GrayBit 1.0

I’m so glad that it’s finally out! I’ve been working a long time on this little webapp, and now that all the bugs have been ironed out, we’re rolling it out into 1.0. Be sure to check it out if you haven’t already!

Special thanks goes to Bokeh of the Web Developer Forums for assistance with image processing functions (PNG and GIF transparency, specifically). I can’t say how thankful I am for his help!

On another note, GrayBit is currently selling advertisement spaces. We’re looking for ads from folks who run accessibility-aware web sites. Our rates are very fair and the ads get a decent amount of attention, so if you’re interested, let us know via the contact form at GrayBit.com!

Please check out GrayBit and let us know what you think, and be sure to link to us and spread the word about GrayBit so that everyone can enjoy color, wearing shades of gray!

April 16th, 2006 | Remark

Xbox Live via Mac

Let me explain the typical setup. The Xbox (360) has a built-in network adapter, but if you want to buy a wireless one, it costs $100. Obviously, that’s out of the question. I soon discovered that I could connect a crossover cable to the Xbox and my laptop, share the wireless connection on my laptop, and get Internet to the Xbox.

I traveled to Galveston last weekend, meaning no Internet for the Xbox while I was gone, since I had taken my laptop. However, since I recently acquired a Mac Mini, I decided I should give using the Mac Mini for a shared connection a shot, instead of exclusively using my laptop. An interesting but, thankfully, successful plight ensued. I’ll now outline the steps by which I obtained Internet for my Xbox via my Mac.

  • First off, get all the hardware setup. This is probably the easiest part. Take the cable that comes with your Xbox (or any network cable that fits) and connect it to the back of your Xbox and your Mac. Turn on the Mac and the Xbox (not necessarily simultaneously; probably turn on your Mac first). When your Xbox is on, head to the Xbox dashboard.
  • On your Mac, head over to the System Preferences and click on “Network.” From the “Show” menu, select “Built-in Ethernet” and set “Configure IPv4″ to “Off.” Now head back to System Preferences (click “Show All”) and then go to “Sharing.” Click on the “Internet” button and check the box next to “Built-in Ethernet.” Make sure “Share your connection from: Airport” is selected as well.
  • Open Terminal (if you can’t find it, just type “Terminal” in Spotlight) and type in the following exactly: ifconfig en0. Hit enter, and it should return something like inet 192.168.2.1 netmask 0xffffff00 broadcast 192.168.2.255. If the first IP is something other than 192.168.2.1 make note of it, and don’t close Terminal.
  • Now, turn around and grab your Xbox controller. Go to the Network settings, and set the IP Configuration to Manual, the IP to 192.168.2.2, the Mask to 255.255.255.0, and the router/gateway to 192.168.2.1 (the IP that I told you to make note of earlier — if yours is different, input that IP instead).
  • Get back on your Mac, go to Terminal, and type in dig and hit enter. There will be a lot of data, but you need to pay attention to only one line. Near the end of the output, a line will begin with SERVER. That’s the line you need to look at. Find the IP address in that line, and highlight it.
  • Go to the Xbox and go to DNS Configuration. Set it to Manual, and input the IP that you just found in Terminal as the primary DNS server. Set your PPPoE settings to Off and your Advanced to Automatic.
  • Test your Xbox Live connection. Provided you followed all the steps properly, you should have a connection.

And that, folks, is all there is to it! I haven’t tried this on an original Xbox (just my 360), but I believe it works the same way. Credit goes to perrin of the Mac OS X Hints forums for providing insight on how to get this thing setup. Also, I have noticed a slight drop in performance since I began to connect to Xbox Live via my Mac, but I am not sure if there is a relation there or if it is simply a minor hiccup that my ISP is experiencing.

By the way, anyone who wants to hit me up on Halo 2 can do so by sending a friend request to Sir Jona (I know, a corny name, but “Jona” was taken and I wasn’t about to go with something other than my practically-trademarked “Jona” title!).

Update (1/24/2009): This seems to be my most popular post. There have been many questions, and I don’t think that the steps I outlined above are sufficient. If this post has helped you, but has not gotten you all the way through this process, please feel free to email me (jona at slightlyremarkable dot com). If I get enough positive feedback, I may create an updated post about connecting to Xbox Live via a Mac, possibly with a video tutorial and some troubleshooting steps. Sound good? Remember: email is your friend. (I reply to comments, but I think that a lot of people post a question in a comment and never come back to find their answer!)

April 12th, 2006 | 136 Remarks

Mac Mini

It’s great, I’ve checked various sites in various Mac-only or Mac-versioned browsers, and I’m proud of the results for the most part. The whole Mac experience has been very enjoyable and enlightening, from conversations with Mac Geniuses (they call them “geniuses” instead of “technicians” — awesome, isn’t it?) to the use of software that comes with the Mac such as GarageBand, iMovie HD, the Dashboard, Safari, and all the cool visual stuff that this thing does. It’s just awesome. Plus, it came with one of those iRemotes that Steve Jobs uses in his keynotes. I’m sitting here on my laptop, about 3 feet from my Mac, and can control the music that comes out of my sound system. I just finished transferring my 6GB+ iTunes music library to my Mac, which gives my laptop more space for other work. I haven’t attempted to install Photoshop yet, but I’m confident it’ll work a charm. In any case, I just wanted to update everyone, and brag to those of you who are Macless. :)

As to where I have been for the past week, well, I took a one-week late spring break, helped my brother move into a new home (stayed up for about 36 hours doing that, for the ensuing 48 hours I was pooped), and turned seventeen on the 31st. I was treated to my Mac Mini and, in addition, to the theater where I saw Ice Age: The Meltdown. The movie’s funny, the Mac’s great, school still sucks, and this weekend I’ll be out of town doing a competition with my good personal friend Ryan Gabbard.

April 5th, 2006 | Remark