Open Hardware/Modding: Arduino and Rakwireless Wisblock
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Reviving a vintage secondary split-flap clock with Arduino | Arduino Blog
In the world of computing, many interfaces utilize a primary/secondary model of asymmetric communication, in which a primary host device controls one or more secondary client devices. This model is, for example, common among PATA and SATA hard drive arrangements. It is also common in clock networks, with a central time server updating several client clocks. iSax had a unique example of such a client clock with a vintage split-flap display, and made it useful again by retrofitting an Arduino board.
This clock likely came from a set of many, which would have been used in a government building, train station, or similar application. It would have received a signal from a primary clock and set its time accordingly. In the original setup, that signal came in the form of a 1Hz alternating square wave that drove a motor for the clockwork gears. Instead of attempting to reverse-engineer and replicate that signal, iSax chose to drive the motor with an Arduino Nano board that keeps its own time with an RTC (real-time clock) module.
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Now you can make shawarma at your desk | Arduino Blog
If you’ve ever been lucky enough to visit a country in the Middle East or around the Mediterranean Sea, then you’ve probably seen street food vendors cutting slices off of a big ol’ hunk of slowly rotating meat. This delicious delicacy is called shawarma and is a form of vertical rotisserie. The meat can be beef, lamb, chicken, or even turkey — the cooking process is what is important. And now, thanks to a tutorial from Roni Bandini, you can perform that cooking process on your desktop with this Micro Shawarma machine.
This machine is exactly what it sounds like: a tiny vertical rotisserie machine that sits on a desktop. It is sure to make your coworkers jealous in the hours leading up to lunchtime. Like its traditional full size cousins, this Micro Shawarma machine is open-air and has a spit that spins on a vertical axis. Offset to one side of the spit, there is a heating element that continuously roasts the meat. Anytime you get a hankering for some protein, you can slice off some meat. The machine even hosts its own web app, so you can operate everything from your smartphone.
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Rakwireless introduces WisBlock modular power supply, IP65 enclosures, and more sensor modules - CNX Software
Rakwireless Wisblock modular IoT prototyping system will get new modules about once every quarter and the latest Wisblock Summer 2022 event brings some RAK190xx base boards and power modules to support various power sources from solar panels to PoE, two IP65-rated “Unify” enclosures, as well as four new Wisblock sensor modules.