Brian Hall

Sunday Lego Creation

2010-03-15T08:47:00.002-06:00

The Daily Show and Colbert Report to Leave Hulu

2010-03-03T08:57:00.007-07:00

Viacom has failed to reach an agreement with Hulu and will be removing Comedy Central's "The Daily Show" and "The Colbert Report" from the streaming video web site. Instead, Hulu will redirect users to Comedy Central's web sites, TheDailyShow.com and ColbertNation.com beginning March 9. (Source: Advertising Age)

Piano Stairs

2010-02-26T14:46:00.003-07:00

Fix Closing MacBook Lid Shutdown Issues in Windows 7

2010-02-18T14:08:00.000-07:00

Microsoft recently released the vaguely-named "reliability update" (KB977074) for Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008. Shortly after installing this update, I noticed unstable and unreliable behavior on my MacBook (mid-2008, 2.4GHz, Mac OS X 10.6.2, running Windows 7 Pro x64 under Boot Camp). For example, I noticed that frequently, when I close the lid on my MacBook under Windows 7, it would completely power off the machine and I would lose any unsaved work. Upon boot up, Windows 7 would show the message stating that it was not shut down properly or that "Windows shutdown unexpectedly." I suspected that this was related to a recent Apple Boot Camp driver update; however, in my case, I have determined that Windows update KB977074 appears to be at fault. After uninstalling KB977074, I can now close the lid of my MacBook and it goes into sleep mode properly without powering off. Resuming from sleep is also working properly again. It appears that there are a number of folks experiencing problems relating to KB977074 as reflected in the Microsoft TechNet forums. In fact, it is advised that you uninstall this update if you are having any of these associated problems.

Sunday Sketch

2010-01-31T20:54:00.000-07:00

The Apple iPad

2010-01-27T15:16:00.000-07:00

Today Apple introduced the long-rumored iPad tablet. Powered by Apple's own 1GHz "Apple A4" chip (developed by P.A. Semiconductor, which Apple acquired in 2008), the hand-held device features a 9.7-inch LED display, an on-screen keyboard, Wi-Fi and 3G data connectivity, a 10-hour battery, and an iPad version of the iWork suite (including Pages, Numbers, and Keynote available for $9.99 a piece). The .5-inch thick, 1.5-lbs. iPad can run all existing iPhone/iPod touch apps natively. (See full specifications)

The iPad is no doubt encroaching into Amazon's Kindle territory with the announcement of iBooks and the iBookstore. There is still no Adobe Flash available for the iPad (same as with the iPhone and iPod touch), which means no watching Hulu (which makes sense, since it could potentially cannibalize TV episode sales through iTunes).

There is a keyboard accessory for those who prefer not to use the on-screen keyboard, and the iPad will even work with existing standard Bluetooth keyboards. 3G data rates through AT&T are $14.99 for 250MB (which you could burn through pretty quickly), or $29.99 for unlimited 3G data.

Pricing information on Apple's web site shows the following:

	16 GB	32 GB	64 GB
Wi-Fi	$499	$599	$699
Wi-Fi + 3G	$629	$729	$829

There was so much hype and rumor mongering leading up to the announcement of the iPad, and now that it's here, how do you feel? I guess only time will tell whether the iPad becomes a wildly-popular device that finds application in many situations, or if it remains a niche product for a limited handful of users. Will you buy an iPad?

Reliability Update for Windows 7

2010-01-27T09:30:00.000-07:00

This morning Windows Update found KB977074 for Windows 7 x64. The description in Windows Update states redundantly, "This is a reliability update. This update resolves some reliability issues in Windows 7. By applying this update, you can achieve better reliability in various scenarios." Hhmm...okay. I'd love to achieve better reliability in various scenarios. Who writes these descriptions, and are they trying to make them as vague as possible?

Ridiculously Awesome Video

2009-12-30T20:15:00.000-07:00

Buzzwords of 2009

2009-12-20T18:14:00.001-07:00

Mark Leibovich and Grant Barrett wrote an interesting piece summarizing some of the interesting and entertaining buzzwords of 2009. Some of my favorites: aporkalypse, Dracula sneeze, "drive like a Cullen," Government Motors, and heinie. (Source: NYT)

My 5-Year-Old Son's Search History

2009-12-04T20:51:00.000-07:00

My 5-year-old son is, to put it mildly, very interested in Super Mario Bros. and everything Nintendo. This evening, my wife noticed that he was poking around trying to search for Nintendo and Paper Mario (he had his Paper Mario diorama we made last week to remind him). I logged in to the kids' account and peeked at the history and found the following heart-warming entries that he had typed: "soprmoreobruthrs," and "papermario." It made me so proud, but also raised the urgency of the need to make sure we properly teach our children safe and smart Internet usage.

Track Product Price History to Know When to Buy

2009-12-03T17:25:00.002-07:00

It's often difficult to know when you should make an online purchase because prices fluctuate from day to day. Web site CamelCamelCamel.com provides a historical graph of product prices on Amazon.com so that you can strategically make product purchases.

For Newegg.com price history, there's CamelEgg.com, and for Best Buy there's CamelBuy.com. Or, get The Camelizer Firefox add-on to search Amazon, Newegg and Best Buy prices at once. These sites are great resources for the price-savvy consumer. (Via Tekzilla)

Google Public DNS

2009-12-03T11:40:00.000-07:00

Google launched its own public DNS service today, called Google Public DNS, in an effort to make the Internet faster and safer. DNS, or Domain Name System, is the service that translates hostnames into IP addresses on the Internet. Similar to other public DNS services such as OpenDNS, Google Public DNS will allow Internet users to use these faster and more secure DNS servers instead of the ones provided by their ISP.

Google Public DNS will increase the speed of DNS lookups through caching and prefetching of DNS entries that are about to expire. Since DNS has recently become an attack vector for malicious hackers, Google Public DNS randomizes the case of query names and implements other data in the DNS messages that thwart attackers. Google acknowledges, however, that DNS won’t be completely bullet-proof until DNSSEC is implemented. As far as the privacy of Google Public DNS is concerned, the official policy states, "We built Google Public DNS to make the web faster and to retain as little information about usage as we could, while still being able to detect and fix problems. Google Public DNS does not permanently store personally identifiable information."

So far, there does not seem to be any mention of content filtering capability such as is possible with OpenDNS, but it isn’t inconceivable that these features could be added later. You can use Google Public DNS by setting your DNS servers to 8.8.8.8 and 8.8.4.4. See the Google Public DNS site for more specific instructions. (Sources: Google Public DNS, Google Code Blog, ReadWriteWeb)

Can't Delete a Folder in Windows 7 [u]

2009-12-01T18:54:00.004-07:00

I've been using Windows 7 for almost a year now. There are certain problems in Windows 7 that seem so ridiculous that they're almost unbelievable (like being unable to login to Windows 7 with your profile on occasion because the profile service is not ready). But, here's a whopper! I'm simply trying to delete a folder from my backup drive in Windows 7, but Windows shows the error, "Destination Path Too Long: The file name(s) would be too long for the destination folder. You can shorten the file name and try again, or try a location that has a shorter path. " as shown here:

Then, after I "Skip" this item, I get another similar error, but this time it says, "Source Path Too Long: The source file name(s) are larger than is supported by the file system. Try moving to a location which has a shorter path name, or try renaming to shorter name(s) before attempting this operation. " as shown here:

So, I deleted all sub folders and files in an attempt to work around this problem. There is one folder, that is actually completely empty, that refuses to be deleted. I moved this folder to the root of my drive, I even tried renaming it, but it never gets deleted.

I just want to delete this folder. I've tried third-party utilities, checked the disk for errors, tried deleting the folder from the command line, and nothing has been able to delete this folder. It seems like a cutting-edge operating system should be able to handle a simple delete operation without so much trouble. I posted my issue on the Microsoft TechNet forums. Anyone else figure out a way around this?

UPDATE (12/3/09): It turns out that for some reason, I had many many levels of nested folders that somehow got created during a backup. I finally deleted all of the folders by drilling down to the almost endless copies of Application Data and moving subsequent levels to the root of the D:\ and deleting piece by piece. I have no idea how those copies were made in the first place, and secondly, why Windows makes it so hard to delete such a nasty, unwieldy folder structure. The removal process took a couple of hours and made my eyes sting. Ugh!

Google Zeitgeist 2009

2009-12-01T16:51:00.002-07:00

The Google Zeitgeist has been released for 2009. The fastest rising global search terms on Google in 2009 were: michael jackson, facebook, tuenti, twitter, sanalika, new moon, lady gaga, windows 7, dantri.com.vn, torpedo gratis.

Paper Mario Diorama

2009-11-26T15:55:00.000-07:00

Yesterday my son and I spent a few hours putting together a Paper Mario diorama. You can download the original source here. It was way more work than I was expecting, but it was fun.

Play Old-School Atari Games on Atari.com

2009-11-24T13:22:00.000-07:00

If you're jonesin' for some old-school video arcade action, head to Atari.com and play some of the old classics including: Adventure, Asteroids, Battlezone, Crystal Castles, Lunar Lander, and Yars' Revenge.

Pigeon: Impossible

2009-11-13T12:50:00.001-07:00

Live Mesh Finally Available for Snow Leopard

2009-10-25T18:46:00.002-06:00

I've used Live Mesh for about a year and a half now, using it to synchronize folders across multiple computers and for remote access. When I upgraded to Snow Leopard a couple of months ago, I was disappointed to find out that Live Mesh didn't work. But finally Microsoft has released a new Live Mesh client that is compatible with Mac OS X 10.6.x (Snow Leopard). Woo hoo!

The Broken Web Browser Model

2009-10-14T08:28:00.000-06:00

On episode #217 of Security Now, there is a great discussion about a recently-publicized idea that the web browser is inherently broken and easily susceptible to man-in-the-middle attacks. A hacker that goes by the moniker Moxie Marlinspike recently released a paper and demonstration at Black Hat 2009 about how easy it is to fake an SSL certificate, and how easy it is to intercept a user’s traffic on a LAN, even when the user thinks he is visiting a secure site.

Since most web pages are not encrypted over an SSL/TLS connection by default (for example, going to www.paypal.com takes you to an unencrypted page), the traffic on that page is in the clear and can easily be monitored by anyone with the right tools sniffing the network traffic on your local area network (such as in a coffee shop or other public Wi-Fi hot spot). If you login to Paypal, it isn't until you click the login button that your credentials get passed to the server via an encrypted HTTPS connection. Since the web page is not initially encrypted, an attacker who has inserted himself can intercept the network traffic, strip out the HTTPS request (the secure SSL/TLS request), and replace it with an HTTP (unencrypted) request. The attacker now has the login credentials of the PayPal user and the attacker then seamlessly passes on the request to PayPal, and then passes it back to the user. The only clue the user has that he has been compromised is the fact that the page that gets returned is not encrypted (by looking for the https:// prefix in the address bar, or the “padlock” icon).

Most users just assume when they go to PayPal that the web site will handle security. However, Steve Gibson of Security Now proposes a fundamental change in the way web browsers work, requiring that all pages be encrypted HTTPS from the beginning, and not just when you click the login button, which everyone assumes will be encrypted. Watch an interview with Moxie Marlinspike.

AlternativeTo

2009-10-06T13:57:00.002-06:00

This afternoon I found a cool site called AlternativeTo that helps you find alternatives to software. Looking for a replacement for Photoshop, Microsoft Office, Norton Antivirus, or any other software (desktop, mobile, or web-based)? Simply search for the software you would like to replace, and AlternativeTo will offer up community-driven results that show you great alternatives.

Workaround for CDBOOT: Cannot boot from CD - Code 5 Error

2009-10-02T22:34:00.001-06:00

I tried to install Windows 7 on an older home-brew PC (MSI 875P NEO FIS2R motherboard, Pentium 4 2.8GHz), but when I tried to boot to the install DVD, the following message comes up: "CDBOOT: Cannot boot from CD - Code 5". I spent hours researching different ways to get my old machine to boot from the Windows 7 install DVD, but I finally found one that worked for me:

Download Gujin boot/system loader (scroll to the bottom for the latest version, standard-2.7.tar.gz, as of the time of this post)
Use 7-Zip to unpack the file you just downloaded
In 7-Zip, with the standard-2.7.tar.gz file opened, double-click on the nested file standard-2.7.tar, and then double-click on the nested file full.img.gz
Drag the file floppy.144 out of 7-Zip to your desktop, and close 7-Zip
Use InfraRecorder to create a bootable CD that will emulate a floppy drive (using floppy.144 as the image)

Launch InfraRecorder and create a new data CD
Click File, Project Properties, and click the Boot tab
Click the plus + button to open the floppy.144 file you extracted in step 4 above
Leave the Emulation type set to Floppy and click OK, and click OK again
Click the CD icon in InfraRecorder to burn the current compilation to a CD

Once the CD is finished, boot the machine with the new Gujin CD you just made
If you have two CD/DVD drives, insert your Windows 7 install DVD also. If you only have one CD/DVD drive, wait until Gujin loads, then insert your Windows 7 install DVD
Once Gujin loads, it will search your computer for all bootable drives, follow the instructions and then select your Windows 7 install DVD from the menu and watch the Windows 7 install load! No more "CDBOOT: Cannot boot from CD - Code 5" errors! Whew!

(Source: Windows 7 Forums)

Goodbye Comcast!

2009-10-01T22:35:00.002-06:00

I dumped Comcast yesterday, and I've never been happier. After being contacted by Comcast corporate representatives promising to "make things right," I actually got a call from someone else at Comcast wanting to send out a fourth technician. What was surprising was that it was as though they didn't have all of the information on our months-long horrendous service ordeal. Long story short, I'm now enjoying insanely fast Internet connectivity with different, local ISP for $29.95/month. And what's really great is that the connection has actually stayed on for 24 hours straight without having to power cycle any equipment or make any phone calls. W00t!

Microsoft Security Essentials Out of Beta

2009-09-29T12:48:00.001-06:00

Free anti-malware application, Microsoft Security Essentials, is now out of the beta phase, and is available free to download. Reviews of Microsoft Security Essentials seem to be mostly favorable so far. Will you dump AVG, Avast!, or Symantec/Norton in favor of Microsoft Security Essentials?

Comcast Cares?

2009-09-29T09:14:00.001-06:00

This is a rant.

Comcast is supposedly "in tune" with new media and the new generation of social networking. Frank Eliason, Comcast's Senior Director of National Customer Service Operations uses the Twitter handle "ComcastCares" (http://twitter.com/comcastcares) and tries to set people's minds at ease regarding service outages, or other things that Comcast does to upset people. Comcast has even created a blog called Comcast Voices (http://www.comcastvoices.com/) titled "A place for conversations with Comcast." Apparently, Comcast really cares what I, their customer, thinks. Comcast wants to listen to me! However, I have experienced a misalignment of such magnitude that I find it hard to believe what Comcast's true motives are, other than to jump on the latest social media bandwagon.

For the last several months, our Comcast high speed internet connection has continuously dropped out. We have had three different Comcast technicians come out to the house to check the wiring and the signal level. Several phone calls to Comcast technical representatives have led me through the same rote steps as before: 1) Unplug your cable modem, 2) Unplug your router, 3) Plug everything back in, 4) Wait 60 seconds, and 5) Restart your computer. I'll refrain from sharing the technical details of my ongoing connectivity problem, but, suffice it to say that I have had several opportunities to speak to Comcast technical support representatives. On two different phone calls (perhaps with the same person), while trying to explain my situation to a Comcast rep, I was cut-off mid-sentence several times by an impatient, condescending, and seemingly uncaring individual. Before I could even clearly explain the details of my problem, the representative fired off a list of things that were likely causing the problem (none of which were applicable). I had to really struggle to get a word in, because the Comcast rep would not stop to listen to me. If Comcast really does care, they sure don't show it in the way their customer service reps treat their customers. I posted a little blurb on my Twitter feed expressing my frustration, to which "ComcastCares" responded and said, "I can help." When I replied "How?", I did not get an answer, and I am still waiting to hear back.

In order to realign Comcast with its shared vision of listening and caring about its customers, they need to do some major work with their customer service representatives. These folks are the voice and face of Comcast and personify the personality of the company. If someone has a negative experience with a representative, it doesn't matter what the Senior Director of National Customer Service Operations at Comcast thinks. Until there is more tangible action linked to their values, Comcast will just be another cold, insincere corporation out to wring every last dollar out of my pocket by selling an unreliable, and underperforming service. Comcast must teach the representatives to be more patient with the customers and listen (as do T-Mobile or GEICO reps, who have a good reputation), and reward them appropriately. Also, if Comcast really does care, I would expect some sort of written apology or other contact apologizing for the inconvenience instead of a grumpy service rep who continues to insist that by sending a third Comcast technician out to look at the problem, we might be able to get somewhere.

After the third technician visit, they have supposedly discovered that there is a problem on the Comcast network near my home. Tomorrow I am switching Internet service providers.

Focaccia

2009-09-28T11:22:00.000-06:00

My friend Lee has a great focaccia recipe that I highly recommend. When I first saw the post, I was a little nervous. But I tried the recipe and the focaccia turned out great!