Open Source Gifts

Posted on February 17th, 2007 by sofimi.
Categories: everything else, tech, games.

Make: magazine has released a list of gift suggestions for the holidays on its blog and it’s nothing short of geeky—or should I say k33gy?

Here’s the short of it:

  1. Open source Atmel AVR microcontroller kits
  2. Qtopia- Greenphone/SDK
  3. Open Prosthetics
  4. Ubuntu with Support
  5. x0xb0x - open source ‘acid’ bassline synthesizer with sequencer
  6. Multimachine - Open Source machine tool
  7. Arduino stamp
  8. NEUROS OSD - Open Source Linux embedded media center
  9. MIDIsense A real-world MIDI interface platform
  10. Open source firmware + wireless router… Buffalo WHR-HP-G54
  11. The MAKE “Daisy” MP3 Player Kit - Open source MP3 player
  12. Open EEG - Analog & digital boards
  13. The Leaf - Open source robot using artificial intelligence and vision
  14. Rockbox an new MP3 player
  15. Open source IR for Xbox
  16. Game of Life Board
  17. Open source web based home automation
  18. DIY Fuel Injection Conversion using open source engine management
  19. Liberlab - Open source lab
  20. Butterfly open source mp3 Player
  21. MediaPortal - Open source media center for Windows
  22. Flex-Radio SDR-1000 - Open source software radio
  23. Chumby - Open source squeezable, Wi-Fi bean-bag computer
  24. Open source embedded ethernet
  25. Open source beer
  26. openEyes - open-source open-hardware toolkit for low-cost real-time eye tracking
  27. Open-source grid controller - the monome
  28. Open source planetarium
  29. PortableApps Suite - Computer without a computer
  30. LEGO Mindstorms NXT
  31. MAKE Controller Kit - Open source physical computing
  32. SpokePOV - Persistence of vision for your bike!
  33. Open Source MIDI Keyboard
  34. Electronic game kit
  35. MiniPOV kit
  36. Minty Boost kit - charge USB devices
  37. High Speed Photography Kit
  38. Alice
  39. MAKE Leatherman warranty voiders!
  40. eMusic gift certificate & Magnatune
  41. XGameStation Pico Edition 2.0 - DIY game console
  42. Universal Software Radio Peripheral
  43. EFF Pioneer membership
  44. O’Reilly Open source books & Safari
  45. OpenMoko phones & Gumstix
  46. Open Gameboy - Flashcar and DevKit
  47. Playstation 3 - PS3 + the OtherOS laoder with Linux
  48. GP2x - Open source gaming
  49. AVRSynth - Open source synthesizer
  50. A PSP - Hacked up, freed and open PSP with LuaPlayer
  51. MIDIBox - Open MIDI
  52. MAKE Magazine - By makers for makers

And here’s the long of it.

The OpenMoko phone is a refreshing sight from all the Nokia, Motorola, and Sony Ericsson phones clogging up the stores. (Add the iPhone to that list as well.) That media center looks a lot like the PS3. And of course, the Open Source Beer is a hoot. Do check out the post discussion for even more ideas!

How about you? Do you have any geeky things on your wishlists?

Footnote: Okay, I know this is uber-uber-uber late for Christmas or Valentines or whatever holiday I’ve skipped, but I’ll publish this post anyway. Kung Hei Fat Choi! Haha. Talk about procrastination—which I’ll write about next time. ^_~


Tags: , , , , , , , , ,

2 comments.

If We Had Blackboards Like These…

Posted on December 6th, 2006 by sofimi.
Categories: everything else, science/math, tech, ink & paper.

ASSIST: A Shrewd Sketch Interpretation and Simulation Tool
(also known as Assist Sketch Understanding System and Operation around the net)

I’ve never really embedded a YouTube video before because it kinda ruins the look of most blogs, but this is too geeky an opportunity to pass up. The video below features a man, possibly an MIT professor, demonstrating a computer program hooked up to a whiteboard. The program interprets what is drawn on the board as objects within a physics simulation scene. When he presses the “Run” button, the computer animates the drawing according to the laws of physics.

I hear that the Microsoft Physics Illustrator for TabletPC is quite the same thing. I wouldn’t know since I don’t have a tablet PC!

We’ll have to be content with the Line Rider game, which I’ve been hearing about lately. I’ve tried it once, just now. Draw some lines and have a little critter on a sled ride on ‘em. Check out a blog dedicated to the whole thing.

Footnote: I noticed you guys are unleashing your “inner geek,” while I have a stronger “outer geek” tendency, if you catch my drift!


Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

6 comments.