Calling all Citizen Scientists!
Citizen Scientist
Arduino or Netduino: Sensor and Actuator, testing the circuit w/o CPU
When using your Arduino or Netduino to connect with the Web and then the “Cloud” you...
Author: Surf4Fun Date: 05/30/2014
Internet of things: Summer Reading List
These are books you have to pay for, they are not free. Some are older, and those will be...
Author: Surf4Fun Date: 05/30/2014
Internet of Things, Arduino/Netduino: Counting the closure of a switch
Counting things and then storing them for later use in data analysis requires a bunch of...
Author: Surf4Fun Date: 05/29/2014
Arduino/Netduino: Using the RGB smt LED Keynes Sensor
I am using the Keyes Sensor which came in a kit I bought from Amazon.com, you can get the sensor kit...
Author: Surf4Fun Date: 05/29/2014
Netduino: Setting up the Netduino Plus 2 with Visual Studio 2013
I like C#, and to get started today I just had to have a quick IM with the C# expert on the Team...
Author: Surf4Fun Date: 05/29/2014
Make sure to download the .NET Micro Framework from the correct sites
Just noticed that the Micro Framework, could be downloaded from sites that are not the Community...
Author: Surf4Fun Date: 05/29/2014
App Design: Getting the stuff to do design
So how do you get started? Interestingly, it isn’t about the code, it is about the design,...
Author: Surf4Fun Date: 05/22/2014
Internet of Things: Temperature Sensor
Using the Esplora Arduino means you have a bunch of sensors built into the board. One of these is...
Author: Surf4Fun Date: 05/16/2014
Internet of Things: Esplora Arduino as an inexpensive sensor
It’s pretty hot here in SoCal right now, and there are clouds of flames just down the street, as you...
Author: Surf4Fun Date: 05/16/2014
Internet of Things: How to Fab your sensors
This is pretty simple, in a complex way, when you have your circuit designed, you might want...
Author: Surf4Fun Date: 05/13/2014
Internet of things: Fab, Fritzing and First
Check out the way to build boards using Fritzing! It is cool and free: https://www.fritzing.org Here...
Author: Surf4Fun Date: 05/12/2014
Internet of things: Arduino, VS 2013, using the VisualMicro add-in, setting ports
To get started, if you are like me, you might need to get your brain around the fact that you are...
Author: Surf4Fun Date: 05/12/2014
Internet of Things: Arduino, Visual Micro, Visual Studio 2013 Ultimate, New Sketch Project
If you are a student in the US, and are a STEM student you should make sure to grab the FREE (or...
Author: Surf4Fun Date: 05/12/2014
Internet of Things: Arduino in Visual Studio 2013 Ultimate?
Why yes there is, and I am not just talking about using the “C” language in Visual Studio...
Author: Surf4Fun Date: 05/12/2014
Internet of things: Win USB to Arduino via USB/Serial Drivers in Windows 8.1
I use the built in Windows 8.1 USB stuff and like it. Rolling or building my own drivers is...
Author: Surf4Fun Date: 05/11/2014
Jobs in technology in the US, good news and the bad news
Not a technical blog about how to organize ones and zeros. But it is a an important blog about...
Author: Surf4Fun Date: 05/02/2014
Visio and Arduino: An example of the physical design for an e-wearable
My idea is to create a system to quickly modify an arduino Lilypad form factor. The Lilypad...
Author: Surf4Fun Date: 04/24/2014
Visio: Using Visio to do design for the Arduino
I am putting together a design template for the Arduino in Visio. But I did notice that the...
Author: Surf4Fun Date: 04/24/2014
Universal Apps: Starting an exploration
The Template samples: https://code.msdn.microsoft.com/wpapps/Universal-Windows-app-cb3248c3 To use...
Author: Surf4Fun Date: 04/24/2014
The internet of everything will use lots of really simple devices, anyone listening?
Hey, yo, time to take a careful look at the complexity of software in embedded systems. In...
Author: Surf4Fun Date: 04/24/2014
Net Micro Framework: It isn’t an operating system, thanks Steven
I had been under the delusion that the .NET Microsoft Framework was an Operating system. This...
Author: Surf4Fun Date: 04/23/2014
Smart Watch: Microsoft announced their Smart Watch
Yep, Microsoft announced their version of the Smart Watch in 2004. Yep, 10 years ago. ...
Author: Surf4Fun Date: 04/22/2014
Pebble Watch back in play, Gadgeteer is going into the closet for now.
(Before you quote anything I say as something Microsoft is doing in general, please stop and read...
Author: Surf4Fun Date: 04/22/2014
Gadgeteer: Continuing saga, can’t make connection to it
Well for some reason, I am unable to connect to my Gadgeteer from my computer, likely it is a power...
Author: Surf4Fun Date: 04/22/2014
Embedded Systems: Gadgeteer, software loaded
Well, Arduino wins on this one, speed with which you can load the software to develop with. So...
Author: Surf4Fun Date: 04/21/2014
HeartBleed Bug: Reliable sources (not this blog though)
Here are a few links that as of writing of this blog are considered reliable, and I write them here...
Author: Surf4Fun Date: 04/21/2014
Netduino versus Arduino: Cost of things
Netduino parts seem so much more expensive than the Arduino parts. And that would be...
Author: Surf4Fun Date: 04/21/2014
Thoughts on building something: How many 2X4s, nails and do I need a new saw?
In the US a common home or business construction part is the 2X4, picture below, they aren’t...
Author: Surf4Fun Date: 04/21/2014
Arduino: Using the Arduino with Azure
Not sure, but if I read the article that Bruno Terkady, who is a friend of mine, wrote about using...
Author: Surf4Fun Date: 04/19/2014
SmartWatch, Processing 2, C# and the love affair with Java
Here is a question: Who owns C#? Answer: No One Another question: Who owns Java? Answer: Oracle Just...
Author: Surf4Fun Date: 04/17/2014
Pebble Watch: Building an app that incorporates the Pebble Watch
This blog is making any statements about a “Microsoft” Official watch, except that I thought that...
Author: Surf4Fun Date: 04/17/2014
Pebble Watch and Embedded Systems: Trillions of Simple Things
Currently there are about 30 billion sensors in the world that could be considered embedded. ...
Author: Surf4Fun Date: 04/17/2014
Pebble Watch: Some clarification
In two blog watching sites, there may have been some confusion about my role, I am NOT a Microsoft...
Author: Surf4Fun Date: 04/15/2014
TouchDevelop: Cultural Based Games
In my CSULB class I have a brilliant student from West Africa, and in case you are wondering, all of...
Author: Surf4Fun Date: 04/14/2014
Pebble watch and Windows 8: Building an app that connects the two
Turns out in a conversation with one of the Pebble Watch Engineers, they didn’t know that the...
Author: Surf4Fun Date: 04/14/2014
Rapid Prototyping Hardware with Windows 8: Wearable Electronics using TouchDevelop at the LA HACKS
I attended the LA HACKS, and one thing that I am on about these days is embedded hardware with...
Author: Surf4Fun Date: 04/14/2014
Free Stuff from DreamSpark: Visual Studio Pro
In case you are a student, any student, not just computer science, you can get access to Visual...
Author: Surf4Fun Date: 04/10/2014
FREE Windows Embedded 8.1, really?
Hey, check it out, if you are student OF ANY SORT you can download and install Windows Embedded 8.1...
Author: Surf4Fun Date: 04/09/2014
Hardware: Pebble watch which really does work with Windows 8 and Windows Phone 8
I just ordered the Pebble Watch from Best Buy so I can pick it up later today. I had thought...
Author: Surf4Fun Date: 03/25/2014
TouchDevelop: Pushing the design envelope with Functional Programming
Although TouchDevelop isn’t well received by many “advanced” programmers, it is a sophisticated...
Author: Surf4Fun Date: 03/25/2014
Reflections on Martin Luther King
I took yesterday as a personal holiday and spent a lot of time riding on my electric bike up and...
Author: Surf4Fun Date: 01/21/2014
TouchDevelop: How to create an Interactive Tutorial
Creating interactive tutorials How to create 'tap here' tutorials. TouchDevelop allows to author and...
Author: Surf4Fun Date: 01/07/2014
Hardware: Just bought a Dell Venue Pro 8, it is awesome!
It’s awesome the Dell Venue Pro 8, runs the full version of Windows 8.1, comes with Student Office...
Author: Surf4Fun Date: 11/26/2013
Programming in the cloud, it’s not Monaco, it’s TouchDevelop
Oh sure Monaco is the cool product right now, but if you want to create Windows 8 Apps quickly then...
Author: Surf4Fun Date: 11/19/2013
C++/CX/DirectX: I want to use DirectXTK w/o using nuget
Your choice, some people love nuget others hate it because it is kind of flaky in weird ways. ...
Author: Surf4Fun Date: 11/18/2013
C++/CX/DirectX: Working with Textures, Models and Images
Well I will be the first to go to be bottom of the page on MSDN and submit a critical comment or a...
Author: Surf4Fun Date: 11/18/2013
Cake Match: Help UCLA students learn how to build quality games by giving them feedback!
Help UCLA students learn how to build quality games by giving them feedback! Install this Windows 8...
Author: Surf4Fun Date: 11/12/2013
Triangle Destroyer: Help UCLA students learn how to build quality games by giving them feedback!
Help UCLA students learn how to build quality games by giving them feedback! Install this Windows 8...
Author: Surf4Fun Date: 11/12/2013