If you missed it, I put up a new podcast yesterday. You can subscribe via the iTunes store or just use the RSS podcast feed. You guys asked for interviews, so here we go. Ben Heckendorn is going to be our first one. He and I are going to put it together later this week, so submit your question in the comments if you want me to ask him. [I’ll pick and choose, so make it good]
Ben built the Xbox 360 laptop, the colecovision portable, the PSP analog joystick, and plenty of others.
21 thoughts on “Ask Ben Heck”
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What were some of the difficulties that were encountered during the production of the N64 portable unit.
Judging by Ben’s unwillingness to make another, I am curious.
Any interest in mass production?
when you cut off unecessary components on circuit boards, do you just cut them off while the circuit board is on and see if it stops working or do you jump the leads? What process do you use to determine what to cut and what exactly do you do?
Does he find anything lacking in the portable game market? And if so, what would he change?
Also, what does he think of the GP2X?
Have you ever considered a career as a professional corporate designer/electronics’s engineer?
thanks for the opportunity will!
ben: your skill in making new and unique what once were old and common is quite incredible. have you any suggestions for any aspiring engineers? books to read? devices to dismantle? practice vs theory?
many thanks,
steve
can i have your children?
seriously though, is there a reason you chose not to do a gamecube portable? i have heard that they are difficult but you surely can do it. their small size just begs for a conversion
I was going to say “interviews with the hacking big names, like ben heck, would be shiny” in the podcast feedback… 8|
My question would be, what would you like to see in the new generation of handhelds/consoles, either for the unadulterated system or for hackability? and what potential do you see for novel interface gizmos like those in the revol.. sorry, the Wii?
What are your plans for the wii? With the novel new input device, portability doesn’t seem entirely plausible… So do you plan to do anything with it at all? I’m dying to know.
First, what’s your favorite console and why?
Second, i’ll ask the same thing as David Perry, What would you do to bring the sony psp back to life, what design errors you see software and hardware wise? (i mean, such an poweful system ruined by drm and overpriced hardware)
@8:
i was thinking of finding (or using a DS (or) Lite’s) LI-Ion battery and making a Wiimote charger, if only Ben Heck is reading this
With your successes with making portable versions of home systems, have you considered making some home systems out of portables?
The battery you used for the PS2p: Your build story stated that the battery you used had an output of 9V. I looked it up at Wal-Mart.com, and there it says 7.2V.
Link: http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=2350787
I don’t think a PS2 can run off of 7.2V, so did you have a different battery, or what?
What is your favourite mod so far?
Which creation of yours do you personally use the most?
Can you share with us how to make a battery life indicator like the one on your PS2?
Have you ever had any really ridiculous idea’s like “man building a game and watch gallery into a hamburger would be perfect?” if so what are they?
Can you do a flip? How about a handstand? A walking one? That would be rad.
I would really like to knwo his reasoning for even using a resivor on the x360 laptop…most of the time thye are just to look cool
What were you for Halloween?
and
Have you done any interesting modifications to things other than game systems??
Hey ben :) I’d love to see some wonderful mods to the nintendo DS. frankly there are not any out there. And if anyone can do it, its you. so when are ya going to do some :P. Good job on the 360laptop, i’d love to have one of those. It came out so clean it looked as if it was ment to be that way. Keep up all your amazing work, i can’t wait to see your next project!
i’ve got ps2 from my friend, and i want add hardisk to my ps2 but i don’t know how. pleeez give me the way. email me how to do it coz i don’t know everything… thank’s guyz…!!
What is two or three of the best consoles to hack or mod and why?I really would like to have a console that plays all game systems and have a gigantic hard drive to do it,even though I realize the old school games take almost no space on todays hard drives.I value your opinion and would like to know which console/consoles are best for turning into an universal console.THANKS & Looking forward to your reply!!!