Tuesday, July 16, 2013

K'nex HK13e instructions

P5300043.JPGEasy, just follow the pictures
1: Make these
2: Add the middle layer
3: Add other outer layer
4: Make sure the slanted middle layer part sits like this

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Utah Utes LED Decor

What does it mean to be green? Here is a small list of examples;

-Products that are made from recycled or salvaged materials
-Conserves natural recourses such as oil (plastic)
-uses less water or energy
-Products that don't use or create toxic materials or emissions
-Low VOCs & HAPs
-The product is easy to recycle
-The product provides a long service life (require fewer replacement cycles)

HAPs Hazardous air pollutants 
VOC is an acronym for volatile organic compound. These compounds react with atmospheric ozone, along with particulates, to form smog. Smog is thought to be a major contributor to air pollution and health problems, such as asthma.

Designing with Green Materials

I started with salvaged cedar.

Selecting a "green" indoor adhesive pick one with low VOCs or formaldehyde-free adhesives.
Titebond wood glue CONFORMS TO ASTM D-4236. titebond.com proudly shows data for all their adhesives because they are high above the standards.

Selecting a "green" wood putty I think woodwise.com says it best about their product:
WOODWISE wood fillers were developed for water and solvent based stains and finishes. These environmentally friendly wood fillers contain no harsh solvents, and do an outstanding job of filling cracks, nail holes, gouges and broken edges.
Eco Friendly Data for their putty can also be found on their website.

Selecting "green" electrical wire look for halogen-free RoHS-compliant materials, PVC Free (The production, use and disposal of PVC release hazardous chlorine-based chemicals such as dioxin), and Lead Free.
That is exactly what Totoku electrical wire offers. 
http://www.totoku.com/products/cables/cat8/environmentally-friendly-type-electric-wire.php

Selecting "green" solder look for, low VOC, halogen-free, lead-free products. Check out Alpha cored wire.
http://alpha.alent.com/Products/Cored-Wire
Or make your own with an instructable by burningsuntech

Selecting "green" paint zero-VOC paints that also use VOC-free colorants, are free of vinyl and other plasticizers and include no toxic biocides. See if Green Seal, Greenguard and Ecolabel test your paint to ensure that they have met the highest standards of eco-friendly performance. Or you use Natural Casein paints are made primarily from milk proteins, lime, and non-toxic pigments.
I used Glidden from HomeDepot because they have Utah University Crimson Red. They say it is Low VOC and eco friendly on their website but aren't as open with details like the materials listed above. Maybe not the best option.
The "trim tray" bucket I used to hold my paint in is biodegradable and the paintbrush is reusable. I'm going to reuse the stick I used to stir the paint to fix a hole in my sheet rock. 

Selecting "green" screws look for RoHS, WEE, and ELV Compliant. 

Selecting "green" perf board look for look for RoHS, WEE, and ELV Compliant.

I soldered the LEDs without cutting the leads so they can easily be reused in the future. All the wire, resisters, LEDs can easily be removed/replaced with a soldering iron and anti-soldering braid. The transformer can be unplugged and used in other projects while the U isn't in use. 

I added a button that turns on/off the LEDs to reduce power, although I think the transformer may still use some power.


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Choose the Best, Money-Saving Plants for Your Vegetable Garden

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Move Between Gmail's New Tabs with Keyboard Shortcuts

Move Between Gmail's New Tabs with Keyboard Shortcuts

Gmail's new interface may be a bit controversial, but in traditional Gmail fashion, it's got a lot of shortcuts and tricks built-in. Here are a few you might want to know.

Once you enable the new interface (that is, if you've decided to keep it), Gmail will actually try to "teach" you most of its shortcuts through popups as you navigate it for the first time. For example, you can change which tabs show up by clicking the plus sign, or you can drag and drop messages between tabs or right-click and choose "move to tab").

What you may not have seen, though, are the new keyboard shortcuts:

Go to the next tab with `Go to the previous tab with ~You can also access these new "Categories" from the sidebar, and filter messages into them from Gmail's Create Filter dialog. Hit the link below to see everything you can do with the new interface, courtesy of Google Operating System.

Tips for Gmail's Tabs and Categories | Google Operating System

SnapPea Web Manages Your Android Phone from Your Browser

Web/Android: SnapPea already offers a Windows app that makes managing your phone from your computer easy. Now they've unveiled SnapPea web, which lets you send SMS messages, manage your photos, and more, all from the comfort of your browser, no extra software required.

SnapPea is already a great way to manage your phone from your Windows desktop, but if you have a Mac, a Chromebook, or a Linux system, previously you were out of luck. With SnapPea Web, now you can manage your phone from any computer with a web browser. As long as you have SnapPea installed on your Android phone, you're all set. Just grab the passcode from the app, hit the link below, and you're in business.

The app gives you some (but not all) of the features the SnapPea desktop app does: you can send and receive SMS messages through your browser so you don't have to pick up your phone to read or reply to text messages, manage your photos and contacts, install or uninstall apps you have on your phone, and more. Your phone and your browser pair via Wi-Fi though, so you have to have them both on the same wireless LAN for SnapPea to work.

SnapPea isn't the only service that does this, of course. AirDroid, another utility we love, offers many of the same features, and recently did away with the requirement to have your phone and your PC on the same network in order to manage it. Still, if you've tried AirDroid and want an alternative, SnapPea may fit the bill.

SnapPea Web