Gadget Victims

Onda Vi40 Elite Tablet

noreply@blogger.com (Bubbah) — Mon, 28 May 2012 10:25:00 +0000

No matter how hard I tried to resist, I finally acquired a 9.7" Android tablet! And a non-brand one on top of that! ...yes... but I have excuses...

I sold my portable DVD player with DVB-T tuner that I used to take on any long car trip to keep my son entertained with films. Why not doing that and much more with an Android tablet instead? It'd just need a 10€ universal tablet holder to do the trick...

Choosing the tablet
I would never dare risking an expensive device like Samsung, HTC or Archos on travel. With a budget limit decided at ~200€, I was left with either very low-specs models or non-brand 'SuperPad' tablets from obscure shops at the other end of the world.
However, some Chinese tablets have emerged lately with ambition to rival the giants makers, with high specifications (no more resistive screens!), powerful components and quality controlled manufacturing!

One model stands out quickly when you browse online shops and read reviews: the Onda Vi40.

The several versions of VI40:
Vi40 Elite with V.1 hardware and 8GB / 16GB storage options
Vi40 Elite with V.3 hardware and 8GB / 16GB storage options
Vi40 Ultimate with 32GB storage (1 camera instead of 2, reviewed button layout)

The one highlighted above is my model. They're all have the same hardware base and running Android 4.0.3 (ICS). There's been some unclear hardware revision (V1 / V3), and it seems that Onda will only provide firmware updates on the latest hardware version. All the Vi40 Elite currently shipping are supposed to be V3, which can be verified from the S/N on the sticker.
Onda.cn and the box show a 32GB version but I've never seen one.
Such capacity is standard in the newer Ultimate version which is a sensible evolution, with a better button layout (only one on the face and volume buttons on the side), a smaller and unique 2 mpx camera (if you ask me, tablets are not ideal for photo-shooting anyway), all for the same price.

Choosing the shop!
By far, the most delicate task!
It took me one week to select a shop that seemed trustful, where the price would be within my limits, and where I wouldn't have to expect excessive additional custom duties and shipping fee over the initial price. I had a good experience with eBellking.com who shipped the unit to me in just 4 days, free shipping and at a final price of ~220€ (32GB version). I tested their customer service first and they reply to you quickly, and do so even if you ask something after having bought the product.
If you're into custom ROM, you'll come across the very good "TNT firmware", which is from topnotchtablets.com. A shop providing that kind of extra content in their product support section deserves some attention. Basically, take advice from the forums before deciding what shop is best for you.

Product Highlights

This model is already reviewed in details in many places, so instead I do a quick tour of the outstanding product aspects:

Out of the box, the product offers a good feeling of build quality with its aluminium casing and an overall nice design, no cracking, no squeaking.
A screen protection is already in place, which is good because this accessory is hard to find for the Vi40!

As any Android device, setting up the tablet is an easy task. There's some clean up to do however and you'll want to scrap all of the pre-installed Chinese applications. The tablet comes already rooted so there's no limit to your customization and no sticky app that you can't get rid off. But with great power comes great responsibility, and you'll have to be cautious not to delete too much if you want to keep your tablet operational!

One of the most commented drawback of being a non-brand Android device, is the amount of DIY work required to gather the applications you need:
In theory, the Vi40 is as compatible as any major brand with same specs, but, out of the box, many standard applications are missing (YouTube, GTalk, Maps...) or will shows as not compatible on Google Play store. Despite the custom market fixes out there, you will need to obtains APK files to install some of them manually.

Onda is releasing firmware updates regularly (3 updates between April and May) and will hopefully resolve the remaining issues (mainly affecting stock web browser and launcher - still true with fw 1.2 rc2) and increase the overall compatibility. So, make sure you have the proper ADB drivers installed on your PC and also have the CWM recovery installed, you will need them sooner than later!

Short guided visit:
The most interesting hardware features of this tablet are all grouped on its bottom side:

The lock button on the left is used to disable to automatic display rotation.

The HDMI connector allows you to extend the display to a TV screen, which isn't only cool for watching videos and pictures, but also for gaming...

On each sides of the Mini-USB port are the RESET button and the MIC hole. Take some time to distinguish them!

The Mini-USB connector is an unlimited source of fun on an Android tablet. It takes about anything you plug to it (with help of the OTG cable provided): 3G modem like Huawei E220 (also test E270), storage media, mouse, keyboard, Ethernet adapter,...even joystick (I tested with my Thrustmaster T.16000M)!

So far the only device that didn't work straight away for me was the Bluetooth (tried 3 different generic dongles). Obviously still under development...

The device is shipped with a AC/DC charger and , according to some source, this must be used as the main way of charging the tablet over the USB connector "to preserve the battery life"

A µSD slot is available for additional storage. Since there is an internal storage, detected and mounted as "sdcard" already, the inserted µSD media will be seen as extsd ( \mnt\extsd ).
You have to pay attention to this point because the internal sdcard gets wiped during a firmware update, so make sure to perform your backup to extsd beforehand!

The community
When searching for help on this kind of tablet, don't go to onda.com. Event with a translator, it will be waste of time. Hopefully there's a growing community of Geeks around the AllWinner A10-based tablets which VI40 is part of.
Here's a few suggested bookmarks:
http://www.slatedroid.com/forum/287-onda-a10-tablets/
http://www.androidtablets.net/forum/onda-tablet-forum/
http://colonelzap.blogspot.com/
No doubt you will frequently visit those places!

Conclusion
As for most non-brand tablets, you can't expect to have all you need straight out of the box, and if you are not prepared to do some tweaking job on it, maybe you should consider paying the price for a major brand. However I've been with Samsung, Sony Ericsson and Acer android devices before and they all required their fair amount of customization to eventually fit my needs.

Don't let the sluggishness of the ICS stock browser turn you off at this stage. First, this is not the fact of the Onda Vi40 alone (just google for "ICS browser slow" and see how widespread the problem is!). The hardware is fit for the job (throw any heavy game at it and see how it flies!) but still needs a proper implementation from the manufacturer. Hopefully Onda is still active on it and either them, the modding community, or even Google (ICS is far from perfect yet) will eventually address the outstanding problems. The latest 1.2 beta firmware for V3 hardware platforms brings some improvements (somewhat faster but does not eliminate the occasional lags), and ...breaks some other things (rotation lock only works in portrait, vibrate function gone...)
For me, changing the stock launcher to Launcher Pro, and the browser to ICS Browser + brought significant improvement already. Clearing the cache and the Dalvik cache from time to time helps regaining performance (another sign of lousy implementation). Most missing apps, including YouTube, Skype and Google Talk (with video chat) can be added through market fix.

I've still have hundreds of unresolved questions on that device right now but I hope my short overview gave you some answers.
_________________________________________________________
Pros:
- nice looking tablet with a quality feel.
- superb IPS display
- appropriate storage capacity from 16GB version (Ultimate variant has 32GB)
- growing community with custom firmware due to popularity.
- good battery life
- runs heavy games and apps fast (while still struggling with the web browser).

Cons:
- requires DIY work to get most basic apps installed.
- it has 3 front-facing hardware buttons (as for Gingerbread-like tablets), useless with ICS. The newer V40 Ultimate adopts a more sensible Ipad-like layout.
- ICS implementation still a work-in-progress
- slow charging and battery calibration not perfect yet (as of v.1.2 rc2)

Installing Recovery on Onda Vi40 Elite

noreply@blogger.com (Bubbah) — Sun, 27 May 2012 10:26:00 +0000

It's now an old habit, I only start to feel safe with any Android device once I managed to install a Recovery partition such as ClockWorkMod. This is how to do it on the Onda tablet Vi40 Elite...
There are several ways to install the CWM recovery on your device.

Option 1
An easy way, documented on tabletrepublic.com is using a set of batch files. This method for Elf Novo7 works perfectly for Vi40 too:

- Make sure the ADB drivers are properly installed on your PC (They come with the LiveSuitPack utility).
- Plug the tablet -with Debugging enabled- to your PC
- Unzip the file and execute install_recovery_for_ICS.bat

Option 2
Get the recovery program and scripts from androtab.info/cyanogenmod/allwinner
Look for the "Latest Files" section, and download the A10_Recovery.zip file from the link ClockworkMod Recovery 5 for Novo 7 Advanced.
Install a terminal to execute the script, Android Terminal Emulator from the Play Store is just fine for this.

- unzip the A10_Recovery.zip file on the root of your tablet's sdcard
- launch the terminal and go to your sdcard root, then type
- su <enter>
- sh install-recovery.sh <enter>

Usage:
Since the VI40 Elite does not have volume buttons that are part of the standard keys combination to power on your device in recovery mode, you'll need to use a script (sh reboot-recovery.sh provided above)
or any tool on the market such as Quick Boot to do so.

How to navigate:
Your display will be in landscape position, with the 3 hardware buttons on your right.
To navigate UP, use the Home button (the one at the bottom)
To navigate DOWN, use the Menu button (the one in the middle)
To go back...use the back button (the one at the top)
To validate a choice, press the power button briefly

Security and IP Cameras

noreply@blogger.com (Bubbah) — Fri, 24 Feb 2012 14:46:00 +0000

While being a security device by vocation, an entry-level IP camera is rarely secure itself: the embedded server does not offer any way to encrypt your login and the data stream. Fortunately there are ways around it, as well as common sense practice to reduce the risks.

If you're willing to spend 300€+, there are IP cameras with embedded SSL on the market (Axis, Panasonic, ...), but if, like me, you preferred buying 6 cheap chinese ipcams instead for that price, you can only use plain, unencrypted HTTP. Thanks to this lack of security, the role your "security" device can be completely inverted by opening a wide open window inside your home. The dream of any potential burglar planning an on-site visit!

First: the obvious ... restrict the HTTP and FTP accounts to reduce potential damage.
The first thing for any unencrypted access to your LAN is to only use it with a dedicated combination of user name and password that is used nowhere else (not even for the FTP service), so to ensure that if your IP cam login is ever "sniffed" by a hacker, the intrusion will be confined to your camera, and won't extend to your NAS, or computer!
Furthermore, the role of the account used for accessing from the WAN should be limited to Visitor (access to fixed view only) or Operator (access to PTZ control), to prevent any intruder from tempering with the configuration and clearing the traces of his visit in the log (you should inspect the log regularly for hints of unusual access).

The FTP service account: this other login will be easily compromised if you use the same user/password as fort the HTTP server or if you upload picture to an FTP server on the Internet. So the same kind of precaution applies here: use another unique user/password set with limited access to the target server, so the potential hacker won't be able to use that account to pump all your data.

Next: consider solutions to prevent intrusions.

1. If you are only accessing your IP cameras from fixed external locations, consider setting up your home router to allow incoming HTTP and FTP request from these fixed IP addresses only. This alone will greatly reduce the likelihood of an intrusion.

2. If you have a Network Access Server (or NAS), you may have a choice of options:
e.g., the Synology DiskStation range offers a powerful Surveillance Station to control your cameras through its HTTPS access. In the case of Synology though, you need to purchase extra licences to control more than one camera.

3. Some NAS and routers, come with a VPN server, and this is your best free option.

While PPTP is slightly easier to set up, OpenVPN is generally acknowledged as faster and more reliable.

To make it work with the outside world, you need to check that you router allows the VPN traffic to pass through. This option is usually present in the user interface and needs to be enabled.

If a firewall is on, further set up is needed to allow traffic through the required ports.
Generally it is UDP 1194 for OpenVPN, and TCP 1723 + GRE (Generic Routing Encapsulation, IP protocol ID 47) for PPTP.

Once your VPN connection is working, a tunnel is created between your remote client and your intranet at home (i.e. behind the NAT).
As a result, every server in your LAN can be accessed just as if your were home.

Therefore, you will now use the intranet IP addresses of your cameras to connect to them, but you'll be the only one to watch!

Upgrading to Gigabit and Wireless-N

noreply@blogger.com (Bubbah) — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 15:57:00 +0000

There are many WiFi-N routers on the market, but add the Gigabit requirement, and this choice drops dramatically. Add a further requirement for an embedded ADSL modem, and you're left with just a handful of candidates left.

With time, I accumulated devices with either Gigabit or Wifi-n connectivity (Bluray player LG BD390, Synology NAS DS109, Acer Liquid MT smartphone), so I decommissioned my good ol'7402GXL for the Billion 7800N with WiFi-n and Gigabit capabilities.

There are several reasons -other than just using less power sockets- for preferring an ADSL router with embedded modem, but for sure, this decision reduces the available options. In Europe, this seems to leave Billion 7800N, Cisco WAG320N and Netgear DGN3500 as only possible candidates (all Broadcom BCM6358 chipset-based).
Although I didn't mind trying something different than Billion (just for a change), the unconvincing user reviews on the Cisco and Netgear models pleaded for staying with the brand that I know since 2008 for its reliability and for the quality of its technical support service.

The first most striking difference in the 7800N compared to the 7402GXL, is the size, about 30% bigger (15.5cm x 23cm). Next come the obvious addition of 2 antennas and the absence of USB connection for a 3G modem.
The interface is similar to the 7402GXL, except that there's no pre-defined firewall rules so you need to define your restrictions from scratch over the unique "allow all" initial rule.

The chipset is also different: Broadcom instead of Connexan. Apparently it gives a little less options when configuring from the Command Line Interface (like adding port forwarding...).

The Billion 7800N is not really a new router and not the cheapest neither (~130€), but considering its outstanding reliability, it's well worth the money.

The companion router
To be complete, the solution had to include a companion Gigabit+Wifi-N router, to play the role of Wireless range extender.
Since a modem was not necessary here, the choice was larger:
Buffalo WZR-HP-G300NH v2, Zyxel NBG4604, D-Link DIR 645, TRENDnet TEW-639GR and TP-Link TL-WR1043ND
It didn't take too long to opt for the later based on its reviews and price (~50€)

These two guys work perfectly together and all it takes to set up the TP Link router as a bridge is to switch off its DHCP while designating the other router as the primary DNS server. I gave the same Access Point name to both boxes but distinct and non-overlapping Wi-Fi channels. This way, when my netbook or phone leaves the coverage area of one, it automatically connects to the other.

One remarkable feature of this router is the excellent user interface, complete and well structured, with a detailed contextual help for every single option, explaining how and why to use them. Something that Billion leaves to Google.

More info:
Billion Bipac 7800N: http://www.billion.uk.com/product/wireless/7800n.htm
TP-LINK WR1043ND: http://www.tp-link.com/en/products/details/?model=TL-WR1043ND

Demo UI for 7800N: http://www.billion.com/edu/EWAN/7800N_GUI/
Demo UI for WR1043ND: http://www.tp-link.com/simulator/tl-wr1043nd/index.htm

VPN through Billion 7402GXL

noreply@blogger.com (Bubbah) — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 16:21:00 +0000

Until recently, setting up a PPTP VPN passthrough on my Billion 7402GXL router was impossible, and for once, it turns out it was not all my fault...

Unlike most other routers on the market, there's no specific "PPTP Passtrough" option in the 7402GXL, but the method to allow this on the Billion router is quite simple:

Under the Virtual Server > Port Forwarding section, define a redirection for PPTP port and another for GRE protocol pointing to the intranet IP of the VPN server.

And it the firewall is enabled, define an rule to allow the PPTP port 1723 to go through (In and Out)

In theory, this should have done the trick, but not for me: despite the troublesome firewall being off, the VPN client was still hitting an invisible wall, and there was no log entry whatsoever in the router or at the VPN server end to give any clue.

Resolution
I contacted Billion technical support to check for any newer firmware for my model, which was in 6.22b (which, despite being 6 months old is only confidentially mentioned on the UK forum).
They provided me with the version 6.24b(UK build). It appears to be one of the latest available (January 2012) according to the Australian site (no changelog available).

Once installed, the VPN connection worked immediately with the same set of rules and forwarding.

So, it is possibly a bug that the latest firmware eventually resolved. Of course, it is also possible that resetting the router to factory settings -which is a requirement when upgrading a firmware for Billion's devices- cleaned up something corrupted in the configuration.

Recovering from "Error Web UI '(app_ver = '0 .0.0.0')" with cURL

noreply@blogger.com (Bubbah) — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 10:02:00 +0000

This post is just based on the comment #113 left on the popular page "Bring your FI8908W paperweight back to life" so all the credit goes to Eduardo Yoshida.

It describes an alternate method to recover from "Error Web UI '(app_ver = '0 .0.0.0') following a firmware update. in this situation, the Web UI is unavailable for re-flashing and some version of IP Camera Tool will not work well.

If you are unable to access the Web interface of the camera because of an unsuccessful upgrade, you can still perform a downgrade to a functional 'firmware/web UI'.

The only requirement is that it is still possible to execute HTTP commands, even for the command line, which is the method used, and that you know the cam's IP.

1- First of all reset your camera with a clip (holding the reset button for few seconds)

2- Download the program (windows users) "cURL" (see homepage for latest version) which will be used to issue commands and to send files to the camera.

3- Unzip the files into a directory e.g. c:\camera\, and put the files that you would like to send to the camera in the same directory.

4- As the program "IP Camera Tool" might not work too, look in the router which IP using your camera is using. Or use a specific program to scan your network to find out. (Google it)

5- Knowing the IP of the camera, go to the command line prompt and navigate to the directory where you unzipped the CURL proogram and containing the files to be placed in the camera.
e.g. "cd \camera"

6- From within the directory, execute the following commands in order, replacing the [IP] for to camera's IP and replacing the name o files that you want to put in to the camera. For the exemple will be used the firmware "lr_cmos_11_14_1_42.bin' and the WEB UI "2.4.8.11.bin"

Execute the commands in order:

First command:
curl.exe --user admin: --form file=@lr_cmos_11_14_1_42.bin "http://[IP]/upgrade_firmware.cgi"
(Wait for the results of the command, it should be "OK")

Second command:
curl.exe --user admin: "http:/[IP]/reboot.cgi"
(To reboot the cam)

Third command:
curl.exe --user admin: --form file=@2.4.8.11.bin "http://[IP]/upgrade_htmls.cgi"
(Wait for the results of the command, it should be "OK")

Fourth command:
curl.exe --user admin: "http:/[IP]/reboot.cgi"
(To reboot the cam)

THE CAMERA WAS RECOVERED.
by @eduyoshida - eduyoshida.com.br

Blogger Threaded Comment Replies: why not...

noreply@blogger.com (Bubbah) — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 12:03:00 +0000

Certainly it's a cool feature to have at last the in-line replies in comments but this comes to a price...

- no more "Newer> Newest>>" links to jump to the most recent comments when there are more than 200 on a post. Instead, the most unfriendly "load more..." link will have to be use as many times as there are pages to bring the latest comments. Of course this wouldn't be an issue if Blogger had an option to show the new comments on top.

- embedded comment location restricts customization: e.g. comment numbering scripts don't work in that mode.

- it may require to "revert widgets template to default" or "repair" your post template in order to start working.

I'm normally an early adopter of anything new from Google (except Google+), but I'll pass this one for the moment...

Evolution of M801W: now with IR-Cut !

noreply@blogger.com (Bubbah) — Tue, 22 Nov 2011 16:43:00 +0000

Following the general trend in IP cameras, Dericam added IR-Cut to its M801W range.

This new version of the M801W offers an improved picture quality thanks to the automatic IR-Cut system. It is already available at Andy.lig's shop. The price is about 10€ slightly higher than for the old model.

I took some comparative pictures with both old and new models.

The IR-Cut shows sharper images and better color rendering: no more purple foliages!
(Going green has a different meaning in the IP camera world)

Before

After

Before

After

Live testing:

The M801W IR cut can be tried here: http://dericam.dyndns.org:89 User name:admin, no password

links for other models:

M601W IR cut http://dericam.dyndns.org:83 User name:admin, no password

M204W IR cut http://dericam.dyndns.org:82 User name:admin, no password

H218W Mega pixel IR cut http://dericam.dyndns.org:86 User name:admin, password：123456

H501W Mega pixel IR cut http://dericam.dyndns.org:81 User name:admin, password：123456

Firmware 2.38 for FI8918W

noreply@blogger.com (Bubbah) — Tue, 22 Nov 2011 14:09:00 +0000

Foscam brought last month some long awaited improvements through this latest update for FI8918W.

I was busy with other gadgets lately and didn't pay attention to this latest update from Foscam.
However the improvements brought by fw 11.22.2.38 (webUI 2.4.18.17) are worth noticing,

1.Support setting schedule more conveniently.
Now you can do some group selection thanks to some additional controls in the UI:

2.Support changing the upload image name for FTP.
Many of us have asked Foscam for a way to set a name for saved files.
In my view it should have allowed to cycle within a range of files, with the newer ones overwritting the older. Well, the Foscam implementation is not exactly what we expected:

By default the uploaded filename looks like:
000XC5D05555(FI8918W)_1_20111122205544_5.jpg,...

Now if you set the filename e.g. "test", it will look like:
000DC5D05179(FI8918W)_test.jpg,
000DC5D05179(FI8918W)_test.1.jpg,
000DC5D05179(FI8918W)_test.2.jpg

...but this is only for the uploads that are not triggered by the motion alarm!

3.Support setting the automatic patrol circles.

4.Add the option to turn off the alarm beep sound when alarm activated.Yes, that irritating "honk" when the motion alarm is activated in IE can be now turned off!!!

5.Add preset in firefox,google chrome and safari.
One reason less to keep using IE!

6.Support saving fps.
makes sense!

Resolved bugs:
1)Fix display issues on some language pages.
2)Fix the issue about saving recording path.

As usual, a gentle reminder: this is not for FI8908W!

Where to get it: Foscam.com

Another note to myself: HL-340

noreply@blogger.com (Bubbah) — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 11:30:00 +0000

That's how I started this blog: keeping a trace of the drivers, firmware files and installation methods in case I'd need them again, saving me from having to figure out the whole thing again. This post is another place holder for the always-vanishing drivers for my USB to Serial adapter

Item description:
I purchased this thingy two years ago off eBay for ~€5.
It provides a way to create "virtual" COM ports on recent computers that only offer USB ports.

The model appears on the serial connector as HL-340.

As for most Chinese accessories, the drivers are not provided
and I first had to spend some time searching the forums.

I'll keep my findings here so you won't need to go through this yourself.

The item sold by DealExtreme is also based on chip CH340 so it should use the same the drivers.

The drivers for HL-340:
Manufacturer page: http://www.wch.cn/download/list.asp?id=65
I've stored a copy on FileFactory as well.

Side note:
These drivers are compatible with Windows from versions 95 to 2008 R2.
On OS from Vista ansd up, the installation program may not work.
Instead: unzip the exe file (7zip can do this all right),
go to the device manager and right click on the USB-Serial entry,
then select "Update Driver Software..." then browse to the location of CH341SER.INF

This adapter works for connecting Terminal Emulators via COM port.

You use the paper clip test to check that your serial interface is working fine.
It also work fine with the old X10 Computer Interface CM12U that came with a RS-232C connector.

New Blogger Feature: Open Link in a New Window

noreply@blogger.com (Bubbah) — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 11:51:00 +0000

Until recently, the easiest way to have all links in a post to open in a new window, was to insert the following HTML code as the first line of the page:

<base target="_blank"></base>

But now, Blogger has got a new option to make this frequent operation much simpler...
From the Post editor, just click on Link

...and click on the box next to "Open this link in a new window"

It's not clear since when this has been implemented as I found no official announcement for this. Just ran into this option today.

Inside views of the Dericam M801W

noreply@blogger.com (Bubbah) — Mon, 10 Oct 2011 08:58:00 +0000

Just for the fun of it...

Of course, this would void your warranty.

the four screws are under the rubber pads

As expected the microphone is in the base, not below the lens

JTAG connector (J2)

2 speakers, one on each side of the base

Screws are concealed behind these plastic pieces

Only in cases of serious focus problem, theses long screw may help to re-focus.
To be done with the camera connected to see the change in real time.

As seen before, this microphone cover is purely cosmetic

Steve Jobs 1955-2011

noreply@blogger.com (Bubbah) — Thu, 06 Oct 2011 08:34:00 +0000

Dericam M801W: The Z in PTZ...

noreply@blogger.com (Bubbah) — Wed, 21 Sep 2011 10:30:00 +0000

The popular PTZ term in IP camera is widely overused for devices that only do Pan and Tilt, but not (Optical) Zoom.
True PTZ cameras are normally priced from 200€ and up but there's an exception now.

If you browse on eBay for "PTZ IP Camera", you'll find in the middle of the cheapest, a newcomer called Dericam M801W, just below €80.-

The box contains the usual stuff: 1 camera, 1 antenna, 1 CD, 1 color printed manual, 1 flat rollback RJ45 cable and a mounting bracket. It is interesting to note that you can mount the camera on a wall/ceiling without this addition thanks to the 2 holes already present on the base.

While the casing is different, it is comparable in size to the traditional form factor used by most other competitors. The microphone returns a correct sound quality and the speaker is slightly better than I expected, but the audio-out connector at the back is there for a reason. It would be nice to see some buffer control in the future to reduce the feedback effect when both microphone and speakers are in use.

The presence of the IO Alarm connector seems to denote a hardware platform similar to the FI8908W (or M501W from Dericam), but issuing a "get_params.cgi" returns variables such as alarm_msn and mail_tls which are normally only used with the newer hardware platform like FI8918W, so I have to check that point with Dericam.

The web interface will feel familiar to anybody who owns an IP Camera already, the main difference being the zoom+ and zoom- buttons to control the vari-focal zoom lens.

Varifocal 3x Optical Zoom
I think that having an optical zoom on a traditional IP Camera actually makes sense for the following reasons:
- It balances the drawback of the typicaly low resolution (300K pixels, VGA).
- It helps to focus the motion alarm on a portion of the room. You could, for instance, keep it zoomed on a doorway to allow a more accurate identification of potential visitors.

- You can also more easily consider placing the camera further away and out of reach.

Several Pan and Tilt positions can be saved as presets. I just regret that the zoom position is not part of it. According to Dericam, it's in project.

The picture quality here is affected by the GIF format compression

The picture quality is comparable to a Foscam. Same goes for the software which also responds to the same CGI command set. I actually installed this camera with the existing Ipcam Tool and ActiveX plugin from my previous devices.

This is very handy as all the tricks gathered on this blog will also apply to Dericam: FAQ for IP Cameras & Shortcuts to some IP Camera functions

A CGI command will actually be necessary to work around a little bug: Change to the PTZ option "go to center on boot" does not get saved from the WebUI, so the camera always rotate on reboot.
The solution is to submit the following command from the url bar:
http://[ipcam]/set_misc.cgi?ptz_center_onstart=0

The QuickStart CD provided with the camera (I've prepared some download links at the end of the post) provides the manuals, J2ME phone viewer, ActiveX files, and a PC software called "Collect Client".
It turns out to be a good surprise in comparison with the classic and ugly Super Client usually bundled with most models. Once you know that the initial application login is "admin" with no password, and that you need to create a group first (There's a manual provided and maybe one day I'll read it...), the rest is quite straightforward. Cameras on the LAN are all detected and you just need to set their respective credentials to start viewing.

This universal IP Camera client takes control of everything, and even can access the settings of each device with a more convenient interface than the WebUI. Setting the Alarm schedule, for instance, is much easier as you can drag over the time table instead of clicking every single case one by one...

Third-Party application support:
Of course, the applications listed in Third-Party software for IP Cameras are compatible, since this model shares the same CGI command set as the Foscam cameras. Several fully support the M801W zoom function, like IP Cam Viewer for Android or Live Cams for iPhone. For the others you can simply pick a Foscam model (but then with no Zoom control).

Several look-alikes already:
Other manufacturers are using the same casing even though not offering a Zoom function: An example of this is SKU #50181 from DealExtreme. Instead, it comes with a µSD card slot that the M801W doesn't have. You'll have to decide for yourself which feature is important for you.
Personally, I have security concerns with local storage: If you rely on the camera snapshots in case of intrusion, then these pictures should be stored away in a safe location (NAS or web FTP), so if the camera get stolen, the pictures remain!

Best way to buy a M801W-with-Zoom is to check their Where to Buy section. (mine comes from andy.lig)

Technical support: Good news! There is actually someone behind tech@dericam.com and that's how I could obtain some extra information, like their CGI SDK reference manual.
Dericam also confirmed that updates are to be expected in the coming months and should be available via email requests. Thanks to Denny for providing me with this information.

Conclusion:
If the Z in PTZ makes any sense for you and you're on a budget, this camera is a sensible choice.

Quick Start Disk (~12MB) : Download + mirror

See also:
- Dericam M801W page
- Live demo of M801W
- WeatherProof (IP66) outdoor equivalent: M601W
- Live demo of M601W

Mouse without Borders

noreply@blogger.com (Bubbah) — Thu, 15 Sep 2011 14:36:00 +0000

If you're working with 2 Windows computers side-by-side (or more), you will probably adopt rightly this excellent tool from "The Garage" (a Microsoft geeks nest).

It would already be great if it was only a software alternative to KVM's but it also allows you to share your clipboard between computers as well.

In my profession, I frequently experiment on one PC and document the operation on another. I'm using Greenshot to capture screens and save them in a central network location, but sharing clipboard is sometimes better as you can directly copy/paste picture, text, anything...into the final document.
A menu option allows to send a screenshot to, or receive it from, another PC, but you also can use the PrintScreen button (or Alt-PrintScreen) to get the screenshot directly in the shared clipboard without always openning 'Paint'. An option to automatically save the screenshots to file would be a nice addition .

Installing:
All it takes, is to download a tiny file (1.1MB) and install it on each computer. A security key will be created to associate only the computers you choose. From that point, your mouse will be able to travel from one computer screen to another by just crossing the 'border'. You need to ensure that your screens disposition in the "Machine matric" matches the real situation. If needed, this can be adjusted by a simple drag an drop.

Get "Mouse without Borders" here

With its large media coverage, this tool from Microsoft brings an another software under the spotlights to people (like me...) who didn't know that such a solution already existed for quite some time: Synergy, a Multi-Platform (Linux, OSX, Windows) and Open Source alternative, which is definitely worth a try!

Synology DSM 3.2 is out !

noreply@blogger.com (Bubbah) — Wed, 07 Sep 2011 08:10:00 +0000

The DSM 3.2 just finished its beta cycle and is available for updating the Synology DiskStations!
Below is a non-exhaustive list of the most remarkable changes in release 3.2-1922:

Embedded LDAP Client. With also a server freely available from the Package Manager

Syslog Server to collect the logs from your servers and routers

ISO image and Remote Folder (using CIFS protocol) can be mounted from the File Browser,

It's worth noting that the remote folder must be another DiskStation in the same LAN. You won't be able to map the DiskStations of your friends.

DSM mobile: with the new interface dedicated to mobile devices, it becomes really possible to manage the DiskStation from your phone.

Download Station: You can now drag and drop your BT files directly into the Download Station without the need of the redirector, thanks to the HTML5 integration.

Photo Station 5: New features, and new look and feel (which received mixed feedback from users)

You can now authenticate to Photo Station using the credentials from DSM.
It also allows to sync with Facebook

Google Cloud Print support allows you to send print jobs to your local printer from anywhere (requires Google Chrome)

All the areas really have been enhanced in one way or another.
For the full changelog, check this official Release Note. There is also a detailled presentation of DSM 3.2.

ES-IP611W IP Camera

noreply@blogger.com (Bubbah) — Mon, 05 Sep 2011 09:21:00 +0000

I came across what's possibly the cheapest IP Camera on the market today. Despite its small size, it has the pan & tilt function and for the price, the Eyesight IP611W is certainly a good candidate for an impulsive purchase.

Since my first IP camera, I've favored the Foscam brand because they offer services that are unexpected in that price range: a technical support which is not just a dead inbox, firmware updates taking the customers feedback into consideration, and I've yet to find another brand that provides you with a recovery procedure and files for bricked cameras like Foscam did.

However, this time, I thought I'd give a try to something they don't have in their current offer: a small IP Camera dome (8(H)/12.5(W)cm) that can sit discreetly on the ceiling of my front door porch.

So I gave a try with this compact, low cost (about 43€, but you can find it for the friendly price of 85€ on eBay!) camera from Chinavasion. For that price, it is acceptable to to have low expectations, and it may not survive well outside, even in a sheltered place. A Wanscam AJ-C0LA-C128 equivalent is available from DealExtreme for about the same price.

There are some confusing points to clarify about this model:

The manufacturer's web site and GUI may suggest otherwise (most is copy/paste from the IP603w specs),

but there is no Pan & Tilt control and no audio support !

At least the manual makes things clear: no ptz and no audio for "IPCAM04"

In fact the firmware uses a WebUI portion that is common to most of their ES-IP6x camera range, and the PTZ and audio controls are present in the interface altough not functional with the 603. Their latest firmware (which is on par with features found in the latest fw.11.14.2.28 from Foscam's FI8908W), is fairly complete so the absence of firmware update on their website should'nt be too much of a problem.

Device Firmware Version	12.25.2.34
Device Embeded Web UI Version	2.6.8.1

The manual does not mention anything specific about mounting the IP611W.

While it is quite simple to figure out it deserves a closer look:

1. The dome is unscrewed by hand easily.

2. Once done, it is possible to unlock the bottom plate by pushing a small piece of plastic with a pen or screwdriver.

3. This plate has to be fixed first on the ceiling. 3 screw holes are present (Screws are provided).
If you're challenging this camera for outdoor use, you may want to tape the center to help prevent humidity to get in.

4. The angle of the camera can be adjusted by releasing the screws as shown on the picture.

5. The main challenge is to pass the bulky cable ends by a 3 cm large hole through the wall.

It takes a lot of "Ifreann na Fola!" (and other Irish swears) and a 30mm tungsten carbide tipped core drill to go through the concrete wall and then pass the connectors. The hole can then be filled with an expanding foam spray.

6. The camera can be then screwed back to the bottom plate affixed on the ceiling. A click will indicate that it is in place. A good idea is to apply a ring of bathroom silicone around the base of the dome to further prevent humidity to sneak in.

Additional notes:
- The red ring on the base is easy to remove if you prefer your camera only white.
- Be sure to have the wireless setup already done before fixing the camera.
- The camera has no Ingress Protection Rating and therefore is not designed for outdoor use, so mounting the camera outside the house may damage it.

With a picture quality just similar to a FI8904W (outdoor camera from Foscam), comparable CGI command set and software level, the IP611W is the smallest form factor you can find in the entry level IP camera market. Despite its lack of PTZ and sound support, it remains a good purchase thanks to its attractive price.

Wiimote plus: genuine vs chinese

noreply@blogger.com (Bubbah) — Mon, 15 Aug 2011 10:53:00 +0000

If a brand is unbeatable for selling the same thing over and over again, it's well Nintendo (Zelda for GameCube, Zelda for Wii, Zelda for DS, 3DS, ...). The Wii controllers are not forgotten in this game.
Just once you bought enough extra Wiimotes for the whole family, the Motion Plus dongle came out. Now that you eventually equipped all your Wiimotes with this add-on, the integrated version is there...

So do you feel like spending once more a third of the console price in another round of controllers ?

The first Wii MotionPlus Remote can be acquired bundled with the game Wii Motion Play, kind of justifying the price of ~ €45. Then its about €35.- for each additional unit.
So the low cost alternative is tempting ... but it is a lottery as well!
Anyway let's find out...

I made a random pick on eBay for a red Chinese-mote at €15.- delivered (The red choice is to match the only color that was available for the genuine unit bundled with Wii Motion Play).

The fake remote is visually identical to the Nintendo, too identical...with the same "Wii MotionPlus INSIDE", Nintendo and RVL-003 imprints. This is my biggest problem with this unit: producing a Wii compatible controller is not illegal (see Datel, Bigben, Hubb, Venom...) but copying the brand name and model is, and stupid: who's seriously thinking it comes from Nintendo when buying at such a low price?

The quality difference is immediately obvious with the plastic. The battery cover in particular is expected to be short lived! The only thing looked so cheapm that I started to wonder if it would actually contain a Motion plus, IR camera, rumble and speaker.

Well, the first test seemed to confirm my expectations...with the pointer going all over the places and no way to target anything accurately!... until I did some adjustments:

- I went to the Wii settings to changed the Sensor bar sensitivity to a lower value. Obviously the camera in those Chinese remotes has a different sensitivity than the originals. This simple step mostly did the trick for me and the remote became stable and accurate (tested with Wii Sport Resort and Wii Motion Play).

- My "sensor bar" was sitting on top of the TV, so I tried moving it below (adjusting the corresponding setting in the Wii setup of course). Some forum suggest that changing the position of the LED bar can help. While it didn't change much for me, it didn't make things any worse. As a third option, most non-Nintendo replacement "sensor bar" on the market are said to increase the accuracy to the remotes, mostly due to brighter LEDs.

Once the remote accuracy was resolved, I tested the compatibility with the official Nunchuck and it also worked properly.

So it seem that some non-official remotes for Wii can be a good alternative once you don't expect the same build quality for the price difference. Beside the obscure Chinese non-brand remotes, there are alternatives from more renowned manufacturers like Datel Wildfire FX, Bigben LX, Hubb, Venom V-mote, with prices in-between if you don't feel too adventurous.

More:
http://www.nintendo.com/consumer/systems/wii/en_na/settingsSensorBar.jsp

http://www.davidhawley.co.uk/WiiSensorBar.aspx

Make Google Toolbar work with Firefox 5

noreply@blogger.com (Bubbah) — Fri, 01 Jul 2011 10:04:00 +0000

My very first reaction following the auto-update to Firefox 5.0 was "Where the hell did my Google toolbar go?". At least there's a quick fix to it.
Google toolbar is a great added value to Firefox and you realize it even more when it's gone!
The version 7.1 is now reported as incompatible by Firefox 5.0, and why would Google to rush to publish a compatible update if this can bring more frustrated users to Chrome ?

If, like me, you're (about to but) not just ready yet to dump Firefox for good, here's the simple and quick fix to force Google Toolbar 7.1 to load in FF 5:

1. In the url bar, type: "about:config" and then click the warning button.

2. right click on the page and select New > Boolean

3. As the string, type: extensions.checkCompatibility.5.0

4. As value, select False

5. Restart Firefox

You should now see the Google toolbar enabled in the Add-ons page with the warning confirming that Add-on compatibility checking is disabled.
The Google toolbar 7.1 does work fine, but you may need to disable manually any other incompatible extensions to keep your browser stable (in particular if you get an error such as "TypeError: Components.classes[cid] is undefined").

Alternatively, you can install an add-ons like "Compatibility Reporter" which also turns off the compatibility checking.

And for Firefox 6, ...

extensions.checkCompatibility.6.0...

Since I posted this article, Google officially announced the end the Google Toolbar, so there's no update to expect for current and future versions of Firefox. Also, from FF version 6.0.2, login from the toolbar stopped working. Time to learn to do without it I guess...

New firmware for FI8918W

noreply@blogger.com (Bubbah) — Mon, 20 Jun 2011 11:34:00 +0000

Foscam released a firmware update for the FI8918W but at the same time decided to rebuild their website, making the download page unavailable for the time being. Frustrating, especially given the improvements introduced with this 11.22.2.36 update:

New features of firmware 11.22.2.36:
1) Add msn function

MSN friends can login to the ip camera remotely

2) Audio support in push server mode (Firefox,Chrome)

Nice and long awaited addition, this is done through VLC so you will need to install the correponding Mozilla plug-in.

3) Add daylight saving time

Daylight saving is no longer used in China so it's nice of them to implement it at last.

4) Support special characters on wireless SSID,wireless key and alias

Many people had troubles because of too long/complex SSID name or key.

5) Support hidden SSID in router

Not advertising ssid is a good practice and makes your AP slightly more secure.

6) Support gmail for sender on mail service settings

TLS support for emails at last !

->If like me you get this error, it means that your camera is too old (mine's from September 2010). Foscam has confirmed this.

7) Improved UPnP function

Improved port forwarding through UPnP.

-> Sunday and scrambled emails alarm bugs should also be resolved.

Where to get it:
The usual recommended way is to email Foscam with the device ID and current fw version to obtain it.

I have setup the following mirrors while Foscam website is down:
Download location #1
Download location #2

The firmwares can also be found on the Foscam Malaysia web site.

Please follow the "Upgrade guidance" document, do not flash over Wi-Fi, make sure you have the FI8918W and not the FI8908W.

About the FI8908W: there is no similar update for the older cameras (Device 11.14.2.28/Web UI 2.4.8.15 are still current), and Foscam suggests that features #1 and #6 will not be possible with the FI8908W hardware. I hope they will introduce at least the hidden SSID support in a future firmware, otherwise this feature will be useless if you have a mix a old and new Foscam's on the network.

DVB-S/T Receiver: Dr.HD F16

noreply@blogger.com (Bubbah) — Tue, 17 May 2011 15:56:00 +0000

I was initially planning this change for much later but my Technomate "TM-5400 CI+ USB Super" died and I had to look for a replacement, with HD support this time preferably.

Since obviously nobody's attending the tech. support mailbox at Technomate, I decided to ignore their natural successor, the "TM-5402 HD CI+ Super+" and look somewhere else.

I was aware of some "clones" like the C-Tech 5000 HD from ClarkeTech because I was already using some of their tools with the Technomate receiver.

During my research, I also discovered the BM7000S from Blade Media, and more recently another one, DrHD with the model F15 and F16 !

Being good clones, they are all comparable in terms of hardware specifications, and their differences are down to each brand willingness to develop new firmwares.

I live in Ireland and the ongoing DVB-T testing phase allows me to receive the Irish TV quite well in my rural area, so I decided to have a closer look at their combo unit and flagship, the F16 introduced with an unusual commercial verbiage pairing the decoder features with the fighter jet homonym...

In final my decision to take a chance with a Dr.HD F16 has been motived by the following factors:
- The price, 250€ on eBay, (~287€ if bought on the seller's own web site, go figure!)
- The existence of a forum allowing users to communicate directly with the developpers
- More product information (videos, FAQ) than for most other brands.
- The regular release of firmware updates with improvement (they seems to be the only ones to entirely develop their own software).
- The fact that users from other brands are acually flashing their (C-Tech) decoder with DrHD firmware for better performance and more features...
- The IF connectors are short-circuit proof (which is what likely toasted my Technomate unit).
- Ability to playback the recorded video (.ts files) with Media Player Classic HC (for those reluctant to use the advertised GOM player. This should also work with VLC but not for me for some reason)

Conclusion:
After about 2 months of use, I'm still pleased with this receiver.
I had the opportunity to verify that the forum is attended, altough it is advisable to keep an eye on the russian forum as well (Google translate is your friend). This allowed me to spot a bug fix for the network function (at time of writing, I use F16_010p_20110331_Log).
The receiver is fast and fully functional but has potential for extra features which are added on a regular basis by firmware updates.

See also: http://manual.drhd.legion.name/

Saitek F.L.Y. 5: Really wanted to like it !

noreply@blogger.com (Bubbah) — Mon, 11 Apr 2011 13:35:00 +0000

I was looking for a compact flight stick to replace my old Saitek Cyborg 3D Force and the F.L.Y.5 (also called Cyborg X) caught my eyes...

My force feedback joystick started to give strange results since Windows 7, vibrating when not expected, and remaining still when it should have been triggered. The spring force was also not applied all the time.
As my flight sim sessions became more occasional, I found more appropriate to base my research on the following criteria:

- no force feedback and power adapter needed
- compact and plug-and-play
- twist handle for rudder control
- throttle
- enough buttons
- price limit: 80€

So no, X52 (although I've been really tempted) or Hotas Warthog for me.

The F.L.Y.5 is a nice object, with all the above conditions met, plus a double throttle for twin engine aircrafts, a small wheel for the elevator trim, and adjustable handle parts. I didn't play with this and left the allen key in place. I still have in mind the previous joysticks and racing wheel I had from Saitek and how fragile they all were (with the only exception of Cyborg 3D so far).

Simple to operate, keys conveniently placed, firm enough, especially the twin throttles. It could be a bit more precise but worked well enough with FSX, HAWX and IL2 (1946!, can't speak for COD yet...)

During the first weeks of use, I really thought that I'd ever need another joystick !
...I was wrong!

"What you buy cheap, you pay twice"

...and the proverb is unfortunately true, and in the middle of a dogfight, one of the buttons around the hat switch popped out! A plastic part keeping the whole thing in place suddenly cracked, ejecting the spring-loaded button, which crashed on my desk...(as did my Spitfire shortly after).

My first though was, "ok, Saitek's legendary fragility is still true...I should have known better"

Almost ready to pay it twice...
No replacement available at the shop, only a credit note so I'm now back, in the interim, with my old Cyborg 3D. I'm very tempted to buy another "Cyborg X", trying to convince myself that it was just one bad Monday-built unit, but I know I'm fooling myself, it is the usual Saitek quality problem!

In conclusion, this is probably one of the nicest and best-thought compact joystick out there BUT...it's unfortunately made by Saitek! Come on Thrustmaster, for once, make a clone!

Type "Saitek defect" on youtube or see this video review from another (IL2) gamer for a stronger warning.

Update: I finally changed for the less pretty but sturdy and precise Thrustmaster T.16000M.

IL 2 Sturmovik: Cliffs of Dover - Talk to your doctor first !

noreply@blogger.com (Bubbah) — Thu, 07 Apr 2011 11:00:00 +0000

The lovers of close gunfights rightly consider IL2 series as the Holy Grail of WWII combat simulators.
The game evolved torough the years with an impressive choice of over 300 airplanes to fly with. Furthermore, non-official add-ons like UltraPack and Online gaming systems such as HyperLobby contribute to keep this true gem alive, even after 10 years of existence.

Now, the long awaited successor IL 2 Sturmovik: Cliffs of Dover,is there...

My copy arrived today from amazon.fr (could not buy on amazon.co.uk strangely and download-only version on UbiShop was for the price of the boxed product)

I went for the Collector Edition which contains a replica of the official "Pilot's Notes of the Spitfire 1 Aeroplane, Merlin II or III engine" (a small booklet really but still more detailed than the owner's manual of my Renault ), a nice Pilot Instructions booklet (the game manual) as well as a map of the Battle of Britain theatre printed on fabric. Nice, but not sure it was worth the extra 12€.

The release date should have been the 1st of April instead, really !

The fun begins when you install the game, which can take over an hour before you eventually get to the actual game splash screen (and you're not yet done with the troubles!)

Once you openned the required firewall ports, and get your Steam registration going, some long download will take place before the actual game installation starts from the DVD.

IL2 COD does not need any help to be slow, but Ubisoft found funny to add an Epilepsy filter which drops the FPS even further (option to turn it off is available with the first patch).

Note that only a handful of graphic cards are supported currently, and even then, you're not safe.Mine is a modest oem Radeon HD 6450 (not listed), in a decently average PC (4 Cores Athlon 3 Ghz and 4GB of RAM). Not an AlienWare of course, but
I can run ArmA 2 and FSX with decent performance and it's not good enough for IL2 COD with lowest settings! (note that the "whooping" 13 FPS average in the screenshot above is obtained over the sea and after having tweaked the conf.ini!)

Talk to your doctor first !

Beside their epilepsy warning splashed at you when starting the game, Ubisoft should add a blood pressure warning: the first contact with this game will have an adverse effect on your hypertension!

If this happens to you, try the following:
- Google for "IL-2 Sturmovik Cliffs of Dover unplayable low FPS" so you won't feel alone.
- Start a session of the old IL2 1946, which proves to be a good stress releaver.
- Post a ticket to Ubi (Don't let them in peace even though they won't reply!)
(- Write a post to evacuate your anger...)

Should you avoid or get a refund ?

If you already bought the game, remember the beginnings of IL2 Sturmovick. IL2 COD will improve, with better features and more aircrafts. Oleg Maddox team deserves that credit.
Just wait and play IL2 1946 in the meantime.

If you didn't buy the game yet, don't rush, the price may drop soon!

Pros:
I'll update this section if the upcoming patch improves anything!

Cons:
- Very long installation phase
- Invasive Steam platform required
- Many players can't exceed 5-10 FPS even with recent hardware (even with the above filter turned off)
- Anti-epilepsy filter will drive you mad (but not epileptic hopefully)
- On-screen throttle indicators
- Message box open by default (this one you can close)
- Still the old mission editor, I was expecting some rework on it.
- Some sounds are from the old IL2 and not on par with those from mods like UltraPack.

Indispensable Network Applications for Android phones

noreply@blogger.com (Bubbah) — Wed, 06 Apr 2011 14:48:00 +0000

After flashing and re-installing my phone so many times, I found that a few Android applications were worth reinstalling each time. You probably know some of them:

ES File Explorer: not just an explorer, it can contact your PC through Wifi using SMB or FTP. FTP also helps with some car hand free kits that cause pairing troubles.

Penetrate: scans for nearby Access Points and reports the weakly protected routers (WEP, factory password, …). Comes handy on travel when a free Internet access is needed. Note that it requires the huge (200Mb) Thomson dictionnary for cracking some passwords, but this goes on your µSD

Overlook Fing: scans the lan you're connected to and shows a detailed network map. Absolutely brilliant!

APNDroid: a life saver for any user with a pre-pay SIM, allows you to disable the Internet Data traffic. To keep those hungry automatic Internet updates under control. Appears as a Red/green widget push button on your home screen.

Traffic Monitor from RadioOpt GmbH. Beside the included speed test is not yet as good as the Speedtest.net app, its main purpose is to keeps track of exactly what quantity of data is used by each application/service.

Shark: a wireshark compatible wlan sniffer!

TextDroid: while connected to Wifi, will send free text message through the Mobile operator web text engine, the nice thing about it is that it integrates with your phone book.

KeepassDroid: Allows using the Keepass database on your phone (all your logins and passwords strongly encrypted in your pocket)

Android System Info: System, Task and App manager, even system log (for rooted phones)

Chinese PTZ IP Cameras

noreply@blogger.com (Bubbah) — Wed, 12 Jan 2011 14:18:00 +0000

This is a risky task that I had in mind for months: Create a table with the existing manufacturers of PTZ IP Cameras that are using the same casing as the Foscam FI8908W.

First a word of caution:
- this is an inaccurate snapshot of what exists at a given time
- it is a work in progress
- it is not (meant to be) exhaustive.

- I could only test and verify the older FI8908W Foscam information and firmware procedure as I don't have any other (non-)brand of IP camera.

I would like to make this table accurate enough so people can identify which camera they have, when time comes for them to request support or firmware for it, and maybe also what addresses to use within a recovery. I don't have the storage and time to collect all of the standard and recovery firmwares, but you can check some repository like IntEx's located in my Recommended Reading section (right column).

Your help is welcome!
If you had a positive experience in recoverying any IP camera, please leave a comment with the addresses used and, if possible, a download location for the recovery files. Any correction you may think of for the spreadsheet below, please let me know.
Thanks!
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