If you can get through the cell phone text speak, you’ll probably enjoy this cool tutorial on how to build a cell phone controlled robot. This bot decodes the key tones, similar to the automated phone systems we’ve all experienced. It uses a chip called a MT8870 DTMF decoder to translate the signal for the Atmega 16 controller. The circuit diagram is pretty hard to read, maybe we missed a downloadable one somewhere. The source code is available.
It would be nice to get some feedback from the robot, so you aren’t driving it completely blind. This is similar to the Lego cell phone rover that we showed you before. Next, he should make it recognize voice commands.
You’ve probably seen musical Tesla coils already. People have wired them up to computers and keyboards to make them serve as dangerous and awesome speakers. This video popped up of someone playing his guitar through one. It is rough, and not very good at polyphony, but still cool. We would like to see several coils, split by different filters to be able to hear more of the guitar chords. If only someone had rigged these up for Queen when Flash Gordan was made.
Finding themselves in need of a thermometer that could communicate with the computer, The Cheap Vegetable Gardener resorted to a bit of hacking. They created this PS2 controller thermometer by attaching some thermistors to the analog stick inputs. Each PS2 controller could collect data from up to four thermistors. There is an auto shutoff feature built into the controller that shuts off the analog signal after a period of non use. To overcome this, they simply taped the L2 button down.
[thanks Shawn]
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If you prefer to keep your GTD application on the desktop instead of using a web app like Remember the Milk, WinWorkBar is worth giving a try.
It's less than a 600kb download and packs a ton of functionality into a tidy sidebar. Features include a time and date display, calendar, task list, and notepad.
Tasks can be created as a one time occurrence or repeating event and can span multiple days. You can also specify percentage complete, not just whether or not a task is finished. The task view can be filtered a number of different ways, including progress, category, priority, or date (creation, change, etc.).
Notes can also be assigned to a range of dates - helpful if you've got an important event coming up and want to be reminded repeatedly as it approaches.
Hotkeys are supported for task and note creation and to show or hide the sidebar.
By default the sidebar autohides, though it's perfectly suited to full-time display on a widescreen monitor. A quick click on the menu button can turn off hiding. WinWorkBar also places an icon in the system tray at startup which provides right-click access to creating new notes and tasks.
WinWorkBar is a free application for Windows only.
We meet a lot of interesting people in the course of running Download Squad; Developers, designers, engineers, entrepreneurs, executives.
Thinkers.
Far and away the best part of this job are the connections made and ideas shared with people on the bleeding edge of the web and software. Too often, we only get to share a tiny slice of those conversations and off-topic bits.
Starting today we're opening up Download Squad in a way we've never done before. Over the coming weeks we'll invite a few of those people, to which we've loved talking, to join us as guest bloggers on Download Squad.
This week's guest is one of my favorite goofball Twitter pundits. He's also "Head of Magic" at FreshBooks, a company which managed to bring the most boring task in the world -- accounts receivable -- to the web, and make it almost fun in the process.
If you have multiple monitors connected to your PC, clicking a program's maximize button will usually make it take up the whole screen of one display. VirtualScreenMaximizer will make that single program stretch across all of your displays with the click of a button.
The utility is a tiny (32KB) executable. Just download and run it and an icon will show up in your system tray. Right click that icon to open the config menu and select the hotkeys you want to use to maximize or restore programs. You can select key combinations like Ctrl+Alt+F6 if you want too.
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Online movie rental service Netflix continues to expand its reach in streaming video rentals, opening up on TiVo menus today. Now that Macs, PCs, TiVos and media centers are covered, where would you like to see the red-label service head next? [via]
If you want to be really sure you don't forget something important, Remindr is a web-based service that pings cellphone, email, twitter account, and gTalk account simultaneously. There is no registration required, simply visit the site and plug in your information: the reminder, the date and time, and the info for the services you would like Remindr to use in notifying you. For another way of reminding yourself with multiple services, check out iReminder, an iGoogle widget.
Social bookmarking service Delicious has integrated Yahoo's streaming FoxyPlayer directly into its bookmark lists. So if you're cruising for tunes, use the tag system:filetype:mp3, then simply hit the play icons next to directly-linked MP3s to listen. [via]
iPhone/iPod touch only: One of the great strengths of Songbird, a jukebox app intended to serve as a more open-ended iTunes killer, is its Firefox-like extensibility. The 779Media group jumps out of the gate with a remote-control application for iPhones and iPod touch devices that, while simple in functionality, does give you basic play/pause/back/forward control from anywhere your home wireless network reaches. After installing the Songbird add-on for Windows, Mac, or Ubuntu 8.10 and the app on your device, you simply launch the app, hit the "info" button to choose your computer, then control your tunes. It desperately needs a full library listing to match up against Apple's own Remote app, but it's a nice start. Songbird Remote is a free download for iPhones and iPod touch models running at least the 2.0 software. For a closer look at Songbird itself, check out our screenshot tour.
Firefox with Greasemonkey or Stylish: Google Reader's recent redesign did streamline its interface, but ever-resourceful reader Dustin wants to maximize the feed reading area even more with his new "Absolutely Compact" user style. Google Reader Absolutely Compact packs even more text onto the screen than Google's new default look. Be warned: you've got to be a heavy keyboard shortcut user to enjoy this one, since the style strips away much of the interface. It also kills much of the whitespace in headline-only view, which can make scanning a bit harder on your peepers. Before you go install Greasemonkey or Stylish to try it out, compare before and after screenshots.
Here's Reader's current default look:
And here's how it looks with Absolutely Compact enabled:
As you can see, with Absolutely Compact enabled, more than double the number of headlines fit into the same exact screen space. The Absolutely Compact style for Google Reader works with either the Stylish or Greasemonkey extension for Firefox, and it's a free download. Thanks, Dustin!
Windows only: HD Hacker is a free application which allows you to backup and restore sectors on your hard drives. You can backup and restore the master boot record, the boot sector from logical drives, or any other user specified sector you need to backup. Backing up the master boot record is an advised step before messing around with repartitioning or installing a new operating system to create a dual boot system. For other boot record magic, check out how to fix your master boot record with an Ubuntu Live CD. HD Hacker is freeware, Windows only.
Faced with shelling out hundreds of extra dollars for a higher priced clothing wardrobe at IKEA, just to get the sliding pants rack he wanted, Instructables user Phantazn set about crafting his own. If you've ever looked at the wasted space beneath the hanging clothes in a wardrobe and thought that it might be better spent than as a shoebox graveyard, this project is for you. By purchasing some cheap pine dowels and wood, along with a $5 set of drawer sliders, he was able to put together a perfectly serviceable sliding pants rack even nicer than the wire model in the more expensive wardrobe. For other closet related hacks, check out how to avoid over-wearing outfits with a left to right closet and using your hangers to tell you which outfits you never wear.
Online game World of Warcraft now offers more secure authentication than nearly every online banking system the average consumer can access. Blizzard, the company behind the MMORPG powerhouse, has introduced the ability to use two-factor authentication in WoW. Two-factor authentication involves a second verifier on top of your normal password to log you in (like biometrics or a physical key card). In the case of the new Blizzard system, players can purchase a $6.50 keyfob that provides a six-digit authentication code, which it wirelessly creates on-demand for each login. If an online game system can implement it, why not your bank? Would you pay around the average cost of a fast food meal to have a secure and wireless two-factor authentication system for your bank (or any other online service you wanted a higher level of security on)? I know I won't be able to rest until my Facebook login is secured with a retinal scan.
Save yourself a bit of time this holiday season by taking advantage of the free holiday templates available at Google Docs. There are forms available for both analog and digital use: printable holiday mailing labels and greeting cards, forms to email to friends to gather information for mailing lists and holiday events, and so forth. The templates are free, but require a Google Documents account to access. For more holiday Google-Fu check out how to use Google Spreadsheets to manage your holiday mailings.
If you'd like to tame your cable clutter with a charging station but you're not too keen on shelling out $50 for a pleather and particle board model at your local big box store and the plastic and glowing switches motif of many stations doesn't appeal to you, the Weekly Geek has a posh alternative for you. By repurposing a $10 "antique" box from a craft store and fitting with with a peg board false bottom they created a living room friendly charging station. For other cord management ideas check out our top 10 DIY office projects and top 10 ways to get cords under control.
Windows only: Clone2Go is an easy to use bulk video converter. It supports a wide variety of input formats such as: WMV, FLV, MPEG4, AVI, and 3GP. You can output to an equally as wide variety of formats to ensure you can transfer your media to portable devices like the iPod, Zune, and mobile phones. Clone2Go supports batch processing so you can load it up let it convert unattended. The encoding rate is rather snappy and the GUI is easy to navigate. An added bonus if you find yourself frequently snagging video files for your portable devices off of YouTube and Google Video, is integration with the sites. There is a pro version of the software that allows you to save custom profiles— the free version allows you to customize your settings as much as you like but not save the custom conversion tweaks you make— and gets rid of the nag screen that pops up after you're done converting. Still the presets in the free version are plentiful, you can tweak them if you need to just without saving, and the nag screen is tolerable in exchange for a free and easy to use converter. For other video encoding alternatives, check out the Five Best Media Converters.
If you've been holding on to some expired medication because you're not sure how to safely get rid of it, over at wikiHow they have a guide to proper disposal. They cover which medications can be safely disposed of via the sewage system (very few!) and how to dispose of those which aren't. Medication can be taken to hospitals to be put in with their bio-hazardous material for incineration. Another alternative if the medication is not expired, is to donate it to The Starfish Project which distributes surplus medication from American donors to third world recipients. For other pill related hacks, check out how to get hard to swallow pills down and how to read the labels on your medication. Photo by Fillmore Photography.
The past ten years have completely changed the way we listen to music, watch movies and television, and take photos, and one thing is abundantly clear: The future of your media lies undeniably in the digital realm. Now you just need to find the perfect media center application to pull it all together. Earlier this week we asked you to share your favorite media center applications, and today we're back with the five most popular answers. Keep reading for a closer look at the favorites, then cast your vote for the media center app you count on to manage your digital media life. Photo by Aaron Escobar.
XBMC (Windows/Mac/Linux/Xbox/Apple TV)
XBMC (aka Xbox Media Center) is a free, open-source media center application designed, in the beginning, for the original Xbox. XBMC has made serious progress over the past year or so and can now run virtually anywhere—including Windows, Mac, Linux, and Apple TVs. Not only is XBMC an incredible media center app with tons of great add-ons and customization options, but it's also spawned several popular forks, including Boxee (mentioned below). XBMC is in constant development and has gotten better and better at running on your PC, but if you've got an old Xbox hanging around, here's how to transform your classic Xbox with XBMC.
Boxee (Mac OS X/Apple TV/Linux)
Boxee is an XBMC fork with an emphasis on taking your media center into the social realm. Like XBMC, Boxee is free and open source, but while it's aiming for the same platforms, Boxee currently only supports Mac OS X, Linux, and the Apple TV. Still, a pre-alpha release of the Windows version was released to a small group of testers just last week, so if you're on Windows and you like what you see, it may not be long before there's a Boxee for you. Despite its aim to be your social media center, Boxee's great interface and impressive features—including recent support for Netflix playback and integration with online video sites like Hulu—demonstrate that Boxee isn't slacking on overall innovation.
SageTV is a cross-platform media center and DVR application. SageTV works great if all you want is a straightforward DVR, but it's also an awesome app for the consummate tweaker. In contrast to Windows Media Center, SageTV recordings are DRM free, so it's easy to convert your media and play back the files anywhere—and on any device—you like. SageTV is a commercial application that'll set you back $80, but a 21-day free trial is available if you want to kick the tires. For more, check out our old guide to building your own DVR with SageTV and adding a web interface that lets you play back and set up recordings from any web browser.
MythTV (Linux)
MythTV is a Linux-based DVR and media center application designed as a free, open-source alternative to TiVo and Windows Media Center. First started way back in 2002, MythTV is the granddaddy of many of the media centers in this Hive Five and many that aren't. Currently several Linux distributions come bundled with MythTV, including the popular KnoppMyth live CD and Mythbuntu. MythTV's biggest hurdle for new users is probably Linux, but if you're willing to roll up your sleeves or you've already got a little know-how, this saucy media center has a lot to offer.
Now that you've seen the best, it's voting time.
This week's honorable mentions go out to the open-source Windows-based media center and DVR, MediaPortal, and Mac OS X-based XBMC fork, Plex. Whether the media center love of your life made the short list or not, let's hear more about it in the comments.
Most of us are better at keeping appointments with other people than we are at keeping time scheduled for ourselves. That's why it's easier to show up at the gym when you're meeting a friend. Be careful which friend you choose to work out with though, or you may end up at the bakery enjoying muffins and a latte. The same is true with building your support network for your professional growth. When you get that urge to start making some changes in your professional life, do yourself a favor and build in a network of support. If you're not ready to hire a professional coach, then get yourself someone who will help keep you accountable to set and hold to your new goals. This new model of peer-to-peer coaching is priceless, especially for people outside the traditional corporate environments like entrepreneurs and small business owners. Photo by arielmeow.
Here's how to develop your own peer-to-peer coaching network:
Create a mind map of all the people who have been influential in your life recently. Be bold and include authors, speakers, and other business professionals that might initially seem beyond your grasp. Imagine someone who can help lead your way. Consider someone with more experience than you in the area into which you are expanding but who can relate to you and your position. Note: Creating a full inventory will help the momentum if the first person you ask isn't available.
Connect with that person and let them know you are looking to learn more about what they know and implement strategies that have made them successful. Hint: Check out www.anywho.com if you need help finding their contact information.
Part of a successful peer-to-peer coaching program is to offer something yourself. Do not just look from a position of taking. This may be the wave of the future: two people, each experienced in their own area, decide to connect and share ideas on a regular basis. So, in your initial contact let him or her know you're willing to be a resource as well.
In 2006, I experienced an extremely valuable peer-to-peer coaching program with an outgoing business leader with similar professional and athletic interests who happened to live on the other side of the country from me. We made up everything about the peer-to-peer coaching process to fit our goals, interests and our busy schedules.
Each week for three months, I called him at our scheduled time. He asked me a series of four questions. We co-developed these questions to represent areas of focus that I wanted to improve in my business.
I answered each question by rating myself one for low and five for high, with a short explanation for my answers.
The entire call took five to ten minutes, and at the end of twelve weeks he sent me the "overview" of the notes and ratings he took over the three months. Then, we switched roles. He called me once a week, I went through and took notes on his prompts, and sent him the results.
We each took two turns each that year, and we each experienced growth and development that was incredible and beyond what our individual efforts would have created.
Checklist for your new peer-to-peer coaching program:
Create your inventory of names of people to work with
Ask people until you find someone who's excited to work with you
Write down three to ten questions you want to be asked each session
Create a schedule: what day/time you'll talk and how long each session is (ie, how many weeks/months per person)
Get your technology in place: sign up for Skype or create a speed dial entry on your cellphone
Organize a place to track results: create a folder, spreadsheet, or even an online survey
Dream big. Imagine the life you'd like to be living and design the questions that will guide you to making that your reality.
Have you done any peer-to-peer coaching with another professional? How did you set up your program? Tell us about it in the comments.
Jason Womack travels the world teaching people and their companies about workplace effectiveness and productivity. He is a small business entrepreneur, a former teacher, a busy business traveler, and an active triathlete. He can be reached at 805-640-6401 and by email at jason@jasonwomack.com.
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We meet a lot of interesting people in the course of running Download Squad; Developers, designers, engineers, entrepreneurs, executives.
Online movie rental service Netflix continues to expand its reach in streaming video rentals, opening up on TiVo menus today. Now that Macs, PCs, TiVos and media centers are covered, where would you like to see the red-label service head next? [
Social bookmarking service 
iPhone/iPod touch only: One of the great strengths of 
Firefox with Greasemonkey or Stylish: Google Reader's 
Online game World of Warcraft now offers more secure authentication than nearly every online banking system the average consumer can access. Blizzard, the company behind the MMORPG powerhouse, has introduced the ability to use two-factor authentication in WoW. Two-factor authentication involves a second verifier on top of your normal password to log you in (like biometrics or a physical key card). In the case of the new Blizzard system, players can purchase a $6.50 keyfob that provides a six-digit authentication code, which it wirelessly creates on-demand for each login. If an online game system can implement it, why not your bank? Would you pay around the average cost of a fast food meal to have a secure and wireless two-factor authentication system for your bank (or any other online service you wanted a higher level of security on)? I know I won't be able to rest until my Facebook login is secured with a retinal scan. 
Save yourself a bit of time this holiday season by taking advantage of the free holiday templates available at Google Docs. There are forms available for both analog and digital use: printable holiday mailing labels and greeting cards, forms to email to friends to gather information for mailing lists and holiday events, and so forth. The templates are free, but require a Google Documents account to access. For more holiday Google-Fu check out how to 
If you'd like to tame your cable clutter with a charging station but you're not too keen on shelling out $50 for a pleather and particle board model at your local big box store and the 
If you've been holding on to some expired medication because you're not sure how to safely get rid of it, over at wikiHow they have a guide to proper disposal. They cover which medications can be safely disposed of via the sewage system (very few!) and how to dispose of those which aren't. Medication can be taken to hospitals to be put in with their bio-hazardous material for incineration. Another alternative if the medication is not expired, is to donate it to 
The past ten years have completely changed the way we listen to music, watch movies and television, and take photos, and one thing is abundantly clear: The future of your media lies undeniably in the digital realm. Now you just need to find the perfect media center application to pull it all together. Earlier this week we asked you to 
Most of us are better at keeping appointments with other people than we are at keeping time scheduled for ourselves. That's why it's easier to show up at the gym when you're meeting a friend. Be careful which friend you choose to work out with though, or you may end up at the bakery enjoying muffins and a latte. The same is true with building your support network for your professional growth. When you get that urge to start making some changes in your professional life, do yourself a favor and build in a network of support. If you're not ready to hire a professional coach, then get yourself someone who will help keep you accountable to set and hold to your new goals. This new model of peer-to-peer coaching is priceless, especially for people outside the traditional corporate environments like entrepreneurs and small business owners. Photo by