Do we have place already that has logo images to be downloaded? Things users have already created that they want to share. If so, please point me into the right direction. If not I would be willing to lend a hand.

Yes, please do... I created "Audi Rings" as my startup logo, and attached it to this post for all of you who want to check it out.

Craig Elliott

I volunteer to set this up. I should be able to get a fully automated PHP solution up and running on a server this weekend. If some people want to e-mail me their current logos to initially put up, it would be appreciated. Send them to drakino@usa.net.

If you do this, may I suggest that you tell everyone to submit their logos in two formats: GIF or JPEG so you can display them on the web site, and also the converted binary file ready to be uploaded to the Empeg. Sound like a good idea?

Also, remind everyone that if their logos contain any personal information (mine's got my phone number), they should delete or obscure it before posting.

___________
Tony Fabris

Maybe you could also tell how to download the logos to the empeg (and what to do on the empeg to make it possible putting new logos on it - for those who don't know - like me)

TeeMcBee
Got my Mk2! # 080000143

Maybe you could also tell how to download the logos to the empeg (and what to do on the empeg to make it possible putting new logos on it - for those who don't know - like me)

Or he could just link to my FAQ on the subject.

___________
Tony Fabris

The Audi Rings are in the ".bin" format... the format used by download.exe.

Refer to tfabris' post concerning custom logos and kernels.

Craig Elliott
elliott@g-cnet.com

Actually, Craig, you should offer this version of the zip file. That way they can use different COM ports if they want.

___________
Tony Fabris

Also, remind everyone that if their logos contain any personal information (mine's got my phone number), they should delete or obscure it before posting.

Just curious - why do you have your phone number on there? Just in case the car audio thief starts feeling guilty and decides to return it?. Surely a sticker on the top will do the same job more effectively?

Borislav

Just curious - why do you have your phone number on there?

The thief isn't interested in music -- he's interested in selling the stolen item. If the item is recovered by police or by some person of good conscience, then it would be useful to have a method of contacting the original owner, a method that can't be erased easily by the thief.

tanstaafl.

"There Ain't No Such Thing As A Free Lunch"

a method that can't be erased easily by the thief

Didn't think of that, makes sense now.

Thanks,
Borislav

Speaking of logos and images and the like, didn't someone write some code that will display an image to the screen from the command prompt? I'd like to see how to write to the display.

I'm going to post a couple startup logos I did. This one is the Ford Mustang pony symbol. Both the home and car logos are same in this BIN file.

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MkII 080000554

Here's my attempt at Pink Floyd's Dark Side of The Moon cover art. Again, home and car logos are the same here.

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MkII 080000554

During the course of playing with startup logos, I got this output from download.exe. What the heck does this mean?
Turn on empeg unit now
Error status in readbyte 16
found empeg unit: entering program mode
manufacturer=0089, product=88c1
waiting for prompt
starting erase [100%] erase ok
starting program at 0xa000 [100%] program ok

It happens when I first connect the power to the back of the Empeg. What's going on? The logos upload fine and nothing's wrong with my unit, but I get that strange error... shrug...


---
MkII 080000554

Does anyone have a copy of the image (or even better, the bin) for the default empeg logo?

I want to try out some logos, but I want to be able to put back the original if I don't like it.

Bill B.
Mk.2 SN 080000183 - 18 GB / Green

Ok, I misunderstood. I guess I don't need the default logo.

But, how do I remove the user logo without reflashing the kernel?

Bill B.
Mk.2 SN 080000183 - 18 GB / Green

More fun, is to record "nightmare mp3s" with disturbing things like a soft voice saying "i'm aware that this unit is stolen" "i'm calling the cops" or simply a recording of howler monkeys or rabbits being slaughtered, whatever, and then if the empeg is aware it has been stolen, every other song played should be a "nightmare" mp3 that can not be disabled! Muahaha... Or perhaps if the empeg realizes it is stolen, at random intervals the volume should be rolled up to over drive and it should play an empeg that sings "I am using a stolen car stereo, la la la!!!" over and over. Hopefully it would 1) destroy the person's ear drums, 2) destroy the person's speakers 3) notify everyone in the area as well.. ;)

So that way, if they discover they can't sell it, they may be inclined to use it themselves in their own car or in their own home, but then every other song is a nightmare....

Chances are they won't come forward and say excuse me, i stole your stereo here it is because i feel guilty... or the person they fenced it to, are they going to contact you and tell you they bought a stolen empeg?? really... so might as well make their lives difficult...

Calvin

But, how do I remove the user logo without reflashing the kernel?

Crap, I hadn't thought of that. Good question. What would you upload into the flash memory to disable the user logo?

Hmm, I think the code looks for "empg" as the first four bytes of the .bin file. So if you took a working .bin file, then alterered the first four bytes to nulls, then uploaded it, that ought to do it.

Anyone want to give it a play?

___________
Tony Fabris

Chances are they won't come forward and say excuse me, i stole your stereo here it is because i feel guilty...

I can envision several reasonable scenarios for recovery of a stolen empeg.

1) The unit is recovered by the police who plug it in, and find out who it belongs to.

2) The thief realizes it is useless, tosses in the bushes. Someone finds it, plugs it in, and...

3) The thief sells it to a third party who calls the previous owner to find out how to work the damn thing.

4) The thief realizes it is useless, calls the owner to collect the reward for recovery ("...I found it in the bushes...."

Even if none of the above scenarios are highly probable, the odds are still better than having no identification on the unit at all.

tanstaafl.

"There Ain't No Such Thing As A Free Lunch"

True, but I'm a little sadistic, and would like thieves to be troubled. ("damn, i'm never going to steal one of those things every again!...")

Calvin

You forgot:

5) The thief realizes how much empeg costs, figures owner must have other neat/expensive gadgets at home, calls the owner to collect the reward for recovery ("...I found it in the bushes.... Where should I return it to?") Robs owner blind while not home.

-Trevor

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Mk 2, Green 12GB 080000349

calls the owner to collect the reward for recovery ("...I found it in the bushes.... Where should I return it to?") Robs owner blind while not home.

Which is why my bootup logo has only my WORK telephone number on it, and my home phone number is unlisted.

Something I would suggest to anyone who's planning on putting an ID bootup screen on their Empeg.

___________
Tony Fabris

Excellent suggestion Tony. I just figured that I'd give them Rob's home phone number, and he'd get it back to me.

Actually, I do the same thing. Whenever I travel and label my luggage it's always with my work address and phone number. That way I (may) still get it back, and the crazies only know where I work, not live.

-Trevor

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Mk 2, Green 12GB 080000349

I'm getting the same error yNot is...but it still appears to work. Question: is it still supposed to show the standard empeg logo right before showing the custom logo i made? The standard one comes up for a few seconds and then my logo appears momentarily...just curious if this is a screw up on my part or if that's the way it should be.


|| loren.cox
|| 080000446

Here's the ones I've done so far. Obviously, I've changed the phone numbers.

(I didn't supply these in .BIN format since I figured (a) Anyone repurposing the materials would need to edit out my name in a paint program anyway, and (b) so you could see them here on the web.)



___________
Tony Fabris

Question: is it still supposed to show the standard empeg logo right before showing the custom logo i made?

Yes, that's normal. I'll add that information to the FAQ now, thanks.

___________
Tony Fabris

Tried it and it works. Thanks Tony!

BTW -- may want to add that to the logo FAQ.

Bill B.
Mk.2 SN 080000183 - 18 GB / Green

BTW -- may want to add that to the logo FAQ.

Done, thanks.

___________
Tony Fabris

I likde them, they're very nicely done.
You're an artist.

TommyE

Thanks!

Incidentally, something I discovered is that a Windows icon is the same height (32 pixels) as the empeg display. So if you've got an image that's already in that format, it makes a good starting point for creating an empeg logo. The "Rush" logo (in the same calligraphy that graces the Hemispheres album cover) started its life as a Windows icon I'd drawn.

___________
Tony Fabris

The "Rush" logo (in the same calligraphy that graces the Hemispheres album cover)

I didn't know that Rush Limbaugh had an album out. Hemispheres... probably contains cogent discussions on foreign policy, right?

tanstaafl.



"There Ain't No Such Thing As A Free Lunch"

Trevorp, you give new credence to the old saying "Just because I'm paranoid doesn't mean they're not out to get me." You make a good point.

tanstaafl.

"There Ain't No Such Thing As A Free Lunch"

I liked things better, years ago, when I could say "Rush" and not have to explain which one.

___________
Tony Fabris

If anyone wants a Vauxhall logo converted for use on the EMPEG, email me.... I've got it at home .... address is remove_this_bill@wjw.co.uk .

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MK II, (Blue but should be Amber) SN: 118

Well, as luck would have it, I was unable to get this site up this past weekend due to being so busy. I'll see if I can get the basic one up soon, so we can get some neat logos for the empeg.

The image download is great for the few seconds it's displayed. What about adding an image or overwriting the image used on the static visualization?
(I worked hard on my image I want to see it for more than a few seconds!!)

John

(I worked hard on my image I want to see it for more than a few seconds!!)

Interesting side note: If you want to look at your image on the Empeg screen for more than a couple seconds, upgrade your player software. It will show your logo for a good portion of the process, as it's pumping the partition.

(Note: I'm not sure if this currently works for 1.0, but I know it will work in 1.01.)

___________
Tony Fabris

...I like the first one:)
-m


MK2: 36gb
Tivo: 90gb
CPU: 120gb
...I think drive manufacturers love me!

I am at the current consumer 1.0 developer release, and still it's only there for about 5 seconds. I guess that's all it takes to "pump the partition"

the "Pumping the partion" that he is referencing occurs when you are actually in the PROCESS of upgrading the player. It wasn't meant that the upgraded software shows the custom logo longer at bootup.


|| loren.cox
|| 080000446

Post a link!

Proud Owner of MK2 080000558 - 18gb Blue

I will when actually manage to get home....

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MK II, (Blue but should be Amber) SN: 118

I have a logo page up at [url=http://theroute.to/empeglogos]
Use this if you want. I am only putting on logos that people have posted here or other places.
If we have one place to look to download it will make it all easier to get them.
The page is very basic but I will be adding a few things soon to keep it up. Send me any logos or links to thing you think I need.

Proud Owner of MK2 080000558 - 18gb Blue

Here's my new Logo screen - Honda S2000 logo with ID info.

Well, I suppose this will do for now. http://empeg.miniinfo.net/ is online, and in full manual mode. I want to spend some more time on the backend before opening that up, hopefully that will be done soon, so that people can upload logos with no human interventition on my side.

One thing, does anyone have a Linux .bin creator? I'd like the site to have the user simply upload either a .gif or .bmp, and it will generate the .bin automaticially. I have the .bmp -> .gif and .gif -> .bmp working fine already.