Hardware that Shouldn't Work but Does

[Corona688]

A friend mentioned to me that his PlayStation 2 USB headset worked on his Macintosh despite the system requirements for this thing being labelled as "Playstation 2 only". It being cheap, naturally I had to try one.

The process for getting it working under linux was long and difficult:modprobe snd-usb-audioThese things are made by Logitech, but on order from Sony, so they aren't on the Logitech site.

Anyone else found any hardware that, by the magic of standards compliance, works outside of it's designed-for platform?

[Ensign Steve]

I used ndiswrapper on the windows driver for my linksys wireless card so that linux could use it, but I don't think that really counts.

[Ari]

•The old style Mac printer cables were the exact same kind used for S-Video on camcorders.

•The first generation iPod Mini's harddrive could be poped out and used in certain digital cameras. At the time buying a mini was cheaper than buying the same sized harddrive meant for digital camera use.

•Certain one time use digital cameras can be hacked and used as webcams.

[Ensign Steve]

•Certain one time use digital cameras can be hacked and used as webcams.

One time use digital camera? Never heard of it. Reminds me of the people who make tasers out of disposable camera flashes, though. :giggle:

[Ari]

It's a new possibly fad item. Since "digital" has become a new catch phrase to mean "better" (even though that often isn't the case). In the US places like walmart sell one time use digital cameras which have so many pictures you can take with them, then you bring them back to walmart and get prints made from your digital shots. Crappier quality than film but they say "digital" so it must be better.

Ha. The other day I took apart an old cheap broken digital camera and was playing with it. I slipped at one point and came 1cm away from giving my finger a big jolt. I discovered the stupid thing charges the flash capacitor everytime you turn it on. Shorting the capacitor makes for some nice small fireworks.

[Ensign Steve]

It's a new possibly fad item. Since "digital" has become a new catch phrase to mean "better" (even though that often isn't the case). In the US places like walmart sell one time use digital cameras which have so many pictures you can take with them, then you bring them back to walmart and get prints made from your digital shots. Crappier quality than film but they say "digital" so it must be better.
Very interesting! And the web cam hack sounds fun.

:hijacked:

I remember a couple years ago, somebody (Kodak?) came out with the opposite thing; a one-time use "digital" camera, which was in fact a regular film camera, but when you had it processed they gave you a CD instead of prints. :sarclap:

[ceptimus]

I used ndiswrapper on the windows driver for my linksys wireless card so that linux could use it, but I don't think that really counts.
I tried that yesterday, and it locked up my Suse system. I thought I'd try Fedora instead of Suse so I downloaded the DVD ISO and burned it. It won't install. :( So now I'm reinstalling Suse.

Any tips on getting the wireless working under Linux? It's a Fujitsu Siemens Amilo Pro 2020 laptop with Intel Centrino (2200BG) wireless.

[Veritas]

I can make a flame thrower out of a can of hairspray and a cigarette lighter.

[Ari]

Try a Supersoaker and Gasoline. :D :ripley:
(ok, for legal reasons, don't.)

[Veritas]

Spoilsport. :D

[Ensign Steve]

Any tips on getting the wireless working under Linux? It's a Fujitsu Siemens Amilo Pro 2020 laptop with Intel Centrino (2200BG) wireless.

Sadly, no. :( I suck at linux, and ndiswrapper is the only cool thing I've ever done and it took me like two days to figure it out.
You can try starting here: http://www.tuxmagazine.com/node/1000167 :shrug: There's at least one accurate sentense, anyway:
Although ndiswrapper has become many orders of magnitude more stable over time, it still can very rarely crash or lock up your Linux system.

[Corona688]

Any tips on getting the wireless working under Linux? It's a Fujitsu Siemens Amilo Pro 2020 laptop with Intel Centrino (2200BG) wireless. Sadly I know as much about wireless as your average pet squirrel, however, I can direct you toward the gentoo collective mind (http://forums.gentoo.org/), it might know more. Maybye try booting from one of their liveCDs and seeing if they can help you get it running from there; hopefully will give you enough clues to get it running under another distro.

[Dingfod]

I once put a Rochester (GM) carburetor on a Toyota Landcruiser engine. It worked great, lots more power. Unfortunately, the gas mileage dropped from the fantastic 12 mpg offroad to 10. The price one pays for experimentation.

[Corona688]

:hijacked: Arr, this stuff's cool enough I don't care! :D