Tindie

While there are an incredible array of gaming control options available today, if you want to replicate the feeling of old-school gaming on a new computer, it’s hard to beat using the controllers of the time. No problem though, just plug your Apple II joystick into the DIP16 game port or DB9 joystick port on your MacBook!

Wait, your computer doesn’t feature one of those connectors? If that’s the case, the good news is that while the world has moved on with new and better connection methods, the ability for relatively “normal” people to produce custom accessories at a reasonable price has gone up dramatically. It should come as no surprise then that a solution for this problem is already available—the RetroConnector Joystick Shield.

This device is used with an included Teensy 2.0 board, and as shown in the video here, retro gaming with an original joystick is as simple as plugging it between your computer and joystick to act as a middleman. With this device, you’ll be playing Xevious and Kung Fu Master the way you remember it!

The Teensy is a common go-to for custom peripherals. When you get tired reliving your Apple II years, check out the raw HID guide on the Teensy site and build your own spin on interesting input devices.

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When you hear the words “USB Typewriter,” you might assume that the utterance is a very strange way to refer to a normal keyboard. It may, however, refer to a typewriter converted to keyboard use. As for where you would get something like that, the USB Typewriter Kit helps you convert an actual typewriter, like the one you may have crammed in your basement closet, into a USB keyboard.

This means that you can type on a computer, iPad, or other keyboard-capable device, while, if a piece of paper is loaded, generating a hard copy on the fly. Or, as seen in the video below, you can set an iPad on the carriage, creating a sort of virtual piece of paper that rides along with your keystrokes. Sure, it might not be as easy to use as most keyboards, but if you really want a lot of tactile feedback when you’re typing, this would certainly give you that.

If you’re wondering how this device works, this Instructables writeup shows what’s going on, and how it’s meant to be assembled. Levers that would normally be used to type a letter hit a sensor strip that detects this motion. Along with this, magnetic sensors pick up on keys that don’t touch the sensor strip, and a control panel (which includes extra non-keyboard control buttons) then sends this info via USB to your device!

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Everyone tuned into the Tindie community knows that it’s often a long-distance relationship with buyers and sellers who reside in places all over the world. But once in a while we get to hang out when a multitude of Tindarians are drawn together to one place.

If you’re at World Maker Faire in Queens, New York this weekend, make some time to meet up with the Tindie community. Tindie has a booth which is a great place to stop by and check out what’s going on. It’s booth number 3121 located in Zone 3 next to the Rocket Park.

Several members of the Tindie crew will be there, taking shifts on Saturday and Sunday (including yours truly on Sunday morning and early afternoon) and we’ll have cool swag to hand out including Tindie hardware badges. But the real draw is catching up with other Tindie sellers who are stopping by. This was the case at Maker Faire Bay Area back in May as numerous friends who have supported each other on Tindie but never met in person had a chance to hang out for the first time.

Tindie Meetup Tonight (9/21/17)

Already made it to town for a weekend of fun? There’s a Tindie meetup tonight and you’re invited! On the docket are talks and demos centered around assistive technology. Come have some fun, learn what people are working on, and show off any hardware you’ve brought along with you.

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As a dedicated techie, if someone sees your garage/lab/office, he or she will instantly know that you enjoy creating things by the variety of electro-mechanical parts scattered around. On the other hand, if you pass someone on the street, or meet someone for the first time, they should really know where you stand geek-wise!

To help boost your visual geek cred, check out the shirts from Story Spark. They come in a variety of patterns, such as this “I heart Tech” T-shirt that literally has a heart drawn on it in the form of a circuit. Obviously, any of these would be great for the next Hackaday Superconference, Maker Faire, or local hardware meetup.

On the other hand, at one of those events, you know you’ll be among like-minded people. Wearing it in normal day-to-day settings would set you apart as someone interesting, strange, or both, perhaps leading to a chuckle or even an interesting conversation. Or maybe people will still ignore you while looking at their phones!

Either way, if you want to declare your dedication to electronics, what better way than wearing one of these!

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In a world with tiny development boards such as the Arduino Nano, or even the Raspberry Pi Zero (if you want to apply that definition quite liberally), there is still something really amazing about the ATtiny85 chip. It’s so small that  you could easily lose it on the floor, but if you need a limited number of I/O it can be very cost-effective.

Another downside to a chip like this is that, as opposed to many Arduino boards,  you can’t just plug a USB cable into it and program. You’ll need to use an in-system programmer (ISP), which, incidentally, can actually be an Arduino.

Once programmed, you still have to think about how you’re going to power it as a standalone device. Actually, this is a bit of a problem with any chip or dev board, but the Fish Bowl shield provides a solution for both “Tiny” challenges.

The board connects the ATtiny85 chip to an Arduino, allowing it to be programmed, then powers it with a coin cell battery. This means that once it’s programmed, you just pop the board off and let it do whatever you had in mind.

At one time, there was a Blinky Fish available that was meant to work with this “bowl.” Although no longer available to purchase, you can find the retired listing here, perhaps inspiring your own creations!

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If you’re looking to make a robot or other electromechanical device, there are a wide variety of options for rotational motion. Servos, steppers, and DC motors are available configured in many different ways, at all price points.

If, however, your device needs linear motion, options available at a hobbyist-level become more scarce. You could use a solenoid, but they don’t give you much control. Alternatively, one could hook up a servo motor with a linkage, or even put together a lead screw setup, but this adds mechanical complication that you may not want to deal with.

For another option that won’t break the bank, seller Morai Motion offers linear actuators from a 1 inch stroke to 6 inches. Available actuators traverse at a speed of .51mm per second and are able to push with a force of 4.4lbs (or 2 Kg-force if you’d like to be consistent with your units). So while not very fast, they can be precisely controlled and won’t shoot whatever you’re working on into the air! Check out the 1 inch stroke model in the video below, or see the Morai Motion store for more options.

If you need a linear actuator with just the parts you have lying around your shop, you can always made one with a glue stick and hobby servo. Although it perhaps won’t be as reliable as the actuators seen here, it is able to generate several Kilograms of force!

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Browse around Tindie’s robust Sound section and you’ll realize there are myriad synth and sound device projects out there. If you step back and imaging how these devices look to a “non-techie,” the assortment of components, sockets and buttons must look rather uninteresting. I know, it’s hard to imagine that mindset, but I suspect that I’m right.

Weirdly, this “Hog Shed Monster Synthesizer/Sequencing Brain” seems to have struck a strange balance between both types of appeal. It’s “constructed from several species of local wood,” and has a plethora of electronic components that should pique the interest of any computer/tech lover.

So what does it do exactly? While the video below will give you a better idea of what you can expect, generally speaking, the device acts as a droning sequencer. Nine steps can be programmed with seven parameters, including the pitch, which is tuned by the distance of an object from an array of four sonar sensors. The step being played and modified can be selected by a rotary switch on the top, which can also be depressed as a button. Finally, output is handled by a 3.5mm stereo jack.

Be sure to see and hear it in action in this video. The device’s strange exterior is only a preview of its unique operation!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O9DsWfNWeV4

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Soon we’ll be heading into the season where we have several holidays in quick succession, and to a greater or lesser extent we all get involved in our own way. In order to get everyone in the spirit, check out these lighting solder kits from Low Voltage Labs:

Ghost Kit

The Ghost PCB kit, which lights up a pair of flashing green LED eyes on a white ghost-shaped PCB. This would certainly work well for Halloween!

Pumpkin Kit

The Pumpkin PCB kit, which lights up a single, but very large, 10mm flickering LED. It’s shaped like a pumpkin, and the coin cell battery holder is at a right angle to the PCB. This allows it to stand up, perhaps on top of an actual pumpkin as pictured here. It would also make a good alternative to a candle in a Jack-O-Lantern, and could even work well for your Thanksgiving feast!

Snowman Kit

Finally, this snowman PCB comes with an LED nose, and two flashing RGB LEDS for buttons. Perfect as a stocking stuffer or Christmas ornament!

All of these look, if I’m allowed to say it, adorable. They would be a great intro to soldering for kids, or a semi-DIY gift for those that would rather have something assembled.

They’re great examples of taking a simple circuit board that might appeal only to those technically-minded, and turning it into something fun and appealing to a everyone.

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Grbl, as it describes itself, “is a no-compromise, high performance, low cost alternative to parallel-port-based motion control for CNC milling.” Depending on your experience with the world of amateur CNC, using a parallel port may seem strange, however, it’s an adequate solution for computer control since it offers a very low latency path between your equipment and the computer’s processor. Of course, this means you need to find a PC with a parallel port, or install one yourself.

With Grbl, you pass your cutting informationto an Arduino board in the form of g-code machining instructions. The Arduino generates the needed control pulses to command servos in the direction they should move. This type of setup can all be solder together or hooked up via an Arduino’s headers. Considering the vibration and dust that controllers in this situation are exposed to, you will want something that is both secure and that can be hooked up and removed easily: screw terminals.

There are plenty of screw terminal options for the Arduino boards, but the Grbl CNC shield is meant for just this purpose. It has the various axes labelled, as well as other CNC I/O, giving you a quick reference as to where everything needs to be hooked up. It’s an excellent option, whether you’re just getting started or you’re an experienced “Grbl-er.”

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There are many ways to hack a computer, whether through social engineering, clever code tricks, or perhaps a “weaponized” piece of hardware. One hardware vulnerability that may be overlooked is the fact that if you plug a keyboard or mouse into a computer, it automatically recognizes it as such.

Nearly all of the time, this is great, and allows you to go about your business, typing in spreadsheets, writing blog posts, or whatever you need to do that day. However, if you wished to exploit this HID-friendliness for your own uses, all you would have to do is make a keyboard emulator that looks like a thumbdrive. Plug it in, and the malicious “USB drive,” or even something that looks like an innocent fan, joystick, or even normal keyboard can type in whatever you programmed it to do, potentially helping someone gain control of the machine.

A device using this method of injecting information by masquerading as a keyboard is often called a USB Rubber Ducky. The technology isn’t static and is constantly evolving.  The Malduino was recently covered on Hackaday. Malduino is a great example of this type of device, and the Elite version even allows you to select scripts to run with different switches.

Taking this one step further is the Cactus WHID, which acts as an HID injector, but can be controlled via WiFi on the hacker’s device. Naturally, this type of control expands its potential enormously, and you can see more details on the project’s GitHub page.

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