Video Games

Xbox 360 Laptop

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What a fitting news item for the 6 year anniversary of my site. Yes, it’s been 6 whole years since the first incarnation of this site limped onto Geocities and shocked the world with a -gasp- portable Atari 2600. Shortly thereafter I was on the Gamespy network, then in 2004 I bought a domain of my own. It’s been a fun ride and now, for your viewing pleasure, I present the Xbox 360 Laptop!


Ben Heckendorn’s Custom Xbox 360 Laptop

I guess I would say I don’t “mod” systems so much as completely rebuild them. This is a perfect example as everything in the Xbox 360 has been taken apart and reassembled, with LCD screen, in laptop form inside a custom case. Here are the specs:

1) Uses a 17″ wide (diagonal) 1280×720 progressive-scan LCD VGA monitor (for HD-level resolutions) Thus you can actually read the text in Dead Rising.

2) Water-cooled with custom-built radiator. Allows for a slimmer main body versus the mammoth heat sinks in a stock 360.

3) Built-in keyboard and Wi-Fi.

4) USB hub allows original number of 3 USB ports for user.

5) All-aluminum case, except for plastic keyboard / ring of light / screen control area.

6) Uses single customized “expanded” power supply brick for both screen and Xbox 360.

7) Breakout ports on back allow hookup to component TV, VGA monitor, sound system (analog or TOSlink) and even crummy composite video.

8) Size: 16.75″ x 10.75″ x 2.8″  Weight: 14 pounds (with water loaded)


A fine “coffee table” game system.

Originally I didn’t think this project would be so tricky but I was quite wrong, it became the most monstrously difficult one since I’ve been into this “portablization” thing. Oh well. At least now I know how to build it.

The laptop playing Dead Rising. Zombies - figured you'd show up.
Zombie killin’ fun!

Click on the links below to read the whole step-by-step story for the creation of this unit (good way to waste a lunch hour) or click “Photos” to simply see, well, more photos of the thing. Enjoy!

Article Links:

XBox 360 Laptop “Making Of” Story

Xbox 360 Laptop Finished Product Photos Page Includes videos and a full-resolution photo pack.

A final note – this was a commissioned job so the unit has already been sold and is thus not for sale. Those interested in persuading me to build another are free to email and ask, but beware of sticker shock. You could always buy my book and become a modder yourself!

Sub-final note to answer some FAQ’s: The unit cost about $1200 to build in materials and CNC machine time. That’s not including labor and design. Also since the software/firmware was not modified it is fine to use on Xbox Live (which I have)

Podcasts

Yet More Podcasts…

Jones was, well, “Jones’n” to do another podcast, so last Friday we not only recorded a new episode of the Benheck.com podcast, but did a whole new one for Jones’ “Fistful of Reviews” movie site. This new podcast stars Jason Jones and Dale Nauertz and they discuss movie stuff. Well, mostly rip on things in movies they’re sick of (movies about characters “beginning”, superhero films) but it’s still pretty funny, especially the part where Dale asks “Why can’t we get a “Rocky Ends” movie???

Each is around an hour in length and yes, in MP3 format this time. Also look for the “Echoes of the Past” documentary trailer, hopefully later this week.

Article Links:

Benheck.com Podcast: Episode 2 (mirror)

Benheck.com Podcast: Episode 2 (local copy)

A Fistful of Reviews Inaugural Podcast #1

…and yet another Sonic Boom podcast, of which I am now an official co-host.

Podcasts

Now – a Benheck.com Podcast!

I woke up this morning and thought “I should do a Benheck.com podcast!” I’ve been on several podcasts before but never really thought about doing my own until now. Seemed like a good idea. So I called up Jason Jones, a friend of mine with whom I’ve had countless discussions about videogames and said “Let’s do a podcast… What time is good for you? 4 PM? OK, I can figure out how to record one by then.”

He came over with his SOCOM Navy Seals USB headset and we just went for it. Topics include:

    1) Next generation gaming graphics (why are they so shiny?)

    2) HD-DVD vs Blu-Ray vs What if they both flop?

    3) and The Nintendo Wii (the dissenting view not often seen online)

It runs about 1 hour (slightly more than the 30 minutes I had hoped) but should be a pretty interesting listen for anyone who keeps up with games and technology. We go mostly from a layman’s perspective, that is, what will the mass market think of Blu-Ray, the Wii, etc. Some profanity, but nothing worse than say a PG-13 movie (no F bombs)

Hope it’s not too boring! Please feel free to email me with any feedback or suggestions for future topics. If people enjoy this we’d probably do bi-weekly shows. I found it to be a fun time. Future shows would be a bit more polished with a snazzy intro and stuff like that.

Article Links:

Server 1 Download (mirror)

Server 2 Download (local copy)

Movies

It’s a Wrap!

Fear not, I have returned safely from our documentary shoot in northern Michigan. Here’s a photo of the intrepid, fearless crew involved with this project…

The Echoes of the Past crew, circa 2006

This is an assortment of different crews, from One Man Down Productions, to the Dead Workers Party and myself and Dale Nauertz from the “Port Washington” team. All in all we got along well and collected quite a bit of interesting footage and interviews. The trailer for this project will be released the same day as my “super portable”, so stay tuned!

Article Links:

http://www.onemandownproductions.com/

http://www.deadworkers.com/

Movies

Ghost Town Documentary “Echoes of the Past”

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This week I am heading out to film our long-planned documentary on a haunted ghost town someplace in the Midwest. We’re calling it “Echoes of the Past”, with a subtitle being the location we’re visiting (name to be released after we’re done filming)

As far as my involvement, I am co-director, director of photography and I also came up with the basic outline for the piece. The shoot runs Thursday through Sunday, editing will take place this fall.

The target is a 1-2 hour documentary filled with interviews, history of the town and a finale involving an all-night stay in the allegedly haunted ruins of the town and nearby graveyard. We’re rolling about 7 cameras for that so we should get good coverage. While not specifically a “ghost hunting” type of thing, we’re bring temperature meters, infrared flashlights and various recording equipment.

Look for a trailer to be released in the weeks following the shoot (second half of August), probably around the same time I finish my long delayed, super-complex “uber-portable”

For more information and podcasts, or if you’re interested in possibly taking a look at or picking up the final product for release, please visit the One Man Down Productions website.

Movies

Port Washington DVD’s

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I am burning and selling a small batch of Port Washington DVD’s. If you liked the film why not donate some money and get a swell boxed copy of your very own? Play it on your big screen TV / home theatre system, not a MP4 compression-o-matic computer version. (Though those are available)

It’s a 2 disc set that contains the movie, 2 audio commentaries, text commentary, behind the scenes, bloopers and outtakes, “making of” special effects deconstruction, storyboard-to-sequence comparisons, pre-production and more! Includes full color case labeling so it’ll look swell in your collection.

For the bargain price of $20 US, including shipping! (to aforementioned US) Wow, you can’t really beat that. Well, you can, perhaps with a big stick, but oh well. Anyway, if interested simply click below – thanks!

Oh yeah. Hook me up with that Port Washington DVD action. Yeah.  

 

Podcasts

I’m in another podcast

Recently I took part in a interview / videogame discussion podcast. You can listen to it here:

Latest Ben Heckendorn Podcast (Notice: Some profanity)

It goes WAY off topic in parts but should be fairly interesting regardless. There’s also some new podcasts from One Man Down Productions coming, in which we discuss the plans for our upcoming documentary and I do impressions of Angie Harmon (yes that’s correct)