Who hasn’t dreamed of owning their own robot? I mean really. You know you have.

Well, the arduino (pronounce Arrr dween oh) chip, a popular open-source microcontroller, is the first step in building your mad creation that will one day overthrow humanity… and you can learn all about them on April 15th, at the Hacktory’s Show & Tell.

At the (free!) event, hackers will show off projects they are building, and hopefully, you’ll get inspired to start tinkering yourself.

If you’ve got a project you’d like to showcase at the Hacktory’s event, drop them a line so they can reserve the table space for you. According to a press release from the Hacktory, there will be prizes fro the most impressive (and irreverent!) entries.

For more information, visit the Hacktory’s website. Hack on!

Arudino Show & Tell @ The Hacktory
Saturday, April 14, 1 – 4 pm, Free
www.thehacktory.org/?page_id=9

The Hacktory
1524 Brandywine Street
www.thehacktory.org

As most Pennsylvania residents know, the Liquor Control Board has executed firm ownership over the state’s alcohol dissemination ever since the end of Prohibition – a time period from which the Board often seems a relic. But, last month, the LCB made a concerted effort to modernize and join the digital age by getting onboard with a popular new technology: the smartphone app.

That’s right – a new free application, titled Fine Wine & Good Spirits, was released by the LCB at the end of February. The app provides searchable databases of alcohol and alcohol stores, a feature that allows people to search out nearby locales, shop for wines online, and get more information about a beverage in which they have interest. There are currently about 40,000 products included in the application.

When accessing the app a user is provided with four options. He can either (1) shop online, (2) locate the nearest LCB store, (3) scan a bottle in his possession and get more information, or (4) browse items that are currently on sale. While there are several other apps that provide alcohol-locating features, none offer Pennsylvania residents with the same breadth of information.

There are a couple great uses for this app. First, let’s say you’re out on a date and your significant other has enjoyed a bottle of wine that the two of you have just consumed. At this point you can whip out your smartphone, scan the empty bottle, and then immediately learn where the closest store has that item on sale. You can also learn more about the wine in case you decide instead to try something new but similar while still at the restaurant.

Secondly, the app can also be useful in a more professional setting. Assume, for example, that you are conference calling with a client using something along the lines of MegaPath VoIP services. If the client is coming to town and needs a recommendation, gets upset and requires a bottle of wine to patch things over, or simply aggravates you to the point that you’re going to need some self-medication, you can simply glance down momentarily from the hosted pbx and insure that a bottle will shortly be arriving at your door – or at the door of your client. It’s almost too easy.

Fine Wine & Good Spirits can be downloaded free from the Apple and Android app stores, as well as at FineWineAndGoodSpirits.com.

The incredibly skilled folks over at NextFab Studios have announced their second annual Project Challenge, dishing out a $1000 prize (you heard me), to the most popular project submitted to the contest. Here’s some more details from their website:

It’s a $1000 prize for what you’ve wanted to be working on all along. Don’t let that project you’ve always dreamed of working on become another New Year’s resolution you wish you had fulfilled – you can do it now, and you can make it here.

Projects should have some physical, material component to them – something that can make use of NextFab’s tools and services – but otherwise don’t be shy! Art, science, invention, or the amazing but inexplicable – all are welcome.

The contest runs through January 6th, and you can submit your project through NextFab’s official website. All entries will be hidden from the public until January 7th, when the voting begins.

How’s it work? You’ll be able to share your project with friends, family, coworkers… anyone and everyone you think might give you a vote. The project with the most votes on January 20th wins. So yes, this is a bit of a popularity contest.

The winning project will be awarded in person at NextFab’s 2nd Anniversary Celebration on Saturday, January 21st.

For more information, hit up the NextFab website. Good luck!
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I need constant stimulation. Any down time in stimulus leaves me antsy and fidgety. I’m the guy who checks email on his phone while stopped red lights, the guy who needs the TV on for background noise. Imagine my restlessness when I use the microwave. Time passes so much slower when I’m hungry and I can see a countdown of the time until I can house some Hungry Man frozen dinner. Good thing some University of Pennsylvania students created the μWave (pronounced micro-wave, mu-wave, or u-wave), a device that helps ease my hunger pangs by distracting me with Youtube videos.

The μWave is a combination of an Internet enabled tablet and microwave. When a user inputs a cook time, the μWave finds and plays a Youtube video the same length as the cook time. Brainchild of UPenn students, the device won first place in the PennApps hackathon securing the students $2,500 and the chance to present their hack to Google NYC.

The μWave is the classic “why didn’t I think of that” hack that solves a problem I never knew I had. By just knowing the μWave exists, I find myself more impatient than usual when I warm up day old pizza. Suddenly, I wish there was a Youtube video playing at work while I nuked instant oatmeal. It would make the office microwave line less awkward and I wouldn’t have to fish for topics to talk about. Waiting for the microwave timer to tick down is more painfully boring than ever.

Using established familiar technology means it is easier for the hack to gain consumer adoption. There’s no new cutting edge hardware with the μWave. There’s no new complex software to learn since nearly mostly everyone can figure out how to use a microwave. The incredible insight comes from the alleviating the minor distress of waiting for something to heat up. That small downtime is replaced by having Youtube entertainment beamed into my eyes while my popcorn is beamed with 2.5 gigahertz waves. The future is now! (more…)

Just in time for the holiday season, Microsoft hosted an exclusive party for its “Inner Circle” members showcasing the latest and greatest Windows Phone product line running the new Mango operating system.

Held on Wednesday, November 11th in Center City at the trendy RAW Sushi & Sake Lounge, guests were permitted some hands on time with the newest features the Mango OS has to offer. The event also featured complementary appetizers, drinks and mingling with Windows Phone product specialists showing off all the new apps and sleek hardware. The great folks at RAW played wonderful hosts with a smorgasbord of fresh sushi, deliciously deep-fried hors d’oeuvres and my favorite, lots and lots of Sapporo!

Created with Admarket’s flickrSLiDR.

The Mango update added over roughly 500 new features to the Windows Phone. Microsoft finally improved on some of the difficult multitasking issues we experienced during our time with the Samsung Focus. We also noticed the Mango update added push notification functionality to hubs and tiles, which really makes the screen more animated and truly seem alive. (more…)

Our friends over at NextFab Studios (the folks responsible for that epic mustache trophy at our Halloween party w/ Indy Hall) are running one hell of an awesome contest. Sure, we giveaway a lot of gadget swag, but this amazing set of speakers from NextFab are pretty special. See, they’re handmade.

Crafted by University of the Arts alum Jesse Gerard and his company Carrot Grant, these Symphony Cricket speakers are handcrafted by him and his creative team. They normally retail for about $400, and NextFab is giving you a chance to score a set for free.

All you have to do is give NextFab Studios’ Facebook page a like. Seriously, that’s it. They’re trying to build their community to over 1,000 fans. You can get more information here.

What are you waiting for? Go like ‘em! You’ve got til December 15th at midnight, but come on. You really don’t need that much time, do you?

Love camping? Live in Philadelphia? Then you might want to check out this Kickstarter, launched by a group of Philadelphia-based camping lovers, notably product designers Ben Ashpole and Jay Olman.

Meet the Pocket Grill, the world’s most compact, full-size camping grill that can, as you can imagine, fit right in your pocket. And just like most cookware you’d take on a camping trip, this little guy is made out of stainless steel.

Their goal is a lofty one, set at $40,000. But with the sort of perks these guys are dishing out, I can definitely see them reaching it. Donate a mere $40, and you’ll get a grill in the mail when they go into production. Kick in an extra $10, and they’ll throw in a cookbook made just for the Pocket Grill.

So! Hit up the Kickstarter, check out their official website, and follow them on Twitter for updates regarding the product. Best of luck, guys!

The Pocket Grill
www.kck.st/qrLcLq
www.pocketgrill.com

It’s Saturday and you and your loved ones are home with nothing to do. It’s a beautiful summer day and it seems like a shame to waste it. Whatever will you do?

Well, thanks to the crew at The Weekend Map, you never have to ask yourself that question again. They have just launched the Philadelphia version of the interactive weekend planner; you just go to the site and decide what you want to look for in your area. Looking for a Farmers Market to buy some local veggies? Done. What if you want to check out some Jazz in Northern Liberties? The Map can do that. Maybe you’re in search of a yoga group to join in the morning? No problem. Just click on the pop up symbol on the interactive map and it will give you all the necessary information so that you are never bored on a weekend again.

Now, the Map is still in Beta, so things are a bit glitchy at this point. But once everything loads the Map serves as a one stop shop to plan a weekend in or around Philadelphia. Give it a try and you’ll see what I mean. It just might make me go outside and get some sun every once in awhile.

The Weekend Map – Philadelphia
www.theweekendmap.com/philadelphia

The kind folks over at Cadence Watch Company were nice enough to offer to send me their 4-bit binary watch to review here on Geekadelphia. I was actually in the market for a new watch to wear to work, so I jumped at the opportunity. I have to admit when I checked out the pictures online of the watch; I dug the subtle elegant geekiness of it. Being a designer/IT person, I am very particular about not only the functionality of my gadgets but how they look as well.

The watch retails for about $90. The first thing you notice about the watch, other than the eye-catching packaging, is it definitely feels substantial and solid in your hands. It has a genuine leather strap and a very simple design aesthetic, which makes it a watch you can wear out with friends and to work the next day. The watch is also waterproof and glows in the dark, which are both big pluses in my book.

I have been wearing the watch for about 2 weeks now and in my daily routines, it has been bumped, jostled, doused with water; and it has not only stood the test, but caused some interesting conversations as well. I was worried at first about the overall build of the watch, but its very well constructed and is a pretty solid little time piece. I have to admit I am now a fan of Cadence watches and if you’re looking for new watch, I highly suggest it.

Although the name might be a mouthful, the Mophie Juice Pack Air is certainly not a handful. This little gadget will protect your 4th Gen iPod Touch while at the same time providing twice as much time playfully slicing fruit out of the air like a ninja or knocking down some porker’s home.

This sleek case not only protects your precious Apple product, but gives it almost twice the amount of play time. It will keep your iPod playing music at the party for 34 hours after everyone else’s Touch has been gasping desperately for an outlet.

I put this extra battery/protective case through the bootcamp. Give or take a couple hours, the pack does exactly what it says it will do. It keeps your iPod touch playing continuously long into the next day and the day after.

The extra six hours of video time is perfect for those of you taking a plane ride to Australia. I even took the time to give my iPod a good toss down my wooden staircase. Those of you with butter fingers will be happy to know that this case gives you some much needed protection from the occasional drop from the 3rd floor. FYI the iPod touch still works perfectly. (more…)

Note: Author Knows Nothing of Circuits, This Image May Be Wrong

The folks over at The Hacktory are hosting another event with the Prometheus Radio Project, inviting prospective students to learn how to build their very own radio transmitter.

According to the Hacktory, “participants will be soldering parts and tuning up [their] very own FM radio transmitters. At the end [they'll] have a simple low-power transmitter that you can [be] used to broadcast across a room. Beginners are welcome but space is limited.”

For more information on the class, visit The Hacktory’s official website.

Build Your Own FM Transmitter @ the Hacktory
June 18th, 2011, $15

The Hacktory
1524 Brandywine Street (19130)
www.thehacktory.org

The Belkin Conserve Insight is a cool gadget that helps you monitor your electricity usage in your home. “Insight” is the key word here, because in my test spin of the product I’ve been able to glean some interesting anecdotes about the way my precious electronics contribute to the electricity bill each month.

The premise of the product is simple. Take the Insight, plug it in to one of your electronics or appliances. Right away, you get instant feedback on wattage, cost, and CO2 production. Then, go ahead and use it like you would normally. After 45 minutes it comes up with an average across all three measures, and the longer you let it sit the more accurate the reading is.

I’ve often wondered how much my electronics cost me. Here’s a chart that highlights different electronics and states that I used them in, and their corresponding cost per month.

Here are more specific breakdowns about the things I was trying to test…

(more…)