PC toys : 14 cool projects for home, office, and entertainment

Cover......Page 1
Credits......Page 5
Dedications......Page 6
Acknowledgments......Page 7
Contents at a Glance......Page 8
Contents......Page 11
What Are PC Toys?......Page 17
Some Skills and Experience......Page 18
Software......Page 19
Imagination......Page 20
Building Your Own Design......Page 21
Searching the Internet......Page 22
Computer Upgrades......Page 23
Data Loggers......Page 24
Software......Page 25
PART 01: Entertainment......Page 27
The VCR Is Dead. Long Live the VCR!......Page 29
How PVRs Work......Page 30
Digitizing, Compressing, and Recording Television......Page 31
Playback and Special Effects......Page 32
Parts List......Page 34
How the ATI All-In-Wonder VE Works......Page 38
Hooking Up Your Computer and Television......Page 39
Running Your PVR......Page 43
Using a DVD Writer to Save Recorded Programs......Page 46
Alternative PVR Equipment: Snapstream......Page 51
Summary......Page 52
Radio Is Boring......Page 53
MP3 Compression and File Sizes......Page 55
Making Compressed MP3 Files from CDs......Page 57
Building and Using Your Jukebox from Kits......Page 62
Cables......Page 63
Wireless......Page 64
DVD Players......Page 65
Remote Control......Page 66
Sound Quality......Page 67
Media Players......Page 69
Very Small Form Factor PCs......Page 70
Standalone Audio Player......Page 71
Extending Your Jukebox Through Your House......Page 72
Summary......Page 73
PART 02: Home......Page 75
The Day Needn't Start Until the Crack of Noon......Page 77
X10 Wireless Motion Sensors and RF Transceiver......Page 78
HomeSeer Software......Page 81
Building and Using Your Coffee Controller from Kits......Page 82
Parts List......Page 83
Installing Components......Page 85
Setting Up Your Motion Sensors' Field of View......Page 88
Building Your HomeSeer Configuration......Page 90
E-mail Alerts......Page 97
Internet Access......Page 98
Summary......Page 99
It's Not Just Finding Them, It's Following Them Too......Page 101
A Matter of Clockwork......Page 102
Parts List......Page 105
Alignment......Page 107
Enjoy the Show......Page 112
Build Your Own Telescope and Motorized Base......Page 117
Automatic Alignment......Page 118
Summary......Page 119
It's All About Information......Page 121
Building and Using Your Workout Monitor from Kits......Page 123
Parts List......Page 125
Processing the Data......Page 127
Building Your Workout Monitor to Your Own Design......Page 131
Summary......Page 133
PART 03: Security......Page 135
Never Be Out of Reach......Page 137
Sensors and Alerts......Page 138
Parts List......Page 139
Working with the TrackerCam Software......Page 141
Live Internet Surveillance......Page 143
Recorded Internet Surveillance......Page 144
Motion Detection and Tracking......Page 147
Video Conferencing......Page 148
Multiple Cameras......Page 150
Archiving to Removable Storage......Page 151
Summary......Page 152
The Dinner You Save May Be Your Own......Page 153
Sensors and Alerts, Redux......Page 154
Building and Using Your Refrigerator and Freezer Monitor from Kits......Page 155
Parts List......Page 156
Hooking Up the Sensor and PowerFlash......Page 159
Setting Up HomeSeer......Page 162
Get Help When Power Fails......Page 163
Summary......Page 165
The Clock Is Ticking......Page 167
Sensors and Alerts, Part Three......Page 168
Parts List......Page 170
Sensors......Page 172
Measurements......Page 174
Summary......Page 175
PART 04: Out & About......Page 177
Computers Be Damned, the Gearhead Is Back!......Page 179
Standard Connectors and Locations......Page 180
Standard Codes......Page 183
Parts List......Page 185
Setting Up Your CarChip......Page 186
Configuring Your CarChip E/X......Page 188
Using the CarChip Software......Page 189
Trouble......Page 193
Intimate Conversations with Your Car......Page 194
Summary......Page 195
Asking for Directions May Not Be a Guy Thing, but Electronics Are......Page 197
How GPS Works......Page 198
The Standard GPS Receiver Interface......Page 202
Reducing the Position Error......Page 203
Just a Simple Matter of Software, Now That the Satellites Are Up......Page 204
Parts List......Page 206
Driving with Your Navigator......Page 208
Summary......Page 213
The Accurate Weather Report Is Outside Your Window......Page 215
Instant Data, Served Anywhere......Page 216
Building and Using Your Weather Station from Kits......Page 218
Parts List......Page 219
Weather Simulation......Page 224
Building and Using a Weather Station to Your Own Design......Page 227
Summary......Page 228
PART 05: Pure Fun......Page 229
Feet, Hands, Eyes, and Brains......Page 231
Building and Using Your Robots from Kits......Page 232
Parts List......Page 233
Assembling the Robot Vehicle......Page 237
Programming the Robot......Page 241
Building Your Robots to Your Own Design......Page 245
Books......Page 246
Alternative Programming Systems......Page 247
Summary......Page 248
Let the Screaming Begin......Page 249
Guest's Computers, Your Network......Page 251
Wired......Page 254
Wireless......Page 256
TCP/IP Setup......Page 258
Setting Up Clients for DHCP......Page 260
Setting Up Game Servers......Page 262
Summary......Page 267
In the End, John Henry Loses Every Time......Page 269
Quiet the Noise and Everything Else Is Easy......Page 271
Parts List......Page 272
Installing the Decoder......Page 275
Testing and Programming the Decoder......Page 279
Configuration Variables and Decoder Programming......Page 282
Wiring Your Layout for DCC......Page 284
Operating the Railroad......Page 288
Building and Using Your Train Controls to Your Own Design......Page 290
Use Your Old DC Throttles with DCC......Page 291
Summary......Page 292
Where Do These Ideas Come From?......Page 293
Grandparents' Screen Saver......Page 294
Running Indoor/Outdoor Christmas Decorations......Page 295
Running Outdoor/Indoor Lights While You're on Vacation......Page 296
Advanced X10 – Making Your Own Interfaces......Page 297
Track Cell Phone Minutes Used......Page 298
Summary......Page 299
Which Version of Windows......Page 301
Rebuild from Scratch......Page 302
Third-Party Device Drivers Bad; Beer Good......Page 303
Defrag......Page 304
Security and Firewalls......Page 305
Applications......Page 306
Summary......Page 307
Control Static Electricity......Page 309
Use the Right Tools......Page 312
Keep Track of What You Do......Page 313
Summary......Page 314
Using the CD with Windows......Page 315
Applications......Page 316
Troubleshooting......Page 318
Index......Page 321
Back Cover......Page 338