Doesn't That Itch?

Unstuck In My Head FYI, I have another blog: Unstuck In My Head. If anyone is looking for correct, current information on MC Font Menu or MC Menus, of which I am the author, check out this post. Posted on March 19, 2008 at 2:30 am | 0 Comments Feeling Left Behind I've got a Mac from 2000. Sure I've upgraded the CPU, video card, etc.; but, I still have an insufficient machine if you look at many of the hot new games coming out these days. And I know that not all of these games needed to be made with such heavy minimum requirements. I don't need all of the eye candy; I prefer strong game play. It is only getting worse for people like me who have PowerPC Macs. Apple's switch to Intel CPUs is making it harder for us because some games are coming out for Intel Macs only even though the games could be made for PowerPC Macs. (Yes, I know about the added cost of porting to PowerPC Macs and return on investment. If only I was a millionaire, I'd pay for a lot of games to be ported!) But, to be honest, I would not be complaining like this if I could afford a new Mac. Posted on January 26, 2008 at 5:04 am | 3 Comments Old Router, New Router I had to get a new broadband router this week. A broadband router is typically labeled as a "Cable/DSL Router." It is a common item you find in homes that share a single Internet connection with several computers. You hook it up to your cable modem or DSL modem. Technically, "splitter" is the wrong word, but some people use that term because it seems to split an Internet connection just like a TV signal splitter. My old router, an Asante FriendlyNET FR3004C, died after over 5 years of service. A couple of months ago one of its ports died; that was the first trouble I ever had with it. Fortunately, I had an unused port at the time. I had paid about $110 for the FR3004C. My new router is a Linksys EtherFast, the BEFSR41 model. I paid about $60 for it. I was pretty much able to "drop-in" replace my old router. I did have a little setup to do using its web-based configuration. I did not touch the CD that came with it despite the warnings to "Run CD First before connecting cables." A router - at least a home router like this one - should not need any software installed, especially when using Mac OS X. (Who else is thinking the word "crapware"?) Anyhow, the new router is working just fine. Important: Always change the password of your router as soon as you get it. There is an exploit out there that lets malicious people access your router (if it is still using its default password) and change its settings so that you could end up going to fake/phishing websites even if you type the correct address in to Safari/Firefox/Internet Explorer/etc. Posted on May 19, 2007 at 11:11 am | 0 Comments Cipher2000: Encryption for the 20th Century! Cipher2000 Encryption for the 20th Century! Fast, Efficient, Friendly 1) Organize your plaintext into a queue of bits. They should represent your plaintext and not be just a bunch of random bits - that would be silly. Calls this queue IQ for Input Queue. 2) Setup a queue for the bits of your ciphertext. This queue should be empty to start. Well, you can keep things other than bits in the queue. Bacon, root beer, sandwich condiments are OK; just no bits. Calls this queue OQ for Output Queue. 3) Pop a bit off of your IQ. 4a) If you got a zero bit, you need to change it to something else. (If you left it the same, your ciphertext would looks suspiciously like your plaintext.) So, pick a random bit value other than zero. Push this new bit onto your OQ. Goto step 5. 4b) If you got a one bit in step 3, keep it exactly the same. The attackers are going to expect you to encrypt all of the bits; so, we'll keep the one bits the same to throw them off. Push the bit onto your OQ. 5) If your IQ is not empty, loop back to step 3. 6) Now we will validate the results of steps 3-5. Are there any zero bits in your OQ? If so, you need to finish getting your high school diploma; after all, this is not hard math. 7) Since your OQ is full of nothing but one bits (or popsicle sticks, mushrooms, etc.), we can use very effective compression. You don't even need to count the number of one bits; they are all one bits. 8) Your ciphertext is "All One (1) Bits." 9) Send that simple message to whomever needs the original data. They can just reverse the process that you used. (If they are having trouble figuring out which bits are which, just send them the plaintext too. That should help a lot.) All Rights Reserved. Posted on May 5, 2007 at 11:21 am | 0 Comments (Don't) Breathe Dead, dead again I like to be dead when I can Bleed but don't bleed on me Look around and choose your burial ground For long you live and quick you die But only if you kill this guy With instruments that ensure death And take away your every breath Posted on October 21, 2006 at 4:24 pm | 0 Comments Browse Archives: 20 Entries - 1 2 3 4 -

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