May 3, 2001

9:44 AM

Every gadget seems to generate a hobbyist underground:CueCat, TiVo, Big Mouth Billy Bass, DVD encryption, DVD region codes, Web appliances, WebTV, and Palm. The main link is to the New York Times; registration required.
posted by tranquileye (7 comments total)

you can avoid the registration by using the backdoor:
here
simply replace the "www" in the URL with "channel"
posted by thatwhichfalls at 10:00 AM on May 3, 2001

It's people like this that turn electronic devices and mediums into usable and uncrippled products. The playstation wouldn't have been nearly as fun to own for me if it wasn't for Mod-chips. How about overclocking that cuecat?
posted by samsara at 11:49 AM on May 3, 2001

I bought a little Virgin WebPlayer on e-bay for like $150 and turned it into a useful little 200Mhz computer.

Check out Linux-hacker.net and their I-Appliance Discussion Forum BBS for more information.
posted by radio_mookie at 12:23 PM on May 3, 2001

would it be a gadget if it didn't have a 'hobbyist underground'? Isn't that the point of gadgets, that people tinker, paly, and generally have a good time. Or am I missing the point :-] . And, so underground that it isn't big in the states, the Psion, linux enabled as all good gadgets are!
posted by nedrichards at 3:09 PM on May 3, 2001

What's this inexpensive projector you can reprogram to be a DVD projector?
posted by Leonard at 4:12 PM on May 3, 2001

Leonard: I don't recall mefi being a tech support board, but I haven't been here all that long. None-the-less, the answer is: any projector can be a DVD-projector if you plug a DVD player into it.
posted by gpowers at 9:20 PM on May 3, 2001

I'm sure Bob Young will be pleased to see his "weld the hood shut" meme making it into the Times.

What *I* love is the way they're always so respectful to everyone they write about, just like the Journal.

You can be a 13-year snot-nosed videogame addict, and suddenly you're "Mr. Russell". It's nice.
posted by baylink at 8:55 AM on May 4, 2001