Over the past few years, I tried a number of different micro-controllers to design the system with. It started with an Arduino Uno, then went into different sizes and capabilities until it ended up in a different Atmel AVR. Now, with the project nearing completion, Covid has put a stop to completion of the design. […]
No CPU stock, so a different CPU must be found and ported-to.
As yet, the product is months away from any sort of release. But, I’m already thinking about the experience of the initial customers. It’d be best if the early buyers provide feedback about their experiences. This can be fed back into the design cycle, hopefully improving the product. To encourage this, companies typically find beta […]
The worldwide supply crisis has resulted in a shortage of electronic components. While this has impacted large vendors more than it could me, it never the less has caused obstacles. The electronics of Minder1 have to be assembled onto a PCB, which is a distillation of the circuitry onto a small plate. This is done […]
The pre-release of Minder1, the theft deterrent for bicycles, is expected to be January 2022. Though years have been spent on its development, the ‘final’ stages–which comprise productization, behavioural refinements, promotion, parts and purchases–will take months! As well, there is a worldwide supply crisis, affecting electronic components. If you’d like to be kept updated, add […]
No bicycle lock is safe, I said yesterday. It’s a mere finger when the dyke itself needs reconstruction. A pitiful dearth of safe cycling routes, in most of North America, is the oldest, and most obvious, of the systemic disregards for micro-mobility. Similar neglect is seen in other aspects of cycling on this continent. There […]
Of the innumerable videos out there, showing the blight of bike theft, this is a rather comprehensive one, in showing all the major attacks on assorted defences sold in your local bike shop. The good people at the City of London Police have kindly arranged a demonstration of assorted cable cutter, bolt cutter and angle […]
One of the unforeseen consequences of the Covid-19 pandemic is the rise in, and the volatility of, the prices of integrated circuit (IC) chips made in China. ICs that were often less than a dollar, are now several dollars; a CPU that used to be $2 is now $15, affecting the base cost of the […]
In North America at least, much manufacturing has turned to what they call ‘low volume, high mix’. The story told is that, with large-volume manufacturing having been off-shored, what remains is only low-volume; for manufacturers to survive, they have to adapt to having lots of clients, ordering a variety of small jobs. Having designed the […]
A 2019 test of the system’s measured response to shakes. It certainly is too measured in this instance, but refinement was planned for later. And theft-detection is incorrect as well; but that was to evolve later. Note: As of today, there is no plan to include voice messages in the final product. Instead, there will […]
