8x8x8 LED Cube Case

Nick Momrik1 Comment

Back in January, I finished assembly on the 8x8x8 LED Cube. Around the same time I bought an acrylic case for $13 from AliExpress. The case isn’t designed for this specific cube, but this style of case is the only option available anywhere.

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Needless to say, it needed some modifications. I had to drill new holes in the bottom to match up with the mounting holes of this particular board. I also opened up some holes in the back for easier access to the power switch and programming pins and in the side for the power plug.

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After the mods, everything went together surprisingly well.

With all of the soldering and LEDs, the cube is very fragile, so this case should keep it safe. Over 14 months after receiving HackerBox #0030: Lightforms, the full assembly is finally complete. Now I have to update the firmware so I can program my own animations.

Cold-pressed Juices

Nick Momrik1 Comment

Factor 75 sent me a selection of their new cold-pressed juices to try. I drank the Pineapple Turmeric Basil today and it tasted like I imagine a blended dandelion tasting. Do people drink this shit and enjoy it?

Update: The Apple Kale Wheatgrass and Carrot Orange Ginger were both really good. The Apple Beet Ginger has way too much beet taste, but is better than the Pineapple one.

Heart Rate Variability (HRV)

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Heart rate variability (HRV) is the physiological phenomenon of variation in the time interval between heartbeats.
Wikipedia

What does that mean? Our hearts don’t beat at regular intervals. There may be a heart beat 1 second after the previous beat, the next beat might be 1.2 seconds later, and another may be 0.75 seconds after. It varies and that variance changes all day long depending on what we’re doing, what we’re thinking, how we’re feeling, how much we eat, how hydrated we are, etc.

I learned about HRV five or six years ago and used the iOS app ithelete paired with a chest strap to track my HRV each morning. It was a pain in the ass and it was really tough to get any meaningful results. Fast forward to 2019 and I wear a WHOOP band, which automatically handles all of the HRV readings and data. It has become a very valuable tool for my exercise and recovery.

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If you’d like to learn more about HRV, I highly recommend the latest episode of the WHOOP podcast, Podcast No. 29: Heart Rate Variability (HRV), with Kristen Holmes and Emily Capodilupo. They did an amazing job explaining what HRV is, why it’s important, how it can be used, how WHOOP uses it, and strategies for improving your own HRV. I learned a ton from listening to this episode.