Category Archive: Hardware

Jun 15

Hacking a Brother: Force your Printer into Printing in Black and White

Old Dusty

I wanted to print a document the other day, so I switched on my dusty and trusty inkjet printer, only to find a nice red blinking error on the display greeting me. The message was something along the lines of “Printing is impossible, replace yellow ink cartridge”.

I tried printing in black & white (greyscale actually), by specifiying this in the print options (click to see how), but a friendly popup message just stated something along these lines: “Cannot retain printing quality, please replace ink cartridge yellow”.

So I couldn’t print in black and white because my yellow ink was empty?! I couldn’t believe it. Or rather, I could, seeing how printer manufacturers are almost giving away printers for free, they have to make money somehow - why not in sleazy ways like this?

Checking the black cartridge, which is double the size of the colored ones, it was still half full (or half empty, whichever you prefer). Only the yellow one was completely empty. So, what is a man to do? Continue reading “Hacking a Brother: Force your Printer into Printing in Black and White” »

Jun 04

Android 3.1 Delayed Until August?

Rumor has it that Android 3.1, the new version of “Honeycomb”, is going to be delayed until August on several tablets, including the eagerly awaited Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1. The release dates for these devices will naturally be pushed to August too, if these rumors turn out to be true.

So, what’s so special about the latest iteration of Honeycomb? Here’s a quick rundown:

  • Support for additional input devices, such as keyboards, game controllers, mice and trackpads.
  • More customization options: e.g. widgets can be resized to your own preferences instead of just having to choose between “small” or “large” as before.
  • More stable: many bugs that would cause crashes on 3.0 have been taken care of.
  • Support for the beta version of Google’s music service in the cloud, which will allow users to begin storing their music in the cloud using the standard Android music player. Personally, I expect that this will be limited to certain countries at first, then later opened up for more countries as the beta progresses in typical Google fashion.

For a more in-depth look at Android 3.1 (for developers), check out this clip from the Android Event in February:

Jun 04

A First Look at Windows 8 – Finally Some Tablet Power!

Microsoft posted this first of several upcoming “Building Windows 8″ videos a few days ago.

I think it showcases some interesting features that look very promising for a good tablet enabled OS, such as a logical app layout and full seamless multi-tasking support for the apps.

We learn that HTML5 and JavaScript are going to be the core technologies for developers looking to make apps for (codename) “Windows 8″, so if you’re aspiring to do so, you might as well get started on sharpening up those skills asap.

Anyways, moving pictures say more than a thousand words, plus Jensen Harris does a great job at presenting through the spoken word. Check it out:

May 14

TommyNation Gamer Rig update May 2011

ASUS P8Z68-V, Socket-1155

ASUS P8Z68-V, Socket-1155 motherboard

I’ve updated the TommyNation Gamer Rig recommendation page with a brand new setup today.

This new setup is based on the new Intel Z68 platform, which combines all the best of P67 and H67 – or in short: it enables improved video processing performance – previously only found in the H67 – whilst offering the overclocking power and performance benefits of the P67.

Apr 17

DisplayPort to DVI Adapters Explained

With many new graphics cards, unless at least one of your monitors has DisplayPort support or is connected using VGA*, an active DisplayPort to DVI adapter is needed in order to get a picture on more than two digitally connected monitors at the same time. As DisplayPort is only found in the most expensive monitors, this is a fact that many buyers miss.

This problem applies especially to AMD Radeon EyeFinity enabled cards such as the Radeon 5xxx and 6xxx series, which enable use of three monitors simulatenously for a combined resolution of up to 7680×1600 pixels, or even six on certain models, for a combined maximum resolution of up to 7680×3200 pixels.

The first active DP to DVI adapters made available were and can still be very expensive, at around $100 each. Also, they have to be plugged into a USB port for external power.

For HD monitors supporting resolutions of up to 1920×1200 (max resolution of DVI Single Link), manufacturers solved this problem by creating an active DP to DVI Single Link adapter, that requires no extra power, and can be had at more reasonable prices.

Continue reading “DisplayPort to DVI Adapters Explained” »

Apr 16

DVI Connector Chart

DVI is not DVI! This DVI Connectors chart will help you figure out which type of DVI cable or DVI adaptor you need.

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