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Gadget WEEKENDS

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lotusrootstarch:
Bought this sensor bin last week following mouser's recommendation:

Holding capacity of 42L which is a good sized rubbish bin to have. Sensor distance of 5-15cm from the sensor window, the cover of the rubbish bin automatically opens within half a second when rubbish is put within range of the sensor window. The indicator light will turn green when the lid automatically opens and then turns red when the lid closes automatically. The cover closes automatically after the rubbish has been thrown into the rubbish bin.

There is a button on the right hand side for you to press, if you'd rather open the rubbish bin yourself.

superboyac:
So i just got this thing, and it's incredible.  $30, mind you.
http://www.amazon.com/iPazzPort-2-4GHz-Wireless-Keyboard-Remote/dp/B006OW1J1M (see attachment in previous post)
Let me tell you what this thing can do:
--full air mouse, meaning you wave your hand around in the air and move the mouse.  Super smooth, plug and play.  Why am I making a big deal?  The only other ones that we are aware of from the big companies are Logitech and Gyration, and they cost over $100.  This is an incredible deal.
--It has a full keyboard.  amazing.
--turn it over, on the other side, it has a simple setup for a TV replacement remote, it can learn IR commands.
--the usb receiver is hidden inside.  lovely.
--exact size of an iphone.
--rechargeable with a regular, non-proprietary usb cable.
--replaceable battery
--works on windows, and android!

This is amazing to me.  Maybe I'm over-sensitive to things like this, but it reveals a few things to me.  How stupid and ignorant most of my country (US) is to the technology available, especially regarding what things should cost, how easy they should be to use, how simple doesn't necessarily mean better, and better doesn't necessarily mean more complicated, how strong the marketing of the more popular brands are, etc etc.  Also, how held back the US technology experience is because of legal/political issues, and how little people realize this.  If I hear one more person show amazement by whatever new feature the iphone can do, i will throw up.
-superboyac (March 09, 2013, 06:34 PM)
--- End quote ---
OK...just noticed some buggy behavior with this device.  the orientation can reverse it seems randomly and there is a fn-esc combo key that is supposed to fix it and it hasn't really worked for me.  also at times, the mouse will be going spazzy all over the place (uncontrollable).  So I would NOT at this point recommend it as a replacement for the reliable logitech and gyration, but merely a backup or cheap alternative.

dspelley:
Kill-A-Watt
Gadget WEEKENDS

Plug this gadget into a wall outlet and then plug your appliance or other gadget into it. Measures how much energy (kWh) your appliance has used since the kWh reading was reset.  Will also measure voltage, current, frequency, etc.  This is the simplest model (costs about $20) , but they have others that will calculate your electric costs if you enter your electric rate (cents/kWh for example).

I'm trying to see how much "Vampire" electric load my house has with TVs, VCR/DVRs, computers, modems, programmable thermostat, etc., all drawing a little bit of current 24 hrs a day.

I was telling my kids the other day - when I was growing up in the 50s, our house had a gas stove, refrigerator, and water heater. We didn't have a TV or tablets or cell phones to charge, and there were no digital displays glowing all night. We had wind-up clocks, except for a wall clock in our kitchen. On a cool summer evening, when the house was shut down for the night, that kitchen clock might have been the only thing in the house drawing any electricity. Big difference today!

IainB:
Kill-A-Watt (see attachment in previous post)
Plug this gadget into a wall outlet and then plug your appliance or other gadget into it...
-dspelley (March 23, 2013, 11:23 PM)
--- End quote ---
Thanks for posting this.
Spotted this rather interesting mod at adafruit:RaspiWatt: discover power consumption using a Kill-A-Watt & Pi

Now, where's my soldering iron?...

lotusrootstarch:
mouser's been tirelessly hassling me to post a gadget so here goes one... ;)

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/160900777168

Luvelo Elite Yoghurt Maker

Got this last week after my mom told me that my grandma's been very happy with her homemade yogurts using a yogurt maker. It's actually quite simple to follow the recipes and make your own yogurt with this machine. All the ingredients you need are some existing yogurt, milk, and milk powder... basically sterilised the milk, stir the powder and yogurt in a bowl and pour into the containers, then set the timer to 10-12 hours and that's it! The machine will automatically maintain the temperature most suitable for the yogurt cultures to grow.

The machine comes with 14 jars and can accommodate 7 jars at a time so you can make the second batch while enjoying the first one.

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