Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with device

Seeking clicking mechanism or design...

pallen123 — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 08:21:02 -0800

What kind of small toys or devices click when you rotate them forwards and backwards? Seeking mechanism or design... I’m trying to help a friend design a small toy and she needs a mechanism that will click in very small increments as she rotates a small (1 inch diameter) dial that turns 360 degrees on its axis. She needs the dial to click precisely as it turns clockwise and counterclockwise in smallish increments. I was thinking a fishing reel mechanism might work, but that just allows turning in one direction. Then I thought a ratchet wrench mechanism might work, but that also turns in just one direction (and I’m not sure how the inside of a ratchet wrench works either). Can anyone think of existing toys or devices that have a clicking mechanism that freely rotate? Novel solutions? Suggestions? Thank you!

What is (and who makes) this levitating rocket-propelled thingy?

dendrite — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 15:58:48 -0800

Help me find a video of a levitating rocket-propelled platform. I'm trying to locate a video I saw a year or two ago that was produced by an aeronautics company as a technology demonstration. The video shows a large cylindrical object launch from the ground, propelled by an array of rockets mounted on its underside. The rockets begin to rapidly pulse keeping the object "suspended" about ten feet in mid-air. The object then activates lateral rockets that allow it to "strafe" left and right in what appears as a very controlled manner. The video ends with the rockets deactivating and the the device falling down to be caught by netting mounted below it.

If I recall correctly, I think the device was some kind of anti-missile technology, and interspersed in the video are example animations of the how the device might work in orbit. I seem to recall the narrator discussing some kind of "bandoleer" related to the device too.

Please help me locate this video!

I just want to play UNIRACERS!

Bageena — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 11:20:30 -0800

Argh. I've installed the drivers, I've searched high and low online, nothing is helping, so I'm coming to ya'll: how can I get my Xbox 360 wireless controller (connected to my PC via the charge and play kit via a USB port) to work on my computer? Specifically, I want to play ROMs with it. ZSNES and project 64 are the two emulators I'm trying to puzzle out right now. I've installed the 360 drivers (I'm running a 64 bit copy of Windows Vista Home Premium), it shows up in my Device Manager under 'Microsoft Common Controller for Windows Class' as 'Xbox 360 Wireless Controller via Play & Charge Kit' and says it's there and fine.
HOWEVER... under Control Panel - Game Controllers, there's nothing. I open it up, there's no controllers on the list. I click advanced, I go to choose my preferred device, again - nothing. Not on the list. When I plug the controller in, the computer makes a noise and the light on the charge part of the controller shows it's plugged in, but the controller doesn't turn on (not sure if it's supposed to actually) and it certainly doesn't seem to be working with my ROMs.

Help Mefi, help! Pretty please?

How long can you leave your iphone turned on without damaging it?

leemajors — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 19:22:29 -0800

I've taken to using one of the apps available in the iphone app store as a desk clock. It sits on its dock, charging, with the display on all day. At the end of the day when I leave work, it feels warm. Am I doing it damage by keeping it on for so long every day?

Please recommend a replacement input device for my Macbook, the trackpad isn't working for me.

Your Time Machine Sucks — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 08:13:57 -0800

Loathe the new Macbook trackpad in XP, what input device should I use instead that doesn't require a desk and is OK for gaming? New Macbook. The buttonless trackpad takes about twice the force to click as my old Macbook trackpad and after half a day my thumb was going numb. Tap-to-click works fine on the OS X side but is very inaccurate on the XP side even with the updated trackpad driver, more so when the machine gets hot. What kind of input device can I plug in and use to game with no desk around? Wired is a plus, and I don't play twitch games so it doesn't have to be insanely precise, just more precise and ergonomic than the skittish anti-thumb trackpad. Thanks!

What is an Intervox? Can I use it to take over the world?

agropyron — Thu, 28 May 2009 20:30:23 -0800

What is this crazy sci-fi looking device I bought at a salvage store? It has knobs, a compass, and a bizarre spinning top. I purchased The Device at a construction salvage store in Seattle today. The top part rotates, and the base has the compass points on it. The dial reads "275 ... 300 ... 325", and the two knobs at the bottom are marked "L" and "P". It's got vacuum tubes inside!

No one at the salvage place knew what it was either, and they made me promise to call back if I found out.

Photos.

I need Help Capturing Footage from Camera!

InterestedInKnowing — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 17:17:26 -0800

How do I capture P2 footage from my Panasonic HD HVX200 camera into Avid HD Pro?

Tactile reminder device

jinatrix — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 16:41:45 -0800

What sorts of vibrating reminder devices are out there? The goal: I am looking for a small (pager-sized or smaller) wearable vibrating device that can be programmed to vibrate at certain intervals to serve as a tactile reminder system.

The requirements are: 1. it must be wearable, preferably on the ankle (out of sight), 2. it must be able to reliably go off at any programmed interval for a set number of recurrences or until manually stopped, 3. it should be relatively inaudible and not sound like a chainsaw.

Even better if it has some or all of these features: variable vibration strength, multiple vibration patterns (e.g. pulse length, number of pulses), countdown timer, daily alarm.

I am aware of a few products such as the epill reminder and invisible clock but am looking for alternate options to see what's out there. Also, I am open to suggestions involving a DIY approach, if anyone knows how to cobble something like this together using easily obtained components.

What skype capable videophone devices exist?

inflatablekiwi — Sun, 22 Feb 2009 09:35:56 -0800

Are there any Skype capable standalone videophone devices other than the ASUS AiGuru SV1? I'm looking for a simple device I can configure and give to my parents so they can easily video Skype with myself and others. The ASUS AiGuru would seem to fit the bill perfectly (no PC required, wifi enabled, big buttons and simple interface, small enough I can see it fitting in their kitchen rather than being tied to the "computer room"), but the reviews haven't been the greatest.

They have a laptop and desktop with skype, but things always seem to go wrong (part user error, part flakey hardware, part resistance to using a computer to make calls when a cordless phone with speed dial is so much easier), and my mum is more a "simple device with buttons" person rather than a "logon and use the mouse to do x,y, an z" person.

Are there any alternative standalone video phone devices out there which can be made to work with skype, or techniques to improve the AIGuru (like swapping out the pitiful battery with its 20 minute of power with something a little longer life)? I've seen the Ojo phone, but my understanding is that its not Skype compatible (yet).

What is this? And: Is it loud?

Henrik — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 09:33:46 -0800

Can you identify this strange interactive sound making device? The sound making device in question.

There seem to be multiple buttons and at least one speaker on this thing. It seems to be in public (on a street pole), as the german text says: "Please refrain from switching on this damn thing at night! This is an order! You are just upsetting the residents, here. Hopefully, this finally becomes clear. 'Respect' is demanded!"

I need help with this creation.

CollectiveMind — Sun, 08 Feb 2009 08:01:55 -0800

I have invented a calendar that I think is unique in design and function. Last year, I spent six months reviewing copyrights and patents (and applications) from the US Patent and Trademark Office and US Copyright Office office and didn't see or read anything that fits it. I've since filed for a patent and a copyright. I'm told I'll get one or the other since it is either art or a device, but not both.
I think its design is to the standard calendar as the Reverse Polish Notation Calculator is to the standard calculator. I mean, it's initially confusing, but once you get used to it, it's much more efficient. To me, this means it would only appeal to a niche market, but probably a strong and loyal niche market - engineers, actuaries, event planners, etc.

My main question is, how can I get it printed for distribution and in front of my niche? I frequent a lot of thrift stores, and last week, barely missed buying an HP Large Format Printer for under $100. The office supply stores and online printers, by contrast, charge about $8 per sq. foot for the kind of color it has. And because I think it must be at least wall poster size to be of practical use, that makes the cost of each one nearly $70. That seems to much forthe market to bear. Does anybody know how I can reproduce this and get it circulating (and among whom) in the market, either by finding a cheap, large format printer or a cheap means for digital or offset printing?

Windows Vista obliviated my audio device. How can I get it back?

agropyron — Fri, 02 Jan 2009 20:04:40 -0800

In Windows Vista, under playback devices, I selected "Don't use this device" for the default audio device. Now that device has entirely vanished, and I can't get it back. I'm using an Asus W5F laptop with Windows Vista installed. (This is not my laptop.) I plugged in some external speakers, but it kept playing sound out of the built-in laptop speakers.

I went to Control Panel -> Hardware And Sound -> Manage Audio Devices. There I saw three things:
* Digital Output Device (SPDIF)
* The built-in speakers, whatever those were called
* The external speakers

They all had the option to "Use this device" or "Don't use this device", and all were currently set to "Use this device". I selected the built-in speakers and chose "Don't use this device", thinking I would just enable it when I was done.

However. The built-in speaker device promptly vanished. The external speakers started playing, certainly. There was no sign of the old built-in speaker device. I can't get it to come back, and the laptop has no sound now. (It does play the Vista startup sound, but won't play anything after that.)

Things I have tried:
* Rebooting
* In Device manager, searching for the old device, scanning for new hardware, searching for new drivers. Nothing.
* System Restore - hoping it would show my removal of some device and allow me to undo it. It doesn't show any configuration changes having taken place. (The deed was done 4 days ago, and it shows changes before and after the device was obliviated.)

Can anyone tell me how to get the default audio device to reappear?

Which USB Mass Storage Device is which?

msbrauer — Tue, 30 Dec 2008 16:19:26 -0800

How can I change the generic name "USB Mass Storage Device" in my Vista system tray "Safely Remove Hardware" dialog? It's not uncommon for me to have a couple of external harddrives plugged in to my Vista laptop alongside a memory card and an mp3 player. While all of these devices have unique drive letters and unique names in windows explorer (one of the drives is always called 400gig, for instance, another is always called 500gig), they're all called "USB Mass Storage Device" in the system tray's "Safely Remove Hardware" menu. So when I need to unplug one but not all, I find myself taking a stab at which device is which and usually I pick the wrong one. I can solve the confusion easily enough by opening the "my computer" window and figuring out the drive letter from there, but that's an extra step that I'd love to get rid of. Ideally, the dialog would always say something like "Safely remove 400gig - Drive (x:)" and stay the same for each device each time it's plugged in.

So, is it possible to change the menu options from "Safely remove USB Mass Storage Device - Drive (x:)" to something unique for each device?

How to manage music and spin the dial on the Sansa Connect?

ibmcginty — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 11:42:45 -0800

Sansa Connect two-fer: (1) the little dial sometimes become immobile; (2) which program to use now that Yahoo Jukebox has bitten the dust? My Sansa Connect is under a year old. The little dial formerly became un-spinnable only on airplanes; now it stops working more frequently, for no reason I have been able to discern. Any suggestions?

Also, is anyone using Rhapsody to manage music on the Connect? Or other programs? Yahoo Jukebox was never that great, and now I can't even seem to save playlists in there anymore.

Who is 14F1? What is device 2720?

carsonb — Sun, 12 Oct 2008 01:26:51 -0800

My PCI Simple Communications Controller has bitten the dust. When I start up my crusty eMachines T2682 classic desktop computer these days I get the good ol' WinXP Found New Hardware Wizard prompting me to install drivers for my "PCI Simple Communications Controller". Sadly it cannot locate said drivers, and it turns out that "PCI Simple Communications Controller" is Device Manager-speak for "WTF is this?"

As this computer has failed bit by bit I've become more adept at reading tech forums, and as usual they've dealt me a cryptic clue to this puzzle. I learned that Device Manager deals out very little info about "PCI Simple Communications Controller", but what little it gives can be used to find drivers to reactivate the ? device. The Device Instance Id is
PCI\VEN_14F1&DEV_2720&SUBSYS_200014F1&REV_00\4&29817089&0&10F0
which, I believe, details the device vendor as "14F1" and the device itself as "2720".

Vendor 14F1 is listed as Conexant Systems Inc., a modem chipset manufacturer. However, for the life of me I cannot find their device 2720. None of the pci id lists that I've read match that device with vendor 14F1.

What am I missing? What is this mysterious device?

Maybe relevant: During video playback the audio snaps in and out, at random. I have not reinstalled Windows lately. I upgraded to SP3 a few weeks ago, then immediately reverted to a restore point. One of my RAM sockets has gone bad, the computer freezes occasionally, and I think the whole mobo might be dying. Is this some extension of that growing problem, or is there a local solution?

I ask this last because, while I know I need a new computer and will be purchasing one when the wallet is ripe, I'd like to use this opportunity to learn some about how computer guts work and what to do get them to work when they don't. Percussive maintenance only goes so far.

Medical Device Industry Primer?

nancoix — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 06:41:03 -0800

I'm about to begin work at a medical device company (as a paralegal) and would like an introductory book on the subject. I've scoured Amazon, but haven't found anything that's a general overview, with chapters on history, business climate, FDA and regulatory issues, litigation -- just a smattering of everything, with perhaps emphasis on legal / regulatory. Most books are more specialized. Or are there websites or white papers along these lines? Recommendations, please!

The power of the touch!

matthelm — Sat, 19 Apr 2008 15:23:02 -0800

Just bought Ipod Touch....I love it, but sometimes not having internet connection makes most of my widget apps useless. Are there Todo list/grocery list etc type apps that one can use offline? Or do I have to wait till the devkit is released before any of these types of apps will appear?....and can you list your favorite online/offline apps that really utilize this device...thanks!

Mystery Device: Telxon 718?

vanoakenfold — Sat, 05 Apr 2008 15:42:40 -0800

What exactly does a Telxon 718 do? It looks like a way-back calculator but only has plus, minus, and a few weird, presumably abbreviated, button markings. Any guesses as to what it does? Video within. Mystery Device - Telxon 718. I picked it up at a rummage sale for a dollar, and the owner had no earthly idea where it came from or what it was for, but offered a few guesses. What do you think?

What about this gray water recovery system?

wsg — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 23:08:07 -0800

I'm kicking off a major home renovation and looking for some green innovations I can incorporate without breaking the bank. This gray water recovery system looks promising. The AQUS system sells for about $300.00 per toilet. Does anyone have experience with this system? Is it practical? Is it funky? I've read where the gray water can mess up the toilet hardware with time. You have to feed the reservoir tank bromine and chlorine tablets to kill bacteria in the sink waste water. Is it nasty? Is this more pain than it's worth? Any feedback is appreciated.

cheap, USB controlled, simple mechanical device (example: rotating gear)?

nolnar — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 02:44:46 -0800

I've made a small mechanical device but need help to find a USB-connected, -powered and -controlled part that gives mechanical input. It should be slow, turned on/off from computer, and really cheap. The sought after part could come in many shapes and sizes, for example, a turning gear or wheel or a pistong. I can adapt the rest to work with almost anything that moves, as long as it satisfies these criteria:

- the movement is slow
- the movement can be turned on/off throught the computer (ideally it should run in both linux and windows)
- it is USB powered (i.e. no standalone power supply)
- it is really cheap (< 15$ , ideally around 5$)

The last criteria is important. Lego Mindstorms ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lego_Mindstorms ), for example, can easily do what I want but it is too expensive and too complex for my needs.

I'm fine with buying some cheap device and picking it apart to get what I want. I've thought about buying and dissecting a USB powered fan, but they all have high speed rotation (naturally) and I'm unsure if any of them can be turned on/off from inside the OS rather than by plugging them in/out.

Any suggestions welcome!

Xbox 360 + NAS

notchristopher — Sun, 24 Feb 2008 16:26:01 -0800

Are there any network attached storage devices that work well with Xbox 360? I only own a laptop and stream lots of music and movies to my Xbox 360 set up to my TV. I really don't like having to have my laptop on whenever I do this. I was wondering if there are any NAS devices that work well with the Xbox. Or should I just build another system, throw XP on it and just put it in a corner somewhere?

Looking for a smart power strip.

floam — Mon, 14 Jan 2008 22:26:08 -0800

Looking for a smart surge protector that shuts down peripherals when a computer is turned off or asleep. I've seen a few devices (some UPSs, surge protectors) that can do this when the master device is turned off. But a few weeks ago I found one that will kill the power to the remaining devices even when the master is sleeping -- it detects when it starts just using a trickle of power. Only problem is now I can't find it. Anyone have any ideas? I have like four wall-warts that are always warm, it'd be cool to be able to have them not getting any juice for 3/4 of the day.

I'm looking for an MP3 player that you can treat like a USB drive. With recording capabilites.

Afroblanco — Mon, 24 Dec 2007 11:15:22 -0800

I'm looking for an MP3 player that you can treat like a USB drive. In other words, I want to load MP3s onto it by just plugging the device into my machine and the copying files over. I do not want to use a specialized program like Itunes, and I want to use a standard USB or Firewire cable to plug the device into my computer. Additionally, I would like the ability to plug a microphone in and use the device record my band practices. This would be an awesome feature, but it isn't necessarily a dealbreaker.

ID an old device

6550 — Sat, 22 Dec 2007 21:03:37 -0800

What is this device (180KB jpg)? My dad has had it for years but doesn't know what it's purpose is. It has a jaw that opens (103KB) and a scale (67KB) that reads up to 72, labeled every six divisions, and closes with an odd spring. I don't think that's in degrees since the jaw does not open that wide. It's obviously for measuring something but what that something is we can't figure out. My brother's idea was something involving maps. It is made of steel except for the brass scale.

Recommend me a good digital compass + travel clock device

parttimeninja — Sun, 28 Oct 2007 07:06:49 -0800

I'm looking for a digital compass + travel clock device for my oversea trip next year. Do you guys have any recommendation? Ideally, it should be small and has good battery life (and not outrageously priced :).