Audiophase Dual-Alarm Clock Radio Circo Monkey Alarm Clock RCA Radio Alarm Clock Sony Dream Machine ICF-C180 Sony Dream Machine ICF-C211 Timex T132 "iMac" Alarm Clock Crosley 33301 Front Glass Repairing Alarm Clock Clock Projector These are some common tools used to work on this device. You might not need every tool for every procedure.We made some major discoveries! Having experimented with laser-cutting housings for our LED clocks, (placing the two breadboards back to back), we found that LEGO technic 4.8mm holes can fit 5mm LEDs perfectly in the holes, and then we can just jam the whole breadboard build into the wall of a LEGO model. So we bring you the Beginner's LUCK (LEGO UNARY CLOCK KIT)...The project is CC-licensed, we've provided a kit and build instructions but until we figure out how to source the bricks, only the electronics are included in the kit. It's basically the original documented project, plus you add your own LEGO. The secret of the build is that there exist 1x1 Technic LEGO bricks, meaning we can create a wall with exactly 12 holes across (normal LEGO technic bars have odd-numbered holes, leaving awkward gaps).
We've switched to using white LEDs so we can then use LEGO '1x1 round plates' as diffusers to choose the color when we build it. Above, the time shows 4:05 PM - the top row in red is the hours, and the bottom row in green is the minutes (5 minutes per light). We found the LEGO 'round plates' are not frosted enough and the brightness is too high when standing directly in front of the clock. However, it turns out that the paper cutouts from a standard hole punch make perfect diffusers. Just punch the circles and push them in...As you can see in the distinctNumbers array in the source on github there's a scheme to make the hours more identifiable at a glance, by laying out the lit LEDs differently for each hour. This means you don't have to count the LEDs to know the hour.However, currently the minutes just progress like a bar-graph from left to right, giving more of an ambient feel to the progress of each hour. That's partly because you'd have to multiply by 5 anyway in your head, which feels unnatural.
The LEDs are better seated by shifting the second DM134 down the breadboard by 4 holes compared to our existing layout. Even then it's a pain to get them all in by bending the legs , so we're now sourcing addressable RGB LED chains to make the build easier (though substantially more expensive, unfortunately).We've made some progress ordering LEGO bricks from Bricklink, but the Aliexpress clone bricks are more promising for bulk orders now the original LEGO patent has expired, and those can be reliably ordered in large numbers for cheap. Watch this space for more #MorecambeClocks . We've opened up an outreach programme for clock hacking based on our DS1307 build to our neighbours in the local community and so far we have in development...And if anyone has seen Sam the Space dog then you should know that Morecambe Bay Primary School want him back :)'Smart' Blocks Turn Lego Creations into Web-Connected Toys New Lego-compatible blocks created by quantum physicists could amp up your best creations by adding internet connectivity, electronic sensors, motors and lights to existing Lego sets.
The new devices, from Israel-based Brixo Smart Toys, use chrome-plated blocks that conduct electricity to connect batteries with electronics. The blocks are safe to hold, just as regular batteries are, the researchers said. "The human body resists electrical currents from passing though it — it has a high electrical resistance," said Brixo founder Boaz Almog, a quantum physicist at Tel Aviv University. "At low voltages — less than 15 volts — almost no current enters the human body upon contact, and hence no harm is done." [Gift Ideas: Best Educational Toys & Games for Kids] There are currently four kinds of electric blocks. In addition to the chrome-plated connector blocks, the researchers developed another that can hold a regular 9-volt battery, constantly monitor electric current to prevent short circuits, and conserve power when creations are idle in order to extend battery life. Others, dubbed "action blocks," may contain motors to move creations or LEDs that can light up Lego designs.
So-called "trigger blocks" contain sound, light and proximity sensors to help creations respond to their surroundings, and they can also grant creations wireless connectivity via Bluetooth, the researchers said. In combination with Lego Technic sets — which include wheels, rods and other complex parts — machines such as cranes and Ferris wheels can be created. Moreover, wireless connectivity allows people to control their creations via their smartphones or even remotely and automatically through the internet, the researchers said. For instance, it could be possible to turn on all of the smart home devices in your home simply by hanging a key chain with a Brixo block on a Brixo board by the door. "Brixo will allow makers to build internet-of-things devices with a minimal learning curve and with maximal flexibility mechanically and electronically," Almog said. Almog came up with the idea for these electric bricks in 2013. His son had successfully wired an electric science kit and proudly showed it to Almog, but when Almog asked his son where the circuit was, he realized his son could not see it through the forest of tangled wires.