The ABCs of securing your wireless network

In this practical introduction to the basics of securing your home wireless network, we'll cover the important, high-level points that ordinary users need to know in order to secure a network of game consoles, phones, and PCs. Along the way, we'll also recap some of the relevant information from the original wireless blackpaper...

Link:
http://arstechnica.com/.../wireless-security.ars

Skype Offers "Unlimited World" Calling Plans

Regularly making phone calls Internationally can get pretty darn pricey these days! Coming to the rescue of those callers is Skype who today, just announced new unlimited calling plans to overseas phones for an extremely reasonable price. When I say reasonable, it’ll only cost $9.95 per month to make a phone call to 34 different countries around the World. You really can’t beat that price, can you?

Link:
http://cybernetnews.com/...

Still on Dialup, try PhoneTray

PhoneTray Dialup will notify you when someone is calling while you are online. You can choose to take the call or ignore the call. With PhoneTray you can put internet on hold and answer incoming calls without disconnecting from the internet.

Plus, you get full-featured Caller ID software that shows and speaks callers name and number, logs all your incoming calls, blocks unwanted calls and zaps telemarketers.

Link:
http://www.phonetray.com/

Supercharge Your Camera

Digital cameras have powers beyond what is immediately available to the user. On a standard Canon, for example, the fastest shutter speed option offered is 1/1,600 second, but the hardware can handle much more than that -- up to 1/60,000 of a second.

CHDK, the Canon Hacker's Development Kit, is an open-source software project that can be loaded on cameras using Canon's DIGIC II or DIGIC III firmware platforms. It unleashes new features including RAW file format, live histogram display, a battery readout, and the ability to run scripted actions on a camera.

Link:
http://howto.wired.com/wiki/...

Turn Your PC into a DVD Ripping Monster

Commercial DVDs are far too expensive to let scratches turn your video into a glorified coaster, but most people still don't back up their DVD collection. Once upon a time, the four to eight gigabyte footprint of a DVD on your hard drive was prohibitively large. But since the price of a gigabyte has plummeted, ripping your entire DVD collection to your computer is not just possible, it's prudent—and it's easy. Let's take a look at the best ways to back up and play any DVD rip on your home computer, along with how to burn a DVD rip back to a playable DVD.

Link:
http://lifehacker.com/371636/...

Get a free PC safety scan

Windows Live OneCare safety scanner is a free service designed to help ensure the health of your PC.

• Check for and remove viruses
• Get rid of junk on your hard disk
• Improve your PC's performance

Ran a full scan in a Virtual PC and it mainly found registry problems. Ran the fixes and really can't tell anything - which I expect from the registry problems tools like this find.

Link:
http://onecare.live.com/site/en-us/default.htm

Ultimate PC

Ultimate PC is Microsoft's latest attempt to get users more interested in the Vista operating system by providing 'blueprints' to ultimate pc setups.

Blueprints available:

• Photography
• Home Theater
• Gaming

Link:
http://ultimatepc.com

Create Your Own Cross-Platform Backup Server

Backing up your data on a regular basis is important, and turning a spare computer into a backup server is often the best way to make sure it gets done. But most methods require either a good deal of command-line learning or serve only one operating system. Not with Restore, a free, open-source backup system that can install or run from a live CD, work with any OS, and operate through a simple browser-based interface. Today I'll demonstrate backing up a Windows laptop to an older desktop, but you'll see how Restore can be easily molded to fit just about any home backup needs.

Link:
http://.../create-your-own-cross+platform-backup-server

Toshiba quits HD DVD business

Toshiba said Tuesday it will no longer develop, make or market HD DVD players and recorders, handing a victory to rival Blu-ray disc technology in the format battle for next-generation video.

"We concluded that a swift decision would be best," Toshiba President Atsutoshi Nishida told reporters at his company's Tokyo offices.

It's over. All you Playstation 3 owners rejoice.

Link:
http://money.cnn.com/...

Give your laptop a custom look with Schtickers

Establish Retrofitted Designs as a sustainable high-design decor and organization products manufacturer that balances its commitment to profitable growth and community focus.

What a cool and innovative idea. Seems like more and more companies are offering means to make your electronic devices a bit more personal (check out ColorwarePc.com). Schtickers goes beyond the custom look by allowing a bit more 'feel' to your laptop with suede products available.

I would use a black one with my tribal logo on it .

Link:
http://www.schtickers.com/

Another reason to get a Playstation 3

With the upcoming 2.0 player profile requiring Blu-ray players to be networked, Sony finally gets to play its trump card: the PlayStation 3, which has clearly emerged as one of the best Blu-ray players on the market—and is likely to remain so for some time. Why? Because the first player now becomes the most versatile, sporting a future-proof Blu-ray setup.

Link:
http://...ps3-the-most-future-proof-player

Microsoft co-founder on 700 MHz bidders list, Verizon Wireless not

Thus far, the preliminary list of bidders in the US Federal Communications Commission's 700 MHz auction is a veritable cavalcade of small telecom companies, plus small and large companies alike looking to become telecom companies. Google Airwaves, Inc. is the least surprising, and perhaps most spotlighted member of the group thus far.

Link:
http://.../Microsoft_cofounder_on_700_MHz_bidders_list

The list of bidders:
http://wireless.fcc.gov/auctions/default.htm?job=auctions_home

3 stubborn PC problems you can fix

1.You keep getting a "your system is running low on virtual memory" message
2.Your windows slide off the desktop . . . and you can't grab them
3.Your taskbar has disappeared

Read about the fixes:
http://www.microsoft.com/atwork/getstarted/pcproblems.mspx

CompUSA's Going-Out-Of Business Discount List not so great

Nothing so great if you ask me with the CompUSA's going out of business discounts.

Link:
http://.../leaks-compusas-going+out+of-business-discount-list

Commodore VIC-20: My first computer

(as found on Consumerist)

Top 5 free tools to destroy your hard drive's data

Remove evidence or just remove information before giving away or trashing an old computer. You would be surprised at what can be recovered from your hard drive if the proper steps aren't taken to permanently erase the data. So, here's a few tools to help you destroy your data.

Darik's Boot and Nuke - A self-contained boot floppy (can be a bootable CD) that securely wipes the hard disks of most computers. DBAN will automatically and completely delete the contents of any hard disk that it can detect, which makes it an appropriate utility for bulk or emergency data destruction. I just got done using this application on an old laptop.

Eraser - Eraser is a secure data removal tool, which allows you to remove sensitive data from your hard drive by overwriting it with carefully selected patterns.

Secure Delete - Secure Delete allows you to specify a directory (and optionally all subdirectories) in which all files should be deleted. When each file is deleted the contents of the file are filled with random data prior to deleting the file.

Wipe [linux] - Wipe is a secure file wiping utility and listed by some as one of the best utilities for securely removing data from a hard drive.

Active KillDisk - A powerful and compact software that allows you to destroy all data on hard and floppy drives completely, excluding any possibility of future recovery of deleted files and folders. It's a hard drive and partition eraser utility.

stay tuned for a tool to get data from an erased hard drive...

Google's phone announcement

A few hours after Google's dramatic announcement which some sources had still been anticipating as a mobile phone bearing the Google brand, we actually know less about Android than we did -- or thought we did -- at 11:00 this morning when it was announced. During a midday press conference featuring key Google executives including CEO Eric Schmidt, reporters called into question most of the principal facts surrounding the new Open Handset Alliance - most importantly, the ingredients of the Android platform.

Link:
http://.../Googles_Phone_Platform_Its_Not_an_OS_So_What_Is_It/

EURion constellation

The EURion constellation is a pattern of symbols found on a number of banknote designs since about 1996. It is added to help software detect the presence of a banknote in a digital image. Such software can then block the user from reproducing banknotes to prevent counterfeiting using colour photocopiers.

Pretty interesting on the mechanism that copy machines use to detect and block the copying of a banknote.

Link:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/EURion_constellation

Offset your computer purchase by planting a tree

Dell thinks that users will pay extra to offset the carbon dioxide emissions when purchasing a computer. Would you?

Webserver On Stick (WOS)

WOS Portable: "WOS stands for the three letter abbreviation Webserver On Stick and makes it possible, to run a webserver based on Apache, MySQL and PHP from an USB Stick or any other writable media (harddrive, flash cards etc.) without installation under Windows (98 to Vista). There are three different versions of WOS:"

This is a great way to showcase a PHP website when you have no control over the location. Simply place the website on a USB drive, carry to the location, showcase your work and accept pat on the back.

Link:
http://www.chsoftware.net/en/useware/wos/wos.htm

Now that's a display!

Engineers at the University of California, San Diego have constructed the highest-resolution computer display in the world - with a screen resolution up to 220 million pixels.

The new HIPerSpace system between Irvine and San Diego is joined together via high-performance, dedicated optical networking that clocks in at up to two gigabits per second (2Gbps). The systems use the same type of graphics rendering technology, from industry partner NVIDIA. The "graphics super cluster" being developed at UCSD consists of 80 NVIDIA Quadro FX 5600 graphics processing units (GPUs). "The graphics and computational performance of these cards is quite astounding," said Kuester. "Putting the theoretical computational performance of the cluster at almost 40 teraflops.

Link:
http://.../220_million_pixels_on_new_system_at_ucsd.html

GeeXboX turns your computer into a Home Theater PC

GeeXboX is a free embedded Linux distribution which aims at turning your computer into a so called HTPC (Home Theater PC) or Media Center. Being a standalone LiveCD-based distribution, it's a ready to boot operating system than works on any Pentium-class x86 computer or PowerPC Macintosh, implying no software requirement. You can even use it on a diskless computer, the whole system being loaded in RAM.

Despite his tiny ISO image size, the distribution comes with a complete and automatic hardware detection, not requiring any driver to be added. It supports playback of nearly any kind of audio/video and image files and all known codecs and containers are shipped in, allowing playing them through various physical supports, either being CD, DVD, HDD, LAN or Internet.

Link:
http://geexbox.org/en/index.html

Add a little color to your electronic device with ColorWare

ColorWare Inc., established in 2000, is an industry leader in altering the color of existing products. The idea behind ColorWare started with transforming the ubiquitous beige computer into a custom-colored work of art.

A simple idea that can give your hardware a personal touch. Check it out.

Link:
http://www.colorwarepc.com

Dell Computer Ad from 1992

Dell Selling De-Gunked PCs

Dell Selling De-Gunked PCs: "Dell customers have the option to order PCs without the additional trial software that is usually preinstalled. In order to purchase a de-gunked PC, customers should select the option 'no software preinstalled' when purchasing Inspiron notebooks or Dimension desktops."

Finally!

Link:
http://.../2007/06/dell-selling-de.html

Microsoft Surface: Behind-the-Scenes

Thought I would post a follow-up to the Microsoft Surface post. This one is to a video that shows some of the behind the scenes. This is one cool device.

Anyone want to get me one feel free. Gifts welcomed

Link:
http://.../technology/industry/4217348.html

Top tech support forum helps in all areas.

Tech Support Guy is one buzzing forum with lots of groups and 100K's of posts. If you need some help with anything computer than check this forum out. Even if you don't want to ask a questions just using their search feature can probably yield a discussion going on.

Link:
http://forums.techguy.org/

Sony debuts flexible TV screen

The company claims to have developed a new technology that uses plastic instead of glass to make OLED screens that can actually bend (hopefully without breaking), according to Pink Tentacle. Its 2.5-inch prototype weighs only 1.5 grams--that's 0.053 ounces for the metric-challenged among us.

Link:
http://crave.cnet.com/...

Slurpr, a WiFi access point which aggregator

Slurpr claims that it can locate 6 separate wi-fi networks and combine their bandwidth into one monster of a connection. Can it work? Is this a hoax of sorts? I'm not gonna spend the cash to find out. Either way it looks cool and if it does work could land you in jail.

Link:
http://.../slurpr-the-mother-of-all-wardrive-boxes

Google Maps zoom: here's the device and vehicle behind it

Google Maps zoom: here's the device and vehicle behind it: "What a scary/cool little 11-sided camera that is on the 'Street Level View-Mobile.'"

Microsoft secret is called "Surface"

This is gonna be my next coffee table!

Surface is a keyboard less, well, surface that you can interact with with your hands or any object around you. Everything you do is with your hands in a more natural way and in a way may provide a better user experience.

Simply put, its amazing, it will be expensive, and its a long way out.

Link:
http://www.microsoft.com/surface/

Whats .7 inches thick and weighs just 2.25 pounds?

The new Intel Notebook of course.

Dell Coupon code time again

10% off most Enterprise Systems: VFK5QKQJ2C5FT8

$300 Off or More of Specific Dell Desktops and Notebooks: 9KTCZ8LJJ62G4W

First come, first serve.

Things missed while I was away

Google Bonding With ISPs: "On Friday of last week, Google announced that they would now begin offering their Google Apps for Your Domain to ISPs, making the popular web apps available to, potentially, thousands of ISP subscribers as ISP-branded services."

Google Announces Purge Of Ad-heavy Web Sites: "Google is trying to clean up its search results by cracking down on dubious Web sites that contain little content but lots of ads."

Wal-Mart to begin selling Dell PCs: "Dell plans to begin selling desktop PCs in Wal-Mart Stores in the next few weeks, the first move in a major departure from its decades-long sales strategy."

Google Lauches Hot Trends: A almost real-time view of what people are searching for. Minus the porn and Britney Spears results.

Seems Google has been busy.

Pointsec

Industry Leading Encryption Software from Pointsec Mobile Technologies: "What's the real cost of a lost laptop, PC, PDA or smart phone? It depends. How much private information could be stolen? How many trade secrets? How much will you have to spend to restore your customers' privacy? Not to mention their trust - or your reputation?"

Link:
http://www.pointsec.com/

Inkjet printer prints one page per second, with video

An inkjet printer that can print one page one page per second to be available next year? Watch the video and be prepared to be impressed.

Link:
http://texyt.com/silverbrook+memjet...

Sony VAIO UMPC goes after OQO

The specs on the Sony VAIO looks interesting and the price is right. Compared to the OQO which is considerably more, with respect to the Ultra Mobile PC (UPMC) market, Sony may be headed in the right direction. Low cost, great specs, small footprint and include a keyboard and you have something people will actually purchase.

If Sony or OQO wants to send me one for extensive testing my address is on the right - go ahead, I'll wait...

Sony VAIO:
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/...

OQO:
http://www.oqo.com/

Ultra-mobile PC (UMPC), What happened?

What ever happened to all the buzz that MS generated with the Ultra-Mobile PC's? OQO has been around for a while. In fact they have recently released a new version of their UMPC, which is pretty impresive - listening OQO, my address is on the right if you want to throw one in the mail to me. A better priced, but not as impressive UPMC can be found over at Windows Marketplace. I think the key to these things is to have a qwerty keyboard.

If OQO could lower their price and increase its size by a bit, I think they would have a winner.

So much buzz, so little results.

Printer Tracking Dot Decoding Guide

Did you know that every page you print contains a tracking code? Its very, very difficult to see and can be used to trace the printed page back to your printer. If you didn't know about this or just curious about the tracking code check out the Track Dot Decoding Guide.

Link:
http://www.eff.org/Privacy/printers/docucolor/

Ultra-mobile PC (UMPC) Display Emulator Beta

The UMPC Display Emulator Beta application enables you to test your application's layout and screen behavior as it appears on a UMPC.

Link:
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/...