Linkreincarnate

SuperPyramidExplosion!

noreply@blogger.com (Linkreincarnate) — Sun, 10 Mar 2013 21:52:00 +0000

A simple tank shooter game made in Game Maker my freshman year of college. Controls with V, B, G, and the Spacebar. Numbers 1-5 Select Weapons. Mouse aims and mouseclicks fire. These controls were originally mapped like this because they were actually mapped onto a Wii Remote. The entire game was played with one hand on a Wii controller.

SuperPyramidExplosion!

Build Day!

noreply@blogger.com (Linkreincarnate) — Sat, 18 Aug 2012 19:28:00 +0000

All of the parts for the tDCS device have arrived! This means I can build the mark 2 today. (I have two working prototypes that were built to prove the concept but never used on a person) The mark 2 is the version that I am comfortable putting on my head. I'll post pics and videos of the build as I complete it. I'll be at Noisebridge today putting this together.

Tdcs Concept Tree

noreply@blogger.com (Linkreincarnate) — Sat, 11 Aug 2012 21:39:00 +0000

I've been compiling information about TDCS for a bit now here is the concept tree.

tDCS in Justin Hubbard (linkreincarnate)

noreply@blogger.com (Linkreincarnate) — Tue, 07 Aug 2012 22:15:00 +0000

tDCS update: I have the first prototype 90 percent done. I also have all the parts for the second gen of this device which I will be building as soon as I get the pcb from the manufacturer. Once the second gen version is done I will begin basic tests involving an IQ test before and after.

noreply@blogger.com (Linkreincarnate) — Thu, 02 Aug 2012 00:57:00 +0000

So the tDCS device is almost done. I am only waiting for a safety fuse and the proper EEG leads to hook up to the electrodes.
I also found a video on how to properly place the electrodes. http://www.jove.com/video/2744/electrode-positioning-montage-transcranial-direct-current More to come soon...

noreply@blogger.com (Linkreincarnate) — Sun, 29 Jul 2012 18:48:00 +0000

Sight from Sight Systems on Vimeo.

This video explores the primary danger and ethical dilemma created by the widespread adoption of advanced Augmented Reality technology. While I disagree with some of the premises (I don't want to spoil it for anyone) of the short film it is a very good idea of what is possible with augmented reality. In particular I will enjoy seeing everyday activities gamified.

Scroll down for spoilers.

This short film deals with the ethical implications of augmentation technology and access to that tech. One of the primary issues that is dealt with is an issue that is prevalent over and over again in transhumanist discussions is the fact that whoever creates the first working example of the technology holds a vast amount of power. In deciding whether to share it or how to distribute it they create a new type of inequality. That of access to augmentation technology. In sharing it they gain more power over the people who use the technology. The person who uses augmentation technology without understanding and knowing how it was built or what it can do submits themselves to the whims of the creator of said technology. As the video so eerily pointed out.

Transhumanism: A Breakdown

noreply@blogger.com (Linkreincarnate) — Sat, 28 Jul 2012 19:14:00 +0000

So what is Transhumanism anyway and why should you bother to learn such a long syllablous (that's a made up word that means full of syllables like transhumanism or prestidigitation) word?
Transhumanism is the belief that people should take a driving role in their own evolution in the hopes that mankind can reach the singulatiry. The singularity is the point at which our technology has become so complex that it builds on itself at an exponential rate. Transhumanists hope that the singularity will bring with it advances in medicine and technology that will augment human ability and prolong human life (eventually indefinitely). There are a number of transhumanist movements and not all of them are technology dominated. Transhumanist also believe that social, cultural, economic, and political means are needed to have a say in our evolution. Politics and culture can have a massive impact on our evolution by setting the trends and determining mating habits. While cultural aspects are important in the transhumanist movement technology is the key.
Over the next few weeks I will focus on where the rubber meets the road in the transhumanist movement; technology. After all a transhumanist movment is not much of a movement if there is not vehicle by which to guide out evolution. Technology is this vehicle. The next blog post will cover Brain Computer Interfaces using the Emotiv Epoch EEG headset. We will cover the basic technology behind how it works, demonstrate the operation of the device and cover the ethical and moral implications of the spread and maturation of this type of technology to our greater culture.

noreply@blogger.com (Linkreincarnate) — Sat, 28 Jul 2012 04:48:00 +0000

Wow so I started off a little late and now I am a bit behind. (Who am I kidding I am WAY behind.) Who hasn't been there before? If only there was something that could make me more efficient. What if there was just some way of thinking that would do it? Or a device that could turn up my intellect the way I turn up the volume on my speakers?

Over the next few weeks I will be covering technology and methods that attempt to surpass the limit of the human brain. We will explore the Transhumanist movement to see what the future of the human experience could include. We will also be doing a number of projects. We will start with Brain Mapping with an Emotiv Epoch. You have to know what the brain looks like to accurately explore it. Next we will explore the brains plasticity by adding senses to the human body. We will be gaining the super power of electromagnetic sensing through the use of magnets affixed to the tips of my fingernails. Finally the coup de gras, building a device that actually makes you smarter. We will explore tDCS (Transcranial Direct Current Stmulation) and build a device that the military uses to increase the learning curve of it's soldiers 2.5 times. Because when you start off late you have to run twice as fast.

A year in 3d printers

noreply@blogger.com (Linkreincarnate) — Thu, 19 Jul 2012 16:39:00 +0000

A few extruder experiments.

noreply@blogger.com (Linkreincarnate) — Tue, 27 Sep 2011 07:18:00 +0000

Once I get the extruder up and running I think I am going to try some new materials. I'd like to see if it can run hot enough to use UP filament. I'd also like to see if there are any new plastics that become useable at the new higher temeratures. There is also some stuff I want to do with color. I want to try interleaving by layer. I would create a plane that is as thick as the layer height of my printer and as long/wide as the xy build area. Then I just stack those with the same amount of distance between them (my layer height again). I difference that from the object I want to print. I save the resulting stl as something else. Then I open the original again. Do a boolean intersect with map stacked planes and save that stl. Then I just line up the two stls that I created. This would allow printing an object with alternating colored layers. With a small enough layer height we may be able to blend the two colors in the same way the pointillist paintings blend together to make a picture.

Makerbot Dual Extruder

noreply@blogger.com (Linkreincarnate) — Tue, 27 Sep 2011 07:09:00 +0000

So I am on the home stretch of my dual extruder upgrade. I ran into a few small snags. I forgot to order an extra extruder controller (duh) Luckily Dr. Glass of Freeside Atlanta was able to loan me one till I get mine from Makerbot. There was also only one e-stop port on the motherboard so I had to hack a cable to plug the 2 safety relays into it. Then I realized that I didn't have enough molex connectors so I had to cut off one of the sata power plugs and rewire it as an old school molex connector. SOOO I'm finally done with the hardware and wiring. Now I just need to tweak my REF values on the stepper controllers for the new extruders and install the new software.( Which means teaching myself github finally and compiling the latest experimental build for Rep G and maybe doing the same for the firmware too) This is going to be a treat because I am also forcing myself to learn how to use PLA at the same time so adventures are soon to abound...

New Nintendo Club reward

noreply@blogger.com (Linkreincarnate) — Tue, 26 Jul 2011 03:58:00 +0000

So that nifty super sized AR card that Club Nintendo members in Japan got just made it stateside. Get over there to order one now!

Swag for the LAN

noreply@blogger.com (Linkreincarnate) — Tue, 25 Jan 2011 00:13:00 +0000

I just finished the stuff for Tech-Node's upcoming LAN. If you wanna get your hands on this sweet swag you'll need to show up...

Ordered Stepper Motors for Prusa Mendel SAE build.

noreply@blogger.com (Linkreincarnate) — Mon, 24 Jan 2011 03:13:00 +0000

I've been pretty busy recently with trying to gather all of the parts for my Imperial Prusa Build. I went with this model partly because of the low cost and partly because the word "Imperial" makes me think of Darth Vadar...
Anyway I ordered four of these steppers for 10 dollars apiece. As well as one of these bad boys for 20 dollars. I plan to use that last one on the extruder for precise control and feedback of the extrusion process. I've finished printing all of the plastic parts (minus the brushings). They were printed on my UP. One thing I like about having to print at 270C on the UP is that it means that parts you make for other printers are that much more robust, temperature wise. Printing with abs on a Mendel or Makerbot takes place at around 220C So UP printed part have about 30 degrees more before they begin to get soft. This makes the UP a good choice for printing extruder parts. At about the third plate of the print I switched to printing on perfboard. That completely removed any warping issues I had. Now all of my parts are perfect. I love it so much that I plan on not even having a heated build surface on the mendel and just use a large perfboard. I'll have to wait to buy the electronics and hotend for a bit (I do have a contest to fund after all ;-) ) but I'll be finishing it in pretty soon.

Celestial Bodies, an experiment in Parametric game design.

noreply@blogger.com (Linkreincarnate) — Sat, 22 Jan 2011 22:26:00 +0000

I love Thingiverse. I love being able to download stuff and then actually make something from a downloaded file. I especially love the parametric designs that people come up with. Just by changing a few number around you can end up with something that is drastically different from what you started with. Maybe even different from what the designer thought of. It was this emergent design property that got me thinking, "What if I applied the principal idea behind parametric objects to game design?" Game Developers are always looking for ways to create emergent behavior in their games. Why not? Creating emergent behaviors in a game lends to the verisimilitude of the game word, it adds depth to play mechanics, and allows the player to become more engaged in a game. All of this while not requiring that lazy developer to lift a finger. In fact separation from the developer is what makes emergent game behaviors... emergent. Games like Little Big Planet, Mod Nation Racers, Minecraft, and Line Rider all thrive on the idea of emergent behavior as a cornerstone of their game design. This is something that we commonly see in videogames especially online games, which leads me to Celestial Bodies. One of my goals with Celestial Bodies was to leverage the internet connectivity of the 3D printing process, to create an emergent behavior ecosystem similar to the ecosystem that games like Little Big Planet and Minecraft enjoy. By using the awesome power of thingiverse I am able to allow people to create their own game assets. By creating their own game assets people create new ways to play, keep themselves involved in the game, and offer free advertising when they show people their creations. But most important of all it keeps the game fresh and fun.

Prediction Time!

noreply@blogger.com (Linkreincarnate) — Wed, 19 Jan 2011 01:35:00 +0000

I have been thinking about this and I think I may be onto something here. I think the iPad 2 will have 3d capabilities. Either via glasses or without. Why would I think such a thing? Allow me to bring out my friend "The Bullet"

Apple is already rumored to be working on a 3d iPod.
The rumored resolution on the new iPad is 2 times that of the original iPad.
There is no content for such a high resolution.
3DS

If I'm right you have to bookmark me. That's how the internet works right?

Rock Band instruments on the iPad

noreply@blogger.com (Linkreincarnate) — Mon, 17 Jan 2011 18:30:00 +0000

Video of how to connect your Rock Band 3 Pro instruments to the iPad using Korg i-MS. If you like this flattr it. Just click the button below.

Wearable 3d Print Contest!

noreply@blogger.com (Linkreincarnate) — Wed, 05 Jan 2011 20:47:00 +0000

I have been on the 3d printing bandwagon for about 6 months now. It's been a wild ride and it's about to get wilder. I have come across a few articles about 3d printed fabrics and FDM high fashion but none of them seem to share files. This places 3d printed fashion out of reach.

Until now. (Imagine that in the voice of the guy who announces for the movies)

Announcing the first Wearable 3d Print contest.
The contest runs till the end of February.
The winner will get 50$ from Linkreincarnate(Money Order)
50$ from Makerbot. (Yay Zach!)
50$ from trebuchet03 (in the PP3DP forums)
plus anything else that gets added to the prize pool.
Feel free to Flattr this contest. All proceeds will be given away as prize money.

If we have enough people donate to the pool we may add a second and third place prizes depending on what the people who donate want. People who donate to the prize pool can vote for a winner (or waive that vote for the right to enter the contest yourself). I would rather people donated money but gift cards or actual stuff is fine too. To ensure no one calls foul the people who donate will be responsible for shipping the prize that they donated themselves. I will never have any prize other than the 50$ money order in my possession.

The rules are simple,

Make something wearable.
Post your designs on Thingiverse as a Public Domain license with the word Wearable somewhere in the title. Also tag it with wearable so it's easy to find.
Post your design files.
Only post stuff that works. (Ie you know it prints and the files are tidy.)
Also entries must be wearable by a normal person, gnomes and lolcats need not apply.
Enter as often as you like.
Feel free to enter past works so long as design files are shared and it is Public Domain.

Guidelines for winners...(you can still win while ignoring the following...)

The bigger the better.
Bonus points for 3d printable fabric or snap together type designs.
Minimal vitamins (including cut filament because not everyone uses 3mm filament now)
Avoid rings, earrings, and pendants unless it is truly EPIC (There are a lot of them already)
Try to make something you would actually wear in public. (or a runway) Scale mail is nice but you'll never have a girlfriend while choosing to wear it... not to say that scale mail couldn't win depending on who's doing the voting...

Something awesome

noreply@blogger.com (Linkreincarnate) — Fri, 17 Dec 2010 16:36:00 +0000

Please, everyone, take a moment to click on this link www.http://kck.st/ibv3iQ. It’s the most Earth-shatteringly awesome noun to happen to gaming since the 1980s. It’s something new. It’s something cool. It’s a bunch of really cool things masterfully put together into one super-cool device. If you’re a gamer, you will want this. If you’re not a gamer, a gamer you know will want this. This is the most perfect Christmas present ever. If you love technology, you will salivate, but that’s completely okay and normal.

iPad/Android Arcade Machine going commercial!

noreply@blogger.com (Linkreincarnate) — Wed, 08 Dec 2010 19:21:00 +0000

You can pre order one right now on Kickstarter. http://kck.st/ibv3iQ
If I get enough preorders to buy the materials and tools I need for mass production then they will go on sale commercially. If you support my Kickstarter fund you will be one of the first to get one. Not only that but custom artwork will only be available for people who supported the Kickstarter fund. We also are offering a number of Diy kits for people who can't afford the fully assembled machines. There are even a few accessories on the low end to thank people who donate just a little bit. We will be having a contest soon on twitter so follow me to find out what you can win!!!

iPad Refrigerator Magnet Mount

noreply@blogger.com (Linkreincarnate) — Fri, 10 Sep 2010 02:42:00 +0000

I recently finished my latest creation on the Up! 3d printer, magnetic iPad mounting brackets. This should be of interest to that small cross-section of people with 3d printers and an iPad. Just turn the bracket sideways to print it on a makerbot or reprap. If you use a screen protector or skin on your iPad you will need to sand down the interior of the clip to compensate. Glue a large diameter neodymium magnet or several smaller magnets to the back. I would not use smaller than .25 inch diameter neodymium magnets. If you use that diameter magnet, you will need 4 per bracket to have enough grip not to slide down a vertical surface. You'll need four brackets total. They were designed to be used as a rudimentary shock absorbers and spill guards as well so they can live on your iPad. All of this can be yours! Just head over to Thingiverse and download the Magnetic iPad Mount to start printing away! Send me your pics if you print it! Feel free to pay me for my work, just click the button below.

Ultimate iPad Arcade gets a Steampunk Facelift.

noreply@blogger.com (Linkreincarnate) — Fri, 27 Aug 2010 23:57:00 +0000

So I finally got around to getting some artwork for the iPad Arcade. I went with a vinyl wrap. The design and asthetic are my choosing but Mandy from Ugly Signs did the actual artwork. I think a little personality is exactly what this project needed.

You cant make it our in the picture but the dials on that last image read out 31337. Leave a comment and tell me what you think...

Up! Personal Portable 3D Printer Review

noreply@blogger.com (Linkreincarnate) — Thu, 26 Aug 2010 17:54:00 +0000

I have been reading about 3D printers for a few years now, but had yet to find anything that was both affordable and hassle free. Professional 3D printers are prohibitively expensive in both materials and actual cost. Home-brew printers while cheap can take a very long time to get operational. Lots and lots of time is spent trying to get the printer to run as it should rather than actually printing. So when a small Chinese company with a website www.pp3dp.com came up with a 3D printer that was affordable, and I didn't have to build it myself, I immediately placed an order. I have to admit that the order process made me a little bit nervous. Because the company was so new, they could only accept direct wire transfer. I decided to go ahead and take a chance. I was either passing a test in optimism or miserably failing a test in patience. Essentially, I was betting that people were good. Luckily (or perhaps typically depending on your point of view) this small unknown company came through in a big way. My printer arrived and even came packed with extras I had not paid for. An extra spool of plastic, extra silicone paint for the heated build platform, and an extra extruder nozzle were among the gifts that I received from the company for my optimism/impatience. They even threw in a year long warranty. Their customer service it very good too. Even though the company is in China, they are quick to respond to questions and concerns.

I am sure most of you are not visiting to read about the fine details of me buying the printer, so onto the meat of the review. The printer itself is very well made.(Well mostly well made, It does take three power cords for some reason...) The entire printer is made out of metal with a few plastic parts. The movement is driven via belt and microstepping servos. The z and y axises of movement are handled by a moving platform leaving only one axis of motion for the extruder assembly. This seems to be a well though out design as it removes a lot of the issues cause by the force of the plastic spool pulling against the extruder as it moves about. I was impressed with the minute movements this machine was capable of as well. For instance, when you first get the machine, you have to calibrate it to within .3 millimeters (about the thickness of two sheets of paper). While calibrating it you move the motor by tenths of a millimeter to get it in the sweet spot. This minute movement translates into fantastic resolution in your printed 3D models. When I say fantastic resolution I mean Shapeways, level of detail. I printed out a rep-rap test part to show a little of what I mean.

The models I printed appeared upon a cursory glance to be smooth (upon closer inspection the layers are visible), but each layer consists of sub-millimeter resolution. Slight sanding produces smooth models. This part really doesnt do the printer justice though as it is designed to be a test part for a printer that doesn't "support" support structures. The built in support structure feature really assists in improving print quality These structures snap off relatively easily and provide support for overhangs in the 3D model.

I say relatively easily because you do have to use a knife on parts, but it is nothing like the rafts used with the Makerbot. The supports are created on the fly automatically and can be adjusted so they are only created for overhangs with angles below a customizable threshold variable. Finally to really lock in their quality, they include a heated build platform and a special silicone paint to adhere the bottom layers of the build to the platform. This prevents curling from when a hot layer of plastic is deposited on a cool layer and warps the cool layer as the hot layer cools and contracts. It is not perfect but it is very close. For really large models it makes a world of difference.

Given the high quality of the prints this printer can create, I would have expected to pay a lot more than my grand total of $1650 dollars. (The printer was $1500. Taxes and shipping were $150). Even the $3000 they will eventually charge once their sale ends seems very reasonable. I know some people would baulk at the idea of paying $3000 for anything but considering this thing can match Solido's promotional parts (Minus the flexibility feature) I consider it a steal.

Bottom line is if you are in the market for a 3D printer, you can't go wrong with the UP!

An Ipad fan's worst nightmare...

noreply@blogger.com (Linkreincarnate) — Mon, 16 Aug 2010 19:55:00 +0000

Bring Back WriteNow Right Now! by: Annie Jane Nutt

noreply@blogger.com (Linkreincarnate) — Thu, 05 Aug 2010 03:13:00 +0000

I like Apple, Macintosh, Steve Jobs, or should I say Steven Jobs? Hm, Steven? I want to write about WriteNow, what was and what should be again. It really pisses me off that it is not made anymore, because it was just excellent. WriteNow had scroll shaped menus that made sense and the functions were represented by words, not abstract pictures like these new fangled hippie programs like Microsoft Word since Vista.

Anyway, I would appreciate somebody bringing back WriteNow, before it’s too late and we irreversibly revert to pictographic alphabets. Back in the day, Microsoft Word didn’t even realize in it’s grammar correction program is that the proper place for a period in a quoted sentence is before the last quotation mark, not outside of it. Now, I have to figure out which picture represents the save function. Word processors need word menus, not picture menus which just suck.

I’m talking to you Steven.