Curious Tinkering

Tomb Raider Reboot is Hot!

2011-06-04T01:45:00.001+08:00

Fall 2012? Come on Square Enix we need this game this year!

E3 2011: Uncharted: Golden Abyss Hands-On Preview by Gamespot

2011-06-03T15:01:00.001+08:00

Must have hardware for 2011!

Batman: Arkham City - Catwoman

2011-06-02T21:33:00.007+08:00

E3 is just around the corner and good things are happening in the video gaming industry. Great games are coming out and one of the years most anticipated is Batman: Arkham City. The interview above just about seals the deal for. I'll be first in line if getting this game. I can't wait.

Ben Heck Show: Making a 1977 Xbox 360 Edition

2011-03-23T14:22:00.000+08:00

Planning of buying a gaming headset

2011-02-19T15:23:00.013+08:00

[UPDATE]

I recently got the latest top-of-the-line headset from Turtle Beach - the PX5. It is a fully wireless headset that has two radios built-in so you can do wireless 7.1 surround sound audio with DSP effects and bluetooth chat. Additionally, you can simultaneously pair a bluetooth phone or music player that allows you to receive calls or listen to your music tracks while gaming. There is also a feature that allow you to create DSP presets that you can use in-game. Pretty cool stuff!

I am a gamer. Particularly, first person shooters. I am just a regular average gamer who loves FPS. However, with kids running around with the better reaction times in online games, I need to have an edge. Hence I plan to get a good gaming headset that provides 5.1 surround sound for directional positioning. This will give me the edge I need against those players that constantly running around flanking me.

Astro A30 Sound System
This is one of the best gaming headset there is and works on all 3 gaming platforms. It is also one of the most expensive ones out there with a starting price of a little over $240. These are also only available online in the US.

Turtle Beach Ear Force X41
These headphones are the only true wireless gaming headphones out there that supports the 3 gaming platforms. However, with average price at $200, I find the build quality is not so nice. Still these headphones are only easily available in the US.

Triton AX720
Not a wireless headset but is one the choices for pros. It is available locally for $200 and works with all 3 gaming platforms. My only concern is the complicated setup and wire clutter, the build qaulity of the decoder, and the size of the headset itself which is huge and heavy and can be painful over extended hours.

What do you guys think I should get and save for? :D

New Features in Cydia

2011-01-21T23:35:00.004+08:00

Finally, after a long time, Saurik has finally updated Cydia to include an Account Management feature. For now, the only content found is a list of purchased apps and tweaks. This is one of the most need to restore you iphone and hence losing all jailbreak functionality. This list of purchased apps will surely lighten the load when you have to reconfigure your device to how it was before after restoring or upgrading your firmware in itunes.

Upcoming NZXT Phantom full tower case review by Bill Owen

2010-07-28T15:44:00.001+08:00

Bill Owen of MNPCtech posted a great review of NZXT's upcoming full tower case - the Phantom. A great review of a great case with all the features for effective cooling.

Addicted to Red Dead Redemption Music

2010-07-23T15:39:00.000+08:00

Listen to Jose Gonzalez singing Far Away from the Red Dead Redemption game soundtrack. It's amazing is all I can say. One of the best PS3 games I have played in a long while.

Sony E3 Press Conference (PS Move)

2010-06-16T19:17:00.004+08:00

Microsoft E3 Press Conference (X Box 360 Slim, Kinect)

2010-06-16T13:15:00.002+08:00

Nintendo E3 Press Conference

2010-06-16T13:11:00.005+08:00

Engadget's Review of HTC EVO 4G

2010-05-20T10:24:00.004+08:00

AMD Phenom II X6 Overclocking Tutorial Video

2010-05-03T17:17:00.004+08:00

Google Japan's Cool Animation

2010-01-21T13:32:00.000+08:00

Here is another great animation from Google Japan. Why can't other commercials be as good as this?

Activate GodMode in Windows Vista/7

2010-01-06T14:37:00.000+08:00

This is one neat trick/hack or whatever you may call it. It allows you to see alot of the options in Windows be it hidden deep in sub menus, hidden for administrators and the like.

You can activate GodMode by:
1. create a new folder anywhere on your Windows computer.
2. rename said folder to GodMode.{ED7BA470-8E54-465E-825C-99712043E01C} but you can change the "GodMode" to anything you like. poop.{ED7BA470-8E54-465E-825C-99712043E01C} will work.
3. the icon of your folder with change and double clicking with open it.

Chrome's Contraptions Commercial

2009-12-10T15:23:00.005+08:00

Google Chrome's commercial is amazing. Featuring contraptions to show the functions and notable features of the browser with a bit of classy music, it's very creative and to the point. It goes against some of the commercial trends that bash directly on other competitors. I wish more companies make creative commercials like these.

Making a Cardboard Twin-Lens Reflex Camera

2009-10-22T23:52:00.000+08:00

This a great time-lapse video by Theo Jemison shot with a Canon 5D Mark II.

Showing off Kiel Johnson's Cardboard Sculpture of a Twin Lens Reflex Camera made strictly from cardboard, hot glue, and tape.

An amazing, amazing work - both the video and the cardboard sculpture.

DIY Lathe Machine

2009-10-03T12:17:00.004+08:00

Do you need a lathe machine for your DIY projects or modding but don't have the money to buy a new one? Well you can make a lathe machine for yourself. No kidding. Some folks over at Instructables have outlined a step-by-step guide on building your own lathe machine - from other peoples rubbish. I am not sure if the DIY lathe can handle metal though cause you would need a good toolbit to work metal. But as the guide shows it can do fine wood work - albeit in a possible dangerous way (holding the cutting tool while the spindle of the motor is rotating). Let me know what you think of it on the comments.

Here is a disclaimer from the author.

I use some basic power tools in making this, and I meddled (carefully!) with mains voltage, so the usual safety precautions must apply. Always wear eye and ear protection when using power tools and lung protection when making dust. Be very careful and get qualified help (if you need it) with main voltage etc.

The lathe itself can be very dangerous, following good practice, and designing in safety, is the best method of staying out of harms way. I will hopefully cover some of these points, but ultimately you're doing this at your own risk, so please take care!

Overclocking a Core i5 CPU

2009-10-02T16:42:00.010+08:00

Linus from NCIX Tech Tips shows us the easy way to Core i5 overclocking using the MSI P55-GD80 board. This is the most basic and simplest example of overclocking your Core i5 CPU. However, as opposed to the video, I would highly recommend not using AUTO for the voltages. Set it yourself to equal or a bit greater than the default values (represented on the left column in the bios). Boot then run Prime95 to check for stability. Overclocking can be a rewarding endeavor but it can lower the life span of your components so overclock at your own risk.

Core i5 Overclocking with Gigabyte P55-UD4P Motherboard

Phoenix's Fastest Booting Bios for PCs

2009-09-25T08:50:00.005+08:00

(video from engadget.com)

Phoenix is now offering their instant boot bios, a highly optimized UEFI implementation, to OEMs. It starts booting your Windows in under 2 seconds. So you are seeing around 20 seconds until you are inside Windows. If you are using SSDs, even faster. Imagine that. This would really make people happy with Windows even more. Fast booting bios + Windows 7 equals happy PC users. The only question I dare ask now is, how can I get to the BIOS if I want to tinker with it?

Alienware's New Species

2009-09-24T21:50:00.009+08:00

Alienware who was known to produce high-end gaming rigs. But honestly a lot of people have forgotten about them with the advent of better DIY options at lower prices. Now the company seems to be revitalized and has come up with new products or just refreshed products with the tag line "most powerful computers". More after the break.

The new Area 51/Aurora desktops boasts Core i7 cpus, up to 24gigs of ram, single 1gb HD 5870 (~~this isn't available for DIY yet~~) (XFX HD-587A-ZNF9 Radeon HD 5870 for $379.99 @ Newegg.com / available in Fuwell Singapore for S$669) or GTX260 1.8gb total in SLI, SSD options, and with a price tag that starts at US$1,299 for the Aurora and US$2,299 for the Aurora ALX. The system is watercooled and the case looks fiercely alien to me. I like it. The ATI HD 5870 (pictured below) in particular is so tasty. It is supposed to sell well below the NVIDIA GTX295 and is considered the fastest single gpu card today (GTX295 is dual gpu).

Alienware also has upgraded the m15x laptop with Core i7 920XM, 1gig GTX260M, and up to 8gig of ddr3 ram. Price start at US$1,499.

Gorgeous!

Guide: Build a Mac - Choosing Hardware

2009-09-22T22:38:00.004+08:00

So you want a Mac but can't justify the overpriced hardware? Or you want more value for your money? You are not alone. A lot of people have the same gripe. Don't worry, you can build a powerful Mac from scratch at a fraction of the cost than buying a real Mac of the same specs. Read on for the hardware list.

I have outlined below the hardware that I used in building my hackintosh. I have also put in some notes should you wish to use something different.

The Hardware

Processor: I used an Intel Core 2 Quad Q8400. You can use any Core 2 Duo, Quads, etc. If you plan to use AMD then you will need to use a patched kernel to make it work. Using a patched DVD installer like iPC, iDeneb, Kalyway, might be easier for that. I also bought ASUS Silent Knight II cpu cooler, which is a good option to the stock cooler that came with the processor, because I plan to overclock.

Motherboard: It has been known that GIGABYTE boards works very well with OSX, so it would be best to plan your build on one. The GA EP45- UD3P/R/L have really good feedback from a lot hackintoshers out there. For me, the best hackintosh board is the GA EP45-UD3P . This board is particularly good for a hackintosh. From what I know, OSX works on ICH10, ICH10R, ICH7 (please correct me if I am wrong).

Video Card: Stick with NVIDIA cards particularly 9xxx and GT200 series. There are alot on new ways on how to get your video card fully working in OSX. For my build I bought the EVGA GTX260 superclocked which worked flawlessly using ~~Netkas injector and the official Mac drivers on EVGA's website~~ GFXstrings and the latest release of Chameleon 2 RC3. The Netkas injector does not work with Snow Leopard. If you must use ATI cards you can check out the various methods of making it work on Snow Leopard over at Netkas' site.

RAM: You can use any RAM that is compatible with your board. I used two 4gig kits of Team Xtreem Dark PC8500 for a total of 8gigs. RAMs are going now for cheap especially DDR2. In contrast, Apple charges a bundle if you buy more RAM.

Hard Disk: You need SATA hard disks to avoid possible problems. I used a 500gb WD Caviar Green hard disk for my hackintosh partition.

Sound Card: The best way to ensure having working sound is to buy a USB sound card. No hacking required. However if your board uses the Realtek Audio then you can have it working with a little bit of hacking. On my EP45-ED3P, I got sound working with no problem.

Ethernet: Use a use ethernet adaptor to have working ethernet off the bat. However, with a little hacking still, you can get your on-board ethernet working.

WIFI: Buy a wifi card that uses Broadcom chips as they are recognized directly are and Airport card in OSX. For my build I used the Buffalo WLI2-PCI-G54S Wireless-G PCI Adapter.

Bluetooth: You can buy a tiny bluetooth v2.1 dongle for cheap.

Power Supply: To have stable system performance, buy a PSU with 80+ rating and be sure to get the correct wattage for your system. For my build, I boight the Aerocool 550W modular PSU. Use this PSU calculator to determine the PSU you need.

PC Case: I used a cheap Coolermaster Elite 335 case. Small, simple, cheap.

Coming up: Hardware Assembly and BIOS setup.

Upcoming Canon 7D - Amazing videos

2009-09-20T00:04:00.024+08:00

The new upcoming Canon 7D digital single lens reflex camera boasts amazing features that are usually only found on the highest-end models. Dual Digic IV processors, hybrid IS, 24p video recording and a lot more. Some even say that the 7D is the "poor man's" 1D mark III and the 5D mark II is the "poor man's" 1Ds mark III. A lot of photographers and videographers are excited since the 7D's video capabilities are really, really good - topping the 5D mark II and, quiet possibly, beating the upcoming D300s. Videos after the break.

Perya by Jason Magbanua (www.jasonmagbanua.com)

JC+Esther by StillMotion (www.stillmotion.ca)

These videos where shot using pre-production units of Canon 7D. I am truly amazed, inspired and left wanting to upgrade. How about you?

Start Tinkering

2009-09-19T01:11:00.003+08:00

I've always wanted to start a blog that can serve as an outlet for the interesting stuff that happens to me and also to serve as a log for some of the things that occupy most of my spare time. I guess I was just too lazy to start anything, but as of late, I think I should start now so I can at least archive the stuff that I have done that might come in handy in the future or might be useful or helpful to others as well.

The "stuff" I am talking about pertain to tech, gadgets, hackintosh, tech tips, gaming, iphone, pc hardware modding, and the like. I will also be posting stuff regarding photography as this is also one of my hobbies.