Hacker Ben Heck attempts to improve the NES.

I've always liked his special... (what's the right word here...) "Handicapped accessible" controllers.

 

The more technical people (programmers, hardware engineers etc.) are often not very good in the design part of products.

 

Ugh, Ben Heck is a "soddering iron" guy. I've just lost all respect I had for him. There's an L in the word, people - and it's not silent! It's simple - sold - solder.

I'm very surprised that he is so heath robinson, even in his approach to tasks such as cutting a hole in a PCB. Holding the PCB in one hand and a Dremel in the other and waving them around until the hole appears isn't the way to show people how to do it! Use a drill stand or a vice, FFS!

The presentation of the videos is quite nice, though. I like the comic strip graphics. A shame he has to keep plugging his sponsor, though. I guess everybody's out to make a quick buck these days.

Is it just me, or did the video lose its way? I thought, from the whole background he gave, that it was about replacing the connector? He gave useful illustrations of how it worked... then spent most of the time left doing circuit mods!

Go back and listen to the intro - "Benjamin J. Heckendorm was a mild-mannered graphic artist" - you'd think he'd be good at design, then!

 

Hate to break it to you, but the "L" is silent in the official US pronunciation. Click on the speaker icon:

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/solder?s=t

British English has its share of oddities, as well. Look at the way you pronounce the word "tube." There's no ch in front of it, but you normally pronounce it as "choob."

http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/tube_1?q=tube

 

Yep, we don't say the L.

 

I spun out when I first heard "soddering".... Wondered what it was.

But as said all countries have their oddities.

 

Weird how so many don't know other form of English pronunciations :/

Sodder is probably the word I don't like how it's pronounced over there. I like how they say everything else
So I guess many would flip out a Aluminium? lol

 

Aloominium vs Alaaminium?

 

Yeah, it's weird to me how many people say stuff like "What the hell is a zed?"

 

I have yet to see a modder who makes design that are ugly or plain kitsch, but one thing benheck does are pretty tidy well-made cases, he is more a craftsman than a designer.

Anyway, still waiting for that portable DC, or better yet a portable SCD32X

 

The Treamcast doesn't count? Wonder if you could somehow get a 32X board into a CDX.

 

32X is 2 boards and getting both into a CDX is going to be near impossible. Gonna need a new case design with a bit more room inside.

 

No, aluminium vs aluminum.

 

At least in the USA we don't pronounce "Honda" as "Honder".

 

They speak funny in the new world.

 

Neeeeeeeeeeeeesun vs nissan?

 

It's a nice modding idea Ben has there, sometimes modding is about doing things experimental to see if they can be done, innovation in other words. Will be interesting to see how reliable this unit is, will no doubt need motors, trip mechanisms, and also a way to maintain pressure on the pins to the traces without bending the pins in the process. It is also nice to see him doing a retro console system again rather than yet another an Xbox 360 clamshell or pinball machine. I tend to skip his advertising bits for Element 14, personally I have no respect for advertising stuff like a celebrity does; why would I want to buy crap that someone is paid to endorse (lacks creditability IMO) - if someone promotes a product because it is quality and works, absolutely, but not when they are in it for a fast buck.

 

Or "Ga-ra-ge" as "Gar rige"

/lol just pokin fun.

What about Color vs Colour?

Or others hah.

 

People, please stop this pointless argument about grammar and pronunciation. Keep this topic on track please. If you want to argue over that, go start a new thread elsewhere.

Thank you if you do.

 

His cases always look good on the outside and he is pretty fearless. Like when he attacks the NES with a dremel. Internally his stuff is sometimes messy, but you don't see that.