Prototyping with pennies

One of the great things i admire with the whole open source thing is that all blueprints, software and all the information you would ever need to produce your very own item item is freely available on the Internet. Whilst anyone can learn to build an application or create a website, open source is where technology can bridge the gap between the real world and the virtual one or visa-versa (one of the reasons why i am looking forward to receiving my Rift Dev kit in December). However, another more readily available technology is changing the way we prototype stuff.

While open source itself has been around for decades, the popularity of Android and the advent of Arduino and other similar low power, more compact single board systems, home computing has returned to the hobbyist realm once again. Many of today's computers started life out by being built in people's sheds and homes, while some of the best emerging tech these days comes from regular people using current technology in its component form and re-purposing it. While automation using computers has been an old trick that i have experimented with in the past (I've even been paid to animate Christmas displays and basic automation tasks), what's new today is this renewed interest in the hacker/maker market. The popularity of the  Hacker/Maker spaces over in the US and other countries (like the Makers-Faire) are now seeing new communities and local experiences popping up all over the world.

Personally i think it can be a ton of fun and the best way to enjoy it is to spend some time experimenting with these low cost systems. I mentioned the raspberry pi in an earlier post - i have seen examples of children using it to program their own games, others use it to create a silent custom made HTPC, Some want an open source robot or low-cost solution to a problem they have got. Its a process that is fun and easy to learn and helps develop skills that can be applied to future technology development. Programming is a good building block these days, because once you master the basics, prototyping then becomes a whole lot easier when applying it in a practical way (ie the real world). For me, the best way to learn is by actually building it. If you get stuck, the forums and resources are available online and an active developer community are always available 24/7.

So, having picked the project(s) you want to make, done your homework and have selected the items you think that will need to get you started, then what? Trouble is, you may have never seen a circuit diagram before or you don't even own a soldering iron, let alone have thousands of dollars to spend on parts. This is where today's low-cost-tech really shines. It doesn't have to be a robot, it could be a lightweight flashing EL panel belt thats worn by cyclists for visibility at night or it could be a RFID tag that alerts the owner they had left a possession behind (eg. forgotten their phone and wallet ;P).

Basic Prototyping Kit (bought online)

If the idea of making your own open source project sounds tempting, it is, at least for me. Trouble is, i don't always have alot of money left to spend on experimenting with electronics as most of my spare cash gets eaten up by gaming, geeking or the whole general mish mash ;). This was recently highlighted when i was able to acquire a raspberry pi, USB cable, HDMI cable, SD card, keyboard and mouse all online for under $70 (shipped to my door). After a quick trip to the local electronics retailer, where the basic breadboard was going to cost almost as much as the raspberry pi itself, i headed online to ebay for some electronic prototyping bargains. I am glad i did. Not only was i able to get a breadboard that was almost the exact same dimensions as a bare bones pi, it came with a bunch of components (LED's, resistors, capacitors etc etc) that would get me started. Included with the pack was a small booklet that helped identify components, perfect for those like myself (who were a bit rusty on their knowledge of electronics) or for any beginners out there.


The basic prototyping kit (pictured above) cost me about $20 to have shipped from the UK and it arrived in my letterbox inside a working week. Personally, i will still need some additional components to complete some of my particular project(s), however, all told the costs thus far are <$100.  Not sure that making your own technology is all that interesting? hold no interest for building robots or devices that interact with the real world? what about clothing that can charge your mobile devices or smart phones using the heat of your body? or a hoodie that has a built in MP3 player with conductive cloth providing built in and washable controls. while alot of this wearable technology is available now, some of it is still in development. my point is, its actually quite easy to prototype with pennies :)

Another example of the potential of this technology comes from other sources, such as the instructables website. Predating arduinos relatively new community (arduino started around 2005), the instructables website (along with many others of similar vein) lists a large number of inspiring projects. An example of a  more practical project is an open source pill dispenser that dispenses a course of seven days worth of medication at allocated times. Even sounding an alarm when pills are ready to be taken, making it ideal for elderly or the disabled. What about sonic sensors attached to embedded tech that increase in pressure, the closer it comes to an object. For example, the blind could wear purpose made gloves or wrist straps that squeezed gently to indicate their proximity to objects. This could be adapted to make clothing that could "see objects" around a person and apply a sensation light enough as to be completely painless and of no harm for long term use. Of course, these are all serious real-world projects and while you may find inspiration in robotics or wearable tech or wherever, the initial costs for these projects is low and the initial learning curve is quite moderate.


Some Handy Links and Resources.

Arduino Community
 
Make projects

SparkFun



Quick Start Guides
 
Top 10 Arduino projects for pro (w/click-thrus)


Learn Arduino from n00b to ninja video series

MMO'ing in the Massively Modern Otherverse

I have been MMO'ing for a while now. My first real MMO was WoW and it was just before the Lich-king landed.  I soon found myself with a continuous subscription, playing actively for many years, a level 85 gnome warlock was my main. After a some time-off spent reducing the number of games in my pile-of-shame, i returned to the MMO scene when Bioware launched local servers for SWTOR. Despite a recent move to the freemium/subscription model, i still have an active sub and a forty-ish Jedi Consular Shadow with a Lvl 50 Jedi Knight that i still enjoy, although freemium may soon turn out to be a better option for me now.

When Funcom released The Secret World, I thought its new gameplay aproaches and a modern-day setting might interest me. Unfortutenately for TSW, i will be un-subbing this month unless my desire to play in the "end of the world" setting returns to me anytime soon. Whilst TSW does alot of things right, allowing you to radically alter your build/weapon/skill of choice at any point (by simply learning another proficiency), is set in a modern world (leading to its superior graphical quality) and has some nice mechanics, running around in the "zombie apocolypse" is something that starts to wear on you after a while.

Then came Guild Wars 2.  After Installing the retail discs and patching the old build, i was dissapointed that the server i wanted to play on, sea of sorrows (the unofficial aussie sever), was full. Because GW2 wants you to select one and *only* one server (and pay for any changes), i had to wait until a less populated time because i wanted a specific server. While i understand that some of the limitations are for stability issues and i respect that ArenaNet has the majority of players best interests in mind (briefly closing retail sales until server deployment could cope with the overwhelming demand), this game is simply *brilliant*. After logging in, I then set about creating my first character, a process which in itself holds has a hight level of customisation. After a couple of hours, it still took me a while to realise just how good this game really is. Whilst its MMO pedigree is aparent, its not trying to be WoW, nor is it opressively complicated, however the traditional weapon of choice and build options are still present.

odd abe - necromancer (rockin his town clothes :P)

Its been a long time since i have felt true excitement in this genre. Dont get me wrong, I will still be playing SWTOR and perhaps after my experiences with GW2, i will be giving TSW another shot. Its just this game feels dynamic in every sense of the word. While i think it could benifit from some clear direction for learning combat early on in the game - i got the hang of it eventually after dropping all my preconceived notions on what it meant to play traditional MMO avatar. once i had done this, i simply fell in love with the game.

In a traditional MMO like WoW or SWTOR - revisiting a lower level area or group event meant that you stroll casually into middle of the conflict and simply one-shot anything in the area without even blinking. In GW2, your level is scaled to the event or area - which meant that a level four area handicapped my stats to match the area (downscaling them to a level 5) and with a nearby group event in progress  - this allowed me to join in and gain xp and loot while still retaining a sense of enjoyment. What also impressed me with this game is the combat that this game really does shine. double tapping direction keys allow you to dodge attacks, in-combat switching of weapons grants access to some powerfull combinations and the whole scale-down thing applies to any area of the map which means you are far more likely to encounter others willing to join in. Oh, and there is no defined healer class, meaning that anyone can revive others - even while the combat is still raging around them.

The biggest adjustment i had to make with this game came from my own established habbits. As most of my mains in previous MMO's have been caster based or ranged classes, this resulted in the vast majority of my time in combat was from fixed/ranged positions. Sure, you keep mobile to avoid AoE, but most of the heavy damage abilities outside of DoT's and burst damage required you to stand still. It took me a while to realise my full potential in GW2 - i was able to cast, then run around dodging attacks while damage was being dealt. I was able to DoT a boss, run around while i kited and syphoned health, then switch to a melee ability/weapon and finish it off with close quaters combat. While there restrictions on the type of gear you can equip, its marvelous experimenting with the different combinations and abilities. (dual weilding starts at level 7)

Before this turns into a love letter to GW2 i will finish by saying that it takes alot for me to be impressed with a game. i could go on and on about all the cool stuff it lets you do or the inovative way in which it does it (WvWvW anyone?), instead i will urge you to make the purchase if only because the game is worth it as a stand alone RPG in an MMO environment. Whilst there are some negatives with this game, i feel confident that the freemium model will work here - even if its not free-to-play because of the $60 DLC cost. I will also mention that the game really isnt designed with an "end game" in mind, with that out of the way the grind is left to goldfarmers and the game returns to what is really important about in all MMO's... the gameplay and a good time :)

Slamming support

  Having been involved with computing since the "good old days" of DOS, much of my technical knowledge has been self-taught, handed down or learnt through professional courses. Its part of what makes me a fan of technology sometimes, strange but true. you encounter a problem, you spend some time researching solutions - learning more about said tech along the way and hopefully, at the end of it all you are able to create a suitable solution for the problem. In the days of DOS with magnetic media the norm, the old "Abort, Retry, Ignore?" prompt came known to me and my colleagues as "Abort, Retry, Influence with large hammer" because it represented what you really wanted to do when you encountered a problem that seemed to hold no answer. 

  Obviously physical violence towards today's technology is counter productive. Ask anyone who's dropped their iPhone/iPad/Tablet more than three feet or someone who's Nintendo wii remote became embedded in their big-screen TV due to the cheap straps that used to ship with the console. Technology breaks so easily, unless it has been purpose built to be durable and even these have their breaking point. I don't know about anyone else, but the first thing i buy when i get a new smart phone is a pack of screen protectors and a suitable case to house it in. whilst this wont prevent breakage in extreme situations, at least if it takes a minor fall onto a hard surface i wont suddenly have a phone that's in three separate pieces, or worse, a cracked touchscreen.

  In some situations, however, physical violence seems to hold the key. Years ago, i bought one of the Logitech MX5500 desktops from my local computer supplier. I liked the bluetooth cable free design, the fact that the mouse had an inbuilt battery and the mouse had a shape and design was something that suited me absolutely perfectly. Whilst the keyboard lasted many years and was eventually replaced with a gaming keyboard (only after i had worn it out), i continued to use the MX5500 mouse. Recently, after seating it in the cradle, the green charge light would light up then stop and flash red twice. this usually indicated that the mouse wasn't seated correctly. after making absolutely certain that it was, finding the problem still existed, a slow sad sinking feeling started to creep over me. was it time my favourite mouse was due to be replaced?

  My first assumption was that the battery had simply taken too many charges and that the flashing red light on the MX5500 indicated it needed service/replacement. Fearing i would have to either purchase a whole new combo (they never sold the mouse or keyboard separately) or replace my beloved mouse - i turned to the interwebs to see if i could narrow down the actual problem. a few brief articles indicated that taking apart the mouse and replacing the battery or soldering a resistor into the circuit at a certain point could fix this. all possible solutions, just none i was willing to go with just yet, it may be out of warranty - i just felt that busting out the soldering iron was a bit premature. then i came across a blog entry on this exact problem. while the article wasn't all that helpful, at the end of it was a large number of comments. the fourth one down suggested holding it in one hand and slamming it down against the desk, hard. it seemed a risky proposition, after all, i didn't want to break the mouse open or anything. i did, however, hold it securely in my hand and give it one solid knock against the surface of the desk.

  sure enough, after just one solid knock, returning it to the charging cradle saw no red light flashing and a mouse that was in fact charging happily once again. reading through the comments that have been accumulating on the page over the years, many theorise that it could be the cradle logitech made to hold the battery and some speculate its all about how clean the contacts are. all i know is that the 100+ people (i stopped counting at a hundred) who commented on the success of this technique will now make this a serious technical support option that may save an otherwise excellent mouse from the scrapheap.

i for one, will be one of them :)

Crowdfunding Conundrum

Whilst relatively new to the whole crowdfunding scene, having only supported a limited number of projects in the last twelve months, i think this is a fantastic alternative to more traditional methods of raising capital. Instead of jumping through hoops for banks or venture capitalists, whose only "interest" is to make money of your idea, crowdfunding allows you to source that capital from anyone and everyone via the Internet, gaining free market research in the process. Got an idea for a project or product? create a crowdfunding campaign on a site like kickstarter or indiegogo, set a goal and a time limit and you could potentially have all the capital you need, provided enough people support your venture. simple, right?

yes and no. personally, i have only ever pledged on kickstarter, so i cannot speak for any of the other sites out there - however - the problems inherent with such a method are universal regardless of which crowdfunding site you think is the best. As far as i know, the two biggest sites, Kickstarter and Indiegogo are "hands off" when it comes to successful campaigns that fail to deliver the promised rewards. That's right, a project may reach its funding goal, you hand over your cash and never see your reward. Kickstarters ToS specifically states that it does not offer refunds and while it mentions that project creators are required to offer refunds if they are unable to fulfill rewards, they can in no way enforce this ruling. I imagine Indiegogo and others user agreements reflect similarly held views in this matter.

Don't get me wrong, i have been fortunate in that all my projects that have reached their funding goal have so far delivered on-time or have had project leaders who have been in constant communication with backers over any delays or problems. Whilst some projects encounter delays and some creators may be slow with updates, others - like the Mythic video game (which was canceled after being exposed as a scam) - seem  to slip through the net. Whilst certain risks are involved in any new product or project, crowdfunder's must be aware that in no way is it an investment or pre-order of any kind. Also, any backers who consider themselves scammed after not receiving stated rewards within an allocated time frame, may be shocked to find that any chance on a charge back has expired.

So, what can a n00b crowdfunder do? do your research, be prepared to write off any pledges as a loss, make sure you are aware that just because a website says a creator is bound by a ToS - doesn't always mean that a creator will honor said agreement. The project video showing a "in game screenshots/game play" or "product prototype" can easily be faked, forged or stolen from other sources and it only takes a moment or two to google-fu a potential project to expose any potential dubious actions. Overall, be a cautious backer, scammers are going to scam, just as haters are going to hate. The "next big thing" may indeed be something you are keen to fund, just be aware that it is still effectively donations-with-rewards, not an investment, not a pre-order.

An interesting side note to the already potentially dangerous waters of crowdfunding is one specific to IndieGogo - Flexible funding. This is an option anyone can select, so that despite setting a goal and a timeline, if a project falls short of its funding goal - the creators still get your money. This may be OK for low-cost or help-me-out campaigns, but i shudder to think how dangerous this can be when dealing with start up based projects. With any campaign that delivers a physical reward, the goal set is often the minimum funds required for production runs to bring the rewards into existence. By allowing creators the option to set their project as flexible, this opens up a whole new ballpark of potential problems. Personally, i think this, along with the fact that indiegogo allows you to post almost anything as a campaign - is why i will be avoiding this particular crowdfunding site. That's just my opinion mind you but if i could advise anyone two simple words of advice, it would be this - Caveat emptor (let the buyer beware - or in this case - backer beware)

Raspberry Pi

as technology grows more advanced, most manufacturers have been obsessed with shrinking the size of the tech as much as possible. whilst, for the most part, this still tends to be the case - in some areas we are seeing a reversal of this initial trend. the last time i upgraded my GPU,  i had to modify my gaming case by way of repositioning the lower drive bay so i could fit my newer graphics card into the PC. mobile devices have also seen a reversal in the "smaller is better" trend - each generation of the Galaxy S has grown larger in screen size, as has the iPhone and other mobile devices. big screen TVs are another example of modern tech out sizing old.

obviously, not all technology fits this trend. the raspberry pi (and other alternatives) are not only shrinking the footprint of working tech, they are reshaping the way we look at potential future-tech roll outs or real-world applications. whilst not all are a powerhouse of computing brilliance, these SBC's or single board computers, are starting to emerge as viable replacements for traditional computers. 

my raspberry pi (running the wheezy distro)

while these systems (such as the raspberry pi, oval elephant and other open source SBC's) offer the basic computer requirements (word processing, emails, web, networking etc) - these tiny computers are capable of 1080p video - making them ideal for cheap HTPC setups. these tiny computers are not only whisper quiet, they can run off a low-voltage adaptor or even be powered by a modern day LCD TV or screen with a USB port. add an external hard drive (powered either through a hub or independently via adaptor) and you have a networked HTPC that can run as a media centre or even act as a second computer. 

The raspberry pi has the addition of a 26-pin GPIO connection, which allows some external IO options - which means that like the arduino boards available on the market, you can add switches, sensors and a host of other goodies - all of which can be powered from a low-voltage DC option (such as battery packs) or from just about any modern day USB or DC adaptors. at the moment, i have the Linux distro wheezy loaded on the SD card and have a bunch of programs Ive pre-loaded over the network. the cost of a raspberry pi? AU$38.

more powerful SBC's are available - such as the dual-core oval elephant - however, some of these do not offer any sort of GPIO and are more akin to the cheap 7" android tablets and mobile devices that can be had on ebay for <$100, just without any sort of screen or touch interface. however, such is the case of the oval elephant and its dual-core tech, some are just as powerful as a cutting edge smart phone, albeit on a SBC instead of a phone. while i still have every intention of exploring more of the arduino world when i have a chance, i think this is as good a start as any to work with prototyping some unique devices and hacks.

i bought my raspberry pi from element14, although there are several authorised distributors listed on the pi's website - just be sure to select a local distributor to ensure prompt postage :)

Palmer luckey & the oculus rift

  as an "old-school" geek and general tech-head, virtual reality is one of those technologies that i have always had an interest in. at some point in the previous century, i had a stint in a game-store that rented, that's right *rented*, computer games for members to play overnight or by the week. this was well before the days of DRM or online verification/persistent connection and it was here that i got to sample some fairly cutting edge stuff. one of those gaming titles was packaged with a 3D HMD (and no, it was not the virtual boy). it took hours to get everything patched and working, consisted mostly of vector or texture-mapped graphics and made you feel sick if you used it for too long. yet there was something about strapping on a pair of "goggles" and becoming immersed in a game that took full advantage of the 6DOF as a game play element and vr experience (even if it was still controlled manually)

most of these HMD's cost anywhere from around a thousand dollars to well over $30k for even the most basic of models and they all have less-than-stellar FOVs, are bulky and are in no way really VR experiences. when Sony announced its HMZ-T1 - it was the first time i had seen real promise from a company offering a HMD that was not only under a thousand dollars, it also had high definition thrown in along with built in audio and adjustable focus. to be fair, Sony does sell these as an "immersive cinematic experience" and while it does make reference to playing games, in no way does it try to sell it as a virtual reality experience. unfortunately, the next-gen HMZ-T2's aren't a whole lot better based on early reviews, improving mostly on comfort factors such as weight, adjustability and so forth while retaining the first-gen's 45 degree FOV.

sony's HMZ-T1                                                  oculus rift (dev kit)

then, almost by chance, i came across palmer luckey's kick starter campaign for the oculus rift. here was a geek after my own heart... a tech-head who, unsatisfied with what was commercially available, decided to hack/build his own. i would never claim to be an expert in this field, yet the staggering 40+ HMD's palmer has eluded to owning (along with at least one omni-directional platform) seemed a little OCD to me. yet another geeks obsession in a niche field is quite often other people's gain, and from what i have seen of it - this rings true in every sense of the word. what makes this particular kickstarter campaign unique is the fact it was done not so much to raise money to develop the unit, but to get the dev kit into the hands of developers early so that when the commercial product is finalised and released (rumoured to be <$500 at launch) it will have an extensive library of games and community support for drivers and such. kudos to you mr. luckey, this geek thanks you.

while initially hesitant to commit to a developers kit, what ended up selling me was the already functional early prototypes which seemed to be nothing more than bits of tech, cardboard and duct tape - add the backing of john carmack (iD software), epic games, unity and many more industry heavyweights, throw in a low-latency 90 degree FOV and i was pledging along with indie studios and game companies wanting to start developing. whilst the commercial version of this amazing piece of tech is probably a year or more away from release, judging by the overwhelming response on kick starter (of the $250k goal - over $2.4million was pledged), this is the first time in a long time that i feel that VR has a real shot of success.... lets just hope i don't jinx it by saying so ;)