Written by Ken
Cheapgadget mini-reviews
Five ultra-cheap outdoor gadgets reviewed
It’s that time again – feeling broke but needing a gadget fix, I headed over to dealextreme.com for some ultra cheap toys. As usual lots of things went into the basket only to be removed on the grounds of expense, uselessness or on a whim. This time my attention was on outdoors and “survival” equipment, and I managed to get five different items delivered to my door for around £7.50.
Written by Ken
ROV chronicles: Part 5
Motors and controllers
An ROV needs to be able to move around under water, and for that we need propellers (often called thrusters) which in turn need motors to drive them. Choice of motor, and how we are to control them, is key to the design of an ROV. Getting the motors and controllers working is also the last major design problem before we begin construction, and its been causing a few headaches at the DinkyKitty labs!
Written by Ken
Hyundai HY-500MV headset
Cheapgadget review
Price paid $7.18 (around £4) including delivery
Buying ultra-cheap gadgets is a great way of satisfying that craving for new toys on a limited budget. As it happens, I needed a headset, partly so I could evaluate the latest generation of speech recognition software, and partly for talking to friends in Ventrilo and Skype. The “Hyundai” HY-500MV stereo headphones with boom microphone, shipped direct from Hong Kong by DealExtreme, fitted the bill nicely.
Written by Ken
ROV Chronicles: Part 4
Software design
Most ROVs avoid using computers, relying instead on analogue electronics. We have decided to make our ROV smart, with its own on-board computer, and another computer to control it from the surface. Although this makes some of our design simpler, it does mean we need to design, write and test custom software – an engineering problem in its own right.
Written by Ken
Microsoft Natural Ergonomic Keyboard 4000
Price paid: £32.25 including delivery from Amazon marketplace
The Natural Ergonomic Keyboard 4000 is the latest (and supposedly greatest) in Microsoft’s line of weird and wonderful keyboards that emphasise comfort. With a weird and distinctive split down the middle and angled boards, these keyboards are supposed to make typing faster, healthier and more enjoyable.
Written by Ken
ROV Chronicles: Part3
Electronics
The third in our series on designing and building an ROV takes us into the world of electronics. We’ll look at trying to pressure-proof our electronics, and the construction of the first of the motor control boards, complete with soldering.
Written by Ken
ROV Chronicles: Part 2
Design philosophy
In the second part of our series on designing and building an ROV, we look at the design of the vehicle. The plan is to build an ROV that is intelligent and not limited by depth, and do it for a fraction of the cost of current commercial ROVs by using mainly off-the-shelf parts.
Written by fifty
HUMAX freeview TV recorder
Price: Around £130
Got a HUMAX PVR-9150T a week ago and it's proving to be a great bit of kit. It records TV, and only TV, and what a good job it does. I'll run down a few of the best features....
Written by Funcle
Nine Inch Nails Concert Review
When one thinks of Nine Inch Nails, they might think of an industrial hardcore blend of evocative and sometimes angry music. In fact, front man Trent Reznor has put together a comprehensive lexicon of sounds that at times transcends any categorical stereotype. With their last two albums being released exclusively online (Ghosts I-IV and The Slip), the Nine Inch Nails have dropped their most recent record label (Interscope Records) for their self owned Null Corporation and released their music under the Creative Commons License.
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