Sparkle Interface - Animated patterns

July 31, 2013
Tags: sparkle, UI, animated

One of the most requested features for the Sparkle programming interfaces is an animated preview of commands. The Sparkle UI now has a nifty animation of the light patterns so you can see what they look like before programming your Sparkle project. When you press the menu to choose a different pattern, the popup shows a list of animations so there's no more guesswork. The speed of the animation is controlled by the speed knobs on the UI.

The animation is currently used only for the sequencer section, though we plan to add it for sensor, code, and colorwell in the near future. Have fun, and let us know how you like it!
 
 
 

Flexible Glam Board

May 16, 2013
Tags: glam, flexible, flexpcb

Introducing a flexible board for etextiles! No sewing necessary, just slip the thin battery into the slits and things light up. You can also connect power through the holes on the side...
 
 
 

Sapphire Stars Cummerbund

May 15, 2013
Tags: sparkle, sound sensor, prom, cummerbund

Aniomagic friend Jacquelyn Bartels of Sapphire Stars Designs sent us a video of this wonderful sparkle sound-sensing cummerbund. Make a sound or ruffle your jacket to make it come alive!

 
 
 

Business card with LED and battery-switch

April 22, 2013
Tags: battery-switch, LED, conductive paint, business card

Here's a nifty business card made with a tiny watch battery (CR1216), a battery-holder-switch, LED and conductive paint.

What would really take it to another level is ultra-thin batteries (500 microns) from the likes of Blue Spark Printed Batteries. We're patiently waiting for these batteries to become available (and affordable, heh heh).
 
 
 

Why don't we have an app for Sparkle

April 11, 2013
Tags:

With iApps being all the rage for mobile devices, we've been asked time and time again why we don't have an app for programming Sparkle, particularly since we have a web-based UI interface for it. The really short answer is: because we want the freedom to do what we want without being subject to one company's whims. In summary:

• You'll never know if an app will be refused, and for what reason. If it was initially approved, you might wake up one morning to find your app has been unilaterally removed, with little recourse available to the app maker.
• We make improvements in a single-web app, and that change is immediately available to everyone, on every smart phone and PC, without having to remind everyone to upgrade.
• It will still work when you upgrade your smartphone OS, or move to a different phone.
• It will still work when the app store providers decide to cancel their respective stores or change terms.

We've seen trends come and go, and we're choosing to bet on the long-term availability of the WWW.