tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14806250351069516062024-03-19T12:01:29.431-07:00Bits & BytesTechnology Made SimpleUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger48125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1480625035106951606.post-62859853459666004512017-12-15T11:55:00.004-08:002017-12-15T12:30:06.882-08:00Review: iview Air Stick ATSC Digital TV Tuner / HDTV Receiver<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: x-small;">It works!</span></td></tr>
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A few days ago I ordered an iview Air Stick, a device that claimed to turn Android phones and tablets into over-the-air (OTA) TV receivers. I wanted a way to catch the local news while camping or when the power goes out, a common occurrence in the rural area where I live.</div>
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I had been looking for a low powered, portable OTA solution and this seemed like it might be just the thing. Prices for this type of gadget start at less than 20 dollars and go up from there. I selected a mid priced model (less than $30), made sure it was designed for the North American ATSC Standard and the limited reviews were pretty good. My iview Air Stick arrived today. I'm happy to report that IT WORKS!</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5-GAzLX_rZbN7j1-vlc9QHF9kYt76RD8Xur7Q8NyQppukhDFMfao7ynderep_0_CUsr8xusau8TM_hlTL87bi6iUoQeNkizafJDKhk6rlw_iU0GI5KRD-FeHjhFcTlyA1hpTgPB0PETJU/s1600/IMAG1949.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5-GAzLX_rZbN7j1-vlc9QHF9kYt76RD8Xur7Q8NyQppukhDFMfao7ynderep_0_CUsr8xusau8TM_hlTL87bi6iUoQeNkizafJDKhk6rlw_iU0GI5KRD-FeHjhFcTlyA1hpTgPB0PETJU/s200/IMAG1949.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Contents of the box</td></tr>
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<span style="line-height: 19.32px;"><br />The box contains the Air Stick, which only measures about 1 inch by 1.5 inches, a 12" telescoping, magnetic antenna with 6 foot cord, wrist antenna and instruction booklet.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.32px;">I tested it first on an older tablet running Android 4.4. I expected trouble with this device as it is older and rather under-powered but it effortlessly discovered all my local stations, in HD and with closed captioning!</span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvRD7CXEB0xos5zQG_5VcAhtoHTNHXuAXt8f_Sf-L2W853uRlHFvffSodtdtB3_rCp7eMlnd3dmUKkuQdIihCvy2TfYVmG0yK7hqDsP80Fk_rmrX0x8rHtZYX57TwxG3eDyDrhvkQNlcex/s1600/IMAG1960.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvRD7CXEB0xos5zQG_5VcAhtoHTNHXuAXt8f_Sf-L2W853uRlHFvffSodtdtB3_rCp7eMlnd3dmUKkuQdIihCvy2TfYVmG0yK7hqDsP80Fk_rmrX0x8rHtZYX57TwxG3eDyDrhvkQNlcex/s200/IMAG1960.jpg" style="cursor: move;" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Local stations and settings menu</td></tr>
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<span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.32px;">Next, I tested and confirmed it works with Android 7.0 and 7.1 and plays nice with a usb-c type connector with a usb-c to mini usb adapter. (You must use an adapter that supports OTG technology.<a href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2Fgp%2Fproduct%2FB07474XXGN%2Fref%3Doh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00%3Fie%3DUTF8%26psc%3D1&h=ATNpM3OQZpDta9XaNPRdAZmPQVpcFm0i3Cx72AEA0JDEfzHRS-gvd5rZ6zTJhdc084Pazjp6bIbaFDMdpUxfYndNFARuI8t_loBfiHP_7CCkxDdq4nE3SiFNLBQriz4UVXWOyEi0SH9PFaR8Yyet" target="_blank"> You can get one here.</a>)</span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC7OjuMvVkY5FC7AlAfbGozxNYJ7nGHs1910NK-uKU9yzPmr5hjjmOZ1mLadBv38F3yXvtMfN9o47rPTdQMSawXkrI9I0Y1vQQP5oDR0Afwr-BDEQ_Q_fRN3_32FiHiaK-2_wUwgk-74LS/s1600/Screenshot_20171205-182055.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="900" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC7OjuMvVkY5FC7AlAfbGozxNYJ7nGHs1910NK-uKU9yzPmr5hjjmOZ1mLadBv38F3yXvtMfN9o47rPTdQMSawXkrI9I0Y1vQQP5oDR0Afwr-BDEQ_Q_fRN3_32FiHiaK-2_wUwgk-74LS/s200/Screenshot_20171205-182055.png" width="112" /></a><span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.32px;">The iview Air Stick found the same number of stations that we get on our Over-the-Air Home TV with a basic antenna. Set up was easy peasy:</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.32px;">Plug the Air Stick into your device.</span><br />
<span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.32px;">Download the ATSC Player by Cidana Corp from Google Play.</span><br />
<span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.32px;">Open the ATSC Player.</span><br />
<span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.32px;">Click 'Yes' to launch this software whenever this device is plugged in.</span><br />
<span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.32px;">Pick your country. (USA is default)</span><br />
<span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.32px;">It will scan for channels then list the choices.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9u9YS3zlVWobN__K8jLtccgsg7xqbNrue4p9uL-96GbcwIuL13mV12zwT8YL2_qXKFAFHVzqAMbt7mcK7cftL9oJu2T0Mt-uCkqhZ4gc8puRvTApddaMmqJFU_Br_u26fFDI2Jrs6cmTP/s1600/epgmenu.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9u9YS3zlVWobN__K8jLtccgsg7xqbNrue4p9uL-96GbcwIuL13mV12zwT8YL2_qXKFAFHVzqAMbt7mcK7cftL9oJu2T0Mt-uCkqhZ4gc8puRvTApddaMmqJFU_Br_u26fFDI2Jrs6cmTP/s200/epgmenu.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Electronic Program Guide</td></tr>
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<span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.32px;">Click on the one you want to play. Thats it.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.32px;"><span style="line-height: 19.32px; text-align: center;">Settings are limited, but there's an Electronic Program Guide (EPG) that provides the programming schedule and touching the screen while the TV is running provides more options, including the ability to record the show and save it to your device for later viewing.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.32px;"><br />This gadget has proven to work as I had hoped and I can't wait to try it while camping. </span></span><br />
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<a href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2Fgp%2Fproduct%2FB01M8LOW8Q%2Fref%3Dod_aui_detailpages00%3Fie%3DUTF8%26psc%3D1&h=ATMkOdqAWA6ux5QyIBkshGg5ekqEG3MPMAsRg22dvQXH5cdqQclrGW0Wg3NlzpTTXYHD_64LFXb3s_rggqx7ZmuKzJDkEzNxV7WGDiHiZHVKTz0VC-Il_qO7Wby6rQW_sBbaqeUCen6HUVS4LBWVzd2vlNVtQXDLBUWxbtny59TKt9e8uZKcFx5nfLf4qv-uIpPFMbTuRbXlhVdKcZ8zqSWQ4ZWvGz4zSH7lNxx8j54xmXQKT_UVDG46RcLgKi_y3_HAdkDfc2dKo8_c0RdMjVofsIwsxbhBOzFhRBzG" style="font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.32px;" target="_blank">Check out the iview Air Stick on Amazon, $27.47.</a><br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1480625035106951606.post-66013003748573435542014-03-06T17:35:00.000-08:002014-03-07T08:07:27.857-08:00Is Linux SSL/TLS Flaw an NSA Backdoor? <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCHNTA1JEoGCwS-dVy7m2mg4C-GGSvjPkihn_pqRbgQmmrkB9NBiuYecUH6C0qxlN_1eduahrUX5I70fBytZiLyxjKHiiuO_Mjqq2lUJ8sq2DosxECY6jyMWSO3UUs6Pzpr5rVphRuAwyv/s1600/ID-10036294.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCHNTA1JEoGCwS-dVy7m2mg4C-GGSvjPkihn_pqRbgQmmrkB9NBiuYecUH6C0qxlN_1eduahrUX5I70fBytZiLyxjKHiiuO_Mjqq2lUJ8sq2DosxECY6jyMWSO3UUs6Pzpr5rVphRuAwyv/s1600/ID-10036294.jpg" height="320" width="226" /></a></div>
A code audit conducted by Red Hat in February uncovered a <a href="https://rhn.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2014-0246.html">critical bug</a> in the SSL/TLS security implementation in Linux (Secure Socket Layer/Transport Layer Security). This followed a similar bug <a href="http://www.macworld.com/article/2099987/what-you-need-to-know-about-apples-ssl-bug.html">found in Apple</a> products last month.<br />
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The flaw allows an attacker to gain access the SSL/TLS stack which encrypts data being transferred between two points on a network (like the Internet) through a fraudulent security certificate. SSL is used for everything from securing your banking transactions to protecting your email and chats.<br />
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The bug effects not only Red Hat but most every Linux distribution and has <i>been in place for a decade or more.</i> The amount of software which uses this protocol and may have to be updated could be staggering.<br />
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TLS is an updated form of SSL and uses a protocol developed by the IETF (Internet Engineering Task Force), which was developed in 1999 and updated in 2008 and 2011. (Interestingly, a Snowden leaked documents from 2012 show the NSA had <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/world/interactive/2013/nov/01/prism-slides-nsa-document">recently added Apple users</a> to it's list of compromised systems.)<br />
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Chrome and Firefox users are safe from this bug as they use OpenSSL, which is not affected by this vulnerability.<br />
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How could such a gaping hole go so long without being discovered in Open Source software? Don't 'many eyes make all bugs shallow?'<br />
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According <a href="http://www.pcworld.com/article/2105145/what-you-need-to-know-about-the-gnutls-linux-bug.html">this article in PCWorld</a>, to David Walser, a security manager for <a href="https://www.mageia.org/en/">Mageia Linux</a>, explained,<br />
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<i>“The code is extremely complicated. Even though the code is freely available for review, only a select group of people would be qualified to accurately analyze and understand the whole system well enough to catch such a subtle bug. It’s also not the type of vulnerability that can be found by automated analysis tools, requiring manual scrutiny instead."</i></blockquote>
In September of 2013, Linus Torvalds <a href="http://bits-n-bytes-tech.blogspot.com/2013/09/can-linux-be-trusted-linus-confirms-nsa.html">caused a stir</a> in the Linux community when he indicated, through a nod of the head, that the NSA had requested a back door into Linux systems.<br />
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Following news of the hint, Linus is reported to have said<a href="http://www.linuxfoundation.org/news-media/news/2013/09/techweekeurope-linus-torvalds-jokes-nsa-wanted-backdoor-linux"> he was joking</a>. Was this retraction due to the Linux community not getting the joke or was it due to legal advice? Linus is not known for his sense of humor. Rather, he is known for being honestly blunt, sometimes a bit too blunt.<br />
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The question has hung in the air ever since: Is there a backdoor in Linux? And is this SSL/TLS vulnerablity an NSA backdoor?<br />
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The FBI has been obsessed with breaking encryption for more than a decade. Leaked documents by Edward Snowden have shown the NSA went to great lengths to access encrypted data. From pressuring companies to install government accessible back doors or provide encryption keys or stealing keys from those who did not cooperate. According to the <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2013/09/06/us/nsa-foils-much-internet-encryption.html">NY Times</a>:<br />
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<i>"The N.S.A. hacked into target computers to snare messages before they were encrypted. In some cases, companies say they were coerced by the government into handing over their master encryption keys or building in a back door. And the agency used its influence as the world’s most experienced code maker to covertly introduce weaknesses into the encryption standards followed by hardware and software developers around the world."</i></blockquote>
There was also a purported back-door in the OpenBSD operating system, which was disclosed on a <a href="http://marc.info/?l=openbsd-tech&m=129236621626462&w=2">mailing list in December of 2010</a>. The writer stated that his non-disclosure agreement had recently expired and he wanted everyone to know that security holes had been intentionally placed in the system:<br />
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<i>"My NDA with the FBI has recently expired, and I wanted to make you aware of the fact that the FBI implemented a number of backdoors and side channel key leaking mechanisms into the OCF, for the express purpose of monitoring the site to site VPN encryption system implemented by EOUSA, the parent organization to the FBI."</i></blockquote>
No known back door was found in FreeBSD when this was reported. But the time frame and data targeted fits with the decade old flaw recently disclosed in Linux systems.<br />
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We don't know if this huge security flaw was intentionally placed in Linux systems or it was a coding error. No one can say how it got there. But no one can dispute that it has existed unnoticed for a very long time.<br />
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A patch for the bug has been rolled out and is available for most Linux distributions. <i>Update your system now.</i><br />
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Thank you to Red Hat for finding and disclosing this bug. This shows without a doubt that open code does not guarantee security. And automated tools for finding flaws is no substitute for trained eyes.<br />
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The days of "Many eyes make all bugs shallow" may be true for actual bugs, but what of intentional vulnerabilities which have been carefully obfuscated or a small but profound mistake in millions of lines of code? Perhaps the adage needs to be changed to reflect the level of complexity in today's code: "Qualified eyes make all bugs shallow."<br />
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><i>freedigitalphotos.net/twobee</i></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1480625035106951606.post-31300389379385459062013-09-22T19:00:00.000-07:002013-09-24T09:24:58.346-07:00Can Linux Be Trusted? Linus Confirms NSA Backdoor Request<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEichrcup5W_zFTlpd3OLTXiBxMtIlX0lkhIRvjLGyG8AeFZTcK_Jwi_wuv6b_w2xpw6J_p0ORuzG1vRa0iyYsByZlWPjYbTZvx2A6iFL1lQU2GeEaAPu98lnRmLUcdNN4958Xw0LF1VrtSy/s1600/nsa-hq.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="249" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEichrcup5W_zFTlpd3OLTXiBxMtIlX0lkhIRvjLGyG8AeFZTcK_Jwi_wuv6b_w2xpw6J_p0ORuzG1vRa0iyYsByZlWPjYbTZvx2A6iFL1lQU2GeEaAPu98lnRmLUcdNN4958Xw0LF1VrtSy/s320/nsa-hq.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">NSA Headquarters (from <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:National_Security_Agency_headquarters,_Fort_Meade,_Maryland.jpg">Wikipedia</a>)</td></tr>
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At the keynote speech at LinuxCon, Linus Torvalds, creator and lead developer of the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Linux">Linux</a> kernel, was asked if the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Security_Agency">National Security Agency</a> (NSA) had asked him to insert a backdoor into the popular open source operating system. Linus responded by nodding yes while saying the word, "no," implying that he had been asked to do so, but was not able to discuss it.<br />
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This has caused quite a stir in the Linux community, who has always considered the 'open' nature of the source, that is, anyone can view the code, would make it impossible to hide such a deliberate security hole. But how many actually have looked at the kernel code and how many could identify such a backdoor in the millions of lines, especially if care were taken to obfuscate the process?<br />
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This commenter spoke for millions of Linux users when replying to<a href="http://www.eweek.com/developer/linus-torvalds-talks-linux-development-at-linuxcon.html"> this article on the subject from e-week:</a><br />
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<i>"What they should have asked is: Did you, in fact put a backdoor in the Linux Kernel?"</i><br />
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And there was this:<br />
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<i>"All further development on the kernel, modules, etc... should be halted until a thorough audit has taken place by those skilled enough to do so. Linux is no longer trustworthy"</i><br />
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Sound paranoid? Perhaps not so much. Lets look at some facts we know to be true.<br />
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<b>NSA Thwarts Encryption Through Influencing Standards, Hacking, Inserting Backdoors:</b></div>
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Recently leaked documents from Edward Snowden show a concerted effort by federal agencies to access encrypted data, either through pressuring companies to install backdoors and provide encryption keys, stealing keys from company servers or hacking the computers of end users. According to <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2013/09/06/us/nsa-foils-much-internet-encryption.html">this article </a>from the NY Times:</div>
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>"The N.S.A. hacked into target computers to snare messages before they were encrypted. In some cases, companies say they were coerced by the government into handing over their master encryption keys or building in a back door. And the agency used its influence as the world’s most experienced code maker to covertly introduce weaknesses into the encryption standards followed by hardware and software developers around the world."</i></blockquote>
A leaked NSA memo from 2006 showed that the NSA managed to not only influence encryption standards, but was able to become the creator and sole editor and pressure international standards groups to ratify it. A year later, a 'fatal' security hole was discovered in the new encryption standard. It appears the security hole was actually a purposeful creation of the NSA.</div>
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<b>NSA Scoops Up Google, Facebook, Apple, User Data </b></div>
The <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/jun/06/us-tech-giants-nsa-data/print">Guardian reports</a> the NSA has gained direct access to servers used by Internet tech giants to collect user data. The companies either dispute this is true or maintain they have no knowledge of such access. Google responded with this statement:<br />
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>"Google cares deeply about the security of our users' data. We disclose user data to government in accordance with the law, and we review all such requests carefully. From time to time, people allege that we have created a government 'back door' into our systems, but Google does not have a back door for the government to access private user data."</i></blockquote>
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Their cooperation with of thousands of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FISA_court">FISA Court</a> subpoenas has been widely reported and several companies, eager to reassure nervous customers, have filed a law suit requesting permission to disclose to users what data they have disclosed to the Fed. <i>(<a href="http://bits-n-bytes-tech.blogspot.com/2013/08/google-microsoft-facebook-sue-for-more.html">See Google, Microsoft, Facebook Sue for More NSA Transparancy, 08/31/2013</a>)</i></div>
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<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<b>Windows 8 'Trusted Computing' Not So Trustworthy:</b></div>
<div>
<a href="http://www.zeit.de/digital/datenschutz/2013-08/trusted-computing-microsoft-windows-8-nsa/seite-1">Ziet.de is reporting</a> that German government IT officials contend the new 'trusted computing' built into Windows 8, which is supposed to protect against trojans and viruses can be used as a snooping device for the NSA. German government officials suggest staying with Windows 7 for the time being. According to<a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/leaked-german-government-warns-key-entities-not-to-use-windows-8--links-the-nsa-2013-8"> this Business Insider</a> article:</div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>"Experts at the BSI, the Ministry of Economic Affairs, and the Federal Administration warned unequivocally against using computers with Windows 8 and TPM 2.0. One of the documents from early 2012 lamented, “Due to the loss of full sovereignty over the information technology, the security objectives of ‘confidentiality’ and ‘integrity’ can no longer be guaranteed.”</i></blockquote>
<div>
<b>Microsoft Opens Outlook, Hotmail, Skype and SkyDrive to NSA Snooping: </b><br />
According to <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/jul/11/microsoft-nsa-collaboration-user-data">this article</a> in The Guardian, Microsoft has worked closely with NSA and made changes to popular e-mail and video phone programs to make it easier for NSA to obtain full access to user emails and voice communications. According to the article:</div>
<div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>• The agency already had pre-encryption stage access to email on Outlook.com, including Hotmail;<br />• The company worked with the FBI this year to allow the NSA easier access via Prism to its cloud storage service SkyDrive, which now has more than 250 million users worldwide;<br />• Microsoft also worked with the FBI's Data Intercept Unit to "understand" potential issues with a feature in Outlook.com that allows users to create email aliases;<br />• In July last year, nine months after Microsoft bought Skype, the NSA boasted that a new capability had tripled the amount of Skype video calls being collected through Prism;<br />• Material collected through Prism is routinely shared with the FBI and CIA, with one NSA document describing the program as a "team sport".</i></blockquote>
</div>
<div>
<div>
<b>NSA Collects Millions of Internet and Cell Phone Records</b><br />
In <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/jun/06/nsa-phone-records-verizon-court-order">this report </a>from The Guardian shows Verizon is collecting millions of customer phone record 'metadata' by order of a secret FISA court. Normally, the national security court requests information on specific customers but this order is significant due to its sweeping nature. According to The Guardian's report:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>The order, a copy of which has been obtained by the Guardian, requires Verizon on an "ongoing, daily basis" to give the NSA information on all telephone calls in its systems, both within the US and between the US and other countries.</i></blockquote>
Lest customers of other cell phone and Internet companies feel safe, you can probably assume your company is also under some type of similar order. It was only a few years ago when it was disclosed that AT&T had a secret switching room devoted to collecting all internet and phone traffic coming through it's hub in San Francisco then sending the data on to the NSA. According to the <a href="https://www.eff.org/nsa-spying">Electronic Frontier Foundation</a> (EFF):<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>"The undisputed documents show that AT&T installed a fiberoptic splitter at its facility at 611 Folsom Street in San Francisco that makes copies of all emails web browsing and other Internet traffic to and from AT&T customers and provides those copies to the NSA. This copying includes both domestic and international Internet activities of AT&T customers. As one expert observed, “this isn’t a wiretap, it’s a country-tap.” Secret government documents, published by the media in 2013, confirm the NSA obtains full copies of everything that is carried along major domestic fiber optic cable networks."</i></blockquote>
<div>
<b>FBI Consultant Claims Backdoors in Open BSD Operating System</b></div>
In December 2010, man who had worked on funding the Crypto Framework in the Open BSD Operating System claimed the FBI had inserted several backdoors into the Open BSD code a decade before. He said he could not disclose the information before that time because he had to comply with a ten year Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA). </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<a href="http://marc.info/?l=openbsd-tech&m=129236621626462&w=2">In an email </a>to Theo, de Raadt, Gregory Perry, who says he was an FBI consultant working on cryptography for NETSEC, writes:</div>
<div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>"My NDA with the FBI has recently expired, and I wanted to make you aware of the fact that the FBI implemented a number of backdoors and side channel key leaking mechanisms into the OCF, for the express purpose of monitoring the site to site VPN encryption system implemented by EOUSA, the parent organization to the FBI."</i></blockquote>
To my knowledge, no backdoor was found in Open BSD when this was disclosed ten years later. Whether it existed at one time and was quietly removed or if Mr. Perry is being untruthful is left to the reader to decide. In light of the governments obsession with breaking or bypassing encryption (see above) it certainly seems plausible.<br />
<br />
<b>What about Linux? </b><br />
At this point, we don't know. Linus isn't allowed to tell and hopefully he won't get into trouble with the Feds for the 'heads-up' he gave the community already. I am sure there will suddenly be many more people taking an interest in the Linux kernel or other components in the operating system which may be vulnerable to snooping.<br />
<br />
There is an adage in the Open Source Community that "many eyes make all bugs shallow" (Ironically, this is known as 'Linus's Law') Lets hope that applies to backdoors too and if such a thing exists in Linux, it is discovered <i>and (dis)closed </i>very soon.<br />
<br /></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1480625035106951606.post-12411398621969195312013-08-31T13:23:00.000-07:002013-08-31T13:25:19.667-07:00Google, Microsoft, Facebook Sue for More NSA Transparency<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4wc-d3JaFvTSGF50xx4WCI_VA3tSadsfevfakApxCJCNKgx7dPVwivgLLQ0KJ1HtSySrLCuc8P6XVGp775HMONiUgTTiwtVkIQLY5y1A9k04FGGr89kOcQE6WSXrNYxj2UqQPE49sV3EY/s1600/computerspy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4wc-d3JaFvTSGF50xx4WCI_VA3tSadsfevfakApxCJCNKgx7dPVwivgLLQ0KJ1HtSySrLCuc8P6XVGp775HMONiUgTTiwtVkIQLY5y1A9k04FGGr89kOcQE6WSXrNYxj2UqQPE49sV3EY/s1600/computerspy.jpg" /></a></div>
In a battle of behemoths, a group of the largest Internet companies is moving forward with a law suit against the Obama Administration. Following an outcry by customers, they are suing to release specific information on the data they provided to national security investigators about users.<br />
<br />
Finding a balance between security and privacy which is acceptable to all parties has proven frustrating and negotiations between the US Government and the Internet giants have broken down.<br />
<br />
According to<a href="http://www.latimes.com/business/technology/la-fi-tn-microsoft-nsa-surveillance-lawsuit-20130830,0,2798254.story"> this report</a>, Microsoft announced they are moving forward with the suit which allows more transparency on the information that has been shared with the National Security Agency. They deny reports that they allowed government access to their servers or provided widespread access to users data and communications.<br />
<br />
Faced with secret subpoenas and non-disclosure orders by the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foreign_Intelligence_Surveillance_Act">Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act </a>(FISA), companies have been limited as to what they can disclose publicly about government requests for information or their compliance. The recent leaks regarding <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2013/06/08/technology/tech-companies-bristling-concede-to-government-surveillance-efforts.html">corporate co-operation</a> in these investigations has led to wide spread concern among users about how much and what information is being shared with federal investigators.<br />
<br />
Microsoft General Council, Brad Smith said, "With the failure of our recent negotiations, we will move forward with litigation in the hope that the courts will uphold our right to speak more freely,”<br />
<br />
Colin Stretch, General Council for Facebook stated, “We are deeply disappointed that despite months of negotiations and the efforts of many companies, the government has not yet permitted our industry to release more detailed and granular information about those requests.”<br />
<br />
James Clapper, Director for National Intelligence has stated that the US Government will soon release more information on its intelligence gathering practices. Many are skeptical that government will be willing to provide meaningful answers to the public privacy concerns. As Google responded in an emailed statement:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>"While the government’s decision to publish aggregate information about certain national security requests is a step in the right direction, we believe there is still too much secrecy around these requests and that more openness is needed. That's why we, along with many others, have called on the U.S. government to allow us to publish specific numbers about both FISA and NSL requests."</i></blockquote>
As more <a href="http://apps.washingtonpost.com/g/page/national/first-direct-evidence-of-illegal-surveillance-found-by-the-fisa-court/393/">disclosures</a> show <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/aug/21/nsa-illegally-collected-thousands-emails-court">massive and often illegal </a>collection of data by the FISA court and internet companies, Google, Microsoft, Facebook and others are trying to reassure nervous users that they are capable of protecting personal information while still complying with reasonable and specific government requests for information.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1480625035106951606.post-77324828696115842602013-08-21T15:48:00.000-07:002013-08-23T11:12:05.845-07:00MERS Death Toll Rises; CDC Funds Increased Local Monitoring<b>Saudi Death Toll Rises to 76:</b><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMNTDYwJTES2irU48q15PYLnFr4gdXQ8SOrhb2JfRN6Ej12_5VMqSnWvoi_cabCTzL3QD05e1ifRBQo5ECzp5IMNeZ1LZeQWLsDw5vvWUcq35T5xleCk4XDMP2xjJN8hXdy9NsxqOUeyrM/s1600/mers-virus.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMNTDYwJTES2irU48q15PYLnFr4gdXQ8SOrhb2JfRN6Ej12_5VMqSnWvoi_cabCTzL3QD05e1ifRBQo5ECzp5IMNeZ1LZeQWLsDw5vvWUcq35T5xleCk4XDMP2xjJN8hXdy9NsxqOUeyrM/s320/mers-virus.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">MERS virus (image from <a href="http://eden.lsu.edu/TOPICS/HUMANHEALTH/MERS/Pages/default.aspx">eden.lsu.edu</a>)</td></tr>
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The Saudi Health Ministry <a href="http://www.worldbulletin.net/?aType=haber&ArticleID=115486" target="_blank">has announced</a> that 76 people have died so far from the <a href="http://bits-n-bytes-tech.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">MERS virus</a> which has health officials on alert in the Middle East, Europe and indeed worldwide.<br />
<br />
MERS (Middle East Respiratory Syndrome) was first reported in 2012 in isolated clusters on the Arabian Peninsula. It was still unknown if the virus could be transmitted by personal contact. At that time, there were about eleven known cases of the virus, five fatal.<br />
<br />
Human to human transmission was <a href="http://bits-n-bytes-tech.blogspot.com/2013/03/deadly-new-virus-spreads-through-human.html">confirmed</a> in March, 2013 with the infection and death of a man in Britain. By then, the number of cases had increased to fourteen with eight fatalities. April and May saw a total of 23 infections in eastern Saudi Arabia.<br />
<br />
The death toll rose as the disease spread, and by mid-August the numbers had jumped to nearly a hundred total confirmed cases with 46 fatalities. Saudi government officials now report the infection has claimed at least 76 lives in that country alone.<br />
<br />
In a more optimistic sign, no new cases of MERS have been reported in Saudi since August 1, 2013 despite thousands of Ramadan pilgrims visiting the country during July and August. Countries are <a href="http://www.who.int/csr/disease/coronavirus_infections/update_20130813/en/index.html">advised to be alert </a>for signs of acute respiratory illness in people having recently returned from the area.<br />
<br />
<b>CDC Funds Efforts to Increase Local Monitoring:</b><br />
The CDC (<a href="http://www.cdc.gov/" target="_blank">Center for Disease Control and Prevention</a>) has <a href="http://www.infectioncontroltoday.com/news/2013/08/cdc-awards-funding-to-help-states-face-new-infectious-disease-threats.aspx" target="_blank">awarded nearly 76 million dollars</a> to assist state and local communities to beef up epidemiology and laboratories to better identify, track and respond to possible outbreaks of infectious disease. This is in addition to the 13.7 million dollars which was dispersed to local agencies in January, 2013.<br />
<br />
The money will be used to hire more than a thousand full and part time epidemiologists, laboratory technicians and health information systems personnel. Noting that many outbreaks of infectious disease are first identified at the local level, the announcement states:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>"The annual ELC investment provides public health officials with improved tools to respond to more outbreaks, conduct surveillance faster and prevent more illnesses and deaths from infectious diseases...This crucial CDC investment helps build a competent public health workforce, able surveillance systems, modern and efficient laboratory facilities and information networks."</i></blockquote>
More information on funding for specific states is available at <a href="http://www.cdc.gov/ncezid/dpei/epidemiology-laboratoryhttp://www.cdc.gov/ncezid/dpei/epidemiology-laboratory-capacity.html-capacity.html" target="_blank">this CDC</a> website.<br />
<br />
See<i> <a href="http://mers-virus.blogspot.com/">MERS Watch</a></i> for updated information on this topic.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1480625035106951606.post-42358366381456769552013-08-14T19:13:00.001-07:002013-08-23T11:12:40.463-07:00Worldwide Health Groups Issue MERS Updates<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Middle_East_respiratory_syndrome_coronavirus" target="_blank">Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus, or MERS-CoV; aka Novel Virus</a>) has been quietly spreading on the Arabian Peninsula. There have been nearly a hundred confirmed cases so far, half fatal. (<a href="http://bits-n-bytes-tech.blogspot.com/2013/03/deadly-new-virus-spreads-through-human.html" target="_blank">See <i>Deadly New Virus Spreads Through Human Contact</i></a>)<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAT2ap9CpxUl7fxUTuzl6Yo4EJyZGATvrL44IO9HFLMACzs2Ol3haYayzQhwcUQIDJG5sjFuTcg-ZgMHWA91q1lgTZI8ClFqINqS6wCol0JoxwMwrM5r6LM6E7fMy4j0OnoGcz2jaiuQ8d/s1600/mers-virus.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="195" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAT2ap9CpxUl7fxUTuzl6Yo4EJyZGATvrL44IO9HFLMACzs2Ol3haYayzQhwcUQIDJG5sjFuTcg-ZgMHWA91q1lgTZI8ClFqINqS6wCol0JoxwMwrM5r6LM6E7fMy4j0OnoGcz2jaiuQ8d/s320/mers-virus.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">MERS Coronavirus<br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">Photo from HO-US National Institute for Allergy and Infectious Diseases</span></td></tr>
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Several health organizations, including <a href="http://www.cdc.gov/" target="_blank">The Center for Disease Controls</a> (CDC), <a href="http://www.who.int/" target="_blank">The World Health Organization</a> (WHO) and <a href="http://www.ecdc.europa.eu/" target="_blank">The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control </a>(ECDC) have issued new guidelines or updated information regarding the dangerous MERS virus which has killed 45 people in the Arabian Peninsula and southern Europe, with the majority of deaths in Saudi Arabia.<br />
<br />
<b>Increased Testing for MERS Recommended:</b><br />
The<a href="http://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/mers/" target="_blank"> </a><a href="http://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/mers/" target="_blank">CDC updated its advice</a> to health professionals, advising them to increase testing for MERS, including in those who meet specific epidemiological and clinical criteria even if those illnesses could be explained by another cause. They also recommend testing for the virus in clusters of severe acute respiratory illnesses, even when there is no apparent link to other MERS infections.<br />
<br />
<b>Nations Watch for Outbreaks as Ramadan Pilgrims Return From Saudi Arabia:</b><br />
To date, 94 cases have been laboratory confirmed, with an additional sixteen unconfirmed.The <a href="http://www.who.int/csr/disease/coronavirus_infections/update_20130813/en/index.html" target="_blank">WHO </a><a href="http://www.who.int/csr/disease/coronavirus_infections/update_20130813/en/index.html" target="_blank">reports</a> that new infections are still occurring in the Arabian Peninsula but there have been no known exported cases for several months. They urge vigilance however, as thousands of Ramadan pilgrims have recently returned from Saudi Arabia. Ramadan ended on August 8.<br />
<br />
<b><i>Update 08/16/2013:</i></b><br />
<i>In a possibly ominous sign, a forty year old man in Mumbai, India is <a href="http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2013-08-15/mumbai/41412789_1_virus-case-vashi-resident-syndrome-coronavirus" target="_blank">suspected of contracting the MERS virus</a> after returning to India from 35 days in Saudi Arabia. He is currently quarantined at Kasturba Hospital in Chinchpokli while testing for the virus is being conducted. </i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i><b>Update: 08/18/2013: </b>The suspected case from India (above) <a href="http://www.dnaindia.com/mumbai/1875566/report-quarantined-navi-mumbai-man-tests-negative-for-mers-cov" target="_blank">has tested negative for MERS.</a> He is responding well to treatment and will be released soon. </i><br />
<br />
<b>Majority of Saudi Cases Spread Through Human Contact:</b><br />
In response to a recent report that camels may be spreading the virus, the ECDC <a href="http://www.ecdc.europa.eu/en/activities/sciadvice/Lists/ECDC%20Reviews/ECDC_DispForm.aspx?List=512ff74f-77d4-4ad8-b6d6-bf0f23083f30&ID=1317" target="_blank">issued a statement </a>cautioning that no clear link has been found. In fact, most of those infected had no known contact with camels or other animals.<br />
<br />
Much of the spread of the disease appears to be through human contact. According to <a href="http://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa1306742" target="_blank">this article</a> from the <a href="http://www.nejm.org/" target="_blank">New England Journal of Medicine</a>, 21 of 23 confirmed cases in Saudi Arabia were caused by person to person contact in three different health care facilities and among family care givers.<br />
<br />
See<i> <a href="http://mers-virus.blogspot.com/">MERS Watch</a></i> for updated information on this topic.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1480625035106951606.post-51510934780102175392013-07-22T13:49:00.000-07:002013-07-22T13:50:07.221-07:00Emergency Flip-Flop Fix<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiXzml4XJmtH1F6pUwHw44EL7Fc62rzYPuNOhEZ8xTHyUW_KS39XG8Fe24qZWL4C_Cg8RUZo2457GjgPwjx7J5_cZ6sR1vkdpfb0qlx22ViFAWwQbiA98Vdbk8N1uOif8RvhbybpFi7A_i/s1600/bread-tie.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="163" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiXzml4XJmtH1F6pUwHw44EL7Fc62rzYPuNOhEZ8xTHyUW_KS39XG8Fe24qZWL4C_Cg8RUZo2457GjgPwjx7J5_cZ6sR1vkdpfb0qlx22ViFAWwQbiA98Vdbk8N1uOif8RvhbybpFi7A_i/s200/bread-tie.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">This plastic bread tie can save your broken flip-flop</span></td></tr>
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It's happened to everyone. You're out enjoying the summer with friends and family at the beach or park. Suddenly, with an awkward stumble, your cheap flip-flops break and you are left shoeless or spend the day repeatedly reassembling them and hoping they don't come apart (again.)<br />
<br />
I recently learned a very clever trick for a quick and sturdy repair.<br />
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Find a plastic bread tie, the square, flat type with a hole and slit. They are commonly found on breads, rolls and buns.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEzerYyQOmOPDDkRUo1W2gdrTYqTbGFpeAA9WfcFPOfrfr_cPGntyAYFa4qlE_qimwoMxogw3PMOgxsYYGN1qXKk1g9E-_CRLPE_QoIQrIjWdU6iiIH5kI9aIk3KDurqlKq-BxhuTMC6YV/s1600/fixed.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="154" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEzerYyQOmOPDDkRUo1W2gdrTYqTbGFpeAA9WfcFPOfrfr_cPGntyAYFa4qlE_qimwoMxogw3PMOgxsYYGN1qXKk1g9E-_CRLPE_QoIQrIjWdU6iiIH5kI9aIk3KDurqlKq-BxhuTMC6YV/s200/fixed.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Slide the button through the slit in the bread tie</span></td></tr>
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Push the strap button through the hole and then, on the bottom of the shoe, slide on the bread tie through the slit. Position the flat plastic piece so it prevents the button from pulling out through the hole.<br />
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This simple repair should last a long time, at least until you can grab another pair of those cheap flip-flops.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1480625035106951606.post-73107396785874281032013-07-11T13:22:00.000-07:002013-07-12T20:28:31.239-07:00A Look Back at Ubuntu 5.10: Breezy Badger<br />
<i><b>What were you doing in October, 2005?
</b></i><br />
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<div style="text-align: right;">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPDsDtwWKb2qqzrr4s_K2FpplGDv5FpBC4PpDOo07XtZSswqVWlJK9UgwQQ3lzIzUM6BiOwii-Z2eGcDKD6NsKiMCTRgBfjQwWMmgfhahDhhn7ay54J_NNzVCnbjcQXDQlobU6juw-Bgfe/s1600/cd-cover-sq.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="276" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPDsDtwWKb2qqzrr4s_K2FpplGDv5FpBC4PpDOo07XtZSswqVWlJK9UgwQQ3lzIzUM6BiOwii-Z2eGcDKD6NsKiMCTRgBfjQwWMmgfhahDhhn7ay54J_NNzVCnbjcQXDQlobU6juw-Bgfe/s320/cd-cover-sq.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The original Ubuntu 5.10 CD set<br />
as shipped by Canonical</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mars_Reconnaissance_Orbiter">The Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter</a> was speeding towards Mars and clean up had just begun following <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hurricane_Katrina" target="_blank">Hurricane Katrina</a>. A new <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hong_Kong_Disneyland_Resort" target="_blank">Disneyland had opened in Hong Kong</a>.
A relatively new Linux upstart company called Canonical released <a href="http://www.ubuntu.com/GetUbuntu/releasenotes/510" target="_blank">Ubuntu 5.10, codenamed 'Breezy Badger</a>'.<br />
<br />
Breezy was the third release following 'Warty Warthog' (4.10; October, 2004) and Hoary Hedgehog (5.04). Ubuntu was built on the shoulders of Debian, but designed to be easy to use and updated regularly.<br />
<br />
Live CDs were a new idea at this time. Knoppix had been loading a fully functional OS, complete with hardware detection (hurray!) for a while, but it was not designed to be installed on your system. It was Ubuntu who brought Live CDs to the masses.<br />
<br />
In those early days, the Live CD and the Install CD were on separate disks.
I came upon my old CDs (ordered free from Canonical in those days) and popped the 'Breezy' Live CD into my Asus netbook.<br />
<br />
It still booted fine and hardware mostly worked. It didn't find either my wired or wireless connection and screen resolution was stubbornly stuck at 800 x 600, despite instructing it to use 1024 x 768. Both of these issues could probably have been fixed with a boot code or driver search.
Mostly, it worked fine and fast. With system requirements of 2 GB hard drive space and 128 MB RAM, that isn't surprising.<br />
<br />
Old Gnome 2.12.1 had that retro-looking blocky style and Ubuntu was experimenting with the brown theme which it would be well known for later. Compiz and it's whiz bang features for window compositing were still under development by Novell.<br />
<br />
Many of us have ridden this Ubuntu train for many years. Sometimes we like the direction Canonical takes, sometimes we don't, but we usually can still customize our boxes to our liking. You can't help but smile as you look at how far we have come and yet how little has changed.<br />
<br />
Here's some screenshots of Ubuntu 5.10 and some familiar apps as they appeared in 2005. Enjoy the trip down memory lane.<br />
<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6yq3Yv4RPr5_MC1_4nJPgtsH-pyJChb-m7ErTeZoniSqrKBuxgB-o7AGh-N2gsLzAkHVKt29_SsAJV-a2RRGn5V2eVq4WIYKszOA19JR7PxEWueUOiKlTtjLv7cxc55vC73a0kGqG81Sz/s1600/2-cds.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6yq3Yv4RPr5_MC1_4nJPgtsH-pyJChb-m7ErTeZoniSqrKBuxgB-o7AGh-N2gsLzAkHVKt29_SsAJV-a2RRGn5V2eVq4WIYKszOA19JR7PxEWueUOiKlTtjLv7cxc55vC73a0kGqG81Sz/s400/2-cds.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Install CD and Live CD were separate</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjLyuxR8zSNPstNBeoBEaH3Bjh05WfZDC6J6xPmDs_KD2sgh3M7UiM-bNxVlRd2wG3o04bDf7s0F8qkMqnGZ-m9AvOqWr8qQaYCQ5xnlmGTgVEX5sAn9dc6Eywxi4_Xmxeg9rDdX7t7cRq/s1600/det-floppy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjLyuxR8zSNPstNBeoBEaH3Bjh05WfZDC6J6xPmDs_KD2sgh3M7UiM-bNxVlRd2wG3o04bDf7s0F8qkMqnGZ-m9AvOqWr8qQaYCQ5xnlmGTgVEX5sAn9dc6Eywxi4_Xmxeg9rDdX7t7cRq/s400/det-floppy.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Early distros required a Linux boot floppy for installation.<br />
Knoppix brought us on-the-fly hardware detection and setup.</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCaYhLllITAOs22E5KwaB_EILbCQa4Io3eU6pUKJSV31R6GzFnKtbHyH2ewnHQ13WJm04uY66NNmKCkf1xvUyFPKUG3duRebB_E38ViPU6aGq7yz6iuaiiwt6bOPhHQQ5a-vjydWvXHzCG/s1600/boot.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCaYhLllITAOs22E5KwaB_EILbCQa4Io3eU6pUKJSV31R6GzFnKtbHyH2ewnHQ13WJm04uY66NNmKCkf1xvUyFPKUG3duRebB_E38ViPU6aGq7yz6iuaiiwt6bOPhHQQ5a-vjydWvXHzCG/s400/boot.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Breezy boot screen.<br />
Add your boot perimeters here. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwuW7EADhJcDza9EYP1JKYaomSCrdEwl-BH5Tm052Qt9bQ1Ply6FHz0YQIW00DgFIIw8YAn02z_8e6xvBCCHWuG7L-WYQ_PzOSIVMB6QJbRzv_16t4zN0i2RI4ZcAlI3qUJWWHm2ZFEsrh/s1600/desktop.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwuW7EADhJcDza9EYP1JKYaomSCrdEwl-BH5Tm052Qt9bQ1Ply6FHz0YQIW00DgFIIw8YAn02z_8e6xvBCCHWuG7L-WYQ_PzOSIVMB6QJbRzv_16t4zN0i2RI4ZcAlI3qUJWWHm2ZFEsrh/s400/desktop.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Breezy Desktop</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlmyiXlAG0V_HtaVeLNOt_u6hh8DUw78i6WU_czgau5AEwEbr6luO1w7N2GZ94fAWTKp3pDhZN6-xmW4rHjmWZgQSFgsXTjV-7ubCae5fLIqNH0vrzWPjc599C_yaq-OO26EAgOU51M0NM/s1600/dev-data.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlmyiXlAG0V_HtaVeLNOt_u6hh8DUw78i6WU_czgau5AEwEbr6luO1w7N2GZ94fAWTKp3pDhZN6-xmW4rHjmWZgQSFgsXTjV-7ubCae5fLIqNH0vrzWPjc599C_yaq-OO26EAgOU51M0NM/s400/dev-data.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hardware support was sketchy in those days and Ubuntu began compiling their Hardware Database Collection.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiKNBePaocjf-MaQ00r6F8flYkr6pn9thCKFXbcap71lS3q3vqmynGkjfmbukwMHWqo4XPuA_IMlyauBzjATN4ZIEMezRTNeROsGxKqi6QNZ8gC4GbMzh0YgvHF0kfsvNVnzZ_AlYD5229/s1600/sys-menu.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiKNBePaocjf-MaQ00r6F8flYkr6pn9thCKFXbcap71lS3q3vqmynGkjfmbukwMHWqo4XPuA_IMlyauBzjATN4ZIEMezRTNeROsGxKqi6QNZ8gC4GbMzh0YgvHF0kfsvNVnzZ_AlYD5229/s400/sys-menu.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gnome 2.12.1 System Menu</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYChtQLjSUNTMDZfPii9n90xEj7GGlt034CHQVt4h1P7uNn_WioGh8W-mzjiQU-mtlLelxPLUorFZHoA3Wvr_1nc4PywZXxz90cka5Ouea3tX3aE0sjgy6o9UZJaxnzFJx7GW3nlUKtESZ/s1600/computer.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYChtQLjSUNTMDZfPii9n90xEj7GGlt034CHQVt4h1P7uNn_WioGh8W-mzjiQU-mtlLelxPLUorFZHoA3Wvr_1nc4PywZXxz90cka5Ouea3tX3aE0sjgy6o9UZJaxnzFJx7GW3nlUKtESZ/s400/computer.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Computer window</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiysEOnPCfk63e_qBM9tXYkDCN6Inv3E7EbdgngyoYcAVL9fmw5Gf8t8kNEQUyTxQ_62TqJnGJPukrELAkPtn0a1qJ-stMT4c0zmZ8m7qm92fckUEm-6rthjPbrUGT42PxULTAieyueAn1h/s1600/file-sys.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiysEOnPCfk63e_qBM9tXYkDCN6Inv3E7EbdgngyoYcAVL9fmw5Gf8t8kNEQUyTxQ_62TqJnGJPukrELAkPtn0a1qJ-stMT4c0zmZ8m7qm92fckUEm-6rthjPbrUGT42PxULTAieyueAn1h/s400/file-sys.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">File System</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiCEZ8dCocztBdLRZ_npQMiGpqyUbUvrU9MKTFolE1aYhtd-VzH2j1upudbPAvBdhZFin1W18NjwrE9uCvE7ZylKPlPQQKVzrmRJ05MXsd38PobqVi-V6LbppvAnhwuVtrCFMb4kVBtRND/s1600/add-apps.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiCEZ8dCocztBdLRZ_npQMiGpqyUbUvrU9MKTFolE1aYhtd-VzH2j1upudbPAvBdhZFin1W18NjwrE9uCvE7ZylKPlPQQKVzrmRJ05MXsd38PobqVi-V6LbppvAnhwuVtrCFMb4kVBtRND/s400/add-apps.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A simple 'Add/Remove Programs' simplified software installation.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLgBGwh7KE1pxskJ6hsbsWuOHYlveRDeLvOovCTfgJc9jdwzMRiHEc6761PFl6IHFhAiVOVQGIUMdMILKehDD2Xj_0W-dhhz3IBe3tljE6zlW1Yfv53o47o2dUbjhISqQqq6Nhk_oY4ZD1/s1600/synaptic.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLgBGwh7KE1pxskJ6hsbsWuOHYlveRDeLvOovCTfgJc9jdwzMRiHEc6761PFl6IHFhAiVOVQGIUMdMILKehDD2Xj_0W-dhhz3IBe3tljE6zlW1Yfv53o47o2dUbjhISqQqq6Nhk_oY4ZD1/s400/synaptic.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Synaptic looks familiar</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz2cq5pRvo7mwkojiwtOtxMjaHvImmntTVoAvtn_8MV2_KpE8oGXbrJ41YE3UU_2OZgHmymJ-rpMtBjVau812gU2HsHRaKI-z2l05h9Sslb_GFK9B9aR-3kC27_hFjCsPd4jLER_VSnsqt/s1600/theme.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz2cq5pRvo7mwkojiwtOtxMjaHvImmntTVoAvtn_8MV2_KpE8oGXbrJ41YE3UU_2OZgHmymJ-rpMtBjVau812gU2HsHRaKI-z2l05h9Sslb_GFK9B9aR-3kC27_hFjCsPd4jLER_VSnsqt/s400/theme.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">If brown doesn't suit you,<br />
you can change it in Theme Preferences</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPkJagLU9Il9hYGlTBLvDCie-1-mL9IAwGpISqoaampEhNq0xFdOWEguStREFBpq8tVf_E4zzh7GOcn1MWC11uz6J6CxmR_LPbkVAM16WHjJtsOKp2Vt4O8yEbcSTWmeZO-4RP-1iymBt9/s1600/oo-2-0.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPkJagLU9Il9hYGlTBLvDCie-1-mL9IAwGpISqoaampEhNq0xFdOWEguStREFBpq8tVf_E4zzh7GOcn1MWC11uz6J6CxmR_LPbkVAM16WHjJtsOKp2Vt4O8yEbcSTWmeZO-4RP-1iymBt9/s400/oo-2-0.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">OpenOffice Writer was becoming a viable alternative to MS Word.<br />
Breezy included OO 2.0 Beta 2</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0opVL-dTXWXkdFLAX4M8nTr21NXeLEA3_IIbrFLumWQGooqKY8nxwfhcm5RbpNT8FPAPs830RGyrmrH6XudD7xt7lgzc4LiM6u4B0IEsabXeg4qDj8Btb8PtZPaI5sgXET9fSIZEut56-/s1600/calc_2-0.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0opVL-dTXWXkdFLAX4M8nTr21NXeLEA3_IIbrFLumWQGooqKY8nxwfhcm5RbpNT8FPAPs830RGyrmrH6XudD7xt7lgzc4LiM6u4B0IEsabXeg4qDj8Btb8PtZPaI5sgXET9fSIZEut56-/s400/calc_2-0.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Calc could replace Excel for most tasks.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP03NzrQi0E1_Inxe89xpaZ64oO8HyvRnuFLhfEKVf4D_Dz3CVTt7w3wvPNeJRamzNaIoi3aOMX1xq1Alnu23AgsLzR4tO16U-zYg_8Lq0sg4IdOwJbOwl0rMGAxymyAQbhycw1cPNwuJm/s1600/firefox.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP03NzrQi0E1_Inxe89xpaZ64oO8HyvRnuFLhfEKVf4D_Dz3CVTt7w3wvPNeJRamzNaIoi3aOMX1xq1Alnu23AgsLzR4tO16U-zYg_8Lq0sg4IdOwJbOwl0rMGAxymyAQbhycw1cPNwuJm/s400/firefox.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Firefox browser and Ubuntu home page.<br />
It seems they have kept the promises they made all those years ago.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6ygG5459oLnGyBA53qmlF_mBSeuWA31ULV4ekq4Xdrx0NUnGLhpFoIv7IvDvR3igCgsCUvdzWJbwxPoZXdf5HXQhcbGAKqRq3A1pak8U0YXB9PhNEwxzbcDgyealAkORe0ErLE8jZU_uU/s1600/firefox2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6ygG5459oLnGyBA53qmlF_mBSeuWA31ULV4ekq4Xdrx0NUnGLhpFoIv7IvDvR3igCgsCUvdzWJbwxPoZXdf5HXQhcbGAKqRq3A1pak8U0YXB9PhNEwxzbcDgyealAkORe0ErLE8jZU_uU/s400/firefox2.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Firefox was gaining popularity with the public. <br />
Breezy sported version 1.07 by default.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6-jZWmZdYm-yMe6yzzOGccxktvJ33x-lPfgDFrX3zBaMivEaPZoX39jgtkQ_ln2nrjpPUdwD50nzVe9wcmg1ifYXFLVHeqb1se4BjauICfBzilbJvbKCh57N4EPkc1wHlbLyWcBrbpSUm/s1600/gimp_2-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6-jZWmZdYm-yMe6yzzOGccxktvJ33x-lPfgDFrX3zBaMivEaPZoX39jgtkQ_ln2nrjpPUdwD50nzVe9wcmg1ifYXFLVHeqb1se4BjauICfBzilbJvbKCh57N4EPkc1wHlbLyWcBrbpSUm/s400/gimp_2-2.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gimp 2.2 provided a free image editing tool which rivaled Photoshop.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggC8OkBAeZoiIFMLmJ3ul7FqVAwu0Eqvm7tMha_lUk-YCAQB2lTgUvycKCs-WDTnEGSK1LwQjdDR6m5XpMnx-7jc3sC7yDiDSQzIyiurvRmHpZElvajjxW5fCja-cn47Fkwgjo5CgXHcKn/s1600/aileriot.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggC8OkBAeZoiIFMLmJ3ul7FqVAwu0Eqvm7tMha_lUk-YCAQB2lTgUvycKCs-WDTnEGSK1LwQjdDR6m5XpMnx-7jc3sC7yDiDSQzIyiurvRmHpZElvajjxW5fCja-cn47Fkwgjo5CgXHcKn/s400/aileriot.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">AisleRiot Solitaire hasn't changed much.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5m2m2OyilH8_Y4QrArUr5AwxMgy38qvLauH_7PFG05tkxDNUM1r50dYpk-Y_ov_IMuz6w4tglCYiNP4IBgUPESDWJCzN3nrka6NaY4tEcVkn4_IjmXHpmezzYulrcSeVMscgAftINhaRC/s1600/sys-mon.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5m2m2OyilH8_Y4QrArUr5AwxMgy38qvLauH_7PFG05tkxDNUM1r50dYpk-Y_ov_IMuz6w4tglCYiNP4IBgUPESDWJCzN3nrka6NaY4tEcVkn4_IjmXHpmezzYulrcSeVMscgAftINhaRC/s400/sys-mon.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">System Monitor shows the light footprint of those early applications.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9gSMDG1Sbov14cgGAZU7c6UzUoJTf0Xdu_cgLkdMdRgrH5bk4wAxUWq5s8JNL_Vd7vy40hSNCpF7hOvmACt9xz3wydzgYbwBls6ysm0Wp3w0MOn232qhyphenhyphenI1_FiM3GdYe1U7-B8yYvo2wp/s1600/theme.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1480625035106951606.post-11189893526044674302013-05-20T11:43:00.001-07:002013-12-19T00:03:35.957-08:00What You Should Know About E-Waste Disposal<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjus0j-SvtbK4tglNi9IgxqM4Sbi8QUN0QDu8By3G5jKlWnqorqsH7mbtTKk51HAkSMl7U9fOHcKNs8lecgXFcZ04CsYgL8Os-MMQfJMbF0qghGDt3kF6sG4MvQBcmuSIiQ1_NXQr_qm7UF/s1600/ewaste-chart.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="144" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjus0j-SvtbK4tglNi9IgxqM4Sbi8QUN0QDu8By3G5jKlWnqorqsH7mbtTKk51HAkSMl7U9fOHcKNs8lecgXFcZ04CsYgL8Os-MMQfJMbF0qghGDt3kF6sG4MvQBcmuSIiQ1_NXQr_qm7UF/s320/ewaste-chart.jpg" width="320" /></a>Electronics make our lives easier and have become pervasive in the 21st
century. Prices have fallen to a level where many devices are
considered nearly 'disposable' as they are frequently upgraded.<br />
<br />
Electronic Waste, or e-waste, is everything from televisions to cell
phones, laptop computers to hard drives.According to the EPA, of the 1,440,000 tons of e-waste generated in
2010, only 649,000 tons was recycled, or only 27%. Where does the rest
go? A staggering 1,790,000 tons winds up in landfills in far off places
like China, India and Africa. Barges loaded with tons of your discarded
gadgets are dumped in many developing countries with loose
environmental regulations.<br />
<br />
An entire industry has grown up around picking through these mountains
of electronic junk to collect metals, parts, and other recyclable
materials. The health effects to the people who struggle to make a
living doing this, and the consequences to the local environment is
huge.<br />
<br />
The city of Guiyu, China was once a rice farming village. It now is a
major e-waste dumping ground and the local pollution has rendered the
area unable to produce crops and poisoned the drinking water. According
to <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electronic_waste_in_Guiyu" target="_blank">Wikipedia</a>:<br />
<blockquote style="font-style: italic;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQzV6S0lk5Mef3zT1UCk83px7cY_p0-Xw0WbOYB6MUxo3UjUjP9gDO2su_exs7GpiyUqjBmdDGP9-T9-QGXw6M1mJX6Qg1e7uW-XxTNJ0nfEFJeYW11v0Dud8bI7eqphYJhr2Zt33cLreP/s1600/child_ewaste.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="132" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQzV6S0lk5Mef3zT1UCk83px7cY_p0-Xw0WbOYB6MUxo3UjUjP9gDO2su_exs7GpiyUqjBmdDGP9-T9-QGXw6M1mJX6Qg1e7uW-XxTNJ0nfEFJeYW11v0Dud8bI7eqphYJhr2Zt33cLreP/s200/child_ewaste.jpg" width="200" /></a>"Many of the primitive recycling operations in Guiyu are toxic
and
dangerous to workers' health with 88% of children suffering from lead
poisoning. Higher-than-average rates of miscarriage are also reported
in the region. Workers use their bare hands to crack open electronics
to strip away any parts that can be reused- including chips, or
valuable metals such as gold, silver, etc. Workers also "cook" circuit
boards to remove chips and solders, burn wires and other plastics to
liberate metals such as copper; use highly corrosive and dangerous acid
baths along the riverbanks to extract gold from the microchips; and
sweep printer toner out of cartridges. </blockquote>
<blockquote style="font-style: italic;">
Children are exposed to the
dioxin-laden ash as the smoke billows around Guiyu, and finally settles
on the area. The soil has been saturated with lead, chromium, tin, and
other heavy metals. Discarded electronics lie in pools of toxins that
leach into the groundwater, making it so polluted that the water is
undrinkable. To remedy this, water must be trucked in from elsewhere."</blockquote>
Aside from the environmental impacts, a huge amount of personal data
remains on these devices and can be retrieved and sold on the black
market. In fact, your old hard drive could be worth as much as $200 USD
to criminal organizations which use the information for identity theft,
fraud and blackmail.<br />
<br />
According to David Brown, manager of Tech Guys in California, most
people don't consider what happens to their data after the computer
becomes obsolete. "We remove confidential information from donated
machines every day," he said. (see <a href="http://bits-n-bytes-tech.blogspot.com/2011/10/discarded-computers-reveal-your-secrets.html"><i>Discarded Computers Reveal Your Secrets</i></a> 10/03/2011)<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwSTER3qkd-8qaAg4jLY75KIh3WAtLigOy9phxw1eHdL_7RvkY1oJhkGQQ9rzfLm2MjZBVaa-iOHBH2dG2Q4WxlTARCYnNNjXMDFX6_3-oGDoisdJBDUPLsZh-QQV-wd4Bd4TPqKe7Zopd/s1600/technotrash_by_stream.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwSTER3qkd-8qaAg4jLY75KIh3WAtLigOy9phxw1eHdL_7RvkY1oJhkGQQ9rzfLm2MjZBVaa-iOHBH2dG2Q4WxlTARCYnNNjXMDFX6_3-oGDoisdJBDUPLsZh-QQV-wd4Bd4TPqKe7Zopd/s200/technotrash_by_stream.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
Cities like Guiyu exist all over the developing world. They are slowly
poisoning the environment and the people who live there while providing
rich picking for identity thieves. What can you do to make sure your
old electronics are disposed of safely?<br />
<br />
Be sure to donate your old equipment to a reputable e-waste recycling
company which has been certified through the EPA. Ask for your old hard
drive back when you upgrade or remove it from the machine before you
donate. You can wipe your hard drives' data using a powerful and free
program like 'Darik's Boot and Nuke', (DBAN http://www.dban.org/).<br />
<br />
In the Butte County, California, area your choices for certified e-waste disposal
include '<a href="http://www.allgreenrecycling.com/chico/" target="_blank">All Green Recycling</a>' at 800-780-0347 and '<a href="http://www.computersforclassrooms.org/" target="_blank">Computers for Classrooms</a>' at 530-895-4175 or you can search for e-waste recycling for
more options.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1480625035106951606.post-11611483970236527742013-03-09T22:31:00.001-08:002013-08-23T11:13:11.355-07:00Deadly New Virus Spreads Through Human Contact<div style="text-align: right;">
</div>
<b><i>UPDATE: August 10, 2013 - Camels Suspected of Spreading the Deadly Virus</i></b><br />
<div>
<ul>
<li>Camels are suspected to be carriers of <a href="http://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/mers/faq.html" target="_blank">Middle East Respitory Syndrome</a> (MERS<i>, previously called Novel Coronavirus</i><i>)</i> and may be responsible for some human infections.</li>
<li>MERS has sickened at least 94 people worldwide and claimed 46 lives.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJFj0elV-qaeK-EWcaPrK2fm2EPk_lv23090qMs1qZ1jiuOWEplUC5AgO3X5K5DxVG2GFYSEeg8v18iwLnpXOrSdOHuPLBNTEXc-3aBNgNZmNcxYnedbq88K-Tw4iRi4i7sZSoK4mc5_SL/s1600/MERS-CoV_electron_micrograph1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJFj0elV-qaeK-EWcaPrK2fm2EPk_lv23090qMs1qZ1jiuOWEplUC5AgO3X5K5DxVG2GFYSEeg8v18iwLnpXOrSdOHuPLBNTEXc-3aBNgNZmNcxYnedbq88K-Tw4iRi4i7sZSoK4mc5_SL/s200/MERS-CoV_electron_micrograph1.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: #f9f9f9; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 19.1875px;">MERS-CoV virus (<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Middle_East_respiratory_syndrome_coronavirus" target="_blank">Wikipedia article</a>)</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
According to<a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-23621113" target="_blank"> this BBC report</a>, infected camels may be capable of passing the virus to humans. Blood samples were taken from livestock worldwide. Antibodies to the virus were discovered in camels from Oman and Spain, suggesting the virus has become widespread in that region. Antibodies were not found in sheep, goats, cattle or other animals.<br />
<br />
<b>Original Article:</b><br />
<br />
A previously <a href="http://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/ncv/">unknown virus</a>, nicknamed the '<a href="http://www.who.int/csr/don/2013_03_06/en/index.html">Novel Coronavirus</a>' has been blamed for the deaths of eight people and is capable of being transmitted directly through person to person contact.<br />
<br />
The new virus, known as <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HCoV-EMC">HCoV-EMC</a>,
is from a family of coronaviruses which are responsible for the common
cold and the SARS virus which killed more than 800 people worldwide
during an outbreak in 2002 and 2003. It is genetically related to a type
found in bats and the unusual virus seems to have mutated to a form
which is capable of not only infecting humans, but alarmingly, can be
spread from human contact alone.<br />
<br />
The <a href="http://www.medicaldaily.com/articles/14214/20130308/cdc-concerned-mystery-virus-coronavirus-uk-saudi.htm">international medical community</a>
has been aware of the new illness since last year when it broke out in
the middle east. At that time, eleven cases were reported including five
deaths. Until now, it was unclear if the outbreak clusters were due to
personal transmission or if they were all exposed to the same non-human
source.<br />
<br />
Now, the death of a man in Britain has ended all doubt. The BBC has <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-21503893">reported</a>
the first cases of transmission of the Novel Coronavirus through close
contact with an infected person. An ill man returning from Pakistan
infected two of his sons. One later died, possibly complicated by a
previous medical condition.<br />
<br />
Officials in the UK have located all fellow passengers on the man's
flight from Pakistan and are checking to see if any of those may have
also been infected.<br />
<br />
Currently there are only 14 known cases worldwide, with limited and
clustered outbreaks reported in Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Jordan, and the
United Kingdom. Eight of those victims have died.<br />
<br />
Most of those sickened experienced severe lower respiratory symptoms
with one instance of a mild infection where the victim recovered
without medical treatment.<br />
<br />
There are no travel restrictions currently in place, but the Center
for Disease Control (CDC) is asking health professionals to report cases
of acute respiratory infection in persons who have travelled to the
Arabian Peninsula within the previous 10 days, or anyone who may have
had close contact with persons who have recently returned from the
Arabian Peninsula or neighbouring countries. More information can be
found in this <a href="http://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/ncv/overview.html">FAQ from the CDC</a>.<br />
<br />
See<i> <a href="http://mers-virus.blogspot.com/">MERS Watch</a></i> for updated information on this topic.<br />
<br />
<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Image: coronaviruses 004 lores.jpg: http://commons.wikimedia.org<span style="font-size: x-small;">/</span>wiki/File:Coronaviruses_004_lores.jpg </span></i></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1480625035106951606.post-21236502464253339462012-12-17T11:53:00.000-08:002013-06-06T14:49:39.329-07:00Webcam Auto-Exposure Problems Under Linux - Solved<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXsp7dcSf4vNx8UAxDGJmIAnHU6c9icxSu8S73cydK5ofTt4n-mz861E4EHuHJqEnWGEKlx4N8BWoxc2t1XHE4SvigRwbVhshD_s4h-WF39rY3M-zCFfewhJ5UzfSNAXTqe_CykDjxsawt/s1600/image.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTcHR3mwbec76_ykZt1MTEtMi8ZDG80a4CHK5fIngNuc0R_ALSWHTv7j0H4zwYJlKFg83cHkpeJ-V0AOXB2DyQgDnqAUE1KlA-SOr7RMN4gCbKq_U4Q5_laiTexBs95SbYWJOoTIYE8rd_/s1600/light.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTcHR3mwbec76_ykZt1MTEtMi8ZDG80a4CHK5fIngNuc0R_ALSWHTv7j0H4zwYJlKFg83cHkpeJ-V0AOXB2DyQgDnqAUE1KlA-SOr7RMN4gCbKq_U4Q5_laiTexBs95SbYWJOoTIYE8rd_/s200/light.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Too much light on bright days</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I have struggled to find a webcam program which could grab decent still images from a webcam running under Linux. I have tried the common suggestions found online, used gvucview, cheese, webcam and webcamd. <br />
<br />
All of these programs worked for snapping still images but the auto-exposure never worked properly and the images were poor. Most of the day the picture was either dark or obliterated with glare. <br />
<br />
It seems the problem is that most webcam software is designed for streaming video. They all do a decent job of this, but even those programs that build in a delay never worked consistently for single jpg images. Searching the web, it is obvious I am not the only one with this problem and I could find no real solution. <br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6goDwwXzzb0DaTkm02Uu3mnJSSJ9GYQJTCNKLMWSVJKUvXZBb0X-BxcVAzryxwOeRj1HPFwsS7PsM_cJ7V3yZYIDpDSE7N-YhFBT5YHoCwbYMRTAyIVkKjGxZ2nMJjXssqtOPO8bfLQFt/s1600/dark.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6goDwwXzzb0DaTkm02Uu3mnJSSJ9GYQJTCNKLMWSVJKUvXZBb0X-BxcVAzryxwOeRj1HPFwsS7PsM_cJ7V3yZYIDpDSE7N-YhFBT5YHoCwbYMRTAyIVkKjGxZ2nMJjXssqtOPO8bfLQFt/s200/dark.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Too dark<span style="font-size: xx-small;"> in low light</span></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
After fighting this problem for days, it occurred to <br />
me that perhaps I was using the wrong tool for the <br />
job. I needed to look for a program which was designed specifically to snap still images from a webcam, not capture streaming video.<br />
<br />
After some searching, I found a program called uvccapture which does just that. It is a simple, light program that accepts arguments for resolution, timing, save location, even brightness, saturation, contrast and other basic settings. It is available in the Ubuntu repositories or you can grab it from here: <a href="https://github.com/csete/uvccapture" target="_blank">https://github.com/csete/uvccapture </a><br />
<br />
Happily, the auto-exposure is now working and my webcam is finally producing clear and properly exposed images. Here's how I managed it:<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXsp7dcSf4vNx8UAxDGJmIAnHU6c9icxSu8S73cydK5ofTt4n-mz861E4EHuHJqEnWGEKlx4N8BWoxc2t1XHE4SvigRwbVhshD_s4h-WF39rY3M-zCFfewhJ5UzfSNAXTqe_CykDjxsawt/s1600/image.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXsp7dcSf4vNx8UAxDGJmIAnHU6c9icxSu8S73cydK5ofTt4n-mz861E4EHuHJqEnWGEKlx4N8BWoxc2t1XHE4SvigRwbVhshD_s4h-WF39rY3M-zCFfewhJ5UzfSNAXTqe_CykDjxsawt/s200/image.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Auto-Exposure<span style="font-size: xx-small;"> working properly</span></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
After installing uvccapture, I created a folder called 'webcam' in my home directory to store image.jpg and scripts. I set up the program to load on the boot using the Startup Applications tool by entering this into the command field:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
uvccapture -m -t600 -q75 -x640 -y480 -o/home/user/webcam/image.jpg </blockquote>
This string of commands loads the program and instructs it to refresh the image every 10 minutes (600 seconds), to use compression on the JPG file at 75% quality. It states the webcam resolution, which must be supported by your device. The last argument includes the location to save the image file. <br />
<br />
More info and commands for uvccapture are located here: <a href="http://manpages.ubuntu.com/manpages/natty/man1/uvccapture.1.html" target="_blank">http://manpages.ubuntu.com/manpages/natty/man1/uvccapture.1.html </a><br />
<br />
The next problem was finding a new program to send the files via ftp to a remote server. Most of the programs I had used included the ftp service with the image grabber. I wanted something light and stable which could run in the background. <br />
<br />
I looked at several programs and scripts and finally decided on this simple script which runs every 10 minutes via cron. Copy and paste the following into a text editor. Edit lines 4, 5 & 6 in the top section and line 5 in the bottom section:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
# vi ftp-run.sh<br />
#! /bin/sh<br />
#run this file with ./ftp-run.sh<br />
REMOTE='your-remote-server.com'<br />
USER='username'<br />
PASSWORD='password'<br />
FTPLOG='/tmp/ftplog'<br />
date >> $FTPLOG<br />
<br />
ftp -n $REMOTE <<_FTP>>$FTPLOG<br />
quote USER $USER<br />
quote PASS $PASSWORD<br />
bin<br />
/home/user/webcam<br />
mput image.jpg<br />
quit<br />
_FTP</blockquote>
Save the file as ftp-run.sh in the webcam folder. Right click on the icon and under Permissions, click to 'Run this file as a program'. I set up a cron job to run this script every 10 minutes with this command:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
crontab -e<br />
arrow down to bottom<br />
<br />
Paste:<br />
*/10 * * * * cd webcam && ./ftp-run.sh<br />
<br />
Ctrl + x to exit<br />
Y to save<br />
Enter</blockquote>
I rebooted to load the program and settings. I finally have a working webcam and my images are clear, bright and upload reliably to my server. I hope this how-to will help someone else who is struggling with this problem. <br />
<br />
Shameless Plug:<br />
More fun with your webcam: <a href="http://goldnuggetwebs.com/portalview/index.html" target="_blank">PortalView Live Desktop Wallpaper for Linux</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1480625035106951606.post-19806305397914481122012-09-29T11:16:00.000-07:002012-09-29T11:20:06.253-07:00Rented Computers Caught Spying on Customers<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKDYu21sYe0WMYn8loB3VnGGBfxAXk4lvP6kaGe-N-dzyKnRnUsO_NoSCGzC4d1OpT1iBa1nLd9kUDK77cwKZe0k6hVDsu-lg0bwUTHbL3GgOdfRe_9PSsoBLOWI59sKBYM5x1o2YccHAs/s1600/rto-blur.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKDYu21sYe0WMYn8loB3VnGGBfxAXk4lvP6kaGe-N-dzyKnRnUsO_NoSCGzC4d1OpT1iBa1nLd9kUDK77cwKZe0k6hVDsu-lg0bwUTHbL3GgOdfRe_9PSsoBLOWI59sKBYM5x1o2YccHAs/s1600/rto-blur.jpg" /></a></div>
The Federal Trade Commission has <a href="http://www.ftc.gov/opa/2012/09/designware.shtm">reached a settlement with DesignerWare Corporation </a>and
numerous computer rental companies for installing software on rented
computers which secretly snapped explicit webcam pictures, captured
emails and a variety of other personal information, including Social
Security Numbers, medical and bank account information from thousands of
users.<br />
<br />
The companies installed a surveillance program called 'PC Rental
Agent' which according to the FTC, "can also cause a computer’s webcam
to surreptitiously photograph not only the computer user, but also
anyone else within view of the camera. In numerous instances, ... webcam
activations have taken pictures of children, individuals not fully
clothed, and couples engaged in sexual activities."<br />
<br />
The software, which is undetectable and uninstallable by the user,
has been installed on nearly half a million computers and has been
distributed by 1,617 computer rental companies in the US, Canada and
Australia.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.ftc.gov/os/caselist/1123151/designerware/120925designerwarecmpt.pdf">According to the complaint</a>,
"PC Rental Agent, when installed on a rented computer, offers
rent-to-own store licensees the ability to direct DesignerWare’s servers
to disable a computer remotely when a consumer is late making payments,
has stopped communicating with the rent-to-own store, or has otherwise
violated the rental contract."<br />
<br />
The software also contains an option for the rental company to turn
on "Detective Mode" which, again quoting from the complaint, "Once
installed and activated, Detective Mode can log the keystrokes of the
computer user, take screen shots of the computer user’s activities on
the computer, and photograph anyone within view of the computer’s
webcam." DesignerWare collects this information and transmits it,
unencrypted, to the computer rental company.<br />
<br />
PC Rental Agent also secretly tracked users by logging public wifi
networks the computer used to access the internet, which "employees of
the rent-to-own stores ...can monitor their physical locations and the
patterns of their movements."<br />
<br />
The FTC settlement requires rent-to-own companies to stop using
monitoring software or tracking users' locations without knowledge or
consent. The companies cannot used illicitly gained information to
collect customer debts and the FTC will monitor them for 20 years.<br />
<br />
The following companies are named in the complaint:<br />
DesignerWare, LLC; its principals, Timothy Kelly and Ronald P. Koller,
individually and as officers of DesignerWare, LLC.; Aspen Way
Enterprises, Inc.; Watershed Development Corp.; Showplace, Inc., d/b/a
Showplace Rent-to-Own; J.A.G. Rents, LLC, d/b/a ColorTyme; Red Zone,
Inc., d/b/a ColorTyme; B. Stamper Enterprises, Inc., d/b/a Premier
Rental Purchase; and C.A.L.M. Ventures, Inc., d/b/a Premier Rental
Purchase.<br />
<br />
<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">First published on Technorati as <a href="http://technorati.com/technology/article/rented-computers-caught-spying-on-customers/" target="_blank">"Rented Computers Caught Spying on Customers" </a></span></i>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1480625035106951606.post-18686545616391857762012-01-20T20:42:00.000-08:002012-04-13T11:06:22.442-07:00Warning Signs from the Cascadia Subduction Zone?<div style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;">
<span id="goog_488196843"></span><br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/goog_1656762898" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="California Earthquake Map" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfVu4THCFGxGuNujcADWXTgDdSPkPmrvyM8cocl1F4IyIT5UK9jKkYQ96os60O5yTEDESUdRTq9-3llEp1lUwW_2dJk7LzSo_jGawUmfRV5BlgmoCF20QCI1vy_3M5iBEFL0Yb0zsVURmV/s200/calif.jpg" style="border: 0px solid;" width="200" /></a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">CaliforniaEarthquake Map 01/20/2012</span></td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
On January 17, 2012 a 4.3 magnitude
earthquake occurred on the Cascadia Subduction Zone off the coast of
Northern California. This relatively small quake could signal movement
on this dangerous fault which has historically been silent between
large events.<br />
<br />
Lurking offshore of Northern California and running north toward
Vancouver, Canada, lies the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cascadia_subduction_zone%20" target="_blank">Cascadia Subduction Zone</a>. This fault has the
potential to produce an earthquake and tsunami as devastating as the
March 11, 2011 quake that struck off <a href="http://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/recenteqsww/Quakes/usc0001xgp.php#details" target="_blank">Honshu, Japan.</a> <br />
<br />
While the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/San_Andreas_Fault%20" target="_blank">San Andres fault system</a> has produced a long and
obvious scar on the landscape of California and the frequency of small
to moderate, non-damaging earthquakes has drawn the attention of the
media and scientists, Cascadia remains locked quietly offshore for
centuries, building stress until it suddenly releases in massive quakes.<br />
<br />
Geological evidence shows seven great quakes have occurred along
Cascadia in the last 3500 years. Intervals range from 200 to 900 years
with most occurring around 300 years apart.</div>
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;">
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;">
<tbody>
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<td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cascadia_subduction_zone%20" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Cascadia Subduction Zone" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD_GYAFLBdmNEJq9j7Y9WiW_xuPvX8FUzciLkkOdeYT3TSTHn0Wua6RKvSmt1pxVrB6a7yTSR3OVZM54d73EQy4_2Gp21852oU-ZdqkzcVXlohkrszXL5I1166w3FUS5q4oIp8EIcRKzFG/s200/220px-Cascadia_subduction_zone_USGS.png" style="border: 0px solid; height: 200px; width: 140px;" /></a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cascadia_subduction_zone%20" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Cascadia Subduction
Zone</span></a></td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
Cascadia last ruptured in January, 1700, producing an estimated 9.0
magnitude quake. Recently researchers have shown the chances of a
major quake occuring along Cascadia could be <a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-1379187/U-S-fears-overdue-megathrust-earthquake-trigger-tsunami-decimate-unprepared-north-west.html" target="_blank">as high as 45 percent </a>within the next 50 years.<br />
<br />
Between these major quakes, Cascadia sits virtually silent. In fact,
scientists were aware of its presence in the Pacific northwest, but it
was not considered a threat as it appeared to never experience quakes. <br />
<br />
<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brian_Atwater" target="_blank">Brian
Atwater's</a> 2005 study of <a href="http://www.iris.edu/hq/programs/education_and_outreach/distinguished_lectureship/past_speakers/atwater" target="_blank">drowned coastal forests</a> lead to the discovery of
Cascadia's hidden threat. It appears to remain virtually locked and
silent for centuries, pressure and stress building until it is released
in a giant quake.<br />
<br />
According to Iris, <a href="http://www.iris.edu/hq/programs/education_and_outreach/distinguished_lectureship/past_speakers/atwater" target="_blank">Incorporated Research Institution for Seismology</a>:</div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>"...Just a quarter century ago, hardly anyone suspected that a
giant underwater earthquake – or the fast-arriving tsunami that such an
earthquake would spawn – could ever occur in the Pacific Northwest. The
region’s written history, which begins a few decades before the arrival
of Lewis and Clark, is devoid of such catastrophes. Yet today the
Northwest has a widely acknowledged history, thousands of years long,
of earthquakes as large as magnitude 9 and of associated tsunamis. "</i></blockquote>
<div style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.oregongeology.com/sub/earthquakes/eqepicentermap.htm"><img align="right" alt="Oregon Earthquake Map" height="137" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjWux4VVq1QupWrO9a3O-OaKBf3r-18Bm9hnSfF33vStqmUzTqXffYgvRIc36nZtB0PfOwtYgAMQlwsRbS1RTlheB9TxErm4-AtlIVPVU1IV7G5Y1kiQ4Cw9h8UudYaLRvJWyz0jvgD9RI/s200/oregon_1841-2002.jpg" style="border: 0px solid; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="200" /></a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.oregongeology.com/sub/earthquakes/images/EpicenterMap.pdf" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Oregon Earthquakes1841 - 2002</span></a></td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<a href="http://www.oregongeology.com/sub/earthquakes/eqepicentermap.htm" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;">
</a>Movement on the Cascadia has been virtually non-existent for more
than a century. <a href="http://www.blogger.com/Oregon%20quake%20history:%20http://www.oregongeology.com/sub/earthquakes/eqepicentermap.htm%20" target="_blank">This map</a> shows seismological history of Oregon for
the time period from 1841 through 2002. Note the red line running
north/south off the Pacific coast. This represents the Cascadia fault.
Note the earthquakes occur near, but not on the fault itself. <br />
<br />
Now look at <a href="http://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/recenteqscanv/FaultMaps/125-40.html" target="_blank">this USGS map</a> showing the Cascadia fault
registering a 4.3 magnitude earthquake on January 17, 2011. This is a
highly unusual place for movement to occur. The map also shows several
small quakes in the days before the larger one. <br />
<br />
<b>Foreshocks, Aftershocks or Anomaly?</b> <br />
<br />
Large Earthquakes are often preceded by '<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foreshock" target="_blank">foreshocks</a>'
which can occur from minutes to even years before the main shock. They
occur in about forty percent of moderate to large quakes and perhaps
seventy percent of quakes greater than magnitude 7.0. <br />
<br />
Studies show foreshocks may increase in intensity over time leading to
the main quake:</div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i> "The observation of
foreshocks associated with many earthquakes suggests that they are part
of a preparation process prior to nucleation. In one model of
earthquake rupture, the process forms as a cascade, starting with a
very small event that triggers a larger one, continuing until the main
shock rupture is triggered. "</i></blockquote>
</blockquote>
<div style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;">
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/recenteqscanv/FaultMaps/125-41.html" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" target="_blank"><img alt="Cascadia quake" height="195" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU0A8VAvrA2enjsHWSQmHeYPUhELR5ZY5PXt1feJ96xXU565l7xIW9Pj_WAOhNceIVVaUr7Y8mtraxGDntTbFF-zESmxFqI6gaif6r9OX2FUpP-hJvYVtccFHtJ9Akc0g047mHXQYtcNQL/s200/quake_detail.jpg" style="border: 0px solid;" width="200" /></a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/recenteqscanv/FaultMaps/125-41.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">4.3 Cascadia quake
01/17/2012</span></a></td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
Unfortunately it is not possible to know if a particular quake is part
of a foreshock pattern until after a main event occurs.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aftershocks" target="_blank">Aftershocks</a>
are smaller quakes which occur as plates readjust following a larger
event. They decrease in frequency as time passes.<br />
<br />
Perhaps the small quakes in the preceding days were foreshocks to a
main 4.3 quake on the 17th? This is certainly possible, however if the
4.3 was the culmination of this series, it should have been followed by
decreasing aftershocks as the huge plates settled back into a locked
position. There have been no such aftershocks.</div>
<br />
Earthquake prediction is notoriously unreliable. Tantalizing hints of
patterns give hope that someday we may be able to recognize the
precursors to great quakes and evacuate populations before they strike.
<br />
<br />
The question arises: Is Cascadia stirring? The recent anomalous quake
on the fault is noteworthy if only for its rarity. <br />
<br />
There are great concerns that this area is not prepared for a quake of
historical size. Cities from Eureka, California to Vancouver,
Washington are potential targets. <br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTTyiil4KqZm1u5fhUby2ScrNmXRkoXtsgtYuib1Nmimg88mfZMS74e3CuUQDqF_cz_R2nr0D_j8XPGcefx6_HTQl02isi2qDuMlrK2PUzmrT0QWeTeMaA2EHfmjM1uIktNnME970bqQEK/s1600/evac.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTTyiil4KqZm1u5fhUby2ScrNmXRkoXtsgtYuib1Nmimg88mfZMS74e3CuUQDqF_cz_R2nr0D_j8XPGcefx6_HTQl02isi2qDuMlrK2PUzmrT0QWeTeMaA2EHfmjM1uIktNnME970bqQEK/s200/evac.jpg" width="186" /></a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Tsunami Evacuation Route, Oregon</span></td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
According to Peter Yanev, an engineer and earthquake building
consultant in <a href="http://www.oregonlive.com/earthquakes/index.ssf/2010/07/earthquakes-west-coast-portland-seattle.html" target="_blank">this article:</a><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>"... ...Pacific Northwest cities are full of
buildings with slender structural frames and fewer and smaller shear
walls. In a mega-quake, many of the region's iconic tall buildings
would probably collapse. "</i></blockquote>
The <a href="http://www.crew.org/">Cascadia Region Earthquake Workgroup</a>
has prepared a hypothetical <a href="http://www.crew.org/sites/default/files/CREWCascadiaFinal.pdf">scenario</a>
of the effects of a rupture of Cascadia. Predictions include:<br />
<blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>"...• Depending on location, strong
shaking might be felt for several minutes.<br />
• Injuries and fatalities could number in the thousands, and<br />
hundreds of buildings could be destroyed.<br />
• A destructive tsunami will quickly hit the Cascadia coast<br />
and travel across the Pacific Ocean.<br />
• Aftershocks up to M7 are common, creating the potential<br />
for additional damage."</i></blockquote>
</blockquote>
Without a doubt, the Cascadia Subduction Zone will someday unleash a
great quake in the Pacific Northwest. The odds may be as high as 45%
that it will strike during the lifetime of todays residents. Whether
the quake that occurred on January 17 was a foreshock, aftershock or
simply an anomaly, Cascadia will rupture someday. Perhaps it will
happen tomorrow or a decade from now. Please prepare now. The clock is
ticking.<br />
<br />
Plan Ahead: <br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/mn/search/?_encoding=UTF8&tag=revelasummar-20&linkCode=ur2&camp=1789&creative=390957&field-keywords=disaster%20preparedness%20kit&url=search-alias%3Daps&sprefix=disaster%20pre%2Caps%2C373" target="_blank">Disaster Preparedness Kits</a><img alt="" border="0" class=" nvqvnjlhpgyzldtmuwam nvqvnjlhpgyzldtmuwam nvqvnjlhpgyzldtmuwam nvqvnjlhpgyzldtmuwam nvqvnjlhpgyzldtmuwam vuyorvzaxulitkevdlsm vuyorvzaxulitkevdlsm oiiwztplebafvxzadmtm oiiwztplebafvxzadmtm oiiwztplebafvxzadmtm oiiwztplebafvxzadmtm" height="1" src="https://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=revelasummar-20&l=ur2&o=1" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /> from Amazon<br />
<a href="http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/earthquakes/archive/ready.dtl&ao=all" target="_blank">DIY Disaster Preparedness Kits</a><br />
<br />
<br />
<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">images: Oregon quake history:
http://www.oregongeology.com/sub/earthquakes/eqepicentermap.htm <br />
Cascadia Subduction Zone:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cascadia_subduction_zone <br />
tsunami evac:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/cornelii/2066817391/sizes/m/in/photostream/
<br />
Cascadia_subduction_zone:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cascadia_subduction_zone</span></i>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1480625035106951606.post-90200573289288714992011-12-21T12:11:00.000-08:002011-12-26T15:11:53.362-08:00Skype Delivers Free Holiday Wifi to Fifty US Airports<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZFgXawUD4mRjpOMmj7DFf_gZNyCc2dCAU696CgpT9gj8fi7iJGWfqGazy_BdP5cNQpyRtn3yGzziKEp4VwAXJc8KL5bpOq2qwbxfS4PRF1OJgDCfF9QpPNpbi1968WcevNP6Uv3wbS8UU/s1600/skype+holiday.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="background-color: #eeeeee;"><img border="0" height="166" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZFgXawUD4mRjpOMmj7DFf_gZNyCc2dCAU696CgpT9gj8fi7iJGWfqGazy_BdP5cNQpyRtn3yGzziKEp4VwAXJc8KL5bpOq2qwbxfS4PRF1OJgDCfF9QpPNpbi1968WcevNP6Uv3wbS8UU/s200/skype+holiday.jpg" width="200" /></span></a></div><span style="background-color: #eeeeee;"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px; text-align: left;">The folks over at </span><a href="http://www.skype.com/intl/en-us/home" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #339900; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;">Skype </a><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px; text-align: left;">are providing a welcome gift to weary travelers this holiday season. Unwrap an hour of free wifi access in more than fifty airports across the US. </span></span><br />
<div style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 1.5em; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left;"></div><div style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 1.5em; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: #eeeeee;">According to <a href="http://blogs.skype.com/en/2011/12/skypeholidaywifi.html" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #339900; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none;">this announcement</a>:</span></div><blockquote class="tr_bq"><i style="background-color: #eeeeee;">"From December 21st thru December 27th, travelers passing through or delayed in over 50 airports across the country will be able to access third-party hotspots using Skype WiFi and connect with loved ones via a Skype video or voice call for free."</i></blockquote><div style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: #eeeeee; font-size: 14px;">To take advantage of this offer, you need to have the most recent version of the Skype client installed on your PC or Mac. After you sign into your Skype account, just check your wireless connection to verify you are in a supported location.</span></div><div style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: #eeeeee; font-size: 14px;"><br />
</span></div><div style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 1.5em; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: #eeeeee;">Grab your copy of Skype for <a href="http://www.skype.com/go/download" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #339900; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none;">Windows here,</a> for <a href="http://www.skype.com/intl/en-us/get-skype/on-your-computer/macosx/" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #339900; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none;">Mac here </a>and for <a href="http://www.skype.com/intl/en-us/get-skype/on-your-computer/linux/" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #339900; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none;">Linux here.</a></span></div><div style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 1.5em; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: #eeeeee;">Skype will brighten the holidays for travelers in major airports in New York, Chicago, Miami, Denver, Burbank and San Francisico, among many others.</span></div><div style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 1.5em; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: #eeeeee;">Skype Wifi customers can also take advantage of this special holiday gift. <a href="http://www.skype.com/intl/en/features/allfeatures/skype-wifi/" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #339900; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none;">Skype Wifi </a>is a service which offers paid access to over a million wifi hotspots worldwide. </span></div><div style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; margin-bottom: 1.5em; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left;"><div style="font-size: 14px;"><span style="background-color: #eeeeee;">After your trip, you can share your free holiday wifi experience at <a href="http://technorati.com/technology/article/skype-delivers-free-holiday-wifi-to/#%21/search/%23freeskypewifi%20%29" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #339900; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none;">#freeskypewifi on Twitter</a>. </span></div><div style="font-size: 14px;"><br />
</div><div style="font-size: 14px;"><br />
</div><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Article first published as <a href="http://technorati.com/technology/article/skype-delivers-free-holiday-wifi-to/">Skype Delivers Free Holiday Wifi to 50 US Airports</a> on Technorati.</span></i></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1480625035106951606.post-48421440973228097192011-11-18T11:01:00.000-08:002011-11-18T11:01:30.490-08:00Mars Science Lab 'Curiosity' Will Search for Signs of Life<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAeff3uszMaz4mB2FiXfDIb0FzzCsS3dWT26PDPl3BQ13_4Z6gbT5CY2xwYGZTP2NRMDdyxfzu3PlYV1I_X3u8P22yyIzCARAnA_J6LcyTN43WUJsoO_nzow5bo51yFNRC8zuNBMoyKIfj/s1600/curosity+rover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="169" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAeff3uszMaz4mB2FiXfDIb0FzzCsS3dWT26PDPl3BQ13_4Z6gbT5CY2xwYGZTP2NRMDdyxfzu3PlYV1I_X3u8P22yyIzCARAnA_J6LcyTN43WUJsoO_nzow5bo51yFNRC8zuNBMoyKIfj/s320/curosity+rover.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">'Curiosity' Rover will Search for Signs of Life</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>NASA is <a href="http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/msl/index.html">preparing to launch</a> another rover mission<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mars_rover"> to Mars</a> on November 25, 2011. The goal of this mission will be to search for signs of past life on the Red Planet.<br />
<br />
According to NASA's website, <br />
<blockquote><i>"...Curiosity has 10 science instruments to search for evidence about whether Mars had environments favorable for microbial life, including the chemical ingredients for life."</i><br />
</blockquote>Dubbed 'Curiosity', this seven foot tall rover is twice as big as previous mars' rovers and weighs over a ton. It carries more than ten times the mass of scientific equipment than the <a href="http://marsrover.nasa.gov/home/index.html">Spirit and Opportunity </a>rovers launched in 2004.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIaSefyKlVgNdV-Cyqt01gphq5leDjOqyoqemMUYaSrLpac6MmNmINzwjY_UJ9PBDsXvFJM3GC9dObsXRNVyLldgsPybfDLn8w2uuJ1slPoQM9AaSHuPd6HbOaQuLy4dV2flC-mJuPdJeC/s1600/MarsSunset_sm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="153" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIaSefyKlVgNdV-Cyqt01gphq5leDjOqyoqemMUYaSrLpac6MmNmINzwjY_UJ9PBDsXvFJM3GC9dObsXRNVyLldgsPybfDLn8w2uuJ1slPoQM9AaSHuPd6HbOaQuLy4dV2flC-mJuPdJeC/s200/MarsSunset_sm.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Spectacular Mars sunset</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Propelled by an <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atlas_V">Atlas V rocket</a>, the ambitious mission will last two years and focus on the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gale_%28crater%29">Gale crater</a>. Also known as the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mars_Science_Laboratory">Mars Science Laboratory</a>, this rover will carry more scientific equipment than has ever been sent to another planet.<br />
<br />
Curiosity will attempt a first ever, multi-stage precision landing. It will use a combination of a supersonic parachute deployed at approximately 10 km (6.2 miles) to slow decent of the spacecraft, eight directional rocket thrusters which will allow controllers to adapt to the environment and steer the craft towards the landing area. Finally, a 'sky crane' will gently lower the rover to the planet surface.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1D2iHFCQ_6H9-K6NsaSve1BfKwEZh8S2p7cJQPwUg3WnkVWC9RFqLDMby8nAmQaQOxAYc4D5OhCEGmLiSFqO1PdWYheR81XhjE5_XWi8tyfNZW6eVxEFmcd-pSO6sB6uCCuiPgFX53b16/s1600/Gale_crater.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="113" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1D2iHFCQ_6H9-K6NsaSve1BfKwEZh8S2p7cJQPwUg3WnkVWC9RFqLDMby8nAmQaQOxAYc4D5OhCEGmLiSFqO1PdWYheR81XhjE5_XWi8tyfNZW6eVxEFmcd-pSO6sB6uCCuiPgFX53b16/s200/Gale_crater.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mars Gale Crater</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Gale crater is believed to be about three and a half billion years old and 154 km (more than 95 miles) in diameter. This location was chosen for the rich combination of morphologic and mineralogical evidence of water in Mars' past. It contains minerals that are conducive to fossil preservation and the crater provides a surface that Curiosity can navigate safely. The choice was designed to "..<i>.identify a particular geologic environment, or set of environments, that would support microbial life."</i><br />
<br />
This mission comes on the heels of an attempt by Russian scientists to land a probe on one of Mars' moons, Phobos, and return samples to Earth. The spacecraft is currently <a href="http://technorati.com/technology/article/crippled-russian-spacecraft-carries-toxic-payload/">trapped in low Earth orbit</a> and scientists are struggling to restart booster engines before it falls back to Earth containing tons of unspent rocket fuel.<br />
<br />
Watch the launch live plus other special events, documentaries, news conferences and much more at <a href="http://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/nasatv/index.html">NASA TV.</a><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>images: <a href="http://technorati.com/www.nasa.gov/">NASA</a> / <a href="http://technorati.com/www.jpl.nasa.gov/">JPL-Caltech</a><br />
rover: <a href="http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/msl/index.html">http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/msl/index.html</a><br />
gale crater: <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Gale_crater.jpg">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Gale_crater.jpg</a><br />
Martian sunset: <a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/69/MarsSunset.jpg/998px-MarsSunset.jpg">http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/69/MarsSunset.jpg/998px-MarsSunset.jpg</a></i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
<i>First published as <a href="http://technorati.com/technology/article/mars-science-lab-curiosity-will-search/">Mars Science Lab 'Curiosity' Will Search for Signs of Life</a></i></span><br />
<div style="background-color: white; border: medium none; color: black; overflow: hidden; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;"><br />
</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1480625035106951606.post-58681071761908862262011-11-18T10:45:00.000-08:002011-11-18T10:45:22.606-08:00Google Defies RIAA Over Download App<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgno59bIiULHpty8Ncqk8jBvbTPBOcJA4E7IAyP1bVqAyo0n0UurrrfRVrbyndO1Lhpk3pE-t4I_ZUQ3NcfbMfye10qxDgz4Z0NvfA04ihHQBH_JODyip0aLpyx1YjvVP8uHLryKpmqf9E4/s1600/music_droid.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgno59bIiULHpty8Ncqk8jBvbTPBOcJA4E7IAyP1bVqAyo0n0UurrrfRVrbyndO1Lhpk3pE-t4I_ZUQ3NcfbMfye10qxDgz4Z0NvfA04ihHQBH_JODyip0aLpyx1YjvVP8uHLryKpmqf9E4/s200/music_droid.jpg" width="186" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Google defies RIAA</td></tr>
</tbody></table>A <a href="http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2396293,00.asp#fbid=ef82UZOtKTW">battle of behemoths</a> is brewing as Google goes toe to toe with the <a href="http://www.riaa.com/">RIAA (Recording Industry Association of America)</a> over the availability of the app "<a href="https://market.android.com/details?id=great.app.luck&hl=en">MP3 Music Download Pro</a>" in the <a href="http://technorati.com/market.android.com/">Android Market</a> which could be used to download copyrighted music.<br />
<br />
Google contends that the app can also be used to download legal files and has so far refused to remove it from the Android Market.<br />
<br />
The RIAA sent a <a href="http://www.hawaii.edu/askus/814">takedown notice</a> to Google in August over the app, which the RIAA said, "...is clearly being used for illegal purposes, and Google responded that they were declining to remove it from the Android Market."<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtBdhNZ91Hylnz-99OJr0lrO1RDQCdL7b7jFyVvZB3dmUPphLGlegtYhWG7U7teYvligAb49Js6Qu_EeGvahyLIXaq0ZGgaXYjPYgJQu3BJQzcGprzZ1-rPYEPQdCjc0Ey-1-Q3UndFT9j/s1600/downloader_ss.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtBdhNZ91Hylnz-99OJr0lrO1RDQCdL7b7jFyVvZB3dmUPphLGlegtYhWG7U7teYvligAb49Js6Qu_EeGvahyLIXaq0ZGgaXYjPYgJQu3BJQzcGprzZ1-rPYEPQdCjc0Ey-1-Q3UndFT9j/s200/downloader_ss.jpg" width="116" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Downloader App Screenshot</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>Google has removed apps from the market in the past that could be used for obtaining copyrighted music but an RIAA spokesperson complained that often the same or similar apps re-appear a few days later and, "...too many apps created to harvest links to unauthorized files remain available and popular on the Android marketplace, resulting in widespread infringement of copyrighted works."<br />
<br />
In May, 2011, Google's Chairman Eric Schmidt called a proposed law, the<a href="http://riaa.com/newsitem.php?content_selector=newsandviews&news_month_filter=5&news_year_filter=2011&id=CA760710-42DA-C51C-CC87-D924608F7ACB"> </a> 'Protect IP Act', "<a href="http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20110518/11311114322/google-points-out-that-protect-ip-would-be-disastrous-precedent-free-speech.shtml">A disastrous precedent for Free Speech</a>". This <a href="http://riaa.com/newsitem.php?content_selector=newsandviews&news_month_filter=5&news_year_filter=2011&id=CA760710-42DA-C51C-CC87-D924608F7ACB">legislation</a>, designed to combat offshore servers and endorsed by the RIAA, requires Search Engines and DNS servers to remove links and make targeted websites 'disappear' from the Internet. <br />
<br />
Rumors persist that Google is <a href="http://news.cnet.com/8301-31001_3-57323505-261/google-music-launching-without-sony-and-warner/">working on agreements</a> with the major record labels and plans to offer music purchases through the <a href="http://thenextweb.com/google/2011/11/11/google-hints-at-a-music-store-launch-at-its-nov-16th-event/">Google Music Store</a>, similar to the successful <a href="http://technorati.com/www.apple.com/itunes/">Apple iTunes Music Store</a>.<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQz0nfqetfbRds9ZfAf0Pz4CjRKoen-1eD318mf_hViqYN5tJmS1lTloRQHqr13ljlxVY9etbMSfeOcSad7VRgm0qkKVbh1WrrOOro1HK9C2e3rCnhVAarlMOqwtEvl66IjBzqJZjb_gvX/s1600/downloader_barcode.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQz0nfqetfbRds9ZfAf0Pz4CjRKoen-1eD318mf_hViqYN5tJmS1lTloRQHqr13ljlxVY9etbMSfeOcSad7VRgm0qkKVbh1WrrOOro1HK9C2e3rCnhVAarlMOqwtEvl66IjBzqJZjb_gvX/s1600/downloader_barcode.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Downloader Pro Barcode</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
Google is building anticipation for a November 16, 2011 event "<a href="http://www.theverge.com/2011/11/11/2554975/google-music-these-go-to-eleven-event-november-16">These Go To Eleven</a>", an homage to the old '<a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0088258/">This Is Spinal Tap' flick</a>. There is speculation the announcement will include music purchases through the new music store and sharing services through <a href="https://plus.google.com/">Google+</a>.<br />
<br />
The RIAA has declined to say if they plan on filing suit against Google for facilitating copyright infringement. If they choose to take Google to court, the RIAA may find Google to be a <a href="http://www.law.com/jsp/cc/PubArticleCC.jsp?id=1202494152428">tougher opponent</a> than the <a href="https://www.eff.org/wp/riaa-v-people-five-years-later">thousands of private citizens</a> the RIAA has been suing for several years.<br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i><br />
First published as <a href="http://technorati.com/archive/2011/11/?channel=technology">Google Defies RIAA Over Download App</a></i></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1480625035106951606.post-73201008051799583772011-11-14T18:47:00.000-08:002011-11-14T18:47:25.113-08:00Crippled Russian Spacecraft Carries Toxic Payload<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjELaWORLOVg3fubJLjhRF5JXwvi1Wn3VuOJIFl4tkq4XB1anKW-LGoJ6zUWFPUybe39AgaNWnBJmu4NaTJ6cSi7hU-708ekJA89XLgKr25m_6U3TIABRz-c2SnENaAAnwARsojaHC7IEZm/s1600/fobos-grunt.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjELaWORLOVg3fubJLjhRF5JXwvi1Wn3VuOJIFl4tkq4XB1anKW-LGoJ6zUWFPUybe39AgaNWnBJmu4NaTJ6cSi7hU-708ekJA89XLgKr25m_6U3TIABRz-c2SnENaAAnwARsojaHC7IEZm/s200/fobos-grunt.jpg" width="192" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Russian spacecraft Phobos-Grunt</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>Russian scientists are struggling to restart engines in the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fobos-Grunt">Phobos-Ground Probe</a> which<a href="http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/russia-scrambles-save-stranded-mars-moon-probe-phobos/story?id=14923797#.TrwmqYZHC5E"> failed to leave orbit</a> following launch on November 8, 2011. The ship, containing tons of dangerous rocket fuel, could drop out of orbit and fall to earth as soon as a few days from now or could linger in decaying orbit until around Christmas next month.<br />
<br />
Tons of unspent rocket fuel and an uncontrolled re-entry could create a <a href="http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-russia-mars-probe-20111110,0,527847.story">very dangerous combination</a> depending on where the craft comes down and the state of the fuel.<br />
<br />
If the fuel does not freeze,<a href="http://www.freep.com/article/20111110/NEWS07/111100445/Russian-space-probe-stuck-orbit-causes-alarm"> but remains liquid</a>, it should burn up harmlessly before it reaches the ground. But if the toxic mixture freezes, it could survive re-entry and strike the Earth intact. According to <a href="http://www.thestar.com/news/world/article/1083762--russian-spacecraft-crash-would-be-most-toxic-falling-satellite-ever">James Oberg</a>, formally with NASA and now a space consultant, <br />
<blockquote><i>“About seven tons (6.4 tonnes) of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nitrogen_tetroxide">nitrogen tetroxide</a> and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hydrazine">hydrazine</a>, which could freeze before ultimately entering, will make it the most toxic falling satellite ever”</i></blockquote>Signs of trouble began when Russian scientists lost contact with the probe and requested amateur astronomers worldwide to report any sightings. The craft was spotted by South American astronomers trapped in a low orbit, trailed by its' failed booster engines.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgorKTZWUHQWcI7X3nbPVaej4hHAApPgWSSYtWep72-R8jELJQtpAmqXwl1GQgRnLc1a3lpe3KyfWyQ2MGjTLT4ow5-yy3G-ucdvZ1dbLndEyXuEYNbsHi4aPuTkMh3hZm9PpdA38lYrsI9/s1600/phobos.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div>Software engineers have attempted upgrades, bug fixes and reboots of the system, but according to <a href="http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/russia-scrambles-save-stranded-mars-moon-probe-phobos/story?id=14923797#.TrwSxoZHC5A">this report</a>, they have so far been unable to communicate with the craft and hope is fading that a solution will be found before the batteries fail.<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlV-Ujg7bKCZaK22IdxC7NtgSoJAucrQXZQiW3PDRXMUTxT7ATlcwoGndHh8RH8DL2oLznnU8nGSIskRbst8AR45PNgNWzNFx3kH8GVreFRaIz5C1EtjEr21cX0RDdRPgQyYYbcyJ3Hc8R/s1600/phobos.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="195" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlV-Ujg7bKCZaK22IdxC7NtgSoJAucrQXZQiW3PDRXMUTxT7ATlcwoGndHh8RH8DL2oLznnU8nGSIskRbst8AR45PNgNWzNFx3kH8GVreFRaIz5C1EtjEr21cX0RDdRPgQyYYbcyJ3Hc8R/s200/phobos.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Mars Moon Phobos</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table> Engineers are hoping that if the spacecraft falls back to Earth, it will land in the ocean. Compared to the six ton <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UARS_climate_satellite">UARS Satellite</a>, which <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/25/science/space/25satellite.html">dropped out of orbit</a> in September, 2011, this failed spacecraft and booster engines weighs over fourteen tons, most of which is unspent fuel.<br />
<br />
The ship was headed for<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phobos_%28moon%29"> Mars moon Phobos</a> on an ambitious mission to return to Earth next year with about seven ounces of soil samples from the Martian moon. Instead, this is the just latest and most dangerous, in a <a href="http://www.popularmechanics.com/science/space/news/russias-mars-mission-gets-stuck-in-earth-orbit-6554227">very long string</a> of failed missions to Mars by the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russian_Space_Agency">Russian Federal Space Agency.</a><br />
<br />
<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Article first published as <a href="http://technorati.com/technology/article/crippled-russian-spacecraft-carries-toxic-payload/">Crippled Russian Spacecraft Carries Toxic Payload</a> on Technorati.</span></i><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>images:<br />
phobos ground probe: <a href="http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Cebit_2011-fobos-grunt_together_with_upper_stage.jpg">http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Cebit_2011-fobos-grunt_together_with_upper_stage.jpg</a><br />
phobos:<a href="http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Phobos_PIA10369.jpg"> http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Phobos_PIA10369.jpg </a></i></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1480625035106951606.post-8143603932236524462011-11-10T14:10:00.000-08:002011-11-10T14:10:36.640-08:00Adobe Quits Mobile Flash Development<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMENMV5ZJadMYuBT4pOic5KHyp3t0vyh6C2gxfTDJRq-GOjn8k2NfiXA2_IDXe4Z8ffZLFcsJsth5OBLitmkev52-C9ACyLHNPTCReHluPWIVhcVfW21ka0ajFIrqkdttKknHh8tmkHFED/s1600/images.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="181" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMENMV5ZJadMYuBT4pOic5KHyp3t0vyh6C2gxfTDJRq-GOjn8k2NfiXA2_IDXe4Z8ffZLFcsJsth5OBLitmkev52-C9ACyLHNPTCReHluPWIVhcVfW21ka0ajFIrqkdttKknHh8tmkHFED/s200/images.jpeg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Adobe will no longer support mobile Flash</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>Adobe <a href="http://blogs.adobe.com/conversations/2011/11/flash-focus.html">has announced</a> they are dropping development of the popular Flash plug-in for mobile browsers. They will continue to provide security updates and critical bug fixes for existing hardware and software configurations including <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Android_%28operating_system%29">Android</a> and <a href="http://us.blackberry.com/playbook-tablet/">Blackberry Playbook</a>.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.adobe.com/">Adobe</a> is expected to <a href="http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20111108007266/en/Adobe-Reaffirms-Fourth-Quarter-FY2011-Revenue-Target">axe 750 jobs</a> as it shifts focus from mobile Flash development to aiding designers and developers of mobile Flash apps to migrate to open HTML5 using <a href="http://www.adobe.com/products/air.html">Adobe Air runtime</a> which supports a wide variety of plug-ins and platforms. Adobe <a href="http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9221671/Adobe_said_ready_to_drop_mobile_Flash">stock dropped 10%</a> by 9:30 am following the announcement.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adobe_flash">Flash</a> was developed over a decade ago and designed with the desktop PC in mind. The shift to smaller, mobile devices has highlighted some fundamental problems with Flash: Notoriously high cpu usage which drains batteries and causes problems with overheating. There are also problems with apps designed for a pointy-clicky mouse verses the modern touchscreen interface.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HTML5">HTML5</a> provides audio, video and other feature rich browser components with lower cpu usage and supports the <a href="http://www.w3.org/News/2011#entry-8992">capacitive touch-sensitive screens</a> used in these smaller, low power devices such as phones and tablets. <br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8h86JMBdn4aIz4kesJ_cwN5yFeG2XfDYbI8ADsGnZyP16hB1ZOWl0e2aN73LHlhAc4m8P8ZgwF-CuC5hG7BxWpezuThkk67kdsls3CCe1wcCqxn0aTwqwW7OGOY8DvhM9DdnEYxSgAHdd/s1600/html5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8h86JMBdn4aIz4kesJ_cwN5yFeG2XfDYbI8ADsGnZyP16hB1ZOWl0e2aN73LHlhAc4m8P8ZgwF-CuC5hG7BxWpezuThkk67kdsls3CCe1wcCqxn0aTwqwW7OGOY8DvhM9DdnEYxSgAHdd/s200/html5.jpg" width="170" /></a>According to the <a href="http://blogs.adobe.com/conversations/2011/11/flash-focus.html">Adobe Blog</a>,<br />
<blockquote><i>"We will no longer continue to develop Flash Player in the browser to work with new mobile device configurations (chipset, browser, OS version, etc.) following the upcoming release of Flash Player 11.1 for Android and BlackBerry PlayBook. We will of course continue to provide critical bug fixes and security updates for existing device configurations."</i></blockquote>Flash is pervasive on the web, to both the delight and frustration of mobile phone and tablet users. The move to HTML5 is better suited for this new generation of small, low powered devices. With more than a third of the worlds top 100 websites already implementing HTML5, this paradigm shift has already begun.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Creative Commons images: <br />
flash on droid:<a href="http://www.geeky-gadgets.com/adobe-to-give-free-android-phones-to-its-staff-03-05-2010/"> http://www.geeky-gadgets.com/adobe-to-give-free-android-phones-to-its-staff-03-05-2010/ </a><br />
html5: <a href="http://www.w3.org/News/2011#entry-8992">http://www.w3.org/News/2011#entry-8992 </a></i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
<i>Article first published as A<a href="http://technorati.com/technology/article/adobe-quits-mobile-flash-development/">dobe Quits Mobile Flash Development on Technorati.</a></i></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1480625035106951606.post-25947252955846321082011-11-08T23:22:00.000-08:002012-03-09T14:04:25.496-08:00Flurry of Earthquake 'Anomolies' Caused by Fracking?<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib2FUSv4WkLVdq_R4sSg13FMEUepqwWHvXyJCkkKIg67o6sXXowizlwtsP4haX__i7sStkz3gFWg1L6zMQ80cXVwRok-LhhW11XqTik1SaffZ4i-jgEtODy31miii38-WdN5iOB4EVFPs7/s1600/detail_seismograph.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib2FUSv4WkLVdq_R4sSg13FMEUepqwWHvXyJCkkKIg67o6sXXowizlwtsP4haX__i7sStkz3gFWg1L6zMQ80cXVwRok-LhhW11XqTik1SaffZ4i-jgEtODy31miii38-WdN5iOB4EVFPs7/s200/detail_seismograph.jpg" width="160" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Seismograph </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<i>Update: March 9, 2012:</i><br /><a href="http://www.usatoday.com/money/story/2012-03-09/fracking-gas-drilling-earthquakes/53435232/1" target="_blank"><i></i></a><i><a href="http://www.usatoday.com/money/story/2012-03-09/fracking-gas-drilling-earthquakes/53435232/1" target="_blank">A series of Ohio earthquakes were caused by fracking according to State officials. </a>Tough new laws will regulate drilling and disposal of waste.</i><i>*</i><br />
<br />
The 5.6 earthquake which <a href="http://www.newson6.com/story/15971726/oklahoma-earthquake-reactions-vary-from-fright-to-fun">struck Oklahoma in late 2011</a> was the latest in a string of 'rare' earthquakes shaking the normally geologically quiet interior or North America.<br />
<br />
These previously unusual events are raising fresh concerns that the use of fracking and the <a href="http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/11294/1183693-454-0.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml">disposal of fracking fluids</a> may be <a href="http://www.kutnews.org/post/oklahoma-earthquake-recharges-fracking-debate">causing the quakes</a>.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hydraulic_fracturing">Fracking</a> is the fracturing of layers of rock with high pressure fluids to release pockets of trapped gas and oil. Increases in energy prices and<a href="http://www.citizen.org/cmep/article_redirect.cfm?ID=13980"> Bush era deregulation </a>has led to a wide use of this technique with thousands of new wells brought on line in the past few years.<br />
<br />
This proliferation in fracking has coincided with numerous earthquakes in unusual locations. Recent studies indicate that culprit may actually be the disposal wells. Fracking produces lots of waste fluid which is collected and injected at high pressures into disposal wells.<br />
<br />
Earthquakes caused by this type of wells is not the paranoid imaginings of environmental zealots. In <a href="http://thinkprogress.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/Fracking-quake.pdf">this recent report</a>, the Oklahoma Geological Survey studied a swarm of earthquakes in Garvin County, OK in January of this year, which began within hours of a new and deep hydro-fracturing project nearby.<br />
The Geological Survey stopped short of definitively blaming the earthquakes on the fracking operation, but noted <br />
<blockquote>
<i>"...The strong correlation in time and space as well as a reasonable fit to a physical model suggest that there is a possibility these earthquakes were induced by hydraulic-fracturing."</i></blockquote>
Typically, the report concludes that it is impossible to say definitely if the quakes were caused by fracking, but other locations hit by anomalous quakes are satisfied they have enough proof.<br />
<br />
In June of this year, Cuadrilla Resources was forced to suspend its' fracking operation after it <a href="http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/11/02/us-gas-fracking-idUSTRE7A160020111102">admitted it caused a swarm of earthquakes</a> in normally seismically peaceful northwest England.<br />
<div style="background-color: transparent; border: medium none; color: black; overflow: hidden; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;">
<br />
February, 2011: Arkansas Oil and Gas Commission issued an <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/01/us/01earthquakes.html?scp=3&sq=hydraulic%20fracturing&st=cse%20From%20the%20Times:">emergency moratorium</a> on new injection wells due to a 4.7 magnitude quake as part of a suspicious swarm of earthquakes in the area.<br />
<br />
In August of 2009, <a href="http://www.chk.com/Pages/default.aspx">Chesapeake</a>, one of the largest oil and gas exploration companies in the area, was <a href="http://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/Chesapeake-Closes-Wells-Connected-to-Quakes-53231392.html">forced to shut down</a> two wells in the Dallas/Fort Worth area after they were linked to a swarm of earthquakes.<br />
<br />
In other events, fracking was suspected, but no action taken:<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0A9nR6AEXk6pmur6FiyAUKaoxPFRoXB3gEi0lwKrCY6JJ7xxwUZkWwBlCUhg0KWn6tpPZEbeONSu2b2q7qDV4vP5DCIuOBof1QOl0XpHIuMhXqL8GGt2OP00OemqivkgtBqTqk-rND12a/s1600/drilling+rig.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0A9nR6AEXk6pmur6FiyAUKaoxPFRoXB3gEi0lwKrCY6JJ7xxwUZkWwBlCUhg0KWn6tpPZEbeONSu2b2q7qDV4vP5DCIuOBof1QOl0XpHIuMhXqL8GGt2OP00OemqivkgtBqTqk-rND12a/s200/drilling+rig.jpg" width="151" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Drilling Rig</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
In October 2011,<a href="http://www.woai.com/news/local/story/Could-fracking-be-at-fault-for-the-rare-South/2_3TzfE6gki5VBW8ycy7Ng.cspx"> a rare 4.8 magnitude quake</a> hit in near San Antonio, Texas. This occurred in an area which has been heavily drilled and fracked.<br />
<br />
In August of 2011, a rare <a href="http://rt.com/usa/news/fracking-earthquake-virginia-dc-817-061/">5.8 quake hits Virginia and is felt all over the east coast.</a> Speculation ensues that dramatically increased fracking in the area may have triggered this rare event.<br />
<br />
The same day, a southern <a href="http://coloradoindependent.com/91978/epa-selects-colorado-site-as-part-of-ongoing-study-of-fracking-impacts-on-drinking-water">Colorado 5.3 earthquake</a> occurred in the same area as a swarm of possible fracking induced quakes investigated in 2001 by the USGS. Three months before the August 2011 quake, the EPA announced plans to study the impacts of fracking on drinking water in that area.<br />
<br />
No one knows the impact of the large-scale fracturing of the earth's crust or the ramifications of high pressure injection of waste fluids deep underground. The evidence is mounting of a direct connection between these practices and unusual earthquake activity, but it may be impossible to scientifically prove.<br />
<br />
These strange quakes have caused quite a bit of damage but no deaths so far. Energy companies continue to deny any connection between earthquakes and fracking or disposal of fracking fluids. The evidence, however, continues to pile up.<br />
<br />
How many 'rare' earthquakes does it take before we acknowledge a pattern? And what price are we willing to pay, in lives and property, for the promise of 'cheap' energy?<br />
<br />
<i>*Update: March 09, 2012:</i><br />
<i><a href="http://www.usatoday.com/money/story/2012-03-09/fracking-gas-drilling-earthquakes/53435232/1" target="_blank">A series of Ohio earthquakes were caused by fracking according to State officials. </a>Tough new laws will regulate drilling and disposal of waste.</i><i> </i><br />
<br />
In <a href="http://ohiodnr.com/downloads/northstar/UICReport.pdf" target="_blank">this</a> report, the <a href="http://www.ohiodnr.com/home_page/NewsReleases/tabid/18276/EntryId/2711/Ohios-New-Rules-for-Brine-Disposal-Among-Nations-Toughest.aspx" target="_blank">Ohio Department of Natural Resources</a> said:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>"After investigating all available geological formation and well
activity data, ODNR regulators and geologists found a number of
co-occurring circumstances strongly indicating the Youngstown area
earthquakes were induced," state officials stated. "Specifically,
evidence gathered by state officials suggests fluid from the Northstar 1
disposal well intersected an unmapped fault in a near-failure state of
stress causing movement along that fault."</i></blockquote>
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Article first published as <a href="http://technorati.com/technology/article/flurry-of-earthquake-anomolies-caused-by/">Flurry of Earthquake 'Anomolies' Caused by Fracking?</a> on Technorati. </i></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>images:<br />
drill rig:<a href="http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Drilling_for_gas_and_oil_in_Dalby_Forest_February_2007_-_geograph.org.uk_-_343560.jpghttp://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki"> http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Drilling_for_gas_and_oil_in_Dalby_Forest_February_2007_-_geograph.org.uk_-_343560.jpghttp://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki</a><br />
seismograph: <a href="http://commons.wikimedia.org%20/wiki/File:Kinemetrics_seismograph.jpg">http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Kinemetrics_seismograph.jpg</a></i></span></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1480625035106951606.post-48975441027294036952011-11-06T13:54:00.000-08:002011-11-06T14:03:34.503-08:00Debian Beckons Ubuntu Refugees to Come Home<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisRGBMJ7k5kkbT0owa8bSf6y4EFiCqEK8eNYu4l4Gm8uX-qSd_17iPDzxSRD8JWrqTN9nedWSFjDvXtIWLkjbsxQ7QFrU-puQnoX76-Vd26B53E5o-KUnG9uavGDu5usjJTARX3zWoBcW4/s1600/deb_live_ss.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="125" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisRGBMJ7k5kkbT0owa8bSf6y4EFiCqEK8eNYu4l4Gm8uX-qSd_17iPDzxSRD8JWrqTN9nedWSFjDvXtIWLkjbsxQ7QFrU-puQnoX76-Vd26B53E5o-KUnG9uavGDu5usjJTARX3zWoBcW4/s200/deb_live_ss.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Debian Live desktop</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Dissatisfaction continues over<a href="http://technorati.com/www.ubuntu.com/"> Ubuntu's</a> choice of the <a href="http://technorati.com/unity.ubuntu.com/">Unity Interface </a>as default and, in the most recent release, no obvious way to return to the old <a href="http://technorati.com/www.gnome.org/">Gnome desktop</a>.<br />
<br />
Long time Ubuntu users have been <a href="http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1695432&highlight=unity">complaining</a> loudly about Unity's lack of stability, limited options and an overall unfinished feel.<br />
<br />
Distros that <a href="http://distrowatch.com/">have watched</a> Ubuntu gobbling up the Linux mind-share are suddenly getting a second look by unhappy Ubuntu users seeking alternatives to Unity.<br />
<br />
Ubuntu started life as a simplified <a href="http://www.debian.org/">Debian</a> with an emphasis on desktop usability. Recent Ubuntu releases seem focused on blazing their own trail toward a touchscreen, cloud enabled, widget driven environment. This may prove to be a very forward thinking plan, but it leaves traditional Gnome users hungering for their familiar desktop environment.<br />
<br />
I decided to take another look at Ubuntu's parent, Debian. They offer live cd/dvds so I <a href="http://www.debian.org/releases/squeeze/debian-installer/">downloaded</a> the i386 dvd .iso of the current stable release 6.0, aka 'Squeeze'. (All the Debian releases are named after <a href="http://www.debian.org/doc/manuals/debian-faq/ch-ftparchives">characters from the 'Toy Story'</a> movies.)<br />
<br />
As a test machine, I scrounged up an ancient <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dell_Inspiron">Dell Inspirion 1150</a>. This dinosaur sports a 30 GB harddrive, 2.6 GHz processor, Wifi and 512 MB of RAM. Although I love my bling, I did not test compiz on this box due to the low specs.<br />
<br />
Debian calls itself "The Universal Operating System" and nothing beats its support for a wide variety of <a href="http://www.debian.org/releases/stable/i386/ch02s01.html.en">hardware and architectures</a>. Sound, video and ethernet were configured and worked automagically from the live cd.<br />
<br />
Clicking the Install icon opens a graphical installer which walks the user through the usual steps: language, location, keyboard and timezone. Enter user and administrator passwords, computer and host names.<br />
<br />
The partitioner offers a simple, guided install for a range of configurations. More advanced setup options are available by selecting 'Manual' install. The installation is essentially the same as most gnome-gui based installers and virtually painless.<br />
<br />
The desktop is plain, vanilla Gnome 2 with a cartoonish space wallpaper (see above). There are many more wallpapers included by default and Ubuntu users will recognize many beautiful favorites, including 'Cosmos' the space slide show.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuUsI-8oun4V6FDqddsYIvTxsCK_qNKLdYsi5kY4l2JCPxA079EcOid3B6l5zID9HlUy3_MdyK44agPz2p6m6vMcLZ_HaKIoHrUEJaEdBJbw0B1sA23P_iIRY1vR6y_bReraojsCxlEUqm/s1600/Screenshot_sm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuUsI-8oun4V6FDqddsYIvTxsCK_qNKLdYsi5kY4l2JCPxA079EcOid3B6l5zID9HlUy3_MdyK44agPz2p6m6vMcLZ_HaKIoHrUEJaEdBJbw0B1sA23P_iIRY1vR6y_bReraojsCxlEUqm/s200/Screenshot_sm.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Live Earth Wallpaper on Debian/Gnome2</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>I replaced the default background with a Live Earth wallpaper that updates hourly throughout the day. You can find installation <a href="http://bits-n-bytes-tech.blogspot.com/2011/07/live-earth-wallpaper-for-your-computer.html">instructions here.</a><br />
<a href="http://bits-n-bytes-tech.blogspot.com/2011/07/live-earth-wallpaper-for-your-computer.html"> </a><br />
Neither <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ethernet">ethernet</a> or <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wifi">wifi </a>would work after install. A quick google search found this<a href="http://wiki.debian.org/NetworkManager"> documented bug and fix.</a> Apparently, networking auto-configure is disabled by default.<br />
<br />
I edited (as root) /etc/NetworkManager/NetworkManager.conf to show <i>managed=true</i> and following a restart of network manager, ethernet finally connected.<br />
<br />
This Dell machine uses an old <a href="http://technorati.com/www.broadcom.com/">Broadcom wireless chipset</a>, notoriously difficult to get working due to the closed nature of their firmware. Thankfully, in September of 2010, Broadcom finally began offering<a href="http://arstechnica.com/open-source/news/2010/09/broadcom-announces-official-open-source-drivers-for-linux.ars"> fully open Linux drivers </a>for their chipsets.<br />
<br />
Per instructions <a href="http://www.linuxwireless.org/en/users/Drivers/b43#Supported_devices">here, </a>I entered in a terminal: <i>sudo apt-get install firmware-b43-installer</i> .Following a reboot, my wireless network was located and after entering my password, I was online in seconds.<br />
<br />
I <a href="http://debian-multimedia.org/">updated my repositories</a> to include non-free software packages Replace 'Squeeze' with 'Testing' for more current software updates, but slightly more breakage. Upgrades are incremental or 'rolling.' No need to reinstall every six months.<br />
<br />
Debian uses <a href="http://technorati.com/wiki.debian.org/Apt">apt</a> for package management, with <a href="http://technorati.com/www.nongnu.org/synaptic/">Synaptic</a> as the familiar front end. Update manager notifies you of available updates and the Software Center makes adding and removing applications easy.<br />
<br />
Debian came with<a href="http://www.gnu.org/s/gnash/"> gnash</a>, the open implementation of<a href="http://technorati.com/www.adobe.com/products/flashplayer.html"> Adobe Flash</a>, installed by default. If you prefer Adobe's version, it is available in the repositories.<br />
<br />
User friendly distros like Ubuntu and<a href="http://technorati.com/www.mepis.org/"> Mepis</a> were built on Debian's stability, massive software repositories and superior apt package management system. Debian may lack the polish of these derivatives, but it is also a blank canvas, ready to take on your own look and feel. Experiment with new themes, icon sets, wallpapers and more at <a href="http://technorati.com/gnome-look.org/">gnome-look.org</a><br />
<br />
I was pleasantly surprised at the improvements in usability and ease of installation in Debian. Gnome2 seems as comfortable and familiar as an old pair of slippers. I think I will give Debian another try as a Desktop OS and it feels surprisingly good to come home.<br />
<br />
A full review of Debian Squeeze can be found <a href="http://desktoplinuxreviews.com/2011/02/12/debian-6-squeeze/">here.</a><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Article first published as <a href="http://technorati.com/technology/article/debian-beckons-ubuntu-refugees-to-come/">Debian Beckons Ubuntu Refugees to Come Home</a> on Technorati. </i></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1480625035106951606.post-71253067865632259352011-11-06T13:32:00.000-08:002011-11-06T14:21:32.967-08:00What Went Wrong at Fukishima? 24 Hours to Meltdown<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLYcwYjpSCzVNjklEkDOxnnrpTd44i-6cXEoJQM9g_N0xHiMFd38hkbBgYtax-9N6E0-ePgNBxDPbcUq03a8XIEcUem-bFFpf3mecF5JQqpULxe1f66L7vxEHK9XHcTbzs4aYRPCDgc0Ex/s1600/detail_fukishima.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLYcwYjpSCzVNjklEkDOxnnrpTd44i-6cXEoJQM9g_N0xHiMFd38hkbBgYtax-9N6E0-ePgNBxDPbcUq03a8XIEcUem-bFFpf3mecF5JQqpULxe1f66L7vxEHK9XHcTbzs4aYRPCDgc0Ex/s200/detail_fukishima.jpg" width="148" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Reactor 3 Explodes at Fukishima</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>A <a href="http://spectrum.ieee.org/energy/nuclear/24-hours-at-fukushima/0">report by the IEEE</a> (<a href="http://www.ieee.org/about/index.html">Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers</a>) takes a close look at what went wrong at the <a href="http://technorati.com/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fukushima_Daiichi_Nuclear_Power_Plant">Fukishima Nuclear Power Plant</a> following the <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/12/world/asia/12japan.html?pagewanted=all">March 11, 2011 earthquake and tsunami.</a><br />
<i> </i> <br />
With billions of dollars in research and technology invested in nuclear energy, the report identified six common-sense and seemly obvious lessons which could have minimized or prevented the impending meltdown.<br />
<br />
A massive 9.0 quake struck at 2:46 pm on March 11, 2011 off the east coast of Japan. At the Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear Plant, operated by Tokyo Electric Power Co. (TEPCO), Unit numbers 1,2 and 3 of the six reactors were operating. #4, 5 and 6 were down for scheduled maintenance. The quake caused the plant to perform a routine auto-shutdown without incident.<br />
<br />
Power outages caused by quake were widespread. Within 10 seconds, twelve diesel generators activated to power water pumps for cooling to the fuel rods. So far, all emergency procedures are working as planned.<br />
<br />
At 2:52 pm Unit 1 using a non-electrical isolation condenser (IC) backup cooling system was cooling the reactor too quickly and a plant supervisor shut it down, per normal procedure.<br />
<br />
Tsunami alerts predicted a 3 meter (9.8ft) high wave would strike the Fukushima prefecture. The Dai-ichi Plant is 10 meters above sea level (33 ft). For safety, non-essential personnel began evacuating plant.<br />
<br />
The first wave struck at 3:27. With a second set of much bigger waves arriving at 3:35 pm. It has been approximately fifty minutes since the quake.<br />
<br />
The second huge wave topped seawalls and surged through plant. It destroyed heat removal seawater pumps and inundated the control rooms controlling valves, pumps and other crucial equipment. Later, TEPCO employees would estimate the killer wave at 14 meters high (46 ft) from water stains on the walls.<br />
<br />
Six generators located in basements were drowned and five more shut down when control rooms were flooded. Only one generator serving reactors 5 and 6, not located in a basement, continued operating. This lone functioning generator helped units 5 and 6 survive the disaster while the other reactors spiraled out of control.<br />
<br />
<div style="background-color: transparent; border: medium none; color: black; overflow: hidden; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO7pSMKmSIUewTr9NDrKx9eK64M-xq61WzPuhqpTAUalrNylg_WLzibYCamJrbJe16fO2aqvTL0PTsQvze8pbHVlQj8zYvYSxgO5ZMPSnIU9KarhI1loI8IEmMOUal76pmyCLhBofUNVqg/s1600/lessons.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO7pSMKmSIUewTr9NDrKx9eK64M-xq61WzPuhqpTAUalrNylg_WLzibYCamJrbJe16fO2aqvTL0PTsQvze8pbHVlQj8zYvYSxgO5ZMPSnIU9KarhI1loI8IEmMOUal76pmyCLhBofUNVqg/s400/lessons.jpg" width="233" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lessons from Fukishima</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Even back up batteries failed and Reactor 1 suffered a complete power failure. The control room went dark and instrument panels stopped functioning. Cooling system pumps failed and the water which was supposed to be cooling radioactive fuel rods began to boil. Steam built inside the reactor building. Without working gauges and instruments, operators were not sure of how much water was left to cool the rods.<br />
<br />
The non-electrical IC cooling system serving Reactor 1 had been shut down early in the crisis, due to it working too well. Now, without power, plant operators were unable to reopen the valves, even manually.<br />
<br />
Operators struggled to regain power at the plant. They scavenged batteries out of cars in the parking lot and called out a small fleet of power-generating trucks. However, the earthquake and tsunami ruined roads and mass evacuations clogged highways and these trucks promptly became stuck in traffic.<br />
<br />
At 4:36 TEPCO finally officially alerted the Japanese government of the problem at Reactor 1.<br />
<br />
<b></b>Around 9 pm and working by flashlight, operators ingeniously powered up a few important instrument panels using the scavenged car batteries and were relieved to see that the water cooling the fuel rods in Reactor 1 seemed to holding up so far. Water levels were down, but the rods were not exposed.<br />
<br />
Later, company analysis showed the instruments were incorrect. The water level had dropped so low the rods were completely exposed. Temperatures had topped 1300 °C (2372 °F) and the meltdown had already begun.<br />
<br />
Around midnight, more instruments were brought online and showed that dangerous pressure inside the containment vessel had already exceeded its' maximum design and an explosion was a serious risk.<br />
<br />
Teams struggled through the night and next day to vent the explosive pressure in the containment vessel and cool the rods. Power trucks finally arrived and prepared to restart pumps cooling the crippled reactor.<br />
<br />
Fire hoses poured on fresh water until tanks were empty, then in desperation started using highly corrosive sea water. This was an tacit admission that saving the plant was no longer an option and now the focus was on preventing a massive nuclear disaster.<br />
<br />
Unknown to operators, the meltdown was proceeding. Superheated fuel rods had begun to melt through the steel floor of the pressure vessel. Pressure built inside the reactor as residents within a 10 km area around the plant (6.2 miles) were evacuated.<br />
<br />
Attempts to release the pressure from hydrogen gas inside the reactor continued but were not enough to prevent a catastrophic explosion almost exactly 24 hours after the tsunami hit the plant.<br />
<br />
The explosion cut off power from the trucks and severed the fire hoses. The flow of cooling water ceased as radiation levels climbed and plant operators scrambled for safety.<br />
<br />
The disaster continued to spiral out of control. The plant was now a radioactive hot spot and choked with debris from the tsunami and explosion of reactor 1. Workers struggled to cool Reactors 2 and 3, but without power or pumps, Reactor 3 exploded on March 14, followed by a possible explosion inside number two later that day. Later, another explosion tore the roof off building four.<br />
<br />
As this slow-motion catastrophe unfolded, workers fought gallantly to contain it but efforts were continually hampered by the lack of power which caused pumps to fail and rendered safety controls useless. Japanese officials later admitted that <a href="http://articles.cnn.com/2011-06-06/world/japan.nuclear.meltdown_1_nuclear-reactors-fuel-rods-tokyo-electric-power?_s=PM:WORLD">three reactors</a> suffered full meltdowns.<br />
<br />
Certainly, lessons will be learned from this disaster. Nuclear Power Plant designers worldwide will be studying Fukishima for years to come and will develop better system designs and disaster plans. <br />
<br />
But looking at how events unfolded, it was mainly a lack of planning in the common-sense, low tech processes which brought Fukishima to its' knees.<br />
<br />
<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Article first published as <a href="http://technorati.com/technology/article/what-went-wrong-at-fukishima-24/">What Went Wrong at Fukishima? 24 Hours to Meltdown on Technorati. </a></span></i><br />
<br />
<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Images:<br />
Reactor 3 image: <a href="http://www.blogger.com/%20image:%20http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Fukushima_I_by_Digital_Globe.jpg">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Fukushima_I_by_Digital_Globe.jpg </a></span></i><br />
<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Lessons background image: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/bagalute/5127578547/sizes/m/in/photostream/%20">http://www.flickr.com/photos/bagalute/5127578547/sizes/m/in/photostream/ </a> </span></i><br />
<br />
</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1480625035106951606.post-83438077664597815982011-10-31T11:05:00.000-07:002011-10-31T11:08:41.000-07:00Android Powered Smart Watches Coming Soon<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSlNAwuIdiJfGVBQU24NeDo6XRTj3b55MGj6bLb1oqCyg5gl-8eYGGlwwnLNH9LSJuf5QjeywAWhV-Xf6Zu0eybYK87dkbbxaMvLOp2yaE8_zGFJ3CSBQBF1I05U0-2hdw-s2KWDqQtipe/s320/itswatch.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="191" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I'm Watch</td></tr>
</tbody></table><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>First published as <a href="http://technorati.com/technology/android/article/android-powered-smart-watches-coming-soon/">"Android Powered Smart Watches Coming Soon" </a>on Technorati </i></span><br />
<br />
A new generation of <a href="http://live.imwatch.it/">smart watches</a> is ready to hit the market. Sporting Android OS, these watches do much more than tell time, they provide quick access to email, text, social networking sites, videos and even take phone calls.<br />
<br />
Two start up companies are poised to enter the market. The <a href="http://live.imwatch.it/en/smartwatch/about/">"I'm Watch" </a>from Italy does not support wifi, but will tether via bluetooth to your smartphone and provide web access using your existing data plan. Download music, videos and apps from the new "I'm Market", which is the I'm Watch online store.<br />
<br />
The I'm Watch sports a curved 1.5 inch, 240 x 240 pixel multi-touch screen and weighs about 70 grams or about 2.5 ounces. It comes in a <a href="http://live.imwatch.it/en/smartwatch/imcolor/">rainbow of colors</a> and styles and is powered by a <a href="http://www.freescale.com/webapp/sps/site/prod_summary.jsp?code=i.MX233">Freescale IMX233 CPU </a>(454MHz) and 64 MB of memory. Its 450mAh battery can run for about 24 hours on standby and about four hours when running apps. Speaker and mic are included. <a href="http://deviceguru.com/files/imwatch-slides.pdf"> (specs are here: .pdf)</a><br />
<br />
The I'm Watch starts at <a href="http://www.imshop.it/eng/1cat/imcolor.html">299 euros or about 423 dollars</a>. With 50% up front, delivery is expected in about 90 days. It currently runs Android Donut 1.6 for its' lower memory consumption, but backports for Froyo and Gingerbread are available.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeB1r_nMnWudKi3zjkx6-paYkt4se4w1aNFvyTGMjyt81QjElpg3DzshyGdjTV1R9EKsUVpUP_fbIiBeiiUq0IDNvsbAjcUi4DgL-ogjI1nWzKkBneDzdCDCjcpUc55lqJukeBiEsIfDzm/s1600/WiMM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeB1r_nMnWudKi3zjkx6-paYkt4se4w1aNFvyTGMjyt81QjElpg3DzshyGdjTV1R9EKsUVpUP_fbIiBeiiUq0IDNvsbAjcUi4DgL-ogjI1nWzKkBneDzdCDCjcpUc55lqJukeBiEsIfDzm/s200/WiMM.jpg" width="169" /></a></div><a href="http://www.wimm.com/">WiMM Labs</a> is offering up a platform for a variety of small, Android powered devices which provide wifi and bluetooth connectivity, an accelerometer, magnetometer and vibrate alerts.<br />
<br />
They envision a<a href="http://www.wimm.com/platform-concepts.html"> range of smart gadgets</a> including wearable watches, pendants and belt clips. <a href="http://www.youtube.com/user/wimmlabsinc">Other useful WiMM powered devices</a> might include clip on bike models and usb powered mini-computers.<br />
<br />
The WiMM powered watch <a href="http://www.wimm.com/platform-technology.html">features</a> a 1.4 inch color, touch screen display. It supports up to 32 MB of memory, its water resistant and only weighs 22 grams or less than one ounce.<br />
<br />
Use it to screen calls, texts and social media. It will come <a href="http://www.youtube.com/user/wimmlabsinc">loaded with</a> custom watch faces and handy apps for caller ID, Calendar, Weather and more.<br />
<br />
No more digging through a cluttered purse or fumbling for a smartphone in your pocket. Get ready for a new generation of android powered mini devices which will make information, networking and social media even more accessible and useful than ever before. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSlNAwuIdiJfGVBQU24NeDo6XRTj3b55MGj6bLb1oqCyg5gl-8eYGGlwwnLNH9LSJuf5QjeywAWhV-Xf6Zu0eybYK87dkbbxaMvLOp2yaE8_zGFJ3CSBQBF1I05U0-2hdw-s2KWDqQtipe/s1600/itswatch.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br />
</a></div><div style="background-color: transparent; border: medium none; color: black; overflow: hidden; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">images: I'm Watch: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/shisho_1975/5880583450/sizes/o/in/photostream/">http://www.flickr.com/photos/shisho_1975/5880583450/sizes/o/in/photostream/</a></span><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">WiMM Watch: wimmwatch:<a href="http://www.wimm.com/"> http://www.wimm.com/ </a></span></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1480625035106951606.post-26940700166755629892011-10-31T10:54:00.000-07:002013-10-31T12:20:04.838-07:00DIY - Ghost Hunters Toolkit<br />
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Do you believe in ghosts? Millions of people do and stories of haunted places and the spirits that dwell there have persisted throughout history.<br />
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From the <a href="http://thenostalgialeague.com/olmag/ghost_story.htm">two thousand year old story</a> of a ghost of an old man, complete with rattling chains, to the ancient Roman festival of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lemuria_%28festival%29">Lemuria,</a> which residents performed a ritual exorcism to clear their homes of evil spirits of the dead, ghosts have haunted our homes and dreams through the ages.<br />
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Studies show about one third of people believe in ghosts and millions have had experiences they cannot explain. TV shows like <a href="http://technorati.com/www.syfy.com/ghosthunters/">Ghost Hunters</a> and <a href="http://technorati.com/www.syfy.com/paranormalwitness/">Paranormal Witness</a> are <a href="http://www.extremeghosthunters.com/">among many</a> aimed at believers and the curious.<br />
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You don't have to be a professional ghost hunter to do your own investigation. The tools of the trade are <a href="https://www.google.com/search?source=ig&hl=en&rlz=&q=ghost+hunting+kit&oq=ghost+hunting+kit&aq=f&aqi=&aql=&gs_sm=e&gs_upl=0l0l0l3408l0l0l0l0l0l0l0l0ll0l0#ds=pr&pq=ghost+hunting+supplies&hl=en&sugexp=kjrmc&cp=17&gs_id=2h&xhr=t&q=ghost+hunting+equipment&tok=szHVAPDIajxvIld8_gYs9A&pf=p&sclient=psy-ab&tbm=shop&source=hp&pbx=1&oq=ghost+hunting+equ&aq=0&aqi=g4&aql=f&gs_sm=&gs_upl=&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.,cf.osb&fp=e7860e478ef510b3&biw=1014&bih=605">widely</a> available <a href="https://www.google.com/search?source=ig&hl=en&rlz=&q=ghost+hunting+kit&oq=ghost+hunting+kit&aq=f&aqi=&aql=&gs_sm=e&gs_upl=0l0l0l3408l0l0l0l0l0l0l0l0ll0l0#q=ghost+hunting+kit&hl=en&prmd=imvns&source=univ&tbm=shop&tbo=u&sa=X&ei=AwupTozKJIqfiQLmh4XIBg&ved=0CHgQrQQ&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.,cf.osb&fp=e7860e478ef510b3&biw=1014&bih=605">online</a> and even as apps for your smart phone. Here's a roundup of the most common ghost-busting tech to liven up your Halloween.<br />
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Basic equipment should include a camcorder with a good quality microphone and night vision. Use webcams for remote rooms. Connect these to a central computer to record paranormal activity.<br />
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A digital camera with good resolution and an old fashioned 35mm camera for capturing ghostly images.<br />
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Cassette tape recorder. The analog method of recording sound can capture background noises which may be missed by digital recordings.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Motsha Ghost Detector</span></td></tr>
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A classic ghoul finder, <a href="http://technorati.com/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/EMF_meter">EMF Detectors</a> register changes in the electronic and magnetic fields. These are relatively inexpensive and even are available as an app for your smartphone.<br />
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Check out <a href="https://market.android.com/details?id=com.meenakshi.ghost&hl=en">Motsha Ghost Detector</a> and <a href="https://market.android.com/details?id=com.bustin.ghostmeterdonate&hl=en">Ghost Meter-PKE Detector</a>, both free from the <a href="https://market.android.com/?hl=en">Android Market</a>. iPhone users can try <a href="http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/phantom-radar-the-ghost-detector/id359697009?mt=8">Phantom Radar</a> or <a href="http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/ghost-radar/id314696635?mt=8">Ghost Radar</a> among others.<br />
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A compass is handy as a backup EMF Detector. It will also respond to changes in the magnetic field.<br />
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A thermometer is essential for verifying temperature fluctuations and identifying hot and cold spots.<br />
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Finally, don't forget the flashlights and extra batteries for all your electronic equipment.<br />
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The stories have persisted for thousands of years. Finally, we can use modern technology to help answer that age old question, "Do you believe in ghosts?"<br />
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<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">First published as <a href="http://technorati.com/technology/gadgets/article/diy-ghost-hunters-toolkit/">DIY- Ghost Hunters Toolkit </a>on Technorati by Michelle Blowers</span></i><br />
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;">ghost window image: http://www.flickr.com/photos/calliope/5054420781/sizes/m/in/photostream/ </span><br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1480625035106951606.post-24395332878229901902011-10-31T10:43:00.000-07:002011-11-06T14:18:38.131-08:00Millions of Tons of Tsunami Refuse Could Reach US Coast<i><span style="font-size: x-small;"> First Published as <a href="http://technorati.com/lifestyle/green/article/millions-of-tons-of-tsunami-refuse/">"Millions of Tons of Tsunami Refuse Could Reach US Coast"</a> on Technorati</span></i><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">image: JAMSTEC, IPRS, NOAA, NASA</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>Millions of tons of debris from the massive <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2011_T%C5%8Dhoku_earthquake_and_tsunami">9.0 earthquake and tsunami</a> that devastated Japan in March, 2011 is making its way across the Pacific Ocean and will eventually reach the west coast of the United States.<br />
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Following the record quake, crushing tsunami waves reached 133 ft (40.5 meters) in height and traveled up to six miles (10 km) inland. Nearly twenty thousand people were killed or have gone missing.<br />
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When the massive waves retreated, they pulled out to sea millions of tons of demolished houses, cars, furniture and the remnants of thousands of lives. Some of these items will sink as they move across the ocean, but many will not. <br />
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A staggering<i> five to twenty million tons</i> of refuse, containing everything from house parts, appliances and the minutia of peoples' lives will likely begin to arrive at <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Midway_Atoll">Midway Islands</a>, which lies between Japan and Hawaii, sometime this winter. The<a href="http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/environment/story/2011-10-25/japan-tsunami-debris-hawaii-usa/50914576/1"> debris plume </a>is estimated to be two thousand miles long and a thousand miles long.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Debris Plume image: US Navy</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>The mass of floating refuse will reach Hawaii in the winter or spring of 2013 and finally wash ashore in 2014 along the beaches of North America's west coast from British Columbia and Alaska through Washington, Oregon and California. It is not expected to contain radioactive material.<br />
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This prediction is the result of <a href="http://iprc.soest.hawaii.edu/news/press_releases/2011/maximenko_tsunami_debris.pdf">a model</a> ( .pdf) developed by Nikolai Maximenko, a senior researcher at the <a href="http://iprc.soest.hawaii.edu/">International Pacific Research Center</a> in Hawaii. He studied thirty years of ocean currents using data from thousands of buoys dotting the ocean. Recently a Russian ship passing between Honolulu and Vladivostock, Russia spotted the Japanese debris field just where Maximenko's model predicted it would be. You can view an animation of the projected path <a href="http://iprc.soest.hawaii.edu/users/nikolai/2011/Pacific_Islands/Simulation_of_Debris_from_March_11_2011_Japan_tsunami.gif">here</a>.<br />
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Whatever remains of this giant plume of trash and debris will eventually make its' way to the infamous '<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Pacific_Garbage_Patch">North Pacific Garbage Patch</a>' a giant vortex of mostly chemical and plastic garbage from the US and Japan which accumulates and is trapped by ocean currents in a huge area of the Pacific Ocean.<br />
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This marine garbage collection point was predicted in 1988 by NOAA and verified in 1997. Estimates of size vary greatly but range from 270,000 sq mi (700,000 square kilometres) to more than 5,800,000 sq mi (15,000,000 square kilometers). There is also a garbage patch accumulating in the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_Atlantic_Garbage_Patch">Atlantic</a>. </div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1480625035106951606.post-83658812945420477932011-10-31T10:26:00.000-07:002011-10-31T10:26:47.489-07:00Massive Study Proves Climate Change is No Hoax<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i> First published as, <a href="http://technorati.com/lifestyle/green/article/massive-study-proves-climate-change-is/">"Massive Study Proves Climate Change is No Hoax" </a>on Technorati</i></span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzuYB0h9MBDUrnYoHXjwQt4_Hj3ps-TDrnja6SzyWddF-8h7J1kIcUEP6g4Ffb60NSEYmlfRBThYqnB6R6LnCZhyDpKw3MCEtL7D1ptRtI56PBfNs5xbW5ZFL35kPFcIxmo7oOxROvsdQ4/s1600/Updated_Comparison_10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="252" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzuYB0h9MBDUrnYoHXjwQt4_Hj3ps-TDrnja6SzyWddF-8h7J1kIcUEP6g4Ffb60NSEYmlfRBThYqnB6R6LnCZhyDpKw3MCEtL7D1ptRtI56PBfNs5xbW5ZFL35kPFcIxmo7oOxROvsdQ4/s320/Updated_Comparison_10.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>An<a href="http://www.berkeleyearth.org/dataset.php"> independent review</a> of more than one and a half billion temperature records from fifteen sources over more than a century clearly shows that the planet is warming. Researchers at the<a href="http://berkeley.edu/"> University of California, Berkeley</a> have confirmed previous reports that global temperatures have risen by 1 degree Celsius or nearly two degrees Fahrenheit overall.<br />
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The team included a 2011 Nobel Prize winner in Physics, Saul Perlmutter and various climatologists and statisticians. Compiling a huge open database of temperature records, researchers found a striking correlation with earlier American and British studies and the data clearly supports the conclusions that warming is occurring.<br />
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This study is the most comprehensive and thorough to date and focused on some nagging questions about the debate. According to this statement:<br />
<blockquote><i>" The most important indicator of global warming, by far, is the land and sea surface temperature record. This has been criticized in several ways, including the choice of stations and the methods for correcting systematic errors. The Berkeley Earth Surface Temperature study sets out to to do a new analysis of the surface temperature record in a rigorous manner that addresses this criticism. We are using over 39,000 unique stations, which is more than five times the 7,280 stations found in the Global Historical Climatology Network Monthly data set (GHCN-M) that has served as the focus of many climate studies."</i><br />
</blockquote>Skeptics have long criticized the use of data sources considered of 'poor' reliability. However, the results remained surprisingly consistent regardless of the perceived accuracy of some reporting stations. Despite local variations, the overall trend remained the same as stations considered 'reliable'.<br />
Researchers found that there is an 'urban heat effect' which is significant to the local area. However, as less than 1% of the global land area is urban, these 'heat islands' were not deemed significant to the planet's overall climate.<br />
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</div><div style="background-color: transparent; border: medium none; color: black; overflow: hidden; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;">Confusing the issue is data that shows one third of stations, many in the US and northern Europe, reported cooling over the last seventy years.<br />
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These cooler readings could be due to local variations and expected background 'noise' in the data. It may also be evidence of <a href="http://www.skepticalscience.com/Global-Warming-Cold-Winters.html">uneven warming of the planet</a>.<br />
Changes in ocean currents, wind and storm patterns will undoubtedly cause some areas to experience colder, wetter winters and more severe storms. <br />
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It also shows that in those areas experiencing warming, temperatures may have risen much higher than the global average of 1 degree Celsius.<br />
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In fact recent studies show <a href="http://www.windows2universe.org/earth/polar/polar_climate.html">temperatures at the poles</a> continue to rise faster than other areas of the globe. Disproportional heating at the poles has contributed to the <a href="http://news.discovery.com/earth/arctic-sea-ice-retreat-big-pic-gallery.html">rapid disappearance of sea ice</a> and<a href="http://www.usatoday.com/tech/science/discoveries/2006-09-06-permafrost-warming_x.htm"> thawing of permafrost</a>, releasing even more CO2.<br />
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You can <a href="http://www.berkeleyearth.org/data.php">review the data here</a> and draw your own conclusions. The evidence seems overwhelming but a vocal minority of skeptics and a lack of political courage continue to thwart any action as temperatures rise and we move ever closer to a possible <a href="http://www.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,1920168,00.html">climate 'tipping point'</a>.<br />
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</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1