9/28/07

 

What have you accomplished this week?

 

This week we have successfully assembled our project onto the posterboard complete with an antenna and now recently an rfid tag itself.

 

What problems have you overcome this week?

 

This week our biggest problem was finiding a physical RFID tag. Tom and I looked in our homes and checked CDs and DVDs but could not find one. Then we traveled to the library and were told we were getting RFID tags but received magnetic strips. Finally we found a RFID located in a router box. The librarians also emailed around and are finding us another.

 

What are the most significant problems you face at this time? What will you do to meet these problems?

 

The most significant problem we face at this time is ensuring that we have a good enough RFID tag for people to see how they are attached and used in real life cicumstances. Unfortunatley the RFID tags were not as prevalent as we origionally expected because both of us checked CDs, DVDs, and various other things and had a hard time finding one.

 

What materials or information do you need? How do you plan on getting these

materials or information?

 

We need an RFID tag which we recently obtained from both a lynksis router box and an epson printer ink cartridge.

 

10/11/07

 

What have you accomplished this week?

 

Between this week and last week we have gotten ourselves a functioning computer after multiple classes of trying to use a broken one. We also changed to boot order around to load off the cd first. We then played around with ubuntu and eventually installed the program onto our hard drive.

 

What problems have you overcome this week?

 

Between this week and last week we had a lot of problems. Our initial computer kept displaying the error of Kernel Panic! and Unable to locate RSDP. We got it to load for a little bit one class but we have no idea how or why this worked. We tried to solve this for 2 classes but we could not figure it out. We then sifted through another 3 computers until we finally found one that properly functioned.

 

What are the most significant problems you face at this time? What will you do to meet these problems?

 

As of now we do not face any problems because all have been solved and we are waiting for our next assignment.

 

What materials or information do you need? How do you plan on getting these materials or information?

 

We do not need any other information or materials until we our given our next assignment.

 

10/18/07

 

Briefly describe the project:

 

Setting up network and vinyl cutter

 

What have you accomplished this week?

 

This week we have researched networking and began trying to get a LAN setup to work. We used some online tutorials involving the terminal on Ubuntu. Also, I have created a sticker with the vinyl cutter.

 

What problems have you overcome this week?

 

We have had to search for an Ubuntu update and download it in order to attempt an online LAN tutorial

 

What are the most significant problems you face at this time? What will you do to meet these problems?

 

We still have not successfully created a functioning LAN and need to learn how to do this the easiest way.

 

What materials or information do you need? How do you plan on getting these materials or information?

 

We will need to either find the a method to set up a LAN in a way that we understand online or have Mr. Conors/another class mate instruct us on how to do so.

 

10/25/07

 

Briefly describe the project:

 

We are working on creating ethernet cables and setting up a LAN as well as occasionally creating things on the vinyl cutter.

 

 

What have you accomplished this week?

 

This week I have accomplished a lot. I have created 3 different vinyl stickers as well as a functioning ethernet cord. My partner Tom and I also updated Ubuntu and used our newly created ethernet cable to set up a successful LAN connection.

 

What problems have you overcome this week?

 

This week I have overcome the problem of making an ethernet cable as well as setting up the LAN. I initially set up the wires for ethernet cord A and had to redo the configuration. Getting all of the wires flush and at the proper length to reach the connector was a pain but I finally got succeeded. Next we had to figure out which updates to install on Ubuntu and how to get the LAN set up.

 

What are the most significant problems you face at this time? What will you do to meet these problems?

 

At this time the only significant problem I face is figuring out how to set up a LAN connection between computers rather than using the LAN box.

 

What materials or information do you need? How do you plan on getting these materials or information?

 

We need to find either a website or get instructions on what needs to be tweaked in the terminal and what needs to be downloaded in order to create a computer to computer LAN connection.

 

 

END OF TERM UPDATE

 

What have you done this term?

 

This term I have accomplished a lot. The first thing I accomplished was Tom Smith and I created an oral presentation as well as a poster for a part of a computer. Ours was the RFID tag which was very interseting seeing as how i knew nothing about it before. Tom and I also went on a quest to find RFID tags which was at first unsuccessful but eventually the fruits of our labor payed off. We located 2 seperate RFID for the poster as examples. Next, we got ourselves a computer, changed the boot order, and loaded Ubuntu. This was a challenge at first because we had to sift through so many computers to find a working one, but we now have Ubuntu installed and running. We then downloaded updates, applications, and programs such as flock. While I was doing this I simultaneously created an ethernet cable and learned the ways of vinyl cutting. I created multiple stickers and showed other people how to use it as well.

 

 

What was the biggest challenge for you this term?

 

The biggest challenge I overcame was finding a working computer. Tom and I had to go through 3 sepearate computers, reasearching errors on each one until we eventually found a working one. The errors varied including kernel panic and unable to locate RSDP. The second computer had similar errors and Tom and I had to give up and find a new one. The third one worked perfectly and we ran and installed Ubuntu with no problem.

 

 

 

What have you learned that could be useful outside of school?

 

Things I have learned that our useful outside of school include what an RFID tag is and its function. This is very important judging by the extreme amount of these coming into circulation and the fact that these seem to be on the way to replacing barcodes. Another useful thing I have learned is the program Ubuntu itself. If I ever have a computer and no operating system, I can simply burn a copy of it and install it for free.

 

Of the things you have done this term, what would you like to do more of?

 

I would like to do more tech and engineering oriented things because I have the most fun on these. I was extremely impressed and amazed by the awesomeness that is the Vinyl Cutter. I had a great time creating stickers and can't beleive that the machine has that capability. I am hoping to explore more of these devices of awesomeness such as the shop bot. I also would like to learn about more cool applications for a computer such as flock.

 

11/15/07

Briefly describe the project:

 

We are working on Ubuntu and figuring out sideprojects. We also found our connection speed and computer information.

 

What have you accomplished this week?

This week we played around with screenshots and took screenshots of our desktop which we have modified. I also picked out an idea for my first side project and put it into the shared folder. Also, we figured out our connection speed and well as PC hardware information. We also attempted to remote desktop a computer.

 

What problems have you overcome this week?

 

I decided on a first sideproject and finally installed flock correctly because the origional installation was not complete and didn't have the correct files. Also I figured out where to find all of the hardware information on my computer.

 

What are the most significant problems you face at this time? What will you do to meet these problems?

 

The most significant problem is to figure out what is wrong with my computer and find an accurate way to fix it for my sideproject.

 

 

What materials or information do you need? How do you plan on getting these materials or information?

 

The materials I need are my computer itself and any parts i will need to buy to fix it. I will get these from a website like www.newegg.com

 

12/7/07

 

Briefly describe the project:

 

 

We are repairing an old iMac G3 with 9.2 OS installed.

 

 

What have you accomplished this week?

 

This week we took a non functioning iMac G3 and got it to run Ubuntu. We first had to find ram from another computer and put it into the mac. The next problem was that the CD drive was eating drives and not spitting them back out. To fix this we took apart the computer and located the force eject button on the CD drive. We plan to cut a whole in the case for easy access to this. Next we placed Ubuntu into the drive and held down C while the computer was loading and got ubuntu to load.

 

What problems have you overcome this week?

 

Our biggest problem that we overcame was figuring out how to fix the cd drive

 

What are the most significant problems you face at this time? What will you do to meet these problems?

 

Our most signifcant problem is making sure ubuntu will run smoothly on the iMac. We are going to have to install and hope for the best and see what happens.

 

 

What materials or information do you need? How do you plan on getting these materials or information?

 

We really don't need any materials other than the computer and CD.

 

 

12/14/07

 

Briefly describe the project:

 

 

We are repairing an old iMac G3 with 9.2 OS installed and attempting to run Ubuntu.

 

 

What have you accomplished this week?

 

This week we have tried to get Ubuntu running however whenever it stops loading and tries to boot the screen goes black. We put in more ram which didn't seem to help the problem so we need to figure out other possible solution. I also helped will and kevin solder there speaker wire together to make a mac speaker on a PC. Me and will are also attempting to get a joystick to work on the pentium IIIs.

 

What problems have you overcome this week?

 

We changed the harddrive on our computer to see if that helped our problem but it didn't seem to.

 

What are the most significant problems you face at this time? What will you do to meet these problems?

 

Our most signifcant problem is getting Ubuntu to run. However we are kind of stuck as to what is wrong with it at the moment.

 

What materials or information do you need? How do you plan on getting these materials or information?

 

We are going to need to research the problem we are facing and see what solutions there are. Mike G and Mike M are also having the same problem so we will try to work together to solve the problem.

 

 

12/21/07

 

Briefly describe the project:

 

We are repairing an old iMac G3 with 9.2 OS installed and attempting to run Ubuntu.

 

What have you accomplished this week?

 

This week we got our machine to boot the os 9.2 and actually run. We added more ram which I think was our problem before hand. Also, it decided to turn itself on again after a class of it not wanting to power. We now are going to try to install Ubuntu after playing around with the mac OS for a little bit.

 

What problems have you overcome this week?

 

We got our iMac up and running which had been our biggest problem from the beginning.

 

What are the most significant problems you face at this time? What will you do to meet these problems?

 

Our most significant problem is installing Ubuntu. As of now when we place Ubuntu in the CD drive while already in the mac os, it recognizes the CD. However, when we put it in before the OS is booted and hold C to boot off the CD it brings up a "?" and won't load.

 

What materials or information do you need? How do you plan on getting these materials or information?

 

We are going to have to look on google for people with the same problem. Maybe a CD-rom swap may be necessary.

 

 

1/10/08

 

Briefly describe the project:

 

We are now trying to piece together a working computer, install ubuntu, and make a gaming computer out of it.

 

What have you accomplished this week?

 

This week we have gotten one iMac to work, and attempted to fix 2 others. However, the one machine we got working would not install Ubuntu, which was the issue with a previous one he had as well. Also, the working one decided to die one day when somebody pulled the power cord out of the back while it was running and now it won't start.

 

What problems have you overcome this week?

 

We have overcome getting an imac that previously did not work, to work.

 

What are the most significant problems you face at this time? What will you do to meet these problems?

 

Our most significant problem is finding enough working stuff in the classroom to assembly an entire computer out of.

 

What materials or information do you need? How do you plan on getting these materials or information?

 

Materials needed are going to be different computer parts located around the classroom. We already have a good amount of ram and 2 different CPUs, we now just need to see what combination of stuff is going to produce a working rig.