Tech – Page 6 – Oddball Update

TiVo Dies; Is Resurrected

February 4, 2006October 2, 2011 Chief Oddball 1 Comment

In the last couple of weeks, something strange has been going on with our TiVo. While watching either live TV or recorded programs, occasionally the action would freeze for a second, then the picture would dissolve into chunky compression artifacts before clearing up and returning to normal.

Shodan Wastes an Entire Afternoon

December 17, 2005October 2, 2011 Chief Oddball

Well, I suppose this is what I get for naming my workstation after the queen artificial intelligence bitch gestapo. I’m just getting geared up for work on a client’s site this afternoon — Photoshop is starting, Winamp is playing something groovy and I’m just about to save an email attachment with some notes on my task when suddenly — complete lock-up.

On The Cusp: Retiring From PC Gaming?

September 26, 2005October 2, 2011 Chief Oddball 2 Comments

I haven’t played a game on my PC in quite a while. The last thing I played was the F.E.A.R. demo. I’d really like to get the full version when it arrives next month, but the truth is, that kind of stuff doesn’t feel like a priority anymore.

This Is Why I Suck at RPGs

September 19, 2005October 2, 2011 Chief Oddball 4 Comments

All right, let me explain why I have never been, am not, and probably never will be good at role-playing games. Because I ALWAYS CHOOSE THE WRONG DAMN OPTION. Yesterday afternoon, for old times’ sake, I decided to break out Final Fantasy VII.

Cassette Digitizing At Last

September 8, 2005October 7, 2011 Chief Oddball 5 Comments

Well, it’s only 2005, but I’m finally getting around to digitizing at least some of my vast library of audio tapes. Or, as Pastor John C. Mills would say, “tape cassettes.” (Is that guy still alive?) I’ve done this before, usually small pieces at at time, with mixed results.

Wolfy Anytime

April 4, 2005October 2, 2011 Chief Oddball

Something strange happened to me while I was working on a client’s website this weekend. Since music distracts me from such tasks, I typically play some of my old tapes or other spoken-word stuff in the background. This time I happened to select an old recording of Wolfenstein 3-D gameplay, and I have to admit, this got me seriously thinking about doing some more Wolf3D level design.

486 Saved by a Penguin

January 11, 2005October 3, 2011 Chief Oddball

The core components of my Dell 486 have apparently bit the dust, but its hard drives remain intact. I’ve known this for a couple of weeks now, but it’s been beyond me to do anything about it. The smaller, secondary hard drive mounted fine in one of my other DOS boxes about a week ago, but there was nothing really on it.

Dell Dimension Deceased

December 30, 2004October 7, 2011 Chief Oddball

A moment of silence, please, for my Dell 486. While my new copy of Vampire – The Masquerade: Bloodlines was installing last night (thanks Pooch!), I decided to slap the old Dell 486 back together, plug it in and see what would happen.

DOS Adventures

May 7, 2004October 3, 2011 Chief Oddball

Last night I began my latest “gee, that sounds like fun” project: Slap together a DOS gaming box and get it loaded up with every classic game from my past, from Wolfenstein to Doom, Duke3D to System Shock, Quarantine to Heretic.

Category: Tech