General – Page 80 – Paul's Tech Talk

Xbox 360 Fall Update Full Details (DivX! XviD!)

PaulDecember 1, 20071 Reply

Update: Apparently there’s actually something good in this update! Too bad they didn’t actually include it in the press release, but the Xbox 360 will support DivX and XviD! Hurray! Here’s what we got from the Xbox team:

**15. What types of AVI files are supported?

The Xbox 360 supports files encoded using MPEG-4 Part 2, Simple and Advanced Simple Profile. These files are often referred to as Xvid or DivX® video files. Many common PC DVD authoring tools, cameras, and camcorders are capable of encoding files using MPEG-4. Note that some files authored for DivX devices may also contain additional functionality(menus, subtitles, multiple audio tracks, etc). The Xbox 360 will attempt to play these files, but does not support any of the additional functionality and in some cases will be unable to play the file.

16. Why don’t some of my older versions of DivX® files play?

Since we only support Mpeg-4 compatible codec implementations, we will not be able to play video files older than DivX® 5.0.

Go check out what all will be in the updates!! I think it is some good stuff!!

Use Your iPhone’s Internet Connection On Your Laptop

PaulNovember 30, 2007

It’s great that your iPhone has a data plan and a killer mobile browser, but when you’re sitting at the airport waiting to catch a plane with your laptop right next to you, wouldn’t it be nice to use your full-on desktop browser? Out of the box your iPhone won’t allow you to tether your EDGE data connection to another computer wirelessly, but with a little ingenuity on your part you’ll be browsing the net on your laptop through your iPhone’s data service in no time.

NOTE: You’re probably asking yourself: “Isn’t the EDGE data network that the iPhone uses SLOW?” Well, yes it is. But if you’re at all like me, sometimes a slow full-screen browsing session is better than slow browsing on the small screen.

I’ve only tested this method on my MacBook Pro, but since SSH is platform independent, this should be a workable solution on Windows, Mac, or Linux.

Hey they came up with a way to have internet anywhere you go! Check out the full story at Lifehacker.

Upgrade Your Hackintosh to OS X 10.5.1

PaulNovember 30, 2007

A couple of weeks ago, I detailed how I built a Hackintosh Mac on the cheap from start to finish. The build benchmarked incredibly well, and I’ve been using it as my main PC every day since. A few days ago, I decided it was time to upgrade my Hackintosh to Mac OS X 10.5.1, the first update for Leopard. Here’s how it works.

First… Did It Work?

Yes, updating to 10.5.1 worked (and continues to work) very well, and if you’re installing Leopard with my previous guide, it only adds a couple of extra steps. However, I did run into a snag which I’ll detail later.

A good article on how to upgrade a hacktosh. Go check out how to at lifehacker!

Linksys Tech Support Misprint Leads to Phone Sex Hotline

PaulNovember 29, 2007

I hit Circuit City with my mom on Black Friday to pick up the greatest and cheapest router ever, the Linksys WRH54G, costing a slim Andrew Jackson after the mail-in rebate. As far as I could tell, there was only a single flaw with the thing: the toll-free technical support number in the manual wasn’t that at all, but a promotional line for a “stimulating conversation” service. Hear it for yourself in the call video above, and check out the manual after the jump.

Even the best laid plans go wrong. I hope Linksys corrects this!!

One-Click Video Conversion in KDE Menus

PaulNovember 29, 2007

Linux only: Convert your video files for DVDs, iPods or easily-playable formats from inside your file browser using a simple script. Users of Linux systems running on a KDE desktop just need to download the ffmpegmenu script and place it in the appropriate file browser folder, and a new “Video Encoding” menu will appear in your sidebar. Detailed instructions and download links are at the link below. The ffmpegmenu script works in Linux only and requires a KDE environment, or at least the majority of the KDE tools installed in any desktop.

ffmpegmenu – transcode videos from your file manager [FOSSwire]