Technabob » windows xp

Star Trek-Themed Home Automation Center: Bridge to Geeks, Energize!

Range — Wed, 24 Nov 2010 17:30:17 +0000

Are you planning on spending a couple of grand on installing home automation systems in your house? Then you should most definitely look at these cool Star Trek-themed screens and interfaces that were recently created by Pascal.

This is basically a custom LCARS UI skin for Windows XP, which is the OS that is used to run his intelligent home. He uses it for his calendar, train schedules, a shopping list, browsing the internet and consuming media.

Click to View Embedded Video Clip

If you want something similar, prepare to be disappointed! Pascal says his skin is programmed specifically for the hardware that he is using in his house, so it’s really unsuitable for general use.

[via CrunchGear]

Expand iPhone Clone: Bigger Than an iPhone, Smaller Than an iPad

Technabob — Thu, 01 Jul 2010 03:33:40 +0000

This mutant gadget from a company in China called “Expand” may look like an iPhone, but when you get a better look at it, you’ll realize just how much bigger (and shinier) it is than a normal iPhone.

The Expand iPhone clone sports a 7-inch touchscreen with 800×480 resolution, and runs on a 1.2GHz VIA C7-M CPU. Under the hood, it’s got 1GB RAM, 16GB of SSD storage, and both 3G EVDO and Wi-Fi connectivity. And with a front-facing camera, it’s got pretty much everything you’d want in either an iPhone or iPad. Except that little part about running iOS applications. Nope, this mid-size portable actually runs Microsoft Windows XP (not even Windows 7?)

At this point, you’ll have to dig around the streets of the Shenhzen region of China if you want one, where you can findone for 2500 Yuan (appx. $367 USD) – or inquire here if you’d like to buy in wholesale quantities.

[via Shanzaiben via Cloned in China]

Wall-E Windows Computer Casemod Gets Touchscreen Tummy

Technabob — Sat, 14 Feb 2009 22:40:14 +0000

After listening to his startup sound, I always figured that Wall-E ran on Mac OS. I guess I was wrong. From the looks of this casemod, the little yellow robot that could runs Windows XP.

Modder Jonathan Berg put together this Wall-E PC mod that comes complete with a 7-inch touchscreen monitor inside his belly.

Click to View Embedded Video Clip

Wall-E is made from custom cut Plexiglas, arms made from Logitech speakers, and webcam hidden behind his eyes. He’s even been outfitted with voice recognition software which lets his master command him by barking orders - in case his touchscreen and laser keyboard aren’t sufficient.

Click to View Embedded Video Clip

At least his compactor module isn’t activated, or else that monitor would most certainly be crushed into smithereens.

Windows Xp and 98 Make Beautiful Music Together

Technabob — Mon, 18 Feb 2008 20:33:13 +0000

So what happens when you take the system sounds from Windows XP and Windows 98 and carefully arrange them in a music sequencer? Something pretty unexpected, I’d say. This is truly a case where the whole is definitely greater than the some of its parts.

UK electronic music hacker Robbi-985 managed to take the usually annoying system sounds, painstakingly sequence them with ModPlug Tracker and turn them into a composition that’s actually not half bad.

Click to View Embedded Video Clip

While it’s certainly no Beethoven’s 9th, it is pretty amazing that he managed to get all those sounds to work so well together.

I can hardly wait for the Vista version to come out.

[via Cynical-C via Neatorama]

New Sony Vaio Combines Tv and Pc

Technabob — Tue, 22 Aug 2006 23:26:09 +0000

Sony’s latest attempt to combine a flat panel LCD with a PC has resulted in the svelte new VAIO LS1 TV/PC. The new system combines a reasonably powerful computer into the back of a flat-panel 19-inch WSXGA+ (1680 x 1050) LCD display.

The computer features an Intel Core Duo processor, 2GB of RAM and a 250GB Hard Drive. The system also does its best to hide any cables and integrates built in cable management and comes with a wireless mouse and keyboard. In addition, the system has built-in 802.11g Wi-Fi network access.

The LS1 ships with Windows XP MCE 2005 (upgradeable to Vista when it comes out), a built-in NTSC TV tuner and DVR capabilities, but doesn’t include any HD tuning capability – which is a shame given the resolution of the screen.

The system has a (pricey) MSRP of $2100, and should hit Sony stores this September.