Month / February 2015

by fromjia

Circuit board etching: acid vs. vinegar

Last week we etched circuit boards in Circuit Design class. We had the choice of etching with acid or vinegar. My partner, Danara, chose acid while I tried with vinegar. Here’s what happened. The star design is Danara’s.

Printed our designs onto blue paper to be transferred onto the copper.

Printed our designs onto blue paper to be transferred onto the copper.

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Soaking in water.

 

IMG_4685 copy

Danara’s board in acid. Mine in vinegar, with a dash of salt.

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Danara’s board looked great, especially after it was tinted. Mine didn’t come out so well. womp womp

Vinegar took a lot longer. Because we had a couple of boards using the same container of vinegar, the residue from one board would float onto another board. Danara had her own container of acid, which did a super clean job. I may try again with vinegar, one day. For now, I’ll do over with acid.

 

by fromjia

Contextualize

Idea

Contextualized IFTTT platform with specified people, time, place, etc

Goal

Automate repetitive communication and information getting without having to open the app

Users

  • Non-technical, want simplicity
  • Smart phone users
  • Busy: College and graduate students, professionals

Market Research

Make your own tool (iOS and Android)

Make your own tool (iOS and Android)

Automation (Android)

Automation (Android)

Smart calendar

Smart calendar

UX Research

IFTTT

IFTTT

Screen Shot 2015-02-17 at 10.13.25 AM

IFTTT create new recipe

Screen Shot 2015-02-17 at 10.13.31 AM

Workflow

Screen Shot 2015-02-17 at 10.13.44 AM

Sunrise

 

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Sunrise add new event

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Yo sign up

 Wireframes

Sign up

Sign up

Dashboard

Dashboard

Create new.

Create new.

by fromjia

Recurring applications for GSM

Benedetta had mentioned a couple of cool projects in the last two Towers of Power classes that I wanted to check out. So I took this opportunity to research these projects along with a few others. It’s apparent that there are a vast number of things that we can make with open GSM. Though their purpose are mostly different, I noticed some recurring themes based on how the technology is used. Here are a few of them.

Text to control something
These projects are pretty fun. I think texting is a very human way of communicating. Unlike pressing a button, texting to get a lifeless piece of object to act seems more entertaining and magical.

  • Digital Ding Dong Ditch
  • Various text to open door projects, such as this one

    • Interaction through calls and texts
    The user interact with a less tangible counterpart through their phones. These projects are more game-like.

  • Tinder on call
  • Campaigns that you can call or text to interact with a screen or poster

    • Anything can be a phone
    It’s really cool that the GSM Module can be used to create new gestures to communicate.

  • Smart Hoodie
  • Hub’s project Jeff

    • Insular mobile networks
    These applications target issues of not having signal in disaster scenes or remote locations.

  • Burning Man GSM network/openBTS
  • GoTenna

    • GSM Network Jammers
    These projects are more on the offense, using the technology to attack itself or those using it, all the while sending a strong statement?

  • Lady Ada’s Wave Bubble
  • Julian Oliver’s No Network
  • Allison Burtch’s Log Jammer

    • Intercepting or changing data
    This is also on the offense, but with more covert attacks.

  • Julian Oliver’s Newstweek

    • Remote tracking and data collection
    These projects are longer term and requires continued documentation or a fully built out platform to display or visualize the information.

  • Delivery for Mr. Assange
  • Stories of Trash

    • What are ones that I’ve missed?