Hardware Beyond the Hype
Someone has finally figured out how to get the Sony Playstation EyeToy to work as a webcam, and it seems to be a pretty simple process: download a driver from D-Link, modify it a bit, and plug in the EyeToy to install the driver.
Note: Make sure to read the directions. It’s a simple process, but you need to edit the files differently depending on the seriel number on the EyeToy. Read the forums linked on the mod page to make sure you get it right.
Via Gizmodo
If you haven’t heard, BitTorrent is the new Napster, with the advantage of actually scaling bandwidth for popular downloads automatically (that’s the non-technical explination). The downside is that it’s not anonymous and you are only allowed to download what you are willing to upload. The upside is that it’s fast and easy to use for those familiar with P2P. And to make it even better, now BitTorrent is available in a clever, bite-sized download from BannedMusic. They’ve come up with a system that effectively installs a 3mb version of BitTorrent, and then automatically searches and downloads a particular piece of software (or file). The effect is that visitors to your website get a seemless file download through a distributed network without bothering with searching. More bandwidth, less hassle, less cost. Good resource. Of course BannedMusic and others use this system for linking to music files that may or may not be copyrighted, and it is still an open question whether this sort of linking represents a violation of the DMCA — or if it is whether the DMCA is constitutional. Of course even linking to banned music might be a violation of DMCA, and even mentioning DMCA in the same sentence as BitTorrent could also be, especially if I mention the EFF as well…I should shut up know before I get into trouble.
T-Mobile has just released a new connection manager, which makes connecting to T-Mobile WiFi services both easier and more secure. The software is only available for PCs, not handhelds yet, which is a bit of a disappointment. But hopefull that will be changed shortly.
If you’re worried about losing your PDA, you probably secure it with some sort of password. The problem is that you have to enter that password every time you want to use your PDA, which is a big hassle. But if your PDA is equiped with Bluetooth and you’ve got a BT phone as well, you can get NP Security ($20) and the mere proximity of your phone will serve as the password for your PDA. It’s a great idea that I’d like to see taken to laptops and even the door to my apartment — why memorize passwords or carry keys when an encrypted BT signal could do the work? Of course, the program doesn’t do you any good if you lose your phone and your PDA at the same time…
via ClieSource
Got an email this morning informing me that a class action lawsuit that I didn’t even know existed has been settled, and that as a result I, and anyone else who owned a Palm III, IIIx, IIIc, IIIxe, V or Vx (I owned four of those) may be eligible for some money — up to $200 damn dollars!
But it turns out that it’s not just a matter of whether you owned one of those handhelds. You also must have owned one of a handful of PCs and suffered damage to your motherboard or serial port as a result of electro-static discharge that the suit alleges Palms exacerbated.
So if you’re someone who had serial port trouble with an older PC and your Palm, check out the suit under “read more” and fill out the form.
If you’ve got the Treo 600 — arguably the best cellphone/pda hybrid around — you may find this latest little program useful or fun: Lightwav is a program that allows you to program any old MP3 or Ogg Vorbis audio file as a ringtone, or as a replacement for any system alarm like emai or SMS notification. No more bleeps and blinks, no more bad Midi sounds — real rock and roll. Cost is just $17, which is a lot cheaper than buying a bunch of different ringtones that you arguably already own the rights to.
If you’re still using Internet Explorer, you’re not only more likely to have security issues, you’re missing out on a whole lotta features in the latest release of the free browser Firefox. Formerly called Firebird, the updated web browser from Mozilla offers tabbed browsing,integrated pop-up blocking, improved bookmark management, extension files that can add amazon, google or any number of other search functions to the toolbar, or others that will remove banner ads or spellcheck anything on a page. It is easily the most powerful browser on the planet, and it’s super-speedy, relatively tiny, and very easy to use. Two thumbs up from ST Labs.
Also released in beta 0.5 is a new email client called Thunderbird which offers a great POP/IMAP email interface with tons of features including spam blocking and, get this, the ability to synchronize with Palm handhelds. For everyone who has been chained to Microsoft Outlook or Express as an email client because they need email syncing, Thunderbird now offers a replacement. Free at last! Free at last!
Spampal is a Windows(tm) spam filter that works as a mail proxy, so you can use it with any email client.
I knew this color blind guy once — he wore a pink shirt, and I made light of it, since it was the kind of pink that one can only get by including a red t-shirt in with the whites. I felt terrible when he told me that he didn’t even know he was wearing a pink shirt because he was colorblind.
Well, if you want to know what living like him was like, or you want to tailor your website so it’s not completely unreadable by the colorblind, check out this handy color blindness compatibiltiy chart that lets you pick the color you want to use and then see what it looks like to those with Tritanopy or Deuteranomoly. Incidently, about 10% of all men are color blind in some way.
