Science is fun - Own your own Portal gun

Well not really. A friend sent me an email with the subject line "Want" and a link to this:



Sarcastic comments from GLaDOS not included

For 100 of your UK pounds you could own a replica Aperture Science Handheld Portal Device. A dream come true for some Portal fans. For some reason I'm reminded of the Christmas my brother got a Spiderman costume, and was upset because it didn't give him super powers.

Another Nvidia 8800GT dies?

I just got back from a friends, computer problems. Looks as though their graphics card has failed. This is the 2nd Nvidia based 8800GT, from around about the same purchase date, which I've investigated in the last three weeks. Could we be on the brink of another capacitor plague? I'll investigate shortly.

stretta - tour 252 case

Decent speakers or headphones required.

The amazing Matthew Davidson, no DAW involved:

Art Attack

While talking a well deserved lunch time walk after finding some rather annoying mistakes people had made at work, I saw a nice example of street art, albeit unfinished. Note the artist at work, partially obscured by the traffic lights.


Click for larger image.

Somewhat reminiscent of what I've seen a great deal of in Berlin, people working on old derelict buildings, enhancing the environment, if even for a short while.
Neil Buchannan would surely be proud.

Edward Art supply hands.

Vince Clarke / Martin Gore - VCMG - Spock

Human jukebox Mr. Vince Clarke (formerly of the wee Depeche Mode) and Mr. Martin Gore (still of the wee Depeche Mode) have recorded an album together, their first collaboration since 1981!

It's Vince Clarke captain, but not as we know it.

As a fan of their collective output I was keen to hear this new stuff. The mute youtube channel has a couple of releases, I'm excited to hear the work as a whole once it's released. Spock followed by Blip.

Headphones or good speakers recommended.

Mari0 - Super Mario Bros vs Portal mashup (Linux, Mac, Windows)

Over at Stabyourself.net you'll be able to download Mari0, a ground up recreation of the Nintendo classic Super Mario Brothers mixed with valve's modern classic Portal. Check out the action in the trailer:

Their blerb:

A complete from scratch recreation of Super Mario Bros. with a focus on perfectly imitating the feel the 1985 classic gave us. Then give Mario a portal gun, add puzzle game mechanics from Portal and there you go. And if that wasn't crazy enough, play 4-player coop, with everyone having their own Portal gun!

Features

• Complete recreation of SMB
• Elements from Portal
• Portal gun that shoots portals
• 4-player simultaneaous coop
• Level Editor that was used to create the levels in the game
• 33 different hats
• Downloadable Mappacks
• Game modifiers for extra fun

So head over to Stabyourself.net for the download of the game for Linux, Mac and Windows. Source code available.

PS3 - YLOD - Repair - The reflow

In order to reflow a yellow light of death Playstation 3 you're going to need a heat gun capable of 350 oC. I'd been looking at the Einhell BT-HA 2000, A 2000 Watt heat gun, with two modes mode one at temperature 350 oC, mode two is 550oC. Also included is various attachments, a paint stripping tool and a carry case.

I managed to pick this one up from a home bargains shop close by for £14.99, which is half the price the same model is on Amazon.co.uk.

Einhell BT-HA 2000 heat gun

The areas you need to reflow are marked in the red circles

PS3 GPU and CPU top

PS3 CPU and GPU bottom

Clean the thermal compound off the CPU and GPU. I've read that you want to heat these areas with a circular motion for between 15-30 seconds. Once you've done one side do not move the board for 15 minutes. After this time flip it over and reflow the areas on the other side.

So did it work? Well I can't find my thermal compound to re apply to the GPU and CPU before reassembly. I think I may have left it at my folks when fixing a Samsung netbook. Stay tuned for results at a later date.