Archive for February, 2009
MacHeist 3 lets you legally steal software
February 7th, 2009 •
Tags: free, mac apps, MacHeist, Software
Mac users can forget about Bittorrent because the new Macheist is up. You can win free software for solving a few puzzles that aren’t too difficult. The haul for this mission is ShoveBox, KavaTunes, and some Valentines e-mail stationary. Not too bad. This is my first time participating in the Macheist, and I have to say it’s pretty cool. If you’re interested in some free Mac apps (and later a cheap bundle of Mac apps), it’s definitely worth a look.
Video: Building an arcade cabinet
February 6th, 2009 • 2 comments
Tags: arcade, arcade cabinet, emulation, games, Gaming, MAME, MAME cabinet, video games
It’s nice to have friends in high places. Failing that, it’s nice to have friends who can build you a sweet arcade cabinet! Brandon Haynes is a Rubik’s Cube virtuoso. He’s also pretty good with power tools. In this episode of the raddevon video podcast, we discuss his experience building a MAME cabinet.
The plans Brandon used to construct the cabinet were obtained for free from ArcadeCab.com. The only modifications made were to accomodate for the HotRod joystick as the original plan assumes a homemade control panel.
The monitor was found through an ad on the Freecycle Network which allows users to post giveaway items to be claimed by other users. BYOAC (Build Your Own Arcade Controls) has a video section which explains the ins and outs of different types of monitors.
The cabinet is not currently done (We will revisit it when it’s complete.), but the build cost is going to be less than $300 for the materials, monitor, and hardware necessary. I’m lucky enough to have an old Dell Pentium 4 lying around I can use as the brains of the cabinet. I also have some computer speakers. Check out the price list for details on the prices and sources of our components.
For more information, questions, or advice on this project, contact Brandon via e-mail (rcubeman [at] comcast [dot] net).
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Coming up on raddevon video for February 20th, I have an interview with a musician who distributes music online using equipment and software you probably already have. Check back in two weeks at 8pm Eastern.
If you enjoyed this video, please subscribe to the podcast using the links in the sidebar on the right. You might also want to subscribe to the blog!
City Rain: Awesome twist on city building
February 6th, 2009 •
Tags: city building, City Rain, falling blocks, Game, games, Indie Games, indie games, SimCity, Tetris
IndieGames.com spills the beans on City Rain—a cross between a city-building sim and a falling block game. It sounds to me like just the twist to bring new life into this sub-genre that has remained virtually unchanged since the release of the original SimCity. A Flash demo is available now, and the full game is set for release soon on Direct2Drive. I must say the music is wonderfully relaxing.
Titan Quest digital download only $3.99
February 6th, 2009 •
Tags: computer games, deals, Diablo, games, Gaming, pc games, Titan Quest
Many gamers had nearly forgotten about the Diablo series until the recent hype over the third installment in the series. However, in the heyday of the first two games, there were quite a few knock-offs and imitators. Of course, they had varying levels of success. One of the more successful series was Titan Quest. For today and this weekend, a non-Steam digital game download service has the game marked down from $15 to $4. I played the game myself when it was released, and it really is a lot of fun… if you’re willing to depart from the gothic setting of the Diablo franchise. Certainly well worth the pocket change.
Titan Quest only $3.99 on Impulse This Weekend (via Co-Optimus)
Google Chrome getting extensions soonish
February 5th, 2009 • 1 comment
Tags: extensions, Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, web browsers
I really love Google’s Chrome browser, but it really seems to lack polish in some areas like RSS support and platform support (Mac, please). It’s true that many browsers lack support for extensions, but I have been spoiled by Firefox. It is now impossible for me to switch to a browser that lacks exstensibility. Luckily, when the Mac version of the browser is released, I may not have to choose between speed (Chrome) and extensibility (Firefox). An observant blogger noticed a session at an upcoming developer conference called “Developing extensions for Google Chrome.” The conference takes place in May so we can assume the browser will support extensions by then… or perhaps it is a red herring!
Macbook Pro XP/Vista audio stuttering fix
February 5th, 2009 • 12 comments
Tags: audio, audio problems, drivers, Macbook Pro, stuttering, unibody, Windows Vista, Windows XP, wireless, WLAN
My PC has seen less and less of my gaming activity in recent years. It makes me a little sad, but the current generation of consoles is delivering a more cohesive and simple gaming experience than the PC ever could. The PC still has it’s strong suits: games like RTSs and FPSs that demand the fast and accurate control only a mouse can deliver or the modding communities that have sprouted around hit PC games for quite some time now. These things are still unmatched by consoles. Development is much more accessible to basement programmers as well creating a diverse indie game ecosystem.
As such, you can imagine my frustration when I found that my XP-booting Macbook Pro’s audio was stuttering every 15-30 seconds while booted into Windows. When the stuttering occurs, the action in your game slows for a couple of seconds. It may not sound like much, but four times a minute is a little excessive. Rhythm games like Audiosurf become unplayable; all games become frustrating. I set out to find the root of the problem and squelch it for good.
Some extensive Google searching revealed I was not alone in my issue. Tons of others are having the same problems. I went through pages and pages of potential fixes and nothing worked until I ran across a link to an updated WLAN driver for the Broadcom N Wireless adapter (which I have mirrored for you on my server). I installed that, and I now have no stuttering! I can game in peace and harmony once again.
As a service to all of you, I will mirror the driver that I used in this fix. Here are the steps for the fix that worked on my late 2008 unibody Macbook Pro running Windows XP SP3:
- Download and decompress driver
- Right-click “My Computer” and click “Properties”
- Click the “Hardware” tab
- Click on “Device Manager”
- Expand the “Network Adapters” category in the pane on the right
- Right click the Broadcom and click “Update driver”
- Click “Install from a list or specified location” and click “Next”
- Select “Don’t search” and click “Next”
- Click “Have disk”
- Browse to the location of the files you extracted earlier
- Open the folder for your OS
- Click the “Open” button
Once you have completed the process, you should be gaming in bliss. Keep in mind that this will not work for Macbooks with a Wireless NIC other than a Broadcom N NIC and a specific one of those at that. I’m unsure of the model of the NIC, but I would guess all the current unibody Macbook Pros produced after October 2008 have the same wireless adapter. The driver will also work for Vista according to the user who provided the link. (I would credit him, but I can’t even remember where I found it!) I think the procedure is similar for Vista, but, if anyone would like to send me the steps, I will be glad to post it. Good luck!
All podcast feeds are live (with iTunes links)
February 4th, 2009 •
Tags: podcast, vidcast, Video, video podcast, vodcast
I have added two new podcast feeds. I now offer raddevon video in standard definition QuickTime and audio-only formats. With the original two formats (HD QuickTime and iPod), this should cover the gamut of video needs for the majority of viewers. If you need another format for whatever reason, feel free to contact me.
You can always find the podcast feed links and the iTunes links in the sidebar on the right-hand side of the page. Enjoy this week’s episode which is coming up Friday at 8pm Eastern!
Million-dollar-pc.com highlights awe-inspiring custom PC builds
February 4th, 2009 • 2 comments
Tags: builds, cases, Computer Gaming, cooling, Hardware, modding, pc
If you have ever built a PC or even tinkered around inside the case upgrading your RAM, video card, or hard drive, you will likely have an appreciation for the artistry involved in the builds featured at million-dollar-pc.com. This isn’t a site for case modding. The cases here are either stock or they maintain the stock look. The cases aren’t flamboyant at all, but the builds are beautiful and classy—the attention to detail unmatched. The photos are big and gorgeous and are taken with the same care with which the builds are constructed. The page also includes a form to submit suggestions for the next million dollar PC.
There is some serious talent putting together these cases. I’m lucky to get the case to close with all the wires inside on my builds.
Collection of 351 iPhone wallpapers
February 4th, 2009 •
Tags: backgrounds, customization, iPhone, wallpaper
This is my collection of iPhone wallpapers. It includes 351 wallpapers I have collected during my six months as an iPhone user. Only the absolute best wallpapers I have found are included. This should be plenty to keep you busy customizing the look of your phone for for quite some time. Please note that I have not created any of these wallpapers, and I do not intend to take credit for them. I have merely assembled them here to make them easier to obtain.
iPhone wallpaper collection (27.48MB)
App brings MMS to iPhone
February 3rd, 2009 • 2 comments
Tags: iPhone, mms, Multimedia Messaging Service, photo, Text messaging
One of the oft requested iPhone features has come to the iPhone by way of a (currently) $4.99 app called Fetch MMS. The implementation is far from perfect. AT&T users must first change a setting through the carrier’s online messaging center. Also, it is impossible to send MMS to other iPhone users. The app uploads your photo to a remote server which then determines the carrier of the recipient based on the phone number. I assume the recipient’s e-mail address for text messages is then used to send the photo on its way. It’s not a great solution, but it may be as close as we have right now. I really hope some upcoming smart phones *cough*Pre*cough* can put the pressure on Apple to implement some of the long awaited basic features the iPhone lacks natively.