The circle of FRC and the importance of outreach

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Yesterday, Stuyvesant Robotics did a demo at the Winter Garden in Lower Manhattan from 4-7pm. This was very special to me because I found out that FIRST robotics existed at a demo from the same team and the same location. It was many years ago, in fact some of the students doing the demo weren’t even born yet!

Me standing in front of a robot at the winter garden

I’m not exactly sure when the last demo there was but I think it was 2006 or 2007. I remember attending one competition as a spectator and another as a volunteer before volunteering as a mentor starting the 2009-2010 season. Either way, that’s a long time ago.

It’s a lot of fun at an outreach event because you get to share with others what makes this cool. And you get to see excited little kids learn about the robot. The pictures also shows driving a smaller FTC (FIRST Tech Challenge) robot and rolling the ball to the big FRC (FIRST Robotics Competition) robot to acquire it.

You never know who you will reach at an outreach event. They got me all these years ago. Coming full circle and seeing the event in the same place as a team member was great. Hopefully it won’t be well over another decade before the next demo in this location!

Teenagers showing two young children a robot
Young child driving a robot
young child rolling a ball to a robot

Switching input source between Chromebook (DisplayPort) and Digital Magnifier (VGA)

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When I set up the Eyoyo digital magnifier, I was excited about being able to hook it up to a monitor. I did not anticipate how much explanation it would be to describe how to switch back and forth between the Chromebook (normal use of the monitor) and this new device. So blog post time.

The initial setup

The digital magnifier comes with a yellow RCA plug designed for the TV. Alas, the computer monitor in use (Dell U2412M 24″ UltraSharp LED Monitor) is a monitor and not a TV. Therefore it doesn’t have that plug. I bought a RCA to HDMI converter and tested it at home. Alas, I got here and the monitor also doesn’t have a HDMI plug. It has DisplayPort (which is in use from the Chromebook via a USB C to Displayport wire). I then bought a RCA to VGA adapter and the blue VGA cable. That worked. Now time to explain how to switch input sources. (That would have needed describing on the TV or monitor regardless of which plugs)

Buttons overview

On the bottom right frame of the monitor, there are five buttons. The bottom one is the power button. The others, I will be calling buttons 1-4 from top to bottom in this blog post.

Annoyingly, there are two modes for the menu. One if it can’t find a signal and the other if it can. Which means two sets of instructions.

Mode 1: Using full menu to switch to VGA for digital magnifier

  • First plug in the black TV out wire to the digital magnifier as described in the digital magnifier blog post. (Remember it goes in easier if you turn the wire while pushing)
  • Press any of the buttons – I like the top one; button 1
  • Press button 3 for “Menu”
  • Press button 2 for down so “Input Source” is selected (you might need to press it twice because “auto adjust” may be enabled or not.
  • Press button 3 for the arrow to move over to select an input source

  • Press button 1 (twice) so VGA is selected
  • Press button 3 for the green check to select VGA
  • At this point you will get a bright blue screen because nothing is on for VGA. (It may go black if you take forever)
  • Press the power button on the digital magnifier. In a few seconds, you’ll see the magnifier on screen.

Mode 2: Using input source menu to switch to VGA for digital magnifier

  • Press any of the buttons – I like the top one; button 1
  • Press button 1 (probably twice) so VGA is selected
  • Press button 3 for the green check to select VGA
  • At this point you will get a bright blue screen because nothing is on for VGA. (It may go black if you take forever)
  • Press the power button on the digital magnifier. In a few seconds, you’ll see the magnifier on screen.

Mode 1: Using full menu to switch back to display port

  • Press any of the buttons – I like the top one; button 1
  • Press button 3 for “Menu”
  • Press button 2 for down so “Input Source” is selected (need to press one or two times)
  • Press button 3 for the arrow to move over to select an input source
  • Press button 2 (twice or trice) so DisplayPort is selected
  • Press button 3 for the green check to select DisplayPort
  • At this point you will probably get a black screen since the Chromebook will have gone to sleep
  • Press any key on the Chromebook to wake it up

Mode 2: Using input source menu to switch back to display port

  • Press any of the buttons – I like the top one; button 1
  • Press button 2 (probably twice) so DisplayPort is selected
  • Press button 3 for the green check to select DisplayPort
  • At this point you will probably get a black screen since the Chromebook will have gone to sleep
  • Press any key on the Chromebook to wake it up

Printing an Amazon Return QR code on a Chromebook via Staples

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Continuing my instructional series for a less technically inclined relative of how to do activities on a Chromebook, this one is a walkthru of how to print an Amazon return QR code. The catch is there is no printer so the QR code will be emailed to Staples and printed there. Luckily, it is a “simple” three step procedure. (Well, I think it is simple)

Step 1 – Initiate the Amazon Return

  • Log into amazon.com
  • Click on “Returns and Orders” on top
  • Scroll down to the item you don’t want and choose “Return or replace items”
  • Select a reason for return from the pull down
  • Enter a comment/reason why
  • Click “Continue”
  • Choose how you want your return credited – Amazon credit or Credit card return
  • Click “Continue”
  • Choose how you want to return ex: UPS store. Note that some choices are hidden and you can expand to see them
  • Click “Confirm your return”

Step 2 – Download the QR code

There are three ways to download the QR code to a file. Listing all three here in case Amazon moves things around. Also note that if you don’t do this right away, you can go back to orders and click “View return label and instructions”. Option 2 and 3 both work with that approach as well.

Option 1: Click “Download Return Code” – this automatically downloads to a file

Option 2: Click “View return code”. Then under the QR code, click “Download Return Code”

Option 3: Click “View return code”. Right click the image and choose “Save images as”. Then type in a file name and click “Save”

Step 3 – Email the QR code

Regardless of which option you chose for step 2, you now have a file in your downloads folder with the QR code. Here’s how to send it in gmail.

  • Send an email to staples@printme.com
  • Click the paper clip (attachment icon) at the bottom of gmail
  • Click on the image you downloaded (it will probably have a bunch of numbers in it)
  • Click “Open” (this will attach it to your message)
  • Send the email
  • Click ok that you are sending the email without a subject or body

Optional Step 4: Deleting the QR code

  • On the Chromebook, go to the bottom left circle and click
  • Click on files
  • Double click “Downloads”
  • Right click the QR code file
  • Choose “Move to Trash”