Category: Unix

Paypal Here Mobile Card Reader Unboxed

Recently, Thomas received this mobile card reader in the mail. He has a bit of trouble taking it out of the box due to over-analyzing, but once he gets it out, he likes what he sees. Unfortunately, he may have to acquire a tablet instead of relying om his phone due to the thickness of his phone case (an Otterbox) making it virtually impossible to insert the gadget into the headphone jack.

Reglue Project Fundraiser Extended

Reglue Logo
They donate Linux – based computers to kids in need.

Ken Starks, known as HeliOS online, is the head of The Reglue Project, an organization that serves all of Central Texas. Their mission is to bridge the digital divide by providing computers to the kids of families who can’t afford one.

Internet access is also paid three months in advance in order to allow the parents or legal guardians to budget for it.

According to their annual funding campaign on IndieGoGo,  “What good is being granted a vehicle if we can’t afford the fuel to do computer installations? Or to buy the parts needed to fix that computer? The majority of grant foundations are simply not offering assistance to help with those things any more.

There was only over two weeks left, and they’re far from their goal of $9,000 USD. Fortunately, it appears that IndieGoGo has extended the campaign and as of writing this, there are 31 days left. So far, $3,380 has been pledged.

Below is a keynote from Starks for this year’s Ohio Linux Fest. Due to surgery that he will have over the holidays, the keynote may be his last public speaking event.

In order to prevent any more bouts with cancer, he is having his larynx removed and will no longer be able to speak vocally.

Throwback Thursday: Zip Disks and Red Hat 5.2

An unopened Zip disk and Red Hat 5.2
Steven Tompkins really outdid himself with this find.

The latest issue of the magazine was a bit late, but the delay was worth it.

Steven Tompkins, our fellow podcast co-host came upon an unopened Zip Disk and a copy of Red Hat 5.2 at the local Salvation Army.  Talk about throwbacks!

Back when it was called Central Missouri State University, I job shadowed somebody who was a web developer.  I was eventually led to another part of the campus that was technologically oriented.

When I entered one room, I was told that no Microsoft products were on any of the machines.  I was shown WindowMaker and GNOME if memory serves.  Among the distros that was mentioned was Red Hat.

Zip Disks themselves were designed by Iomega to be used as a successor to floppy disks, but were replaced by flash storage instead.  I remember every computer on that campus having a Zip drive.

My how far we’ve come!

Issue #8 is Now Available!

An unopened Zip disk and Red Hat 5.2
Steven Tompkins really outdid himself with this find.

The newest issue of The *Nixed Report digital magazine is now available in PDF.  This is the second issue that was created and edited using Google Drive.  This is a technology-focused issue, so Overlooked Pop Culture won’t be as prevalent.

In this Issue

  • ./: Steven Tompkins acquired an old ZIP disk (never been opened) and a copy of Red Hat Linux 5.2
  • DistroJourney: Fedora 20 is the first stop for this year’s journey.
  • Low Power Revolution: We take a look at the ARM-based Samsung Chromebook and Steven Tompkins’s Raspberry Pi.

The magazine may be downloaded here.

Good News Saturday: Austin Evans

Picture of Austin Evans
He runs a popular YouTube channel that focuses on computers, mobile devices, and more.

This individual has a popular YouTube Channel that covers technology.  Some of his videos include browser tests, mobile device reviews, and more.

A techie at heart, he had the misfortune of a fire at his apartment.  He was able to get out, but most of his stuff was destroyed.

He goes through everything in a video, and an interesting thing happened.

While going through misfortune, he manages to keep a level head.  He even manages to crack some jokes in the video below.

 

 

Throwback Thursday: Dial-Up

Old School Modem
Image Courtesy of Leon Brooks under Public Domain.

By Thomas Holbrook II

I went to school at the Leeton R-X school district in Missouri.  The computer lab was quite humble.

There were mostly DOS machines with some Windows 3x machines connected together via Novel Netware.  It wasn’t until about 1996 that Internet access became available.

Before I graduated high school in 2002, we had one major upgrade.  Windows 98 with Office 2000.  It’s amazing how a school could fall behind on technology.

At least the Internet connection was fast.  I remember to this day having to deal with dial-up.  It was mostly through my dad’s AOL connection, and heaven help me if I had any Windows Updates.

This was before I delved into this thing known as Linux, or rather GNU/Linux.  One of the reasons I wanted to have regular access to hi speed Internet was due to the prevalence of soft modems.

Linux-based drivers were difficult to come by back then.

Access via Ethernet was an appropriate way around that problem.  I do have fond memories of dial up, though I’ll admit that I’d be frustrated today, though not nearly as much as with a mobile hotspot that’s going at Edge Network speeds.

Truth be told, I came into the computer culture late in the game.  I never got to experience the dial-in BBS’es that others had the pleasure of using to talk to each other and trade files with.

It wasn’t until a couple of years ago that I actually utilized IRC.  I can only imagine the amount of lag from all the conversations at once.

These days, I feel fortunate.  There’s a straight up monthly fee for access (while a price guarantee is in effect).  Long distance fees for access are a thing of the past.

Yet I still remember the excitement while exploring vast communities and dreaming of things that I wouldn’t have otherwise attempted to accomplish.

Dial-up modems still exist to this day, and there are still plenty of dial-up users out there.  Sometimes, the old reliable is all that’s needed.  Hopefully, I won’t have to use that as an only option.

With that said, I appreciate the legacy.  What are your memories of dial-up access?

Wednesday Weekly Links: February 5, 2014

Wednesday Weekly Links

Ah, the month of February.  Cupid is in the air, and love is all around us.  Sometimes that feeling shows itself in strange ways, especially this week.

There’s creative amusing love, reciprocated love, tough love, and more.  This week, we’ll explore a few examples both in the technology and pop culture realms.

Unix

  • Nixie Pixel: Her site is full of tech, video games, and all around nerdiness.  After seeing her respond on Slashdot to both positive and negative comments, it was only fitting to have her site linked this week.
    Screenshot of Nixie Pixel's comment on Slashdot defending herself against negative comments and appreciating positive feedback.
    Well articulated defense!

     

  • Toshiba Chromebook Hits the Scene (MaximumPC): Google’s cloud-based OS is finding itself on more devices.  Toshiba’s offering is Intel-based and has a 720p webcam, which means high quality video for YouTube.  One can either get it from the company for $300 USD or from other venues for $280 USD when it becomes available.
  • The Day the Light Came On for Eddie (FOSS Force): Ken “helios” Starks tells the story of a teen wanting to learn Python as well as an offer made to a family member regarding their GPA and a new computer.  It’s a heart warming story.

 

Overlooked Pop Culture

  • Maddox Responds to Backlash Against Coca-Cola: Coca-Cola’s Super Bowl ad with America the Beautiful being sung in multiple languages has caused quite a stir.  Maddox responds with an image of his own, and sometimes pictures are worth a thousand words.  It’s well worth the read, especially given the hypocrisy of today’s society.
  • Maddox Responds to “Inspiration:” Why link to his site twice in the same week?  Simple.  He’s Maddox.  While there are times for inspiration and positive thinking, people sometimes take things a bit too far as he illustrates in his piece against the motivational speaking industry.
  • Snow Day Announced Creatively (KSHB): Tim Reves, the Principal of Cedar Creek Elementary announced a snow day over the phone to his students to the tune of What Does the Fox Say.  Needless to say, nobody asked how Reves felt.

Wednesday Weekly Links: January 29, 2014

Wednesday Weekly LinksJanuary is almost over, and it’s already been an interesting ride this year.  2014 is turning out to be an interesting year.

New ideas are emerging as well as a changing geopolitical landscape.  While this isn’t the change many were supposed to “believe in,” things are definitely not going to be stagnant.

Unix

  • Bridge Linux:  Every now and then, a new Unix-like OS enters town.  This distro uses Arch as its base and comes in a variety of desktop environments.  There is a 32 and 64-bit edition.  Dalton Miller, the founder of the project was recently interviewed by DistroWatch.
  • Bitcoin and TigerDirect: The online electronics retailer is now accepting Bitcoin as payment.  As mention of the digital currency goes more mainstream, it will be interesting to see what happens next.
  • David Gerwitz recommends Chromebooks: Gerwitz of ZDNet has recently started recommending Chromebooks for everyday users.  The big reasoning according to him is that, “For people who don’t need all that Windows has to offer, for those who live in their browsers, Gmail, Facebook, and such, for those who write simple documents and need simple spreadsheets or presentations, for those who just need to get something done quickly and easily, the Chromebook is an ideal choice.”

 

Overlooked Pop Culture

 

Friday Epic Fail: BSA’s Horrible Ad

BSA FB AD Part 1
You’re kidding, right?

By Thomas Holbrook II

I remember the good old days of relying on Microsoft.  I used everything from Windows to Office.  I even used Visual Basic for a while.

The problem is that said software costs several hundred dollars in the U.S. alone.  Even the subscription model can get expensive after a while.

That’s why so called “software piracy” has run rampant throughout the years.  While many would love for companies and individuals to be compensated for the work done, bending them over and violating their hind quarters without so much as a happy reach around was not a good incentive to be “moral and ethical” about installing software.

Then again, this is the same organization that referred to ACTA as a treaty, when in fact it wasn’t.  Since they do tend to act like a mafia, it shouldn’t be too surprising.

Little girl with an eye patch with a caption, "Look Mommy!  The BSA!
They’re afraid we’ll corrupt the youth. Original image thanks to this awesome person under this fantastic license.

So there I was on my lunch quietly scrolling through Facebook when something showed up on my feed that caused me to die a little on the inside.  The big push is for people to turn others in for cash rewards.

This reminded me of another ad that got trolled.  Instead of an actor who was blown up to look like Hercules through the magic of photo editing, we have, “Hey!  Snitch on others you know for money!  Yeah!   Money!”

Needless to say, the ad didn’t go over well.

BSA FB AD Part 2
Maybe one should report themselves to see what happens. Then again, that’s like placing a hot iron on your no no parts for curiosity’s sake.

From being called scum to being asked if they’d pay for a person’s software if they turned themselves in, is a clear demonstration that the people at the BSA are not the brightest stars in the sky.

Why in the world would they pay for an ad on Facebook?

Who knows.  Maybe they just want to throw everything out there and see what sticks.  At the end of the day, BSA is this week’s Friday Epic Fail!

Wednesday Weekly Links: January 15, 2014

Information Awareness graphic.
Don’t blindly trust something that says it’s open. Trust, but verify!  Image is part of the public domain.

It isn’t too far into 2014, and we’re already experiencing some interesting turn of events.  Thomas Holbrook II is now writing for Muktware once again.  His focus will be on Chromebooks, Chrome OS, and other topics, such as civil liberties online.

Speaking of civil liberties, that is one topic that will see coverage in this week’s links.  We have the usual developments in free and open source software, but also from a few other fronts as well.

Unix

  • Don’t Blindly Trust Open Source, verify it: Mozilla Calls for Protection from NSA Spying (Muktware.com): Swapnil Bhartiya, founder and editor of Muktware, writes about the NSA and how the availability of a project’s source code isn’t immune from tampering, especially if developers don’t pay enough attention.
  • ZaReason’s Zeto a Part of their Latest Offerings (ZaReason): Though the company has been criticized for their tablet, the California-based company keeps quietly releasing new products, such as the Zeto.  It’s powered by the newest generation of Intel processors as well as powerful NVIDIA graphics.
  • Ars Technica on Verizon vs FCC (Ars Technica): The courts have invalidated most of the Net Neutrality rules put out by the FCC.  ISP’s can’t be treated like phone companies.  Only time will tell whether ISP’s will start to throttle traffic in order to prevent competition throughout various Internet-based industries.

 

Overlooked Pop Culture

  • Fukushima Radiation Hits San Francisco? (Kill Your TV YouTube Channel):  According to a test with a Geiger counter, radiation levels at a San Francisco beach were discovered to be at abnormally high levels.  Is this from Fukushima?
  • Superbabies? (Mail Online): A Chinese firm is apparently trying to see if one can map the genes of those who are especially skilled in Math.  Imagine picking out the smartest embryos and combining other good genes with them.  Interesting indeed.
  • Daniel Bryan Has a Concussion? (24Wrestling.com): Though not seen on WWE’s website, it seems that Daniel Bryan suffered a concussion during the cage match from the last Monday Night Raw.  Again, no official statement has been made on WWE.com.