Hi, it's time for another drive time rant. Yes. I haven't done one in a long time. Uh, because I don't drive anywhere anymore I don't have a 9 to-5 job to go to anymore.

so um, yeah, there's no opportunity. I've done the occasional walk time R hoping to do more of those, but uh yeah, I'm you know, get a bit lazy. So anyway, I'm headed off to the MARTA Maria College here in Sydney it's not a college College it's a high school. Uh, and um, year 12.

Oh, year 11 or year 12 they're doing their HSC uh student the higher School certificate for those Yanks who don't know our school system here. Um, it's so they're high school students and uh, one of their elective courses is electronics and uh, which is fantastic and I was invited along to check out their projects. They finished fin them all and they're displaying them so hopefully there'll be some cool stuff there that these kids have worked on I'm not sure how long they've had to, uh, make them and stuff like that? Got no idea of the details really, but uh I Heard there might be some good projects there, so it should be fun to check out. Headed on to the M2 Motorway Here, it's under construction.

perpetually under construction since I'd love to say since you know, 1872 or something like that, but oh man. I'm glad I don't drive to and from work anymore. It's just horrid. Anyway, I'm heading against the flow of traffic.

sorry if that's a bit dark. I've got Auto exposure on and uh, because the sun's very low in the sky being late in the afternoon. so I thought I'd turn auto exposure on and see if it can. hopefully get the job done anyway.

we'll find out and hopefully the audio. Works Um and for a lot of I've got my lapel mic. For those who ask, it's an Audio Technica ATR 33 50 I think it is. um so and it works really well and that's what I used to record uh, most of the blogs these days I don't use my road shotgun mic much anymore or the built-in mic I tend to, uh, use this lapel mic and actually clip it on to me.

you've probably seen it in a couple of the uh should you should be able to see it in the videos clipped on, put it down the shirt and off to the camera. It's got like a 15 M lead on it. It's really quite good. um anyway I off to Mar Maria College and check out these projects and uh, it's great I Love kids working on electronics I never had anything like that when I was a kid and I'm sure I've talked about that before about how in, uh when I was in high school when I was a boy um I got ridiculed by the students and uh, the teachers as well for you know, wanting to do electronics and doing electronics and I think I've told the story before before about how I did uh I wanted to enter a schools Electronics competition, a national Um Schools contest and uh, well, you know the teachers just said we don't know anything about that.

What? What do you want to Ender that for it's crazy. Go away. you know, go and take shop or something like that. You know, shop.

you know, metal work or something like that. They didn't know anything about electronics and that's the difference These days. these kids have got so many opportunities to work on electronics. it's fair.

Fantastic. I Love it. and uh, you know the first robotics competition and all sorts of things. They're really able to work on a ton of stuff these days.

It's uh, much more common in the US and other countries than it here here is here in Australia I think but Australia is certainly catching up. The kids have tons of opportunities these days. It's great so I support it anyway. um drive time rant I don't know.

Do I have any why I'm wearing a triple 5 T-shirt If you can see it is because it's too dark. Auto Exposure. Um sadly we got some sad news. if you haven't heard already.

H Cind the inventor of the famous triple 5 timer. um passed away I'm not sure when but the news just came out today so happened very very recently. Very sad news. I don't know uh what happened there at all.

um but uh anyway. you know he was still involved in stuff. he was involved in the triple 5 uh contest which um, the ampow was involved in and uh yeah. sadly he's passed away.

That's the another classic analog um guy and they seem to be dropping like flies now unfortunately. Um, so very sad news hands C's in so yeah. build up a triple 5 circuit today, whack one on a breadboard and build it up in his honor. So thank you very much H for uh doing the inventing the triple 5 timer which is still sold in its Millions even today it's crazy and uh oh man, the end of an era, Rip Hans's Cem in and um, what else has been happening? uh Curiosity Rover woohoo it landed in case you didn't know, I did the uh video on that had uh, it got lots of hits because it uh got up in the Um search results for uh, you know Curiosity Rover or Mars Rover or something like that got like 60,000 views and as such a lot of uh comments from people who've never seen my channel before.

for all the usual stuff, it's hilarious and uh, and that was and just awesome. Absolutely awesome. I Won't talk about the horrible experience I had trying to watch it live. Let's not go there Sydney Observatory God hopeless they are anyway.

um yeah I think I was about the only one who didn't watch it live. Anyway, don't get me started, don't get me started bloody. Perpetual Road works here on the M2 Motorway It's just. ah man, why didn't they build it four lanes wide to begin with? It's crazy.

Man it like doubles the length of your trip. Now it's just absolutely horrid. They they'll be they there was an ad on the radio or something the other day in a big press release. The private company of course, government pissing away out tax dollars to private companies.

Let's not go there ranted about that before and uh yeah. oh. they came out and proudly said the M2 two Road Works will be finished by 2013 July or something. Woohoo yeah like yeah, thanks for that.

Too bad if you have to go to work along it every day which I used to do. I'm uh, headed back past my old company Alum they're still there. It's a shell there. hardly anyone left there still paying huge amounts of rent on the place.

It's hilarious. They big, huge, uh Australian headquarters practically empty now don't know if they got anyone to rent the thing or not? No idea. but uh yeah, got to pass that. Headed all halfway across Sydney by the way and uh to the northern beaches Warwood where the Uh Mar Mario college is and I rarely get to drive this far I Don't get out hoping to take a holiday very shortly like in the next week or two taking the wife and San and we're packing the car and we're going on a holiday.

So uh, we don't know where yet. but uh, we will go somewhere and we will take a break. I'll probably do a couple of videos beforehand so there'll be material up there, so no need to worry. Woohoo! The widened tunnel.

They had to wide widen this thing and uh, it's an absolute mess. We' got two-way traffic in the tunnel, they divert it and during peak hour they cut off lanes and do all sorts of weird crap. It's always changing. Anyway, I'm headed against the traffic.

All those people headed home on a Friday afternoon. Good luck to you and uh, what else has been happening a the Open Source Hardware Rant Man didn't I stir up a storm with that one that was hilarious and I it pretty much got all the responses you know. I expected. Really? Um, the one that you know it's it.

Uh, I expected. but uh, a few people, uh, really. um, hauled my ass over the coals for it was that, uh uh, You know this is just my opinion and you know this doesn't happen in real world. How dare you impose rules on people over and above the hardware? Open Source Hardware license and all that sort of crap.

and oh my goodness, what do you think? My channel is The stone tablets Come down from you know, the freaking mountain with the rules that shall be obeyed. What a lot of crap. Of course it's my opinion. Bloody hell.

what else did you think it was if? uh I um, if you don't want to, uh, follow my rules, don't I'm just you know stating what I've um experienced in the industry over um, long before Open Source Hardware even started and quite frankly I think I'm right I think most people tend to follow these uh rules whether or not people like it or not. Well, you know, don't have to follow the rules. They're not rules to be followed, they're just if you want to get along better in the community. I Think it will help if you, uh, do these sort of things you know, respect other people's work.

you know, don't just go by the legal license because if the whole world has just run by legal crap and you know license and things like that, what sort of world you know is that to live in, it's it's crap. The world is not legal. Black and white, it's you know, it's warm and fuzzy. It's you know people have feelings, people have opinions, people you know like to be respected, and you know there's lots of stuff over and above things that legal licenses cannot hope to capture.

so you know. I God Anyone who's uh, bitching about that video clearly doesn't really, um, didn't understand what I was getting out there crazy. Oh God I don't know. Anyway, of course it's my opinion, but it did stir up a ton of discussion which is really good and people asked me about the Tangi bot and uh, yes, the video.

The Tangi bot did spur me to make the video, but I was I that video was actually been um on my books for many, many months. um I've been meaning I've been on the verge of right I'm G to sit down and I'm going to do a rant on um, you know some Unwritten rules of Open Source Hardware that I think are out there and generally followed by uh, the majority of people and uh, that's why there was a lot of backlash against the Tangi bot. Now I have absolutely nothing against the guy who does the Tangi bot. In fact, I support him.

Um, because he's legally allowed to do it and at least he's getting off his ass. Um, unlike most Anonymous YouTube commenters and people who just like to about this stuff, um, they you know at least he's getting off his ass and doing something. Sure, some people don't like it. eh? I think he could have done it better, but I do I think he shouldn't have done it? No, he's I fully fully support him and other people who make clones if that's what they want to do.

I you know I support your right to do it. I don't necessarily agree that it's the best way to do it, but you're entitled to it and well, good luck to you. I'll I'll definitely I'll definitely, uh, support you in your uh, right to do that and you know there's um, no rule that says you have to follow those Unwritten rules which I discussed. Um, that's just my experience in the matter.

That's all. So yeah. I I Think he just missed a golden opportunity there. Really? Because I don't think he's going to get his funding.

um I You know I I Think he's he's a. he's shot too high in terms of, uh, money B he's done it. you know, slightly in the wrong way. I Think by not, you know, at least improving something at least one thing.

This guy's a apparently quite a talented engineer and has worked on a lot of projects and I am quite disappointed actually that he didn't improve things. We're off the M2 now we're headed on to Lane Cove Road heading towards the northern beaches and uh, yeah, sorry about if it's too dark the auto exposure thing I don't know. um so where was I I lose track, my mind wanders a lot. um yeah.

I you know he I fully support his uh, you know, right to do that I just don't think that you know I think he that golden opportunity he missed he uh didn't um you know, just improve something. shoot for a lower Target I Don't know why he needed 400 units and half a million uh dollars? Um so I think if he shot a bit lower uh and just improved a few things maybe changed the look and feel I don't think the acrylic is going to work though. he's offering a clear, clear acrylic option and uh I don't think that's really going to uh work cuz it'll look too much like the thinger. Matic you'll be able to see through it and all the wires and the boards and you know you would need opaque Plastics and and uh stuff I don't yeah I don't think so.

um anyway. uh, good luck to him. You know if he gets the funding? Um, great, but uh yeah. I I suspect he may not I think he's shot a bit High there.

Um, so that's the open source. uh Hardware stuff um Forum Topics: I've made a bit of uh ch change to the Forum um I've put uh, some of the subcategories as Childs under the um under the like a a main uh topic and then their child categories under that. Let me know if you like that or not and let me know if you want more categories on the Eev blog. Forum Because the Eev blog forum is getting huge, it's one of the biggest electronic Forums on the net now and uh I Really want people's opinions on how it should evolve and stuff like that? Do you want more categories? or do you think that's just a pain in the ass? Um, what do you think you know? Um, should there be definitely be more categories? Should there be child categories under main categories? Or should they be? uh, just you know, like a big flat top level structure kind of thing with major categories like that? I don't know.

Um, please let me know I need your feedback on that cuz I'm not sure the direction to take it. Um, oh, you know. So I've made a few changes. Please let me know it's easy to move Shuffle stuff like that around I think in the simple machines Forum so I can pretty much make changes at will there without uh, breaking the thing I hope um, what else is happening? Um, the electronics exhibition in Sydney is happening.

Uh, next month it's happening like four weeks time. I think it's like, you know SE don't quote me on the date like 17th of September or something around about 4 weeks time. Um, goes for two or 3 days if you attend the Uh conferences. the surface mount um Circuit Board Association uh conference there I don't know who the speakers are this year, but uh.

anyway. I'm definitely going to be there I will definitely be there for the two full days at least. Um, there was talk about some sort of booth for me, but I haven't heard anything back about that. so I'm not sure what's happening uh, there or how much material I'm going to shoot and um, stuff like that still haven't heard so.

but I I will definitely be there. So um, yeah, if you're in Sydney or you can convince or if you're in Australia or heck, even overseas and you can convince your boss to send you to Sydney for the electronics exhibition. Um, it's going to be pretty big this year and uh, well, it's going to be the biggest one yet. They've um, got a bigger Hall than what they got last time.

Uh, I don't know how it compares to the size of the one in Melbourne It's definitely bigger than the Sydney one 2 years ago and uh, I think they're fully booked out in terms of booths and stuff and every man's dog's going to be there. So this is the biggest event in Australia um, it's still not as big as you know ESC and other uh, conferences, um in the uh, Us and Silicon Valley of course. but for Australia it's it's pretty big and it's going to be good. So if you want to meet me, please drop down and uh, come up and say hi and uh, it will be good fun.

Um yeah, maybe I don't know. I might be able to do some live tear downs and stuff like that. Um, there was some talk about that. Still not sure what's happening there, but uh anyway.

yeah, get to electronics. Um I'll be the idiot walking around with the camera. be able to spot me a mile away. So jeez, how long wait? Squeeze through the lights? There we go.

How long of them? I've been going for 18 minutes? Woohoo! Um, not sure I've got anything else to rant about I didn't do much of a rant, just wanted to talk about the Open Source Hardware thing and just do another Drive Time video cuz I haven't done one for ages and uh I know a lot of people used to like it and uh, if you do want to see more Drive Time stuff and you know this S I did set up the second channel. uh yeah, that's the other thing I set up my well, the alt Zone channels always be there but I promoted the alt Zone YouTube channel and a lot of it was probably half and half. Half the people said yeah, it's an okay idea. keep off topic stuff on there and keep on top.

anything on topic. uh to actually put on the main Channel and uh, that was the intention of course. and well, is this on topic or off topic this drive time rant stuff I Guess it's on topic so it'll go on the main Channel and uh I just realized something my camera is still set to uh, the white balance um in the lab which is uh, 4,000 uh K because all of my lights in the lab are 4,000k So I permanently have my uh camera set to 4,000 I don't have Auto white balance so I supect now that I'm out here in the uh Sun oops um I think the white balance might be slightly out if it is. sorry forgot to change it back I'm not used to doing this and uh I do want to get more on the road I want to uh, get out more and do stuff like this And there's a few quite a few things I want to do actually.

so just got to get off my butt and actually do them and uh, just dedicate the day and the time to go out. and either you know, onsite stuff, interviews, and things like that. there's lots of things I can do even here in uh Sydney So yeah, stay tuned. Um, there might be some stuff coming up I hope after my holiday I need a holiday? haven't had a holiday for a long time I'm going to Um, set up a play pen in the Um in the lab for uh Sean because I'm going to have to, uh, mind him a bit more often now and uh I'm thinking about taking him to the lab and uh, hopefully he will, uh, play in a little, uh, play pen or something.

He'll be happy in there while I can, uh, work on stuff that' be really cool. um cuz I can't have him roaming around the lab. There's too many little things that he can get his little Ms into. and uh, boy does he love to pull things apart.

Let me tell you, oh man, it's into everything. It's crazy. It's no surprise though, he's got the Knack if you've seen the Dilit cartoon. Oh boy.

Anyway, so that's it I think I might call it kit quit It's been 20 minutes or so so I hope you enjoyed the drive time Rant wasn't much of a rant and uh, hopefully I'll um, shoot some video the mar Maria College of some of these Electronics projects and that'll go up presumably after this drive time rant. So thanks for joining me. If you like it, please give it a thumbs up. Catch you next time.