Apps in My Toolbox (Updated)

These are applications I use every day (outside Xcode).

1Password- This should have been the first on the list. With a strong vault password, it makes creating and keeping secure passwords and information so easy that you are stupid not to have it on every machine. The iOS integration is kinda a pain, but perhaps Extensions will make that better. This is the second install on any machine I setup (usually because my software licenses are in it. :-)

Autodesk Fusion 360: I love this app, and this is the app that I'm doing my YouTube tutorials in. This 3D modeling app is the first that made it intuitive for design for me. I've made many things that I've had 3D printed using Fusion. It is just an amazingly simple App to use. I've had only limited success with SketchUp. But this is truly a groundbreaking application. And free to makers. FYI, the version on the Mac App Store is out of date. Get the version from Autodesk.

Simplify3D: Quite simply put there is no better slicer for 3D printing that Simply3D. It's not cheap ($150), but it pays for itself by not wasting filament and time. I highly recommend it.

Grammarly: I no longer have an editor, so I've become more and more reliant on the free version of Grammarly. I'd be happy to upgrade, but there is no reasonably priced way to do that. $30/month is the cost of a monthly license for Illustrator. And the early cost, is $99, $85 if you're a student. So I'm unsure what do do. It works in text fields in browsers but not in this particular one. So I'll have to copy and paste and then redo the links. Plus the "Premium" errors always leave me wondering what I've screwed up. I wish the native version didn't seem to be just a web view.

OmniOutliner: This is a no-brainer. I've been using this for years and it gets better and better. I'm currently using it to write scripts in for my Fusion 360 steps. The only problem (and it isn't in OOO) is that the teleprompter I use on the iPad doesn't support the export files formats. But I love this app.

Spotlight: Since the mid-90s on my NeXT I used LaunchBar every single day. It was the first thing I installed on every new machine. And I still love it. But about a month ago I figured I'd try Spotlight. And it doesn't everything I need. That isn't to say that LaunchBar doesn't, but it does so much more than I need. so for the moment, it's Spotlight for me.

ScreenFlow- When I updated the list I completely forgot about ScreenFlow. I use it all the time for demonstrating bugs, or how to do something. And with my Fusion 360 YouTube videos about to launch it's absolutely a necessity. Hands down the best screen video capture application.

After Effects: I've been working on some YouTube tutorials (CAD, not programming). And I've found that making motion graphics is very easy in After Effects. It takes a bit of a learning curve, and I wouldn't want to do with without the Motion 2 plugin ($35) but it's something that I use at least every other day.

Premier Pro: Again, with my YouTube videos, I'm using Premier Pro. I find it much easier to use than Final Cut, and it imports the After Effects Live Effects easily.

Illustrator: Yes, I use Illustrator several days a week. No, not for work. Mostly for either designing things for being cut by Ponoko with a laser (Anyone willing to give me a Trotec laser for all my work on Stepwise?), but also for general drawing. And it is made far easier to use with the Astute Graphics plugins.However, I can't recommend the Astute Plugins. They have a very small window for upgrades, and even then they are overpriced. So I'm stuck with an older version that doesn't do what I need. And I don't use them enough to be worth the price of buying a brand new version. e

Monospace: I've been trying to find a great screen shot app for a long time. And the closest I've found is Monosnap. The thing that it lacks, is the ability to export to Photos.

TwitterBot - I have yet to find a Twitter client that I'm happy with. TwitterBot is good on Mac OS X, but on iOS I use Twitterific. I find that Twitterbot is hard to find conversations in. For a good Twitter client, I want a standard OS X UI. Search of my Twitter stream, conversations, easy access to the profile of the poster, easy to block, easy to subscribe, spell checking, auto URL shortening, easy picture integration, movies and sounds, easy muting by hashtag, and the ability to mute retweets of certain people (Twitterific on iOS has this). Smart Folders for following certain topics (Tweetbot has this), easy access to a "new tweet" button. But I've not found anything yet. And no sponsored content (Neither TwitterBox or Twitteriffic make me see those!)

Hazel - Still on the list after all these years! I'm all about Hazel, largely because I never have to think about it. She works tirelessly to move my downloads from Thingiverse to the folder that gets backed up. She moves my files I download from the repository at work into my work directory. She cleans up the detritus left by apps I delete. And so much more. She’s always in the background doing what I need to be done, but I never, ever think about her. Sorry, Hazel.

Dropbox- I use it. But it is a necessity for some things to sync. Bottom line, I don’t trust it. And it does funky Finder hacks. I can't wait for iCloud Drive.

Carbon Copy Cloner: This is an absolute must own. It makes it way to clone a drive, something you should do often, and have multiple drives to save them on.

Number One Apps on My Want List

These are apps that I'd love to see but haven't found yet:

• A great Twitter client (see above)
• A good blog editor (just re-found MarsEdit, I think this may be solved. Although I’d love a link button in the toolbar)

• A good WYSIWYG XML Editor. Xmplify is great, but not sure it can do WYSIWYG. I need to spend more time on it. Now that I'm no longer at Apple, I severely miss the internal XML editor.

  So what are your favorite apps? Feel free to tweet me at [@sanguish] to let me know.

  z

Selling my GoPro equipment

When I went to Jamaica in 2012 I was lucky enough to do a lot of diving and use my GoPro Silver camera. However when I went this year, the opportunities simply didn’t arise.

I can’t use the gear because of my OCD. While the cameras have waterproof cases, the cameras themselves are not.

Here is a list of all the items I’m selling

• 2 - GoPro Hero 3 - Silver Edition
• 1 - GoPro Flat+Curved Mounts
• 2 - Wasabi Charger, +2 batteries (each)
• 1 - Go Pro Battery
• 2 - GoPro Side Mount
• 2 - Go Pro Grab Bag of Mounts
• 2 - Go Pro Tripod Mount
• 2 - Manfrotto MMC3-01 Compact 5 Section Aluminum Monopod for Cameras (Black)
• 2 - 32Gb Flash Cards
• 2 - 16Gb Flash Card
• 2 - Pelican Black SD Memory Card Protective Case
• 2 - AmazonBasics 60-Inch Lightweight Tripod with Bag
• 1 - GoPro Chest Mount
• 1 - Go Pro head mount (maybe)

The GoPro Silver Hero 3 does not suffer from the Hero 3+ lens issues that you can read about on Amazon. That’s why I decided on that.

The two GoPro cameras alone are $299 new, batteries and chargers about $30 each, all the rest of the bits add up pretty quick too. The trips and monopod are both $24, and the monopod has a ball head attached.

I am looking to get these out of my life. They are just sitting around, and when I go to Jamaica again this year, they’ll just need to be replaced yet again.

With all the accessories, I’m looking for $500. 

If you are interested, you can send me a tweet at @sanguish and we can Direct Message.

Everything is like new. All has been stored in plastic bags or pelican cases.

GoPro Hero 3 Silver Edition

I recently spent 20 glorious days in Jamaica. I highly recommend going if you can. I stayed at the Beaches Negril resort on the western tip of the island. Negril is famous for its 7 mile white sand beach.

 I scuba dive and snorkel, and had a number of trips planned that I wanted to photograph that a regular DSLR wouldn't be appropriate for. After looking at point and shoot cameras that were waterproof I decided instead to go in a different direction. I purchase a Go Pro Silver. The system is awesome.

The GoPro Hero 3 is a hi-definition camera (1080i). The Silver comes with a waterproof case and a case that is useful for rugged, but not wet environments. It also has a WiFi capability built in. There are a lot of options available for it for mounting, and it's easy to make your own mounts

What I brought

I bought the kit along with

• 2 additional batteries
• the chest mount
• the head mount (you look like a dork but it works really well)
• an extra 'bag of bits' from Amazon
• the humidity insert

If I had known that the attachments were so easy to forget once you stick them on something, I would have bought a second bag of bits (it was about $20). Remember that if you're out of the country. Buy 3. They're cheap. And bring heavy duty foam tape so you can reuse them after you pop them off (you'll need a knife or screwdriver).

I also picked up a monopod and an adaptor for that which allowed more flexibility with mounting direction. This could have been done with the bag of bits, but I went this way. The monopod allowed lifting it up, using it underwater, and more.

My Uses

Over the 20 days I used it for:

• Scuba diving, (wore chest mount)
• Snorkeling,  (wore chest mount)
• Cimbing the 600 ft Dunns River Falls waterfall. - (wore head mount)
• 2 zipline tours (mounted on the helmet. One on the side with the appropriate bits to point it forward, the second just straight on the front)
• 3 trips down the Mystic Mountain bobsled (head mount, but hold it!)
• I don't know how many trips down the waterside at the resort
• Chukka dune buggy tour (sticky attachment)
• Chukka ATV tour (sticky attachment on my helmet)

The quality of the images is great. make sure you turn on the ProTune mode and use their software to convert it to MP4. You get much better quality.

It performed well, although it did shut off on me a couple of times. I don't know if I pushed the button or what.

It'll take movies at various resolutions, still pictures, and continuous pictures at whatever interval you set. There are guides on when it is better to use continuous pictures rather than movie mode.

Support WiFi and iOS!

One very cool feature is that it supports WiFi. You can turn on WiFi with a password on the Camera. it then acts as a base that you can attach your iPhone or iPad to. You can preview the output, take pictures, change the picture mode and more. I don't know what battery life is like when WiFi is on, but without it I was getting easily 2 hours.

I had hoped to have my iPad on a Hobie Cat or Kayak and the camera in the water on a pole using the preview mode, never had the chance. The best movie I shot was when I returned to the boat to put it on when snorkeling and when I got back in there was a beautiful 5 or 6 foot stingray that was staying well away from all the splashing  snorkelers.

There is also a special case that you can use with two cameras to make 3-d movies. It's extra (as is the camera)

Downsides

Now the downsides.

• It did shut off on me twice. Both times I missed shots I wanted. There was no indication why, and the battery was fine. I also did encounter one error. but I couldn't read the display (no glasses). Pulling the battery fixed it temporarily. 
• The wrist mount doesn't fit the Hero 3. Didn't happen to me but someone else mentioned it at the resort.
• You will want the LCD back if you want to see what you are recording without a computerI
• It gets hot if it is in the sealed case. It also comes with a protective case that has openings in the back for better sound. Good if you don't plan on getting it wet.
• You have to charge the batteries in the camera. I find this a big issue.

I have great movies of my trip. I am upset that I missed the end of one zipline run, but nothing I can do about it.

I had looked at the first model for mounting on my Miata. I will consider another Sllver to use on my Miata.

Hints

• The box it comes in has a great base that displays the camera. Save it. It is an excellent custom mount.
• Consider making a clamp based attachment. I would have had 3 different views from the bobsled runs (mine, left side low, right side low) that would have been great for editing together. But I didn't have a way to attach it other than the scarce sticky mounts.
• Experiment before you leave. If I had, I'd have bought the LCD back. It's good just as a camera in wet terrain.
• Check Instructables - lots of cool ideas there and elsewhere.
• If you're going to go diving with it and not on a mount, definitely check the design out there to make a stable carrier for it underwater.

In short, definitely worth the money. Dunno if I'd need a GoPro Hero 3 Black. I was surprised that the Silver had the WiFi, as it wasn't clear that was the case.

Will I buy another? Yep.

Lousy Mental Health Treatment Situation in Vermont

Update: July 11, 2014. Still no luck. I’ve been seeing a therapist in Montreal once a month instead. Having to go to Canada for healthcare (even as a Canadian) is annoying.

Vermont is a state where it is next to impossible to get in to see an Psychiatrist. And the quality of the ones that are available are at best 'iffy'. They either are retiring or have more issues of their own than you want to deal with.

I've been trying to get in to see one who is supposed to be excellent for more than 10 years. Let me say that again, 10 years. I saw a different doctor in his practice and six months into treatment he moved to Montpelier and left no solutions for his patients.

My last two have been hoarders. The first treated out of her house and you had to weave between stacks of musical crap and papers in order to get to the chair that had a towel on it (which was removed) because of her dogs. The dogs were always in the room during the sessions, with the door closed. Totally inappropriate. Eventually I just started calling her to get my drugs renewed. 

Then at the end of 2009 there was an incident at work. What happened I can't go into, I was a bystander, but was supporting one of the parties because they needed it. I had to find a new psychiatrist and a therapist (something I've never had to do). I managed to in fairly quick order. But while the therapist was a professional and had a professional office and attitude, the pychiatrist was also a hoarder. Her office was piled high with crap. Boxes, papers, under the desk, on top of the desk, in the corners, on the cabinets.

The door wouldn't open all the way it was so bad. I was never comfortable there and hated sitting down to the point where I simply refused. This clearly pissed her off. I was pushed onto meds I didn't want to retry and paid the price (if my work during Sept/Oct/Nov) wasn't so linear, I'd have been fucked. She had accused me of 'self sabotage', something a bastard I worked with years ago had. I went back on the meds simply as rebellion. Oh, I paid the price. And I ended up catatonic for the week of Thanksgiving on the floor of the living room, not moving or waking for days. I had decided she was never going to be seen again when I restarted the meds.

I'm not new to being medicated. I've been on OCD related meds for more than 20 years. I know most of them better than the doctor does. I research them, I find papers that show experimental evidence of usefulness (how I found one I am currently taking that really helps). I read books on OCD drug treatment written by a former psychiatrist of mine when I lived in Toronto. I'm not an idiot. I'm always compliant. But if you refuse to treat me with respect when I say 'this isn't working' then we have a problem.

A few weeks ago my therapist I'd had for 18+ months essentially fired me. She said that she didn't think we were getting anywhere. Personally, I felt that having a weekly place to come and talk to an unbiased individual was the most helpful thing I had. She found another facility that would take me.

This has been a clusterfuck disaster since the start.

First, they said they couldn't take me. My therapist had to get back in touch with them to remind them that this was pre-arranged.

I was assigned to an Anxiety Disorder Clinic and assured I would be called within a few days for an appointment (issue 1). After a month I called intake back and got a call from the director of the facility with a few hours who said that they would have a psychiatrist and therapist get in touch.

The psychiatrist did, so I could get back onto the anti-depressent I was on before the 'experiments' started that wrecked last fall. Half way through the appt he told me he wasn't sure what was going on and why I (a complex case) had been assigned to him as he was retiring at the end of June. This was a mind blower. So I had a single prescription of an anti-depressent, and they take 5 weeks to take full effect. He'd be gone. They have no doctor currently committed to the facility (issue 2).

Today was supposed to be my first therapist visit at 1pm. The discussion about time took place on my speakerphone. My wife was in the room and 1pm was definitely the time mentioned. I was there 30 minutes early. I waited. Waited. At 2pm another patient came out and I asked the therapist where XXXX was. She said she was her and that I had been supposed to be there at 11. This was obviously not the case, and I would have not accepted that appointment (I had deadlines last night and as it was I got two hours of sleep). But you can't argue because there are no options in Vermont. You piss off someone and you are shit out of luck. I ate shit and I'm supposed to go back at 11pm next Friday (which I intend to cancel and reschedule). This was the third issue with this center.  To to mention I've gone from seeing an accredited psychologist doctor to a social worker. Not happy about that.

I'm at my wits end for treatment. My GP refuses to prescribe anti-depresents, even though he'll continue to refill my other meds. He won't prescribe the SSRI anti-depressent I was on for 10 years! I just don't fathom this. He'd rather I was depressed and in pain than taking that initiative.

So, I have no choice. I continue to go to this anxiety clinic (make the front door cancer run, or back door garbage run to get in). But I have no confidence in this facility. 

Yet, the options aren't there. Sigh.

I've written this more for me than anyone. I am frustrated and have work to do. Maybe writing this will shake the tree loose. Then again, maybe not. Maybe I should try and sleep. I'm working on 2 hours for crying out loud.

We need 

Learning Chain Maille

I posted a bunch of additional pictures of my recent chain maille projects on my flickr account.

The set Chain Maille I made seems to show most of the recent.

The best piece I've made at this point is a necklace that is JPL3 (Jens Pinder Linkage 3). It was not easy to learn (the first 4 inches had to be tossed once I got the hang of it). The rings are from chainweavers.com. They sell specially sized rings for JPL3 because standard sizes can slip by each other. They're a little less than 5mm outer diameter, and less than 3mm inner (18 gauge wire). It took about 40 hours to make 17 inches. And the last night I had to finish it (for my friend Stacey's birthday) was an all nighter. Then I found out I had 90 minutes to get it to her because it was the only time her manager said she was available today. So it was a quick drop off of the kid at school and then a run to Burlington. But for her reaction it was worth it.

OK, I strayed.

Finding Instructions

Start with simple weaves. Byzantine is good. European 4-in-1 is another good one. Concentrate on how you open the rings (twist them, don't pull them open). Make sure to apply tension to the close so they stay closed. This takes practice.

Getting Instructions

www.mailleartisans.org is a good site with loads of weaves. But they vary in quality. Alot.

I have bought a lot of instruction sets from Chainweavers, BlueBuddha.com, www.culturejewelry.com (excellent overall, and include WMV slides), and Dylon Whyte's Etsy shop. He's got great Persian 3 in 1 instructions that include how to close rubber/aluminum bracelets.

Finding Rings

Don't bother to make your own rings. And stay away from stainless steel. They're hard as hell to bend and will ruin pliers. Instead use bright aluminum. It's cheep, and nice for learning because you can get different colors useful for learning some weaves. And you can also buy round plastic shower rings. I find that useful for learning weaves too. Or showing someone.

My favorite suppliers (be sure to mention me!)

• Bright Aluminum rings I buy from Utopia Armoury on Etsy

  . Excellent prices and the quality is great. BlueBuddha has them as shiny, but Bill is a small supplier and even cheaper. Plus he's a great guy and makes really cool stuff (think chain maille bikinis that are street legal!)

   

• Anodized rings (colored aluminum), Enameled copper, jewelers brass, copper, and Niobium I get from 

  BlueBuddha.com

  . The colors are vibrant and the service is excellent. Tell them I sent you (I get nothing, but I want them to know I appreciate them).

• If you're in Canada, try The Ring Lord

  . Lots of options. Also the only place I know of to get glow in the dark silicone rings (at a major price mind you).

• Fire Mountain Gems

  also sells Oh! Rings, which are rubber rings that are in different sizes and thicknesses. They're pretty cheap. Stay away for rings though. They're good for ear wires if you're making earrings though.

• If you want precious metals,  Chainweavers is the place to get them. Prices are as reasonable as you can expect for precious metals, and they have researched ring sizes very well. They're helpful. They have the elusive Argenentium. This is probably the coolest metal I've found. It's got the same amount of silver it in it as sterling silver. But rather than an alloy with copper and other metals, it is alloyed with Germainium. By doing this the silver will never tarnish. You pay about 15% more than Sterling, but it's worthy it.  They also have some kits and some instructions that are quite decent. They're also the only place I've found with Argentium clasps. Why make a non-tarnish bracelet or necklace to have the clasp tarnish?

Tools

You need two flat nose pliers. For some weaves a pair of needle nose are useful (with JPL3 it was a necessity to weave the rings, and then I used the flat nose pliers to close them. If you want great pliers by Lindstrom. If you can't afford them (about $40 each), make sure you make the inside of the pliers absolutely smooth either with high grade sandpaper or a Dremel buffer. It makes less scratches. I've also used silicone with minimal succes. Others use Tool Magic which is a dip that puts a soft (replaceable, and you'll need to) film on the pliers. Buff and sand first. Trust me. Even the Lindstrom. I picked mine up from ArtBeads.com, but ChainWeavers sells Wubbers which aren't bad if smoothed.

Pliers, baggies (for ring storage) and Sharpies (for labelling the bags, I do it with a slip of paper) is all you really need. But some things are handy.

Calipers are useful because almost everyone uses slightly different sizes for there wire, even if they say 16 guage. For example 16 guage is 1mm. But at Blue Buddha it is 1.15mm. That makes some weaves impossible.

I've not tried using magnifying optics yet (I just got a pair) to close the rings more flushly. I use my finger nail to make sure that they rings are closed perfectly flat.

I think good lighting is also key. I use a Petra headlamp. But with some colors and shiny rings, it's too bright. It's what I have to use considering my OCD, but you may do better with different lighting.

Aspect Ratio

This is key. It's the internal diameter divided by the thickness of the ring. It is what determines if a weave will work. Learn it.

Patience

Be patience. It's hard to get started. Buy some 5/32" rings from Utopia Armoury and try Byzantine.

Good luck!

Brink

I purchased Brink based on the videos of the gameplay. Apparently it wasn't gameplay.

It sucks.

There is no balance, even in easy mode. The enemy heals almost immediately. The weapons are poor. When down you have to be healled (medics never come) or you have to restart at the last checkpoint. There are several different classes and even that is confusing. Plus someone keeps saying "Brothers" and it's annoying. The plot sucks. 

And. Graphics are poor (considering they're using ID tech, I'm surprised). Guns are so limited it isn't even funny. Grenades are almost useless. And again, this is solo play on easy.

Definitely stay away

Some recent games revisited.

I wanted to revisit some of the recent games I've purchased now that I've played them through.

I replayed Dead Space 2 probably 4 times. Great game. There was an expansion pack (another person's experience during the crisis) and it was short. Not bad, but too short. And the ending was a major downer.

Bulletstorm turned out to have almost no replay fun. Sad. 

Black Ops: So I still don't play online since I have no friends to do that with. I play combat training. I've maxed that out, and can get perfect scores on just me vs 9 other NPCs on recruit. Not so on any other level. :-) Love the M16 with the non-adjustable scope that I forget the name of. Combined with the camera, I can snipe all day. I hope more DLC becomes available. I'd love to have an FNH P90 in the game. Largely because I can't bring myself to pony up the $2K for a real one.

By far Berlin is my favorite level. It was available in the DLC. Stadium is good too. It's hard to play split screen with my 8 year old since he cheats and looks at where I am. Booo Duddy!

I also picked up Crysis 2. While the game was interesting the first time through, it doesn't seem to have much replay value. And the online requires multiple people.

Right now, I'm just dying for Portal 2. April 19th!

Some of my chain maille jewelry.

I keep forgetting to photograph some of the stuff I make. I know there are some earrings I've made that aren't here and others. I hate when I forget to take pictures of stuff. I'm always afraid I'll make something similar..

Anyways, some examples of my work...

• Stretchy bracelet for my daughter in UVM colors. Persian 3-in-1 with rubber and aluminum rings.
• 2 color Byzantine weave bracelet, a birthday gift for a Monster. Bright and anodized aluminum.
• Red hair clip, gift for an ex-Monster. Anodized aluminum scales and bright aluminum.
• Purple mobius flowers, late birthday gift for another ex-Monster. Bright and anodized aluminum.
• Orbital earrings for the same ex-Monster. Yet another late birthday present. Bright aluminum.
• Byzantine weave earrings  and an aluminum Byzantine necklace with some spacers. Both were for a friend's birthday. The earrings are Niobum. It was the first time I've worked with it. Wanted to make something special.
• Matching Byzantine bracelet and earrings for a friend to wear to a wedding. Bright and anodized aluminum. The earrings end in mobius rings.
• A really fuzzy picture of the first piece of chain maille jewelry I did and gave away to a friend. Byzantine weave with a funky color combo.
• I've also made a pink and silver byzantine weave bracelet for a friend, but the only picture I have is blurry, and she's embarrassed of the totally invisible arm hair she has. :-)
• Plus, I made Celtic Rings (which aren't rings for your fingers, but can be worn as necklaces, hung as decoration, or make Christmas tree ornaments) for Christmas gifts for a bunch of people. And I forgot to take pictures of any of them. I am truly a bonehead.

I've done a bunch more than this, but these are the pieces I'm really proud of. I've not shown anything much of the Persian, European 4 in 1, or Box that I've been playing with. I will in time.

I still have about 5000 rings to color sort. Blah.

Measuring for a bracelet

When I make a bracelet for a friend it's important that I get an accurate measurement to start.

The measurement should be taken flat against the skin, not tight, but with no slack either. I allow for that when I make the bracelet. Once I know the wrist diameter I make a paper tube the same diameter and fit the bracelet to that.

So, here is how to measure (assuming you don't have a flexible cloth measuring tape).

Step 1

This is easiest done by ripping a straight strip from an 8.5" x 11" piece of paper, long ways. 

Click for a bigger image.

Step 2

Put a mark on the one end of the paper (sorry for the blurry photo). I also tend to put a direction marker, but it seems pointless.

Click for a bigger image.

Step 3

Line the paper up ready to wrap around your wrist. The direction arrow I added shows the direction to wrap the paper.

Click for a bigger image.

Step 4

Wrap the paper around your wrist. Again, make it snug, but not tight. The goal is to overlap the paper such that you can see the edge (or edge mark if you added one). The picture below shows my hairy wrist with the paper wrapped around it and you can see the mark.

Click for a bigger image.

Step 5

Add a mark where the paper overlaps with the edge. Again I used a directional mark to remind me of the way that I've wound this. In the case of my 7"+ wrist, not an issue. But women's wrists are typically 6 1/1" (the standard) and I've seen smaller. It can be confusing which of the edge to measure from if you've skipped the marking of the original edge.

Click for a bigger image.

Step 6

Unwrap the paper and lay it out flat. It should be obvious which area needs to be measured when using the directional marks.

Click for a bigger image.

Step 7 

Measure between the lines. In this case the measurement is 7 3/16" 

Click for a bigger image.

Step 8

There is no Step 8. Overall it's pretty simple and even more so if you have a flexible measuring tape. Even a metal measuring tape will usually work, although you'll want to use the 2nd or 3rd inch in as the starting point (and remember to subtract that value).

Remember, snug against the skin. The fake paper wrist is what I use to make sure it fits OK.

This is an article more for friends than anybody. It's something I can point them to so I can be sure to get proper measurements when making them bracelets.

Some examples of my work...

Stretchy bracelet for my daughter in UVM colors

2 color Byzantine weave bracelet, a birthday gift for a Monster

Red hair clip - gift for an ex-Monster

Byzantine weave earrings (This was the first time I've worked with Niobium rather than Aluminum.) and an aluminum Byzantine necklace with some spacers. Both were for for a friend's birthday.

Matching Byzantine bracelet and earrings for a friend to wear to a wedding.

A really fuzzy picture of the first piece of chain maille jewelry I did and gave away to a friend.

I've done a bunch more than this, but these are the pieces I'm really proud of. I've not shown anything much of the Persian, European 4 in 1, or Box that I've been playing with. In time I might.

Quick Reviews: Dead Space 2, Bulletstorm, Call of Duty: Black Ops

Dead Space and Dead Space 2

I waited a long time to play Dead Space. It was a gift from my daughter for Christmas, but I the demo had been so hard I was hesitant.

That was stupid. The game rocked. Totally, utterly rocked. Great plot. Loved it. You can pick up Dead Space at Amazon as a $20 special edition.

Dead Space 2 is out now and I loved it. I've played it through 4 times now. I enjoyed the plot, and the gameplay was just as good as the first. It was a continuation with some evolution, not a whole new game, and that was fine by me. It's a 2 DVD game. The need to swap is a pain. But being able to play the second portion without putting in Disc 1 and then Disc 2 is good.

And as if that wasn't enough goodness, March 1 brings new DLC that includes single person gameplay (since I stay clear of the XBox Live ghetto.)

The game leaves an easy opening for a third installment. I can only home we see Issac again.

Note, there is also iPad version. It has a different take on things though, you play as a Unitarian (the religious nut jobs in the console version). The graphics are good and it's pretty fun. Worthy of the minor investment. Sorry, no link. But it's on the iTunes App Store.

Bulletstorm

Bulletstorm: part campaign, part arcade, part multiplayer. Violent as hell and the language is something that even I was hesitant to let my youngest hear (and I'm not a parent who believes that swearing in front of children will cause them to do the same, and it seems to have worked fine). And Triska is totally hot while Grayson Hunt would make a great Halloween costume.

The campaign is short. And hard, even on Very Easy. But it is fun. The arcade aspects will be re-playable. I don't know anything about the multi-player. 

Update on Bulletstorm

OK, still great game, but deployability and the arcade version just doesn't seem to be what I had hoped. Call of Duty is back in the Xbox tray, and I'll likely be sniping NPCs until Portal 2. Or the weather gets nicer and I can go and snipe in my back yard with my Talon SS. 

EA: Death by a thousand cuts

But it does bring up an issue I have with both Dead Space 2, Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit and Bulletstorm. EA now requires that you have a separate code for playing online for each member of your family. So I pay $60 for a game, and then another $7 so my teenage son can play. I so love getting bled to death. 

Call of Duty: Black Ops

Call of Duty: Black Ops: OK, so I wasn't going to buy this. I didn't play the earlier games much. And again, I hate multiplayer because of the horrible experience that Xbox Live is. I can't believe the blatant racism present online. But the Combat Training mode makes up for it, you get multiplayer of sort, but without the name calling.

The campaign mode is all over the place time-wise. Hard to follow, but fun nonetheless.

The zombie mode is awesome, especially playing a split screen game with one of my kids, as is Combat Training.

And I've played Combat Training dozens and dozens of times by myself. The new DLC that included 4 new levels is awesome. I love playing the Berlin and Stadium levels with 4 good NPCs and 8 bad.

Waiting For...

So, the next little bit looks like it'll be replay time. At least until Portal 2 comes out on April 19. It's been moved up by months and I hope its worth the rush. And F.E.A.R. 3 in May. And beyond that Bioshock Infinite, December 31, 2012.

The LEGO Pirates of the Caribbean and LEGO Star Wars III: The Clone Wars games come out March 22, my little guy will love those.

One other surprise was the trailer for the Dead Island zombie game. I wish there was in-game play though. Trailers and previews without in-game play is kind of a lost leader.

BTW - All of those links do take you to Amazon and I do get a cut if you buy through them. I'm not going to hide that. :-)

My house contractor sucks, even after 10 years it still pisses me off.

The contractor who built my house sucks.

My dream home has become a lousy nightmare.

I wanted a woodworking workshop in the basement... woodworking was my passion, and a major reason for the house design, but a huge laminated beam runs the length of the house. Low enough that a door can't even be put in. So much for paying for in floor basement heating so I'd have a cozy shop to work in.

And much of the work is sloppy has hell.

• Drywall cracking open in every corner, tearing the joints a part.
• Finish carpentry that would make a true carpenter ill.
• Footprints and finger prints on the ceiling bead board in the bedroom. And they don't wash off.
• Leaky shower and bathtub.
• Incorrectly placed central vac outlets.
• No cable or other data outlets in bedroom as specified.
• Data and electrical lines run in the same holes (a no-no, but his guy apparently 'knew his stuff' about this, bullshit.)
• Lousy painting job, including missed spots and paint on the oiled timbers.
• Roofing on one side of the house improperly applied and coming off.
• Excavation done incorrectly (stump dump outside our back door... we had to hire someone to fix the landscaping and drainage issues).

It never ends. 

The timber frame is cut excellently. The stressed skin panels seem to be as well. But inside? 

I wish I could name him, but my lawyer advises otherwise. 

Simplifying Linear Actuator project

I've decided that it probably would be easier to find a way to get the cabinet opening project, using a linear actuator, figured out by simplifying the design greatly.

Connecting the actuator to an Arduino would allow a single button to be pressed with my foot, and the linear actuator be extended to it's full length, pushing the cabinet door open. Then after a short pause, the actuator would automatically retract. However, since it wouldn't be fastened to the door, it would leave it opened. This isn't the ideal solution, but it is the simplest.

The biggest issue is force. The www.firgelliauto.com units have some limitations with the miniature units with respect to force. So I've bought a newton force scale to try and measure the type of force that will be required to pull the door.

I could really use any help I could get with this project. Particularly with the hardware hookup.

I wouldn't bother with any of this if it wasn't a handicap situation.

Assassin's Creed Brotherhood, Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit, and Call of Duty: Black Ops

I've recently picked up all three of these games for my Xbox (spit). They're a mixed bag, at best.

Let me say up front: I am a single player. I don't play multiplayer except on rare occasions when I can do so with the kids split screen, or in the house between my son's machine and mine. So if your company can't produce a decent single player experience, you can suck my c***. Too many companies just don't care. AI is hard, so make it so that the other players provide AI.

Assassin's Creed Brotherhood

Single player experience is excellent. I love this game. Some was too hard, and I was never able to completely own Rome, but the same itself was wonderful. A technical achievement as well. I've heard the multiplayer is good. When it comes out as a download only I'll get a copy so my son and I can try it.

Buy via Amazon -  Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood. Oh, and I need more DLC.

Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit

Single player is interesting and frustrating. Most of the cars above sport are un-driveable for me, and I've driven some pretty significant cars in real life. I hate the races and the Rapid Response events. They make it impossible to enjoy the other events because without passing them, you're stuck. Also, having to pay MORE so that the other two players can get online when I'm already paying $60 for a game? Suck it.

Buy via Amazon -  Need for Speed Hot Pursuit

Call of Duty: Black Ops

Poor AI. Short single player campaign that jumps all over the place in time and location. Too much torture of the Mason player.

And (slight spoiler) I found the putting glass in the one character's mouth and then slugging him in the mouth appalling. But that's the CIA.

I found the Zombie modes more amusing, but it's something that I'll let my son play with his multi-player buddies and won't touch again.

And, I wanted to know who played the characters, not who wrote the game. You made me sit through way too much in the line of credits to get to that.

Buy via Amazon -  Call of Duty: Black Ops

Waiting for...

I'm waiting for F.E.A.R. 3  and Dead Space 2 . I'm hoping they bring a good solid single player game.

Simple control of a linear actuator

I'm a software guy. This means that hardware is a mystery to me.

I'm also unable to do something things comfortably because of my OCD. Opening and closing particular cabinets is one of them.

I want to use a linear actuator from  http://www.firgelli.com/ to push a cabinet door open, and then close the cabinet door. It isn't a heavy door by any means, and I can get away with a 4-6 inch travel actuator. The actuator would be fastened on the inside of the cabinet and to the door.

So, I need to use an Arduino or something to do the following using a single button (I have a button I can put on the floor to use with my foot)

1. Push 1: apply 12 volts DC to the actuator (open the actuator)
2. Push 2: turn voltage off
3. Push 3 apply 12 volts DC to the actuator, but with the positive and negative poles flipped (close the actuator)]

Once a button is in state 1 or 3, it will continue until the built in limit switch is tripped, and that will turn off the circuit (the actuator has a limiting switch).

I have no idea where to start.

Update

A number of people have, helpfully, pointed me to DPDT switches. These are what the manufacturer suggests using on their site for simplicity. However, that isn't what I need as a solution. They simply aren't big enough to be used with one's foot.

I have a large foot switch that came with a keyboard. This is what I'm looking for to use. I do appreciate the DPDT suggestions, but it just isn't what is needed in this case.

More games - Crackdown 2, Prototype, Singularity

These are all fairly recent Xbox 360 releases I've played through. All were worth their money, although Singularity was $34 when I picked it up. (Disclosure, the Amazon links are affiliate links, so you help support my habit.)

Crackdown 2

Crackdown 2 is a sequel to Crackdown . The series is a sandbox style game where you have a group of islands making up a metropolitan area that you can throughly explore. In the original Crackdown you were battling gangs. You played a genetically enhanced agent that evolved as they became more proficient at shooting, agility, strength, driving, and using explosives. When agility was getting high, you could climb dizzily high buildings to do battle with the gangs and bosses. I played the game several times when it first came out and revisited it before the sequel was released. I won't spoil the ending, but I will say that you can't play as the same character in the sequel.

Crackdown 2 looked like it was going to disappoint in the trailers. But fortunately it didn't. It's 10 years later and the mutants that were being cooked up by one of the gangs in the original story have become rampant. It's the same set of islands, same city. But war torn from the fight with the mutants. Huge concrete walls are in place in some areas, breached in others. You play as a genetically enhanced Agency clone. The building of capabilities in the shooting, agility, etc... areas is the same in this version. 

While you fight a single gang "The Cell", your other enemy, and the one you're ultimately trying to defeat are the mutants. The mutants have hives where they return every day (they hate light). You have to take over installations that The Cell have seized and turn on the special devices at each. When the combination of three are taken back and enabled, you can attack a hive. Hives are underground, in areas that you're familiar with from the first game. The battles increase in difficulty. Once all the hives are cleared and The Cell is defeated there is still one more major battle. Again, I won't spoil it, but it was hard, took me several tries, and I felt good about the effort when completed. 

When the story is done, you're not necessarily done with the game. You can continue to search for the agility and hidden orbs. I managed to find all of them in the first version, and I will get them all in this one eventually. There are also audio tapes that really help move the story along. I've not found all those either, yet.

Buy this one now.

Prototype

Prototype ($30) is another game that I really enjoyed. Another sandbox game, this time based in NYC. It isn't an accurate representation of the city though. The story is complex and I'm still not sure I understand the complete story. You play a man infected with a genetic virus. The virus is spreading throughout the city, creating mutants of various strengths. But you respond differently than most people. Your capabilities evolve over time, allowing faster movements, more fighting capabilities, and the ability to scale buildings and glide. Mini-games are strewn throughout the city, most are challenges related to your specific skills. You battle the military and the monsters. You 'absorb' others to gain their memories and unlock details of the story, or just to gain their health or physical appearance (to allow stealth access and hiding).

I really enjoyed this game as well. I'm a sucker for mutant/zombie sandbox games I guess.

This is another I'd really suggest picking up. And it's a Platinum hit, so cheap.

Singularity

The final game I picked up was Singularity . I'm surprised this game didn't get more press, although it is a bit short, and definitely linear in play. You're a US military agent sent to investigate a radiation event in Russia. There is an alternate history timeline involved, although that wasn't terribly clear until the end. I may have just missed it though. Your weapon of no-choice is the TMD (it's attached to your left-hand), along with conventional military gear that you find as the game progresses.

The graphics were really good, based on the Unreal engine. And the whole story (which occasionally bounced you back in time at the same location) had sort of a Half-Life vibe to it, but not near that quality. Aged audio recordings, supply boxes and equipment can be brought back into working order using the TMD, which evolves as you find upgrade instructions and the locations that can modify the device.

It is most definitely a linear game though. You had a set path you had to follow and missions and objectives you had to complete to progress. You could stray slightly from the path to do some searching, but that was about it. Still, a good game. Not anywhere near the first two, but good.

The ending(s) left me feeling like a bad guy either way. That was rather the suck. If you can get it when Amazon has it for $34 it's worth it. But sometimes they pop it up to $55. I think all the current generation games are too expensive. Unless it's something I really want, like Crackdown 2, I tend to wait a while.

I will probably give Singularity a second play, just in case I missed anything.

Waiting for...

There are a few more sequels I'm waiting for that are on the way. Portal 2 of course (delayed until next year). F.E.A.R. 3 is another. Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood , and Lego Star Wars III: The Clone Wars.

Plus there is new DLC for Bioshock 2 that is single player (I don't play Xbox Live, other than my son). And also new DLC for Alan Wake (another I enjoyed).

And single player DLC for Red Dead Redemption (wow, huge sandbox, missions, just awesome) apparently with zombies is coming eventually. I love me some zombies.

(I'd love a PS3, but until I get the TV on the wall and things organized, ain't happening).