MindKits News and Blog

Quite often we get asked if we can order parts from SparkFun for some of the MindKits tinkerers and we're always happy to help out with this. It lets us know what kinds of kit you may like us to stock in the future, saves you the cost of shipping from the USA and the worry about if its going to arrive and we generally see our shipments delivered quicker than the usual.

So, what about pricing you may be asking? Well, the price almost always ends up being the USD price in NZD converted directly - this means it doesnt cost you any extra. Whats more, we're also happy if you want to consolidate shipments from existing MindKits stock and even if you'd like to come and pick up your goods in person and say hi (we're Auckland based).

So, if you'd like to order something from SparkFun to ship with our order this Friday the 5th June then let us know the SparkFun part number and the quantity and we'll order it in for you - hassle free. We'll give you the price in NZD and once you decide you're happy we'll add it to the order and you can transfer funds. Couldnt be easier! Contact us via the contact form or Tim@MindKits.com

The team at MindKits are so pleased to have teamed up with Auckland University of Technology to be able to offer budding tinkerers the chance to build upon their Arduino knowledge at a day long workshop.

Tim from MindKits will be popping in to say hello and have an opportunity to meet with some of you so it'll be a good opportunity to ask any questions you have, request new products or just share your ideas with us. We love tinkering and are tinkerers ourselves so we cant wait to see you there.

Email AUT at the address in the poster below but CC Tim at MindKits.com to let us know you're interested and we'll be sure to come say hello.

Thanks for all your support and I wish you all the best with you Arduino learning and tinkering.

Regards,
Tim
MindKits Chief Ninja

 

 

 

 

The team over at SparkFun showed a link to this great project which embedded a an Arduino Pro Mini into a rocket and I felt it was worth exploring further. Check out the Arduino Pro's and Pro minis in the MindKits store as they are awesome for embedding in projects that you plan to leave in place for a while, power by battery or need to tuck away in small spaces. They're also cheaper than the Arduino USB boards and you just program them with a USB to serial adaptor which we can supply you too.

 

From the article:
"Yesterday I headed over to a local trotting track with Thomas to meet up with Marc Alexander, Rohan Fernando, and their kids to do a couple of launches with Marco Ostini's class-C rocket fitted with an Arduino telemetry payload. Rohan brought a video camera and Marc brought a still camera, and it was a beautiful day so we got some really good coverage. This was a triple-purpose trip: Arduino development for Practical Arduino, rocketry education for Lunar Numbat, and an excuse to have some fun."

Check out the article for more

While conducting historical research for the recent MAKE presents: The Transistor video, I came across references to an earlier iteration of the device apparently created way back in 1933 - a full 14 years before Bell Labs researchers had a working model. What makes the discovery even more compelling and inspiring is the fact that its inventor, Robert Adams, was only 13 years old when he made it. Though no patents or publications were created describing its functionality, Adams is said to have built multiple crystal radios utilizing the device. Though Dr. Robert George Adams passed away in 2006, his website documents some of his work -

 

The guys at SparkFun.com recently ran an Autonomous Vehicle Competition (AVC) and below are the video highlights including one bot that made a bee line for the drink. A huge thank you goes out to SparkFun for putting in the effort to bring us such an entertaining event. I know I was laughing while watching the video feed when I should have been working and this videoshows some of the fun that was had on the day.

 

 

What better way to learn about Arduino and what it can do than by watching a video? The team at Makezine.com have put together a series of videos detailing how to work with LED's, Servos and now the 2 axis G-Sensor. You'll find the other on the MindKits tutorials page.

 

You'll also find a triple axis accelerometer and data sheets on hooking it up here

 

The MindKits Elves have been frothing at the mouth waiting for our latest shipment from our friends at SparkFun.com. We've expanded our offering even further with the addition of new toys like Servos and the Arduino Mega along with new sensors including a long range Long Range IR Range Finder and a Li-Poly Charger  for the mobile applications.

So as you can see we're gearing up and always getting new products in so if there is something you want that we don't have drop us an email using the contact us form from the home page.

Thanks for your support and for allowing MindKits to grow at the rate it has.

Tim
MindKits Chief Ninja

They electronically switch and amplify signals by harnessing the unique abilities of semiconductor materials. Their invention has transformed the world of electronics and accelerated our entry into the digital age. Behold - the Transistor!

There is also a great article here

Simple, commonplace and absolutely vital to our electronic world - take a closer look at the current-fighting backbone of circuitry, the resistor!


MAKE presents: The Resistor from make magazine on Vimeo.