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Media Center Bathroom Extender
henrysunset writes "...Extend your stay in the bathroom with this inexpensive Media Center Bathroom Extender for Windows Media Center Edition PC's. The guide shows you how to control a Media Center PC from another room with a cheap XBox controller w/ built in LCD and a little soldering."
I just Wifi while sitting on the crapper ...
Microsoft programs were shitty.
Ahhh finally, I can take my entertainment to the toilet, good thing too, I was running out of excuses to sit there until my legs fell asleep.
And you will have to see your doctor any time soon...
Please note: brown keyboard not included
Iran has endorsed
Would the high voltage needed to run an LCD backlight be a potential hazard in a bathroom ?
This is another exmple of:" Just because you CAN do somthing, doesn't mean it's actually a good idea to do so". IMHO of course. I mean, who am I to stop someone from deliberately developing hemorroids that *slap* their calves/ankles as they walk!
Down With Slashdot BETA!!! I've been around the corner and seen the oliphant; you can only abuse me from your perspecti
I'd use a bluetooth phone with some sort of control software on the PC.
My Mac, SonyEricsson K700i, Salling Clicker and a couple of AirPort Expresses do this fine.
What if a group of malicious South African diplomats have rigged a bomb under your crapper and the toilet paper says, "BOOM YOU'RE DEAD". I'd bet you'd like the ability to change the music then.
I am pretty sure that the whole thing could be on 12 volt power. You are correct in worrying about the problem of electricution. This whole idea seems like a farse to me, webserfing from a bathtub. I want a bathroom with a ten thousand tiles. Each tile will be an LCD display with an independant feed . . . The crapper of ten thousand websites
Parent was a joke - not flamebait.
No, I'm not the same AC, I'm a different AC.
Once they get a self-replenishing fridge, I'll never have to leave the bathroom! I can isolate myself with my own feces, and never have to leave.
Why bother?
How the heck hasn't this line worked its way out of the gene pool yet?
You know this guy isn't procreating.
Source
Do you or your partner snore? - Visit www.snoring.com.au
Meh, if you have the money the toshiba satellite media center laptop has been out for a while:H O&coid=-26379&sel=0&rcid=-26367&ccid=12910 21
http://www.toshibadirect.com/td/b2c/cmod.to?seg=H
They also have a cheaper version called the p15, which is what I am on now, it has the media center, works great.
or does that glass of water look really dirty?
seeing as retail XPMCE systems have them by default (unless you are evaluating the software, even tho its pretty useless without the IR), no need for messy wired controllers (or i would use com 2 and 1$ in connectors) range not enough ? then get a IR range extender for about 25$, still cheaper than an xbox and its clumsy controllers and having bits of wire clutter up the place
messing about with soldering irons for such a minor mod is frankly insulting to the real HH who are busy in surface mount land
if you want to hack like this extender, did you also know you can make your xbox portable by adding a 12v truck battery, wheels, chassis and propulsion ! even make it float on water using nothing more than a boat !
Cowboy Neal, you mean PCs as in more than one PC, no apostrophe. The apostophe only means "belonging to" (eg: Pandora's box) or a dropped "i" (eg: it is raining; it's raining).
For when you dump core.
-- This sentence is false.
If #2 takes more than two minutes, then something is wrong--most likely, your diet. The idea of having a book or reading material in the bog has unfortunately reinforced idea that a long sit is normal.. it is not.
Comment removed based on user account deletion
If there was a way you could get -2 I would mod you down again. Since I can't do that I'll settle for having to use my mod points on another story.
Now if you run out of toilet paper while on the throne, you can order refills on the internet and listen to your favorite music while you wait. You just need to add a pneumatic tube to the front door for delivery.
If "a little soldering" is required, it is NOT built-in. I'm not even sure "some assembly required" is broad enough to describe it, since a soldering iron isn't something everyone has (compared to screwdrivers or hammers).
Nathan
Thanks for shareing.
"Thanks for watching CNBC's Power Dump with Maria Bartiromo..."
--- The American Way of Life is not a birthright. Hell, it's not even sustainable.
Is a LCD a standard thing one can get for XBox controllers?
First... Xbox Media center extenders are comming out NEXT MONTH. They are little about 1/2 the size of an xbox and just need a network to your main media center where you will have all the functionality of your media center through the extender.
Now, the xbox tie in, really really stupid. Microsoft is also making xbox's capable of becoming media center extenders. So just leave the whole xbox in the bathroom and not.. run worthless wires from your bathroom to your computer???
PBS? ABC?? ESPN??? Yeah, right! Everybody here knows what this will be used for, and I believe Jenna Jameson will be the star.
Ah, thank goodness for the Porn Groove genre MP3s to set the theme.
"Beware of he who would deny you access to information, for in his heart, he dreams himself your master."
Eat, play XBox, browse the Internet, watch TV, talk on the phone, do everything you need to do and never get off the toilet!
you could hook up a mythtv frontend on a mini-itx box with a flat-screen so that you can easily watch movies and tv and stuff while you're in the tub. Yay!
Actually, this is likely how I'm going to wire my home. One beefy central mythtv box with however many frontends scattered throughout the house.
--
Given enough personal experience, all stereotypes are shallow.
"I diddn't bother making an adapter out of an Extension cord"
;)
He also diddn't bother to run spell check
I couldn't give a crap about the Xbox/Media center application, but DAYUMN!! It sure would be nice to take that little screen & mount it on the back of a ps2/usb keyboard for my mobile KVM needs..
Hmm..
If I really wanted music in my bathroom, there are two systems that I'd seriously consider.
1. Radio
Simple low watt FM transmitter. For some this would be as simple as attaching it to the tape monitor output of their AMP/Reciever. Radio recievers are cheep, and many are small.
2. Line out to a small radio
Quality better than radio, but requires household wiring. Can be done over cat5.
3. Speaker wire & cieling mount speakers
Requires heavier wire depending on your watt requirements.
But presently.... if I really want music on the crapper... if I really gotta have sound in my shower.
4. Turn up the volume... really really loud!
There is no sanctuary. There is no sanctuary. SHUT UP! There is no shut up. There is no shut up.
I'm too busy concentrating on forcing out that big, long turd to even pay attention to music, much less a game or whathaveyou.
That or I'm in the shower singing my own media, much to the chagrin of anyone within earshot.
As cool as this hack is, and I personally think it is pretty cool, for my money an old 3Com Audrey makes a much better media system UI. The Audrey is a diskless "internet appliance" from a few years ago that failed in the market. Originally about $500, they are now commonly available on EBay for about $80-90. The screen is larger and you can do a lot more things with it.
The Audrey looks like a Jetsons style Etch-a-sketch. It was designed to sit on the kitchen table and do email, read the morning news, look up recipes on the Internet, stuff like that. It has has a 7" diagonal 640x480 color touch screen, wireless keyboard, some specialized buttons on the front, 2 USB ports, built in speakers, microphone and audio jack. There is no disk drive; it uses 32 Mb RAM and a 32 Mb Compact Flash card that holds the OS (QNX, an embedded microkernel).
A thriving Audrey hacking community has evolved; people have replaced the original software with things like mp3 players, a better web browser, home automation stuff, etc. I own five of them, which I use to stream music all over the house. The tiny built-in speakers are crappy but the sound card is decent, and sounds fine plugged into a stereo or boom box. My winter project is going to be to implement a home intercom system using my network of Audreys. I can't say enough good things about this cool toy!
Media Center Bathroom Edition
needs a little more fiber in their diet, not entertainment. :P
DEAD DEAD DEAD DELETE ME
I'm getting a patent on it!
Am I the only one who thought that this story was going to describe using a media center to act as a bathroom in a remote place? After all the odd USB gadgets you see these days, you never know...
Well, I'm running MCE2005 and I like my little solution better...
...and my desk from a distance... a dual AMD AthlonXP with Gentoo Linux (of course! otherwise I wouldn't be reading /. would I?)
...and for those who are interested, this is/was my testsetup for MCE2005
My 'extender' (a PSone-display and a miniature remote I actually got as a goodie from the guys from Redmond)
extender on my desk
my desk
I think this might be a much easier solution.
Works great with my cellphone, I can browse the play list on my cellphone, change tracks, adjust volume, all wirelessly.
Now Windows has officially "gone down the tubes".
--
make install -not war
... who got a little uncomfortable when the word "bathroom" and "extender" were used so close together?
File under 'M' for 'Manic ranting'
Wouldn't it be really bad for any electronics to keep them around in a bathroom when it gets steamed up from the shower?
You people really make me want to vote for Bush. I haven't seen very many OT anti-Kerry tirades.