Java ORM using MongoDB

Posted on March 14, 2011 by admin

My previous blog post covered a little about MongoDB. It’s really simple to use on the command line and thanks to an open-source developer, it’s really simple to use in a java application. Continue reading →

Posted in Data Store, Java, ORM, Programming | Tagged , , , | 5 Comments

Persistence using MongoDB

Posted on March 9, 2011 by admin

A friend of mine suggested I check out MongoDB to use as a lightweight data store. Mongo moves away from the traditional relational database and allows you to store whatever you want, however you want. Instead of tables of data, you have what are now called collections. These collections can contain any sort of data you’d like including multiple types of data. All data within Mongo is stored as a JSON document rather than a database specific format. Confused? Don’t be; it’s pretty easy to wrap your brain around.

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Posted in Data Store, Programming | 1 Comment

jQuery UI Drag and Drop

Posted on March 8, 2011 by admin
jQuery UI has drag and drop functionality baked right in. This makes it really easy to add rich functionality and responsiveness to your web applications that let them act more like desktop applications. Check out the demo below and continue after the break to see how it works.
Drag1
Drag2
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Posted in Javascript, jQuery, Uncategorized, Web Development | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Home Automation with Infrared – IR Part 2

Posted on March 7, 2011 by admin
In my previous post we discussed a network to IR bridge by GlobalCache. This allows any device with the ability to communicate over the TCP/IP network to send IR commands. I created a proof of concept for the Android platform that would allow any Android device to control IR devices. Continue reading →
Posted in Android, Hardware, Home Automation, Java | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments

Home Automation with Infrared – IR

Posted on March 7, 2011 by admin
A While back I had the idea of turning my Android device into a touchscreen remote. As my phone has no Infrared transmission capability, I had to figure another method to bridge the gap between the devices I wanted to control and my Android device. After a little searching, I found a company called GlobalCache that made a few pieces of interesting hardware that would fit the bill nicely. Continue reading →
Posted in Android, Hardware, Home Automation, Java | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

RFID Enabled Schlage Electronic Deadbolt

Posted on March 5, 2011 by admin
Previously I showed you how to modify(hack) a Schlage electronic deadbolt so that you could control it with a microcontroller. I finally took this one step further and interfaced a Parallax RFID reader with an Arduino to control the deadbolt. Continue reading →
Posted in Arduino, Hardware, RFID | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

jQuery clone usage

Posted on March 5, 2011 by admin
Recently I was working on a project that used a few divs that were identical in form and function. They both contained an HTML form and they both submitted to the same REST service. I figured there had to be a better way to implement this that would help layout and code changes in the future.  I was right. Continue reading →
Posted in Javascript, jQuery, Web Development | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Pardon our dust…

Posted on March 1, 2011 by admin
We're currently migrating to a new system. Please bear with us.
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Sparkfun Serial LCD Backpack

Posted on February 5, 2011 by admin
When I pulled my Sparkfun Serial LCD out of storage to use it with a new Arduino project, I couldn't find the data sheet for it as Sparkfun no longer sold it. I did some digging around and found its data sheet. When the LCD boots up, it has a splash screen that gave some clues; DX160. Here's what I found. DX160
Posted in Arduino, Data Sheets, Hardware | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

How to use an xBee Series 1 in API mode

Posted on February 4, 2011 by admin

Gathering Parts

The first thing I did was dig through my boxes of carefully collected (but not so carefully stored) junk to see if I could borrow parts from anything. As it turns out, I had 3 original Xbox controllers that have fairly common, and fairly inexpensive analog joysticks in them. The way the controllers are designed, removing them was dead simple. Continue reading →
Posted in Arduino | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment