Systm
Encyclopedia
Systm was a weekly video podcast
produced by Revision3, geared toward “the common geek”, a “This Old House
” for geeks, hosted by Patrick Norton
and David Calkins, and focused on do it yourself projects.
and Dan Huard
. From May 23, 2005, to May 17, 2006, Rose and Huard hosted six episodes of Systm. The show went on a temporary hiatus
until it was resurrected on May 11, 2007, with Norton and David Randolph (who first appeared in episode 3) as the new hosts. The show ran bi-weekly until September 11, 2007, when it began to air weekly.
On April 21, 2008, the departure of David Randolph as a regular host was announced (episode 47) and was shortly replaced by David Calkins.
The show used to be filmed in David Randolph's home but has since moved to the Revision3 studio facility, first as a physical set and more recently as a virtual (green screen) set in the style of the previous physical set - the reason for this move according to Norton is to free up the area for third party companies who use the studio who often need green screens.
On June 15, 2009, Revision3 announced that Systm would no longer be its own show, but would instead become a feature segment of Tekzilla
.
cameras, building a TiVo
-like device using the open source
program MythTV
, home-made audio/video cables that are comparable to Monster Cables, and working with the open-source PBX, Asterisk
. The show has also had special Ecosystm episodes that featured biofuel and thoughts on conserving electricity.
, Windows Media Video
, and Quicktime
. It is also available as a videocast on the iTunes Music Store, and is included in the weekly rotation on RantTV.
being opened up and the hardware examined. The second episode featured instructions on installing Mac OS X
on the Apple TV. These are the only episodes that have currently been created.
Video podcast
Video podcast is a term used for the online delivery of video on demand video clip content via Atom or RSS enclosures...
produced by Revision3, geared toward “the common geek”, a “This Old House
This Old House
This Old House is an American home improvement magazine and television series aired on the American television station Public Broadcasting Service which follows remodeling projects of houses over a number of weeks.-Overview:...
” for geeks, hosted by Patrick Norton
Patrick Norton
Patrick Norton is most commonly known as the former co-host and managing editor of The Screen Savers, an interactive television program on TechTV geared toward the technology enthusiast...
and David Calkins, and focused on do it yourself projects.
History
Systm initially debuted on May 23, 2005 and was the second videocast show under the newly founded Revision3. The first hosts for Systm were Kevin RoseKevin Rose
Kevin Rose is an American Internet entrepreneur who co-founded Revision3, Digg, Pownce, and Milk...
and Dan Huard
Dan Huard
Dan Huard is a computer enthusiast and American television personality who resides in San Francisco, California. Huard is best known for his work on the TechTV television program The Screen Savers, an hour-long technology-related variety show.-Early life:Huard attended California State...
. From May 23, 2005, to May 17, 2006, Rose and Huard hosted six episodes of Systm. The show went on a temporary hiatus
Hiatus (television)
In television scheduling, a hiatus refers to a break of at least several weeks in the normal schedule of a broadcast programming. It can occur during a season of a television program, or can be between television seasons .- Planned hiatus :Many times television stations will implement a hiatus...
until it was resurrected on May 11, 2007, with Norton and David Randolph (who first appeared in episode 3) as the new hosts. The show ran bi-weekly until September 11, 2007, when it began to air weekly.
On April 21, 2008, the departure of David Randolph as a regular host was announced (episode 47) and was shortly replaced by David Calkins.
The show used to be filmed in David Randolph's home but has since moved to the Revision3 studio facility, first as a physical set and more recently as a virtual (green screen) set in the style of the previous physical set - the reason for this move according to Norton is to free up the area for third party companies who use the studio who often need green screens.
On June 15, 2009, Revision3 announced that Systm would no longer be its own show, but would instead become a feature segment of Tekzilla
Tekzilla
Tekzilla is a biweekly video podcast on the Revision3 network. It is currently hosted by Patrick Norton, Veronica Belmont and Robert Heron with Garnett Lee and Roger Chang as frequent guest hosts...
.
Format
Each 10-40 minute episode focuses on a single topic. They cover topics such as: building a portable “war-spying box” to intercept and view signals from unencrypted wireless X10X10 Wireless Technology
X10 Wireless Technology, Inc. is an American subsidiary of a Hong Kong-Bermuda company best known for marketing wireless video cameras using controversial pop-under advertisements. It was founded in 1999 in Kent, Washington.- History :...
cameras, building a TiVo
TiVo
TiVo is a digital video recorder developed and marketed by TiVo, Inc. and introduced in 1999. TiVo provides an on-screen guide of scheduled broadcast programming television programs, whose features include "Season Pass" schedules which record every new episode of a series, and "WishList"...
-like device using the open source
Open source
The term open source describes practices in production and development that promote access to the end product's source materials. Some consider open source a philosophy, others consider it a pragmatic methodology...
program MythTV
MythTV
MythTV is a free and open source home entertainment application with a simplified "10-foot user interface" design for the living-room TV, and turns a computer with the necessary hardware into a network streaming digital video recorder, a digital multimedia home entertainment system, or home theater...
, home-made audio/video cables that are comparable to Monster Cables, and working with the open-source PBX, Asterisk
Asterisk PBX
Asterisk is a software implementation of a telephone private branch exchange ; it was created in 1999 by Mark Spencer of Digium. Like any PBX, it allows attached telephones to make calls to one another, and to connect to other telephone services including the public switched telephone network and...
. The show has also had special Ecosystm episodes that featured biofuel and thoughts on conserving electricity.
Distribution
Systm is distributed over BitTorrent and direct download in a variety of formats, including XviDXviD
Xvid is a video codec library following the MPEG-4 standard, specifically MPEG-4 Part 2 Advanced Simple Profile . It uses ASP features such as b-frames, global and quarter pixel motion compensation, lumi masking, trellis quantization, and H.263, MPEG and custom quantization matrices.Xvid is a...
, Windows Media Video
Windows Media Video
'Windows Media Video is a video compression format for several proprietary codecs developed by Microsoft. The original video format, known as WMV, was originally designed for Internet streaming applications, as a competitor to RealVideo. The other formats, such as WMV Screen and WMV Image, cater...
, and Quicktime
QuickTime
QuickTime is an extensible proprietary multimedia framework developed by Apple Inc., capable of handling various formats of digital video, picture, sound, panoramic images, and interactivity. The classic version of QuickTime is available for Windows XP and later, as well as Mac OS X Leopard and...
. It is also available as a videocast on the iTunes Music Store, and is included in the weekly rotation on RantTV.
Subsystm
Subsystm is a project of the Systm crew, designed as a sidecar to the main show. When particular events happen, covered on Systm, that pique the interests of the shows staff they may examine it further in a Subsystm episode. Subsystm is a shorter, much more technical exploration. The first episode featured an iPod nanoIPod nano
iPod Nano is a digital media player designed and marketed by Apple Inc.. The first generation of iPod Nano was introduced on September 7, 2005 as a replacement for iPod Mini. It uses flash memory for storage. iPod Nano has gone through six models, or generations, since its introduction...
being opened up and the hardware examined. The second episode featured instructions on installing Mac OS X
Mac OS X
Mac OS X is a series of Unix-based operating systems and graphical user interfaces developed, marketed, and sold by Apple Inc. Since 2002, has been included with all new Macintosh computer systems...
on the Apple TV. These are the only episodes that have currently been created.
Merging with Tekzilla
As of episode 109 We're Making Some Changes... of Systm, Systm will be doing shorter hands on activities inside of Revison3's series Tekzilla. Regular episodes of Systm will be coming but not on a regular schedule.Episode list
| Weblink | Date | Title |
|---|---|---|
| Episode 1 | May 23, 2005 | Building a War Spying Box |
| Episode 2 | June 2, 2005 | MythTV |
| Episode 3 | July 30, 2005 | Making High Quality A/V Cables |
| Episode 4 | September 20, 2005 | Podcasting |
| Episode 5 | December 21, 2005 | Asterisk |
| Episode 6 | May 17, 2006 | Maker Faire |
| Episode 7 | May 11, 2007 | AppleTV |
| Episode 8 | May 18, 2007 | Crane Game |
| Episode 9 | June 1, 2007 | Maker Faire 2007 |
| Episode 10 | June 15, 2007 | Digg the Digg Button |
| Episode 11 | June 30, 2007 | Cracking the iPhone |
| Episode 12 | July 13, 2007 | AVR101 |
| Episode 13 | July 27, 2007 | Workbench |
| Episode 14 | August 10, 2007 | Geek Tools 101 |
| Episode 15 | August 24, 2007 | PCB Etching |
| Episode 16 | September 11, 2007 | Long Hop Wireless |
| Episode 17 | September 17, 2007 | Saving Energy |
| Episode 18 | September 24, 2007 | Obey the Laws (of Power) |
| Episode 19 | October 1, 2007 | Amps and Violence |
| Episode 20 | October 8, 2007 | Batteries: The Organic iPod/LiO Fire Battery Failures |
| Episode 21 | October 15, 2007 | EcoSystm: Biodiesel! |
| Episode 22 | October 22, 2007 | Under the Sea with an R.O.V. |
| Episode 23 | October 29, 2007 | Motion Activated Silly String Shooter |
| Episode 24 | November 5, 2007 | The Month of MAME: The Cabinet |
| Episode 25 | November 12, 2007 | MAME Case II |
| Episode 26 | November 19, 2007 | MAME Part 3: Mounting the TV, Buttons, Trackball, Coin Door and Speakers! |
| Episode 27 | November 26, 2007 | MAME Part 4: OS, Emulators, Wiring Those Buttons! |
| Episode 28 | December 4, 2007 | MAME Part 5: It's Over... |
| Episode 29 | December 10, 2007 | Viewer Questions, Comments and the great Lemon Battery Part Deux. |
| Episode 30 | December 17, 2007 | Voltage Regulators: Breadboarding a DIY USB Power Supply |
| Episode 31 | December 31, 2007 | Wired Magazine/Living Homes Exhibit in LA |
| Episode 32 | January 7, 2008 | DIY Hydrogen for More MPG: Part 1 |
| Episode 33 | January 14, 2008 | DIY Live Broadcasting Online |
| Episode 34 | January 21, 2008 | Painting Your Project, Notebook or PC: Rattlecan 101 |
| Episode 35 | January 28, 2008 | Share Internet Access at Highway Speeds: EVDO + WiFi |
| Episode 36 | February 4, 2008 | Avoid a Fire - Wire your Car Safely |
| Episode 37 | February 11, 2008 | A Badass Firewall From A Junk PC |
| Episode 38 | February 18, 2008 | Waterproof Your Thumbdrive |
| Episode 39 | February 25, 2008 | Automate Guitar Hero |
| Episode 40 | March 3, 2008 | DIY Combat Robot |
| Episode 41 | March 10, 2008 | Systm Builds a Cannon |
| Episode 42 | March 17, 2008 | We Need A Bigger Cannon... and a VersaLaser! |
| Episode 43 | March 24, 2008 | Pimp Your Laptop with Paint, Lasers and Fur |
| Episode 44 | March 31, 2008 | Create light with Mentos, save gas and generate free power! |
| Episode 45 | April 7, 2008 | Practically Free DIY WiFi Antennas |
| Episode 46 | April 14, 2008 | Versalaser |
| Episode 47 | April 21, 2008 | Overclock your PC |
| Episode 48 | April 28, 2008 | Watercooling is Fun! |
| Episode 49 | May 5, 2008 | Gas Prices killing you? We can help you max out your MPG! |
| Episode 50 | May 12, 2008 | Add Night Vision To Your Car: Avoid Suicidal Deer |
| Episode 51 | May 19, 2008 | DIY Liquor: Distill Your Own Alcohol |
| Episode 52 | May 27, 2008 | Build a Must-Have iPod Accessory |
| Episode 53 | June 2, 2008 | The diyMod: Ultimate Audio or a Dead iPod |
| Episode 54 | June 9, 2008 | Super Cooling Your PC |
| Episode 55 | June 16, 2008 | Dead Motherboard Delays Systm 55 |
| Episode 56 | June 19, 2008 | Drop Your CPU Temp 10 Degrees For Only $213! |
| Episode 57 | June 23, 2008 | DIY Portable Power Pack Keeps Your Toys Running |
| Episode 58 | June 30, 2008 | The Best Way To Run Windows On Your Mac: VMWare vs. Parallels |
| Episode 59 | July 7, 2008 | Install Blu-Ray Playback into your HTPC |
| Episode 60 | July 14, 2008 | Build Your Own NAS |
| Episode 61 | July 21, 2008 | Build an Android |
| Episode 62 | July 28, 2008 | Bluetooth Speakerphone Mod |
| Episode 63 | August 4, 2008 | 3 Secrets To Awesome Surround Sound |
| Episode 64 | August 18, 2008 | MythTV: Free Media Center From a Junk PC! |
| Episode 65 | August 25, 2008 | Build The Perfect Windows Media Center PC |
| Episode 66 | September 1, 2008 | Photo Archaeology |
| Episode 67 | September 8, 2008 | Build Yourself A 'Segway' |
| Episode 68 | September 10, 2008 | Build a 1080p HD Projector |
| Episode 69 | September 15, 2008 | Insane Origami! aka How to Fold a Satellite |
| Episode 70 | September 22, 2008 | DIY Electroluminescence: Great Light Without The Shocks |
| Episode 71 | September 29, 2008 | Free $500 Router Upgrade (For your junk $50 Router!) |
| Episode 72 | October 6, 2008 | Make Electricity Sing: Build a Theremin |
| Episode 73 | October 13, 2008 | Build a 3D Scanner From A $25 Laser Level |
| Episode 74 | October 22, 2008 | Stop Scammers: Nuke, Grind or Melt Your Hard Drive |
| Episode 75 | October 27, 2008 | DIY Halloween Projects |
| Episode 76 | November 3, 2008 | DIY RFID Beer Safe |
| Episode 77 | November 10, 2008 | Wardriving in 60 Seconds, AK-47 vs. HD, EL Noise |
| Episode 78 | November 17, 2008 | Dead Space: We Built Gravity Boots |
| Episode 79 | November 24, 2008 | Build a Sumo Robot From Hell |
| Episode 80 | December 1, 2008 | DIY Portable Nintendo 64 |
| Episode 81 | December 8, 2008 | Soldering Your Own Headphone Amp |
| Episode 82 | December 15, 2008 | 4 Fun Fruit Cake Hacks |
| Episode 83 | December 22, 2008 | Unlock Secret Features On Your Digital Camera |
| Episode 84 | December 29, 2008 | How To Rip and Encode DVDs |
| Episode 85 | January 5, 2009 | Cheap and Easy Hard Drive Upgrade |
| Episode 86 | January 12, 2009 | Three Portable USB Battery Packs You Can Build |
| Episode 87 | January 19, 2009 | Stream Your Video and Music Anywhere! |
| Episode 88 | January 26, 2009 | Video Jukebox Part 2: Build Your Movie Server |
| Episode 89 | February 2, 2009 | Easy Flash Drive Boot: Run Windows Or Ubuntu On Any PC! |
| Episode 90 | February 9, 2009 | Dynamic DNS: Access Your Home Computer Remotely |
| Episode 91 | February 16, 2009 | Want The Best HDTV Picture? Got $20? You Can Calibrate Your HDTV Like A Pro! |
| Episode 92 | February 23, 2009 | Lightsaber Build: Exact Star Wars Replicas, Totally Custom, And A Duel! |
| Episode 93 | March 2, 2009 | UPS + Car Battery = More Computing (Or a 48 Hour Disco Ball?!?) |
| Episode 94 | March 9, 2009 | How to Build an Oil-Cooled Aquarium PC |
| Episode 95 | March 16, 2009 | How Badass is Your PC? Benchmark It! |
| Episode 96 | March 23, 2009 | Better Bass Cheap and Easy: Build a Cardboard Subwoofer! |
| Episode 97 | March 30, 2009 | Giant Hamster Wheel Powers Your PC |
| Episode 98 | April 6, 2009 | Build A Custom Windows Recovery Disk! |
| Episode 99 | April 13, 2009 | Add Multiple Power Outlets to Your Car |
| Episode 100 | April 20, 2009 | DIY Flame Thrower for 100 Episodes |
| Episode 101 | April 27, 2009 | Liquid Nitrogen Makes Delicious Ice Cream in Under a Minute! |
| Episode 102 | May 4, 2009 | Raise A Flag Everytime you Get Gmail: Microcontrollers 101 |
| Episode 103 | May 11, 2009 | DIY - Beer Robot |
| Episode 104 | May 18, 2009 | Build a Remote Controlled Beer Keg |
| Episode 105 | May 25, 2009 | Video Jukebox Part 3: Build a MediaTomb |
| Episode 106 | June 1, 2009 | Control Your PC From Anywhere! |
| Episode 107 | June 8, 2009 | Lego Mindstorms: Robot Building Made Easy |
| Episode 108 | June 15, 2009 | The Free NAS That Recovers Data If A Drive Fails! |
| Episode 109 | June 22, 2009 | We're Making Some Changes... |
External links
- DiggtheDiggbutton.com, home of the "digg button" project, the feature of Systm Episode #10
- Systm Episode List on Revision3