obscureport

When Chuck Norris Tells You To Have a Merry Christmas, You Have a Merry Christmas

2013-12-24T23:38:00.000-05:00

Never to be outdone by Jean Claude Van Damme, chuck Norris has offered a response to JCVD's Volvo split, and packed some holiday wishes in besides:

Merry Christmas to everyone! In lieu of a gift this year, I have made a donation on your behalf:

It truly is a Festivus miracle...

The Force Action Figure - Now Available!

2013-12-23T21:08:00.000-05:00

A while back, I referred to the Uncle Owen and Aunt Beru action figures, which I had figured finally covered all of the major characters in Episode 4. Little did I know that one of the most important concepts in the Star Wars canon was still awaiting representation - The Force!

That oversight has now been addressed:

Sold out on ebay, the Force was going for a $13.95 "Buy it Now" price. Keep an eye on the seller - he has Uncle Owen and Aunt Beru on sale now, and hopefully will have some more Force figures will become available.

Survivor 28 BBB - Beauty, Brains and Brawn?

2013-12-15T23:23:00.002-05:00

Just watching the Survivor 27 - Blood Vs. Water Finale, and a quick clip was shown to tease Season 28. The clip showed the letter "B" repeated three times, interspersed with someone doing a physical challenge, what appears to be a puzzle, and a woman in the water. Quick guess - Survivor 28 will begin with three tribes divided into "Beauty", "Brains" and "Brawn". What do you think?

Update: Jeff Probst confirmed the theme for Season 28 at the end of the reunion show: "Survivor Cagayan: Brawn vs. Brains vs. Beauty", starting with three tribes of all new players. Hope they can keep up the level of this season, which has been the best in years!

More information on next season at Entertainment Weekly.

Aaron Sorkin + Lego = Awesome

2012-07-25T00:36:00.001-04:00

After watching the first few episodes of the Newsroom, I found myself jonesing for some old-fashioned West Wing walk-and-talk. I realized that not only have I not seen the final two seasons of the West Wing, but also that I had the Lego Architecture White House waiting for my building attention.

So this past Saturday night, I embarked on a West Wing marathon (now available on Amazon, free streaming for Prime Members, in HD, no less!). Rather than just jump into the middle, we started from episode one, and enjoyed a nostalgia-fest being re-introduced to CJ's wit, Josh and Donna's repartee, Sam and his call girl, Charlie's keen insights on where the President's glasses may be, Leo's dedication and secret AA meetings, Toby's "New York Sense of Humor" and President Bartlet's tender-but-goofy back pill fugues all over again. It is a show which has aged extremely well, and can still move you once in a while.

On the construction side, the Lego White House came together beautifully:

While it is not very large, it was a detailed build, with a lot of small pieces, but I was very pleased with the result. The included direction manual also has details of the building's history and structure. I learned that President Calvin Coolidge was upset by the leaky roof and replaced the roof and attic with a third floor using steel girders. While it solved the immediate leak issue, this new construction was not done properly and resulted in weakening the entire structure of the building, which was addressed a couple of decades later during the Truman Reconstruction.

The West Wing was not added until 1901, and the Oval Office until 1909 - it is amazing to realize that these centerpieces of the White House with all of their historical significance were only added in the last century.

Overall, it was a very successful TV/Lego marathon - it will be hard to go back to the Newsroom after this.

If you look closely at the balcony on the South Portico, you may be able to catch President Josiah Bartlet antagonizing over the proper response to the latest outrage in Qumar.

Extremely Rare Photo of Tusken Raiders Travelling Side By Side

2012-07-24T23:47:00.000-04:00

Guess they will need some Banthas to cover their tracks...

Great post from Geeks of Doom!

Is the new Kris Kross album ever going to come out?

2012-03-23T20:49:00.000-04:00

Makes waiting for Chinese Democracy seems look wiggity-wiggity-wack.

To tide us over:

Or in keeping the "'Jump' from the past" theme with the season, "And just like the Prodigal Son I've returned -
Anyone stepping to me you'll get burned..."

Solution to iOS 5.1 Download Problems

2012-03-10T21:34:00.000-05:00

Looks like Apple's servers are taking a pounding with all of the demand for iOS 5.1. If you have gotten the error, "There was a problem downloading the software for the iPhone. The Network connection timed out.", find the solution below:

MAKE SURE TO BACKUP YOUR DEVICE BEFORE UPGRADING.

1. Download the IOS 5.1 Firmware directly from Apple by clicking on the links below, save the file to your desktop:

iOS 5.1 (build 9B176) is compatible with iPad 1, iPad 2, iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4, iPhone 4S, iPod touch 3rd & 4th gen, and iPad 3. Additional builds are available for Apple TV 2 and Apple TV 3.

2. After downloading the desired firmware, you can shift-click (PC) or option-click (Mac) the "Update" button in iTunes. A file dialog will open and let you choose the downloaded ipsw-file from your desktop.

3. Proceed with the upgrade as usual.

4. If you get Error -3002 at this point, try to do a Restore, rather than an Upgrade - remember to shift-click (or option-click on a Mac).

Please let me know if you have any issues with this procedure in the comments section below.

Check this post for similar solutions for iOS 5: http://obscureport.blogspot.com/2011/10/solution-for-ios-5-download-problems.html

Dungeons and Dragons Revisited - A Great Overview of the Phenomena

2011-10-30T18:23:00.000-04:00

My highest recommendation for "Destroy All Monsters" by Paul Lafarge from a 2006 issue of The Believer magazine. For anyone who grew up playing D&D, this article is a must read. For anyone who didn't play, you can learn what the fun, and the fuss was all about, and with the benefit of time, a little of why it was important to its adherents. It covers the basics of the game (and its complexity), the history and controversy of its creation, extraordinary growth through corporate ups and downs, its cultural place, effects and backlash, and takes a look at what was at the heart of the obscure game that created its own niche and captured so many adolescent imaginations, including mine.

Engaging writing, perceptive analysis, and even some intrepid investigation (like going to Gary Gygax's house!) make this piece fun, informative and thought-provoking.

It takes me back to when I got my first Basic Set at around 8 years old...

As to my personal history with D&D, the Basic Set just whet my appetite for more - why play "Basic" when "Advanced" was out there? it all started with the "Player's Handbook" and the "Monster Manual", but once I read "The Dungeon Master's Guide", I know I wanted to play the role of creator and arbiter of fortunes. I probably spent at least as much time reading the manuals and designing campaigns as I ever did playing, but D&D was a great experience for me, mostly as an interactive story-telling experience as the Dungeon Master. It also was the basis for some good friendships, expanded my vocabulary, exposed me to historical and mythical cultures, and drove some of my earliest computer programming efforts (an automatic character generator).

I still have the full set of AD&D manuals - my favorites were the Fiend Folio with its off-beat British-influenced take on monsters (and their "armour" classes), and Deities and Demigods with its translations of gods, heroes and creatures of myth into the D&D realm - the Norse were my favorite.

If my suggestion is not enough to entice you to follow the link, here's a list of some of the topics covered, from the article: "DISCUSSED: Basements as Dungeons, Middle-earth, War Games, Moral Clarity, Vin Diesel, Biological Determinism, Death by Misadventure, Freaks & Geeks, Tom Hanks, Castration Anxiety, Satanism, The Pantheon of Cool Dangers, The Buck Rogers Fortune, Cthulhu Calamari, Tom Waits, The Holy Scriptures, Orson Welles".

Please check out "Destroy All Monsters" - it's a fun read whether it gets your nostalgia going or lets you in on what you missed. Thanks to my brother, John (an engaging and thought-provoking writer and artist in his own right) for sharing this with me!

Link to "Destroy All Monsters" at Believer Mag: http://www.believermag.com/issues/200609/?read=article_lafarge

Moment of 80's Nostalgia Zen

2011-10-20T22:01:00.000-04:00

Or why we "dial" the phone, what "high speed dubbing" is used for, blowing on game cartridges, the scream of a modem connecting, watching TV shows at a certain time and (working) pay phones..

And we didn't get Gopher, WAIS and Lynx until sophomore year of college!

For the exhaustive list, 100 Things our Children May Never Know About from GeekDad...

Credit for Sharon from Texas for inspiring this post.

My Blackberry Is Not Working!

2011-10-15T14:00:00.000-04:00

Like a tech version of Abbott and Costello's "Who's on First?" - check out this brilliant skit from "The One Ronnie" on BBC:

How to Free Up Space in iCloud

2011-10-15T00:26:00.001-04:00

I found that after my first sync after upgrading my iPad to IOS 5, I was already running out of space in my iCloud account. Of course, the option to buy more space was immediately offered, but after doing a little digging, I was able to drastically reduce the amount of space I was using for backup. Here's how:

1. Go to Settings, then choose iCloud, then Storage

2. Select Backup/Manage Storage

3. Select the device you want to edit

4. Deselect any Apps which you don't need to backup - especially those that don't include any data, those with data you have backed up in other places (like my photos) and apps that you can easily re-download from the App Store if you need to.

That's it - I was able to cut my iCloud usage by about half by eliminating just a few apps. Now I need to figure out how to use the space I freed up!

Here's an Apple Support article with more details: http://support.apple.com/kb/HT4847

Solution for IOS 5 Download Problems - Error -3200, -3259, -3002

2011-10-12T20:53:00.000-04:00

As Apple servers are overwhelmed right now by users trying to download IOS 5, many users are reporting "Error -3200" or "Error -3259" for iPads. The error is just an indication that your download is timing out because of all of the demand. If you want to bypass this problem and get IOS 5 as soon as possible, here's what to do:

MAKE SURE TO BACKUP YOUR DEVICE BEFORE UPGRADING.

1. Download the IOS 5 Firmware directly from Apple by clicking on the links below, save the file to your desktop:

iOS 5 IPSW Firmware Update Files

iPhone 3GS - appldnld.apple.com/iPhone4/041-8356.20111012.SQRDT...
iPhone 4 GSM - (AT&T)- appldnld.apple.com/iPhone4/041-8358.20111012.FFc34...
iPhone 4 CDMA - (Verizon) - appldnld.apple.com/iPhone4/041-9743.20111012.vjhfp...
iPhone 4,1 (4S?) - appldnld.apple.com/iPhone4/041-1317.20111012.UVTgr...
iPad - appldnld.apple.com/iPhone4/041-8357.20111012.DTOrM...
iPad 2 WiFi - appldnld.apple.com/iPhone4/041-9618.20111012.Zxb22...
iPad 2,2 – GSM (AT&T) - appldnld.apple.com/iPhone4/041-9619.20111012.y34Nx...
iPad 2,3 – CDMA (Verizon) - appldnld.apple.com/iPhone4/041-9620.20111012.pnB4r...
iPod touch 3G - appldnld.apple.com/iPhone4/061-8360.20111012.New3w...
iPod touch 4G - appldnld.apple.com/iPhone4/061-9622.20111012.Evry3...
Apple TV2 - appldnld.apple.com/AppleTV/061-9621.20111012.Vgijx...

2. After downloading the desired firmware, you can shift-click (PC) or option-click (Mac) the "Update" button in iTunes. A file dialog will open and let you choose the downloaded ipsw-file from your desktop.

3. Proceed with the upgrade as usual.

4. If you get Error -3002 at this point, try to do a Restore, rather than an Upgrade - remember to shift-click (or option-click on a Mac).

Please let me know if you have any issues with this procedure in the comments section below.

UPDATE - Similar solutions for iOS 5.1: http://obscureport.blogspot.com/2012/03/solution-to-ios-51-download-problems.html

Uncle Owen and Aunt Beru Immortalized At Last

2011-09-26T21:02:00.000-04:00

The fans have been clamoring for years, and it seems the time has finally come - Uncle Owen and Aunt Beru in all of their molded plastic glory for your action figure playing pleasure! Yes, the loving couple whose untimely passing after the droid were traced to their home launched Luke Skywalker on his galactic adventure. None of this prequel nonsense, this is Owen and Beru Lars just as we remember them from A New Hope. Maybe they should have let Luke go to the Academy with Biggs and Tank...

And speaking of Star Wars and untimely ends, from Dorkly comes "8 Lines That Would Have Ended Star Wars Real Fast". In honor of Uncle Ben:

Get the rest of the list here: http://www.dorkly.com/article/17253/8-lines-that-would-have-ended-star-wars-real-fast.

Lego + Star Wars + Christianity = Awesome

2011-09-24T15:33:00.000-04:00

You just never know what those wacky Danish geniuses are going to come up with next. Just in time for the holidays, Lego has announced their 2011 Advent Calendar Set - and It's Star Wars themed!

For each of the twenty-four days leading up to Christmas, there's a Star Wars Lego surprise. There doesn't seem to be much linking the set to the birth of Jesus, and I am unfamiliar with St. Augustine's meditations on The Force, but love Santa Yoda you must:

It's available now from Lego's on-line shop for $39.99.

Google+ Review and Invites

2011-08-06T13:26:00.001-04:00

Google+ has been around for "field testing" for just over a month. There is tremendous buzz about the social networking product (unlike Google's last attempt at a Facebook killer, Google Buzz, which crashed and burned after a privacy backlash). Google+ is up over 25 million users already, a staggering growth rate, but still far from the massive user bases of Facebook and Twitter, both of which it challenges in aspects of its functionality. All this, it is still a closed, invite-only beta.

If you haven't gotten an invite yet, here's a link to sign up for the first 150 readers to click it:

https://plus.google.com/_/notifications/ngemlink?path=%2F%3Fgpinv%3D4ZZL4MQWqug%3AObznSkvj69M

If you do follow the link, please make sure to give me a +1!

On to the review - Google+ could definitely be the Facebook killer. The interface is clean, without the games, surveys, quizzes and advertising which have come to dominate Facebook. Sharing information, status updates, photos and video is a snap. Google wraps in its Picasa and Youtube properties and provides pretty much unlimited space to save your photos and videos.

Updates can be shared as "Sparks", tagged, categorized and of course searched, and your stream will contain Sparks of interest to you based on the categories you select and other Sparks you view. Sparks is a lot like Twitter, but richer with photos and video included and no character limit. I have found a few interesting people to follow so far and the stream just keeps getting better as I add them.

Perhaps the greatest strength of Google+ is the "Circles" relationship interface. You specify each of your Google+ contacts as a member of one or more circles - by default, Friends, Family, Acquaintances, and Following. You can create other Circles with a simple drag and drop. For each Circle, you set which Circles can view any given item, or your profile and information. It's elegant, it's simple and it fixes the biggest issue I have with Facebook.

Another popular aspect of Google+ is the capability to create Hangouts. A Hangout is a shared room which uses your microphone and/or webcam to create a multi-person voice and video chat. Hangouts are actually a pretty sophisticated cloud-based videoconferencing system, and can support HD-quality video on the desktop. There are clients available for Android phones and Apple IOS, and rumors of integration to televisions on the horizon. The interface is fun and intuitive - you can open your Hangouts to specific users, or you any of your Circles.

Currently, Google+ is still in the process of implementing a system for business profiles - this could add LinkedIn to the list of services it threatens to displace. As more users come on board, the true test will be how it scales (so far there have been a few hiccups, for for growth of this magnitude, it has been impressive), and whether it gains the critical mass of Facebook or Twitter - do you need to be on it because everyone else is? The value of your social network grows with the number of links, but also becomes that much more difficult to manage and filter for information of true interest. Google+ looks to have the tools and structure to make this process much more effective.

More than any other feature, Google+'s "Data Liberation" function sets it apart from competitors. You can easily download your photos, your Profile and Stream data, as well as your Circles and Contacts. Rather than locking you into the platform by stranding the content, this kind of openness seems like Google living up to their

Overall, this is the most compelling product I have seen from Google in a long time. Further, it ties together many Google strengths - Picasa, Youtube, GoogleTalk, search, Android, and contacts, into a cohesive, easy-to-use social-networking tool. Gmail integration is supports to launch within days.

My first reaction to Google+ was "Do I need another Social Network?", but after using it, my question has turned to "Why do I need any other Social Network than Google+?".

Please share your experiences in the comments.

MLB.tv Blackout - Truth in Advertising At Last!

2011-08-03T23:45:00.002-04:00

A while back I wrote a post about Major Leage Baseball's archaic blackout policies which disallow fans from watching their own home team over streaming services. One of the mnost annoying things was the marketing from Major Leaguye Baseball which promised fans the ability to "Watch Baseball Everywhere". It looks like MLB has finally gotten the message:

Of course, thousands of unhappy subscribers and complaints may have had something to do with it.

The new marketing clearly states "Watch every out-of-market game" and "Blackout and Other Restrictions Apply". It's good to see baseball being forthcoming in describing their streaming media offering - it would be even better if they could get past the blackout market restrictions altogether!

MLBTV - Truth in Advertising At Last!

2011-08-03T23:44:00.000-04:00

Podcasts 101 - How to Subcribe and Listen to Podcasts in iTunes

2011-08-03T21:08:00.002-04:00

I listen to podcasts on a daily basis and they have pretty much replaced talk radio for me. The ability to listen to shows on specific topics that you are interested in is amazing. There are podcasts on finance, technology, sports teams, TV shows, movies, sciences, humor - just about anything you can think of. Most of them are free, as well!

I find that when I mention in conversation that I heard something on a podcast, I get a blank stare most of the time. Simply put, podcasts are audio and in some cases video shows which are posted with an RSS subcription feed, so that you automatically get the new episodes as they become available.

Podcasts have yet to completely hit the mainstream, even though programs such as iTunes make it easy to find, subscribe to and listen to them. There are audio-only podcasts, as well as video podcasts. I prefer audio for use in the car, where its probably better not to have the distraction of video. Here's a quick guide to get started:

1. Open iTunes and click on "iTunes Store" in the left navigation panel:

2. Choose "Podcasts" from the top navigation bar of the iTunes Store:

3. Look through the huge catalog of available podcasts, and click on one which interests you. You can also search if there is something specific you are looking for. In this example, I selected "Diggnation". You can click on episodes and listen to them streaming to get a feel for the podcast. If it is something you think you would like ot listen to on a regular basis, choose "Subscribe Free" to subcribe to the podcast:

4. Click "Subcribe" to confirm your subsciption:

5. iTunes will now start downloading episodes of the podcast you chose:

6. That's it - you are subscribed to a podcast! You will find your podcasts listed under the "Podcasts" section in you iTunes Library, and can begin listening right from iTunes.

7. If you want to sync your podcasts to a device, connect the device and click on it in iTunes:

8. Click "Podcasts" in the top navigation bar:

9. Check the "Sync Podcasts" checkbox:

10. Now choose any options you would like - you can select which podcasts to sync, how many to sync, etc. I find that the "10 Most Recent Unplayed" is a good setting - this keeps podcasts on your device until you have listened to them all the way through.

Please post any questions in the Comments section below, and enjoy the world of podcasts! I'll follow up soon with some suggested podcasts to subscribe to.

Fringe Video from Comic-Con - Peter Auditions

2011-07-27T21:20:00.000-04:00

The season finale of Fringe left us (Spoilers!) facing two realities without Peter Bishop. Fringe without Peter would be like Dawson's Creek without Pacey!

Luckily, it looks like producers are auditioning a wide variety of possible replacements, and check out the final few seconds for what could be a total mind-blower (or just a throw-away Comic-Con gag):

Plex Media Server - Review

2011-07-26T22:15:00.000-04:00

Plex Media Center is a set of server and client applications that allow you to organize and play your media from a Mac or PC (with Linux Server Support on the way). On the client side, there are options not just for Macs and PC's, but for Apple IOS and Android Mobile devices as well. Plex even includes support for devices such as LG Smart TV's and Roku Streaming Media Players. With an active development community, Plex is constantly adding features, updates and support for additional services.

While there are many other applications which provide similar functionality, such as Boxee, Plex has a very slick interface and great support across a variety of platforms. Plex began as a development fork of the Xbox Media Center, and is now supported by a corporation behind the development which includes a freeware/open-source development community as well as some sections which are proprietary and closed-sourced.

Plex provides a great "10 foot experience" when viewed on a television. The interface for movies, TV and music includes information gathered from the Internet to provide a detailed summary and graphics to identify your selection.

Plex is also a great way to browse through your collections, with a "CoverFlow"-like view as well as search capabilities. In some iplementations, samples of the music being browsed, or even the theme song of television shows are played from the browser interface - very cool!

Among the choices for Roku to stream your own media, I haven't found anything that matches the ease of use of Plex. Plex has excellent transcoding capabilities as well as support of many codecs natively - I have been able to play every file format, from AVIs and MP3s to MKVs and AACs. Rewind, Fast Forward and Resume all work properly. Plex can be added to Roku as a channel, which will then connect to your server.

Plex's aim is to be available on every conceivable platform, and it seems like they are well on their way, hitting many of the big players. With the pace of development, already impressive progress and availability on many devices, Plex is already on its way to being a big winner in this space.

Download Plex for free for all of your devices and give it a shot:

http://www.plexapp.com/

"Lost" Mysteries Explained at San Diego Comic-Con 2011

2011-07-26T07:52:00.001-04:00

"Lost" Producers Damon Lindelhoff and Carlton Cuse broke their self-imposed silence since the controversial end of the series when they crashed a "Lost: One Year Later" discussion panel at this years' Comic-Con. They brought along a video to fill in some of the blanks fans have been most curious about, such as the Man In Black's name:

Entertainment Weekly also has a fun interview with "Darlton" which gives some background on their first Comic-Con without Lost. Topics discussed include the development of the musical "Lost: Turn Off the Island". Check it out here:

http://insidetv.ew.com/2011/07/23/comic-con-2011-doc-and-dan-get-totally-lost-with-damon-and-carlton/

They do have a good sense of humor about things, but I am not sure I am ready to completely forgive them yet...

Bose Companion 3 Series II Speakers - Review

2011-07-26T00:27:00.000-04:00

Bose speakers have an excellent reputation for sound quality and range, and this set is an excellent way to bring that sound to your computer, portable device or home media center. The Companion 3 set includes a sub-woofer, known as the "Acoustimass Module", two compact full-range speakers and a "Multi-Function Control Pod".

Setup is a snap connect the remote and speakers to the Acoustimass Module, and a standard mini-jack cable to your computer or other audio source, plug in the power and you are ready to go. The sound is incredible, with deep bass and clear mid and high-range - it really fills the room. There is no comparison to standard computer speakers - these are definitely Bose.

The Multi-Function Control Pod is a volume control that is tethered to the the Acoutimass Module with a 6-foot cable. The control has a dial around the exterior to select volume, and a touch-pad in the center for muting. While not having a wireless remote can be seen as a drawback, the remote pod also includes a headphone jack and a port to connect another audio source, such as an iPod. Since all of the audio sources I have used these speakers with have their own remote, this has not been an issue for me.

I highly recommend this speaker system for your computer or even for your home media center. In addition to bringing Bose quality in a complete speaker set, they are also a great value. I was able to purchase them on special at NewEgg.com - they list on a daily basis at $229, but have been available as a "Daily Shell Shocker Deal" as low as $159:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16836166005

While these speakers don't have the depth, power or range of a full surround-sound system, they have impressive sound for the size and price, and are a perfect "companion" for your computer system.

Bitcoin - Anonymous, Peer-to-Peer Virtual Cash

2011-05-28T13:59:00.001-04:00

There have been many attempts to establish a popular virtual currency system over the years. Bitcoin is a recent one which seems to be gathering a lot of steam. While digital currency and electronic payments are common, a replacement for real-world cash-like transactions has remained elusive and no standard has really caught on.

Bitcoin meets many of the requirements of "e-cash" - it is secure, anonymous and completely decentralized and traded through a peer-to-peer network. It is easy to use and allows private transactions between individuals. Bitcoin is also most governments' worst nightmare - it is possible to conduct payments without any external trackable record - there is nothng to tax!

Bitcoin was developed by Satoshi Nakamoto in 2009, the realization of a paper he wrote, Bitcoin: A Peer-to-Peer Electronic Cash System. It is also the name of an open-source client application which allows the exchange, storage and generation of Bitcoins, and is available for Windows, Mac and Linux platforms.
Here's an introductory video on how Bitcoin works:

Bitcoin adoption is growing, and more outlets are accepting payment via Bitcoin. While early adopters included black market industries including drug and gun sales, there are a growing number of legitimate products and services which can be purchased with Bitcoins, from web designers to homemade jewelry. Non-profits such as the Free Software Foundation and the Electronic Frontier Foundation accept donations via Bitcoin. Sites such as TradeBitcoin.com, Mt. Gox and Bitcoin Market show the growing variety of businesses and individuals trading in Bitcoins.

It seems like Bitcoin has the framework and technology to scale to a large system - no it just needs the critical mass of adoption to be reached. Interest in the digital currency is skyrocketing as is evident from the major hockey stick action at Google Trends:

What makes Bitcoin so interesting, so powerful, and possibly so disruptive that governments are likely to regulate it out of existence? There are several key points - with current technology and knowledge, the encryption system used ensures that Bitcoins cannot be tracked, taxed, or seized. These are key elements of control for governments over their economies, and having a popular peer-to-peer payment system could break government control on currency and economies and threaten the tax income that they depend on. The genie is out of the bottle - the question is can even the united fears of all the world's authorities put it back in?

More information at:

the Bitcoin FAQ: https://en.bitcoin.it/wiki/FAQ

Launch Blog - "The Most Dangerous Project We've Ever Seen": http://launch.is/blog/l019-bitcoin-p2p-currency-the-most-dangerous-project-weve-ev.html

Getting started with your e-wallet is here: http://www.weusecoins.com/getting-started.php

TrueCrypt - Free, Simple, and Powerful Encryption for Everyone

2011-04-23T12:00:00.001-04:00

Just last week, there was a minor furor when Dropbox amended their terms of service to announce that any data stored on the cloud service could be revealed upon government request. This is really no different from the existing policies and actions of many cloud providers, from Google to Amazon to Yahoo. Add to that the constant pressure of hackers and occasional accidental reveal of account information and passwords, and it is surprising that we have entered an era where many users are trusting their data to be stored on servers beyond their immediate control. Considering this environment, encryption can be a useful tool in safeguarding that data, and TrueCrypt puts the power of top-quality encryption into a very user-friendly format, for free.

TrueCrypt allows several different types of encryption - you can encrypt an entire volume, such as a USB Storage Thumb Drive, or an entire Hard Drive. You can also encrypt a system drive, preventing unautorized users from even booting into the Operating System. You can encrypt a volume within a normal drive, allowing you to create a secure "locker" for sensitive files.

TrueCrypt also features "Plausible Deniability" - within an encrypted volume, past your actual "secret files" you can create an alternate set of files, with a separate password. If you are ever forced to reveal your password, you could give this second password, which would reveal the second set of files, leaving your original hidden volume undiscovered.

TrueCrypt is an Open Source project - when it comes to encryption, this isa huge plus. It means the code has been vetted by the Open Source community, and that there are no hidden loopholes or back doors to bypass your encryption as there are in some proprietary or government implementations.

TrueCrypt is free, easy to use with Wizards to walk you through each step of the process, and it provides state-of-the-art encryption protection for your privacy. It is available for download at:

http://www.truecrypt.org/downloads

More information about TrueCrypt is available here:

http://www.truecrypt.org/docs/

TrueCrypt can also be used to encrypt your Dropbox files, although it is not "offically supported" - this allows you to securely store files in the cloud, regardless of privacy policies of the service provider, and should the government or anyone else want a look at your data, it becomes your perogative to allow it, rather than leaving the decision to someone else.

Friday Exposed - Rebecca Black Ripped Off Bob Dylan?

2011-04-16T15:44:00.007-04:00

The parallels between Bob Dylan and Rebecca Black are obvious: Gifted storytellers with deep, expressive lyrics, anti-establishment non-conformists with the courage to express their art in an inimitable style, and the ability to convey the angst and dissatisfaction of the youth of an entire nation.

The similarity of critical reactions is striking as well - "they can't sing".

Now we learn the shocking truth - not only do these arists have so much in common, but Rebecca Black's stirring anthem "Friday" was actually originally written and performed by Bob Dylan:

"Which seat should I take?" - an existential quandry if ever there was one. Fun, fun, fun, fun, indeed.