Portal:Prelude is OUT!

I'm posting, and I'm Still Alive.

I've been anticipating this mod for all of one week, and it's finally out! Shame you can only get it off FilePlanet. I've been waiting in line for a while now, and I've only moved ten places.

Expect a review or something once I get it downloaded.

PICAXE is Here!

My PICAXE stuff came in today. If anyone says anything bad about Advanced Micro Circuits Corp., they're wrong. I got everything at a great time, and in my hour of free time, I managed to make this little blinking light (sorry for the low quality):

Weird

You know, for having not posted for a month, my hit counter sure is high. I guess google seems to like me. Well, I am on the first page for "spore crash", "lire...fail" and "intel robot battle", which must be helping a lot.

Ok, that didn't work.

I've been busy lately. Here's a new post!

The AVRs didn't work. I think I had a bad programmer, but it's a lot of hassle just to make a "hello world" blinking LED, so I needed something easier. I chose PICAXE. Now I only have to wait another half-a-week to actually make something.

I'm getting the programmer replaced, so it (and some ATtiny2313 chips) may be up for sale soon.

Parts Update!

The parts arrived today. Ok, they arrived the day this post is set for, and I'm retconing them from the future. Still, they arrived.

Why, Shipping, WHY?

Why is shipping so slow and expensive? I've been meaning to get into real robotics for a while: I guess Lego's robotics kits do count, but I've always wanted to use actual microcontrollers. I decided on Atmel's AVR chips. It uses a programmer, and my favorite out of the ones I've seen, the AVRISP mk2, happens to be available at a vaguely nearby store (Digi-Key); it's in Wisconsin, I'm in Michigan. Shipping is expensive, but should've been quick at any rate.

It wasn't. While the programmer arrived in perfect condition, it took a whole week. Is shipping really that slow? I've had cross-country packages arrive quicker!

I ordered the other parts for my first robots from Jameco. Despite my best attempts, I couldn't keep my order to only items that could ship immediately. 2-4 days later, they call to tell me they've got it ready to ship.

The waiting is killing me. I'll post when they come.

In the News: Bum Bots in Atlanta?

A man named Rufus Terrill owner of a bar in Atlanta, has created the Bum Bot 2000, a remote-controlled machine that he uses to chase loiterers, prostitutes and drug dealers away. The only question I have is whether he (or the robot) could be arrested for this.

read more | digg story