of the iPad emulators, as well as foregoing the need for a wired connection. Just above the controls there is a standard docking connector which holds the iPad in place and patches through the audio to some external speakers. But that’s not all that is included in the build, the final touch is a pico projector that can be used if you want a larger gaming experience. Video of the hardware and a gaming demonstration can be found after the break.

Continue reading “IPad Arcade Dock Has Hidden Projector” →

Hackaday Links: June 20, 2010

June 20, 2010 by Mike Szczys 31 Comments

Nixie Voltmeter Clock

[Gmglickman] built a clock out of an old digital voltmeter. The Fluke 8300A came out in 1969 and is featured in their 60 years of innovation slideshow. What makes it a cool clock? The Voltmeter’s display is made up of Nixie tubes.

Easy optical encoder wheel generator

If you need to print out encoder wheels for your project there is an online tool you can use. It has almost any setting you would want to make a rotary encoder wheel.The black wheel can be used with old mouse parts and the checkered wheel with an optical sensor. [Thanks Bluewraith]

New CD without the CD

1-bit Symphony is a newly released album. It come in a CD jewel case but there’s no CD included. That’s because they’ve built a circuit to playback their music via a headphone jack. We didn’t see any info on what microcontroller was used, but we love the cleanliness of the design. This apparently isn’t the first time the artist has released an album like this either.[Thanks Juan]

Making a standard SIM work with the iPad

[Tony Million] used a standard SIM to reduce the monthly cost of using broadband on the iPad. This is the exact opposite of using the iPad SIM in an iPhone and requires that you cut down your standard SIM quite a lot. [Tony] did this because he imported his iPad to the UK from the United States and using AT&T wasn’t an option for him. [Thanks David]

16TB NAS is a thing of beauty

The Black Dwarf is a sixteen terabyte network attached storage device that looks more like a display counter for high-end hard drives. We’d usually think of this as a closet or basement dweller, but an item this gorgeously crafted deserves a place of honor in your home or office. Documenting the entire process was as complex as the build itself. We like seeing the time-lapse version. [Thanks Howard via Engadget]