Friday, October 19, 2012

Pile ‘o Linkage

Chain links _ Flickr - Photo Sharing!_2012-08-25_17-32-04CC attribution: "Chain links" by HowardLake on flickr.

Time to unload them…

Forensics

Adobe Reader XI (11)

Network Bits

For the SysAdmins

Utilities

  • Updates: Autoruns v11.34, ProcDump v5.0, Sigcheck v1.8, VMMap v3.11 - Sysinternals Site blog
  • Process Explorer v15.23 - Sysinternals
  • PsPing - Sysinternals new CLI tool to measure network performance including bandwidth available between systems. Also can generate histograms of results.
  • Rapid Environment Editor - Most folks won’t have any need to ever edit their Windows environment variables. But if you are a tweaker or geek or sysadmin, you might need to. This looks to be the tool for you! in addition it provides Error checking to highlight any problems with the entries. I had two “abandoned” items in my system I cleaned up with it. Really a nice portable tool to keep handy.
  • MetroTextual 1.1 - SingularLabs - Minor update to a Win8’ish style notepad tool. I posted quite a bit about it earlier MetroTextual - Spirit of the notepad known as Bend...  This new version has some fixes and feature enhancements. However I noticed on my Win7 x64 system that while v1.0 seemed OK, version 1.1 garbles selected text. I like the newest feature adds but it remains a work in progress…which raises the same question Scott Hanselman of ComputerZen pondered: A Bug Report is a Gift.  What is the best way to report it to the developers…from within the app?

    before text selection…
    z2q0i14a.klx

    after text selection…
    ajp20ovk.jktCurious…
  • HexDive 0.5 – Adding a bit of a context… & HexDive 0.6 – new strings and more -Context… - Hexacorn continues to make great leaps of improvement in the free and super-useful HexDive tool to look for interesting string patterns in files. Check it out!
  • PeStudio 4.10 - Winitor - Speaking of binary analysis, PeStudio is a new-to-me tool to aid in application binary analysis. Cool!

New “Defrag” Tools Videos (and others also)

Microsoft/Sysinternals and their Channel9 team have really scored a home-run with their “Defrag Tools” video series. Each week (or sooner) a new quality video comes out..with clear file download links/formats…that reviews or expands an in-depth review of Sysinternals tools and usage.  I’ve already posted links for Episodes 1-6 and now we have 7-12 out.  I download these at home and tuck them away for replay on rainy days or presidential debates. Even when I consider myself very comfortable using a particular Sysinternals utility, walkthroughs such as these always leave me with a new tip/trick/configuration tweak that I didn’t have before.

A great supplemental Channel 9 is The Defrag Show

See also this WEBCAST: Maximizing Windows 7 Performance: Troubleshooting Tips (1hr 1min) as found by Kurt Shintaku and add it to your video bag as well.

Google Fonts

Font geek? Me too!

I frequently hit the following sites looking for new and impactful free-use fonts for maximum impact on presentations and documents where having just the right font can add a punch of enhancement.

So I got really excited when I found that Google has a web font collection (500+) under the Open Font License.

Now this is really cool!.

Cheers!

--Claus V.

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Grandpa would not be impressed…

My late maternal grandfather was an F.B.I. Special Agent back from the ‘40’s to late 1960’s.

So I was bemused when a gentleman from the church brought me his wife’s XP laptop that when booted displayed an “official” looking lock screen from the “FBI” (complete with FBI seal) saying computer violations were found and locked by the FBI unless the user paid them a fine via a legitimate “MoneyPak” service.

Really?

No.

It was just a run-of-the-mill Trojan drive-by infection crafted by scummy scammers.

It took the better part of a Monday night NFL football game to clean, but I was able to get things restored and back in service.

…and then updated all the third-party browser apps (Java, Flash, Shockwave, etc.) as well as the latest version of the installed AV/AM software.

Related: SOPA reincarnates to hold your computer hostage - ZDNet.

--Claus V.

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Wacom CTE-430 Drawing Tablet & Windows 7

I was cleaning out my home “tech closet” last week.

Tearing down old cell-phone boxes, old hard-drive product boxes, laptop boxes now that they have been “burned in” and I’m not returning them to the store…stuff like that. Sorting plastics/papers for recycling, etc.

While I was putting some of the small-bits I wanted to hold onto in my catch-all shoeboxes for such things tech, I found my old Wacom CTE-430 (Sapphire) drawing tablet and pen.  I had got this a long time ago when Lavie was doing drafting and design work on the computer.

As a young kid, Alvis had a copy of Disney’s Magic Artist and Sketch Board that she loved. But as she got older she outgrew it so it was passed on to relative’s family who had young children to use.

Now that Alvis is much older and quite the artist, I wondered if she would be interested again in trying the whole “digital artist” thing. Her preferred medium are watercolors, pastels, colored pencils, charcoals, and other medium that are -- by nature -- very messy and require lots of scattering of these items across the desks, the floors, the window ledges, etc.  Oh, and lots of my favorite mugs left next to the kitchen sink soaking brushes in soapy water.

Maybe Alvis would find it relaxing to do some digital sketch-work again when she was bored but didn’t feel like hauling out her normal art supplies.

So I decided to connect it to my Win7 x64 system.  It found some drivers and seemed to work OK but some of the pressure support for the pen didn’t seem to work.

Did some Google work and found the Wacom site but the US driver page wouldn’t work correctly to let me grab the drivers using the form selection boxes.

Eventually I found a direct link to the driver page I was looking for:

Driver 5.2.5-5a(RC) for Windows 7, Vista & XP (32 & 64 bit versions) - Wacom Graphire3

Downloaded and installed fine on our Windows 7 x64 systems.

Next I needed to find a few paint programs that supported tablet usage. This Gizmo’s Freeware page had more than I was looking for. Score!

Best Free Paint Program - Gizmo's Freeware

I downloaded and installed quit a few of them on Alvis’s system.

In the end we both thought the Art Rage 2 “Starter Edition” (free) was the best starting point. The sketching surface and tools were very easy to get started with.   Alvis thought this was hands-down the easiest of the bunch to use and play with. If she really gets into it, we will probably spring for the full Art Rage Studio Pro version. at $60 it seems a great value for new digital artists.

The others are also quite good, Project Dogwaffle & MyPaint were particularly well rounded applications.

We aren’t quite up to using the tablet in Photoshop yet, but I think with some practice, it could be useful there as well supplementing digital photo editing work.

Nice to know “old technology” can find new life…

Cheers.

--Claus V.

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…in which the power of “The Force” is realized…

Alvis: “I went by the auto parts store and picked up some windshield wipers. The auto parts guy help me pick out the right ones.”

me: “Great. You need some help putting them on the car when I get home or do you think you can do it yourself?”

Alvis: “They’re already on. The auto parts guy asked if I wanted him to put them on for me.  I said sure!”

me: “m’hmm…”

Alvis: “So he went outside with me and put them on the car. Wasn’t that great?!”

me: “m’hmm…”

And the young Jedi Padawan comes into her own…. 

Just don’t you dare try to put her in a binder…

--Claus V.

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Ubuntu 12.10 (Quantal Quetzal) Upgrade

Morning tasks after booting the coffee maker.

  1. Find in RSS feeds that my Ubuntu 12.04 LTS install has a 12.10 upgrade available.
    ●  Ubuntu 12.10 “Quantal Quetzal” takes flight with a bag full of Juju - Ars Technica
    ●  Ubuntu 12.10 (Quantal Quetzal) released! - Ubuntu
    ●  Ubuntu 12.10 (Quantal Quetzal) review - ZDNet
  2. Find in RSS feeds that my Oracle VirtualBox software has upgrade available.
    ●  Stormy October patch day for Oracle - The H Security: News and Features
    ●  What's New in Oracle VM VirtualBox 4.2? - Oracle (The Fat Bloke Sings) blog
    ●  Oracle Announces Latest Release of Oracle VM VirtualBox - Oracle
  3. Download and update VirtualBox and matching VM Extension Pack appliance.
    ●  Downloads – Oracle VM VirtualBox
  4. Launch and run Ubuntu 12.04 LTS and use Update Manager to bring this version as current as possible, pre-12.10 upgrade.
  5. Reboot and re-run updater…check version, still 12.04 and additional update checks show no 12.10 version offered.
  6. Hit the Googles and find trick to run from sudo “update-manager -d”. That does the trick and upgrade option to 12.10 now available to grab.
    ●  Howto: Upgrade to Ubuntu 12.10 Quantal Quetzal from 12.04, 11.04, 11.10 | Desktop & Server - Unixmen
  7. Apparently I’m jumping the gun a bit on the new bits as dialog box says it is a “development version”, but apply Ubuntu update anyway…
  8. Get warning message that video hardware may not be sufficiently supported. Do I want to abort upgrade for now? Nope. Note complaints of 3D acceleration. Check VirtualBox settings and find I have that option disabled for this system. Note to self to enable after reboot.
  9. Reboot.
  10. Log in and kick the tires a bit.
  11. Disable the “expanded search” feature. System Settings --> Personal --> Privacy --> Search Results “Off”.
    ● Canonical adds a 'kill switch' for Ubuntu's Amazon search - PCWorld
    ● Online Dash Search Update - jonobacon@home

    5e14u0qd.c0i
  12. Yep.  OS window performance and transition fade effects now slow-as-molasses.
  13. Remembered to upgrade/install VirtualBox 4.2.2 Guest Additions for Linux into system. Done.
  14. Reboot.
  15. Video performance a bit better but not a lot. Reboot.
  16. Disabled 3D acceleration setting in VirtualBox.
  17. Video performance only a hair-width better. Hopefully better VirtualBox video driver support for Ubuntu 12.10 will be released soon…
  18. Searched and found more posts on the issue.
    ● Ubuntu 12.10 – VirtualBox Guest Additions not Working -Complete, Concrete, Concise
    ● #10901 (vboxvideo fails to auto-load on Ubuntu 12.10 Guest) – Oracle VM VirtualBox
    ● virtualbox.org • View topic - Ubuntu 12.10 "virtually" unusable
  19. Edited “/etc/modules” file to include “vboxvideo” line as suggested above. Shut down.
    ● [ubuntu] newbie question on editing as root - Ubuntu Forums
  20. Re-enabled 3D acceleration setting in VirtualBox machine settings. Powered VM back up.
  21. Ubuntu 12.10 video performance in VirtualBox 4.2.2 now back to normal (pretty darn fast) speed again. Yay!
  22. Check “Upgrade to Quantal Quetzal” off my to-do list.

a4qhdk3r.ej4

--Claus V.

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Saturday, October 06, 2012

Future Mobile Phone Upgrade?

I’m in the process of planning for a mobile phone upgrade, maybe by the end of the year.

Currently I have a Samsung Mythic SGH-a897 on AT&T carrier. The standard 2-year contract has long since ended.

It is a “smart-phone” but I don’t carry a data-plan with it and only chose it because I am a frequent texter and the haptic virtual keyboard far outshined all the other available models with a full keyboard (virtual and actual) offering.  It still runs great and the battery usually lasts two or three days of talk-time, always-on standby, and my texting.  The camera is adequate, but not nearly a replacement for a digital camera which is why my Canon S95 is almost always EDC now. Not once have I missed not having a data plan or being able to tether it to my home WiFi. Nor do/can I really carry music files on it. Sure I’ve tried, but it really didn’t seem to work too well. So I also have a little iPod shuffle (clip model) with me as well for tunage.

I could continue to happily roll along this way for the next few years, however there has been a sea change around the Valca home and extended family.

  • Both parental units now have iPhone 4’s.
  • Both Alvis and Lavie now have iPhone 4’s.
  • Bro has an iPhone 4s.

Providing tech-support (of sorts) for these devices has made me a bit more aware of the extended benefits of smart phones so it seems it’s time for me to move forward.

So…I guess that means I’m getting an iPhone 5. Right?

Probably not.

At work, a daily occurrence is the often heated discussion between the iPhone tech holders versus the Android phone holders; which is better, who rooted what, what latest confectionary OS has been downloaded and on what platform (and who is still waiting), etc.  Constantly.

And I’m tired of it.

In fact, it reminds me of the OS platform debates that the phone-platform wars supplanted; Windows vs. Apple vs. Linux.

I can see why the iPhone crowd is so passionate. I often borrow Lavie’s iPhone in bed and use it to look up the cable/TV schedule in Safari…or maybe a quick Wikipedia peek to scratch a mental itch. When I do use it the interface is very easy and intuitive to use. And the hardware is very polished (design wise) and just makes sense.

And I can also see the wide and expansive range of apps available on both the Android and iPhone platforms. Sure is lots of handy things there.

And being able to have one device for above average quick-picture snaps and carry a good collection of digital music and videos would be really, really nice.

But despite having regularly used the iPhone platforms, and dabbled with Android phones/apps, there is a good chance that I might take the path less traveled and plunk down for a Windows 8 Phone.

Funny thing is, not once, never-ever, at-all, have I actually seen one of these mythical “Windows Phones” out in the wild. They have only been seen my be in the cell-phone petting zoos. None of my family have one, none of my circle of friends, not even the chance-met stranger. Considering the very-small market-share Windows Phones are reported to hold, I guess that isn’t surprising.

So since I’ve not been able to get first-hand feedback from a real-world person I’ve had to read the Net and reviews and on-line feedback on the current Windows 7 Phone. Oh yeah, and watch Bones use one on TV.  Not having access to a real-world Windows Phone is the biggest concern that is holding me back a bit and preventing me from becoming a Windows 8 Phone “evangelist” among the Apple/Droid crowd I rub-shoulders with.

Online feedback usually falls along three lines;

  1. The UI is really nice and refreshingly different.
  2. The (Windows 7 Phone) hardware isn’t quite up to the task; it’s adequate, but could be better for the OS demands.
  3. There just aren’t nearly as many Apps for the Windows Phone platform as iPhone or Android. Get a Windows Phone and you might starve to App death.

The first one appeals to me. Unlike the tiles under Windows 8 OS, active tiles and the blocking layout really appeal to me here on a phone device. I get it. Logical, orderly, strong & solid. The design really fits me.

The new Windows 8 Phone hardware and OS seem to be fully developed now and should resolve performance issues and expectations held under the second point.

The third item really doesn’t bother me. Can I surf the net? Can I listen to music, or videos, or connect to my email account?  Does it take good digital photos? SkyDrive support? Can I still text? Yes? I’m covered. And I continue to pop-in and check out the Windows Phone Marketplace.

So what hardware offerings and I considering?

Current leader: Samsung ATIV S

What I like about this model:

  • The case design just rocks. While not steampunk, there is an air of industrial design to it. I particularly like the brushed aluminum back plate and the sliver of perforated grill on the back. There is something mechanical about the design. The front looks very similar (though wider and taller) to my Samsung Mystic in fact. The edges are rounded, but not too funky. It has a pretty square top-view and the bottom is more curvy and reminds me of retro Italian sport-car design from the sixties.
  • Hardware specs are nice: 1.5 Ghz dual-core processor, 1GB RAM, 8 MP camera (and front-facing camera as well), 16/32GB storage, and MicroSD slot support.
  • WiFi 802.11 a/b/g/n supported.
  • 4.8” HD display.
  • 3.5mm earjack.
  • Looks like it will fit in my current Samsung holster.
  • Want.
  • Price? Still an unknown.

In Second Place: HTC Windows Phone 8X

From what I know, HTC is one of the top-tier manufacturers of Android phones. So they have clearly been in the business for a while and can deliver great hardware.

Thoughts about  HTC Windows Phone(s)

  • HTC is a mobile smartphone platform leader. HTC’s got back.
  • I’m not as crazy about the case styling. I could accept the 8X model case, larger, more uniform, if I were to get it in black. The 8S being both smaller, and with that crazy Dairy Queen cone “dip” styling at the bottom leaves me unimpressed.
  • 8X display is 4.3” HD, just a bit less than the ATIV.
  • WiFi 802.11 a/b/g/n supported.
  • 3.5mm earjack.

Hardware-wise the 8X seems a close match for the ATIV, but the styling leaves me uncomfortable.

In Close Third: Nokia Lumina 920/82

Initial impressions about Nokia Windows Phone(s)

  • Sigh…I do like the “bold” color styling of the Nokia’s just a bit more than the HTC. Barely. But then the roundy horizontal cross section loses my interest.
  • The way the screen glass rounds to the device is interesting.
  • Is that inductive (cordless) charging I see? Hmm.
  • 8.7 MP camera…largest of all contenders.
  • 4.5” HD screen.
  • WiFi 802.11 a/b/g/n supported.
  • 3.5mm earjack.
  • Camera/video handling seems to be the major point to stand out this device from the rest.
  • Turn-by-Turn voice navigation with Nokia Maps app.

Additional Viewpoints

And then there are the rumors and rumblings of a Microsoft-hardware released product down the road…

Would I consider a Microsoft-provided Windows Phone? Sure..if the hardware matched and the price was competitive.  Will that possibility keep me from picking up a Windows 8 phone before the end of the year…certainly not…unless it was 100% confirmed that Jonas Daehnert’s outstanding MS phone design got picked up by Redmond.

A few basic How-To’s

Now I need to work some numbers with AT&T to see if their "AT&T Shared Data” plan would provide a better value once a third smartphone/data sucker is added or if our current method of have a shared Family call plan with unlimited texting package for everyone + individual data plans for each phone would be cheaper.

Will keep you posted on any new Windows 8 phone goings-on and how my considerations are running.

And if any GSD followers are actually using a Windows 7 phone and would like to leave their own thoughts on “real-world” usage to counterpoint the iPhone/Droid fans, they would be appreciated.

Cheers.

Claus V.

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Saturday, September 15, 2012

Windows 8 Linkage: A Bit Behind the Ball

CC attribution: behind the eight ball by Ed Schipul on flickr.

image

OK. Confession time. I’m more than a bit exhausted this weekend. Besides a particularly busy week at work, for some crazy reason I kept myself up till past midnight every night this past week watching a PBS run of Wagner’s Ring Cycle opera production: GP at the Met: Der Ring des Nibelungen - PBS. From a technical staging perspective alone it was stunning, but this was the first time I watched all the operas straight through. It takes an emotional toll.

Beautifully punishing.

Apparently I’m not the only one suffering a Wagner-induced hangover, A short post after a lot of opera « From the Hatchery

So please bear along I untangle myself mentally from it over the weekend.

Also, if you are running Windows 8 under VirtualBox (I’m currently using VMWare), Oracle released VirtualBox 4.2.0 just this past Thursday. See the changelog. I’m mentioning it as this version is said to include improved Windows 8 support.

Outstanding Windows 8 Link of Note

While my decision to stick with Windows 7 for the near-term remains intact, Scott’s above post has been hands-down the most powerful and well written post I’ve yet encountered to convince me that I will be upgrading to Windows 8 sooner rather than later. I agree that Microsoft has a serious “usability” hurdle to get past to encourage consumers and enterprises to pick up this new OS iteration. That said, the blood, meat, and bones of Windows 8 is quite remarkable. Scott’s excellent post goes a long way in simple terms to communicate that progress, while painful, has its own set of rewards.

Win8 - Start Here - Get It

  • nothing new of note since last post.

Win8 - Related Products and Services

  • nothing new of note since last post.

Win8 - Install It

Win8 - Under the Hood

  • nothing new of note since last post.

Win8 - To Go

  • nothing new of note since last post.

Win8 - Tweaks

Win8 - Deeper Insights

Win8 - Usage Tips

Win8 - Miscellanea, Rumors, & General Grumblings

Windows 8 - GSD Previously Posted

Hoyotoho! Hoyotoho! Heiaha! Heiaha!

--Claus V.

Keep Calm and Use Your Keyboard - @robertmclaws

attribution: Robert McLaws - as spotted on ComputerZen

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