Project: Preview | Interview with Nick Popov

What's up, everybody? I'm back with SL's second interview, this one with Nick Popov.



Nick is the founder and head of VIVID Storage, a Sydney, AU-based company that makes portable SSDs (Solid State Drives) in colorful, aluminum cases. Plus, they're based on USB 3.0 technology, making them incredibly fast and resilient.

Which is nice.

I was able to reach out to Nick just before the Christmas season and get some questions answered. (Which was very generous, because he has been quite busy lately.)

Enjoy the interview!

---

Carter Schaap: How long have you been working on the VIVID SSD, and at what point did you decide to create your own SSD?
Nick Popov: Basically the VIVID SSD idea was born early 2104 and I worked on the project since then. The idea was taking form in my head for a couple of months, until I decided to start researching on the portable drive components and materials and to making the initial inquiries to the factories in April 2014.  It wasn’t called VIVID back then; it was just a hypothetical SSD portable drive in a very small form factor and simplified aluminum case, featuring multiple colour combinations.

CS: Is this your full-time job now, or do you work in another field of expertise, and this is more of a side project?
NP:No, VIVID SSD is not my full time job, but lately its becoming one as it is taking more and more of my daily work routine. I run a small B2B marketing agency for Consumer IT clients in Australia and New Zealand as my main occupation and this experience helped me a lot to make VIVIVD SSD project happen. Lots of great and successful ideas and products start as a side project, but I hope VIVID SSD will grow into something bigger and more independent.

CS: When designing the SSD, were there any difficulties while creating a drive than took full use of the USB 3.0 capabilities? Same with the external casing?
NP: There were difficulties at each step of making VIVID SSD, as developing a product from scratch was a new experience for everyone involved. We aimed to create the ultimate portable drive which meant using best components when designing the PCB and sourcing the top quality flash memory. The main challenge with PCB design was fitting all of the components we needed on a relatively small board to maintain the overall small form factor of the final product. Some major vital components, like ASMedia flash controllers that we use in VIVID SSD, had to be imported from TAIWAN, which became a massive challenge in terms of keeping the project in the projected timeline. Case wise, the main challenge was to get the colors we wanted right, during the color oxidation process, which meant back and forth production samples delivery from manufacturers to Australia, until we were satisfied with colors. Getting the right grade aluminum on the small test orders wasn’t easy either as larger manufactures were not interested in our initial order volumes

CS: How many prototypes or iterations of the drive did VIVID go through to reach the current design?

NP: For the PCB part, I would say we went through at least 12-15 prototypes to make sure the sped transfer is up to our high requirements. Then, at least 10 Case design and major alterations, from improving the looks and heat spread, to adjusting the case internal design to fit the latest PCB design. CS: Finally, does VIVID have any other product ideas or models of the SSD in mind for the (distant) future?
NP: Yes, we are working on a few new VIVID products at the moment, which include VIVID PRO storage solution (double/triple MSata slots in RAID 0) and even smaller consumer drive with USB-C connectivity.

They will be available soon through the vivivdstorage.com website. 

NP: Thank you for the questions and the opportunity to be heard.

---

Thanks to the entire VIVID team for helping SL accomplish the interview! Especially Stas Svamin, the Digital Marketing and Planning leader, who coordinated between Nick and I to get the questions answered.

If you're interested in the VIVID SSD and would like to help them reach their goal, (as of this publishing, they're at 96% funded! Almost there!) you can head over to Kickstarter.com and pledge $181, which'll get you a Drive of your own.

Stay tuned for more project previews... Carter out!

..Carter..

Project: Preview | Interview with Jim Smith

Hey everyone! Here's SL's first Project: Preview!

...While it's not a product review, (one coming soon, thought!) we have a great interview that we did with Jim Smith, the creator of Hologram Pyramid!



Hologram Pyramid, a holographic projector for smartphones, is currently on Kickstarter. It's 19% funded as of this article's writing, with 16 days to go. Check it out here!

Hologram Pyramid

Well, without further ado, here's the interview. Enjoy!

---

Carter Schaap: Great to be here talking to you tonight. How are you?

Jim Smith: I'm doing good, thanks.

CS: So when did you think up the concept for Hologram Pyramid?

JS: I started the project about 3 months ago. I was searching around on the internet; Reddit, actually, and came upon instructions to make your own holographic projector out of a CD case. So, I went into my garage and got this built. It was a pretty rough prototype.

CS: Have you come across any other products on the market similar to what you've created here?

JS: Yeah, I think I found maybe three other models out there... But none have the suction cup feature.

CS: Is this your full time job now?

JS: No, no, this is a side project I work on in the wee hours of the night.

CS: So I'm assuming then that it's just a one-man team working here.

JS: Yeah, It's just me.

CS: What goes into the creation of these pyramids? You mentioned using injection molding in the future for mass-production... is this how the prototypes are created?

JS: Right now, the prototype is machined out of a solid piece of clear plastic. The process starts with a 3" by 3" block of plastic that's cut down into the pyramid shape.

CS: It sounded from the Kickstarter video like you taught yourself most of the science behind the project using simple online resources like YouTube.

JS: Yes, I had to teach myself all about how the physics worked.

CS: How many prototypes or iterations of the pyramid did you go through to reach the current design?

JS: This is about the third prototype.

CS: This is your first Kickstarter, I presume. Have you found it exciting? Stressful?

JS: A little bit of both!

CS: You already have a fair amount of backers pledging to the Kickstarter. I think partially the allure of your project is that's it's much more unique than some of the other crowdfunding campaigns out there.

CS: Finally, do you have any other concepts or ideas you'd like to work on in the future?

JS: I'd probably try and make it even better. I have a ton of concepts I'm always throwing around. I'd like to make a tablet version, something larger to project images off of bigger screens.

CS: It's been great having you on today. Where can readers find you besides, obviously, the Kickstarter?

JS: Sure thing! My website is www.sprybird.com. From there you can find all the links to my LinkedIn, etc.

CS: Thanks for your time!

JS: Take care, man.

---

Well, I hope ya'll enjoyed the first-ever issue of Project: Preview. If you're interested in the Hologram Pyramid, hop over to Kickstarter and donate $25, which'll get you a pyramid of your own!

And if you do, make sure and tell them Carter sent ya!

..Carter..

A New, Unique Series!

Get excited, everyone.

   SL's new series, over a month in the making, is almost here! Aptly called Project: Preview, it's a unique new series which delivers hands-on, in-depth reviews... on projects that you can't actually buy (yet).

   The Lab is partnering with various project leaders with currently-active Kickstarter projects that are still in the process of being funded. Their projects will be reviewed over a 3-5 (or more) day process, and then the results of that review will be published on the site as well as on all major social medias. =)

   Hopefully in the future, this'll expand to even more crowdfunding sites. The purpose of this project is to give the readers, and potential backers, an accurate, unbiased opinion on the product before they pledge their money, as well as providing feedback to the creators regarding any potential bugs and glitches.

   I hope you enjoy reading these articles and potentially backing the projects as much as I enjoy writing them. I can't wait to hear your feedback once they're published!

Later, skaters!

..Carter..

Humble Bundle's Sweet Deal of the Month!

Hello hello, all you Makers... guess what Carter's sweet Maker-ey deal of the month is this time?

...Well, okay, I guess it isn't mine, per say, but is that of Humble Bundle, the charity-sales website. They offer bundles of digital videogames and books for the low, low price of whatever you want to pay them! 90% of all the proceeds go to charity, and you get a massive grab of books (in this month's case, TONS of DIY-related guides by the MAKE: company)!

Here's what you'll get for donating $1.00:

For a donation of more than the current donator's average (currently just over $13):

That's right! You get SEVEN extra titles, two digital issues of the magazine, and ALL the extra titles released later on in the month.

But wait! There's more!

As an added bonus, donate $15 or more and you'll get two extra (and quite expensive in-store) titles. That's 15 books total, plus 2 magazine issues, and there's still more on the way! Plus, even if you donate now, you'll receive all the bonus books added into the bundle in the future FOR FREE!

Get hyped! I already snagged myself a humble bundle, and you should too! Oh, and make sure and tell 'em Carter sent ya! ;-)

..Carter..

https://www.humblebundle.com/getbooks

The Raspberry Pi Zero Is a $5 Computer the Size of a Stick of Gum

The Raspberry Pi has long been one of the best credit card sized computers, but today a new version is available that comes in at about the size of a stick of gum. Plus, it’s only $5.

The Raspberry Pi Zero is obviously less powerful than the Raspberry Pi 2, but that’s made up for in the price. Still, it’s pretty powerful all things considered. Here’s what’s packed inside the 65mm x 30mm board:

• BCM2835 chip (same as Pi 1) but up-clocked to 1GHz
• 512MB of RAM
• Micro-SD
• Mini-HDMI
• Micro-USB for data
• Micro-USB for power
• Unpopulated 40-pin GPIO connector (same pinout as A+/B+/2B)

The Raspberry Pi Zero is included free with this month’s copy of MagPi(available at Barnes & Noble and Microcenter). Otherwise, Adafruit andelement14 have the Raspberry Pi Zero in the US, while The Pi Hut, Pimoronia, and the Raspberry Pi Swag Store stock it in Europe. Orders are limited to two per person at launch.

Source: THORIN KLOSOWSKI - Lifehacker

Image courtesy of The Raspberry Pi Foundation.

Pi-Powered Laptop!

Yum. I'd like to take a bite out of this pi(e)... if it didn't cost $99 for a slice. No, I'd leave it intact.

The new Pi-TopCEED by, well, Pi-Top, is a portable DIY desktop computer running off a Raspberry Pi. This means that it only cost $99. NINETY-NINE D-D-DOLLARS, folks. That's crazy cheap, considering that the original Pi-Top cost $299. For you early adopters, I'm so sorry.

And it's still live on good ol' Indiegogo. So go on over right now and drop a cool hundred for a cheap computer, and tell 'em Carter sent you. Because they'll have NO idea what means.

-Pi-TopCEED

An Arduino-Powered Candy Dispenser!

I have to admit, this is pretty cool. And very DIY-esque. And delicious.

Check out the story below!

Source: SCOTT N. MILLER - MAKE:

News is Up!

Well, I did it. I finally got you guys some (actually) relevant news. Pretty exciting! SL's first ever news article was last night, from Arduino.cc, on their new Genuino line of foreign products. So... not relevant in regards to being anywhere the U.S., but hopefully a steady stream of articles for the future.

Ta ta,
..Carter..

Genuino Uno Now Available for Online Purchase!

The Arduino company was pleased to announce that Genuino Uno is available for purchase on the Arduino Store (20 euro + tax).

Over the last few months Arduino worked hard to get the boards ready and shipped out across the globe under the new Genuino boards name.

Genuino and Arduino boards share the exact same components, characteristics and quality of manufacturing. They are actually the same boards under a different brand:

The boards were released on Oct. 22nd, and are now available in multiple foreign countries across the globe. Arduino has also stated that more boards will be coming to reside under the Genuino banner soon.

Source: ZOE ROMANO - ARDUINO.CC

A (Hopefully) Steady Stream of Upcoming News...

Hey.
Remember me? I used to run this blog.

No?


...No?

I know, I know. My fault, guiez. I used to be more on top of things, especially during the summer. But now that school is in, it's been harder to keep up with the ol' blog. But fear not! I'm hoping to get some more media in from from MAKE:, Intel, and hopefully other partners to fill the blank, empty pages.

See ya 'round!

..Carter..

Maker Faire Cincinnati

   ...Geez, I can't post anything in less than month-long intervals, huh?   Well, that's because I have had a very busy past month. Plus, there were relatives, and, well...

   ANYway, I just wanted to say that the Cincinnati Maker Faire is coming up, (the closest one I live by) is coming on the 29th and 30th of this month. That's a Saturday and Sunday, folks.

Get Hyped!

http://cincinnatimakerfaire.com

   Also don't forget about the World Maker Faire: New York, on Sept. 26-27. That's one you won't wanna miss, folks.

GET EVEN MORE HYPED!!!

http://makerfaire.com

   Hopefully I'll see y'all at the Cinci Faire, but not at the Worlds. :(

   Ah, well, such is life. Th-th-that's all for now, folks! Hyuk!

Maker Camp!

   Hello, Hello, Makers!

   Speaking of that, MAKE: Maker Camp, an online video tutorial series all summer long, is now live! You and your young'uns can watch these videos hosted by the delightfully ridiculous hosts and learn some making skills you might not have known before!

makercamp.com

   So check it out!

..Carter..

Forums are up!

   Huzzah! After a bit of a mess, the SL forums are up and ready to roll! Thanks to Nabble for providing the free, embeddable forum!

...Of course, there's hardly anything to do on them yet. But here's how you can sign up for the the forum:

1: From the SL homepage, click on SHARD Forums.

2: This'll take you there. In the upper right-hand corner of the window, you'll see a option labeled register. (Or, if you've ever signed up for a Nabble forum, click login.)

3: You'll need to provide a username, email address, and password.

4: That's it! You can customize your account but for now there's virtually nothing to see or post. Hang in there for now!

But cool, no? Thanks to the Helplogger blog, which provides many good tips to improve Blogspot blogs!

Later, Skaters!

New page, plus upcoming forum!

   ...So. Gud news! Vedy vedy gud news.



...Vat ees this gud news, you ashk?

SHARD Labs is getting two news pages! Whoopee! First, a new QUBE page will be added, dedicated just to said project, and secondly, SL is getting a forum!

...Stay posted!

Qube is Getting a Page

Hello hello once again...

Just wanted to check up with y'all and let you know that Qube is soon going to have it's own page on this site! That way, you can follow it even more closely now if you're into that sorta thing.

Coming soon!

..Carter..

A New Community!

   So, I just joined the Electronics Point forums... I discovered them just the other day, and decided that they would be a good source of information and inspiration as I take on the daunting task of building Qube myself.

Electronics Point Site

   As for Qube? Well, it's nearly ready to begin funding, and I can't wait to get started!

Qube is on track!

   Whew... after over a year and a half of contemplating, drawing, planning, and screaming, the time is almost here for Qube- or what will become Qube- to launch!

   After much debate I have decided to use GoFundMe, a crowdfunding-based site, to generate funds from you, the readers, to successfully get Qube up and on the road. It won't be easy- I'm building it from scratch by myself- (well, mostly) but with you help I can make it happen.

   Oh, and I'll be offering reward levels for backers... but I'm not revealing anything yet.

   Stay tuned!

Qube Update:

   Hello, once again. As I sit here, chewing a pencil, knee-deep in crumpled paper, I've decided to bring y'all an update on Qube.

...







...

...Okay, so nothing, really. Actually, the plans and model are basically finished. Now I must make the hard decision: do I send it on to Quirky, so they can develop (and basically own) Qube for me, or do I bite the bullet, raise some funds and do it myself? (It probably will look prettier if Quirky does it, but...)

Choices, choices. Any other ideas? Let me know!

(Insert Imperial March)

   ...Okay, for those of you who are nerds like me other people cool people, here's your quiz for the day: What event happens today? You have three guesses, and two seconds to guess correctly.

...Ready? GO! BEEEEP! Time's up! Sorry!

   Anyway, just wanted to say...

Back From The Grave!

   ...Whew. What an ordeal.

   Hey guys, I'm FINALLY back. After a week-long war of Carter vs. Wisdom Teeth Surgery (Monday! Monday! Monday! See it live!) ...I'm happy to say that I won. But it did knock me for a loop. Thankfully, though, I'm back in action to deliver on the news-side of things.

-Carter

More Ways to Follow!

   Good news for all who don't use Google+: SL now has following for other social media networks implemented. If you use Twitter, Google (not Google+), Yahoo (???) or several other sources, you can now join the ranks of the Maker elite!

   Mwuhahaha!!!


...Okay, not really. But you can keep up with SL more easily now. Unless you use Facebook. Sadly, the Google/Facebook rift prevents users of the world's largest social network from enjoying my posts.

TTFN!

Tiko- The Unibody 3D Printer

   Traversing the depths of Kickstarter today, I discovered an amazing thing: Tiko, the cheapest- and quite possibly coolest- unibody 3D printer!

   It's lightweight, quiet, and best of all, cheap! At only $180 with a pledge, you won't find a better deal anywhere. It's smashed its Kickstarter goal by an insane 2322%, and the campaign isn't even over yet.

-> https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/tiko3d/tiko-the-unibody-3d-printer?ref=category_popular <-

   But if you want one, hurry! The project closes on Apr. 30 at midnight, and then the price jumps to regular consumer retail.

Project: MilTag USB

   Atten-SHUN, Makers!

   Here's a little something I whipped up in four hours the other day:

   To create this- er, creation, I used:

-A 256MB USB drive.

-A Marines name tag given by my parents' good friend, Captain (at the time, Lieutenant) Carter, after whom I was named.

-Green thread.

-Tacky glue.

   This project was fairly simple, I merely gutted the USB board out of its case-

The USB, before.

Afterward.

-and sewed it into the folded-over name tag. A couple stitches and a generous amount of tacky glue later, voila!

   Now I can safely bring my camouflaged files wherever I go without risking detection. Cool, huh? If you have a similar project, let the lab know below!

   Until next time... AT EASE, MAKERS! 

SL REVIEWS: The Arduino Uno Starter Kit

   Ah, Arduino. Where could I begin, my friend? You have such an interesting story. You've quickly evolved into one of the foremost leaders of the Maker movement. And you have generated a massive community in your wake.

SHARD REVIEWS:

THE ARDUINO STARTER KIT

By Carter Schaap

4/19/15

   In the maker biz, there are those things which makers can't live without. A screwdriver. A soldering iron. A wallet. (Most of the time, anyway.)

   But then there are some things that, while not required, are essential to (most) any maker's life. One of those is an Arduino board. And what a better way to get started with Arduino than with the Starter Kit?

   Arduino was created by a talented group of students in Italy in 2005.  The Arduino was a lower-power, broken-out microcontroller used to program, run, and control electronics across a large field of options, from sensors to robots to drones.

   Since its unveiling, the Arduino line has gone through multiple iterations. The Arduino Uno, developed in 2010, became the official reference model for the Arduino platform and the poster child for the Arduino Foundation. Because of this, many projects around the web that require the versatility of Arduino use the Uno model.

OVERVIEW:

   The cheapest you'll probably find the kit for is on Amazon. They offer a large selection of other hardware to supplement the kit. Plus, if you're a Prime member, the kit comes with free two-day shipping.

   Unboxing the kit is nice. In fact, just looking at the kit is nice. Blue and yellow with gold accents come together to make a lovely box that wouldn't look bad on a desk or office shelf. But it's what's under the hood that really counts.

   The first thing you'll find when you open the top flap of the kit is the included 171-page Arduino Projects Book. This softcover guide is your Arduino's bible, containing 15 different projects to jumpstart the learning curve. It also includes descriptions of each different piece of your kit, plus a glossary and additional resources pages. Again, the book matches the box, with a cover accented with a gold-chrome finish. 

   This is also one of my first real complaints; I feel that they could have made the guide spiral-bound, and therefore, easier to keep open on a specific page while trying to work on a project.

   Underneath the book is another flap. Flip it open, and you'll be greeted by several cardboard boxes nested together, each listing off a specific group of components.

THE HARDWARE:

   Now we're into the meat of the pie. The kit contains a plethora of goodies to get you started, including:

-An Arduino Uno microcontroller and power cable

-An alphanumeric LCD screen

-Dozens of LEDs

-Jumper cables

-A solderless breadboard

-Plus lots more!

Muchos supplies!

   Some stuff that the kit does not supply:

-A power source (You'll need either a computer supply, DC cable or 9V battery.)

-The Arduino IDE (You'll need a computer and internet connection.)

-Some craft materials (Paper, foil, etc.)

-A solder iron and solder (Only necessary in one project.) 

-And a 9V battery

   But most, if not all of these items shouldn't be too hard to obtain. Just remember that without the Arduino IDE (The programming application) your board is a hunk of useless metal.

   The Arduino Uno board itself is a well-built piece of hardware. Dark blue, with pins and sockets covering various parts. It's quite sturdy, and the balsa wood frame included in the package comes with three screws to secure it alongside the solderless breadboard.
   The breadboard is also a greatly-welcomed addition, meaning that tinkerers can set their projects up, prototype, and easily remove components as they see fit.

Gallery:

THE SOFTWARE:

   Arduino has managed to craft a well-made software side of their company as well, something not everyone has managed to accomplish.

The Arduino IDE

   However, there are several prerequisites you must know of:

-You must have a computer. Windows and OS X work best; you'll have to do some finagling to get the IDE on Linux.

-An internet connection. Don't worry to much about constant speed or connectivity. You only have to download the IDE and some libraries for various projects, and that's it.

-(1) available USB port. This will power and upload sketches to your Arduino.

   With these up, it's a quick job of updating the Arduino's driver and opening the Arduino.exe. There's not even any installing to do.

   Once you're into the IDE, you'll be greeted by your first-ever sketch, pre-made for you: the blink sketch. Click the UPLOAD button (the sideways arrow). It will pause for roughly five seconds, then the on-board LED on your Arduino will begin to flash. Congratulations! You've just programmed your Arduino.

   Of course, you want more than a blinking LED. Check out the projects in your book for more ideas.

   ...This is my second real complaint. The book does a fairly poor job of teaching you how to use the code, (which is C++, a pretty common and basic programming language) and assumes you already have a rudimentary knowledge of coding already.

   The book basically throws the code at you to copy into the IDE.

   Luckily, this is where the IDE's built-in error catcher comes in: You can run an "error check" (the check mark) that parses the document and pulls out all your mistakes, explaining what went wrong and (sometimes) how to fix em'.

FINAL THOUGHTS:

   Overall, I'm pretty impressed with how well-crafted Arduino has made their product. I was unable to find any real faults with the hardware or the software, but the book's construction, code examples, and generally layout can be a headache if you don't really know what you're doing. (Which most people probably won't, hence it being a STARTER KIT.

SCORE:

8/10

   Did I convince you to buy the kit, or get into Arduino and its community? Comment below and let us know!

More on Qube, Quirky, and Other Q Words

   A couple posts ago, I wrote about an upcoming project, Qube. This project hopes to merge the portability of smartphones with the power and flexibility of a desktop computer. How is this possible? Hopefully through Quirky, a business-kickstarting and development site.

> Quirky <

   Within the next few days Qube will hopefully be submitted to the site. Should it succeed, it will be up to you, the viewers, to bring the concept to life through a voting process. Check out Quirky and stay tuned for more news!

SL: Recommended Reading

   Today I finished a book by one of my new favorite authors: Isaac Asimov. For those of you who don't know, Asimov was one of the premier sci-fi writers of the 1950's and 60's, whereupon he wrote or edited over 500 different works of literature. Along with Arthur C. Clarke and Robert A. Heinlein, he is considered one of the "Big Three" in sci-fi stories.

   But with all that said, here's today's recommended read:

Pebble in the Sky

By Isaac Asimov

   It's quite a good book, being the first book Isaac Asimov ever published. Of course, being written in 1950, it displays a future quite different then the actual today, but manages to incorporate actual scientific and political action into a riveting, if not short story.

   I won't go into to much detail, because I obviously don't want to ruin the story, but it tells the tale of several different people in a far-future Earth who meet each other just as the planet reaches a tipping point in its path of fate.

   Interested? You can pick it up at a local library or on your reading device.

http://www.amazon.com/Pebble-in-the-Sky

   Until next time!

Upcoming Project:

   It's been a big couple of months for SHARD Labs. The blog is well past a hundred separate viewers, a logo was created, and much more.

   And it's not even done yet!

   But the purpose of this post is to announce that SL is starting a project that encompasses both the software and hardware aspects of the site:

   Qube, the first ever fully portable, no-screen, self sustainable desktop PC! Interested? There's not a lot yet but much time and effort is going into the project to get it rolling on the website Quirky.

   ...Stay tuned!

New Logos!

   SHARD Labs is pleased to announce official logos! They were done by my good friend Charlotte, and they look pretty good on the site! Check 'em out!

What do you think? Comment below!

And find Charlotte Boyer at:

facebook.com/charlotteboyerphoto

U.S. Arduino Store Opens!

   A big day today in the world of Make...

   An official Arduino store for U.S. customers is now open! Huzzah!
   For those of you who were a bit (or a lot, or...) rusty with their Italian, you can now fulfill your greatest Arduino desires without pulling up Google Translate.

-> store-usa.arduino.cc <-

Well, there you go. Enjoy!

...Oh, and one other thing: My next SL REVIEWS: post should be coming up soon, and coincidentally, it has to do with above topic.

-Bye!

Pardon Our Dust...

   Greetings from the Ohio Outback!

   The blog is slowly being improved. Tags are now implemented, along with Atom Subscription, and a new web series is underway!

   Here's what I hope to include soon as well:

• Partners: SL is looking into potential partner sites at the moment. If you would like to partner with SL, or have us publicize your business, let me know.
• Forum: The site is currently trying to implement a forum for viewers to chat on. Stay tuned for that!
• And lots more... This site is in Alpha testing for a reason. I'm taking it slowly, and eventually a fully built up site will be released under Beta. Keep reading and keep Making!

SL REVIEWS: RadioShack Soldering Kit Unboxing

SHARD REVIEWS:

THE RADIOSHACK LEARN-TO-SOLDER KIT

By Carter Schaap

2/28/15

   Yesterday, I stopped by the local RadioShack here in southwestern Ohio. For those of you who don't already know, (and most of you probably do) RadioShack filed for bankruptcy just recently, meaning that most of their stores are closing or becoming privately owned.

   Because of this, you can find some terrific deals at the stores, with closeout sales ranging from 30% -60% off.

A RadioShack soldering starter kit, 50% off.

   So when I went in there, it looked like a tornado had just blown through, with most of the shelves stripped bare. The MAKE section, however, still had a fair amount of equipment left, so I picked up one of their soldering kits that was actually pretty decent. It came with a 25W soldering iron, several feet of solder, pliers, and a kit to make a miniature electric keyboard.
   Oh, and if you get one of the kits but don't have a Makezine subscription, the kit includes a card for a free issue.

   The price is usually $30, but if you haggle, you can walk out with up to a 50% discount like I did.


UNBOXING:

   Overall, it's a nice kit. The soldering iron can be a bit messy, and the solder itself tends to smoke, but a long as you have proper ventilation you'll be fine.

The 25W soldering iron.

   The instructions should get you through just fine, and the circuit board included is even labeled to help you find the correct spots to insert each part.

Partialy done electric keyboard

     It's very satisfying to finally power it up and listen to the electronic notes play.

   And there you have it! A great deal for what you get. If you still have a RadioShack near you that hasn't closed, I would recommend you stop by and take a look. Who knows? You might find something great on sale there.

Video of the finished product.

   Whew, my first review. Hopefully not to shabby, eh? Let me know what you think in the comments and +1 us on Google+.

   Also be on the lookout for our SLR: THE ARDUINO UNO review.

Welcome to SHARD Labs!

   So welcome to SHARD Labs. My name is Carter Schaap. I am a 15-year-old maker living in the southwestern Ohio region. For more about me, visit the About page.
 
   How this blog will work during alpha stage is this:

•   I do not yet have user account creation set up. So this means that the only content as of now is mine. Hopefully I won't bore you all to death.
•   Posts will usually encompass one of three types: News, Reviews, and Personal.
•   News is, well, news. I'll try to stay up-to-date with the latest news (and speculation).
•   Reviews will be my personal reviews of products that I may have just unboxed, or owned for quite some time. I'll present my personal opinion on whether or not I think the product is worth your hard-earned pennies.
• Finally, Personal will cover any events that happen in my life, (this is a blog, after all) and memes. Gotta have those memes, right?

   I hope y'all enjoy my blog, and eventually become part of it, and its community.

-Carter Schaap at SHARD Labs

Web Alpha Now Open!

Software and

Hardware

Advanced

Research and

Development

Labs

   Who are we?

   SHARD Labs is a blog designed for chronicling the many electronics-based projects that grace the Maker scene. This blog was created to give all makers a chance to show the world their projects as they come to life, step by step.

   The site is now in Alpha, meaning that many changes may be made over the course of the next couple months. By mid-spring I hope to have SL in Beta, when project-chronicling and project-funding can be released. But as of now, there's not much to see.

   Eventually, you'll be able to post your photos, videos, and stories here, so that others can be inspired. Also, you can choose a funding option for your project that lets others donate to your project, enabling you to upgrade or speed the building of your creation.

   Let's show the world how we do it.

  SHARD

  Labs