Java patched!

The big exploit has been patched, so update java at www.java.com now!

A big Java exploit has been found, disable Java now!

As per Reuters,

A major Java exploit was just found, US Department of Homeland Security recommends disabling Java plugins until it is patched.


How to disable:
Chrome, type "about:plugins" into browser bar, hit enter. Scroll down to "Java", click "disable", restart browser.

Firefox,  click Firefox tab, add-ons button, click plugins tab on left, scroll down to "Java" (may be more than 1 entry), click "disable" on all of them, restart Firefox.

Safari, click Safari button, then preferences, under security tab, deselect "enable Java"

Again, I wouldn't be making such a big fuss about this, except this is a big hole, and it could quite easily allow your data to get stolen, even if you only go on legitimate websites.

Thanks for reading, and please pass this on!

--RAf

Make sure to have good sources/how to avoid being scammed

Just a quick PSA. When you are buying anything (but especially electronics), you need to be careful to avoid:

• Having your credit card info stolen
• Not having your product arrive
• Having a broken product arrive

A few things I do to avoid said problems:

• Pay via Paypal whenever possible (so they can't steal your data, or charge you extra)
• Check out the company beforehand
• Is the deal too good to be true?
• Is the company/seller in China (I'm not trying to be offensive, but the fact is that stuff from China is likely to be lower quality. It just is.)
• Do they have a phone number you can call if you have problems? (In general, a phone call will deal with any problems much faster than using email)
• Do they have a return/refund policy?
• Can you find other people who have used that site?
• When the item arrives, I do a full check/scan (depends on what I'm buying), so I can report any problems quickly.

I hope these tips help!

Parts shopping time!

So I just purchased some of the parts I need for my RepRap. Those parts include:

5 Stepper Motors (unlike a regular servo motor, which just spins, a stepper motor moves in discreet clicks or "steps", so you can make it much more precise). I bought 5. 1 for the X axis, 1 for the Y axis, 2 for the Z axis (it requires 2 because it moves everything up and down), and 1 for the extruder itself. They were $15 each, so that's $75 so far.

Next came the RAMPS, which stands for "RepRap Arduino Mega Pololu Shield". Mego Pololu is just the name of the first model of the Ramps, and a "shield" is just a circuit board that goes on top of an Arduino. But more of that later. Anyway, the RAMPS is what runs all the motors. Now, you could go with separate drivers (chips that run each motor), but they can be this big, as opposed to the new Ramps, where you squeeze 5 drivers into a chip that is about the same size as an individual old-style driver. The Ramps cost me $80

Then, there is the Arduino itself. The brain. The heart of the whole printer. This is where all the magic happens, where you go from a computer model, to actually having the printed out model. In the past, people who were building RepRaps would use an Arduino Mega. Now, I will be using the brand new Arduino Due, which is special because it is the first one to use a 32-bit processor. Basically, it can run a lot more stuff, a lot faster. The Due cost me $50.

So far, I have spent ~$200. I will have some more costs, but none of them will be nearly this big. My goal is to have the RepRap up and running using under $350.