Tag Archives: USB

ComputerSphere – modding the original base to include a DVD burner

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I thought for a change in scenery, I would look at modding the original square base. The square base was an attachment that could be used to support the Videosphere, it wasn’t needed if the Videosphere was hanging. To keep with this idea, I decided to make the base a removable DVDRW drive, with a connection to a standard USB, the base could still be removed and was not essential to the operation.

The original Videosphere base after polishing

I purchased a slot load DVDRW drive from eBay for $50 and a USB slim laptop drive SATA adaptor for around $10.

Slot load DVD burner with USB adaptor

First I glued some wooden pieces to the inside of the base, and this provided me with mounting points.

Glued some wooden pieces for mounting supports

I created some brackets for the DVD drive from some quarter channel aluminium and a hacked older CD drive.

Brackets on the DVD burner for mounting

With the position of the DVDRW drive now know, I cut a slot into the plastic square base with a Dremel.

Rough cut of the slot on the base with a Dremel

Once the slot was large enough it was cleaned up with a file.

The slot on the base neatened up with a file

The DVD burner mounted inside the Videosphere’s base.

Mount the DVD burner into the Videosphere base

The work in progress.

The finished product

Next post I will look at fixing up the USB cable at adding some obligatory lighting to the base.

Related posts:

  1. Start of new project, modding a JVC Videosphere into a computer (a Computersphere)
  2. ComputerSphere – converting the knobs to buttons
  3. ComputerSphere – restoring the original knobs and dials
  4. ComputerSphere – testing the Via Epia M output on the LCD
  5. Integrating an LCD TV with the Videosphere

Review of USB Safely Remove – the device cannot be stopped right now

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Sick of constantly experiencing the Window’s “The device ‘Generic volume’ cannot be stopped because a program is still accessing it.” message, I decided to give the program USB Safely Remove a test.

The first time trying to stop my USB hard-disk-drive I get the following “Could not find any processes locking USB device!”, great, the one program that advertises as “an enhanced and hassle-free replacement for Windows safe removal tool” doesn’t even work.

Back to directly unplugging the drive.

USB Safely Remove - the device cannot be stopped right now

Related posts:

  1. Huge Pine USB to Serial Ports Driver
  2. USB Wireless Presenter with Mouse and AutoHotkey
  3. USB2IDE drivers for Microsoft Windows 98

USB Wireless Presenter with Mouse and AutoHotkey

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I bought this USB Wireless Presenter for 12 USD from eBay as I needed to control the music and slideshow at a reception.

It turned out to better than I expected, some of the reasons i purchased this was;

  • Radio Frequency technology – no need to ‘point’ it at a receiver.
  • 25m operating distance – enough for all large rooms.
  • 6 buttons – plus more if you add key combinations.
  • Mouse emulation – though I never used this.
  • AAA batteries.
Now, previously having heard of AutoHotkey, it was time to try it out.
AutoHotkey is a great little program, takes a little getting use to, but once you do, you can pretty much do anything.
Here’s the code I used, comments explain the buttons;
; up button - increase volume
LWin::Send {vkAFsc130}

; down button - decrease volume
SC030::Send {vkAEsc12E}

; left button - pause winamp (must have global hotkeys on)
Shift & F5::Send ^!{Home}

; right button - mute
;Esc::Send {vkADsc120}

; left button
PgUp:: msgbox, Page Up

; right button
PgDn:: msgbox, Page Down

; the following uses a two key sequence, right button (esc) and then page up, to cause the movie to play
Esc::
Input,OutputVar,L1 T2,{PgUp}
if ErrorLevel = EndKey:PgUp
Run "C:\Program Files\Combined Community Codec Pack\MPC\mpc-hc.exe" "D:\myvideo.avi" /play /fullscreen /close
return

Download the AutoHotKey file AutoHotkey.ahk

This USB Wireless Presenter, like all things from China, goes by the following other names KK806, SP-750, V-pointer and X-pointer.

USB Wireless Presenter

Related posts:

  1. Huge Pine USB to Serial Ports Driver