HOW-TO: Turn your laptop into a home security systemhowto: getting started with microcontroller programmingIdiot ToysI like idiottoys.com, cheers ntk.net, it's engadget.com with swearing. If I was more of a gamer I think I would like ukresistance.co.uk more too. Their Paris Hilton joke is great.... iPod mini 8GB UpgradeHow-To: Scale video for better HDTV viewing - EngadgetThe Wireless Music Player: Do-it-yourself remotely managed music playerLoving this <a href="http://devices.natetrue.com/musicap/">DIY wifi music player</a>, one day I'll be ready for my first real hardware hack.The Hardware EPGot The Cooper Temple Clause's debut EP at last... Opening track "The Devil Walks In The Sand" is five minutes Led Zeppelin, but it's not just heads down rock, there are LAYERS to it..."Solitude" is an effects laden instrumental track, but with what ... We don't really go out any moreAnother smashing weekend, is it time for the next one yet? Saturday I played with the computer most of the day. Had no joy fitting the old big hard drive full of MP3s into the new computer, all the technology is different, the drive is SATA now so I'... Issues with my mybook driveAfter 22 days, I got a response to my support email regarding that mybook external hard drive I bought:We apologize for the delay in responding to you. Due to heavy volume, we are currently beyond our normal turnaround of 1 business day.We realize th... Hacking the WidePodOK, I have not actually hacked the new ipod Touch yet, I do not have one and have not seen one in the flesh, but I wanted to have a post on subject anyway. I love the idea of being able to go online on the device, but if it's all geared towards just... Farewell then HDDVDToshiba has announced it's stopping production of the HDDVD format. So Sony's Blu-Ray is the winner so far. Anyone bought an HDDVD player yet?Watch the price of HDDVD machines tumble a bit fast.... IPAQ battery9. How frequently can you recharge the battery?Due to the nature of the batteries used in all iPAQ models you can recharge as often and for as long as you like. Your battery will not be damaged by this practice nor can it be overcharged, constant cha... 'PAQ to lifeYesterday's IPAQ battery investigations seem to have paid off, the little computer has come back to life again. I tried every special key combo known to man, and changing the power adapter, but I'm I'm pretty sure it was the threat of selling it off ... Ever feel lacking in skills?I do, all my skills are in software, if the power went off tomorrow I'd be SUNK! I wish I had more hardware skills, not just computer hardware, but general mechanics and making and fixing things. Here's an interesting article along those lines from w... Guitar Hero on the Commodore 64Via engadget.com.There's a PC / Mac game you can download for free, where you hold your keyboard like a guitar, Frets On Fire...... Some popbitch updatesHad a quiet night in last night, while Clare was out down Chambers with her bro, putting the world to rights. So, did some coding that I'd meant to do for ages, and put a new "new" feature on the popbitch board; posts that are new since your last vis... ASUS EEE big size!Slashdot has a link to the first full review of the big size ASUS EEE micro laptop. So check it out! Despite the fact they make a pink one, I'm less convinced than I was before that this is the right laptop for (say) someone's mother. It might still ... I must have something more interesting to write about than php?Um, no, perhaps not.I got a new hard drive at last, after all the problems I had with the ibook and having to send it back, I didn't rush into getting another backup job, but I saw a bargain at Maplin Seagate 500GB FreeAgent, and it seems to be worki... My computer is dead!Bah, turned it on today and I'm getting the blue screen of death with a unmountable_boot_volume error. Thought at first it was the backup drive or an IPOD plugged in, but no, it's the one and only hard drive that is knackered. Apparently I might be a... A week of technological disastersMy week of technological disasters goes from bad to worse. Lost the camera (it still has not turned up yet), and as previously mentioned the only hard drive on our PC is corrupted. I got the Windows XP disks and tried recovering it, but no joy, so or... Woo back onlineEverything working again, got the right version of XP Media Centre and I'm good to go. So far the computer is running faster and cleaner than it was before, but I'm sure that'll change...Should I buy an Aiport Express?I want a way to play my music from the computer around the house, without too much expense... is Apple Airport Express worth a go? I think I'll need another solution to be able to change tracks from the other room, but just to stream from one to the ... I'll tell you what that remote controlled helicopter needs - A GUN!Dude! From Gizmodo:... More wifi funGot my imac up and running with osx at last, this is GOOD. Thought I could just plug my wireless dongle in and be ready to go, streaming itunes around the house, but NO! Got drivers for it for OSX (there are none for OS9), but it's USB2 and this old ... Tonight we're gonna party like it's 1899Watched this yesterday and learned a new thing Steampunk, like [abe=William Gibson]cyberpunk[/abe] [abe=around the world in eighty days]Phileas Fogg[/abe] style, very cool:From makezine.com, see also steampunkworkshop.com. I'd like to do this to my i... A whole new server the size of one of those network adaptersThis sounds good, a new computer that's the size of one of those plug socket network adapters I bought the other day. Great for the kind of home automation type stuff I like to daydream about.... New IPOD shuffleSmall as hell but now 4GB, but they done this by moving the controls into the headphones,. So no more trying to disguise what kind of music player you have in your pocket / clipped to the back of your tie.Never used a shuffle before, but they're givi... Stuff I like todaytwitter.com/PiMPY3WASH - someone's washing machine is on twitter.com, I like that. We just ordered a tumble dryer, I'm going to put it on twitter. All I need are some diy usb skills and I have the rest.Also Rocketboom's take on twitter. That's you, t... XBMC touch screen kitchen jukeboxI like this project, but do I really need any more semi working hardware? I need to be brutal and have a clear out. May even get rid of my IPOD, possibly even put the drawer full of old ipods on ebay...Via @hpoom....