Daniel-Helfand Archives - Page 2 of 4

Wiimote to play a MAME game on the iPhone

Friday December 4, 2009

Reading Time: 2 minutes

I feel like I am part of a group that feels that Apple is not letting us use our iPhones to the fullest. The iPhone is amazing, its abilities surpass all others and that should be noted; however, the restrictions that Apple has can be bothering regarding bluetooth keyboard ability, tethering, and having to have AT&T. My iPhone is not cracked and I have no plans to jail break my phone, but I feel like Apple is not letting us use the iPhone the way its designers intended; in turn this causes people to want to jail break their phones – go figure. Fortunately, independent companies have been working on ways to harness bluetooth capabilities with the iPhone; it gives us with iPhones running OS a preview of what we could have if Apple would come to their senses.

Modder ZodTTD, creator of the iControlPad, uses a Wiimote to play a MAME game on the iPhone. Zod has not announced the availability of this mame4iphone version yet. The same principle could easily be applied to a bluetooth keyboard and make every iPhone user’s life that much easier. Those are just my thoughts.

Reading Time: 3 minutes

Morgan SX-704 grapple skidder – a modern skidder with dual function fixed boom grapple (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Life in Maine is a little bit slower than the rest of the country. People pride themselves on doing things by hand and using out of date technology – so-to-speak. My friend G.W. Martin believes in using animal power as opposed to gas powered engines to get things done around the farm. “The trick isn’t getting them to pull, that’s easy – it’s gettin’ them to stand still”. This morning as the sun was rising in Montville, Maine I was a part of the Back Woods Maine Mule Train. The log that you see in the pictures weighs approximately 2000 pounds, and the two Mules Bonnie and Olivia move it with no problem.

Everyone else in the area uses a machine called a Skidder, it’s basically a bulldozer with wheels and a claw. G.W. has used a Skidder before to haul wood, but he would rather use animals to get the job done. There is a lot to be said for doing things the old fashion way.

Reading Time: 2 minutes

With each passing moment the iPhone gets a little bit better, and I’m beginning to think that there is nothing that the iPhone is not capable of doing. Sirius XM will be releasing a dock connector accessory receiver for the iPhone and iPod touch at a media event next Wednesday, allowing full Sirius XM service via their devices. This is a pretty big deal for those out there who have already been using and love satellite radio as well as those who are interested in trying it out. The XM SkyDock is a docking station for your iPod Touch or iPhone that turns it into a satellite XM Radio receiver. The dock will consist of an XM antenna, power cord (also featuring the new transmitter technology), and docking station that turns your iPod/iPhone into an XM Satellite Radio receiver using the Sirius XM app.

The Sirius XM Premium Online iPhone application was released in June, and it will act as the interface for the satellite service. The dock should be priced at just under a hundred dollars which seems pretty reasonable. I am looking forward to the release of the dock as I am sure it will be pretty sweet.

Reading Time: 4 minutes

John Hughes suffered a heart attack while taking a morning walk during a trip to NYC to visit family at the age of 59. He directed such ’80s hit films as “The Breakfast Club“, “Weird Science“, “Sixteen Candles” and “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off“. I grew up watching his movies; they never seemed to get old for me or my brother. John Hughes invented the teen movie as we know it today; his movies spoke to us and showed teens going through the struggles of coming of age. He will be missed sorely, but his movies will live on despite the changing of hair styles and clothes that kids wear today. It doesn’t matter who you are, there will always be a message to take away from his movies.

John Hughes used the pen name Edmond Dantes, homage to the lead character in The Count of Monte Cristo. He inspired the “Brat Pack” movement of the 1980s and he said “I don’t think of kids as a lower form of the human species”. John Hughes gave kids strength and reminded them that it was alright to be different. The following quote has always stuck with me over the years from The Breakfast Club, when Mr. Vernon the Principal asks the kids to write a letter to him about who they think they are? The group decides that it would be better for Brian Johnson to write a letter for all of them. “Dear Mr. Vernon, we accept the fact that we had to sacrifice a whole Saturday in detention for whatever it was that we did wrong. What we did was wrong. But we think you’re crazy to make us write this essay telling you who we think we are. What do you care? You see us as you want to see us… in the simplest terms and the most convenient definitions. You see us as a brain, an athlete, a basket case, a princess and a criminal. Correct? That’s the way we saw each other at seven o’clock this morning. We were brainwashed.”

Reading Time: 2 minutes

I went whitewater rafting on the Kennebec river yesterday with an old friend. It has rained just about everyday since I got to Maine, which is great for whitewater but not so great for having a good time. On Saturday the clouds broke to give us a marvelous time, in the water as well as out.

Historically the Kennebec River was used for harvesting ice and for ship building. Nowadays the river is used primarily for hydroelectric power and recreation. The Kennebec river is not the most intense river in the state of Maine, but, it is great for a few hours of whitewater and relaxation. The Kennebec, Dead, and Penobscot rivers all offer great whitewater for rafting, kayaking, and canoeing in Maine.

If you ever find yourself in Maine I suggest spending some time whitewater rafting on the Kennebec river. You wont regret it!

Reading Time: 5 minutes

Dan “Waiting for Godot”

Broadway has a life of its own and is a magical place to be! As you may already know, I saw Waiting for Godot on Broadway and it was quite the adventure. Waiting for Godot is not a play for everyone; it’s a drama where the actors drag you into a world where time is obscured. By the end of it you can not but feel mentally exhausted as you take a deep breath outside of the theater and you ask yourself, “what just happened?”

I had read Waiting for Godot several times as well as many other Beckett plays. It was hard to not go to the play with out certain expectations regarding how it would be. I will say that the play was marvelous and kept me entertained the whole way through. Godot is a “tragicomedy” in two acts which on the surface will make you laugh, but, underneath the surface is a world of despair that deals with deep philosophical questions that all people deal with whether they are cognizant of it or not. It was an amazing experience, perhaps once in a life time, the crowd we sat with was the who’s who; writers and actors, and such. I am convinced that my friend Josh and I had the best seats in the house, 8 rows back and dead center, we didn’t have to look up and we didn’t have to look down – we looked the actors right in the eye.

I do want to take a moment to thank everyone who helped me have such a great experience. Angela DeCicco and Matt Stern helped me get the great tickets which as I already stated were the best in the house. Beverly Brennan made it possible for Josh and me to go back stage and meet some of the actors and get a tour of the stage. I have been backstage before, but, something about this was very special and a memory I hold on to dearly. Most of all I would like to thank my folks, for without them these friends would not be a part of my life and I’m sure last week’s experience would not have been the same.

“Let us not waste our time in idle discourse! Let us do something, while we have the chance! It is not every day that we are needed. But at this place, at this moment of time, all mankind is us, whether we like it or not. Let us make the most of it, before it is too late!” – Beckett

P.S. Happy Birthday Dick Fay

Reading Time: 2 minutes

What happened on July 5th? Everyone knows what happened on the 4th of July, sometimes it is easy to forget what historical events took place on the 5th.

5th July 1921 : Players from The Chicago White Sox Baseball team are accused of throwing the World Series.

5th July 1946 : The Bikini swimsuit ( a daring 2 piece swimming costume for ladies ) was introduced by French designer Louis Reard at a popular swimming pool in Paris.

5th July 1950 : The first American reported killed in the Korean War (Private Kenneth Shadrick ) a member of a bazooka squad, was cut down by enemy machine-gun fire.

5th July 1971 : The Voting Age in the United States is lowered to 18 yrs old.

5th July 2006 : North Korea test Medium Range Missiles capable of hitting the Japanese and US mainland.

I love learning about historical events, I think that it is a good practice to take some time to learn about things that happened on a particular date. I hope you find some of these facts as interesting as I have.

Reading Time: 3 minutes

The iPhone web browser speed test knocks the competition out of the water. The statistics of the tests were rather astonishing. Medialets ran the SunSpider test suite with Safari 4.0.1 on a 2.0 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo White MacBook (the baseline for comparisons), Mobile Safari on the iPhone 3G with iPhone OS v2.2.1, Mobile Safari on the iPhone 3G with iPhone OS v3.0, Mobile Safari on the iPhone 3GS with iPhone OS v3.0, the “Browser” app on the T-Mobile G1 with Android OS v1.5 (Cupcake) and the “Web” app on the Palm Pre with Web OS v1.0.2.

iPhone OS 3.0 on the same iPhone 3G yields nearly 3X the JavaScript performance in Mobile Safari vs. using iPhone OS 2.2.1. Which should make everyone who has not bought a 3GS very happy. The iPhone 3GS steps up another factor of 3, bringing JavaScript performance on the iPhone 3GS to 12X that of a desktop machine that has well over four times the raw processing power.

The T-Mobile G1 running the “Cupcake” version of the Android OS finished the test suite in about 91 seconds. It is about a third faster than the iPhone 3G running Apple’s OS (2.2.1). The Palm Pre had speeds that closely rival the iPhone 3G running Apple’s OS 3.0.

Reading Time: 2 minutes

All week long I have been playing around with Smule‘s Leaf Trombone on my iPhone, a fully interactive trombone! It’s a lot of fun learning how to play classic songs like Stand by Me and Hallelujah; and after one masters a particular song they can perform it on the World Stage and be judged by their peers. With Smule’s Leaf Trombone World Stage you can be an artist and a judge; having that ability is what makes Leaf Trombone so amazing.

If the Ocarina was fun let me just tell you from experience that Smule Did it Again with Leaf Trombone. Smule’s applications make the world just a little bit smaller and a little bit better. The kicker for me was the fact that you can write your own songs and (or) convert your favorite songs to be played on the Leaf Trombone.

Playing Leaf Trombone is easy: blow into your iPhone’s microphone (or, in Touch mode, simply touch the screen) and press down on the leaf to play a note. Slide your finger towards you – you’ll hear the pitch get higher, just like a real trombone.

Reading Time: 4 minutes

The iPhone 3Gs’ new features are forces to be reckoned with! I have had an iPhone now for just under a year, in that time I have come to love and cherish it. The iPhone, in my opinion, had the most potential to revolutionize mobile technology as we knew it! Overnight, it quickly became the most useful piece of technology that I have ever owned.

After the initial infatuation period ended, I began to realize that there were things that disappointed me about the iPhone. I learned very quickly that with all modern marvels there will be glitches and hiccups along the way. Beta, Beta, Beta! The iPhone is a painting that has yet to be finished, always changing and always evolving; adapting to the needs of the people. Everything that disappointed me with with the iPhone 3G the 3Gs has made up for!

We now have the ability to: copy and paste, take video, send picture and video text-messages, and the list goes on and on. The 3Gs is faster and smarter, we have the capability to make our own applications and now that there is a digital compass we will never get lost! The possibilities are absolutely endless, and I’m pretty sure that the sky is no longer the limit. Here are the details on just a few of the new features:

“Now you can shoot video, edit it, and share it — all on your iPhone 3GS. Shoot high-quality VGA video in portrait or landscape. Trim your footage by adjusting start and end points. Then share your video in an email, post it to your MobileMe gallery, publish it on YouTube, or sync it back to your Mac or PC using iTunes.”

“Voice Control recognizes the names in your Contacts and knows the music on your iPod. So if you want to place a call or play a song, all you have to do is ask.”

“Surf the web from practically anywhere. Now you can share the 3G connection on your iPhone with your Mac notebook or PC laptop.”

Reading Time: 3 minutes

In 2002 a professor of mine introduced me to a play that would forever have an impact on my life. A play that embodied the trials, tribulations, and monotony of life in a rather funny manner. After the first reading I sat there confused and to a certain degree drained, even though it is a short read. I read Waiting for Godot over and over, until I was sure that I was not missing something. Waiting for Godot sunk its teeth into me and still, to this day, has not let go!

Just the other day I found out something that made me very happy! After 50 years Waiting for Godot is back on Broadway. Waiting for Godot is a play by Samuel Beckett which became renowned as a existential masterpiece. It never did well in the theaters but it became required reading at most colleges.

I never thought that I would have the opportunity to see Waiting for Godot on Broadway, which upset me very much. Now that it is back on Broadway I have the chance that I have been waiting for. On July 11th, my dream will come true! So let’s just say I am pretty excited and I am looking forward to this with great anticipation.

“Two-time Tony Award winner Nathan Lane, Tony Award winner Bill Irwin, Golden Globe winner John Goodman and Tony Award winner John Glover star in Samuel Beckett’s cryptic and comical play, Waiting for Godot, directed by Tony Award winner Anthony Page.”

Reading Time: 3 minutes

I was eleven years old when the American icon Jerry Garcia left this planet for good. At that time in my life the Grateful Dead were just a band with a cool name that I knew very little, if anything, about. Jerry’s death was much less significant to my generation than Kurt Cobain, who had died just a year before. Kurt’s death impacted my generation greatly and Jerry’s death impacted multiple generations.

As I grew older, people shared “The Dead’s” music with me; like many others it grew on me quickly. However, I always accepted that I would never have the opportunity to see one of the all time greatest bands. Let’s be real, Jerry was gone and as far as I knew was not coming back anytime soon.

What’s left of the Grateful Dead is some very serious musicians that are approaching 70 years old. Drug and alcohol use was a staple of the band for 30 years; which equals out to health problems, such as liver transplants. But the music after 44 years is still alive in the band and the fans, both old and young alike.

Last night I had the privilege to see The Dead with Warren Haynes from The Allman Brothers play three sets of classic Grateful Dead songs. It was an experience I never thought I would have, and most likely will never have again. I was born in the wrong generation when it comes to the Dead, but fortunately people like Phil Lesh, Bob Weir, and Mickey Hart still have a few gallons of gas in them to continue jamming hard. The Dead with Warren Haynes will be an experience I will never forget.

Reading Time: 3 minutes

Ever wish you could wake up in the morning and not get out of bed? The ability to work from anywhere in your house has arrived. With a large enough monitor, one could literally work from bed if they so desired. Now, obviously, one would not work from their bed, but the ability to do so gives me great comfort. iPhone Airmouse in the Bedroom could very well be the wave of the future.

Mobile Air Mouse instantly transforms your iPhone or iPod touch into an in air, wireless remote for your computer! Sit back and surf the web, browse your photo library or control your music player from the comfort of your couch. Mobile Air Mouse uses the built in accelerometer to translate your hand motions into mouse movements on your screen. It can also operate as a trackpad, allowing you to control your computer with a single finger.

Mobile Air Mouse is an essential part of any home theater PC and a presenter’s best friend. Mobile Air Mouse uses an innovative application notification system to let the iPhone know what program you are running at any time and show the appropriate keys for that program. This allows Mobile Air Mouse to provide a single screen for controlling ALL your media and web applications.

Reading Time: 2 minutes

Spring in the Arizona living desert is amazing to see! Between the colorful array of Cactus flowers and the wildlife doing the sacred “dance”, there is much to marvel at. Over the past month Doves have made their nests all over the property, mostly in obvious place like underneath patio roofs and high up in trees.

However, two days ago I walked outside and stood next the cactus by my back-door. I heard a noise, which was a Dove flying out of the cactus. I thought to myself what could possibly be so important that a Dove would hang out in a plant with a thousand sharp spikes. When I looked closer at the cactus I saw something astonishing, a sight only seen in the living desert.

This Dove family had chosen to make their nest right inside a folded paddle cactus. I guess they felt like this was the safest place. A little while later mother Dove showed back up.

Well, it will certainly be interesting to watch the mother give flying lessons from a cactus. I will continue to watch for updates, should be interesting!

Reading Time: 2 minutes

Top Five Free iPhone Applications

Awesome Ball is a great time-killing app. Use the accelerometer to bounce a ball around with realistic physics and graphics. Double-tap the screen to select a different ball to bounce.

As the ace pilot of the airforce in WWII, your mission is to destroy the secret weapon prototypes of the Nazis. Fasten your seat belt and get ready for some non-stop action!

Welcome to the Official iPhone app for the Masters Golf Tournament. For the first time in history,

V2.0 of the International smash hit is now the world’s ultimate full skeleton X-Ray machine

The lite version limits to english words and 8 hidden words. Please checkout the full version with lots more features: – Up to 16 hidden words!

Reading Time: 2 minutes

Last week the Apple App Store reached a new milestone with the sale of their billionth application. It took only 9 months for the feat to occur! It’s pretty amazing how applications have become a staple in most of our lives. There are very few things that I cannot figure out with my iPhone: translation, exchange, communicate, or level a table.

I believe this to be a sign of the future of mobile computing and cellular communication in our world. With more than 35,000 apps available and there are more than 37 million devices that run Apple’s mobile OS, more than 21 million of which are iPhones; it is easy to see which way the trend is moving – Up!

The thirteen year-old kid that purchased the one billionth app will be rewarded with a bunch of Apple products, including $10,000 in iTunes credit, a 17-inch MacBook Pro, a 32-GB iPod Touch and an Apple Time Capsule. Lucky Kid!

Reading Time: 2 minutes

Create your own Unique Ringtone with Audiko, using their cut and share technology. Not only can you make ringtones from your own music, but you can extract music directly from YouTube videos. If you are like me and you think that paying to make a ringtone from a song you have already paid for through iTunes is not that great, then Audiko.net is your solution! Audiko has very simple user-friendly instructions for creating your own ringtones. Audiko will create your ringtone in the iPhone accepted format; all you need to do is drag the file into the Ringtones folder of iTunes and upload it to your iPhone.

Just see for Yourself:
Whiskey-Change-survival-of-the-fittest.m4r

Reading Time: 3 minutes

Two weeks ago I knew nothing about Windows 7 Beta and Windows.old folder. I was pretty enthusiastic about Windows 7 Beta and after I installed it on my computer I was jazzed. Everything seemed to be going smoothly and I was really enjoying my new Operating System when suddenly everything went down hill in a hurry.

After I installed Windows 7 Beta I noticed a folder called Windows.old that had over 50 GBs of info inside it. Initially I did not think anything of it, but after further investigation I realized that that folder contained lots of media from my previous operating system. I backed up everything that I thought to be important and went ahead and deleted the Windows.old folder to free up some space on my C Drive. With the deletion of that folder my computer went into a tailspin.

When I removed that folder from my computer I deleted the Mass Storage Controller driver and my Audio driver. Normally, this would not be a big deal, as you would just download the drivers you deleted or restore your computer to a previous restore point. Unfortunately, since I was running an operating system that was a beta there were no drivers that were compatible and since I had just installed Windows 7 there were no restore points.

It has been a week and I am still working out my problems. I learned a lot of valuable lessons from this experience. When beta testing these things happen and one needs know how to fix the problems with out very much support, if any. I need to know exactly what it is I am deleting, which would seem obvious. Live and Learn! Overall, I still have good things to say about Windows 7 Beta.

Reading Time: 2 minutes

Windows 7 Beta Story Continued… After hours and hours on the phone with HP, I realized that they understood less about my problem than I did. Go Figure! HP sent me discs, when those didn’t work they sent me more discs, and when those did not work they sent me more. I finally had to say enough is enough!

I decided to enlist the services of a third party, which really means, I dropped off my computer to be fixed and ran like hell. My hope now is that my only step left in fixing my problem is just to go and pick up my computer.

I believe that I have made it over the hump. Everything should be downhill from here on out, or at least I am praying that is the case. I have to remind myself that we are dealing with computers! I will say that I am looking forward to getting to play with Windows 7 Beta again, since I am pretty sure I cannot mess up anymore than I already have!

OUR BLOG

Category: Daniel-Helfand

Wiimote to play a MAME game on the iPhone