0 MakerFaire K.C.: Hexy, the $200 hexapod project

I’ve always loved hexapods. Unfortunately, the cost to play with them can be rather daunting. Hexy is seeking to make a decent impact on that by being only $200. Yep, that $200 includes everything but the computer. You get the entire chassis, micro controller, servos, sensors, batteries, etc.

I ran into [Joe] from arcbotics showing off a hexy at the maker faire and had a few moments to check it out. He showed off some slick motion and explained some future upgrades. It looks like they are intending to go to metal gears in the commercial version which might push the cost to around $250. At this cost, this robot is comparable to the Lego NXT systems.

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0 How to Install KVM and Create Virtual Machines on Ubuntu

If you’re using Linux, you don’t need VirtualBox or VMware to create virtual machines. You can use KVM – the kernel-based virtual machine – to run both Windows and Linux in virtual machines.

You can use KVM directly or with other command-line tools, but the graphical Virtual Machine Manager (Virt-Manager) application will feel most familiar to people that have used other virtual machine programs.

KVM only works if your CPU has hardware virtualization support – either Intel VT-x or AMD-V. To determine whether your CPU includes these features, run the following command:

egrep -c ‘(svm|vmx)’ /proc/cpuinfo

A 0 indicates that your CPU doesn’t support hardware virtualization, while a 1 or more indicates that it does. You may still have to enable hardware virtualization support in your computer’s BIOS, even if this command returns a 1 or more.

Use the following command to install KVM and supporting packages. Virt-Manager is a graphical application for managing your virtual machines — you can use the kvm command directly, but libvirt and Virt-Manager simplify the process.

sudo apt-get install qemu-kvm libvirt-bin bridge-utils virt-manager

Only the root user and users in the libvirtd group have permission to use KVM virtual machines. Run the following command to add your user account to the libvirtd group:

sudo adduser name libvirtd

After running this command, log out and log back in. Run this command after logging back in and you should see an empty list of virtual machines. This indicates that everything is working correctly.

virsh -c qemu:///system list

Once you’ve got KVM installed, the easiest way to use it is with the Virtual Machine Manager application. You’ll find it in your Dash.

Click the Create New Virtual Machine button on the toolbar and the Virtual Machine Manager will walk you through selecting an installation method, configuring your virtual machine’s virtual hardware, and installing your guest operating system of choice.

The process will by familiar if you’ve ever used VirtualBox, VMware, or another virtual machine application. You can install from a disc, ISO image, or even a network location.

To assign more than 2GB of memory to a virtual machine, you’ll need a 64-bit Linux kernel. Systems running 32-bit kernels can assign a maximum of 2 GB of RAM to a virtual machine.

By default, KVM gives you NAT-like bridged networking – your virtual machine won’t appear on the network as its own device, but it will have network access through the host operating system. If you’re running server software in your virtual machine and want it accessible from other devices on the network, you’ll have to tweak the networking settings.

After selecting your installation method, Virt-Manager will boot the guest operating system in a window. Install the guest operating system as you would on a physical machine.

The Virtual Machine Manager window displays a list of your installed virtual machines. Right-click virtual machines in the window to perform actions, including starting, shutting down, cloning, or migrating them.

You can view information about the virtual machine and configure its virtual hardware by clicking the i-shaped toolbar icon in the virtual machine’s window.

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0 Geek Chess: Nixie Tubes as Board Pieces [Video]

We’ve seen some geeky chessboards in our day, but this board is a masterpiece of geekiness. Check out the video to see the Nixie tubes in action.

Courtesy of a tinker named Tony, we find this delightfully analog and geeky chess set. He writes:

This developed as a spinoff from the hardware and controllers I’m designing for a range of nixie clocks and watches as a ‘simple’ project that wouldn’t need much software to complete it.

All visible parts are made from materials contemporary with Nixie technology and no modern plastics or resins are used anywhere in its’ consruction (other than the electronic components and PCBs). The board and pieces are machined from phenolic resin laminate and assembled using brass fittings. The brown base pieces have been filled and wiped with gold and silver engravers wax, giving a ‘worn gilding’ appearance.

The displays are ex-Soviet Nixie gas display tubes, manufactured in the early 1980s. No Chinese LEDs here…

Hit up the link below for more videos and high-resolution photos of the set.

Nixie Tube Chess [via Hack A Day]

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0 How to Change Your Default Applications on Ubuntu: 4 Ways

There are several ways to change your default applications on Ubuntu. Whether you’re changing the default application for a particular task, file type, or a system-level application like your default text editor, there’s a different place to go.

Unlike on Windows, applications won’t take over existing file extensions during the installation process — they’ll just appear as an option after you install them.

To set your default desktop applications for actions such as Web Browser, Email, or Video, open the System Settings window from the panel.

Select the Details icon in the System Settings window.

Select the Default Applications category and use the drop-down boxes to select a default application. Application will appear here after you’ve installed them – for example, you can install VLC and select it as your default video player from here.

From the Details control panel, you can also select your default applications for different types of removable media. By default, Ubuntu will ask you what application you want to use when you insert a removable media device. You can change this – for example, you can have Rhythmbox automatically open and play audio CDs when you insert them.

To set the default application for a specific file type, locate a file of that type in the file manager, right-click it, and select Properties.

Click the Open With tab and select the application you want to use for that file type. Use the Set as default button to make the application the default application.

Ubuntu uses the update-alternatives system it inherited from Debian to control default applications outside of the graphical desktop. For example, when you run a command that uses a terminal text editor, the command calls /usr/bin/editor. /usr/bin/editor isn’t an editor itself – it’s a symbolic link to an editor on your system. This link points to the nano text editor by default, but you can select a different default text editor with the update-alternatives command. If only one option is available for an alternative – for example, if you only have one Java virtual machine installed – it will be used as the default.

For example, let’s say you wanted to change the system’s default text editor. Run the following command in a terminal:

sudo update-alternatives –config editor

You’ll see a list of installed editors to choose from – type the number of the editor you want to use and press Enter.

To go through the choices for every alternative on your system, run the following command:

sudo update-alternatives –all

You’ll only see a prompt if multiple applications that could satisfy an alternative are installed on your system. To keep the default option for an alternative, just press Enter.

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0 Build a LEGO Creation without Leaving Your Cube

Just because you’re stuck at your desk doesn’t mean you can’t sneak in a little fun. At BuildWithChrome you can slap together virtual LEGO bricks with ease.

The site, a collaboration between Google and LEGO, shows you a massive map of Australia and New Zealand covered in thousands of LEGO base plates. Zoom in, select a base plate, and get building. The block selection is fairly limited (you can work with the kind of blocks you’d find in a generic LEGO brick pack) but it’s still quite a bit of fun.

When I took it for a test drive, I started simple by building a house-like structure:

With the addition of a few more pieces it would be possible to pull off the wizard shop my wife and daughter just built:

None the less, it’s still a fun little diversion. Hit up the link below to take the LEGO builder for a spin. While the site should work for any modern HTML 5 enabled browser, we had the best luck using Chrome. Thanks Kevin P!

Build With Chrome

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0 Friday Fun: Fort Blaster – Ahoy There

In this week’s game you and your pirate crew luck out and find a series of forts full of treasure waiting for you to claim in a campaign of high seas terror. So hoist the colors, grab your favorite cannon, and get ready to blast your way to fame and fortune!

Here is a look at the brief back-story for this week’s game…

There are forty-eight levels of fort blasting goodness waiting for you to enjoy. You can access levels twenty-five through forty-eight using the yellow shift triangle button.

Note: You will not be able to access the Level Selection Area of the game until after playing through the first level.

The first level serves as an intro to game play and gives you the opportunity to get used to firing your ship’s cannon.

Note: When we played the game we had to click on the Skip Button in order to have the instructional pop-up windows disappear. Your experience may or may not be different.

Lining the cannon up nicely…

Time to go flying soldier!

At the end of each level you will be presented with your numerical score, number of stars earned, and can move on to the next level (or replay the current one if desired).

A look ahead at the second and third levels.

The fourth level introduces the first of many new cannon ball types for you to use in your campaign. Good luck and have fun!

Fort Blaster: Ahoy There

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