Nexus Q

I've bought a Google Nexus Q. If you don't know it, it's a small Android based music player, essentially a Smartphone (without phone or display) with integrated power supply and amplifier. 

Google announced it in the middle of 2012 and discontinued them early 2013. I knew that but didn't think much of it. I wanted one because I like designy stuff, and the matt-black aluminium sphere with the glowing ring (set in an 45 deg. angle) looked awesome. 

And I wasn't disappointed (yet) when I unpacked it, haptically and optically it's amazing. Only after trying to get it to work that part started. 

When Google discontinued the Q they pulled the plug on all support. That means the Q App does not run on Android 4.4. And they switched off the auth servers, so new users can't register their device (which is necessary to set it up). And to screw the few who have old phones and had their Q already running, they broke the compatibility with Google Play Music after All Access was introduced. The device wasn't even two years old then... WTF?!

All that meant I've had a cool looking paper weight instead of a cool looking music player. 

Not completely happy with the situation I've looked around want could be done... well, praise the Internet and the (comparable) openness of Android, I've found ways to use it as a network music player! 

I came up with the following setup: 

* Cyanogen Mod (I used the SPDIF version) 

* VNC and SSH server for remote management

* XBMC to play music from youtube and my home server

* Cheapcast to work as an Chromecast-like device (play youtube and google play music from mobile)

   

Not really needing another media center device in our living room, I've wired the Q up to our old Bose Lifestyle 5 in the kitchen - voila, party music center and another design piece parked on our sideboard.

  

 

Pipe

Made at a party in beautiful Mannheim (in not so beautiful Neckarstadt). 

Bigger here.

Rocket engine

Anyone who identifies this as the inside of a rocket motor is awesome. 

Anyone who identifies this as the inside of a Rolls-Royce RZ-12 is crazy and should go out more.

More updates soon, I've been busy founding this. 

Zeppelinfeld

We visited the Zeppelinfeld in Nürnberg two weekends ago.
I like how its slowly decaying. Very fitting.

A few more pics in my Flickr photostream

Burning concrete

I'm fooling around with concrete and here is my second try. A concrete candle stand.
So useful!

Next up: A lamp. (Did you guess?)

RGB ring clock

Another project done over christmas! A simple LED clock for the kitchen wall. And with short term countdown function controlled by touching the aluminium frame.

red = hour
green = minute
blue = second
yellow = alarm

I've wanted to do a Arduino based clock for some time and had a strip with 60x RGB LEDs with WS2811 controller sitting on my shelf. I wanted to use a external RTC chip to get an exact time and found a cheap DS3231 board on eBay.

The outer and inner rings are made out of 1mm thick, 15mm wide aluminium which I hand bend into shape. The white diffusing front is a 6mm depron piece. Being unable to cut it into the right shape, I've heated up the aluminum rings to 200° and pressed them into the foam. Worked like a charm.

Here is a video of the clock and the operation of the countdown:

Sorry for the dimness, but my cam was overwhelmed by the bright LEDs.

The code and schematics are on github here. I build in two touch inputs (another one to decrement the countdown), but if both are touched at the same time the thing goes haywire and doesn't stop feeling the touch. Only happens with a cheap 5v power brick.

Stare contest

I love cats.

Bigger here.

Disapproving wire lamp

I'm trying out a method to craft 3-dimensional shapes. Cloth over soldered, hand-bend wire pieces.
This is my first prototype. Looks not happy with itself.

The frame took about 20 minutes, real easy.

The cloth took longer, I really have no experience working with that stuff. I found no way to avoid the folds in the sides. I made the best out of it by using them as eyes.

But the method is sound. I think I will try something bigger.

Christmas roast

I didn't really want to go into food blogging... but come on, this is art! =)
Slow roasted at 80° C at nearly 5 hours. Yum!

Christmas

A bit late, but here is my christmas picture.
I got a Lomography experimental lens kit from the Awesome Other for christmas!

Fun! =)