Category: Computers

DIY ‘Gameboy’

I love this! Not only will you learn how to make an electronic device but you get to program it and lean how games work. You can download some pre made games too, a maze game, the classic pong, and even a music maker. These should be part of every schools electronics class! At less than $100US each they would be an easy buy for even summer programs. There are even photos of a bunch of Korean grade school kids showing off their Mignons on the site.

The “Mignon Game Kit” is a kitset which enables a minimalist “Gameboy” to be individually designed, programmed and constructed. Workshops and online instructions enable advanced learners to invent and programme their own games. In this way the do-it-yourself console of the “Mignon Game Kit” provides not only the opportunity for basic experiments with micro-electronics for first time users but can also be used as a platform for individual computer games. As opposed to conventional Gameboys the user develops a personal relationship to his device through the processes of self-production and individually determined programming.

migon game kit

DIY, electronics, game, projects, cool

Save Money With OpenOffice and Linux

This is cool. I have used Open Office a few time and I think that if you don’t need a database front end (Access) it’s a great deal for anyone that needs to put text on a page.

…The creativity didn’t stop there: the 45 Pentium 133’s, now “stuffed full of RAM” and with faulty hard drives removed, are sporting shiny new copies of Knoppix Linux running off of CDs. These ingeniously recycled workstations are strategically located in public areas around the campus, providing Internet access in easy to administer and maintain packages. “There’s no monitoring or reconfiguring to do,” says Duncan. “We just reboot.”

NewsForge | Small college saves big with OpenOffice.org and Linux

How to Fix XP

My brother has been having problems with his computer not picking up IP addresses. This is fow he fixed it:

Hi all,

Just a LONG e-mail to let you know about a problem I recently experienced with a laptop and SP2 having “limited connectivity” with a wireless connection.

Some facts:
Fresh install of XP Home, all updates completed (Including SP2)
Linksys WPC11 wireless pcmcia nic.
Known Microsoft problem KB884020

Here’s what I had to do:

First off, I did the re-install of XP to alleviate the problem of not receiving an IP address with the wireless card when using WEP. worked fine without WEP, and also on the wired adapter on the laptop.
Updated windows to the most recent patches and service packs. Installed the Linksys software and the problem still existed. Searched the BBS’s and MS websites and found the KB884020 “Limited or no Connectivity issue with SP2”. Downloaded and installed the file (tcpip.sys) and also the registry fix. Installed both, still did not fix it. Found this chunk of info on a BBS:

The error “Limited or no connectivity” can be fixed by uninstall Q815485 patch from Microsoft. There is a known issue on the patch that affects connectivity.

If the problem persists, the IP address might not assigned properly. In that case try change the router channels, reset TCP/IP stack and restart DHCP Client under Services:

To reset TCP/IP stack, follow this procedure:

1. Select Start -> Run.
2. Type cmd and press Enter.
3. Type the following and press Enter:

netsh int ip reset resetlog.txt

4. Restart the computer.

To restart DHCP client service:

1. Select Start – > Run.
2. Type services.msc and press Enter.
3. Locate DHCP client and double click.
4. Click Stop.
5. Restart the computer and Start the service again. Make sure the

Startup type is set to Automatic.

Stop and restart the Wireless Zero Configuration utility again.

THIS did not do anything. It only teased me with a momentary IP address, then it went to the internal IP that Windows defaults to.

Found some more advuce that said to limit the adapter connection speed form “automatic” to 10Mbs, did this too, and no luck.

Also tried disabling the Windows Wireless Zero Configuration service, and that had no effect either except for making all of the wireless settings unavailable.

Finally, I uninstalled and reinstalled the wireless adapter after the MS fix and reg hack, and sure enough, the wireless adapter gets an IP address now, and has been stable for a while.

So, long story short:
If you have wireless connectivity problems after a person just upgraded to SP2, do the KB884020 patch, run the associated reg fix, uninstall and re-install the wireless adapter card, and you should be good to go. I wish I would have found these exact steps somewhere on the net, it wold have saved me several hours of time and frustration.

Some usefull links on this problem:
http://users.tpg.com.au/adsl5muj/index.htm
http://users.tpg.com.au/adsl5muj/index.htm#section6
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=17d997d2-5034-4bbb-b74d-ad8430a1f7c8&displaylang=en

Here’s to the positive effect computers have on our lives!

Take care,
Steve K.

(XP, Windows, Linksys, Microsoft,