Cordless Phone Hack – Interfacing with a PC
For a long time I’ve wanted to be able to interface a cordless phone with my computer. I often do voice calls using Skype and G-Mail, and of course sometimes I’d like to be able to leave my desk. Wireless headsets are of course available, I’ve even purchased a Bluetooth headset, but the range of Bluetooth, and the quality, leave a lot to be desired. However, cordless phones not only have decent sound quality, they also have great range. I had an old GE phone in a box that I hadn’t used in about 2 and a half years, so I took it out and set to work.
Old Band Video
I can’t believe it – has it really been almost 2 months since my last post?! I haven’t been documenting my projects in much detail recently, but I should have some new material soon! (Class project, new pinball machine and more!)
In the meanwhile, check out this video from my band days, finally published with 3 separate angles. Unfortunately, one of the cameras uses a codec my video editing software doesn’t like, so it is a bit jerky, but otherwise it is a great film!
GPS Hacking – Magellan 1424
Modern day GPS devices are essentially miniature computers. Many have a compact version of Windows, called Windows CE, installed, and the GPS software runs over top of it. However, GPS manufacturers often lock out this extra functionality. There are different packages and ways to unlock your GPS, however because there are so many different brands, it isn’t always one-size-fits-all.
I Googled for information on unlocking the Magellan RoadMate 1424 (the GPS I have) but the only information I found was a couple of people who couldn’t do it. Not deterred, I set off and entered the unknown. Read on for my story (spoiler: it ends in success).
Video Blog – Mame Cabinet (last one I swear!)
I know, there have been 4 video blogs in a row… I tried to space them out.
This video has been waited for long enough. You’ve read the intro, followed the build log. Now: see it in action!
Video Blog – Gorgar
Alright, there are a lot of videos recently. I apologize. In this one, I am showing off how Gorgar is now 100% functional!
Video Blog – The Arcade
Since getting the new camera, I’ve been getting around to filming a lot of things I’ve wanted to do in HD. I apologize for the jiggle: I learnt the hard way that image stabilization should always be enabled.
Video blog – Cana-Kit VU Meter
Just got a new HD camcorder (JVC Everio GZ-HM300), and decided to make use of the timelapse feature and play around with some 1080 video (check the video below in HD!)
The kit in the video below is the second of two kits I got for Christmas (see bottom).
Gorgar: We Finally Fixed Him!
If you remember, some of my earliest posts are about Gorgar. My dad picked up this pinball machine for next to nothing, rescuing it from the scrap yard. During this winter break, we moved the machine over to my dad’s house, in order to have more room to work on it. Today, we made a breakthrough: we fixed the biggest issue, and now it is 99% functional (all we need is a solenoid coil to fix the center drop targets.)
Read on for a timeline detailing the work done on this machine since we received it.
Font Gone Missing: Arial
The other day, while helping a friend set up his new computer, I came across a bizarre and irritating problem. I installed Google Chrome, and was on the internet, and noticed that everything was in italics. It was difficult on the eyes. I tried to change some settings in the Page Font menu in Chrome, but to no avail. I found other people had this problem, and after digging in the system’s Fonts folder, I found the issue.
Video blog – Cana-kit Clapper
Last night, I built one of the two kits I received for Christmas!