We’re back with another podcast for your listening pleasure! This time around we discuss self-censorship in the media, specifically the altered Indiana Jones 4 trailers, the death of HD-DVD, how serial TV shows (such as Lost, 24) may be shooting themselves in the foot and finally MP3 player/download services revisited.
Ben’s Hack Pick of the Wii-k
Thanks to everyone who submitted hacks in the past week! I skimmed over them and picked Ryan Culy’s “Wii Controller for Single-Handed Use”:
The basic idea is that you strap the nunchuck to one arm and press the analog stick against your leg to use it. The C and Z buttons are ported out and attached to the side of the main Wii-mote, thus making it the main controller but with nunchuck support. I picked this project because it has a good purpose and I’ve had lots of requests for something similar, and unfortunately haven’t gotten around to doing it myself. So this proves it can be done, way to go Ryan!
Additionaly I am impressed that he assembled the casing out of multiple layers of laser-cut acrylic – which shows patience and devotion – as well as a high tolerance for resin bond and super glue fumes. Check out his full site below (click on “Wii Controller” under “Projects”)
Link: http://rmculy.iweb.bsu.edu/web/Â
I am adding a “Submit Cool Project” link to the right frame of this website – please use it for all future submissions. I shall try and pick one per week, time permitting. Thanks again and happy hacking!
Benheck.com Podcast the 38th
Ha ha we skipped a week and only some of you noticed! The traffic clogged us up last week anyway so pushing back the ‘cast was probably a good idea.
Been a bit busy lately, but we threw together what topics we could and filled the rest with rambling and sawdust. First up is “Great Inventions of the Ages” – including spray cheese and the wheel – and how they’ve helped society. Then, in a shocking turn, I briefly discuss one of my own projects, a rariety in our podcast! Finally we do “The Sandwich List”, which, unlike a bucket list, is about which actresses in Hollywood should seriously consider eating a sandwich. I think this came up because at one point during the rambling one of us mentioned Jennifer “Rocketeer” Connelly and it kind of went from there.
Enjoy, and I hope we’ll have a more polished ‘cast next time.
Submit-A-Hack
While going through and doing some maintenance on my site I had an idea – what if people submitted their own cool hacks to Benheck.com as a way of showing them to the world? This could allow modders and builders of cool things an entry point and exposure they might otherwise not get. Also – since I do not often get around to showing my projects as often as I like – this would help keep the site’s content fresh – perhaps one “featured” project per week.
So let’s give it a try. If you or a friend has a cool project you’d like me to show on this site, email me using this link. I’ll pick my favorite each week and post a short review of it, along with links back to your home page. (Having your own site detailing the project is plus)
Main criteria: Must be something you’ve built or modded, but it won’t be limited to gaming or computers. If you’ve got a hybrid static-electricity-powered car or automatic can crusher/french fry maker it’s all fair game.
Note: Do not use comments to submit ideas – please email them to me using the link above.
Xbox 360 Elite Laptop
Xbox 360 Elite-based laptop. Click here for a larger version.
Well after a long process my new Halo 3-inspired Xbox 360 laptop is complete. It has some new features compared to past units:
- 120 gig Elite hard drive.
- HDMI-to-DVI video connection for digitial picture on the LCD (versus VGA on past mods)
- Uses an Xbox with the new 65nm processor die.
In a departure from my usual design asthetic, this one has a lot of surface detail. Click here for a larger version.
Click here to view the Demonstration Video, large and small.
This unit, like all of them, was done by request and thus already spoken for. I do not plan to build any new Xbox 360 laptops in the near future, since they tend to be quite time consuming and I’d like a bit more variety in my life. That said, for the making-of story click below. Enjoy!
Note: Though I am tired of Xbox 360 laptops I am always up for other design consultation or custom jobs – email me.
Testing a new 65nm Xbox 360 in a laptop configuration
For the last year or so talk of the new, fabled 65nm Xbox 360’s have circulated the interwebs. Now – in this brave year 2008 – I have installed one of these newer 360’s in a laptop-type enviroment, to replace a Zephyr Elite I had been using.
What will Ben find? And at what temperature?
For a temperate-difference breakdown – done in an incredibly scientific manner as usual – see the rest of this article.
Continue reading Testing a new 65nm Xbox 360 in a laptop configuration
Benheck Podcast Episode 37
Yes that’s right, another podcast and no new portable projects. (You’ll have to wait a bit longer to see the Halo 3 edition Xbox 360 laptop, the PS3 portable and whatever else I might be working on)
In this podcast episode we discuss airline travel and why it sucks, videogames we’d like to see sequels to, and movies/movie sequels that were far better than they had any right to be. This is all prefaced of course by our latest intro – “Oblivion: Writer’s Guild Expansion Pack”.
Discuss below!