If you've noticed that I haven't been posting much recently, it's because of all the cool stuff I got for Christmas. First, I got an Apple TV (2010). This, as you may or may not already know, runs iOS 4 and is most electrically smilar to the iPad. For a $99 device, it sure packs quite a punch. It has a 1GHz Apple A4 processor, 8GB of flash storage, and 1080p hardware decoding and output, not to mention that it's running iOS 4 (yes, I already said that, but it's important). I'm still waiting for an untethered 4.2.1 AppleTV jailbreak, but once that's available, I want to see what I can do with it. Hey, since it's an iPad on the inside, maybe it can use USB keyboards... Hmm...

Among other things, of note were the ASUS Sabertooth X58 motherboard and the Corsair 6 GB 1600MHz DDR3 Triple Channel Memory Kit. The RAM is great (and fast!) and the motherboard is really easy to use to overclock. The Intel Core i7 950 I bought is great and I got it at a great price, too. Normally, it sells for over $300. Online, it usually sells under that. At Micro Center, it was listed at $229.99, but on Boxing Day in the store, it was $199.99. Of course, it was a long drive in the snow to get there, but for the price it was more than worth it.

I already posted about my heatsink problem (emphasis on "my" and "problem").

Team Fortress 2 runs quite nicely on my upgraded computer (which I'm using with a 380W "80 Plus" PSU, further proof that no one needs more than a 500W PSU unless they're using two CPUs) even with all the settings turned on max. I even have "Wait for Vertical Sync" turned on, which means I get a max of 60 fps, but because of my awesome setup, I get 60 fps consistently and there's no "tearing" of the image.

As usual, my server is slow. I still have the parts that I took out of my computer from when I upgraded it, but they won't fit in the highy-proprietary Dell case that my current server resides in. I would love to buy the Thermaltake A60 Computer Case for my i7 parts and hand down my current case to my server, but I have other purchasing priorities at the moment. If anyone wants to buy that case for me, let me know ;D

Hopefully, once I start using the new server parts, I'll be able to simultaneously run a Team Fortress 2 server and the webserver.

It's a good idea to remember this when installing Intel's stock heatsink for LGA1366 Core i7 processors. First turn the pegs to the left, then push down on a peg and then turn it to the right. Repeat for the other pegs.

I only figured this out AFTER my i7-950 was idling at 55C and maxing out at 99C (it's supposed to idle between 40 and 50C and max out between 80 and 90C). It's always good to check if your heatsink is seated all the way BEFORE you start using your computer.

I do enjoy my new rig, though.

Intel Core i7-950 Processor
ASUS Sabertooth X58 Motherboard
Corsair 3 x 2GB Triple-channel DDR3 1600MHz RAM

Apparently, I won a Unicorn. The pen plotter, that is. Of course, I couldn't stop thinking of...

THIS.

In other news, I received my Crosshair II Formula motherboard today (I RMA'd my M2N32-SLI Deluxe at the beginning of November, right before its 3 year warranty ran out; of course, they weren't able to repair it nor were they able to replace it, so they gave me a slightly better model). If you want to know why the Crosshair II Formula is so nice, Google it. I really like that I'm able to overclock my AMD Athlon 64 X2 4200+ from 2.21 GHz to 2.54 GHz, raising my Windows Experience index (in the CPU category) from 4.9 to a 5.8.

Also, I got Eyefinity working on my two 1080p 23" monitors.

Time to go play Team Fortress 2!

My dad got me a MK5 kit for Christmas after my MK4 broke for the 3rd time in a few months (PTFE insulators are annoying—I think my thermistor table was wrong). I have since put it together and am currently printing out the Holiday Prusa Mendel on Thingiverse with it. Talk about the gift that keeps on giving! :)

However, there were some problems I noticed:
- Thermistor read wrong temps—ABS now likes to melt at 200C
- Solder joints on power resistors melt partially when running at 200C
- The online instructions for putting it together didn't account for certain changes in the kit; for instance, it comes with two crimp connectors that are never explained.

I did make some improvements, however:
- Added thermal paste between power resistors and aluminum block
- Epoxy used to glue together base-plates to the legs of the extruder holder

My current grievances:
- I don't like that the solder joints are melting and cooling—I don't want to have the risk of breathing in those bad fumes.
- Teflon on nozzle is coming off tip

Final thoughts:
- If it doesn't work flawlessly, at least it works a lot more reliably than the MK4!

Interesting things I noticed today while writing this:
- The server is running quite quickly...
- The 5.1MP Sony Cyber-shot DSC-P93 I used to take the picture in this post (I got it for free from a friend of my dad) has hardly any image sensor noise. This is amazing compared to the amount of sensor noise in my 5.0MP Canon PowerShot S2 IS (consumer-grade DSLR).

I recently received a copy of Alibre Design Expert 2011 (it's an early Christmas gift from my mom). It's the Educational version, so instead of $1400 it was $200. That's not bad for a CAD package with a license I can use on 3 PCs without needing it to renew it every few years.

So, trying to find a use for this, I decided to make an iPhone/iPod/iPad stand using the sheet metal designing tool (only available in the Expert version, I think).

Since I haven't found a way to export my design as a DXF, I have been unable to make this out of metal (or wood—I'll probably prototype it in wood or on my Makerbot). So, lacking this functionality, I exported it as an STL, scaled it up, and posted it on Ponoko for $1.99 (I think it's a fair price for a few hours work and a nicely-designed stand). You can buy it and then print it on a MakerBot or other 3D-printer. However, it's around 12cm tall, so this will push your machine. If you're outrageously wealthy, you can have Ponoko make it for you, but I dont think it's worth it.

At some point I'll get Alibre to output to DXF so I can allow people to make this out of sheet metal, wood, sheet plastic, and other flat-but-bendable materials. That would be better worth the $1.99.

Don't give me grief on the license—it's more than likely I'll change it to something more open. Right now, I'm just playing it safe.

So I recently saw the smartlcd project and immediately thought of the Mac SE/ARM DIY USB GPU. If you could modify and run the GPU firmware on the smartlcd, you could have a bunch of tiny, inexpensive, USB screens. I would do this, but I have neither the time nor the programming skill.

Well, the DIY-intosh sold! I bet you're all rejoicing that I won't be trying to pawn off my stuff on you for a while. It's really amazing how it sold within a few days of listing it.

In other news, I fixed up a 19" 4:3 aspect ratio VGA monitor with composite, coax TV, and SCART inputs (it's some Samsung 910-something). It only needed 6 capacitors replaced, totaling $3.40 + $2 shipping (or something like that). Seeing as I bought the thing for $17, this makes it a steal. It also only has one grey pixel! This is why I work with hardware!

Sorry about the server downtime! That was rather embarrassing...

Well, if you haven't already noticed, Hack a Day just started its classified ads service over at classifieds.hackaday.com. Essentially, it's Craigslist, but for the hackers, modders, and makers of things. I, understanding the full magnitude of the number of daily visitors to Hack a Day, seized the opportunity to advertise my DIY-intosh (my ebay auction recently ended). Why?

http://item.ebay.com/120643162568