Steal Like an Artist: 10 Things Nobody Told You About Being Creative

I’ve finished reading the book “Steal Like and Artist”.

The book isn’t about stealing as it may sound from the title. And it isn’t about copying or plagiarism as it may be thought of.

The book is about creativity and how you can boost your creativity with some steps. On top of those steps the step of fast starting. You don’t need to keep looking for something to do. Instead you need to start quickly.

Also you don’t have to wait for long time to be hundred percent original. You can start by trying to look like the public figure you want to become.

You cannot copy someone else’s work exactly but you can try to look like it if you can.

There is a difference between plagiarism, imitation, and emulation. Plagiarism is wrong; imitation is not good for you as a creative person. But you can start by emulating your favorite creative public figure and start to grow your own creative stream.

Why Life Speeds Up As You Get Older: Douwe Draaisma - Book Review

As this book I've just finished reading title's seem to have a deep question that we might all have, its title is actually adding the question in front of us as we continue reading this book.

 

I've just finished reading this book for Douwe Draaisma and it has enlighten my mind with thoughtful ideas about the mind and the memory.

The book takes into account the memory, its power during different stages of life, Nostalgia and reminiscence.

The book reminds you of your flashbulb memories and how they work.

It also mentions how memories of the age before forty can be clearly recalled.

It's a nice and informative book to read.

Atomic Habits - James Clear : Book Review

I've just finished reading this amazing book. It really complies with all things I kept reading about for the last four years.

 

Here's the book that you need to start changing your life slowly but sure.

It's about how you can change your way of thinking, your habits, your life and even yourself by controlling small and consistent changes in your own habits.

The book highlights the importance of small and repetitive actions as a way of long term change versus big but discontinued actions.

Most people think about great steps of change as a road to success or to failure and they neglect those small collective steps we keep doing during our daily lives.


The book is perfectly organized and helped with inspiring stories of successful people who have changed their lives with habits.

As you finish reading this book, you'll feel the urge to start reading it again due to simplicity yet its mind intriguing way of producing information.

I highly recommend reading this book.

I've used all those methods inside this book and they all worked with me.

I hope you find it useful too.

Creativity: Flow and the Psychology of Discovery and Invention

I've just finished reading the book, Creativity: Flow and the Psychology of Discovery and Invention for Mihaly Csikzentmihalyi.

The book summarizes interview with many creative people to find a common pattern.

Although the writer mentions in different times in the book that there is no definite one single pattern for those creative people.

But there are some broad feature they share while there are many others can have the opposite.

For example:

- They can afford to stay alone and enjoy solitude while they like being with people and know their problems.

In fact, being alone is the main time for being creative while many have reported that being with people has been their source for creative ideas.

- They have their inner feeling of self fulfillment. They enjoy being notified by others but first they know how to assess their work and enjoy doing it even if nobody notice it.

- They follow standards of their domains while they can be total rebellions to old thoughts and traditions.

- They are open to try many domains. Many interviewees have already mastered more than one domain in different disciplines.

- They are conservative when it comes to spending their physical power. They get enough sleep. They don't exhaust their bodies in destructive activities.

- They maintain their physical and mental ability an productivity even in their old ages.

- They all have stable families and enjoy spending times with them more than any other thing. Most of them mention having families as their best accomplishment in their lives.

The writer concludes some points for us to be creative in all aspects of our lives. Here are some:

- We need to be open to many activities in order to find our true purpose in life.

- Surprise yourself and other daily. Try something new and find a newer version of yourself.

- Try to enjoy each moment of your life. Try even to enjoy moments when you do things you have to do like work and chores. Most people find those times as being wasted because they are neither productive nor fun. But we can make our experience better by doing them with more attention.

You can find the book here.

Check books from my Amazon Author Page:

www.amazon.com/author/ahmedebeed

Arduino Cricket - How to generate soothing realistic Cricket Sounds with Arduino

The cricket is a little bug that makes noisy sounds at night.

Some people find them annoying. But some others - and I’m one of them - find them soothing and a symbol of nature and piece.

I admit that this repeatable sound of cricket can be annoying. It might get you sleep deprivation specially if it keeps making this noise in a place near where you sleep.

But the other type of people who find its sound soothing may be grateful to hear it at bedtime and feel relaxed from it.

There are even some iPhone and Android apps that do nothing but playing those sounds to keep you relaxed.

Today I thought of generating these sound using Arduino for fun.

This can be a good way of relaxation and you don’t need to go look for that cricket if you want it to stop. In this case you can simply turn it off. 

After all you are who programmed it.

I found a good post from a cleaver guy who made the most annoying cricket sound ever.

He wanted to make it a prank for his friend that he made the sound generation at random intervals.

He also made a consistent version of sound that sounded just like the normal cricket does.

In this version you can control the volume using PWM Pulse Width Modulation.

I liked the consistent sound version.

So here is how I made it.

What you’ll need:

• Arduino board.
• 8 ohm speaker.
• Wires to connect the speaker to Arduino board.

Program the software

Circuit

                  


Connect the speaker

Play the sound of your cricket.

That’s all.

Thank you for reading.


Code
#include "Volume3.h"
#define speakerPin 9

void setup() {
  // put your setup code here, to run once:

}

void loop() {
  // put your main code here, to run repeatedly:
  chirpFade();
  delay(random(100,5000));
}

void chirpFade() {
  uint16_t f = 3900;

  uint8_t times = random(1,3);
  float master = 1.0;
  uint16_t v = 0;
  uint8_t vDir = 1;
  float vb = 0;

  while (times > 0) {
    while (vb < 1.0) {
      if (v < 1023 && vDir == 1) {
        v += 16;
      }
      else {
        vDir = 0;
      }

      if (v > 0 && vDir == 0) {
        v -= 16;
      }
      else {
        vDir = 1;
      }

      vol.tone(speakerPin, f, v * constrain(vb, 0.0, 1.0)*master);
      delayMicroseconds(50);
      vb += 0.003;
    }
    while (vb > 0.0) {
      if (v < 1023 && vDir == 1) {
        v += 16;
      }
      else {
        vDir = 0;
      }

      if (v > 0 && vDir == 0) {
        v -= 16;
      }
      else {
        vDir = 1;
      }

      vol.tone(speakerPin, f, v * constrain(vb, 0.0, 1.0)*master);
      delayMicroseconds(50);
      vb -= 0.001;
    }
    times--;
    master -= 0.75;
  }
  vol.noTone();

}


Source

https://github.com/connornishijima/arduino-volume1/tree/master/examples/volume_crickeduino_prank

Tools for Arduino Ladder Logic - Use Arduino like PLC using Ladder Logic

I've posted an article about Arduino based PLC and I've an unexpected response.

Many Arduino enthusiasts and students and also many other automation specialists showed interest to the subject.

This simply shows how there are so many people wanting to know more about open source and freely developed tools that can be used in automation and in industry as a whole.

I remember a friend of mine who had a dream since fourteen years ago. That dream he had was to replace old PLCs with modern Microcontrollers like PIC, Atmel and lately Arduino.

I guess now his dream came true.

I received a lot of questions on Arduino based PLC products and how they can be programmed.

So I’ve searched further and found that there are already some tools that can be used to program Arduino using ladder language.

You may like some vidoes from my YouTube Channel AeroArduino

PLCs are often programmed in ladder logic. This is because PLCs originally replaced relay control systems, and after all those years, we still haven't quite let go. A PLC, like any microprocessor, executes a list of instructions in sequence.

Today I’m putting these tools in front of you so you can start learning them and hopefully using them efficiently.

SoapBoxSnap

SoapBox Snap is a free and open source PC-based automation platform.

The ladder editor includes standard instructions like contacts, coils, timers, counters, rising edge and falling edge, and set/reset instructions.

SoapBox Snap also comes with an Arduino Runtime, which means you can download your ladder logic programs to an Arduino (UNO, Nano or Mega board) and even do online debugging and forcing.

http://soapboxautomation.com/products/soapbox-snap/

LDmicro

It’s a compiler that starts with a ladder diagram and generates native PIC16 or AVR code.
Features include:

-       digital inputs and outputs

-       timers (TON, TOF, RTO)

-       counters (CTU, CTD, `circular counters' for use like a sequencer)

-       analog inputs, analog (PWM) outputs integer variables and arithmetic instructions

-       easy-to-use serial communications, to a PC, LCD, or other device

-       shift registers, look-up tables

-       EEPROM variables, whose values are not forgotten when you lose power

-       simulator, to test your program before you generate PIC/AVR code

http://cq.cx/ladder.pl

I hope this article could shed some light on the subject.

Thank you for reading.

Stealing Fire: How Silicon Valley, the Navy SEALs, and Maverick Scientists Are Revolutionizing the Way We Live and Work

Today I've finished reading this book:
Stealing fire

This book considers the Zone. It's the state of Flow as the best phases of human performance.

It displays how the giants in industry, business and sport can deliberately enter this state of creativity and mindfulness.

Personally, I find the book very interesting and informative.

I agree with some areas in it and disagree with others.

What I agree with it is the idea of entering the Zone through natural ways such as mindfulness, concentration and sports.

Also by changing your state between being alert and relaxed, playfulness and seriousness.

But I also find it a little bit adopting the idea of entering this Zone using non usual chemicals and drugs. And that's what I don't agree with because it's not halal in my Islamic religion and it's also harmful to the mind and body.

I also don't agree with the idea of practicing some physical actions that seem natural in action but might have unnatural, harmful or dangerous effects on the mind and body. Those actions like hearing hallucinating sounds or watching mind altering animations.

Also there are many extreme athletes that seem like addicting to their practitioners. They may be very dangerous and they know it but they cannot stop it.

Finally, I believe that everyone of us has his own type of addiction that can get him into the Zone of peak performance and altered state of mind.

This addiction might be useful and might be harmful, valuable or a waste of time, legal or illegal, but this action is simply our way of getting out of ourselves. That's what the book calls 'Shutting down the self'.

When we find this action we keep practicing it exactly as people are addicted to drugs.

what keeps productive and creative people apart from the rest of us is that their addictive actions take them far beyond the production and creativity of normal people.

While they are driven by those compulsive addictions that in this case useful, they keep their spirits in high states and they are also productive and creative to the society.

I like the book in general and I find it influenced by books from the author who coined the term 'Flow' - Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi.

That's why I've decided to start reading the second book from the positive psychology author 'Creativity'.

By reading books from this author and from others, I've found that since my early days I've been passionate about what I lately knew as positive psychology.

It's the branch of psychology that deals with people to make them lead a happy, meaningful life and flourish.

I hope I could get you to the point.

Arduino based PLC - Open Source Electronics for Industrial Applications

Some people still think about Arduino and open source electronics as a toy for hobbyists and students.

We believe that open source hardware is in the process of revolutionizing electronics and industry in all fields of our lives.

Arduino and its shields have matured to be a modern way of researching tool, rapid prototyping and even in the field equipment for many industries.

M-DUINO PLC Arduino 57AAR I/Os Analog / Digital / Relay PLUS

Ease of use has made Arduino a good candidate for many applications. The variety of tools and millions of lines of code have facilitated the process of development.

Abundant sensors and massive processing power have found their way in Internet of Things era.

Collaborating with Big Data to collect huge amounts of bits of data to form useful information that lead to giant knowledge base for decision making on larger scales; Arduino is the heart for this big picture.

Source: industrialshields.com

Today you can find weather monitoring stations completely built around open source hardware using open source tools for competitive prices.

Many companies are forming around Arduino platform to evolve into industrial automation makers.

To name some:

industrialshields.com is making its own industrial Arduino PLC and shields to control water level in tanks, production lines and weather station monitoring systems.

sferalabs.cc is making industrial enclosures for Arduino kits and shields for robustness.

If you are interested in Arduino, you can start by learning how to build your own industrial application.

Arduino Drawing Robot - How to do Art with Arduino and a Pin

In this post will see how this Arduino controlled robot can make beautiful patterns and drawings.

Gathering Parts

Arduino Uno

2 5v Stepper Motors

Micro Servo

ULN2803

Breadboard

Code
You can get the code from here.

Making the frame

Circuit diagram

Installing Wheels

Mounting Servo for Pen movement

Final Assembly and Test

Source
https://www.instructables.com/id/Arduino-Drawing-Robot/

Modify your old RC Car into that new modern smartphone controlled car with Arduino and Bluetooth

Who have every played with his toy RC car?
Today you can turn your old RC car into an advanced Android RC car using Arduino and Bluetooth shield in simple straight forward steps.

First you need to get the car that fits all of those simple components required for the new control circuit.


Then you need to get all of the stuff out of it. You can find room for your control board as those modern circuits are much smaller than regular ones.

What you’ll need

Arduino UNO
HC-06 Bluetooth shield
L293D IC
12v Lipo battery pack
Some resistors

And you need the program that controls the circuit

Android program:

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=braulio.calle.bluetoothRCcontroller

Source:
https://www.instructables.com/id/Arduino-Bluetooth-RC-Car-Android-Controlled/

Beginner's Dream Quadcopter - Arduino and Bluetooth Micro Quadcopter

This is sure the Beginner's Dream Quadcopter. I've searched a lot for a Quadcopter like this. Today I've found it.

I didn't ask too much. But I couldn't find it until today. And that's why I wanted to share it with you.

Why would it make the Beginner's Dream Quadcopter?

Simplicity
This is one of the simplest quadcopter circuit I've seen recently.  It uses Arduino Nano as its main controller. As for quadcopter stabilization it uses 6050 MPU Module.
User control interfacing circuit is achieved via HC-06 Bluetooth module. This means that you can control this little quadcopter from your smartphone.

Motor drive circuits is built using four transistors.

Source: instructables

Mind to Matter - The Astonishing Science of How Your Brain Creates Material Reality

Just finished the book Mind to Matter. The book deals with some ideas from many disciplines of science.

It's about how the mind can form changes in real life around us.

Starting by changing the way we think and act, we can change our brains and bodies through positive thoughts.

Epegenetics is the branch of genetics that deals with how our genes can be formed by environment to make who we are.

It's the proof that we are not prisoners of our genes but we are also changed by our behavior and environment.

Neuroplasticity is the way our brains change by what we keep doing deliberately.

Thus we must keep focusing on our daily habits that can literally shape our brains and hence our whole life.

Solar Powered Quadcopter

If you are a quadcopter enthusiast then you may have thought of a solar powered quadcopter.

Actually there are many Remote Controlled Plane Models that use solar power for flight.

And there are actually real life sized planes that use solar power as well.

So the next question would be: "Is there any solar powered quadcopters?"

This question has been answered by a team from The National University of Singapore NUS.

You may have heard about the quadcopter that used ground based solar charging station for its battery pack. But this time is different.

This quadcopter uses solar power for real time flight.

This means that it can hover as long as it is exposed to direct sun shine.

It also means that it can fly for hours more than any industry standard quadcopter.

It has no onboard battery packs and it's completely powered by an array of 148 solar cells.


The quadcopter frame is built from carbon fiber and its total weight is 2.6kg.

Its 
You may ask about what such a quadcopter can do. This is obvious as it's still in development phase and it has been made mainly as a proof of concept.

But anyway this is a huge success for quadcopter industry.


This quadcopter makes Asia the first to develop a totally solar powered quadcopter that doesn't need any battery packs.

Train your mind to be an information generator

Today I've found a new piece of information that made me feel great.

I've read on Dawson Church's Mind to Matter book when the writer said that he had found one common thing between all best seller authors.

And this thing is that they all are active information producers more than being passive information consumers.

If they were  given the choice between read and write they choose writing.

Being an information consumer means that you are deliberately leaving your mind in the hands of others to control your mental structure.

Your mind is an easy thing to change. If you leave it in the wrong hands you are not doing yourself any good.


That's right. If you were to choose between filling your mind with bad news, bad input or between positive input and motivational stories then you must choose the better input.

But it's far more better to choose the best thing to do is to be an information producer not an information consumer.

Mind to Matter

Only after one day of talking to a friend about that new topic I'm indulged in these days that I came to that great book.

And also in coincidence with the fact that I've just finished reading another book and I've been making the decision of what to read next.

And the answer has come to me in that best seller published June 2018, Mind to Matter.

It starts with mentioning that knowledge is the process dynamic change of mind.

That while you learn new things your brain makes new connections for them.

One Nobel prize winner physician stated that when you focus your attention learning new subject for one hour your brain doubles its connections for expanding neural circuits those involve that subject.

Also after you leave that subject without reviewing then your brain breaks those circuits after hours or days. 

This means that learning is building new connections while remembering is maintaining them by continuous reviewing.

Mind to Matter

Dowson Church

To gain more from your training and knowledge you need to get your body involved in the process.

Your body makes its experience by feeling the emotion.

The feeling is the chemical change in body due to the active involvement of the body.

That means that in order to enhance your learning process you need to be actively engaged into that process in different ways

The Power of Positive Thinking

Just finished Reading "The Power of Positive Thinking" by Dr. Norman Vincent Peale.

The book deals with an important issue of the positive thinking which involves faith and believe as the main source and the most important source of positive thinking and personal power.

Real Magic: Ancient Wisdom, Modern Science, and a Guide to the Secret Power of the Universe

Just finished the book by Dean Radin
Real Magic: Ancient Wisdom, Modern Science, and a Guide to the Secret Power of the Universe.

The book shows a new yet ancient concept of paranormal activity which may be regarded by some as magic.

The writer also includes several experiments carried out by his teams and by others throughout history that shows that those phenomenon are real experimentally.

Also there are many examples of real people in history those had abnormal abilities which made them seem as psychics.

The book deals with the main point of the writer's major which is called PSI.

What is Fishino Anyway?

Today I came across this Arduino compatible board manufacturer Fishino.

Fishino UNO

This family of products feature a complete series of Arduino compatible boards that has built in Wifi capabilities on board without the need for any external shields.

Starting from Arduino Uno, Arduino Mini, Arduino Nano and Arduino Mega you can find all compatible boards from Fishino.

The Italian board manufacturer is making a wide range of Arduino compatible that suits all kind of applications.

Tesla KITT - How Telsa Motors will have KITT Like AI assistance.

Tesla KITT

Do you remember KITT? It looks like I'm not the only one who loves this car and want to make my car look like it.

Knight Industries Two Thousand. That’s the name of the fictional car featured in the 80’s famous TV show Knight Rider.

The car that has its own AI and plays a role of a cybernetic assistant to its driver Michael Knight. 

This car was originally based on the 1982 Pontiac Firebird.

In April 2018,  a KITT enthusiast Telsa Model X owner has modified his car front-face to resemble the famous KITT red Larson Scanner light.

A couple of days ago on Jul 2018, Tesla Motors owner Elon Musk has responded to another Tesla owner with a tweet saying that future Teslas will have its own KITT like AI assistance.

Tesla Motors is a major tech company that wants to have its own share if AI technology between large tech companies.