Recent Posts

1951

Living Room / Re: National Strategy for Trusted Identities in Cyberspace (NSTIC)

« Last post by 40hz on May 03, 2014, 05:21 PM »

^Good thing she doesn't teach in my state! Making a joke like that probably would have gotten her in trouble if not fired or at least ordered to get a psych evaluation to be sure she isn't a therat to "The Children."
 

1952

Living Room / Re: An interesting look at what 'Big Data' means to privacy

« Last post by 40hz on May 03, 2014, 11:31 AM »

It's a brave, new world, Mr. Huxley.

-Innuendo (May 02, 2014, 09:54 PM)

Got that right. Had it happen to me.

Not too long ago I had a young manager who worked for a potential new client ask to be "friended" in my Facebook account.

When I explained that I don't do social the media 'thing,' this person smirked and said "Yeah sure!" And then went on to tell me how "everybody has a Facebook account these days."

When I said I didn't, and never planned on signing up for Facebook because I didn't like its policies or trust its management, this youngster made it very obvious they were annoyed - and didn't believe me.

My business didn't get their contract. And I've often wondered if the annoyance of this one manager over my not being able to give a Facebook friending was the primary reason. Especially since this company appeared to be quite happy with everything else about us.
 

1953

Living Room / Re: Looking for a good non-Logitech keyboard

« Last post by 40hz on May 03, 2014, 08:49 AM »

^There are some amazing Steampunk themed hardware projects out there. A quick Google will spot you a dozen or more. Mahogany and teakwood cabinets, brass appointments, old fashioned round plunger-type typewriter keys...



Some very creative people have way too much time on their hands.  

1954

Living Room / Re: Looking for a good non-Logitech keyboard

« Last post by 40hz on May 03, 2014, 08:43 AM »

I probably should have qualified the Gyration keyboard suggestion by saying I use it primarily for writing and text content creation. When it comes to a keyboard for my "real job", the absence of a separate number and cursor keypad and would be an absolute showstopper for me too.

FWIW, several keys are in the "wrong" places. But I had no problem getting used to the new layout. And I actually like where they put the Fn key. (No accounting for taste I guess.)  

I just wish keyboards would go back to having an oversized enter-key like they used to when the IBM Selectric roamed the Earth.

1955

Non-Windows Software / Re: Pale Moon 4 Linux

« Last post by 40hz on May 03, 2014, 08:22 AM »

If it makes it through the week without a showstopper it'll be my new default browser for Nix.

-40hz (March 24, 2014, 11:43 AM)

Okay, so...which week does it have to make it through? Its been two ... Pass, fail, kill it with fire?  

-Stoic Joker (May 03, 2014, 07:50 AM)

I've since moved all my bookmarks and prefs over to PM.

Does that answer the question?

More seriously, it looks to be a keeper. Or at least as far as this version goes. I qualify my response becauseI used to really like FF too. Or at least I did until it started getting broken - by its own devs.  

1956

General Software Discussion / Re: Firefox 29 - soooooo similar to Chrome

« Last post by 40hz on May 02, 2014, 06:30 PM »

It is kinda sad...

Must be frustrating to see the bigwigs in other nominally "open" software projects cashing out for mega while you're proctoring the other "most popular" browser ever coded - and living off voluntary contributions.

I guess the folks over at Mozilla finally saw enough "morons with an entourage" getting the big bucks for crappy interface design and decided it was high time they "got some" too.
 

1957

Living Room / Re: Looking for a good non-Logitech keyboard

« Last post by 40hz on May 02, 2014, 06:15 PM »

I am extremely partial to a small form factor keyboard made by Gyration. They call it their Classic Compact Wireless model.



I got mine as part of a set that included their AirMouse. I never could relate to the mouse, but I love the keyboard. It's about half the size of a standard keyboard with slightly stiff but very tactile low-travel keys that don't feel at all cramped when you start typing. The 88-key layout is a little unique in places. But it's a very logical arrangement that grows on you after a while. And I can fly on the thing.

I bought mine well over 10 years ago - so that's saying something. It's a very solid bit of kit. Mine is midnight blue. I don't know if it ever came in other colors.

Last I looked, they're still available for around $70 - which is a little steep for a keyboard that small. Still, if you want reliable quality in a very cool looking form factor, you could do a lot worse than to buy one of these keyboards. You'll garner immediate ubergeek "street cred" flashing one of these around.
 

(Note: the lack of a WinLogo key also makes this keyboard very popular with the more "militant" (i.e. fanboi) element  in the Linux world.   )

1958

General Software Discussion / Re: 4 (Maybe more) Absolute top go-to programs

« Last post by 40hz on May 01, 2014, 12:56 PM »

Back when I was still mostly using Windows (I've since moved over to the universe next door)  they were:

• WriteMonkey - the quintessential "no distraction" text editor
• XYplorer - excellent tabbed file manager. I bought the Pro edition to support the product even though I didn’t really need or want the relatively small number of additional features it provided over the free edition. This developer has been most generous with his freebie releases.
• Outline 4D - the sui generis outliner for Windows. Fairly expensive, but well worth it if you have use for this sort of app. Fellow DCer dr_andus did an article on it which can be found on his blog here. (Most excellent blog too! Be sure to check it out!)
• Tomahawk Gold - powerful and inexpensive fully featured "old style" wordprocessor for people who really loved the look and feel of Word 2000. A "Platinum Edition" had been announced back in 2012. But it seems development has stalled since then.
• Microsoft Excel - if you need a powerful spreadsheet, this is the one everybody else uses - and you probably should too.
• CintaNotes Pro- your basic junk drawer quick note taker/half-assed organizer. An inexpensive ($25) "Pro" version with some very useful extra features is also available. (I used the pro version.)
• Sage - FF extension. IMHO the only RSS/Atom reader worth considering. Light on its feet - and even lighter on features - which I consider its biggest selling point. Most RSS readers are bloated with features you'll never use. If you just want to efficiently stay on top of your newsfeeds, this is the reader to try first.
• ScrapBook - FF extension. Simple (some would say "primitive") web page grabber. If you need more features than ScrapBook, bite the bullet and shell out $79 for Surfulater.
• FileZilla - got access to FTP servers? Get FileZilla.
• gPodder - multiplatform (always a big plus) podcast catcher. If you subscribe to several podcasts like I do, this app will handle everything for you.
• KeePass - (note spelling - not the same thing as KeyPass) - handy no-frill local drive password vault. Support included for use with remote storage providers such as DropBox.
• PuTTY - a (very!) basic SSH/TTY client. If you use SSH you'll definitely want a client. PuTTY is one. There are now many newer and more feature-rich alternatives which are well worth considering. I mostly stuck to PuTTY out of force of habit. And because I knew it inside out. If I were looking for an SSH client today, I'd consider one of PuTTY's more modern successors. List of alternatives here.

Note: some of these programs are available in "no install" or "portable" versions that can be run from a USB key. FWIW, I will always use a portable version of an app if one is available. But that's me.
 

1959

Living Room / Re: Microsoft Races To Fix Massive Internet Explorer Hack

« Last post by 40hz on April 30, 2014, 12:47 PM »

+.5 - Us wrong? Never... <fingers crossed>

-Stoic Joker (April 30, 2014, 12:29 PM)

@SJ - Your is showing. 

1960

Living Room / Re: Microsoft Races To Fix Massive Internet Explorer Hack

« Last post by 40hz on April 30, 2014, 11:06 AM »

... Once again some breathless reporting directed at the clueless from people that should know enough to do a little more research and editing prior to rushing their article into print.

-40hz (April 29, 2014, 01:15 PM)

I suppose I am "clueless" but only when it pertains to computers or cell phones.

Monday evening, on CNN, was where I first heard about this.  Yesterday, Tuesday, I figured DC would have covered the topic.  Found zilch.  My web search brought up around 10 sites.  I picked Forbes.  I didn't want to spend an hour desiding which site to link.  Being "clueless" I wanted to bring the supposedly bad news to DCers ASAP.

CNN rarely runs a story about anything to do with computers much less a specific issue.

-crabby3 (April 30, 2014, 07:31 AM)

@crabby3 - Please don't think I was referring to you personally when I said "clueless." That was meant to be in reference to Forbes's usual non-tech management target audience. (Sadly, Forbes tends to get a little sensationalist when reporting on stuff like this. They're guilty of way too much sizzle - and far too little steak sometimes.)  Your bringing this up is greatly appreciated. Because even grouchy network/IT types like Stoic and me can be dead wrong about the seriousness of things like this. And just because we aren't overly concerned about something doesn't mean it it can't be a very serious threat. So please don't hesitate to share anything you think may be of interest here.

 

1961

General Software Discussion / Re: Firefox 29 - soooooo similar to Chrome

« Last post by 40hz on April 30, 2014, 09:40 AM »

Shades of the tablet mindset and overall hubris that drove Win8/Metro! (And mostly into the ground AFAIC. )

Did Mozilla hire Sinofsky or something?

1962

Living Room / Re: National Strategy for Trusted Identities in Cyberspace (NSTIC)

« Last post by 40hz on April 29, 2014, 05:23 PM »

Yeah right! Sign me up...

Maybe it's time to revive that old IBM slogan:

          Think!

1963

Living Room / Re: Microsoft Races To Fix Massive Internet Explorer Hack

« Last post by 40hz on April 29, 2014, 05:18 PM »

Beginning to want to wipe Windows 8 off this laptop and put XP back just to say screw MS

-Carol Haynes (April 29, 2014, 03:06 PM)

I went further and shifted completely over to Linux and BSD for my own needs once I saw where things were going starting with Win 8. If I didn't need to support clients, I wouldn't be using Microsoft's desktop OSes at all. (Their servers, on the other hand, aren't half bad.)  

1964

Living Room / Re: Microsoft Races To Fix Massive Internet Explorer Hack

« Last post by 40hz on April 29, 2014, 01:15 PM »

+1 w/Stoic - Once again some breathless reporting directed at the clueless from people that should know enough to do a little more research and editing prior to rushing their article into print.

This is yet another remote code execution vulnerability. It doesn't do anything by itself. In order to be exploited, the IE user needs to be convinced to browse over to a website containing code that's set up to take advantage of the vulnerability. This is nothing new.

It happens. It gets identified. It gets plugged. As all 'zero-days' eventually do. It's all in a day's work for network and security people.

I'm not sure why Forbes felt the need to get so breathless over this one. I guess there's still some residual angst left over from the Mask/Careto story that Forbes is hoping to piggyback on.

 

1965

Living Room / Re: ImgBurn - full of OpenCandy and other crap

« Last post by 40hz on April 29, 2014, 12:55 PM »

Maybe we should add "You can always opt out!" to the famous Three Greatest Lies in History list as the fourth? 

-40hz (April 28, 2014, 10:30 PM)

Maybe we've heard different lists, But...

  ...I'm pretty sure that falls rather squarely under (I promise not to *** in your *****) lie # 3.

-Stoic Joker (April 29, 2014, 11:09 AM)

Yep. That's the list.

1966

Living Room / Re: ImgBurn - full of OpenCandy and other crap

« Last post by 40hz on April 28, 2014, 10:30 PM »

Maybe we should add "You can always opt out!" to the famous Three Greatest Lies in History list as the fourth? 

1967

Living Room / Re: Recommend some music videos to me!

« Last post by 40hz on April 28, 2014, 10:27 PM »

Phildel. A vocalist who is growing on me lately. Minimalist backing tracks blended with ethereal vocals and maybe just a hint of the styles of Philip Glass, Julie Cruise and Kate Bush somewhere in there?

Don't know quite what it is...but I like it!

This is The Disappearance of the Girl from her album of the same name.

1968

Living Room / Re: State of US Nuclear Silos (60 Minutes)

« Last post by 40hz on April 28, 2014, 12:02 PM »

Would we really be happier if they decided to update it? Maybe even make it web enabled...with a GUI. ("It's really quite user friendly Sir and Madam Senators. You just mouse over and double click on the region of the world you wish to destroy, enter a PIN, and voila! - it's Armageddon time!")

Silos are obsolete from a strategic perspective anyway. And military planners on all sides have known this for decades. Missile silos are kept around mainly for their symbolic value. That, and to have something to put on the table during strategic arms negotiation talks.

Because something like 90% of the world's active duty nuclear arsenals are now located onboard submarines and other naval vessels. And those weapon systems never seem to get included in arms limitation discussions.

Now what does that tell you?

(Go Navy!)

1969

Living Room / Re: Cheap fountain pen shootout

« Last post by 40hz on April 27, 2014, 10:47 PM »

I'm following right along with you, and I wish I had the resources necessary to really give a good review of some recommendations; I can only go on second-hand info for anything outside my price range.  Please pardon my naïveté. 

-Edvard (April 27, 2014, 08:11 PM)

No pardon needed. I think you're more deserving of our gratitude for your candor.

It appears that fountain pens are like guitars; everybody has their favorites and extols the virtues of each, but ultimately you get what feels good under your fingers and out of your wallet.

Well said. And I suspect you're right. Because, much like guitars, any good quality tool is workable as long as you're willing to put the time in. Maybe I'll just stick with the Waterman and my Pels and call it a day. They're all nice pens. And best of all, they're already paid for.

(Besides, I have designs on a Catalinbread Pareidolia Harmonic Mesmerizer and an EHX Analogizer - and there's only so much mad money available.  )

1970

Non-Windows Software / Re: *NIX: Luakit, dwb, and other alternative browsers

« Last post by 40hz on April 27, 2014, 10:25 PM »

I've been using the Nix version of Pale Moon courtesy of 4wd's thread here.

Although it's FF-based, it doesn't seem to exhibit many of the annoyances of its parent. I've been happy with it so far. Knock wood...

1971

Living Room / Re: Bye-bye Wi-Fi?

« Last post by 40hz on April 27, 2014, 06:40 PM »

Flutter's goal will always be to provide the community with access to inexpensive and reliable wireless technology, and so Open Source was a natural marriage for our project. Every aspect of our system will be made available, from schematics, board designs, the bill of materials, right down to the firmware and mobile app. We want to make it as easy as possible for you to build or improve upon our foundation.

That part makes a big difference as far as potential deployment goes.

But requiring such devices to be approved by regulatory agencies - or requiring them to obtain a license or 'seal of approval' to be legally built or operated is another matter. These things use radio waves. And radio waves are heavily regulated. And that isn't going to change no matter what new technology gets introduced to better use them.

This is one of those things that's far too easy to legislate out of existence if it ever becomes too much of a threat to the way things are currently done. And anyone who doesn't think it's possible to 'legally' block innovation has never dealt with entrenched business or special interest groups - or their partners in government - once the fangs come out...

1972

Living Room / Re: Cheap fountain pen shootout

« Last post by 40hz on April 27, 2014, 12:37 PM »

@E - FWIW two of those pens (A Waterman and a Pelikan) were given to me. The third (also a Pelikan) I bought in the late 70s for around $18. Not exactly an insubstantial amount of money back then (cigarettes were going for about $1.50 a pack as a point of reference) but certainly not the ridiculous prices companies like Montblanc were demanding either.

And yeah, I can't see some of the prices either. Especially now that I know it doesn't guarantee a superior writing experience.

I also don't care about the appearance that much. It's not like I'm posing over a newly ratified treaty for a National Archive photo when I use an ink pen. If a pen looks nice, that's fine by me. So long as I don't need to pay a premium for it. Gold and titanium appointments don't even register with me. Truth is, I'd gladly use a fluorescent green wooden-barrelled pen with Bugs Bunny's face on it IF it writes well - as most cheap Pilot or TUL gels do, oddly enough.

In the case of pens, as I get older I find myself liking a bit of heft (and maybe a hint of girth?) in my writing instruments. That's a big switch from earlier days when I preferred a slimmer design and as little weight as possible. That sort of heft is not to be found in most inexpensive (by which I mean under $50) pens being made today AFAICT.

So I was hoping more for some personal recommendations since I can read up stuff over at the review sites as well as the next guy. (Note: I also don't consider myself an aficionado. Just a person who likes to use well designed writing instruments.) Following recommendations on some of the "pen freak" sites, I've bought a few semi-expensive pens that came highly recommended. All of which I ended up not much caring for.

Fortunately, my sister (a graphic designer) collects ink pens. So I just passed them over to her, happy to see they had a future beyond sitting neglected in the bottom of a writing box. I don't mind being out of pocket for something as long as I don't have to feel like I've wasted money on it. So for that reason I'm not too keen on pen review sites in general.

I sometimes suspect half the people who do those "me too" chime-ins after a pen review don't own (and probably never tried) the instrument in question. Because I can't reconcile my experiences with some of the good things those reviewers and commentators were saying about those pens. Hence my wondering if anybody had a personal recommendation based on hands-on experience.



My search for the perfect pen continues...

Thx for the feedback on the Pilot Prera. Looks kinda short, but maybe I'll place another wager and order one.

1973

Living Room / Re: Cheap fountain pen shootout

« Last post by 40hz on April 27, 2014, 03:03 AM »

Much as I love fountain pens (I currently own three), I could never find an affordable one with a fine (or preferably extra fine) on the dry side nib that I really liked.

Any recommendations on that front in the <$100 price range? I lose pens. A lot. (I go through my goto TUL GL1 0.5mm's like there's no tomorrow. )

I've heard Sailor might be the brand to look at for those specs?

1974

Non-Windows Software / Fixing OpenSSL security vulnerabilities by forking it

« Last post by 40hz on April 26, 2014, 11:12 AM »

This in from The Register. OpenBSD steps up to the plate:

OpenBSD founder wants to bin buggy OpenSSL library, launches fork
One Heartbleed vuln was too many for Theo de Raadt
By Neil McAllister, 22 Apr 2014


In the wake of the Heartbleed bug fiasco, members of the OpenBSD project have forked the popular OpenSSL library with the aim of creating a new version that they say will be more trustworthy.

Even though OpenSSL is open source software, for a full two years its entire development community managed to overlook the crucial bug that eventually triggered a web-wide panic.

The library has since been patched to address the flaw, but fallout from the crisis is still being felt, and the programmer whose error caused all the ruckus says there just aren't enough people scrutinizing the OpenSSL code to spot difficult-to-find bugs.

The LibreSSL project wants to change that. A fork of OpenSSL, LibreSSL was created by members of the highly security-conscious OpenBSD operating system community – including its cantankerous founder Theo de Raadt, who has publicly criticized OpenSSL as a project "not developed by a responsible team."

The group's goal is to provide a drop-in replacement for OpenSSL that has been substantially rewritten and audited for potential security vulnerabilities. The API won't change, they say, but much of the current code will. <more>

(Full article may be found here.)

 

1975

Living Room / Re: ImgBurn - full of OpenCandy and other crap

« Last post by 40hz on April 26, 2014, 10:50 AM »

^
Ok. If that's the case, why not just ask people to opt-in by giving them an option to download and run Open Candy (or other bundleware) after the product they actually requested got installed?.

Oh. I see. They don't want to do it that way. Ok...got it.

In fairness, I've seen some "free" products that state up front that they include Open Candy or other software with their installer. I have absolutely NO problem with anyone who does it that way. In fact, my respect for them goes up several notches because of their candor. What I don't respect is companies that try to slip things under the radar - and then get indignant when called out for doing so.