The Zolton.org Social Plugin is a simple plugin for WordPress that integrates a blog with popular social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter.

New and Updated Features

• Added support for the Pinterest Pin It Button.
• Tested with WordPress 3.3.2.

For more information, visit the official project page or the WordPress plugin page.

I’m trying my hand at cinematic photography in The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim.

The following mods were used when capturing these shots.

• Fimbulvinter ENB
• Cloaks of Skyrim
• Deadly Serious Shrouded Armor
• Coverkhajiits
• Covereyes

Feel free to download the full-sized versions for use as desktop wallpaper. Also be sure to check out my screenshot gallery on Steam.

A Thalmor airship over Pillar Falls from the stunning mod, Moonpath to Elsweyr by muppetpuppet.

The Rift is gorgeous now that there’s a few less Stormcloaks roaming around.

The Zolton.org Social Plugin is a simple plugin for WordPress that integrates a blog with popular social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter.

New and Updated Features

• Fixed a conflict with social buttons and select WordPress themes.
• Tested with WordPress 3.3.1.

For more information, visit the official project page or the WordPress plugin page.

An unmodified Xbox 360 controller (above) and a modified Xbox 360 controller (below)

The d-pad on the Xbox 360 controller leaves a lot to be desired. More often than not, the d-pad on my Xbox 360 controller would select the wrong direction, or become completely unresponsive to one direction in particular. This modification by walletandgromice on Instructables alleviates some of those issues.

As you can see by the photo, the controller on top is unmodified, while the controller on the bottom is modified. Notice the different in the plastic bezel around the d-pad. The modified version has substantially less plastic allowing more room to move, and reducing the likelihood of contacting the bezel when selecting a direction.

Thus far I am very happy with this modification. I would highly recommend it to anyone that is frustrated with the performance of the d-pad on their Xbox 360 controller.

I recently purchased a Hauppauge HD PVR for capturing game play from my Xbox 360. I would like to share with you the settings I am using for both the HD PVR and the Xbox 360.

Hauppauge HD PVR Capture Module

This is the view of the Hauppauge HD PVR Capture Module (Arcsoft TotalMedia Extreme 2). I am capturing the output from the Xbox 360 in the “Playstation” (M2TS) format, at 720p, using a bit rate of 10.0MB, and AC3 audio encoding (2 channel).

Hauppauge HD PVR Format Settings (Video Proc Amp)

This is the view of the “Video Proc Amp” tab in “Device Settings”. Everything is set to the default except “Brightness” which I set at 128.

Hauppauge HD PVR Device Settings (Video Decoder)

This is the view of the “Video Decoder” tab in “Device Settings”. Everything is set to the default.

Hauppauge HD PVR Format Settings (Hauppauge H264 Encoder)

This is the view “Hauppauge H264 Encoder” tab in “Format Settings”. Everything is set to the default save the bitrate, which I set to 10.0MB.

My Xbox 360 video settings (found in System Settings / Console Settings / Display) are as follows:

• HDTV Settings: 720p , Widescreen, Component (HD)
• Black Level: Standard

The result of these settings is the video you see at the top of this post. It was not modified or retouched in any way before being uploaded to YouTube.

Please bear in mind that this is my first attempt at capturing video from my Xbox 360. It is very likely that these settings will change as I gain more experience with this hardware and software.

I hope you have found this post useful. If you have any questions or suggestions, please feel free to leave a comment or contact me directly.

The Zolton.org Social Plugin is a simple plugin for WordPress that integrates a blog with popular social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter.

New and Updated Features

• Includes the Google +1 Button on posts and pages.
• Configurable via WordPress settings page.

For more information, visit the official project page or the WordPress plugin page.

My custom built gaming PC.

The Hardware

• CPU: Intel Core i7 920 2.67GHz (overclocked to 3.6 GHz)
• RAM: Corsair XMS3 6GB DDR3
• MB: EVGA X58 SLI LE
• GPU: EVGA GeForce GTX 560 Ti Superclocked
• PSU: Corsair Professional Series HX650 650W
• HDD: Western Digital Caviar Black 500GB SATA
• Optical: Lite-On LightScribe 24X SATA DVD+/-RW Dual Layer Drive
• Case: NZXT Crafted Series Lexa S (with custom LED modifications)
• Monitor: HP 2159M 21.5” 1080P HD LCD
• Cooling:
• CPU: Corsair Hydro Series H50 Liquid CPU Cooler
• Case: Xigmatek XLF-F1253 120mm LED Cooling Fans
• Input:
• Keyboard: SteelSeries Shift
• Mouse: SteelSeries Xai Laser
• Surface: SteelSeries 4HD
• Gamepad: Microsoft Xbox 360 Wireless
• Output:
• SteelSeries Siberia V2 Headset
• OS: Microsoft Windows 7 Professional (64 bit)

KRE-O Transformers: Bumblebee (36421)