From Morris Rosenthal’s Computer Repair with Diagnostic Flowcharts . Bonus: On his site , the charts are interactive, so clicking on a diamond jumps you to the text for each decision step. After the jump, check out all the branches up close… [via Tech DC ] Network Troubleshooting Power Supply Diagnostics CPU, RAM and Motherboard Troubleshooting Hard Drive Failure CD and DVD Troubleshooting Video Card Diagnostics
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Computer Repair Flowchart
I-SWARM robots are three-legged solar-powered droids which are less than 4 mm long, wide, tall. Two things to note: 1) I-SWARM stands for “intelligent small-world autonomous robots for micro-manipulation.” Physorg explains : …a single microrobot by itself is a physically simple individual. But many robots communicating with each other using infrared sensors and interacting with their environment can form a group that is capable of establishing swarm intelligence to generate more complex behavior. Like foraging… 2) it’s now possible for them to be mass-manufactured. Physorg explains : The researchers, from institutes in Sweden, Spain, Germany, Italy, and Switzerland, explain that their building approach marks a new paradigm of robot development in microrobotics. The technique involves integrating an entire robot — with communication, locomotion, energy storage, and electronics — in different modules on a single circuit board. In the past, the single-chip robot concept has presented significant limitations in design and manufacturing. However, instead of using solder to mount electrical components on a printed circuit board as in the conventional method, the researchers use conductive adhesive to attach the components to a double-sided flexible printed circuit board using surface mount technology. The circuit board is then folded to create a three-dimensional robot… As this was the first test of this fabrication technique, the researchers noted that they encountered some fabrication problems. The single largest problem was to connect the naked integrated circuit to the flexible printed circuit board by the conductive adhesive. Also, some solar cells did not stick due to weak adhesion… Many of these complications could likely be corrected, with the important result being that the microrobots can be assembled using a surface mounting machine, whereas prior robots have usually been manually assembled with a soldering iron… In the future, the researchers hope to move from building academic prototypes to manufacturing the robot on a commercial basis, which is necessary for overcoming some of the technical issues. By mass-producing swarms of robots, the loss of some robotic units will be negligible in terms of cost, functionality, and time, yet still achieve a high level of performance. Currently, the researchers hope to find funding to reach these goals. “Right now the robots need a new ASIC [application-specific integrated circuit] and some other redesigns to be able to work properly,” Edqvist said. “We have, however, (in a not yet published article) shown that the robot would have been able to walk at 3.0 V (the solar cell delivers 3.6 V), so with new funding, they could be up and running and be produced in large numbers.” Be afraid. Be very afraid. [via BotJunkie ]
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Swarm Bots: Now W/Solar Power, Complex Behaviors!
I recently switched out my dinky plastic Target two-tiered caddy for this $50 bamboo adjustable shower caddy made by simplehuman. They’re both the type that hang over the showerhead, so it didn’t seem like it would be a huge change &mdash but it turns out that a quality shower caddy is one of those things that I didn’t know I needed until I got one. Now I’m not sure how I showered without it for so many years. The coolest aspect by far is the adjustable shelves &mdash there are two shelves that are already generous in length and width, but the most space-saving thing about them is that they move up and down, left and right to accommodate awkward-shaped bottles. I was able to move all of those stray shampoo and body scrub bottles from the corners of the tub onto the caddy, which makes the tub feel a whole lot bigger and cleaner. The caddy also has little indentations on both sides for razors to hang from, a small soap tray, and a suction cup for stability with a hook in its center for hanging loofahs and sponges from. The shelves are made of bamboo with a soft brown finish, which gives a nice nature-y touch to my otherwise all-white bathroom. The only minor issue I have with it right now is that the suction cup isn’t as strong as it could be, so it sometimes slips off and the caddy leans to one side. Considering how overloaded it is with shower shit, though, I don’t think this is such a big deal. Product page [simplehuman]
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Review: A shower with the SimpleHuman bamboo adjustable caddy
Biking is a great way to get around, especially in cities. The fresh air, the exercise, the lack of greenhouse gasses! The trouble is, there’s basically no storage room on a bike. It’s very difficult to go to the grocery store on your bike, for example. That’s not the case with the Bullitt. Bullitt is a bike, sure, but it doesn’t look much like any bike I’ve seen before. In front it’s got a huge cargo space, enough to hold all sorts of groceries if you so desired. Sure, it’s probably difficult to store and not as maneuverable as a normal bike, but what are your priorities? Larry vs Harry via Gadget Lab
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Bullitt bike puts cargo space on two wheels
Apple’s set to show off its latest iPod on September 9th @ 10am PST/1PM Eastern. So what’s up Jobs’ sleeve? [via Gizmodo ]
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Apple iPod Announcement: Sept 9th
These birdhouses were made by combining reclaimed terracotta roof tiles cut by water-jet and laser with wooden boards etched with Victorian facades. Usually, roof tiles aren’t recycled, but a team of artists led by Japan’s Tomoko Azumi wanted to change that. [via Designboom ]
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Birdhouses made from modded roof tiles
In the gigantic Apple App Store with its vast selection of nearly 100,000 applications, there are bound to be some stinkers. Amid such a garden of delights, most of us are vulnerable to being lured into a regrettable purchase. That’s just what happened to us as we hoarded apps with reckless abandon. We’ve picked out 10 of those apps that initially intrigued us but ultimately disappointed us. At first glance, they seemed so wonderful, filled with such bounty and promise, but ultimately didn’t hold our interest enough to get us to launch them again. Ever. Have your own regrettable, loathsome app downloads? Spare all of us the anguish by warning us about them in the comments. Love some of the apps we didn’t? We want to know! Continue reading to see our by-no-means-comprehensive rogue’s gallery, and consider yourself warned:
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10 iPhone apps we downloaded and never used again
For the peaceniks among us, please excuse yourselves while the rest of us indulge in some old school, macho firearm technology courtesy of Doryu . Created for the Japanese police department, the DORYU 2-16 pistol camera was designed to work as a fully functioning 16millimeter camera. Unveiled way back in 1952, the cam-gun was originally designed to provide Japanese police with a tool to catch criminals in the act, as well as photograph protestors. Equipped with a built-in flash system (for night shots) and a clip of five magnesium cartridges in the handle (as opposed to actual bullets), the DORYU 2-16 pistol camera was ultimately a failure with the general public, but remains as a testament to the early days of Japanese cool design. Via WFDJ
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What Would James Bond Use: The Japanese Pistol Camera
As far as I know, these conjoined Rubik’s cubes have existed forever but I wouldn’t know because I have enough trouble with a regular one without removing all the stickers and then backing over it with my dad’s truck while sobbing and subsequently taking out the mailbox. BOOM! Recent post tie-in for the win! I AM THE L337357 bL0993R! But for those of you that are into Rubik’s , you may want to consider these conjoined cubes from Deal Extreme . And, as you may well know, Siamese sextuplets are multiple times the fun of a single woman. Isn’t that right, ladies? Not you righty, I’m talking to the one of the ones in the middle. Hit the jump for a couple of the other configurations available.
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Sure, Why Not?: Siamese Rubik’s Cubes
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