Use VLC Player to delay radio input to sync with Live TV (update)

Are you faced with annoying Live Sports TV announcers?
Prefer to hear more experienced radio announcers?
There is a way to do this and not hear the radio play before the TV shows the play!

Tools/items needed:
1. Laptop with VLC Player
2. A pocket radio with stereo headphone output, 3.5 mm mini-DIN
3. A USB stereo audio adapter
4. An audio extension cable(s) – you may need another adapter depending on your playback device.

STEPS:
0. Mute your TV – you don’t want to hear those announcers anymore
1. Install VLC player on your laptop
2. Setup/tune your pocket radio to the station with the sports event.
3. Connect the USB stereo adapter to your laptop
4. Connect the audio extension cable from pocket radio output to the USB audio adapter MIC input.
5. Connect USB audio adapter headphone output to your playback device (this could be a stereo, a portable speaker, or other audio device), but DO NOT connect to your TV
6. Now on your laptop, open up VLC Player.
7. Select Open -> Capture Media Device (or CTRL-C in Windows)

8. Set “Capture Mode” to “Direct Show”
9. Set “Video Device Name” to “None”
10. Set “Audio Device Name” to “Microphone (2-C-Media USB Audio Device)”
11. Here is real import part, check the “Show more options” box
12. Set “Caching” to the desired time delay – 1000 ms = 1 second, so 15000 ms is 15 seconds. You’ll have to play around with this setting. Sometimes the delay is only around 11 seconds, sometimes it can be 25 seconds. Your settings should look like the image below.

13. Click the “Play” button. Now wait your delay time, as the radio input will cache (buffer up) the time, then play through the USB audio output.
14. Typically I need 4 to 5 trys to get the timing right, but after that it is set. For USA football, I like to use a stop watch to hear the anouncer call the snap until I see it on TV (for example).

Hope this works for you and happy listening!

Time Lapse Using Python

Firstly, long time no post, sorry ….

Recently I upgraded the FolgerTech i3-2020 clone 3D printer from using an Arduino/RAMPs board control setup to using a Duet 3D – 6HC control/main board (will be a later post on that). However, with that change, it meant giving up OctoPi and its ability to capture time lapses. So after searching and finding time lapse Python scripts for Duet 2 boards only to find out that code couldn’t be used as the Duet 3 – 6HC doesn’t have Telnet capability I landed on a Duet 3 forum post that gave some light here: https://forum.duet3d.com/topic/14055/random-duet3-sbc-questions/8
Armed with a need, and an idea to follow, the code was started. Note that Danal also has a more advanced Duet Time Lapse here: https://github.com/DanalEstes/DuetLapse.

The code creates time lapse videos with a Duet 3 – 6HC Mainboard and is mainly meant for 3D Printers, but can be used for other machines too. It is designed to run on a Raspberry Pi and may be adaptable to other Linux platforms. Supports cameras via USB, Pi (ribbon cable), and Webcam. Produces photos and renders a video using MJPEG-Streamer & FFMPEG. Creates a sub-folders for photos and video with date and time stamps for each. As the printer changes layers, Duet Web Control (DWC) will post PRINT_STARTED, LAYER_CHANGE, and PRINT_COMPLETE while the printer is operating and log them in the Duet Control Server Service. The program uses these cues to monitor the service for changes and then to have M-JPEG take photos and store them so FFMPEG can then compile the time lapse video.

The code is technically my first published open source code in Python and is available on GIT Hub here: https://github.com/JimsJump/Duet_3_6HC_Time_Lapse

Shazam!

Shazam! was awesome! Has some cool twists & not your typical DC Universe Movie #shazam #shazammovie #dcuniverse

SHAZAM ==
Solomon (Wisdom)
Hercules (Strength)
Atlas (Stamina)
Zeus (Thunderbolt & other god like magic abilities)
Achilles (Courage, bravery, & psychological abilities)
Mercury (Extreme Speed & flight)

Lenovo Y510P v3.05 BIOS Bricked Crisis Recovery [Solved]

Like most Lenovo™ Y510P© owners who want to use a faster speed wireless LAN card (that for some unknown reason Lenovo has black listed on the Y510P/Y410P BIOS) , I have updated my BIOS to a modified v3.05 version.

However, such unlocked BIOS’ have dangers in which an improper setting can result in the laptop not functioning (or worse damage to the motherboard).  In my case, I made a change to the built-in display settings and resulted in a headless non-functioning laptop. Of course this can be very disconcerting given the cost of a well equipped and modified laptop!

If you dig around you’ll find several methods and procedures all that are very conflicting.  So after a two near sleepless nights, I was able to recover my laptop!  While I can’t promise this will save yours, there is a way!   My Y510P was made late November 2013 and has an Nvidia GT-755 video (note some older Y510P’s have a 750).   What I’m getting at is to check your hardware and compare notes before following/using this, as your mileage may vary.  While unconfirmed, this process will likely recover a Y410P too.

The Recovery . . .
First you’ll need Lenovo’s stock v3.05 BIOS (this is critical) as the file load provided has both the default and crisis BIOS .BIN images needed to recover.  So here it is very important to know which BIOS you are using before starting, for this tutorial it must be v3.05! The download link above has the stock v3.05 ZIP file you’ll need.

Unzip the file and in the file structure you’ll find a folder called crisis†.  In this folder is the  “Yx01.bin” file you’ll need for the initial recovery.
Read all the below (twice) before starting!
1) Use a small 1G or 2G USB thumb drive (preferably with a working activity LED, see note 9 below) and format it as FAT only (can also try FAT32 but this is untested by me)
2) Copy only the “Yx01.bin” file to the drive – nothing else
3) Remove the battery from your Y510P
4) Remove the external power cable
5) Insert the thumb drive in the USB port next to the HDMI connector
6) Hold down the “Fn” and “R” at the same time (do not release until step 9) ‡
7) Insert the external power (still holding the  “Fn” and “R” buttons down)
8) Briefly press the power button
9) The laptop will try to start and will read the thumb drive, here is where the USB thumb drive activity LED comes in handy, when you see drive activity release the  “Fn” and “R” buttons
10) CRITICAL, DO NOT TOUCH ANYTHING ON THE LAPTOP OR REMOVE POWER!! At this point the fan will run at full speed, LED’s may or may not blink – the magic is happening here – you bricked BIOS is being re-written with the crisis BIOS (Yx01.BIN) file!
11) The laptop will power off briefly when done, and then restart.
12) With luck, you’ll now be able to access the BIOS screen via pressing F2 during boot up

Next Steps . . .
Now that your crisis recovery BIOS is back, you should re-flash it with the full stock v3.05.

Option 1:
Be sure the laptop battery is installed and fully charged and connected to external power & If you are running windows, run “VIQYx305.exe” from the Win Flash directory.

Option 2:
If you don’t have Windows or don’t trust Windows, use a thumb drive boot to Free DOS.  Be sure the laptop batter is installed and fully charged and connected to external power.
1) Creating a Free DOS boot disk, use your original thumb drive from the recovery.
2) Download Rufus, and make the thumb drive (see image below)
3) Make a directory called y510BIOS
4) Copy all the extracted files from the ZIP download to the y510BIOS directory
5) Boot the thumb drive by restarting and pressing the F5 button, select the thumb drive.
6) Boot will be fast and arrive at a DOS prompt
7) Change to the  y510BIOS direct by typing   cd y510BIOS
8) Now type  flash.bat  and press enter
9) The laptop will flash the BIOS and EC, BIOS will load first, EC second.  During the EC flash the fan will run full speed. When complete the laptop will reboot with the fully updated BIOS.
10) Enjoy the updated BIOS

Rufus Free DOS setup:

rufus_sc

Rufus Setup

Other helpful tools/sources:
Phoenix Tool  – this tool is handy to help identify the recovery BIOS file needed.  When ran using the BIOS “BIN” file, the tool will yield “Yx01.bi?” confirming that the “Yx01.bin” file is to be used for the crisis recovery.

† bios-mods.com has a great listing on how to recover the an Insyde BIOS (what the Y510P and Y410P use)
‡ This post at bios-mods.com was handy to find the working “Fn + R” key combination, several other posts on the web will point to the “Fn + B” combination; however, the the “Fn + B” combination didn’t work for my laptop (it may for yours), be ready to try all 12 combinations!

Final note: I wanted to post this on techinferno.com; but, with their recent user changes my approved user account “jmbneaf” was moved, lost, discarded (apparently you have to post there, like everyday, to keep a membership).  Nonetheless, my post is here on my blog & I  hope that this finds users well (including those from techinferno too) and helps other Y510P / Y410P users recover their accidentally bricked BIOS.