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K-LUG - Rochester, MN Area Linux Users Group

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We can use presentations for upcoming meetings, please see a list of ideas if you're willing but lacking a topic.

LUG News

K-Lug and the Red Bull Creation 2013 Contest

Recently several K-Lug and PCIG members entered a Maker Contest called Red Bull Creation 2013. We were given an Arduino Shield (called the TurBULL Encabulator and 5 Meters of RGB LED light strips and 1 Meter of addressable RGB LED light strips. We bought 4 more addressable light strips and went to work...creating an invention of Peter Shabinos ...a touch sensitive Rock Climbing Wall called the WALL-O-TRON. Here is our video entry: http://youtu.be/9SB-FD13yPs

More details on the project can be found here: http://k-lug.org/RedBullCreation2013#Red_Bull_Creation_2013_-_K-LUG_Participation

K-Lug and the Deconstruction and Minne-Faire

Recently K-Lug and PCIG members met at The Rabbit Hole Maker space to participate in the Deconstruction 2013. We has had a booth at the Minne-Faire where we demonstrated our projects. I'm leaving a link here for people to find more info about our projects: http://thedeconstruction.org/team/rabbit-hole/ http://k-lug.org/Main_Page/Deconstruction2013

Technical Meeting: Thursday July 11th

Matt Bruzek attended the Bay Area Maker Faire, and will tell us about his experience. Anyone who attends the June KC Maker Faire is welcome to chime in too during discussion.

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The Maker Faire ( http://makerfaire.com/ ) is billed as the "greatest show and tell on earth!". I will share our experience from our trip to the 2013 Bay Area Maker Faire. Try to describe the event, and suggest what to do if attend a Maker Faire in the near future.

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When: Thursday April 11th - 6:00 pm - 7:30 pm

Where: RCTC Heintz Center, in or near Room HA107

Social: Friday July 12th

Sugru build night and blog writing. Instructables will be sending us a case of Sugru self-setting rubber to play with. In exchange, we have to write up 4 blogs about things we did with it.

Your pre-preparation homework: Brainstorm something more unique than smartphone bumpers and handle (bike, garden tools, etc etc) grips.

We're meeting at the Toymakers hacker/maker space again. http://tymkrs.com/rabbithole/

547 Northern Heights Dr NE

Rochester MN 55906

6-9 pm

For anyone who hasn't been there yet, their house is on the north side of the road up a steep and twisted driveway; park on the road with a parking brake. Walk up the driveway, up the steps, and ring the doorbell. into the open garage door, and into the house without needing to ring the doorbell.

Lunch FIELD TRIP: Thursday July 18th

Note change in location

11:30 am. Thursdays on 1st, we'll take over a picnic table on the east end of Historic 3rd Street SW (that one way street on the north side of the Tap House and Billotti's). If you're new and won't recognize the group, this might not be a good first event for you, as we may be hard to spot.

In case of bad weather, you can still converge on the Apache Mall food court near B&N.

Planned Technical Meeting: August TBD

Speaker needed, please let Tim or Tina know if you're willing to volunteer. Willing to present but want to know what people have expressed interest in? Check out our requested topics page.

Lunch: Thursday August 15th

11:30 am, Apache Mall food court, near B&N.

Planned Social: Friday August 16th

Jameco electronic components build night and blog writing. Instructables will be sending us electronics to play with. In exchange, we have to write up 3 Instructables posts about things we did with them.

• Standard Timer Single 8-Pin 555 Chip (10)

• Resistor Assortment, 540 pieces (1)

• Breadboard 3.25x2.125 (4)

• Battery Snap, 6 inch (4)

• Battery, Super Alkaline, 9V (4)

• Grab Bag of Electronics Components (1)

• LED Grab Bag - assorted colors and shapes (2)

How it works:

1. Have the Build Night: At the event build projects using parts from the Jameco electronics kit.

2. Post 3 Instructables: post 3 Instructables using the electronics from the kit. You are not limited to just these components, but projects must include parts from the kit. Projects can be as simple or advanced as you like. Anyone from your space is welcome to post an Instructable that counts towards the 3. These Instructables must include a link back to Jameco’s website. (Not posting these Instructables may affect K-LUG/PCIG chances to participate in future build nights).

3. Brownie Points (not required): after the build night post a forum topic on Instructables about your event. Include pictures, stories, etc... Here are two examples from the May build night Instructables ran (we didn't participate): Noisebridge and Makers Local 256. They may even feature our photo on their homepage.

Your pre-preparation homework: Brainstorm something to do with it.

We're meeting at the Toymakers hacker/maker space again. http://tymkrs.com/rabbithole/

547 Northern Heights Dr NE

Rochester MN 55906

6-9 pm

For anyone who hasn't been there yet, their house is on the north side of the road up a steep and twisted driveway; park on the road with a parking brake. Walk up the driveway, up the steps, and ring the doorbell. into the open garage door, and into the house without needing to ring the doorbell.

Planned Technical Meeting: Thursday September 12th

Chris Henderson on oVirt.

When: Thursday September 12th - 6:00 pm - 7:30 pm

Where: RCTC Heintz Center Room HA107

Lunch: Thursday September 19th

11:30 am, Apache Mall food court, near B&N.

Planned Social: September TBD

Ideas can be found here or invent your own. What would you like to do? Tell Tim or Tina.

Planned Technical Meeting: October TBD

Speaker needed, please let Tim or Tina know if you're willing to volunteer. Willing to present but want to know what people have expressed interest in? Check out our requested topics page.

Lunch: Thursday October 17th

11:30 am, Apache Mall food court, near B&N.

Planned Social: October TBD

Ideas can be found here or invent your own. What would you like to do? Tell Tim or Tina.

Planned Technical Meeting: March or later, 2013

Oculus Rift, "the first truly immersive virtual reality headset for video games"

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1523379957/oculus-rift-step-into-the-game

Peter Shabino

Planned Social: Summer

Rocket launching and kites with Launch Master Kevin Arhelger. Sometime mid-July through October.

Planned Social: Fall or winter

-Jim Henderson, "Silicon Valley" documentary

-Children's Museum. Don't have a kid and feel akward about wandering around to check the place out without one? This is your chance, we'll have at least one coming with the group to salve any feelings of stalking stranger's children.

-Rock climbing at Prairie Walls before they take down the sign we constructed for the Red Bull Creation contest.

-Liquid nitrogen ice cream. This needs a non-Tina organizer. Dennis DeLorme has 2 recipes. We need safety equipment and someone trained enough to keep us from freezing ourselves.

-MAME/foosball/ping pong at Tim Massaro's.

Upcoming Meeting Crisis!

Well, not really a crisis, but we do need some meeting topics (& speakers) for 2013. We'd like to know what you want to see and hear about. Please email Tina or Tim with suggestions for topics. Should we run some previous sessions again (maybe something you really wanted to see but missed out on)? What type of topics are good, what type are bad? Also see this page for a list of suggested topics http://www.k-lug.org/Meetings

Old News Items

See the OldNews page.