Tech

News, newspapers, information and how you get it.

I realized that I’m not that up today with my news. I don’t watch the evening news and I don’t typically read any papers during the week. Maybe I’m just behind the times. The news I do read / watch is technical news and world news. I get this from Flipboard . I also subscribe to the local paper, the Sunday …

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GUID Generator

I had the need to generate a few GUID’s for a project recently. Because I typically use Visual Studio I had GuidGen available. It is a feature in Visual Studio from (TOOLS > Creat GUID) Because I often have the urge to simplify things, I quickly put together a Guid generator site. This page will generate any number of GUID’s for …

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Cheaper bandwidth–(not the last mile)

I was reading an article on gigaom regarding how bandwidth is getting cheaper. http://gigaom.com/2012/08/02/guess-what-bandwidth-is-getting-cheaper/ The article was not about our home or business bandwidth but rather IP transit costs.  The cost to move data from one location to another (overseas).   The reference the value from a business perspective, if that business buys a lot of bandwidth.   Companies like netflix, google, etc… …

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Developer Laptop

Dell has just launched a developer focused laptop.  The cool thing about this version is that it runs Ubuntu (linux) and is on a 13 inch laptop.    (check out the hardware here)  The article that I found regarding this was focused on the Sputnik project.   I think this is a great start.  I’m a fan of small portable computing and the …

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When is it illegal to listen. Mapping wifi?

When did listening become illegal?  After reading this article I got to thinking more about how the concept of wireless is flawed.   http://gigaom.com/2012/05/01/google-wi-fi-snooping-and-the-ever-shifting-creepy-line/ As a technology it uses public airwaves to send data.  This concept works great when the data is suppose to be freely available.  The success of this can be seen with radio and TV.    People are able to …

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Michigan Broadband

I have been evaluating my broadband connection at home lately.  I currently have a cable modem from Comcast.  I’ve been a cable modem user since @home.    There was  short period where I had  a $14 DSL line from yahoo but that did not last long.   We have recently had service issues in our area based on signal strength.  In doing some …

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Web Gui’s for management

It seems every device you purchase has a web admin page. The little linksys router you purchased, the NAS storage device, your Linux box, etc… The trend is to have any type of appliance have this type of management tool. These tools allow the managemnt of these devices to be done by almost anyone. The challenge is that many people take …

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Cards, Photos, and DPI

I am happy to say that my 13th wedding anniversary was this week.  As always I get my wife a little gift and a card.  Lately when I am in need of cards I have been creating my own.  I’ve become pretty proficient with Photoshop (or the equivalent open source GIMP) and make my own.     I like the idea of making …

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WordPress–Contact 7 Form (special mail tags)

I have been using wordpress for a while now.  It is one of the best content management systems I have used.  Fully customizable and it has a great community of developers to help solve challenges.   My favorite plug-in for wordpress is the contact form 7.  Contact Form 7 is the most robust and configurable form tool that I have found for …

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Packable and portable coffee

UPDATE: I was able to purchase Tea Fillers from Teavana in our local mall My current employer does not provide coffee. So I find myself bringing coffee to work. This is not a bad thing, only that I tend to forget my Thermos at work.  They do offer coffee to purchase in the café, but this can become pricy.  Overall, I …

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QR codes

I found a great site for creating custom QR codes.  I had a project a few years back where I had to generate QR codes, so I wrote my own engine.  Then I used the .net framework to impose images on top of QR codes using GDI+.  The qrhacker.com site does a great job of putting the elements I did a …

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Ghost in the Wires–Kevin Mitnick

This has been a great book so far.  Not only is Kevin a very sociable person but he is a very entertaining writer.  His stories are amazing.  To think that he left some out. http://www.amazon.com/Ghost-Wires-Adventures-Worlds-Wanted/dp/0316037702 Watch is interview with Snubs on Hak5. “23 Questions with Kevin Mitnick” http://hak5.org/episodes/hak5-1017

New Gadget

I was watching some CES news and ran across a new gadget that I would like to purchase. It looks like I’ll have to wait till March for this one.  Only $50 dollars.   It is called feedair. http://www.feedair.com I have tried in the past to use the Ambient orb to get something like feedair to work.  Weather forecasts, information, etc…   I …

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Zoneminder and video camera

I recently purchased an ip camera for the house.  I have wanted one for a long time and finally made a purchase.   The reason for the camera was to monitor the kids and also the garage.  The camera I purchased was a dlink DCS-930L.   It was on sale at Best Buy for about $55. The reason I chose this camera was …

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Blogging Tool– Windows Live Writer

This new year I plan on blogging more.   For one reason, it is a good stress relief.   The other reasons revolve that I like to do it.     To make the process easier I plan on utilizing Windows live writer.  The reason for using live writer is the simple ease of use and great layout functions it allows.   I currently use WordPress …

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