Robot-Party! At the intersection of hacking, diy, and popular culture

Adobe Audition Meets Maschine: Sample Based Beat Making

2011-05-26T22:02:00.016-04:00

When I first started making beats, I began like many other producers, with two excellent software programs: FL Studio and Cool Edit Pro (now known as Adobe Audition). Together these tools created an workflow that was fast fun and creative especially for editing samples. A year ago, I decided I was sick of always having to stare at a the computer screen and all the mouse clicking that using software for production requires and decided to get my hands on Native Instrument's Maschine. Maschine, a software and MPC like hardware controller, allowed me to make music with all the advantages of software but without the requirement of having to look at a screen, or use a mouse. However, one thing I did miss is chopping/editing samples in Cool Edit Pro. Maschine is also good for editing audio but Cool Edit Pro provided a much faster workflow with pinpoint accuracy. With Maschine's new drag and drop function (added in the 1.6 update) I made this little video showing how easy it is to chop samples in Adobe Audition (using the mac trial version) and lay them out on the Maschine's pads.

The DIY Emergency Outdoor Cat Shelter

2011-03-14T22:58:00.086-04:00

Last time I checked, there were a lot of cats around here...

Yep, they're still here. I just checked again. We have a lot of cats... How many? So many... it's just crazy! Anyways, true to the immense suckers that we are, we've also somehow managed to come to support a small contingency of outdoor neighbourhood cats as well. While my own unholy feline army is safe indoors year round, the two (hideous) Tom cats that roam my neighbourhood have to brave the winter weather, and it was getting REALLY cold around here a few weeks ago. The solution? An emergency DIY outdoor cat shelter!

You can find a bunch of different designs for outdoor cat shelters around the web as I discovered when I began my research for the project. One idea that immediately stood out was this kind of design made from a large Rubbermaid storage bin. While I had originally planned on building my shelter out of wood, I found that a bin would be ideal since I have so many of them already from all of the cat-ruined clothes that I have in storage. These bins work really well for a shelter as they have no seams, and are thick enough to withstand the winter weather. Honestly, the bin should be pretty self-explanatory, so the majority of the work is simply insulating the crap out of it, cutting a "cat approved" hole, and making it comfortable for your guests.

Step One: Gather your parts

One large rubber storage bin.
Styrofoam insulation/regular Styrofoam is also acceptable.
2 large garbage bags.
Some blankets/old soft towels that you're okay with parting ways with - they're probably not coming back, lol.
Bubble wrap (I know!) - The foil backed variety is preferable.

Step Two: Put it all together

First, I sized the Styrofoam insulation to fit the four inner walls and "ceiling" of the bin. The give between the Styrofoam and rubber bin made it relatively easy to get a good fit around the inside of the shelter. Hot glue easily secured the Styrofoam in place.

Next, I lined the inside "roof" with a garbage bag, and then added a layer of bubble wrap on the inside, covering the Styrofoam.

While the original design that I based my own upon used the lid of the bin as its roof, I decided to do it the other way around - I simply wanted it to be wider at the bottom. If you're really in doubt, just ask the preference of the cat that will be using it.

(Exhibit A: 1/2 of the Gruesome Twosome.)

To prepare the lid I began by lining it with another piece of garbage bag, and then a layer of bubble wrap. The garbage bag helps to seal the bin when you finally attach the lid (be it floor, or ceiling). I also added a towel and an old blanket to really spice things up.

What’s with the bubble wrap? Well, it's supposed to act as an insulator, or specifically, like a cluster of tiny thermal pockets. If the wrap is exposed to a enough sunlight, the air inside the bubbles will heat up, and can be retained for quite some time – at least, so I’m told. I had a little extra after finishing the inside, so I decided to wrap the remainder around the top of the bin as well.

Lastly, I had to cut a hole big enough for the cats to use, but not quite big enough for the raccoons, skunks, breath-stealing trolls, or anything else in your backyard that may want to get inside. Also, since this is supposed to protect from the cold, it is desirable to have the entrance as small as possible.

I started with a way too small hole, and then slowly cut more away using a jigsaw after testing each iteration with a feline volunteer of approximate size to my outdoor friends. I also wanted the entrance a little high so that when a cat is inside the shelter, the hole is a little higher than they are (also in an effort to minimize the effects of cold winds). My faithful feline test subject jumped right inside the shelter once the hole was the right size. The trick to getting the entrance right is mostly making sure that its tall enough - your guests need to be able easily step into the shelter.

Step Three: Deploy the shelter!

You may want to experiment with where you place your shelter - some recommend avoiding places where the outdoor cats like to eat, as the shelter could potentially attract rivals. However, regardless of where you place it, you may want to consider putting some dry food, or treats in it when you deploy it for the first time in order to let the outdoor cats know you mean business.

So does it work? To tell you the truth, I had my doubts at first... I would see the (horrible) Toms checking it out, but they never seemed to want to take the plunge.

But then, on one particularly rainy morning I noticed something...

Holy crap!

Until next time,
M.

20,000 Thanks!

2011-03-05T14:34:00.018-05:00

We hit a bit of a milestone a couple of weeks ago when (to our shock) Robot-Party surpassed 20,000 hits.

I am painfully aware of the gaps that sometimes occur between our posts around here, and for that I apologize - in our defense, we're a (just barely) two-brain operation. But we are thrilled with even the slightest possibility that our blog has been in any way helpful or informative for our readers, and we will continue to do our best to provide the best content that we can.

Thanks so much, everyone!

M. & D.

eBooks at your Fingertips

2011-02-24T00:24:00.020-05:00

Hey! It's been a while...

It seems like just about everyone’s talking about eBooks these days… This year has witnessed an explosion both of a plethora eBook formats, as well as accessible technology that has enabled both their proliferation and use. The biggest players in the eBook game still seem to be Amazon, Apple, Barnes and Noble, and Sony. But whether you choose a Kindle, Nook, Ipad, or one of Sony’s eReaders, it’s worthwhile to consider the file formats inherent to each platform before you decide to take the plunge.

While Project Gutenberg has been digitizing public domain books into plain text for years, almost every major eReader on the scene either favours, or has introduced a its very own eBook format (and DRM system along with it). Since the very core appeal of eBooks lies in their capacity for accessibility and convenience, you’ll want an eReader that can read as many different formats as possible while offering up the least amount of DRM-related barriers. And barriers there be! Seriously, it’s a terrible mess of (un)interoperability – It’s so dry, I don’t even want to paraphrase it, so I’m going to let Wikipedia take over for a block quotation. Hit it!

There are four main ebook DRM schemes at present, one each from Adobe, Apple, Barnes & Noble and Amazon. Adobe's Adept DRM is applied to ePubs and PDFs, and can be read by several third-party ebook readers, as well as Adobe's Adobe Digital Editions software. Apple's Fairplay DRM is applied to ePubs, and can currently only be read by Apple's iBooks app on iOS devices. Barnes & Noble's DRM scheme is implemented by Adobe, and is applied to ePubs and the older Palm format ebooks. Amazon's DRM is an adaption of the original Mobipocket encryption, and is applied to Amazon's Mobipocket and Topaz format ebooks (Wikipedia).

Wow, I’m not convinced that was even necessary… Anyways, Wikipedia also happens to have a handy chart illustrating device compatibility, check it out!

The TLDR version of the chart is that just about every eReader on the market can read the EPUB format except for longtime EPUB holdout Amazon (none of the Kindles support EPUB natively, though I’ve been told there’s an application available to convert EPUB files for use on Kindle).

Of course, the reading experience also varies from format to format… So how is one to decide? Why not test drive some eBooks! A great way to do this is via one of the many eReader apps available for PC, such as Kindle for PC, or the Kobo Desktop Reader.

What’s that? Where can you find different eBooks to try out? Happily, the Internet abounds with places to download eBooks… But maybe give these a try first!

Ebookee.org

Ebooksbay.org

Fictionbooksbay.com

Hit the books, Nerdlinger!

Dave Smith Mopho Controlled with a Novation X-Station

2010-09-09T14:06:00.011-04:00

Recently Dave Smith Instruments released a 32 key version of their popular and affordable analog desktop synth, the Mopho. Unlike the painful menu diving interface of the desktop version, the Mopho keyboard offers plenty of hands on knob control of all the parameters.

While wishing I could afford to purchase the new mopho keys, I decided to create a midi template for my Novation X-Station 25. If you happen to own one of these great synth/controllers and a mopho please download my sysex template and upload it using the novation template editor. I made this template using CC messages (check page 32 of the mopho manual for the parameter list for CC's) but apparently you need NRPN messages to take full advantage of the mopho controls. Either way, this template will send you in the right direction if you haven't explored the midi side of your mopho.

Download Link (copy/paste)

http://www.divshare.com/download/12509320-fd6

Defeat Sony's Proprietary Speaker Wire

2010-07-24T21:24:00.055-04:00

I usually like to put a little more time between posts, but this little victory deserves to be posted...

If there's one thing about technology that I really can't stand, it's proprietary connections... They're the worst, around! (in a Joe Esposito sort of way). I've encountered proprietary AC adapters for notebooks and LCD monitors, proprietary video plugs, proprietary audio cables, you name it! But recently, I had to deal with something that really takes the cake... Something so insidious, so evil...so... unnecessary! I discovered... a proprietary speaker wire.

Here's how it all went down...

I recently salvaged a Sony DAV-C450: it's an older 5.1 receiver... Anyhow, as I was hooking it up I found that one of the speaker wires seemed to be missing... No big deal (or, so I thought) until I took a glance at the back of the receiver and noticed this...

When you see it, you will... wait - how does that go again?

Ye gods... the horror of it all! A proprietary plug just for a standard set of speakers! Dammit Sony, how am I not surprised?! And of course, just to add insult to injury, on the speaker-end there's regular spring clips... /facepalm.

A few searches later, I had found others in a similar situation, but no solution...

I figured I'd check the Sony site to to see how much a replacement wire would cost... how bad could it be, right?

Well, this bad: $30 + tax and shipping! lol I was glad I hadn't taken that sip of coffee...

It became obvious that it was time to take a closer look at the plug itself...

Looks sorta familiar...

... and that's when it hit me. The spare quick connects remaining from the DIY Arcade stick!

A 22-18 AWG .110 insulated female solderless quick (dis)connect terminal. These guys are commonly available in bulk from electrical component and arcade parts suppliers.

Putting it all together

So, take...

A piece of extra speaker wire

and...

A bag of quick disconnect adapters.

+ Some splicing and crimping =

....Voila!

The quick connects fit around the outer sides of the pins quite perfectly, without any modification needed.

But does it work?

Yup!

From what I've gathered doing some searching is that this should probably work with (among others) the following systems as well as with the DAV-C450:

DAV-DX155

DAV-DX255

DAV-DX315

DAV-HDX589W

DAV-S400

HCD-DX375

HCD-HDX465

Enjoy!

photo credit: supremevictory.com

The DIY Arcade Stick

2010-07-23T14:51:00.070-04:00

The annual Evolution Championships wrapped up last week in Las Vegas. For those of you who haven't heard of it, EVO is one of the largest video game tournaments dedicated solely to fighting games. Awesome. We're not just talking about the major games, either. In addition to hosting the best Street Fighter, Tekken and Marvel vs. Capcom 2 players around, the tournament also welcomes those who have honed their skills to lesser known fighting gems such as and Melty Blood and BlazBlue and still others even go so far as to bring their own consoles just to play personal favourites. In other words, EVO is essentially a celebration of an entire genre of games... But of course it's a competition as well, and this year had some huge surprises... Perhaps the biggest was that Justin Wong, who's considered by many to be one of the best players around, failed to finish in the SSFIV top 8. being defeated by the gamepad wielding Vangief. Wong's longtime rival Daigo Umehara on the other hand, managed to clinch the SSFIV title but also faced a surprising elimination from the Street Fighter 3 finals.

Another totally surprising thing to come out of EVO this year was this short video made by Richhhard. It's being hailed as the "classiest Street Fighter video ever made".

Kudos! lol

We play a lot of SSFIV around here, so it was only a matter of time before we wanted our own hand-cramp-reducing (okay, probably increasing...) arcade stick. As you can see in the video above, building your own arcade stick is almost like a rite of passage for the fighting game obsessed, like a jedi building their first lightsaber! Err, anyways... If you're a fan of fighting games, you'll already know the huge disparity that exists between arcade hardware and commercially available arcade sticks... Each year companies like Madcatz and Hori put out their own high-end controllers, each claiming to have joysticks on par with arcade quality hardware. From what I've heard, the commercial models are indeed getting better, with the Madcatz TE stick and Hori's Real Arcade at the top of the heap. However, these commercial models also carry pretty hefty price tags... The solution? Build your own high quality arcade stick for a fraction of the cost!

There are many online guides and resources available for those who wish to build their own DIY arcade stick, but one of the most useful and user-friendly ones can be found at Slagcoin.com. Slagcoin's guide details the entire build process, from choosing the right buttons, sticks and restrictor gates, to building a box and wiring it all together. It's so well put together, in fact, that it would be pointless for me to offer my own guide on the topic, but I thought for visuality's sake I'd post some pictures outlining the build of my own arcade stick so you can get an idea of what's involved.

Shall we?

Step One: Select Your Components

You'll need to select a joystick in addition to however many buttons you want. Both in number and layout, your buttons are generally based on what games you intend to play. If you don't want to commit to a single arrangement, there are layouts that afford for a large degree of customization; some even containing up to eight buttons in a cluster that can stand in for several games.

For my own project, I chose a Sanwa JLF stick and Sanwa buttons for my main controls. Alternately, my Start, Select and "Home" buttons are smaller diameter Seimitsus. The hardware you choose is really a matter of personal preference; I prefer the "ball top" style JLF stick, but some swear by the bat-style made by Happ.

Another thing you'll need to consider is what type of PCB you'll be using. This choice is largely dictated by what platforms you'll be playing on. For example, there are PCBs for Playstation 3, 360, PC, and even older consoles like the Dreamcast! You can use the PCB from a standard controller, or you can buy original hardware designed for the express purpose of DIY arcade sticks. I went with the latter, opting for a Cthulhu board.

Step Two: Construct the box

A DIY arcade stick is a particularly good "first woodworking project". Not only can you can mod almost anything into an arcade stick, but making your own is relatively simple, too! I borrowed my buddy's MadCatz TE stick to get an idea of its dimensions. In the end, my frame was approximately 14.5" x 10.5" x 2.5".

To begin, I made a simple frame out of some scrap pine. I chose to use a mitre joint for the corners and then secured the joints with a couple of screws per corner.

Following the suggestion of most of the guides that I've read, I used 1/2" thick MDF for the top and bottom panels. MDF is pretty flimsy stuff, but it cuts easily and is relatively cheap, again, making it ideal for someone's first woodworking project. The general consensus is that you can use either two sheets of 1/4" thick MDF or a single 1/2" piece. I chose the latter which meant I had to use a drill press to thin out the area around and under the button holes. Ah! Speaking of which, I used this template to drill the holes in the top panel, so feel free to use it if you're also building a stick meant for Street Fighter. Lastly, I secured a few scraps of wood inside the frame to create a ledge to hold the top panel flush with the top of the frame and to protect the wiring underneath. Below is an image of the underside of the box, but it should give you an idea of what the top will look like before your button holes are drilled.

Step Three: Wire it up

Once you have your frame and your holes drilled, it's time to attach the buttons to the top panel and wire it all together. Again, it's really not as complicated as it may seem. Each button has two connectors on its underside: one for a common ground wire and one to connect the button to its corresponding terminal on the PCB. On the Cthulhu's end, wires are simply fastened by way of small screw-in terminals. On the button end, wires can be soldered directly to the the button connectors, or fastened via quick connect tabs like the ones I used. The Cthulhu PCB came with fairly detailed instructions for the wiring, but depending upon which PCB option you use, you may have to search online for your required pinout.

The Cthulhu PCB wiring diagram.

You'll also want to make sure you install the joystick right-side-up... Hey! Don't laugh! Mistakes happen, alright!? Sheesh... Anyways, if you happen to have a Sanwa JLF stick, odds are it'll have the following alignment:

Green = Right

Yellow = Left

Red = Down

Orange = Up

In addition, you'll probably want to run a few "button checks" including the stick to make sure everything works as it should, before you seal it up.

In the name of aesthetics, I used a 5/8 drill bit to countersink the screws and then filled 'em in with some wooden bolts...

I'll take the bolts over wood filler any day...

Step Four: Sweep the leg!

This thing is a beast! I think it plays a lot better than just about every commercial arcade stick I can recall using.

If you're looking for some inspiration for designing your own DIY arcade stick, I would highly recommend you check out the most impressive galleries over at Joystick Vault. Also, it would be remiss of me to write on the topic of DIY arcade sticks and not mention the excellent SRK Forums, which are an exhaustive resource for all things Street Fighter, including DIY arcade stick building.

One of the best things about building a DIY arcade stick is that, unlike a one-size-fits-all commercial model, you can build your own to exactly your own preferences and specifications. This almost complete personalization is so evident in galleries like those at Joystick Vault; there's a personal preference, reason and story behind every detail of a DIY arcade stick... Fascinating!

Oh! They're also fun to use, as well!

Until next time!

M.

London (Ontario) Calling: Using Google Voice in Canada

2010-06-22T04:39:00.031-04:00

In our on-going quest to get just about everything for free, we’ve covered quite a few SIP and VoIP services and discussed some of the ways one can utilize them to place various kinds of free telephone calls. However, one thing that was clear at the time of writing our original VoIP post was that no single service offered everything that we were looking for. However, that was before we got our mitts on a Google Voice invite! (thanks, Sumant!). With Google’s proprietary Voice service (apparently they acquired the technology from a company called Grand Central) you can both make and receive calls (as well as SMS) to the USA and Canada for free. No joke! Calls to outside of North America will cost you, but the rates are almost negligible.

What else is cool about Google Voice? Well, you can opt to receive a unique Google Voice number with which you can connect up to six unique phones (and consequently, the ability to choose which phone you want to ring at any time). Users also have the added bonus of running the Google Voice App for Smart Phones which brings the calling power of Google Voice to your Cell Phone. Did I mention Voicemail? Yep, you get that too! You can make your own custom message just like a regular call answer service and you can even have the service transcribe voicemail messages to text and email them to your address of choice. Holy shitballs! Funny thing about that last feature... It seems the transcription process isn't without its quirks... In fact, at times it comes up with some pretty amusing transcription errors... so much so, that it's inspired a new website called shitgooglevoicesays.com. My personal favourite is the call from Pesto Pasta.

In many ways, Google Voice is the communication solution that many have been waiting for. But, while Google’s service certainly shines when compared to many other similar offerings, one huge issue with the service is the complete lack of support for Canadian users. Well, today I’m going to briefly discuss a way that my fellow Canadians can take advantage of Google Voice and (for the most part) use it just as American users can! While I’m on the subject, I’ve heard varying accounts of just why the service ironically lets users in the USA call Canada for free. Some say it’s purely Google taking their time to roll out the service, and others claim it’s because of the CRTC. I’m still on the fence, but I’m hoping it’s simply a case of the former, though I fear otherwise.

So! Let’s get down to business, shall we?

Step One: Obtain a Google Voice Invite

Amazing news! As of today, (June 22, 2010) Google Voice is open to the public! Invites are no longer required. Sign up here!

Step Two: Access and Configure Google Voice

Now that you have your invite email, it’s time to sign up! If you’re in Canada and you try to access the sign up page you’ll see this:

The solution? Our old friend Hotspot Shield. However, you can use just about any proxy or VPN solution you wish, you just need to acquire an American IP address. Once you have Hotspot Shield up and running, you should be able to follow the link in your Google Voice invite and sign up without issue. While this is a bit of a work-around, the good news is that once you’ve signed up, Google will cool it with the IP filtering. Hotspot Shield is only needed this one time.

Below, you’ll find a graph outlining the difference between adding Google Voice to your existing number versus obtaining a new Google Voice number. I recommend the latter, simply because it offers more features. It really doesn’t make much difference what area code you choose for your Google Voice number, but you may want to consider grabbing an area code of someone you know in the USA; this way, they'll be able to reach you through a local number etc. Google Voice to Google Voice numbers are of course, always free.

Once you log into Google Voice, you’ll be faced with one final obstacle; you’ll need to add at least one phone in order to start making and receiving calls. The problem is, according to Google, it must be a USA number. This is where Step Three comes in.

Step Three: Register for a free account at Freephoneline.ca

Here’s the deal. Google Voice will basically reject any attempt to add a Canadian number as a forwarding phone. However, they left a loophole for those willing to go through a couple of extra steps to use the service. Google Voice will accept numbers in the (403) area code, which is, quite surprisingly, located in Alberta, Canada. See where this is going?

Register for a free account at Freephoneline.ca (remember them from our SIP phone post?), and request a number with a (403) area code. Once your Freephoneline account is active, log in, and add your actual phone number (or whatever number you want to make and receive calls with) to your “Forwarding” settings (yes, you can add more later, too).

Next, log back into your recently created Google Voice account and enter your new (403) number as your first forwarding phone. Google will then ask you to verify the number. If all goes well, your Freephoneline forwarding number should ring within a few seconds. Next, just use your phone’s keypad to enter the two digit code provided by Google, and voila! You’re all done!

Using freephoneline.ca, you should be able to add any additional phones you like to your Google Voice account. Remember, since all Google Voice calls are effectively incoming calls, you probably won’t get charged anything more than regular minutes on your cell as long as you’re in your native calling area. But seriously, don’t just take my word for it; make sure to check your cellular plan details to avoid any nasty surprises.

Congratulations, you can now use Google Voice with your own Canadian number! Awesome! Totally awesome!

Thanks to cpedley from the Google Voice forums for the last piece of the puzzle.

Jaden Smith and Jackie Chan drop mad science on 106 and Park

2010-06-14T17:06:00.006-04:00

Someone at work mentioned this the other day and I had to look it up. This is the best quality I could find (trust me it's better this way.) Try not to hurt yourself while watching.

CISS me deadly

2010-03-14T19:45:00.038-04:00

Printers!

What a paradox of technology… On the one hand, think about how empowering a printer is! It’s a pretty amazing thing to have on one’s desk… On the other hand, I’m sure nearly everyone has some kind of printer story… Maybe it's because I'm in a house full of cats, but there’s just so many things that can go wrong with them, and usually when we need them the most...

or

or even...

Okay okay, enough examples!

But I think that above all else, the worst thing about inkjet printers has got to be their cartridges.

Can I tell you my printer story?

A few years ago, a friend of a friend of mine came into contact with something of a local legend known as "Free Printer Guy". While this moniker may seem odd, it actually made complete sense to my friend because shortly after meeting this kind stranger, he was promptly given a free (new in box!) inkjet printer. I know, right? Anyways, when my friend, still amazed, asked the "FPG" how he was able to give away brand new office electronics in such a cavalier manner, he was - at length - let in on the secret origin of the FPG...

As it turns out, the FPG was once a normal computer user like you or I, until one fateful day... You see, FPG had been in the market for a new inkjet printer, and after doing some online research, had found a likely candidate at a local Best-Future-Staples-Depot... He bought it, and everything was just fine until the day came that he needed some new ink cartridges. Upon returning to the store, FPG made a shocking discovery; the ink cartridges were more expensive than the original printer (which included two cartridges). FPG went on to explain to my friend that it was simply cheaper (and somehow easier!?) for him to buy a new printer whenever he ran out of ink, and just give away the unneeded printer.

True story!

It really illustrates the kind of needless waste so (sadly) often associated with printers and even computers in general. Also, yes I am aware that it looks like I was, in fact, the FPG, but sadly I cannot take the credit... He's still out there someplace (and Lexmark is, inexplicably, still in business) so there you go... I guess there is some kind of moral here... It's either don't shop at future-best-staples-depot, (that should be a given) or, don't be like FPG. One of those is probably the moral.

Anyways! Today we're going to look at one way to circumvent the evils of Big Ink and their cartridges and liberate your inkjet printer once and for all!

I've heard anecdotes about some of the early versions of ink cartridge security - how they could often be circumvented by covering the chips with electrical tape - but unfortunately since then, ink cartridge security measures have become increasingly complex (and cartridges increasingly expensive!). Cartridge-refillers answered back with the introduction of "chip resetters," which tricked desktop printers into accepting re-filled cartridges. This cat-and-mouse game has continued and while it's still very possible to bypass cartridge security, the design of today's ink cartridges has made home refilling impractical for many people. The result? Basically everyone is paying way too much for printer ink. For real! I don't often use graphs, but get a load of this one!

Yowza!

Time for something radically different. Time for a CISS!

What is a CISS? Well, CISS stands for "Continual Ink Supply System" and it allows a conventional inkjet printer to draw from large (easily refillable) reservoirs of generic ink, rather than expensive, and wasteful proprietary ink cartridges. Best of all, it only requires some minor modifications to your printer, and many models are compatible!

What are the advantages of a CISS you ask?

Good question! Well first off, it's the cheapest way to print at home bar none. Second, the print quality is pretty much identical to what you'd get from a cartridge. Additionally, you can use bulk generic ink! I paid around twenty bucks and haven't put a dent in my bulk ink supply. And lastly, CISS are also easily one of the most efficient and least wasteful ways to print. While those who print super high quality photos professionally may want to stick to their own methods, a student who needs to print large numbers of essays will find a CISS invaluable.

I've modded a couple printers with CISS now, and thought I'd include some photos of my own printer setup and explain how the installation goes.

1. Above is a picture of my printer, an Epson Workforce 500. As with most printers, the main modification is generally the removal of any cap or lid over the ink cartridge jumper (seen below).

Once the cover is removed, the replacement cartridge head can be installed.

2. Next, a small tube-guide is added to the side of the printer.

The tubes are then run from the cartridge head through the guide.

3. Finally, the tubing is run through another small guide and connected to the reservoir tanks to the side of the printer.

Below: a shot of the reservoirs.

4. Print! Print it all! Muahahaha!

However, like Gremlins, there are some rules to owning a magical CIS-enabled printer... namely: don't let the ink levels drop below the half-way point of their respective tanks, otherwise you'll lose pressure and the system will need to be re-installed (a real pain!). Sure, they do have their quirks at times, but overall, the small hiccups are small price for an effectively endless supply of incredibly affordable (and easy to refill) printer ink.

M.

Watch Hulu Outside of the USA... Again!

2009-12-09T21:27:00.028-05:00

Small post today... I've been working on some school applications (and have been for the past few weeks) so the blog has been neglected... Anyways, I just wanted to make a small post to let readers know that the newest version of Anchorfree's Hotspot Shield (a popular VPN privacy tool) is again able to overcome Hulu's nefarious geoblocking, allowing viewers outside of the USA full access to the popular video streaming site. Fancy!

How long it'll stay this way is anyone's guess, but you might as well enjoy the convenience of hulu while it lasts... First, simply download Hotspot Shield from anchorfree.com and install it. When it runs, it'll launch and connect in your system's default web browser.

Enjoy!

Pwn any PDF!

2009-10-01T19:04:00.019-04:00

Fall: The Season of Horror… Hallowe'en, the return to school, and most horrible of all… Funding applications!

*Shudder*

If you have to deal with either of the latter two, then you probably encounter your fair share of digital documents or .pdf files…

PDF files are super handy, but they can be a source of huge frustration if they’re been locked for editing (or have any number of other restrictions). You’d think this wouldn’t happen that often, but I am amazed by the number of .pdf files I come across that actually require printing because they don’t allow modifications (ironically defeating the purpose of a digital document in the first place!).

Time for PDF Pirate!

As its name implies, PDF Pirate is a online application that will make an exact copy of any PDF file you throw at it... well… almost exact… it just forgets to include all those security restrictions- oops! Have a PDF that won’t let you enter text? Passworded? Have one you can’t print? Just upload your .pdf file to the site, wait patiently, and then download your new (restriction free) .pdf - Huzzah!

Here’s to a slightly less horrible application process!

Grooveshark Week

2009-09-22T21:39:00.017-04:00

Just a small post today...

Ever find yourself turning to Youtube for a source of daily music, or even just to fill in those glaring oversights in your music collection? Many have already discovered dedicated music listening services such as Pandora or Last.FM, however, just like Hulu, they block all non-US visitors (or cost money!).

Weak!

How about something better?

Check out Grooveshark.com: a project by a group of students from the University of Florida who wanted to change the way that music is accessed and shared on the Internet. While it's not an inexhaustible database (It won’t always find what you’re looking for) it does have some clear advantages over Youtube and other music listening sites. Firstly, it’s generally way more efficient than the crap shoot that is Youtube searching… Another nice feature is that rather than having to load up each individual song, you can easily build a queue or playlist that will play through on its own. However, the best feature (by far!) is that it’s not Geo-blocked (in other words, not just for Americans)... Other sites should take note.

Oh yeah! I almost forgot… You can also make backup copies of the tunes you listen to on Grooveshark (but only if you own the original of course!) simply download and install Free music zilla. When used with Grooveshark, Free music zilla allows you to easily download the stream that you’re listening to… Simply launch the Free music zilla application, and then point Firefox towards Grooveshark.com... Once you choose a song to play, you'll see it show up in the Free music zilla window... Simply check the box next to the stream you'd like, and then click the "download" button...

Once the stream has downloaded, just rename the file’s extension from .php to .mp3 and it’s ready to play… Thanks to Dany the Red for first showing the Free music zilla POC!

Go correct some glaring oversights!

The DIY Cordless VoIP Phone

2009-09-19T23:52:00.046-04:00

Use Google Talk, Skype, or a SIP based VoIP client a lot? Take it from me, being tethered to the PC gets old … fast. To solve this issue, many cordless VoIP phones have become commercially available, but as we tend to do around here, let’s make our own instead!

Ok, ok, I hear what you’re saying and yes, I am aware that this particular project is somewhat old… like, four years old to be precise… but I’ve been compelled to post about it as the landscape of VoIP, SIP and other open (free) telecommunications options on the Internet has changed dramatically since 2005… While I made my first DIY VoIP phone way back when, it hasn’t received much use since the conclusion of the now-infamous “Free Skype-out promotion of 2006”…until recently that is…

So here's the plan...this post will have two parts: In the first, we’ll go over how to make your own DIY VoIP Phone (to bring everyone up to speed) and in the second, we’ll have some fun with the phone and go through a few ways you can start making some free calls! Huzzah!

Part One: Making a DIY VoIP phone

Required Parts:

1. A cordless phone… The original hack from Grynx used a fancy schmancy Siemens phone, but I’ve had success with both Radio Shack/The Source and VTech models. Live dangerously and just buy the cheapest one you can find.

2. One (approximately 6 ft.) 3.5mm male/male stereo audio cable like this…

3. A soldering Iron and basic soldering knowledge… You can brush up on your skills with this great guide here.

There have been many posts on making both VoIP phones and VoIP adapters, but one of the original and best guides was posted by Chris J. at Grynx.com. View it here. Alternately, there are also plans here if you’d rather make an adapter so that no modification to your phone is necessary... It should be mentioned that once you modify your phone with the audio cables, you shouldn't try to plug it into/use it with a regular phone line anymore...

Chris J.’s guide is very straightforward, so I don’t need to go over it all again, but I’ll explain it briefly for the curious-without-the-intention-of-making-one...

With the circuit board exposed and the handset on, a small screwdriver is used to probe the various parts of the cordless phone's circuit board in search of where the tapping of the screwdriver can be heard in the handset. Using a halved audio cable, a signal can be sent from an mp3 player into this spot to verify its location. Alternately, to find the “mic”, simply blow or talk into the handset and test the board with a pair of headphones, listening again for the location where your breath/voice can be heard. The two halves of the audio cable are then soldered in place at both locations. The end result will probably look (better than) something like this…

Some candid shots of the Vtech 9118... Just about any cordless phone will do...

Part Two: Having fun with your DIY VoIP phone

While much of this depends on what country you’re in, but hopefully there’s enough info here for just about anyone to piece together a solution that works… I tried a whole bunch of different services (close to 12!) to see if free calling could really be possible here’s an overview of what I found, and what kind of service you can get for free...

Skype is actually a great place to start messing around with your VoIP phone, even though their free calling promotion is long over… By using a service called 1-800-free-411 along with Skype, you can make free 5 minute VoIP calls (even internationally) to regular phones… not bad!
Just start-up Skype and then dial *wait for it* 1-800-Free-411, listen to the ads, and then just dial your number… pretty cool… but what about that 5 minute restriction? Let’s push our luck!

The first real providers I investigated were fairly run-of-the-mill SIP providers such as Freecall.ca, VoipCheap, and VoIPStunt. Having tried all three, I’d only recommend them to those who require only incoming calls. One way to do this is to use one of these services' softphones and link it with either your own Enum or with a service such as Voiptalk. I used Voiptalk to register a local number in the United Kingdom, and then linked it to my VoIPCheap softphone. This way, my friend in the UK can now make a call to a local number, and I will receive it on the softphone/diy VoIP phone. Many other providers of free access numbers also exist, so you could conceivably set up multiple local numbers to accommodate multiple international friends with unique numbers that all connect back to you, wherever you may be.

It’s worth noting that registering for any generic SIP provider (such as the three I mentioned) will provide you with a unique SIP number. Like the Enum, SIP numbers can also be called using regular telephones or POTS (Plain Old Telephone Service). A very cool site called SIPBroker maintains a large list of international access numbers that can be used to call both Enum and SIP numbers. Simply find and dial a local number on their list, and then enter your desired [sip-code][number] or ENUM number at the prompt. Easy!

So there are a few solutions, but admittedly, each has its own drawback; but there are a couple services stand out among all the rest… For Canadians, the best free VoIP solution out there can be found at Freephoneline.ca. Not only will the site provide you with a local Canadian number but it also offers free incoming and outgoing calls between these cities:

Ajax-Pickering, Ancaster, Athens, Aurora, Ayr, Baden, Bolton, Bowmanville, Brampton, Breslau, Brockville, Brooklin, Burlington, Caledon East, Calgary, Campbellville, Cardinal, Carleton Place, Clarkson, Cooksville, Delta, Drayton, Dundas, Edmonton, Elmira, Exeter, Fort Erie, Freelton, Galt, Georgetown, Halifax, Hamilton, Hespeler, Hull, Kanata, King City, Kitchener, Linwood, London, Maitland, Mallorytown, Malton, Maple, Markham, Milton, Montreal, Mount Hope, New Dundee, New Hamburg, Newcastle, Newmarket, Niagara Falls, Niagara-On-The-Lake Nobleton, North Augusta, Oakville, Oshawa Ottawa, Pelham, Plattsville, Port Credit, Port Perry, Prescott, Preston, Quebec City, Richmond Hill, Roxboro, South Pickering, Spencerville, St. Catharines, St. Clements, St. Jacobs, Stittsville, Stouffville Streetsville, Thornhill, Thorold, Toronto, Unionville, Uxbridge, Vancouver, Waterdown, Waterloo Welland, Wellesley, Whitby, Windsor, Winnipeg, Woodbridge.

Word.

Incidentally, everyone in the world can make calls to the United States with a DIY VoIP phone and the CallingAmerica.com website. Simply enter your desired number, wait nineteen seconds and make up to a fifteen minute call. Good deal, but unfortunately it lacks a dialpad, so it's useless as a hopline.

For Americans, your best bet is Ringplus.net. The service will similarly let you make local and international calls through a local access number, but unlike freephoneline.ca, you’ll need to use a regular phone.

The potential for VoIP and SIP calling is immense. These technologies clearly have huge implications for the power structure of contemporary telecommunications... This is particularly apparent in the case between Apple and Google at the moment, with the former viewing the Google Voice app as a threat to iPhone's very existence. But I digress...

Try it out! Set a number up as a business line, or have some fun calling a distant friend/loved one/enemy/complaint department/or *ahem*... even other uses!

Comedy is around the corner

2009-09-17T11:25:00.008-04:00

Some great comedy shows starting this month folks. Including one of my favorite shows...

Sadly, if you live outside of the UK you'll have to download these. If you've never checked this show out before do yourself a favor and check the out the first episode of season 1 here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ePejwCWPwwg. You now have 5 seasons to catch up on.

If you think my comedy hard-on couldn't grow any further you may want to step back (sorry). Season 7 of Curb Your Enthusiasm starts this Sunday and promises the return of the Seinfeld cast. Although season 5 was kinda weak, season 6 was great. I have high hopes for this.

Also worth mentioning is tonight's NBC Thursday lineup:

8:00 PM Saturday Night Live Weekend Update Thursday

8:30 PM Parks And Recreation

Caught some of the first season of this and was disappointed but thought it had potential. I'll give it another chance since I'm a big fan of Amy Poeler and Aziz Ansari. I Heard that, one of the best working stand-ups today, Louis C.K. will be guest starring as Amy Poelers love interest. If you ever have a chance to see Louis live you will not be disappointed. I believe he's on tour now. Check Louisck.net for dates. Also he has a new sitcom on FX set for 2010.

9:00 PM
The Office
Still enjoy this show even though Pam and Jim irritate me since they became a couple.

9:30 PM Community
Could be good. Joel Mchale is a funny man and Chevy Chases' character looks hilarious.

Movie Review: Orphan

2009-09-09T16:02:00.012-04:00

I don't often take chances at the movie theater these days if I think something could be terrible but a month or so ago, my girl and I made a last minute choice to see Orphan and we were very surprised. This thriller flick is pure entertainment. It's funny (both intentionally and unintentionally), quality suspense, and even good action/fight scenes. The acting may be down right laughable at times (check the husband character in various scenes) but that sort of added to the fun. Watch this with friends.
3.5/5

(Close to) Free HD TV

2009-08-04T14:20:00.022-04:00

While High Definition Televisions are becoming increasingly affordable, duopolistic cable and satellite providers still want to charge customers extra for HD content... To make matters worse, these exorbitant monthly rates are often coupled with equipment rental charges…It all really starts to take the fun out of making this “jump” to High Definition… But what if you could get some HD channels without the monthly charge? I’ve had more than a few people ask me about OTA HD lately, and so I thought I’d make a small post about it for those of you who aren’t already aware… Perhaps in the very least this post could help prevent someone from investing in some costly (and unnecessary) hardware or services…

There can be some confusion over the kind of hardware needed to receive OTA HD signals, so I’ll do my best to sketch out the whole deal here (which should work for most North American digital broadcasts as far as I know…). Anyhow, since June 12^th all OTA (Over the Air) Television transmission in the USA has gone digital… and a major component of this “transition” is that much of what’s now available over the air is available in HD. This goes for Canada as well, although the CRTC has imposed a transition date sometime in 2011 as far as I know… Consequently we still have a bunch of analogue signals floating around here, but the good news is that most of what’s being broadcast in Canada is also mostly in HD and (also) totally free of charge.

Required Parts:

An HDTV with a built in ATSC tuner, or with an external dtv receiver.

What to Look For:

While traditional Analogue OTA Television utilized both the UHF and VHF bands, from apparently most of what’s available today in the form of digital OTA is on the ubiquitous UHF band…and because these new digital signals are broadcast UHF, you can use a wide *ahem* array of antennae to receive OTA HD broadcasts… In fact, a good way to scope out the availability of local signals in your own sky, is with a traditional pair of rabbit ears…

(if you bought a TV a long time ago and still have the box somewhere, go check it! There was probably a pair included…). Even with this regular old analogue-era antenna, you should be able to pull in an HD channel or two … You’ll want to try the antenna in a few different places (higher, as a rule, is better)… Run a scan with your television and see what comes in… chances are if you get even one channel with rabbit ears, you’ll get a bunch with a proper OTA antenna… But where to get one? As a first resort, consider making your own!

I’ve found that some of the best OTA HD antennas are those based on the Gray-Hoverman design (an antenna that was originally used back in the 1950’s). Gray-Hoverman antennas are easily recognizable by their “bowtie” design, and provide some of the best reception of OTA HD signals… so much so, that they can even be put in the attic as opposed to mounting them on the roof, and they will often still pull in many channels. Pretty easy.

Putting it all together:

Ready to make your own? They have a great overview (and plans) for both single and double-bayed Gray-Hoverman antennas over at Digitalhome.ca.

For somewhat more accessible/less huge design, Youtube user Babblin5’s “Coat-Hanger” antenna is one of the best I’ve found on the net (It’s so good that it was later covered by Makezine). Check that video out here.

If… you really don’t feel like making your own, fear not… You can purchase really decent models for around 40 bucks like this one… Don’t be fooled by those who claim that more is needed… I have something that resembles the infamous coat hanger antenna and I can (apparently) view all of what’s available in my area (15 English HD channels and an HD French channel! Huzzah!). Having never paid for HD Television, this is quite an improvement! I found I got the best result by installing the antenna on the roof, though the difference between this placement and when it was inside the house was only a matter of a few channels. I suspect the difference between an attic and roof would be about the same.

So there you have it. There’s no reason to pay monthly HD content or equipment fees to your cable or satellite provider if all you want is a few local channels in HD… Enjoy your (close to) free OTA HD!

The DIY Electric Bicycle: Part 1

2009-07-05T20:58:00.043-04:00

The inspiration for this project was diverse, but I guess first off, it’s simply the stuff of childhood imaginings (we used to really want bikes with motors when we were kids) Now that I mention it, how about oil slick dispensers!? Or re-spawning handlebars! Err- anyways, the "awesome/radical" factor is somewhat self-explanatory.

A few months ago my sister and I were discussing a local library/grocery store/pub travel paradox when the same topic came up again: how useful a motorized bike of some kind would be for short trips to the shops... However, my sister wanted something that:

A) had the option of pedal power (and)

B) something that wasn’t super loud or “scary” to use

I started to sketch out a few ideas… Immediately, I thought of something like this and these types of traditional motorized bikes. Similarly, I’ve seen quite a few people retrofit small gasoline engines onto their bikes for a similar sort of project, like this:

However, both share the same traditional drawbacks of being A) pretty loud, and B) a somewhat environmentally un-friendly replacement for a traditional bike… But what about electricity?

While commercially available electric bikes do exist, they come at a cost. Around here, Canadian Tire and Walmart already sell a few different models but virtually all of them start at around seven hundred bucks, and many are around nine hundred! While an electric bike could be a fun or even helpful thing for some people, it's clear they need to become way more accessible... There’s no reason someone should have to pay nine hundred dollars for an electric bike. It even sounds wrong… nine hundred dollars…Harumph! Alternately, some online bike shops offer their own models as well, but often only sell the very best of the best (like expensive hub motor designs) which are indeed awesome, but also very expensive... So while not everyone can afford new hub motors, or commercially made electric bikes, a simple chain and free-wheel setup – aka – a DIY electric bike - can be assembled for far less (under $300) and is accessible to almost anyone who already has a regular bike… so let’s build a totally homemade electric bike!

Required Parts and What to Look For:

Motor:

People have used all kinds of motors for electric bikes and in fact, when it comes down to it, you could effectively use whatever motor you wanted, as long as it was powerful enough (and in this case I figure 250 Watts is your absolute minimum). Here are a few things you’ll want to bear in mind if you want your motor (and bike!) to last. Firstly, try to get a “brushless” motor if you can, it’s by no means a necessity, but it’ll last longer than a conventional (brushed) motor, and if you want to be able to pedal your bike as well (pedal assist) as (I hope we’ll be able to do) with our design, then you’ll want to make sure you get a motor with the proper gear reduction… Lucky for us, relatively inexpensive bicycle motors with the proper gear reduction ratio are available from online vendors such as electricscooterparts.com and monsterscooterparts.com… Away we go!

Battery:

Generally, most electric bikes can range from 24V, 250W all the way up to the 48V, 1000W + range… For the most part, whether you choose an SLA, AGM, NiCad, NimH or even the – mythical LifePo – battery… it’s likely you’ll mostly (though not always) find the kind of batteries we want in units of 12V. So…if you decide to go with say, a 24V motor, you’ll need two 12V batteries for your bike. Alternately, if you decide to use a 36V motor, you could use three 12V batteries (or two 18V!) etc etc.

While LiFePO₄ (Lithium Iron Phosphate) batteries are all the rage these days, they’re way too expensive for our purposes… Similarly, a lithium-ion battery is probably ideal but also often very expensive… One way around this is to use the Lithium Ion batteries found in rechargeable tools by companies like Dewalt and Bosch. Though their disassembly can be tricky, some (such as some of the users at the Endless Sphere forums) have successfully linked multiple packs together with really good results…

Because I want to build the most affordable (yet functional) electric bike possible, I think I’ll be going with an AGM (absorbed glass mat) battery for my bike which is basically a fancy SLA battery… Sure, they’re sorta dirty… and may not last as long as Lithium ion, but they’re cheap and should last at least a few years if cared for properly. These SLA and AGM batteries are very close to what you’d find in a golf cart (or in other EV’s like motorized scooters, or the infamous Hoveround!) so there are many places that may carry them… I mention this as shipping is brutal these batteries (owing to their weight). Make sure you check around locally before resorting to ordering them online…

If all goes well, I’ll have a finalized parts list for the next post (as well as a basic wiring diagram for how to put the electronics together) but in the meantime, I still need to get some parts...

Stay tuned!

I ♥ Overhead Projectors!

2009-05-10T20:57:00.094-04:00

I love Overhead Projectors… sigh...

Even if you have no interest in building a homemade DIY projector, consider for a minute the hackable parts that comprise a given Overhead…like…optics! You can find anything from a single element, doublet, or even a high-resolution triplet lens in its head... Also, hey! Did someone say Fresnel lens?! They’re not just for lighthouses anymore! Not only are they crucial for homemade projectors, they’re also great for DIY solar ovens, death rays, or even as "concentrators" for solar panels! I’ve actually found that good quality Fresnel lenses can be both expensive and difficult to find… So even if you’re just looking for some parts, consider the Overhead projector!

My first encounter with DIY video projection occurred in November of 2004, by way of an article posted on Tom’s Hardware entitled Supersize your TV for $300 by Frank Völkel. His design reflected similar efforts by various European DIY communities at the time such as the German “DIY Beamer” scene and as well as some of the earliest designs by members of the DIYaudio forums. The fact that these early proofs of concept utilized ubiquitous parts like cast-off Overhead projectors and dismantled LCD monitors meant that they were (and still are) a highly accessible project and something that I’ve had a lot of fun with…(The difference between paying $300+ for a commercial projector replacement bulb and less than $20 for an Overhead’s is considerable!). While this is nothing new, I thought I’d make a post about it and talk about some of my experiences with DIY projectors, and hopefully offer some useful advice for someone interested in getting started themselves…

While the designs and sophistication of today’s homemade projectors have long since transcended Frank Völkel’s original offering, my own projector is still based on an old Overhead… Virtually all of the high end DIY projectors these days utilize metal halide bulbs… which are significantly brighter than the Halogen variants found in most Overheads, but which also require very special voltages and consequently, their own ballasts/electronics as well. I’ve been told that, unshielded, metal halide bulbs are capable of burning the paint off of a pop can within a few minutes… and while I can’t verify this myself… this kind of lore does suggest their power… So I think that for someone’s first endeavor into DIY projection, a bright Overhead is a great option… Also… for me, a great deal of the value of the project has always been in the re-appropriation of outdated (or worse, simply cast-off) though otherwise, perfectly functional machines… Surely you’ve seen a lonely Overhead projector in the corner of some classroom or office? It seems to me that after a lifetime of charts, and graphs, a perfect retirement for these machines would be a repurposing to a new life of 80’s horror movies, video games or even other projects (more to follow!). The results (and fun!) of even the most rudimentary setups are - I think - well worth the effort in tracking down some cast-off parts and dedicating a little table-top space…

I guess what strikes me the most about DIY Projectors is how simple and inexpensive the setups can be... In particular, LCD panel prices have dropped considerably since 2004 and there are even more commercial devices capable of being dismantled or “stripped” for use in a home projector… Furthermore, many of the old “Projection Panels” still haunting Ebay are still easily capable of producing VGA/SVGA (800x600) quality images… just fine for DVD!

I’ll try to explain some of the different approaches by way of my own experience and various setups that I’ve used, but please bear in mind that my aim is to illustrate the “salvaged parts + Overhead Projector” method predominantly… You can get caught up with all the current designs over at the Lumenlab user forums, but I wanted to write about the really accessible ways of putting together a homemade LCD projector… So that everyone can have one!

My first setup (2004): Modest Overhead Projector and LCD Projection Panel

My first Overhead utilized a singlet lens and I believe was rated at around 2000-2500 lumens output. The LCD projection panel was a Proxima Ovation 846 with a 640x480 native resolution @16.7 million colours… Really basic… but it worked! What’s that? What’s a projection panel? They’re basically LCD monitors without backlights… or well, backs of any kind… this is so that the light of an Overhead Projector can shine through… I guess they were sort of the original digital projector… In their heyday these panels were insanely pricey… It’s astounding to find their original early 90’s list prices… Oh wait! here they are!

OOF! Unreal, eh?

However, these days you can often find them for around $30-$100 on Ebay, depending on the model… There’s definitely a minimum range of specs required for decent video projection… Not all of these panels are “active matrix”, and not all are fast enough to produce a watchable moving image… While today’s LCD monitors (once dismantled) will produce a far superior image compared to projection panels, the latter remain one way that someone can still construct a home LCD video projector for very little effort and expense… (This option is also particularly well suited to those who may not be comfortable dismantling anything). If you’re interested in pursuing this method, you can reference the LCD projection panel database here which is very helpful for identifying potential panels, though I highly recommend that you take the plunge and go for a higher resolution LCD monitor to strip if you can get your hands on one… they produce a hugely superior image!

Required Parts and What to Look For: Minimum Specs

LCD:

In terms of minimum specs…for the old-school LCD projection panels: 640x480 is your absolute minimum resolution, and I would advise at least 1.6 million colours… Also, careful with those Ebay sales, make sure it’s an active TFT not a passive or an even older greyscale panel... In my opinion, if given a choice between a 640x480 and an 800x600 panel… go for the one with the greater colour range… I’ve moved on in terms of panels, but my old Proxima Ovation 846 looks better to me in some regards than an 800x600 panel only capable of 262k colour… For newer LCD monitors, anything at or above XGA (1024x768) will be ideal… Bear the colour range in mind, but chances are your response time will be a non-issue, particularly for movies… Even older panels in the 30ms response range are often quite fine for DVD.

Overhead Projector:

In the world of the Overhead Projector, brightness is measured in “Lumen” (lm)… For projection through an LCD panel, aim for as close to 4000+ lumens as you can… and I’d say that 2500 lumens would be your absolute minimum... with that you’d probably be just fine in a completely dark room… In terms of optics, a triplet lens is ideal, but you can get away with a single or double as well just fine… On the one hand, more optics = more detail, but also more for your light to travel through, so you’ll want to make sure that if you’re using say, a triplet lens, you’ll want to have at least 3000 lumens of light to shine through it, or your image may be too dim…

Another thing to consider when selecting an Overhead projector are the dimensions of it’s “stage”, that is, the available surface area of the projector that is visible to your lens/your projected image… This has led many on a quest for panels small enough to fit within the dimensions of an Overhead stage, but with a high enough resolution for a high quality projected image. However there are some ways around some of these difficulties and I’ll explain below, but overall, the larger your “stage” the better… Oh! While I’m talking about the stage, one thing to keep an eye out for is “curved” corner stages… as opposed to clean 90 degree corners… The curved corners can crop your image in unwanted ways… while these corners can often be “dremeled,” it’s worth bearing these small details in mind as they all add up! Be sure to read the Afterthoughts and Useful Links section for some help with stage-size issues.

Putting it all Together:

If you’ve opted to use a “Projection Panel” there’s not really much left to explain… Place it on your Overhead’s stage and away you go… However, if you’re planning on stripping an LCD computer monitor, there are a few things to consider… Firstly, size and resolution: You’ll want a good resolution, but you also need it to fit well on your projector’s stage…The original guide on Tom’s Hardware recommends an XGA panel (1024x768)… This is still ideal, and anything higher is pretty much bonus… unless you’re totally intent on projecting in HD… These days most panels start well above XGA resolution, but bear in mind many of today’s panels are wide, and your typical projector stage is… well, not so much… So, in my experience a 15”-17” panel is probably going to be your maximum size, but more and more panels are turning up with much higher resolutions and in smaller physical sizes all the time (there’s a rather popular 12.1” WXGA (1280x800) kit that many people have used). The NEC panel I’m currently using is totally ideal in this capacity being SXGA (1280x1024)…square, though it is a little big for the stage… Much like “projection panels,” there are numerous user forums dedicated to which LCD monitors are most easily stripped down for use in DIY projectors…The most common issues that prevent a monitor from being suitable for the project are usually FCC cable-related… These are the extremely fragile ribbons which connect the various parts of your LCD monitor together… Sometimes they are connected across the back of the screen, which makes projecting an image through it next to impossible… Some have successfully purchased “extender” cables to remedy this in particular models, but my advice again is to just do your research and try to go with a panel that has been verified as “strippable”… of course if you manage to salvage an LCD/don’t have a choice in the matter (as most often tends to be the case) there’s only one way to find out… open it up! Once you’ve opened a few LCD monitors you’ll find that they’re all mostly the same inside... in fact, the stripping process really isn’t that bad (albeit always a little nerve-wracking)… Just remove one component at a time (don’t rush!). Always be extremely careful with the thin connectors attached to the screen… as many guides state, they are virtually beyond repair if damaged… Just take your time and before you know it you’ll have your panel down to something that looks like this…

Stripped LCD panel and accompanying hardware...

As you remove the various “sheets” from behind the LCD panel, be careful to keep tabs on which sides are front/back as it can be hard to tell without an image present… Also, avoid as much unnecessary handling of the backlight material as possible, and make sure to wash your hands well after handling any or all of the insides of LCD monitors! As the Tom’s Hardware guide states, you’ll want your panel to sit about 8 to 10mm above the surface of your projector’s stage… Styrofoam is a great material to use for some small platforms... I also like to use a regular PC fan powered by an old ATX power supply for cooling… A single fan to the side of the panel is usually just fine. Some also recommend placing a UV filter and or tempered glass in between the light source and optics/ LCD panel to protect them, but I’ve found this isn’t much of a concern when dealing with an average Overhead Projector bulb… However, a metal halide driven setup would require both without exception.

When assembling your Projector, it’s usually easiest to place the panel down first and then connect it to its hardware once it’s properly in place … It also helps a great deal to mount the panel’s hardware on a small board to keep them in place (especially helpful if you plan on using multiple inputs on your Projector). All of these measures amount to how you basically want to minimize the “flex”/movement of those thin connectors as much as possible… I had one that broke on me in a real sack-over-the-head-punch-in-the-stomach sorta way … and then again, I had another panel that the kittehs knocked to the ground (a totally fragile stripped panel!) and it’s still completely fine… go figure. But it never hurts to be super careful!

My Current Setup: 3M 9700 and NEC 1712 17” LCD

I was really lucky and came across an old 3M 9700 a few years ago and I’ve been using it ever since… It’s rated at around 4000 lumens and (according to the internet) uses a 342mm triplet lens… It was love a first sight obviously… Until recently, I had been using an LCD that I had stripped from an old Samsung cell phone advertisement-kiosk-thing… It has a resolution of 800x600 but as I mentioned earlier, only 262k colour… Initially, I was hoping it would prove to be a significant step up from my old projection panel, but in retrospect, I think the colour of the Proxima panel more than made up for its modest resolution… It’s not really a fair comparison as the smaller kiosk LCD really wasn’t made for movies… Then, close to a month ago a friend of mine gave me an old no longer working 17” LCD monitor… Upon close inspection, besides a failed backlight, the panel itself was in great shape… I knew what had to be done…

Stripped 17" LCD panel...

She may not look like much, but she's got it where it counts...

Afterthoughts and Useful Links:

There are some really useful resources out there for would-be DIY projection hobbyists… Many sites have all sorts of parts for sale (you can upgrade literally every part of your projector once it’s up and running)… Additionally, some sites such as the DIY Projection Company/Lumenlab even have downloadable plans, should you want to build an enclosed design. If you’re looking for info on Overhead designs and other techniques I highly recommend reading through some of the old DIYaudio threads where some of the earliest designs emerged… Both sites have excellent user forums!

Since the parts for DIY projectors are so often salvaged, it’s not uncommon to find yourself with great components, but ones that don’t want to work together… In this capacity, perhaps the most common difficulties involve a mismatch of LCD panel size and projector stage size… Some opt for programs such as Powerstrip (or a display driver utility) to manipulate display resolutions to get a better fit… However, if your LCD is simply larger than your projector stage (most common scenario), fear not! Not too long ago I stumbled across Zort15's blog… A fellow DIY projection hobbyist in a similar situation, he wrote a really clever little program that allows you to resize your image and adjust its display position it on the fly… It’s sort of hard to appreciate how useful this app is until you find yourself needing something like it... Download link below.

Lastly, (and it often really is the last thing one has to consider) is what precisely you’ll be projecting onto… Again, there are countless options for DIY screen making, from special paint, to simple “blackout cloth” from Fabricland/ville. I’ve even heard of people getting decent results with shower curtains… Point is… You have many options! Thanks to some sweet retired teacher hookups I managed to get an old projection screen that was being tossed from a local high school… but eventually I caved and purchased a 100" 16:9/ “wide” projector screen (visible in the pictures) which I have been very happy with… Whether you intend to build an HD projector, or are just looking for something to do with an old LCD panel, DIY LCD projectors are not only a lot of fun, but one of many cool projects possible with Overheads!

Links:

The LCD Projection Panel Database
Zort15’s Projector Program
The DIY Projector Company
Lumenlab DIY Projector Forums
DIYAudio Forums

News of the summer project soon!

The Repair Manifesto

2009-03-04T20:44:00.005-05:00

Platform21 recently posted their "Repair Manifesto," along with a call for repair projects of all kinds...

Their site states,

"With our new project, Platform21 = Repairing, we seek to make repairing cool again – with your help. Let the manifesto inspire you, comment on it or add to it. Rediscover the joy of fixing things and share your most ingenious repair, your tips and your tricks. You could present them in person later, or see them on our website or in the exhibition that opens on Friday 13 March."

It's definitely worth considering... While original projects get much attention, inventive or clever repairs don't ever seem to garner the same love...

Subverting Space/Time... to Watch TV

2009-03-02T16:25:00.005-05:00

Back in 2007, I posted a brief write-up on how to watch American Television on the web (...without having to be a resident of the USA) and while you can still manually use proxy servers to circumvent international (space/time?) restrictions on some major studio sites, I'd like to suggest an even easier way...

The program is called "HotSpot Shield" ... It's marketed as a security tool to help protect online privacy on public hot spots, but as it effectively obscures geographic information about your IP address, it's an ideal way to watch American TV (at your own convenience).

you can download it here...

Fairly straightforward: connect to watch your shows/disconnect for your usual browsing.

Enjoy the 8th dimen- err- I mean your TV!

Amish Hackers... and an Update

2009-03-01T05:03:00.003-05:00

Hey! Couple of things today...
Ex-Wired editor Kevin Kelly has posted a really neat article about the Amish and their fascinating relationship to technology, as well as some of the ingenious hacks and "solutions" they've come up with in their careful mitigation of emerging tech... Definitely worth reading.
Check it out here

Oh! The other thing... I'm still trying to find more time for the blog... work has been getting quite busy lately... However, I've (finally) acquired a new domain and hope to move/re-build our little operation in the near future... So from now on, you can just use "www.robot-party.com" and it'll redirect you to our current site... Stay tuned for more updates and thanks as always for all the comments and tips, they're always appreciated! Even Chiro... who apparently offers great deals on party furniture...
(lol spammers)

Later!

The Automatic Yarn Winder (in action)

2009-01-25T01:58:00.002-05:00

Greetings!
Sorry this has taken me so long... I had to borrow a few things (camera included) to get this together... Above, you'll find a small video of the automatic yarn winder in action... and below, a shot of the kind of wound-ball it produces...
While I'm on the subject of yarn and diy... Did anyone catch the electric spinning wheel that was recently featured on hackaday.com? Worlds are colliding.
Enjoy the video!

Lazy Knitting

2008-12-15T06:03:00.003-05:00

This project was completed a while back, but I haven’t had a chance to post on it until now… A good friend of mine is a hardcore knitter… well… beyond hardcore… her life is yarn. Knitters are a funny bunch and their culture equally complex… Spend any time with one and you’ll find yourself learning all sorts of knitting facts (whether you mean to, or not) What does a computer nerd like me need to know about a Kitchener stitch? I don’t know. But it’ll be stuck in my head forever.

One thing I noticed about the whole knitting process was what my friend had to go through every time she wanted to start a new skein (that’s knitter-speak for those long unwound spools of yarn)… They literally have to wind the whole thing into a ball before it can be knit… While they have small winders to aid in the process (should the back of a chair not be handy…) they’re hand-cranked… This is a significant issue as a good deal of my friend’s customers (she also runs a yarn store... I mentioned the hardcore part, right?) are seniors… and the thought of them cranking away on those things is heartbreaking (and perhaps arm as well?!). Some searching around the internet yielded little... I found three precedents. The first were commercially made winders from the UK... the second was one made from lego "mindstorm" parts (but these kits are quite expensive and I can't imagine too many people outside of serious hobbyists have them handy). The last option I found was a winder offered by a (now defunct?) company in the USA but it turns out it's no longer available... None of these were quite what I was looking for... Something had to be done!

Parts:
A small AC/DC or Universal motor to power the winder… Because of the need for speed control I opted for a gear motor… Some may say you can get a way with any small fan motor but it won’t last long if it’s not meant to run at variable speeds… I found one for around 70 bucks…

I used a ceiling fan speed module for control of the motor… Again, the little things make a big difference… While it may be tempting to use a simple light dimmer for the speed control of small motors, for the health of your motor (and safety’s sake) I strongly recommend going with a proper fan speed control… dimmers take raw chunks of power right out of the current and like trying to vary the speed of fixed speed motors, it’ll burn out your motor.
I found one quite similar to this one…

A regular universal power cable cut at one end…

And last but not least, a standard (manual) yarn winder… I used a “royal” clone… it came in a box that reassuringly read “New Wool Winder”… We just need this for it’s precious gears and angles! It looks like this one…

Putting it all together…

I opened the royal clone first and removed its guts… which basically consisted of a crank and a series of gears… The original hand crank was removed and the motor was fit into its place... Once rigged up, the shaft of the motor fit directly into the main gear of the spindle base. Lastly, I made a brace to hold the motor in place and minimize vibrations…

I had my electrician friend look over my wiring on the speed control and motor (I wanted to help the yarn store, not burn it to the ground…) Make sure you know what you’re doing or have it checked over…

The last thing I needed to make was a small “guide” pole to feed the spindle properly… I ended up just using a bit of coat hanger bent into a loop on one end… The yarn is fed through this “eye” first and then into the spindle cone…
I also decided to paint it… I wanted something that says, “I’m a machine in a yarn store… but I’m approachable?”

Here are some pictures of it in action courtesy of my friend… It actually works!
Until next time,
m.

*EDIT*
12/30/2008

A video is on the way... Also, while it was never my plan, if people are truly interested in making/or obtaining one of these, email me and we can discuss logistics... Thanks for all the comments and thanks to Hack a day for mentioning the project!
m.

Best movie of 2008

2008-08-25T18:14:00.003-04:00

Actually it's probably The Dark Knight, but this is up there. I picked this up randomly with little expectations and was blown away. Yes, I looked through the kids section at blockbuster to find it. I'm fine.

Hello and Norm Macdonald

2008-08-20T02:11:00.000-04:00

Hello there! I go by Donovan and I'm the new contributer to this glorious blog. I'll be mainly reporting on what I think is cool in the world of pop culture (music, comedy, film etc). This week one of my childhood heroes, Norm Macdonald, crawled out of his cave and outdid everyone on Comedy Centrals Roast of Bob Saget. Here are links to the entire show...

Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4
Part 5
Part 6

And here's a link to Norms part. Although I must warn you that it might be much funnier in the context of the whole show.
Norm Highlights from Bob Saget Roast

EDIT:
Additional Norm Content!
http://www.4shared.com/dir/5289625/8444adb/sharing.html
http://www.ianswerquestions.com/norm.php
Thanks to fakenews.net for some of the links!

Picking on parking lots

2008-08-17T00:38:00.001-04:00

Parking lots... What in the name of Oprah is the deal? I'm not going to name any names... but it seems the campus lot I tend to use seems to be a constant source of confusion for the the many cars it swallows... They have this system see... tickets and whatnot... machines with many slots... I dunno... People clearly seem to have problems with it... It's actually not unusual see a couple cars stuck in the exit on the way in/out... Isn't anyone else concerned about these innocent victims lost in the lot?! (or those stuck with a heinous flat-rate?!). In all seriousness... I think parking lots/structures could be improved immensely... A simple google search will yield countless patents concerning improving their efficiency and accessibility (not to mention safety!). Sketchy!
Well, worry not... A solution does indeed exist... at least for a particular type of gate... Many varieties exist... some magnetic, some proximity... and some... well, much more efficient/fool-proof/or erm... 'heavily surveiled'... So discretion is advised! The gate in the video, as Jason from hackaday.com points out, happens to be a high oscillation/proximity type... As such, effectively anything that can break or attenuate the signal could potentially trigger it... and consequently, the fact that these guys happen to use "metal" objects is somewhat (or completely) moot... Also, as one commenter happened to point out... if this was in fact the magnetic type, the use of an aluminum can would probably not be ideal... being non-magnetic and such... Rather, anything with a magnetic field, such as an mp3 player/laptop/or even *sigh* an iphone (glad he's getting his money's worth out of it...) would be more likely to work with the magnetic variety....

Go save some hapless parking lot prisoners!

Update Ahoy!

2008-08-16T04:22:00.003-04:00

It's been quite some time since I've been able to pay much attention to this little blog... My work has effectively taken over my life... Graduate school has a way of killing just about every other interest, hobby, (ugh... relationship) unlucky enough to cross its path... but I digress...
Either way, it's nice to finally have some time to get some new content up... I'm really excited about a new contributor to the site and I have a few small pieces that are way overdue for posting... One of which is the first original project for the blog, which is also a nice change... So... thanks for checking in now and again... There's much yet to come...
Questions or comments are always welcome!

Fimo kids

2008-05-15T17:28:00.001-04:00

Ok, who doesn't like making things by melting them in the oven?! Shrinkydinks™!(They're totally going to sue me after this...) Do you remember these? Sorta like "Fimo" except it shrinks when heated instead of simply hardening? So many possibilities, particularly since plastics and many different forms of fabrication are becoming much more accessible to DIY types... Can I be honest with you? (for once?) The Shrinkydinks website creeps the shit outta me... They refer to their shrinking plastic technology as "magic" and offer a video (strangely reminiscent of a Mitt Romney campaign ad) that explains how shrinking plastic in the oven with your family can cure the "ills" that affect American society... um... Well, seriously, check it out for yourself... The kids in the video are sorta creepy too, I'm just warning you... You think your rubber stamping is so great, don't you Ariana!

Ok, my point you ask? You can make your own! Help end the fascist tyranny of Shrinkydinks and their oppressive monopoly of shrinking (semi-toxic) plastic! The trick? Number 6 plastic. Its ubiquitously available and (in places such as NY) non-recyclable... This makes the stuff ideal for various craft/DIY projects... It's really versatile stuff and there's really no limit to what you could make with it... Christine from Etsy labs (and Iheartmoustaches) offers a video on making... Plastic moustaches! Personally, I prefer the sharpie and first-finger method... But this is a great little video post that explains how to handle this plastic and how to get started making things out of this stuff... Have fun!

Here's the link by way of Imakethings...

And of course here's the link to the creepy Shrinkydinks video I was talking about... *shudder*...

Sew much love!

2007-12-05T23:39:00.001-05:00

Do you know anyone who makes their own clothes? Or who sews a significant amount? They may use an industrial sewing machine. These things are monsters... seriously, we're talking some serious torque... As a consequence many users complain that they lack sensitive controls... Lady Ada of Adafruit Industries fame has a great write-up over at her blog explaining how to change the pulley to decrease the overall max speed to better harness their killing- I mean sewing power... There's also a really interesting comments section that has some very insightful users offering other less technical tricks such as putting a nerf ball under the foot-pedal to similarly provide more sensitive controls...
You can check out the full article here

Have fun!

Defeat Coinstar's Usury!

2007-12-01T17:56:00.001-05:00

Ok, just one more post today... blogging can such a welcome distraction from things... This one is from a wonderful site called Antiyawn.com... Definitely a blog after my own heart... lots of great articles and very funny through and through... We've covered pop machines, the "claw" game and photocopiers... but how about Coinstar machines? It seems in exchange for taking your change they charge you 9% for services rendered... Consequently, it has been revealed that by selecting the "gift card" option and unplugging the phone cable from machine before the transaction completes... well, just check it out over at Antiyawn.com

That's all for today...
Really!

Soldering and You

2007-12-01T17:09:00.002-05:00

Just a small post today... There's a particularly concise article over at Hackaday introducing the basic elements of soldering. This is the sort of guide that's great for people (like myself) who do not have electrical engineering degrees... but still wish to get into basic electronics as a hobby. Nowadays many sites like Adafruit.com have many awesome kits that are really designed with beginners in mind... Who couldn't think up something to make with Arduino?? Useful articles like these are a great first step...
You can read the article here.
Until next time!

Elevators at your service...

2007-11-30T22:34:00.003-05:00

This is sorta old but it's still worth checking out... Elevator "hacking" as an Engadget.com article observes, is, a rather generous term... way generous... But who wouldn't like to be able to go directly to one's desired floor without having to deal with all the others in between? I've tried this on Otis elevators (the brand that seems to have the highest success rate save for the infamous 1992 model) and indeed, it seems to work... Interestingly, the article at Methodshop.com mentions the phenomenon of "placebo buttons", such as in say, cross-walk buttons that aren't really connected to, well, anything! The phenomenon of "Elevator Hacking" deserves similar scrutiny... Is it a placebo or does it work? You'll just have to try it for yourself...
Pressing the "Door Close" button in conjunction with your desired floor will, it is theorized, put the elevator into a sort of "independent service" mode... bypassing all other floors on the way to yours...

Link courtesy of Methodshop.com

Have fun stormin' the castle!

Humanity 1, Photocopiers 0

2007-11-27T01:09:00.002-05:00

You can find public coin operated photocopiers on any campus or in any public library these days... They're convenient for copying your friend's notes, or a particularly expensive textbook... But they're totally more convenient when they're free... Now, I'm not saying go nuts... but this could come in handy if you find yourself nearly out of change with pages to go...
The hack basically takes advantage of the two-second delay between the coin box and the machine itself. Print your document and then press the coin return button within the two-second window and... well, details can be found at I-Hacked.com. As always, use this information wisely, okay?

Batteries for Everyone!

2007-09-29T00:32:00.000-04:00

Batteries! The ugly side of portable consumer electronics... I usually just use NiMH rechargeables, but you can't really argue with this:
32 AA batteries from a single 6v.

In a similar manner, one can also remove 6 AAAA (yes AAAA) from a single 9v.
Or 8 watch batteries from a 12v.

links courtesy of lifehacker.com

Have a good weekend!

Fun with vending machines

2007-09-27T01:35:00.002-04:00

Ah, vending machines... talk about hackbait... I mean, they're these big colourful machines with (often comically large) buttons... filled with all varieties of immediate consumer gratification... Who'd wanna mess with that, right?!

Anyhow, i'm seeing a whole lot more of these new machines around where I live now... So, if anyone missed this the first time, or has only recently noticed them where they live, here it is again... A warning, though? You're really not going to get anything free with this information...
But still! It sure is neat to mess with 'em and see how they've
evolved...

For the Pepsi fans, instructions can be found at I-hacked.com

Coke machines are covered quite definitively at docdroppers.org

Ok... one more link for today, just to compensate for the disappointment of not actually getting something for free...

How to win at "The Claw Game"

Until next time...

Watch American tv online... without having to move!

2007-09-23T05:14:00.003-04:00

While I’m on the topic of streaming video over the net, it’s worth noting - as I’m sure you have - the huge proliferation of major networks catching on to the idea. Sites like ABC, NBC, CBS and the like, have all taken to making many of their shows available for viewing free of charge (save for advertisements of course). Just think of all those idle and listless office types struck with cubicle l’Ennui! CBS even has a “boss button” that brings up a fake-out email form! zomg!

Outside of the ads, these sites offer video in relatively high quality, in fact NBC and ABC (and probably more by now) even offer select episodes in HD. Wicked!

There’s only one problem…

If you live outside of the USA you’re outta luck as they block (as far as I know) all international connections.

Ass Hats!

Well, how about some help for the international community? All that’s necessary is a working American proxy server. How do we find one? We Google! There are also many sites from all over the world just like Samair.ru that host regularly updated lists of working proxies...

Ok, so you’ve found some proxies… What do you do with them, you ask? You just plug ‘em into your browser! If you’re using Firefox just go to “tools>options” and select the “advanced” properties. Under the advanced properties click the “network” tab and under “connection” click the “settings” button. You should see something like this:

Most home broadband connections are generally set to “Direct connection to the Internet”, but in order to use a temporary proxy, you'll have to select “Manual proxy configuration” and then enter the proxy address in the first box and the port in the smaller one. I recommend going through the relatively minor trouble of hunting down a working anonymous usa proxy on port 80 generally. You’ll probably find a lot of fully functional usa proxies that work on ports like 3128 but these are most often proxies on the CoDeeN network and typically won’t hide enough of your geographical identity to access the major networks’ content.

So!

Find a working anonymous usa proxy (preferably one on port 80)

Plug it into your browser…

Watch your shows!

Oh! And remember to switch back to "Direct connection to the Internet" after you're finished watching...

Have a good weekend,

p.s. I’ve tested this method with NBC, CBS, ABC and... ugh, do I really have to say it? Even the CW... They all work…

There are also other sites which have similar solutions for this issue too, so search around... In fact, the write-up at ghacks.net explains how to automate your proxy searching... Find a method that works for you!

*Update*
3/3/2009

See the 03/02/09 post for an even easier way to stream TV on the Web. Thanks!

DivX-A-Streamin' 2.0

2007-09-18T02:12:00.000-04:00

Just a small update on the DivX streaming discussed last post... For those of you with a modded xbox, you can simplify the process of streaming from Joox.net significantly. You'll have to install the Joox script for xbmc of course (available here)... the current version is 1.2... so it's nascent, but apparently happily stable...

DivX-A-Streamin'

2007-08-09T18:13:00.003-04:00

I suppose this is a reasonable topic for the first post as it's something i've been enjoying quite a bit lately... Streaming video over the net. Yeah yeah, I know what you're thinking, but give me a chance, this is much cooler than you're average flash-based- giant-pixel-fest...

I'm sure nearly everyone out there is familiar with DivX... for those of you who aren't, 'DivX' as we know it is essentially a commercial video codec... but it's one with a really neat and sordid history but i'm feeling the pull of digression so I must stay on point... In the simplest terms DivX allows one to compress a great amount of video data (more data= more quality) into a much smaller file... Think of a DivX file like an .mp3 only for video.

So what's all the fuss? DivX is old news you say?? Indeed! But have you been to Stage6.com? The site functions like any other video streaming site, however the video files are DivX rips. Just make sure you install the DivX browser plug-in to view the content. What's that? Only mildly cool? Ok, I'll make all this reading worth your while... Stage6 is where the all the files are hosted... but Stage6 is not where you want to go to find them.

The site of the day is Joox.net. The first thing you'll notice on Joox is the navigation panel to the right (sorta like Stage6) however you'll notice that on Joox all the content is well organized (very much unlike stage6!).

So there you go, a vastly superior option to streaming crummy flash based web video... There's even HD content! What more could one want in a streaming video site?!

Well... maybe one more thing... there's also a 'download' link next to each video... just make sure you don't download any movies you don't already own, ok?

*Update*
3/3/2009

Sadly, Stage6 is no more! But fear not, many similar sites now exist... Please see the 03/02/09 post about other options for streaming TV on the Web. Thanks!