The geek in me

TG3 BL82 mod

2011-03-08T10:09:00.003+01:00

In december 2010 I received a used TG3 BL82 compact mechanical keyboard. It was in pretty bad shape but I didn't want to throw it out so I decided to completely renovate it.

The idea was to swap switches for Cherry MX Blue and along the way swap LEDs as well. I got the switches from a fellow geekhack.org member and bought the orange diodes on eBay.

TG3 really has nice and clean soldering. All soldering and desoldering was done at 275C. Since I haven't done anything like this before, it took me almost 7 hours just to desolder the switches and diodes! I estimate that I spent a total of ~14 hours working on the project. Additional time was wasted with desoldering new diodes which turned out not to be bright enough.

The last ingredient was the transparent case I got from Deck thanks to another geekhack member.

You can find more pictures here.

Flea Market Finds #7

2011-02-14T10:52:00.004+01:00

No updates for a while but this doesn't mean I haven't bought anything!

Recent finds:
- Diablo (PC CD-ROM), jewel case
- Diablo II (PC CD-ROM), jewel case
- A502/16; 512kB memory expansion for the Amiga 500
- Nintendo Game & Watch Life Boat w/ box & instructions

Video HowTo: Cherry MX stem&spring swap

2011-02-01T07:35:00.002+01:00

A switch is held together by four latches (two to each side). The video shows how you can pop the switch open in 3 easy steps. I did this with a french Goupil G80-1861 keyboard which originally used MX Black linear switches. A Cherry G80-1000 served as a donor for MX Blue stems and springs.

Goupil G80-1861 stem & spring swap from Bojan Kotur on Vimeo.

The end result:

HTPC Cooling

2011-01-25T12:16:00.002+01:00

I finally got my hands on one Scythe 100x100x12mm slim fan. It turns at roughly 1000rpm and practically cannot be heard. It only moves 15 CFM which means that the PC now gets hotter than before - approximately 60C . This is quite alright as far as I'm concerned so I'll leave it as is (for now).

HTC Touch Diamond 2 problem

2011-01-14T07:46:00.003+01:00

This phone has been nothing but trouble since I got it. The joy of owning a sparkling new phone lasted just about 2 days. My first problem was that from time the time the phone just couldn't be woken up without removing and reinserting the battery. This turned out to be a software problem which I fixed after a while.

My second problem is that the "SMS received" sound sometimes doens't play until I turn on the screen. What's that all about? Probably firmware related...

The third and biggest problem is that the receiver speaker is acting up and I sometimes can't hear a thing. This cold be due to a cold solder joint or it could be a bad speaker. Definitely something I can't solve myself so I'll have the phone repaired. Hope it doesn't last long.

AT5IONT-I fanless? Forget it!

2011-01-01T21:24:00.006+01:00

Last night we watched a full HD movie and were in for an unpleasant surprise. Just when the movie was about to end, the computer turned itself right off. I suspected overheating so I checked the temperature readings in BIOS and they were extremely high (79C)! To solve the problem I temporarily mounted a slim 60mm AMD stock fan above the heatsink. Since it doesn't cover the whole heatsink, a real solution would be getting a slim 100mm fan which I'm going to have to order from the UK.

Conclusion: The board obviously cannot rely solely on passive cooling, at least not in a slim desktop case. You will have to provide for adequate ventilation or face potential problems with overheating.

Project HTPC

2010-12-30T09:24:00.005+01:00

I recently bought a new TV since the old one didn't have a DVB-T receiver. Buying just the receiver was out of the question because that would leave me with an ancient TV and bad picture quality. HDMI was the only way to go so I decided to build a proper HTPC capable of HD video playback.

A year ago I found a really good deal on Travla C137 case. Now I was finally able to put it to good use. Deciding which motherboard to buy took some more research. In the end I decided to go for an ASUS AT5IONT-I since I already had two 1GB DDR3 SO-DIMM sticks lying around and the board had the best CPU/GPU combo. On top of that, I bought a Western Digital Caviar Green 500GB hard drive which fit nicely inside the case. Low power consuption and silent operation make this drive ideal for such projects. Of course a HTPC wouldn't be complete without a remote control! After some fiddling with the drivers I was able to make the old ATi Remote Wonder work and it does the job fine.

The last thing to do was to choose the OS. I was deciding between XBMC and Windows 7. A couple of my co-workers convinced me to try Win7 so I did. All I can say at the moment is "so far so good".

Photo: link

Old Game Boy Newspaper Ad

2010-08-12T08:07:00.003+01:00

Notebook Surgery

2010-06-16T13:54:00.004+01:00

I recently bought a used Toshiba Satellite A210-128 (AMD Turion X2 TL-56) with a busted display panel. The replacement was bought from this eBay store and it turned out great. It took me about an hour and a half to disassemble the laptop, replace the panel and put everything back together (the disassembly instructions can be found here). I wasn't sure, if the new panel would work but all my fears vanished as soon as I pushed the power button and the Toshiba logo showed up on screen.

Note: if you happen to be looking for a solid used notebook, I have one for sale ;)

This just in...

2010-05-07T20:14:00.002+01:00

NIB Lexmark (IBM) Model M Spacer Saver! French layout.

Red Esc, Lavender WASD

2010-05-06T12:37:00.003+01:00

What am I talking about? Why, keycaps of course! Last month I ordered some colored keycaps and here they are: red Escape key and lavender W, A, S, D keys for IBM Model M. What do you think? Pretty nifty, eh? I borrowed the idea from Filco.

Crazy About Keyboards

2010-05-03T21:22:00.002+01:00

Just picked up another IBM Model M this weekend, bringing my keyboard count up to nine. Took me a while to clean but it looks almost like new now. Here's what I have:

- IBM Model M - YU layout, 1993
- IBM Model M - DE layout (Ambra)
- IBM Model M - US layout, 1989
- IBM Model M - YU layout, broken
- IBM Model M - YU layout, 1996
- IBM Terminal Board - YU layout
- Cherry MX1800, DE layout, MX blue
- Cherry G80, YU layout, MX blue
- NeXT Station, non-ADB, YU layout

Nikon F-- Error Mystery Solved

2010-04-21T09:39:00.005+01:00

I recently discovered what's causing that infamous "F--" error. It happened when I grabbed the camera by the lens. The lens actually turned a bit and "F--" popped up immediately. That's when it became apparent to me that I could actually jiggle the lens by a milimeter to one side or the other thus causing an interruption in the lens contact with the body. This in turn causes the "F--" error.

So, don't grab your camera by the lens and if you do get the error, try to realign the lens so that it goes back to normal.

How not to pack things before shipping

2010-04-14T07:12:00.004+01:00

This article is a direct consequence of many horrible packaging jobs I've witnessed in the past years as a buyer on eBay.

Why is it such a big problem for some people to make sure that the contents of the package arrive in the exect same condition as they were shipped? They are either ignorant and believe the packages are handled with care or they are cheap and simply don't give a damn. The latest example is an IBM Model M keyboard I ordered last month. Upon arrival I discovered it wasn't boxed! Instead, it was wrapped in cardboard like you'd wrap a book. Needless to say, the keyboard didn't take this very well. The result was 12 broken rivets and one broken support.

My other experience comes from underpacked PC games. Some people think it's enough to simply use a normal paper envelope and be done with it. Wrong! In 99% cases the boxes arrive damaged, corners crushed and similar. If you want to package a game properly, at least use a layer of bubble-wrap and on top of that a bubble-wrap envelope. If you really want to do it right, put the game box inside a proper padded cardboard box. Your buyers will appreciate it.

What's up with Gmail?

2010-03-29T11:16:00.002+01:00

Ever since Google presented us with Buzz, Gmail has been nothing but problems. First I had trouble signing into Gtalk then incoming mail began coming in delayed. The delays often last an hour or more and it's really irritating. I was used to getting mails instantly to my Gmail account. Contacting Google didn't result in a reply. Any ideas?

Soldering pt.2

2010-02-02T08:22:00.006+01:00

Here's a little update...

I've successfully replaced all five 3300uF caps on that nForce 4 motherboard and I'm happy to report it now boots fine. I've yet to stress-test it with Prime95 but I'm confident it will do fine.

I also recieved the Blue Cube PS/2 to USB keyboard adapter. It's one of the rare adapters that work properly. The only trouble is that it's so bulky, it blocks the 2nd USB port on my laptop. You're going to have to use a short USB extension cable, if you need the other USB port. My original intention was to hack one of my Model M's so that the adapter was built-in (something like this). I'm not so sure now :)

Soldering!

2009-12-22T14:42:00.002+01:00

I'm in the process of learning to solder and de-solder stuff. My first job was a Gigabyte nForce4 motherboard with some bad caps. I replaced a total of five 3300uF 6.3V capacitors and I must say it wasn't easy. However, I'm confident that with practice it's going to become much much easier. Most of all I had trouble with removing solder from holes and soldering new caps back in. Later on I found a very nice guide on-line which actually recommends using higher temps (350C) and a wider tip. They also recommend using a stainless steel pin to remove solder from holes. I'll give it a try one of these days as there's plenty of work left.

Christmas is early!

2009-12-19T11:37:00.006+01:00

Since a picture is worth a thousand words, here are two pix of my latest tools: Proxxon Ib/E rotary tool and Weller WS81 soldering iron!

Hardware pricing SI vs. DE vs. UK

2009-12-09T09:21:00.005+01:00

Every time I need to buy a new piece of hardware, I do some research to see where I can get the best price. Lately I've been finding out that virtually everything is cheaper abroad, even with the added cost of postage! What the heck? Something is obviously rotten in the state of Denmark or should I say Slovenia. Here are some of the items I bought (or consider buying) recently:

As you can see, the difference is not to be ignored. What I don't understand is where it comes from? All three (UK, DE and SI) are members of the EU so you obviously can't blame it on import taxes. If you ask me, it's either greed or something completely different. If you know the answer, leave a comment :) Cheers!

Prices were taken from the following websites and do not include shipping costs:
http://www.itx-warehouse.co.uk/
http://www.hpm-computer.de/
http://www.voelkner.de/
http://www.agt.si/
http://www.sestavi.si/
http://www.dinokomp.si/
http://www.hte.si/

nanoPC: scrapped

2009-11-26T11:08:00.002+01:00

Unfortunately, the mainboard is toast and I can't get a replacement which takes me back to the drawing board. Since getting a new nano-ITX mainboard would cost me a small fortune, I decided to go back to mini-ITX. The new HTPC will be based on Atom dual core and nVidia Ion chipset which should allow for smooth 1080p playback. Next in line is also a 32" LCD TV. Lets hope it all works out nicely.

nanoPC: follow-up

2009-10-29T17:22:00.001+01:00

The board turned out to be problematic (probably a bad memory slot) so I had to return it. Thankfully it was still under warranty and I'm now waiting for the replacement. I'll keep you posted.

nanoPC: near completion

2009-10-14T14:03:00.004+01:00

As you can see from the pictures, my nanoPC is now assembled. I still need to add a remote control and a fan controller for the CPU fan. I had a lot of problems installing the components because the case is so small. If you're using a SATA hard drive, installation will be more difficult because the SATA connector sticks out more than a flat IDE cable connector. Forget the angled connectors as there is not enough space between the bottom of the case and the hard drive so it simply won't fit. I believe the same goes for round IDE cables.

The biggest problem of all was the supplied ATX cable which comes with a full-size 20-pin ATX connector. Why they don't supply you with this cable is beyond me. It is inexpensive and clearly takes up much less space in the already crowded case. On a side note, I managed to cram an Intel miniPCI wireless card in there. In order to do that, I had to shorten the screws which stick out from the bottom of the case.

As for the OS, I'm going to give Ubuntu 9.04 a try. Hopefully, hardware is well supported. Keep your fingers crossed!

nano-ITX preview

2009-10-12T14:20:00.001+01:00

nano-ITX project

2009-10-08T09:17:00.003+01:00

I now have just about everything I need to start my HTPC project:

+ Via Epia N10000E Nano-ITX
+ 1GB PC2700 Kingston SODIMM
+ Seagate 120GB SATA disk 3.5"
+ Silverstone Lascala LC08 ohišje
+ ATi Remote Wonder remote control

Still need a slim DVD-RW drive, a mini-PCI wireless card and an S-Video cable...

The Price Is Right

2009-09-22T09:48:00.002+01:00

Extreme optimism in action:

Solved: Unable to install chipset drivers

2009-07-21T21:09:00.004+01:00

Download the latest drivers from Intel's website:
- Intel Matrix Storage Manager 32-bit XP Pro
- Intel Chipset Software Installation Utility 32-bit XP Pro

Slipstream the drivers contained within the 'Storage Manager' into the SP3 installation CD using nLite. After Windows installation is complete, you should be able to install Chipset drivers (see above). I believe that the chipset driver provided by Toshiba is either corrupt or incomplete.

After the described procedure, I was able to install the rest of the drivers and finish the installation.

New laptop problems

2009-07-21T08:03:00.003+01:00

Two days ago I successfully slipstreamed SP3 and all the available Toshiba drivers onto a Windows XP installation CD with the help of nLite. Unattended installation went by flawlessly, the problem appeared when I tried to install Intel chipset drivers. No matter what I tried, setup would inevitably get stuck in the middle. I tried downgrading BIOS but that didn't help. While googling for the answer I read that you're supposed to install the drivers in a particular order. Wtf? Well, this means another go at slipstreaming just SP3 & SATA drivers and pray that it works. If it doesn't, I might end up having to use Vista whether I like it or not...

Desktop replacement

2009-07-17T09:32:00.002+01:00

By a sheer stroke of luck I was offered to buy a new but slightly damaged Toshiba Satellite Pro A200-1NB laptop at 50% off of the original price! I intended to spend about the same amount of money on upgrading my existing 4 year old PC to a Core 2 Duo platform. The specs are quite impressive and the only thing missing is a better graphics card. This makes is an excellent desktop replacement which it's going to become as soon as I manage to exorcise Vista Business edition that came pre-installed with the laptop. Mind you, my old Toshiba Portege M100 is now for sale.

Work in progress...

2009-07-09T22:13:00.003+01:00

There's a number of projects I wanted to do in the past few months but never found the time:
- finish the IBM Model M mod
- Apple Newton keyboard adapter for use with HP Jornada 7xx series
- DE9 to PS/2 adapter for a great looking industrial PC keyboard
- install that 4x20 LCD screen I bought months ago
- battery rebuild for my Psion Teklogix Netbook Pro
- update retro-museum.org homepage

Namco TV game

2009-07-06T12:09:00.005+01:00

I recently bought one of those Namco 5-in-1 TV games and boy was I pleasantly surprised. Two games I liked the most are Pac-Man and Dig Dug. I also liked Galaxian which is a pretty interesting variation of Space Invaders. The last two games are Bosconian and Rally-X but I can't say I enjoyed them much. The 'console' is quite well made yet a bit bulky.and can be difficult to hold for long. It's powered by four alkaline batteries and there's no AC adapter plug. Luckily the batteries last a very long time.

Super Nintendo

2009-05-28T13:49:00.002+01:00

Two days ago I was offered a complete Nintendo SNES system with 2 gamepads, 9 games, Game Boy adapter and 4 GBC games for 20€. Of course I went for it! Turns out the system is in full working order and all the games run. I also tested the SNES I bought six months ago - works like a charm. I'm now looking for some SNES games like Donkey Kong Country, Mario Kart, Bomberman, Starwing, etc. Let me know, if you want to sell or trade. I got some Sega Mega Drive and Sega Master System games for trade.

Booting Linux from Compact Flash Pt.1

2009-03-20T08:38:00.004+01:00

My first job was finding suitable hardware. I didn't want to sacrifice any of my existing setups so I decided to build a whole new computer based on Intel's Pentium III chip. The next step was chosing a suitable chipset. Since I wanted a system that would be as quiet as possible, I needed to passively cool the CPU with the help of Zalman CNPS-6000 copper heatsink. My other requirement was having at least 768MB of RAM. I actually had two Slot-1 440BX motherboards lying around and a number of DIMM modules sized 128MB and 256MB. Unfortunately both boards proved to be inadequate. If I went for Soyo 6BA-IV+ I would either have to buy 512MB modules or forget the passive cooling part as Zalman heatsink obstructed two DIMM slots out of four. Finally, after giving it lots of thought, I decided Via Apollo Pro 133T chipset was the way to go.

After several days of searching, I picked up a really cheap setup consisting of an Abit VH6T board, Pentium III 800MHz and three sticks of 512MB ECC RAM. This was to be my new platform.

- End of part 1 -

Trivia: CR2032

2009-03-10T23:35:00.002+01:00

Most of us geeks eventually get to 'meet' this button cell battery that powers the RTC (real-time clock) and CMOS SDRAM. Funny how I only now, after many years of dealing with computers, found out what CR2032 actually stands for. It's very simple: 20 mm diameter, 3.2 mm height!

NBP: Intel PRO/Wireless 2011B

2009-02-16T23:11:00.002+01:00

I recently purchased two Intel PRO/Wireless 2011B PCMCIA cards on eBay and recieved them the other day. Both look as good as new and even came with the manuals and CDs. What's best is that these cards are Plug and Play as far as the Netbook Pro is concerned. They also support 128-bit WEP and have no trouble connecting to an AP with a hidden SSID. I have yet to test them with the Jornada but my guess is it will probably require additional drivers. Compared to the Orinoco Gold, they stick out less and aren't as bulky. Signal strength appears to be about the same.

GPRS Palm Tutorial

2009-02-03T20:05:00.001+01:00

1. First of all, create a new connection and name it. Since you'll be using the phone as a modem, select "Connect to: Modem". Next, select IrDA or Bluetooth and the device (phone) you'll be using for this connection. After you're done, click Details... and move to the next step.

2. Here you have to enter the Init String supplied by your mobile operator. Save by clicking OK twice and move to the final step.

3. Go to "Preferences > Network". All you have to do in this step is click the Preferences tab and create a new connection. Name it, enter the username and password provided by your mobile operator, pick the connection you created in the first step and finally enter the phone number. The example below is for slovene Si.mobil. Provided you did everything right, the Connect button should get you connected.

Netbook Pro tips & tricks

2009-01-30T20:01:00.004+01:00

I recently wanted to install drivers for my Avaya Wifi card through ActiveSync. Infrared was my only option since I don't own the USB sync cable. Normally this shouldn't be a problem but it was in this case! I figured it out in the end. There's an Irda Switch option in the Control Panel . All I needed to do was check the 'Enable Irda Switch transmit data polarity' checkbox and voila, I was able to sync no problem.

Where to?

2009-01-28T10:11:00.003+01:00

Where is this blog headed? Well, at the moment it seems to be sailing into the Handheld PC waters. Palm vote was mine and the one for Retro Computing is probably from Andy :) The poll will be left open until the time runs out (12 days) however the focus of the blog will almost certainly end up on Handheld PC with occasional articles about Palm and possibly Retro Computing.

At this time I'd like to ask you to suggest a new name for the blog. Comments are open.

About Blog Contents

2009-01-14T11:13:00.006+01:00

While I enjoy writing about different things, I'm beginning to feel this blog is missing a common thread. This would probably help attract more readers which is what I'm trying to achieve. I see no point in writing a blog that will only serve itself. I'm currently thinking about covering mostly Handheld PC form-factor devices, Palm OS based devices and peripherals for both. There are also other options and I'll soon be posting a poll about what you'd like to read. Please leave a comment, if you have any suggestions or just want to express your opinion.

Game Review: Alan Probe Amateur Surgeon

2009-01-10T17:32:00.006+01:00

You take on a role of Alan Probe, a pizza delivery boy who dreams of becoming a master surgeon. The story begins with Alan, distracted by his medical magazines, crashing his delivery van into a solitary hobo. The guy then guides you through the whole operation where you have to put his rib cage back together. This part of the game is basically a tutorial and it introduces the tools you'll need in the beginning. The hobo (who turns out to be Dr. Bleed) will also assist you during the largest part of the first chapter, giving you tips about the surgical procedures as you go.

When I first saw the game title it brought back the memories of an old game called Life & Death. Fortunately, Alan Probe: Amateur Surgeon is far from it in terms of complexity. Its cartoonish graphics, black humor and unusual characters quickly suck you in. The first couple of patients are easy enough to operate on. At your disposal there's an array of various improvised surgical instruments such as your trusty pizza cutter, a cigarette lighter, a corkscrew, a car battery and even a chain-saw! You can access the instruments by clicking the icons or by pressing the appropriate number keys, which is much faster and soon becomes neccessary.

As you operate you have to pay attention to your patient's heart-rate and the timer. If the heart-rate drops too low or the time runs out, your patient dies and you have to restart the level. The same happens, if you do the wrong action too many times.

Overall gameplay is great and the game isn't too hard, except for a few patients, but it does become very repetitive over time. You will soon realize that most of the time you have to deal with closing wounds over and over again. This is made more difficult by the fact that sometimes the lighter and gel don't register properly. As a consequence it takes you longer to 'fix' cuts that are close together. On the other hand, most injuries are diverse and wacky enough to keep you interested throughout the game.

Pros:
+ great gameplay
+ cartoonish graphics
+ plenty of levels

Cons:
- sometimes hard to close wounds
- repetitiveness

Rating: 9/10

Link:
http://www.adultswim.com/games/game/index.html?game=surgeon

Christmas Edition:

HPC News

2009-01-05T22:50:00.004+01:00

My Case Logic external hard drive case review was published by HPC:Factor today and you can read it by clicking here.

I recently became interested in forum userbars. Since I didn't want to use an existing userbar, I decided to create my own. There are many tutorials available on-line: here and here for example. You can find the pixel font and the instructions on how to use it here.

Psion Netbook Pro: Follow-Up

2008-11-28T08:40:00.002+01:00

There are various annoying issues with my Netbook Pro:
- unresponsive spacebar
- weakened battery
- crackling while playing mp3s

I managed to fix the spacebar rather quickly by inserting a small piece of thick paper between the rubber dome and the keycap. The second issue is a bit more pressing but since the battery still holds about 3-4 hours (with Ethernet), I can live with that for a while. However, I will be rebuilding the battery, if I decide to keep the Netbook in the long-term. The crackling sound is the biggest problem so far. What happens is that, if you do anything (task switching, scrolling, etc.) during MP3 playback, you'll get lots of crackling noise (like static) in the background. If you leave the computer alone, sound remains clear. Supposedly, there is a bug in later firmwares (400 and newer) and we're currently trying to find the last pre-400 firmware to test this.

Psion Netbook Pro: First Impressions

2008-11-23T21:56:00.003+01:00

I recently recieved the Netbook Pro I ordered from Pulster. Everything was well packed and in excellent condition. So, how does a 5 year old Netbook compare to the modern netbooks? It's about the same size and weight as an ASUS eee PC but the screen is only 800x600. However, having a touch-screen does have its advantages and the keyboard is very comfortable. So far I've only tested a Toshiba Bluetooth SD Card 2 and SMC EZ Connect Ethernet PCMCIA card. Both worked out of the box, no drivers had to be installed. One of the bigger disadvantages of the Netbook is the inability to play video (or so they say). One of these days I'll see, if it can digest 640x480 at 25 fps. You also pretty much need to install Opera for a normal browsing experience. If you disregard the last two annoyances, you get a solid netbook for a fraction of a price and still unbeatable battery life. Who needs a netbook when we have the Netbook?

Logitech G5: First Impressions

2008-11-18T21:41:00.005+01:00

Today I unpacked my brand new Logitech G5 rev.2 gaming mouse. Packaging is as always standard Logitech, no surprises here. The mouse itself looks and feels very much like my old MX510. Compared to the old G5 it now has two thumb buttons, the same as MX510. The texture is a bit rough which is a bit unusual but is quite comfortable. As far as the weight system goes, I think it's a good idea. I'm currently using four 4.5g weights as well as four 1.7g weights and I think that's just about perfect. The only thing I'm not too crazy about is the mouse wheel which feels wobbly and sticky compared to MX510. You also have to be careful to press it in the middle or it won't click at all! I guess this will take some getting used to. Apart from the middle-button issue, I give this mouse thumbs up! :)

Photo: Wikipedia

RedGear v1.0.0 available for purchase

2008-11-12T09:46:00.005+01:00

Alpaxo Software is proud to announce the availability of RedGear v1.0.0, which may be purchased on the following page:

>>> RedGear - Alpaxo Software <<<

RedGear is an upgrade for Windows® CE devices running HPC2000 and CE.NET. It extends the operating system so that newer Windows Mobile software can now run on your HPC2000 & CE .NET device! RedGear™ retains the familiar look and feel of your device while allowing key applications such as Opera Mobile v8.65 to run perfectly. Plus, support for additional popular Windows Mobile applications is continually improving!

RedGear solves problems like:

"Cannot find _____.exe or one of its components."
"_____.exe is not a valid Windows CE application."
Manual modification of files ("hacking")

The following devices have been tested and found working:

HP Jornada 710/720/728
NTT DoCoMo Sigmarion III
Skeye Pad SL
SmartBook G138
Psion Netbook Pro
NEC MobilePro 900/900C (unmodified)

For further information or questions, please don't hesitate to visit the Alpaxo Software Technical Support Forums.

Game Review: In The Doghouse

2008-11-06T12:48:00.008+01:00

In The Doghouse is a simple yet addictive puzzle game by Nitrome. The idea is simple: sort out the pieces of the puzzle so they form a path to the dog's food bowl in the kitchen. You don't move the dog directly but rather move a bone which the dog then follows. To make things more interesting there are additional obstacles in the form of cats, elevators, electric gates etc. I'm currently stuck at level 39 out of 40. Give it a try, I'm sure it won't disappoint you.

Pros:
+ great gameplay
+ cute graphics

Cons:
- repetitive music
- needs more levels (!)

Rating: 9/10

Link: http://www.nitrome.com/games/doghouse/

HPC News

2008-11-05T11:16:00.003+01:00

Yesterday I finally placed an order for a used Psion Teklogix Netbook Pro at Pulster (DE). I just couldn't resist the low price of €150 (plus €15 shipping). The Netbook Pro will hopefully completely replace my Jornada 728 and take care of all my needs on the move. Why? The features just blow you away! It has a significantly bigger touch-screen capable of 800x600@65K, a nice, comfortable keyboard and runs Windows CE .NET 4.2. There's also lots of room for expansion in the form of a 16-bit PCMCIA slot, Compact Flash slot and SDIO slot as well as USB host. In theory the Netbook comes very close to being the perfect HPC.

Radeon 9800 Pro failing..

2008-10-30T09:32:00.002+01:00

It looks like my good ol' PowerColor Radeon 9800 Pro AIW has failed. The funny thing is I originally bought this card because of the TV tuner and the remote. However, to this day both remain unused! My next purchase will for sure be a regular graphics card! I have yet to decide which one to get but I'm considering ATi X1650 Pro, ATi X1950 Pro or ATi HD 3650.

Goodies From The Mailbox

2008-10-14T13:50:00.005+01:00

I returned from my vacation in Portugal on Saturday evening. When I got to my parent's place, all the stuff that I bought on eBay in the past month was already waiting for me. This includes:
- a Socket Bluetooth CF card
- a Newton MessagePad 120 w/ keyboard
- a Colorgraphic Voyager VGA CF card
- an Orinoco Silver 11 Mbps WiFi PCMCIA card

Socket BT card will probably end up being used with the Jornada for the time being. I will also be making the adapter cable so I can use the Newton keyboard with the Jornada. Orinoco Silver is just for backup and the Colorgraphic VGA card will probably stay in storage until I can get my hands on a Psion Netbook Pro.

Blog update

2008-10-02T09:11:00.002+01:00

Added a second sidebar on the left. At the moment there's only one section, 'Reviews & Guides'. I'll also be adding a monthly poll soon. It'd be nice to see how many people visit this blog.

Palm Bluetooth SD Card Review

2008-09-30T23:02:00.015+01:00

Palm BT SD card review

By default the m515 doesn't provide Bluetooth functionality. You need a separate SDIO card from Palm (made by Toshiba) which I'm sure wasn't cheap back in 2002. As you can see from the photo, the card is almost twice the size of a regular SD memory card and as such it sticks out of the SD slot quite a bit. However, for the majority of Palm users this shouldn't be an issue.

Software

Before you can use the BT card you'll need to install software from the included CD which contains the following apps:

BlueBoard (share doodles via BT)
BlueChat (chat via BT)
Bluetooth (BT Wizard)
BT Print 995c
WAP Browser

Usability
In theory you should be able to:

hotsync to your PC/laptop
connect to the Internet using GPRS
send/recieve SMS's
dial phone numbers
print

As it turns out, not everything is so simple for us, Nokia owners. Palm only provides drivers for Nokia 6310i and Nokia 6210 phones while 6310i is the only one with integrated Bluetooth. This means that if you own any other Nokia phone but the 6310i, you won't be able to use any services which require 'Remote SIM Access' via Bluetooth. I must say I'm very disappointed with Palm and their lack of support in the form of new drivers.

NOTE: I was able to use the SMS app with my Nokia 6021 but only via IrDA and using the Nokia 6210 driver.

Palm BT and GPRS

Setting up a GPRS connection isn't very hard and works fine even on my Nokia 6021 as long as I set it up as a modem, not a phone. Trying to set it up as a phone ends in failure. A guide on setting up the GPRS connection will follow shortly.

Conclusion

The Palm BT SD card is not a bad product but leaves much to be desired. The biggest two questions for me are why aren't there new drivers for Nokia phones and why doesn't the card work with Palm OS 5.x?

Pros:
+ simple installation
+ hotsync wirelessly
+ Internet access through GPRS

Cons:
- sticks out of the PDA
- lack of GSM drivers
- doesn't work with OS 5.x

GPRS Madness

2008-09-30T07:57:00.009+01:00

Palm m515
My first goal was to establish a GPRS connection via Bluetooth using Nokia 6021 and Palm m515. This took longer than expected since it took me ages to figure out what I was doing wrong while the solution was obvious. Every time I tried to establish a connection to the phone, the phone kept asking me whether I wanted to allow remote SIM access. I should have known this wasn't right the first time I saw the message! After browsing through dozens of websites it finally dawned on me. The m515 was trying to access the SIM card! Unfortunately Palm hasn't made drivers for 6021 so you can't send/recieve SMS or dial via Bluetooth. You can however use GPRS. All I had to do was choose 'Modem' instead of 'Phone' in the connection properties and add a connection string and it worked! A guide with screenshots is in the making.

HP Jornada 728
Setting up a GPRS connection via IrDA using the above mentioned phone and the Jornada 728 was simple thanks to this step-by-step guide from HP: HP Jornada 720 - Setting up a GPRS Connection.

HPC Battery Test

2008-09-24T20:40:00.004+01:00

Since I'm travelling to Portugal soon and my Jornada 728 is coming with me, I decided to test its battery. I did that by playing an m3u playlist over and over. The result was close to 6 and a half hours of playtime while the screen was off about two thirds of the time. I'm quite happy with the result although the testing method may not be the most accurate one.

Palm m515 review

2008-09-23T10:26:00.004+01:00

After a week's use, here's my impression of the Palm m515.

Appearance
At just 11.38 x 7.70 x 1.27cm this PDA is smaller than my wallet and only weighs 139 grams. As such it's probably still one of the smallest PDAs out there. You can put it in your pocket and after a while forget it's even there. The screen is a 160x160 pixel backlit color display and unsurprisingly seems dim compared to modern PDA devices. However, it's viewable indoors as well as outdoors even with the backlight off.

Software
The Palm m515 comes with Palm OS 4.1 preinstalled which includes all those nifty apps like To-Do List, Calendar, Memos, Address Book etc. For additional software you'll have to search the Net. I suggest you try http://freewarepalm.com/ for starters. So far I only installed Eudora Internet Suite 2.1 which is freeware and it works great with my GPRS enabled phone. Haven't tried the Eudora browser yet but at 160x160 I don't expect it to be of much use with regular web pages.

Connectivity
As far as connectivity goes the Palm m515 only offers IrDA and USB cradle/cable out of the box. For Windows XP I strongly recommend you install Palm Desktop 4.1 which will help you sync with the PC. You will also need it to install software and drivers. While IrDA is OK for syncing, it's unbelievably slow when it comes to installing applications. It took me about 20 minutes to install EIS and this is simply unacceptable. I believe using the cradle to do this would be a much faster option but I haven't tested it yet.

Peripherals
Thankfully the m515 has an SD/MMC slot which accepts memory cards and Palm BT card. It's unknown to me whether or not you can use the Palm WiFi card with this particular model but my guess is no. At the moment the slot in my unit is occupied by a 32 MB Palm SD card. I also ordered a Palm BT card recently so I can pair it with my phone when I need Internet access and don't want to use IrDA. The Palm Portable Keyboard provides a surprisingly comfortable alternative to Grafiti input especially when you need to write longer texts.

Battery and Conclusion
Considering the fact I bought a used unit, I must say I'm quite happy with the battery. When fully charged it lasts about 3 hours on full brightness. The m515 uses minimum power while switched off and it can be left turned off for days without the fear of losing your data. I usually charge mine once or twice a week, depending on how much I use it.

To make a long story short, I'm very happy with what I've got. Built-in Bluetooth would be great but hey, you can't have it all!

Palm m515

2008-09-16T08:13:00.003+01:00

As my IBM WorkPad C3 recently suffered a complete battery failure and I needed a replacement, I went hunting on eBay. For 37€ I bought a pretty nice Palm m515, a leather case and a wallet, a 32 MB Palm SD card, DataViz Office 6 and a Palm foldable keyboard. All in all not a bad deal and it all seems to work fine.

Video: Hug a Developer Today

2008-09-03T09:18:00.004+01:00

Flea Market Finds #6

2008-09-01T08:34:00.004+01:00

Yesterday I picked up an external ZX Spectrum keyboard and two Game & Watch games (Mario Bros, Donkey Kong II - boxed). It would seem I should have picked up the Spectrum as well because I'm missing two flat cables that go from the edge connector to the mainboard keyboard connectors. It's pointless thinking about it now because the Speccy was sold less than an hour after I bought the keyboard. I will obviously have to produce the cables myself although I have no idea how I'm going to connect them to the mainboard. Soldering the cables directly to the motherboard is out of the question. Tried googling for more info on the keyboard with no success.

Future Projects

2008-08-22T10:43:00.004+01:00

IBM Model M keyboard mod is finished although I'm not quite happy with the result, I now have other things on my mind.

Newton keyboard mini-DIN to DB9 adapter (Jornada, Palm, Revo compatible)
connect an IBM LPFK to a modern PC (already been done by Mike Brutman)
add a 2x20 backlit LCD display to my HP workstation
further improve the Model M mod to make it all fit better

IBM WorkPad C3

2008-08-19T14:18:00.007+01:00

My new toy is an old PDA, IBM WorkPad C3, which is basically just a rebadged Palm Vx. I have yet to find a use for this handheld however, that shouldn't be much of a problem considering there's still plenty of software avaliable for download. If everything else fails, I can use it as an auxiliary LCD display for my PC using PalmOrb.

Pros:
+ excellent display
+ small & lightweight
+ responsive
+ vast software library
+ ~~long battery life~~

Cons:
- only IrDA and serial
- no memory expansion
- unusual backlight

EDIT:
Needs a new battery.

IBM Model M modding

2008-08-05T07:31:00.006+01:00

I recently bought a Model M that was used in a smoking environment. After I washed the keyboard it was obvious that the cable still carries a strong unpleasant odor so I decided to change it with the one from a non-functional Model M. To make it more interesting I decided the cable has to be removable. Since my soldering skills are poor the mod itself will be done by a friend of mine, Sandor.

Part list:
1 x PS/2 cable
1 x female RJ45 PCB connector
1 x male RJ45 cable connector
dremel tool for drilling holes
soldering iron
crimping tool

A tutorial should follow shortly.

The Ultimate Keyboard #2

2008-07-03T11:49:00.004+01:00

Last week I wrote about rubber-dome keyboards, why they're so popular and how it used to be. To an average user it may seem that clicky keyboards are no more but fortunately for us, it isn't so. There's a number of companies that still design and make clicky keyboards, most of which now use Cherry micro switches. So, who's still in the market?

Unicomp - IBM keyboards reborn
CVT - Northgate OmniKey keyboards reborn
iOne - Scorpius M10
Das Keyboard
Deck
Diatec
SteelSeries

As you can see, there's plenty to choose from. The only problem is, most of them are in the > $100 range. If I had to decide for myself, I'd get a Unicomp Customizer 101 or a CVT Avant Prime. Why? Well, based on my experience with the Model M, I'd say that Unicomp gives you the most value for your money ($69 for a Customizer 101) and it's the only maker I know of that still uses buckling spring technology. On the other hand, CVT Avant Prime is also a wonderful keyboard (rebranded Northgate OmniKey) with the possibility of macro programming (stores macros internally in a PROM chip). You can also buy brand new (old stock) IBM Model M's for about the same price as the Customizer from clickykeyboards.com :-)

So, what IS The Ultimate Keyboard? Actually, I have no universal answer to that question. It all depends on your personal needs, taste and financial ability. For me, a used IBM Model M is all I need to be happy. They're still quite easy to come by at the local flea market and only cost a fraction of a brand new keyboard. The only thing better than an IBM Model M is the IBM Space Saver which is basically a Model M minus the NumPad. End.

The Ultimate Keyboard #1

2008-06-26T08:21:00.015+01:00

Today's market is flooded with many different models of rubber-dome¹ keyboards. They come packed with (more or less useless) features such as media buttons, miniature LCD screens, backlights, glow-in-the-dark labels, built-in USB hubs and more. While some of these features have a limited usefulness, they're just bells and whistles² added to make you feel you've been given more for your money (I call them 'geek magnets'). Who cares about the extra features, if typing itself is a joke? For example, I'm using a Logitech Internet 350 keyboard at work and it's disgustingly soft. The weight of a finger alone is sometimes enough to push a key. Shame on you, Logitech!

However, it wasn't always like that. Keyboards like the IBM Model M and Northgate OmniKey used buckling springs or micro switches which allowed for excellent tactile feedback as well as a much longer lifetime. Infact, many of them are still in use today which says a lot about build quality.

As a kid I learned to type on my mother's Peacock XT back in 1985. It had an excellent eighty-four key clicky keyboard and I learned to associate that clicky noise & feel with quality and sturdiness. When I got my first 486 PC about 10 years later, it unfortunately came with a cheap Cherry rubber-dome keyboard. I was stuck on those until late 2006 when I re-discovered IBM Model M. Immediately I went in search of one and in January 2007, Martin of Cyberpipe kindly let me have a fairly recent Model M (1996) that was lying in their storage. Thanks again!

- end of part 1 -

1 The term rubber-dome is used here to describe both, rubber-dome as well as membrane contact keyboards.
2 Nonessential features or enhancements intended especially to add commercial appeal.

Firefox 3 Download Day 2008

2008-06-17T12:12:00.003+01:00

Download Firefox 3 and help set the record for most software downloads in 24 hours. Click here to download!

Computers = a Bottomless Money Pit?

2008-06-16T17:59:00.007+01:00

I've been building PC's ever since I got my first 486 about 15 years ago. That little beast was running an AMD 486DX 40 MHz chip on a VLB motherboard with 4 Megs of RAM and it was all nicely packed in a large AT tower case (mind you, I still have that case). My first real upgrades were a VESA Local Bus EIDE hard drive controller card and a Cirrus Logic 5428 VLB video card. I still remember the performance boost I got out of that HDD controller. It took a bit under 10 seconds to start Windows 3.11 CE and I considered that lightning fast. As years progressed I've owned four other computers which means each got about three years of use in average.

Since I couldn't afford to buy a new PC every year, I upgraded a lot. The reason I did that was gaming and the fact that I liked to fiddle with computer parts. Ofcourse most of the upgrades involved replacing the CPU, adding memory or/and replacing the graphics card. Over the years I spent quite an impressive sum of money on upgrades but I also pretty much maxed out each PC before moving on to the new one. Was it worth it? Well, yes and no. The problem is it never ends. In order to play the latest games, you have to upgrade your PC all the time. Sooner or later you come to the point where you need a whole new computer because the platforms change and the cycle starts over. This is as true today as it was then.

My current system is about 4 years old and as much as I'd like to build a new one, I don't really have to. During the last year or so I virtually stopped playing games effectively eliminating the need to upgrade. I'm still running Windows XP and this hardware allows me to do everything I need at the moment. The fact is, latest hardware (Core Duo etc.) is an absolute overkill for most home and office users who use the PC for web surfing, e-mail, movies and MS Office. It's kind of pointless, isn't it? All those CPU cycles going to waste...

Just in case you were wondering, my current rig is:
ASUS A7N8X-E Deluxe
Athlon XP2400+ Barton Mobile
TwinMOS Twister Pro 2x512MB PC3200 CL2
120GB Seagate Barracuda SATA
ATI All-in-wonder 9800Pro

Flea Market Finds #5

2008-06-06T07:41:00.003+01:00

My last visit to the flea market resulted in two new additions to my ever growing collection: a Nintendo Game Boy (works, cosmetically as new) and another IBM model M keyboard (a bit dirty but functional). Not bad but then again, nothing spectacular. Stay tuned for another episode of Flea Market Finds!

I want one (of each)

2008-05-26T13:55:00.002+01:00

Office Space is one of those movies every working man and woman should see. I've seen it more than once and still haven't grown tired of it. Anyway, up until now, I had no idea Office Space action figures existed. Well, they do and you can buy them for about $18 each! Too bad it's not Christmas yet ;-)

Found at www.actionfigurecollectors.com

Recycle

2008-05-08T08:40:00.002+01:00

Did you know you can use your old breadbin as a serial ANSI terminal? All you need to do is build a small interface cartridge. Looks simple enough ;-) More info here: click.

IBM Model M

2008-04-29T21:21:00.002+01:00

Recently I aquired two used IBM Model M keyboards. Both were dirty but looked OK otherwise. Since I got a week off, I decided to take the time to clean them up. In order to do that I needed to buy a special 5.5mm screwdriver which cost me about 8 Euro. To be honest, that's more than what I paid for both keyboards combined :)

It took me about four hours to clean the keyboards and then it was time to test them. As it turns out, I should have tested them before cleaning because on of the keyboards is only partially functional. Luckily the other one appears to be fine. I'm left with a spare parts keyboard and a bunch of keycaps which are basically useless because all three keyboards are using different font on the keycaps. Interesting but still kind of annoying.

Flea Market Finds #4

2008-04-09T08:30:00.004+01:00

After not seeing any old computer in months at our local flea market, I finally saw one breadbin being sold two weeks ago. Having enough Commodores as it is, I didn't buy it (but somebody else did). I did however buy another IBM Model M keyboard (this one also needs thorough cleaning) with two missing keycaps. It seems that it's nearly impossible to find a Model M with all the keycaps still in place. Anyhow, last Sunday I got lucky as I stumbled upon a boxed Atari 130XE complete with boxed cassette tape drive and a joystick. As I already have one such system, I picked this one up for a friend of mine that also collects old computers.

BBC Micro seminar

2008-03-20T13:14:00.004+01:00

As I'm writing this, a seminar titled "The BBC Micro and its Legacy" is about to begin at the Fellows Library of the Science Museum in London. I stumbled upon the news article while browsing the BBC News website this morning. I'd be happy to attend the seminar, if I knew about it earlier. Sadly, the teleporter hasn't been invented yet so I'll have to sit this one out. The BBC Micro was an excellent machine for its time and still represents an object of desire for many collectors world-wide including me.

Flea Market Finds #3

2008-02-18T08:38:00.005+01:00

Last morning I decided to visit the local flea market. I was hoping to find more pins for my collection as well as Nintendo Game & Watch handheld consoles. In the end, I got a few interesting pins but more importantly, I found another IBM Model M keyboard! It's pig-dirty but nothing some soap and hot water couldn't fix :) It's a newer model with a non-removable cable and a PS/2 connector. For those of you unfamiliar with the Model M, they are one of the finest keyboards ever made. Not only are they a pleasure to type on but they're also virtually indestructible and weight a hefty 2 kilos! I've been using one for the past year and sometimes I miss the Windows key but I wouldn't trade it for a dozen modern Logitech keyboards!

Codename Soyuz

2008-01-15T23:49:00.001+01:00

Back in 2006 I completed my first mini-ITX project using a Via Epia MII10000 motherboard and a HP Apollo workstation case. Now I'm warming up for another similar project which I decided to name Soyuz. It'll be a miniature PC based on a Via Epia NL10000G nano-ITX motherboard. I still don't know what I'm going to use it for when it's finished, but building it is sure going to be fun! For those of you unfamiliar with the mentioned motherboard, it measures only 12x12 cm, features a 1 GHz low-power Eden CPU, one SO-DIMM slot (up to 1GB) and a lot of other goodies. Unfortunately onboard video is still seriously underpowered. The rest should do just fine for Linux or WinXP.

Sony PlayStation Portable

2008-01-14T09:03:00.002+01:00

This post is a few months late but I'm writing it never the less.

After lenghty consideration I bought a PSP at the end of October last year. I bought it mainly to play LocoRoco which I paid 20€ for. Anyhow, it's a fat PSP, original firmware version 2.71, TA-82 motherboard. Turns out I was lucky as you don't need much to downgrade a 2.71 even if it's an infamous TA-82. With any new PSP, your first job will be to downgrade to firmware 1.50. I downgraded mine using TIFF exploit and it took me about half an hour to do it successfully. Afterwards you have to upgrade to a more current firmware which was 3.52 M33 in my case.

Follow these steps:
1. put your PSP to USB Mode
2. run the PSP Upgrader/Downgrader in Windows
3. exit USB Mode and go to the Game - Memory Stick menu
3. run KXploit permanent patcher
4. run 3.52 M33 CREATOR
5. run 3.52 M33 UPDATE
and that's it.

Watch the whole process in this YouTube video:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=kBs8-fQJwtw

Link to PSP Downgrader/Upgrader:
http://community.hackingpsp.com/forums/7965/ShowPost.aspx

Firefox Scam Alert

2007-10-24T11:57:00.000+01:00

A few days ago I got another one of those scam e-mails supposedly sent by eBay. If you're not completely brain-dead, you will notice that the links contained within the e-mail actually do not point to eBay at all. Instead, they take you to a fake website like the one in the screenshot above. If you're silly enough to follow the link and you're using the latest Firefox, it will inform you that there is something fishy about the website. Quite a useful feature, if you ask me!

Icy Box piece of doodoo!

2007-09-20T22:07:00.000+01:00

The sleek looking Icy Box hard drive enclosure I bought in April this year is still giving me shit and I'm just about ready to toss it out the window. The bloody thing works on EVERY other computer but my home desktop and it's driving me nuts. Maybe I should just ask Dan...

Backup your data!

2007-07-27T14:20:00.000+01:00

A couple of days ago I rediscovered the importance of making backups. What happened? Well, I lost at least 20 dive profiles because I never bothered to check how many dive profiles can my dive computer (Uwatec Aladin Prime) actually store. All this time I assumed it was 99 hours but as it turns out it's only 25! Once you reach the limit, the computer gradually overwrites old data. Basically this means only the latest 25-30 dives are being stored at one time.

Luckily I was fiddling with TravelTrakCE last year, trying to get it to work on Jornada 7xx series. Back then I succeeded in transfering 25 dive profiles to the hand-held and then forgot about it. So all was not lost as I was able to recover the logbook and import it in the new one. To tell the truth, I did download the latest dives from the Aladin in May this year. However, because of my initial assumption, I formatted the laptop drive containing the data without making a copy of the logbook first! The result is a nice gap in my logbook, dives missing between September 2006 and May 2007.

It's a good thing I keep an old-fashioned paper logbook as well!

Flea Market Finds #2

2007-07-01T13:29:00.001+01:00

Another flea market, another find. This time it's a Commodore LC5K3 calculator. It came with an original imitation leather sleeve, instruction booklet and warranty card. The calc itself is in excellent cosmetic condition. However, I did have to fix the on/off switch, the latches on the case cover were bent and the battery contacts needed a thorough scrubbing. It now works as good as new!

Total Commander 7.01 released

2007-06-29T09:25:00.000+01:00

A new version of Total Commander, a popular file manager, was released on June 21, 2007, shortly after the release of version 7 final. Total Commander 7.01 is available for download here.

What's new?

Flea Market Finds #1

2007-06-24T20:42:00.000+01:00

I visited the flea market this morning and it's a good thing I did because I stumbled upon a mini version of the popular Competition Pro joystick. If you were into computers in the 80's, you should know what I'm talking about. Anyway, the mini's not very common around here so I must say I'm happy to have found it. It looks brand new and it's also fully functional.

Feast your eyes!

Side-by-side with the 'normal' version.

And in case you've been living in a cave for the past couple of years, there's also a USB version of the legendary Competition Pro. You can read a review here.

Update: Prince of Persia

2007-06-15T12:13:00.000+01:00

As it turns out, you can't assign 'Walk toggle' to a button because it's bound to the analog stick by default. All you have to do is push the stick half-way and behold, you walk instead of run. Good idea actually!

Prince of Persia: The Two Thrones SE

2007-06-13T07:15:00.000+01:00

Just recently I decided to give the "old" Prince a try so I bought it brand new on eBay for under 20€ (local shops sell it for about 40€). I'm talking about Prince of Persia: The Two Thrones Special Edition which also includes both prequels, each on a separate DVD disc. The discs are nicely stacked one atop the other and I find this the best system so far for packing multiple discs in a standard DVD case.

I decided to start at the beginning with The Sands of Time and I must say the game really got my attention right away! The graphics and animation are great even for a game that's almost 4 years old and the Prince is a real acrobat. Some of his stunts strongly remind me of various Jackie Chan movies. At the same time this presented me with an excellent opportunity to test my Logitech Rumblepad 2 gamepad which was sitting on a shelf collecting dust for the past year or so. After the initial confusion and some help from Google, I managed to get my gamepad to work. You basically have to manually assign all commands to the gamepad in the 'Controls' menu by double-clicking each command and then pressing the gamepad button you want to use (a tad annoying but you only have to do it once). The only command I couldn't assign to any of the buttons was 'Walk toggle'. No idea why...

To conclude this post, the game plays great with a gamepad and best of all, you don't need a Core Duo and a GeForce 7900GTO to play it :)

BBC Live Micro - Computer Music (1985)

2007-06-02T19:55:00.000+01:00

An interesting extract from BBC program Micro Live from 1985...

Resolved: Mobile storage solution

2007-04-20T22:49:00.000+01:00

As it turns out, the cause of the problem was overclocking. I set memory timings to SPD and clocked the CPU back to default 1.8 GHz. I'm not sure what exactly is causing the malfunction but I intend to find out in the near future. Anyway, the Icy Box is back in business.

Follow-up: Mobile storage solution

2007-04-19T08:15:00.000+01:00

As it turns out, the Icy Box isn't all that great as one would expect. The thing is, it works fine on my office computer and my laptop. However, it doesn't work with my desktop PC at home. Well, it worked the first time but then it had a seizure and all I got from it afterwards were spooky clicking noises. The disk doesn't get recognized, making it effectively useless (still works on previously mentioned PCs). I'm thinking there could be a problem with the motherboard which is an oldish Asus A7N8X-E Deluxe. On the other hand, the rest of the USB devices I use with this motherboard work flawlessly, which is kind of funny. These include a mouse, a printer, a smart card reader, a flash drive and a webcam. Weird, eh? So I figure there could be a compatibility issue with the Cypress (7C68300A) controller in the Icy Box. If anyone reading this blog knows the solution, please let me know via comments. Thanks.

Modern web design

2007-04-19T06:58:00.000+01:00

Vir: eatliver.com

Mobile storage solution

2007-04-13T10:28:00.000+01:00

My latest toy is a stylish external case Icy Box IB-250U-R used with a Western Digital Scorpio WD800VE 80GB hard drive. The disk drive is reasonably fast, starts-up almost instantly and doesn't make much noise. Infact, I could hardly tell the disk is working by sound alone. What I particularly like about these types of cases (looks and size aside) is that you don't need a power adapter. You do however need two available USB ports since the unit gets power from the second USB port (the HDD wouldn't start-up without it). You also get a practical leather wallet which is great for the case itself but isn't big enough to fit both USB cables as well. Initially I wanted to get a 4GB USB flash drive but I'm glad I didn't because the drive will also be used for system backups. All in all, I'm happy with it for now.

Friendly spam

2007-03-29T14:33:00.000+01:00

Everybody who uses e-mail knows what 'spam' is. It's probably one of the most hated things you'll encounter while using the Internet. I used to get tons of it! Penis enlargement, viagra, prescription drugs, green cards and whatnot and there's nothing much I could do about it except loose my temper occasionally. I remember the times when I used to check e-mails every 5 minutes or so. Whenever the little 'letter' icon appeared in the system tray I went "New mail!" but my excitement was too often squashed under the sense of annoyance after realizing that it's just more spam. Thankfully regular spam seems to be on the decrease. Which brings us to a different breed of spam!

The Internet is accessible to almost everyone these days and whoever has 5 minutes free time is forwarding 'funny' e-mails. Friendly spam is sort of like friendly fire. The sender's intention isn't to upset or annoy you. But the end result is just that, annoyance and possibly anger. Just make it stop! I appreciate a good joke. I also like to see a funny video or browse through a collection of beaufitul photos every now and then. But when these things start coming in by the dozen, they become undigestable and time consuming. I have better things to do, thank you very much.

People please, if you really have to share every little piece of doo-doo you find on the Internet, at least ask approval. That way you will spare the portion of your friends who don't approve of that sort of e-mails. And for those of you who don't like recieving friendly spam but don't say anything about it... tell it how it is (and try to be nice :))!

The hype over Windows Experience Index

2007-03-21T09:03:00.000+01:00

If you don't know what Windows Experience Index (WEI) is, go here. Here is just the first paragraph outlining the idea behind WEI.

The Windows® Experience Index is a new feature built into Windows Vista™. It is designed to help consumers understand how well Windows Vista and the software running on it will perform on a specific PC. The index achieves this by assessing the performance of the PC and assigning a score to it. The higher the score, the better the PC will perform.

In theory this one number should be telling you how well your PC will perform under Vista. To me this sounds just too good to be true. How can a two digit decimal number reflect the overall system performance? Basically, WEI benchmarks your PC in five main areas: processor, memory, graphics, gaming graphics and primary hard drive. The lowest value will become your base score. Here's an example:

Processor:         3.5
Memory (RAM):      2.9
Graphics:          2.3
Gaming graphics:   2.1
Primary hard disk: 3.5

The report is telling me my graphics card is the weakest component. Is it really? Well yes. Does it mean I can't run Vista properly? No. It just means I won't be able to play any recent games. But I already knew that so how does that help me?

Windows Experience Index is supposed to help Joe Average choose the right hardware. However, who's going to explain to Joe that a graphics card with a sub-score of 2.3 would suffice for his web-surfing needs? This clearly demonstrates that the base score on its own can be misleading. If we go back to the graphics card example and presume there's no other "weak" hardware, the base score will also result in 2.3. Explain that to the customer! I can already see the kids whining "Dad, this PC sucks because it only scores [insert number here]!".

Seriously, this reminds me of the days when it matterd how many 3Dmarks you scored. While they may be cool to play with, synthetic benchmarks don't give you a real-world assessment of your system! In my opinion WEI will result only in two things: more bragging teenagers and more hardware being sold unneccessarily. Will it give a better "user experience"? I sincerely doubt it.

Toshiba Portege M100 odyssey

2007-03-15T18:39:00.000+01:00

A couple of weeks ago I bought a used Toshiba Portege M100 laptop for a fairly good price. At first glance it was a perfect laptop for my needs: not too big or heavy, decent CPU, plenty of RAM and good battery life. Infact, it runs Windows XP almost as good as my desktop Athlon XP-M 2400+ (Barton core) system! The only area where this little beast fails is 3D gaming but I didn't buy it with gaming in mind so that's fine by me.

As I was saying, the laptop is great but there's a catch. After a while I noticed strange grey spots on the LCD panel. At some angles they were barely visible while at others you could see them all over! Naturally this bothered me a great deal. Since I couldn't come to an agreement with the guy that sold me the laptop, I went hunting on eBay. Eventually I picked one up for $50 from the States. With postage on top it cost me $80 which is fine considering that the official Toshiba repair shop charges $800 for a brand new panel. However, it was a bit risky since I wasn't sure would it work as the item was sold as untested and "as is".

Well, I got the replacement panel today and immediately went to work. Thanks to Irisvista.com and their disassembly guides, I was able to disassemble the laptop, replace the screen and put it back together again in about half an hour! And guess what? It worked! The replacement screen also has a few spots but these are a minor annoyance and I barely notice them.

I came to the conclusion that this is a common issue with Toshiba Portege M100 series. I say that because this is the 4th screen that I found with the same problem which is a shame considering the fact Portege laptops used to be Toshiba's prestige product line!

Power-saving in the PC world

2007-03-08T13:40:00.000+01:00

In the March issue of Moj Mikro magazine there's an interesting article on electricity saving in your own home. The author does make a few good points however I'm going to try and expand that even further.

The fact is, the supply of electricity is becoming a big issue in the world as our needs appear to be growing continuously. So what is the industry doing? Honestly? Almost nothing! As with cars, the computers have been folllowing the rule "bigger is better" for years. Bigger screens, dual-core processors, monster video cards, multiple oversized hard drives and more. The result is the need for more power! If you could go by with a 300W power supply only 3 years ago, you now need a minimum of 500W to run a high-end PC (or at least that's what the salesmen want you to think). Many manufacturers today even produce 1000W power supplies, a product unimaginable 20 years ago. For comparison, my first Peacock PC had a 125W power supply!

However, that's not the end of it. Nowadays appearances matter too! Computer modding is becoming more and more popular. It used to be the domain of only a few enthusiasts but now the industry is taking over and almost anyone can "mod the box". LED fans, cables, neon tubes and water cooling all cause more demand for electricity. In the end, the consumer is the one who's paying for all this. Is that the price of progress? No, it's the price of commodity and excessive luxury. Think about it. How many people actually need all that? I believe that through popular media and the Internet in general, the industry is doing a very good job of convincing us all about what we need. Just in case you were wondering how much electricity does a computer consume, follow this link.

So what can we do to save power? A lot actually. I'll start by telling you what I do nowadays. I used to be one of those guys that left the computer running all day long mostly because it was convenient not having to boot every time I wanted to use it. Now I turn it off whenever I know I won't be using it for more than an hour. Why should I leave it on, when it's not doing anything? I also turn off the speakers when I don't need them and the same goes for the printer. The fact is electric devices use power when idle. Watt by watt, it all sums up.

P2P users might argue that they need the computer 24/7. That may be the case but does it have to be an Athlon X2 4800+? The solution of the problem lies in mini-ITX, a form factor Via pioneered about 5 years ago but not many people know about it (I will refer to them as Epia boards). Epia motherboards have a small footprint (17cm x 17cm) and most importantly don't use a lot of power. A typical system with 1 stick of RAM, 1 hard drive and an optical drive needs less than 100W! To reduce the power consumption even further you could use a laptop hard drive and throw out the optical drive. This allows for a very compact, quiet and energy efficient system. The C3 processor may not be a synonim for computing power but if all you need is a home-server and p2p client, I can't think of a better solution.

Thanks for reading!

The Intro

2007-03-08T11:20:00.000+01:00

My name is Bojan Kotur and I live in Ljubljana, Slovenia. I'm a software developer and I mostly code in C# which means I do Windows stuff. However, my interest in computers doesn't end there. I'm also an avid collector of old computers (i.e. Commodore, Atari, Sinclair,...) although I did have to reduce the collecting to a bare minimum due to the lack of storage space. In my spare time I like to go scuba diving as well as mountain walking.

It just happens that I started this blog on International Women's Day but it won't have much to do with women. As I'm a self-proclaimed geek and a gadget freak, it will be mostly about computers, gadgets and the stuff I find out along the way. Who knows, maybe it'll do for some fine reading. Come back and see ;)