Tips & Tricks: September 2007 Archives

If you’re like most people, you’ve scratched a CD or DVD on more than one occasion. CDs and DVDs have a lot of great qualities, but sturdiness isn’t one of them. Since Vat19 creates and sells a number of curiously awesome DVDs, we thought it only right that we share a few techniques that can bring damaged disks back to playable condition.

The Easy Stuff:

• Know Your Problem: First, make sure that the disk is the problem. This might seem obvious, but it’s easier to check now and save a little time. If your CD or DVD player functions perfectly for everything else, or if the disk acts up in other machines, you’ll know it’s the source of the problem.
• Clean It: Try wiping the disk with a soft cloth. Something like you’d use for eyeglasses would be perfect, as coarse fabric or paper could cause further damage. Most electronics stores also carry products for this purpose. When you’re wiping off the disk, be sure to move in straight lines from the inside to the outside of the disk. Circular motion is not recommended. For a more thorough cleaning, you can purchase professionally manufactured cleaning sprays.

The MacGuyver Stuff:

• Deep Cleaning: Even though rubbing alcohol is corrosive, plenty of people swear by it. If the problem with the disk is minor, we’d definitely recommend making a backup copy of the disk before you try this technique (or the next few, for that matter). In a pinch, many people have successfully used perfume, also.
• Fill in the Scratches: There are a number of common household items that have been known to fill in scratches on CDs and DVDs. Pledge and car wax are probably the most common. Just rub a bit over the affected surface (again, try to stick to rubbing in straight lines) and make sure you clean off all of the excess before attempting to use the disk.
• Rub It Out: This method involves removing the top layer of the CD’s surface where the scratch is found. On your own, you can do this by using plain white toothpaste. For more uniform results across the entire surface of the DVD, you can usually convince a helpful librarian or video store clerk to use their disk repair machine. The downside there is that they may charge a small fee (and no minty freshness).

If you’re interested in taking up a dangerous hobby, you don’t need to start base-jumping or alligator wrestling; you could take up age guessing. Few people, especially women, like to be reminded of the physical manifestations of passing years, decreased attractiveness, and ultimately, impending death. Imagine that.

All the same, if you’re going to do it, you should do it well (and subtract 5 years before giving your answer out loud). Here are a few tips you can use to improve your age-guessing skills.

Photo taken from this tutorial

Physical Cues:

· Hands – This is usually an easy giveaway for female age. Most women are fairly diligent about the use of anti-aging creams for their face, and skillfully-applied makeup can downplay a lot of facial cues. It’s rare to see a woman who has been so careful about her hands.

Ever since we started selling the Dreamcheeky USB Missile Launcher and USB Circus Cannon, the questions have been pouring in. Do you have to use Windows? Can I modify it? Can I use it to blow up my mother-in-law? We're not kidding about that last one, either.

Since it happens so often, we've decided to create a brief list of the resources that we've come across. While we can't guarantee that everything on this list works, it's a good place to get started. As far as we can tell, the Cannon and the Missile Launcher are both compatible with all of the following softwares.

SharpLauncher - This one's an open-source Windows program that offers a number of super-cool features for both the Cannon and the Missile Launcher. The following is just a brief summary:

• Adds the ability to fire while moving.


• Slow motion launcher movement


• Ability to control multiple launchers


• Webcam integration, including the ability to take candid shots immediately after firing

USB Missile Launcher NZ - If you're a Mac user hoping to use one of the launchers, this site has the download you'll need. What's more, it even includes a lot of the webcam and firing options mentioned above in the Windows software. The site's a little harder to browse, but the files are located on the left sidebar under the "Download" heading.

The Launcher Library - If you're a Linux user, the outlook isn't quite as bright. The Launcher Library has gathered information to get someone started in the right direction, but there's not quick and easy download (that we're aware of).

Control the Launcher with a Joystick - If you're a little more technically-inclined, you could also check out this brief tutorial on how to control your launcher's movement with a joystick.