Chess Info

Chess moves are generally recorded using "Algebraic Notation" as per the FIDE Handbook Appendix C.  An open source Chess playing engine is GNU Chess.

It turns out that OS X already has the sjeng text-based chess engine built in at: /Applications/Chess.app/Contents/Resources/sjeng.ChessEngine

White moves first in chess.

Full Color Hologram Kickstarter

Paul Christie (of the Litiholo "instant" hologram kit that I've been using) has a new Kickstarter project for full-color instant holography.

It turns out that the existing Litiholo film is full-color sensitive, but they have not had the hologram-quality green and blue lasers available at the right cost to include in a DIY hologram kit.  This Kickstarter is intended to solve that problem.

Crash Space Hologram

Here is the hologram of the Crash Space 3D print!

Crash Space Letters 3D Print

I thickened up my letters that spell out "Crash Space" so it would do a good 3D print on the Crash Space Makerbot Cupcake CNC, here is the Thingverse thing.  Since I'm not by the space too often, Theron Trowbridge went ahead and printed it for me:

I am now hoping to make a hologram of it...

Holography Workshop Results

The Holography Workshop at Crash Space ended up working well.  All participants made working holograms.  Some of the ones made early in the night had some zebra stripes that indicated a bit of vibration, but as the night went on and fewer other folks were in the space, the zebra stripes went away.

Next time I believe I am going to purchase a granite tile and put some sorbothane washers underneath to further isolate vibration.

Here are some pix:

(Photo credits: Birgit Bachler, Tyson Macdonald)

Holography Workshop at Crash Space

I'll be doing a holography workshop at Crash Space, sign up at THIS LINK - spaces will go fast!

Holography Workshop

Instructor: Thomas Edwards

Thursday, May 10, 2012

8PM

Crash Space 

10526 Venice Boulevard  Culver City, CA 90232

7:30 PM - We'll do some laser cutting of hologram holders, come by if you wish to watch!

8:00 PM - Please arrive by 8PM so we can get going on time!

Starting at 8PM, we'll quickly review holography theory, then we will get to making holograms!  We'll run two hologram making systems, and each exposure takes about 5 minutes.

While some people are making holograms, others will be assembling hologram holders, complete with a display laser and power supply, which you will take home.  Everyone will get two attempts to make a hologram to ensure everyone goes home with at least one working one.  One attempt will be the red matchbox car below, your second attempt can be something you bring from home, but it needs to be small (fit within a 2 inch cube) and preferably reflect red light well (not black, blue, green, but perhaps silver, white, red).  The holograms themselves are 2x3 inches.

Cost: $55

Class Limit: 10 people

Your results will look something like this:

BlinkM MinM works with 3.7 VDC LiPo battery

In case you were wondering, the BlinkM MinM does work with a 3.7 VDC lithium polymer battery: