By now, you’ve probably seen or at least heard of the Microsoft interactive table system. This is one of the coolest things ever, even if you don’t care for Microsoft. Sort photos physically, ‘fling’ music and pictures onto your assorted devices and more.
But what if you don’t have the thousands of dollars to spend just to be able to have a really nifty setup like this?
I would love to be able to buy something like that. But if you don’t have the thousands of dollars to spend and are good with making things, then you can build a multi-touch input device (the fancy term for the touch screen system). The down sides are that it will be a bit ‘crude’ (you have to write your own apps) and you do need to find a video projector for this project.
On the other hand, it seems you can find projectors on eBay for not too much (if you look carefully). There is even an auction or two selling instructions on how to make an LCD projector (less than $10 for the instructions) if you’re so inclined.
As far as the ‘crudeness’ goes, I would guess that the more people that use it, the more call there will be for programs and the more people will build programs for it; just like how it is with Linux.
So go ahead, get in early on the next stage in computing - without breaking the bank.
If and when I ever start soldering my own electronic gizmos, I’m sure I’ll end up needing a circuit board or two. I’ve found Pad2Pad, which I run across every so often, that lets you do custom circuit boards. The prices don’t look too bad at all, although they certainly are more than mass-produced boards you can buy in the store.
But, hey, they’re custom.
If you need more than just circuit boards, eMachineShop (no relationship to the computer brand) lets you create things like gears, brackets, decorations, etc.
The downside of these sites is that you must have Windows and not Linux to use their software. Pretty cool stuff anyway, however.
If you want to see small computers, take a look at Mini-ITX.com and, specifically, today’s post. It may not be an entire computer, but it is the motherboard and it is very small.
I’ve seen an entire Linux computer about that size before, but I can’t find that link now unfortunately. Oh well, look at the tiny computers!
Apple has announced that they will be releasing a new product later this year: The iPot. The iPot will be available by November, just in time for Thanksgiving.
The iPot is a combination Crockpot and microwave type device, with the addition of internet connectivity features. Like a Crockpot, the iPot must be plugged into the wall (as opposed to being used on the stove). Like a microwave, you can program the iPot for various foods.
You will be able to put food into the iPot in the morning and it will keep the food cool (using reverse thermal induction technology) until the afternoon, when it will start cooking. By the time you get home from work or school, your food will be hot and ready for you to eat.
Sensors in the iPot will tell the attached mini-computer the exact temperature and moisture content of the food, letting the mini-computer know when your food is cooked to perfection. Once your food has finished cooking, the iPot changes to ‘warming’ mode, letting you retrieve it at your convenience.
The iPot also comes with an Ethernet port, allowing you to hook the mini-computer up to your network to download recipes from the official iPot site. The recipes will be free and allow you to cook a variety of thousands of different dishes without having to program the iPot yourself.
The iPot also has a slot for flash memory, allowing you to take the recipes you’ve programmed with you wherever you go (for example, to give to a friend).
For those worried that the mini-computer will be damaged by the heat, it will be connected to the iPot itself by a long cord which will allow the sensitive components of the mini-computer to be separate from the heat generated by cooking.
The iPot will come in sizes from 1-quart sauce pan all the way up to 8-quart stew pot. Plans are also in the works for a ‘bacon & eggs’ breakfast model, which will be a frying pan.
Trying to get a new computer (or even building your own) can be a challenging proposition. Even if you know what you want, it can be annoying to try to find the absolute best price.
Pricewatch helps you there. Despite the similarity in name to Priceline, they don’t sell airplane tickets. Instead, they point you to the best deals in computer hardware. Whether you’re looking for a whole computer or just one part, look at Pricewatch first before you buy anything.
Everyone who has wi-fi at some point wishes for a stronger antenna. Whether you need one so you can use your laptop out in the backyard or if you want to swipe your neighbor’s connection… you’re going to need something to boost that signal.
Making a cantenna can be quickish and easy, if you simply follow the directions. Not only that, but it’s fairly inexpensive.
So go ahead, have fun. (But don’t use your neighbor’s connection without his or her permission first!)
Just about everyone loves LEGOs. That’s why this LEGO computer is so cool. This guy (Winston) built a computer case out of LEGO pieces. How cool is that?
I want a LEGO computer now. Maybe I should start planning one.