receiver

Apr 27 2009

Keyspan Goodies

After spending the afternoon grabbing a cup of bandwidth from my local Staples,
I came home to find a package on the doorstep addressed to me. (Gotta love that.)
Thinking it might be my long awaited iBook mod supplies, I hurriedly open the
box to find that, instead, it contained a Keyspan Presentation Remote, a Keyspan
USB 4-Port Mini Hub and a Keyspan Zip-Linq Retractable USB Extension Cable —
not what I wished for, but not too shabby either.

Thank you, Santa!

I guess someone must have read one
of my previous articles on USB gadgets and decided to send me a few for
review. So, with out further adieu, here are my thoughts on this collection
of gizmos:

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Kremote Keyspan Goodies

Keyspan
Presentation Remote – This silvery number consists of a radio frequency
remote and a corresponding receiver that plugs into a spare USB port.
The remote has four buttons, one pad and a switch which allow it to function
as a wireless two button mouse with PowerPoint slide control and a laser
pointer without any software installation.

The documentation (consisting of two 5″ x 6″ pieces of photocopied
paper) says that Macintosh users need not install any additional software
to use the Keyspan Presentation Remote. It also states that the remote’s
media mode, which under Windows allows control of Windows Media Player,
is not supported on the Mac. With very little digging on Keyspan’s
web site, I found a beta
release of the software in development for this remote under Mac OS
X. With this software installed, I was able to switch the remote to media
mode where I could configure the buttons, pad and switch to do my bidding
in the Finder, Keynote, iTunes, PowerPoint, Quicktime Player, or pretty
much anything else.

The software is still in beta and getting the drivers to recognize the
RF receiver without crashing my Mac was a bit of an ordeal, but once I
got it working it was really a lot of fun.

+: Simple, useful remote that takes up very little space in the
backpack. Carrying case included.
-: Laser pointer requires too much fiddling to activate. Attaching
the RF receiver can cause your Mac to crash.

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K USBHub1 Keyspan Goodies

K USBHub2 Keyspan GoodiesKeyspan
4-Port Mini Hub – USB hubs are just a fact of life if you carry and
use a lot of USB devices. The two USB ports on most portables get filled
way too easily. But, as I mentioned in USB
gadgets for your ‘Book, I have yet to find a hub that I recommend
without hesitation.

That situation has not changed. The Keyspan 4-Port Mini Hub has great
portability and usability, but the case fell apart on its first excursion
in my backpack. The plastic is very light, but somewhat less than durable.
And its “snap together” construction too easily succumbs to
“snap apart” destruction. I would still recommend this hub,
but I would suggest that it be tucked away in a safe and snug pocket to
prevent spontaneous disassembly.

The Keyspan 4-Port Mini Hub comes packaged with an AC adapter that allows
you to attach USB devices that draw more power than the Universal Serial
Bus can efficiently provide on its own. This is a valuable extra in a
portable hub and puts the Keyspan above other portable hubs that lack
this feature. On the downside, the AC adapter requires additional backpack
real estate. But if you need this option, you’ll just have to find the
room.

+: 4-ports of USB fun in a svelte package. Bus and AC power options.
-: Flimsy case. Optional AC power adapter not nearly as portable
as the hub itself.

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KZip Linq1 Keyspan Goodies

K ZipLinq3 Keyspan GoodiesKeyspan
Zip-Linq Retractable USB Extension Cable – I’ve saved the best for
last. This thing is awesome. “How good could a USB extension cord
be?” Well, it’s ability to extend my USB range isn’t the the part
that’s amazing, it’s the way that it does it. The Keyspan Zip-Linq Retractable
USB Extension Cable is just one of a
slew of retractable extendable portable wonders all based on the same
principle.

K ZipLinq2 Keyspan GoodiesThe
really great thing about the Zip-Linq’s isn’t so much what they can do
when you extend them, but how little space they require when they are
retracted. A while back, I purchased one
of Macally’s offerings to the retractable cable category. The Macally
offers twice as much cable length as the Keyspan but look at the picture
here–it also takes up more than twice as much room! If you need 5 feet
of USB extension, buy two Keyspan Zip-Linq’s and you’ll have the needed
cable length and more room in you backpack for other stuff.

And the Keyspan Zip-Linq’s are much more durable. In the time it took
me to lose my sales receipt for my Macally Retractable Firewire dealie,
the housing around one of the plug ends split open and I had to reach
for my SwissTool to sweet talk the broken plug out of my iBook’s Firewire
port. The Keyspan Zip-Linq has been much more forgiving of the tortures
I put it through and is just made of tougher stuff in my opinion.

+: Awesome! Asks for so little and gives so much. Also available
in Firewire, Ethernet, telephone, cel phone charger and travel mouse
models.
-: Will arouse envy of those around you. Easily stolen. Buy several.

That’s all for now!

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-Rick

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Apr 27 2009

Peer-to-peer broadcasting over iChat AV

Bill Douthett (Digital Bill of Wizards
of Technology fame) and I are big fans of film director Kevin
Smith and his Jersey Trilogy. When news hit recently that Smith would be
appearing in a 3 episode story arc of “Degrassi:
The Next Generation”, I was stoked. But, Bill…not so much.

“WTF is ‘Degrassi’?”

Degrassi in its various forms is a curious Canadian television phenomenon that
was a favorite of Kevin Smith’s while he worked as a clerk at the Red Bank,
New Jersey Quik Stop he later made famous. He also made reference to Degrassi
in nearly every one of his films. You’d think a show given that kind of attention
would be more famous but it isn’t even all that big here in Canada, and even
less so in Fort Lauderdale, FL where Bill lives. It does broadcast there but
on the N and on a delay
of several weeks…and who wants to wait weeks to see Jay and Silent Bob battle
Canadian Ninjas? Not Bill, I can tell you that.

ichatavwiring Peer to peer broadcasting over iChat AV

The solution involves iChat
AV, an ADS
Tech Pyro A/V Link analog to digital converter (from here on referred to
as “the Pyro”), two broadband connections (for the sender and the
receiver) and little else. I connected the video and right and left audio out
from my VCR to the video and right and left audio in on the Pyro. Next, I set
the Pyro to Analog Mode and stretched a Firewire cable from it to the Firewire
port on the Mac. I then simply logged into iChat AV and specified the Pyro as
both my”camera” and my “microphone” in the Video pane of
iChat’s Preferences and, bikkity-bam, I was broadcasting whatever played
on my VCR over iChat AV. If you attempt this yourself, you may also need to
set iChat’s Bandwidth Limit to about 200Kbps, so you don’t overrun the person
on the receiving end (never a bad idea when video chatting over DSL or other
bandwidth-limiting connections).

ichatavprefs Peer to peer broadcasting over iChat AV

ichatvideomenu Peer to peer broadcasting over iChat AVWhen
Monday night rolled around, I just emailed Bill in the morning to let him know
that at 8:30pm PST he should be on iChat awaiting an invition for a One-Way
Video Chat and that was that. When the show was about to air, I selected Bill’s
iChat screenname and sent the invitation via the Buddies menu. Once he accepted
he was able to watch the episode “virtually live.” There were a few
problems with the signal dropping off, but if the person on the sending end
of the rig keeps a close eye on the preview window, it is easy to see when trouble
occurs and simply re-invite the receiver.

After the show was over, we found that this method also worked for broadcasting
VHS video cassettes and even DVDs. Granted, the video is heavily compressed,
but if you just want to get the idea across and share a movie with a friend
online, this is a pretty cool way to do it.

videobrodcastchat Peer to peer broadcasting over iChat AV

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Apr 27 2009

AirPOOT Express Remote Control Fart Machine

I’m sure most of you have seen or been pranked by the Remote Control Fart Machine. It’s a two piece toy that consists of a transmitter about the size of a car alarm key fob and a receiver unit that you turn on and hide somewhere in the vicinity of your intended victim. Then you simply wait for the right moment, press the button on the transmitter and the speaker plays a pre-recorded fart sound effect. Juvenile and amusing. I’m sure if Apple made a fart machine, it would be something to behold…

reinvented AirPOOT Express Remote Control Fart Machine

Here’s how to make your own overpriced and overproduced, Apple-styled remote control fart machine. The tools you will need are as follows:

category 01 AirPOOT Express Remote Control Fart Machine category 02 AirPOOT Express Remote Control Fart Machine category 03 AirPOOT Express Remote Control Fart Machine
category 04 AirPOOT Express Remote Control Fart Machine 1 AirPort Express Base Station with AirTunes (USD$129)

1 Macally PodWave (IP-A111) Portable Stereo Speakers (USD$39.99)

Mac OS X v10.3 or later (USD$129)

1 AirPort or AirPort Extreme-enabled computer (

iTunes version 4.6 or later (FREE)

category 06 AirPOOT Express Remote Control Fart Machine
category 07 AirPOOT Express Remote Control Fart Machine category 08 AirPOOT Express Remote Control Fart Machine category 09 AirPOOT Express Remote Control Fart Machine
airpoot AirPOOT Express Remote Control Fart Machine

All totaled, this almost entirely Apple produced remote control fart machine will set you back at least USD$896.99. That’s almost as competitive in the fart machine market as the Apple Leather Case for iPod is in the iPod accessory market!!

Before you use the AirPOOT to toot your own flatulent horn, you will also need at least one “fart” sound effect in an audio format compatible with iTunes. There are many ways you might go about acquiring such sounds:

  • You could visit CreateFarts.com and tailor-make an air brick for the occasion and have it emailed to you.
  • There are sound effects CDs available AirPOOT Express Remote Control Fart Machine with high quality, lowbrow effects on them. Get some and rip one off into iTunes.
  • You could employ the use of iFart… yes, there is actually already a freeware application in release for the sole purpose of composing fart-like noises.
  • Or, if you have no shame and nowhere else to turn, you could record your own “bottom blast” using Garage Band and a microphone you will never use again …ever.

In any case, you will need at least one such sound effect. More is better, as it will afford you the option of choosing the right sound for the right occasion and will also allow the sounds to vary from poot to poot.

The Set-Up:

  1. airtunes AirPOOT Express Remote Control Fart MachineLoad the AA battery into the Macally PodWave.
  2. Connect the Macally PodWave to the AirPort Express using the stereo mini-jack on the base station.
  3. Turn on the Macally PodWave.
  4. Plug the AirPort Express into an appropriate wall outlet that is concealed, near your intended victim and within wireless signal range of the Mac you will be using to trigger the “sound effects”.
  5. Use the AirPort Admin Utility to create a new network. (consult your manual for details)
  6. Open iTunes on your computer and choose your AirPOOT from the speakers pop-up menu in the lower right of the iTunes window.

Now, you need only wait until your victim is near the AirPOOT and the focus of attention, and then simply play one of your “fart” sound effects from iTunes. Don’t be in too much of a rush though. The element of surprise is as important as any other part of a prank like this. You don’t want to come crawling out from behind the filing cabinet where you’ve hidden the AirPOOT, then run to your MacBook Pro across the office and then cut the digital cheese all at once–it’s too suspicious–you have to be subtle. Set up the AirPOOT and let it lie in wait for a while. Then spring the trap later in the day.

TIPS:

Set up the AirPOOT in the Airport Admin Utility at home, in private, and then unplug the unit and bring it to the prank location and plug it in. It will remember its settings.

You might want to set up the Airport Express with Password protection on just to prevent anyone else using the “AirPOOT” before its time has come to make itself known. It is also wise to note that once the prank is played, this USD$300 Fart Machine receiver unit may easily fall into the hands of your victim. Putting password protection in place may not ensure its return to you, it may not even prevent the unit from being used against you in the same manner, but it may just delay the retaliation, giving you opportunity to snatch the unit back.

As the PodWave was designed for use with the iPod, it was assumed that one would adjust the audio volume via the iPod’s click wheel. So, for use with the AirPOOT, you will control the loudness of the flatulence via the volume control in iTunes. You may want to practice at home to establish the perfect volume setting for your prank.

You don’t have to plug it directly into a wall outlet, you can use an extension cord if that helps the subterfuge.

 adminut AirPOOT Express Remote Control Fart Machine
 

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