TheDorkSeriously

Lego Laptop

Rob Lynch — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 06:02:39 +0000

Lego Digital Picture Frame

The guts of an old laptop
Ubuntu 9.10 Karmic Koala (linux distro)
Screenlets (widget software)
A handful of cron jobs
Motion (motion detection software)
a USB Webcam
and a bucket of Legos makes a…

Lego Internet Thingy!

It displays the time, local weather, news, twitter and latest emails via Screenlets.

The Motion software uses the webcam to look for movement or changes in lighting allowing the screen to shut off when not home or asleep.

A daily alarm is scheduled via crontab which shuffles through my iTunes library music to wake me up in the morning. If Motion detects movement the music stops.

Kevin McCallister would’ve got a kick out of this: iPhone X10 Remote Control (How To Part 1)

Rob Lynch — Sun, 03 Jan 2010 22:08:13 +0000

I recently got my hands on an X10 Firecracker Kit to control my appliances and lighting remotely in conjunction with automating certain daily routines such as turning on an air purifier, air conditioner or a space heater.

Get the Flash Player to see this video.

Below is simplistic approach I took to setting up a basic wireless remote system that is accessible via the net. It’s a result of a few hours work and is fully functional, but is far from complete Anyone looking to do this should have an intermediate understanding of how Windows, Apache, PHP and SQL work. I based the foundation of this system off of a project featured 4 years ago on Hak.5: How to control your lights from an internet enabled cell phone (Episode Video) (Project Wiki). I augmented the project by incorporating a mysql database for keeping track of appliance status and swapped out the undocumented, executable that talked to the firecracker with one that actually explained the syntax. In part two I’ll take on the automation aspect of the project.

What to use:

A PC with Windows XP and a DB9 COM port.
X10 Firecracker Kit
Firecracker Software (not sure if this is a necessity, but doesn’t hurt to install)
Wamp Server (Apache w/PHP5 and MySQL)
CMA17A Protocol

What to do:

1. Setup and configure the Firecracker as recommended by X10. Hook up the COM port module, install, configure and test with X10 software to confirm everything is working out of the box.

2. Stop the x10 Device Network Service (x10nets) and set the service status to disabled or manual to free up the COM port.

3. Download Adam Brigs’ CMA17 Protocol and attempt to turn on/off devices with it from the command line. The syntax is very simple and allows for multiple devices to react within one call. For example to turn on appliance 1 on channel A using COM 1 you would type: cm17a 1 a1on

4. Install and configure Wamp server adjusting the httpd.conf to your liking to allow access to the server from other IPs. If allowing access via the web as a minimum set up basic authentication with .htaccess.

5. Using phpMyAdmin in Wamp create a database called “x10″ and be sure to create a user with sufficient privileges to read/write or add a password to the root account.

6. Insert a table called appliance_status (download sql table structure and example records)

7. Modify or add records to appliance_status.

Row Definitions:
uid = unique identifier
appliance_id = x10 receiver id number and frequency
status = If device is on of off (bool 0 = off 1 = on)
last updated = last request sent to server (self updating current timestamp)
appliance_name = friendly appliance name

8. Copy code to x10.php and place in www directory. Be sure to adjust the first set of variables values as necessary ($cm17a, $comport,$ dbhost,$dbuser,$dbpass).

X10 iPhone Remote

$comport = ‘1′;
$cm17a = ‘c:\wamp\www\cm17a’;

$dbhost=’localhost’;
$dbuser=’root’;
$dbpass=’x10′;
$conn = mysql_connect($dbhost, $dbuser, $dbpass) or die (‘Error Connecting to mysql’);
$dbname = ‘x10′;
mysql_select_db($dbname, $conn);

if(isset($_GET['ChangeStatus'])) {
system($cm17a . ‘ ‘ . $comport . ‘ ‘ . $_GET['App'] . $_GET['ChangeStatus']);

if($_GET['ChangeStatus'] == ‘On’)
{
$UpdateStatus=1;
}else{
$UpdateStatus=0;
}

$updatesql = “update appliance_status set status = ” . $UpdateStatus .” where appliance_id = ‘” . $_GET['App'] . “’”;
mysql_query($updatesql);
}
?>

$get_apps = mysql_query(“SELECT * FROM appliance_status”);
while($row = mysql_fetch_array($get_apps))
{
$aID = $row['appliance_id'];
$aName = $row['appliance_name'];

if ($row['status'] == ‘0′)
{
$aStatus=’Off’;
$aChange=’On’;
}else{
$aStatus=’On’;
$aChange=’Off’;
}

$aDate = $row['last_updated'];
echo ‘

’;

}

mysql_close($conn);
?>

’ . $aName . ‘

9. Add on and off jpegs to www directory (download buttons.zip)
10. If all is well you should be able to navigate to the x10.php and turn on and off your appliances till the cows come home. Enjoy.

Take off your glasses. Oh… wait, wait. Let down your hair. No: glasses on, hair back up. Let’s just get that hair right back up.

Rob Lynch — Tue, 29 Dec 2009 13:00:18 +0000

Jordan vs Bird

Rob Lynch — Mon, 28 Dec 2009 14:00:57 +0000

Basketball just ain’t what it used to be.

Video games are a different story: http://www.retronintendogames.com/j/jordbird/

My Death can beat up your Death

Rob Lynch — Sun, 27 Dec 2009 18:04:22 +0000

Text Message Dramatization:

C: I found this reissued album from a band named Death. I’m really digging it. You should check it out.
Me: Death? I used to listen to them when I was in high school! What album did they re-release?
C: “For the Whole World to See”
Me: (After googling the album) My Death can beat up your Death.

The Lego iPhone Dock

Rob Lynch — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 03:07:25 +0000

While home for Thanksgiving my mom dug out ton of Legos from under the eves for me. I took a container of them back to Boston in hopes of putting them to good use.

My first of hopefully many Lego doodads: The iPhone Dock

Lego iPhone Dock

Apples!

Rob Lynch — Sat, 17 Oct 2009 19:53:55 +0000

Carver Hill apple orchard in Stow, MA 10/10/09

Assorted Photos from Fall 2k9

Rob Lynch — Sat, 17 Oct 2009 19:35:11 +0000

ATP 2k9

Rob Lynch — Sat, 17 Oct 2009 18:47:20 +0000

All Tomorrow’s Parties @ Kutcher’s Country Club in Monticello, NY 9/12/09

Buy the Last of My CD’s for 23.255814 Cents a Piece!

Rob Lynch — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 22:59:28 +0000

A few years back I stopped purchasing CDs and slowly started to sell off my entire collection. What remains of the once bloated collection are 86 wonderful CDs… which I don’t wish to add to the boxes of crap I’m going to have to carry up 4 flights of stairs when I move in two weeks. That being said:

All 86 CDs can be yours for $20 cash/money order. That’s 23.255814 cents a disc. All disc should be in playable condition, however most of the cases/digipacks are in rough condition (cracked, broken/frayed) from moving so much. Some are promo copies and some are… well, let’s just say special. It’s all or nothing, no paypal, you can pickup here in Boston or have them shipped (you pay actual shipping). Email me if interested: rob [at] thedorkseriously.com
A.C.   It Just Gets Worse
Aerosmith   Get A Grip
Alice in Chains   Jar of Flies
Andrew W.K.   The Wolf
Aphex Twin   Selected Ambient Works, Vol. 2
Archer Prewitt   Wilderness
Armand Van Helden   Killing Puritans
Bass Trip   Beat Planet X
Ben Folds Five   Naked Baby Photos
Ben Folds Five   Whatever and Ever Amen
Ben Folds Five   The Unauthorized Biography of Reinhold Messner
Biohazard   Urban Discipline
Blues Traveler   Four
Brian Eno, David Byrne   My Life in the Bush of Ghosts
Bush   Sixteen Stone
Cherry Poppin’ Daddies   Zoot Suit Riot: The Swingin’ Hits of the Cherry Poppin’ Daddies
Coheed and Cambria   In Keeping Secrets of Silent Earth: 3
Converge   No Heroes
Cornelius   Fantasma
Corrosion of Conformity   Blind
David Bowie   Earthling
DeeJay Punk-Roc   ChickenEye
Doves   The Last Broadcast
Eels   Beautiful Freak
Elastica   Elastica
Elbow   Cast of Thousands
Elefant   Sunlight Makes Me Paranoid
Evanescence   The Open Door
Everything But the Girl   Walking Wounded
Faithless   Reverence
Faithless   Sunday 8pm
Felix da Housecat   Devin Dazzle & the Neon Fever
Filter   Title of Record
Frankie Bones   Computer Controlled: Live in California
Goldfinger   Hang-Ups
Goldie   SaturnzReturn
Grandaddy   Sumday
Herbie Hancock   Thrust
Jamiroquai   A Funk Odyssey
Jeff Buckley   Sketches For My Sweetheart The Drunk
Jewel   Pieces of You
Junkie XL   Saturday Teenage Kick
Kittie   Spit
Lenny Kravitz   Circus
Less Than Jake   Losing Streak
Lisa Loeb   Cake and Pie
Living Colour   Super Hits
Mahavishnu Orchestra With John McLaughlin   Birds of Fire
Manowar   The Triumph of Steel
Mclusky   The Difference Between Me & You Is That I’m Not on Fire
Metallica   Kill ‘Em All
Miles Davis   Panthalassa: The Remixes
Miles Davis   Bitches Brew
Napalm Death   Greed Killing
Nirvana   In Utero
Pantera   Official Live: 101 Proof
Pearl Jam   No Code
Porno for Pyros   Good God’s Urge
Portishead   Live: Roseland NYC
Praxis   Transmutation
Primus   Pork Soda
R.E.M.   New Adventures in Hi-Fi
Red Hot Chili Peppers   Mother’s Milk
Reel Big Fish   Turn the Radio Off
Refused   Everlasting
Reggie and the Full Effect   Under the Tray
Reggie and the Full Effect   Promotional Copy
Royal Crown Revue   Mugzy’s Move
Shootyz Groove   High Definition
Stevie Wonder   Innervisions
Stone Temple Pilots   Tiny Music…Songs from the Vatican Gift Shop
Talvin Singh   Talvin Singh Presents Anokha Soundz of the Asian Underground
The Chemical Brothers   Come with Us
The Darkness   One Way Ticket to Hell…And Back
The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion   Orange
The Rolling Stones   Bridges to Babylon
The Thrills   So Much for the City
Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers   She’s The One
Two Ton Shoe   Resoled
U.N.K.L.E.   Psyence Fiction
Various Artists   Tibetan Freedom Concert; New York City, June 1997
Weather Report   Heavy Weather
Weezer   Weezer (Green)
Wheat   Per Second, Per Second, Per Second… Every Second
Wilco   A Ghost Is Born
William Orbit   Pieces in a Modern Style