All My Cool Stuff

[allmycoolstuff]

iStomp Effects Pedal

Before moving to New York City, I sold most of my guitar stuff (I used to be a guitar teacher). Well, that was a dumb mistake. But fast forward a few years later, I discovered the Digitech ISTOMP Effect Pedal. It's amazing! You can literally download any pedal you want to it using an iPhone or an iPad. It sounds great - you'll never have to buy another guitar pedal again. You just load any pedal that you want onto it. My only gripe is that you'll also need to purchase an adapter if you are using a newer Apple product.

[allmycoolstuff]

Steve Jobs biography

If you haven't read the Steve Jobs biography - what are you waiting for? It's not going to read itself! I originally purchased this for the Kindle. I was reading the book for a few hours and it said that I was only 8% finished. One weird thing about the Kindle is that you don't immediately know how thick the book is. Anyway, I finished the book in a week. It's quite lengthly but reads like fiction. In that week, I got almost nothing done but it was time well spent. It changed everything.

[allmycoolstuff]

Pico Projector

I really shopped around before buying a pico projector. The AAXA P300 Pico/Micro LED Projector is one of the best pico projectors on the market. It has a 1280x800 Resolution and is 300 Lumens. I've used this thing for everything: presentations, rear window projections, interactive installations, etc. You can also run this thing on batteries (perfect if you want to use a Raspberry Pi and mount this thing on a bicycle - road projections are cool).

The projector is a little bit pricey. However, if you want something that performs really well, this should do the trick.

[allmycoolstuff]

Rasberry Pi

I still can't believe that this thing actually exists. A Raspberry Pi Model is a tiny computer (approximately $30) that works very well for hacker DIY projects. It's actually is a real computer - capable of browsing the web, playing games and doing basic computing. I've used it for all sorts of projects. Also, there is a supportive community that will show you how to make computers do things they haven't really done before (and did I mention that it's ridiculous inexpensive).

Do yourself a favor and shell out 30 bucks and a Saturday afternoon. It's time well spent.

[allmycoolstuff]

Epilog Laser Cutter

OK, let me start off my saying if you haven't used a laser cutter before... well, then you haven't lived. Epilog makes the best laser cutters for all maker spaces and fabrication studios. I've designed and cut out hundreds of designs in acrylic, wood, paper and fabric. It can also engraves images onto almost any material (except for PVC - because it's toxic).

Laser cutters are bit pricey, but they will transform the way that you approach your work. They really are a necessary component of any home or professional workshop.

[allmycoolstuff]

Makerbot Replicator 2

TheMakerBot Replicator 2 Desktop 3D Printer certainly lives up to it's hype. While I actually don't own one of these machines, I have used the one that we have at work extensively. In fact, our 3D printer runs pretty much all day long. It's easy to maintain and prints beautifully.

Soon after you are able to print out things, you'll want to digitize existing things as well. We currently use the MakerBot Digitizer Desktop 3D Scanner to digitize clay models and existing objects. This works really well and will help to round out any fabrication maker space.

[allmycoolstuff]

Pebble Watch

As a developer, I'm always looking for interesting platforms to work with. The Pebble Smartwatch for iPhone and Android has been great - although I am interested to see if the Apple Watch disrupts the whole smart watch scene. Having also participated in the Google Glass Explorer program, I can understand why a watch such as the Pebble might be less disruptive. The Pebble costs considerably less than the Apple Watch and is worth experimenting with.

[allmycoolstuff]

Dewalt Compound Miter Saw

Introducing one of my most valuable possessions - a Dewalt 10-Inch Compound Miter Saw. This saw literally replaces half of the other tools in my shop. It has helped me to build furniture, fences, frames and all kinds of things. It cuts beautifully and accurately. Most of the tools in my shop are pretty good - but this saw is absolutely the king of all saws. It's well crafted, sturdy and powerful.

[allmycoolstuff]

The Arduino Starter Kit

I work with the Arduino a lot. I've built museum and school exhibits, wearables, games, etc. I've also taught some courses that use Arduino. The Arduino gives you a sort of superpower - you can sense and manipulate the world around relatively easily. The Arduino is one of the most exciting inventions of my generation.

You can purchase a standalone Arduino, but if you are remotely serious about building something cool you should grab the The Arduino Starter Kit (Official Kit from Arduino with 170-page Arduino Projects Book).

It comes with a lot of parts and the book is actually quite good.

Happy hacking!

[allmycoolstuff]

Weller Soldering Iron

I make a lot of things that blink, buzz and move. After all, the internet and the open source movement make it possible for anyone to learn whatever they want to learn.

If you are soldering, a Weller is the best thing in the world. It's hard to use any other soldering iron after you've gotten spoiled with a Weller.

[allmycoolstuff]

Weber Grill

I love to cook. I especially love to grill. Playing with fire while cooking food is pretty much the best thing ever. I use my grill about three times a week (even during the winter). I figured out that pretty much anything you put in the grill - whether you think it's grill-able or not will come out tasty. Except for cold cuts... they are gross on the grill.

Anyway, my first grill was a cheap no-name grill from Home Depot. It cost something like $70.00. It lasted maybe six months before it all fell apart. I mean, it really fell apart. Even the top hinges got burnt off. But I guess you get what you pay for.

But then something amazing happened.

My family bought me the Cadillac of all grills. A Weber. Best gift I ever got. I love it so much that if I had a kid, it's name would most certainly be Weber.

If you're ever looking for a grill and you have a little extra money to spend on it, this grill will turn meat or vegetables into magic.

[allmycoolstuff]

Amazon Fire TV

I love Apple products - I use almost every one of their products. However, I don't own an Apple TV. Instead, I am now the proud owner of an Amazon Fire TV. I originally bought this as gift for someone because they love TV and don't care for Apple products. So the Amazon Fire TV seemed like the perfect gift! Except I found out that they already had one...

So I brought it back to my house (with the intent of returning it, of course) and after a few hours, the glistening wrapped plastic seduced me - I couldn't resist - I couldn't help myself. I unwrapped the damn thing and plugged it in. And then I turned on the TV

And when the picture illuminated in full HD - I grinned and stared at it for hours. The TV never looked like this before. The controller was so easy to use (much easier than the Wii remote I was previously using). The voice recognition was nearly perfect. I downloaded music apps, games and all kinds of stuff. My TV became the center of home entertainment. I figured out how to stream Spotify over this thing using my phone. I've been listening to Alice in Chains (the MTV Unplugged version) on repeat for two weeks since this discovery. I'm also watching the Nature show - which comes free if you are an Amazon Prime member.

Anyway, I strongly urge anyone to buy an Amazon Fire TV as a gift for anyone - especially if that person already has one.

[allmycoolstuff]

println('Is this thing on?');

Hi. I'm an app developer who likes to build all kinds of weird things using lots of different programming languages and hardware devices. I like laser cutters, loud saws and things that blink different colors. I've decided to start this blog to talk about some of my favorite stuff.