Gadgetry Blog

Alternative Pen for LE1700

If you own an LE1700, you may have wondered if there are any other styluses compatible with it. Don’t worry — there are.

Admittedly, the standard pen that comes with the LE1700 isn’t the best, so don’t feel bad about replacing it with something else.

This pen here works. It’s manufactured by Wacom and costs $30 (without tax) on Amazon. It may not be the cheapest replacement, but it’s certainly worth it. Sensitivity is phenomenal and the side button is much easier to press than the standard LE1700 pen.

This is the only pen that I know works for sure with the LE1700, but any other stylus made for Penabled PC Tablets should work. The pen above is discontinued by the manufacturer, so get your hands on this as soon as possible before they fade out. Your LE1700 will thank you.

Become a Gadget Hunter Tip 1

Ever wondered where to find innumerous gadgets on the cheap?

Well, I’ll let you in on a little tip that may or may not be obvious.

Goodwill and any other thrifting store is ideal hunting ground for all sorts of gadgets. People donate pieces of electronic gold all the time, because they simply don’t know what the hell it is.

I’ve found so many amazing things at these stores, ranging from old NVIDIA Graphics Cards, unopened USB Game Controllers, Monitors, Wireless Mice, HDMI Cables, Stereo Systems and so, so much more.

It is fair to say that most things you’ll find in places like this are either grimy or broken. Luckily, however, they’re usually just missing replaceable parts or just needs some TLC. The people who donate electronics are usually older folk who aren’t too keen on what some of this stuff is. They may think it’s useful to them, but they haven’t the proper knowledge on how to utilize it. That’s when they find their way in donation stores, ready to be picked up by one of us.

You gotta be quick, though. Plenty of other gadget-savvy hunters have taken note of thrift stores, so you won’t be the only one poking around. After certain holidays, like Christmas, the thrift stores will be chocked full of useful gadgets that’ve been tossed out of their homes in favor of something new. This is pretty obvious though, so again, be vigilant and quick. Anticipate the algorithms of your thrift stores and be selective. Also, not all thrift stores price things the same. Some have heftier prices while others sell things cheap. I believe it depends on the people who price the things and how much they know about what they’re pricing.

So, there you have it. A very simple tip to get your hands on some cheap gadgetry. Have fun.

Getting MKV’s Converted with Subtitles for the Vita

This was a harrowing task that took me nearly weeks to achieve, but after toiling with countless programs and round-about procedures, I’ve finally cracked it.

MKV’s have been a very popular video format because they contain all sorts of data, like multiple video, audio and subtitle tracks. For a guy like me, subtitles are a very important thing. Unfortunately, though the Vita does support subtitles, it cannot play MKV’s and getting subtitles to work with it is like trying to open up a jar of pickles without thumbs.

Anyway, onto the point. First, download HandBrake.

Now, follow these instructions carefully.

All of these instructions are very important, but simple. Just Remember:

“Large File Size” must be selected. Or, if you want to conserve space, under the “Video Tab”, select “MPEG-4 (FFmpeg)” as the codec capsule. The video file should be around the same size as the original or possibly smaller. This is good for when you’re using an (overly expensive) 4 or 8GB memory card.

The preset should be “Normal”.

You must select a subtitle track in the drop-down list and then click “Add” to include it in the conversion.

“Burned In” must be selected. (Note: You must click the subtitle track you added in the list below to highlight it, then click “Burned In”, ensuring its status says “Yes”.)

And that’s literally it. You may see some issues with the subtitles in the converted video if they’re of a more complex nature. Luckily, it seems HandBrake handles most subtitles well and the videos run perfectly on the Vita. It stinks that you can’t just play MKV’s on the darn thing, but this is the best you can get. I hope you found this helpful!