Spreadsheets Apple ][ Style
It is hard to remember a time when no one had a spreadsheet. Sure, you had big paper ledgers if you were an accountant. But most people just scribbled their …read more Continue reading Spreadsheets Apple ][ Style
Author Archives: Al Williams
A Nuclear Physics Lab in your Pocket
If you want to work with radioactive material, a cheap Geiger counter isn’t really what you want. According to [Project 326], you need a gamma ray spectrometer. The video below …read more Continue reading A Nuclear Physics Lab in your Pocket
What if Tinkercad was Self-Hosted?
While we use a lot of CAD tools, many of us are fans of Tinkercad — especially for working with kids or just doing something quick. But many people dislike …read more Continue reading What if Tinkercad was Self-Hosted?
Relay Computer Knows the Sequence
When we first saw [DiPDoT’s] homebrew computer, we thought it was an Altair 8800. But, no. While it has a very familiar front panel, the working parts are all based …read more Continue reading Relay Computer Knows the Sequence
Teaching Math with 3D Printers
We’ve often thought that 3D printers make excellent school projects. No matter what a student’s interests are: art, software, electronics, robotics, chemistry, or physics, there’s something for everyone. A recent …read more Continue reading Teaching Math with 3D Printers
Robot Phone Home…Or Else
We would have enjoyed [Harishankar’s] tear down of a robot vacuum cleaner, even if it didn’t have a savage twist at the end. Turns out, the company deliberately bricked his …read more Continue reading Robot Phone Home…Or Else
Why Does the FCC Care About Computers?
Unless you are over a certain age, you probably take it for granted that electronic gadgets you buy have some FCC marking on them. But it wasn’t always true. [Ernie] …read more Continue reading Why Does the FCC Care About Computers?
Tinkercad in Color
Tinkercad is famous for having lots of colors in the interface. But once you export an STL, that file is notoriously monochrome. If you are printing with a single color …read more Continue reading Tinkercad in Color
Tinkercad Continues to Grow Up
It is easy to write off Tinkercad as a kid’s toy. It is easy enough for kids to learn and it uses bright colors looking more like a video game …read more Continue reading Tinkercad Continues to Grow Up
Reverse Engineering STL Files with FreeCAD
If you think about it, STL files are like PDF files. You usually create them using some other program, export them, and then expect them to print. But you rarely …read more Continue reading Reverse Engineering STL Files with FreeCAD