This chip is a clone of the original NME-360 chip and comes in at nearly half the price. Fitting this chip looks nice and simple with a custom breakout board. Currently there are two version of the chip avaliable, one for the Hitachi and LG drives and an alternative version which is compatible with the Toshiba and Samsung DVD Drives. It boots all copied games and has an auto-detect function so that you can still use xbox-live
This chip comes mounted on a custom breakout board and has only 12 points to solder. It is compatible with all 360 DVD drives and unlike some chips is fully compatible with 360 backups so there is no need to patch your ISO’s. Although this chip does not stealth itself for Xbox-live it does give you an indication as to whether it is safe to go on-line via an LED.
If you know what your doing you can buy a replacment firmware chip for a couple of pounds, flash it with a hacked firmware and install it piggybacked on top of the original DVD drive firmware chip. This is the most complicated option but allows you to exactly control the firmware you use. Microsoft have tried to prevent this by putting resin around the chips but this is easily removed with a dremel and some patience
Not quite as agile as Steve Austin but still very impressive, this video show’s Jesse Sullivan with two robotic arms. It is controlled using his own nerves, allowing him to control the robotic limbs as if they were his own….
Jesse lost both his arms after being electrocuted in 2001 and this pioneering work has been undertaken by the Rehabilitation Unit in Chicago US
To find out more information about robotic limbs then check out the following sites
Rehabilitation Unit Of Chigaco - More Information abotu Jesse Sullivan
Society For Neuroscience - A Good explanation of the workings of robotic limbs
Robotic Muscles - How robotic muscles systems operate
Here’s a cool case mod, if not slightly dangerous looking! It is a PC case constructed from a cardboard box! The unit has been running with no temperature problems for 3 years now!
The system, which as mentioned before is quite old now runs the following components
- 800MHz/s AMD Duron
- 526MB SDRAM
- ABIT KT7A Motherboard
- ATI Radeon 9000, 64MB, RV25L-TV
- Hercules 3D Prophet Kyro, 32MB, 4000XT
- SoundBlaster AudioPCI 128
- Freecom CD-RW, 4×4x32x
- Noname CD-ROM, 8x
- Noname ISDN Modem
US Robotics 10/100BASE NIC
Obviously not the biggest of heat producing components, but neat nonetheless..
Wouldn’t like to try it with something a bit meatier, like a P4, guaranteed fire hazard!
check out the original 3 year old page detailing its construction at http://xfuj.com/waste/gpc1/
I remember seeing this somewhere a while ago but can’t remember exactly which site. Here is a DIY USB Shuttle used to control any software that accepts it as an input.
Very handy for video editing, this one is constructed using an old VCR drum and a hacked up Optical mouse
As is usual with similar projects, the optical encoder from the mouse is attatched to the bottom of the rotating drum, as it is a USB mouse that is used it ensures the finished device is compatible with the majority of programs
If you want to find out more about it’s construction and see some more photo’s of the unit then check out it’s related forum thread at http://forums.bit-tech.net/showthread.php?t=86820
And to see the Griffin Powermate that this DIY hack is based on then check out http://www.griffintechnology.com/products/powermate/
It’s actually not that bad value at $45 but it’s obviously much more fun to make your own….
Check out this reporter buying Z80A CPU chip over the counter in Japan for the equivalent of £2
This clip is from the same programme we featured previously, ‘Database’ which was broadcast on ITV in the UK in the 80’s
Check out the comment he makes at the end, the Z80 CPU may have already fallen into the wrong hands, how much damage do you think it would be possible to do in 1984 wth a Z80A CPU??
If you want to find out more about this vintage CPU which was used in the Sinclair Spectrum range of computers then head on over to comp.sys.sinclair’s Z80a CPU FAQ
This clip has been sourced from an early 80’s UK TV programme called ‘Database’
It was broadcast at some point in the early 80’s on ITV in the UK and that’s about all I can find out! Google has come up with nothing so for now that’s all the information i can give you….
Check out the clip of the reporter interviewing Pete Perkins from the aptly name ‘Honda Computers’ who is an early pioneer of pirate hardware! He creates and sell’s copies of Apples…. this was obviously filmed in a time before people cared about copyrights!
He makes a fair point though, his machines are more than just copies. They are an improvment on the original allowing you to connect other homebrew hardware to them…. plus the fact that they were nearly half the price of their lesser-abled official versions.
If anyone has any more information about the TV programme this came from then please drop us a line or leave a comment…. We have a couple of other gems to put up from the series so stay tuned…..
Heres a great guide to the latest robot’s currently in existence. Robots similar to Honda’s Asimo pictured on the right.
Asimo stands 130cm high and weighs 54 kilograms. He can walk on two feet at up to 6mph and can run round corners whilst maintaing balance. It doesn’t look to far off robots becoming a useful appliance for everyday life.
If only I could get a robot to tidy up after me….
The guide has the following robots listed
- Asimo
- Albert Hubo: an “Einstein” Robot
- Stanley: the autonomous vehicle
- BigDog: the robotic mule
- RiSE: the climbing robot
- QRIO: the dancing robot
- HRP-2 Promet: the robotic butler
- RHex: the Robotic Pooch
- WR-07: a real Transformer
- The Lego Robotic Bartender
Each entry has a full history, photo and a video of the robot in action, check out a quick video of Asimo in action below.
Check out the robot guide at at this link to see more video’s
This looks like the closest thing yet to a real-life holodeck! The Virtusphere is (as the name suggests) a large hollow sphere which sits on a set of computer monitored wheels. This allows the sphere to rotate a complete 360º whilst still allowing the computer to track the movments.
The system looks like it could take some getting used to, but is a step in the right direction. It certainly looks to be a better solution than the Virtual Reality Roller Skates we featured a while back
The system looks like it could take some getting used to, but is a step in the right direction. It certainly looks to be a better solution than the Virtual Reality Roller Skates we featured a while back
Click on this link to go check out some more videos of the Virtusphere in action
It’s premium price-tag of $100,000 is the limiting factor here! Obviously not designed for your average home-consumer. Although we will probably see these sort of machines appearing at amusement parks soon. They are already being used by Russia to help boost tourism by allowing potential visitors to take a ‘virtual’ tour.
If you want to find out more about the VirtuSphere and it’s potential applications then check out the following links
Virtusphere.net - The official website for Virtusphere
Defensetech.org - Informative article on military applications of the VirtuSphere
Seattle PI - News Article on the Virtusphere
CNET : News - News video on the Virtusphere
Another Model Train ciruit for you all, this one simulates the flashing warning lights at railway crossings
As with our previously featured project, the site listed below includes all instructions, circuit diagrams and www.mouser.com part numbers….
Automatic Railway Grade Crossing Flashers - Schematics, parts list and construction notes
If you liked our ‘Plasma In A Microwave’ post a while back then you’ll love this
www.MicrowaveCam.com put things in the microwave, so you don’t have to! They have a camera fitted inside of a microwave allowing them to capture slow-motion high resolution videos of things exploding and reacting!
The clip below shows a slow-motion plasma ball being created by microwaving grapes within an upside down glass. As always ‘DO NOT TRY THIS AT HOME’
Go and visit their site at www.microwavecam.com for more videos of objects being microwaved!
Here is the sites disclaimer just to reinforce the fact that you should never try this at home!
‘Finally, it should go without saying, but I’ll say it anyway. The content of this site was created by professionals. Professionals in what skill or talent has yet to be determined, but none the less, DO NOT TRY THIS AT HOME. We will not discuss details of how we created the “microwave cam.” Besides, when we looked at some of the components in the microwave oven, we all mutually agreed that we really didn’t want to get anywhere near those wires and gizmos that we knew nothing about’
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