This week we had Robb Walters of Flybrix on the show. They make a LEGO based multicopter. To prepare, I watched Brickumentary about LEGO. It was quite amusing (currently free on some streaming services). I also read through some of the Flybrix control code and had to lookup some C++ syntax, and I used the Sams Teach Yourself C++ in One Hour a Day by Siddhartha Rao book that Andrei had been reading. On the show, Robb suggested Effective Modern C++: 42 Specific Ways to Improve Your Use of C++11 and C++14 by Scott Meyer so I’m going to switch to that. (I read these on Safari Books Online so the cost of flipping through is pretty low, happily a lifetime membership was a perk of writing for O’Reilly.)

For next week’s podcast, we are having one of the Make with Ada Programming Competition organizers on so I’ve been trying to cram some Ada knowledge into my head. I searched around a bunch and finally landed on Inspirel’s Introduction to Ada on Cortex-M processors. Not only is it a reasonable intro to Ada (I hope), it is an interesting approach to introducing embedded systems.

Andrei sent me a link a how to construct durable wiring harnesses. I found it fascinating. I’m not sucking up to him even though I promised I’d write a post to answer the question in his post’s comments about multiple-C files from someone who is probably a Python programmer and I’ve only barely started. Barely.

I want to make a hat-mounted UV sensor to tell me when I’ve had enough sun. (Given my skin, even with a hat and sunscreen on, there is still a time limit.) There are some nice UV sensors. And maybe I’ll use a Teensy. You know, Paul Stoffregen would make a good guest, I wonder if he’d be interested. Last time I asked him, I think we were too small but I’ve met him in person since.

I’ve been looking at the Embedded Thoughts blog and find it interesting. You might like it. I mean, you read this blog after all.

I want to make a VR game to play on the Vive. My idea is FlappyBirds but you have to actually flap (FlapDamnYou is the working title). Instead of frustration through impossibility, my plan is charlie-horses for all.

My contract is coming to an end and I should be trying to find something educational to do next. Maybe more science and math than BLE and low power this time. But I’m too busy to fish. Clearly.

I’m getting my hair cut. It is the beach’s fault. It takes too long to dry and I’m excited to have it be shorter so I can swim more.

I should offer up stickers to people. I haven’t even stuck them on my own gadgets yet. So far I’ve only shipped some to Sarah Petkus (seemed fair). After tshirts are done. By the way, don’t forget that. I mean, don’t forget to buy a tshirt.

I’m pretty sure there is something I’m forgetting. I hope it isn’t kitty litter.

Thanks to Erin McKean for informing me of the existence of this word that governs so much of my world – aprosexia: (noun, psychology) Inability to concentrate.