The Raspberry Pi Foundation: $25 Computer!!!1

This is an awesome project! The folks over at the Raspberry Pi Foundation are going to be bringing you a $25 computer! $35 for the upgraded ethernet connectivity model. I can't wait to get my hands on one of these and be able to try it out and see what kind of things I can create with a computer so cheap. It even has a built HDMI out module. Ideas are starting with that car computer project I have always wanted to play with, several simple computer automated functions around the house, and the office. I wonder what else I could use it for?

More information here: Raspberry Pi

Update: The Online Money Game...

Since my last post on the subject, markets all over have seen grate variation and I think it is separating the weak from the solid markets. Solidcoin appears to have bit the dust, nothing really coming any more. I had a brief affair with I0 Coin, but that was short lived. Even the real US stock exchange has had some massive movement along with the crazy drop in gold and silver this week.

All in all i'm going to stick with BitCoin for the time being and we'll see how that works. It keeps acting like its just about to bottom out, but then somehow rebounds a little. I'll update again.

The Online Money Game...

So I posted awhile ago about the rad new opportunity in BitCoin, the online currency. Well, bitcoin still seems to be the strongest player in the game, but many others have risen up since hoping to be able to challenge it for that spot.

The newest of these contenders that looks as it may have a chance is SolidCoin. Here is a solid list of the top 5 reasons one should switch to SolidCoin.

Best USB Device I've Ever Seen

This has got to be the best use of a usb port that I have ever seen. The CEE has a simple interface and allows interaction with the outside world. Its pretty cool, but looks like it still has a ways to go to get off the ground.



Check it out here: KickStarter

And see the company blog here: NonolithLabs

BitCoin is Awesome!!!

Ok, so I have recently got way into this online crypto currency BitCoin. Its awesome! In the simplest of explanations its the online version of cash. Its sent directly from user to user and every transaction is recorded throughout the entire community of users. So, basically, the system is self checking and maintains everyone's balances allowing for one to spend more than they and creating incredible security. Here is everything you need to get started:

bitcoin.org This is where you download the BitCoin client that allows you to receive and send bitcoins.

Mt. Gox This is the leading exchange site for BitCoin and the US Dollar. This is where you can buy and sell BitCoins(BTC) for USD.

The Bitcoin List This is the best site that I have found for finding where you can spend your BitCoins.

Enjoy! Any donations you wish to send to me are greatly appreciated: 13c6uY687b85hNvVSigiJtihpdtMrrndu5

Not Wasting Life Away...

I often find myself somewhat bored and not because I don't want to work, I just don't know how. I see this awesome computer on my lap and the great potential of the world wide web before me, but simply don't know where to begin. Often this can lead to just a chunk of wasted time watching another stupid show on Hulu, but I'm going to try to fix that. My efforts so far have been weak, but heres where i'm at.

This blog: $6.09 (but really nothing as adsense doesn't pay till you hit $100)

BitCoin: 7 BitCoin (right now thats about $50)

Android App: It didn't work very well and i'm the only one that has it.

It's time to learn something new and try something more. Here goes nothin.

Visual Studio, Crash Courses, and Simulation...

So its been awhile since I last posted, but school and work have been pretty crazy. Suddenly our test engineer is gone and now I'm the programmer for the floor despite the fact I don't know code. This does however mean crazy amounts of new knowledge to now pass on to you.  And I will starting tonight. Tons more coming really really soon.

BitCoin? Whats that?...

So how many of you have actually heard of BitCoin? It's a cool up and coming digital currency striving to be independent of many regulations and other factors that affect currency trade and they buying/selling of goods. The coins are developed by a series of calculations by your cpu that get increasingly harder as more coins are developed. Its easy to send and receive and without regulatory fees. Learn more about it here, at BitCoin.org and after you get the client, you should go here to get your first free BitCoins. You should check this out, its awesome and I think it has potential to go somewhere!

If you like this blog please donate some BitCoin to: 12MD1Xp1577fZ4DeEicwEpZVZAhxkzJDD9

The Search for the Perfect Boss

Just as Google seems to be setting out to figure out everything else in the world, they have recently let known a project code-named Project Oxygen in which they have sought to compile the list of the perfect boss. Here are the eight points that they came up with:

1. Be a good coach
2. Empower your team and don't micro-manage
3. Express interest in employee's success and well-being
4. Be productive and results-oriented
5. Be a good communicator and listen to your team
6. Help your employee's with career development
7. Have a clear vision and strategy for the team
8. Have key technical skills so, you can help advise the team

Business Week's take on it.
The New York Time's take on it.

Fukushima and what radiation levels really mean...

Here is a chart the puts radiation levels into perspective curtice of our friends over at xkcd.com Check it out and gain some perspective.

The Coolest Toy Ever

Redbull sure has an aweful lot of fun. This seat is in the same position in reference to the wheel and pedals as that of the actual redbull formula 1 cars. I'm not sure if its compatible with any system or if its just designed to go with your PC, but with a price tag of $1300, the system might actually be the cheaper part of the deal. I thought my xbox 360 controller was a big step up from my keyboard arrows in playing F1 2010.

Crunch Gear's Article

Concept Car from Saab... with Android?

So you remember that car company called Saab? Yeah, they have been struggling and understandably so as many of their cars have been judged to be overpriced and under.. well, all around less than what you are paying for. Well, they are showing up again and with some pretty cool stuff this time. This concept packs a twin-turbo 4-cylinder BMW engine with 200hp with an additional rear wheel electric drive boost system. It sounds pretty cool, but even better is the new on-board entertainment and more system. It features an 8-in display powered by google's android. It has all your standard entertainment and navigation but all boasts over 500 sensory inputs (engine, speed, location, temperatures, etc.) that will be open to 3rd party developers to play with. This sounds awesome and like something with a great deal of potential. I'm excited to see how it finally looks once it hits the market.

Here is SAE's write up on the Concept

The Ultimate Online Hosting

I have always had a desire for crazy strong security and loved things with big doors, tons of concrete, and underground. This is a rad article that details some of the most secure hosting sites in the world. It makes my dreams of personal security and strength look like that ant you just stepped on. Check out how the internet as we know if could survive the nuclear war many fear would end life as we know it.

The Emergency Internet Bunkers

A Game Completely in the URL

Here is a random one I stumbled across today. Its a game that is played entirely in the URL bar of your browser. Its pretty simple and after a game or two you'll probably be over it, but its none the less impressive to see some new approaches and innovation on common applications. Check it out and see how many animals you can get.

The Game

Back-seat Drivers, but maybe from Someone else's back seat

Cars have historically been wolds behind consumer electronics in their level of technology. This is typically due to the heavy demands placed on components for the automotive industry. Processors that can handle 250 degrees, class 1 failure system, and other various requirements have held them back. But recently there has been huge growth in this area especially fueled by needs for hands-free mobile phone use and upgraded systems like GM's on-star. With these have come Bluetooth and cellular connectivity and thus a port to be able to connect wireless. And now, a way for hackers to gain access. This article shows the reports of UCSD and University of Washington on how they were able to wireless hack a car taking control of the engine, brakes, door locks, etc. Its an interesting thought especially while everything seems to be heading this way.

Full Article

How Anonymous are You?

If your are sending out a number of emails from an anonymous account or just posting comments on a site without leaving your name, you might not be as safe as you think you are. The first article talks about some researchers work to be able to discover the sender through writing type and other techniques. The second is a different case in which a court ordered the need of a website to release the names of those who had posted anonymously. This was in Indiana and will be interesting to see the effect it carries to other future ruling.

Article 1
Article 2

Our Reliance on GPS...

So I had never really thought about GPS as one of our crutches here in the US, particularly not as much as oil reliance or the national deficit, but these two articles have interesting points. GPS does a lot more than give you directions these days. It is the backbone of traffic flow in the air and in the harbors. It was just a few years ago that the US Navy announced they were no longer teaching how to use that funny compass looking device for navigation anymore, but were now going by computer. Apparently finances and other transactions are even stamped with the time signature in the GPS signal. I've heard a GPS blocker is not too expensive to buy (article 2 says $30) and that they aren't that hard to make. It can even kill the ability of cell phones to connect to the signal tower. Not to freak you out, but you should take a peak and maybe become far more aware than you previously were, like me.

Article 1
Article 2

Rad New Cars Make Their Way

Let's take a break from all the hacking talk and home improvement for a moment and just enjoy a moment of good old dreaming. Here are two cars made by some of the worlds best that inspire such dreaming. One is an example of superhuman performance and the other has a mix between the Iron Man helmet and the holodeck from Minority Report for a windshield. I hope you enjoy the ideas this brings as much as I did.

Ferrari FF:


BMW Connecteddrive

'Evil Empire' Theory

This is an interesting article going after the 'evil empire' that the Apple Corporation has become. Yes they are massive, yes they are brilliant, yes they make way too much money off of us, and yes, when you try to make it so you can run other than Apple approved on your idevice they like to turn that into a paperweight the next time you sync it. I don't think that any company that becomes such the sheer dominate force like Apple has, can avoid this 'evil' corporation title that follows, but that doesn't mean I excuse them of it either. Check out the article with a little more fact here:

Quantum Random Bit Generator Service

Here's a cool one. The Ruder Boskovic Institute has created this cool quantum random bit Generator Service. It puts for a lovely little equation like

and away you go. Its free for use with just a few restrictions on bandwidth and what not. It basically the ultimate CAPTCHA instead of those where you just repeat the letter and numbers from the image above. And gratefully, for those less quick on their feet like me we can find the brilliant help of WolframAlpha to help us make it through this problem.

Play with it, check it out, and let me know what you think.

Quantum Random Bit Generator Service

HBGary getting slammed again

So, as you have probably heard, when Anonymous hacked HBGary he posted a bunch of their private emails. Since this post those emails have examined and it has shown several things HBGary probably didn't want you to see. Some of these lovely treasures include rootkit development, selling rootkits to the private sector, several 0-day exploits in several OSes, along with other things. Now there is a push for a congressional investigation into the firm. Check it out: The Whole Story

HBGary Federal CEO Steps Down

After the huge embarrassment of HBGary Federal, the security firm that was rocked by the hacking group 'Anonymious', CEO Aaron Barr is stepping down. Barr's personal passwords and his mistake in making them the same for his email and the server were a significant step in the hacking of the company. He says this is a move to allow him and the company to both move forward. You can catch the rest of the story here:
The Article

A few excited posters on slashdot.com pointed to these articles as further justification for the actions of 'Anonymous'. I'm not sure where I stand yet although I think their ability to exicute is awesome. Check these out and see what you decide.

This is what rule of law has accomplished

This is what rule of law asked these scumbags do

And this is in the plans, not to mention DoJ recommended firms to BoA to do this.

iFixit and the MacBook Pro, a stripped screw here, extra paste here...

iFixit is at it again with the brand new MacBook Pro. They have some interesting comments about a stripped screw, incorrectly mounted infared receiver, and a whole lot of thermal paste. With a price tag of $1800 and that big apple on the lid, many have come to expect near perfection. Check it out yourself and see what you think.

This may be the best post yet!

So I just stumbled across an awesome article on MaximumPC (yeah, I spend way too much time there) about making money off of your internet connection. Isn't that something we'd all enjoy? I've always wanted to be able to do that and this is the first time I think I have ever actually seen it as a feasibly option. Check out this article to see how you can sell off your unused network access with credit card ability and automated payment collection:

Home Automation, getting a little more serious

This is a good write up by the boys over at MaximumPC doing a little home automation install. They talk more about the wireless protocols in use, setting up your network, and plenty of ins and out. Check it out:

The Digital Domicile

Xerox being awesome

Ever wanted to change a .pdf to a .epub ebook? This and many other cool services are now available for free on http://open.xerox.com.  Its xerox's latest attempt to get quick feedback from their newest lineup of research and improve it before going to market.  Check it out and see what you can enjoy.

Google Chrome Canary

Ever wanted to run the Beta form of a program so you could play with all the cool new upgrades, but don't want to have to rely on the possible buggy program?  Check out Google Chrome Canary!  Its the most updated version of Google's internet browser, but will run side by side with a regular installation of Google Chrome on your computer.  Have fun playing with the new version!

How to make Money Online

I have always had this question. How can I use my computer or the internet to make money? I haven't been able to do it yet but I plan on coming up with the answer to this questions. If you have come to any idea your open to sharing please post. Lets develop this further and see if we can come up with something better than Google AdSense.

7 Types of Hackers

Here is a cool article I stumbled across the other day that outlines the 7 main types of hackers out there and what their objective is.  It makes some interested point and fun reading.  Enjoy:
http://www.infoworld.com/d/security-central/your-guide-the-seven-types-malicious-hackers-636?source=IFWNLE_nlt_sec_2011-02-08

The Best WebPage Publisher

So the current idea behind this blog is to start something that can then roll into a website of really useful information.  So, the first real question should probably be what are the best tools for making a website?  Here are a couple basics I have found but I could really use some feedback on this one:

Woorkedup.com has a pretty good, basic html5 cheat sheet:
http://woorkup.com/2009/12/16/html5-visual-cheat-sheet-reloaded/

Adobe Dreamweaver meets freeware?:
http://kompozer.net/

Any other suggestions?

New Light Peak devices

Apparently Apple wasn't the only one ready for Light Peak to hit the market.  LaCie has announced its new SSD DAS that will use two 250gb ssd drives with the new Thunderbolt connection.  Theoretically doesn't this mean you could fill up the entire drive in just a matter of minutes?  Check it out here: http://www.smallnetbuilder.com/nas/nas-news/31429-lacie-unveils-thunderbolt-ssd-das

Also, Promise has announced the Pegasus 4 and 6 bay raid enclosures that will use the new technology.  Check it out here: http://www.smallnetbuilder.com/nas/nas-news/31428-promise-announces-thunderbolt-raid-storage

Desktop Replacements

So I have heard a number of people talk about desktop replacements in reference to the oversized 17 and 18 inch laptops that have become so widely available, but I have never actually heard a manufacturer refer to themselves as a manufacturer of desktop replacements until now.  Eurocom makes powerful, portable machines to be used as portable desktops or even portable servers.  Intel i7 and Xeon processors available with plenty of video card options and up to 24gb of ram these things are beasts.  Check it out: http://eurocom.com/

Light Peak Finally Arrives

Intel's project for faster data transfer through fiber optics known as 'Light Peak' has finally arrived today.  Its present in the upgraded features of Apple's new and improved MacBook Pro laptops and its call 'Thunderbolt'.  They say its capable of reaching speeds up to 10Gbps.  Here is a link to the Maximum PC article giving you all the good details http://www.maximumpc.com/article/news/intels_light_peak_arrives_thunderbolt 

I can't wait to get my hands on one of these for backing up my movie collection, although I'm guess PCs still have a little while to go.

Crazy 'Anonymous' Security hack of HBGary Security Firm

If any of you have read or followed any of the story the HBGary security firm, I found this article awesome.  To explain, HBGary was hired to track down a group that has been taking out the websites of those trying to shut down wikileaks.org.  The firm found this group that they call 'Anonymous' and said they were about ready to announce and reveal these hackers.  Upon hearing this 'Anonymous' launched a large attack on the firm infiltrating all sorts of data they had including their government division HBGary Federal.  This article details how 'Anonymous' was able to perform such an attach and embarrass this group out to reveal them.  Here is the link: http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/news/2011/02/anonymous-speaks-the-inside-story-of-the-hbgary-hack.ars/2

To Start Things Off

This is the first post of my new blog. The idea of this blog is to start some support for a new website I want to make. I have come to the realization that I spend an awful lot of my time researching various topics online, from cyber security, to sharing files between multiple platforms, to wanting to build my home media network, etc. I am sure there are others like me out there who are not necessarily seeking to become great and mighty IT gods, but just would like the advantages of an integrated life. Please post your comments, questions, or curiosities on any topics that I might be able to share what I have learned and spent all my time researching so that you don't have to.