A new yesr dawns on the borg and our slow but steady assimilation of the planet Earth. No we are not outworld aliens bent on dominating the galaxy (yet) but we are earth bound but not for long.
We are the people who will move this planet to steller exploration. We are the geeks and the computer nerds who keep things running and who are beginning to accept our technology as part of us.
A happy new year to all, and especially to the borg out there.
Friday, December 31, 2004
Wednesday, December 15, 2004
nightmare
Well al living nightmare. I got a massive migraine today. Totally put me under. better now but ..
Saturday, December 04, 2004
Van fixed
I fixed the van. It was a vacumm hose off.
This goes to show, before you take your car to be fixed look for obvious thinsg that could be wrong.
\\//_
This goes to show, before you take your car to be fixed look for obvious thinsg that could be wrong.
\\//_
Saturday, November 20, 2004
Saturday paperwork
Have you ever had to do a ton of paperwork on a Sat.?
I did today and I hate it. Mind you it had to be done but what a pain.
This is worse then raking leaves.
I did today and I hate it. Mind you it had to be done but what a pain.
This is worse then raking leaves.
Sunday, November 14, 2004
High tech Lightbulb?
OK, A high tech lightbulb?
Well to me this is amazing thing. A light bulb that does more then just convert electricity into light and heat but also helps make the air fresh? This is not an air freshener that uses perfume but actually destroys the things in the air that make smells well, smelly.
Go to http://fresh2.com/ and see what it's all about.
"2"
Way cool
\\//_ LLAP
YSRD
Well to me this is amazing thing. A light bulb that does more then just convert electricity into light and heat but also helps make the air fresh? This is not an air freshener that uses perfume but actually destroys the things in the air that make smells well, smelly.
Go to http://fresh2.com/ and see what it's all about.
"2"
Way cool
\\//_ LLAP
YSRD
Wednesday, November 10, 2004
loath to blog
Well I took the plung.
It's been there for a year or so and well you have to try anything once? No?
Well I did and I am hooked. The simple graphics and silly humour is just the thing to forget what work did to you over the day and let you get in there and play and be silly.
OK it's not like Doom 3 or the latest in the smash and kill series type of games but harkens back to a simpler time with games like hack and ncsnipes.
So chill and be cool, have a martini and drop in and check it out.
\\//_ LLAP
It's been there for a year or so and well you have to try anything once? No?
Well I did and I am hooked. The simple graphics and silly humour is just the thing to forget what work did to you over the day and let you get in there and play and be silly.
OK it's not like Doom 3 or the latest in the smash and kill series type of games but harkens back to a simpler time with games like hack and ncsnipes.
So chill and be cool, have a martini and drop in and check it out.
\\//_ LLAP
Saturday, November 06, 2004
Spyware
The scourge of the current web. Spyware is showing up all over and almost imposible to keep out.
The original spyware of course just being Windows, but we won't go into that.
It's amazing how many people come to me complaining of slow computers but don't know what spy ware is. You tell them and they say "gee my home page changed recently to. I don't know why?"
I point them to http://lavasoftusa.com and tell them to download the free version of Adaware SE.
Invariably the responce the next day is a plate of cookies, a box of donuts or an offer for a free beer because "It's like I have a new computer. It removed (X) hundred files and boy is my computer fast now!"
I then tell them to get a good virus checker (most of the people I run into work where I work and have a copy of the corporate av software) and a firewall (anything but the MS one will do) and run adaware once a week.
To people who are more computer literate I also advise suing one of the on-line virus checkers such as house call at trend-micro because it's always good to have a second opinion.
Of course the real fix is install Linux (I like Xandros and FC2 personally but I am also partial to slackware and just putting a kernel on and adding what ever you want :-)
\\//_ LLAP
|||
The original spyware of course just being Windows, but we won't go into that.
It's amazing how many people come to me complaining of slow computers but don't know what spy ware is. You tell them and they say "gee my home page changed recently to. I don't know why?"
I point them to http://lavasoftusa.com and tell them to download the free version of Adaware SE.
Invariably the responce the next day is a plate of cookies, a box of donuts or an offer for a free beer because "It's like I have a new computer. It removed (X) hundred files and boy is my computer fast now!"
I then tell them to get a good virus checker (most of the people I run into work where I work and have a copy of the corporate av software) and a firewall (anything but the MS one will do) and run adaware once a week.
To people who are more computer literate I also advise suing one of the on-line virus checkers such as house call at trend-micro because it's always good to have a second opinion.
Of course the real fix is install Linux (I like Xandros and FC2 personally but I am also partial to slackware and just putting a kernel on and adding what ever you want :-)
\\//_ LLAP
|||
Sunday, October 24, 2004
New toys
I have added to the cybertronics. I now have better input and output. Input, added a new wireless keyboard to the PPC, I still do the writing thing once in a while but I can type anywhere now.
New memory, updated to an extra 128 meg of internal ram. I can remeber stuff now :-)
New digital input device. Hacked a camera i got from Walmart, now adding the display to my heads up for better resoluion and 24 bit colour.
\\//_
| |
LLAP
New memory, updated to an extra 128 meg of internal ram. I can remeber stuff now :-)
New digital input device. Hacked a camera i got from Walmart, now adding the display to my heads up for better resoluion and 24 bit colour.
\\//_
| |
LLAP
Computer insecurity
I am continually flabbergasted by the people who are professionals in cyber security who are so into the latest fad of the security world.
You know, we have to stop spam, we have to block worms, update Windows continually ....
Yes these are problems, spam though is not a security problem, physhing is, worms may be (but the root cause is not the worm writers) and viruses, although it's been a long while since we actually saw a real one, are.
All of these are fixed real easy by just keeping morons off computers and teaching the rest of the people using them how to avoid worm, trojans and virii.
The real problem is computer security are employees that are about to attack their place of work over some real or imaginary beef.
The chance of acme widget getting hit by a terrorist cyber attack is about the same as them being hit on the next pass of hailies comet. The chance that bob in accounting is pissed of at brenda in HR is much higher and bob is your security threat.
Bob's biggest pay off will be to delete all the files on Brenda's hard drive or he just might send the plans for the next pink flamingo to another widget company for some real money and a secret attack on acme.
Spam is not a security problem but an accounting one, the same as denial of service is not going to hurt the company servers but will hurt the company bottom line. Security should not be watching the bottom line but checking to see if there is some reason they should be watching bob more closely. (Isn't that what security clearances are for?)
Spam and physhing, or at least 90% of it can be stopped real easy by getting the header of the email and seeing if the reported sender actually is the person who sent it.
MS and a bunch of others want to add more information to the header (which can just as easily be hacked and added) when there is already more then enough info there to stop 99.99% of it now.
If you use a real email program that lets you see the full internet header of the email you get it has a traceback in it. the : recieved from lines.
If the bottom most recieveed from ip address is not within the domain of the person who is in the from line toss it. Even Microsoft Outlook ccan do this and any good open source email program can be easily modified to do it. (You will need to know how to use whois, but this is not for morons right?)
ysrd has not has a single virus hit us for the last 15 years of internet use. We have never had a single trojan attack and we have never been hacked (except at hackfest and that's inside the firewall.)
We use three industry standard firewalls and one of our own in series. Our network includes everything from pocket pcs to macs, windows, linux, unix, minix, IBM360 and os/2 (and others to numerous to mention.) We have never had a worse problem then one of the kids deleting a picture that we got back from a 5 minute delayed raid backup.
Our policy is if we can hack it don't use it. We do not use credit cards on-line. Nothing of any consiquence is sent outside the firewall unless it's an encrypted file with at least 1024 bit protection. Our IP is on servers that never have a connection to the internet. Our most secure system can only read cd's encrypted with our own special algorythm and can only be connected to by sneaker net. No floppy, no usb key, no network, just the cd. Backups are made by cd manually and kept in two seperate secure off site locations. They are kept offline and no other machine but one can read them. All other machines think the cd's are junk. Hardware hack.
Why? because it's the only secure way to do it; period.
And this is just our little IP. I think I could argue that anyone who doesn't do this is asking for trouble. If you know that there is someone out there who could get into your system and you don't do enough to keep them out then you may as well just open source it. If someone really wants into 99% of the data out there in major corperations they can get it and not leave a trace.
I know I am in the 99th percentile when it come to computers, I would even hazard that as 99.8 percentile. That leaves a lot of people who if they wanted to could easily learn how to do this. They already work for you. Most likely not in your IT or IT Security departments. They are the researchers in your lab, the salesman who plays with Linux or hacks his Ipaq. All of the tools are readily downloaded and most run off cd without installing anymore.
Have you heard of Knoppix yet? Have you seen the dozens of versions of it out there that include all of the latest non-detectable sniffers? Did you know sniffers can work on a switched network? Did you know the computer in the local library has a direct connection to the internet and if you boot it from a knoppix cd the user leaves no trace on the computer? When it runs off the cd it doesn't even start the hard drive. It doesn't change the hard drive anyway. It doesn't leave log files behind, it just lets the user have complete and unfettered access to the net anonamously and no-one can stop him.
Now that computer could also be one of the ones in an empty cube in your company as well. One of your employees could fire this up (or one of litterally hundreds of other bootable cds) and be on your network right now. He could have hunt running right now and capturing all of the traffic, including passwords, and burning it to cd or even shoving it out onto the web.
He can access all of the shares on your Windows computers and even log into them as a sysadmin if he wants. he can then copy anything you have on-line and can walk out the door or even send it out to the net completely under your nose and there is not one way for you to stop him.
If he is smart he will make it look like it was your cio who did it, right down to using his password which is probably insecure, but then with hunt who cares.
And you are worried about worms and dos attacks.
Your IP is your company. Your employees are for the most part good people, but do you really know who they are? Now you don't need to hire private investigators to follow them around the clock but you should know something about them. regular security checks, police record checks, make sure people who are to have data can be trusted with it.
Another way to make your security better is to involve everyone in it. Impress on them that security is not just your job but every ones job. If the company has a major security problem it may well be their jobs on the line if your company loses all of it's IP.
Teach people how to avoid getting a worm on their computer, how to avoid Office macro viruses, or switch to a more secure or even just obscure office suite.
Teach employees how to spot someone doing something they are not supposed to and report it.
Just knowing that everyone is a part of security will make Bob think twice about hijacking the computer in the corner.
For your more skilled computer people get a higher level of security check, Secret level or higher is a good way to know you can trust your key people. have their managers kept up to date on what to watch for and keep them in the loop as far as security is concerned. They should know all of their employees right down to who they are dating regularly and if their kids are back room hackers.
Give your employees free copies of firewalls and virus checkers at home, know how to use spyware checkers and keep your employees up to date on how to use them. With the home network becoming an extension of the Corperate network this is imperative. Poeple take work home, make sure it's as secure there as at work.
Give regular talks and information sessions on security, keep them interesting and supply free food and coffee. If you don't you don't reach your audience. Don't force them but make sure they are there anyway. Have a course you give and do it on company time. It's worth the investment.
Use wireless but use it right. Put your wireless network in a dmz, use vpn, use encryption and make sure that the wireless is set up to only allow known devices by mac address.
Defense in depth. I use firewalls on evey computer plus the one in the gateway computer plus the one built into the proxy server. This puts 3 firewalls between your data and the internet.
Use a gateway computer instead of an appliance. All of the appliances out there are just monitorless computers with an OS and some type of net access admin. The OS is most likely Linux or Windows and how often do you patch them? Do you apply the monthly worm patches from Microsoft to the appliance? Did you know you have to? Did the supplier tell you that what you have running as you primary security device is an unpatched version of windows. Did you even set the admin password to something other then the default?
We use a real computer for a gateway. We patch it as patches become available, daily checks for OS, Firewalls and virus software and sig updates.
Well that's my rant for the day.
ysrd
You know, we have to stop spam, we have to block worms, update Windows continually ....
Yes these are problems, spam though is not a security problem, physhing is, worms may be (but the root cause is not the worm writers) and viruses, although it's been a long while since we actually saw a real one, are.
All of these are fixed real easy by just keeping morons off computers and teaching the rest of the people using them how to avoid worm, trojans and virii.
The real problem is computer security are employees that are about to attack their place of work over some real or imaginary beef.
The chance of acme widget getting hit by a terrorist cyber attack is about the same as them being hit on the next pass of hailies comet. The chance that bob in accounting is pissed of at brenda in HR is much higher and bob is your security threat.
Bob's biggest pay off will be to delete all the files on Brenda's hard drive or he just might send the plans for the next pink flamingo to another widget company for some real money and a secret attack on acme.
Spam is not a security problem but an accounting one, the same as denial of service is not going to hurt the company servers but will hurt the company bottom line. Security should not be watching the bottom line but checking to see if there is some reason they should be watching bob more closely. (Isn't that what security clearances are for?)
Spam and physhing, or at least 90% of it can be stopped real easy by getting the header of the email and seeing if the reported sender actually is the person who sent it.
MS and a bunch of others want to add more information to the header (which can just as easily be hacked and added) when there is already more then enough info there to stop 99.99% of it now.
If you use a real email program that lets you see the full internet header of the email you get it has a traceback in it. the : recieved from lines.
If the bottom most recieveed from ip address is not within the domain of the person who is in the from line toss it. Even Microsoft Outlook ccan do this and any good open source email program can be easily modified to do it. (You will need to know how to use whois, but this is not for morons right?)
ysrd has not has a single virus hit us for the last 15 years of internet use. We have never had a single trojan attack and we have never been hacked (except at hackfest and that's inside the firewall.)
We use three industry standard firewalls and one of our own in series. Our network includes everything from pocket pcs to macs, windows, linux, unix, minix, IBM360 and os/2 (and others to numerous to mention.) We have never had a worse problem then one of the kids deleting a picture that we got back from a 5 minute delayed raid backup.
Our policy is if we can hack it don't use it. We do not use credit cards on-line. Nothing of any consiquence is sent outside the firewall unless it's an encrypted file with at least 1024 bit protection. Our IP is on servers that never have a connection to the internet. Our most secure system can only read cd's encrypted with our own special algorythm and can only be connected to by sneaker net. No floppy, no usb key, no network, just the cd. Backups are made by cd manually and kept in two seperate secure off site locations. They are kept offline and no other machine but one can read them. All other machines think the cd's are junk. Hardware hack.
Why? because it's the only secure way to do it; period.
And this is just our little IP. I think I could argue that anyone who doesn't do this is asking for trouble. If you know that there is someone out there who could get into your system and you don't do enough to keep them out then you may as well just open source it. If someone really wants into 99% of the data out there in major corperations they can get it and not leave a trace.
I know I am in the 99th percentile when it come to computers, I would even hazard that as 99.8 percentile. That leaves a lot of people who if they wanted to could easily learn how to do this. They already work for you. Most likely not in your IT or IT Security departments. They are the researchers in your lab, the salesman who plays with Linux or hacks his Ipaq. All of the tools are readily downloaded and most run off cd without installing anymore.
Have you heard of Knoppix yet? Have you seen the dozens of versions of it out there that include all of the latest non-detectable sniffers? Did you know sniffers can work on a switched network? Did you know the computer in the local library has a direct connection to the internet and if you boot it from a knoppix cd the user leaves no trace on the computer? When it runs off the cd it doesn't even start the hard drive. It doesn't change the hard drive anyway. It doesn't leave log files behind, it just lets the user have complete and unfettered access to the net anonamously and no-one can stop him.
Now that computer could also be one of the ones in an empty cube in your company as well. One of your employees could fire this up (or one of litterally hundreds of other bootable cds) and be on your network right now. He could have hunt running right now and capturing all of the traffic, including passwords, and burning it to cd or even shoving it out onto the web.
He can access all of the shares on your Windows computers and even log into them as a sysadmin if he wants. he can then copy anything you have on-line and can walk out the door or even send it out to the net completely under your nose and there is not one way for you to stop him.
If he is smart he will make it look like it was your cio who did it, right down to using his password which is probably insecure, but then with hunt who cares.
And you are worried about worms and dos attacks.
Your IP is your company. Your employees are for the most part good people, but do you really know who they are? Now you don't need to hire private investigators to follow them around the clock but you should know something about them. regular security checks, police record checks, make sure people who are to have data can be trusted with it.
Another way to make your security better is to involve everyone in it. Impress on them that security is not just your job but every ones job. If the company has a major security problem it may well be their jobs on the line if your company loses all of it's IP.
Teach people how to avoid getting a worm on their computer, how to avoid Office macro viruses, or switch to a more secure or even just obscure office suite.
Teach employees how to spot someone doing something they are not supposed to and report it.
Just knowing that everyone is a part of security will make Bob think twice about hijacking the computer in the corner.
For your more skilled computer people get a higher level of security check, Secret level or higher is a good way to know you can trust your key people. have their managers kept up to date on what to watch for and keep them in the loop as far as security is concerned. They should know all of their employees right down to who they are dating regularly and if their kids are back room hackers.
Give your employees free copies of firewalls and virus checkers at home, know how to use spyware checkers and keep your employees up to date on how to use them. With the home network becoming an extension of the Corperate network this is imperative. Poeple take work home, make sure it's as secure there as at work.
Give regular talks and information sessions on security, keep them interesting and supply free food and coffee. If you don't you don't reach your audience. Don't force them but make sure they are there anyway. Have a course you give and do it on company time. It's worth the investment.
Use wireless but use it right. Put your wireless network in a dmz, use vpn, use encryption and make sure that the wireless is set up to only allow known devices by mac address.
Defense in depth. I use firewalls on evey computer plus the one in the gateway computer plus the one built into the proxy server. This puts 3 firewalls between your data and the internet.
Use a gateway computer instead of an appliance. All of the appliances out there are just monitorless computers with an OS and some type of net access admin. The OS is most likely Linux or Windows and how often do you patch them? Do you apply the monthly worm patches from Microsoft to the appliance? Did you know you have to? Did the supplier tell you that what you have running as you primary security device is an unpatched version of windows. Did you even set the admin password to something other then the default?
We use a real computer for a gateway. We patch it as patches become available, daily checks for OS, Firewalls and virus software and sig updates.
Well that's my rant for the day.
ysrd
Sunday, September 26, 2004
Beam me up.
I am off. i will be gone for a week. If I can get to the blog while gone i will update with what I am doing.
I am away because the town is paving close to my house and because They are roofing at work. I get real sick if I get into the fumes.
While away I will try to fix my bike and I will look for more eq for my PAN. I am looking at cameras I can control from a computer or with a bluetooth connection. Other things I need is a bluetooth headset and anything else bluetooth.
I will check with Office Depot in the city near where I am going to get away.
I am open to suggestions for both bluetooth and personal computing.
Ysrd
I am away because the town is paving close to my house and because They are roofing at work. I get real sick if I get into the fumes.
While away I will try to fix my bike and I will look for more eq for my PAN. I am looking at cameras I can control from a computer or with a bluetooth connection. Other things I need is a bluetooth headset and anything else bluetooth.
I will check with Office Depot in the city near where I am going to get away.
I am open to suggestions for both bluetooth and personal computing.
Ysrd
Tuesday, September 21, 2004
If it's not good it's bad department.
My presentation monday went well. The group I was presenting to really liked what i did and my boss was impressed. That part good, but the roofing is going on until the end of October. AAHHHHH>>>>>
Sucks, and the building where I have my home away from home office, there is roofing there as well and the town is tearing up the street in front of my home and going to pave it as well as other streets in town.
So I can't be at home because of the paving, can't be at work (either spot) because of roofing and i guess I am going camping for a week or so.
Charge up the batteries on the laptop and get the pocket PC fired up. Chrge the cell phone and take my solar cells with me. Solar powered kayak.
Gonna be fun.
Of course everything at work I am working on is stopped because i am the only coder at the moment as wel as the technical and program lead. I need to clone me.
YSRD
Sucks, and the building where I have my home away from home office, there is roofing there as well and the town is tearing up the street in front of my home and going to pave it as well as other streets in town.
So I can't be at home because of the paving, can't be at work (either spot) because of roofing and i guess I am going camping for a week or so.
Charge up the batteries on the laptop and get the pocket PC fired up. Chrge the cell phone and take my solar cells with me. Solar powered kayak.
Gonna be fun.
Of course everything at work I am working on is stopped because i am the only coder at the moment as wel as the technical and program lead. I need to clone me.
YSRD
Sunday, September 19, 2004
What ya gonna du?
Tommorow I am going to work and it's one of the more important days in my year. The project I am on is working with some software we got from IBM, namely their middle ware suite WebSphere.
We got a team coming from IBM and it's important I be there so i can give them a show of what I am doing and then basically get a brain dump from them.
Friday I find out that the caretaker group at the plant I work at have started repairing a roof. No big deal but it's one of those flat type of roof and they use hot tar. Tar stinks and the smell can literally kill me. So I may have to miss the most important day of my year and I am pissed.
I am goping to turn up with all of my gear on, Tens, air quality meter, hopefully I can get the spare O2 tank from the firestation and have it with me.
What's a borg got to do to be able to stay at work and stay alive?
ysrd
We got a team coming from IBM and it's important I be there so i can give them a show of what I am doing and then basically get a brain dump from them.
Friday I find out that the caretaker group at the plant I work at have started repairing a roof. No big deal but it's one of those flat type of roof and they use hot tar. Tar stinks and the smell can literally kill me. So I may have to miss the most important day of my year and I am pissed.
I am goping to turn up with all of my gear on, Tens, air quality meter, hopefully I can get the spare O2 tank from the firestation and have it with me.
What's a borg got to do to be able to stay at work and stay alive?
ysrd
Saturday, September 18, 2004
Idea
I have been a bit off of ideas lately for what to post here. I had originally thought I would post things like what implants I have and what EQ I am using to augment reality.
That's what we call it now, augmented reality. See the site at eyetap.
Anyway I am also going to report here on my latest work " the internet as collective memory" or We are the net, you will be assimilated.
If someone were to take snapshots of the web we will be able to track the changes in the collective mind of the planet.
For instance if we wanted to see how prevalent a certain Idea is we can just search for it on the web.
One of the things I saw was a comparison of the number of places "coke" is on the web and compare that to the number of places water shows up on the web. In that comparison (on google) we see water shows up 56,100,000 timers and "Coca Cola" shows up 2,500,000 times. This suggests that water is much more favoured over Coke. Not the best example but hey there it is.
So I am assuming that if we search for any thought by creating a google search for keywords we can gauge the level of thought about that particular idea. If we then snapshot the web and can compare the levels of thought on an idea at different times we can gauge the increase or decrease in that line of thought being held around the planet.
This is the collective thought.
Welcome to the internet. Welcome to the collective.
That's what we call it now, augmented reality. See the site at eyetap.
Anyway I am also going to report here on my latest work " the internet as collective memory" or We are the net, you will be assimilated.
If someone were to take snapshots of the web we will be able to track the changes in the collective mind of the planet.
For instance if we wanted to see how prevalent a certain Idea is we can just search for it on the web.
One of the things I saw was a comparison of the number of places "coke" is on the web and compare that to the number of places water shows up on the web. In that comparison (on google) we see water shows up 56,100,000 timers and "Coca Cola" shows up 2,500,000 times. This suggests that water is much more favoured over Coke. Not the best example but hey there it is.
So I am assuming that if we search for any thought by creating a google search for keywords we can gauge the level of thought about that particular idea. If we then snapshot the web and can compare the levels of thought on an idea at different times we can gauge the increase or decrease in that line of thought being held around the planet.
This is the collective thought.
Welcome to the internet. Welcome to the collective.
Saturday, September 11, 2004
A borg gets a reality check
I have been quiet lately because of work and family and health. It's bbeen a reality check.
I have not had any vacation or even just gotten out to the bush for a few. I have been hard at work on a new initiative with work and our suppliers on a new info management and retrieval system that I hope will revolutionize my bussiness.
I hope you don't mind I don't say who I work for because I don't think that belongs here.
Because of this and because we get summer interns and I had a real fireball this year and I wanted to get the most I could out of him I didn't take any time off for a vacation yet.
At the same time, I think i have mentioned my health problems here before (I have a lung disease and use electrnics for pain control), there was going to be a room at work repainted so I was going to take that week off. The painting got delayed and delayed untill when they started to paint I was only a week away from a release and so couldn't get away and worked from home and another building we have in town.
Now the town is going to repave a street and I will have to evac when they doo that so i will be taking a week or so in about a week.
My reality check in all this is the effect this is having on my health.
ysrd
I have not had any vacation or even just gotten out to the bush for a few. I have been hard at work on a new initiative with work and our suppliers on a new info management and retrieval system that I hope will revolutionize my bussiness.
I hope you don't mind I don't say who I work for because I don't think that belongs here.
Because of this and because we get summer interns and I had a real fireball this year and I wanted to get the most I could out of him I didn't take any time off for a vacation yet.
At the same time, I think i have mentioned my health problems here before (I have a lung disease and use electrnics for pain control), there was going to be a room at work repainted so I was going to take that week off. The painting got delayed and delayed untill when they started to paint I was only a week away from a release and so couldn't get away and worked from home and another building we have in town.
Now the town is going to repave a street and I will have to evac when they doo that so i will be taking a week or so in about a week.
My reality check in all this is the effect this is having on my health.
ysrd
Wednesday, August 25, 2004
I am a Star Trek freak
Hi,
OK So I have just added a full Lcars Interface to my Computer. It's not a new one either but it's still the best I can find for Windows. http://lcars-terminal.net
Lots of lcars themed stuff and a great Control Panel replacement. I was a little unhappy about the lack of imap support in the email (PADD) module. It does though have a great ton of data on trek in the databases.
Ysrd
OK So I have just added a full Lcars Interface to my Computer. It's not a new one either but it's still the best I can find for Windows. http://lcars-terminal.net
Lots of lcars themed stuff and a great Control Panel replacement. I was a little unhappy about the lack of imap support in the email (PADD) module. It does though have a great ton of data on trek in the databases.
Ysrd
Monday, August 09, 2004
Web Development
Lately i have been doing a bunch of web development. Not the flat text files all in html stuff but dynamic web pages in a portal with Java, JSP, html, javascript in the front end with php asp, vb, .net, fortran and c as the backend (and sql, ....)
Quite different then the regular write in C stuff that i have been used to. Juggling 10 languages at the same time for the same proiject is a bit of a headache. (now was that strip or split or toArray that i wanted to use in this function, Oh ya this one is the while not eof ...)
I was showing a fellow worker what i was doing and I think it made his head hurt, he had to sit down. It's cool though, jetspeed and apache and tomcat4 as fronet end then a php apache server as middleware and linux backend with IIS and asp with vb, vbscript and fortran with a smattering of C on the Windows side.
Both sides have databases off on other machines, postgresql, mysql, MS SQL ... and old fortran code compiled to a dll with vb. net wrapping it to make it web visible.
I am also writing some of the pages as WAP interfaces to applications on the mainframe, it's going to all just click over like it was made to fit.
Starting tommorow I am in another office with all of my main systems back in my regular office. I put xandros on the laptop to test it and see how that works. i will be using tight vnc over a vpn to access the desktops back at the office and away we go.
Just have to love this stuff it lets you do what you want from where you want.
ysrd
Quite different then the regular write in C stuff that i have been used to. Juggling 10 languages at the same time for the same proiject is a bit of a headache. (now was that strip or split or toArray that i wanted to use in this function, Oh ya this one is the while not eof ...)
I was showing a fellow worker what i was doing and I think it made his head hurt, he had to sit down. It's cool though, jetspeed and apache and tomcat4 as fronet end then a php apache server as middleware and linux backend with IIS and asp with vb, vbscript and fortran with a smattering of C on the Windows side.
Both sides have databases off on other machines, postgresql, mysql, MS SQL ... and old fortran code compiled to a dll with vb. net wrapping it to make it web visible.
I am also writing some of the pages as WAP interfaces to applications on the mainframe, it's going to all just click over like it was made to fit.
Starting tommorow I am in another office with all of my main systems back in my regular office. I put xandros on the laptop to test it and see how that works. i will be using tight vnc over a vpn to access the desktops back at the office and away we go.
Just have to love this stuff it lets you do what you want from where you want.
ysrd
Friday, August 06, 2004
Borg goes to a wedding.
My neighbour's kid is getting married and because we are so close to them we are up to our ears in it.
The latest thing is the photog called and won't be able to get there so the borg to the rescue. With the latest eye cam and a good connection we will be recording the wedding to disk across the net (as well as using the 35s and hi 8 vid.)
Got to go get film and batteries. I use 35 still because even with my best camera you don't get the clean picture you do with analog.
ysrd
The latest thing is the photog called and won't be able to get there so the borg to the rescue. With the latest eye cam and a good connection we will be recording the wedding to disk across the net (as well as using the 35s and hi 8 vid.)
Got to go get film and batteries. I use 35 still because even with my best camera you don't get the clean picture you do with analog.
ysrd
Monday, August 02, 2004
More hardware.
My freind gave me an old broken lcd screen for a security system.
i am trying to fix it and then see what I can attach it to. I am thinking some sort of display for a robot. it's 12 volt, and stabdard tv signal. (NTSC)
Should be a fun project.
i am trying to fix it and then see what I can attach it to. I am thinking some sort of display for a robot. it's 12 volt, and stabdard tv signal. (NTSC)
Should be a fun project.
Wednesday, July 07, 2004
non-bashing MS
You may have or may not have noticed that i do not bash Microsoft. I am a Linux user but I believe in using the best tool for the job and there are times that is (ahh don't make me say it) Windows.
I use a windows powered Pocket PC for my always at the ready and always in my pocket computer. I also use their compiler and IDE for writing apps for the PPC. I use Java and Linux for development but lately I have been using WebSphere Studio on a Windows 2k box for java dev.
So when I hear that MS is putting out a bunch of free lite versions of their development products I take a look.
I have argued for a long time now that if the basic tools for developing for one platform (ppc) are free why can't a basic set of dev be available for another (desktop Windows) at least for the guy sitting at home about to have the next big idea. If putting the development tools into his hands means your platform is the one the next big thing sits on then your platform can see clear benefits.
So here's what i have so far. The sql server and web page tool are already available. They are cut down free versions of the real thing.
The others (vb.net, c#.net, c++.net, j#.net are all coming soon if not already.
These are for " hobbyists, enthusiasts, and novices"
At the moment they are only in Beta 1 and are free to download but they say you are not licensed to distribute the results.
The web page indicated that in the beta 2 stage there will be some type of license to distribute.
Anytime something is free it is a good thing but with the you can't distribute thing in palce I am suggesting people who have studio to stay with it, if you want to start to learn how to develope then the beta one may be ok for you to try out programming (use the j# to start is what I suggest) and then move to c# and c++
If you alreadt program in VB moving to the express version will leave you wanting.
Another thing I noticed is that they are trying toi keep the sizes down so if you are using an older computer this may be what you need. Only 50 meg HDD space required and the other specs are loose as well.
ysrd
I use a windows powered Pocket PC for my always at the ready and always in my pocket computer. I also use their compiler and IDE for writing apps for the PPC. I use Java and Linux for development but lately I have been using WebSphere Studio on a Windows 2k box for java dev.
So when I hear that MS is putting out a bunch of free lite versions of their development products I take a look.
I have argued for a long time now that if the basic tools for developing for one platform (ppc) are free why can't a basic set of dev be available for another (desktop Windows) at least for the guy sitting at home about to have the next big idea. If putting the development tools into his hands means your platform is the one the next big thing sits on then your platform can see clear benefits.
So here's what i have so far. The sql server and web page tool are already available. They are cut down free versions of the real thing.
The others (vb.net, c#.net, c++.net, j#.net are all coming soon if not already.
These are for " hobbyists, enthusiasts, and novices"
At the moment they are only in Beta 1 and are free to download but they say you are not licensed to distribute the results.
The web page indicated that in the beta 2 stage there will be some type of license to distribute.
Anytime something is free it is a good thing but with the you can't distribute thing in palce I am suggesting people who have studio to stay with it, if you want to start to learn how to develope then the beta one may be ok for you to try out programming (use the j# to start is what I suggest) and then move to c# and c++
If you alreadt program in VB moving to the express version will leave you wanting.
Another thing I noticed is that they are trying toi keep the sizes down so if you are using an older computer this may be what you need. Only 50 meg HDD space required and the other specs are loose as well.
ysrd
Sunday, July 04, 2004
Hard wired vs wireless Borg
What kind of Borg are you?
I consider myself to be a wireless Borg but I do have to hook up so to speak once in a while to do large data transfers and recharge batteries.
What the heck am I talking about? Well you see as a Borg I have wearable electronics including my Pocket PC, cell phone and medical devices. I wear a tens machine when I need to and have the PPC and cell with me at all times.
I am "connected" able to read my email, surf the web, view information, work on work and all that stuff wirelessly by using the celphone and my pocketPC wirelessly. The two have Bluetooth so they can talk, I have a ton of music on the ppc as well as the other stuff (including the PADD and a rudimentary tricorder.)
All of these machines use batteries, which I have to recharge.
Some people are wired borgs, they have to carry a power supply or be plugged in to communicate. These include the older but still prevalent laptop borgs and people on kidney dialysis.
Don't get me wrong I do have a laptop as well as dektop computer systems but the computer I always carry is my PPC.
How does life as a borg make my life better then the normal non-borg varient human? I use my technology to augment my human tools. I can't think faster by using it but I do have more information to make decisions on. I am able to control the pain from my medical problems. I am able to remeber things I couldn't before (such as people names and phone numbers.)
Soon I will be able to see better with the edition of a heads up display and computer augmentation of what i see.
With the increase in computing power and the ability to connet to my home computer network I can use the collective power of those computers from anywhere I can connect by bluetooth or cell. Life is good.
ysrd
I consider myself to be a wireless Borg but I do have to hook up so to speak once in a while to do large data transfers and recharge batteries.
What the heck am I talking about? Well you see as a Borg I have wearable electronics including my Pocket PC, cell phone and medical devices. I wear a tens machine when I need to and have the PPC and cell with me at all times.
I am "connected" able to read my email, surf the web, view information, work on work and all that stuff wirelessly by using the celphone and my pocketPC wirelessly. The two have Bluetooth so they can talk, I have a ton of music on the ppc as well as the other stuff (including the PADD and a rudimentary tricorder.)
All of these machines use batteries, which I have to recharge.
Some people are wired borgs, they have to carry a power supply or be plugged in to communicate. These include the older but still prevalent laptop borgs and people on kidney dialysis.
Don't get me wrong I do have a laptop as well as dektop computer systems but the computer I always carry is my PPC.
How does life as a borg make my life better then the normal non-borg varient human? I use my technology to augment my human tools. I can't think faster by using it but I do have more information to make decisions on. I am able to control the pain from my medical problems. I am able to remeber things I couldn't before (such as people names and phone numbers.)
Soon I will be able to see better with the edition of a heads up display and computer augmentation of what i see.
With the increase in computing power and the ability to connet to my home computer network I can use the collective power of those computers from anywhere I can connect by bluetooth or cell. Life is good.
ysrd
Saturday, July 03, 2004
stuff
here we are sitting, me and my son and we are listening to our fav songs, Thousand foot crutch and SCC.
I spotted a book on my shelf, "The Formal Logic of Emotion". Nathan found his fav book his colouring book from SK.
We are looking at the remains of a robot as well and pondering it's future.
Another fin saturday night.
I spotted a book on my shelf, "The Formal Logic of Emotion". Nathan found his fav book his colouring book from SK.
We are looking at the remains of a robot as well and pondering it's future.
Another fin saturday night.
Friday, July 02, 2004
Another Virus
After looking at the latest virus code and at the fact it was a triple threat (used an unknown and unpatched hole in IIS two holes in IE, one unknown the other unpatched and was a completely new and undetected Trojan) is it time for people to finally understand that staying with Microsoft is a loosing proposition?
How many people finally got the idea that since IE is the most used it is the most targeted?
The question though is of the 15% of the internet that downloaded Moz or one of it's variants are going to stay with it? And how many will take the plunge and switch to a Mac or Linux?
And will the virus writers move with the people?
I for one think that most people will stay with IE Windows and BG. That will be enough for the virus writers to stay with MS and the rest of us can get on with our lives and making money by fixing the computers of the 95ers.
Another thing, I know I'm from Canada but does that mean that the Microsoft executive emails have to be in French? I don't speak French, I speak C, C++, java, php, VB (and Asp but don't tell anyone), Pascal, Ada and Fortran but not French.
YSRD
How many people finally got the idea that since IE is the most used it is the most targeted?
The question though is of the 15% of the internet that downloaded Moz or one of it's variants are going to stay with it? And how many will take the plunge and switch to a Mac or Linux?
And will the virus writers move with the people?
I for one think that most people will stay with IE Windows and BG. That will be enough for the virus writers to stay with MS and the rest of us can get on with our lives and making money by fixing the computers of the 95ers.
Another thing, I know I'm from Canada but does that mean that the Microsoft executive emails have to be in French? I don't speak French, I speak C, C++, java, php, VB (and Asp but don't tell anyone), Pascal, Ada and Fortran but not French.
YSRD
Saturday, June 26, 2004
Another on-line attack
Yet again another on-line attack by a group from Russia. This time a triple whammy on the Microsoft front.
It starts with an unknown IIS (The microsoft web server) security hole that allowed the group into a ton of internet sites to add code to the sites web pages. This added code downloads a trojan program onto your machine if you are using Internet Explorer (the Microsoft web browser) and this Trojan is so new none of the virus checkers catch it yet.
So advice people, move away from IIS if you are hosting web pages because this is a zero hour attack on you If you are just someone browsing the web move to a browser that is not based on the Microsoft browser or better yet to a non Microsoft Operating System.
This will not guarantee that in the future you will not be attacked again just that right now the bad guys are only paying attention to the Microsoft world.
ysrd
It starts with an unknown IIS (The microsoft web server) security hole that allowed the group into a ton of internet sites to add code to the sites web pages. This added code downloads a trojan program onto your machine if you are using Internet Explorer (the Microsoft web browser) and this Trojan is so new none of the virus checkers catch it yet.
So advice people, move away from IIS if you are hosting web pages because this is a zero hour attack on you If you are just someone browsing the web move to a browser that is not based on the Microsoft browser or better yet to a non Microsoft Operating System.
This will not guarantee that in the future you will not be attacked again just that right now the bad guys are only paying attention to the Microsoft world.
ysrd
Sunday, June 13, 2004
Day after fest 2k4
Well it was a blowout, and YSRD is again the world champ.
We had everytool you can think of and all major firewalls and OS combos you can imagine and Every root password of the target servers and all contestants falling to the champ.
the contest is based on the hacker being able to get into the system without getting caught by any honey traps and IDS software and get the holy grail of hacking, the root password. This involves finding and exploiting any hole in the system and then cracking the native mode root or administrator password and ten announcing their ability by changing a file or web page on the server and doing so while the owner is on the machine and possibly seeing you do the damage.
Secondary is protecting your own system while you do this to every other machine on the network. With 6 native servers on the network (the targets) and from 4 to 20 people connected at once trying to do the same thing to you. Winner take all, getting all root passwords is an automatic win.
This year we added wireless and Bluetooth segments to the network and had people using Mac, Intel, Palm and PPC systems. It was a ball and one of the only safe hacking forums left with all contestants and participants signing wavers to allow hack attacks while connected to the network. (All legal and fun.) The main goal is to show that no system is completely secure and to show the participants (mostly 500's employees and administrators) how they can be attacked and to possibly show them how to defend themselves and protect their IP.
Even Ysrd learned a trick or two and everyone went away with something they could apply back at base.
I had a lot of fun as did everyone who attended.
Best newcomer was a 13 year old girl (accompanied but not helped by her dad) and she shows a lot of promise as well as an enthusiasm and focus that many of her older peers could learn from.
Best firewall is a new comer that is not yet released, brought by it's creator in an attempt to stop the champ. Watch for him to incorporate what he learned and make a remarkable firewall that can stop anything thrown at it. Running on a new OS that will be released at the same time keep an eye out for "the Moat(tm)" to be released in early fall.
New Ideas for next year (or earlier if we can get together again) are tunnel and VPN hacking.
Happy hacking but keep your white hats on,
YSRD
We had everytool you can think of and all major firewalls and OS combos you can imagine and Every root password of the target servers and all contestants falling to the champ.
the contest is based on the hacker being able to get into the system without getting caught by any honey traps and IDS software and get the holy grail of hacking, the root password. This involves finding and exploiting any hole in the system and then cracking the native mode root or administrator password and ten announcing their ability by changing a file or web page on the server and doing so while the owner is on the machine and possibly seeing you do the damage.
Secondary is protecting your own system while you do this to every other machine on the network. With 6 native servers on the network (the targets) and from 4 to 20 people connected at once trying to do the same thing to you. Winner take all, getting all root passwords is an automatic win.
This year we added wireless and Bluetooth segments to the network and had people using Mac, Intel, Palm and PPC systems. It was a ball and one of the only safe hacking forums left with all contestants and participants signing wavers to allow hack attacks while connected to the network. (All legal and fun.) The main goal is to show that no system is completely secure and to show the participants (mostly 500's employees and administrators) how they can be attacked and to possibly show them how to defend themselves and protect their IP.
Even Ysrd learned a trick or two and everyone went away with something they could apply back at base.
I had a lot of fun as did everyone who attended.
Best newcomer was a 13 year old girl (accompanied but not helped by her dad) and she shows a lot of promise as well as an enthusiasm and focus that many of her older peers could learn from.
Best firewall is a new comer that is not yet released, brought by it's creator in an attempt to stop the champ. Watch for him to incorporate what he learned and make a remarkable firewall that can stop anything thrown at it. Running on a new OS that will be released at the same time keep an eye out for "the Moat(tm)" to be released in early fall.
New Ideas for next year (or earlier if we can get together again) are tunnel and VPN hacking.
Happy hacking but keep your white hats on,
YSRD
Thursday, June 10, 2004
Hackfest 2K4
It's that time of year again, and we are setting up the newest and greatest of Windows, Linux and Macintosh firewalls, ids and day after pills to see how fast they will fall, it hackfest 2k4.
Hey isn't this what having your own network is all about?
You thought it was to keep people out of your machine. Hell no, you want to keep someone out you don't connect (that's what we do, all the important stuff is never connected.)
But for the duration of the fest the network will not be connected to the internet to keep prying eyes away from the festivities. Nope we are not even leaving a beacon up if you want in you have to be here by 9:00 am and BYOB.
We have 5 servers up and running on the network already and we are setting up more. Guests are to bring their own computers and cables. Don't bring anything you can't afford to lose guests computers are open targets as are the servers.
Points awarded for speed and finesse; anyone getting all root passwords scores an automatic win. Judges decision final, prizes as always: the admiration and acclaim of the best of the best of your peers.
\\//_ LLAP
.||.
Hey isn't this what having your own network is all about?
You thought it was to keep people out of your machine. Hell no, you want to keep someone out you don't connect (that's what we do, all the important stuff is never connected.)
But for the duration of the fest the network will not be connected to the internet to keep prying eyes away from the festivities. Nope we are not even leaving a beacon up if you want in you have to be here by 9:00 am and BYOB.
We have 5 servers up and running on the network already and we are setting up more. Guests are to bring their own computers and cables. Don't bring anything you can't afford to lose guests computers are open targets as are the servers.
Points awarded for speed and finesse; anyone getting all root passwords scores an automatic win. Judges decision final, prizes as always: the admiration and acclaim of the best of the best of your peers.
\\//_ LLAP
.||.
Wednesday, June 09, 2004
The day after...
OK you've just got hit by a virus or youv'e been hacked or someone in your company has just deleted all f your files or , well your not sure are you.
Want to be sure?
Today i find on the net a set of tools that can help you answer those questions (and more) and they all come on a single cd that you don't need to install to use. pretty good eh?
Yup another Knoppix disk is out and thids time it's the security tools distribution.
If you have to watch over a file server that might get attacked or if you are a web master or a security firm in the making this is the tools you have been looking for.
There are all kinds of tools from intrusion detection (IDS) to forensic analysis of a dea hard drive.
And it's all Open Source. Right, GPL mostly and free for anyone to use. Yes people can use these tools to cause trouble but if you now how to use them you can stop them and catch them as well. Each set of tools of a given type is grouped together in the directory structure as well as the menu structre in the windo manager.
Very cool layout and every grouped directoy has an RTFM directory so you can learn how to use the tools included.
Well thought out and based on top of one of the best bootable distributions out there it's one tool I will keep in my tool chest.
ysrd
Want to be sure?
Today i find on the net a set of tools that can help you answer those questions (and more) and they all come on a single cd that you don't need to install to use. pretty good eh?
Yup another Knoppix disk is out and thids time it's the security tools distribution.
If you have to watch over a file server that might get attacked or if you are a web master or a security firm in the making this is the tools you have been looking for.
There are all kinds of tools from intrusion detection (IDS) to forensic analysis of a dea hard drive.
And it's all Open Source. Right, GPL mostly and free for anyone to use. Yes people can use these tools to cause trouble but if you now how to use them you can stop them and catch them as well. Each set of tools of a given type is grouped together in the directory structure as well as the menu structre in the windo manager.
Very cool layout and every grouped directoy has an RTFM directory so you can learn how to use the tools included.
Well thought out and based on top of one of the best bootable distributions out there it's one tool I will keep in my tool chest.
ysrd
Sunday, June 06, 2004
Introducing Malcolm
We sort of lucked out the other day. We went garage saling last week (not sailing, saling) and I picked up some remote Control toys including Malcolm the robot.
Not much really just a motorized base with remote control and a blow up robot balloon on top, but with the addition of the remote controlled car and other parts we have the ability to create something more.
His moving about is handled quit well with his own wheeled base for what we want to do with him but we will have to add a more useful bot on top with more brains then just hot air. (Some of our foliations are getting by with the latter but this is the real world not politic so the blowup is probably going to go away unless we can make it a bit shorter and add stuff to it.
I am looking TA using an old Pentium 133 as his onboard brains with sometype of wireless networking like bluetooth to connect him to the closest network or even my PAN.
Next thing is to figure out what we want him to do so that we can then program him.
I have a robotic arm here from an old project that I will be adding to him. One arm for now, might leave one of the blowup arms in place as well as the head and pat of the body.
ysrd
Not much really just a motorized base with remote control and a blow up robot balloon on top, but with the addition of the remote controlled car and other parts we have the ability to create something more.
His moving about is handled quit well with his own wheeled base for what we want to do with him but we will have to add a more useful bot on top with more brains then just hot air. (Some of our foliations are getting by with the latter but this is the real world not politic so the blowup is probably going to go away unless we can make it a bit shorter and add stuff to it.
I am looking TA using an old Pentium 133 as his onboard brains with sometype of wireless networking like bluetooth to connect him to the closest network or even my PAN.
Next thing is to figure out what we want him to do so that we can then program him.
I have a robotic arm here from an old project that I will be adding to him. One arm for now, might leave one of the blowup arms in place as well as the head and pat of the body.
ysrd
Monday, May 31, 2004
2 Borg or not 2 Borg
Are you a Borg? Do you want to be a Borg? What would becoming a Borg do for you?
We are all to some extent becoming Borg. Some of us more so and faster then others but in they end we will assimilate you.
Some of us depend on our technology to survive, some to keep from getting lost others to keep from getting bored. (Bored, not Borged!)
one of my friends at work who would not consider himself Borg has 2 cell phones a beeper and a PDA. Is he Borg? Maybe not.
I have my PPC, cell (Bluetooth connection both always on) my TENS and my GPS (not yet a Bluetooth model but soon, I will give the old one to a friend when I get the new one.)
Not only that but I am developing my own HUD and will probably convert that to an camera/HUD as soon as I can.
some people have technology but use it little, others of us depend on them. I go camping and take solar chargers for my computer in my drybag.
So what do you have that may or may not make you Borg? Are you?
We are all to some extent becoming Borg. Some of us more so and faster then others but in they end we will assimilate you.
Some of us depend on our technology to survive, some to keep from getting lost others to keep from getting bored. (Bored, not Borged!)
one of my friends at work who would not consider himself Borg has 2 cell phones a beeper and a PDA. Is he Borg? Maybe not.
I have my PPC, cell (Bluetooth connection both always on) my TENS and my GPS (not yet a Bluetooth model but soon, I will give the old one to a friend when I get the new one.)
Not only that but I am developing my own HUD and will probably convert that to an camera/HUD as soon as I can.
some people have technology but use it little, others of us depend on them. I go camping and take solar chargers for my computer in my drybag.
So what do you have that may or may not make you Borg? Are you?
Sunday, May 23, 2004
What not to do after an F1
I just watched Truely win the Monaco F1 and then left where I was watching it, jumped into a vehicle with 300 HP and this is not a good combination. Smoking tires and sliding corners I decided that running around town at 60+ might attract attention and I pulled it in a bit.
Of course being borg I knew the speed i was going and where i was due to my always there GPS unit. Borg never get lost, we use electronic bread crumbs.
LLAP
Of course being borg I knew the speed i was going and where i was due to my always there GPS unit. Borg never get lost, we use electronic bread crumbs.
LLAP
My latest computer virus scare
My sister-in-law got a virus on her computer today. Well it's been there a week or so but I took the time to ID it today. I got to thinking. What if my newly connected computerized life support system (I use wearable medical devices that I have connected together and to my pocket PC to make controlling them easier and well the PPC is wireless to the net all the time) What if they got a computer virus, or a virus that infected my PPC made them go haywire.
Not a pretty sight believe me. I have an antivirus software installed on all my connection points but not on the PPC; not enough mem to put one.
One more thing for a Borg to think about.
LLAP
Not a pretty sight believe me. I have an antivirus software installed on all my connection points but not on the PPC; not enough mem to put one.
One more thing for a Borg to think about.
LLAP
Saturday, May 22, 2004
My Technology
I am sitting here typing into my computer when I could be just dictating it, except the voice control for computers is just not there yet.
I would like to do this with my pocket PC but it's not even ready to take commands yet.There is the new Voice Command for Pocket PC but with only 128 meg of ram and no hard drive having enough storage space for the software and the tables and pattern analysis software is not going to fit.
On the PC you can do some with Microsofts new voice command SDK. But the recognition rate is lower then the rate on my 10 year old Mac.
For now the part of a borg that listens is still the biological part.
I would like to do this with my pocket PC but it's not even ready to take commands yet.There is the new Voice Command for Pocket PC but with only 128 meg of ram and no hard drive having enough storage space for the software and the tables and pattern analysis software is not going to fit.
On the PC you can do some with Microsofts new voice command SDK. But the recognition rate is lower then the rate on my 10 year old Mac.
For now the part of a borg that listens is still the biological part.
Sunday, May 16, 2004
Definition of a Borg.
Yes you watch Star Trek and you know what a Borg is. Are there any actually living wth us? Not the TV type but there are a ton of people who i consider to be real Borg.
The word Borg is a shortened form of the word cyborg which is a just a person with non-organic parts. These parts must augment the persons life in some way such as a person with a pacemaker is a borg because they have an embedded device that keeps them alive. (If that is not an augmentation of their life them what is?)
I am a borg because of my use of electronic devoces to control pain. I use a tens machine all the time. I also have other devices I use all the time such as my pocket PC and other devices in my Personal Area Network (PAN).
I believe there are a ton of us out there and we need to gather the collective via the internet and hopefully we can do this by using blogs and IM.
\\//_ LLAP
.||.
The word Borg is a shortened form of the word cyborg which is a just a person with non-organic parts. These parts must augment the persons life in some way such as a person with a pacemaker is a borg because they have an embedded device that keeps them alive. (If that is not an augmentation of their life them what is?)
I am a borg because of my use of electronic devoces to control pain. I use a tens machine all the time. I also have other devices I use all the time such as my pocket PC and other devices in my Personal Area Network (PAN).
I believe there are a ton of us out there and we need to gather the collective via the internet and hopefully we can do this by using blogs and IM.
\\//_ LLAP
.||.
Welcome
Hi,
I am in the process of moving my blog here from another site.
I am not moving all of the posts here but will start fresh and hopefully I can get a better more mature audience here.
I am in the process of moving my blog here from another site.
I am not moving all of the posts here but will start fresh and hopefully I can get a better more mature audience here.
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