Announced but not shipping yet, Ladyada has designed an Arduino-compatible wearable electronic platform.

Here is the sign-up page, for those that want to know immediately when they are actually in stock.

That sign-up page also has a fair about of information about the capabilities and intended usage.

I have heard several times at the Saturday morning sessions that some people were having trouble getting the Arduino environment installed on Windows 7.  My normal environment is Windows XP, so I have had no experience with setting up on Windows 7.   Recently, I had a chance to do an install on a Netbook running Windows 7 Home edition.  Here are the steps that worked for me.  This was for Arduino version 0023, NOT the latest version.  I do not know if the latest version will be any different.  From conversations with someone else, this could also be different if you are running Windows 7 Professional, or another version.

Download the zip file from http://arduino.cc/en/Main/Software [windows version]
Extract the files from the zip file
Rename the [inner] extracted “Arduino” folder to “Arduino 0023″
Move the “Arduino 0023″ folder to the “C:\Program Files” folder
Navigate to C:\Program Files\Arduino 0023\
right click on the arduino application file, Send to, Desktop (create shortcut)

The software is all setup now, but still need to get the device drivers installed.

Connect the Arduino board to the computer using a USB cable.
I got a message here saying that the device driver was installing, then that the install had failed.
[click] Start | [right click] Computer | [click] Manage | [click] Device Manager |
my notes are not quite clear at this point.  Find an entry for “FT232R USB UART” by clicking the arrow on the left side of “Other Devices”, or maybe “unspecified”
[right click] “FT232R USB UART” | Update Driver Software
Browse my computer for driver software | Browse | Computer | C:\Program Files\Arduino 0023\drivers; OK
[check] Include subfolders; Next
I got a message that said:
Windows has successfully updated you driver software
USB Serial Converter
Close

This has now installed the driver for ONLY the USB Serial Converter, not the Arduino board yet

In Computer Management; device manager; locate “USB Serial Port” under Other Devices
[Right Click] USB Serial Port | Update Driver Software
Browser my computer for driver software | Browse | Computer |
C:\Program Files\Arduino 0023\drivers
OK
[check] Include subfolders; Next
I got a message that said:
Windows has successfully updated your driver software
USB Serial Port (COM3)
Close | Close

And every thing should be ready to go.  Open the Arduino environment.  Under Tools | Board | click the entry for the Ardunio board that you are using.  Under Tools | Serial Port | pick the com port shown in the install message above.  Under File | Examples | Basics | pick the blink program.  Click Upload.  Should successfully compile and upload.

If you [later] connect a different Arduino board, you could get an automatic message about successful software install, and another port number.  Once the drivers were installed above, I had no more issues with Arduino on Windows 7.

Conductive Ink, magnetic paper, Arduino Lilypad, and more.  Draw real electronic circuits on paper, instead of using an solderless breadboard, wirewrap, or a PC Board.  A series of videos…

“Sketching” Electronics With Conductive Ink

The first video I had to open in UTube to see.  The rest worked right in the original page.

I have been teaching introductory programming for the Arduino to a weekly class the past few weeks.  I missed collecting the email contact information for some of the people who joined the class in the last couple of weeks.  In the hope that they read these postings, I am publishing a notice here.

Here is a small homework reading assignment for the WCRS programming class attendees.  Read the Software Development Methodology article (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Software_development_methodology) on wikipedia, at least up to the start of “Subtopics”.  From those methodology descriptions, decide which of methodologies are being used for projects by people at WCRS.  Why did you pick that / those methodologies?  Which ones seem like they would fit?  Again, why?

To be discussed in class.

–
Phil

Via a post on Adafruit:  (Original post on Ideas for Dozens)

Today, the world of physical computing closely resembles the personal computer industry circa 1975. We’ve been around for a few years struggling around the edges with tools and products that were designed, priced, and packaged for serious industry, but we haven’t made any money and we haven’t moved the world. That’s about to change.

Great article, and good to read even if you are not into the Arduino craze.