Minecraft Marathon mc.RoanokeHobby.xyz Join Our Team

Join us on March 11 - 12, 2016 for the Minecraft Marathon hosted at CoLab Roanoke to benefit Children's Miracle Network. http://extra-life.org/team/roanokehobby -- Watch live at http://www.twitch.tv/nirvana2165

Why I Dislike @Microsoft and Use #Ubuntu instead

Scenario: Windows 10 on a HP tablet consistently stops on a routine Windows Update around 80%. Multiple reboots.  No resolution. I turn to the Microsoft Support Forum, find no answer. Click on the Online Chat with Support.

After one sentence describing the issue, I only get this as a solution:

Rose....

‎2‎:‎29‎:‎56‎ ‎PM

Okay, I suggest you to contact a local technician for the further assistance with this issue. Hello, I am the local technician (Microsoft Certified Professional).  What kind of answer is that?  Back to the laptop with Ubuntu Linux.  Thanks anyway.

A Closer Look at the Arduino: USB

There are several different Arduino boards on the market: name-brand, compatibles and clones. In this video I take a look at the different types of USB connectors and chip sets that does the USB-to-Serial conversion.

Is there any #security online?

The horror stories just seem to keep coming: large companies getting their customer data hacked; tax refunds hijacked; credit cards compromised. This article tells an interesting story about one person's experience with a well known online retailer and their customer service.

How Amazon customer service was the weak link that spilled my data

"For users, continue to be extremely careful with information you share. Even big companies like Amazon can’t keep it safe."

 Good advice for anyone would be to do a "security checkup" on all of your online accounts. Perhaps now is a good time to use that two-factor authentication that's available on most sites.  And don't forget, Safer Internet Day is February 9, 2016!

First Look at the FTDI Ner0

Recently funded on Kickstarter, the Ner0 is an Arduino compatible board designed with some nice extra features. Mostly notable is the power section which uses a more efficient 5V switching regulator instead of the LDO regulator used in most other Uno compatible boards (including the original Arduino). This reduces the potential of damaging heat build-up when the project draws a higher current, such as driving a LED display or WiFi board.

CoLab-O-Bot Decisions! Your #Productivity Assistant

Pi Zero - Soldering the Header Pins

For someone that has never soldered before, this video goes into more detail about soldering the GPIO header pins to the Pi Zero. We also go over some soldering basics and a few tips on technique.
 

Pi Zero Next Steps: Part 1

You've finally got a Pi Zero in your hands, now what? I take a look at soldering in the GPIO pins and protect the board with an acrylic case. Instead of using the USB and HDMI ports to connect, you can easily connect through the GPIO serial pins to access the command line.