Interview with a Wii Mod Chip Maker

As I was researching the history of Wii mod chips and electronics modding in general a friend mentioned he could get me in touch with someone actually in the mod chip manufacturing business. I jumped at the chance and soon I was having an email correspondence with Chipsuhhoi. Chips made a number of stipulations to secrecy before granting a formal interview, so there are some obvious omissions of what Chips insisted were telling details that could be used to identify him later. A digest of our month-long series of emails follows.

ME: How did you get started in the mod chipping biz?

CHIPS: I had been laid off from a pretty big internet company after the IPO bubble burst. It wasn’t so bad really. I had stock options and had been saving a portion of my significant salary. I’d always been into games so when the first console mods had come out I’d open up the box to see what had been done. I was an amateur electronics geek so I did some poking around, hung out at the shop where my PS2 got modded, asked questions, was pretty much a pest. Eventually they figured as long as I kept coming by they could put me to work. I knew how to solder, so it was no trouble for me to tack chips on. Everything we were doing came from pre-fabbed kits and I was just some solder monkey. It got boring real quick.

ME: Where were these mod chip kits coming from?

CHIPS: Well, I can’t say specifically, for obvious reasons. Each console had a different kit, or in most cases a number of kits to choose from. We we’re a fairly small time operation, just doing two or three mods a day so our chips were coming in on a small order basis. Pretty much we were getting them from guys who were whacking them together in their basements, garages, whatever. I started to see the same kit coming from two different guys, or one guy producing two different kits for two different consoles and it kinda dawned on me that the guys manufacturing the mod chip kits were just kinda doing what I was doing, but at a slightly more advanced level. Soldering stuff together from instructions. Of course that was an oversimplification but I was stupid enough to think, “Hell, I could do that! I bet there’s more money in that than just melting kits onto boards.”

ME: Was that the case?

CHIPS: Well yeah, I mean the money is better sure, but is it as easy? Hell no! I started doing a little research online, joining underground forums, the whole nine yards. That’s when I really started to learn my stuff. In no way was it simple or easy, like I thought but like my girlfriend will tell you, I’m just stupid enough to not know when I’m in over my head, so I just kept at it. Let me tell you that first functioning mod chip set I put together was my friggin’ baby! No seriously, it took me like nine months of trial and error and then wham! It was done and it worked and I was like I couldn’t believe it y’know? We went out for a celebratory dinner and everything. My girlfriend thought I was nuts. Here I am sitting at the kitchen table every night burning my fingers, swearing at these chips, and then I was like, “Honey I did it!” She was like, “Thank God. Finally! Can I have my kitchen table back now?”

ME: Did she get her table back?

CHIPS: Yeah, but she wasn’t very pleased with the solder drips I left on it.

ME: How long ago was that, your first working mod chip?

CHIPS: That was like, four years ago.

ME: So what is your operation like now?

CHIPS: Now I work with just one console, just cause the manufacturers are putting so much effort into defeating mod chips, you really have to specialize to stay on top of your game. Also working with one product allows you to produce faster. Just keeping an eye on the latest developments is a full time job. I just do chips, not programming, so that’s kind of a black box for me. I’m always testing when new stuff comes out, just so I can figure it out for myself. When one of my buyers calls up with a question I have to be on top of things or else I could lose them as a client. I put lots of time into the marketing of my chips, for safety’s sake. I’ve kept my operation fairly small, right now just covering three states. I like to go around and meet a buyer, you know not the individual ones but I sell through shops and installers, so I like to go and see what they are up to, who they are. It makes me more comfortable and I think it makes them more comfortable too. A lot of this business gets done through mail and I think that’s an invitation to trouble.

ME: Are you worried about the legal implications of Mod chip manufacturing?

CHIPS: Well I’d be stupid not to. That’s why I try and keep my business low-key and person to person. There’ve been some busts in the past few years where they clamped down hard on both manufacturers and installers. Even little guys like me working out of a garage or whatever. That stuff just pisses me off. I mean, all the components are legal, all the programming is opensource or paid for or whatever. You bought your console. Why shouldn’t you be allowed to do whatever the hell you want with it? I mean in this country you can mail order a modification to turn a an assault rifle from semi to fully automatic, legally! But the government is busting people for modifying video game consoles? Really? Seriously? Now they try to link it in with terrorism, if you read some of the things they said after those big busts in 2007, they’re trying to say mod chipping your console means money going into the hands of terrorists! Do they seriously think people are that stupid?

ME: Thanks for the interview.

CHIPS: My pleasure!

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Microgaming Casino Spanish Blackjack

Spanish Blackjack is a variant of blackjack that is offered at all Microgaming online casinos .

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How To Play Rummikub

Rummikub is another variation of the popular rummy card game. You can play Rummikub at Rummy Royal and this post will explain the differences between Rummikub and other rummy games and also how you play it.

Rummikub is not played with cards and instead uses colourful tiles that display different numbers. These numbers are 1 to 13 and include jokers. There are 2 sets of four different colours. The other main difference between Rummikub and other online rummy variations is that fact that players can disassemble melds they have already created and then arrange them so that they can be used to get rid of tiles that are in their hand.

Rummikub can be played by 2 to 4 players and the main goal of this game is to be the first player to get at least 200 points. You get points by melding tiles to the meld area. Rummikub has two types of valid melds that players can use and these are sets that are made up of the numbers and colours and runs which are at least three tiles in sequential order that are the same colour.

When playing Rummikub drawing a tile is an optional move and if you are able to meld any tiles you do not have to draw a tile. Melds can only be disassembled or built on only if a player already has a valid meld of at least 30 points, if the player adds at least 1 tile to the new melds or all melds on the table at the end of the move are valid.

There are two jokers in Rummikub and these can be used in exchange for any other tile. If the round ends any player with a joker remaining in their hand gets a 30 point penalty. Once a player gets rid of all their tiles the round ends and all other players are given penalty points based on the tiles they have remaining. The winner is then awarded their opponents penalty points as bonus points. The game ends when a player reaches 200 points or more.

This game sounds a little complicated but it is actually quite easy and great fun once you get used to it.

Until next time,

Deal Those Cards,

http://www.casino-yz.com

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How to Build a Poker Table

Building a poker table on your own might sound daunting but is actually a very easy task. Some tools are definitely needed but not too uncommon ones. It can cost as little as 200 dollars. The first thing that one needs to do is to decide on the design and size of the table, one needs to take into consideration the decor of the room in which the table is supposed to be placed.

The basic tools that would be needed are

1. A battery charged jigsaw

2. A power drill

3. Sand paper; file etc

4. A measuring tape and

5. Staples.

The jigsaw is needed for cutting. The drill with a screwdriver attachment would be needed for screwing. Sand paper would be needed to smoothen rough edges. Measuring tape to ensure one has the dimensions right and a staple gun for the few hundreds of staple that would be required.

For the table primarily wood or ply is needed. This wooden sheet or ply would be covered by vinyl and felt so even if it has a coarse finish it is not a problem. There are a number of different materials that can be used as the surface like felt, velveteen, billiard cloth, velvet, casino cloth, suede to name a few. The most popular railing cover is the faux leather vinyl. This vinyl is not too expensive and has a good feel. Foam would be needed for the padding. A couple of cans of strong adhesive would also be required. Some paint and screws would also be required.

The first thing to do is to measure and cut the ply according to the required measurements. Having cut the wood the foam has to be sprayed with adhesive and stuck to the wood. Once the foam is in place the actually playing surface material has to be fixed upon it. For this the wooden piece is to be placed on the cloth, while the good surface of the cloth is placed on the floor. Now the cloth has to be folded from three sides on the table top and stapled. One side should be allowed to be loose, initially which can be pulled and made tight and smooth properly before stapling the fourth side. Next in line is the table leg which is the trickiest part for all those who don’t have any prior experience in carpentry usually fix readymade folding legs to their tables. Thus one can have his very own poker table hand-built in just two days.

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Choosing the Right Poker Chip Set

It is natural for an ace poker player to be interested in poker chip sets as well. In order to find the right set of chips one has to understand a few basic things first. To start with all poker chip sets are not of the same make and material and therefore it would be wrong to think that just any set would do. Because different materials are used one must be very careful while choosing amongst them.

Clay, metal, wood and plastic are some of the common materials used for chip sets, so first one must familiarize oneself with each one of them to decide which is best for him. Clay is the most commonly found chip material; some of the fanciest ones are made of clay. Clay chips are available in very good quality as well. Usually clay chips weigh anywhere between eight to eleven and a half grams.

Metal chips on the other hand are very durable, metal chips too like the clay chips are not entirely made of metal; the centre piece only is metal. Wooden chips are not at all popular amongst poker players, they are no longer available readily and are more of  a collectors item. Plastic chips too are not very popular but they have some advantage over others. They are lighter, reasonably priced and most often come in very beautiful designs and colors.

Usually a few hundreds of chips are needed for a game of poker. Experts say for a game with 6 players at least eight hundred chips are needed. The sets that are available usually have chips in multiples of hundred (usually up to a thousand). So one can choose a set depending on how many players he usually plays with. Setting a budget would be the next most logical thing to do because poker chip sets are available in a wide variety of ranges.

Finally it is possible to just buy a set available in stores or to order a customized set. Though the latter would be a trifle more expensive, it is perhaps the best way to ensure that a player’s requirements are fulfilled completely.

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poker lessons: starting hands - beginners play far too many hands part 2

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