Automatic Mahjong Table

NYCC Wii Michael Jackson The Experience

2010 New York Comic Con

2010 New York Comic Con

2010 New York Trip

Apple ATI Radeon HD 5770 Unboxing

G4 Hackintosh Bootup

G4 Hackintosh Mod - Part 5

Success and Issues

Success and Issues with my G4 Hackintosh Mod.

I tried using the following for my build:

Gigabyte GA-G41M-ES2L (Rev 1.1, F6)
Intel Core 2 Quad Q9300
Zotac 9500GT 512
4GB OCZ Platinum
WD 2TB EADS
LG DVD Burner
Antec Earthwatts 500 PSU
Kakewalk 2.2 with Retail 10.6 on USB Flashdrive

At first boot I got the bootloader screen and then the Apple logo and loading. Then a blank screen. After a couple of reboots, the same thing as before. I was using the Zotac DVI output because the VGA is block by the rear panel and the VGA adapter can't fit. I then pulled out the Zotac card and used the onboard video. Hooray! I got the installer screen. I'm surprised that the onboard video worked. Nothing that I read had mentioned this before. It would have made things a lot easier.

Anyhow, I formatted the EADS and started the install. At 18 minutes before completion, it would stall and reboot. This occurred over the next couple of tries. Puzzled, I remember reading somewhere that EADS or green drives had problems being OS boot drives. I took my original 320GB drive from my 2008 Mac Pro, since upgraded, and after transferring the data over to the Pro, formatted and stuck it in the Mod.

Success! I ran the AzaliaAudio.pkg and sound is working. Everything except for sleep is working so far. I ran software update and it's fully up to date. The Zotac card and the EADS were the only two stumbling blocks that impeded me. The research helped but I need to be more sure and selective in my choices. What I still need is a video card that works.

I did order the ATI Radeon HD 5770 from the Apple Store for my 2008 Mac Pro. It should arrive in 1-2 weeks. I'll then put my Nvidia 8800GT in the Mod and see how that works. Too bad the Zotac didn't work out. I wanted the HDMI to hook up to my HD TV. Maybe next time.

Update: I've sent the Zotac card back to Amazon and the 5770 arrived the day after I ordered it but wasn't home to receive it. Darn! It was the weekend and FedEx doesn't deliver Mondays. Still waiting. I have to test the firewire card too. Video to follow. I also did a reinstall but used a 10.6.3 retail image. It worked as well.

G4 Hackintosh Mod - Part 4

G4 Hackintosh Mod - Part 3

Halo Reach

Halo Reach is out tomorrow. I pre-ordered it from Best Buy and will pick it up after work. My friend Prentiss is gonna come over and we'll be fraggin' together. The nephews may join us later but we'll start the campaign in "Heroic" mode first then "Legendary". I'm very excited yet saddened that this will be the last Halo game from Bungie. They've done some wonderful work to feed by addiction and are going to be sorely missed. I hope their future projects are just as exciting and addicting.

The G4 Hackintosh Mod is going on the backburner for awhile but stay tuned while I start the fight.

G4 Hackintosh Mod - Part 2

G4 Hackintosh Mod - Part 2

YouTube Channel

http://www.youtube.com/NoeticExpressions

G4 Hackintosh Mod

The genesis of this started with the urge to build another hackintosh. I've hacked my MSI Wind and helped my friend, Dustin build his. I watched and gave pointers as he put it together himself. I've built PCs before and Dustin just wanted someone to back him up in case he got stuck. This was his first PC build.



Anyway, I was looking through the "Kakewalk" forum and saw that they had a mATX motherboard that could be hacked. I was intrigued and start to piece one together. I then decided against it because the cost was $100 to $200 less than the price of a new Mac Mini which I wanted for a HTPC. I mentioned this to Dustin who was interested because he had a Mac tower he was thinking of modding. As it so happened, my friend Rich was getting rid of his G4 Graphite Tower and asked the best way to destroy the data on the old hard drive. I grabbed the G4 for Dustin but when I brought it home, it got me thinking about the hack even more.



Needless to say I kept the G4 and Dustin and I are going to do the mod ourselves. It's been done before by a couple of people. I Googled it and found a good Youtube tutorial. The mod isn't too difficult. The main one is drilling some holes for the motherboard standoffs and the cutout the rear panel for the ports.



I'm trying to keep this build affordable. It's not cheap and it's not expensive either. I'm not trying for a cheap hack but one that is reasonable. This isn't going to be a powerhouse machine. I'm going to try to keep it kind of quiet because it may become the home theater DVR and iTunes music server.

I'll be posting updates on my progress so check back later.

I Have The Urge..

I have a new project on the burner that's gonna take some time to build. It's a "Hackintosh" and it's kind of special. I'll update how it's going and where I'm at from time to time. I'm going try video as well but that might be at the end of the project. Hopefully it won't take long but I want to take my time to do it right.

Tech Toys

Here are a couple of new toys that I recently picked up.

One is the Kodak Zi8 pocket video camera. It can do HD at 1080p but I'll probably film most things at 720p. Not everyone has a HDTV. I did order the Sony Stereo Microphone from here: http://www.dealextreme.com/. Dealextreme sells it for less than $5 while Amazon wants $45. What a deal. And it works too.



I did film my nephews wrestling with their shirts off. I didn't plan on it. I just walked in on them while trying out the camera. I'll wait until they're older and then embarrass them with the video. Ha… ha…

The other is a new cell phone with a brain. It's a Samsung Intercept that's running Android 2.1 on the Sprint network. It's running okay. At times the touch buttons are a little finicky and the battery drains when I have the WiFi on. I have to remember to turn it off when I'm at work or out and about.





What's funny is that I bought the Zi8 a couple of months ago and the Intercept last week. The Intercept not only takes pictures but can record video as well. Oh well…

Summer Grilling

Here's what I've been grilling on the Weber Q. Top Sirloin and Tri-Tip. I've cooked other stuff such as chicken and Rib Eyes but I keep forgetting to take pictures of them. All in all, I'm pretty satisfied with the grill and recommend it. Five hot briquets!

Tears Were Shed.

Went and saw "Toy Story 3".

Tears were shed.

That's all I have to say.

Flame On!

Last weekend Orchard Supply Hardware was having a "We pay the sales tax" sale. So I went to looking for a barbecue grill since my current one was rusting out. My mind was pretty much set on what I wanted. I just hoped that OSH carried it. I looked on the net for prices and they all were pretty much the same price. Either it was priced cheaper but then shipping would negate the savings or it was free shipping but no discounted price. I figured that without paying the sales tax, I would be able to pick up the grill for the online price and I wouldn't have to wait for it to ship.

Low and behold, OSH had what I wanted, a Weber Q 220. I was looking at the 110 but it lacked a temperature gauge, electronic ignition, side tables, and less cooking space. I really didn't care for the first three but I did want more cooking space and the 110 was almost the same size as my current rust bucket. The 220 was just $30 more so that's what I picked up.


Getting it home was no problem but the box was kinda oversized. I managed to get it up the long staircase with little trouble. Assembly was quick and easy. I turned it on and powered it up. Hooray! It flamed on with no leaks or problems. The temperature gauge hit over 450 degrees. This thing is going to cook. It was late and I had to eat and get to bed early for work so grilling was a no go. But as I went to sleep the thought of what to grill danced through my dreams.


The next day, I had some beef and salmon defrosting. I was going to do Oyster Sauce Beef and Steamed Salmon but they could be grilled just as easy. They would inaugurate the first grilling. So after a quick marinade, I went to work. I threw in some Italian sausages that I had lying around as well. Delicious!


I kinda overcooked the Salmon and undercooked the beef but otherwise edible. I need to speed more time with the Q to get used to the heat and cooking times. I have spring, summer and fall to get my grilling down. It'll be fun and oh so yummy.

Wind Me Up

I just finished reading a very good science fiction book called "The Windup Girl" by Paolo Bacigalupi. I want to thank my friend Mr. Lee who recommended it to me. It took me a couple of days to read. I could have finished it earlier but something called "Work" got in the way.
You can find a description here: http://www.nightshadebooks.com/cart.php?m=product_detail&p=145
Reviews here: http://www.amazon.com/Windup-Girl-Paolo-Bacigalupi/dp/1597801577

Two thumbs up!

WonderCon 2010

WonderCon 2010 - Day 1

I met up with Evan, Harvey and Victor at Mel's on Mission for something to eat before we went to get our badges. We talked about our expectations for the show and what we were looking to buy. I had nothing in particular just whatever caught my eye.

Harvey's 10 year old Honda Accord check engine light went off so we planned on going to Uncle Doug's mechanic after we got our badges. The mechanic was just a couple of blocks away from Moscone Center. As it turns out, the check engine light went off as we were taking the drive to the garage. Harvey decided on taking it on another day.

We met up with Evan and Victor back at the Con and proceeded down into the bowels of the exhibit hall. Upon entering the hall, we had to wait in a line to get onto the dealer's floor. I didn't have to wait line since I had a "Pro" badge (Thanks Mike) but it wasn't that long and I wasn't in that much of a rush.

While walking around, I saw the usual vendors that seemed to always be there and some new ones. There seemed to be more booths catering to females and the cute stuff that interests them. I picked up the Mattel Batwing from the 1989 "Batman" movie. I had forgotten all about it. I also got the 1966 Batboat that I've been looking for awhile.

I ran into Chris near the "Dante's Inferno" booth. I was taking a picture of an Iron Man statue whose eyes and chest plate were illuminated. We walked and talked while meandering around the artists' alley and media tables. Chris then took off for a panel he wanted to check out.

I had met up with Evan, Harvey and Victor and we walked the floor a little more before heading to the Esplanade for the beginning of the programming schedule. In the Esplanade, we hooked up with Chris and sat in the front row in facing a video screen and speakers. Big mistake.

It turns out that the sound was cranked up and when there booms and bangs, you felt it. Especially the cushion of air that the speakers sent across that hit you. It was terrible. I had to grab my etymotic earphones to isolate the loudness of the sound. Putting them in my ear made the sound much more bearable. I think that if I didn't, my ears would be ringing like there's no tomorrow and I'd have some hearing loss. Huh?

Episodes of "V", "Fringe" and "Human Target" were shown. "V" was okay. I don't watch it. "Fringe" as well. I had only watched the pilot and two or three episodes after that. "Human Target" had my childhood hero as a guest star. "The Six Million Dollar Man", Lee Majors, was that guest so I watched with renewed interest. I knew what would happen in the end but still shed a tear or two.

The final program for the night was Kevin Smith. He's always a hoot to see. Almost everything that comes out of that big mouth is funny and in some way homo-erotic. He kept things humming along making everyone laugh. The one quote that'll stick with me is "… like a long rope."


You had to be there.

After a long day, I took the Metro, grabbed a burger from Sliders and moseyed on home.

WonderCon 2010 - Day 2

Harvey's check engine light went off again the night before while driving Evan and Victor home. So he came by, picked me up and we headed to the garage. Once we dropped off the car we headed to Moscone. But before that we had supplies to stock up on. I didn't have any food supplies the day before and regretted it. Today was going to be different. I was going to be camped in the Esplanade all day and I needed provisions.

Whole Foods would provide the supplies. A roast beef and cheddar on sourdough, Kettle Chips and 2 bottles of water would provide me with enough nourishment needed for the encampment. Surprisingly the prices were reasonable. In fact, the water was cheaper than Safeway and you got more.

This time I sat by the Control Tower in the Esplanade. Far enough away from the speakers but close enough to big screen to see everything.

Happy Town was first up. It's "Twin Peaks" but not as dark. A lot of stuff going on in the pilot. It's interesting enough but I'm going to wait if it's picked up. I hate to invest in a show and then get the rug pulled out from underneath me after.

Walt Disney presented "Prince Of Persia", "The Sorcerer's Apprentice" and "Toy Story 3". Screen Gems had "Resident Evil". Warner Bros. showed "The Losers", "Splice" and "Nightmare On Elm Street". And Lionsgate had "Kick-Ass". I think the only one that interested me the most was "Toy Story 3" and "Splice". I could see the rest of them but it wouldn't be on the top of my list. Christopher Nolan also showed up to plug "Inception". This looks very interesting. Everything he does is always pretty good.

That was a long day in the Esplanade. I enjoyed the previews and panels. After a quick review of the exhibit hall we all went off to dinner and met up with Stan. Little Joe's on Mission was the place of choice. I had a very delicious Chicken Parmingiana. It was nice comfort food for the day.

By the way, The iPad was released today. I'll probably get one but not until generation 2.

WonderCon 2010 - Day 3

Happy Easter!

Here it is, the final day of WonderCon. Not much going on. I was suppose to meet up with Dorian but he passed. It was grey, cloudy and going to rain heavily later in the day. I had a hot dog and a spam breakfast sandwich with orange juice from Jollibee before starting off in the exhibit hall. I walked around and picked up the Star Trek water bottle that I had been eyeing from the Things From Another World booth. The guy remembered me from yesterday and thanked me for coming back.

After walking around a bit, I met up with Evan and then big brother Rich and Tally Sue. We walked around together and ran into Waymond. It wasn't as crowded as yesterday. I wonder if it being Easter or Passover had anything to do with it? The weather also turned ugly. Evan and I then went off to the final panel of the day in the Esplanade. It was for "Chuck".

The "Chuck" panel showed Monday night's episode. It was good. If you're a fan then it's a must not miss episode. Watch it live or record it. Not to give anything away but in this episode things are consummated.

And that was it. WonderCon 2010 is nothing but a memory in my mind. I enjoyed this years. It wasn't too crowded. I could walk around without bumping into people. I would love to have seen more people in costume but I guess that's what ComicCon is for. Other than that, I'm looking forward to the new movies coming out and to WonderCon 2011. Hopefully they'll have the date settled early this time.

Drug Buy

So my allergies are still kicking my butt. The generic Claritin is working but my nose is still dripping and I feel congested. I needed more drugs. I went to my local "Red Bullseye" store to score some Psuedoephedrine, more commonly known as Sudafed. I forgot that they were restricted now and that I had to go to the pharmacy to pick it up. I grabbed the picture card for what I wanted and went to the counter. I got carded! Yes, I was asked for my ID. I'm over 18. So I handed her my drivers license, she examined it and then she swiped it through the cashier register. I then had to read a statement on the signature pad saying that I'm buying and using these drugs properly and not in any illegal activities. I even had to sign it.

What a stupid law the legislature enacted. This is what happens when common sense is lost and never found. People who make crystal meth aren't going to purchase these drugs legally and one by one. They're just going to steal them off the shelf. Having them behind the counter is fine since it'll cut down on theft but to ask someone for ID and have them sign a declaration is just way too much.

47 Questions And Answers!

My friend Chris posted this and I followed his lead.

1. WERE YOU NAMED AFTER ANYONE
?
My Grandfather named me. I didn't get to know him.

2. WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU CRIED?

My Mom's birthday.

3. DO YOU LIKE YOUR HANDWRITING?

Yeah.

4. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE LUNCH MEAT?

Roast Beef.

5. DO YOU HAVE KIDS?

None.

6. IF YOU WERE ANOTHER PERSON WOULD YOU BE FRIENDS WITH YOU?

I would hope so.

7. DO YOU USE SARCASM A LOT?

Not as much as I use too.

8. DO YOU STILL HAVE YOUR TONSILS?

Yes.

9. WOULD YOU BUNGEE JUMP?

Yes, I did.

10. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE CEREAL?

Post Honey Bunches Oats With Almonds.

11. DO YOU UNTIE YOUR SHOES WHEN YOU TAKE THEM OFF?

Yes.

12. DO YOU THINK YOU ARE STRONG?

Yes.

13. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE ICE CREAM?

Rocky Road.

14. WHAT IS THE FIRST THING YOU NOTICE ABOUT PEOPLE?

Their face.

15. RED OR PINK?

Red. Shirt…

16. WHAT IS THE LEAST FAVORITE THING ABOUT YOURSELF?

Speaking in public.

17. WHO DO YOU MISS THE MOST?

Mom.

18. DO YOU WANT EVERYONE TO SEND THIS BACK TO YOU?

If they want to.

19. WHAT COLOR SHOES ARE YOU WEARING?

Black

20. WHAT WAS THE LAST THING YOU ATE?

Pad Se-Ew

21. WHAT ARE YOU LISTENING TO RIGHT NOW ?

MacBreak Weekly

22. IF YOU WHERE A CRAYON, WHAT COLOR WOULD YOU BE?

Black

23. FAVORITE SMELLS?

The crisp winter morning air. Mesquite.

24. WHO WAS THE LAST PERSON YOU TALKED TO ON THE PHONE?

My friend Rich.

25. DO YOU LIKE THE PERSON WHO SENT THIS TO YOU?

Yes.

26. FAVORITE SPORTS TO WATCH?

Football. Bowling. Baseball.

27. HAIR COLOR?

Black.

28. EYE COLOR
?
Brown.

29. DO YOU WEAR CONTACTS?

No. Lasik.

30. FAVORITE FOOD?

Pizza. Rib Eye.

31. SCARY MOVIES OR HAPPY ENDINGS?

Happy endings.

32. LAST MOVIE YOU WATCHED?

“Avatar”

33. WHAT COLOR SHIRT ARE YOU WEARING?

Black w/ Red "S".

34. SUMMER OR WINTER?

Winter.

35. HUGS OR KISSES?

Hugs.

36. FAVORITE DESSERT?

Carrot Cake

37. MOST LIKELY TO RESPOND

?

38. LEAST LIKELY TO RESPOND

?

39. WHAT BOOK ARE YOU READING NOW?

"The Windup Girl" by Paolo Bacigalupi

40.WHAT IS ON YOUR MOUSE PAD
?
No pad. Trackball.

41. WHAT DID YOU WATCH ON TV LAST NIGHT?

Big Bang Theory. Diners, Drive-ins and Dives.

42. FAVORITE SOUND?

The Mac chime.

43. ROLLING STONES OR BEATLES?

Beatles.

44. WHAT IS THE FARTHEST YOU HAVE BEEN FROM HOME?

Shanghai, China.

45. DO YOU HAVE A SPECIAL TALENT?

Everybody comes to me for answers.

46. WHERE WERE YOU BORN?

Ogden, Utah

47. WHOSE ANSWERS ARE YOU LOOKING FORWARD TO GETTING BACK?

?

Scentability

I know it's been a while since my last post. I'll try to keep things more updated. The past week has been bad for my sinuses. It's Spring and March. A lethal combination. My annual allergies are flaring up. Every year around this time the pollen gets to me. This year is especially hard on me. I've lost my sense of smell and taste. Anything I eat tastes bleah. I'm not enjoying any of my meals which is good because I've been eating a little bit more stuff that's good for me, especially vegetables.

I am taking generic Claritin. It helped more than the generic Zyrtec that I first took. I won't take a decongestant (D) because when I do, it keeps me up at night. That's not too good. My nose is kind of raw from all the nose blowing but I've rubbed some lotion on it when I can. My sense of smell and taste has come back but albeit slowly.