#Tinkering

[catthlaf]

Sometimes you just need to make a Contraption

[adorkastock]

Hello! Do you havr any poses that could be used for a repairmam/engineer/grease monkey/tinkerer character? Like people fidgeting with tools and disassembling things?

I do now... This is one of many coming in a future tinkerer's pack. Stay tuned for when that drops!

[robodinos]

Creating a GPS Treasure Box

Andrew did a write up of one of his projects that we would love to share. We wish you all a happy ❤️Valentines Day!❤️

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Many years ago I came across the idea for a GPS treasure box, from a post originally by Kenton Harris (I think - apologies if it was somebody else). Some called it a reverse geocache too, but in simple terms, it's a locked box that only opens at a certain location. 

The idea behind the box was a very simple interaction - one button, and a screen. The process would go like this:

Press button

Screen lights up, and GPS begins scanning

Screen tells you how many attempts you have left

Once GPS has location, the distance from the target location in kilometers is shown

One attempt is removed from total # of attempts

Screen turns off

Eventually, the target location would be found (and the box unlocks), or the attempts will run out and the box will be sealed shut forever! 

Inspired to create a fun adventure for myself and a friend on a weekend in Spain, I ordered all the relevant components including GPS module, Arduino Uno, batteries and a servo motor to lock the box. This was back in January of 2020. 

Ah, how times change...

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Fast forward to January of 2023. I'd moved back to Sydney years prior and still had all of these components sitting around. I knew I'd get to this project one day. 

I came across a local makerspace with access to a laser cutter. This was the missing ingredient I needed - not only were there the facilities I needed to create the treasure box, there was also vibrant community of people who had done similar things before. 

I started out by gathering some code to power the project, and thankfully found a number of helpful repositories on Github. 

I was able to clone one, and adapt it to the paricular hardware and display I was using pretty easily. Annoyingly I had to learn all about Baud rates and GPS modules - but I'm glad I did as I'm sure it will contribute to projects in the future. 

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At long last, the finished project was here. 

Not too shabby I thought, but it was time to put it to the test.

I enlisted the help of my girlfriend. We began at home and she pressed the button. 

As a guess, she told me to head to Pyrmont, an inner-city suburb. So off we drove.

Getting warmer! And still with heaps of attempts left.

With the sun setting, we headed to a nice spot in Rose Bay, by the water. 

It was close enough to continue on foot, so we decided to put the dog in a backpack (I didn't realise prior that he was not allowed in Sydney Harbour National Park, so I hope this was an OK compromise! Apologies to the national parks service). 

---

Here, my true colours were revealed. I'd actually added some extra code into the mix - getting the box to ask a very important question on my behalf. 

And sure enough, the box opened on cue, revealing an exciting treasure hidden within!

[froster30]

I am building a microwave pc. I'm not finished with it yet I just testing, seeing if the parts will fit inside. What OS should I run.

[adafruit]

Solenoids go clicky-clacky 🔩🔊🤖

We're testing out an I2C-to-solenoid driver today. It uses an MCP23017 expander. We like this particular chip for this usage because it has push-pull outputs, making it ideal for driving our N-channel FETs and flyback diodes. The A port connects to the 8 drivers, while the B port remains available for other GPIO purposes. For this demo, whenever we 'touch' a pin on port B to ground, the corresponding solenoid triggers provide an easy way to check speed and power usage.

[lucybellwood]

Getting into the nooks and crannies with mineral spirits this morning. Every key that was previously sticking is now smooth as butter

[cauldron-of-oddities]

There's something sweet about the idea that Jinx got to find herself again a bit and start her healing/dealing/embracing something new process with Ekko and likly in his living space/workshop.

He can't fix her. She has to do that herself.

What he can do is offer a safe to do so, a listening ear/someone to share ideas (and emotions with). Be someone to discuss her discoveries with.

Much like he got to ground himself and realise things about himself and Powder/Jinx in Powders workshop while working with her.

In essence, a tinkerer gets to fix herself in a fellow tinkerers workshop.

[mitzvahmelting]

holy shit this is cool

[lizichi]

Cyberpunk glasses : view_finder made by @lizije

//: I made these cool cyberpunk or steampunk-esque glasses from my old Maki Zenin jjk cosplay! Using these old glasses brought a new fun activity for me to do by opening up and breaking down my old favorite digital camera for scrap parts that became broken and was unable to be fixed. I also used spare gundam model kit parts for this to give that additional mecha/mechanical look to it. I loved creating this as It brought something that I once loved (my camera) into something fun and interactive! I used the digital camera viewfinder and added it to the glasses as I thought it’d be cool and give that immersive feel of steampunk or cyberpunk tinkers making gears. When you wear it, it also can zoom in and out so you can see up close!!! I named this glasses piece “view_finder” in memento of my favorite camera.

[heartnosekid]

🛠️ gadget the wolf 🧲

with mechanic themes & tinkering in red for @rubyprototype!

🧲-🛠️-🧲 / 🛠️-🐺-🛠️ / 🧲-🛠️-🧲

[dim20-stims]

Could you make a Gorgug stimboard with robotics? (For junior year artificing)

"Well, even cowgirls get the blues."

Gorgug Thistlespring - Bisexual (for Pride Month)

x x x - x 🔩 x - x x x

[withinthelines]

A rough sketch including dialogue/character interaction. I do plan on refining this, later, but I wanted to show my progress-because, why not! I think it’s fun!

[nalyra-dreaming]

I have a couple of questions if that’s alright? A couple fo things have been bugging me and I don’t know who else to ask. I feel like I’m going crazy because I keep seeing the idea what Armand is entirely to blame for anything misremembering/untruths that Louis has about Lestat. But, is there evidence of him putting false memories in Louis head? I know he’s edited stuff out but what did we explicitly see him change or are we assuming that and waiting for the reveal next series?

Secondly, how are the coven awake to burn Claudia and Madeline? And how is Louis awake to burn then back? Aren’t they all basically unable to resist the call of sleep when the sun’s up?

Thanks for all the work you do in this fandom of answering questions! It’s so amazing having fans like you around willing to discuss things.

Hey!

Glad you like! I'll try to explain my view on this :)

So. For the misremembering:

It's not that easy. To say it was "all" Armand, I mean. Obviously there's hints (and some proof). The "broadcasting" question (the salesman), Louis seemingly not remembering the fire (Daniel prompting via the Talamasca files). Louis quoting word for word what has been planted in his brain (episode 2x05). Louis remembering the fight at the trial... and what we saw in 1x05 then not matching - for example. Louis telling us of what he remembers happened at the trial... and then the trial script contradicting. Louis telling us of Claudia's turning... and then later admitting to himself that he was wrong. Because...

... there's also the odyssey of recollection. The fallacy of memory. These vampires do forget with time. Events blur, dates are hard to pin down. The dates in season one for example are off by a year- all of them.

In the books (and outside of them, by Anne's statement), it is later said that Louis... well, lied. Exaggerated. There's snide comments in-universe. Because he was being petty, and angry. Think the interview in San Francisco in the show. Those were direct IWTV book quotes(!). The show has heavily pulled up the memory aspect instead, and shifted (some of) the blame to Armand by making him "tinker" (as Assad called it) with Louis' mind and memories in an effort to not lay it all on Louis. This tinkering (in and by itself) also happens in the book, Armand makes Louis turn Madeleine there, for example. Brings down a "veil" between him and reality when they come for them before the trial, or later when they travel. Lies to him, tells him Lestat is dead.

I don't think Armand is to blame for everything. For me the scene with the misplaced photos was very interesting for example, because Armand's frustration there read as real to me - it was nothing he did.

But Armand does a lot. Before SF, before that suicide attempt, he ... lets Louis go on killing sprees, resigns himself to clean up after Louis. After that suicide attempt however (at some point after it, depending on whether some of or all of DM happened or not) that stops. Louis does not go off and kill anymore. Louis stays, more or less broken. I have called that the "Stepford Wives" phase, and I think that fits, because Armand is constantly readjusting Louis. And Louis is not relieved when Armand reveals himself in 1x07.

You can see the behavioral shifts in the show between the episodes, too. The missing diary pages of episode 1 that Louis wants to have? Never mentioned again. The fact that Louis was up during the day, and then suddenly has to sleep till sundown while Armand tells his little fanfic story of Lestat. The using the same words and phrases. Assad said that Armand is constantly spinning his web (his words) and so he constantly readjusts... not necessarily out of a malicious desire - no, ultimately he just clings to what he has.

So no, Armand is not to blame for everything. But I personally think the show might have given us a lot of hints already, I spoke about the "hair" aspects (and what Louis got "wrong") here. There's links to the "train scene" that is unlikely to have happened as told, as well as the "hotel scene" in there as well. Louis knowing he can invite Daniel to break through was only recently called "a lifeline"

Which brings us to another aspect, the intent of the tale. Because Louis wants to protect Claudia (as he should), and that also influences the way he tells the tale - of course. Makes some things seem inevitable, for example.

And, last but not least, I can only recommend reading this article by Linda Codega - who wrote about Armand being rather important in November 22 :)

I don't think we will get big reveals à la "Oceans Eleven" or something. I think the show will expect us to think for ourselves there... 😅 And there will be clues, lots of clues... little puzzle pieces, for us to put together.

As per your other question:

The show has softened the "death sleep" to ... let's say "coffin sleep".

Louis tells "us" about it when he goes to burn them down, that the vampire's world narrows down to the coffin when they lock themselves in (we see a bigger version of that when he and Armand go to bed in their darkened bedroom). And that is why he can - more or less - surprise them.

That is not quite book canon :) BUT! The movie also softened that up already, we had Claudia tippy-toe along the sunbeams to Louis there, for example.

And in the show the vampires obviously can be up when the sun has risen, even during midday.

AND, to be fair:

The show has (already) introduced Fareed Bhansali, the "vampire doctor". He is a character from the later books, and he... wanted to free the vampires from the death sleep.

And, tongue-in-cheek: Guess he did it^^.

[art-of-mathematics]

Today I made a case for my raspberry pi with lego:

(Ignore the ugly chunky hdmi cable and micro-hdmi adapter. these are some rigid chonkers.)

It even has a lid for the display:

The air can circulate thru the literal "windows". i might add some more cooling bodies inside.

[adafruit]

Meet the puppets of "Circuit Playground"! ​🤖🎭

Explore the fundamentals of electronics with "Circuit Playground," a video series by Adafruit. Each episode delves into the components and principles that make circuits function - beeping, blinking, and more. Ideal for beginners and enthusiasts eager to understand what makes circuits tick - great for engineers to watch with their kiddos -

https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLjF7R1fz_OOXWHQhEVEI5Jqf18TQRr5Hu