It's Been Quiet Here
Not because I'm not doing anything worth telling the intertubes, but because I put a lot on hold at the moment (including this blog). Mostly because I'm moving (again). In three weeks from today I'll be in my new flat, with a hopefully ready to use Internet uplink1) and plenty of free time to work on interesting/funny/musical/nerdy stuff again 
(I have big plans - as always 
).
Until then I'll waste my free time relaxing and playing Eve Online (the first game in month which I still enjoy after playing it for more than a day).
ArduinoBoy (WRT54G Edition)
Today I finished my very first Arduino project .
It's an ArduinoBoy. Basically it's a device that lets me sync my GameBoy to a sequencer (I'm using Renoise using MIDI. On the GameBoy itself runs Nanoloop1). This was my first ever electronics project and it went really well. I only soldered one wrong connection which I luckily found after some debugging (de-soldering a IC sucks though 
).
After I finished the breadboard version of the ArduinoBoy I began to think about a fitting enclosure. It turned out that finding something appropriate was the most difficult part of all. I finally decided to have a look into the WRT54G router I use solely for distributing wireless OSC messages via either my Nintendo DS and DSMI or TouchOSC on my iPhone. And to my surprise it had exactly that much space left which I would need for putting an extra Arduino inside 
.
Getting all that stuff in there was a delicate thing to do though. I have to remember to open the thing with care should I ever have to. Unfortunately I'm not that good at drilling holes, that's why the holes for the LEDs look a bit ugly. However, I'm happy with the final result, especially because it took only one weekend to finish which makes me less worried regarding my plans to build an Arduinome (I have all parts except the PCB ).
Okay, now I have to make some nice GameBoy 8bit music .
Stop Blogging
Today I came accross an interesting article about keeping outdated incorret technical information around in form of blog posts.
I too see this problem and have to deal with it often enough myself when I'm googling for information. You can never be sure if what you read is still valid or just silly outdated stuff. It gets worse if the blog posts/pages don't contain any date where you could see when they've been created (because I learned the hard way to look for exactly that before I even start reading).
However, I don't see this as a reason to stop blogging about technical stuff alltogether, like the article suggests. The nature of technical blog posts (at least in my case) are often just quick hacks, or short code snippets which, most of the time, aren't worth updating regularly. In contrary to the author of the aforementioned post, I don't see the web as something which should only serve fresh and valid information and I honestly don't care if something I wrote two years ago doesn't apply anymore or people don't verify information they find on the web.
Also, if I'm seriously after valid technical information I tend to look for better resources like wikis and official docs of some sort. That however, doesn't apply to everyone who comes accross my blog so I decided to display a nice little info message above every post which is older than 100 days to inform the reader that the information he's about to consume might not be valid anymore .
I guess that should suffice.
My Nanoloop
arrived today . So I'm finally about to put the Game Boy Pocket splitbrain sent me last year (many thanks again!!) to some good use1).
I'm also waiting for the parts I've ordered to build an Arduino Boy2) to be able to integrate it into my Renoise setup .
I'm still trying to get my hands on one of the old gray Game Boys. If you have one around, don't need it anymore and want someone to put it to use again please don't hesitate to mail me!!
Related posts:
Tagged again!
First of all, a happy new year to everyone who comes across this post. If you're not into the whole ”lets-present-some-semi-private-information-to-anyone-who-cares-to-read-this” games you better find another place to waste your time now .
My blogging habit was kind of stagnating anyway, so what could possible be better than getting tagged again.
Of course there are some rules attached:
- Link to the website from which you got tagged. (done)
- The name of the meme (“Fustilinus”) must be included in your post. (done - just by writing this rule)
- List these rules. (done)
- Tag two or three of your favorite blogs.
To get the tagging thing out of the way: I'll tag the usual suspect tante and xsteadfastx.
And finally - here are my answers:
Can you think of something that really sucked?
Right know I think about my left knee which doesn't feel right since two weeks, which makes me kinda moody and therefore really sucks.
And what rocked?
The trip to Greece with my Tae Kwon Do group.
How about your health – all fine or on the down slope?
Except the knee I mentioned earlier I feel pretty well.
Did you get yourself vaccinated against the (new) flu?
Nope. But due to all that fuzz I took a closer look at my vaccination record and got myself vaccinated against meningitis, hepatitis A/B and tetanus.
Did you make any big changes to yourself or around your place?
Nope. But I'll move again in about 3 month.
Are you happy about it?
Yep.
Biggest acquisition of the year?
Hmmmm, that would be my new DigiTech GSP1101.
Newest electronic gadget?
Well, I just received all parts I need to build an Arduinome .
Store in which you left the biggest amount of money (for non-food stuff)?
The local music equipment retailer where I bought the DigiTech GSP1101.
Would you have noticed the economic crisis if nobody had talked about it?
Nope.
Did you go on vacation? If so, where to?
Yep, as mentioned earlier I went to Greece (although for one week only).
Best movie?
Hmmm, probably Star Trek.
Best TV-show(s)?
Battlestar Galactica. And I also got into Burn Notice lately (I have no idea why, I just find it very entertaining).
Best book?
I didn't read much last year. I'm currently reading “Ringworld” by Larry Niven. Even though I really like the book I make very slow progress (one chapter per month).
Most loved game?
I don't play games anymore (only if I happen to be somewhere where other people are playing). My typical maximum attention span for a game is 2 days before I find it boring.
Best song?
To me there's not really such a thing, but if I would have to pick one from my favorite album of 2009 it would be Jake Leg by Baroness from Blue Record (but the other songs are pretty much as genius as that one).
And also as of late I would add Neurosis - The Doorway (and pretty much every other song of their Album “Times of Grace”).
Worst catchy tune?
Lady Gaga should get hit by a bus.
Top 3 of your favourite feeds?
Best public event?
Dunno, maybe one of the Tae Kwon Do courses I went - they've been all a lot of fun.
Best private gathering?
My 30th birthday party of course.
Things you did for the first time?
30min Tae Kwon Do workout barefoot outside in the snow at the christmas training course.
Did you craft something?
I'm working on some Arduino projects at the moment. But it'll take time to finish (it's an Arduinome, an Arduinoboy and a custom made Arduino Guitar mod 
).
Where did you spend christmas?
With the family.
Do you have your own christmas tree at home?
At my moms house, yes.
Did you manage to get together all the christmas presents in time for the 24th of December?
Yep.
Best present for you?
A cordless screwdriver .
Most fun in giving a present?
…
What did you do on New Year's Eve?
Getting drunk with some old friends.
Does this planning for New Year's stress you so much as well?
Nope. It usually just involves buying alcohol and finding a place to sleep - which I didn't have to this year because everything was there already.
Do you have any New Year's Resolutions?
Yes, but talking about them usually doesn't help.
Is there anything you want to do for the first time in the coming year?
Yes, and it has something to do with my new years resolutions .
All in all: Was it an awesome year, a mediocre one or rather a stoopid one?
Hmmm, well I'm alive and healthy - which I consider to be quite awesome .