Spreading the Media Player Love

March 7th, 2010

Willa (my current ladyfriend) has been using an old decrepit laptop with a bad keyboard hooked up to her TV at home to watch NetFlix instant-streaming movies. I took pity on her as the “geeky boyfriend” and bought her a Roku HD Player (e.g., “NetFlix Box”) a few days ago.

We just finished doing the initial setup and account connections via my TV and Internet connections here, and she’ll take it home with her to try out tomorrow.

awesome socks #3

February 23rd, 2010

Today’s color: “Earth”.

"Earth" tye-dyed socks

awesome socks #2

February 22nd, 2010

Today’s color choice, “Pinkle”:

"Pinkle" tie-dyed socks

awesome socks

February 19th, 2010

I love my new socks.

Tie-Dyed Socks

From here.

Trackballs for sale

February 16th, 2010

I’ve updated the Trackman Marble FX post to reflect that the three I have are now up for sale.

My XBMC Media Centers

February 15th, 2010

A few weeks ago, I built an XBMC-based media player to use with the 32″ TV in the living room:

XBMC Home Screen

I decided to make another system using an original XBox for the bedroom, since I don’t need to play HD content on the 19″ TV in there. I bought a refurbished XBox from Gamestop for $54 shipped, and picked up the rest of the pieces I needed (XBox-to-USB cables, an 8M memory card) off eBay and from a local shop. I used a 10″ LCD TV while setting it up, so I didn’t have to run back and forth to the bedroom.

Here’s the XBox after doing a “softmod” to install Linux and the UnleashX dashboard:

Softmodded XBox

Here it is with XBMC installed, running the default “PM3″ theme:

XBMC installed on the XBox

And here’s the final setup. Hooked up to the 19″ TV, running the same Confluence theme as the system in the living room, with the XBox DVD Playback kit plugged in so I can use a remote instead of a wired controller.

XBMC XBox Done

Am really happy with both systems; the living room unit cost me around $200 total while the bedroom XBox setup cost me $90.

Another Amy Picture

February 8th, 2010

This is the first picture I ever saw of Amy, before I was able to meet her in person.

Amy

Mah Bucket

January 9th, 2010

I now seem to own a silver bucket.

Suggestions (please leave them on Facebook, not here) on what to do with it are welcome.

Hobbies

January 4th, 2010

A new friend taught me how to crochet last night.

The Free Hardware Fairy

December 18th, 2009

I’ve joked with friends that I’m the “Free Hardware Fairy” a lot lately, as I get rid of stuff and fix their computers up.

Well, it came time to setup http://www.freehardwarefairy.com/.