Grand Idea Studio

MAKE Magazine

Admin — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 21:16:44 +0000

Homebrew Video Game Cartridges: MAKE contributor Joe Grand offers detailed plans (and downloadable PCB files) for creating your own Atari 2600, Atari 5200, Atari 8-bit, and ColecoVision game cartridges.

Internet Rising

Admin — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 18:46:04 +0000

Internet Rising is a digi-documentary investigating the evolving relationships between the Internet and collective consciousness of humanity.

EEWeb

Admin — Mon, 14 Nov 2011 17:00:30 +0000

EEWeb, a premier electrical engineering community for hardware designers, has chosen Grand Idea Studio as their Engineering Site of the Day.

Joe Grand Joins MakerBot Advisory Board

Admin — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 14:00:41 +0000

Joe Grand of Grand Idea Studio has joined the Advisory Board for MakerBot Industries. MakerBot is a provider of open-source, consumer-grade 3D printers that allow users to print nearly anything they can imagine. Since November 2010, Joe has been assisting in the review of MakerBot’s electrical engineering designs and providing general guidance and recommendations for the product’s development and manufacturing processes.

ZombieTech

Admin — Thu, 27 Oct 2011 17:18:22 +0000

This week, we are talking with Joe Grand about computer security, engineering on television, the challenges in bringing an idea to market, and, of course, zombies.

SecTor 2011

Admin — Thu, 20 Oct 2011 18:10:21 +0000

Joe Grand will present a keynote address entitled “Thinking Differently: Bringing the Hacker Mindset to the Corporate Environment.”

Thinking Differently

Admin — Tue, 18 Oct 2011 20:04:56 +0000

Hackers think differently. They create new, innovative, and novel solutions to technical problems that are often deemed too difficult to solve. From Thomas Edison to Steve Wozniak to Richard Stallman, hackers have helped shape the world we live in. Corporations, on the other hand, are generally more rigid in their approaches to problem solving and are constrained by internal policies.

This presentation provides ideas on how corporations should re-think their approach to security by incorporating hackers and the hacker mindset.

Slides: Thinking Differently: Bringing the Hacker Mindset to the Corporate Environment

Originally presented at SecTor, October 18, 2011.

dorkbot sf

Admin — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 20:09:01 +0000

Joe Grand will present “Breaking San Francisco’s ‘Smart’ Parking Meter,” a look into the technical details of a previously discovered and disclosed vulnerability.

Laser Range Finder Licensed to Parallax

Admin — Sat, 17 Sep 2011 03:56:41 +0000

Parallax, Inc. has become the exclusive licensee of Grand Idea Studio’s Laser Range Finder module, a distance measuring instrument that uses laser technology to calculate the distance to a targeted object up to 8 feet away. Parallax provides technically innovative, unique, and economical products to the electronics industry and will handle all manufacturing, distribution, sales, and support of the Laser Range Finder.

Laser Range Finder

Admin — Fri, 16 Sep 2011 17:49:21 +0000

The Laser Range Finder (LRF) module is a low-cost distance measuring instrument that uses laser technology to calculate the distance to a targeted object up to 8 feet away.

The LRF incorporates a Parallax Propeller processor, OmniVision OVM7690 640×480 CMOS CameraCube, and Arima 635nm APC Laser Diode. Distance to a targeted object is calculated by optical triangulation using trigonometry between the centroid of laser light, camera, and object. Applications include distance or liquid level measurements, object detection and/or avoidance, and item counting.

Parallax, Inc. is the manufacturer and distributor of the LRF. For questions and technical support, please contact support@parallax.com.

This design is distributed under a Creative Commons Attribution-3.0 United States license.

Module Highlights:

Optimal measurement range of 6 inches to 4 feet (48 inches)
Maximum object detection distance of ~8 feet (100 inches)
Accuracy error of less than 5% (average error of 3%)
Range finding sample rate of 1Hz
Single row, 4-pin, 0.1” header for easy connection to a host system
Asynchronous serial interface with automatic baud rate detection from 300 to 115,200

Documentation (from Parallax):

Technical Manual
Schematic
Bill-of-Materials
PCB Layout
Source Code: Parallax Propeller
Tool: LRF Image Viewer (Windows XP and later)

Additional Resources:

Assembly Drawing
Test Procedure
Slides: Development Diary: The Parallax Laser Range Finder
Article: Designing a Low-Cost Laser Range Finder – Part 1 (SERVO Magazine, October 2011)
Article: Designing a Low-Cost Laser Range Finder – Part 2 (SERVO Magazine, November 2011)

Example Projects:

Videos:

Multiple LRF Demonstrations (YouTube)
Freescale’s FSLBOT (YouTube)
LRF + Nintendo Game Boy Printer (YouTube)
Object Sensing Robot by Roy Eltham (YouTube)
Hack A Week episode #13 by Dino Segovis

Hack a Day

Admin — Thu, 15 Sep 2011 03:52:14 +0000

The Amp Hour, a podcast of electronics enthusiasts and professionals alike, just did an epic interview with Joe Grand. Along with hosts Chris Gammell and Dave Jones, the discussion runs the gamut of points of interest in the hardware hacking world.

Countdown Pedestrian Signal

Admin — Wed, 14 Sep 2011 18:11:56 +0000

The Countdown Pedestrian Signal is created from a Dialight 430-6479-001F Countdown Pedestrian Signal Controller, Parallax BASIC Stamp 2, and EFX-TEK RC-4 Relay Control Board.

It simulates the three operating intervals of a pedestrian signal:

Walk
Pedestrian Clearance
Don’t Walk

The completed piece measures 18 1/4 inches long, 16 inches high, and 3 3/4 inches deep. It is mounted in a custom wooden frame and plugs into a standard 110VAC US power outlet.

Documentation:

This piece is one-of-a-kind and not for sale.

Mashable

Admin — Wed, 14 Sep 2011 03:49:48 +0000

From upcylcled drives made into jewelry, to discarded drives transformed into sculptures, we’ve found 10 interesting examples of hard drive creations from all around the world.

The Amp Hour

Admin — Mon, 12 Sep 2011 17:30:06 +0000

We welcome our guest this week: Joe Grand! Hardware hacker, electrical engineer, and former TV host!

DEFCON 19

Admin — Mon, 08 Aug 2011 16:00:33 +0000

Joe Grand participates in DEFCON Kids, a unique event providing kids and their parents an interactive, hands-on experience for learning about technology, security, and engineering. He will host a hardware hacking workshop in which each kid will experiment with a custom circuit board with a goal of defeating the security mechanism.

Hardware Hacking for Kids

Admin — Sun, 07 Aug 2011 17:39:49 +0000

This presentation introduces kids to the process and fun of hardware hacking.

Slides: Hardware Hacking for Kids

Originally presented at DEFCON Kids, August 7, 2011.

The Usual Suspects Radio Show

Admin — Sun, 07 Aug 2011 00:58:40 +0000

Audio: Please follow the link to listen.

Black Hat USA 2011

Admin — Wed, 03 Aug 2011 21:35:47 +0000

Joe Grand will conduct his two-day “Hands-On Hardware Hacking and Reverse Engineering” training course at both the weekend and weekday sessions.

Dark Reading

Admin — Fri, 29 Jul 2011 01:03:30 +0000

If you’re looking for security vulnerabilities on your laptop, there’s a new spot to check: the battery.

A Five-Year History of DEFCON’s Electronic Badges

Admin — Mon, 27 Jun 2011 16:24:19 +0000

From 2006 to 2010, Joe Grand had the honor of designing the conference badge for DEFCON, the largest and oldest continuously running hacker and computer security convention in the world. The badges, which sparked a trend within the technology community, featured active electronics mounted on artistically designed printed circuit boards.

This presentation highlights badge design, functionality, and hacks from each of the five years.

Slides: A Five-Year History of DEFCON’s Electronics Badges

AFP

Admin — Sun, 26 Jun 2011 15:51:31 +0000

DEFCON hackers will share their skills with the next generation at a first-ever children’s version of the infamous gathering of software renegades, lock pickers and social engineers.

Freescale Technology Forum Americas 2011

Admin — Fri, 24 Jun 2011 18:01:31 +0000

Joe Grand will host the Make It Challenge design contest and provide technical guidance to entrants throughout the event.

Unofficial Propeller Expo West 2011

Admin — Mon, 23 May 2011 21:52:32 +0000

Joe Grand will present “Development Diary: The Parallax Laser Range Finder,” a look at his experiences designing a low-cost laser range finder module using the Propeller microcontroller.

Joe Grand to Host Freescale’s Make It Challenge

Admin — Mon, 02 May 2011 18:08:00 +0000

Joe Grand of Grand Idea Studio will be hosting the Make It Challenge at the Freescale Technology Forum Americas 2011. This 36-hour design contest challenges participants to create a unique project based on Freescale’s Mechatronics Robot platform or Tower System modules.

DakotaCon

Admin — Sat, 16 Apr 2011 17:50:48 +0000

Joe Grand will present “Perspectives from the L0pht,” a look back at growing up in the early days of the computer security industry. He will also present “A Five-Year History of DEFCON‘s Electronics Badges.”

When Gadgets Betray Us

Admin — Thu, 17 Mar 2011 21:37:23 +0000

In the summer of 2009, researcher Joe Grand figured out how to get unlimited free parking within the city of San Francisco. He created a counterfeit card worth $999.99. He also found he could freeze that maximum value – not have it decrease with each use – and thus make his one-time-use card eternal. This would give him free parking in San Francisco forever – except Joe Grand isn’t a thief.

MAKE: Online

Admin — Sun, 27 Feb 2011 21:43:02 +0000

Got an old Colecovision gathering dust? Don’t give up on it. MAKE contributor Joe Grand has detailed instructions on creating your own video game cartridges.

dorkbot sf

Admin — Thu, 24 Feb 2011 05:06:38 +0000

Joe Grand presents “BSODomizer: Mischievous hardware for mischievous people.”

Partnership with tool.

Admin — Thu, 17 Feb 2011 23:44:33 +0000

Grand Idea Studio has joined into a partnership with product design and development firm, tool., Inc. Grand Idea Studio will enhance tool.’s offering of industrial design and mechanical engineering services by providing electronics design expertise on selected projects.

IT-Defense 2011

Admin — Sat, 12 Feb 2011 17:43:49 +0000

Joe Grand will present “Hardware is the New Software,” a look into how hardware hacking is changing the computer security industry.