It’s a beautiful Friday. What’s your excuse?
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What do you get when you combine the power of a Sega Dreamcast with the shitty display of an old 1999 iMac? The iCast, of course.
The clutch part of this mod, however, is that creator Logicdustbin was able to squeeze the entire Dreamcast console inside the plastic shell of the iMac. The controller ports even run out the front. Bravo. Now do you think you can turn it into a guitar amp? Try that out for size, kiddo.
In the latest issue of MAKE, there are instructions for a DIY project that is long overdue. If you’re into creating digital music, by now you’ve surely seen the video of a ball bearing sequencer on YouTube. You haven’t? Well watch the above video and you’ll be brought up to speed.
Essentially, you move the metal balls around to different areas of the setup to create beats. It works like a standard 16-step sequencer except that the possibilities for innovation are endless. Building your own will take a lot of time, money and effort, but the payoff will be priceless.
Here’s a DIY I’d like you to see
It’s something that’ll make you happy
Wallets with faces made from duct tape
The Count is there but now he doesn’t have his cape
Cookie Monster always eats a lot
Elmo looks like he’s been smoking pot
Bert and Ernie will get lost in your couch
And no one wants to buy Oscar the Grouch
If you want one let me tell you how
You can plunk down thirteen dollars and get one now
Homemade creations are always the best
Not having money can be a real pest
So now you’ve seen the wallets
I hope you will enjoy
Our coverage of something
I like to call DIY
Is this a museum? An art installation? Absolutely not. This is an airplane and its destination is Switzerland. Swiss Airlines is offering up gorgeous work cubicles for its fliers who need to get work done in style. Need Internet? No problem. A little TV for you, sir? Of course, of course.
While my boss, Steve Rufer, will gladly visit me in America using Swiss, I’m forced to crawl into an over sized duffel bag. He then sneaks me back in the cargo hatch of the plane and throws me salted peanuts during the 10-hour flight. Oh what a life!
Playstation 3 owners, your time has come.
After waiting over 4 years for this amazing technical feat of a game, you can finally walk into a store and purchase Killzone 2. Of course, if you didn’t pre-order at Gamestop, you might as well run to a Target or Toys R Us for a copy. We’ll be picking up our copy this weekend and I’m personally psyched to try out the multiplayer.
Anyway, this has been a public service announcement. As you were.
I’ve got some great reviews coming tomorrow and possibly this weekend. We aim to please, just don’t cut the cheese.
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Here’s a brilliant hack that combines old school functionality with new school technology. The creator wanted a way to play his hacked NES ROMs with more of a “retro feel,” so he ripped apart his Nintendo DS and connected an old NES controller. Want to give it a try? He was kind enough to leave instructions and pictures on his blog.
Several weeks ago, I received a JBL On Time 400 iHD iPod Dock (whew!) to review. In the past, I’ve really enjoyed JBL’s products. They make fair-priced, great-sounding iPod docks with rich bass and decent treble and mids. I unpacked the On Time, plugged it in and shoved my iPod Touch on top to start streaming music to the speakers. Unfortunately, the iPhone 3G doesn’t work with the On Time. This is a huge issue considering that a lot of iPod users have migrated to an iPhone, myself included since losing my iPod Touch in a drunken stupor.
But enough about drunken stupors. How easy is the On Time 400 iHD to use? It’s decent, but JBL hasn’t really upgraded its docking menu for years now. It’s still a two-color display reminiscent of an Apple II from the 1980s. It doesn’t give off a feeling of prestige and is really an eyesore to behold. Luckily, a remote is included with basic functionality, allowing you to avoid using the menu. Setting the clock and alarm is a breeze, ensuring you can replace your shitty alarm clock with the On Time.
Unfortunately, the sound on the On Time is less than desirable. I spent two hours playing various rock songs and dance music. Specifically, I threw on Metro Area’s Fabric 43 mix CD for an hour to get an overall feel for the system. Bass is muddy and distorted at high volumes. There is no “oomph” so to speak but instead a flat, dull pop from the kick drums. Highs were OK while mids seemed washed out. Listening to FM radio is easier on the ears considering how low-quality the audio is. But as I said, this is not a serious dock for listening to music. While it can do HD radio, the speakers the On Time is equipped with are merely lackluster at best.
The JBL On Time 400 iHD dock retails between $190 and $250. At that price, you are better off checking out some of JBL’s other products that have gotten better reviews or a Bose SoundDock. Better yet, pick up a small stereo system from Best Buy with iPod connectivity and you’re set. While the On Time is a great idea in concept, the product execution leaves much to be desired.
