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2076

Post New Requests Here / Re: IDEA: Self Distruct

« Last post by Edvard on October 15, 2008, 12:08 PM »

Or you could do it this way and have some fireworks to boot...

With the amount of personal data stored on your computer, we all understand the importance of destroying the data that is stored on the platters of a hard drive before disposing of it. There are many ways to destroy a hard drive; software, physical disassembly, drills, hammers, magnets/electromagnets, and acid, but none are quite as outrageous and dangerous as thermite.

http://hackaday.com/...orensic-destruction/

w00t!!

2077

Post New Requests Here / Re: IDEA: Self Distruct

« Last post by Edvard on October 15, 2008, 11:59 AM »

From what I read, those tools are meant for recovering data from damaged file systems, not wiped, so maybe I was a bit too hasty replying, although those tools would be quite useful if the problem of "looking under the zeros" can be solved.
He did mention "a trip to your local electronics supply house" so it probably is some sort of hardware hack.

Either way, I agree that a tool such as Uncle John is looking for should do some sort of over-write, rather than simple deletion.

For the record, there is a DoD standard (the "NSA standard" is a bit of a myth... they just use the DoD standard) for such but the one everybody points to (DoD 5220.22-M or the NISPOM) is now outdated and the ODAA has published a process guide for secure handling of all media in classified environments (page 173 has the 'sanitization matrix').
Relevant procedures in order of complexity:

c. Overwrite all addressable locations with a single character utilizing an approved overwrite
utility.
d. Overwrite all addressable locations with a character, its complement, then a random
character utilizing an approved overwrite utility.
e. Each overwrite must reside in memory for a period longer than the classified data resided.
f. Overwrite all locations with a random pattern, then with binary zeros, and finally with
binary ones utilizing an approved overwrite utility.

Interesting...

2078

Living Room / Re: Eggnog season is upon us!

« Last post by Edvard on October 14, 2008, 03:35 PM »

Now you can! 

Since I don't drink, I prefer it straight outta the fridge, poured into a glass.
I have heard that drinking it warm is better with the liquor.

2079

Living Room / Re: Eggnog season is upon us!

« Last post by Edvard on October 14, 2008, 12:44 PM »

I've seen that stuff sold in Ikea's kitchen & food section. Always wanted to try it, never got around to it.
What's it like?

2080

Living Room / Re: My computer is older than YOUR computer!

« Last post by Edvard on October 14, 2008, 11:58 AM »

I was always more than a little impressed at how snappy Windows 95 was on a 486 DX100 w/64 Megs compared to WinXP on an AMD XP1600 with 256 MB.

I still have a Packard Bell 386 that runs well but I can't use because the bios has to EXACTLY match the hard drive parameters or it won't use it and guess who's 240 MB hard drive has next to NO information on the label...

2081

Post New Requests Here / Re: IDEA: Self Distruct

« Last post by Edvard on October 14, 2008, 11:48 AM »

There are currently quite a few open-source data recovery tools available, and I'm not just talking about dd.
InformationWeek has an article on it (page 5 is the most interesting), with the most eye-opening being the Sleuth Kit and the Helix data forensics distro.

I don't know what 40hz saw, but I assume the same crowd knows these tools as well.

2082

Living Room / Eggnog season is upon us!

« Last post by Edvard on October 14, 2008, 11:28 AM »

One of my favorite things about this time of year is the singular fact that the stores start stocking that creamy, sweet, spicy artery-clogging, coma-inducing confection known 'round the world as Eggnog.

I realize that not everybody likes the stuff, but I love it.
Only for the season though, because it tends to make a whale of me

2083

Living Room / Re: Should Microsoft become an OEM (PC manufacturer)?

« Last post by Edvard on October 13, 2008, 04:43 PM »

I'm throwing this idea out there because with the proven success of its Xbox, it only seems obvious that it could finally follow Apple's lead and, (1) make even more money; (2) further improve security; while (3) controlling complex compatibility issues in future OS versions.

I've often wondered the same thing...
Why leave it up to computer manufacturers who skimped severely on the hardware but still sold stuff as "Vista compatible" and risk the potential backlash? Why not button up a box loaded with whatever Vista REALLY needed (and they should know...) and give it an official Microsoft blessing?

This would in no way prevent companies like HP or Dell or your cousin from cobbling together a machine from whatever's convenient, just that Microsoft could make available machines that were 100% proven to a certain benchmark.
Heck, they wouldn't even have to do that, just require by contract that PC manufacturers meet or exceed those benchmarks before being allowed to sell them as "100% Vista-capable" or some such.

Of course, there's nothing stopping anybody from doing this with Linux...

(Sorry, I just had to say that - or my DC 'nix-pals' would never have forgiven me!)

-40hz

hehe - don't worry, we forgive you.
Just don't forget to mention Freenx + NoMachine when you talk 'nix thin clients, kthx. (Plain ol' remote X works too, but I wouldn't recommend it for every situation...)

I guess I'm saying - so long as they don't become an apple, but some much friendlier fruit.

-Grorgy

Kumquat? Mango? Kiwi?

2084

Living Room / Re: which operating system you like most....

« Last post by Edvard on October 13, 2008, 03:07 PM »

FreeDOS: Why last? Well, I never actually used it besides setting it up on a couple computers at school, but seems like a nice clone.

Actually, FreeDOS is nice for playing old dos games, such as they are...
I've found that most *good* dos games play in dosbox like a un-accelerated 386 and the "protected-mode" dos games I've run into don't run at all.

2085

General Software Discussion / Re: Iobit smart defrag vs o&o defrag pro

« Last post by Edvard on October 13, 2008, 12:43 PM »

[Select]

c:\program files\sysinternals\contig -s c:\*.*

FTW!! 

2086

General Software Discussion / Re: Use this modified version of Chrome for more privacy

« Last post by Edvard on October 10, 2008, 07:57 PM »

Actually I found a kinda neat use for it...
You know the "make a web app look like a normal app" feature?
I used that for the web interfaces for Popfile and my router.

They look a little less cluttered and it behaves the same as in a browser, but really that's not a big deal at all.
Cute maybe, but necessary? Nah.

2087

General Software Discussion / Re: A Linux wallpaper for beginners

« Last post by Edvard on October 10, 2008, 04:46 PM »

I'd like to see something like that, but with the shell-fu stuff!

That's what I was thinking when I said "Hmmm..."

This has kicked me square in the inspiration... As soon as I have some free time, I'm going to fire up OpenOffice and type up a few of my own, make them 11x17 pdf's or maybe 20x30 poster size.
Make one with just the simple basic stuff, one that has some advanced usages and a few non-standard commands...
Oh! The possibilities!

I'll post again when I get one or two whipped up... w00t!!

2088

Living Room / YouTube comments get the xkcd treatment

« Last post by Edvard on October 10, 2008, 02:04 PM »

Apparently the developers at YouTube read web comic xkcd. Before posting a comment on the video sharing site, users now have the option to hear their words in text-to-speech, a feature suggested in a recent installment of the popular online strip.

http://www.webmonkey..._Their_Own_Gibberish

No word yet from YouTube on the official blog, but it caused at least one user to suspect a virus.

ROFLOLMAO!
from Neatorama

2089

General Software Discussion / Re: A Linux wallpaper for beginners

« Last post by Edvard on October 10, 2008, 12:29 PM »

Awesome!
I've been looking for something like this for a while now, and although there are a few "cheat sheets" out there, none are so simple and concise.
I'd really like something along the lines of the Beagle Bros. reference posters, but for Linux.

Hmm...

2090

General Software Discussion / Re: What is the best LINUX software?

« Last post by Edvard on October 08, 2008, 06:20 PM »

and everybody else: http://www.gtk-apps.org/ 

2091

General Software Discussion / Re: Apple Patents the OS X Dock!!!

« Last post by Edvard on October 08, 2008, 06:17 PM »

It's interesting that they actually were granted the patent when you consider the fact that Stardock have been making docks since 1994, years before Apple implemented their version.

Yes, and RiscOS and NextStep were doing it even before that: http://www.osnews.co...18941/pt_VI_the_Dock
But did any of them have the zoomy icon function? IIRC, ObjectDock was capable, but I don't know if it did it by default.

If you read the patent, it becomes obvious that what they patented is the squirmy zoom function:

To permit a greater number of items to reside in the userbar, a magnification function can be provided which magnifies items within the userbar when they are proximate the cursor associated with the graphical user interface.

Once again, it's stupid, but the patent appears rather narrow in definition.

2092

General Software Discussion / Re: Apple Patents the OS X Dock!!!

« Last post by Edvard on October 08, 2008, 04:56 PM »

It looks like (from a cursory reading of the patent) that what they have patented is exactly what they've got:
Their squirmy implementation of a quick launch bar.
I'm not sure if they intend to sue anybody, it feels more like they wanted to guarantee themselves getting the patent by threatening anybody who might get the same idea. Besides, Yamaguchi (supposedly) admitted to simply cloning the dock without building in any other distinguishing features. Also, who's to say that the authors of Rocketdock, Mobydock and RKLauncher didn't get similar letters?
Do you know of any launcher-panel-with-icons-that-zoom-when-your-mouse-gets-close thingummy that existed before Apple's?
For the record, I think software patents are ridiculous and stupid, but within the confines of currently existing rules they received it legitimately.

2093

General Software Discussion / Re: What is the best LINUX software?

« Last post by Edvard on October 08, 2008, 04:45 PM »

 

2094

General Software Discussion / Re: What is the best LINUX software?

« Last post by Edvard on October 08, 2008, 04:39 PM »

Looks like a web version of what Synaptic already does.

OOOHH, BUT WITH PICTURES! 

Nice find, 40Hz

2095

Living Room / Re: One answered question before you died

« Last post by Edvard on October 08, 2008, 04:34 PM »

Sorry Mouser, I thought it was funny but then "what women want", "one hand clapping" and "religion and science" distracted me.

So, for the record...

If you had the choice of having any question answered before you died what would it be?

"Can I speak to a supervisor?"

-mouser (October 08, 2008, 02:52 AM)

2096

Living Room / Re: One answered question before you died

« Last post by Edvard on October 08, 2008, 03:39 PM »

One? Dude, I GOTTA know more than that!!

Where do all the left socks go?

You know the fundamental particles that everything in the universe is made of? What are THOSE made of?
(or the corollary - "You know those tiny vibrating pieces of string that everything in the universe is made of? Are they cotton, rayon or polyester?")

What's the answer to n/0?

Will we ever see a day when my brain will become as powerful as my computer?
(true, my computer is a mere toy calculator compared to the vast powers of the average brain, but please explain to me why some days I cannot remember my own phone number?)

I think that'll do it. I could be wrong.

2097

General Software Discussion / Re: What is the best LINUX software?

« Last post by Edvard on October 08, 2008, 12:06 PM »

 
126 pages?!?!
No thanks (though I did peek at the first 8 or so...)
Stuff that's constantly used on my box:

Thunar file manager (and yes, I've tried ALL the others, xfe, pcmanfm, ad nauseum...)
Inkscape (not exclusively Linux, but it works better than the Windows port)
Openbox + Barpanel (when I'm just not in the mood for Xfce...)
K3b (second vote I know, but it IS the best CD burning software for Linux, HANDS DOWN)
Jack (8.3 msec latency with onboard sound on a 1GHz Celeron, anyone?)
Ardour, JackRack, Hydrogen (things that go with Jack...)
Qcad (Inkscape and Xfig don't do porch plans)

Probably a bunch more that don't spring to mind at the moment, but there's the answer to your question.

@zridling: Just askin', not hatin', but how can you stand XnView on Linux? On Windows, it's a wonderful instrument of power and grace (yes, I prefer it over Irfanview, no real reason, that's just how it is...) but on Linux, it's a... umm... not.
Many of the features seem to be missing or just don't work in the same way, many file formats are missing, printing is via an indecipherable lpr command, ugh...
Besides all that, the GUI looks worse than effing god-awful.
Yes, you could say that Linux is not Windows and the interface is not going to be the same, but take a program like Audacity which looks and works the exact same on either (and excellently, I might add...).

Sorry about the rant, I just really hate that XnView looks and performs so badly on Linux (for me, anyways) and there isn't anything else like it without resorting to Gimp.

2098

Living Room / Re: The 150 Best Online Flash Games

« Last post by Edvard on October 08, 2008, 11:17 AM »

It's probably too new for the list, but I'd vote Light-Bot for #151.

2099

Living Room / Re: I can haz LOLMouser plz?

« Last post by Edvard on October 06, 2008, 10:28 AM »

Mahesh- it's actually a variant type of LOLcat grammar where the humor is found in swapping the subject/predicate sentence structure. Most likely started with the "let me show you my Pokemons" meme, where a LOLcat was posted that said "My Pokemons, let me show you them". Such sentence structure lends itself well to usage within the Demotivator theme/meme, which doubles the funny (or should).
Examples here and here and here.

Make your own demotivator-style poster here, by the way.

2100

Living Room / Re: I can haz LOLMouser plz?

« Last post by Edvard on October 03, 2008, 03:12 PM »