Comments for AaronEiche.com http://aaroneiche.com A lot of nerdy stuff mixed together with a little nostalgia. Bake for 20 minutes at 350 Wed, 09 May 2012 17:34:54 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 Comment on Arduino Starter Rundown – Part 2 by Olly http://aaroneiche.com/2009/07/16/arduino-starter-rundown-part-2/comment-page-1/#comment-96644 Olly Wed, 09 May 2012 17:34:54 +0000 http://aaroneiche.com/?p=407#comment-96644 I was torn between playing with control units for static projects, for which an LED matrix would be useful perhaps, or playing with robotics projects, for which servos would be much more useful. Either way once ive settled in to arduino, im sure i can make a trip to radioshack or similar and peruse the extra parts i could play with. FWIW, i went for the Oomout one. despite having an A level in electronics, that was some years ago, the revision will stand me in good stead. I was torn between playing with control units for static projects, for which an LED matrix would be useful perhaps, or playing with robotics projects, for which servos would be much more useful.

Either way once ive settled in to arduino, im sure i can make a trip to radioshack or similar and peruse the extra parts i could play with.

FWIW, i went for the Oomout one. despite having an A level in electronics, that was some years ago, the revision will stand me in good stead.

]]> Comment on Arduino Starter Rundown – Part 2 by Olly http://aaroneiche.com/2009/07/16/arduino-starter-rundown-part-2/comment-page-1/#comment-96582 Olly Wed, 09 May 2012 15:04:54 +0000 http://aaroneiche.com/?p=407#comment-96582 Excellent stuff Aaron. I will buy a UK kit off the back of this info. Now just to decide which one! Thanks. Excellent stuff Aaron. I will buy a UK kit off the back of this info. Now just to decide which one! Thanks.

]]> Comment on A little shipping experiment by John Gilmore http://aaroneiche.com/2012/04/23/a-little-shipping-experiment/comment-page-1/#comment-93865 John Gilmore Mon, 30 Apr 2012 19:33:28 +0000 http://aaroneiche.com/?p=1379#comment-93865 USPS is not *directly* subsidized with tax dollars. However, they do have a federally enforced monopoly, so they enjoy many legal protections and benefits that UPS and FEDEX don't. The most egregious of these is their monopoly on first class letter mail. My favorite fantasy for postal service privatization is to allow other carriers access to USPS mailboxes. It's currently illegal for fedex to put a letter in your mailbox, if that where changed I think the postal service would quickly tank completely, though the cato institute suggests that I'm wrong on that. notes: "unlike other private businesses, the Postal Service is exempt from paying federal taxes. USPS can borrow money at discounted rates, and can condemn and acquire private property under governmental rights of eminent domain" (http://usgovinfo.about.com/od/consumerawareness/a/uspsabout.htm) See also http://www.cato.org/pubs/journal/cj31n1/cj31n1-9.pdf for a more in-depth review of USPS's finances, and a proposal about what to do with it in the future. USPS is not *directly* subsidized with tax dollars. However, they do have a federally enforced monopoly, so they enjoy many legal protections and benefits that UPS and FEDEX don’t.

The most egregious of these is their monopoly on first class letter mail. My favorite fantasy for postal service privatization is to allow other carriers access to USPS mailboxes. It’s currently illegal for fedex to put a letter in your mailbox, if that where changed I think the postal service would quickly tank completely, though the cato institute suggests that I’m wrong on that.

notes:
“unlike other private businesses, the Postal Service is exempt from paying federal taxes. USPS can borrow money at discounted rates, and can condemn and acquire private property under governmental rights of eminent domain” (http://usgovinfo.about.com/od/consumerawareness/a/uspsabout.htm)

See also http://www.cato.org/pubs/journal/cj31n1/cj31n1-9.pdf for a more in-depth review of USPS’s finances, and a proposal about what to do with it in the future.

]]> Comment on A little shipping experiment by Pete Prodoehl http://aaroneiche.com/2012/04/23/a-little-shipping-experiment/comment-page-1/#comment-92906 Pete Prodoehl Fri, 27 Apr 2012 12:42:56 +0000 http://aaroneiche.com/?p=1379#comment-92906 USPS works well for shipping to my home when the package is small and can be put in my mailbox and does not require a signature. It seems like most suppliers I order from use FedEx or UPS for most shipping, or if they do use USPS, it doesn't seem any cheaper. For my own shipping needs, USPS is useless, as they are not open the hours I need them to be open. I did write up some of my recent shipping adventures from the shipper's point of view, over here: http://rasterweb.net/raster/2012/03/09/maker-business-shipping/ USPS works well for shipping to my home when the package is small and can be put in my mailbox and does not require a signature. It seems like most suppliers I order from use FedEx or UPS for most shipping, or if they do use USPS, it doesn’t seem any cheaper.

For my own shipping needs, USPS is useless, as they are not open the hours I need them to be open. I did write up some of my recent shipping adventures from the shipper’s point of view, over here: http://rasterweb.net/raster/2012/03/09/maker-business-shipping/

]]> Comment on A little shipping experiment by NetworkError http://aaroneiche.com/2012/04/23/a-little-shipping-experiment/comment-page-1/#comment-91708 NetworkError Mon, 23 Apr 2012 21:01:51 +0000 http://aaroneiche.com/?p=1379#comment-91708 That's interesting. I would love to see this with a larger sample size. I wonder if Adafruit Industries would share their shipping time/destination data with you in the name of science? If you get your hands on the data, I'll help you crunch it. :) That’s interesting. I would love to see this with a larger sample size. I wonder if Adafruit Industries would share their shipping time/destination data with you in the name of science?

If you get your hands on the data, I’ll help you crunch it. :)

]]> Comment on My DIY NAS by Emory Dively http://aaroneiche.com/2009/03/31/my-diy-nas/comment-page-1/#comment-87274 Emory Dively Tue, 10 Apr 2012 02:01:09 +0000 http://aaroneiche.com/?p=91#comment-87274 How many hard drives would fit in your unit? I'm looking for a DIY case, very similar to yours (AFP, FreeNAS, low power), but I want two drives or more in my case. How many hard drives would fit in your unit? I’m looking for a DIY case, very similar to yours (AFP, FreeNAS, low power), but I want two drives or more in my case.

]]> Comment on A Beginner’s guide to making an Arduino Shield PCB by PCB per realizzare shield Arduino | Michele Maffucci http://aaroneiche.com/2010/06/24/a-beginners-guide-to-making-an-arduino-shield-pcb/comment-page-1/#comment-86618 PCB per realizzare shield Arduino | Michele Maffucci Sat, 07 Apr 2012 10:10:04 +0000 http://aaroneiche.com/?p=909#comment-86618 [...] A Beginner’s guide to making an Arduino Shield PCB [...] [...] A Beginner’s guide to making an Arduino Shield PCB [...]

]]> Comment on A Beginner’s guide to making an Arduino Shield PCB by Draft Ideas » Blog Archive » Modificar un Arduino para hacerlo compatible con placas perforadas http://aaroneiche.com/2010/06/24/a-beginners-guide-to-making-an-arduino-shield-pcb/comment-page-1/#comment-86468 Draft Ideas » Blog Archive » Modificar un Arduino para hacerlo compatible con placas perforadas Fri, 06 Apr 2012 20:09:52 +0000 http://aaroneiche.com/?p=909#comment-86468 [...] Crear placas especificas, compatibles con Arduino: http://aaroneiche.com/2010/06/24/a-beginners-guide-to-making-an-arduino-shield-pcb/ [...] [...] Crear placas especificas, compatibles con Arduino: http://aaroneiche.com/2010/06/24/a-beginners-guide-to-making-an-arduino-shield-pcb/ [...]

]]> Comment on A Beginner’s guide to making an Arduino Shield PCB by Malcolm http://aaroneiche.com/2010/06/24/a-beginners-guide-to-making-an-arduino-shield-pcb/comment-page-1/#comment-85352 Malcolm Sun, 01 Apr 2012 23:47:56 +0000 http://aaroneiche.com/?p=909#comment-85352 Awesome article, thanks! Awesome article, thanks!

]]> Comment on Arduino Starter Rundown – Part 2 by Toby Fox http://aaroneiche.com/2009/07/16/arduino-starter-rundown-part-2/comment-page-1/#comment-72996 Toby Fox Sun, 29 Jan 2012 15:23:22 +0000 http://aaroneiche.com/?p=407#comment-72996 Hey - thanks for writing this up. I'm just about to get into Arduino and was looking at starter packs (in the UK!) so this was really helpful. Going to go with the Oomlaut which, as it turns it, is the first one I came across, and now I feel good about it. Cheers. Hey – thanks for writing this up. I’m just about to get into Arduino and was looking at starter packs (in the UK!) so this was really helpful. Going to go with the Oomlaut which, as it turns it, is the first one I came across, and now I feel good about it. Cheers.

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