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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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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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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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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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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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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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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I’m sure the media is going to put a nasty spin on this story about how all hackers are bad.

A 14 year old boy has been arrested after hacking into a Polish train system and using it like a giant train set which caused 12 people injuries. Initially it looked like he was being malicious, but I think it’s just the media trying to skirt the real problem; the kid was obviously bored and needed some form of stimulation. I’m sure the media is going to put a nasty spin on this story about how all hackers are bad.

“He had converted the television control into a device capable of controlling all the junctions on the line and wrote in the pages of a school exercise book where the best junctions were to move trams around and what signals to change.

“He treated it like any other schoolboy might a giant train set, but it was lucky nobody was killed. Four trams were derailed, and others had to make emergency stops that left passengers hurt. He clearly did not think about the consequences of his actions.”

Not that I am condoning this type of behaviour, but as we all know, curiosity sometimes gets the best of us. If anyone can gain that sort of access to public transport (with a modified TV remote control!) things are very wrong. What if it had been a terrorist? I’m sure it would be “dead” not “injured” in the headlines.

Link to Full Story

14 Year Old Hacker Derails Train originally appeared on tech.nocr.at on 2008/01/11. Reproduction of content not allowed without consent.

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Archos recently revealed complete specs and images for their highly anticipated AppleTV killer, the Archos TV+. The compact device is just about the same size as the Apple TV, but it packs some much nicer features.

The Archos comes with twice the storage for less cost than the Apple TV. The TV+ is also capable of recording content from analog sources (via component or S-video inputs) and is also a full DVR complete with program listings that gives you a whopping 700 hours of video.

The unit ships with a qwerty remote control to take advantage of the optional Opera browser with Flash capability so that you can surf the internet from the comfort of your couch, hell it can even read PDF’s. Network connectivity is provided via the built-in 802.11g WiFi card or via a wired ethernet port.

The 80GB version will cost you $249 while the 250GB version should set you back $349. Expect to see the product hitting stores later this year.

Archos TV+ – AppleTV Killer originally appeared on tech.nocr.at on 2008/01/03. Reproduction of content not allowed without consent.

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• Nmap 127.0.0.1 : Flash Style (Rob)
• Vista powered Super Nintendo (Frank)
• Free File: HTTP File Server (Rob)
• Fully mechanical Pong – No TV (Frank)
• Free File: Emergent Task Timer (Mike)
• Emgeton Mini One – Windows powered iPhone Clone (Frank)
• Hack your remote control (Frank)
• Free File: PC Decrapifier (Mike)
• WhiteDust Gone? (Rob)
• Unlocked iPhones available in Hong Kong (Frank)
• It’s time to Evolve (Rob)

Best of the week – Aug 13 -19 originally appeared on tech.nocr.at on 2007/08/19. Reproduction of content not allowed without consent.

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Do I ever have the hack for you (Video at the end). This little quick hack will let you boost the range of your remote control. If works so well that I can now use my remote as a lightsaber and slice cheese, okay maybe not cheese, but I can aim my remote at the TV with clear line of sight and change the channel from across the house! Awesome.

Hack your remote control originally appeared on tech.nocr.at on 2007/08/15. Reproduction of content not allowed without consent.

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If you ever lose this remote control, something is serious wrong with you. The Phillips Prestigo is about the size of three normal remotes smashed together, almost a throw back to the click wire remotes of the late 70′s and early 80′s.

The massive tablet-sized remote offers a bunch of physical instead of those wimpy soft buttons that plague so many universal remotes these days. The remote will control up to 15 individual units, and offers a colour LCD screen in the middle that offers access to a handful of user-configurable buttons.

No release date yet, but it’s expected to hit the shelves with a $150 USD price tag.

Phillips Prestigo Tablet Remote: One remote to rule them all originally appeared on tech.nocr.at on 1999/11/29. Reproduction of content not allowed without consent.

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There’s no official photo’s yet of the device, but I’m sure there will be endless discussions online as to it’s authenticity. Trekies world wide will begin the never ending battle as to which generations phaser is better and so on.

I just wish, no matter what it looks like, that I could set it to stun while I’m stuck in traffic. That would greatly improve my drive into the office.

Star Trek Phaser to Control your HD DVD player originally appeared on tech.nocr.at on 1999/11/29. Reproduction of content not allowed without consent.

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Changing traffic lights originally appeared on tech.nocr.at on 1999/11/29. Reproduction of content not allowed without consent.

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There are tons of NES modders out there, most of them create portable units out of the NES internals or jam them into the weirdest places. This is the firm mod I’ve seen that uses the actually NES unit. Kotomi crammed a full-sized DVD player — plus the LCD — into an old NES he had laying around, including functional remote control (Video after the jump).

NES DVD Player: Gaming Style originally appeared on tech.nocr.at on 1999/11/29. Reproduction of content not allowed without consent.

© tech.nocr.at 1999 | Permalink | Comments | Read more in Hacking And Security | Explore more in: ac, control, dvd, ea, flash, Gaming, hack, hacking, id, images, ir, lcd, mod, modder, movie, nes, nintendo, os, portable, rc, remote, remote control, tor, tron, video, weird | Add to del.icio.us | Stumble it | Reddit