Engadget http://www.engadget.com Engadget http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.engadget.com/media/feedlogo.gif Engadget http://www.engadget.com en-us Copyright 2012 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/<![CDATA[Adafruit's Circuit Playground app deciphers resistor codes, helps you remember Ohm's Law]]>http://www.engadget.com/2012/02/06/adafruits-circuit-playground-app-deciphers-resistor-codes/http://www.engadget.com/2012/02/06/adafruits-circuit-playground-app-deciphers-resistor-codes/http://www.engadget.com/2012/02/06/adafruits-circuit-playground-app-deciphers-resistor-codes/#comments Circuit PlaygroundIf the names Phillip Torrone, Limor Fried and Collin Cunningham don't ring a bell then you probably need to hand over your geek badge. If, on the other hand, those names immediately make you sit up and pay attention, you maybe excited to hear the trio have just released the first Adafruit-branded app for iOS. Circuit Playground is a reference app for makers, hackers and tinkerers that helps you decipher resistor and capacitor values; calculate resistance, current or voltage; convert decimal, hexadecimal and binary values; and store PDF data sheets for ICs. The app is $2.99, but it comes with a $3 credit at the Adafruit shop, so it's kinda-sorta free. It's available for iPad and iPhone only, but an Android version is in the works. If you're an impatient Google fan, they suggest you check out ElectroDroid which performs many of the same functions and we can confirm is awesome. Check out the video after the break and hit up the source link to get Circuit Playground now.

Gallery: Circuit Playground

Continue reading Adafruit's Circuit Playground app deciphers resistor codes, helps you remember Ohm's Law

Adafruit's Circuit Playground app deciphers resistor codes, helps you remember Ohm's Law originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 06 Feb 2012 14:16:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>adafruitadafruit industriesAdafruitIndustriesappappscircuit playgroundCircuitPlaygroundcollin cunninghamCollinCunninghamdiydo it yourselfDoItYourselfelectronicshackhackersiosipadiphonelimor friedLimorFriedmakersmobilepostcrossPhillip TorronePhillipTorronereferencevideoMon, 06 Feb 2012 14:16:00 EST<![CDATA[Kinect hack explained: follow-along-at-home guide lets you reverse engineer USB, impress your friends]]>http://www.engadget.com/2010/11/16/kinect-hack-explained-follow-along-at-home-guide-lets-you-rever/http://www.engadget.com/2010/11/16/kinect-hack-explained-follow-along-at-home-guide-lets-you-rever/http://www.engadget.com/2010/11/16/kinect-hack-explained-follow-along-at-home-guide-lets-you-rever/#comments So, there's already an open source driver for the Kinect -- who needs to learn how to reverse engineer USB all over again? Well, ladyada of Adafruit Industries, the folks responsible for the Kinect hack bounty and the USB logs used by the bounty winner to get a jump on his hack, has published a detailed guide on exactly how she sniffed the Kinect's USB chatter. The guide isn't for the faint of heart, but it's not completely unintelligible to someone with a bit of time and determination. If anything it serves as an excellent bit of how-the-Kinect-was-won history. We're not expecting Microsoft to reconsider its "Microsoft does not condone the modification of its products" stance on this issue, or its petty threat of law enforcement "to keep Kinect tamper-resistant," but we do hope they've learned one thing by now: they're fighting a losing battle.

Kinect hack explained: follow-along-at-home guide lets you reverse engineer USB, impress your friends originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 16 Nov 2010 22:05:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>adafruitadafruit industriesAdafruitIndustrieshackhackskinectmicrosoftmodmodsreverse engineerreverse engineeringReverseEngineerReverseEngineeringusbusb hackusb hackingUsbHackUsbHackingxbox 360Xbox360Tue, 16 Nov 2010 22:05:00 EST<![CDATA[Open Source Hardware community finally gets its Constitution]]>http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/14/open-source-hardware-community-finally-gets-its-constitution/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/14/open-source-hardware-community-finally-gets-its-constitution/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/14/open-source-hardware-community-finally-gets-its-constitution/#commentsOpen Source Hardware movement finally gets its Constitution They, the people of the open source hardware movement, in order to form a more peaceful community for sharing, establish bigger and cuddlier Chumbies, ensure continued Arduino creativity, promote the general welfare, and secure the blessings of hackery to ourselves and our posterity, have established the Open Source Hardware Draft. It's a sort of 11 commandments for those who would share or use an open source hardware design, indicating what documentation is required, how derived works must be allowed and, perhaps most importantly, that each use must include attribution to those founding engineers who came before. Its current version, 0.3, was ratified yesterday by a group of dignitaries including folks behind the Arduino, Adafruit, and Chumby, along with plenty of other underground industry big-wigs. Now that this bit of official business is out of the way, hopefully they can all get back to crafting homemade coilguns.

Open Source Hardware community finally gets its Constitution originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 14 Jul 2010 09:35:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>adafruitadafruit industriesAdafruitIndustriesarduinoattributionchumbylicenseopen source hardwareopen source hardware draftOpenSourceHardwareOpenSourceHardwareDraftWed, 14 Jul 2010 09:35:00 EST<![CDATA[Adafruit's Monochron retro clock now on sale, changes time with every match point]]>http://www.engadget.com/2010/02/26/adafruits-monochron-retro-clock-now-on-sale-changes-time-with/http://www.engadget.com/2010/02/26/adafruits-monochron-retro-clock-now-on-sale-changes-time-with/http://www.engadget.com/2010/02/26/adafruits-monochron-retro-clock-now-on-sale-changes-time-with/#comments You might have the vaguest of memories seeing this piece before -- it made a cameo in an Engadget Show segment -- but here we are with a much clearer picture of Adafruit Industries' Monochron clock, now also on sale! As is its modus operandi, the timepiece is open source... but should you plan on sticking to default, you'll be gifted with a great retro-style Table Tennis for two. The best part? The time changes whenever the clock "loses" -- something tells us that gives one side at least a 59-to-1 advantage. See for yourself after the break.

Continue reading Adafruit's Monochron retro clock now on sale, changes time with every match point

Adafruit's Monochron retro clock now on sale, changes time with every match point originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 26 Feb 2010 21:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>adafruitadafruit industriesAdafruitIndustriesclockclocksmono chronMonoChronpngretrotable tennistable tennis for twoTableTennisTableTennisForTwotimetime pieceTimePieceFri, 26 Feb 2010 21:31:00 EST<![CDATA[Adafruit is in the Square payment pilot, awesomeness will likely ensue]]>http://www.engadget.com/2010/02/25/adafruit-is-in-the-square-payment-pilot-awesomeness-will-likely/http://www.engadget.com/2010/02/25/adafruit-is-in-the-square-payment-pilot-awesomeness-will-likely/http://www.engadget.com/2010/02/25/adafruit-is-in-the-square-payment-pilot-awesomeness-will-likely/#comments Our good friends at Adafruit Industries are now taking mobile payments with the best of 'em thanks to a prerelease Square dongle they've managed to score, ostensibly as a part of the public trial announced earlier this month. They've posted a quick video showing the process of taking someone's cash via plastic, and it looks every bit as painless as Square makes it out to be -- just swipe, sign with your fingertip, and your Square-equipped payee is a few dollars richer. The particular dongle Adafruit's been provided looks rough to say the least -- these aren't the units you'll be getting off the shelf -- but that's part of the fun of being involved with a beta, isn't it? Head over to Adafruit to peep the video, and needless to say, we're curious to see how they plan to make use of this little bugger.

Adafruit is in the Square payment pilot, awesomeness will likely ensue originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 25 Feb 2010 13:54:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>adafruit industriesAdafruitIndustriesiphonepaymentPayments CouncilPaymentsCouncilsquaresquare paymentsSquarePaymentsThu, 25 Feb 2010 13:54:00 EST<![CDATA[The Engadget Show: Kindle etching and DIY adventures with Adafruit Industries]]>http://www.engadget.com/2009/12/02/the-engadget-show-kindle-etching-and-diy-adventures-with-adafru/http://www.engadget.com/2009/12/02/the-engadget-show-kindle-etching-and-diy-adventures-with-adafru/http://www.engadget.com/2009/12/02/the-engadget-show-kindle-etching-and-diy-adventures-with-adafru/#comments If you'll recall, some months ago we held a little competition for readers to submit artwork destined for laser-etching on the backsides of Amazon's Kindle. After everyone voted on the top five out of the mountain of selections, we took the gaggle of readers down to our friends at Adafruit Industries (headed up by the lovely and delightful Limor Fried and Phil Torrone) for some time under the laser. While we were there getting our etch on with their massive laser, we convinced Limor and Phil to show off some of the other crazy kit they've got in the labs -- and we've captured it all on film... er, video. Take a look at our excursion into the world of dynamic DIY'ing -- we think you'll like what you see. Check it out after the break!

You can also see all of the previous episodes by clicking right here.

Host: Joshua Topolsky
Produced and Directed by: Chad Mumm
Edited by: Michael Slavens
Titles by: Julien Nantiec

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Gallery: Etched Kindles

Continue reading The Engadget Show: Kindle etching and DIY adventures with Adafruit Industries

The Engadget Show: Kindle etching and DIY adventures with Adafruit Industries originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 02 Dec 2009 13:23:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>adafruit industriesAdafruitIndustriesengadget showEngadgetShowengadgetshowcastthe engadget showTheEngadgetShowvideoWed, 02 Dec 2009 13:23:00 EST<![CDATA[Reminder: vote for your favorite Kindle design by Monday!]]>http://www.engadget.com/2009/07/31/reminder-vote-for-your-favorite-kindle-design-by-monday/http://www.engadget.com/2009/07/31/reminder-vote-for-your-favorite-kindle-design-by-monday/http://www.engadget.com/2009/07/31/reminder-vote-for-your-favorite-kindle-design-by-monday/#comments
Our Kindle contest that we're running in cooperation with our good friends at Adafruit Industries and Amazon has drawn to an epic conclusion, and there's simply no other way to put it -- we're blown away. We received literally dozens upon dozens of incredible, art gallery-worthy entries and it was all but impossible to narrow them down to a group of finalists -- but after an entire weekend of mulling, debating, and hand-wringing, we've done the dirty work and narrowed it down to a group of just twenty-three. Now, dear readers, the fate of five Kindles lies in your hands and your hands alone. The laser awaits.

So here's what we need from you: pick your favorite by 11:59PM ET on Monday, August 3rd. That's it. We'll take the five top vote-getters and award each with a 6-inch Kindle engraved with their design -- and of course, we'll post pictures of the finished products before they go out to their lucky owners.

Hit the read link below to view the finalists and cast your votes! Good luck to everyone!

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Reminder: vote for your favorite Kindle design by Monday! originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 31 Jul 2009 16:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>adafruitadafruit industriesAdafruitIndustriesannouncementcontestcontestsgiveawaygiveawayskindleFri, 31 Jul 2009 16:32:00 EST<![CDATA[Amazon Kindle design contest: now it's your turn to decide who wins!]]>http://www.engadget.com/2009/07/29/amazon-kindle-design-contest-now-its-your-turn-to-decide-who-w/http://www.engadget.com/2009/07/29/amazon-kindle-design-contest-now-its-your-turn-to-decide-who-w/http://www.engadget.com/2009/07/29/amazon-kindle-design-contest-now-its-your-turn-to-decide-who-w/#comments Our Kindle contest that we're running in cooperation with our good friends at Adafruit Industries and Amazon has drawn to an epic conclusion, and there's simply no other way to put it -- we're blown away. We received literally dozens upon dozens of incredible, art gallery-worthy entries and it was all but impossible to narrow them down to a group of finalists -- but after an entire weekend of mulling, debating, and hand-wringing, we've done the dirty work and narrowed it down to a group of just twenty-three. Now, dear readers, the fate of five Kindles lies in your hands and your hands alone. The laser awaits.

So here's what we need from you: pick your favorite by 11:59PM ET on Monday, August 3rd. That's it. We'll take the five top vote-getters and award each with a 6-inch Kindle engraved with their design -- and of course, we'll post pictures of the finished products before they go out to their lucky owners.

Follow the break to see the entries (which you can click to see in larger form). Below each design, you'll see a number -- these correspond to numbers in the poll, which you'll find directly below the entries. Just choose your favorite by number and we'll take care of the rest.

Good luck, contestants -- and good luck picking from all of these amazing entries, readers!

Update: The contest is now closed. No votes have been counted since August 3rd at 11:59PM ET. Stay tuned for the winners!

Continue reading Amazon Kindle design contest: now it's your turn to decide who wins!

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Amazon Kindle design contest: now it's your turn to decide who wins! originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 29 Jul 2009 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>adafruitadafruit industriesAdafruitIndustriesamazoncontestfeaturesgiveawaykindlekindle 2Kindle2Wed, 29 Jul 2009 16:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Reminder: don't forget to design your own Kindle and take it home!]]>http://www.engadget.com/2009/07/22/reminder-dont-forget-to-design-your-own-kindle-and-take-it-hom/http://www.engadget.com/2009/07/22/reminder-dont-forget-to-design-your-own-kindle-and-take-it-hom/http://www.engadget.com/2009/07/22/reminder-dont-forget-to-design-your-own-kindle-and-take-it-hom/#comments
We know you've been wracking your brain for the past week trying to dream up that perfect etching for the Kindle's hindquarters, but time's running out -- Friday at 11:59PM EDT is the deadline -- so put digital pen to digital paper and get your entry submitted on the double!

Need a refresher? Head on over to the announcement to learn all about our awesome Kindle design contest -- and a big thanks to Amazon and Adafruit Industries for making it possible!

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Reminder: don't forget to design your own Kindle and take it home! originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 22 Jul 2009 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>adafruitadafruit industriesAdafruitIndustriesamazonamazon kindleAmazonKindlecontestdesigngiveawaykindlekindle 2Kindle2Wed, 22 Jul 2009 15:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Design your own Kindle (and win it) with Engadget, Amazon, and Adafruit Industries!]]>http://www.engadget.com/2009/07/14/design-your-own-kindle-2-and-win-it-with-engadget-amazon-and/http://www.engadget.com/2009/07/14/design-your-own-kindle-2-and-win-it-with-engadget-amazon-and/http://www.engadget.com/2009/07/14/design-your-own-kindle-2-and-win-it-with-engadget-amazon-and/#comments
Reading isn't just about the text that you're reading, it's an intimately personal experience in every sense of the word -- the way the book feels, the crease of the pages, the wear on the cover, it's all totally unique to your copy at the time that you're reading it. Put simply, it's an experience no one else will ever have. Between three models, dozens of accessories, and countless e-books, no two Kindles are alike, either -- but Engadget has partnered with Amazon and the DIY experts over at Adafruit Industries to hook up five extraordinarily lucky readers with truly unique reading devices. These guys are the laser etching experts -- see one of the Kindles they've done here!

Here's the deal: we're asking you to think of a design that would look great on the Kindle's brushed metal back -- something that means a lot to you, something that'll make passers-by drool with envy when you casually hold up your new toy while reading The Economist from the comfort of your train, plane, or bus seat. Draft up that design (seriously, make sure it's awesome, because you'll be facing some stiff competition) and send it to us. We'll post some of our favorites as finalists and hand the reigns over to you -- our dear readers -- to select five winners who will each have their designs laser-etched into reality on the backs of their very own Kindles!

The rules:
  • Send your design to us by emailing it to contests [at] engadget [dawt] com with the subject "I want my custom Kindle!" (no quotes). Submissions must be in EPS or AI format, must be in black and white only, and must be composed strictly of vector graphics with all fonts converted to curves. We can scale your design as necessary, but keep in mind that you'll be dealing with an etchable area roughly five inches by seven inches. You can find a (very large) image of the back of the Kindle 2 here for your reference.
  • We can't print anything you don't have the rights for, so to be safe, original work is the best!
  • You may only enter this specific giveaway once. If you enter this giveaway more than once you'll be automatically disqualified, etc. (Yes, we have robots that thoroughly check to ensure fairness.)
  • Contest is open to anyone in the 50 States, 18 or older! Sorry, we don't make this rule (we hate excluding anyone), so be mad at our lawyers and contest laws if you have to be mad.
  • Five (5) winners will each receive one (1) Amazon Kindle 6" Wireless Reading Device customized by Adafruit Industries. Approximate retail value is $299.00.
  • If you are chosen, you will be notified by email. Winners must respond within three days of the end of the contest. If you do not respond within that period, another winner will be chosen.
  • Design entries can be submitted until Friday, July 24th, at 11:59PM ET. Good luck!
  • Full rules can be found here.

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Design your own Kindle (and win it) with Engadget, Amazon, and Adafruit Industries! originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 14 Jul 2009 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>adafruitadafruit industriesAdafruitIndustriesamazonamazon kindleAmazonKindlecontestetchinggiveawaykindlekindle 2Kindle2laser etchingLaserEtchingTue, 14 Jul 2009 12:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Adafruit's Citizen Engineer comic book / SIM card reader kit]]>http://www.engadget.com/2009/07/10/adafruits-citizen-engineer-comic-book-sim-card-reader-kit/http://www.engadget.com/2009/07/10/adafruits-citizen-engineer-comic-book-sim-card-reader-kit/http://www.engadget.com/2009/07/10/adafruits-citizen-engineer-comic-book-sim-card-reader-kit/#comments
The gang at Adafruit Industries are on a mission -- and they won't rest until every man, woman, and child on this planet has access to the DIY and open source electronics they crave. The most recent project of theirs, Citizen Engineer: SIM Card Hacking, is a comic book that both serves as a primer on GSM and SIM cards and tells you how to build a SIM card reader. And if that weren't awesome enough, if you purchase the title for $35 they'll throw in the reader kit -- either enabling your thirst for knowledge or jump-starting you on your path towards a new life as a hacker / fixer for the Russian Mafia. Video after the break.

Continue reading Adafruit's Citizen Engineer comic book / SIM card reader kit

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Adafruit's Citizen Engineer comic book / SIM card reader kit originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 10 Jul 2009 04:16:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>adafruitadafruit industriesAdafruitIndustriescitizen engineerCitizenEngineercomic bookComicBookhackmobilemodsim cardsim card hackingsim card readerSimCardSimCardHackingSimCardReaderFri, 10 Jul 2009 04:16:00 EST<![CDATA[Adafruit's Citizen Engineer comic book / SIM card reader kit]]>http://www.engadget.com/2009/07/10/adafruits-citizen-engineer-comic-book-sim-card-reader-kit/http://www.engadget.com/2009/07/10/adafruits-citizen-engineer-comic-book-sim-card-reader-kit/http://www.engadget.com/2009/07/10/adafruits-citizen-engineer-comic-book-sim-card-reader-kit/#comments
The gang at Adafruit Industries are on a mission -- and they won't rest until every man, woman, and child on this planet has access to the DIY and open source electronics they crave. The most recent project of theirs, Citizen Engineer: SIM Card Hacking, is a comic book that both serves as a primer on GSM and SIM cards and tells you how to build a SIM card reader. And if that weren't awesome enough, if you purchase the title for $35 they'll throw in the reader kit -- either enabling your thirst for knowledge or jump-starting you on your path towards a new life as a hacker / fixer for the Russian Mafia. Video after the break.

Continue reading Adafruit's Citizen Engineer comic book / SIM card reader kit

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Adafruit's Citizen Engineer comic book / SIM card reader kit originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 10 Jul 2009 04:16:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>adafruitadafruit industriesAdafruitIndustriescitizen engineerCitizenEngineercomic bookComicBookhackhacksmodmodssim cardsim card hackingsim card readerSimCardSimCardHackingSimCardReaderFri, 10 Jul 2009 04:16:00 EST<![CDATA[Video: Kindle 2 sees the wrong end of a laser, recommends you don't panic]]>http://www.engadget.com/2009/03/13/video-kindle-2-sees-the-wrong-end-of-a-laser-recommends-you-do/http://www.engadget.com/2009/03/13/video-kindle-2-sees-the-wrong-end-of-a-laser-recommends-you-do/http://www.engadget.com/2009/03/13/video-kindle-2-sees-the-wrong-end-of-a-laser-recommends-you-do/#commentsVideo: Kindle 2 sees the wrong end of a laser, recommends you don't panic
If there were anything a frequent traveler needs more than a towel (and money, and identification, and maybe a cellphone...) it's a Kindle 2. To celebrate its ability to provide free access to the world's great information repository from absolutely anywhere (within in the United States that has cellular access), Adafruit Industries has turned the K2 into something of an ode to Douglas Adams's great epic: The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. After a little burning action courtesy of its Epliog 35 watt laser (which we've seen in action before), the e-book reader now sports the most valuable advice ever given to a man (or alien). Sadly it still won't give you directions to the Restaurant at the End of the Universe, but it will at least let you download and start reading it in under a minute. Ford Prefect would be proud.

Continue reading Video: Kindle 2 sees the wrong end of a laser, recommends you don't panic

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Video: Kindle 2 sees the wrong end of a laser, recommends you don't panic originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 13 Mar 2009 08:53:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>adafruitadafruit industriesAdafruitIndustriesamazon kindleamazon kindle 2AmazonKindleAmazonKindle2dont panicDontPanicdouglas adamsDouglasAdamsepliog laserEpliogLaseretchhitchhikers guide to the universeHitchhikersGuideToTheUniversekindlekindle 2Kindle2laserFri, 13 Mar 2009 08:53:00 EST