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HOW TO: 12-Volt, 5A. DC Power Supply For R/C Battery Chargers

Hacks & Mods, R/C Models, Videos
April 28, 2008 5 Comments

I'm back into R/C Planes (my next one is the Micro-Telemaster). I did find out that getting into electric park flyers requires using Li-Poly batteries that require expensive chargers which seem to only run on 12-volt DC power supplies. Ideally, ones that can go up to 10A, but since my needs are only 2-3 Li-Poly cells, a 5A, 12-volt DC power supply works fine. The Hobbico 12v, 10A power supply costs over $80 and my version costs under $25! Check out the video above for the details. You'll need this Power Supply.
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VIDEO REVIEW: Logitech Harmony One Remote Control

Home Automation, Home Theater, Videos
March 1, 2008 6 Comments

The Logitech Harmony One remote is a great device for consolidating all your remotes into one. The 2.5" color touchscreen LCD adds to the coolness factor, however, being a touchscreen you lose the tactile feedback making it a bit harder to use at times. Setup was a cinch, all my devices were available in the online database so setup was quick and easy. The remote costs about $250, a bit pricey, but still worth it -- I highly recommend it. For a complete review be sure to watch the video review... Enjoy!

AMAZON.COM -- Logitech Harmony One Advanced Universal Remote
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VIDEO REVIEW: Linksys DMA 2100 Media Center Extender

Home Theater, Videos
January 27, 2008 58 Comments

Here is my video review of the Linksys DMA 2100 Media Center Extender. The Linksys DMA 2100 does everything I expected it to do, but there are a few things I didn't really think were that great. First, the included remote -- it's garbage. The included Linksys remote is a learning remote, you can program the power, volume and mute buttons however, I couldn't get it to work with a sharp LCD TV. I highly recommend a Harmony Remote if you plan on using this extender a lot.

I really thought the V2 extenders would boot up faster... the Linksys DMA 2100 takes about 26 seconds, which is a bit faster than the Xbox 360, that took about 30 seconds to get to the main screen. Your numbers may vary due to network traffic and set up.

The other issue I'm still trying to figure out how to the unit from going to standby after 2 hours of no use... I think it's a power saver feature, but there is no way to turn it off... I would like to have the unit always on so I don't have to wait the 30 seconds for the unit to boot everytime I want to watch something.

Update: I think I figured out a way to keep if from going to stand by. One way is to keep it playing a live TV channel... another way is to turn on the "screensaver" that seems to keep it on as well.

Overall, I highly recommend the Linksys DMA 2100. At $249, it's the same price as a XBOX 360 arcade, but the DMA 2100 is targeted for people that want a small, quiet media extender in a bedroom, bathroom or kitchen. I can't wait to see the Samsung Extender which is reported even smaller.

Order now from Amazon.com -- Linksys Media Extender
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TEASER: Unboxing of Linksys DMA 2100 Media Extender

Home Theater, Videos
January 25, 2008 No Comments

Update: Video Review has been posted.

The Linksys DMA 2100 Windows Media Extender has finally arrived. A full video review is coming soon, but here are my initial thoughts of the DMA 2100. The unit is small enough to put/hide behind a TV or install inside a wall (I might even try taking one apart and putting it inside a TV). The remote, however, is terrible (junk). It's very, very cheap feeling and I highly recommend getting a Harmony Remote if you plan on using the extender a lot (it uses the same IR protocol as a Media Center PC not XBOX 360 media center/dvd remote).
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