Thor_Azrail's Tech Blog

WPA is no longer secure

2009-11-06T13:58:00.002-07:00

With the advent of multi-core GPUs in laptop computers WPA can now be cracked in a matter of minutes. For example on my laptop (Lenovo SL500) I have a NVIDIA GeForce 9300 GS which has 8 separate cores that are designed to handle the heavy math calculations that are necessary to crack WPA security codes. And the proper tools that are necessary are freely available and conveniently bundled into one package.

So what can you do? Well not much because WPA is the best wireless security that we have right now. However you can still prevent your data from being compromised by using computers on you network that are directly wired in to you internet. Another major point that you should know is that it is still faster to crack a WEP code and so a hacker will be more likely to attack a WEP encrypted network rather then a WPA.

Windows 7

2009-10-07T19:47:00.001-06:00

I have been using Windows 7 for about 4 days now, and I have to say that Windows 7 is far better then vista (of course most OSes are better then Vista). The boot up time has been greatly decrease from Windows XP, and adds some cool new features.

The coolest new feature has to be the Projector control. win you hit the Windows key + P it will bring up a window that will allow you to: turn off the projector display, clone your screen on the projector, extend the screen on to the projector, or the projector only. This feature is vary useful for those of us who need to give presentation and use a projector. In Widows Vista the UAC (User Account Control) was the biggest problem (second only to the resource hogging) however in Windows 7 the UAC has been tuned back to a level that I think is far more reasonable to give you more control of your computer with out driving you insane.

Other features that are worth noting are: the built-in ISO burner, System repair Disk, and the PowerShell. The built-in ISO burner is vary simple to use and you won't have to install a 3rd party program to burn ISOs any more. The System Repair Disk will make a system repair disk that will work like a restore disk that would ship with an OEM computer. Last but not lest is the PowerShell, it is basically a vary powerful Unix like command prompt that you can use to automate system tasks and more.

One thing that will trip up windows users is that Windows 7 does not have a quick launch toolbar for the task bar. It is fairly simple to add the quick launch toolbar: 1.) Right click on the taskbar and create a new toolbar in the toolbar menu. 2.) copy "%userprofile%\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Quick Launch" into the address bar 3.) Click "Select Folder". 4.) Right click on the taskbar and unlock it 5.) Click on the dotted line next to the quick launch and uncheck: Show text, Show Title, and check the small icons in the view menu. To get the quick launch on the left side of the screen drag the dotted lines all of the way to the left then drag the dotted lines on the right to the appropriate size for the quick launch.

Overall I would recommend that all windows users upgrade to Windows 7 when it comes out on the 22nd of October. Windows XP users will have a lot of adjustment and if you use net meeting then you will lose it (unless you use the XP compatibility feature to run it). Windows Vista users won't notice as much of a change but they will notice that their computer is far faster and more responsive with Windows 7.

This has been a fairly quick review of Windows 7 as I use it more I will be writing more about it.

My HP LE2201w 22" LCD Monitor has arrived

2009-10-01T16:02:00.006-06:00

My HP LE2201w 22" Widescreen LCD Monitor arrived today.

As far as gaming goes it is sweet, the response time is is fast enough to play games like Halo 3 smoothly when you hook your Xbox 360 to it. When you use your Xbox 360 with the monitor it will display in HD and in a widescreen format The widescreen is also very good for split screen play as each player can have almost a full sized screen.

When it comes to work the High resolution (1680x1050) allows you to have lots of scripts, spreed sheets, and other documents open. As a web designer I love how the widescreen allows you to have you code and browser open on the same monitor or see almost all of the long lines of code that you need to write/edit.

Besides the shear size of the monitor (22" widescreen IS wide), and the monitors lack of a DVI port I can't find any down side. The colors seem accurate, and their is no noticeable flicker in the screen. I would definitely recommend this monitor as a entry level widescreen LCD monitor.

HP LE2201w 22" Widescreen LCD Monitor

2009-09-29T11:01:00.005-06:00

I will be reviewing this monitor when mine arrives but for now here are the main specs as reported by tigerdirect.com:

Screen Size: 22 inches

Vertical Refresh Rate: 50-76 Hz

Horizontal Frequency: 24-83 kHz

Condition: New

Interface Type: VGA

Contrast Ratio: 1000:1

Brightness: 250 cd/m²

Response Time: 5 ms

Horizontal Viewing Angle: 160 degrees

Vertical Viewing Angle: 160 degrees

Maximum Resolution: 1680 x 1050

Unit Dimensions (WxHxD): 20.3" x 13.6" x 2.3"

Dimensions With Stand: 20.3" x 16.3" x 8.2"

Unit Weight: 11.5 lbs.

Power Consumption: 35W

The price is $129.99 here is the link to the monitor: HP LE2201w 22"

The Cloud of the Future

2009-09-25T21:23:00.022-06:00

Unless you have been living under a rock for the past year then you know something about "Cloud Computing" or even used some form of "Cloud Computing". Just recently I have started using the various tool (or some might call them app or applications) that Google provides, and I must say that I find them useful for some of the tasks that I need to do during the day. However I have found some inconveniences and disadvantages so for my first review I will be looking at the pros and cons of cloud computing.

The biggest advantage to cloud computing is the fact that you can use it on almost any computer and you will have access to you documents and files all you need is an internet connection. Also if your computer crashes your information will be safe as it is stored on the server for whatever service you are using. Chances are pretty good that if you use a cloud computing service your information will be encrypted (usually at or above the DoD (Department of Defense) Standards for encryption) so if someone does compromise the security of your files then the information will be safe (at least for a year or two theoretically). When one has to send out files to be revised or edited the usual way is by email and attaching and reattaching the document, however, with Google Docs you can get a link to your document and send that to your editor. Then you can both be working on it at the same time, and you will not get confused with which revision the document is.

And now for the disadvantages of cloud computing. The biggest advantage can also be the biggest disadvantage given the fact that your data is stored on some server that you don't own. your data could be stolen or compromised without your knowledge. Also when you don't have access to the internet, or the access you have is slow, you will be unable to use the services that you need. Things like Google Docs will be inaccessible, and on top of that you won't have access to your documents. There are however some ways to overcome these disadvantages and reap the benefits of cloud computing.

The main way to overcome the disadvantages is called EyeOS a service that you can install on to any server with PHP5 and Apache installed. EyeOS is a cloud computing desktop that can (when the appropriate programs are installed on the server and the client) do almost anything that a normal desktop can do. For example with EyeOS you can play mp3s and edit word documents (the server needs to have Open Office installed) all the client needs is flash player (if you can watch YouTube videos then you have flash player installed).

So there are many pros and cons to cloud computing. you need to decide for your self what you are going to use it for and, if the pros outweigh the cons.

To boldly go where I have never gone before

2009-09-25T16:52:00.007-06:00

This is my first time blogging so bare with me. I am hoping that this blog will focus on things like the newest technology, game, and Operating Systems.

So what my background? I am a student at FRCC (Front Range Community College) and I run my own business fixing computers, building computers, networking, and consulting (both security and general consulting.). I have been working on computers for about 13-14 years (I started building computers when I was about 4-5 years old and Windows 98 was the newest and greatest thing). I have just recently started to build servers with Linux and and use VMs (Virtual Machines) for the windows applications on the servers.

As far as gaming goes I have been playing game for longer then I have been building computers. I have beaten games like Halo 3 on legendary on solo. I like the FPS (First Person Shooter) style of games although I love RTS (Real Time Strategy) genre of game I still play Total Annihilation. Total Annihilation was first published in 1997 and, for its time has extremely good graphics.