[MacDoc]

I was just chuckling that I use $4000 worth of G5 and monitor and Sound sticks to lull me to sleep with the bubbling from Marine Aquarium ( which has awesomely smooth graphics on a G5 )

My ONLY saving grace is it's also chewing on SETI while lullabying.

anyone else??

I changed the title as these are some really cool and funny uses. I gotta think the iSight is going to generate some interesting uses

[ September 16, 2003, 03:32 PM: Message edited by: macdoc ]

 

[da_jonesy]

My 12" PB G4 (thanks for the lead on this BTW Macdoc, I got it from Solutions in Computing) will often become a $2500 FM radio when I want to listen to CBC Radio One

 

[Script Kiddie]

da_j: sorry this is a bit off topic, but when you listen to cbc radio 1 do you use quicktime, real, or windows media player? I find the quicktime stream sounds thin and tinny compared to the other two.
Is it just me?

 

[sniper]

well, macdoc, you used your mac to fall asleep last night and i used mine to get up this morning.

alarm clock pro
http://www.versiontracker.com/dyn/moreinfo/macosx/13639

extremely versatile alarm clock program

 

[da_jonesy]

Not that off topic

Yeah I find that the quicktime stream is very "tin-y" (as in tin can and not tiny) when compared to the real audio stream.

The problem is that they only have about 248 real audio streams... so getting one is a challenge sometimes.

 

[Chealion]

Screen Savers. Just leave the screen saver on (as the desktop picture) while doing something, so the computer seems somewhat interactive and alive while you do work.

 

[Finch]

I purchased a new stereo receiver about a year ago and it happened to come with a USB port of all things, combine that with my 12" PB and iTunes it make for a great jukebox when my wife and I have company over.

 

[JAMG]

I use a G4 400 to emulate a Commodre 64 and an Original Ninteno console

 

[ehMax]

Funny Macdoc with the aquarium thing. I do the same thing, except its to lull my 7 and 5 year old to sleep in the basement when there's a thunderstorm.

(But I also like the sound of bubbles)

 

[Gerbill]

Here's a pretty stupid one - I use my Win2K PC as an external floppy drive for my G4. I just use Windows file sharing to share the floppy on the PC. Then, I connect to that share with the G4 (Jaguar). The PC's floppy drive mounts on my Jaguar desktop, and I can move files on or off any floppy disc that's inserted in it. The floppys involved have to be DOS formatted, of course.

Pretty dumb, eh? Using a valuable PC as a mere floppy drive! Or, you could say, at least it's good for something!

Cheers :-> Bill

 

[TroutMaskReplica]

JAMG - I do the same thing! I'm playing Giana Sisters and Times of Lore in my spare time. I just discovered that these games that I played 15-16 years ago as a kid can be played in emulation! Funny, I don't remember the graphics being that bad... That's the thing about nostalgia - thing is seldom as good as it was remembered to be....

 

[adagio]

My computer is used to wake me up.

When I come home from work it reverts to streaming radio or chatting with iChat A/V

Often times the above are combined with dabbling with my digital art.

 

[andreww]

I sometimes carry my ipod or ibook just to look cool. The ultimate fashion accessories! The ipod is droolworthy to say the least.

 

[MacDoc]

Hey Chealion how to use Marine Aquarium as desktop.???

 

[andreww]

There was a utility to do that I saw a while back. Used way too much video power though.

 

[andreww]

I think this was it:
http://www.versiontracker.com/dyn/moreinfo/macosx/16021

 

[Chealion]

macdoc - Lars asked me the same question when we had a thread awhile back. I use, as when I got it, it was free. Its now shareware, but if on VersionTracker you search for 'desktop screen saver', you'll find at least 20 applications that a GUI for the terminal command that allows you to run a screensaver as your desktop background. It uses Quartz Extreme, and if you have a weak video card, or older CPU it can be taxing on the system. For you, you don't have those problems.

The terminal code is as follows:
/System/Library/Frameworks/ScreenSaver.framework
/Versions/A/Resources/ScreenSaverEngine.app/
Contents/MacOS/ScreenSaverEngine -background &

(Remove the returns I put in, which are there to not break the formatting of the page). It all fits on 1 line. Though I suggest using one of the applications on VT, as its easier to start and stop the screensaver as need be.

and type this to kill it

killall ScreenSaverEngine

Whatever screensaver is chosen in Screen Effects will show up as the background. Its funny watching the fish swim by as I'm dragging icons around.

 

[MacDoc]

Very cool except there is a visual bug with Marine Aquarium on Panther
While we are on the topic is there a "transparency control for desktop windows that will keep text etc clean but turn the window backround semi transparent??

Anyone? - list the neatest X dressups

 

[andreww]

Yeah, I found the steam of bubbles turned to a black triangle in Panther.

 

[MacDoc]

Looking for a controllable slide show that uses OpenGL effects the way Apple's screen saver does - random slow zooms on different parts of pictures but I want it controllable as to resizing the pictures timing etc.
Scren saver version okay too but need control over the "pan and zoom" features.