Gadgets/Hardware

Building a Better World (of Warcraft)

Steve Majewski — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 23:25:49 GMT

Overview

There was a time many years ago that I loved to tether myself to a computer and start ripping it up. As of late, I have limited this activity to the occasional addition / replacement or basic items (hard drive, memory, fan, etc). After over a decade of dealing with pre-built computers, I decided it was time to get my hands dirty and build a rig from scratch.

The itch started after I went looking for 64-bit Windows 7 drivers for a laptop that was a little over a year old. Since the laptop came with 32-bit Windows Vista, it seems the manufacturer <cough>DELL</cough> decided to give up on releasing any drivers at all several months ago. Of course, all of the components in the laptop are proprietary OEM stuff, so I am really at the OEM's mercy for getting drivers unless I rip it up and pull model numbers off components. Then, I flashed back to my pre-OEM computer days; when I knew every component in the machine and had complete control over the upgrading.

Let's face it, retail components have a much longer shelf life. I can still get modern drivers for components I bought years ago. The norm seems to be about 5 years or two OS versions (depending on how much the driver architecture changes). I was getting tired of OEM components with little to no support once the manufacturer felt the product was too old after a year.

The new machines (yes, I built 2) needed to support two roles. The first was as a development workstation. This meant solid support for VPCs and plenty of RAM to keep them running smoothly. The second was for rock solid gaming that would keep me from having to look at specs for at least a year. I did have a budget to keep in mind, so I couldn't just get the top-end components from every category. However, this meant the rig would have some wiggle room future upgrades.

Let's face it, 10+ years is a long time to be out of the BYOPC game. This meant I needed an extensive upgrade of my knowledge to the "newer" standards. Luckily, it's like riding a bicycle; even though the standards have changed the underlying issues are the same (insert tab A into slot A and not slot B...rinse...repeat). Thankfully, setting IRQ/DMA jumpers are a thing of the past. To make things easier, I limited myself choices to items that received high customer ratings on NewEgg. This gave me a starting point from which I could review the validity of the negative reviews and expand to other sources via Google for additional details on the item.

Processor

Intel Core i7-920 Bloomfield 2.66GHz LGA 1366 130W Quad-Core Processor Model BX80601920

Multiple components revolve around the choice of processor, so naturally that is where I started. It was a no-brainer when choosing between dual core or quad core. While a quad core brings very little benefit to games (and in some cases negative impact) they are a HUGE plus to VPC development. Dual core would have made for a cheaper setup and most stuff isn't even leveraging dual core moreorless quad core, but I didn't want slap together a system on outgoing technology.

I have to admit I don't get into the whole Intel vs AMD debate, nor do I really care. I went with Intel because I've pretty much always used Intel and the i7-920 was being touted by many for its ability to handle overclocking very well. It also seems that at current Intel chips are doing better than AMD. That might change in 6 months, but for now the i7 appears to be king.

Motherboard

ASUS P6T LGA 1366 Intel X58 ATX Intel Motherboard

The choice of the i7 lead me to this motherboard. NewEgg reviews coupled with the ASUS reputation for overclocking aided my decision. ASUS boards have a great deal of support across the net, and a majority of overclocking walkthroughs used their BIOS details as the defacto standard.

The P6T has a few model variations, but I went with the basic because other models seemed to add features I didn't need: such as enhanced audio and additional network jacks. The performance enhancing qualities just didn't swing with the system I was trying to build. In retrospect, I probably should have gotten the best possible board, since the board is the most difficult piece to replace (except the case).

I liked that the board supported up to 12GB of RAM across 6 slots. This meant that putting in 6GB now means I could add 6GB in the future if needed without replacing my existing memory. I always hated when upgrading memory that I had to pay for memory I already had in order to add more.

While the triple SLI option was intriguing, I could only afford to build a dual SLI system. Also, the 3rd SLI channel is on an PCIe x4 channel, which is probably fine for a 3rd card but means it would be choked compared to the other 2 cards running on x16 channels. Also, with 3 modern video cards in the machine all the other expansion slots would be blocked. As it stands, my setup now only has 1 extra slot available with 2 video cards installed.

Memory

CORSAIR DOMINATOR 6GB (3 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Triple Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model TR3X6G1600C8D

Almost every forum I visted where someone complained about memory issues there would be someone replying to just buy some Corsair RAM. Couple that with the reviews on NewEgg and I had a brand I felt I could trust. These are by no means the biggest and baddest on the market, but they would suit my needs and 6GB would give me plenty of RAM for VPCs.

Video Cards

EVGA 896-P3-1171-AR GeForce GTX 275 Superclocked Edition 896MB 448-bit DDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Supported Video Card

With video cards it all comes down to ATI vs NVIDIA. I prefer NVIDIA because it is the chipset and software with which I am most familiar. The choice of the 275 came down to various reviews and weighing the pros and cons (cost vs performance). In hindsight I should have saved a little money by getting the standard model rather than the superclocked edition and overclocking them myself.

Sound Card

Creative 70SB088000004 7.1 Channels PCI Express 1x Interface PCI Express Sound Blaster X-Fi Titanium

Like it or not, Creative is the difinitive place to go for sound cards. Many games incorporate EAX effects that are only available on a SoundBlaster card (with some arm wrestling of the OS thanks to ALchemy). I have fond memories of that Christmas my first year of college some some <ahem>15 years</ahem> ago when I exchanged the crappy, battery guzzling Sega Game Gear for a SoundBlaster 16. The X-Fi Titanium was a solid choice as the current forerunner of their catalog. I was intrigued by the Fatal1ty version, but couldn't justify the cost for a name as the performance enhancements were minimal.

Hard Drives

Western Digital Caviar Black WD5001AALS 500GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive

When it comes to hard drives, I go with the best reviewed ones in the size I need. I originally wanted to go with 5-6 drives each (a 2 drive mirror for the system and 3-4 drive stripe for games), but the budget wouldn't allow it. I didn't need the drives to be much larger, since I have a file server at home to hold much of the big stuff. So 500GB was the best bang for my buck at the time. Sadly, since they are merely 7200RPM drives, and thus are the largest bottle-neck in the final assembly according to the Microsoft Rating system.

Optical Drive

LG Black 8X BD-ROM 16X DVD-ROM 40X CD-ROM SATA Internal Combo LG Blu-ray Reader & 16X LightScribe DVD±R DVD Burner

While I wasn't building these machines for video entertainment, I figured I might as well go with a blu-ray drive should I get a hankering to watch a movie. It also gave me the opportunity to feel out the blu-ray drives for when I upgrade my media center PC. Couple that with how cheap this drive is compared to a blu-ray player and I had a winner. I've never had a burner with LightScribe, but then again I don't burn very many CDs/DVDs.

Multi-reader

Rosewill RCR-IM5001 USB2.0 75 in 1 internal Card Reader w/ 3 ports USB2.0 Hub / eSATA port

Being a bit of a gadget freak means I have memory cards of every flavor, so I needed a reader that could do it all (including handle a Memory Stick Duo without the blasted adapter). The eSATA port and 5v power source were a plus for those pesky external drives, because the case has no front-facing eSATA port. The USB is nice, but unneccessary as the case already has 2 front-facing ports.

Power Supply

CORSAIR CMPSU-850HX 850W ATX12V 2.3 / EPS12V 2.91 80 PLUS SILVER Certified Modular Active PFC Power Supply

No build is complete without a solid power supply. The 850HX had great ratings, plenty of power, and the Corsair reputation to back it up. Modular cabling is a must so that I don't have to deal with cheap adapters that add just another point of failure.

Case

Antec Nine Hundred Black Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case

Gaming cases are all about 1 thing...lots and lots of air, and Antec seems to have a pretty good handle on that. The 900 has 4 stock fans and slots for 2 more fans (1 side-blowing and 1 internal attached to back of the hard drive cage) so I wasn't worried about air. I do recommend buying a case from a local retailer, because if things don't fit right you don't want to wait around a week or more for the RMA.

I've got a pretty dusty house (pet dander), but filters do not come stock on this case. However, they do come on the 902. So why did I get the 900? Honestly, it was because I bought the wrong one. In the end I decided not to swap out for the 902 because I was afraid the filters would get clogged way too fast and would just mess up my cleaning schedule (I already have 4 other computers I have to clean on a regular basis).

Had I gone with more than 3 hard drives I would have needed to upgrade to the 1200 (full-tower) case. Only 3 drives fit in this case because the graphics cards block the other drive bays. The internal fan assembly that attaches to the back of drive cage also had to be removed with more than one video card installed.

Cooling Upgrades

Processor

ZALMAN CNPS9900ALED 120mm 2 Ball Low-noise Blue LED CPU Cooler

Stock processor cooling is fine for the average layperson, but I had every intention of overclocking these puppies to eek as much out of them as I could till either they just had to be upgraded or melted themselves (I'm hopping for the former). The Zalman had excellent reviews and just looked slick (yes, presentation counts for something).

Case

Antec 761345-75024-0 120mm Blue LED Case Fan

This is merely the extra fan for the side-panel to blow some air on the toasty graphics cards that were causing the motherboard temps to actually clock higher than the proccessor (who'dve thunk it?). I attached it to the motherboard fan control so it would fluxuate speed based on need.

Monitor

Hannspree HG-281DPB Black 28" 3ms Widescreen HDMI LCD Monitor

I needed a monitor that supported full 1600x1200 resolution, because trying to develop on anything less is just painful and my I didn't want to step back in resolution from my laptop. I looked at the "baby" 24" ones, but when I set eyes on this 28" monster I knew I had to have it on my desk. Now I have to actually turn my head a little when scanning for things.

Additional Components

NETGEAR XAVB1004-100NAS Up to 200Mbps Powerline AV Adapter Kit With Ethernet Switch

My home office is not hard wired to my network. My older systems were using my horrible wireless-g network, which is slow and spotty (especially when the microwave is on). I really didn't want to upgrade to wireless-n, because I am really not fond of wireless. Powerline networking has some a long way, so I figured I'd give this a shot. So far it has worked like a champ.

Replacing My Car Stereo - Phase 1 - Planning

Steve Majewski — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 09:30:42 GMT

Introduction

When I was growing up, I didn't exactly ooze money. So I made due with what I had, which included cramming some house speakers into the back of my car. Despite that, my car was always the one with the trunk (or hatchback) open so everyone could hear the music. Since my misspent youth, I've pretty much accepted the factory installed stereo in all my cars (which are too many to count or shock the general public with). Seeing as how I ooze a bit more money now than I did when I was younger, I decided to start squirreling some away to see just how much damage I could do.

I initially looked into more traditional options, such as replacing the head unit and speakers. But in today's world, the car is venerable playground for dorks such as myself. Though not entirely uncharted as it was several years ago, it still requires a bit of finesse to cram technology into a vehicle. My goal became to add a full fledged (and appropriately named) carputer. The first step in any such installation is planning (more details will come in future installments).

The Screen

The key piece of any carputer is the display screen. The overall expense and installation complexity will vary greatly based on this important decision. Since I'm not entirely handy when it comes to fabrication of parts, I had to try and keep things on the simple side. I have a Jeep Liberty, which has limited space in the dash compared to some other vehicles. Rather than mount a screen to my dash (or something more fancy), I decided to go with a slide out screen that would replace the existing factory stereo. Not the most elegant solution, but definitely the simplest.

There are a number of slide out carputer screens on the market, though not nearly as many as the stand-alone screens. After careful evaluation I decided to go with the Xenarc MDT-X7000 [1]. Unlike many of the other screens, this one includes a built-in amplifier, DVD player, and radio. Since I will be replacing my existing factory stereo, having a built-in amplifier negates my need to purchase and (most importantly) wire up another amp. The DVD player is nice, because it can play DVDs/CDs/etc without the carputer and also mounts as a DVD drive on the carputer. The built-in radio is nice mostly due to the fact that AM/FM tuners for computers have all but vanished in the past few years or cost much more than I feel an AM/FM radio is worth ($150+). Either way I plan to add satellite radio later, so the AM/FM radio is a VERY minor plus.

Front-End Software

Front-end software is a necessity in a carputer. The user interface built into every major operating system is very much dependant on the accuracy of either a mouse or (in the case of a tablet PC) a stylus. This does not go over well when the primary means of control will be a finger from someone attempting to manipulate thousands of pounds of steel and plastic down a road. Front-end software developed for a carputer uses nice big buttons and (for the most part) a minimalist approach to make control easier whilst driving.

There are a handful of front-end options ranging from free to several hundred dollars. The free options, while easier on the bank account, were a bit frustrating and would take more time to configure than I was willing to dedicate to the project. After numerous trials, I eventually decided to go with one of the prepackaged interfaces. Since I knew I would be using a Windows-based operating system, I was left with two primary contenders: Centrafuse [2] and StreetDeck. I eventually chose Centrafuse mostly due to the fact that StreetDeck was pulled off the market for a redesign when I was ready to buy. The options and functionality of both was very similar, so it really came down to availability.

The Carputer

Since I already have a Mac Mini operating as my Media Center PC in my living room, I decided to reuse it as a multi-environment entertainment solution. This not only made more use of a device that spends a majority of the day doing nothing but also saved me the expense of buying/building a whole other computer. However, I did need to make sure I could power the thing in my car. An old fashioned DC-AC converter would work, but is far from an elegant solution that would require me to startup and shutdown the computer on my own.

After some digging I found the Carnetix CNX-P1900 [3], which is a power supply made specifically for carputer installations that can automatically startup and shutdown the computer. The Carnetix guys were nice enough to create the MacPac Power Cable Kit [4], which is (as the name suggests) a power cable specifically designed for the Mac Mini that connects to their line of carputer power supplies. The plus side is, the kit also comes with a splitter that would allow me to keep the functionality of the power button on the Mac as well as control it with the P1900. The power supply also has auxiliary power outputs allowing me to power other devices as needed (mainly an external USB hub).

Internet Connectivity

There are a number of ways to get Internet connectivity into a carputer. Like most options the level of convenience increases with the cost. For my needs I decided to use my HTC Mogul for both phone and Internet. I just couldn't justify installing and paying a monthly fee for a mobile connection when my phone will be there all the same when I'm in the car and Wi-Fi is just not widespread enough to be a viable option. The only limitation I'll have using my mobile phone is I won't be able to simultaneously use the Internet and the phone. A minor inconvenience that is well worth the saving another monthly fee.

GPS Navigation

Centrafuse has built-in GPS navigation software, but it requires a GPS receiver to use it. As a result, I had to add a USB GPS device that was compatible with Centrafuse. I must admit, I did not do a significant amount of research on this, relying solely on the options available on the mp3Car.com Store. At the time, only the BU-353 Weather-proof GPS Receiver [5] was available. Since I did not need mapping features (as they are included in Centrafuse) or any other bells and whistles that tend to increase the cost, I found the BU-353 to be a good value.

Voice Recognition

The last component for consideration was a way to utilize the voice recognition features in Centrafuse. I could hook up virtually any microphone to the Mac Mini (including my Bluetooth headset) but I needed something that could handle the noise level present in most cars while driving. Again, I deferred to the options available to me on mp3Car.com, which were limited to either the moderately priced or the ridiculously expensive. I decided to go with the former, which left me with the Andrea Electronics Superbeam Array Microphone Bundle [6] (there's a mouthful).

Future Mods

Some features I plan to add in the future (in general order of interest):

Better "Aux" Inputs - The fallback input devices when dealing with a carputer are a keyboard and mouse. I'd like to add something compact for use in the car (by passenger or when parked...of course).
Satellite Radio - I'm not a fan of over-the-air radio and the price to integrate it into Centrafuse is cheaper than adding satellite (negating the monthly fee), so why not go that route?
Enhanced Audio - The sound card built-in to the Mac Mini isn't the greatest, so I'd like to replace it with something better.
Backup Camera(s) - To make my life a little easier...I hope
OBD-II Scanner - Allows Centrafuse to read data from the car's computer. More of a dork feature (to me) than anything else.

Links

[1] Xenarc MDT-X7000 (http://www.xenarc.com/product/MDT-X7000.html)
[2] Centrafuse (http://www.fluxmedia.net/)
[3] Carnetix CNX-P1900 (http://www.carnetix.com/CNXP1900.htm)
[4] MacPac Power Cable Kit (http://www.carnetix.com/optional_cables.htm)
[5] BU-353 Weather-proof GPS Receiver (http://store.mp3car.com/BU_353_Weather_proof_GPS_Receiver_p/gps-002.htm)
[6] Andrea Electronics Superbeam Array Microphone Bundle (http://www.andreaelectronics.com/Buy/ProductDesc/superbeam_mic_bundle.htm)

Technorati Tags: Carputer,CarPC,Centrafuse

LiveScribe Pulse

Steve Majewski — Mon, 15 Sep 2008 09:13:02 GMT

I was recently roaming the isles of a Target (something I do when I need to step away from work for awhile to clear my head though the store may vary) when I ran across a display for a fancy electronic pen called the LiveScribe Pulse [1]. I gave it a brief glance, wondering if it was a new model of the Logitech IO pen. I had been interested in the Logitech IO for some time, but there was just something missing that kept me from making that final leap and spending much more than I ever thought possible on a pen. I briefly perused the display then continued on my way.

A short while later I found myself back at the display examining it further. I discovered that this pen not only electronically stored what was written (on special paper, of course) but also could record audio at the same time; effectively linking the audio to what was written. “That’s it!” I said to myself (probably out loud). “That’s what the IO was missing.” I thought back to all the design meetings I’d attended in the past few weeks where someone scribbled an indiscernible diagram on a sheet of paper and sent me away to implement the scribble in code. This pen would give me the ability to synchronize the scribble to a slightly more intelligible conversation that occurred at the same time. I was hooked. I had to have one.

It has been several weeks and I must say I am impressed. The pen does an amazing job capturing my writing and the text recognition that allows me to search anything I’ve written handles my penmanship quite well (though I must admit I focus on writing legibly to make searching easier). The audio quality is surprisingly good, even when using the microphones built into the pen. The pen comes with headphones with microphones built into them that get much better quality, but it can be awkward to carry them around.

The pen also has a few silly software additions to it; like a mode that allows you to draw a piano then actually play it or a mode that translates basic words into another language. I say they’re silly, but what they do is demonstrate the amazing power of the pen that will be unleashed as third party applications (hopefully) start to pop up for it. As much as I would like to contribute, I doubt I’d ever have the energy to care to write an application for the pen.

I am somewhat jealous that I did not have such a pen back in college, and I can see a HUGE potential for such a pen in the classroom. Even when I had a laptop available (which even today can be a problem at some schools due to lack of available power options) this pen wins hands down. It is light, has more than enough power to last through a day of note taking, allows for natural, free flowing note taking, and synchronizes the audio to what is being written. The audio is invaluable in of itself, but that can easily be done with cheaper recorders. However, to have it synchronized with the notes just blows me away.

The only thing the pen is really missing right now is ability for the software on the computer to transform what has been written into actual text (or graphics in the event of a diagram). It already has the text recognition built in which allows the searching of notes, but the graphical text cannot be transformed into something that can be pasted into a document. It is possible to capture the entire page as an image, but I would prefer to select an area to either transform into text of copy as an image. I suspect it is only a matter of time before the feature is added.

So if you’re a student or someone who really relies on notes and could benefit from synchronized audio then this pen is for you. It’s not entirely cheap, but well worth the investment. A student may really benefit from the higher capacity 2GB version, but a business professional can probably get by with the 1GB version (thus saving $50 at current prices).

[1] http://www.livescribe.com/

Technorati Tags: LiveScribe,Digital Pen,Smart Pen

TiVo HD For You and Me

Steve Majewski — Sat, 18 Aug 2007 11:09:32 GMT

After over a year of taunting us with the insanely priced TiVo HD the price has finally dropped to $300, which is well within an average tech geek's budget. I've been avoiding getting Comcast's HD DVR because I knew TiVo would find a way to get the price down and I've heard nothing but bad things about the Comcast HD DVR.

So after working with the my new TiVo for a couple of weeks, here's my assessment:

The Good

CableCARD support, good. Dual CableCARD support, AWESOME. TiVo managed to keep the dual tuner in the lower priced HD unit. In a way, this replaces two of my old TiVos. I already had a CableCARD in my TV, so I moved it to the TiVo with no issues. I had to get a Comcast technical out to my house to install the second card (I have no idea why), so it's nice they put the ports on the front of the device.

This may sound like a negative, but I'll explain. This cheaper TiVo has less storage space, in the realm of 20 hours of HD content, 180 hours of SD content. However, TiVo conveniently added an eSATA port to the back. This means I can easily add on more storage if the 20 hours is not enough for me. While the TiVo doc labels the port for "future use", it turns out it can be easily activated with current systems. Read more.

The CableCARD support really sums it all up. Everything else is pretty much the same (see below for a bad difference). I can now tune all my digital channels without a separate cable box and I finally get to watch my favorite shows the way they were meant to be seen when I am unavailable to watch them when they air.

The Bad

There is a short coming to the dual tuner. When I schedule shows to start early and run late (usually a 1 or 2 minute buffer) the TiVo will bounce between the tuners if it is recording back to back shows. This is desired if the shows are on separate channels, however not if both shows are on the same channel. It ends up interrupting me if I'm watching something else at the time. My only option is not to record the showing. I would like to also have an option to force it to record and clip on the other tuner.

My understanding is there's a legal debate going on with the CableCARD people. As a result, video transfer capability has been disabled on all Series 3 units. I can still access most of my Galleon features, but I cannot transfer shows between my TiVos. I can understand CableCARD's desire to protect content, but I would like to at least be able to transfer shows from my other two legacy TiVos to the new one. Keep outgoing transfers disabled but give me incoming transfers!

UPDATE: 11/7/2007

This option has finally been enabled! I can now move my recordings (standard def at least) between TiVos. Also, for $25 I can upgrade my TiVo Desktop to a version that will transcode the videos for use on portable devices. I haven't decided if I need this upgrade yet.

The Ugly

Well, none really. Like I said, this device is pretty much the same as my Series 2 boxes with dual-tuner and HD support added on. Performance-wise, it is no different. I suspect video transfers will not be disabled forever, so I'll patiently wait.

Technorati tags: TiVo

LCD Life

Steve Majewski — Thu, 05 Oct 2006 21:59:39 GMT

I finished my first little app for my G15, LCD Life. It’s your standard life simulator, where you control the criteria by which life will survive or perish. My goal was to learn the ins and outs of the keyboard. The end result was a bit more over the top.

I’m not going to bother discussing how it works, because it’s pretty straight forward. If nothing more, it makes for an interesting screen saver.

Soft Keys

Decrease speed
Increase speed
Start
Stop

Download

I'm too lazy to create an installation package for this thing, so please note that it requires .NET 1.1 Framework (naturally). I am in no way responsible if it gets loose and eats your keyboard.

New Toys

Steve Majewski — Tue, 03 Oct 2006 21:17:25 GMT

THE STORY

After a rather long gadget dry spell, I finally picked up some new toys last night. I ended up spending a little more than I planned, but for good reason…it wasn’t really my money. You see, each year my company allocates money to all employees to be used to purchase gadgets or to assist in the hectic lifestyle of traveling consultants. Therefore, I don’t feel as bad when I spend a ludicrous amount of money on gadgets.

Anyhoo, I went out to help my wife look for a keyboard and mouse to use at work, since developing on a laptop can get old really quick. As consultants, we sometimes have to supply our own equipment. The company gives us laptops, but the rest of the stuff is up to us. I decided I was getting tired of my flexible keyboard and travel mouse. Don’t get me wrong. They’re great for travel, but for constant use they are annoying.

As I perused the endless array of options at my local CompUSA (I know, I can usually get stuff cheaper online, but sometimes I’m willing to pay the lazy tax), I found myself drawn to Logitech’s top of the line models for both keyboard and mouse. This basically means I was attracted to the most expensive keyboard and mouse in the place.

THE KEYBOARD

The keyboard I chose is the Logitech G15. This keyboard is designed for and marketed to gamers. However, upon closer inspection what I found was a keyboard with 18 additional, programmable keys broken into 3 banks. In other words, this keyboard has 54 additional keys that can do virtually anything when you touch them. Plus, the banks dynamically switch out based on the focused application, so I really get 54 additional macro keys for any application. For development, this is beyond awesome.

I’ve been playing with if for about a day now, and it’s a nice keyboard. The keys are backlit and the LCD display adds a whole new realm of information. There’s even an SDK for people who want to write their own apps for it, like a Virtual Pet (see the listing for Buggy). This is without a doubt a total nerd keyboard, so I like it.

I’m also fond of the two extra USB ports on the keyboard. The keyboard is not wireless, because gamers don’t dig that sort of thing. Having the keyboard give me back the USB port it used as well as another one is very nice. The last thing I wanted to do was a USB hub to my desk.

So far the keyboard is impressive. I’m looking forward to playing around with the SDK and writing some worthwhile (and worthless) utilities to run on it.

THE MOUSE

I chose the Logitech MX Revolution for my mouse. It’s touted at “the world’s most advanced mouse,” and I’d have to agree. It doesn’t have a bunch more buttons, but it does have a nice feel and free spinning scroll wheel. In fact, the scroll wheel clicks until it detects a large amount of scrolling, at which point it releases and goes into free spin mode (Logitech calls it SmartShift technology). Like the keyboard, virtually all behavior is customizable on a per application basis.

They also added a thumb toggle that lets you either zoom or switch programs. I would’ve preferred this to be completely customizable like the other buttons. It has a rubberized feel to it that actually makes it a little slippery. Also, the rocker action versus push action can get a bit challenging. I may end up using it for zoom instead of application switching.

It has a rechargeable battery that, according to the admin page, lasts about two weeks. I like that is actually has a display on the mouse telling you how much battery life is remaining. It comes with a completely separate charging dock (w00t), so it doesn’t have to be connected to a USB port to charge.

I would’ve preferred it to be Bluetooth instead or RF, but the wireless USB fob that comes with it is very small and doesn’t get in the way. It’s about the size of a stick of Dentyne, so I hope I don’t find this thing in my mouth someday.

Like every other super mouse, it uses a laser instead of an optical. This is my first laser mouse, so I don’t really have a basis for comparison. So far it’s better than my old optical mouse on my work desk, which is something.

I Hate Concept Cars

Stephen Majewski — Tue, 01 Aug 2006 22:39:00 GMT

I'm not a car buff, but occasionally a car comes along that catches my eye. The Jeep Hurricane is such a car. Of course it's a concept car, so only the most boring aspects of this otherwise amazing machine will ever see the light of day in a showroom.

Where are the 5.1 Wireless Headphones for Consoles?

Stephen Majewski — Fri, 28 Jul 2006 16:05:00 GMT

I was recently sent a link for the Tritton Audio Xtreme 360 (AX360) headphones, and they got me to thinking about a headphone option for my XBOX 360 when I'm playing late at night. The AX360 has an impressive set up including a built-in decoder and volume controls for each channel, but I still have issues with them.

First off, the XBOX 360 has the option for wireless controllers. Therefore, headsets should have wireless options too. I realize some people may not like the idea of wireless headphones, which is why I think wireless should be an option. I like the idea of doing as much as I can over wireless and avoid stringing wires across the floor. These particular headphones don't even tell you how long the wires are (I see no mention on the page and the technical spec PDF brings up the specs for a NAS device and not the headphones), so I don't even know if I'd need an extension to use them.

I was digging around on the site for the Turtle Beach Ear Force X2, which are wireless headphones for the XBOX, and found this blurb:

The X2 deliver an amazing stereo experience. Is 5.1 surround possible?
In the future, a 5.1 version of the X2 will be both technically feasible and economical. Until then, the X2 give a more immersive gaming experience than anything else available. Especially when you want to play late at night, or are playing Xbox Live and have to turn down your speakers so that other players don’t hear them through your communicator – the X2 are the only choice. Ever wonder why PC 5.1 speakers cost $60 and Xbox speakers cost $400? The difference in price is due to the cost of the Dolby decoding. Adding this to headphones would make the cost prohibitive. Even if price were no object, multi-channel wireless technology is just not mature enough yet to provide a marketable product.

I guess that puts me in my place, though I don't know enough about multi-channel wireless to comment on the validity of the last statement.

Second, there is no mention of whether or not the base controller has a pass through option. The base unit for these headphones directly connects to the console, which makes me think I have to disconnect my receiver. Do I have to dig around behind my console every time I want to switch the audio or am I expected to always use the headphones? Since headphones are a secondary peripheral, I think they should have a switch on them to route the audio where I need it to go. If this device has such a feature then Tritton doing a poor job of advertising it, which leads me to believe it's an all or nothing deal.

In the end, I'll just have to be patient and wait for the technology to catch up with my desire and wallet (or just get used to stringing cables across my floor). Since the AX360 isn't out yet, I haven't been able to find any estimation on how much it will cost. It has a built-in decoder, which, as Turtle Beach stated, tends to make the price skyrocket.

I Love Robots - My Roomba Discovery

Stephen Majewski — Mon, 03 Apr 2006 21:58:00 GMT

As an owner of two cats and a dog, I can tell you that keeping up with the pets can be a pain. To make matters worse, both my wife and I have allergies. Vacuuming once a week was just not working out for us, not to mention the time consuming task of taking the vacuum apart to clean the bristles. Enter the Roomba Discovery from iRobot.

For those of you not in the know, a Roomba is a little robotic vacuum cleaner that roams about the room sucking up dirt, cables, and whatever else gets in its way. It can be limited to specific areas using virtual walls, which are basically infrared beams that it will not cross.

We’ve had the little guy for about two months now, and I must say it was worth it. My wife isn’t fond of my electronic buddy, but I love being able to set him down, press a couple of buttons, and send him on his dirt cleansing way. I was even able to program its infrared remote capabilities into my Logitech Harmony.

Try not to forget that this little robot is not an ultra-intelligent, sentient life-form with aspirations of global domination and the enslavement of all mankind. It does need a little help. You have to treat it like a vacuum cleaner; picking up things that can upset the little guy. I also shoot one of the virtual walls under my couch to keep it out of there, since I have electrical cables running under it.

Due to its small size, it doesn’t have the suction power (aka suckiness) of a grow’d up vacuum cleaner. However, it is much more convenient when it comes to day to day cleanings. Also, it’s about a million times easier to clean in comparison to the big vacuum. When it comes to hardwood, it’s better to set the Roomba down and leave than to run around with a Swiffer.

The price tag is not one to be taken lightly. It runs about as much as a quality full-sized vacuum, but is nowhere near as powerful. You basically end up paying for smarts and the ever popular geek markup (that is the markup placed on a device that is terribly geeky and not mainstream). Plus, you still kinda need a big vac for stairs and the occasional deep sucking.

Overall, it has its pros and cons. Despite the fact that my wife would rather drop kick the thing out the window, I still like having it around (though I think it’s because there isn’t a robot that will do laundry, which is one of her household chores).

One side note, there is a serial interface on the robot. Supposedly, it is possible to write custom programs for it. At last, my desire for a robot army may come true!

Transformers + Star Wars = SWEET!

Stephen Majewski — Thu, 30 Mar 2006 22:13:00 GMT

It seems Hasbro, the distributor for both the Transformers and Star Wars branded toys, has decided to mash the two together into a sweet line of ultra nerdy Star Wars Transformers. Check it out!

Hat tip: X-Entertainment Blog and my wife