Node.js, PHP and Python Programming Examples by Alex Swan

Hamster Fitness Tracker

Wed, 12 Aug 2015 18:03:41 -0700

Using a couple sensors and a Particle.io Photon, I made a hamster tracking system with a pretty front end for anyone to check up on.

The Sensor

Particle.io makes a tiny wifi-connected chip that makes it easy to have your data available instantly in the Cloud. Using the Particle Shield Shield and a Grove Starter Kit shield, I connected temperature sensor and a magnet sensor to my Particle Photon. I put two magnets on the wheel to interact with the sensor.

The Code

I created a screencast of how to set up your own hamster tracker. This video explains how to use Particle’s websocket publishing command as well as open device variables to the Cloud.

Data is useless without some way to visualize it, so I’ve also taught how to use Keen.io to upload your data for easy querying.

The Site

Using Keen.io’s templates and a few interesting queries, I’ve created a Jekyll site that displays the hamster’s recent running history. Particle.io’s code lets me receive live temperature and speed/distance data as well. See the website and the GitHub source code

Global Game Jam 2015 - Robots vs. Humans

Thu, 29 Jan 2015 11:03:41 -0800

I created a Node.js server to host a party game with no set name. I joined thousands of other developers to make games in a 48 hour window. My team created this game that fit the theme “What do we do now?”.

How to Play

Using your smartphone or tablet as a controller, log in at the website When everyone has joined, start the game Each round, you are given a role. Choose who to target based on your given role before the timer runs out. Note: Most roles cannot perform their action if they are killed. Each role will perform a different action, and you succeed each round based on different criteria First to a set number of points wins

The Roles

ROBOT: KILL A HUMAN
ROBO-MINION: ASSOCIATE WITH ANOTHER ACTIVATED ROBOT
ROBO-RPG: BLOW UP YOURSELF AND PLAYER, SUCCEED IF IT’S A HUMAN
CHILD: HUG A LIVE HUMAN
REBEL: KILL A PLAYER AND STAY ALIVE
SNAKE: DIE, THEN KILL THE PLAYER WHO KILLED YOU
TWIN: FIND YOUR TWIN (THEY CAN ALSO FIND YOU)
MECHANIC: DISABLE A LIVE ROBOT (GIVE THAT ROBOT A POINT)
GUARDIAN: PROTECT SOMEONE BEFORE THEY ARE ELIMINATE

Tech stack

The server was created with Node.js and Socket.io and hosted on Heroku
The front end was made with AngularJS and hosted on GitHub

Credits

Alex Swan
Pat Kemp
Louis Pepin
Justin Nafziger

Twilio Client - Jekyll Liquid Tag

Tue, 13 Jan 2015 19:51:56 -0800

In updating my site to Jekyll, I needed to have Twilio Client support for my demos. I had already made a Wordpress Plugin, so it was a quick conversion to make a Twilio Client Liquid Tag. I also got an up to date version of Twilio Client running as well, to take advantage of the WebRTC functionality.

First add the required libraries to your head tag:

<script type="text/javascript" src="//static.twilio.com/libs/twiliojs/1.2/twilio.min.js"></script>
    <script type="text/javascript" src="https://ajax.googleapis.com/ajax/libs/jquery/1.7.2/jquery.min.js"></script>

Then wherever you want to use Twilio Client place this tag:

<p><% twilio_client sid:APXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX caption:call digits %></p>

Save this file to your ‘_plugins’ directory, or create the directory in the root of your site:

Feel free to send a pull request if you see ways to optimize.

Portable Peanut Gallery - AngelHack Seattle 2014

Mon, 19 May 2014 20:51:56 -0700

Using Echoprint technology, I made a system to listen to what movie is playing and then automatically synchronize my Rifftrax audio files to the movie. This was my entry into AngelHack Seattle Spring 2014

There are a few parts to this system. First, I took a couple movie files and ran them through Echoprint-codegen, and stored that in an Amazon RDS instance. I used node-echoprint-server and modified it to include rifftrax-specific synchronizing information. Then, I modified the echoprint-ios-sample app to play the proper rifftrax file at the correct time.

If you can't tell, the phrase "...every couch cushion." was the app's addition to the movie.

I'm really excited about this technology, and I plan to keep working on this product until it's ready for production. There are many ways to improve this technology for this particular use case.

1-855-TO-A-BEE-G

Mon, 19 May 2014 20:37:22 -0700

Using Twilio and Echonest Remix.js, I made a phone number that plays a song with bee accompaniment.

For the AT&T Mobile App Hackathon - Bee Conservation event, I created a silly phone line that plays Bee Gees feat. Bees.

Call 1-855-TO-A-BEE-G or click

Ludum Dare 29 - Bed Bug Hunt

Mon, 19 May 2014 20:22:16 -0700

Using Unity3d, I created a simple game to fit the theme "Beneath the Surface". It was an experiment involving moving individual vertexes of a mesh.

This was made as my entry into Ludum Dare 29. The game is very simple, objects below the stripes are moving around and your task is to poke them. I created this by attaching rigidbodies and spring joints to every vertex of the stripe object.

Play the Game or check out the source code

138 - The Polyhedron-based Infinite Runner

Tue, 04 Mar 2014 06:11:02 -0800

My game for February is called 138. Move the shape to avoid the edges as they grow around you.

Currently available on the web.

iOS App Store

Google Play

Amazon App Store

Spheroid Cyclone

Sat, 08 Feb 2014 08:27:58 -0800

My game for the month of January is Spheroid Cyclone, an endless runner made with Unity. Tap the left and right halves of the screen to rotate around the cylinder and avoid obstacles in a race for the top of the leaderboard.

Spheroid Cyclone for Android/iOS

iTunes App Store

Google Play Store

Amazon App Store

Tizen Game w/ Facebook React - ColoReactor

Tue, 31 Dec 2013 22:57:29 -0800

Using Facebook React UI Library and Socket.io, I created a game for the web, then ported it to the Tizen OS, which was pretty straight forward. If you've set up a PhoneGap project or an Android application, Tizen won't be much different.

The ByMyApp Team organized a Tizen Devlab and Hackathon at the SURF Incubator from December 6-7. I pitched the idea of a multiplayer reaction game to get people excited about the event. The concept is simple, when the button's color is the same as the border, hit the button first. The winner gets a point. Every device is connected to the same game.

I teamed up with an amazing designer named Jojo who created a great interface for the game. After a long night, the game was set up, and the second day was spent making it pretty.

The back end was Node.js using Socket.io and hosted on Heroku. The UI is updated using Facebook React.

Check out the source on Github

Play the Game

The Tizen game won Runner up for the event.

Jojo Wang and @BoldBigflank won Runner Up with Coloreactor - sticky & fun multiplayer game. #FTW #TizenSEA

— BeMyApp (@bemyapp) December 8, 2013

Socket.io Multiplayer Game - Blknode

Sat, 30 Nov 2013 23:23:22 -0800

Using HTML5 Canvas, Socket.io and Node.js, my team created an online multiplayer Blokus clone. The rules of the game are simple: on your turn, you must place a piece touching the corner of one of your other pieces, and the piece's faces must not touch the face of another of your own pieces. The person with the most claimed area on the board at the end of the game is the winner.

Microsoft hosted an open Node.js hackathon at The Garage over a Thursday/Friday in November. We worked hard to get a working demo and nailed our presentation. The team then worked to make it a viable candidate for the GitHub Game-Off 2013. I've gotten pretty good at making Socket.io Multiplayer games.

See the source on GitHub.

Play the game on Azure Services.

RT @twilio: Demos about to start at the @openatmicrosoft #nodejshackathon. @BoldBigflank is going to kick things off. pic.twitter.com/xMJZuaRoAw

— Alex Swan (@BoldBigflank) November 23, 2013