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Would you Consider Running a Hobby?

Last updated on April 25, 2019 By B. Ray

Running can be a hobby

I’m going to keep this one a little short. But recently I starting to run again. Boy was it hard the first few days. The nice part is that the actual aches start to go away and then I could start enjoying it again. Well, at least enjoying the after effects of running.

This is why I bring it up. Running can give you so much pleasure. No wonder people do it as a hobby. The endorphins that surge through your body after a good run are like no other. Again, so much so people end up running so much they become super slim.

Running gone bad

They are burning so many calories it is hard for the body to keep any real amount of fat on the body. So If you start running be careful or it might run away with your life… get it? lol

Filed Under: Sports

DJI Spark Review And It Doesn’t Cost Alot

Last updated on April 25, 2019 By B. Ray

DJI Spark Review

Dji has a huge now.  This is how you get into the aerial quadcopter scene. With this one, it is small enough to use indoors. I’m truly excited they made the DJI Spark.

 

DJI Spark

This particular drone is filling a niche for the home enthusiast. This is a great starter, mostly because it has a lot of it is automated. You can put together a quick cinematic video with ease of some hand gestures.

If you have not noticed, this guy is pretty small. It is even smaller than the DJI Mavic, which came out Oct 2016. Most people were happy with the size of the DJI Mavic, but the DJI Spark fits the role of being super portable. The tracking mode is nice for those that want to get pictures that require space longer than a selfie stick can provide.

HOW IT COMPARES TO THE DJI MAVIC:

As I mentioned the DJI Spark is smaller than the DJI Mavic. Interestingly enough when folded the DJI Mavic and DJI Spark are about the same size. Well, at least until you see it from the side.

The DJI Mavic is still a little larger in height. If you are careful you can put the DJI Spark in a small bag.

When we look at the weight the DJI Spark is about 41% the weight of the DJI Mavic with battery. Again putting it in a small bag isn’t too crazy. That batteries alone are about the same percentage between each other.

THE NORMAL STUFF:

The battery has a rated flight time of 16 minutes. But in the real world depending on how hard you push it you might only get 10-14 minutes. It is 1480mAh, so while it is not huge you can charge is pretty easy with a larger battery pack.

The battery also housing the functions for pairing, battery status. Pretty much where the brain is. You will get more than 5 flights out of a full remote battery charge.

I mentioned earlier that folded up the DJI Spark is pretty small. The props are replaceable if you end up crashing hard. But this isn’t designed to be a racer so I hope you don’t crash it much.

The arms are fixed so you have to be careful of that too. They make guards for the props to protect them but nothing is perfect. Props usually don’t cost too much, but getting an arm fixed might be a real pain.

One thing that attracts people to the DJI Spark is that you can use your smartphone to control it. They actually make the remote control optional with a separate bundle that costs more. The benefit of the actual remote is that the range is around 2,000m versus on the smartphone might only get 100m of range. At 2000m you can get lost, so be careful.

If you are familiar with the DJI Mavic remote, the DJI Spark remote is similar but not as feature rich. The most noticeable difference is the lack of a full screen on the DJI Spark remote. On both the remote and smartphone you are able to single button switch to photo mode to take pictures. But you can’t take pictures at the same time as you are taking videos. When using the smartphone it connects wirelessly so that makes it a little tidier.

The reason why you only get 100m out of the smartphone is because it is connecting through a short range radio signal. Where the remote is governed by a long range signal which will get you closer to 2000m. The live video will come over by way of the DJI GO app and the app also has some controls. One of them is a simple take-off.

The DJI Spark has a cool feature where it can hover in one spot over the ground. For reason not so obvious it has a hard tracking over water. Pretty much anything reflective or worse, something moving.

 

Once it gets higher in the air the other sensor like GPS start to take over. The DJI Spark only has a 2-axis gimbal but don’t worry you will still be able to get some amazing shots. You can move the camera with either the remote or your smartphone. Another nice feature is automatic pitch tracking. When the DJI Spark moves forward the gimbal will move to keep everything in frame.

This drone has a few different flight modes. A few of them are called Intelligent Flight Modes which sort of let you cheat when you don’t have a solid grasp of flying. Here are the modes you will get with this drone:

  • Normal: Fly with the controls, nothing special
  • Active Track: This allows for the drone to track an object
  • Tap Fly: It sounds simple but yes just tap where you want. It will fly around obstacles
  • Tripod: The motion slows down and it is all about holding for a photo.
  • Gesture: There are several gestures that allow for you to move drone without the remote.
  • Quickshot: These are cool cinematic shots, there are four of them.
  1. Rocket: This makes the drone shoot straight up while the camera faces the ground.
  2. Dronie: This is similar to the rocket, but instead of straight up it is out at an angle from you.
  3. Circle: It will allow you to rotate around you.
  4. Helix: Think of this one like Rocket and Circle together. Spinning up and around you.

At the time of this no other DJI models that have these features. But there are rumors of adding these in a future update. It would be nice to have some of the larger models have some more autonomy.

Another cool feature is that if it loses signal it can come back to a home point that is set during take-off. You are probably wondering what happens if you lose signal on the other side of a building. Don’t worry it won’t just go straight into the building it will use it’s sensors to avoid obstacles. This only works so well. It will try to go through a chain link fence since it can’t make out the thin wiry fence. So for anything thin it will have a hard time detecting.

It is to be said that the avoidance system only works when the drone is moving forward. Going  up or backwards you will run the risk of running into something if you are not paying attention. Drones like the larger DJI Phantom 4 Pro do have the all-around avoidance sensors. Nothing is perfect so be careful where you fly and what path it might need to take to get back to you.

So, one of the features that most people will buy this for is the ability to use gestures. You don’t need a remote at all to use this. It has a simple take-off mechanism where you just hold out the DJI Spark and double tap the back. From there you can use several hand gestures to control it.

It is kind of a gimmick, but a cool one none the less. It doesn’t always work but it is something neato to show your friends. Personally I would prefer to use the remote, the distance it a huge reason for that. But it works well for pictures you don’t want to have the remote in your hand. You have seen those pictures.

So let’s say you are flying your DJI Spark over the Hoover Dam. Oh no you forgot to charge the battery. It will slowly fall until the battery completely fails and crashes into the Colorado River.

If you are like me you are more worried about the pictures and videos. Luckily all the pictures and videos are transfers immediately to your phone.

Check out the rest of the technology HERE!

Filed Under: Quadcopters and Drones, Technology

Woodworking, do you enjoy it? Do it hands free!

Last updated on April 25, 2019 By B. Ray

Woodworking is a lost art.

Woodworking CNC

There is something to be said for working with your hands. You get to feel the woodcut, see the inconsistencies in the stroke. There really is something majestic about it. But the thing that stands out the most is that it takes a ton of time to finish any projects.  Woodworking as a hobby can be very rewarding. I am sure you got started in boy scouts with the pinewood derby races. If only I knew what I know now then. I would destroy the other scouts now…lol We would all like to pass on our trade and hobbies to our kids.

 

Woodworking CNC

You might be asking well what do I know now. Well, a lot has since I was younger. Woodworking isn’t as popular and companies like Ikea have made cheap furniture cool. The only thing keeping it alive might be the hipsters that can’t stand when they have matching anything. I personally love it cause I’m awkward sometimes. Enough about me!




I want to talk about the woodworking CNC. This machine can allow us to make simple furniture or intricate wooden sculptures. Your imagination is really the only limitation. You wouldn’t be here if you were not good with your hands. Here is a DIY CNC mill that you can use for woodworking.

Cnc machine

Most people know about the large CNC machines that are built to cut metal. Many times they are used to make parts like the one above. these are heavy duty machines. They are super tough.

If you have ever been in a machine shop you will see how big some of these CNC machines are. With that size comes a sizable price tag. A decent 3-axis CNC will cost you the price of a luxury car in America. That is around $50,000. For a super nice high-end 5-axis CNC it will cost you over $400,000. I am having a hard time thinking of a car that costs that much. Oh, wait… I know… The Lamborghini Aventador lp700-4.

Lamborghini Aventado

But in all seriousness, when was the last time you heard of someone with a CNC in their garage? I know I have not. I have dreamt about it though…lol So this brings me back to wood. You need a large, heavy-duty, expensive CNC for metal but not for wood. You can get away with something much smaller and much less expensive. If you made it this far in woodworking you can probably just build one right?

Something I didn’t mention was precision.  CNCs add a level of precision to your work that is uncanny. Your DIY project will look like a professionally made product. Probably the best part is it saves time so you can still work your 9-5, gig! Or you can quit that and turn your hobby into a career. There is nothing wrong with making an extra dollar these days. I know I’m struggling. You could be the one that everyone envies when you drive up to work in a new sports car.

Click to get the information to change how you do woodworking for the better and who knows, you can help your kids win the pinewood derby.


Wood working CNC

And just in case you do like using your hands check out this post on the Best Woodworking Tools! Don’t forget to check out the other post Johnson Hobby!

Filed Under: Woodworking

Why Does A Volkswagen Key Cost So Much?

Last updated on April 25, 2019 By B. Ray

Where did Volkswagen come from?

By 1937, Adolf Hitler had already been in power for four years… (Wait what Adolf??? Just bear with me…) and he was already working on his political goals with the National Socialist German Workers’ Party—more widely known as the Nazi Party. During this time, Hitler was hard at work on one of his major promises to build more roads and highways to better connect Germany as a whole.

But, along with this major project, he also had a different, smaller goal: to create and mass produce an affordable, fast car that could be purchased for around 1,000 Reich marks—which translated to around $140 at that time. This led to the creation of the state-owned car company Gesellschaft zur Vorbereitung des Deutschen Volkswagens mbH—which was later shortened to Volkswagenwerk, which meant “The People’s Car”—on May 28, 1937.

Today, we know the company simply as Volkswagen, one of the most popular car brands in the world.

Because Volkswagen was a state-owned company, run by the German Labor Front, a Nazi Organization, in the city of Wolfsburg. Although it was created in 1937 it was not until the following year that, at a Nazi gathering, Hitler declared that the first “people’s car,” the KdF (Kraft-durch-Freude)-Wagen, had been built; giving people an answer to their automobile needs and desires.

But, the car still was not displayed publicly until the 1939 Berlin Motor Show—the very same year that the Second World War broke out. As a result, just as quickly as production had started, it came to a screeching halt. It was not until the war had ended that the Allied forces would work to help Volkswagen rebuild and revive the German car-making industry.

Since then, Volkswagen has worked tirelessly to create new, innovative cars that are available worldwide. With technological advances constantly being made, the new Volkswagen cars are nothing like the original KdF—and they certainly are not as cheap. Now, even the key that you use to unlock your Volkswagen can cost you, should you have to replace it.

What the key is made of

Back in the day when you lost your keys, all you had to do was go to the locksmith and get a new one made for a couple of dollars. But, these days, thanks to new and more advanced security features, that is no longer possible, especially for your Volkswagen key.

This is because all Volkswagen cars—and most new cars—come with something called an immobilizer, which is a special piece of technology in the key that helps to prevent your car from being stolen. Altogether, a whole new Volkswagen key can cost upwards of $300 to replace.

The Shell is the Cheapest Part of It

Like with everything, there is a breakdown in the cost of your replacement Volkswagen key. The plastic shell that encases the immobilizer, for example, is cheap compared to the rest of the key. These shells only cost a couple of dollars and help to protect and cover the more expensive part of the actual key.

The Immobilizer is Where the True Cost Is

It is when you start to look at the immobilizer where the cost of a replacement Volkswagen key starts to go up. The immobilizer, as mentioned before, is a sort of anti-theft system integrated into new car models. It consists of a special chip called a transponder.

When the key is put into the ignition, something called a reader coil will read the transponder to ensure it matches the system. If it does, the car will be able to start and you can go about your drive. If not, the car will not start and will also shut itself down, preventing you—or a potential car thief—from doing anything.

Moreover, now that cars have keyless entry, the immobilizer is even more important, because if the key is not recognized, you will not even be able to enter the car, adding a further level of protection.

You cannot just go to your local AutoZone for a replacement immobilizer. To get this, you have to have to go to the dealership or a reputable third-party service. They will then help you to make the key and program it, using your car’s specific key codes.

This process has to be done with each and car every key that is made, which is part of why it can cost so much more.

The Key is Laser-Cut for Your Car

The final factor in your Volkswagen key pricing is the fact that it is laser cut specifically for your car. Laser-cut keys, unlike ordinary keys, are cut using special lasers, which make them thicker and slightly less grooved.

The machines used to cut these keys tend to be very expensive and would be more difficult to find at an ordinary locksmith, leaving you with fewer options on where to go. If you cannot find a certified locksmith that offers laser-cut key services, then your only option will be to go directly to the car dealership.

But, again, if your car key is one with an immobilizer, then your only real option is to go directly to the dealership or legal third-party who has access to the tools required to activate the immobilizer.

Specifications

While it may sound ridiculous to have to pay so much just to replace a single car key, all the added safety benefits make it truly worth your while. This is especially true when you consider the immobilizer and transponder and the way that they can help prevent your car from being stolen.

If you really like the idea of your car having extra security without having an actual, loud alarm system, then a key with an immobilizer and laser-cut design is well worth considering. Of course, nowadays, most new cars on the market make use of this technology to some extent, so regardless of it being a Volkswagen key or not, you will likely have to spend a pretty penny in order to replace it.

In the long run, however, you will have the peace of mind that, without that special designed key and immobilizer, nobody will be able to get into or take your car. In fact, it has been proven effective in preventing car thefts since more car makers—Volkswagen included—began implementing this technology.

Summary

There you have it, the reason behind the crazy cost of your Volkswagen keys. Of course, if you have an older model, you may not have to spend as much since the technology may not be as advanced. But, for keys of the newer models of Volkswagen cars, you will spend upwards of $300 to replace them. The shell of the key is not worth very much at all; what you are really paying for when you replace your Volkswagen key is the laser-cut design, coupled with the presence of the immobilizer technology.

As much as it may hurt to have to pay so much to replace your Volkswagen key, you should be grateful for the added protection it offers. So, if you want to avoid having to pay that price, be sure to never lose your keys!

Filed Under: Automotive

Who Invented Puzzles?

Last updated on April 25, 2019 By B. Ray

Who Invented Puzzles?

Puzzle Storage

A puzzle is a sort of game or problem that is meant to challenge people mentally, making them a great way to keep the mind sharp. While they were originally meant as a toy for children, they have become increasingly popular with people of all ages.

Now they have become a great source of entertainment and relaxation for many people who are looking for a way to escape the stress of their day-to-day lives. While the word “puzzle” as it is used today is still fairly new, the concept of puzzles has been around for centuries.

When people think about puzzles, they usually automatically think the classic jigsaw puzzle, which was first created by British cartographer and engraver John Spilsbury, in the 1760s. But, there are a number of other types of puzzles as well.

Types of Puzzles

Book with Puzzles

As mentioned before, there are a number of different kinds of puzzles out there. Although the end goal for all of the different types of puzzles is to solve them in a particular manner. These are some of the most popular kinds of puzzles available:

  1. Guessing Puzzles are puzzles made out of words and are most commonly riddle or situation games. With these types of puzzles, you are supposed to use the information that is provided to guess the right answer. Riddles usually involve trying to guess an object, for example, “What has an eye but can not see?” is one famous riddle, (the answer, in this case, would be a needle). Situation puzzles, on the other hand, are more like a game of 20 Questions. This is where you are presented with a situation. You have to deduce the answer through a series of yes or no questions.
  2. Logic Puzzles tend to involve math and deduction skills. They were first popularized by Charles Lutwidge Dodgson, more famously known as the author Lewis Carrol. Logic puzzles can include the word logic, where you are given a set of premises that you then have to deduce a specific answer from. They can also include other forms of puzzles like Sudoku, Paint by Numbers and other forms of logic mazes.
  3. Mechanical Puzzles are some of the most well-known types of puzzles available and come in a wide variety of forms and styles. While the goals of mechanical puzzles are to solve them, just as it is with any puzzle, the method used to do so can vary greatly.
    1. Some, require you to make a series of sequential moves to create a certain combination, like a Rubik’s Cube where you try to get all similarly-colored blocks on a single side.
    2. There are also construction puzzles, where the goal is to construct something with the provided pieces; jigsaw puzzles are one type of construction puzzle.
    3. Disentanglement puzzles require you to release a piece or set of pieces from each other in a specific way.
    4. Lock puzzles are another old form of a mechanical puzzle, where the goal is to “unlock” the puzzle in order solve it.
  4. Transport Puzzles are puzzles that are based on real-life transportation issues. These require more active participation to be solved and include things like mazes, labyrinths, elimination puzzles, and Sokoban-style puzzles.
  5. Word and Number Puzzles are similar to logic puzzles in a sense. The goal of a word puzzle is to guess the word, which can be done a number of different ways: through the arrangement of letters, through given clues, or linguistic recreations. Popular versions of word puzzles include Anagrams, crosswords, Mad Libs, and even spelling bees. Number puzzles

Famous Puzzle Inventors

Ernö Rubik

Because of their long history, there are a number of notable puzzle inventors. While you may not know necessarily them by name, you are certain to recognize their puzzles when you see them! Some of the most notable puzzle inventions include:

  1. John Spilsbury: Originally, puzzles were used for educational purposes rather than a form of entertainment; maps were pasted onto wood and cut into odd shapes to help teach children geography. It was not until 1767 that British Cartographer and engraver John Spilsbury created the first true jigsaw puzzle and made it available commercially for all consumers. And most would say he is the inventor of puzzles because of this. But really this is only because this is on record.
  2. Ernö Rubik is a name you probably recognize as he is the father of the infamous Rubik’s Cube, which has long tested people’s problem-solving abilities. When he first created the Rubik’s Cube in 1974, he explained he was looking for a special task for his students that would challenge their minds and teach them about space alteration, movement, and time.
  3. Sam Loyd has been considered one of the greatest puzzle makers in history and is known for his complex chess puzzles, such as the Excelsior problem, the Steinitz Gambit problem, and the Charles XII problem. Beyond chess, he also created the Trick Donkey and Back from Klondike puzzles.
  4. Henry Dudeney was an English author and mathematician who specialized in logic and mathematical puzzles and is most famously known for his Haberdasher’s Puzzle, which involves trying to make a square out of the pieces of an equilateral triangle. He is also credited with creating the first crossnumber puzzle.
  5. David J. Bodycombe is both a puzzle maker and game show consultant, who is known for his puzzle columns which appear in major British publications like the Daily Mail, Daily Express, Metro, and the BBC Focus. He has also contributed to shows such as the classic Crystal Maze, Mind Games, and most recently, Fifteen to One.
  6. Will Shortz is an American puzzle maker best known for this crossword puzzles which can be found in The New York Times.

Famous Puzzles

Speed Cube

There are countless puzzles that exist, but some are more famous than the rest. Some of the more notable ones include the following:

  1. The Rubik’s Cube: As said before, this famous puzzle has been around since the 70s. This 3-D puzzle cube that is made up of multiple smaller cubes with different colored faces. To solve this puzzle, you have to rotate the various smaller cubes until all the similarly colored squares are on a single side. Shown above is a speed cube. Get it here.
  2. The Trick Donkeys: Sam Loyd’s 1858 puzzle still leaves people scratching their heads today. The puzzle is printed on a piece of paper and has 3 parts: two separate donkeys and two riders. The goal of this puzzle is to arrange these three pieces of the puzzle in such a way that it appears that the riders are mounting the donkeys.
  3. The Haberdasher’s Puzzle by Henry Dudeney is another famous one, which is a triangle dissected into four smaller pieces. With this puzzle, the goal is to rearrange the pieces to form a square.
  4. Why is six so afraid of seven?: This is probably the most famous jokes and riddles around, that continues to amuse people to this day. Do you know the answer?

Professional Puzzle Solvers

Problem Solver

Puzzle solving is not just a fun way to pass the time, but it also can be helpful for people in their professional lives. People who are good at puzzles would likely excel at jobs that require similar deduction skills. This would involve the use of logic, reasoning, and even mathematical skills.

The job should really make them think in order to come up with the right solution. These jobs would include jobs in the medical field, a police detective, computer analyst, and even an accountant. Just to name a few.

Where to buy puzzles in store?

The great thing about puzzles is that you can find them virtually everywhere; any store that sells toys or books is likely to have an entire section dedicated to different kinds of puzzles.

This can range from books filled with logic puzzles and riddles to complicated disentanglement puzzles. If you look online, you may even be able to find whole stores dedicated to puzzles in your area.

What do you do in the case that there is not one of these physical stores in your area? There are plenty of online stores that offer a huge selection of puzzles for purchase. One of the biggest is Amazon. Buy Puzzles Here.

 

If you want to make wooden puzzles here are some tools.

Filed Under: Puzzles

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