Boris Smus

Minimal Business Card Design

Boris Smus — Wed, 21 Jul 2010 07:11:36 +0000

Business card design is a tricky art. It’s a fairly constrained space, but that’s what design is all about, right? I’m ordering a personal set of moo mini cards. These are small, two sided prints. One side contains an image, and the other contains contact information. On the image side, I’m putting snippets of travel [...]

Android-powered Mindstorms

Boris Smus — Mon, 28 Jun 2010 06:27:53 +0000

A few projects around the internet use an Android phone to control the LEGO Mindstorms NXT brick. Most involve an ugly hack in which the phone communicates with a computer over WiFi, and the computer (paired to the NXT through bluetooth) submits the command to the brick. These projects typically use Android as a remote [...]

Prototyping with Wii Remotes in Python

Boris Smus — Fri, 28 May 2010 19:00:40 +0000

I’ve been working on a couple of researchy projects involving gait recognition and running foot strike analysis. For my proof of concept, I turned to the wiimote, everyone’s favorite physical interaction prototyping input device. Wiimotes are portable and rugged, and thus well suited to high-intensity activities like running. They attach easily to legs [...]

Nike+ Hacking with Python

Boris Smus — Tue, 18 May 2010 12:27:56 +0000

Nike+ is a clever little system designed by Apple and Nike to infer the runner’s speed and augment the running experience. The runner places a small chip in his shoe which transmits data to the iPod using a proprietary RF-based protocol. The chip contains a piezoelectric cell which measures how long the foot exerted pressure [...]

Jam Hunt: Friendly Jam Sessions

Boris Smus — Sat, 24 Apr 2010 23:18:32 +0000

Ever wanted to join a band? I bet you have! Why? Because collaborative music making is an incredibly enjoyable and rewarding experience. But the barriers to entry are high: not only do you need to have baseline musical skills, you also need considerable managerial talent to find and bring together disorganized musicians. To find partners [...]