Build your own physical GMail notifier with Arduino

During a busy day in front of the PC you can often have twenty or more tabs open in your web browser at once (well I do...) and this can often lead to losing track of the Google Mail pages and therefore incoming mail notifications. Arduino enthusiast Jamie Matthews has created a way to solve this problem by using an illuminating cube and an Arduino. A Python script runs on the host PC, and when the GMail status is "new mail", a character is sent to the Arduino via USB, which then acts on the character by illuminating the cube.

Quite a nifty solution to a common problem that we all face now and again. Furthermore as the project is Arduino-based, you can use almost anything as a notification device as long as it can be switched by a digital output. Clapping Monkeys spring to mind, and no doubt your imagination can come up with something. For the project details, Python code and inspiration, visit Jamie's blog here. And for more news, updates and items of interest.please follow us on twitter, Facebook and Google+.

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