Ideas for Ben.

[iccanui]

Thought it would be nice to have a thread just for ideas. This way they can just skim 1 thread instead of 100 threads on 100 pages when looking for new ideas.

A project I always wanted to do was build a portable battery powered network tester. 2 wan ports and a small LCD read out. One you can plug into a modem and displays the ip and on the other side it has a LAN port that issues a ip. This way you can test a connection on 2 fronts, from the ISP and your computer. Would love this or something like it for work. If it could speed test too, that would be epic.

Best idea i got atm, zonking as I type.

[haku]

Originally Posted by iccanui

portable battery powered network tester

Way way to complex for such a show as this, especialy as both netbooks and ethernet-to-USB adaptors (for the 2nd ethernet connection) are cheap and plentiful.

Anyway I think almost all of Ben's projects will be game console related in some way.

Originally Posted by iccanui

A project I always wanted to do was build a portable battery powered network tester. 2 wan ports and a small LCD read out. One you can plug into a modem and displays the ip and on the other side it has a LAN port that issues a ip. This way you can test a connection on 2 fronts, from the ISP and your computer. Would love this or something like it for work. If it could speed test too, that would be epic.

well, most people use something like this ( http://cgi.ebay.com.au/USB-Cable-Tes...item27b4ab0cb1 ) to test the network to see any issues. If you wanted an LCD screen and to get the IP, just buy an old eee pc 701. if you wanted two ports, just grab a usb-ethernet adapter

[krazyxazn]

How one of those cool looking LED Cubes? Including the price of parts and time spent.

Some random example:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M8Pi5Wa-x2Q

[alexanderrv]

I had a bunch of dead laptops and I ripped out whatever parts I thought I could use including keyboards. I was thinking of reusing the keyboards by attaching them somehow to the desktop PC. Looking around other forums this has been hit and miss. Maybe Ben knows more about this?

Originally Posted by alexanderrv

I had a bunch of dead laptops and I ripped out whatever parts I thought I could use including keyboards. I was thinking of reusing the keyboards by attaching them somehow to the desktop PC. Looking around other forums this has been hit and miss. Maybe Ben knows more about this?

I have seen interfaces to use the lcd screens, but they are so expensive you would be better off just getting a new screen. You really need the schematics unless your an electronics wiz. But then.if someone were a wiz they would not need to ask this question to begin with. .

[zeo]

LVDS to DVI boards are a lot cheaper these days and it's mostly just finding the right type for your screen as pinouts and number of pins can vary. Some ITX even have the option of a LVDS to DVI daughter board that you could get for as little as $29... It'll cost more to adapt the digital LVDS of the LCD to say analog format like VGA, since then you have to add a converter to the mix, but it can be done...

Originally Posted by alexanderrv

I had a bunch of dead laptops and I ripped out whatever parts I thought I could use including keyboards. I was thinking of reusing the keyboards by attaching them somehow to the desktop PC. Looking around other forums this has been hit and miss. Maybe Ben knows more about this?

Can try this, http://www.grynx.com/index.php/proje...ptop-keyboard/

[xanthis]

Originally Posted by alexanderrv

I had a bunch of dead laptops and I ripped out whatever parts I thought I could use including keyboards. I was thinking of reusing the keyboards by attaching them somehow to the desktop PC. Looking around other forums this has been hit and miss. Maybe Ben knows more about this?

Ben, I was cleaning up my Office, and found I too have about 4 old laptops 2 old PCs that work, but I haven't figured out a uses for. How about a Series Now that you'll have weekly shows on how to Reuse Old Hardware.

I'm already using an old PC for a MAME Cabinet.

You've Made a 3D printer, CNC and other Cool things with Arduino boards. Could you show us how we could use a PC/Laptop instead? I would Gladly send you one or two older laptops for say a Wall Mount MP3 JukeBox for my Game room/Garage.

For a Long term Multi-show Project like you wanted to do in the Beginning of your show, I would love to see you totally Geek out a Car. Talk to folks who make Replica Knight Rider KITTS and Doc Brown DeLorean Time Machine, maybe some Hollywood FX guys and built a you own car that has cool buttons and Displays with some practical applications of Electronics and Automation.

-Harry Orlando FL.

[cornflak3]

My Idea is taking a wireless 360 controller and making it work on a PC, but still keeping it wireless... Maybe some kind of usb thingamabob that can read the controller like wireless mice and keyboards. Anyways awesome show, one I will watch often...

Thanks, CornFlak3 aka Kevin

[haku]

Originally Posted by cornflak3

My Idea is taking a wireless 360 controller and making it work on a PC, but still keeping it wireless... Maybe some kind of usb thingamabob that can read the controller like wireless mice and keyboards. Anyways awesome show, one I will watch often...

Thanks, CornFlak3 aka Kevin

They exist, you can get one from China for under $12 including postage:
http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.31881 - white
http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.31880 - black
The major downside to DealExtreme's cheap prices is you can wait many weeks for things to arrive, I placed an order for a bunch of things 5 weeks ago, half of them arrived in 3 weeks but I'm still waiting for the other half to be posted. Not a site for the impatient so look elsewhere if you want things in a hurry (usually at higher prices).