41–50 of 60 posts
BTW, the latest files are here: Hardware: https://github.com/damellis/cellphone2hw Software: https://github.com/damellis/cellphone2
Also, great work! I looked into building a cell phone before, and it's an awesome amount of work.
BTW, the latest files are here: Hardware: https://github.com/damellis/cellphone2hw Software: https://github.com/damellis/cellphone2
I know PG wrote an essay about how certain cities act as magnets for smart people looking to change the world, and how it is advantageous for companies to set up in those cities. That always struck me as a rather antiquated system (though I don't deny it is currently true) and I always wondered how long it will be before that changes. The idea that to properly collaborate we have to arrange such that all of our molecules inhabit a relatively small geographic area just seems silly. Things like this really make me appreciate the power of the internet to connect people and propagate interesting ideas (instead of just memes). Makes me think that before I die the idea of necessary co-location in order for people to collaborate effectively will be a bygone notion. I would welcome that change.
BTW, the latest files are here: Hardware: https://github.com/damellis/cellphone2hw Software: https://github.com/damellis/cellphone2
How's the reception and microphone quality? (i.e. how well does the sound of your voice on the phone compare to say an iPhone or Nokia-era candybar phone?) Also, great work! I looked into building a cell phone before, and it's an awesome amount of work.
Can anyone share any details about one of those laser wood cutters? Costs/Materials/Brands/Issues etc. for a hobbyist?
If you're really into DIY, you can make your own CNC laser cutter http://www.instructables.com/id/Laser-cutter-start-slicing-s... Otherwise, you're talking $5k and up. However these guys are cheap and fast if you want to farm it out: http://www.pololu.com/catalog/product/749 (I don't work for them, and I'm not an affiliate, just a happy customer)
Also, Ponoko is a decent option for a laser-cutting service: https://www.ponoko.com
My grandmother has pretty bad arthritis. No major carrier sells a handset that is easy for my grandmother to manage. It may be time to put one together for her.
"Cellular connectivity is provided by the SM5100B GSM Module...". Meh. No way a DYI. It's like you assemble your desktop PC from pieces like motherboard and power supply and say that you built a DYI PC.
As the person who made the phone, I think this is an interesting question. Do we say that Apple doesn't build computers themselves because they buy the CPU from Intel? Or because they use Qualcomm transceivers (and lots of other off-the-shelf components) in their phones? On the other hand, we probably wouldn't say someone made a phone if they just put it into a different enclosure. I can say that I spent a lot of tim…
It's the same as:
"I don't code python, that isn't a real language, it does everything for you, unlike C!"
Really? Does everything for you? Good to know that you built your own transistors from scratch via materials that you mined out of the ground, while naked, using only tools that you scavenged out of the forest, and that you came up with the entire process yourself.
Seriously, this is cool.
My grandmother has pretty bad arthritis. No major carrier sells a handset that is easy for my grandmother to manage. It may be time to put one together for her.
In the UK they sell a range of mobile phones with big buttons, particularly for the elderly. Basic features on it only of course, but that's probably all they will use anyway. http://easiphone.co.uk/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=1
That's a rather self-fulfilling attitude, and I hope that we as an industry try harder really soon.
My parents are in their late 60s, and are quite good with computers. I'm working on a side project with a woman in her eighties who started programming during the Eisenhower administration. And I know a number of tech folks in their 40s or 50s who have one form or another of muscular or nervous problem. None of them should have to compromise on features just because they want a more accessible device.
Can anyone share any details about one of those laser wood cutters? Costs/Materials/Brands/Issues etc. for a hobbyist?
I bought a 40 watt laser cutter/engraver from China via ebay. It cost a little less than $1800. It cuts wood and some thin plastics (acrylic) like this quite well. Unfortunately, its quality was so terrible, it was little more than a box of parts. I had to build a new stepper driver and run it from MACH3 to get any results out of it. I also had to replace some "greased rail" style bearings with linear ball bearings t…
I'm surprised that nobody mentioned OpenMoko so far: The attempt to create a truly open sourced mobile phone: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Openmoko Sadly, it failed and was abandoned in 2009.
"Cellular connectivity is provided by the SM5100B GSM Module...". Meh. No way a DYI. It's like you assemble your desktop PC from pieces like motherboard and power supply and say that you built a DYI PC.