Slashdot Mirror
Mindstorms' Next Generation
davey23sol writes: "MSNBC has a 2.0 review of Lego Mindstorms here. Looks like they have put in an easier programming system for users, touch and light sensors, and some other stuff. The transmitters for the infrared transmitters are now USB instead of serial, too. The new system will be $200, and if you have Mindstorms now the upgrade will just be $20. It should all be available this month. I can't wait to get one (never got around to getting my Mindstorms kit)." This review may not go into $200 worth of depth, so I look forward to more detailed reader reviews (and more pictures) when this is widely available :)
i don't know
oooo oo oo oo oo oo oo oo oooooooo oo oo
oo ooo oo oo oo oo oo oo oo oo oo oo
oo oooo oo oo oo oooo oo oo oo oooo
oo oo oo oo oo oo oo oo oooooooo oo
oo oo oooo oo oo oooo oo oo oo oo
oo oo ooo oo oo oo oo oo oo oo oo
oooo oo oo oooooo oo oo ooooooo oo oo oo
ss ss ssssss ss ss ssssss ss ssssss ssssssss ss ss
ss ss ss ss ss ss ss ss ss ss ss ss ss ss ss
ss ss ss ss ss ss ss ss ss ss ssss
ss ss ss sssss ssssss ss ssssss ssssssss ss
ss ss ss ss ss ss ss ss ss ss ss
ss ss ss ss ss ss ss ss ss ss ss ss ss
ssssss ssssss ss ss ssssss ss ssssss ss ss ss
Everyone loves legos, but make a giant death robot out of them and destroy New York and suddenly you've gone too far!
I'm trying to teach myself to set people on fire with my mind... Is it hot in here?
A NEWS PIECE!
A FRICKING NEWS PIECE!
Slashdot website creator, Rob "CmdrTaco" Malda, was rushed to the hospital this afternoon after having his penis sliced off. Authorities say the accident involved Rob's penis, his computer, and an illegal computer device imported from China that was designed to stimulate the penis during cyber-sex. The authorities aren't releasing many details yet as to how it happened, but they suspect that the device malfunctioned which caused his penis to be sliced off. However, there is speculation among the Slashdot community that the Open Source Operating System "Linux" is to blame, for its faulty structure and lack of professional development. There is no word of whether there was any foul-play involved from hackers amongst the Linux community
MOD ME UP, SCOTTY!
BY THE WAY...
KLERCK SUCKS!
Is it that you guys just /.ed msnbc, or is just not working with Linux & NS-Crashicator?
I would really like to read about the new set, as I do own the first one, well bought it for my son, but that's another story...:-)
Michael
The other day I found an amusing and informative text file on
some BBS or other, explaining how to make a lifelike, artificial
vagina "out of common household products."
Hey, I thought, I've tried that. (Bet you have, too. Be honest.)
I was intrigued.
The guy who wrote it calls his device Porta-Pussy. It involves a
mailing tube, a string, and a balloon. Basically, you lower the
balloon into the tube, stretch the neck of the balloon to overlap
the outer edge of the tube, then use the string to stretch the
balloon down the length of the tube.
He suggests taping the tube to the edge of a table, kneeling down
and licking it for a while, then standing up and fucking it.
I just tried fucking it. It wasn't bad. I decided not to try the
advanced applications, though, which include sticking a dildo up
your ass and drinking the cum as it leaks out of the tube. Another
time, maybe.
But I did admire his imaginative design; simple to make, reasonable
facsimile, easy cleanup (throw away the balloon). His description
made fun reading, too; "How I Spell Relief." I encourage others to
download his file (called IWACK1.ZIP).
So, in a spirit of sharing, here's my technique. It doesn't look
as authentic as his, and it takes more preparation, but I think
it feels MUCH closer to the real thing. Close your eyes and the
PseudoCunt (this name just occurred to me; snappy, huh?) feels
just EXACTLY like a warm, wet, tight pussy.
You think I'm kidding, right? Nope. Read on, if you're so inclined.
CONTENTS:
1- Registration
2- Materials & Ingredients
3- Construction
4- How to Use
5- Hints & Techniques
6- Troubleshooting
7- Why I Created PseudoCunt
REGISTRATION:
Ha, ha. Get it? It's software. Real soft. If you figure
out who I am, send me some money. PseudoCunt is not
shareware, by the way. It's recommended for use alone.
MATERIALS & INGREDIENTS:
* Cylindrical container (see below)
* Large pot (3-4 quart capacity)
* Butter or margarine (2-3 tablespoons)
* Vegetable oil (just a drop or two)
* Saran Wrap or equivalent
* Spaghetti or fettucini (lots; two boxes)
* Sturdy rubber band
* Several big, firm sofa cushions (optional)
* Your favorite masturbation fantasies in magazine, video,
gif, or virtual form
CONSTRUCTION:
1- Find a suitable container. This is the tough part. The
best one I've found is an overlarge Mason-type jar (about
11" tall), though these are hard to find. Second choice
would be a length of PVC pipe sealed at one end, or a
mailing tube, but it should be at least five inches in
diameter. A half-gallon cardboard milk carton might work,
with clever modifications.
2- In a large pot, bring two or three quarts of water to
full boil. Add a tablespoon of vegetable oil and a pinch of
salt. Boil spaghetti to aldente texture (about 8 minutes).
Any pasta will do, but I find spaghetti and fettucini most
satisfactory.
3- Drain spaghetti, but do not rinse. Mix in A FEW DROPS of
vegetable oil (be CAREFUL not to use too much; use just
enough to keep the spaghetti from sticking together) and
stir well. Set aside in colander until cool enough to handle.
4- While spaghetti is cooling, melt some butter (not much; about
1/3 of one of those little butter pats you get with toast in
a diner is enough). Don't let it boil; 15-30 seconds in the
microwave should do it.
5- Stuff spaghetti into the container described in Step 1.
Really pack it in tightly; as tight as you can cram it in.
This is crucial to success. I use wooden cooking implements
to tamp it down. When the jar is about 3/4 full, bore a hole
down the center with something long and moderately thin (I
use the long handle of a wooden stirring spoon) and continue
packing spaghetti around it, up the brim. Remember to pack
tightly; spaghetti will compress a lot more than you'd think.
6- At this point, remove the rod or dowel or whatever, and
pour a SMALL amount of melted butter down into the little
hole to lubricate it. (By the way, I've found that butter or
margarine feels much more like the creamy inside of an
aroused cunt than any kind of oil; and I've tried quite a
few). Stick your finger in and work the lubrication down
into the little hole. Feels interesting, doesn't it? Close
your eyes and probe, slowly; does that feel just EXACTLY
like a wet pussy hole, or what?
7- Now, use something wider and slightly tapered to widen the
mouth of the surrogate vagina (I use the neck of a wine or
beer bottle). Do this gently, and don't widen it to your
full dick diameter; you want it to be nice and tight.
8- Cut a generous length of Saran Wrap and stretch it tightly
over the mouth of the jar. Fasten it tightly with the
rubber band. Now punch a hole in the Saran Wrap in the
obvious place. (Use a pencil, or a spoon handle, not a
knife; a sharp cut will make the Saran Wrap tear.)
HOW TO USE:
1- Pile two or more big, thick sofa cushions on top of each
other. Make an identical pile next to the first, leaving a
12-inch space between the two piles.
2- In the space between the cushions, spread a towel (or
newspaper) on the floor. If properly constructed, your
PseudoCunt should not make a mess unless you really get
carried away, but it's a good idea to protect against this
possibility.
3- Position the PseudoCunt jar on the floor between the two
cushion piles.
4- Lie across the cushion piles, chest on one, thighs on the
other, dick dangling in the space between. Now, gaze lovingly
at whatever fantasy object you prefer, tease the head of your
dick against the warm, slick mouth and begin fucking.
HINTS AND TECHNIQUES:
* Before you get started, check with your finger to make
sure your PseudoCunt has cooled to the proper temperature.
You don't want to burn yourself. Optimum temperature should
be obvious if you're a reasonably sexually active person.
Push your finger in as deeply as you can; the bottom of the
jar may be too hot even though the mouth is a nice, warm,
cuntlike temperature.
* The PseudoCunt is not recommended for quickies. Choose a
time when you're absolutely certain you'll be alone and
undisturbed. PseudoCunt takes some time to prepare, and a
fair amount of what's called in cinema and theater circles
'suspension of disbelief.' It can't be fully enjoyed if
you're worried about your wife or girlfriend walking in and
finding you fucking a jar of spaghetti.
* Size of the container is important. Make sure it is at
least two inches deeper than your dick is long, and wide
enough so that your dick is surrounded by a generous cushion
of pseudo cuntflesh. You don't want to bang up against the
hard sides or bottom of the thing at a crucial moment.
* Shape of the container is important, too. I like the jumbo
jar configuration because the "shoulders" of the jar where
the neck narrows help to keep the spaghetti in place when
you withdraw on the out-strokes.
* Don't use too much butter. A very small amount should suffice.
Remember that your own secretions will increase the lubricating
effect. It's not generally recognized that grease and oils
actually DE-sensitize erectile tissue. A thin coat of oil on
your dick is like wearing a condom. I find that the absolutely
perfect effect is achieved by adding just a *tiny* amount of
butter, then slathering saliva all over my dick just before
first penetration. The combination of butter, saliva and natural
lubrication that leaks from your dick feels closer to authentic
vagina arousal than any oil I've ever tried.
* Make adequate preparations. Arrange your favorite magazines
on the floor in front of you, or display a particularly
fascinating GIF, or make sure the VCR is cued up and the
remote is handy. One of the real joys of using PseudoCunt is
that it leaves both hands free to work the VCR remote or
languidly browse through magazines, savoring the tight cunt
sucking wetly at your dick with each slight movement of your
hips. With careful preparation it's a damned comfortable
position, and you can just lie there for as long as you please,
indulging as many fantasies as your self-control will allow.
* For best results, fuck slowly and gently on first
penetration. This allows the PseudoCunt hole to adjust to
the proper diameter.
* Don't ram your dick in to the bottom at first. Go slowly,
and try to restrain yourself as long as possible, fucking a
just a little deeper at a time. Each time you stroke a
little deeper, the PseudoCunt is a little tighter, and
incrementally warmer. The sensation is fabulous if prolonged.
I like to keep the last inch or so unpenetrated until I'm
just at the point of cumming, then grunt and howl and plunge
to the bottom and blast my sperm into the tight warmth deep
down inside.
* Sound effects, if authentic, can really heighten the effect.
Porn videos just don't do it for me. Too contrived. I have a
few audio tapes that do, though, and once in a while I'll put
on the headphones while fucking my Pseudocunt. One is a tape
I made by concealing the microphone in the headboard of the
bed before fucking my wife doggy-style (you should consider
trying this; it's incredibly arousing to hear the rutting
grunts and screams of a woman you know). The rest are
recordings of phone-sex conversations with two former
girlfriends -- one in particular, whose panting and gasping
and whimpering as she masturbates is truly phenomenal.
* Shed all inhibitions. Admit to yourself that, while this may
seem truly bizarre behavior, it feels incredibly good. Get
hedonistic. Get totally naked. Or wear leather, or panties
and a bra, or clothespins on your scrotum, whatever makes your
dick throb and ooze.
TROUBLESHOOTING
If you experience problems with your PseudoCunt, the fault most
likely lies in your choice of materials, or lack of attention to
proper construction techniques.
Commonly experienced problems usually have simple solutions:
Too hot for comfort
If too hot, allow to cool at room temperature. Don't get
impatient and put it in the freezer, or outside in a
snowbank. If it cools unevenly, you're in for a very
unpleasant surprise.
Not warm enough
If too cool, place jar in a pan of water on the stove and
simmer for at least 30 minutes. To spread heat more evenly,
make sure the water covers at least 2/3 of the jar, and
place a wire rack beneath the jar to raise it off the bottom
of the pan. If a glass jar is used, you can heat it in a
microwave oven for a minute or so. [This procedure is not
recommended if using a waxed cardboard milk carton.]
These heating techniques, by the way, are handy for repeated
use of your PseudoCunt between washings, unless you're too
squeamish for sloppy seconds.
It's also occurred to me that a hair dryer might be a quick
alternative, but I haven't tried this. I'm not sure I could
maintain a hardon or a straight face kneeling there naked
and blow-drying a jar of spaghetti.
Bits of greasy spaghetti cling to your dick on withdrawal
This is normal. While the problem cannot be eliminated
entirely, the effect can be minimized by several means:
1- Make sure spaghetti is packed in VERY tightly.
2- Use a high-shouldered jar (see above) to help keep
the spaghetti in place on the out strokes.
3- Make sure hole in Saran Wrap is not too large.
Punch, do not cut, this hole to prevent tearing.
PseudoCunt makes distracting slurping noises
You used too much butter, or oil, or both. Or you've gang-
banged your PseudoCunt one too many times and you need to
clean it out and start over again at Step 2.
Of course, if you want to fantasize about oral sex, this
could be regarded as a design feature rather than a problem.
Greasy stains on sofa cushions
My wife responds to greasy stains on upholstery by
immediately dumping a big pile of talcum powder on the
spill, letting it sit for a while, vacuuming it off later,
then calling in a professional furniture cleaner to finish
the job.
I try to avoid stains by making sure the Saran Wrap is
tightly secured with the rubber band, and by spreading a
towel over the leading edge of the sofa cushion pile. I'd
rather not have to explain PseudoCunt stains to my wife.
Fetid stench
Throw away the spaghetti and wash the damn thing. Unless
mold and bacteria growth play an essential role in your
sexual fantasies, repeated use of the PseudoCunt is not
recommended beyond, say, 24 hours. Refrigerate after use.
WHY I CREATED PSEUDOCUNT
No, I'm not a social outcast or a phobic recluse. I have a
normal sex life (pretty fabulous, actually) so I should
explain why I continued to experiment with masturbation
techniques in adulthood, long after abandoning the clumsy
remedies most teens invent to draw off excess spunk.
One reason is simply that I'm a very sensuous person with a
vivid imagination. I've found that I can occasionally attain
amazing heights of sexual arousal when I masturbate. At the
risk of sounding immodest, I've induced some of the best
orgasms I've ever had.
Another reason is that I am aware of absolutely no physical
or psychological reasons not to masturbate, and can't help
wondering if the world might not be a better place if more
people did. Whether they use fists or balloons or spaghetti.
Finally, it provides a fabulous way to indulge certain sexual
fantasies that just can't be shared no matter how skilled and
understanding one's lover may be. Know what I mean?
If you're inclined to give this thing a try, I hope it
enhances your own secret fantasies as much as it does mine.
If you have a technique of your own, write it up and post it
for others to share. If you find the whole concept disgusting,
why did you read this far?
C - A language that combines the speed of assembly with the ease of use of assembly.
Any other non-IE users experiencing problems with the rendering of this page? I'm using Mozilla. First, the menu bar is horizontal across the screen and streches way beyond my screen size (about +65%). Next, The first part of the article resides on the far right, which I have to scroll (majorly) to get to. Then, the remainer of the article resides to the far left, which I must scroll to after reading the first top of the article on the far right. This is very non-user-friendly, and I doubt Jakob Nielson would be happy with this article's usability and readability.
Is this an IE-preferred-only-please article? I'm interested in this subject, but really can't read much of it under these conditions. Perhaps this story is elsewhere?
"There ought to be limits to freedom"
Amendment I
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.
Amendment II
A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.
Amendment III
No Soldier shall, in time of peace be quartered in any house, without the consent of the Owner, nor in time of war, but in a manner to be prescribed by law.
Amendment IV
The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.
Amendment V
No person shall be held to answer for a capital, or otherwise infamous crime, unless on a presentment or indictment of a Grand Jury, except in cases arising in the land or naval forces, or in the Militia, when in actual service in time of War or public danger; nor shall any person be subject for the same offence to be twice put in jeopardy of life or limb; nor shall be compelled in any criminal case to be a witness against himself, nor be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor shall private property be taken for public use, without just compensation.
Amendment VI
In all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall enjoy the right to a speedy and public trial, by an impartial jury of the State and district wherein the crime shall have been committed, which district shall have been previously ascertained by law, and to be informed of the nature and cause of the accusation; to be confronted with the witnesses against him; to have compulsory process for obtaining witnesses in his favor, and to have the Assistance of Counsel for his defence.
Amendment VII
In suits at common law, where the value in controversy shall exceed twenty dollars, the right of trial by jury shall be preserved, and no fact tried by a jury, shall be otherwise reexamined in any Court of the United States, than according to the rules of the common law.
Amendment VIII
Excessive bail shall not be required, nor excessive fines imposed, nor cruel and unusual punishments inflicted.
Amendment IX
The enumeration in the Constitution, of certain rights, shall not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the people.
Amendment X
The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.
The only thing that worries me, is that Legos don't seem to encourage social interaction. Out of all my fond childhood memories involving Legos, I can't seem to remember any involving other kids. Maybe that's why so many of today's generation of geeks are lacking in basic social skills. It's a shame that Lego can't come up with some sort of toy that involves group play, and encourages the development of social bonds. The benefit of this could potentially affect millions of our nation's children. Maybe I'll write a letter to Lego and share my suggestions with them. Imagine what would be different today if Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold had been taught basic social skills, instead of their imaginations being allowed to spiral down dangerous and self-destructive paths.
Slashdot: Open Source, Closed Minds.
Now all we have to do is build one to sneak into the micrsoft office, and start installing red hat on to all those computers....
and onto the windows xp cdroms too...
Cruise TT
"Another advance is that the infrared transmitter now plugs into a computer?s USB port rather than a serial port ? to improve speed."
/. that much... all the girls i know would kill me for that one)
Now, i can see switching to USB to improve compatibility, but to improve speed?! How fast can you really blast IR anyway? Is this mis-informed journalism, or bad marketing, or did i miss the memo about 12Mb IR tranceivers?
I also found it somewhat amusing that his girlfriend was faster on the pickup than he was . Take that, gender-based stereotypes (thank god my friends don't read
Aug. 31 ? I?m a little disappointed in the 21st century. By now, everything was supposed to come in sleek shades of silver, especially the flying cars confidently whooshing overhead. We should be speaking Esperanto, perhaps even communicating telepathically. MOST OF ALL, where are the robots? With those earnest bundles of wires doing our hard work, we could have more time to plan vacations in space and reserve spots for our bodies in cryogenics labs. So the chance to make my own robot at home with the new version 2.0 of the Lego Mindstorms Robotics Invention System sounded awfully appealing. Mindstorms, recommended for ages 12 and up, uses the familiar Lego interlocking plastic blocks that have entertained generations of children (and budding architects). But this kit has some important extras: touch and light sensors, for example, and a battery-powered computer ?brain? that can be programmed to make wheels spin and arms move. The commands are made with a few mouse clicks on a PC, thanks to software that comes on a CD and is downloaded into the Lego robot?s brain via an infrared transmitter. Lego, based in Billund, Denmark, introduced the Mindstorms line in 1998, and watched it become a huge hit not only with children but also with tech-savvy adults. Some tinkerers even hacked the Mindstorms code and made robots far more complex than those suggested in the Lego manual. Version 2.0 has the same pieces as its predecessor but promises much simpler programming. Instead of having to program motors individually, users can now simply tell their robots to move forward, zigzag or whatever. Another advance is that the infrared transmitter now plugs into a computer?s USB port rather than a serial port ? to improve speed. Due to hit stores in late September, Mindstorms 2.0 will retail for $200; people who own the original version can upgrade for $20. A programming tutorial that comes with the CD is very useful ? detailed enough for people not overly familiar with the linear logic of computer programs, yet quick enough so as to not insult your intelligence. The beauty of the system is that users can design robots themselves from scratch or build suggested models and animate them with programs that come with the CD. Though I really wanted to build something that would fetch the newspaper or drive me to work, my girlfriend was much more realistic. She quickly assembled an 8-inch-tall robot suggested in the manual. Since I have no engineering ability and limited patience, I decided to load into our new friend a program that came on the CD, though I did make some adjustments of my own. And so now our apartment is protected by a robotic security guard made out of Lego. When it detects a bright light ? an intruder?s flashlight, perhaps ? it starts beeping. If we squeeze its hand, it will stop beeping and shake from side to side, as if to express utter relief that we?re home. But if you?re a thief who fails to apply the reassuring squeeze, it will throw a little ball at you and beep some more. Take that, criminal. You?ve just stepped into a real 21st century apartment. © 2001 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Kurdt
I'm not anti-social. Just pro-technology.
I was at Target yesterday and saw something
that claimed to be 2.0, so I guess it is already
"widely avaiable."
Homepage
legOS is an open-source embedded operating system for the LEGO Mindstorms, a LEGO brick with a brain. Compared to the standard software, it offers vastly superior performance and flexibility.
As of version 0.2.0, legOS features include:
* Dynamic loading of programs and modules
* Full IR packet networking
* Preemprive multitasking
* Dynamic memory management
* Drivers for all RCX subsystems
* 16 MHz native mode speed
* Access to 32k RAM
Not sure about you, but the crappy IDE click and drag blocks all over the place doesnt quite the cake for building a robot. I wish i had a block to try this OS out. Legos ruuulllll333!!
Jon Bardin
I'd be a lot more impressed if I could control 20 or 30 motors at variable speeds from Mindstorms. There should be some kind of 'Adult Lego Mindstorms' with metal parts as opposed to plastic, gas engines, 802.11 control, etc. Places like design firms and engineering schools would certainly buy it. I sure as hell would, if it was up to the quality Lego's were seven years ago. Maybe someday...
Maskirovka.
Finally, engineers can build their girlfriends! (Although they wouldn't know what to say to her.)
"Old man yells at systemd"
Next-generation Lego robots
Updated Invention System makes programming easier
REVIEW
By Brian Bergstein
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Aug. 31 -- Im a little disappointed in the 21st century. By now, everything was supposed to come in sleek shades of silver, especially the flying cars confidently whooshing overhead. We should be speaking Esperanto, perhaps even communicating telepathically.
MOST OF ALL, where are the robots? With those earnest bundles of wires doing our hard work, we could have more time to plan vacations in space and reserve spots for our bodies in cryogenics labs.
So the chance to make my own robot at home with the new version 2.0 of the Lego Mindstorms Robotics Invention System sounded awfully appealing.
Mindstorms, recommended for ages 12 and up, uses the familiar Lego interlocking plastic blocks that have entertained generations of children (and budding architects).
But this kit has some important extras: touch and light sensors, for example, and a battery-powered computer "brain" that can be programmed to make wheels spin and arms move.
The commands are made with a few mouse clicks on a PC, thanks to software that comes on a CD and is downloaded into the Lego robot's brain via an infrared transmitter.
Lego, based in Billund, Denmark, introduced the Mindstorms line in 1998, and watched it become a huge hit not only with children but also with tech-savvy adults. Some tinkerers even hacked the Mindstorms code and made robots far more complex than those suggested in the Lego manual.
Version 2.0 has the same pieces as its predecessor but promises much simpler programming.
Instead of having to program motors individually, users can now simply tell their robots to move forward, zigzag or whatever. Another advance is that the infrared transmitter now plugs into a computer's USB port rather than a serial port -- to improve speed.
Due to hit stores in late September, Mindstorms 2.0 will retail for $200; people who own the original version can upgrade for $20.
A programming tutorial that comes with the CD is very useful -- detailed enough for people not overly familiar with the linear logic of computer programs, yet quick enough so as to not insult your intelligence.
The beauty of the system is that users can design robots themselves from scratch or build suggested models and animate them with programs that come with the CD.
Though I really wanted to build something that would fetch the newspaper or drive me to work, my girlfriend was much more realistic. She quickly assembled an 8-inch-tall robot suggested in the manual.
Since I have no engineering ability and limited patience, I decided to load into our new friend a program that came on the CD, though I did make some adjustments of my own.
Recall your Lego memories on our discussion board.
And so now our apartment is protected by a robotic security guard made out of Lego.
When it detects a bright light -- an intruder's flashlight, perhaps -- it starts beeping. If we squeeze its hand, it will stop beeping and shake from side to side, as if to express utter relief that we're home.
But if you're a thief who fails to apply the reassuring squeeze, it will throw a little ball at you and beep some more.
Take that, criminal. You've just stepped into a real 21st century apartment.
AP website:
E CH test
= 37 13737
http://wire.ap.org/APnews/main.html?PACKAGEID=T
daily herald:
http://www.dailyherald.com/main_story.asp?intid
"Yes.. no matter what the culture, folk dancing is stupid." -MST3K
Yippie!
Time for Battle Lego-Bots version two!
"There are going to be trolls on any community forum. No matter how much you try to block us out, we'll keep posting. The Slashdot editors just need to accept this and move on. By trying to clamp down, you only make us work even harder to post.
Notice all the ASCII art on here? A direct result of Taco's lame Lameness Filter. Now that links are put in brackets, people work even harder to get around it and are succeeding in ways they never had before. Previously people would look at their browser to see what the link they were clicking on lead to. Now that Slashdot is doing that for them, it makes trolling even easier.
Plus you insult everyone's intelligence by having that douchebag Jon Katz continue to post. This vapid waste of space has nothing to say and takes paragraphs to get there. He's a one-trick pony and unfortunately that pony isn't very good, like the annoying uncle who keeps playing Gotcher Nose with the children.
The more you try to keep down the trolls, the more we're going to rise up and say FUCK YOU to the bullshit editors of this site. If you wanna see a community site thats properly run, go look at fark.com. Come back when you finally understand people, editors."
I may not go down in history, but I will go down on your sister.
Yup, legOS makes the Mindstorm a whole lot more fun. I'm just hoping the context switches are faster this time around, they were really slow on the old mindstorm. A CPU that is a little bit faster wouldn't be a bad idea either. But still, it's a really cool thing play around with.
well you're already aware of how fun the previous version of mindstorms was. what you're reading is $20 worth of depth.
___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ,-`-. ,-`-. | ### /
| |_| |_| | | |_| |_| | ROMEO, ROMEO
\ / \ / WHEREFOR ART THOU ROMEO
| | | |
| \ / [O /
| | \ / | |`
| T \ / T | SUCK A COCK LADY
| \__/ | I HAVE THE BIGGEST
| | ### HARDON IN HISTORY
| | #MAX#
|
| |+++++| |\____/| |+++++| | V /
| |+++++| | | |^^^^^| | I /
| |^^^^^| | | | | | I \o
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I just started my Realtime systems course at my university, and in that course, for the lab assignments, we will use LEGO Mindstorms to build cars or robots and control them with a realtime operating system. I can't wait.
Will work for bandwidth
The entire mobile platform would simply be a sensor array that beamed back information. If it became conscious, it would have no idea where its consciousness really resided. But the important thing is that the researchers could expose the computer to rich sensory input, without risking much expensive equipment to that environment.
In regard to a previous story about neuron/silicon connections, it would be interesting -- if unethical -- to try giving dolphins hands. Just simple mechanical actuators that floated around, and took their directions from the dolphin's neurons. Maybe there would even be a simple feedback mechanism so that they could "feel" when their remote limb was holding something. I would imagine that young dolphins would have a much easier time adjusting to their new limbs. I also imagine that the dolphins wouldn't be so friendly and playful if they had the ability to smack each other upside the head.
Okay, I have a confession to make. I'm really Stephen Hawking in disguise. I'm just having trouble waiting for the day when I can control my deadly super-robot using only the power of my mind. Be warned, my Nobel-laureate colleagues, for your fate is sealed.
You want the truthiness? You can't handle the truthiness!
Does anyone know when this will be avaliable in Europe? and will we be able to cheaply upgrade as well?
I purchased the 1.0 version. Since then there has been a firmware upgrade which was signifigant, but that's about all. You can download the firmware for free for those of you with an older RCX brick -- http://mindstorms.lego.com/sdk2/. Serial to USB for the IR tower...all that means is that now I can't use a really old computer on the new Mindstorms. It seems they dumbed down the programming system. Most of the people really into this stuff use things like NQC (not quite c) or legOS, not the LEGO programming system.
What they really need is more I/O and a better array of sensors. You can break the 3 output/ 3 input barrier, but it's awkward. And how about sonar!
BTW, there is a big community for the LEGO fanatic, including Mindstorm lover. lugnet.com is the place to go for those of you wanting a social LEGO lifestyle.
Lego Online Shop - here you can choose your country, or here is the shop with all the products.
Will work for bandwidth
I got the Mindstrom 2.0 a couple of weeks back.
New in Mindstrom 2 are big blocks. Which are nothing but collection of small set of operations (know as small blocks).
Programmers will recognize these as subroutines.
The only other major change as compared to Mindstrom 1.5 is the support for USB instead of COM port.
Those of who think that just because programming is a lot easier with Mindstrom 2 you can build robots more easily are wrong.
Programming was never the difficult part. The difficult part to think of a design, finding the parts (you will always end up needing more parts than available in the set) and fitting the parts to form a strong structure.
Programming is a lot easier compared to desiging a good robot.
The System is only usable with Windows 98 and ME.
No Windows NT/2000 or other OS support.
How come we all love legos but we ignore the fact that their site doesnt allow access unless you let it set a permanent, uniqely identifying cookie on your machine?
"Dancing is the vertical expression of a horizontal desire" --Robert Frost
Windoze users are such dullards that I'm always surprised when something that is neat isn't first made for the MAC community. We mess with state-of-the-art things a whole lot more than the drones who work their PCs in an office setting.
I guess Lego is as short sighted as their web site appears to be. Tell me... why do I need to fill out three screens of information before I can simply tell them of their short-sightedness??? Maybe they just don't care about feedback from potential customers and hope unhappy customers will get fed up and just go away rather than fight through all the screens.
So - - - I guess I'll stick with my metal Erector Set (re-introduced this past summer including a kit to build three airships that really fly) and wait for the rest of the world to get as smart as those of us who bought MACs instead of Wintel crap.
They will expand the number of sensors and motors you can connect at one time.
I am aware of a number of "hacks" to allow you to attach more sensors and motors (my favorite involves a system whereby a circuit senses when a sensor is toggled between two certain modes, in that there is a current drop or something involved in the switch, and can activate a multiplexing system to select a different set of three outputs), but these systems all are custom, and require a bit of hardware skill and modeling skill to build - plus, no one else can replicate your machine unless they build that same system.
I would like to see the "Ultimate Accessory" pack added as a standard part to the system - to let you get a rotation sensor, and a remote, as well as other good parts.
It would also be nice to get some more "funkier" sensors or devices - like a laser pointer, one or two of the mini-motors, a wireless camera (something like the lego cam, but wireless), maybe an outboard battery pack, maybe high-power motors, a usb or network interface on-board the RCX (adding the extra sensors and motors onto the box will make it big enough to add this), so you can communicate directly, or network multiple RCXs together (Beowu... ah, nevermind).
How about solenoid valves for the pneumatics - by the way, why can't we get the pneumatic systems anymore, huh? Walking machines would get sooo much easier, to an extent. Pitsco sells the parts, for most of it, so it is available still, but only if you know about them - still, it is nearly impossible to get the blue air tank to power your pneumatic system - check Ebay and pay through the nose, IF you are lucky.
One other part I would like to see added as standard - a ball and socket joint. Lego introduced a part nearly like this with those cheesy Robot fling kits, but the arm that had the ball was made out of this flexible plastic - you can cut the ball off, which leaves you with a ball and a small cross peg, to attach to, but it is still hard to work with, and the ball is too tight in the socket - it needs loosening up (maybe some sandpaper and oil applied would help) to be useful, for things like very flexible arms and legs on experimental bots.
I would also like to see the return of the huge tires that came with the old Expert Builder car kit, these things are near impossible to find (once again, Ebay it). Plus, make it easy to get the old jointed track (Pitsco sells this) for treads. Plus the geared large turntables - must have parts for robotic arm devices!
With five motors and five sensor inputs, a real industrial-style robot arm built from lego (along the lines of a Rhino arm, or a Micromover arm) could easily be built, and teach a lot of principles of design, programming and control. Right now, to build such a thing, you need two RCX units, and a few motors, and it is still a pain to build (most work is in getting the two RCXs talking to each other properly).
Add more memory to the RCXs, as well - for much, much larger programs - heck, drop 128K in - more than enough!
For such an upgrade, I would be willing to pay $100.00 to trade in my old RCX for the new one, or something along those lines...
Reason is the Path to God - Anon
This company claims to make the "Industrial Erector Set". Life sized, industrial-strength modular pieces...
[8020.net] http://www.8020.net
Well, as a Linux user of Mindstorms, I think the
range has gotten steadily WORSE with each revision.
Rev 1.0 was OK.
Rev 1.5 removed the external power option - so
you burn through a TON of batteries while debugging your robots.
Rev 2.0 has gone to a USB tower - for which no
interface information is available - so you can't
use it under Linux. The old tower worked well
with a variety of OpenSource software.
Each revision changed the parts count somewhat,
but that's a minor thing - a quick trip to
Toys'R'Us and you have a stack of extra parts
for just a few bucks.
The other problem is the increasing tendancy
of Lego to put their build instructions on
CD-ROM - in some funky format that Linux doesn't
understand.
Yeah, the CD does say win98 only, but it works fine with 2000. At least, it does on both my laptop and desktop...
Fuck fuck fuck
mother mother fuck
mother mother fuck fuck
mother fuck mother fuck
noich noich noich
1,2
1,2,3,4
noich noich noich
smoking weed smoking weed
doing coke drinking beers
drinking beers beers beers
rolling fatties smoking blunts
who smokes the blunts?
we smokes the blunts
rolling blunks and smokin..
"uh let me get a nickel bag"
fifteen bucks little man
put that shit in my hand
if that money doesn't show
then you owe me owe me owe
According to this "The RCX uses a 38kHz carrier, which is pretty typical for TV remotes. As for the sampling rate, the RCX runs at 2400 bps, which makes each bit approx 417us."
So maybe there isn't going to be a speed gain(except maybe from PC to the IR transmitter.. rather moot i'd think)
I need people to come to my site for no reason. There's jokes and pi. That's it.
Click HereLegOS is now at 0.2.5. You can get all the latest info (along with CVS access, etc) at SourceForge.
Why is there only one Monopolies commission?
how do you post code on slashdot for peer review and technical discussion? every time I try post some interesting algrothim, i get blocked by the "lameness filter" how are we supposed to discuss technical issues with all this censorship going on?
on another note,
Having used LegOS for my final year CS project (an autonomous maze-navigating robot), I can confirm that it is rather good.
However, it will presumably not work with the new USB tower, unless I'm mistaken.
That Windows XP final urinates all over your stupid linux crap. I've been running for a week with no crashes what so ever. Run X for a week, it'll probably barf somewhere along the way. Sure all the service are still going...which is good for a SERVER, but for a DESKTOP it is less stable and it looks like shit and its a pain in the ass to configure. Face it the linux desktop is just a big joke. Windows XP unzips its trowsers and pulls out a massive penis and unleashes a golden shower on all your weak browsers and ugly fonts.
Program what you want, go away, come back and 20 robots are now working on it for you...
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* mportant Stuff: Please try to keep posts on topic. * Try to reply to other people comments instead of starting new threads. * Read other people's messages before posting your own to avoid simply duplicating what has already been said. * Use a clear subject that describes what your message is about. * Offtopic, Inflammatory, Inappropriate, Illegal, or Offensive comments might be moderated. (You can read everything, even moderated posts, by adjusting your threshold on the User Preferences Page)
the "light and touch sensors" are not new in 2.0
I have them in my kit.. I think the AP author was just explaining them to people not familiar with the Mindstorms systems.
Check this out. Somebody made a music video out of Steve Ballmer's clips (the "Planet of the Apes" one and the "Developers, developers" one). Pretty neat. http://homepage.mac.com/jcarusone/iMovieTheater2.h tml
Legos encouraged social interaction for me. I have 3 brothers, and we had about 5-6 different cousins close by while growing up. Most of the best times we had were bringing out collective sets of bricks together to build large structures/cities/vehicles.
Go Lakers!
4000Mb/s
Errr I meant 4000Kb/s (aka 4Mb/s)... doh... but the point still remains.
"And like that
LejOS (http://lejos.sourceforge.net) is an open source Java API for RCX.
LejOS is great, although it does have the usual Java problems: large memory footprint, slow (virtual machine), etc...
I like to use both legOS and lejOS, depending on the project.
Also, I've been working on RCXComm, which is fun if you grok RCX bytecodes.
If you watch TV news, you know less about the world than if you just drank gin straight from the bottle.
Now I can build myself a refridgerator that can automatically open a new can of coke when I'm thirsty!
I Agree, Lego is very very social, but it can be enjoyed alone too. It if far better that the action figure craze I think, and much more social that most toys on the market. I had a few friends that would come over with their tub of lego and we would build massive spacebases and the like. The problem was playing with my sisters (I have 2 younger sisters, no brothers) They would always steal the best pieces or make furniture for their barbies.
There is also a new Lego Board game out called 'Creator' You start off with an instrucion card for a basic lego model, as does everyone else and the idea is to move around the board to collect the pieces you need to finish it, I would call that fairly social too.
If you do want another social aspect of lego, get some friends together, build yourself an army and play BrikWars. Mass destruction on a MiniFig scale!!!
Trav
Leg Godt!
{said with tongue firmly placed in cheek}
Yeah, but no one would mind if you flattened France.
$20 for the upgrade? Sheesh... Now if only another certain company could follow suit (oooh... sorry Bill... Probaly a bad choice of words) and only charge $20 for a bleedin' upgrade!
Ceci n'est pas une sig.
I remember the day when Legos made technics, sets that included gears and sprockets, springs, pneumatic pumps, and other such mechanical wonders. I used to always play with those. What i didnt quite understand is why they stopped making those? They seemed to encourage more imaginative thinking, becuase yuo could build more than just a city or a star wars ship or something of the stationary and inanimate. The technics sets allowed kids to use concepts such as gear ratios, pressure (pneumatic pumps) and other concepts which introduced phyical concepts of motion and dynamics. especially when the sets started adding motors, so that all those fancy cars with steering could actually move by themselves. I remember that there was a set for building a car (with most of the parts) NOW THAT'S LEARNING!!! god, any mechanic could have used that as a child. Then Legos stopped making the sets. damn was i pissed! Once an english teacher told me that kids are being dumbed down...he said a test that he gave 10 years ago, today's kids would all flunk. Reflecting back on lego sets...i see his point. now they programmable (yay! go digital gadgets), i have nothing against that...but what happened to the good old stuff. I guess i am just nostalgic :-(
.
BSD is for people who love UNIX. Linux is for those who hate Microsoft.
The open source movement may not yet be providing tools for the "common man", but it is providing probably the most amazing hobbyist tools yet seen through history.
Go Lakers!
...these sets?
Was this the car you were talking about?
Technic appears to be alive and well. Though I must agree with you about the dumbing-down and relentless merchandising of everything these days. Growing up, I thought LEGO was a lot of fun without having to attach the Star Wars franchise or any other marketing crap to the products. LEGO were (and still are) just plastic blocks that stick together, and they managed to compete quite successfully with video games when I was a young'un-- there was many an afternoon that my ColecoVision sat idle while I was furiously building space shuttles and F-15s.
I loved the Technic stuff, I had a huge box of miscellaneous gears, axles, etc, a couple of the motors, and also the pneumatic stuff. I also have a huge town setup from sets from the 80's, the very first model of their battery-powered train sets, and enough track to circle the whole town... all carefully stored away until I have enough space to set them up again someday. Hell, I'm 28 and I still pull out the things once in a while when I'm in a creative mood. Once a LEGO kid, always a LEGO kid, I guess.
~Philly
Lego mindstorms use the pieces from technics buddy. So the kids are still doing all the things you mentioned above. Not only that, but you can still buy technics in the store. Did you have ANY knowledge of legos before you posted this?
...is it a little more accessible to Mac users? I realize the software is Win only, but now that I can plug the IR unit directly into my Mac without the need for an adaptor, can I run the software from VirtualPC and send commands to the model? If so, I'm there! I'm trying to convince my wife that I need a set so that I can hone up on my Lego skills for when my son is ready for them. Since he's only six days old, I'm not sure she's buying it...
Can they take a hit from a Killsaw? Ok people it is time to grow up and build something a little more destructive. Lego's are for kids, real bots are welded together.
Got Code?
Buy Fred Martin's book "Robotic Exporations" first before you buy Mindstorms.
He and MIT helped invent the Mindstorms.
http://www.handyboard.com/
It isn't hard to network RCX's so you have more than 3 inputs and outputs. Or rather, it isn't hard with LegOS or NQC.
If Lego provided an example client server applications, it wouldn't be so intimidating. Lot's more people would buy two sets.
I'm going to put together one of these robots and program it to sit at my keyboard and click Slashdot links. Every couple of minutes, it will take random lines from people's old posts and assemble a new comment. It's amazing what machines can do in place of humans.
Donate background CPU time to fight cancer.
From the article: Though I really wanted to build something that would fetch the newspaper or drive me to work, my girlfriend was much more realistic.
I wish I'd thought of making a realistic Lego girlfriend. Somebody should tell the guys at Columbia Internet.
Quattuor res in hoc mundo sanctae sunt: libri, liberi, libertas et liberalitas.
Now, as for your pissing and moaning: instead of badmouthing Lego on /., why don't you send them a constructive letter where you don't use the spelling "Windoze" and don't insult Windows users? Maybe, if enough Mac users sent enough letters Lego would be willing to port Mindstorms.
Meanwhile, I'm going to go and program my latest bot from my Power Mac 6500.
The earlier discussion of the demise of lego mentioned the downward spiral of corpate estimates of customer intelligence. For example, I'm not saying that Lego LOGO was a powerful programming language, but it was certainly more powerful than point 'n click / Drag 'n drop programming mechanism associated with Mindstorms. To companies really beclieve their customers to be so inept that they can't candle even the simplest of [cough] complex tasks?
And in the spirit of Karma Whoring (in that I can't integrate it into my previous train of thought) check out Russ Nelson's excellant Lego MindStorms Website
--CTH
--Got Lists? | Top 95 Star Wars Line
Technically, USB still is a serial interface. The change is from RS-232 to USB, both of which are serial interfaces.
Even Slashdot wants to hide some things
As a kid, I never had Legos - instead I used Fischertechnik
.
To my mind they are a lot more impressive than legos - I think using them you can build much more stable structures, and though I am not sure they seem like the grandfather of the current Lego "Technic" sets. The link given shows a number of interesting kits such as phnumatic robotas and the like - they also have many motor sets (that I used as a kid) that have varying gears and such you could hook up to them. I think the Fischertechnik sets are more expensive than Legos, but to my mind seem to have a wider range of possible function.
I'm not at all sure what they are like to program though. It would be nice if someone had a comparitive review somewhere.
"There is more worth loving than we have strength to love." - Brian Jay Stanley
This is aimed toward kids. USB eliminates the need for power and dealing with com ports. Its much easier to instruct a novice to plug in the usb port than to worry about a battery and port selection. Plus, you don't have to worry about a poor connection when the battery starts to die.
Perfect? No, but simpler.
I still believe that the best way to 'play' with Mindstors is by using the Lego sensors, motors and IR transmitter and to combine them with your own prints. The receiver may be the TSOP1136 receiver. Those are cheap and work like the best.
To give the motors their jice at the right moment, use an IC of the L293 series (like the DIP L239B).
Of course you will need a controller of some kind... Take the 80C535.
It's based on 8051 technology and easy to program (I like to code it in Assebly).
Now, you can even use a LDR to let your robot follow a black line!
I'm going to put more information online soon. For now, just some picsures.
42 + 1 = 42
I don't know how widely used this "toy" is, but my 11 year-old sister got a LOT of use out of her mindstorms kit. It combined simple robotics with an introduction to simple computer programming, and it wasn't long before i found myself on the lookout for motion-activated catapults whenever I had to go near her room. I found the experience rather stressful and unnerving, but she definitely learned a lot, and gained an interest in computer science as well.
In this month's issue there is an article on Mindstorms,
they discuss 2.0 and future revisions of
Mindstorms. Plus they showm some
truly amazing designs. (A Rubic's Cube solver !)
1) noga.de is no longer maintained; legos.sourceforge.net is the canonical site now.
2) For a complete reference of all available free alternatives for Mindstorms on Linux, check the Lego Mini-HOWTO at the LDP. For more details on legOS and Forth (two of the most mature alternatives) check out Extreme Mindstorms. [shameless plugs, both]
3) There is, of yet, no way to run legOS or most of the other alternative environments on Mindstorms 2.0 from Linux because there are, ATM, no tools to control the USB towers that are standard with 2.0.
Thanks...
Luis Villa (legOS maintainer)
IAAL,BIANLY
I've been looking for a rotating brush attachment for the past few months. I'd love to build a robot that would wonder aroung my appartment sweeping while I was at work.
It'd be great, Sweepy would just wander aroung until he ran out of power. Much better than a maid.
I'm tire of these lazy robots. They need to start making my life better NOW.
Laugh at my ignorance while I learn Rails - a Real ne
I can't see any new feature here that is worth upgrading, except maybe the USB IR transmitter if you have USB ports to spare.
As for the new "IDE" software, that's great for kids, in that case get it. On the other hand, the mindstorm kit is for me so I can do with the multiple langauges (my favorite "not quite C") for the RCX.
- sigs are for wimps.
For anyone who picked up Loki's port of Mindrover, they have something very cool on thier site.
This is a set of objects for Mindrover that simulate the functioning of Lego RCX components. They also have pre-built objects that represent two real-world lego cars, and all the appropriate 'wiring' to connect them.
The 'programs' that you create in Mindrover can then be downloaded to the Mindstorms, and you can then watch your Mindrover in the real world.
I think Loki might be getting around to porting it (they mentioned on thier newsgroups that they would be porting some more stuff for it - no link right now, though).
They have the TECHNIC Pneumatic Pack for US$ 27.99.
Between Lego, Pitsco and EBay you can get pretty much whatever you might want to build sweet Midstorms 'bots.
Happy shopping.
Hey, timothy! Try reading the damn article before posting! Stupid Slashtot -- why aren't your parents supervising your use of the computer, timmy?
If all this should have a reason, we would be the last to know.