Computer Tips -Tech Info

Author: Avery

  • Question and answer with Microsoft’s Linux lab manager

    Slashdot is running a thread asking for questions for an interview with the head of Microsoft’s linux lab, Bill Hilf. The 10-12 highest moderated questions will be asked in the interview which will be posted Monday.

  • Ap coverage of hacker convention

    Apnews has an article on the recent “hacker convention” in Las Vegas. In typical media fashion they paint with a broad brush to display it as “a no-mans land where customary adversaries, feds vs. digital mavericks are supposed to share ideas about making the internet safe.”
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  • qemu for testing linux livecd’s

    I’ve mentioned a few things about linux livecds in the last few days and thought I would also mention a great tool for testing them. QEMU is a program, available for Linux or Microsoft Windows, that allows you to run an operating system within your current desktop. Let me try to clarify, I have my linux desktop fully booted with the editor for this post in the background and open up a run prompt. In the run prompt I type “qemu -cdrom /cdimages/klax-kde-3.4.2.iso” *(quotes are not necessary). This gives it the recent klax-kde-3.4.2 preview livecd as the thing to boot. A window pops up and it’s booting now as I type in the background. I can switch to it, make it full screen and play around with it without the need for a reboot. (more…)

  • Secure your bluetooth devices?

    If the last article is having you feel a bit nervous about your bluetooth devices…. I’ve come across this resource on bluetooth security basics. Essentially the big ones are disable what you don’t need running (disable the discoverable setting) and the other one is to use encryption where available and set a passcode.
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  • You wanted bluetooth in your car, right?

    This falls under comptuers and security. A new tool has been released that makes it possible to eavesdrop on and send audio messages to, the interior of some vehicles with bluetooth enabled with an insecure default password. Car Whisperer basically takes advantage of the fact that most bluetooth enabled cars set the default passkey for the bluetooth to 0000 or 1234. All it takes to eavesdrop, or send audio messages is a directional antenna and laptop running linux with this program. Of course, bluetooths range is rather limited, but it gives something to think about.

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  • Here I come to save the day – Mighty Mouse

    Apple Mac Users that have longed for innovation in mouse design can, starting today, order a Mighty Mouse. Apple has released a mouse now with more than one button. Mighty Mouse does give some interesting features, up-down and left-right scrolling from the same wheel. It’s also programmable and has nice styling. It sells for $49 US

  • 802.11n closer to reality

    I see that The Register is reporting that 802.11n rivals have agreed to cooperate on the new standard. 802.11n is to be the wireless networking successor to 802.11a and 802.11b and 802.11g. One of the groups thinks they have 802.11b compatibility, another group had been focusing on 802.11a and 802.11g support. Hopefully this agreement will mean something that will be compatible with all three will be coming out of 802.11n. The biggest interest though is the speed. 540 Mbps is what is expected from the new standard (802.11b gives about 10 Mbps by comparison, with 802.11g at 54 Mbps)
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  • Linux/Unix Bash scripted weblog

    Oh my some people have time on their hands. I just found Linux, Unix, /etc/: Unix Weblog Hacks where the writer says they wanted to do a weblog, but didn’t want to go with a big blog hosting service, or have to deal with a hard to install blogging script. So their solution was to write their own weblog tool in the bash scripting language.
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  • Microsoft will win in the battle for the internet

    According to an article from libertad digital (spanish) Steve Ballmer, of Microsoft has said that Microsoft will defeat their rivals, Google and Yahoo for dominance on the web. A more direct translation of the article headline says to me “Ballmer asures that Microsoft will win the war for dominion of the web.”
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  • Australian Linux consultancy lodges complaint against Microsoft Windows

    A Melbourne based open source firm has lodged a complaint with that country’s Competition and Consumer Commision against Microsoft. According to The Computer Business Review online, they claim that Microsoft’s monopoly is harming consumers. They are calling for 1) the availability of computers without a preinstalled operating system and 2) the commision to force Microsoft to disclose any information that would allow for interoperability with their software.
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