Старичко, но много добро:

Music title: MARIO BASANOV & VIDIS feat JAZZU – I’ll be gone
Director: Rimantas Lukavicius
CGI: Rimantas Lukavicius
Producers: Martynas Mickenas, Arunas Matacius
Production Company: RGB
Inspired by SOBIESKI
Year of completion: 2008

Gest’s new album, recorded and mixed at Casafont recording studio, is now ready for mastering.

After a long and meticulous process of production, the song mixes have been finished. The album will be named Red, green, blue, referring to the additive color model (RGB), which also has served as an inspiration and guide to the process of music creation.

The production has taken care of every detail and exudes sensitivity, balance and great personality, which have resulted in the creation of a musical universe itself.

Gest was founded by Toni Flotats (voice and piano) and Oscar Ibars (guitar). Enrique Asensio at the drums and Saray Gomez at the bass complete the band.

The group has planned an initial CD copy run to give to the foundation ÈXIT devoted to raising funds for employment projects.

More information of Gest at: www.cometatres.com , www.myspace.com/gestbcn and Facebook of Gest . More information of ÈXIT foundation at: www.fundacioexit.org

[NeZoomie] built an RGB mood lamp as his first electronics project. He certainly hit it out of the park with this one, ending up with a design so clean it could be a commercial product. The controller is an Arduino board (further proof that this is a fantastic entry-level platform) that interfaces with 8 RGB LEDs. He’s built an enclosure out of thick polypropylene that does a great job of diffusing the light and adding a stylish look. The control system features a rotary potentiometer from SparkFun and what he calls a tilt-potentiometer of his own design after drawing inspiration from Hack a Day.

Blinky things are fun and that’s why we see a lot of mood lamps around here. Take a look at the video after the break and if you’ve got the parts, give this one a try!

I decided to spend some time building a RGB mood lamp as an unique gift for my girlfriend’s birthday. I wanted it to have a touch potentiometer to choose the color ( like the Philips LivingColors ), a normal potentiometer to change luminosity/speed and a button to switch between modes. To keep the design minimal I decided to make a custom tiltable potentiometer, so tilting it you can switch between them: off, choose color and luminosity, fade between colors choosing velocity. Special thanks to my girlfriend for the videos and the photos!

This is my first electronic project, so please don’t mind if the work is not perfectly clear. I choosed Arduino because it’s a nice and cheap environment which it’s simple to program, it was a nice experience indeed! The parts’ list:

• 10 – RGB led ( 2 more than I needed, just to feel safe )
• 1 – HotPot Rotary potentiometer
• 1 – Arduino Duemilanove board
• 1 – 10 kohm rotary potentiometer
• 1 – Big knob!
• 1 – drilled board
• 1 – momentary pushbutton
• Break-away male headers to connect the board to the arduino i/o
• 2 – 10 kohm resistor ( I used one of them )
• 8 – 470 ohm resistor ( I used 6 of them )
• 1 – Square meter 1 mm thick polypropylene sheet
• 1 – Plastic glue ( Super Attack Plastic )
• 1 – Vivanco TFT Screen Cleaner Spray’s cap ( to cover the leds )
• 3 – 3 mm diameter screws
• Flat cables

Everything but the HotPot, the  leds and the Arduino was bought at local stores. If you live in Italy keep in mind that we have a seriously unpredictable way to tax products coming from outside the EU. Sparkfun did a nice job writing  the value of the products they sent to me outside the box, which can be easily checked online once you open the package. In spite of this, I had to pay 18 EUROS extra fee, which is almost FOUR TIME  the 20% VAT of 36$ ( around 25 euros ) which must be applyed! Thank you, Italy!

I simply soldered everything on the drilled board which fits on the Arduino: 470 ohm resistors are connected on the PWM outputs, then all the leds are soldered in parallel in two rows. The rotary potentiometer and the pushbutton are soldered to connect to an analog and a digital input respectively, then the touch potentiometer is connected with connectors soldered on the board, because it is glued on the lamp’s wall, so I can’t unmount it. Must be noted that I had problems with the behaviour of the HotPot when using power from the pc through USB only,  maybe I was using too much power. For the tilt potentiometer I take advantage of the flexibility of the lamp’s wall, making a small slice of  curved polypropylene which press the pushbutton once tilted. I used a self-adhesive rubber feet lying around my room to make it more effective. I must thank HackADay blog for reporting the push potentiometer hack, which inspired me this solution!

How the tilt potentiometer works!

Finally I found some code to convert HUE-to-RGB on this nice post on the Arduino forum!

Here you are a gallery with more photos of lamp’s details + in-the-making shoots!

Trazar un busto, o una silueta completa, para montarlo sobre un fondo distinto del original, y que quede bien, suele ser un reto, sobre todo si el personaje no es calvo o tiene una adicción enfermiza a la gomina.
La técnica que voy a describir a continuación facilitará mucho la tarea a todos aquellos que se enfrenten a este proceso por primera vez.
Antes de nada es conveniente hacer dos duplicados de la capa, en caso de que no lo hayáis hecho ya, para asegurar que el original sigue disponible. Después con la herramienta Pluma trazar el cuerpo y la cabeza. Es conveniente incluir también en el trazado todo el pelo opaco, no transparente, que sea posible.
En la imagen a a continuación podéis ver la selección resultante del trazado.

Aplicar una máscara de capa con la selección del trazado.
Aplicar una máscara de capa invertida a la capa superior, dónde trabajaremos posteriormente los detalles del cabello.
Usa la visualización de canales hasta encontrar un canal en el que el pelo se diferencie bien del entorno. Si estás trabajando en RGB y no encuentras ninguno adecuado puedes probar a crear un nuevo documento desde el estado actual en la ventana historial, e intentarlo en CMYK.

Una vez que hayas encontrado el canal correcto emplea un ajuste de niveles para contrastar el canal y después haz una selección en el mismo.

Emplea la selección para dibujar el pelo en la capa superior, la que está completamente enmascarada. Utiliza primero un pincel muy suave de forma que vayas desenmascarando el pelo poco a poco.

La capa resultante debería tener el aspecto que veréis en la imagen siguiente. Es importante comprobar el pelo sobre fondos de diferentes colores para ver que funciona correctamente.

Una forma de solventar posibles problemas es duplicar la capa con la selección del pelo y ponerla en modo multiplicar, si creáis un grupo y metéis dicha capa dentro podéis aplicar una segunda máscara de capa, de manera que podáis fundir aquellas zonas donde el pelo no se mezcle adecuadamente con el fondo.
La imagen que os muestro a continuación ya esta preparada para un montaje.

Para que este tipo de montajes funcione es importante seleccionar una foto con muy buena calidad. Imágenes por bajo de un par de miles de píxeles de lado os darán muchos dolores de cabeza aún cuando el fondo sea homogeneo.

A&8s

Prisma Graphic has the following services and capabilities.

Equipment List

Electronic Prepress

• (1) Magnus 800 Platesetter with 5 Autoloader/Cassettes
• (1) Creo Trendsetter Spectrum Platesetter
• (9) Mac Work Stations
• (9) PC Work Stations
• (6) PREPS Imposition Stations
• (2) Prinergy JVX 10.4 Ripping & Trapping Systems
• Prinergy Stochastic Screener
• Prinergy – PDF Workflow
• Kodak – FM Staccato Screening
• Canon Color ImpoProofer Automated
• 2-sided proofer with Color Management
• Canon ImagePrograf Contract Color Proofer with Kodak Color Management
• Epson Inkjet Color 9900 Proofer 44”
•  (2) Sherpa 2-Sided Proofers
• HP DesignJet 5500 Proofer
• Pictoral Proofer (11” x 17” max)
• Multiple CD/DVD Burners
• Rimage Premium CD/DVD PlexWriter (6 Unit) High-Speed
• Eversmart Pro2 Flatbed Scanner (11.5” x 17” original input)
• X RITE PlateScope (Plate Quality/Process Control)
• X RITE Spectrodensitometer (Proofing, Plating, Press Profiling Process Control)
• Eye One Color Calibration System
• Profile Maker Pro (Color Profiling system)
• Complete Up to date Software and Font Library
• All files archived on DAT and DVD
• Mirrored 3T Raid Dell Servers & Gigabit Speed Network
• E. Quix & High Speed Network Server
• FTP Server
• (2) CIP3 Servers
• Kodak ColorTune Proofing Server
• Prinergy 1.6 Remote Proofing Server
• Kodak InSite – Customer Job Interface 

Bindery

• (2) Heidelberg Cylinder Press; Sheet Size: 22 x 30”
• Brausse – 22 1/2 x 29” Die Cut, Emboss and Foil Stamp
• Kluge EHD – 14 x 20” Die Cut, Emboss and Foil Stamp
• Baum Lawson MPU, 47” Paper Cutter (Micro-cut)
• Polar 52” EMC Paper Cutter (Micro-cut)
• (2) Saber^® 54” Cutter w/ Baumann Jogger
• Mueller Martini Saddle Stitcher   10 Stations w/ Cover Feeder & 3-Knife Trimmer
• (2) Mueller Martini Saddle Stitcher   6 Stations /Cover Feeder w/ 3-Knife Trimmer
• Perfect Binder 18”
• Rollem TR, 35” Perforating & Scoring
• Rollem TR, 40” Perforating & Scoring
• MBO B26S Perfection Folder 26 x 40”; 32-Page
• MBO B23 Folder 20 x 26”; 8-Page
• MBO B32 S Perfection Folder 32 x 40”; 8-Page
• Stahl Folder 30 x 40” 16-Page Folder
• Kluge Pocket Folder Gluer w/Final Fold Ability
• Challenge Paper Drill, 5-Hole
• (1) Auto Shrink Wrap Packager
• (3) Semi-Auto Shrink Wrap Packager

Presses (Web, Sheetfed & Digital)

• M-130 Heidelberg 38 inch, 5 Color Heatset Web with Color Control System CCS Loop
• Combo Folder – Sheeter – Pattern Perforator    Maximum Sheet:  22.75 x 38 inches, Maximum Image Area:  22.5 x 37.5 inches
• Color King 36 inch, 2 Color Web Press / Combo Folder  Maximum Sheet:  22.75 x 36 inches, Maximum Image Area:  22.5 x 35.5 inches
• Akiyama 40 inch, 5 Color Perfector with Color Control System CCS Loop Maximum Sheet:  28 x 40 inches,  Maximum Image Area: 27.5 x 39.5 inches
•  (2) Akiyama 40 inch, 6 Color w/ Aqueous Coater,  Maximum Sheet:  28 x 40 inches,   Maximum Image Area:  27.5.  X 39.5 inches
• Mitsubishi 28 inch, 6 Color w/ Aqueous Coater,    Maximum Sheet:  20 x 28 inches,    Maximum Image Area:  19.5 x 27.5 inches
• Ryobi True 2 Color (Best for Registration and Solids),  Maximum Sheet:  12 x 18 inches,  Maximum Image Area: 11.5 x 17.5 inches
• (2) AB Dick 2 Color Replicator,  Maximum Sheet:  12 x 18 inches,  Maximum Image Area: 11.5 x 17.5 inches
• Halm Jet 2C Color Perfector Envelope Press,    Maximum Sheet:  13 x 18 inches, Maximum Image Area: 11 x 17 inches
• HP Indigo 5000 4 Color Press   Maximum Sheet:  12 x 18 inches,  Maximum Image Area: 11.6 x 17.2 inches
• C6500 Digital 4 Color Copier/Press,   Maximum Sheet:  12 x 18 inches,  Maximum Image Area: 11.6 x 17.2 inches

Fulfillment

• Pick and Pack
• Package and Distribution
• On-line Customized Inventory Management
• Cycle Count

 Mailing Services

Our Mailing Department offers a fully integrated service, which
is completely in-house, and configured to suit any requirements.
These services include data acquisition and management, CASS
certification, NCOA service, DPV validation. Prisma can customize
any mailing program to satisfy the needs of our clients.

 Dokshop.com (Web-to-Print Solution)

A unique business-to-business product that enables users to order,
personalize, proof and manage print materials online.  Its parameter-
based programming allows customization with various user options
and controls. Each site can be specifically tailored to fulfill any client’s
needs.

____________________________________________________

 Offset Printing Services:

•  Sheetfed: Medium Quantity Print Runs
•  Jprint 5C Perfector Press with Color Control System CCL
• Sheetfed: Large Quantity Print Runs with our new Control System CCL
•  Heatset Web: Large Quantity Print runs with Color
• Open Web: Short and Large Print runs

  Digital Printing:

•  Including Variable Data
•  Indigo Short Quantity Print runs, Up to 12”x18”, Including Variable Data with Inline Finishing
•  Konica Minolta Quantity Print runs, Up to 12”x18″
•  41”X72” Large Format-Short Quantity Print runs

•  State-of-the-Art Computer Hardware,
•  Software & Color Correction & Image Manipulation
•  Hi-res Canon Kodak Proofs
•  HP Ink Jet & Laser Proofs, Sherpa Digital Proofs
•  Prinergy Ripping & Trapping
•  Prinergy –FM Segundo Stochastic Screening
•  Kodak Remote Proofing
•  Kodak-FM Staccato Screening
•  Prinergy PDF Workflow
• SSL Secured FTP Site
• Direct-to-Plate Magnus 800

  Design & Production 

•  Outside agency support
•  Supplement In-house Creative Staff
• Develop Original Concepts 
• Follow Existing Corporate Graphic Standards

 CD/DVD Duplicating

•  Data Duplication 
• Thermal Label Printing

Bindery

• Folding 
• Scoring 
• Perforating 
• Stitching 
• Perfect Bind 
• Die Cutting 
• Embossing 
• Foil Stamping 
• Gluing
• Drilling
• Mounting
• Sequential Numbering

  DOKSHOP: Online e-Commerce Website

• Pre-approved Products
•  Brand consistency
• Static and Dynamic Fields
• Instant Online PDF ApprovalView Order Status and History
• Customizable Shipping

State-of-the-Art Warehouse Facility

• Product Inventory Storage
• Clearly Labeled Product with Scannable Bar Codes

 Fulfillment  

• Computerized Pick & Pac
• Build Kits of Various Configurations Requirements
• Bulk or Custom Packaging to Fit your Unique
• Ship to Single or Multiple Locations

Mailing, Shipping & Receiving

• CASS Certified Mailing Services
• Database Management
• Inserting
• 1st Class, Standard Presort
• Bulk Mail with FedEx Overnight
• 2-day or Ground Shipping
• Common Carrier

Contact Prisma Graphic for a quote on all your printing, design and mailing needs.

It’s not quite the sort of do it yourself which B&Q is traditionally known for but ‘Lights by B&Q‘ is looking like a perfect ambient orb kit. I almost managed to resist getting one while buying paint for the bathroom, but it just looked too tempting…

Getting inside was easy, with just a few screws holding the back in place. Once in, there’s a simple string of little circuit boards glued to plastic balls. A bit of levering popped the first one off to reveal a set of three LEDs, and it looks like they’re soldered on in a common anode arrangement…

You could just ditch the RGB circuits completely and pop in a few blinkms but I’d like to reuse what’s already in B&Q’s handy kit. I think it should be possible to cut the tracks to the colour changing circuit and wire the LEDs up to an Arduino instead. The problem is that there aren’t enough PWM outputs on a single Arduino to drive three RGB orbs. Fortunately a combination of a TLC5940 LED driver chip, and the Arduino library to go with it, should solve that problem.

Here are a few other links which look like they could be useful for this little  project:

• Instructables RGB LED tutorial
• DIY Ambient Orb
• Arduino Orb Build Warden
• Hue-controllable RGB LED lamp

If I get the simple version working, I’d eventually like to get it working wirelessly. It would be much more useful if the orbs could be plugged in anywhere in the house rather than being connected to my home server via USB the whole time.

Making the Most of Marketing Dollars, Planning & Prepress Addressed

Although it seems fairly straight forward, there are many decisions leading up to and within each print project that directly affect its bottom-line and overall impact. Proper planning and specific attention to detail can save thousands of dollars. Working with a reliable and knowledgeable print solutions representative is a great start; a partner willing to provide practical solutions to make the most of your marketing dollars.

 The options to save during planning are endless with a little creative flexibility. And, below are just a few examples.

 Removing bleed on an 8.5 x 11 flyer allows for 10, rather than 8, to print at a time and on the same parent-sized sheet; paper is normally 30 to 50% of the total job cost.

 Think about using a self-cover format for multiple-page products. Removing the heavier cover eliminates the cost of an extra press form and may allow the project to fold in-line; every off-line process adds to the bottom line.

When preparing for a direct mail project consider the following:

•            Processing the mailing list(s) in advance will establish the actual quantity needed and potentially reduce waste by 7% or more.

•            Sticking to a maximum finished size of 11.5 wide x 6.125 tall, and staying under 3.3 oz, can save roughly $0.12 per piece in postage; a $2,400 savings with just 20,000 mailers.

•            Fugitive glue dot closures can be applied during the folding process for a small set-up fee, while the wafer seal application adds $17 to $20 per thousand in each direction; new USPS regulations require closures on all “open” sides.

 Once the final specs are established, a second place to prevent additional costs is in the final file set-up and content review stages. Utilizing each software application correctly and carefully reviewing projects before file release are critical steps in this process. Below are just a few examples of ways to retain cost controls.

 Using a document size larger than the actual trim size of the piece, forgetting to include 1/8″ bleeds or building multiple-page products in spreads, rather than single pages, can all add considerable time and costs in to the prepress process.

 Correctly specifying inks, throughout software utilized, has never been more important. Using PANTONE’s COLOR BRIDGE® profiles to establish your 4-color process builds will ensure color accuracy and avoid second and even third rounds of color proofs. To download free support tools, including the latest color libraries and PANTONE® Color Bridge Tutorials visit www.pantone.com. You will be asked to create a user account, then you can click on the “helpCenter” in the menu bar to select the “Color Library Updates” page.

 Running a quick spell check and having an “outside” set of eyes review the overall content, before final file release, will also help avoid costly mistakes. Discovering grammatical and layout issues beforehand will help to keep projects on track and on budget.

 To find out more about minimizing costs or about proper file set-up, please contact a Prisma Sales Representative, or Kyle Cardinal by calling 800 379-5777 or emailing  kylec@prismagraphic.com.

I didn’t know that were a site which has capability to converting colors. I was creating a color zones file which is a certain color corresponded with certain value or ranges. I had a difficulty when the zone files is in CMYK pattern and mspaint is in RGB pattern.

Thus I have to converting CMYK pattern to RGB, and so the file zones created. I posted the link here so I can easily access it instead of bookmark in my browser.

Color conversion (RGB / CMYK / HSV / YUV / …) | web.forret.com

Good Job for Peter Forret of this cool tool site! Thank You!

Here are the Spring 2010 colors as forecast by PANTONE.

Click image for larger size, or get the PDF version.

For more information on the PANTONE color reports, see my earlier post, or visit PANTONE’s website (http://www.pantone.com).

I used Adobe’s web service, kuler, to convert the CMYK numbers to RGB (for PowerPoint). Garr Reynolds has a new post on his blog about using kuler to create color schemes.

You can take one of your favorites from the Spring 2010 list of colors and have kuler help you create lots of different color schemes. 

To learn how to customize colors, search “change color theme” in PowerPoint Help.

Peace and Good Presenting!

Lee

Pantone Ink.

♥

Pantone announced

Mimosa

as colour of the year 2009.

Sources: Photoshop, Colourlovers.com, Wikipedia.

Si no os lo había dicho antes PhotoShop es una herramienta inmensa. Sus posibilidades son tan grandes que aún llevando más de una década trabajando a pleno rendimiento con ella aún es capaz de sorprenderme por las posibilidades que ofrece. Un ejemplo de esto el uso de la visualización de canal para ayudarnos mejor a ejecutar un proceso, en este caso una silueta pero bien podría ser una selección de color o un balance, etc…

En muchos casos es imprescindible ‘tirar’ de trazados para hacer una silueta, y habitualmente hay zonas de la imagen que es difícil dilucidar a simple vista si son sombra u objeto, iluminación o reflejo. Si sientes la tentación de darte de narices con la pantalla para ver mejor es que necesitas isolar algún canal.

Al visualizar un sólo canal haciendo invisibles todos los demás enseguida verás que aparecen los detalles que antes eras incapaz de distinguir. Si ves que un canal no te funciona prueba con otro hasta que des con el que te de una mejor visualización.

Como podéis ver en la imagen (izquierda), los contornos de la barra del bar de esta limusina se pierden debido a la escasa iluminación se la zona. Al visualizar únicamente el canal Azul (derecha) los detalles de la bandeja y contornos de la encimera son más visibles.

En muchas ocasiones las fotografías traen motas, manchas, pelos, u otros elementos que no se distinguen fácilmente a simple vista. Antes de empezar a retocar es conveniente ver los canales por separado para hacerse una idea del estado en que se encuentra la imagen

A&8s

Ce billet fait suite au billet sur la conversion de Jpeg CMJN en Jpeg RVB.

Les outils Adobe génèrent souvent des PDF CMJN (ou CMYK).

Voici comment générer un aperçu ou une vignette d’un tel PDF avec ImageMagick sous Ubuntu (applicable à d’autres Linux).

Tout d’abord, installez les paquets imagemagick et icc-profiles :

sudo apt-get install imagemagick icc-profiles

Le paquet ImageMagick installe la commande convert tandis que le paquet icc-profiles installe les profiles icc et icm dans le répertoire /usr/share/color/icc.

Ensuite, vous n’avez plus qu’à taper la ligne de commande suivante :

convert -colorspace cmyk \
        cmjn.pdf[0] \
        -profile /usr/share/color/icc/ISOcoated.icc \
        -profile /usr/share/color/icc/sRGB.icm \
        -resize 56x56 \
        rvb.jpg

Et voilà !

Notes :

• contrairement à la conversion de Jpeg à Jpeg, la conversion à partir de PDF requiert l’option -colorspace,
• le [0] permet d’indiquer la page du PDF à convertir, ici la première page,
• l’option -resize 56×56 permet de redimensionner le résultat à 56×56, cette option gardant le ratio d’aspect l’image finale sera au maximum de 56×56 mais pourra être plus petite.

I sometimes begin a series of student lectures on colour with the question – how many colours are there? At least one student always answers: three! In fact, this week in my lecture when I asked this question the first three or four answers were all three.

I can see where the idea of three comes from since the number three is ubiquitous in colour. We have three different classes of cones in the retina of our eyeballs – each with maximum sensitivity at a different wavelength. As a direct consequence of this trichromacy we use colour monitors with three primaries (RGB), colour printers with three primaries (CMY – ok, sometimes black as well but there’s a good reason for that), and there is a misconception that there are three primary colours from whose mixtures it is possible to make every other colour – see http://colourware.wordpress.com/2009/07/08/what-is-a-colour-primary/

I think that the number of colours that we can see is about 10 million; maybe less, but certainly millions. However, there are arguments that the true number may be much greater than this. See, for example, Mark Fairchild’s article – http://www.cis.rit.edu/fairchild/WhyIsColor/files/ExamplePage.pdf.

However, even the people thinking about colour mixing and three primaries must surely be aware that they have seen more than three colours. Indeed, were probably wearing more than three colours! So why do they respond with three? Well, it could be that they misunderstand the question and think I am asking about primaries (perhaps because they think the real question I am asking is too hard and nobody in their right mind would ask it). Or it could be that they equate the word colour with physical colorants. One of the most interesting – but also frustrating – things in field is that even the name of the field – colour - means different things to different people. Is colour something physical? Is it something you experience? Or is it simply whether something is red, yellow or blue etc; in other words, another term for what I would call hue?

This probably explains why we find the following text on this webpage – http://english.kompas.com/read/xml/2009/10/29/06125368/The.Shrimps.That.Can.See.in.Twelve.Colors:

It literally says that shrimps see 12 colours whereas, elsewhere on the page, it says that humans see 3 colours.  Despite this irritating lack of precision in the writing the article is quite interesting and describes the surprisingly complex nature of shrimp colour vision.

The red liquorice shaped chairs are beautifully designed and would be perfect as furniture at home or even at a confectionery store. The Regaliz Chairs designed by Rafael Fernandez have a chair for home living, an office and a pub/bar stool.

Via DesignFindsMe

Visit my Mahalo page for How to Find Out if a Guy Likes You

Halloween is only a few days away. We’re getting into the spirit by building a remote control color changing pumpkin. Channel buttons 0-8 on the remote toggle the colors of the rainbow. Button 9 activates an ‘angry pumpkin’ mode that flashes a scary red strobe for a few seconds.

It uses a minimal PIC 18F2550 circuit that decodes the remote control signals and drives a ShiftBrite color changing LED module. The F2550 is a USB PIC with a USB bootloader, so it’s technically a USB upgradable pumpkin too.

Full sized schematic image [PNG]. A PIC 18F2550 microcontroller decodes RC5 infrared remote control signals, and sends instructions to a ShiftBrite color-changing LED module. We used a PIC development board with SMD parts, but you could also build this on a breadboard or perf-board with through-hole parts.

The IR receiver converts infrared light from the remote control into a signal that the PIC microcontroller can decode. The receiver is connected to PORTB pin 2 (RB2) of the PIC. RB2 has an external interrupt with edge select that we used to trigger the IR decoder. RB2 also has a Schmitt buffer that cleans the incoming signal and helps prevents false triggers. All PORTB pins on the 18F2550 have internal pull-up resistors if your receiver is an old type that doesn’t have it’s own pull-up.

The color changing LED is a ShiftBrite module from Macetech.com. It’s driven by three PIC pins and powered by a 5volt supply.

The PIC firmware is a simple timer and interrupt-based RC5 remote control decoder.  It bitbangs ShiftBrite color instructions based on the remote command codes received.

The firmware ignores the RC5 brand code and looks only at the command. It should understand any RC5 remote control. RC5 is a really common protocol, usually available as a Philips TV on universal remotes.

0. Off 1.Red 2.Orange 3.Yellow 4.Green 5.Blue 6.Indigo 7.Violet 8.White (all colors) 9.Angry pumpkin (~10 seconds)

The channel buttons 0-8 control the color. #9 plays a 10 second ‘angry pumpkin’  red strobe effect and returns to a solid color. There’s lots of room for more effects, fades, and other options.

Browse the source SVN, or download the source and compiled HEX [ZIP].

We tried to make the top of the pumpkin shake in angry mode using offset-weight rumble motors from a game control pad. It wasn’t violent enough to look good in a video, though it does make quite a racket. Next year we’ll try it again with a solenoid.

Seems like today we have a color theme. This brilliant design by Jinsu Park is a pen that can pick any color just by scanning a object in real life.

Let’s say you want to paint a apple, then you can get the perfect red by scanning the apple. It uses a futuristic looking RGB sensor and has red, green and blue inks in the pen. It mixes them according to what the RGB sensor scans.

Visit my Mahalo page for Sam Worthington

Via Tuvie

New image in the autumn trees photography contest

Beautiful October day in Rochester Hills …
RGB photography picture

Preparing Your Project for Print

Prisma Graphic preferred file format is PDF/X-1a.  However, most printers will accept PDF files that are created according to the instructions on this site. 

We have a number of tools on our website to creat PDF files from Quark, Adobe InDesign, Adobe Illustrator, Adobe Photoshop, Or Adobe Acrobat.

• Creating a PDF file from Quark
• Creating a PDF file from Adobe InDesign
• Creating a PDF file from Adobe Illustrator
• Creating a PDF file from Adobe Photoshop
• Creating a PDF file from Adobe Acrobat Professional 

Helpful information from Prisma Graphic for form and other materials you will need to prepare your files for printing.

Click here for our white paper on file preparation.