Hijinks Inc.

Author: Jared Burham

  • Tweak Windows 7

    For those of you who used Tweak UI for the earlier version of Windows, here’s an application you’ll love that allows you to tweak most aspects of Windows Vista and 7.  It’s called Ultimate Windows Tweaker, and I found it to be very useful today while setting up a couple of Win 7 machines.

    The 345KB application has a small footprint, and is contained entirely in the executable so no installation is necessary.  It also only displays options that pertain to the OS version your running it on.  Just fire it up, and over 150 customizable aspects of Windows are at your finger tips, no digging through countless steps to access them.

    If you’re like me, and you want Windows to operate exactly as you want, not how Microsoft thinks you want it, you owe it to your self to download a copy and give it a try.

  • Cool Auto Tech: HP Tuners Suite

    Ever wanted to know exactly what that computer in your car was telling it to do?  Look inside it’s brain with the HP Tuners Suite.

    Designed to program your existing PCM (Powertrain Control Module), you connect the interface to the OBD-II port on your car, and then to the USB on your laptop.  The software has a live monitor that logs the data all of the sensors are sending the PCM.  You can then also program all of the parameters that the PCM uses to control the car.  It’s my plan to acquire the interface, so I’ll have more in-depth review and walk-throughs later, but for now, here’s a video someone made of a Firebird running a 1/4 mile race, with the HP Tuners overlay… pretty cool.

    You’ll want to watch it in 480p, but it’s still a little difficult to see the gauges and graphs.  They are as follows:

    • KR (Knock Retard)  KR retards the timing curve if the knock sensors detect pre-detonation in the cylinders.
    • Timing Advance (Ignition Timing) Controls the timing of the ignition spark.
    • TPS % (Throttle Position Sensor) The percentage of how far open your throttle is.
    • MAP (Manifold Absolute Pressure) The tiny gauge in the upper left is the MAP, which allows the computer to calculate the air mass so that it can deliver the correct amount of fuel.
    • RPM (Revolutions Per Minute) How fast the engine is turning.
    • Speed (Miles Per Hour) Self explanatory.

    The HP Tuners software will actually keep track of a lot more sensors, but these are by far the most important.

  • Why your iPod won’t charge (and what to do about it)

    Why your iPod won’t charge (and what to do about it)

    Show of hands if you’ve seen this message on your iPhone or iPod touch:

    “Charging is not supported with this accessory”

    Why not?  The music and video still works… why wouldn’t charging be supported?  It upset me too.  I tried connecting it to an older Alpine stereo and it flashed me the error.

    The short and sweet of it?  Previous to the 3G iPhone and 2G iPod touch, the pin-out configuration of the connection used a FireWire standard for the location of the charging pin.  The newest generation switched to using a USB pin-out standard, and low and behold, the charging pin is different!

    Enter the Scosche passPORT charging adapter.  The $20 adapter (Apple actually sells it, as well as many other retailers) switches the charging pin-out, but allows the rest of the data stream to pass-through.  However, there are limitations… this from Scosche’s website:

    “The charging adapter is specifically designed to fix the charging error associated with several iPod and iPhone accessories. If the accessory you are intending to use does not initially support the audio or video functionality of the iPod or iPhone , the charging adapter will not enable these features.”

    What bothers me is there had to be some poor tech from Scosche who took this call:

    Customer: “Hi, I’ve got a problem.”

    Tech: “What can I help you with?”

    Customer: “Well, I bought your charging adapter for my iPod touch, but I can’t see the video on my TV!”

    Tech: “Are you connecting your iPod to your home theater system?”

    Customer: “No, I’ve got it connected to a wall-mount charging adapter.”

    Tech: “Great, now we need a disclaimer…”

  • Where it all started for me: the TRS-80 Model I

    Ah, the memories.  The first computer I ever lay hands on was the now famous TRS-80 Model I.  While I was probably only about five or six years old, I remember it like it was yesterday.  I wanted a computer, bad, as my father used them in his line of work as an engineer, and got me hooked on them.  He had acquired quite a collection of old TRS-80 memorabilia from garage sales, and set me up with a TRS-80 Model I.  All I really did was type at the command prompt, for after all, I was only five, but you gotta start somewhere right?  I soon learned a little BASIC language, inputting simple programs, but alas, the expansion interface was defective, and wouldn’t communicate with the 5 1/4″ floppy disk drive.  However, the cassette interface still worked, so data could be saved to, or loaded into memory from a cassette tape.  I’ll never forget the sound of data being read and written to a cassette tape (if you’ve never heard this, listen to a fax machine transmission to get an idea.)

    From the TRS-80, I moved directly into working extensively with the Tandy Color Computer line, which kept me occupied for at least the next few years, until Dad finally got that Pentium 133Mhz Swan laptop (yes, Swan… that was the brand.)  You can guess the natural progression after that, but as I look back on it, I’m glad I was lucky enough to start with one of the first personal computers in production, and was able to follow the evolution of what is now the personal computer.

    If you’re interested in learning more about the history of vintage computers, check out oldcomputers.net

  • Cool Auto Tech: Power Commander Quick Shifter

    Hey everyone!  I’m Jared Burham, and I’m back writing for Hijinks again.  Aaron graciously asked me back to contribute, so I’ll be sharing articles on Saturdays, hopefully on a regular basis.  I’ll be all over the map with tech-related content, but a lot of it will include how technology is shaping automotive engineering, and how it’s a very integral part of the cars we drive and the motorcycles we ride everyday.

    I want to start off with a segment I’ll have every once in a while called ‘Cool Auto Tech’, in which I’ll share with you some technology that’s used in the automotive world that’s just plain awesome! Today, we have the Power Commander Dynojet Quick Shifter.  As for a little background, a Power Commander computer module is an aftermarket piggy-back engine control system that is used on modern sport bikes to tune how the engine performs.  In short, when installed, the computer takes readings from multiple sensors and adjusts mainly the ignition timing (when the spark fires the cylinders), and the mixture of fuel and air that enters the engine.  These parameters, when tuned correctly, can greatly increase the amount of power an engine will produce.  There are several accessories that the makers of the Power Commander offer to modify how the rider controls the bike, and one of them is the Dynojet Quick Shifter sensor.  Please read on:

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