Nerd Beach – Page 2

DIY – Stand Alone Portable Compatibility Calculator

This is a toungue in cheek Nerd Beach exclusive, and it could be handy for those who go out on a date, yet are not the most tech savvy (or just like the ideal of dedicated devices). The ideal is that you whip out the handy Portable Compatibility Calculator when out on a date or meeting someone, and you go through a round of questions to determine if you should continue on the date or bail out early. Of course, there is no way you can quantify attraction or feelings, but at least it can give you a possible caution light.

Mechanically, the project consisted of a re-purposed desktop calculator which had the inner workings removed. The display has been changed to a single line alphanumeric display, and the buttons are relabeled but left as input (along with the modified original circuit board for the button contacts). A basic stamp is now at the heart of the device, along with its custom code.

When you press start, the calculator prompts you with a series of questions to answer with numeric input or yes/no. You can skip questions (which then the program ignores in its calculation, although accuracy may suffer a bit) in case it is hard to work one into the conversation.

Don't like the answer, but the smile wins you over? Good news – You can flip back through the questions and change selected answers, in case you think it might be a worthwhile project to undertake (ladies take note).

While we feel it would be a handy aid in the dating jungle, we regret to inform that it was a concept one-off project, so it is not available at this time. But trust your first impression, and always sit close to the door.

Electronic sandwich not for consumption

Greg Chaffins

Now, how could the readers expect Nerd Beach to pass up an electronic sandwich when it bobs up from the Cyber Sea? Well, we didn't, and here it is in all of its carbohydrated goodness. I will spare you from all of the jokes about "bread-boarding" that is running rampant in my mind.

The sandwich lights up in fun and interesting ways when fully assembled, but I would suggest that it is best served as a conversation piece rather than lunch.

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Robotic Clock is Entertaining Overkill but Fun

Greg Chaffins

Nerd Beach has shown a great deal of unique clocks, but this is a rather curious one – it is a clock project that uses a robotic arm to set up number cards which then display the current time.

The Stonehenge Robotic Digital Clock (so named for the semi-circular arrangement of the numbers), by Steve Norris , uses a robotic arm to re-arrange a set of 14 cards. The cards are made of a simple foam core but use embedded magnets to aid in positioning.

The arm is not the fastest means of keeping the time updated (taking almost 50 seconds to change the minute value in the video above). As it is I assume that the software compensates for when more than one number needs to be updated for a time change (such as from 12:59 to 01:00 ). But for aesthetic and entertainment purposes I really like the project, makes me want to build my own. And that is probably a good indicator of an interesting project.

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Busbi is Low Cost Point and Shoot Video Camera

Greg Chaffins

Point and shoot video cameras are popular these days, and the Busbi Digital Video Camera is another entry in the field. One thing that sets the Busbi apart from the others is no doubt the price, which at £34.95 is definitely a low price leader. The inexpensive camera features:

four button design – power, delete, playback, record
2" LCD Screen
comes with 1GB SD card, giving about 60 minutes of recording
AV cable included
Editing and Youtube Posing software include

The Busbi Digital Video Camera can be found at Firebox.

In order to better serve our readers, Nerd Beach did a little research into this camera and found a review on it from Trusted Reviews. They had the following to say about the Busbi:

The busbi Video is just about cheap enough to make it an impulse purchase for those wanting a quick dabble with YouTube. But for most other requirements we'd recommend saving up a bit more money and choosing something more capable. And if you already have a mobile phone with video capabilities, it's likely to be at least as good, if not better, than the busbi Video.

Which is about what we would expect given the price level. By comparison, the same reviewer gave the higher priced but very economic Flip Ultra a much higher review (we have our own review on the Flip Ultra as well). As usual, it is up to the buyer to decide if it is higher quality or more money.

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