Find A LAN Party Using Google Maps

So what's a LANParty you ask? In brief, a LANParty is a gathering of people who all bring their computers, play video games together on a network, and eat nachos. :) Here is a great site that incorporates Google Maps to find a LAN party going on in your area.

Check it out Here.

+dwebb

Best Bumper Stickers

1. Dyslexics are teople poo.
2. Say "NO" to drugs. That will bring the prices down.
3. What would Ashton do?
4. Double your drive space. Delete Windows.
5. Does anal retentive have a hyphen?
6. If it ain't broke, take it apart and fix it.
7. MOP AND GLO - The floor wax used by Three Mile Island cleanup team.
8. Whenever I feel blue, I start breathing again.
9. Give a person a fish and you feed them for a day; teach a person to use the Internet and they won't bother you for weeks.
10. I used to have a handle on life, but it broke.
11. The original point and click interface was a Smith & Wesson.
12. The meek shall inherit the earth, after we're through with it.
13. Being "over the hill" is much better than being under it!
14. Wrinkled was not one of the things I wanted to be when I grew up.
15. Nuke the Whales! We'll hunt them at night.
16. Jesus loves you! Everybody else thinks you're a asshole.
17. Lawyers have feelings too (allegedly).
18. If there is no God, who always pops up that next Kleenex?
19. Forget world peace; visualize using your turn signal.
20. What wouldn't Jesus do?
21. If you believe in telepathy, think about honking.
22. People like you are the reason people like me need medication.
23. Every time you open your mouth, some idiot starts talking.
24. The box said Windows 2000 or better. So I installed Linux.
25. Use the best: Linux for servers, Mac for graphics, Windows for Solitaire.
26. I found Jesus - he was behind the sofa all the time.
27. So many cats, so few recipes.
28. Save the trees, wipe your ass with a spotted owl.
29. Don't make me mad. I'm running out of places to hide the bodies.
30. Rock is dead. Long live paper and scissors.
31. Knowledge is power, and power corrupts. So study hard and be evil.
32. On the journey of life, I choose the psycho path.
33. On your mark, get set, go away!
34. What would Scooby do?
35. The last thing I want to do is hurt you. But it's still on the list.

+dwebb

Free Itunes Music Videos

Well it turns out by using a certain PHP script out there on the net, you can download complete music videos from the iTunes music store. You also have the option of downloading the smaller or larger .MOV format videos which can then be imported into your personal iTunes library.

Step 1: Open the iTMS and navigate to Music Videos in the left side column. Choose the video of your choice and right-click on either the ‘Small’ or ‘Large’ format clip. Choose ‘Copy iTunes Music Store URL’.

Step 2: Go here and paste the URL into the video field and click ‘Submit’. The resulting page will present you with a link to download the complete video from iTunes. Right-click and choose ‘Save Link As’. Make sure to rename your video appropriately.

These are high quality Quicktime .MOV files. The larger versions weigh in at about 50MB so make sure you have a lot of hardrive space if you plan on using this script.

Enjoy ;)

+dwebb

Beer Can Padlock Shim

Here's an interesting HOW TO on making a padlock shim to open up padlocks - it's based on a retail version, but made from a beer can. So now you can get into your old locker at HS or any other padlock that you forgot the combination too.

Check it out here.


+dwebb

Free 411 Calls When Mobile

We have all been driving around at one time or another, and have needed to call directory assistance or 411 to get the number of the adult video shop or a specific restaurant in the area ;) Most times you cringe using your cell phone because it's too expensive, well the folks at Jingle Networks may have a solution for you. Their new free 411 service called, appropriately enough, Free411, is, well, just that. It's designed to give consumers a way to avoid paying the fee wireless carriers charge for 411 access--as much as $3.49.

Free411, which can be reached by calling 800-free-411, is an interesting utilization of a free service that requires users to bear with a bit of advertising before getting the goodies.

Enjoy :)

+dwebb

Free PC to Phone Calls

A program called adcall lets you make free calls to anywhere in the world but there will be ads when you use the program. There is no spyware or adware but you can only talk for 10 minutes. There is two hacks that lets you remove ads and make calls for an unlimited number of minutes...

No ads hack

1. First go into the adcalls-->ads folder
2. Then delete everything in the folder
3. No more ADS, enjoy

Unlimited calling hack

1. First go into adcalls-->skin-->skin1 folder
2. Then right-click on timerDisplay.xsl and open it with notepad
3. Scroll to the bottom and look for "startclock(00,09,59);"
4. Now change that to "startclock(00,99,59);" or whatever you like
5. Now enjoy unlimited calls

You can download adcall here

+dwebb

The Black Vault

What the heck is the Black Vault you ask??? Well the Black Vault, is one of the largest online communities of it's kind, anywhere in the world. It contains, over 149,000 government documents, over 10,000 archived news articles, and over 14,000 photographs of military aircraft, UFOs, JFK Assassination material, and much more. All obtained using the FOIA (Freedom of Information Act). Now you can find out, if your friends are really alien lifeforms bent on taking over the world :)

Check it out to here.


+dwebb

MIT Courses For Free

Well you may not be able to get into MIT, but you can still study there. MIT now offers a bunch of OpenCourseWare: a free and open educational resource for faculty, students, and self-learners around the world. OCW supports MIT's mission to advance knowledge and education, and serve the world in the 21st century.

Some of the Course Categories are:

• Aeronautics and Astronautics
• Anthropology
• Architecture
• Biological Engineering Division
• Biology
• Brain and Cognitive Sciences
• Chemical Engineering
• Chemistry
• Civil and Environmental Engineering
• Comparative Media Studies
• Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences
• Economics
• Electrical Engineering and Computer Science

Check out the full list and all the details here.

+dwebb

DIY Hardware Resources

This is a great resource list for all those DIY projects that come up. Vendors listed here sell miscellaneous and surplus hardware, tools, lab supplies, motors, adhesives, Dremel bits, screws, gizmos, and whatnots. Stuff you might need for successful hardware building and hacking, stuff you’re inclined to packrat until just the right project comes along.

Surplus Stores:

1. American Science And Surplus The canonical go-to store for surplus anything.
2. The Electronics Goldmine Mostly electronic components. Mostly. A wide and ecclectic variety of electronic components, assemblies, and kits.
3. Alltronics not to be confused with All Electronics, this outfit is another Goldmine clone.
4. Dontronics Dontronics carries an assortment of somewhat unique kits. Lots of components to get your PIC talking to serial ports, memory, and monitors.
5. Phidgets Phidgets sells a wide range of electronics kits aimed at robotics and academics. Think servo controllers, digital I/O boards, USB interfaces, and analog sensors. Sadly, many of the kits are a little on the expensive side.
6. ELM Electronics Elm Electronics produces integrated circuits (and only ICs) on a small scale. If National Semiconductor were scaled down ten thousand times, they’d be ELM Electronics. Anyway, ELM produces such chips as ODB (car diagnostics) to RS232 interpreters, Sony infrared remote control interpreters, stepper motor controllers, and more.
7. Surplus Center Surplus Center sells components that are large and in charge. 1.5hp electric motors, 4hp gas engines, 3,000 lb hydraulic cylinders, and 12v SLA batteries. If you’re looking for BattleBot parts, these will most likely be too large, unless you’re building a BattleBot that will decisively put those punk kids (and the car they rode in on) in their place once and for all. If, however, you’re looking to convert your lawnmower into a GoKart, these people can help you out… (thanks Nick/Felice!)
8. B&G Micro A popular Goldmine clone. Their online catalog rankles, so you may do well do download the PDF, though I’m not sure that the PDF covers their full inventory. (thanks, Bill)
9. Surplus Shed DIY photography is enjoying a renaissance of sorts as people are realizing that all you need to make a camera is a lens, film, and a light-proof box to connect the two. To that end Surplus Shed offers a selection of items to get you started; lenses, eyepieces, mirrors, and repurposable cameras. They also offer parts for the astronomically inclined, such as finder scopes, motors, and lenses.
10. Electronic Surplus There’s very little surprise about what Electronic Surplus sells—exotic Capuchin and Rhesus monkeys. No, wait, it’s surplus electronics.
11. Government Liquidation As the name implies, Government Liquidation auctions big lots of government surplus equipment. If you’re going to bid on something here, you’ll need a forklift to unload it, so be sure to bid on one of those, too.
12. Timeline, Inc. Timeline primarily sells LCD displays. They also have a “Hacker’s Corner” with odd power supplys, embedded computers, POS terminals, and serial terminals.

+dwebb

How to Play Video on Your iPod

There's a lot of speculation about future iPods, and if they'll play video - but you don't need to wait, the latest version of podzilla (Linux for the iPod) plays video, and now video with sound. Check out the site below for a quick how-to on installing Podzilla. Also here is a brief video showing many of the other features podzilla offers.

Check out Podzilla install on a Mac here.
Check out how to convert your own Videos, and Install off of a Windows Machine here.
Check out video with sound, playing on an iPod photo.

+dwebb

HOW TO TICK PEOPLE OFF

Some of you I am sure have seen this before, but for those who haven't, here is a great list of nutty stuff to drive people crazy with!!! I know I am going to be trying some of these this weekend. Pretty amusing stuff ;)

1.) Leave the copy machine set to reduce 200%, extra dark, 17 inch paper, 99 copies.
2.) In the memo field of all your checks, write "for sexual favors."
3.) Specify that your drive-through order is "TO-GO."
4.) If you have a glass eye, tap on it occasionally with your pen while talking to others.
5.) Stomp on little plastic ketchup packets.
6.) Insist on keeping your car windshield wipers running in all weather conditions "to keep them tuned up."
7.) Reply to everything someone says with "that's what you think."
8.) Practice making fax and modem noises.
9.) Highlight irrelevant information in scientific papers and "cc" them to your boss.
10.) Make beeping noises when a large person backs up.
11.) Finish all your sentences with the words "in accordance with prophesy."
12.) Signal that a conversation is over by clamping your hands over your ears and grimacing.
13.) Disassemble your pen and "accidentally" flip the ink cartridge across the room.
14.) Holler random numbers while someone is counting.
15.) Adjust the tint on your TV so that all the people are green, and insist to others that you "like it that way."
16.) Staple pages in the middle of the page.
17.) Publicly investigate just how slowly you can make a croaking noise.
18.) Honk and wave to strangers.
19.) Decline to be seated at a restaurant, and simply eat their complimentary mints at the cash register.
20.) TYPE IN UPPERCASE.
21.) type only in lowercase.
22.) dont use any punctuation either
23.) Buy a large quantity of orange traffic cones and reroute whole streets.
24.) Repeat the following conversation a dozen times.
"DO YOU HEAR THAT?"
"What?"
"Never mind, it's gone now."
25.) As much as possible, skip rather than walk.
26.) Try playing the William Tell Overture by tapping on the bottom of your chin. When nearly done, announce "No, wait, I messed it up," and repeat.
27.) Ask people what gender they are.
28.) While making presentations, occasionally bob your head like a parakeet.
29.) Sit in your front yard pointing a hair dryer at passing cars to see if they slow down.
30.) Sing along at the opera.
31.) Go to a poetry recital and ask why each poem doesn't rhyme.
32.) Ask your co-workers mysterious questions and then scribble their answers in a notebook. Mutter something about "psychological profiles.

+dwebb

New Cubicle Pet

Well it's official I am the proud owner of an OX. No not the 800 pound horned variety. My OX is a toy from the Ugly doll series. Ugly dolls remind me of something crossed between the land of misfit toys, and a lab experiment gone bad. There are like 20 different models, and they are great for a conversation piece, or for jazzing up that drab cubicle.

You can find them and other kewl import toys from Giant Robot.

+dwebb

Find a human when calling a company

How many times do we need to call a company for some customer support hoping to land a pulse on the other end, and what happens after the short phone greeting? We find ourselves thrown into the great abyss known as automated Phone Hell. Press 1 for this, Press 2 for that, Press three and hang yourself in your cubicle. Well here is a list of menu hacks for most major companies, that will help you in getting a live body to talk too.

Check it out here.

+dwebb

MAME arcade machine

Remember the days before Xbox, PS2, and Gamecube??? Well maybe I am dating myself by saying I spent hours and hours as a kid dropping quarters into Ms. Pacman :) Get your mind out of the gutter........Well now you can play all those old arcade classics on any standard PC using an application called MAME. In fact MAME is a perfect application to breathe new life into an old computer you have kicking around in the closet. What is MAME you ask???

MAME is an Arcade emulator, which means it is capable of making an ordinary P.C. run games which were designed for another computer system. The project aims to make a perfect reproduction of many historical arcade machines which users can play on their home P.C.s. Supported games include such classics as Space Invaders, Pacman and Donkey-Kong as well as many lesser-known titles. You can find the old classic roms on Bittorrent or other sites across the net.

• The Official MAME Home Page
• The Official MAME Development Page
• Home Page of the Windows Version
• Home Page of the MacOS Version
• Home Page of the Linux/Unix Version

Here is one good ROM site. People have even made cabinets to house the old PC and turned it into the perfect arcade machine for their game room or den. You can check out some DIY cabinets at this site or the arcade@home website.

+dwebb

Free Online Courses

Here ia a great collection of free online courses from About.com. Each online course is sent to you via email on a daily or weekly basis and is designed to help you learn a specific skill or solve a particular problem. There are no grades or degrees, only a whole lot of free online learning.

Check it out here.


+dwebb

Speed Boost from Rewiring DSL Circuit

Here is a little article on tweaking your DSL speed. This guide will show you how to rewire the DSL circuit from the phone Company's NID to your modem and hopefully you’ll gain about 100 to 150kbps in speed, lower Latency and even get rid of all the Filters that are attached to your phones.

Check it out here.

+dwebb

DIY "Secret" Hollow Book

Everybody has heard of those books with the hollowed out spaces in the pages from one spy movie or another. Well this little tutorial shows you how to construct your own. Hide valuables, firearms, or the secret formula to Coco Puffs :)

Check it out here.


+dwebb

TELECRAPPER 2000

Well we all have gotten those lovely calls just as we are sitting down in front of dinner, or trying to relax after a long day of work. The phone rings and no its not your Aunt Judy, it's some spider monkey telemarketer trying to sell you spray on hair or some other useless product or service. Well here is a little device that intercepts those calls and then through an algorithm plays a list of WAV files to annoy and harass the inconsiderate salesperson. It will cost around 20 bucks to make and should be a standard for any home ;)

Check it out here.

+dwebb

Strongman Stunts

Have you ever wanted to tear a telephone book apart, or drive a nail into a board with your fist? Well, then you got to check out these scans from the book How to perform Strong Man Stunts from 1952. Impress your girlfriend and amaze your friends…

Check them out here.

+dwebb

Great Little Flash Games

Here is a site I came across awhile back. It has numerous flash games to pass the time, and all are very well made and elegant in design. They are great for when you are mobile, and can be accessed remotely without ever installing a thing on your PC. Me and my son had a blast the other night checking them out.

Visit the site here.

+dwebb

20 Free Songs on iTunes

Some of you may already have these, but for those of you who don't, here are some links to some free Itunes tracks. The albums are called NU: The Sounds of New Scandinavia. There are 5 volumes in total, and each volume has around 4 free songs for a total of 20 tracks.

Get them here:

Volume 1
Volume 2
Volume 3
Volume 4
Volume 5

Enjoy ;)

+dwebb

DIY Vintage Projects

Ahhh the smell of nostalga. I remember as a kid looking in the back of popular mechanics and drooling over all the cool DIY projects and plans they offered in the back of the magazine. I had visions of building my own Hovercraft, helicopter, ATV, etc. Well I came across some Vintage plans which tell you how to build some pretty cool devices for your home and for fun.

Yard & Garden:
Leaf Blower
Snow Blower
Garden Tiller

Boating:
Jon Boat
Submarine
Anyone's Boat
Folding Kayak
Canoe
Jet Ski

Archery
Recurve Bow
Repeating Crossbow
Flat bow

Vehicles
Six Wheeler ATV
Airboat Snow Sled
Airboat Snowmobile
Mini Dump Truck
Go Kart Plans

Kids Toys
Battery Powered Sidewalk Cars:
Classic Touring Car
Race Car
Classic Car
Snow Toboggan
Gas Powered RC Boat Plans


+dwebb

DIY Segway - Self Balancing Scooter

Okay we have all seen Woz (Steve Wozniak - Cofounder of Apple) and other Tech Geeks zipping around on their Segways on Primetime TV, and thought how kewl would it be to take one out for a spin. Well maybe not all of you, but I am a geek remember so I thought it was kewl and always wanted one ;) Unfortunately however I didn't have the $5,000 bucks to shell out for one of these personal human transportation devices. Well now you can build one yourself, and its not going to cost you 5K either. Okay okay so it doesn't look exactly like a Segway, and maybe it doesn't have as much status, but it will still get you from point A to Point B and it costs a whole hell of allot less.

Check it out here


+dwebb

15 Great IPTV Tech Shows

Okay as many of you know, with the invention of Bittorrent and Podcasting allot of people are creating internet only radio and TV shows. A good number of talented individuals are making their own shows and distributing them for free online. I already did a segment on Podcasting, but this one focuses on IPTV or TV distributed strictly over the web. Here is a list of the top 15 tech ones out there.

Almost a Geek
Digital Life TV
Exit Frame
Eynto
Freevlog
From the Shadows
Go-Open
Hak.5
HackTV
H.I.T.
Infonomicon
MacTV
ScreenCastOnline
Systm
teh_show

Let me know if you have any others and I will add them. Thanks :)

+dwebb

Free Linspire Linux

For those users who want to get into using Linux but are afraid to take the plunge, Linspire is a very user friendly Linux Distro to try. Linspire is a full-featured operating system like Microsoft Windows XP or Apple Mac OSX. It combines the power, stability and cost-savings of Linux with a familiar, easy-to-use desktop environment. You can get it free by following the steps below until September 6th.

Step 1: Redeem the Coupon

1.) First go to the Linspire products page here.
2.) Click on "Order" button for Linspire Five-0
3.) Click the "Buy Digital" button
4.) Click the "Apply Coupon" button in the shopping cart
5.) Enter "freespire" (without the quotes) and click the "Update" and "Continue" buttons
6.) Check out of the shopping cart
7.) Create a My.Linspire account

Step 2: Download the Software

1.) Click on the My Products>CD Downloads menu on the left side of the screen
2.) Select the ISO you want to download from our servers or via BitTorrent (Linspire Five-0)
3.) Download it to your hard disk, then burn an installation CD using any modern CD-burning software (e.g. Nero, K3B)
4.) Once you've got the install CD, you'll be able to run Linspire from that CD without installing to a hard drive (we call this running in "Live CD" mode), or you can install to a partition.
5.) If you need further assistance, please see http://linspire.com/installhelp

Enjoy :)

+dwebb