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Breakfast Topic: Favourite Addons
We've talked about addons before, and even invited you to show yours off in our flickr pool, but here's another chance to discuss an ever-changing topic. Given the problems upcoming in 1.10, now might be an especially appropriate time to reconsider your mod choices.So, what are your favourite mods and why? Anything you can't live without?My first foray into UI addons came fairly soon after I started playing WoW, with Cosmos. I then moved on to the Insomniax all-in-one package, and still use a custom variant on that, with Titan Bar and the Auctioneer set as must-haves. I'm also a big user of BibToolbars to keep my windows clean and organised, and MonkeyQuest to track those ever-important quests. [Suggested by Mark Sisley]
Mod summit looks at modmaking from all angles
Computer Gaming World has (by way of 1up) a roundtable chat with various game developers and modders. If you've ever flirted with modding or downloaded a mod or two then it's a great read, looking at mods from both sides of the game engine.A couple of interesting points for would-be modmakers include the fact that modmaking is becoming more complex, linked to the increasing sophistication of game engines, and a tip from modders that FPS seems to be the genre of choice. While modmakers have no salary or loyalties, meaning that their creativity can run free, sometimes modding is a hard and unrewarding business. Fortunately, there are also success stories from modders who have moved into the games industry as a result of their work.[Update: Corrected CGW, thanks Stevo.]
Mod your iPod sock
This is very clever, and easy. Follow along with full instructions up at Instructables. Now, where did I put my extra buttons?[via Make]
New DS Lite model unveiled
Fresh on the heels of a partial launch delay comes word of a brand new version of the DS Lite. Accompanying the previously announced Enamel Navy, Crystal White and Ice Blue models but aiming for the financially constrained gamer, the Destitute Cardboard DS Lite is expected to retail for under $5. Speaking candidly about the announcement, Nintendo bigwig Satoru Iwata stated that it was a natural progression in innovation for the company and stuff."It's a natural progression in innovation for the company and stuff. Obviously, to keep the costs low we had to remove some of the system's more extravagant features like buttons and the ability to play games, but we feel that we made a choice that accurately reflects today's industry."When questioned on whether the Destitute Cardboard model would retain the DS' trademark touch screen, Mr. Iwata noted that "You can definitely touch the screen to your heart's content." That's certainly very reassuring and not sinister at all. Check out the link for more stunning images. [Via Joystiq]
Dismantle your DS in 13 minutes
Or rather: Don't. If you're not one for watching electronic devices being disturbingly dissected, you'd best not watch this video. It depicts an obviously excited man (you can practically feel the exclamation marks hurtling at you) calmly disassembling a standard silver DS into its various parts. Then, he disassembles those parts and, if there's anything left, disassembles that too (even the touch screen!). I found it rather frightening and squirmed in my seat for the full 13-minute operation. I'm now seriously considering using this knowledge in order to completely take apart Blake's DS as an amusing prank. Of course, given that the entire video is in Spanish, I'll no doubt completely fail to reassemble it... as a slightly less amusing prank.
Painting the DS: One step at a time
Who knew that slapping a new coat of paint on the DS could turn out to be such an intricate and time consuming process? Actually, we knew. We knew because we've been staring at inajamaica's Flickr set dedicated to the revitalization of a boring 'ole silver DS. The collection of photos shows a painstaking, step-by-step process that involves the complete disassembly of a DS (sure to excite our resident tech porn fans) and making sure that only the outer shell is exposed to the unrelenting blast of paint. If you've been thinking of doing something similar yourself but were afraid to take the plunge, consider this a method of learning through example.We've seen plenty of skins, stickers and redesigns for the DS, but it seems that this strategy of aesthetic alteration could lead to much more colorful and creative results. We're dying to see how it turns out in the end. Any artists out there willing to paint their next masterpiece on a DS canvas?[Via The Third Blog]
Super Famicom mod for DS
The guys at 4 Color Rebellion have posted some pictures of this DS that has been modified to resemble a Nintendo Super Famicom. Usually we'd make some witty remark at this point, but we're content with just marveling at its beauty. Forget the DS Lite, I want one of these!More pics after you hit the link.
Taco time: mod Jay's eMac
Sitting here surrounded by the guts of my eMac, I'd be lying if I said I wasn't tempted to put all these bits of metal and plastic back into the case in a different order, or replace some of them entirely. If it were a second generation machine, priority number one would be overclocking. Since my board isn't jumpered, however, that's out of the question. I'll probably end up leaving this a simple repair job. But if I don't, what should I do with it? Two things jump to mind immediately:See if I can dig up the pinouts on the video display, and turn it into a monitor for a Mini, possibly with external FireWire and USB ports.Full fledged Taco: strip it bare and replace the innards with a flat screen and a Mini. Wouldn't even be too much work: there's room in there to seat a Mini case whole without even opening it. What would you do with an eMac shell?
