Brian Hall

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!

Easy YouTube Video Downloader

2009-09-24T20:43:00.002-06:00

Often there are YouTube videos that you need to download for offline viewing or for a project. There are plenty of YouTube download add-ons for Firefox, but I found my favorite: Easy YouTube Video Downloader. It's a simple add-on and the only configuration you have to mess with is the download location. After that, the Easy YouTube Video Downloader simply inserts a download option on the right underneath the video information:

Just click on the video format you'd like (FLV, 3GP, or MP4) and the video automatically downloads to the folder location you have set. Easy!

Apple iPod & iTunes Updates

2009-09-09T20:34:00.004-06:00

Steve Jobs took the stage today at Apple's annual music event unveiling video cameras on the iPod Nano, improved iPod Touch models with new pricing, a new iPhone / iPod Touch OS 3.1, and a new version of iTunes.

Airport Mania

2009-09-04T21:23:00.003-06:00

I've heard a lot of good things about Airport Mania for the iPhone / iPod touch. But you can play it at Yahoo! Games. It's super fun!

Non-Gender Children

2009-09-03T10:53:00.002-06:00

I ran across this confusing, but hilarious miscommunication this morning and thought it was pretty funny.

Desiring Lawnmower

2009-08-26T19:14:00.002-06:00

Gentlemen Broncos

2009-08-17T17:13:00.005-06:00

We're big fans of Napoleon Dynamite, and all things Jared Hess. My claim to fame is that I had classes with John Heder (Napoleon) and even had a film class with Jared Hess' wife Jerusha at BYU. The next hit from the Hess team is "Gentlemen Broncos" due out later this year. Fans of Flight of the Conchords will recognize Jemaine Clement as Dr. Ronald Chevalier. I am so stoked for this film! Hit up the trailer. Thanks Jeff for the link!

Priceline.com Quality Guarantee?

2009-08-07T06:37:00.003-06:00

I'm searching for a hotel on Priceline.com and I read their "Quality Guarantee" which states, "If the hotel you purchase does not match our promise below, just call us before your check-in date and we'll change or cancel your hotel reservations at no charge." Alright. I'm just curious about how you would know that your hotel is sub-standard before your check-in date? If you get there, check in, get into bed, and there are scorpions in the bed, is it too late to change or cancel your hotel reservation at no charge? Sheesh!

Hands-On With the New Zune HD

2009-08-06T08:53:00.002-06:00

CNET has a good hands-on review of the new Zune HD that Microsoft will be releasing this fall. The Zune HD supports 720p video content, although the Zune HD screen resolution doesn't support it, and it gets scaled down to 480x272. The review says, "Speaking of Wi-Fi, the Zune's new Web browser smokes. Not since first using the iPhone have I been this impressed with a mobile Web browser." I don't think the Zune HD will be replacing my iPod Touch any time soon. Will you be buying a Zune HD?

Incipio, a Successful Company

2009-08-03T18:25:00.008-06:00

Don't you love it when you have a good experience with a company? You're looking for something, and a business offers the exact item you want, at the exact price you are willing to pay. It feels great!

I have been trying to find a nice-fitting, nice-feeling cover for my iPod Touch ever since I got it about a year ago. I purchased a handful of inexpensive covers (6 total) over the last year from Case-Mate, and from a few eBay sellers. The covers either broke, or they did not fit my iPod at all. Why is it so hard to find a good, affordable case for iPod Touch / iPhone?

Then I found Incipio. I bought a black dermaSHOT silicone cover for my iPod Touch 1st generation for $4.99 (w/ free shipping). It fits perfectly, has a smooth feel to it, providing a durable, non-slip surface, but one that doesn't stick when you try to remove it from your pocket. The first one had a tear in the bottom left corner, but they quickly sent me a replacement without any heckling. Incipio has a wide array of nice covers for all types of gadgets including iPod, iPhone, Blackberry, Zune, Nintendo DSi, Amazon Kindle, and MacBook.

Incipio is a private company headquartered in Irvine, CA with offices in Hong Kong and Tennessee, and distributors all over the world. Incipio does a fantastic job marketing their products and providing the customer service to back it up. Their product packaging is well-designed and even reminds one of Apple's product packaging "experience." Incipio's web site lets you shop by device and quickly find the product you need. Shipping is free and arrives promptly. Incipio is a company that is positioned for success. If you've got a gadget and you're looking for a quality cover or case, check out Incipio. Full disclosure: Incipio sent me some pamphlets and stickers when I told them I'd like to do a write-up on them.

What good gadget cases or covers have you found?

Sunday Sketches

2009-08-02T20:45:00.003-06:00

The Brain Science of Pornography Addiction

2009-08-01T13:45:00.008-06:00

Regardless of one's moral or religious beliefs, the prolific saturation of pornography on the Internet and in the media cannot go unnoticed. It's no surprise that the availability of pornography is increasing, especially with an explosion of Internet-connected mobile devices and portable media players. Despite the economic hardships that many industries have suffered in recent years, the revenues of the pornography industry continue to grow. It is estimated that by 2013, the revenue from pornography on mobile devices alone will reach $4.9 billion. In the United States, the pornography industry annual revenues are estimated at approximately $13 billion, and over $97 billion worldwide, according to a 2006 statistic (obviously outdated), with the U.S. being one of the top producing countries.

What is it that makes consumers of pornography so addicted, and why does the porn industry continue to profit? Mark B. Kastleman, author of "The Drug of the New Millennium," says, "We need pleasure. We are pleasure-oriented beings." Exercise, music, certain foods, and other healthy activities can cause the release of neurotransmitters in the brain and give us pleasure. Just as a drug addict gets a surge of pleasure from taking illegal drugs, exposure to pornography produces an extreme chemical release of neurotransmitters in the brain. Some of these neurochemicals include dopamine (released with the same intensity as with cocaine use), norepinephrine (which causes the brain to remember the details of the exposure), oxytocin (which creates a powerful bonding with the viewer to the images), and seratonin (which creates a calming, peaceful feeling). In the same way that illegal drugs trick the brain into releasing its own endogenous chemicals, pornography fakes the brain into releasing a powerful cocktail of addicting, pleasurable neurotransmitters. Essentially, the addiction to pornography is not that different from actual chemical addiction. There is no ingesting or injecting of an actual substance, but viewing pornography can produce the same chemical release of neurotransmitters in the brain just as pharmaceutical or illegal drugs do. Jeffrey Satinover, M.S., M.D., Psychiatrist and Professor at Princeton University says, "modern science allows us to understand that the underlying nature of an addiction to pornography is chemically nearly identical to a heroin addiction: Only the delivery system is different, and the sequence of steps." Specialists who treat people with pornography addiction often say that it is harder to overcome a pornography addiction than a drug addiction because it involves many other complex emotions and situations, and because sexual attraction is built into our DNA.

What's more alarming are the psychological and behavioral impacts of pornography. Research indicates that consumption of pornography leads to adverse affects including increased marital distress, decreased marital intimacy and sexual satisfaction, infidelity, increased appetite for more graphic types of pornography and sexual activity associated with abusive, illegal or unsafe practices. Children who are exposed to pornography are at risk for developing sexual compulsions and addictive behavior, and face an increased risk of exposure to incorrect information about human sexuality long before a minor is able to contextualize this information in ways an adult brain could.

After repeated exposure to sexually explicit images, the brain habituates, or "gets bored," and the same images no longer cause the neurochemical release, according to Kastleman. Consequently, an individual will typically go to a more novel or disturbed level in order to get the same neurochemical release again. Kastleman mentions an interview with an FBI agent who handles child porn cases. The agent confirmed that in almost all of the cases that he sees, men usually start out by viewing "harmless" pornography, and after repeated use, the only thing that will give them the same level of pleasure is acting out against real people, or to view content that is more extreme, forbidden, or illegal. Kastleman cites research that links pornography use to child abuse, rape, incest, and sexual abuse.

Regardless of whether or not you think pornography is acceptable, today's technology allows us to see what happens chemically inside the brain during exposure, and to understand the reason behind the addictive nature of pornography. Anything that is as addictive has the potential to enslave individuals, affect their most critical relationships, and lead them to commit dangerous or illegal acts.

Sunday Program Sketches

2009-07-26T21:34:00.000-06:00

Free Software Summer Roundup

2009-07-20T20:07:00.009-06:00

The question of favorite free software recently came up on an IT mailing list to which I subscribe. I thought I'd share my list of favorite free software that I've found very useful.

7-Zip - Don't download WinZip (that is so 1990's) or WinRAR. 7-Zip rocks! It handles all manner of archives (ZIP, GZIP, TAR, RAR, ISO, LZH, CAB, to name a few).
Adeona - A free, open-source program to track a lost or stolen laptop that doesn't rely on a single third party. Mac, Linux, and Windows.
Audacity - The best free audio editor!
BOXEE - Time to convert that old computer into an open, connected, social media center! "On a laptop or connected to an HDTV, boxee's free software lets you navigate all your personal movies, TV shows, music and photos, as well as streaming content from websites like MLB, Netflix, Pandora, Last.fm, and Flickr from one screen with a remote." Windows client recently added.
Burn - A simple but powerful app for Mac OS X for burning CD, DVD, VCD and other disc formats.
Carbon Copy Cloner - Disk cloning, imagine, and backup for Mac OS X.
Evernote - Sweet note-taking app, syncs to the cloud, iPhone/iPod Touch app. Almost as good as OneNote.
InfraRecorder - My favorite free CD/DVD burning program for Windows. Handles ISOs.
Inkscape - A vector-based drawing program and great substitute for Adobe Illustrator.
Live Mesh - Sync 5GB of files between Windows or Mac machines with Microsoft's Live Mesh service for free. You can also access synced folders from the Live Mesh site, which comes in handy when you are away from your machines. I recommend disabling the auto start and only running Live Mesh when you need to sync files.
Notepad++ - My favorite text editor.
OpenOffice - I use Microsoft Office 2007 Ultimate on Windows (purchased for $60 from Microsoft's Ultimate Steal last Sept. for the MBA program), but if you don't want to shell out any money, consider OpenOffice.
OpenProj - An open source replacement for Microsoft Project for Mac, Linux, and Windows. Has a familiar interface and is compatible with Microsoft Project file format.
Paint.net - Lightweight, robust image editor for Windows. Great for quick edits when you don't want to load up GIMP or Photoshop.
Seashore - Image editor for Mac OS X. Great for simple image edits, but features layers, gradients, a clone tool, and other useful tools.
Tunnelblick - An OpenVPN client for Mac OS X.
VirtualBox - Robust, multi-platform virtualization software. Don't pay big bucks for Parallels or VMware Fusion.
VLC Media Player - VLC is my new favorite media player. I don't use VLC to manage my media library (I use iTunes for that, along with iPod syncing). I use VLC for playing videos quickly without having to launch bloated iTunes or Windows Media Player.

Firefox Add-Ons:

Adblock Plus - I just added ABP to FF this summer to supplement NoScript...Love it!
FireFTP - My favorite full-featured FTP client is a Firefox add-on! Handles SFTP, FTPS and opens on a tab in my browser. Very handy!
NoScript - No one should use "the Internets" without NoScript. Tell your grandparents!
Xmarks - Sync bookmarks and other stuff on the cloud, keeping all instances of your web browser with the same bookmarks and settings. I recommend disabling the auto-recommend features.

What are some of your favorite freebies for Mac, Linux, Windows or iPhone/iPod Touch?

Find Free, Creative Commons Images with Google Images

2009-07-09T16:21:00.002-06:00

Google announced a new feature in Google Images that will allow you to search for free, Creative Commons-licensed images easily. This is particularly handy if you are a blogger and you want to spice up your blog posts with some free stock photography and not have to worry about licensing or purchasing stock photos. The features can be accessed from the Advanced Image Search link on the Google Images page, which allows you to specify usage rights for the images that turn up in your search.

Pics and Details of Google's Chrome OS Leaked? Nope!

2009-07-09T07:23:00.004-06:00

An unnamed supplier for computer manufacturer Acer apparently got a sneak peek at the upcoming Google Chrome OS and posted some interesting information. Obviously, Google Chrome OS is still in the early stages of development, but this early report sounds promising. The report states, "This beta was extremely stripped down. However, it was amazingly fast. They did one reboot and it rebooted from Desktop to Desktop in about 25ish seconds." The early preview of Google Chrome OS also notes a clock and a search box on the "Chrome bar" along with large icons similar to the Mac OS X dock, and a Chrome logo button that mimics the Windows start menu. So, Google is "re-thinking what operating systems should be." Hhmm. (Sources: Chrome OS Leak, Electronista)

UPDATE (21:29, CDT): It turns out that this was a hoax. Lame!

Google Chrome OS Announced

2009-07-08T06:12:00.002-06:00

Google announced it will release its own operating system called Google Chrome OS. According to Google's announcement, the new operating system is Google's attempt to "re-think what operating systems should be." Google Chrome OS will be open source with an emphasis on "speed, simplicity and security." The project will be open-sourced later this year and netbooks with Google Chrome OS will be available the second half of 2010. Google Chrome OS is a separate project from Android, which is its mobile phone operating system, but will overlap in some areas.