You are reading the article You Built What?! The Electronic Didgeridoo updated in December 2023 on the website Bellydancehcm.com. We hope that the information we have shared is helpful to you. If you find the content interesting and meaningful, please share it with your friends and continue to follow and support us for the latest updates. Suggested January 2024 You Built What?! The Electronic Didgeridoo
Kyle Evans, a 24-year-old artist, bought his first didgeridoo in a small shop in Cairns, Australia, three years ago. The owner helped him pick out one of his handmade Aboriginal instruments, and after Evans taught himself to play, he decided to build an enhanced version: an electronically modified, Bluetooth-enhanced PVC pipe that cranks out didgeridoo-like sound with added digital flourishes.
Traditional didgeridoos are simple wind instruments made from hollowed-out trees. While learning to play the one from Cairns, Evans was also getting into computer-synthesized music, and he noticed similarities between the sounds. His first attempt to combine the two, involving a Big Gulp mug and a USB link to his laptop, proved too cumbersome, so he designed a Bluetooth version instead.
He cut a length of PVC pipe to form the body of the instrument and then mounted several square sections of a larger-diameter pipe to the outside. These platforms hide the wiring for the Bluetooth board and the control knobs that let him tweak the instrument’s steady drone.
When Evans plays, he blows through a beeswax-coated mouthpiece on one end, as with a traditional didgeridoo, and a wireless microphone positioned inside the far end relays the sound to his computer, which outputs sound to a speaker. At the same time, he can adjust the knobs, wirelessly signaling his computer to modulate the notes. He’s thinking of recording original music for it and has performed with it at some small venues. But the one audience he really wants to play it for are the Aboriginal people whose instrument inspired his invention.
Behind the Music
The wiring for the toggle switches and pentiometers, or sound-modulating control knobs, is hidden beneath PVC plates.
How It WorksEvans could have played with one hand holding the didgeridoo and the other on his computer keyboard, but that would have been too unwieldy. He wanted to perform onstage, so he moved the controls onto the instrument. When he adjusts one of the switches or volume-modulating potentiometers, a Bluetooth module beneath the platform relays that change to his laptop. He wrote software that translates the turn of a knob into a modulation of the sound; his laptop sends the synthesized notes through a set of connected speakers.
Although Evans’s version is the first electronic model that he knows of, the PVC didgeridoo wasn’t his invention. He learned the basics online. He cut out the desired length—longer instruments generate a deeper pitch—molded the beeswax mouthpiece to one end, and heated the other end and pressed it over the top of a wine bottle. That flared the pipe’s end, giving it a bell shape and better sound.
His instrument isn’t exactly traditional, but Evans tried to stay in the handmade spirit of the Aboriginal people. He used simple tools like hacksaws instead of precision machines, sketched his design by hand, and painted it all black.
At four and a half feet long, the instrument requires more energy and breath than with most traditional didgeridoos. The bonus, though, is that Evans can give himself breaks. Through the controls, he can signal the computer to switch to feedback and simply hold the last note he played while he catches his breath.
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Bmw 5 Series Gets Built
Playing video games on the go is usually limited to handheld consoles, such as the Nintendo Switch or a mobile phone. Of course, you could also spend a small fortune to install an Xbox One or PlayStation 5 into your car, but that would be highly impractical. However, you wouldn’t need to if you bought the new BWM 5 Series, as it will have a gaming console built in.
Tip: looking for something to play on your Android? Browse through these social gaming apps like GamePigeon.
Game on the RoadThe vehicle manufacturer has partnered with the gaming platform AirConsole to bring in-car casual gaming to the display. While stationary in your BMW, you can use your mobile phone, scan the QR code for the game, then through the AirConsole app, use your mobile phone as a controller.
Image source: BMW
More titles will be added in the future, but currently, there are about 15 games you can play on the BMW gaming console, including “Go Kart Go,” “Golazo,” “Music Guess,” and “Overcooked.” The categories span several genres: racing, sports, quiz simulation, strategy, and puzzle games.
BMW is also launching a unique wrap for the i5, so you can show off your love for gaming wherever you drive. “Its design symbolizes diving into the gaming experience down to the individual pixels. The large pixels are clearly recognizable as an homage to the now iconic 8-bit era of computer games,” the company explained in a press release.
Image source: BMW
This isn’t the first time that you can play video games in your car. If you have a vehicle that’s compatible with Google’s Android Auto, you also have access to a wide selection of casual games. Available through the system’s Google Assistant, you can try “Trivia Crack”, “Jeopardy!”, “Song Quiz”, and Google’s own “Are You Feeling Lucky?” while waiting in a parking lot.
Tip: don’t have Android Auto? Try one of the best Android Auto alternatives.
Image credit: BMW
Charlie Fripp
Charlie Fripp is a technology writer with a strong focus on consumer gadgets, video games, and cyber security. He holds an undergraduate degree in professional journalism and has worked as a journalist for over 15 years. In his spare time, he enjoys playing various musical instruments and gardening.
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How Electronic Flight Bags Make Paper Look Like The Propeller Age
Traditional paper flight manuals are finally losing their tight grip on the airline industry. In a world accustomed to instant communication, it might be hard to believe that airline flight procedure manuals are often still printed on sheets of paper. They’re punched, bound, wrapped and shipped across the world, a process that can take weeks. However, electronic flight bags are bringing newfound speed and innovation to the cockpits and flight cabins of the world’s passenger jets.
A Cumbersome, Outdated Process
Updating paper manuals is an intricate and time-consuming process that often leaves pilots with little time to digest information. It’s also costly and slow; with each change, a new version has to be published, and some new regulations or guidelines released in the interim might have to wait for the next edition. This reduces the productivity of crews and pilots, who should be spending their work time solving problems instead of organizing updates.
On the back end, the technical writing department is incredibly busy keeping up with the federal government’s required revisions, aircraft manufacturer technical updates and internal policy changes. Once all of these changes have been reviewed and approved, this same department must also handle the printing and distribution. Hundreds of reams of paper are printed and distributed to every crew member at airports around the country or the world. They’re then unwrapped and put into each employee’s file. Crew members can spend up to an hour putting the updated materials into the relevant binders. This is valuable time that could, instead, be used to read the updated information, allowing crews to get back to their daily tasks faster.
What’s more, these paper manuals become bulky, contradictory and difficult to navigate over time. Fortunately, electronic flight bags can make this tedious process cheaper, quicker and more effective by publishing updates electronically and simultaneously to all users. What used to take weeks can now take mere minutes. Additionally, users can now certify that they’ve read and understood the information the moment they finish reading it.
The Ease of Electronic Information in Aviation
Not only are electronic documents easier to update and cheaper to distribute, they’re also easier to use. Good mobility solutions do more than put paper manuals on mobile devices; they reorganize information into a new, more interactive architecture that help crew members manage their workload. In particular, airline pilots need quick, easy access to information to make good decisions. One feature of a good electronic flight bag is readability. Mobile platforms allow pilots to zoom in, out and across information to quickly find the data they need, especially when reviewing checklists or charts. Some solutions also include a dark mode, which is crucial for night and low-light flying. Inverted colors allow pilots to quickly transition from screen to instruments and sky with minimal eye adjustment.
When organizing information, pilots often mark their paper manuals with highlights, margin notes or custom tabs. These shortcuts make the document easier to navigate, but when that section of the manual gets updated, pilots lose those notes unless they take the time to copy them onto the new sheets. Well-designed electronic mobility solutions can preserve annotations from one update to the next, vastly improving their usefulness to the end user. Additionally, pilots can layer sections to improve navigation, shrinking and expanding various sections as needed and focusing only on relevant information.
Comply365 and Samsung have partnered to provide all of these key features. A Samsung Galaxy tablet equipped with Comply365’s electronic flight bag solutions gives airlines a flexible array of products to meet any situation and budget. On the back end, technical writing departments can push out manual updates as needed and require crew members to enter a code when they’ve finished reading. This helps ensure compliance when distributing new regulations. Further, the software can manage online training, safety management programs, electronic forms, weather and safety reports and passenger service updates, sending information to the cloud from the mobile platform even when in flight.
Forecasting the Future
Perhaps the most exciting part of electronic flight bags is what they’ll be able to do in the future with dedicated in-flight connectivity. While passenger Wi-Fi® networks are now common, many airlines restrict crew member use due to security concerns and avionics restrictions. However, with full-time secure connectivity, mobility solutions will be able to easily access and alert staff to critical information.
With mobility solutions, a much better approach would be to have the flight attendant establish a live-stream videoconference link to let the doctor see the patient firsthand. This would improve the doctor’s ability to assist and keep the pilot from being a medical intermediary, allowing the pilot to focus on flying. Leveraging the power of mobility during medical emergencies is simpler, easier and more effective than current processes.
Pilots and crew members spend a lot of time solving problems. Whether it’s late airplanes, passenger requests, crew rest issues or mechanical discrepancies, there are endless opportunities to exercise problem-solving skills. As mobile solutions make their way into the aviation industry, these processes will only improve, making the whole journey safer and more efficient.
Learn more about how Comply365 and Samsung are using tablets to enable companies to streamline their operations and ensure compliance with company policies and government regulations.
Solana Competitor Bitgert Has Built Zero
Now, the Bitgert blockchain tops among the toughest competitors of Solana.
Solana has been reigning supreme as the fastest blockchain for the longest time. The currently 65,000 TPS was the fastest blockchain speed in the market before the new Bitgert blockchain abruptly overtook it with its 100k TPS. Now, the BRISE BRC20 blockchain tops among the toughest competitors of Solana. But the speed is not the only reason why BRISE BRC20 blockchain is beating Solana and the rest of the cryptocurrencies in the market. Read more about this below
BitgertThe
CentcexThough Bitgert is currently giving
SolanaThe Solana team now has a new project to beat in terms of speed and the gas fee. The Solana chain had been the fastest at 65k TPS, but it is now the second-fastest blockchain after Bitgert. With a 100k TPS and the zero gas fee, Bitgert has outperformed Solana and could also be coming up fast in terms of products on the chain. However, with the rate at which the Bitgert team is developing, it will be the biggest competitor for Solana.
CardanoThe Cardano project has been incredible, although projects like Solana have been giving it tough competition in terms of speed. But the Cardano team has another crypto project to beat with the fast-rising of Bitgert. The Bitgert BRISE BRC20 blockchain is a big threat, and it’s fast dominating the crypto industry with its 100k TPS and the zero gas fee. These are two major features the crypto community, including the Cardano community, is looking for. Therefore, the Cardano team will need to make the chain faster and cheaper to beat Bitgert.
AvalancheThe Avalanche team will need to do a lot of developments of the network to beat the Bitgert competition. Though Avalanche is the fastest smart contract, it has fewer products and doesn’t have its own blockchain. The Bitgert has BRISE BRC20 blockchain, which is faster and offers a gas fee that is cheaper than Avalanche. This is one of the biggest reasons developers might start migrating from Avalanche to Bitgert. The compatibility with the EVM is another reason why Bitgert is a tough AVAX competitor.
MaticThe Matic cryptocurrency is another cryptocurrency doing very well in the market. But recent developments at Bitgert might make Matic an inferior coin as the demand for the Polygon might start dropping. The launched BRISE BRC20 blockchain is proving a better option for crypto users than the Matic network. With a cheaper gas fee and higher TPS than Polygon, Bitgert is definitely going to overpower Matic soon. This is unless the Polygon team develops its own mainnet cheaper and faster than Bitgert.
LitecoinSolana has been reigning supreme as the fastest blockchain for the longest time. The currently 65,000 TPS was the fastest blockchain speed in the market before the new Bitgert blockchain abruptly overtook it with its 100k TPS. Now, the BRISE BRC20 blockchain tops among the toughest competitors of Solana. But the speed is not the only reason why BRISE BRC20 blockchain is beating Solana and the rest of the cryptocurrencies in the market. Read more about this belowThe Bitgert roadmap has been among the most impressive in today’s crypto industry, and among the products the team was developing was its own blockchain. That’s what the Bitgert team has done, and the BRISE BRC20 blockchain has gone LIVE already. The blockchain comes with very exciting features. The zero-gas fee is one of the features that make Bitgert stand out from even the largest cryptocurrencies. The cost of gas on the BRISE BRC20 blockchain is $0.0000000000001, which is zero no matter how you look at it. In addition to the zero gas fee, the Bitgert chain is also currently the fastest at 100k TPS. These are the reasons Bitgert price is skyrocketing as more investors are now buying the Bitgert coin.Though Bitgert is currently giving Centcex tough competition, it might not last long. This is because the Centcex team is planning to build a vast collection of products. In fact, the Centcex lab is funded to develop an unlimited number of products for the network. Therefore, it will become one of the crypto projects with the largest utilities in the crypto market. With the 100% APY staking rewards and hints of its own blockchain, Centcex will be one of the biggest Bitgert competitors in the chúng tôi Solana team now has a new project to beat in terms of speed and the gas fee. The Solana chain had been the fastest at 65k TPS, but it is now the second-fastest blockchain after Bitgert. With a 100k TPS and the zero gas fee, Bitgert has outperformed Solana and could also be coming up fast in terms of products on the chain. However, with the rate at which the Bitgert team is developing, it will be the biggest competitor for chúng tôi Cardano project has been incredible, although projects like Solana have been giving it tough competition in terms of speed. But the Cardano team has another crypto project to beat with the fast-rising of Bitgert. The Bitgert BRISE BRC20 blockchain is a big threat, and it’s fast dominating the crypto industry with its 100k TPS and the zero gas fee. These are two major features the crypto community, including the Cardano community, is looking for. Therefore, the Cardano team will need to make the chain faster and cheaper to beat chúng tôi Avalanche team will need to do a lot of developments of the network to beat the Bitgert competition. Though Avalanche is the fastest smart contract, it has fewer products and doesn’t have its own blockchain. The Bitgert has BRISE BRC20 blockchain, which is faster and offers a gas fee that is cheaper than Avalanche. This is one of the biggest reasons developers might start migrating from Avalanche to Bitgert. The compatibility with the EVM is another reason why Bitgert is a tough AVAX chúng tôi Matic cryptocurrency is another cryptocurrency doing very well in the market. But recent developments at Bitgert might make Matic an inferior coin as the demand for the Polygon might start dropping. The launched BRISE BRC20 blockchain is proving a better option for crypto users than the Matic network. With a cheaper gas fee and higher TPS than Polygon, Bitgert is definitely going to overpower Matic soon. This is unless the Polygon team develops its own mainnet cheaper and faster than Bitgert.Being in the crypto industry for more than a decade is a sign that Litecoin is one of the best cryptocurrencies in the market. The Litecoin team has done so well in promoting the adoption of the coin but not much in the development of the network. Although the Litecoin team has just launched powerful MWEB, it might fail to beat Bitgert high speed and cheaper gas fee. The Bitgert team developing its own blockchain also made the network more powerful than Litecoin.
Poll: What Rumored Iphone 8 Feature Excites You The Most?
Now that we’ve officially hit 2023, much of the attention towards Apple has turned to the iPhone and what the company has in store for this new year. 2023 was more of an evolutionary year for the iPhone rather than revolutionary, but that’s not to say changes like the dual-camera design on the iPhone 7 Plus and Portrait Mode aren’t notable in their own right.
This year, however, it appears that Apple has a much bigger update planned for the iPhone lineup, with potential features including an all-new glass design, wireless charging, new screen sizes, and more. The rumors have caused many of us here at 9to5Mac to start wondering what exactly we’re most excited for come this fall….
Last week, Jordan broke down every rumor we’ve heard concerning the iPhone 8. The current consensus among reports is that we’ll see a new flagship iPhone 8 model, as well as updated iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus models with the normal ‘s’ updates.
It’s said that the star of the show in 2023 will be a 5.8-inch iPhone 8 model with a host of new features, a new design, and more. The model is said to feature 5.2-inches of usable touch screen space, while the remaining .6-inches will curve around the edges of the device. This has been corroborated by several reports, all of which say that Apple plans to use a curved OLED display for the top-tier model.
In addition to the display upgrades, the new iPhone 8 is said to feature an all-glass design, similar to that of the iPhone 4 and iPhone 4S. It’s also been rumored that Apple will introduce new color options with the iPhone 8, such as red or Jet White.
Wireless charging, a feature that has been rumored for several years, now looks as if it might finally be coming to the iPhone in 2023. It’s been speculated that Apple’s implementation of wireless charging will be true, long-range charging rather than the inductive solution some Android manufacturers have implemented.
Another widely rumored feature is the removal of the physical Home button. Apple already took the first steps towards this change with the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus and their new solid state Home button. It’s been rumored, however, that the iPhone 8 will completely ditch the physical Home button in favor of a solution that can be embedded into the display itself in one way or another.
Augmented reality has also been rumored for the iPhone 8, but whether or not it will be ready for this year remains to be seen. Tim Cook has long touted the capabilities of the technology and it’s clear that Apple has a vested interest in the industry, but it’s unclear how much of that work will be present in the iPhone 8.
There have also been rumors of a new 5-inch iPhone coming in 2023, perhaps with a new vertical dual-camera design on the back. This model is expected to stick with the LCD display, as are the 4.7-inch and 5.5-inch models.
There are also, of course, the same iterative improvements we’ve come to expect with pretty much every iPhone refresh: speed bumps, camera improvements, iOS updates, and more. Maybe this year battery life will be a focus? You never know.
Personally, that top-tier iPhone 8 model is calling my name. I’ve long wanted Apple to switch to OLED displays and with the all-glass design and curved screen, it sounds like the perfect blend of design and comfort. Though, long-range wireless charging is also a feature that I think will really revolutionize the industry.
Interestingly, when we ran a similar poll in the lead up to the iPhone 7, the feature that excited users the most was a waterproof design.
As always, it’s important to note that these are simply rumors at this point. We won’t know for sure what Apple has planned for 2023 until it makes the announcements itself.
iPhone 8 concept images via ConceptsiPhone.
FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.
What Business Expenses Should You Track?
Business expenses include the cost of goods sold along with the ordinary and necessary operational expenses associated with keeping a business running.
Separating business finances from personal finances helps you track your business expenses more effectively.
Tracking business expenses is essential for maintaining healthy cash flow and qualifying for tax deductions that could reduce your taxable income.
This article is for aspiring entrepreneurs and new small business owners who want to improve their accounting practices with careful expense tracking.
Keeping tabs on business finances – including tracking specific business-related expenses – is crucial to running a business. Proper accounting improves cash flow, the oxygen your business needs to survive. Additionally, careful expense tracking helps your company qualify for valuable tax deductions that reduce your adjusted gross income. Here’s what you need to know about business expenses and how to track them.
What are business expenses?Business expenses are expenditures directly related to starting a business and maintaining operations. Business expense examples include inventory purchases, payroll, salaries and office rent.
Business expenses fall into one of two categories:
Cost of goods sold (COGS)
Operating expenses
“There are two types of business expenses: cost of goods sold, which are costs associated with making your product; and operating expenses, which include rent, salaries, business licenses and permits, and self-employment taxes,” explained Jeff Fazio, head of small business specialists at TD Bank.
Separating business expenses from personal expenses is crucial for proper small business tax management because business expenses can help you qualify for tax deductions. Tax deductions are applied to your taxable income, potentially lowering the overall rate you’ll pay.
“Business expenses are ordinary and necessary costs a business incurs to operate,” noted Nicholas Holmes, founder of Product Reviewer. “Businesses need to track and categorize their expenditures because some expenses can count as tax deductions, resulting in significant cost savings.”
Did You Know?
Tax deductions should not be confused with tax credits, such as research and development tax credits, which are applied directly to your tax bill, not your taxable income.
Tip
Check with your accountant about crazy but legal tax deductions. For example, limos, gym memberships, pets and even hair dye may qualify – under the right circumstances.
Key Takeaway
Check out our review of Zoho Books if you need an accounting solution for a very small business. If you need a more robust solution, read our in-depth review of QuickBooks Online – our choice as the best accounting software for small businesses.
3. Manage your receipts.In addition to digitally tracking expenses, take photos of physical receipts for cash payments or payments made on a personal credit card. For example, if an employee takes a client out for lunch and pays with their card, ask them to record the transaction by taking a photo of the receipt and sending it to you for your records.
Other physical receipts to track include car mileage, train tickets for commutes, internet bills and other reimbursement expenses.
Tip
Consider using receipt-tracking tools for your business. For example, the Expensify app can automatically read a photo of a receipt and convert it to a logged expense.
What are the benefits of tracking business expenses?Tracking business expenses has benefits beyond qualifying for tax deductions. Here are a few notable ones.
1. Tracking business expenses helps you understand your business’s cash flow.Business owners can more easily understand cash flow – an essential business survival factor – when they accurately track expenses.
“One of the primary reasons why most businesses fail is the mismanagement of the cash flows,” Holmes warned. “Owners can manage their cash flows through daily expense management so that expenses don’t outstrip the income at the end of the month.”
2. Tracking business expenses demonstrates your business’s profitability.Effectively tracking business expenses allows business owners to gauge how well their business is doing by illuminating its profit margin. Tracking can also provide a clear financial record to lenders, improving the chances that a business can secure the funding it needs to grow.
“The percentage of profit tells how much a company is generating money and helps attract the investors, funds the day-to-day activities and aids in getting financing,” Holmes explained. “Every business wants to be profitable at a glance, but many struggle to calculate it, as they don’t keep accurate records of their income and expenses.”
3. Tracking business expenses identifies potential cost savings.Good accounting software can help you separate unreimbursed expenses from deductible expenses, allowing you to tag specific line items by expense category. This includes tags like personal expenses, entertainment expenses, meal expenses, travel expenses and capital expenses. Separating expenses is helpful for reporting purposes at the end of the tax year and allows you to examine your business expenses on a granular level and determine where you might find cost savings.
4. Tracking business expenses keeps you within your budget.As a business owner, understanding your budget is crucial to making the right financial decisions. Tracking your expenses will give you further insight into how much money you’re spending, what you’re spending money on and whether your current budget needs adjusting.
For instance, perhaps your expenses are higher than anticipated. You might need to increase your budget or cut back on spending to ensure you stay within your budget. Either way, this knowledge helps keep you financially aware.
5. Tracking business expenses improves employee satisfaction.By tracking your business expenses, you can more quickly reimburse employees for out-of-pocket expenses like travel, commuting, meals, business supplies and training materials. Offering this reimbursement perk to employees can act as a recruitment and retention incentive. Employees will feel more valued and satisfied if their business expenses are covered.
Tracking business expenses is crucial to successIf you are starting a business or looking to grow in the near future, you must track your business expenses meticulously and transparently. You’ll be able to reduce your taxable income and better manage your business.
When cash flow suffers, review your business expenses and find areas where you can cut expenses. Conversely, when your business is doing well, you can examine where you have opportunities to invest in growth.
Tracking business expenses can also help you demonstrate to lenders that your business is fiscally responsible and can be a trusted borrower when you need financing.
Sammi Caramela contributed to this article. Source interviews were conducted for a previous version of this article.
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