ultimate gaming system for old school games.

Isn’t it amazing to have a game system that can play all games in all the system at once? This is a open question for yourself, but to me, I think so. For the most part, with today’s computing power, such thing can easily be done than ever before. In fact, with any one of seventh generation gaming console such as the PS3, can easily make that happen. Well, except for the fact, the money and legal issue of course.

However, we can easily setup a ultimate gaming system with a mini computer and the Linux operating system. The bad news is you need to have a computer that have TV-out, and the cables that allow you connect to the TV, such as S-video to RCA and 3.5mm to RCA. Cables choice can be vary depend on what output you motherboard support. The good news is, all the software you need are FREE. Ideally, you would want a mini PC with font USB port, so you can easily connect to any TV and controller, just like you did with your game consoles.  Thanks to the Linux OS, you can pretty much choose any controller you want, even the wii remote (wiimote.). There are also a few things you might want to add to match up personal need, such as USB hub, IR remote, and some usual stuff for PC like keyboard and mouse. Anyway, you got the idea.

Let’s start with mini PC, ideally, you would want a mini PC that has a solid case(properly aluminum), 2 to 4 font USB ports, both s-video and RCA video TV-output, RCA sound output (or at least some kind of sound output.) Of course the less converting need to be done, the better it is. However, usually, you can’t really have all of these feature at once. This is just to give you an idea what you should looking for. The only one that is absolutly nesseccry is the TV-output. You must have either s-video, or RCA video, or both. VGA(D-sub)/DVI, however, only work with modern TV(LCD, or Plasma), so if you want your system work with the older TV, s-video and RCA video is the way to go.

In term of computing power, You need a CPU running at least 550Mhz in order to run GameBoy Advance emulator at full speed.  However, I recommend a CPU running at 1.0Ghz in order to have everything running perfect smooth, and exact fast when you have to. You will need at least 256MB of RAM to run the system and any EMU smoothly. All though I do recommend 512MB to 1GB of RAM. Just in case, you want some music play while playing games, or use the system as a media player for video. All those extra computing power would be come handy when you need them. I recommend a 60GB or 80GB HHD for storage, It takes about 45GB to hold, all NES, SNES, GB, GBC, and GBA ever exist. (Don’t ask me how I know about that.) So 60 - 80GB seem a reasonable size for HHD.

Sense we are mostly dealing with 2D graphic, any video controller these days should handle the job pretty well, unless you want to have some enhanced EMU such as ePSXe running in enhanced config, then you might thinking about a better video controller. One thing for sure is that if you are looking into mini PC, your choice for video controller are limited. Feel free to install or remove the opitional drive. If you are mostly doing rom base games, you wouldn’t need a opitional drive. Even if you want to play CD-r base games, you can still use iso. Not just that make the games running faster, it is always easier to care your games around. Removing the opitional drive would save you a lot of power from  your system too, and that mean, you will have a cooler system.

What controller to get is really up to you, anything that use USB sure work under Linux, Although so native PC controller would be easy to setup than the one, which make for console such as PS3 or Xbox 360. And YES! As I mention before, you can even use the Wii remote to play your games. visit WiiLi.org  for more detail. You can even use non-USB controller. I, however, will leave that to you to figure out.  I do recommend you to get a USB Hub, if your system doesn’t have front USB port. It would make things a lot easier for your controllers. Of course, if you are using wireless, then this kind of problems doesn’t apply to you. Also having a USB IR remote can be very handy as well.

When all the hardware is ready, we should start think about the software. First, we need an OS. (No really =.=!) Almost any desktop Linux will do the job, So pick the one you like. On some distro, you might need to compile the EMU yourself, and some other, they have binary pre-make. I personally like Arch Linux, and Debian. Arch Linux give me the maxium computer power with the i686 optimized kernel, and I can only install the things I really need on the system. While Debian is taking a good standard, and rock hard solid. if you take my suggestion and remove the opitional drive, there are internet base installation for both of the system, so all you need is put a img on your usb, book the system up, and install the whole system from the internet, it is not really a problem to in linux without an opitional drive.

Once, the OS installation is done, you can now install the your favorite EMU. On my system, I installed NES, SNES, and GBA EMU. It is again, really up to you what to pick, and what fit you the most. I use FCEU for NES, Zsnes for SNES, and vistualboy Advance for GBA/GBC/GB. There is a good amount of EMU rnning under Linux, so you should find yourself getting almost anything you would want.

I do agree there are much more EMU run under Windows, and some are actually much better then the one Linux have, such as pj64 for N64. The reason why I don’t choose windows is because it is much heavrier then Linux, and you will have to install a few extra software to maintian it, and yet, not as easy as Linux for twisting around. Beside that, I didn’t really find any front end for for lanuching the EMU with games, which under Linux, I have sever on top of my head would do the job. As the end result, you would like to have a system, that can allow you search games, lanuch the games, and close the game, all done by a remote, or control. It would be a bit ticky to done all this with just a control, however, it would be extemely easy with a USB IR remote, just like what you would do with your media center remote. Once, you get your OS, EMU, and front end setup, your ultimate gaming system is ready to go. All you have to do is loading in games.

Posted by ioky Posted in: FoolZ Tools No Comments » February 2009

~The One Relation~

When one thing is form, it can’t form along, something much form along with it. When a white dot added to a Black paper, the Blackness are no long cover the whole paper. As the White dot changing it’s shape, the Blackness will also change. So did Life.

Everything in this world is an one big relationship, once you are able to connect the dots. There is only one thing you are really doing. This can be a philosophy that gentle enough to cover everything.  Philosophy is mean to found the “True”, but when come to the word “True” Things became a bit funny. Things never really be “True” because they are not always “True”. However, if there is something as one, and everything you do is only part of the one. Thing become totally difference.

Every type of skills are related to each other. You might ask immediately, so how Art related to Sport? When you think deeper, they are so related, and if you want to be good at one of them, the other one much be there, in order for you to do so. For example, you want to be good at art. Art work is a way of expressing thinking. In order to advance art, you will need the brain for it. When you do sport, your body active your brain, and also you get more oxygen into your brain which makes you think better. Once you are able to control your body better, you are better to express the motion you wants to put down into the art work. Guess what, Science at the same time are there, because that is how thing was explained. This relationship will just goes on and never end. People might not realize that when they practicing one skill, you are actually also practicing some of parts of another skill, and some parts of that other skill might be also a part of another skill. This list will also go on, into infinity. If you are able to see the relationship, you are able to do whatever you want, and get everything you want. Of course that is in theory talk, there is also something human set up that will limited you. But that is another story.

Imagine, you are a person, drew on a black paper with white ink.  Of course, you are only formed by such amount of white ink, it can’t be more and it can’t be less. One day, you have a great idea, that you think the world you live in are too dry, you want something new, so you start using your hand to form the world. you form a flower next to you. At the same time because the exist of that flower, you changed your form. The next day, you found yourself is not pretty enough, instead forming the world, this time you start forming yourself. However, after you are done, you found out the world around you are also formed. Of course, the real world we live in is not as simple as the white ink person, on the black paper. But it is true that Everything you have done are directly related to the place you live, and everything the place you live have happen are one way or the other related to you. The more you know, the more lines you get to connect the dots. When the time you are able to connect the dots. You can work on the improvement of one thing, but accomplish millions of others.

There is a difference between not able to see the thing, and the things doesn’t exist. The relationship between everything do exist. It is depence on the people be able to see it or not.

Posted by ioky Posted in: FoolZ Philosophy No Comments » May 2008

The Horizon S3 U-500

This is the Horizon S3 U-500 Panoramic Camera. It is use to take Panoramic, mostly Landscape, and many others like sport event and fusion. There are a similar camera call the Horizon S3 Pro. They don’t have much difference especial that the U-500 have a extra shutter speed of 1/500s. Every thing else, they are like twins.

Specifications:

Manufacturer: Russia -KMZ

Covering of the body: Black

Picture format: 24 x 58 mm

Film Used: 53mm, perforated

Length of film in cassette: 1.65m

Number of pictures: 22

Exposure times: 1, 1/2, 1/4, 1/8, 1/30, 1/60, 1/125, 1/250, 1/500 sec.

viewfinder magnification 0.4x

Field of view: 110°x44°

Lens: MC 2,8/28 MG

Focal Length: 28 mm

Maximum aperture: 1:2.8

Effective field angle: 120°x45°

Tripod bush thread: 1/4″

Level accuracy: 5°

Dimensions: 115 x 152 x 79 mm

Weight: 0.75kg

Here is some image of the camera:

 

Here is a sample Photograph that took by this camera:

Such Cool Tool, I want to get one myself too, but I don’t have money. HEHE, This camera sell on ebay or from about $350 to $500. I personally think, it is worth it for it price, in term of what can it done, and the uniqueness of the product.

Posted by ioky Posted in: FoolZ Tools No Comments » April 2008

Art of Life(Bioperformiusm) - Polymathiusm & Monoperformiusm

Before understand what is Polymathiusm, you much first redefine the meaning of Profession. Profession means a vocation requiring knowledge of some department of learning or science (from the Dictionary). This meaning is perfectly fine, the problem is how we understand what it said. Requiring knowledge of a vacation is what you should really look closer to. How much is Require?

Of course, there is one thing you should keep in mind is that there is two type of work, People’s work, and machine’s work. What is I mean by machine’s work is not necessary work a actual machine does. I mean work that only require a small amount of command. For example, like a bagger who put every thing in the bag. The person who work as a bagger is not necessary require to think at all as long as the stuff get into the bag, the work is done. Of course in reality is not just as simple, but it is close enough. Back to the word profession, profession is People’s work, it is done by and only done by people, and it is for and only for people. Well you can argue that “NO, what I am doing is for the Earth. or what so even.” Sure, if you are no live in it, and it doesn’t make you right or good. A people wouldn’t done a thing that have absolutely no relate to them. So yes, every thing you have done, are related to you, at the minimum point that you are the one who done it. And they will come back to you one way or the other.

So how much is really require for a profession. The answer to this is EVERYTHING, all knowledge and understanding plus skills. Though this can only be ideal, but it is what everyone should work toward to. Well, unless you are too lazy and don’t feel like to do anything in your life. That is also perfectly fine, at less to me personally. Yes, everything sounds unnecessary, but when you really look close to what are you doing, you will realize it is not. For example, an architecture, architect always say, “We are designing for the people.” Right~~ what gives you to say that if you don’t know people? Do you know how a photographer live and work? Do you know how a bagger live and work? And Do you know how a dancer live and work? Are you sure that all the knowledge under a P.H.D will tell you all this? I don’t think so. Beside that, have you ever look through a view finder and see how the world photographer looks like? Have you ever use your ears to listen how the a musician’s world sounds like? If you have no idea on any of those. All you can design is things for architect because you only know architect.

Story just isn’t end here. In term of working technically, you can done much better work, if you know photography which tells you how the light effect you will get under difference conditions, if you know dance which tells you how a human actually move, if you know art, which tells you how people express themselves, if you know psychology which tells you how how people actually think, and if you know computer science, which tells you know to solve difference problems with technology. This list can go on and on. All of this can help you do something that is really for the people. It is not just about architecture, it is the same to other professions. That is why I think courtesan (ancient India prostitute) is one of best profession ever exist. (ancient India believe sex is a good thing, and it is a big part of their culture. Courtesan extreme respected by the people) you know why? It is because in order to a courtesan, you much know 8 difference skills: singing, Dancing, art, politic, and even Architecture. Sorry I can’t remember all 8 formal skills they much have. Today, if you can master any one of those skills, you will be call as professional but those courtesan much master all of them in order to stay in their profession.

So what happen, if you are crazy enough to master every thing. Well, it is impossible for you to do everything at once for sure. Here is where Monoperformiusm come from. It really Polymathmonoperformiusm. In other word, Performing one thing with all knowledge and skills. That is also why sometime science’s work also looks artistic, and artist use logic. The most well know example is Da vinci ’s work. Of course, not all the skills are needed in every page of drawing, but his drawings in his sketch book, contents a huge range of knowledge, and difference skills. He has a huge amount of knowledge, and mastered huge amount of skills. What he does is choose from the knowledge and skill that he has to perform the art or work that he is doing.

Just to give a example that is closer to us. I was in a drawing class, in an Art Collage. Believe or not, 90% of the stuff or I should say the way of thinking, that the Prof told me is just like the stuff My Photography Prof told me. And I told him that he can be a really good photographer. Think about it, if you are able to master drawing, it would have a pretty good chance you are able to be good at Photography. And a lot of concept from photography can be apply on drawing as well. Of course, the more you know on the other things, the better chance that you will be good at the one thing you are doing. That is why the more you know, the lets you think you know because you need more difference knowledge and skills from the other profession to support you. Eventually, when you do know everything, you might think that you really know nothing, and think you are such fool. (Here is also one of the concept the name of my site come from. FoolSage FoolZage)

Posted by ioky Posted in: FoolZ Philosophy No Comments » March 2008

Logic, Feeling, Feelogic

“What is your reason behind?” Have you ask this question, or be ask by this question? Do you always know the answer?  Logic seem like a big deal in today’s society. When we in school, the teacher ask us why. When we in work, the boss or client ask us why. Then, what you do is logically explain every step that leads you to your finally answer. But! Have you realize sometime, you get your answer before you know why, and your logic actually come after you final answer? If you are one of those people, you might interesting on what I am about to say. Of course, every one is welcome to read on. However, some people might hate me, when I say “You are a slave of logic.” Yes, there are slaves of logic in this world.  However, I am not try to anti-logic, what I am trying to say is there are more beside logic.

Logic is a like formula. you take your given, put it into the formula and find the answer. It is just like, when X=1, Y=2, answer will = 3, or Fire is hot, my finger will get hurt when it touch a hot thing, therefore when I put my finger in the fire, I will get hurt. It is pretty logical, isn’t it. This is the foundation of logic, and also here is where logic become problematic. The problem is the factor that we put into our logic ( The Formula.) What happen when you miss a factor or miss many factors? If you have ever learn math, you will know, you are likely to get the wrong answer, unless the factor you are missing are zero. Yes, Logic is one huge formula that content billions factors. Though, not all the factors will content stuff at all time. It is just like math, it is easy when it only have a few factors, but when it has too many factors, you will get lost, and end up get the wrong answer.

Logic is also a “if then therefore” statement. What makes logic goes wrong is the “then” statement. When there is one “if”, often there will be many “then” follow it. As the result of that, there will be many “therefore”. So what is the point to rationalize the problem if that happen? Though sometime, something seem to have a very small chance to happen, but it doesn’t mean it wouldn’t happen. Believe or not, Logic is one of the best way to explain something to the other, but it is not the best way to solve a problems.

Many people tell me that I need to be more logical and more rational in my life. However, there isn’t a single person tell me that I should use pure feeling to find the answer or solve a problem. I am sorry to say that, but it just happen too much time, logic have let me down. Just to get an example, I remember when I was four. I and my mother bought a lottery ticket when we press by a lottery store, and for the very first time, she let me to pick the numbers. I clearly remember I pick 1, 2, and 3, along with other three numbers. Yes, right! 1, 2, and 3, who would think that is a logical choice for a lottery. The good news is, they are the right numbers, I also get 2 number right which I don’t remember. However, the bad news is my mother force me to pick another number instance 3. So we end up winning couple hundred dollars, which we could win up to couple 10K if the 3 was picked.

Pure feeling can be really power. although it doesn’t give you much explanation,  but it often give you the right choice. Is it just lucky, or is it something more? Either way, there is ONE thing that you cannot decline. It is that Feeling come Before Logic. When you looking at a photograph, and you think it looks good. Later, you look at another photograph with the same subject appear, and you think it looks bad. This is the point where you will ask why. After a complex process of thinking, one thing you might realize, what make the difference between the two photograph is their composition. If that is the case or it could be something else. Logically, your next question will be, why is this composition looks better then the other. You see how this work? If that is backward, the story will be completely difference. If you know about photograph, there is a theory to make up a good composition, It is call the “rule of third,” which basically break the photo up into nine equal box. The four intersections in the middle is where most important stuff located, and the four line which make up the intersections are your second choice. Yes, this really help to makes up a good composition, BUT it is not always true. If you are one of those photographer who think this is the golden rule of photography, then good luck with your career. If you think all the photo which use this rule is good photo, and the other one is bad. Then, I would say, you are a slave of logic. It has no difference then those people who think if there is flower on the pictures, it is good, and no flower is bad. Known it, Even “Rule of Third” is result come from a study of many good photograph. It is not a per-make rule to define good photograph.

People often blindly believe in logic. If you need a reason to love or hate a person, then you shouldn’t be even have feeling. When you hate a person, and you try to logically figure out the reason, but at the end you ending up can’t found any reason, and you can logically not hate that person any more. You are lying to yourselves. In the other hand, can you logically like a person? What happen when you see a person that you really like, but he or she is just not the dream one you have in your mind, in fact, he or she did something that you really hate. You think you can logically not like that person? You are lying to yourselves.

Feeling is not just feeling, it is also logic, a kind of logic that runs so fast in your brain that you can’t even see the step. When you look at a apple, you know it is a apple, you don’t need to take logic then realize it is an apple. Your brain can put all the factor in the formula and find out the right answer for you, way faster then you can. Some of the factor, you wouldn’t even realize in a rational thinking. Are we who we think we are? I think we are way more then we know we are. That is also one of the problem of logic. We can only put the thing we know and realize in our logic, but the true is there are much more we can sense but never know and realize. Logic and Feeling should use and train as well as each others.

Posted by ioky Posted in: FoolZ Philosophy No Comments » March 2008

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