I spent many an hour and many a quarter on Shinobi back in the day and now I can spend just as much time (but not as much money) playing it on my iPhone.

Sega has just released the great Genesis/Mega Drive classic to the App Store. The controls as great and the game play is responsive, not much more you can ask for really.

You can grab the iPhone version for $2.99 or you can also grab it for the Wii Virtual Console, The Sega Genesis Collection for the PSP & PS2, Sonic’s Ultimate Genesis Collection for the 360 & PS3 or on Steam.

Shinobi III On Your iPhone originally appeared on tech.nocr.at on 2011/01/28. Reproduction of content not allowed without consent.

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As a true gamer you must have already finished the original NES version of Super Mario Bros. You have probably already finished it in a variety of ways like fastest game, collecting all the coins, or killing all the turtles. Why not try beating it in reverse as well.

Much like reading in the western world, the original game was played from left to right. Hacker JJ decided playing Super Mario Bros the traditional was was boring and went about reversing the horizontal deflection coil wires of an old CRT TV which produced a mirror image.

Play the game backwards wasn’t enough, he also swapped the buttons on his NES controller just to get the full experience. I wonder if this is how people play games in the UK

[Link to Backwards Mario]

Super Mario Bros – Backwards originally appeared on tech.nocr.at on 2011/01/23. Reproduction of content not allowed without consent.

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Balmer let the world know during CES that Microsoft would be releasing an SDK for their popular Xbox 360 add-on the Kinect. Sources say that Microsoft may be preparing the release of the SDK sooner than they anticipated, in just a few months. “Sources familiar with the plans” told WinRumors that an official SDK and drivers are being prepped for a beta release “in the coming months,” potentially arriving with an upcoming XNA update dubbed the “Community Technical Preview.”

Ever since the release of the Kinect, hackers have been having a field day with it. Unofficial USB drivers for the Windows environment have already been developed and there are countless hacks out there from X-Ray vision to controlling World of Warcraft.

Now that Microsoft has acknowledged the popularity of the product and will be officially releasing the SDK maybe we might see another revolution in PC gaming, one that could rival the early 90′s.

Official Kinect SDK Coming Soon originally appeared on tech.nocr.at on 2011/01/19. Reproduction of content not allowed without consent.

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Remember the beer shooting fridge we showcased a few weeks ago? Well this one works on the same principle only instead of using an air cannon to send it your way (or in your general direction) it uses a catapult.

The beer catapult robot will pull a cold one from the fridge, load it up in it’s catapult and fling it at you. What is really impressive is all the mechanics behind it. Nice and smooth motion and besides an Arduino which controls it’s movement, it’s all mechanics. Check out the video after the break of it slinging some beer.

[Link to Beer Catapult Robot]

Beer Catapult Robot originally appeared on tech.nocr.at on 2011/01/14. Reproduction of content not allowed without consent.

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If your car doesn’t come with some sort of built in iPhone control then you know your limited to bluetooth or cable hook-up to enjoy the tunes on your phone. If you want to eliminate the need for all those wires then the O Car stereo deck from Oxygen Audio might be something to consider.

The unit turns your iPhone itself into your car stereo by allowing users to control of the stereo functions right from their iPhone; Internet radio stations, GPS navigation, Google maps and pretty much anything your iPhone can play or do. Your iPhone docks right into the head unit and melds right into your car’s dashboard.

For US$349, the O Car has pre-amp outs, 4×55 watts of power, FM/AM presets and supports the iPhone 3G/3GS/4. The price seems a little steep, but if you want to enjoy streaming apps like Pandora and don’t want all of the clutter on your front seat it’s one of you’re only choices.

Oxygen Audio’s iPhone Car Deck originally appeared on tech.nocr.at on 2011/01/11. Reproduction of content not allowed without consent.

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Last week we showed off some video of the yet to be announced PSP Phone (which has been dubbed the Xperia Play). Now we have stumbled on some video of the actual unit in action.

Funny enough the above video shows the unit running an Android app called ROM Buddy PSX, which is a PSOne emulator; which I doubt will be built into the phone. The game play looks real smooth and the controllers seem quite responsive, a definite plus.

Regardless, the more I see this phone in action the more I want one. I would scratch my Android itch and allow me to play my PSP games. Killing two birds with one stone.

PSP Phone Caught On Video originally appeared on tech.nocr.at on 2011/01/10. Reproduction of content not allowed without consent.

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We have showed you in the past how you can build your own MAME arcade cabinet, but if you are lacking space for a monster arcade machine this mini MAME cabinet would be perfect for you.

Modder Ed had an old netbook lying around and decided to slap this together as a Christmas gift for some family members. Using an Asus eeepc 901, some Happ Controls buttons and a joystick, and an iPac 2 Player controller Ed drafted up some plans and started cutting.

The mini cab runs Maximus Arcade which an awesome front-end for multiple game emulators, not just MAME. It makes running a cab a snap; it installs on Windows and does everything for you including auto starting and hiding the Windows interface.

Check out the video of the mini MAME cabinet in action. I don’t have the space for a full size cab in my house with all the kids toys but I defiantly have space for this.

DIY: Mini MAME Cabinet originally appeared on tech.nocr.at on 2011/01/09. Reproduction of content not allowed without consent.

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In our next installment of Distros That Don’t Suck we will be looking at open source HTPC software. Sure you can load up VLC or even use Windows Media player, but having a dedicated solution with a UI that is made for a TV is a lot easier and pleasing. I’ve left the PVR-centric software like MythTV and Freevo off the list since their main purpose is to act as a PVR. I’ll be reviewing open source PVR software by itself at a later date.

XBMC – The Xbox Media Center Project started as homebrew software for the original Xbox gaming system and has since been ported to Linux, Windows, OSX, AppleTV and even as a standalone Linux based LiveCD/LiveUSB image. It offers a clean UI, intuitive interface and can play just about anything you throw at it. It offers a plugin system with a huge repository of community plugins to enhance the experience. It’s real easy to setup and it’s configuration is portable across operating systems. If you have an old Xbox laying around this makes a great HTPC that is powerful and best of all cheap.

MediaPortal – This is a Windows based HTPC software so technically it’s not 100% open source since it requires Windows and doesn’t offer a Linux port. If offers everything you would expect in HTPC software; Video streaming, DVD playback, Internet Radio, Picture Gallery and it’s own plugin system. You will need a compatible TV Tuner card to enjoy PVR features and to watch TV but it’s not needed to run the software. If you are a Windows fan and are looking for an alternate to Windows Media Center this is as close as you can get without the cost.

Element – Element is an open source HTPC system that comes pre-loaded with XBMC and the ability to play back just about any media locally or over the Internet. Element also has it’s own framework for offering add-on modules that allow you to play content from services like Hulu, Cooliris, Boxee, Clicker, Amazon on Demand and Youtube. They have adapted the UI’s of popular open source software like Firefox and Pidgin so that it fits the TV experience better than their native desktop versions. They also offer an Android app that allows you to use your Android phone as a remote control; definitely a neat idea for the times you can’t find the remote anywhere.

GeeXboX – A Gentoo based fully functional media center that can be run from LiveCD, LiveUSB, or be installed on a hard drive. GeeXbox is a very lean distro that doesn’t require a lot of processing power so it’s perfect for older hardware. It uses Enna as it’s primary media center application to play your music, videos or look at your pictures. This is the perfect distro for the no-frills experience when you just want to play your media and aren’t looking for any additional functionality.

Open Source HTPC’s That Don’t Suck originally appeared on tech.nocr.at on 2011/01/06. Reproduction of content not allowed without consent.

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It’s no surprise that the iPad has taken off as a mobile gaming platform. The only downside to all that mobile gaming is the lack of a physical joystick. Virtual on-screen keyboards are okay for certain games but if you are into any type of sports or driving games using the virtual joystick can be a major pain. Ten One Designs aims to change all that with Fling, a tactile game controller for the iPad

You simply stick it onto the screen of your iPad using its removable suction cups, and you end up with a real analog stick. It’s made our of transparent flexible resin so you can see through it, accept when you are using your thumb on it but the same can be said for the virtual joystick.

The unit will run you about $25 and comes with its own microfiber case that can be used to clean the screen. Ten One is accepting pre-orders of the Fling starting January 6th.

[Ten One Desgins' Fling]

Fling iPad Joystick originally appeared on tech.nocr.at on 2011/01/04. Reproduction of content not allowed without consent.

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We talked about a Japanese newspaper reporting on the details of the new PSP Phone last week and now we have stumbled across some nice and clear video of the unit running. YouTube user “xxmajstor” displays this Android powered beatuty. More reason to drop my iPhone and move to the new PlayStation Phone

This video is of the Sony Ericsson ZEUS-Z1 “PlayStation Phone”. The unit looks like it has L and R shoulder buttons and a volume control right in the same location as the PSP-Go. The slide out features some game controls including the reported “touch strip”. If the video wasn’t enough, pay close attention to the presence of a PlayStation controller icon on the screen.

Video Of The Playstation Phone originally appeared on tech.nocr.at on 2011/01/02. Reproduction of content not allowed without consent.

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Sure, you can control modern day video equipment like you Slingbox or satellite receiver via the web, but what if you have some old school gear that can only accept commands via good old fashioned Infa-Red? Instructables hacker nmcclana has put together a small embedded web server that transmits IR signals (Video after the break).

The Web Clicker, as it’s called, uses a Propeller Platform USB and E-Net Module and can play back any recorded IR command via an AJAX web interface. The unit is small, sleek and uses next to no power. You can purchase most of the componets pre-built or you can live on the wild side and download the PCB designs and etch the boards yourself.

This can be used to control anything that accepts and IR signal, not just a TV or DVR. You could add IR modules to just about anything these days so this project would be great for home automation.

[Link to Instructables]

Control Your TV From Your Phone originally appeared on tech.nocr.at on 2011/01/02. Reproduction of content not allowed without consent.

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Following our list of Linux Distros That Don’t Suck, More Linux Distros That Don’t Suck and Even More Distros That Don’t Suck, we are going to start to narrow our lists to a specific role.

In this installment of our “Distros That Don’t Suck” we are featuring routers/firewalls. Sure you can use your default DLink or Linksys hardware router to preform these tasks but why not bring it to the next level with much more control and features like VPN and bridging?

NOTE: The contained list includes projects that are 100% free and open and don’t charge for additional components or functionality. There are plenty of projects that offer a lite or free version of their solution but charge you for more advanced features.

pfSense – pfSense is a FreeBSD based stateful packet filtering firewall with a whole slew of features. Besides your basic NAT/Firewall capabilites, pfSense offers packages that can enhance it’s feature set like a transparent virus proxy for web surfing and Snort for sniffing packets. pfSense also comes with PPTP, IpSec and Open VPN support baked in and support for OpenBSD’s CARP hardware failover which allows you to have two boxes configured as a failover group. I’m been using pfSense for a few years now and love it. It’s an enterprise grade product with an easy consumer interface. Definitely my favorite.

m0n0wall – Another FreeBSD based stateful packet filtering firewall which is what pfSense is based on. It’s pretty much has the same feature set as pfSense with a few minor exceptions. It’s really stable and is one of the older distros in the firewall/router game. m0n0wall will run on pretty low end hardware and offers an embedded option so you can run it on embedded hardware like an ALIX board. A great option if you want something you can set and forget.

IPCop – Originally a fork of the SmoothWall project, IPCop is a Linux based stateful firewall built on the netfilter framework. IPCop offers a simple update mechanism to install updates and offers many addons that add additional functionality like QoS and virus checking. Geared toward the home or SOHO user, IPCop offers a highly configurable firewall/router that can run on almost and hardware you have laying around.

DD-Wrt – If you don’t have a spare computer laying around to power your router/firewall and would like to take advantage of a hardware WLAN you already own then DD-Wrt is right up your alley. A fork of OpenWRT, DD-WRT is a Linux based alternative firmware suitable for a long list of WLAN routers. If your hardware router is supported a simple firmware upgrade to DD-WRT will add a lot of the same functionality to your hardware that most of the distros in this list offer. A great way to mod existing hardware to squeeze every last bit of performance out of the unit. May I suggest the Linksys WRT-54G-L.

Zeroshell – Zeroshell aims to provide an easy to install and maintain Linux based firewall distribution. Zeroshell is powerful enough for an enterprise load but surprisingly easy to configure with complete set of options like VPN, QoS and VLAN support. Based on Linux and available as a LiveCD or Compact Flash image, Zeroshell falls into the “easy and powerful” category. Great for someone who doesn’t want to screw around too much and just wants something that works.

I’m sure I have missed other great projects that offer a firewall or routing. If you know of a distro that should be in our list let us know in the comments.

Open Source Firewall/Routers That Don’t Suck originally appeared on tech.nocr.at on 2010/12/30. Reproduction of content not allowed without consent.

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During the Chaos Communications Conference 27C3, hackers calling themselves failOverflow gave a presentation in which they claim to have the private key used by Sony to authorize code to run on the PS3. This essentially would give full control of PS3 systems without the need of a USB device

The group plans to show off a demo tomorrow at the conference and they say they will explain more about their discovery when their website launches. This hack isn’t designed for piracy but to enable software to be authorized to run on the PS3. Essentially this would open up the homebrew market and allow Linux to run on the PS3 regardless of firmware version.

PS3 Private Key Hacked originally appeared on tech.nocr.at on 2010/12/29. Reproduction of content not allowed without consent.

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By using Bluetooth technology, the UnityRemote box takes orders from your iPhone and transmits those commands via IR to any IR device in view including your TV, cable box or satellite reciever.

The app that you install on your iPhone to control IR devices not only allows you to send single commands but allows you to create macros (called “actions”) that will follow a set of pre-programmed commands to your device. For example, you can set an action to turn on your TV, change it’s input to your Blu-ray, turn on your Blu-ray player and start playing a disc.

Since the iPhone doesn’t come with a built in IR transmitter, this adds more functionality to your already multi-functional device. Reminds me of the old days of IR Commander on my Palm.

The UnityRemote box will you about $100

Turn Your iPhone Into An IR Remote originally appeared on tech.nocr.at on 2010/12/29. Reproduction of content not allowed without consent.

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Do you find that your doorbell system lacks that little bit of luster? Tired of it doing nothing more than ringing when pressed? Hardware hacker Nicholas Skinner felt the same way and decided to do something about it. By using the Synapse RD Engine which is easily scriptable by using Python he took his door bell to the next level. His doorbell now does all these cool things:

• Sense Bell Press – Allowing for triggering of other events on press, such as additional remote ringers in other parts of the house, computer popup notification and possibly cameras / camera display (e.g. via scart triggering on TV) etc in the future.
• Disable Bell Ringer – From either a remote physical switch or PC (for periods when we do not want to be disturbed by doorstep salesmen).
• Ring Bell – Allowing the bell to keep ringing for a certain minimum duration even if the button is just pressed quickly to save missing callers who do not hold in the button for an adequate duration.

Nicholas has a complete write up on his site here.

Doorbell Control originally appeared on tech.nocr.at on 2010/12/26. Reproduction of content not allowed without consent.

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You by now already know who Ben Heck is. We have featured his awesome mods time and time again here on tech.nocr.at. Ben now has his very own internet TV show. The Ben Heck Show started airing yesterday on element14 and is pretty cool. In his first episode, Ben builds an Xbox controller for a gamer who only has one hand and starts work on his Xbox 360 laptop mod which will be stretched out over a few episodes. Definitely a must watch.

[The Ben Heck Show]

Ben Heck Show Is On The Air originally appeared on tech.nocr.at on 2010/09/14. Reproduction of content not allowed without consent.

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We have talked about the awesome TV-B-Gone device before, you know, the device that can turn off any TV within distance. The only downside to it is that all people have to do it turn then back on. I know that you can just turn them back off but that would just be suspicious. What if you could jam the IR of the TV once you turn it off? Now you can.

The guys over at hackedgadgets.com sell just that, an IR jammer kit. Created by Alan Parekh, the unit will jam any infrared remote controlled device. It works across all 6 of the major IR frequencies and corrupts the data that is being sent by normal remote controls.

If your ambitious you can build your own from scratch or you could order a kit here and just slap it all together.

[Via HackedGadgets]

IR Jammer originally appeared on tech.nocr.at on 2010/09/10. Reproduction of content not allowed without consent.

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Looking for a cheap way to stream your tunes all around the house? Then look no further than this cheap DIY WiFi radio.

Video blogger Tinkernet shows us how to build one by using an Asus WL-520GU and a USB sound adapter, and best of all it will cost you less than $50. The video shows the steps involved in putting it all together using Windows. If you want to use a different OS then simply visit MightyOhm for detailed step by step instructions.

I always have my laptop connected to my stereo, now, when I build one of these I can just stream directly to my stereo. Best of all, I can control it from my iPhone!

Cheap WiFi Radio originally appeared on tech.nocr.at on 2010/09/08. Reproduction of content not allowed without consent.

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Playing Dr. Who in a game is cool, but playing one while using a Sonic Screwdriver is even better. Later this fall the Wii will be getting a title called Doctor Who: Return to earth and the BBC has teamed up with a peripheral maker to create a Sonic Screwdriver Wii controller.

Playing the game which will feature the likeness of the current Doctor (Matt Smith) and his sidekick Amy Pond (Karen Gillan) should be fun whilst holding the infamous Sonic Screwdriver. I bet it would be even better if you could get a Tardis in your living room as well.

[Via Official Nintendo Magazine]

Sonic Screwdriver Wiimote originally appeared on tech.nocr.at on 2010/09/07. Reproduction of content not allowed without consent.

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The awesome heat-seeking Nerf gun won Make’s Gadget Freak Design Contest. The mod consists of a Nerf Vulcan Blaster hooked up to a few Devantech TPA81 Thermal Sensors and is controlled by an ATMega 168 processor.

The unit acts exactly as it should, it tracks you via your heat signature and fires nerf bullets at you. No word yet on whether chaffs/flares will work to confuse it, but one thing is for sure, the Disintegrator Rubber Band Gatling Gun could use this heat-seeking mod.

Currently you can’t buy the mod at your local Toy’s R Us, but you can head on over to the creators website and build your own.

Heat-Seeking Nerf Gun originally appeared on tech.nocr.at on 2010/09/04. Reproduction of content not allowed without consent.

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Now that mobiles phones have advanced to the point that they are great gaming machines why not have a proper game controller to enjoy them? That’s an itch that hacked Sk3tch just had to scratch. By hacking together an original NES controller, an Arduino and a blueSMRF Bluetooth module he was able to use the controller via bluetooth and even demo’s the hack by playing Super Mario Brothers 3 in an emulator in the video after the break.

He says that the mod it Alpha at best, but from the video it looks great to me. All he needs to do now if slap everything together in a nice case or better yet, find a way to put all of the components in the NES controller itself.

NES Controller With Android originally appeared on tech.nocr.at on 2010/09/03. Reproduction of content not allowed without consent.

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How about your very own aerial surveillance drone that is launched from it’s own mailbox? I know your probably calling me crazy right now for even thinking of it, but it’s true!

The ScanCam 200 is exactly what you want for security surveillance of your property. The unit is a small quad-rotor UAV drone that comes with it’s own climate controlled hangar. The unit can be remotely launched and even set to come back and land right where it took off from.

The unit sends live video back so you can see what it sees. The unit is completely autonomous and navigates itself from one preset point to another. While the unit is docked in it’s mailbox looking hangar, the unit recharges itself until it’s called back into action.

Aerial Surveillance Drone originally appeared on tech.nocr.at on 2010/08/30. Reproduction of content not allowed without consent.

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The iPhone/iPod touch has quickly become a gaming favorite. There are tons of games for you to enjoy and best of all, it’s small and already in your pocket. The unit is great for games that require nothing more than touch like board games and trivia games, but when it comes to games that require a lot of movement or dexterity like a sports game it can be really hard to use.

Enter the iControlPad which is essentially nothing more that a massive case for your iPhone that adds some buttons and a few joysticks. This is for the hardcore gamer only, not really small and compact as you can see form the picture, but if you like gaming on your iPhone then this is for you.

There is one small downfall, it requires a jailbroken unit to work since it requires some software that is using private api’s that Apple won’t allow. No word on pricing or availability yet, but you can sign up for more info right on their site and be notified when it’s ready to ship.

Gamepad For iPhone originally appeared on tech.nocr.at on 2010/08/28. Reproduction of content not allowed without consent.

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Although the SEGA Dreacast wasn’t the most popular console on the market hardcore geeks everywhere hold it near and dear to their hearts. It took a nose dive shortly after being launched, but due to the fact that some of the games that were released for it are just short of awesome and the fact that pirating said games is super easy it lives on.

Modder Techknott took his Dreamcast and decided to cram it into a portable unit he could carry around. The unit holds the discs in the back, features a colour screen that was ripped out of a PSone and uses all of the original Dreamcast controls. It even has A/V output so you can still enjoy the game play on your TV.

It’s one-of-a-kind so you won’t be able to run out and buy your own, too bad.

[Link to Portable Dreamcast]

Hardcore Portable Dreamcast originally appeared on tech.nocr.at on 2010/08/23. Reproduction of content not allowed without consent.

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As a male who owns a home with a lot of grass there is nothing more I hate then cutting the grass on a hot sweltering day. Since my son is only three and he can barely reach the mowers handle I’m SOL with getting him to do it.

Maybe I should build this awesome radio controller Arduino powered lawnmower? I can just sit in a lawn chair and drink a beer while the Lawnbot 400 does all the heavy lifting for me. I would quickly become the envy of all the males who live on my street. Check out the video of it in action after the break.

This instructable will show you how to make your Arduino into an R/C interface that you can use for just about anything requiring remote control. I will also show you how I built an R/C lawnmower using my Arduino, a cheap R/C transmitter and receiver pair, and a couple of electric-wheelchair motors from Ebay. I have used this interface to control anything from basic LED’s to Bipolar stepper motors, mini-robots, lifeless R/C cars from the thrift store, and even a 100lb lawnmower (all with appropriate motor controllers). It is very flexible and easy to change and very simple to set up.

[Link to Lawnbot build tutorial]

Arduino Powered RC Lawnmower originally appeared on tech.nocr.at on 2010/03/18. Reproduction of content not allowed without consent.

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This yellow submarine isn’t exactly the same one as John and Paul sang about but it is an extremely impressive DIY ROV submarine with built in camera.

Made completely out of PVC pipes with some pumps tossed in to help it move and sink, this project and easily be put together by anyone with some spare cash and time.

The entire sub is controlled by an Atmel Mega32 microcontroller. The video fee and system control is fed to the surface using a cable (they say that wireless video as well as leak detection and torpedos is a future add-on).

This is a great project that will bring you hours and hours of fun.

[Link to DIY ROV Submarine]

DIY ROV Submarine originally appeared on tech.nocr.at on 2010/03/16. Reproduction of content not allowed without consent.

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Let’s face it, terestrial radio is all but dead. Who wants to wade through all the commercials and limited avalability of the FM or AM dial? I listen to internet radio all the time, when at work at my desk and even on my iPhone when in my car and this little baby while now complete my internet radio experience.

The Grace Allegro Wi-Fi internet radio can run for about 8 hours on six AA batteries and streams over 16,000 radio stations from the likes of Pandora, Sirius and Live365. Is has built in 802.11b/g/n support and even has an iPhone remote control app so you can change stations without walking up to the unit.

You also get MP3/WMA/Real Audio/WAV/AAC/AIFF codec support, alarm functions, built-in speaker, 4-line display, standard remote control.

The unit will cost you $170 and is available right now from Grace Digital Audio

Allegro Portable Internet Radio originally appeared on tech.nocr.at on 2010/02/25. Reproduction of content not allowed without consent.

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A few weeks ago we showed you how some smart peeps got together to write some custom software and hardware to control a minivan via an iPhone. They did all of that for the Darpa Urban Challenge and all of it will probably never see the light of day. Now the guys over at Waterloo Labs have decided to jump into the whole “control a car with your iphone” thing with both feet and actually show us how they got their iPhone to control the steering, brakes and acceleration on a full size car.

I don’t suggest you actually go out and do this, especially not the surfing on the top of the car while controlling it with your iPhone. That could end up really bad for you. Check the video out of all the crazy action after the break.

Drive A Car With Your iPhone, Again originally appeared on tech.nocr.at on 2009/11/13. Reproduction of content not allowed without consent.

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Since the release of the iTunes app store the iPhone and iPod touch have really been pushed as the next great portable gaming platform. Game developers have really started to push the limits of the device but the one major stumbling block has only been the “touch only” interface.

The iControlPad looks to change all of that. It’s a case for your iPhone that offers dual analog nubs, a gamepad controller and of course a few buttons. There is also an internal battery that charges your iPhone while you play.

Bad news is that you will need to jailbreak your iPhone to use this since it’s not an official Apple licensed product, but the iControlPad is supported by some of the biggest devs like the boys that make all the cool emulators. If you’re interested in the device, you can can place a pre-order by signing up at their site.

iControlPad: Gamepad For Your iPhone originally appeared on tech.nocr.at on 2009/11/13. Reproduction of content not allowed without consent.

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How could a week go by without us talking about some sort of Star Trek reference or gadget? Now if you really want to be singled out as a dork show your love for Star Trek why not build yourself this bluetooth Star Trek communicator? I’m not talking about those wussy TNG communicators, I’m talking about the old school plastic molded with mesh screen original series communicators. (Check out the video after the break).

Makezine has a great detailed write up on build your very own super geeky handset.

I thought it would be fun to have a Star Trek: The Original Series Bluetooth communicator for a cellphone. I worked with Dave Clausen to hack one together from a toy Star Trek communicator, a Bluetooth module, and a microcontroller.

If you pair this us with a phone that does voice dialing then you could easily walk around town with you phone nowhere to be seen. Imagine all of the beatings looks you will get as you walk down the street talking into this iconic device.

[Link to Make a Star Trek Bluetooth Communicator]

DIY: Star Trek Bluetooth Communicator originally appeared on tech.nocr.at on 2009/11/07. Reproduction of content not allowed without consent.

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Not happy with the limited ability of Apple’s remote control? Build yourself your very own by using an Arduino.

Besides the obvious fact that this will act as a remote control for not only your AppleTV but also your Mac, you can easily build projects to automate tasks via the remote control.

This is a great first step in adding some more functionality to Apple’s “Hobby” hardware. This is also great for remotely getting your AppleTV to work when your out of town and your wife can’t figure out how to work the damn thing. It’s to AppleTV what MythWeb is to MythTV. Awesome.

[Link to Instructables]

DIY: Arduino AppleTV Remote originally appeared on tech.nocr.at on 2009/11/05. Reproduction of content not allowed without consent.

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In case you missed anything last week; we have everything from Metallica on your iPhone right through to a $1200 Mouse. Enjoy

In Case You Missed It: Week 43 Round Up originally appeared on tech.nocr.at on 2009/11/01. Reproduction of content not allowed without consent.

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You knew it was bound to happen. With the iPhone already having apps to control everything from your iTunes to a remote computer you knew that someone would come up with an app to control a car.

The Spirit of Berlin team have developed an iPhone app that remotely controls a minivan. They developed the app for the 2007 Darpa Urban Challenge, so the likelihood of you getting the app from the app store is slim to none.

The iPhone connects with the driving circuitry via WiFi and offers a button for gas and brake as well as a wheel to turn the vehicle. The camera mounted on the front of the minivan transmits video to the iPhone in real-time.

In the video below you can see the operator in the camera’s view on the iPhone. It seems that the top speed of the van is limited (thank God!). This is every big kids dream, a real live RC of an actual car, problem is that this can be extremely dangerous. Plus, WiFi? I hope that their is some sort of kill switch if the van goes out of range or else there can be some serious consequences. Check out the video after the break.

[Link to iPhone RC]

Use Your iPhone To Control Your Car originally appeared on tech.nocr.at on 2009/10/31. Reproduction of content not allowed without consent.

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Yes, you read it right, a remote controlled tissue box. You never know when you might need to blow your nose and feel way to lazy to get up and get the tissue box that’s like 2 feet away. Actually, now that I come to think of it, how many people actually keep their tissue boxes on the floor? I mean wouldn’t this thing need to be rugged if you say, keep your tissue box on a end table or on the coffee table? I’m just asking here.

If you do keep your tissue box on the floor and are interested in purchasing this remote controlled unit it costs $25, it has a maximum range of 8m and it’s 250x65x123mm so make sure your kleenex box fits inside. Oh yeah, and it’s only available in Japan.

Remote Controlled Tissue Box originally appeared on tech.nocr.at on 2009/10/30. Reproduction of content not allowed without consent.

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In case you missed anything this past week, we have everything from cooling with mineral oil to video editing on your iPhone. Enjoy.

Gadgets

Asus Keyboard PC

Gaming

Cool Your Xbox With Mineral Oil
PS3 Smashing Into A TV At 80 KMH
Open Source DS Bluetooth Adapter
Black Wii For The Brits
Rock Band For iPhone Now Available

Hacking and Security

Remote Control That’s Impossible To Lose
DIY: Build A Solar Power Station
PS3 Laptop
Hard Drive Lock Pick

Mac

Dead: ZFS For The Mac
Rebel EFI: A Thorn In Apples Side
ReelDirector: Video Editing For Your iPhone

Tech News

Project Eagle Claw: Taking Out The Scammers
Skype And Chrome Go Portable
Microsoft’s App Lab
Windows 7: Will You Upgrade?
B&N Nook Officially Released
Super Fast Robot Hands

In Case You Missed It: Week 42 Round Up originally appeared on tech.nocr.at on 2009/10/25. Reproduction of content not allowed without consent.

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This is gonna be one of the easiest hacks you’ll ever do, at least from an electrical standpoint.

Most electronics like digital camera and cell phones have a loop attached to them so that you can slip a lanyard on to it which in turn makes it easier to find or harder to lose. This guy came up with a similar idea, albeit a tad too extreme in my opinion, but still an excellent way to ensure that his remote control never gets lost. Actually, by looking at the picture, he is now ensuring that his remote control will never move again, period.

If your not a blacksmith or if you don’t happen to have a massive I-beam laying around, this hack will probably cost you a lot more than a replacement remote control would cost.

[Link to Dad's Lost The Remote]

Remote Control That’s Impossible To Lose originally appeared on tech.nocr.at on 2009/10/24. Reproduction of content not allowed without consent.

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If you own an iPhone 3GS then you know how nice it is to be able to trim video clips right on your phone. At the very least that should get you a somewhat semi-professional video that doesn’t have a lot of fluff at the beginning or end of your clip. What if you wanted to do more? What if you wanted to do a transition or add a title? You were forced to use a computer to do your editing. Well with the release of ReelDirector you will now be able to all that and more right from your iPhone 3GS.

Final Cut Pro or Express it’s not, but it does give you some nice control and some nice editing features. Think of it as a stripped down version of iMovie. You won’t be recording and editing an award winning piece with this app, but you will be able to clean up and add some effects to those short clips before you post them on you tube.

[Link to ReelDirector]

ReelDirector: Video Editing For Your iPhone originally appeared on tech.nocr.at on 2009/10/22. Reproduction of content not allowed without consent.

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Gordan Savicic and Gottfried Haider of DSbrut have just released their open source bluetooth adapter for the Nintendo DS. The adapter will allow the DS to interface to other bluetooth devices like GPS units and keyboards. This should really open up the homebrew scene.

Almost two years in the making, we’re happy to finally release our DS Bluetooth adapter. The tiny Slot-1 cartridge allows you to hook up the Nintendo DS wirelessly with other devices such as GPS-receivers, robots and so forth. Today we’re making all materials of the project openly available, including the schematics and a GPL-licensed software library for the Nintendo DS, because we believe in open hardware design and want to encourage collaboration in the hardware hacking community.

In our design, we use a tiny ATmega168 microcontroller to make the Nintendo DS speak to the RN-41 Bluetooth SMD module by Roving Networks. Using this piece of hardware the Nintendo DS can scan its neighbourhood and establish connections to other Bluetooth devices (supporting SPP). The module can also be remotely connected to, allowing for a range of interesting applications. We also developed a software library for the Nintendo DS, making it easy to use this new Bluetooth interface.

[Link to Open Source Bluetooth DS Adapter]

Open Source DS Bluetooth Adapter originally appeared on tech.nocr.at on 2009/10/20. Reproduction of content not allowed without consent.

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Those lucky kids across the pond in the UK will be getting the limited edition black Wii on November 6th, bundled with Wii Sports Resort no-less. Nada for us Wii loving fans here in North America. Just more proof that Nintendo does not love you.

The limited edition bundle will include a Wii-mote, nunchuk, MotionPlus peripheral, Wii Sports and Wii Sports Resort. We here on our side of the Atlantic will be getting the black Controller Pro though.

That’s okay Nintendo, if we want a black Wii we can just spray paint our current units. Not as if it will look good or anything like that and don’t even get me started on the possibility of streaking. Come on Nintendo, can’t we just get the black Wii too. Pretty please?

Black Wii For The Brits originally appeared on tech.nocr.at on 2009/10/20. Reproduction of content not allowed without consent.

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Car alarm company Viper (which is owned by Directed Electronics) is unveiling a new app for iPhone users that will let customers control certain aspects of their Viper SmartStart-enabled vehicle from their iPhone or iPod Touch.

The app, which is called Viper SmartStart, acts as a virtual keychain which can do things like lock/unlock your car, open then trunk, enable the alarm or start your car. The app uses the iPhone’s data connection which allows you to control your car from anywhere you have a 3G or EDGE connection.

The only problem I have with this app is what do you do when your somewhere that doesn’t give you 3G or EDGE service like an underground garage? If you can deal with that then you can pick up the app for free. As for the SmartStart module for your car, well that’s gonna run you $499 for a new install or $299 for users who already have a Viper alarm system installed. You will also have to pay for a subscription to Viper’s SmartStart service.

Sounds like too costly for nothing more than a glorified key fob. I’ll keep the little box on my keychain and save the loads of cash.

Unlock Your Car With Your iPhone originally appeared on tech.nocr.at on 2009/10/13. Reproduction of content not allowed without consent.

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Yep, you heard me correctly, a nuclear battery. Researchers at the University of Missouri have created super tiny nuclear power sources that can be used as batteries. Dead gadgets and XBox 360 controllers will soon be a thing of the past.

The secret to these tiny power plants is the use of new liquid semiconductors instead of solid ones. Don’t think you can run out and pick a set up at Radio Shack just yet. The current focus is on powering nano electromechanical systems not your digital camera. Which in my opinion might be a good idea. We have all heard of cell phone and laptop batteries exploding, imagine if something goes wrong with one of these. You’ll have a lot more to worry about than burn wounds.

Nuclear Battery In Your Pocket originally appeared on tech.nocr.at on 2009/10/08. Reproduction of content not allowed without consent.

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Think your keys are safe on your desk? Think again. Computer programmers at UC San Diego have created some software that can pose a serious threat. Dubbed “Sneakey”, it can analyze an image (not even a good one) of a key from almost any angle and create an exact replica. In the picture above, the team successfully reproduced a key using an image that was shot with a telephoto lens from 200 feet away.

“You only need to click a few control points in the image of the key and the ‘Sneakey’ program does the rest,” programmer Benjamin Laxton told a UCSD reporter, “It normalizes the key’s size and position so that each pixel then corresponds to a known distance. From this information the height of each of the key cuts can easily be computed and likewise the bitting code can be extracted.”

What can you do to protect yourself? Apparently not much. Keep your keys in your pocket at all times and you should be safe.

Duplicate Keys From An Image originally appeared on tech.nocr.at on 2008/11/06. Reproduction of content not allowed without consent.

© tech.nocr.at 2008 | Permalink | Comments | Read more in Hacking And Security | Explore more in: ac, cat, computer, control, ds, ea, hack, hacking, key, keys, lens, locksmith, os, photo, picture, pocket, rod, telephoto, time | Add to del.icio.us | Stumble it | Reddit

A crafty hacker received a request to adapt a SNES controller to a PSP. The requester has limited use of one hand which made the PSP controls to difficult for her to use, but she had no problem playing with an SNES controller.

Born from that request is this clean mod. A port in the back of the PSP allows for the SNES controller to function. The neat thing is that the SNES cable and connector on the back also act as a “stand” for the PSP so you could comfortably sit back and enjoy your favorite PSP game.

[Link to SNES PSP Controller Mod]

Sometimes the PSP’s controller just, well, sucks.

SNES Controller Mod For The PSP originally appeared on tech.nocr.at on 2008/10/29. Reproduction of content not allowed without consent.

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There have been many “Clocks” built out of old hard drives, but this one has to take the cake. Ian Smith this super cool clock from an old hard drive he had laying around. By using some tri-colour LEDs, a PIC microcontroller, and some simple vision techniques he has built something that not only functions as a clock but as a pie chart by the looks of it.

The platter has a slit cut through it so that as the disk spins the illumination of the LEDs shine through. Due to the speed (5400 RPM or about 90 revs a second) the eyes are tricked into seeing a colour. So by turning the LEDs off and on at just the right time you can make this thing display a clock, pie chart, or any other circular art you can think of.

[Link to LED Hard Drive Clock]

LED Hard Drive Clock originally appeared on tech.nocr.at on 2008/10/20. Reproduction of content not allowed without consent.

© tech.nocr.at 2008 | Permalink | Comments | Read more in Hacking And Security | Explore more in: ac, clock, control, controller, display, drive, ds, hack, hacking, hard drive, ir, irc, led, lock, make, mit, rc, speed, time, ui | Add to del.icio.us | Stumble it | Reddit

Looks like Ben Heck has been raising some crafty apprentices. Only a few months after Ben Heck Forum member hellraizer churned out an impressive portable Nintendo 64, he has struck again by crafting an handheld Dreamcast using a Lazer Doodle shell like he did with the N64.

Inside the chassis he jammed a Dreamcast, Quantam controller, PSOne LCD screen, power supply and what must be some serious battery power. All-in-all you get about 3 hours of game play, which is better than what I get on my PSP. Check out the video after the break.

[Link to DarthCast]

DarthCast originally appeared on tech.nocr.at on 2008/10/16. Reproduction of content not allowed without consent.

© tech.nocr.at 2008 | Permalink | Comments | Read more in Gaming | Explore more in: battery, ben heck, control, controller, dreamcast, ea, game, Gaming, handheld, id, lcd, n64, nintendo, portable, power, press, psp, video | Add to del.icio.us | Stumble it | Reddit

This one is perfect for all you retro gaming fans. NES Cartridges have been repurposed to be many things; ash trays, gaming consoles, even coasters, but now a crafty modder has jammed in a 2.5″ 250GB SATA drive inside with a usb controller. Although this isn’t the worlds smallest portable hard drive, it is one of the coolest.

If you want to bump up your geek cred then you can actually purchase this one for $180 on Etsy

250GB NES Cartridge originally appeared on tech.nocr.at on 2008/10/06. Reproduction of content not allowed without consent.

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Well that didn’t take long at all. Within an hour of making its new RealDVD software available for sail, RealNetworks filed suit against all of the major movie studios and the DVD Copy Control Association. According to Real’s press release, the suit “asks the court to rule that RealNetworks Home Entertainment Inc.’s RealDVD software…fully complies with the DVD Copy Control Association’s license agreement.”

Hollywood sources confirmed that the MPAA plans on filing their own suit asking a federal court to stop RealNetworks from distributing the RealDVD software. Real has a real good case here because the software doesn’t break the DVD’s encryption when copying the DVD to the hard drive. It even adds a second level of DRM.

Real Files Suit Against Studios originally appeared on tech.nocr.at on 2008/09/30. Reproduction of content not allowed without consent.

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What happens when you smash an old Atari 2600 and a Guitar Hero guitar together? The Atari Hero of course. Conner over at Slippery Brick has done just that. This crazy casemod is a real beauty. The guitar is wrapped in a custom circuit board pattern, and in place of the strum bar is a tiny (i mean real tiny) LCD screen so you can enjoy all of that 8-bit action. If that wasn’t enough for you, he also embedded the fire button in the neck of the guitar and added a custom joystick and paddle controller right into the body.

It took Conner about 2 months to build this slick casemod and by the looks of it it was totally worth it. The unit plays any classic Atari 2600 game you can throw at it. The whole thing is powered by a couple AAs. I wonder how much game time you get with only two AAs powering an LCD and the Atari itself. Probably not that much.

Now if someone could only jam a 360 or PS3 into a Guitar Hero guitar so that you could play Guitar Hero on your Guitar Hero guitar. A boy can dream, can’t he?

[Link to Atari Hero]

Atari 2600 + Guitar Hero = Atari Hero originally appeared on tech.nocr.at on 2008/09/29. Reproduction of content not allowed without consent.

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Been hacking up various old NES units just to get a hold of the controller connectors for your mod projects? Look no further because for the very first time you can buy the controller connectors by themselves. Parallax has just released a 7-pin socket connector that is compatible with the classic NES. For just $2 a piece you can now start the process of jamming your classic NES in everything from a toaster to a pack of smokes (now that would be impressive).

[Via Make]

NES Controller Sockets originally appeared on tech.nocr.at on 2008/09/27. Reproduction of content not allowed without consent.

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“Interference Laser Games” is a game that you play via a projector. Nothing fancy so far, but what if I told you that you control the game with your average everyday laser pointer. Check out the video to see how the pointer is used in Space Invaders and Pong. Essentially it’s the same as a mouse except it’s a freaking laser pointer.

No idea on how it works our how it’s built, but it looks like a fun project to work on.

Kill Aliens With A Laser Pointer originally appeared on tech.nocr.at on 2008/09/23. Reproduction of content not allowed without consent.

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Jon Bennett has created a WiFi controller robot that can be controller via the internet or from a computer up to 500m away. The robot is built from an RC car that he picked up at a thrift store, a Linksys WRT54GL router running the Open-WRT firmware, a network camera. The bot can be powered by two different type of micro-controllers: the PIC microprocessor or an Arduino. You can use whichever one your are more comfortable with. If you follow Joe’s guide, it shouldn’t cost you that much to put together. Check out the video after the break of the bot in action.

The goal of this article is to give a high-level overview of the project and provide some implementation details of the software and electronics. It is not meant to be a step-by-step how-to guide, but there should be enough information for someone with motivation and some background knowledge in electronics and software to be able to make their own Wifi Robot. All of the source code is being released under the terms of the GNU GPL v2, so by all means, use the code, and improve it!

You sure could have a lot of fun with this project. Maybe at some image processing code so that it can figure out where the sidewalk ends and can make it’s own decision to turn right or left.

[Link to WiFi Robot]

DIY: WiFi Robot originally appeared on tech.nocr.at on 2008/09/21. Reproduction of content not allowed without consent.

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Is it me or is Windows 7 looking a lot like Vista? In the latest Windows 7 M3 build, we see that there are some differences, but subtle at best. The ribbon interface is back, Libraries instead of My Documents, a simplified Start Menu, fewer UAC (User Account Control) alerts, and what seems to be a “light” version of Windows Media Player.

At first glance it looks like not much has changed. Maybe they should consider dropping the Vista background, that might help.

Windows 7 – Looks Just Like Vista originally appeared on tech.nocr.at on 2008/09/21. Reproduction of content not allowed without consent.

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Remember all the fun you had as a kid playing with that Laser Tag system your parents got you from Consumers Distributing? Well you can now relive all of that excitement including point the laser at someone’s eye with the DIY Laser Tag system.

The homebrew system uses a few cheap laser pointers stuffed into a toy gun and a PIC16F628A micro-controller that connects up to a peizo transducer which produces different beeps. It even has a 5 pin header on the device that can be connected to a programmer fo in-circuit programming.

[Link to DIY Laser Tag System]

DIY: Laser Tag System originally appeared on tech.nocr.at on 2008/09/19. Reproduction of content not allowed without consent.

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One of the coolest apps that ever rolled out of the iTunes app store was the Apple Remote app that allowed you to control your iTunes or Apple TV via your iPhone or iPod Touch. This has come in quite handy when I can’t find the remote for my Appple TV.

Now you can have that same fun and functionality with your XBMC (Xbox Media Center). The remote application (iTunes Link) allows you to control your XBMC with your iPhone or iPod Touch. You will clearly need an instance of XBMC (They just release a new multi-platform beta) running somewhere. Features include:

• Play, queue and shuffle the media on XBMC
• View cover art for albums, TV Shows and movies
• View artist and album reviews and information
• ‘Standard’ remote mode. Control XBMC with standard remote buttons

You can pickup XBMC from iTunes for $4.99.

XBMC App For Your iPhone originally appeared on tech.nocr.at on 2008/09/19. Reproduction of content not allowed without consent.

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Last week we mention the Super Genintari which housed 4 classic console system. Well, today we take it one step further with the ultimate arcade cabinet. The C-MACC arcade cabinet can play virtually any emulated game thanks to the computer that is buried inside.

The unit also contains a Playstation 3, Xbox 360, Wii, and a few other game consoles, meaning you can literally play any game ever made on it. It comes with a set of custom controls on the front and even has buttons on the side for playing pinball. Total cost to build: $8,900. A bit pricey for the average Joe, but just imagine the years of entertainment a unit like this would bring.

[Link to Ultimate Arcade Cabinet]

Ultimate Arcade Cabinet originally appeared on tech.nocr.at on 2008/09/16. Reproduction of content not allowed without consent.

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Ahh, the many rolls of quarters I dumped into this wonderful game at my local arcade (was more like a laundry mat with a crap load of video games). Now all of that fun can be relived in the palm of your hand. The iPhone version of the hugely popular games offers three methods of control: tilt (based on the accelerometer), slider (swiping your finger left and right), and steering wheel mode (control a steering wheel on screen with your finger). No matter how you go about driving, this game should bring your hours and hours of enjoyment. You can pick it up at the App store.

Pole Position On Your iPhone originally appeared on tech.nocr.at on 2008/09/15. Reproduction of content not allowed without consent.

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Sure, you could always use a scope to do some trouble shooting or displaying various electrical signals, but why would you ever want to do that when you could play tetris on a machine that costs a1000x the cost of an original GameBoy.

Created by engineer Lars Pontoppidan, this hack essentially uses the ATMega 32 micro-controller so that you can play the classic block stacker on an oscilloscope. The addition of an Atari digital joystick to control the game is a nice touch. Check out the video after the break.

Oscilloscopes Hacked To Run Tetris originally appeared on tech.nocr.at on 2008/09/15. Reproduction of content not allowed without consent.

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A crafty hacker on the benheck forums decided that building a portable Xbox had been done so instead he decided to build a wireless video interface for his Xbox 360. The device acts more like a “thin client” and streams whatever his Xbox is playing. The unit has a 1.2GHz A/V receiver and the guts of a wireless controller. It’s powered by two 2600mAh batteries running at 7.5V and even has it’s own built in charging circuit.

It’s a crafty build and great for playing Xbox games while wondering around the house. Plus, it will keep your girl friend/wife off your back for hogging up the TV.

Xbox 360 Wireless Interface originally appeared on tech.nocr.at on 2008/09/15. Reproduction of content not allowed without consent.

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Big retro gamer? Emulators no fun? The wife upset because you have 8 consoles hooked up to the family TV? Well then the Super Genintari is just right for you. The Super Genintari combines 4 classic arcade systems into one unit. An Atari 2600, NES, SNES, and Sega Genesis are rolled into one package.

You can have all 4 system cartridges plugged in at once and it only requires a single AV cable, which makes switching between Sonic and Super Mario Brothers a breeze.

The whole box measures about 14″x10″x5″ and is made entirely of transparent bronze acrylic, formed and shaped on a homemade strip heater. All of the openings for the buttons, cartridges and controller ports were carefully cut with a cordless Dremel. The face buttons are clear acrylic domes with each system’s logo epoxy glued in place and back-lit with orange LEDs when pressed. The entire system is incredibly easy to hook up, consisting of only one standard power cord and one A/V cable. It’s a little on the large size considering the room needed for all the boards, cartridge connectors and built-in transformer, and there’s also the fact that I refused to use clone systems since I wanted 100% compatibility and faithful reproduction. (No Yobos, Super Joys, etc.)

[Link to the Super Geintari]

Super Genintari – 4 Game Stations In One originally appeared on tech.nocr.at on 2008/09/11. Reproduction of content not allowed without consent.

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I love hardware mods. The idea of taking one thing and then using your imagination and hands to make it unique unlike anything else truly is an art form. This crafty hacker took an old NES and put it inside of a toaster. I just hope nobody at his place tries to actually toast bread with it. Video after the break.

I had an awful lot of people suggesting that my previous project (the Super Genintari/Leviticus) looked like a toaster. I then discovered that I had an extra NES and toaster laying around and knew what had to be done.

Ripped all the main guts out of the toaster and replaced them with an NES board, some orange LEDs, AC adapter and controller ports. Kept the front lever functional as the main power on/off switch and the crumb tray just for fun. Composite audio/video jacks are on the rear of the unit. The temperature knob does nothing.

[Link to Nintoaster]

NES In A Toaster: The Nintoaster originally appeared on tech.nocr.at on 2008/09/09. Reproduction of content not allowed without consent.

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Now that the “Let’s Rock” even has come and gone, let’s take a look at what Apple has brought into our laps.

HD TV Shows

Right off the bat Steve announced the arrival of HD TV shows to the iTunes store. The shows will cost you $2.99 a pop (instead of the $1.99 you pay for SD shows), but unlike HD Movies, HD TV shows can be watched on your computer, not just an Apple TV. Also, after a much publicized breakup, NBC is back. I wonder if they came back on hands and knees.

iTunes 8

The newest version of the worlds greatest music management software was also released today. A new Pandora-like “Genius” feature is now included that can generate playlists of songs that go together based on a seed song you pick. I’ve been playing with this tonight and my Genius seems quite stupid, but I’m sure they will smarten him up in the next update.

New Nanos

We all saw it coming. Kevin Rose let the world know a few weeks ago that the “Zune” like nano would make an appearance at todays event, and it did. The new nano is “the thinnest iPod” ever made. It has an oval, tapered shape with a black wheel. The new Nano can also create Genius playlists on-the-fly without the need to connect to iTunes. You will also get a built in accelerometer like the iPhone and Touch so that you can view Cover Flow art, photos, and video when turned sideways.

New iPod Touch

The new touch has the same 3.5″ display but is thinner with a tapered stainless steel back. The touch will also gain integrated volume controls on the side and a built in speaker. You will also be able to channel the Genius without the need of iTunes. The new touch is rated for 36 hours of music and 6 hours of video. 8GB for $229, 16GB for $299, or 32 GB for $399.

OS 2.1 for iPhones and iPod Touches

Rolled into all of the excitement today, Steve also announced the arrival of the 2.1 firmware for both the iPhone and iPod Touch. The major update includes fixes for better battery life, dropped calls, backing up speed, and general bug fixes.

One More Thing

The was no “One More Thing”. Too bad, I was hoping a rev on MacBook Pro’s since my son spilled a full bottle of water on my MacBook Pro yesterday. I guess I will have to go out now and just buy whatever the local Apple store has in stock.

Apple Sept 08 Event: Wrap Up originally appeared on tech.nocr.at on 2008/09/09. Reproduction of content not allowed without consent.

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Here’s a great project to make use of your old PSX controllers that you might have laying around the house. Izuna posted some details on building a micro-controller that is using an ATmega8 chip to convert the signal from a PSX controller to USB.

Sure, you can buy an extensor and cut the cable, but you can also buy a PSX to USB adapter for cheap if you want. This is not the point, the point here is make something yourself (and if you have the rights tools beforehand, this is cheaper than buying the adapter [At least I think it is in Brazil]).
[…]
The circuit is very simple, the Atmega8 do all the work, there is just some resistors and zeners to meet the standards for USB protocol, the oscillator crystal and some filtering caps

[Link to USBJoy]

DIY: PSX to USB originally appeared on tech.nocr.at on 2008/09/05. Reproduction of content not allowed without consent.

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There is a ton of software available for both Windows and OS X that allow you to rip and encode DVD’s, but what about Linux? A few months back I did a segment on the Lab with Leo Laporte TV show on just that, DVD rippers for Linux. (Video after the break)

DVD::RIP is a full featured DVD backup program written in perl. It’s very intuiative and eay to use but also provides a feature rich control of almost all aspects of the ripping and transcoding process. Some of the key features are:

• Runs on Linux, FreeBSD, OpenBSD
• Rip to harddisk, on the fly or from an existent DVD image
• Select audio track(s), viewing angle(s), multitple titles
• Rip as much audio tracks as you like into one AVI/OGG/SVCD file
• Supports nearly all of transcode’s video codecs, e.g: divx4, divx5, xvid, xvidcvs, ffmpeg, fame, opendivx and mpeg2enc
• DivX/Xvid multipass encoding
• (S)VCD modes, with multiple audio tracks for SVCD
• Integrated video bitrate calculator based on target size resp. number of discs
• Automatic splitting of the target files for best fit on the specified number of discs

Probably the strongest feature of DVD::RIP is it’s cluster mode which let’s you use any Linux machine you might have in your network for parallel encoding. Your rips come out much faster if you use say 2, 3, or 4 machines. Let me see Windows do that.

[Link to DVD::RIP]

DVD::RIP – Rippin Linux Style originally appeared on tech.nocr.at on 2008/08/31. Reproduction of content not allowed without consent.

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Who need’s Wi-Fit when you can get some aerobic exercise 8-bit style. Put your feet to work with this giant floor mat NES controller. Here’s what you will need to get the job done.

• an NES system and controller (of course)
• 3×5 foot piece of cardboard
• 46 feet of insulated wire
• a roll of aluminum foil
• clear packing tape
• 32 sheet of construction paper
• some grey, red, and black felt
• soldering gun
• patience and time to watch this video

Just image playing Track and Field on this bad boy. I’m sure you’d get a better work out than you would on the Wi-Fit.

How To: Build A Giant Floor Mat NES Controller originally appeared on tech.nocr.at on 2008/08/30. Reproduction of content not allowed without consent.

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The Freedom Stick is exactly what it’s name implies, freedom form firewalls that are placed in countries like Chine or the one in Italy that has been erected to block p2p users from the Pirate Bay.

The project has been brought forward by the CCC (Chaos Computer Club) and is basically a version of TOR and Firefox that can run on a USB stick. The aim is to provide every internet user with the opportunity to surf the Net without fearing censorship or prosecution.

It was designed with ease of use in mind and can easily be run by people with little or no computer skill. Download the archive for the CCC’s Chinese Wall page and unpack the contents to a USB key. If you have autostart enabled the system will launch the Vidalia Control Panel and Firefox which will allow any user to sure the net using the anonymity of the TOR network.

Freedom Stick – Freedom From Firewalls originally appeared on tech.nocr.at on 2008/08/19. Reproduction of content not allowed without consent.

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Instructable user toymotorhead cobbled together this USB controller power strip to ensure that his devices turned off automatically when he shut down his computer as well as turn them on once he turned his computer on. All-in-all he spent about $30 on the contraption.

The unit consists of a solid state relay, some fuses, and some transient voltage surge suppressing diodes. The unit is also isolated from the motherboard to protect his computer from any unwanted nasty power spikes. The unit current just switches the power supply off and by by measuring the current of the usb connection and doesn’t use any fancy software to control the unit.

It’s a fairly easy project to build, but remember, your working with some high voltage here so make sure to take all precautions necessary so you don’t fry yourself.

[Link to building a USB switched power strip]

DIY: USB Switched Power Strip originally appeared on tech.nocr.at on 2008/08/18. Reproduction of content not allowed without consent.

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Here’s another NES mod, not quite like the “Wii in an NES” mod that we featured a few days ago, but this “PC in an NES” mod is a stealthy and slick one never-the-less. At first glance you would see nothing more than the beloved 8-bit gaming system some of us grew up with, but under the hood you will find a fully functional Windows PC load with emulators so that you can play original NES games and games from other consoles.

The modded console hides a four-port USB hub that snaps cleanly to the original NES expansion port on the bottom, allowing for a variety on non-NES controllers to be connected as well as having the original NES controller ports rewired to work with the PC’s USB system. To really keep this modded system truly old school, the unit can only be connected via composite video, maintaining that old-school blurry image that concealed some of the graphic flaws of older games.

To get an idea what went on with the design, you can read up on the mod here.

NES PC Casemod originally appeared on tech.nocr.at on 2008/08/17. Reproduction of content not allowed without consent.

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It’s time for another Mac bundle deal, this time MacBundleBox is offering 15 Mac apps for $49.95. That’s an 85% discount overall. The apps included in the package are:

• Headline – A full-featured RSS/ATOM feed reader with an ultra-minimal UI.
• Mac Pilot 3 – A system optimization and customization utility.
• iConquer – A game not unlike Risk.
• Mahjong Forests – A traditional mahjong game.
• Shoebox Express – A solution for organizing all your photos by content.
• Caboodle – A way to collect random snippets of text or images on your machine.
• Narrator – A program that will read out stories in multiple voices.
• WriteRoom – A distraction-free word-processor, and possibly the most popular app in the bundle.
• Scribbles – A simple drawing utility.
• Money – An accounting app.
• Operation – A simple project management application.
• Aurora – An iTunes-integrated alarm clock.
• Compositor – A CoreGraphics-based image editor.
• Sofa Control – Allows you to control your applications remotely, using an Apple Remote.

You can head on over to their website to pickup the package if anything tickles your fancy.

MacBundleBox: 15 Apps, $50 originally appeared on tech.nocr.at on 2008/08/15. Reproduction of content not allowed without consent.

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We all remember the beloved game Frogger from our youth (some of us are older than others). I remember spending countless hours sitting on the living room floor as a kid playing this and pitfall on my old Atari. Now I can relive all of those moments (minus sitting on the floor) with Frogger for the iPhone.

The classic game is now available through the iTunes app store. It features updated graphics, updated music, and your choice of accelerometer controls or touchscreen (or both). Video of the action after the break.

Both control systems are active simultaneously by default, but either can be turned off in the game options. After spending time with all control methods, the swipe technique seems the most precise.

Frogger For Your iPhone originally appeared on tech.nocr.at on 2008/08/07. Reproduction of content not allowed without consent.

© tech.nocr.at 2008 | Permalink | Comments | Read more in Gaming | Explore more in: ac, app store, atari, control, ds, ea, frogger, game, Gaming, graphics, id, iphone, iphone 3g, itunes, live, music, nes, os, pda, pen, phone, time, tor, touch, Untitled, update, video | Add to del.icio.us | Stumble it | Reddit

I’ve been dying to actually put my old NES up on the entertainment unit but when you try to explain the gameplay and graphics to your wife and kids when you already have a Wii and 360 hooked up, well, you can imagine.

Now if I slapped my DVD player into it then they would have no choice but to use it (can’t pull my wife away from her House Season 2 DVD’s).

The owner thought just the same thing, why not slap a DVD player into it. He even hacked the DVD player remote and slapped it into an NES controller. Sweet. Video after the break.

DVD/NES Mod originally appeared on tech.nocr.at on 2008/08/06. Reproduction of content not allowed without consent.

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I’ve sure seen my fair share of console game controller hacks, but never one like this. The guys at Near Future Laboratory have been working on a hack for a PS2 controller that will making gaming more “realistic” by simulating fatigue. By wiring in the ever versatile Arduino platform to the PS2 controller’s DualShock 2 analog stick and some crafty code they were able to tweak the output signal ever so slightly so that the longer you play, the slower your character moves.

Crazy, yes I know, but if they could only cause you fatigue the longer you play … What am I thinking, maybe they should give all of us bigger boosts of energy so that we can play longer!

Link – Near Future Laboratory

PS2 Hack Simulates Fatigue originally appeared on tech.nocr.at on 2008/08/02. Reproduction of content not allowed without consent.

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According to an anonymous tipster, the new version of iTunes will allow an iPhone or touch running the new firmware to download an application that can remote control iTunes from your local area network. Reportedly, this application will be free and available via the App store as soon as the 2.0 firmware is released.

We can’t confirm or deny this tip, but the crafty mac fans have allows broken down plists in files and have found some interesting hooks in the past that have come out to be true.

iTunes 7.7 To Include Remote Capabilities originally appeared on tech.nocr.at on 2008/06/27. Reproduction of content not allowed without consent.

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After all of the rumours (what else is new) the 3G iPhone is finally here.

• Hits the shelves on July 11th (in Canada too!)
• $199 for 8GB, $299 for 16GB
• Black, with a white 16GB model
• GPS

In a clear action of trying to play catch up to Google, Apple also announced a suite of software that will be revolutionary. (If they decided to roll it out in 2002). MobileMe is a much needed update to the .Mac system. MobileMe will let users log into a website using a billion dollar url; me.com, to access their email, address book, and calendar for a mere $99 a year, you know, much better than Google’s $0 a year charge.

On the plus side it will now be compatible with Windows, errr, oh yeah, Google’s bee there and done that too. Sounds like it should me meh.com and not me.com

For all of you hardcore, here’s the official Apple press release …

SAN FRANCISCO—June 9, 2008—Apple® today introduced the new iPhone™ 3G, combining all the revolutionary features of iPhone with 3G networking that is twice as fast* as the first generation iPhone, built-in GPS for expanded location based mobile services, and iPhone 2.0 software which includes support for Microsoft Exchange ActiveSync and runs the hundreds of third party applications already built with the recently released iPhone SDK. In the US the new iPhone 3G is priced at a stunning $199 for the 8GB model, and just $299 for the 16GB model.** iPhone 3G will be available in more than 70 countries later this year, beginning with customer availability in 22 countries—Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, UK and the US—on July 11.

“Just one year after launching the iPhone, we’re launching the new iPhone 3G that is twice as fast at half the price,” said Steve Jobs, Apple’s CEO. “ iPhone 3G supports Microsoft Exchange ActiveSync right out of the box, runs the incredible third party apps created with the iPhone SDK, and will be available in more than 70 countries around the world this year.”

iPhone 3G gives users ever faster access to the Internet and email over their cellular network with quad-band GSM and tri-band HSDPA for voice and data connectivity around the world. iPhone 3G supports Wi-Fi, 3G and EDGE networks and automatically switches between them to ensure the fastest possible download speeds. The new iPhone 3G also makes it easier to multi-task with simultaneous voice and data communications, so with iPhone 3G you can browse the web, get map directions, or check your email while you are on a call.

iPhone 3G includes the new iPhone 2.0 software with both the iPhone SDK and key enterprise features such as support for Microsoft Exchange ActiveSync to provide over-the-air push email, contact and calendar syncing as well as remote wipe and Cisco IPsec VPN for encrypted access to corporate networks. The iPhone SDK allows developers to create amazing applications that leverage the iPhone’s groundbreaking Multi-Touch™ user interface, animation technology, accelerometer and GPS technology on the world’s most advanced mobile platform.

iPhone 3G includes the new App Store, providing iPhone users with native applications in a variety of categories including games, business, news, sports, health, reference and travel. The App Store on iPhone works over cellular networks and Wi-Fi, which means it is accessible from just about anywhere, so you can purchase and download applications wirelessly and start using them instantly. Some applications are even free and the App Store notifies you when application updates are available. The App Store will be available in 62 countries at launch.

Additional features available with the iPhone 2.0 software include the ability to do real-time mapping and track your progress with GPS technology, mass move and delete multiple email messages, search for contacts, access a new scientific calculator, turn on parental control restrictions for specified content, save images directly from a web page or email them to your iPhone and easily transfer them back to your photo library on your Mac® or PC. iPhone 3G delivers an amazing 10 hours of talk time on 2G networks and 5 hours using 3G, with up to 5 to 6 hours of web browsing, up to 7 hours for video playback and up to 24 hours for audio playback.

iPhone 3G takes advantage of MobileMe™, a new Internet service that pushes email, contacts, and calendars from an online “cloud” to native applications on iPhone, iPod® touch, Macs and PCs. With MobileMe email, messages are pushed instantly to iPhone, removing the need to manually check email and wait for downloads, and push keeps contacts and calendars continuously up-to-date so changes made on one device are automatically updated on other devices. With iPhone, you can even snap a photo and post it directly to a MobileMe Gallery to share with friends and family.

iPhone 3G will be available in the US on July 11 for a suggested retail price of $199 (US) for the 8GB model and $299 (US) for the 16GB model in both Apple and AT&T’s retail stores and requires a new two year contract with AT&T for qualifying customers. iPhone 2.0 software will be available on July 11 as a free software update via iTunes® 7.7 or later for all iPhone customers. For further information about iPhone 3G pricing and availability in the US and internationally, visit www.apple.com/iphone.

*Based on 3G and EDGE testing. Actual speeds vary by site conditions.
**Based on iPhone 3G (8GB) and first generation iPhone (8GB) purchases. Requires new two year AT&T rate plan, sold separately.

Apple ignited the personal computer revolution in the 1970s with the Apple II and reinvented the personal computer in the 1980s with the Macintosh. Today, Apple continues to lead the industry in innovation with its award-winning computers, OS X operating system and iLife and professional applications. Apple is also spearheading the digital media revolution with its iPod portable music and video players and iTunes online store, and has entered the mobile phone market with its revolutionary iPhone.

3G, GPS, MobileMe, Oh My originally appeared on tech.nocr.at on 2008/06/09. Reproduction of content not allowed without consent.

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The maker of the popular Guitar Hero franchise has recently filed for a trademark for the name “DJ Hero”.

The trademark makes reference to software to be released with a special controller, leading us to believe that we might soon be rocking out to an Oakenfold or Van Dyk techno track on a Xbox 360 enabled turntable.

What will they come up with next? Why not car wash hero? With a real scrub cloth?

Activision Files For DJ Hero Patent originally appeared on tech.nocr.at on 2008/02/19. Reproduction of content not allowed without consent.

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Looking to beef up security around the house or office? Looking to catch them kids who are messing up the front of the house? Why not build your very own Witness Camera?

“The Witness Camera is a combination of a VGA CMOS camera, a passive-infrared movement sensor, a 1 GB SD-card (or bigger), and an AVR Mega32 microcontroller implementing a solid-state time-lapse recorder. It is a compact, complete, self-contained surveillance system designed with home users in mind. It can be installed in minutes wherever there is a mains plug, and it is affordable because of it is built using an handful of inexpensive parts.”

[Link via Make]

Build Your Own Witness Camera originally appeared on tech.nocr.at on 2008/02/08. Reproduction of content not allowed without consent.

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Here is just what everyone needs, a useless USB toy to take up hours and hours of your time. I’ll give it credit, it’s a lot of fun. The USB boxer adds some fun to it’s on screen game. Punches are controlled on the keyboard while the boxer throws his best at the speed ball.

Unfortunately you can only pick it up in bulk (minimum order of 12) for ₤29.99 each here

USB Time Waster originally appeared on tech.nocr.at on 2008/02/05. Reproduction of content not allowed without consent.

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The Ybox2 is the latest version of a programmable IP-connected set top box which fits entirely in an Altoids box.

The system can be programmed to display widget-like channels on your TV via a library of freely available software. The unit even has a built in IR sensor so you can change the widgets with a remote control.

The Ybox2 connects to your network via it’s built in 10BaseT ethernet port and outputs video to your display using a composite connector. At the heart of it all is a programmable Propeller 32-bit multiprocessor, built in speaker, and a multicolour status LED.

You should be able to build the entire thing for about $50, which is half the cost of the original Ybox. You can find all the details, including schematics, parts list, and source code on deep darc

Ybox2: Set Top Box In An Altoids Tin originally appeared on tech.nocr.at on 2008/01/29. Reproduction of content not allowed without consent.

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