Random Question Thread: Tech

[Dryr]

There's nothing in bentertainment, so I'll ask here... I just got a new TV on Sunday thanks to a price mistake at Best Buy with GoogleTV and everything. The problem I'm having is that the only audio-out is optical. I have always enjoyed a couple of stereo bookshelf speakers to aid the TV at least during movies, but everything I have uses analog cables. Does anyone know of a VERY SIMPLE (cheap!) setup for a couple of speakers for such usage (no separate receiver if possible, built into a small sub would be ok). Or, are cheap soundbars any good? thanks

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004BBCHJG

[Isiolia]

This (or a similar product) maybe?

[Dryr]

This (or a similar product) maybe?

I saw that as well, however, the cheap stereo/speakers I would hook it up to only cost about $35, spending another $30 just for a converter seems like a poor use of funds. I was thinking maybe a $50 small speaker/sub setup a little big for a pc but the problem I'm having while browsing amazon is that the I'm not finding confirmation of optical ports. I was hoping someone might have bought a good, cheap setup to suggest for optical. Thanks for the suggestion though.

[Byrthnoth]

I installed a NVidia driver set on my Laptop from Laptopvideo2go or one of those websites (basically just a modified file that tells the driver installer what video cards are valid with the drivers). Now it's telling me that NVidia updates are available. Will it let me install the update? If not, will it break what I have right now?

[Astarael]

I installed a NVidia driver set on my Laptop from Laptopvideo2go or one of those websites (basically just a modified file that tells the driver installer what video cards are valid with the drivers). Now it's telling me that NVidia updates are available. Will it let me install the update? If not, will it break what I have right now?

You can attempt it. Either it will tell you there are no supporteddrivers available in the package for your machine before it actually installs anything, or it will go ahead and install the drivers with no issues. no real downside.

[Rulke]

Is it possible to use the g3 network capability on my droid to browse the internet through a computer? So say connect the phone to a pc with no internet access and just use comp as a gateway (use the mouse, monitor etc)

[Jojimbo]

If your phone has tethering then yes. You may have to pay extra monthly fee or jailbreak your phone to unlock it though.

[Militant]

Is it possible to use the g3 network capability on my droid to browse the internet through a computer? So say connect the phone to a pc with no internet access and just use comp as a gateway (use the mouse, monitor etc)

Any droid that can be rooted, you can wirelessly tether with. Even some phones (my droid 3 comes to mind) that have yet to be rooted have tethering exploits available. Check in the specific forum for your phone over on droid forums or somewhere and do a little investigation. I know I have a mobile hotspot app that came stock with my D3, but I haven't yet tried to connect my PC, but my friends iPod touch had no problems connecting.

[Callisto]

Looking for an HDMI splitter to turn one input into 2 or 3 outputs, any recommendations?

[Mellema]

Looking for an HDMI splitter to turn one input into 2 or 3 outputs, any recommendations?

Are you going to be watching both outputs at the same time or just want to be able to send to multiple monitors?

A passive splitter will not be able to make the HDCP protocols to multiple monitors, so you could only see the output from the first one to set up the handshake.

A splitter with distribution amp can make multiple handshakes, so is needed if you want the same output on monitors simultaneously.

Splitters are cheaper of course, splitters w/ amps work better though.

Edit: Forgot to add recommendation. Always go to monoprice first.

[Byrthnoth]

You can attempt it. Either it will tell you there are no supporteddrivers available in the package for your machine before it actually installs anything, or it will go ahead and install the drivers with no issues. no real downside.

It worked, not that I actually notice a change.

[Callisto]

Are you going to be watching both outputs at the same time or just want to be able to send to multiple monitors?

A passive splitter will not be able to make the HDCP protocols to multiple monitors, so you could only see the output from the first one to set up the handshake.

A splitter with distribution amp can make multiple handshakes, so is needed if you want the same output on monitors simultaneously.

Splitters are cheaper of course, splitters w/ amps work better though.

Edit: Forgot to add recommendation. Always go to monoprice first.

Looking to split 360 signal into two, sending one into a capture card for capture/streaming, and one straight into the monitor so lessen chance of lag. I'd want both outputs to be equal ideally.

[TacoTaru]

Is there a good place to pick up video game sound clips, full songs, etc? I've decided to jazz up my ringtones a bit but I don't have much music on hand at the moment (HDD has about 4GB remaining <_<). Main thing I'm looking for is the Hey Listen! for my text alert.

[xopher]

Is there a good place to pick up video game sound clips, full songs, etc? I've decided to jazz up my ringtones a bit but I don't have much music on hand at the moment (HDD has about 4GB remaining <_<). Main thing I'm looking for is the Hey Listen! for my text alert.

http://gh.ffshrine.org/ for soundtracks. the hey listen thing you can find anywhere. just google navi ringtone.

[Nekoteko]

Disregard, problem solved.

[Buffy]

Roommate/ownder bought a wireless router/modem combo. Of course, it only has 4 ports. I have 4 things, just in my room, ignoring the other things in the house. They want to run one ethernet jack to each bedroom. Can I plug my linksys router into this jack, to give myself more access? Basically, can I run a router off a router?

[Rulke]

If your phone has tethering then yes. You may have to pay extra monthly fee or jailbreak your phone to unlock it though.

Any droid that can be rooted, you can wirelessly tether with. Even some phones (my droid 3 comes to mind) that have yet to be rooted have tethering exploits available. Check in the specific forum for your phone over on droid forums or somewhere and do a little investigation. I know I have a mobile hotspot app that came stock with my D3, but I haven't yet tried to connect my PC, but my friends iPod touch had no problems connecting.

Found exactly what I needed with these leads, thank for this!

[Purrrfect]

Roommate/ownder bought a wireless router/modem combo. Of course, it only has 4 ports. I have 4 things, just in my room, ignoring the other things in the house. They want to run one ethernet jack to each bedroom. Can I plug my linksys router into this jack, to give myself more access? Basically, can I run a router off a router?

I'd imagine ddwrt could do this for you. As far as stock firmware handling it, possibly. What do you have?

[Caiyuo]

I was gonna say, I know I can do it in my setup because I repurposed an old wrt54gc stock router as a switch, but I don't remember if that was possible because my main router is on DD-WRT or not.

From googling "using router as switch", it looks like it's commonly just a matter of disabling the router's DHCP and assigning it a different IP than the main router before they're connected. For instance, my main router is 192.168.1.1, and the 2 routers being used as switches atm are 192.168.1.2 and 192.168.1.3 and all the devices connected to them are given IPs from 192.168.1.1. btw, if you're using all wired connections for the stuff in your room and won't need more connections, you can disable the wireless radio as well.

[Kidnoftle]

Not sure if anyone here is super savvy with Adobe Acrobat 7.0 (and 9.0 if the method is different, which I believe it is) but I have a question:

I set up a batching script to try and convert 306 saved files of outlook e-mails into another folder all in PDF format. When I run the batching it will do its shinanigans, do some lip-service to me about a progress bar, complete, then tell me none of the files could be converted (printed to PDF basically) because they were already open and could not be opened (which adobe does itself when it converts the file, so yeah).

Basically my question is, what's wrong with my method and is there a better method that I'm completely missing? As a clairification this is batching multiple files to multiple PDFS (basically corresponding PDF copies to the origs).

Thankz a shizaton in advance