Chromebook : Googles OS powered Laptop

Google launches its new cloud based laptop series called 'Chromebook' powered with the Chrome OS [Operating System]. The models currently available are Samsung and Acer. Before we go into the hardware we will take a quick look at the Google Chrome OS. 


Chrome OS:
The Chrome OS is a very light Linux derivative fine tuned by Google into a very thin and light OS. So we have an extremely fast boot time of just 8.5 sec and an amazingly long battery life on a single charge. The entire GUI [Graphical User Interface] sits inside the Chrome browser. So we literary boot into the familiar browser from where we begin our chores. Google has integrated Google Apps and Market into Chrome so that we have thousands of applications to choose from. The OS updates automatically as and when needed so that we don't have to. Email , Doc and Calender are integrated into each account so when each user logs in he/she is greeted with the custom apps and settings. Google claims the OS to be highly secure and virus free. Since the data is on the cloud there is no loss of data even if the hardware crashes or if you loose your laptop.


Hardware:

As on date Chrome OS is offered on two brands i.e Samsung and Acer. Here are the specifications of the two:

Specifications

• 12.1" (1280x800) 300 nit Display
• Starting at 3.06 lbs / 1.38 kg ¹
• 6 – 8.5 hours of continuous usage ²
• Intel® Atom^TM Dual-Core Processor
• Built in dual-band Wi-Fi and World-mode 3G (optional)
• Webcam ³
• 2 USB 2.0 ports
• 4-in-1 memory card slot
• Mini-VGA port
• Fullsize Chrome keyboard
• Oversize fully-clickable trackpad

Specifications

• 11.6" HD Widescreen CineCrystal^TM LED-backlit LCD
• 3.19 lbs | 1.45 kg
• 6 hours of continuous usage ¹
• Intel® Atom^TM Dual-Core Processor
• Built in dual-band Wi-Fi and World-mode 3G (optional)
• HD Webcam
• High-Definition Audio Support
• 2 USB 2.0 ports
• 4-in-1 memory card slot
• HDMI port
• Fullsize Chrome keyboard
• Oversize fully-clickable trackpad

What do I feel about it ?

It is absolutely certain that the future is in the cloud and more and more applications are going to be online rather than offline. These days all our computers and smart devices are integrated and interconnected. So the Chrome OS is the first of the many good things to come on the cloud. For those who want a dedicated OS with the Windows/Mac like interface and all applications residing locally, stick with your existing OS. This OS [at this point] is definitely not for Graphic designers or high end 3D Gamer's. It is not intended to be so either.  The Chrome OS is ideally suited for business men on the go and for sales teams. People who primarily work on documents and emails will find this a very neat and light way to work. One can take it as a close cousin of the netbook and they even share their second name :) for that matter.

Is there a way of trying out the Chrome OS ?

That will be my next blog.

Wireless Photo Transfer from any Digital Camera

If you are a person who likes carrying your camera wherever you go you would have a lot of photos on your gear. Getting back home it is often a lazy task to transfer the photos to your computer. Some of us use the USB cable to transfer the photos and others remove the memory card from the cameras and insert it into the card reader.


The hassle of the transfer made me search for a simpler option. I was wondering whether i could do wireless transfer of photos from my regular digital camera. It is then that I came across this wonderful new memory card. It has a built in memory just like any memory card and an additional wireless module integrated. 

The memory card does the work for you

The Eye-Fi card is the 1st wireless memory card. It looks, stores media, and fits into cameras just like a regular SDHC card. On top of that, the Eye-Fi card has built-in Wi-Fi that effortlessly transfers photos and videos to your iPhone, iPad, Android device or computer.

Memory + Wi-Fi = Eye-Fi

It all started with a very simple idea: what if photos could just fly to where you want them to be? That’s how a memory card with antenna and magical superpowers was born.

Uses your home Wi-Fi network

Upon setup, specify which networks the Eye-Fi card uses to transfer your media. Add up to 32 networks for your card to use. The next time your camera is on within range of a specified network, your photos and videos will fly to your computer and to your favorite sharing site.

Instant uploads anywhere

If you are away from home, you can simply set up Direct Mode. Whether you are at the beach, on top of Yosemite, or visiting the Golden Gate Bridge, your Eye-Fi card can directly transfer photos and videos from your camera to your iPhone, iPad, or Android device. Direct Mode offers the flexibility of anywhere. After a quick set up, take photos wherever you are – then when you’re ready to transfer, just turn your camera on and let Eye-Fi do the rest. The Eye-Fi X2 card will create its own Wi-Fi network and transfer to the free iPhone/iPad or Android app. No matter where you are, you’ll get your photos and videos on your device in no time.

If you want to buy the card here is the link to the Eye-Fi on amazon:

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=eye+fi&x=0&y=0

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Bio-organic Planting | Grow-bed & Pump | [ Part- 3 ]

This is the third part of the Bio-organic Planting series. If you want to read the second part please click here.


The medium that we grow our plants in is our next area of concern. Since the system constantly floods and flushes itself the space between the medium should be substantially high and it should let the water pass through easily.

 The ideal choice would be clay pebbles as they help maintain a minimum safe level of moisture and is easy to maintain. One can also used broken pieces of clay pots, small pebbles  or stones. The general idea is to avoid mud or sand or any medium that might clog the system or flow out through the siphon and into the fish tank.What I used for my prototype is a layer of broken clay tiles and then a very thin layer of granite stones over it. The clay tile pieces help maintain the moisture at lower levels.

 Another important point is the level up to which one should fill the medium. This depends on how we set the siphon. When the medium is flooded the water level should remain 1 to 2 cm below the surface of the medium, this is to prevent the formation of algae or other such matter over the growth medium. The ideal height of the growth medium fill is 30cm. This is required for proper root formation and stability of the plants.

The pump is a crucial part of the whole system, much like our heart. If the pump stops the whole system fails and both the plants and the fishes die. Fishes die of ammonia build up in the water and lack of oxygen and the plants die of dry roots. So when we select the pump we should keep in mind that it should be capable of running 24x7 all 365 days. Well, we sometimes use timers to control some large output pumps but generally they work all the time. So the general aspects on deciding the pump would be:

• How much water is to be pumped and circulated?
• What is the time interval to be maintained?
• How much power consumption are we looking at?
• What is the head/height of delivery?
• What is the available power source ?

 Larger areas require larger pumps. If a small pump is used in larger areas water takes a long time to fill and this can cause root rot, so we use higher output pumps. Some systems incorporate timers or sensors to control the pumps. Timers switch the pumps on and off as per the predefined time schedule. Generally the frequency increases surrounding the mid day as the temperature is higher and the frequency is drastically reduced at night. In a sensor based system the pump switches off when the water floods the medium and switches on again at the minimum level. The sensor based system however is not very common. Power consumption is another area of concern.

This is directly proportional to the area that we plant or the crop/fish output. So smaller the area the smaller should be the power consumption. Low power pumps do not have a large head, i.e  they can not pump high, so the growth medium should be kept as close to the tank as possible [above the tank]. The pumps can either be AC or DC powered. If you use power from solar panels a DC powered pump would be ideal. Inlet side of the pump will have a suction relative to the power of the pump and most pumps come with an inlet filter. The filter prevents the intake of large particles or small fish into the impeller of the pump. Ensure that the filter is kept clean as this affects the output and the life of the pump. For the prototype  I used a small 6.6Watt AC pump. The unit has been set up at a head of approx 30 cm from the bottom of the pump to the top of the output. I have incorporated a system that is similar to sprinkler/drip irrigation to maintain surface moisture.

In the next concluding part we will look at adding the fish and planting and aftercare.

Index:


Bio-organic Planting [ Part-1 ]

Bio-organic Planting | Building the Siphon | [ Part- 2 ]

Bio-organic Planting | Grow-bed & Pump | [ Part- 3 ]

Bio-organic Planting | Building the Siphon | [ Part- 2 ]

This is the second part of the Bio-organic Planting series. If you want to read the first part please click here.

So we move on to building the siphon.The big question would be "Why do we need a siphon in the first place?" The plant roots can decay if it is completely submerged in water for prolonged periods. There is also a need to aerate the roots for healthy plant growth. A constant cycle of flooding and emptying the plant growth medium is the best way to go. If we keep a simple drain at the bottom of the planting container the flooding wont happen and  if the drain is kept at the top, it would cause continuous flooding. So both these options are not feasible. The solution is therefore to use a siphon.

The siphon that is best suited for this purpose is the 'bell siphon'. It does three things :- starts the flushing of water from the growth medium at the required flooding level, maintains the flow even as water level drops and can also cut the flow at the specific required level to  maintain a minimum safe level of water.

 The bell siphon consists of three main parts. The inner pipe, the larger outer pipe sealed at the top and a water level sensing tube. Here is how it works:

• Water fills the tank and reaches the level of the inner pipe and starts flowing down the pipe.
• This starts a flow and creates a suction that continues because of the larger outer pipe maintaining a vacuum inside.
• As the water level reaches the lower tip of the level sensor tube, it sucks in air and breaks the vacuum thus stopping the flow and the next cycle begins.

 Below are a few snaps of a simple bell siphon I made out of left over pieces of pipe. I have sealed off the top part of the outer tube with a piece of acrylic which was cut in a circle. Ideally you can use an end cap to seal off the end.
Click the button below to view the steps involved:

The pump that I used in the project was a low output fish tank pump, to fill the growth medium container. So I used an inner tube smaller than the pumps inlet tube. If this is not done the siphon wont work properly for low output pumps. If you have a high discharge/output pump the recommended inner tube diameter is twice that of the inlet diameter. Test the system with the siphon in place before adding the growth medium and fine-tune it if required.

In the next part we will take a look at the growth medium and setting up the pump.




Index:


Bio-organic Planting [ Part-1 ]

Bio-organic Planting | Building the Siphon | [ Part- 2 ]

Bio-organic Planting | Grow-bed & Pump | [ Part- 3 ]

Bio-organic Planting [ Part-1 ]

I am currently working on an eco friendly looped cycle method of growing plants without chemical fertilizer or soil. So thought  I would  start a log on it as I go along. The word 'Bio-Organic Planting' is just a word that I came up with since I need to call this project something.Here are a few simple methods which we will combine later on in our project.


Aquaculture, also known as aqua-farming, is the farming of aquatic organisms such as fish.

Hydroponics is a method of growing plants using mineral nutrient solutions, in water, without soil. The medium is often ceramic pebbles , husk , broken tiles or any neutral medium that can support root formation. The nutrient rich water is circulated through this medium. 

Aeroponics , this process grows plants with no soil and extremely little water. Here we do not use any medium. There are misting/fogging chambers in which the plant roots get the required  growth nutrients.

Fishes discharge ammonia  through their gills and also through their waste matter. Ammonia build up in the water is unhealthy for fishes. Plants grow well in a nitrate rich environment. So if we have a method to convert the ammonia into nitrate we can use it for the plants. Hydroponic and aeroponic systems use nutrient rich water for plant growth. We can complete the cycle with the help of two good bacteria namely the 'Nitrosomonas' and the Nitrobacter'. 'Nitrosomonas' is a bacteria responsible for changing the ammonia to nitritre and 'Nitrobacter' is another bacteria responsible for changing this nitrite to nitrate.

To cut things short, we need the bacteria medium to convert the ammonia to nitrate and then to nitrate and finally we feed it to the plants. There are different methods to achieve this, but before that a few key points.... 

• Prolonged exposure of the plant roots to a submerged condition will lead to the roots getting rotten.
• The roots take in air and so it is healthy to aerate them on a timely basis for optimum growth.
• Since soil is not required we can use mediums like clay pebbles, broken bits of pots/clay-tiles or small stones. I have used a layer of broken tiles and then rock stones over it.
• The growth medium will provide an environment congenial for the bacteria to grow and facilitate the conversion of ammonia to nitrite and then to nitrate.
• The nitrate in the medium will then be absorbed by the plant roots and the clean water is send back to the fish farm.

So here is what we would need for a very basic proof of concept setup and the same is salable:

• A siphon system to control the filling and emptying cycle in the growth medium.
• Pump to pump up the water.
• Container to hold the growing medium.
• A reservoir to hold the fish.
• Tubing and plumbing

The Siphon:

We know that the prolonged exposure of roots to water can destroy the root structure or retard growth. So the ideal way is to create a continuous cycle of wetting the roots and then aerating it without making it extremely dry. So ideally we should flood the growth medium and then flush out the water and continuously repeat the process. This is possible by designing a siphon system in the growth medium.   

In part 2 we will start off by building the siphon. 




Index:


Bio-organic Planting [ Part-1 ]

Bio-organic Planting | Building the Siphon | [ Part- 2 ]

Bio-organic Planting | Grow-bed & Pump | [ Part- 3 ]

Internet Radio -> Router + USB Sound-card

I listen to internet/streaming audio quite a lot and normally do it via my computer. I thought it would be nice to have a stand alone system that would do the same on its own. So my prerequisites were:

• A stand alone system that would boot and get online without the need of a computer.
• Let me connect its output to my Power Amp / Powered Speakers / Headphones.
• Ability to control it from multiple devices - PC , Laptop , Mobile phones.
• Ability to play all kinds of online audio streams like shout-cast.
• Upgrade-able and highly customisable.

Check out the video and description below. What you see in the video below is the router directly feeding music to my old power amp. The router is connected to the internet via my home wifi network and so is the phone.  Here I use my phone to control the music and the same can be done from the computer as well. Since the unit is stand alone there is no need for the mobile/computer to be running.

Hardware:

Asus WL-520gU:

This is a router with a USB port to connect a printer. The idea is to flash a custom firmware on to the router and make the router support a USB sound card. http://www.asus.com/Networks/Wireless_Routers/WL520gU/

USB Sound Card: 

These are available on amazon and eBay. They have a USB jack on one side and a headphone and mic jack on the other side.

Software:

Firmware: OpenWrt [custom build] https://openwrt.org/

SSH/Telnet Client: Putty http://www.putty.org/

Webserver: Mongoose http://code.google.com/p/mongoose/
Mongoose hosts a website from the folder it is installed in. I downloaded the packages [kamikaze-2.4] on to my PC and then ran Mongoose in the folder thus serving the opkg packages. I then edited the opkg.conf file to point to this location before installing the packages. This is very useful for a quick install, to avoid errors and for future re-installs.
Player : 
Ario [ For Windows ] http://ario-player.sourceforge.net/ 
MPoD [ for iPhone ] http://www.katoemba.net/makesnosenseatall/mpod/

Other Links:
Asus Firmware Flash Utility:
http://www.asus.com/Networks/Wireless_Routers/WL520gU/#overview
Custom Firmware: 
http://mightyohm.com/files/kamikaze-2.4/openwrt-brcm-2.4-squashfs.trx
Open Wrt Package Link:
http://mightyohm.com/files/kamikaze-2.4/packages/mipsel/

A little more insight:

The router acts as a micro computer running a very thin version of a linux OS. Once this is done the router is configured as an internet client rather than a router. We then install the usb sound drivers to support the usb sound card. MPD is a server software for playing music and MPC is its client software[ both are installed on the router]. These are configure to start with the router and can then be controlled from an external controller [ similar to a TV remote] like a PC or a phone and can be used to add or change the stations. A running PC or a phone connection is not required once the music starts playing as the router houses the entire software and hardware for the same.

Steps Involved: Here are the steps in a nut-shell:

• Flash custom Open Wrt firmware on to the router after putting the router in recovery mode, using the Asus update utility.
• Telnet into the router from the computer with "Putty" and add a root password and exit.
• SSH into the router with "Putty".
• Configure the network settings and configure the router as a wifi client giving it static IP.
• Reboot the router and SSH into it via WiFi.
• Modify the package link for the opkg and update. [ Here I pointed to my locally hosted web-server]
• Install kmod-usb-audio and kmod-usb-ohci.
• Plugin the USB sound card and reboot.
• After reboot install mpd and mpc [ Music Player Daemon and Music Player Client]
• Make the required directories on the router. [.mpd , music ,  .mpd/playlists ]
• Make changes in the MPD configuration file.
• Start mpd server.
• Start mpd client.
• Configure automatic start of mpd on router startup.
• Install Areo on your computer and connect to the router and play your channels.
• Install MPod on the iPhone to connect to the router and play.

Tip: 

To add stations to Areo : To get the link to the internet radio stations I use Winamp. Play the shout-cast radio stream on winamp and right-click on it and then go to "File Info" to get the link to the station, copy it and add it to Ario. The same can be done via Winamp to play-lists that you download online.

I build this Internet Radio based on the information found on the Mighty Ohm [ http://mightyohm.com/] website. So for more information do visit their excellent website.