The latest DIY ideas, techniques and tools for digital gadgetry, open code, smart hacks, and more. Processing power to the people!
Paul writes “You recently posted my article on how to ubuntu linux for novices, and now I’ve got another for you. In this how to I show you how to setup and tweak the latest AJAX webmail client that recently gained lots of buzz, RoundCube. It’s easy to use, fast UI will make it a threat to Gmail, Kahuna and other webmail clients as it goes from alpha to beta.” Link.
Here’s an iTunes add-on for Mobile Phones. This free software allows PalmOne Treo 650 & 600 smartphones, Sony-Ericsson’s Walkman phones, Nokia’s XpressMusic and Samsung MP3 phones (with hard keys to control playback) to be synchronized with iTunes. It enables them to be a virtual iTunes phones like the Motorola ROKR, but without the 100 song limit. Link.
Mark writes “Having some issues with my G3-keyboard in my 12″ ibook, I was lucky to find a G4-keyboard cheap, only it was an Azerty-model and meant for a 14″… After trying all kinds of solutions, I decided in the end to make it a ‘Das iBook Keyboard'” Link.
Here’s another laptop to picture frame project – this one uses an iBook. The iBook screen was flipped around, a new color added and the whole thing uses a hockey puck to stand on its own. The power button was moved to a more accessible spot too. Link.
Seems to me this would could be used with a GPS and low cost portable computer for the blind…“a belt which enables its user to feel his orientation in space via vibrotactile stimulation. This belt is equipped with a set of vibrators controlled by an electronic compass: the element pointing north is always slightly vibrating. That way, the person wearing the belt gets permanent input about his heading relative to the earth’s magnetic field.” [via] Link.
Here’s a pretty good overview and how to on setting up Linux on a Mac or PC. I usually carry a few Ubuntu “live CDs” when I travel – these CDs allow you to boot in to Linux, but it won’t mess up anything on the hard drive. More often than not, the folks I show it to start using Ubuntu, it’s a pretty nice system and this how to is really handy to get it up and running on that old computer gathering dust you might have. Link.
The most 30″ Apple Cinema displays, ever. Scientists at UC Irvine have completed the world’s highest-resolution grid-based display for visualizing and manipulating massive data sets. The Highly Interactive Parallelized Display Wall (HIPerWall) is a room-sized display that measures nearly 23 x 9 feet. The HIPerWall system, consisting of 50 flat-panel tiles, resides in the Calit2 Center of GRAVITY (Graphics, Visualization and Imaging Technology) at UCI, and provides a total resolution of 200 million pixels, bringing to life terabyte-sized data sets. HIPerWall’s resolution is nearly twice that of the world’s next-highest resolution display wall. [via] Link.
