TweetFollow Us on Twitter

Aug 98 Online

Volume Number: 14 (1998)
Issue Number: 8
Column Tag: MacTech Online

Danger, Will Robinson

by Jeff Clites, online@mactech.com

When I sit down to program, I always know, somewhere in the back of my mind, that my efforts are ultimately targeted to the screen, the disk, or (if I'm feeling adventuresome), the network. But in the end, it's a very passive endeavor. My programs produce information -- maybe images or sound -- but, not action; they don't make things move. But they can. This month, we are going to find out about hooking your Mac up to the outside world, in a more visceral way than just attaching a printer. It's a hands-on subject, so roll up your sleeves and get ready.

Make Your Own Friends

Robots. They're as close as you can get to a computer with legs, and they can have almost as much personality as a Macintosh. I first saw a fun robot called CHiP at Macworld SF in January. It's a little blue car with two wheels and two sensing bumpers, which you can program and then run either tethered to your Mac or autonomously. The Hyperbot web site has a QuickTime movie of CHiP navigating a maze, to give you an idea of what he is like. There are also facilities for attaching additional sensors to CHiP, so for instance you could attach a light sensor and have him hide in the shadows. CHiP is still under development at the time of writing, but when finished it should be available through BeeHive Technologies, the makers of ADB I/O, reviewed elsewhere in this issue.

Hyperbot
http://www.hyperbot.com/
BeeHive Technologies, Inc.
http://www.bzzzzzz.com/

Another fun place to get your feet wet is with LEGO® robots, built from LEGOs® augmented with a few electronic parts. The Caltech ICOBotics(tm) site has Macintosh software which lets you write programs for your robots, using an iconic language. ICOBotics(tm) is intended to be an educational tool, and it would be a great way to introduce kids to programming, letting them learn the fundamentals (control structures, subroutines, etc.) while seeing very tangible results.

ICOBotics(tm) for LEGO Dacta® Home Page
http://www.micro.caltech.edu/icobotics/

There are also a number of pages on the web devoted to those seeking a more hands-on approach. Some of them are specifically geared (no pun intended) to the hobbyist roboteur, but the same general principles apply to building any sort of device which moves -- so even if you don't want to build R2-D2 a brother, you still might have fun adding computer control to your doggie door. A good place to start is Dan O'Sullivan's Physical Computing page, a hand-illustrated guide to the various components involved in hooking a computer up to the outside world, focussing on communication through the serial port and targeted toward artists. Matthew McDonald has a large compendium of useful information on hobby robotics, and there is a well-organized FAQ for the comp.robotics.misc and comp.robotics.research newsgroups. For the latest news, stop by Robotic.com, which prominently displays a "made with Mac" logo.

Physical Computing
http://www.itp.tsoa.nyu.edu/~alumni/dano/physical/physical.html
Info on Hobby Robots
http://www.cs.uwa.edu.au/~mafm/robot/index.html
Robotics FAQ
http://www.frc.ri.cmu.edu/robotics-faq/TOC.html
ROBOTIC.COM
http://www.robotic.com/

For further technical information as well as supplies, start with FerretTronics. They sell controllers for servo motors, and their web site has a step-by-step guide to using their package to build the circuitry of a robot or other device, including Mac-specific information. They also have free Java-based Mac software for interfacing with their controllers, and examples showing how to drive them from AppleScript or Future BASIC.

FerretTronics
http://www.busprod.com/ferrettronics/

For programming of embedded microcontrollers, Crossbow by Peripheral Issues is a Macintosh cross-assembler and IDE which allows you to target a wide range of chips, and Interactive C by Newton Research Labs is a programming environment created for the MIT LEGO® Robot Design contest, and it can compile instructions on-the-fly for quick development. You will also want to look into the Handy Board, developed at MIT as well. It's a controller board for experimental mobile robotics, and should be programmable in either of the above environments. By the way, it was designed on a Macintosh (don't forget to tell your PC buddies), and they provide links to the circuit-design software used.

Crossbow
http://www.periph.com/crossboweb/Crossbow.html
Interactive C
http://www.newtonlabs.com/ic/
The Handy Board
http://lcs.www.media.mit.edu/groups/el/projects/handy-board/

For the rest of the parts you might need, the Internet Robotics Sources page has an extensive list of commercial (and other) links, and the Mondo-tronics' Robot Store claims to have "the world's biggest collection of miniature robots and supplies," and is worth visiting just to see their cute web design.

Internet Robotics Sources
http://129.79.254.195/l/www/robotics/world.html
Mondo-tronics' Robot Store
http://www.robotstore.com/

Now, when you tell you friends, "my Mac can beat up your Mac," you'll really mean it.

Respect for the Elderly

If you are anything like me, you hate to give up a good Mac which has served you well, even after you've purchased a new one. So you've saved Old Faithful, but what now? Fortunately, there's a lot you can do with an old Mac -- from the silly (yes, we've all heard of the Macquarium) to the practical. Jeff Weitzman's Great Ideas for Old Macs page has a bunch of suggestions, such as using old Macs to set up email and ftp servers for an intranet, or using them to run a book tracking system in a school library. To find software for your early Macs, go to Jag's world, which has an extensive list of shareware which runs on older Macs, and even has instructions for "How to Get Your Compact Mac on the Web." Finally, there's the Low-End Mac page, which has all sorts of information on older Macs and also tracks current Mac-related news.

Great Ideas For Old Macs
http://weitzman.net/classicmacs/
Jag's World
http://www.eden.com/~arena/jagshouse/jagshouseone.html
How To Get Your Compact Mac On the Web
http://www.eden.com/~arena/jagshouse/GetYourCompactMacOnTheWeb.html
Low End Mac
http://come.to/lowendmac

Just Because

While we are on the subject of the fun and unusual, I have to point out the Oddities Curios & Rarities for Macintosh web site. It has nothing to do with programming per se, except to drive home the point that necessity is not the only mother of invention. It is full of all sorts of downright weird software -- things such as Sim-Tofu, Psychomatic, and Kant Generator Pro. It all makes you wonder what you would do with that much free time.

Oddities Curios & Rarities for Macintosh
http://www.mac-curios.com/

These and scads of other links are available from the MacTech Online web pages at www.mactech.com/online/.

 

Community Search:
MacTech Search:

Software Updates via MacUpdate

Latest Forum Discussions

See All

Combo Quest (Games)
Combo Quest 1.0 Device: iOS Universal Category: Games Price: $.99, Version: 1.0 (iTunes) Description: Combo Quest is an epic, time tap role-playing adventure. In this unique masterpiece, you are a knight on a heroic quest to retrieve... | Read more »
Hero Emblems (Games)
Hero Emblems 1.0 Device: iOS Universal Category: Games Price: $2.99, Version: 1.0 (iTunes) Description: ** 25% OFF for a limited time to celebrate the release ** ** Note for iPhone 6 user: If it doesn't run fullscreen on your device... | Read more »
Puzzle Blitz (Games)
Puzzle Blitz 1.0 Device: iOS Universal Category: Games Price: $1.99, Version: 1.0 (iTunes) Description: Puzzle Blitz is a frantic puzzle solving race against the clock! Solve as many puzzles as you can, before time runs out! You have... | Read more »
Sky Patrol (Games)
Sky Patrol 1.0.1 Device: iOS Universal Category: Games Price: $1.99, Version: 1.0.1 (iTunes) Description: 'Strategic Twist On The Classic Shooter Genre' - Indie Game Mag... | Read more »
The Princess Bride - The Official Game...
The Princess Bride - The Official Game 1.1 Device: iOS Universal Category: Games Price: $3.99, Version: 1.1 (iTunes) Description: An epic game based on the beloved classic movie? Inconceivable! Play the world of The Princess Bride... | Read more »
Frozen Synapse (Games)
Frozen Synapse 1.0 Device: iOS iPhone Category: Games Price: $2.99, Version: 1.0 (iTunes) Description: Frozen Synapse is a multi-award-winning tactical game. (Full cross-play with desktop and tablet versions) 9/10 Edge 9/10 Eurogamer... | Read more »
Space Marshals (Games)
Space Marshals 1.0.1 Device: iOS Universal Category: Games Price: $4.99, Version: 1.0.1 (iTunes) Description: ### IMPORTANT ### Please note that iPhone 4 is not supported. Space Marshals is a Sci-fi Wild West adventure taking place... | Read more »
Battle Slimes (Games)
Battle Slimes 1.0 Device: iOS Universal Category: Games Price: $1.99, Version: 1.0 (iTunes) Description: BATTLE SLIMES is a fun local multiplayer game. Control speedy & bouncy slime blobs as you compete with friends and family.... | Read more »
Spectrum - 3D Avenue (Games)
Spectrum - 3D Avenue 1.0 Device: iOS Universal Category: Games Price: $2.99, Version: 1.0 (iTunes) Description: "Spectrum is a pretty cool take on twitchy/reaction-based gameplay with enough complexity and style to stand out from the... | Read more »
Drop Wizard (Games)
Drop Wizard 1.0 Device: iOS Universal Category: Games Price: $1.99, Version: 1.0 (iTunes) Description: Bring back the joy of arcade games! Drop Wizard is an action arcade game where you play as Teo, a wizard on a quest to save his... | Read more »

Price Scanner via MacPrices.net

14-inch M4 Pro/M4 Max MacBook Pros on sale th...
Don’t pay full price! Get a new 14″ MacBook Pro with an M4 Pro or M4 Max CPU for up to $320 off Apple’s MSRP this weekend at these retailers…they are the lowest prices available for these MacBook... Read more
Get a 15-inch M4 MacBook Air for $150 off App...
A couple of Apple retailers are offering $150 discounts on new 15″ M4 MacBook Airs this weekend. Prices at these retailers start at $1049: (1): Amazon has new 15″ M4 MacBook Airs on sale for $150 off... Read more
Unreal Mobile is offering a $100 discount on...
Unreal Mobile, an MVNO using AT&T and T-Mobile’s networks, is offering a $100 discount on any new iPhone with service. This includes new iPhone 16 models as well as iPhone 15, 13, and SE phones... Read more
16-inch M4 Pro MacBook Pros on sale for $250-...
Don’t pay full price! Amazon has 16-inch M4 Pro MacBook Pros (Silver or Black colors) on sale right now for up to $300 off Apple’s MSRP. Shipping is free. These are the lowest prices currently... Read more
Get a 14-inch M4 MacBook Pro for up to $240 o...
Amazon is offering a $150-$250 discount on Apple’s 14-inch M4 MacBook Pros right now. Shipping is free. Be sure to select Amazon as the seller, rather than a third-party seller: – 14″ M4 MacBook Pro... Read more
Clearance 14-inch M3 Pro MacBook Pros availab...
B&H Photo has clearance 14″ M3 Pro MacBook Pros (in Black or Silver) on sale for $500 off original MSRP, only $1499. B&H offers free 1-2 day delivery to most US addresses: – 14″ 11-Core M3... Read more
Sams Club is offering a $50 discount on Titan...
Sams Club has Titanium Apple Watch Series 10 models on sale for $50 off Apple’s MSRP. Sams Club Membership required. Note that sale prices are for online orders only, in-store prices may vary. Choose... Read more
Sunday Sale: Apple’s latest 13-inch M4 MacBoo...
Amazon has new 13″ M4 MacBook Airs on sale for $150 off MSRP right now, starting at $849. Sale prices apply to most colors and configurations. Be sure to select Amazon as the seller, rather than a... Read more
Apple’s M4 Mac minis on sale for record-low p...
B&H Photo has M4 and M4 Pro Mac minis in stock and on sale right now for up to $150 off Apple’s MSRP, each including free 1-2 day shipping to most US addresses. Prices start at only $469: – M4... Read more
Week’s Best Deals: 14-inch M4 MacBook Pros fo...
Don’t pay full price! These retailers are offering $200-$250 discounts on new 14-inch M4 MacBook Pros this week…they are the lowest sale prices available for new MacBook Pros: (1): Amazon is offering... Read more

Jobs Board

All contents are Copyright 1984-2011 by Xplain Corporation. All rights reserved. Theme designed by Icreon.