Workshop / workspace organization tips

On the topic of workshop or workspace organization:
Just a tiny chapter in the Lean Book of Excellence is 5S.
A series of steps to achieve organizational excellence which very few ever attain.  It is not easy - it is time spent up front to lead efficiency ongoing.
So here is what 5S in its simplest terms -

#1 Sort - only keep what is needed. All else removed.

#2 Set - every item has a place where it lives. 

• All like items in one place. 
• Label drawers/cabins on the exterior because once you 5S everything you will get really frustrated by not being able to find what you are looking for.

#3 Shine - clean up and use methods for keeping sets/items like hand tools, etc. from rolling around. (foam storyboards, socket trays)

#4 Standardize - If more than one station/workbench, use the same tool -mfg./model - where possible.

#5 Sustain - implement a plan to keep #1 through #4 from dissolving back into the chaos from which it came. Mainly, At the end of the day/project everything is back in its place.

Once done, clutter should be a thing of the past. Zero searching around for that special tool. 

Maverick Four-Cylinder Engine Buildup - Half-Fast Grabber

A Turbocharged Four-Banger Maverick Built On A Budget Offers Plenty Of Project Ideas

https://www.motortrend.com/how-to/mdmp-1004-maverick-four-cylinder-engine-buildup/

Toyota Never Made a Six-Cylinder MR2, but You Can - Hagerty Media

Swap in a Toyota V6 fairly easily:
https://www.hagerty.com/media/car-profiles/toyota-never-made-a-six-cylinder-mr2-but-you-can/

How to Play Audio From Multiple Outputs in Windows 11

In testing, this doesn't significantly increase the volume of sound coming through monitor speakers via HDMI, but the sound does seem a bit clearer.  Using the headphone jack to drive proper speakers via a small amplifier is still preferable.

https://www.howtogeek.com/847605/how-to-play-audio-from-multiple-outputs-in-windows-11/

elementary OS - Wikipedia

This is a Ubuntu based Linux OS that is reputedly very easy for Windows users to learn.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elementary_OS

Advancements in synthetic skin could lead to better prosthetics

New Electronic Skin Communicates With the Brain Just Like Your Actual Skin (from FB):
A team of engineers at Stanford University has created a revolutionary soft electronic skin that communicates directly with the brain, mimicking the function of natural nerve signals.
Unlike previous iterations that rely on external devices, this next-gen e-skin senses temperature and pressure, converting them into electrical impulses similar to those sent by human nerve endings.
This innovation follows other cutting-edge projects, like a spray-on skin for gesture recognition and a smart bandage that monitors wound healing. Engineers at MIT and Graz University of Technology are also pushing the boundaries with sweat-proof e-skins and hybrid materials that detect temperature, moisture, and pressure.
The Stanford e-skin is made up of layers just nanometers thick, using materials like the rubber found in surgical gloves. The final product, supported by a substrate to maintain durability, is as thin as a sheet of paper. Operating at just 5 volts, the e-skin offers safe, sensitive feedback—potentially transforming prosthetics by providing a realistic sense of touch. Future goals include wirelessly transmitting these sensory signals to chips embedded in the nervous system, allowing prosthetic users to move their limbs naturally. With ongoing research focused on enhancing these capabilities, the Stanford team is inching closer to making human-prosthetic integration a reality.

Image. Stanford University

US Special Forces Rifles

It appears that rifles developed in the 1980s, firing cartridges developed nearly a century ago are still what our Special Forces need.

https://www.twz.com/land/search-for-barrett-50-caliber-sniper-rifle-replacement-halted-by-socom

One reason for keeping the large 50 caliber round is that it has enough room to fit explosives or incendiaries when they would be most effective.

https://www.globalsecurity.org/military/systems/munitions/mk211.htm

There is (always) some talk of moving to a smaller round.  A bullet doesn't need to be a specific diameter to hit a target with sufficient energy to destroy it.  Also, cartridge cases can get smaller as propellants get more powerful and gun metals get stronger.  Small lighter cartridges make it easier to carry more rounds, but they need to be as effective (or more so) than the ones they're replacing.  This article is about different military rounds, but it makes the point:
https://www.pewpewtactical.com/7-62-nato-vs-5-56-nato/

I find it interesting that the current Barrett 50 caliber used by our troops is semi-automatic.  In civilian distance competitions, Barrett's bolt-action rifles in the same caliber are more accurate.  Perhaps the rate of fire (and the demands of urban combat) is nearly as important as it's accuracy in current combat scenarios.
https://thearmsguide.com/14089/snipers-choice-bolt-vs-semi-auto-precision-rifles/
https://gundigest.com/article/bolt-action-vs-semi-auto-rifle-for-precision-shooting

Windows 11 Password Change—Microsoft Confirms New Security Move For Millions

Use the same passkey on multiple devices with third party product support.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/daveywinder/2024/10/09/windows-11-password-shock-microsoft-confirms-new-security-move-for-millions/

DVD Drives Turned Into Microscopes

https://hackaday.com/2022/10/01/dvd-drives-turned-into-microscopes/

https://hackaday.io/project/184536-dvd-pickup-laser-microscope

https://kototoibashi.github.io/dvd-pickup-microscope-poc/

" This build requires two DVD pickups. By scanning once horizontally and once vertically and measuring the returning light from the DVD laser, an image can be created. For this build, the second pickup is used to move the object itself. The entire device is controlled by an Analog Discovery 2, although this principle could be ported to other microcontroller platforms. Thanks to the extremely fine laser in a DVD and the precise movements of the motors found in the control machinery, the images obtained using this method have the potential to be more detailed than comparable visible light microscopes.

While this isn't quite scanning electron microscope territory, it's good enough to clearly image the internal workings of a de-capped integrated circuit."

How to Send (and sometimes receive) text messages from a PC:

Send and receive text messages from your PC (Win-11):
  https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/topic/send-and-receive-text-messages-from-your-pc-43189e43-8121-35f6-7930-db095bf938a4
"If you haven't already set up messages, do the following:
    On your PC, in the "Phone Link", select Messages. NOTE: To connect an iPhone, your PC requires BlueTooth with Low Energy!
    To start a new conversation, select New message."
  ...

Simple ways to send a text message from your computer -
Find out how to text from a computer with online texting platforms, browser apps, email, and other tools.
  https://simpletexting.com/blog/how-to-text-from-computer/
  https://www.maketecheasier.com/send-sms-from-pc/  

•     Send a text from an online texting platform like SimpleTexting
•     Send a text with messages by Google - for Android phones
•     Text from a computer with Google Voice
•     Send a text on a PC with Microsoft's Phone Link app and Windows 11
•     Text from a computer via email
•     Send a text using your wireless carrier's website
•     Text from a computer using free SMS websites
•     Text Sync Apps

How to send a text message from a computer:
  https://www.digitaltrends.com/computing/how-to-send-free-text-messages-online/
    "How to send texts via iMessage (iOS, iPadOS, macOS) - This method typically requires an Apple device with a cellular connection. However, because it also relies on Apple's iMessage format, users can bypass a cellular connection when messaging another Apple device."

How to Email a Phone Number - Each carrier assigns an email address to each unique phone number:
   "You'll need the person's phone number and what mobile provider they use for email."

Sending texts via email - each provider has its own individual gateway email:+

  https://www.lifewire.com/send-email-to-phone-number-5442838

                             SMS gateway              MMS gateway
AT&T             @txt.att.net             @mms.att.net
Boost Mobile     @sms.myboostmobile.com   @myboostmobile.com
Cricket Wireless @mms.cricketwireless.net @mms.cricketwireless.net
T-Mobile         @tmomail.net             @tmomail.net
U.S. Cellular    @email.uscc.net          @mms.uscc.net
Verizon          @vtext.com               @vzwpix.com

How to Send a Text From a Computer to a Phone:

  https://www.lifewire.com/how-to-send-a-text-from-your-computer-4175099

$7 MicroMac project recreates a Macintosh 128k on the Raspberry Pi Pico | Tom's Hardware

https://www.tomshardware.com/raspberry-pi/raspberry-pi-pico/micromac-project-recreates-a-macintosh-128k-on-the-raspberry-pi-pico-hardware-costs-less-than-dollar7