Posts Categorized: Electronics

Using NFC tags with Galaxy Nexus to change settings based on location

Posted by & filed under Android, Electronics, Personal.

This could be the geekiest thing I’ve ever done. While I have used Tasker on Android to change settings based on location, it doesn’t quite have the granularity that I am looking for and relies on precise GPS location to work really well (which hurts battery life). The newest flagship Android phone, the Galaxy Nexus… Read more »

Adding a second (or third or fourth…) monitor to a laptop (Mac & Windows PC)

Posted by & filed under Electronics, Mac OS X, Video.

While large (24″+) monitors are certainly enticing, I find that my productivity improves with multiple monitors rather than bigger monitors. My desktop setup includes two 23″ monitors in Landscape orientation and a 22″ monitor in Portrait mode. While most laptop have a VGA, Display Port or DVI output, that only allows you to connect one… Read more »

New Arduinos – Pro & Pro Mini

Posted by & filed under Arduino, Electronics, Open-source.

Sparkfun & Arduino announced today the new Arduino Pro ($20) and Arduino Pro Mini ($19), two 3.3V “low-cost, low-profile boards intended for advanced users and for convenient embedding in long-term projects”. The Arduino Pro is shield compatible (but 3.3v, beware) and includes a connector for lithium ion batteries. The Arduino Pro Mini is well….mini at… Read more »

The Arduino Family – Arduino Diecimilla (continued)

Posted by & filed under Arduino, Electronics, Open-source.

In a previous post I reviewed the Arduino Diecimilla and some of its shields. The Diecimilla and its proto-shield provide us with a great sandbox for experimenting with basic circuits on a mini-breadboard. If you can leverage some of its shields to provide additional functionality you don’t want to have to implement yourself (GPS, SD… Read more »

USB/LCD Part 1 (SerLCD on FT232L)

Posted by & filed under Arduino, Electronics, Open-source, Personal.

As I read blogs and articles about DIY electronics projects, I learn about gizmos that I want to gain first hand knowledge on. One such are small LCD screens (not monitors !) which are available from many vendors. Following the Arduino tutorial, I discovered that many require up to 11 pins on the Arduino. Sparkfun… Read more »

Making things talk

Posted by & filed under Arduino, Electronics, Open-source, Personal.

The Arduino Starter Pack from Adafruit is really pretty cool. It provides a really nice starting point for open source hardware hacking. In addition to the main Arduino Diecimila board, the starter pack includes a few components to play with (resistors, push buttons, LEDs, …) as well as a protoshield to start prototyping with the… Read more »

Arduino – the beginnings

Posted by & filed under Arduino, Electronics, Mac OS X, Open-source, Personal.

I am not much for DIY, home projects. I am still struggling with putting curtains up in my TV room. However, while casually browsing different sites (including Make) I discovered the Arduino board, an easy to use electronic kit based on a powerful Microcontroller that spawned a family of companion products. This ecosystem makes it… Read more »