Christmas Turkey projects ?
Heater.
Posts: 21,230
The Christmas Turkey Project...
Back in the day a young lad might have gotten a Commodore C64 or some such computer for Christmas and he may have ended up writing his first "Hello World" program in BASIC over the Christmas holiday. In my case it was a TRS-80 and later Atari ST520, although I was not exactly a kid any more:)
The owner of one software company I worked for had written a real-time task scheduler for the PDP11 over a Christmas break.
In recent years I have found my self tinkering with ideas on Propellers whilst everyone else in the house is passed out through a overdose of food and drink or glued to the Christmas specials on the TV.
So there is something of a tradition of a Christmas holiday project- The "Christmas Turkey" project. Ideally something small and self contained and fun.
So two questions:
1) Has anyone else out there been part of this great Christmas tradition? And if so what did you get up to?
2) This year I don't have an idea yet. Any suggestions?
Back in the day a young lad might have gotten a Commodore C64 or some such computer for Christmas and he may have ended up writing his first "Hello World" program in BASIC over the Christmas holiday. In my case it was a TRS-80 and later Atari ST520, although I was not exactly a kid any more:)
The owner of one software company I worked for had written a real-time task scheduler for the PDP11 over a Christmas break.
In recent years I have found my self tinkering with ideas on Propellers whilst everyone else in the house is passed out through a overdose of food and drink or glued to the Christmas specials on the TV.
So there is something of a tradition of a Christmas holiday project- The "Christmas Turkey" project. Ideally something small and self contained and fun.
So two questions:
1) Has anyone else out there been part of this great Christmas tradition? And if so what did you get up to?
2) This year I don't have an idea yet. Any suggestions?
Comments
1) We are not allowed to do anything unless it involves at least other member of the family until they all go home. But maybe I can get a few of the kids to help with "how should it do that?" if I don't say "define requirements" so I might give it a try.
2) you might check out the load balancing multitasker in PF6? Although its probably too simple and it wouldn't be fun for very long. You'd figure it out in 5 minutes and be bored.
Yes, yes.
In much of Europe we get an extra day. They tend to treat the 24th as the big day.
Family members can be included, I might need some help in testing that 200v Nixie Tube power supply for example
You Europeans sure get a lot of extra holidays off! I found out the hard way that Easter Monday is holiday in France. I was bicycle touring there solo several years ago and had to do ~120 miles eating nothing but Snickers bars and Fanta since all the restaurants were closed. Train station snack machines were my only friends.
Projects done over "Christmas turkey" is very different.
I meant exactly what I wrote. Both ways round
It's not unknown for there to be soldering iron wielding going on whilst consuming turkey sandwiches for days after Christmas. Such a project may also be doomed.
Europeans don't get a lot of extra holidays. Citizens of the New World are deprived:(
You'll need an iPad, $15 for techBASIC and some XBee WiFi units (which I can send if you want to play along).
Ken Gracey
But, I will be P2'ing any time I get
And, I have a grandson of nearly 5 who we are giving a V8 model engine to and I will be helping him put it together
And the other grandson of 2 who will be demanding equal time.
And our second daughter-in-law is pregnant and due between Xmas & NY, plus our granddaughter of 1 1/2.
And our daughter will be arriving end January and she is pregnant with twins due June - she now lives in Korea.
If there is any spare time left, I would like to get my 3D Printer running - have everything. And then my quadcopter.
Do you think I am covered?
I'm using this bluetooth receiver- http://www.digikey.com/product-detail/en/CB-OBS421I-16-0/809-1058-ND/3837627
and this app from the Apple App Store- https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/cb-olp425/id575523395?mt=8
Ken- I'd be interested in playing along with this if the app will work on the IPod Touch. You have my contact info if you'd care to send one my way.
I think I might be able to find my PPDB. What else do I need Ken? I want to get my order in immediately. I can probably at least start to experiment with techBasic on Monday/Tuesday.
Duane J
Boy, do I EVER! Not only is my Man Cave gone, but she also has two dogs and two cats. We have a small house. I'M GOIN NUTS!!!
I did manage to eke out a very small area for my ham radio, but there is no room for the other stuff...
The one thing that absolutely drives me crazy is the Double Turkey Whammy! This is when you host a huge turkey dinner for Thanksgiving, have to eat leftover turkey this and turkey than in the run up to Christmas, and then your dear spouse (or mom) cooks yet another turkey for Christmas dinner to force feed you more leftover turkey into the new year.
It is Christmas! Get a goose, get a ham, get a suckling pig, or get get a nice big pizza! Not another few weeks of leftover turkey.
I thought the wind came AFTER (and because of) the booze & bacon-based noshing.
I like wings myself.
Ken,
I've got an iPad 2 (and an iPad 1 with a cracked, yet still working screen), an Activity board, and a well equipped workbench. I don't have techBASIC, but I would gladly spring for that.
RickInTexas
Sorry, can't help but chuckle. Normally we think of "cracked" software or "rooted" phones and tablets but it seems all iThings have cracked screens. There is a big cottage industry fixing them.
Ha, that didn't even occur to me when I typed that. My Wife is happy to read her JD Robb junk on a shattered display. When I got the replacement iPad 2, I immediately got a Kensington Bluetooth full-size keyboard with a bulky, clunky case. Overpriced, like i-Accesories, but wonderful Wifey went to Fry's and waited in line to get it for like $20. (Retail is $100, street price ~$50)
Yeah, choices were diy with questionable parts and a HEAT GUN to dismantle, or $200 to Apple. Ugh.
I did think of rooting (or whatever the term for all things "i") due to the fact that I could not even able to use Bluetooth with regular app like Blueterm, so I got a Asus T300FT (Android) for things like that.
Like to have both, Android for sandbox, still use iPad for secure opps, shopping, etc.
Rick In Texas
This worries me. I have no reason to suspect that any platform is more secure than another when it comes to on line transactions.
Well, I generally agree, but I load a lot more stuff on my PC an Android devices and it seems that historically that Apple has been "less insecure" due simply to their restricted, locked down system.
With the massive Target department store CC breach here in the States, I wonder about getting an identity theft program e.g. Lifelock et.al., but that's another thread.
RickInTexas