Turn that old box into an Internet TV for less than $70...

So you've got an old TV or computer monitor with a VGA or DVI socket and it's looking pretty outdated because all the latest devices are HDMI only - including the cheap but amazingly great value Google Chromecast.

Well all is not lost! You can get a DVI-to-HDMI or a VGA-to-HDMI adapter and connect your TV or monitor to the adapter and then plug the Chromecast to the adapter. The adapter comes with audio sockets to take the HDMI audio and play it through the TV speakers. Really simple to put together and no software to set up.

Cost:
Chromecast: $35
VGA-to-HDMI Converter : $30 (or less on Amazon)

I have this setup on an old TV that was sitting in the garage. The picture quality is exceptional.

Comments

Host a static website on Google Drive (in 5 easy steps)

You need to host a static website but don't have the time, money or resources to set up a web server. Perhaps you're learning to code or just doing a demo. Here's a way to set up a web site at no cost, in just a few minutes. Step 1. Create a new folder in Google Drive. From Google Drive, Click 'Create', select 'Folder' and enter the folder name. (I chose 'hybrid' for this example, but you can choose anything you want). Step 2. Share the folder. First select the folder you created (displayed in the folder list), then click the sharing icon. In the Sharing Settings popup, go to the 'Who has access' section and click 'Change' The Visibility options pop up will appear. Change the Visibility option to 'Public on the web'. Although set by default, make sure that 'Access' is set to 'Can view'. Click 'Save'. The folder is now shared. Click D...

How to get the BBC iPlayer running when you live outside of the UK

(subtext: Get the World's most famous detective on your favourite browser) The new series of Sherlock has started on the BBC. If you live outside of the UK and you are too impatient to wait for your local TV content provider to host it for you - then fear not !! These simple instructions will get you up and running. In addition to the iPlayer you can access most of the other UK TV channels using the same method. Note: you can use the same method to access content in other countries - such as Hulu in the U.S. How it works: In simple terms, the BBC iPlayer, like other players, perform a check to determine whether your internet access is originating from the UK. So the trick is to ensure that your access to the BBC website will originate from the UK. First you are going to use a free piece of open source software that was designed to keep your internet access anonymous. You will add a setting that will ensure that the software makes use of servers in the UK whenever ...

Skip the grunt work: Use AI to turn raw data into Slides (Part 1)

Scenario You've got to create a presentation using data from multiple CSV files. Typically, this means merging files into a single spreadsheet, generating charts, and copying everything into your presentation—an absolute time sink! Let’s fix that. Here’s a free, no-code approach using Google Workspace tools and a sprinkle of automation. This is Part 1 of a two-part series. The Problem Simplified: Multiple CSV files in a consistent format (I used stock data). The goal: Combine into one Spreadsheet for easy analysis and charting. How: Instead of manual copy-pasting, we’ll automate the process using Google Apps Script and Chat-GPT for code generation. What You'll Need: Google Apps account: A free Gmail account will work perfectly. Access to Google Drive , Google Sheets , and Google Slides. Chat-GPT 's free edition for code snippets. Step-by-Step Solution: 1. Collect your data Upload the CSV files to Google Drive. Copy the Drive folder ID. The folder ID is the part of the URL ...

It's life Jim but not as we know it

Search This Blog