Robert Green's DIY http://www.rbgrn.net/blog/ Articles for DIY Adventurists en Copyright 2008 Mon, 04 Aug 2008 23:30:29 -0600 http://www.sixapart.com/movabletype/ http://www.rssboard.org/rss-specification Integrating Ruby on Rails with existing PHP or Perl Based Sites rails.pngSo, you want to add some new features to your site using Ruby on Rails?  That's not a bad idea.  I've found Rails to be one of the quickest ways to develop small feature-rich sites quickly.  The problem is getting those new components integrated with the existing PHP, Perl, JSP, .NET or whatever other language codebase.  I've found that it's really not that hard so long as you know the right tricks.  


]]> http://www.rbgrn.net/blog/2008/08/integrating-ruby-on-rails-with-existing-php-or-perl-based-si.html http://www.rbgrn.net/blog/2008/08/integrating-ruby-on-rails-with-existing-php-or-perl-based-si.html How-To programming ruby on rails Mon, 04 Aug 2008 23:30:29 -0600 How to Charge and Balance 2 3s1p Packs as a Single 6s1p 3s1p to 6s1p charging 024 (1024x768).JPGAnyone who owns a T-Rex 450 or 500 knows that one of the big downers is the short flights and long charge times.  I have a Thunder Power 610c charger which is capable of charging a 6 cell pack, however I only have 3 cell packs for my T-Rex 450.  I read a forum post somewhere where someone built a parallel balancer lead which let him charge 2 3s1p packs at the same time.  He had the right idea but the problem with charging them parallel like that is that the balancer can't see the true voltage of any one cell.  It can only see the combined average voltage of the 2 that are paralleled.  The only way to safely charge and balance 2 3s1p packs is to build a serial balance lead that combines the two packs into a proper 6s1p.  The charger can then see each individual cell and will charge up to 25.2v, balancing the cells to 4.2v each.
]]> http://www.rbgrn.net/blog/2008/07/how-to-charge-and-balance-2-3s1p-packs-as-a-single-6s1p.html http://www.rbgrn.net/blog/2008/07/how-to-charge-and-balance-2-3s1p-packs-as-a-single-6s1p.html How-To rc helicopters Tue, 15 Jul 2008 21:17:33 -0600 5 Ways To Get The Most Out Of Vista vista-logo.jpgAfter having run Windows Vista (Business 64) for over a month now, I can say that with a few tweaks, I believe it is ready for full-time use.  I'm a full time consultant so I work off of a laptop in the field running a full suite of software about 10 hours per day.  This means that if my OS is misbehaving, I'm in big trouble because if I can't work, I can't bill my hours and if I can't bill my hours, I'm getting a serious call from the guys above. 

Despite all of the dogging of Vista from XP and 2000 users, I've found that I'm faster in my day-to-day activities than I was in Windows XP.  Here's my list of Vista must-knows:



]]> http://www.rbgrn.net/blog/2008/07/5-ways-to-get-the-most-out-of-vista.html http://www.rbgrn.net/blog/2008/07/5-ways-to-get-the-most-out-of-vista.html How-To vista Fri, 11 Jul 2008 12:34:00 -0600 Product Review: Roku Netflix Instant Movie Player roku front corner [1024x768].jpg
Following and complimenting the Netflix instant streaming video service for the PC, Roku has produced a Set-Top Box offering instant streaming of Netflix video to your home television set.  This concept sounds simple:  Just play the netflix movies over the internet to your television.  Unfortunately, this concept just hasn't been implemented well in the past.  Even the movies-by-mail business hasn't gone over for others as well as it has for the online rental king and that seemed rather straightforward.  Fortunately for us and in the Netflix tradition, the new service was implemented with a simple and straightforward interface which does one thing - plays video over the internet to your TV.
]]> http://www.rbgrn.net/blog/2008/06/product-review-roku-netflix-instant-movie-player.html http://www.rbgrn.net/blog/2008/06/product-review-roku-netflix-instant-movie-player.html Product Reviews Computing movies Sat, 07 Jun 2008 00:02:56 -0600 Java Single Application Instance
Fortunately it's not all that difficult to code this if you know the trick.  In this article I'll give you all the code you need to copy and paste into your application to make it single instance.
]]> http://www.rbgrn.net/blog/2008/05/java-single-application-instance.html http://www.rbgrn.net/blog/2008/05/java-single-application-instance.html How-To programming Mon, 26 May 2008 11:15:21 -0600 How to upgrade the ram in a T60, T60p, T61 or T61p t61p ram 1 [1024x768].JPGI've had to do this for several of these laptops now so I thought I'd just make a picture tutorial to explain.  It's been pretty much the same for all models T60 and greater.  What we've been doing is upgrading machines with either 1 or 2GB up to 4GB.  The memory is located under the touchpad on the front panel, which is removable via long screws on the bottom.  All you need is a philips head precision screwdriver and your new ram, which must be compatible with the machine.


]]> http://www.rbgrn.net/blog/2008/05/how-to-upgrade-the-ram-in-a-t60-t60p-t61-or-t61p.html http://www.rbgrn.net/blog/2008/05/how-to-upgrade-the-ram-in-a-t60-t60p-t61-or-t61p.html How-To Computing Mon, 26 May 2008 10:21:43 -0600 Choosing a President by Trusting Celebrities and Public Figures The Election Recommender.  We originally had only joked about using celebrity endorsements but the results have been very interesting so far.  If you're satisfied just trying out the site, go ahead, otherwise read on for a more detailed explanation.
]]> http://www.rbgrn.net/blog/2008/05/choosing-a-president-by-trusting-celebrities-and-public-figu.html http://www.rbgrn.net/blog/2008/05/choosing-a-president-by-trusting-celebrities-and-public-figu.html Editorials programming recommenders Mon, 12 May 2008 13:32:31 -0600 Advanced Typesafe Command Pattern using Java Generics ]]> http://www.rbgrn.net/blog/2008/04/advanced-typesafe-command-pattern-using-java-generics.html http://www.rbgrn.net/blog/2008/04/advanced-typesafe-command-pattern-using-java-generics.html How-To programming Thu, 17 Apr 2008 10:55:00 -0600 Teleportation will be the end of us all teleport3.jpgFor years I've had a theory about teleportation that has only recently been brought to mass attention by the movie The Prestige.  Many films have been made about the topic and I'm sure some lesser-known films have covered the idea of copy and kill but not as well as this film.  With such a wide reach across the world, I'm happy that many people are able to see the issue with this concept.  If you think I'm just being a paranoid sci-fi nut, think again because this technology is being actively researched with some success and may actually manifest itself in a human-usable way in the future.
]]> http://www.rbgrn.net/blog/2008/04/teleportation-will-be-the-end-of-us-all.html http://www.rbgrn.net/blog/2008/04/teleportation-will-be-the-end-of-us-all.html Editorials science Wed, 09 Apr 2008 22:12:59 -0600 Snowboarding: How To Reliably Stick a 180 http://www.rbgrn.net/blog/2007/12/snowboarding-how-to-reliably-stick-a-180.html http://www.rbgrn.net/blog/2007/12/snowboarding-how-to-reliably-stick-a-180.html How-To fun snowboarding Thu, 13 Dec 2007 09:57:39 -0600 I Propose Online Movie Rentals 2.0 USPS surcharge that could cut into Netflix's profits I got to thinking about the future of movie rentals.  If you're a Netflix customer and haven't tried their streaming video service, I recommend you give it a shot.  I've noticed the weak selection of titles available on it and can only imagine that it must be a licensing issue with the MPAA or specific rights-holder.  While I enjoy their online video-watching service, I don't enjoy watching movies on my laptop as much as on my TV and I also don't enjoy having to plug my laptop into my TV.  There is a feasible solution for all of this covering concerns like licensing agreements (giving consumers better selection) to proper television integration (no more laptops plugged into the TV.)  Read on to find out how I see a successful movie rental business operating in the near future. ]]> http://www.rbgrn.net/blog/2007/12/i-propose-online-movie-rentals-20.html http://www.rbgrn.net/blog/2007/12/i-propose-online-movie-rentals-20.html Editorials business movies Thu, 06 Dec 2007 14:01:22 -0600 Guitar Hero III on PS3 has Severe Playability Issues Guitar-Hero-III-1.jpgAs the latest in one of the most successful video game series today, Guitar Hero III offers the same rhythm-based game play as the previous releases.  It is available for PS2, PS3, Nintendo Wii and Xbox 360.  So far as I have read, the game runs very well on all platforms except the PS3.  Playstation 3 users are plagued with issues including controller problems and strange game behavior.  I was one of the unfortunate ones to have excitedly purchased this game for PS3 only to find out that it's very difficult if not impossible to have a positive gaming experience with it.  I spent some time researching the problems and my conclusion is that the PS3 version was rushed and absolutely not ready for market. ]]> http://www.rbgrn.net/blog/2007/12/guitar-hero-iii-on-ps3-has-severe-playability-issues.html http://www.rbgrn.net/blog/2007/12/guitar-hero-iii-on-ps3-has-severe-playability-issues.html Product Reviews games Tue, 04 Dec 2007 18:41:06 -0600 Review: Netflix Instant Streaming Video Service netflix.gifNetflix has dominated the internet DVD rental market since its inception and until recently, that has been their only service.  I've had a Netflix account for years now and have been quite satisfied with their service.  I was especially happy when they introduced Blu-Ray and HD-DVD as options.  More recently they have upped the ante with their instant video service, which allows users to start watching a video instantly using a PC.  This review will go over technical problems, selection, video quality and overall user experience with this new Netflix service.

]]> http://www.rbgrn.net/blog/2007/11/review-netflix-instant-streaming-video-service.html http://www.rbgrn.net/blog/2007/11/review-netflix-instant-streaming-video-service.html Product Reviews movies Tue, 20 Nov 2007 17:00:09 -0600 Three Minute National Guard Movie Theater Ad Is Too Much! ]]> http://www.rbgrn.net/blog/2007/11/three-minute-national-guard-movie-theater-ad-is-too-much.html http://www.rbgrn.net/blog/2007/11/three-minute-national-guard-movie-theater-ad-is-too-much.html Editorials movies Tue, 20 Nov 2007 16:29:00 -0600 How to use your cell phone as a wireless Bluetooth modem bluetooth_logo_1.jpgI was recently stuck in a situation where I had absolutely no broadband connection or phone line to dial up.  What's a tech-nerd to do when in need of the internet but only able to use a laptop, cellphone and no wires?  Get this - Not only did I get this to work, but I successfully connected to my company's VPN over it and was able to work for the day, slowly but surely over the 115kbps EDGE network.  Just to push the point home, I connected to our mail server via VPN via Internet via EDGE via Cellphone via Bluetooth.  No wires needed.  The sweet part is that it doesn't cost me anything to do this because it's part of my unlimited data plan and uses no minutes.  I use T-Mobile, but will give settings to the best of my knowledge for all the other providers. ]]> http://www.rbgrn.net/blog/2007/11/how-to-use-your-cell-phone-as-a-wireless-bluetooth-modem.html http://www.rbgrn.net/blog/2007/11/how-to-use-your-cell-phone-as-a-wireless-bluetooth-modem.html How-To computing Thu, 15 Nov 2007 16:19:40 -0600