Modding Article (44)
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CoolJag Mini LED Flash Review » March 11, 2008 04:00PM
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Guide: How to Make a High-Quality Audio Interconnect for Your PC » May 28, 2007 04:00PM
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Guide: Fueler's Custom Modded Folding Rig » April 22, 2007 04:00PM
Fueler is awesome. |
Plexi Computer Case How-to guide » January 22, 2007 04:00PM
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LED Mouse mod guide » January 14, 2007 04:00PM
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Modding News (59)
Inside Ben Heck's Workshop
Category: ModdingPosted: October 19, 2009 11:44AM
Author: Ben Grantham
If you're a fan of creative modding, particularly games consoles shoehorned into portable formats, then you'll probably already know who Ben Heck is. Including the recent addition of the PS3 slim laptop to his list of mods, his work is always impressively well thought out. With all of that, you might expect his workshop to be equally impressive, but no, it is relatively understated spare bedroom at his house in Madison, WI. Engadget paid a visit to have a poke around and to ask Ben a few questions about how he got into modding at what is essentially a professional level. Starting out with a portable Atari mod, it is nice to hear that Ben follows the common engineering principle of fiddling with things until they break. Including a look at a Bill Paxton (yes, really!) themed pinball machine project he is working on, the video is certainly worth a look. Ben's advice? Don't be afraid to take things apart. Oh, and make things that look cool.
Cooler Master Announces Modding Contest
Category: ModdingPosted: July 1, 2009 06:25PM
Author: Dale Shuck
Cooler Master has just announced the start of its 2009 Global Modding Contest with registration and entries being accepted beginning July 1. Cutoff for registration is September 30 with the winners to be announced October 15. Judging will be done by popular vote with three different categories being offered:
- Full Tower
- Mid Tower
- Unique
There will be three grand prizes awarded, one for each category, and an additional nine runner ups selected (three per category). Winners will receive prize packages with components from sponsors such as AMD, Crucial, CyberPowerPC, Intel Extreme Board Division, Final Fantasy XI, CM Storm , Choiix , MSI, Zotac and Kingston. You can find a complete list of rules and registration instructions at the contest web site.
DIY Multitouch Surface Computer
Category: ModdingPosted: April 8, 2009 06:50AM
Author: redtigerdragon
Microsoft has recently demoed a surface PC. And the price tag shows how new the technology is, at just around $10,000. But now, you can build your own. Maximum PC has an article of how to build it using a cabinet, a run of the mill PC, a good projector, around $400 worth of equipment ranging from lenses to parts for the screen, and some freeware. The article really goes in depth, and even shows how you could improve it through the small errors they made. Alright OCCers, who's going to be the first one to build one of these and start folding?
Retro Mod: The Commodore 64 Laptop
Category: ModdingPosted: April 6, 2009 10:56AM
Author: Ben Grantham
If you are old enough to remember the original Commodore 64 (which was released back in 1982) then you'll probably be suitably impressed by the latest in a long line of mods from Ben Heck (which have included laptop versions of the PS3, Xbox 360 and Wii). The Commodore 64 laptop manages to successfully capture all of the beige plastic style of the original machine, though it opts for some modern touches, such as the SD card emulation of the old floppy drive. It does however make use of a C64C motherboard and is powered with a Gamecube power supply. For that authentic experience you even get long loading times, taking you back to the time when making a snack while waiting for your game to start was common practise. While I never owned a C64 myself (it was a little before my time) similar experiences with a Spectrum and an Amiga 500 (which came along later, but was still decidedly beige) mean I am not surprised to hear this is apparently one of Ben Heck's favourite mods to date. You can see a video of the machine in action by following the link.
R2-D2 Garbage Can Case Mod Is Pretty Convincing
Category: ModdingPosted: March 23, 2009 03:18PM
Author: Ben Grantham
You don't have to be a Star Wars fan to appreciate the time and effort Frenk Janse put into his R2-D2 case mod. While it may not sport an integrated projector, it does feature enough attention to detail and creative flourishes to make it an impressive project. What may be most encouraging for some is that only $120 was spent to re-create this loveable little robotic character. Comprising largely of an old garbage can (albeit a suitably dome-topped affair), it manages to pack in a webcam, plenty of LEDs and some speakers to give R2 his customary bleep sounds. If you are a high performance hardware junkie, then the internals may be a bit of let down, but I doubt it would be the first concern of anyone spotting this in the flesh. You can view all the build details over at bit-tech.
Life-Size Virtual Pinball Machine Is Pretty Awesome
Category: ModdingPosted: February 25, 2009 05:30PM
Author: Ben Grantham
If you've always wanted a full size pinball machine for your game room, then the cost may be a little restrictive. While still not cheap, another possible option would be to construct your own virtual machine with the help of a couple of LCD displays. That is just what one guy from the HyperSpin / HyperPin forums has done and the results are rather impressive. Using one large LCD screen and a smaller monitor combined with the Future Pinball simulator, you can load up and play a variety of machines meaning that replay value is dramatically increased. You can catch a video of the whole thing in action on YouTube.
Building a Laser Harp Controller for Guitar Hero
Category: Gaming, ModdingPosted: July 17, 2008 09:21AM
Author: Dale Shuck
Laser harps have been around for a while so building one may not be something new to some folks. Unless, of course, you build one and mod it to use as a controller to play Guitar Hero. That's what Stephen Hobley did using a single 450mw green laser. By splitting the laser into multiple beams using a mirror, Hobley is able to produce sounds using a PC to interpret hand movements (that deflect the laser beams) into sounds. The coolest aspect of the whole setup may be the script Hobley wrote that maps the sounds to keyboard controls for the Guitar Hero video game. The site linked above also has a video of Hobley playing Lynyrd Skynyrd's Freebird in the video game. You can head over to his site if you want to pick up a set of plans to build your own.
Build Yourself A Multi-Touch Pad
Category: ModdingPosted: April 30, 2008 08:11AM
Author: Ben Grantham
We can pretty much say without question that multi-touch technology is pretty neat, what with the associated improvements to usability and general intuitiveness of such an interface. Now what if I say that you could have your very own multi-touch pad with minimal outlay and a little bit of time? The guys over at Hackmod have put together such a device using common materials: A webcam, a cardboard box and a piece of glass. With a little bit of help from the right software, the pad appears to be about as effective as those on existing products although occupies considerably more real estate on your desk. The video explains in basic terms how to set one up yourself and you can find a bit more detail over at Instructables. Shrink it down a little and build it into your desk surface and maybe it would be viable for everyday use?
Ben Heck's PS3 Laptop How-To: Part 1
Category: ModdingPosted: April 24, 2008 11:00AM
Author: Ben Grantham
If you cast your minds back just a couple of weeks, you may remember that those lucky guys over at Engadget got a shiny new PS3 Laptop to auction off for charity courtesy of uber modder Benjamin Heckendorn (Ben Heck for short). Well now we will get to see all the work that went into producing the completed project, with part 1 kicking off by stripping down the Sony console and carfeully making notes and observations about all of the parts that go together to make the thing tick. It is obvious that the whole process takes some dedication from the very outset, which makes it very unlike all those electronic bit and bobs you pulled apart as a kid and then mysteriously (ok, not so mysteriously) never worked again when you tried to rebuild them. Part 2 promises the steps involved in re-arranging the parts of the PS3 so that it will fit in a laptop-style case, which is bound to be even more interesting. This is the kind of thing us avid tinkerers live for!
Master Modder Ben Heck Does It Again
Category: ModdingPosted: April 15, 2008 11:15AM
Author: Chris Benjamin
Modding maven Ben Heck has produced another masterpiece for marveling. This time, Ben has created an Apple IIGS laptop - built from the original hardware that powered the ancient 8-bit computer. Based on an original IIGS motherboard with RAM extension, this technological Frankenstein features a 15" LCD color screen, a CompactFlash unit used as a hard drive, built-in stereo speakers, and ports for a mouse, a floppy drive, and a joystick. As is the case with all of Heck's creations, this is a one of a kind production and will not be built again. Click HERE for more build pictures and details on the Apple IIGS project. This guy is amazing...
The Playstation 3 Laptop Mod
Category: ModdingPosted: April 11, 2008 06:11AM
Author: Ben Grantham
Modder extraordinaire Ben Heck, whose previous projects have included laptop versions of the Xbox 360 and Nintendo Wii has been rather busy (on and off) for the past year and a half working on a PS3 portable to complete the trio of console mods. The project is now complete, with Sony's original 60GB console being shoehorned into a 'portable' format complete with 17" LCD screen, integrated keyboard, stereo speakers and USB ports. The unit was built by request for Engadget, who will be auctioning off the device for charity "real soon". It is a considerable achievement to get the rather chunky console into such a small enclosure, so we have nothing but respect (and maybe a little awe) for Ben's skills. Expect some 'making of' articles to follow in the near future.
Newest iPhone Firmware Hacked
Category: Mobile, Software, Gadgets, ModdingPosted: March 31, 2008 01:37PM
Author: Chris Benjamin
It took less than 24 hours for the iPhone Dev Team to hack the iPhone's new 1.2.0 firmware, which fully unlocks the phone - allowing the iPhone owner to use any wireless carrier he/she pleases. The hack also allows the owner to install any application on the phone, including the new "Contacts" app, which was previously available only on the iPod Touch. The Dev Team claims that it will be extremely hard for Apple to patch this new hack. Combining this news with the recent MacBook Air hack at CanSecWest, Apple's security team must be reeling. At this point, it may be in Apple's best interest to just officially unlock the iPhone...
Tutorial: HD 3870 X2 volt mod
Category: Video Cards, ModdingPosted: February 13, 2008 01:29PM
Author: Andrew Robinson
Quantum-Force - Want to squeeze the last Mhz from your HD 3870 X2? Do you find yourself wondering just how much more you would be able to push your card if only it had a bit more voltage? Well wonder no more because Foxconn's own "Quantum-Force.net" has a nice tutorial with step by step instructions for you adventurous modders. In this short but informative tutorial they show and tell you how to direct more voltage to the GPU Core and the memory as well. With nothing but a little common sense, a soldering iron, 2 50ohm resistors and one 5K ohm resistor you can turn your already potent card into a fire breathing beast. Just be careful to keep the card within its operating temperature and don't go extreme with the voltage without some sort of "aftermarket" cooling solution.
Hardware Roundup: Friday Edition
Category: Video Cards, CPU's, Cases, Mobile, Manufacturers, Gaming, Input Devices, Storage / Hard Drives, Gadgets, ModdingPosted: January 25, 2008 07:45AM
Author: Dale Shuck

Time for another spin around the web. Yesterday we were treated to a look at VIA's new Centaur technology and today we're back with more. First we have VIA Isaiah Processor Architecture Preview - Low Power CPU from PC Perspective. [H]ardocp returns with Centaur Technology Tour in Pictures with a look at the Centaur offices in Texas. The Styx Gaming Mouse may not do for you what the river by that name did for Achilles but RBMods gives us a chance to check it out. If you love your current mouse but it's looking a little worn, then head on over to Tech ARP for some advice from their Logitech MX510 Paint Mod Guide. Gaming seems to be the focus of a lot of hardware these days and Sapphire's Ultimate HD 3850 and Atomic HD 3870 from HotHardware affords us another look at the recent AMD/ATI cards. Neoseeker publishes a look at Core 2 Duo Scaling in Gaming. Aeneon is a new line of memory products being offered by Qimonda. While that name that might not be familiar to a lot of folks, you'll find their chips in a lot of applications including some of the best performing video cards. Today Bjorn3d reviews the Aeneon Xtune DDR3-1333. Also in the memory/storage department we have the Super Talent Pico A 2GB Flash Drive at ExtremeMHz. Raidmax is well-known for their cases. Find out why ThinkComputers says the Sagitta 2 PC Case isn't your typical gaming case. In the gadgets arena we found the CoolIT Beverage Chiller at Overclockers Online and the iSkin Revo & Revo Clip for Apple iPhone at Legit Reviews.
Hardware Roundup: Tuesday Edition
Category: Video Cards, Motherboards, Cases, Memory, Power Supplies, Speakers/Headphones, Storage / Hard Drives, Modding, CPU Cooling, Trade Shows/ConventionsPosted: January 15, 2008 05:38AM
Author: Dale Shuck

Our web wanderings turned up a lot of reviews to go through today. Let's begin by welcoming a new affiliate to the fold, HotHardware, who brings us a review of the Asus EAH3850 TOP Graphics Card. While we're looking at video cards, [H]ardocp gives us a chance to look at the other side of the ATI/NVIDIA competition with an evaluation of the Palit GeForce 8800 GT Super+1GB. Also in the NVIDIA camp is the XFX GeForce 8800 GT XXX 512MB Alpha Dog Edition at NVNews. Now we move on to memory with two reviews of DDR3 kits. First up is the Supertalent ProjectX 2GB DDR3-1800 Memory Kit at RBMods followed by Crucial Ballistix DDR3-1600 from Bjorn3D. For an amazing original case mod, check out Project: Eutanasia at MetkuMods and watch as the builder takes us from design to completion. It's always fun to take a look at what the previous year had in store and LostCircuits treats us to their 2007: A Retrospective. Looking forward, we find the Intel Skulltrail Out In Feb '08! at Tech ARP. Skulltrail/V8 is Intel's dual quad-core processor board that gives you a chance to have octo-core processing and four PCI-E x16 slots. Given that kind of setup, you'll have a real need for some serious power like the Cooler Master Real Power Pro 1250W PSU at TweakTown. Keeping your Intel processor cool and quiet is a job for the Auras LPT-700 Heatsink and FrostyTech reports on how well it succeeds at that job. OCModshop gives us a look at the Razer Piranha Gaming Headset (also reviewed by OCC). We all have a need for the ability to store our data and multimedia files. A network storage device is one solution to this problem and Virtual-Hideout reviews the Thecus N5200 Pro NAS today. For a little video envy you can check out the Samsung SyncMaster 245T 24-Inch LCD Monitor at Tweaknews. And in the "It's Not Over Until It's Over" department we have more CES 2008 coverage from ThinkComputers (Intel) and Techgage (Cars).
Hardware Roundup: Tuesday Edition
Category: Video Cards, CPU's, Cooling, Power Supplies, Storage / Hard Drives, Gadgets, Modding, CPU CoolingPosted: December 18, 2007 05:16AM
Author: Dale Shuck

The web yielded up several reviews today starting with the Desktop CPU Comparison Guide Rev. 4.4 at Tech ARP where they've added several processors including the AMD Athlon 64 X2 6400+ Black Edition & 5000+ Black Edition processors. [H]ardocp brings us an evaluation of the XFX 8800 GT 256MB Alpha Dog XXX Edition video card. We also have some entries in the cooling arena with the Thermalright MST-9775 LE Intel Heatsink from FrostyTech while ThinkComputers has a look at the Thermaltake Extreme Spirit II Chipset Cooler. Madshrimps looks at several A-DATA flash drives today. If you think bigger is better, then have a look at the Ultra ULT40064 X3 1000 Watt Power Supply reviewed by Bjorn3D. Gideontech has a look at he CIRAGO Bluetooth BTA-3210 EDR, a mini Bluetooh USB adapter. Finally, it's not too late fro last minute additions to your holiday wish list, so look at some of the modding goodies on the PC Apex 2007 Holiday Wish List.
Desktop CPU Comparison Guide Rev. 4.4 @ Tech ARP
XFX 8800 GT 256MB Alpha Dog XXX Edition @ [H]ardocp
CIRAGO Bluetooth BTA-3210 EDR @ GideonTech
A-DATA Nobility & Classic PD17, PD18 & PD19 USB Flash Drives @ Madshrimps
Thermalright MST-9775 LE Intel Heatsink @ FrostyTech
Case Mod Blog 2007 Holiday Wish List @ PC Apex
Thermaltake Extreme Spirit II Chipset Cooler @ ThinkComputers
Ultra ULT40064 X3 1000 Watt Power Supply @ Bjorn3D
Hardware Roundup: Wednesday Edition
Category: Motherboards, Power Supplies, Storage / Hard Drives, Modding, CPU CoolingPosted: December 5, 2007 02:57AM
Author: Dale Shuck

Corsair VX550W vs. Corsair HX520W @ [H]ardocp
GeForce 8800 GT Overclocked Roundup @ [H]ardocp
Foxconn Mars Intel P35 Express Motherboard @ PCSTATS
Samsung CLX-2160N Color Laser Multifunction Printer @ BonafideReviews
ASUS ROG Series X38 DDR3 Maximus Extreme @ TweakTown
Vantec NexStar MX Dual HDD Enclosure @ Virtual-Hideout
mnpctech Recommended Tools for Case Modding @ PC Apex
Thermaltake MaxOrb CPU Cooler @ TweakTown
News: Intel Core2 Extreme X7800 - Notebook Overclocking
Category: CPU's, Manufacturers, ModdingPosted: July 16, 2007 10:04AM
Author: Ben Grantham
DailyTech - For those of you not satisfied with overclocking your desktop machines, Intel has released a notebook processor with an unlocked multiplier. Apparently a Belgian site has already pushed the chip to 3.0GHz from the standard 2.6GHz. I suspect most people will be put off by the high price tag of $851 (in quantities of 1,000 mind you), though if you absolutely must extend your addiction for tweaking to your lappy, then this should be the chip to do it. - jammin *News Editor*
"Intel officially announced the Core 2 Extreme X7800 yesterday. This marks the first time that the "Extreme" nomenclature has made its way over to Intel's mobile processors. And although battery life and heat are typical concerns of notebook users, the new Core 2 Extreme X7800 will find its way into desktop replacement notebooks that will likely be tethered to a wall outlet 24-7. As a result, Intel has unlocked the multiplier on the processor. So those who have no qualms about overclocking a mobile processor are now free to do so."
OCC Guide: How to Make a High-Quality Audio Interconnect for Your PC
Category: Sound Cards, Speakers/Headphones, OCC News, ModdingPosted: May 29, 2007 08:59PM
Author: Dale Shuck

Click HERE to discuss this article in the OCC Forums. - Nemo *News Editor*
Review: MNPC Tech's Bulgin Switch Mounting Plate & Switches
Category: Cases, Gadgets, ModdingPosted: May 22, 2007 07:08PM
Author: Christopher Murphy
Modders-Inc. - MNPCTech has no doubt hit a sweet spot when it comes to their billet aluminum products. The Bulgin Switch Plate goes for $29.99 and the Vandal Resistant switches are $4.99 each. This is a small price to pay when it comes to adding some class to your computer. The Bulgin switch plate is just under 3 and 1/2 inches long so if you plan to use this in the place of two 3 and 1/2 drive bays, you will find that its a tad short. Bill and the guys at MNPCTech definitely offer a quality product and outstanding service. They have a wide range of products ranging from modified cases, bolt on accessories, to even providing some very nice how-to guides to aid in installation.
News: Intel China's Modding Expo
Category: Cases, General News, ModdingPosted: May 22, 2007 04:18PM
Author: Christopher Murphy
bit-tech - Celebrity endorsements are a powerful marketing tool: women spend billions on cosmetics because a movie star tells them “they’re worth it”. Thousands of weekend golfers lap up Nike equipment to “be like Tiger”. But would the same thing work for a product like a processor? Faced with the challenge of sexing-up CPUs as part of a domestic marketing push, Intel China devised an impressively progressive plan: tap into the talent of the worldwide modding community to combine beauty on the outside with speed and power efficiency on the inside.
How-To: Hide your recent Documents, Pictures, and Programs on Vista's Start Menu
Category: Operating Systems, ModdingPosted: May 21, 2007 11:21AM
Author: Josh Jones
OCModshop - If you have a computer that's shared by a few others in your home (wife, roommates, sentient demon monkeys), then you want to protect your privacy as much as possible. Let's face it, people are nosy, and given the chance they will look through your medicine cabinet, open your desk drawers, and check out the latest opened files on your PC. You can tell your spouse she has to have her own login, but their first thought is usually "What exactly is he trying to hide?"... Don't go down that road, seriously. Simply prevent the display of your recently opened programs and documents in your Start Menu.
Guide: Vista: Return Icons to the Smaller Classic XP Size
Category: Operating Systems, ModdingPosted: May 19, 2007 03:47PM
Author: Josh Jones
OCModshop - Vista icons are much more realistic in appearance in comparison to the looser, illustrative style of Windows XP icons. The largest size included in the Vista icons resource is 256 x 256 pixels. This may sound quite large for our present 96 DPI displays, but it will be quite suitable for high-DPI displays being developed which will support 240/320 DPI resolutions. Including the 256 x 256 pixel size in the Vista icon resource guarantees that the icons will display at their highest quality on these larger monitors.
News: Datel Drive Doctor for Wii does statistics and code injection, requires soldering
Category: Gaming, General News, ModdingPosted: May 19, 2007 03:46PM
Author: Josh Jones
Engadget - Surely the whole point of purchasing a commercial product to run a few homebrew games or activate a few cheat codes is that there's no soldering required: that's not the case with the Datel Drive Doctor for Wii. The $34.95 Drive Doctor is designed to allow Wii owners to connect their console to their PC with a USB 2.0 cable, enabling you to review the internal statistics of the Wii, eventually run homebrew games, and even inject code "into the data stream ... it's fun!"
News: Puget Custom Computer's mineral-oil-cooled PC
Category: Cooling, ModdingPosted: May 12, 2007 12:55PM
Author: Ben Grantham
Engadget - We've definitely seen our share of wacky CPU cooling (and silencing) schemes, but most liquid-cooling setups aren't as, uh, immersive as Puget Custom Computer's mineral-oil-cooled PC. Essentially a motherboard in an aquarium topped off with fluid, the Washington company claims the oil effectively cools system components for up to 12 hours at peak load. While traditional homebrew oil-cooling setups use vegetable oil, the Puget crew chose mineral oil because it's perfectly clear and, more importantly, doesn't go rancid after a while.
Guide: Improving the Scythe Infinity CPU Heatsink for Extreme Cooling
Category: Modding, CPU CoolingPosted: May 8, 2007 08:43AM
Author: Dale Shuck
Madshrimps - In this guide you can follow the steps required to unleash the full cooling power of the large tower CPU heatsink from Scythe. The Infinity is fitted with custom motherboard mounting, 2x120mm fans and cool black shroud. Read on to find out how much performance one can extract from this CPU cooler by doing some ghetto style modifications.
Article: BaDassumption Part 1
Category: ModdingPosted: May 8, 2007 06:33AM
Author: Christopher Murphy
bit-tech - Borne out of the "futuristic" designs of the 1960's, Pieter has created something that has never really been seen before in case modding. In my discussions with him over the past few months, I've been amazed at the unique ideas and attention to (very novel) detail that he's put into this mod. As an architect by day and an active and helpful modder in our forums by night, dutchcedar's log has been getting a lot of attention - and he's been nice enough to grant us the exclusive of the one, the only..
Article: AMD Athlon 3000+ Overclocking, going for 100% OC on Dry Ice
Category: CPU's, Modding, CPU CoolingPosted: May 6, 2007 05:11PM
Author: Christopher Murphy
Madshrimps - Dry Ice allows for cheap sub zero cooling for those occasional benchmark sessions, it gives you enough time to experiment with different settings and run a few benchmark to assess the performance you can extract from a setup like this AMD A64 3000+. With better cooling (LN² , multiple stage phase change cooling) I’m confident this CPU can grab the world overclocking record, as it stands I have to settle for third place . While a good CPU is essential to get anywhere, the motherboard can not be overlooked, the DFI nForce4 S939 motherboards are the best out there, the Ultra-D and SLI-D proved this during my benchmark session, but there’s one more… the DFI Expert motherboard adds more control over the different BIOS settings, and one in particular could have helped me: memory dividers!
Review: Scythe KamaMeter Multi Functional Panel
Category: Sound Cards, Cooling, ModdingPosted: May 4, 2007 10:21AM
Author: Dale Shuck
Madshrimps - The Scythe KamaMeter is a multi-functional 5.25inch device which acts as a fan controller, temperature monitor and master volume for your soundcard. It comes with different colored face plates as well as a wide array of LCD backlights to make sure it integrates will with your case.
Review: 3RSystem R240 "Zion" Mid-Tower Enclosure with LCD display
Category: Gadgets, ModdingPosted: May 3, 2007 06:32AM
Author: Josh Jones
TweakTown - While some may not have heard of the company calling itself 3RSystem, it is a Korean company that has been around since about 2002. While not the newest kid on the block, it is a relative newcomer to the DIY market and has several products that are being aimed at those who are looking for something innovative and not just "like the other guys".


















