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Archives: June 2005

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June 29, 2005

Audible does Podcasts - the complete guide (and HOW TO)

Last week while I was at Gnomedex Audible announced that they're supporting the podcast way of delivering some of their content, in other words you can add a url (RSS feed) to a podcasting application and the stuff you buy on Audible will get sent to your computer/music player just like all the free podcasts you subscribe to. The press covered this, but no one ever actually tries all this out, but I do! I like Audible, I've been a customer forever it seems. So here's how it all works, the good, the bad and the how to for some other things...

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Homebrew Atari 5200 Adventure II

Adventure II is a homebrew homage to Warren Robinett's original Atari 2600 game, Adventure. Four years in the making, it will soon be available for the Atari 5200 Supersystem as a 32K cartridge filled with many screens to explore, and will be sold with a deluxe glossy manual and professionally die cut box. Expect four kingdoms, sword and keys, changing hedge mazes, brick-layed castle interiors, a thieving Troll, a powerful Minotaur, three hungry dragons and a few surprises on your quest to return the stolen chalice to the Seashore Kingdom's Castle. Link.

iTunes 4.9 hacking...

Here are a collection of links and resources about iTunes 4.9. A PDF that documents the new XML/RSS tags Apple is using. A tool called "Chapter tools". Chapter Tool allows you to create chapters within a MPEG4 AAC file created with iTunes. Minimally, chapters must include a start time and one other attribute. Optionally, chapters may include pictures or web links that are displayed within the iTunes song artwork pane. An overview of the RSS and how to do one-click.

Play movies on an Atari Lynx

Forget Sony's PSP, and mock Nintendo's Play-Yan, because here's the real hardcore experience for movie fans: a movie played on the Atari Lynx. Sure, right now it only runs at 12fps and lasts about 4 seconds, but the Lynx has never been the bastion of long playtime anyway...[via] Link.

HOW TO Break Google's Video Lock

DVD Jon' Breaks Google Video Lock- Google has released Google Video Viewer, a browser plugin based on VLC. Here’s one of the features they’ve added: msg_Warn( p_access, \"invalid host, only video.google.com is allowed\" ); This “"feature" prevents you from playing videos that are not hosted on Google’s servers. Download and run this patch I wrote to remove this restriction. Running the patch requires a .NET runtime. [via] Link.

HOW TO stop FireFox bug- right click opppression

It's not better with the Butterfly it seems. Update: it's a Firefox thing, stop sending this in :-] Msn.com updated to filter mouse click events such that right-clicking functionality is only provided by IE. Firefox user's attempt to open links in another tab find themselves SOL as a right click attempt simply behaves as a left click thereby proceeding to the Msn site in the current window. This is completely uncalled for. To fix this- go to msn.com, open adblock, block the script http://hp.msn.com/scr/home/msnmoz1021.js, problem solved. Link.

The Shacktopus

Imagine trying to assemble a full suite of communication tools: When you need extreme mobility today...When an emergency severs your ties to home base...When you set off on an expedition or a world cruise...When you decide the night before to operate Field Day...When your life suddenly depends on what you can pack...When you are moving to an RV, boat, or bicycle...When there's no more AC power, no cellular phone, and no Internet...When it's time to grab your stuff and GO! [via] Link.

DIY packaging - The CD Sequencer

The CD Sequencer is an innovative new concept for interactive CD packaging. You can use printed postcards to remix music and store your mixes or share them with friends. Connect...draw...remix uses conductive ink to let you control music using a simple pencil. The object includes cardboard packaging, an enhanced audio CD and a set of printed postcards. Link.

Furniture from FedEx boxes - shipped a C&D?

FedEx Furniture is(was) furniture put together by empty FedEx Boxes, and held together by fedex packaging supplies. All of the furniture seen here is 100% functional. The couch is standing/sleeping approved, I sleep on the bed every night, I eat at the dining table, and I work at the desk almost 20 hours a day. The site is gone, rumor is FedEx sent them a Cease and Desist letter? Previous. Dead site.

Thousands and thousands and thousands of old 45s

This fellow is selling thousands of records he has collected all of his life. I'm 60 years old next month and I've been collecting (hoarding) records since I was a kid. For years I sold records in Goldmine and Discoveries magazines as Steal-A-Record, all the while buying more and more records. When eBay started I began selling records on eBay. But somewhere along the way I switched over to selling comic books (as Steal-A-Comic) and for a few years now I've been wondering what to do with the thousands and thousands and thousands of 45s I'd accumulated. Link.

iPod updates are out...

iPod Updater 2005-06-26 includes new iPod Software 1.2 for iPod with color display, new iPod software 3.1 for iPod with Click Wheel and new iPod software 1.4 for iPod mini. iPod Updater 2005-06-26 contains the same software versions as iPod Updater 2005-03-23 for all other iPod models. Download and install the iPod Updater then connect your iPod shuffle, iPod or iPod mini to your computer. The iPod Updater will automatically determine if an update is required. What’s New in iPod Updater 2005-06-26. Integration with iTunes 4.9 for downloading and listening to podcasts Link.

Flatbed Scanner Digital Telecine (FSDT) Project

This page describes what I call "Flatbed Scanner Digital Telecine" (FSDT), a process I am developing to inexpensively convert movie film to digital movies using ordinary flatbed scanners rather than exotic, expensive telecine converters. This page has mostly to do with the mechanical aspects of the project that acquire the scanned images. My most active efforts lately involve designing an inexpensive PC-controlled servomotor film transport, which is described on my page, Making a Movie Film Transport Mechanism, which is in turn based on my growing CNC machine shop. Link.

ASIMO Humanoid Robot walks your kid across the street

You can get a free DVD of this. Step to safety with ASIMO, the world's most advanced humanoid walking robot! In this educational program, students discover safe and responsible street crossing steps with the help of ASIMO and friends. ASIMO (Advanced Step in Innovative Mobility) uses its amazing human-like capabilities to show a group of young friends how to cross the street safely in various traffic situations. Link.

How To Paint Your Shoes

Paint your shoes and encourage others to paint theirs! The act itself is fun. You can be festive, gleeful, or ritualistic. It's entirely up to you! Painting your shoes is a recognizably friendly act that means you know we are all artists of our own lives and not just passive consumers of commodities manufactured by others. Your painted shoes mean you aren't afraid to be friendly toward strangers Link.

Mini-ITX Weather Radar Display Project for NWS NEXRAD Doppler Radar

This case mod project was something I've been wanting to do for some time, ever since I started using a weather radar program called StormPredator in our radio station KPAY where I'm a meteorologist. The neat thing about the StormPredator program is that it has a "round" interface and looks like a real radar scope. It was just begging for some round display PC hardware to match but who makes round LCD panels or round color cathode ray tubes? By doing a case mod, I've created a "weather radar appliance" that automatically boots and performs a dedicated function - watching for storms. Link.

HOW TO rebuild a Li-Ion battery pack

Another how to on rebuilding battery packs. Did you recently notice poor performance of your notebook Li-Ion battery?. Don't be taken aback, this is happening even to the best battery! Now days Li-Ion batteries are widely used in portable devices due to there excellent energy to weight ratio and for the reason they are not suffering from "memory effect". Link.

How to Modify Electronics

This is kinda cute. Find an older electronic item (toy, gadget, etc.) that makes a sound you like and think you could make even better. For ease try to find something from the late 80's or early 90's that is not too complicated. Also make sure that it can be battery powered when you are trying to modify it. Most importantly, make sure you are not too attached to this item as you may ruin it completely. Link.

Make a Flickr Photographer Badge

This should get me in to most press conferences, or kicked out. Make your own (unofficial) flickr badge. Print it out, laminate it, wear flickr with pride! Show the world how truly photographically geeky you really are! Here's the one I made, when I get back I'll laminate it and throw it in my photo bag. Link.

HOW TO Draw Manga

I've been collecting how tos on Manga- Japanese style Anime (working on a tutorial of my own) Here's a pretty good one- post up others in the comments. HEY KIDS!! Glad you could make it out to class today. I hope I can make your trip worthwhile. Located below are several tutorials that should help you either get started in Anime/Manga styled art or maybe help refine some skills. Manual drawing lessons to the left, Photoshop is to the right. Link.

Rickard's PIC-Tetris

I have made the game Tetris using a PIC16F84 running @ 12MHz. Tetris is an old Russian computer game where you should try to fit in block into a play-field, quite simple but really fun. All blocks are built from four bricks (the name Tetris is derived from the ancient greek word for four: "tetra"), there are seven combinations of the four bricks as seen here to the left. This version is using my PIC Game System as platform, generating a video signal in software. The only hardware used for the video generation is two resistors forming a 2-bit DA converter. Link.

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