Electronics

Amazon Fire TV works a lot like Apple TV and Roku set-top boxes. The basic idea is simple: Using a  remote control , you can make selections from on-screen menus featuring TV shows, movies and apps. First, you need to set up the Amazon Fire TV. Luckily, this is very easy. When your package arrives from  Amazon.com , you'll open it to find a small, square, black, plastic box, a remote control and a power cord. On the back of the box are ports for connecting it to your TV (HDMI) and to your home Internet connection (Ethernet). You have to supply your own cables. Amazon Fire TV is also WiFi-enabled, so you can connect to your home's WiFi network without the Ethernet cable [source:  Amazon ]. Simply connect the box to your TV using an HDMI cable and the box to your Internet modem using an Ethernet cable. (If you have WiFi, skip the latter step). Then plug in the power cord. There's no power button on the box. If it's plugged in, it's on [source:  Amazon ]. Wh...

Lesson 6 – Controlling your Robot The definition we have chosen for a “robot” requires the device to obtain data about its environment, make a decision, and then take action accordingly. This does not exclude the option of a robot being semi-autonomous (having aspects which are controlled by a human and others which it does on its own). A good example of this is a sophisticated underwater robot; a human controls the basic movements of the robot while an on-board processor measures and reacts to underwater currents in order to keep the robot in the same position without drifting. A camera onboard the robot sends video back to the human while onboard sensors may track the water temperature, pressure and more. If the robot loses communication with the surface, an autonomous program may kick-in causing it to surface. If you want to be able to send and/or receive commands from your robot, you will need to determine its level of autonomy and if you want it to be tethered, wireless or ful...

Lesson 4 – Understanding Microcontrollers What is a microcontroller? You might be asking yourself what is a microcontroller and what does it do? A microcontroller is a computing device capable of executing a program (i.e. a sequence of instructions) and is often referred to as the “brain” or “control center” in a robot since it is usually responsible for all computations, decision making, and communications. In order to interact with the outside world, a microcontroller possesses a series of pins (electrical signal connections) that can be turned HIGH (1/ON), or LOW (0/OFF) through programming instructions. These pins can also be used to read electrical signals (coming form sensors or other devices) and tell whether they are HIGH or LOW. Most modern microcontrollers can also measure analogue voltage signals (i.e. signals that can have a full range of values instead of just two well defined states) through the use of an Analogue to Digital Converter (ADC). By using th...

As you climb the IT career ladder, most IT managers and directors will tell you that the technology doesn’t get any harder—it’s the people that make the job tougher. The reason team building needs to be at the forefront of all your interactions is simple: Effective teams perform better. They get the job done quicker with fewer mistakes. And they enjoy themselves while they do their job, which ultimately leads to increased productivity, greater loyalty and a higher retention of employees. Over the course of your career as an IT manager, building effective teams will distinguish your effectiveness. We start off this month’s column by taking a look at what your role is as a team leader. We then take a look at how you can quickly ramp up your team-building skills. Understanding Your Role I don’t have to tell you that a team leader wears many hats in the course of the day-to-day business of running an IT department. Generally, we classify the different roles into the following three: ...

Google Drive was launched to serve as a place to keep your files in the cloud so that you can  access them anywhere. As Drive changed, it has taken over the functions of Google Docs and doubles as the point for all Google document work space and office tools. You may also install apps into Drive to give it extra functionality . Derive maximum benefit from Google Drive by following this steps: 1. Set a Google Account. 2. Sign into the Google Drive site with your Google account. 3. Adding files to your drive.   There are two ways to add files to your drive.You may create documents and upload files from       your computer. To create a file, click the CREATE button. To upload a file, click the “Up Arrow” button next to the CREATE button.   Follow the dialog boxes as they appear and have a wonderful experience.