Zombie Digital

DC3 Challege Results

Chris — Sat, 05 Dec 2009 06:24:50 +0000

DC3 released the results of their annual challenge last week. With 1,153 participants, the competition was heated and intense. My group ranked 13th in the overall DC3 competition, and 4th in the undergraduate division. While we (disappointingly) did not win, we still beat every other team from SHSU. I am pleased with the results and cannot wait until next year’s challenge. Congrats team and all participants.

Idea: Silent Mode on Microwaves

Chris — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 21:49:42 +0000

Microwaves are perhaps one of the greatest inventions in food preparation technology. College dorm rooms and the freezer aisle at the grocery store would be greatly lessened without their presence. They allow for the quick preparation of just about anything, and can be ones sole appliance with ease. But there are times when most microwaves’ standard features become cumbersome. If you’ve ever woke up in the middle of the night with a insatiable craving for Hot Pockets, you know exactly what I am talking about. The loud beeping buttons on the display can cut through the quiet like a hot knife through butter. Worse yet, the alarm when the food is done is so loud it can seemingly wake up everyone in a 20 mile radius. If you have a roommate or still snoozing spouse, these sounds are not only unnecessary, but intrusive. Thus comes the savior: Silent Mode.Microwaves should come equipped with a button that, once pressed, disables all beeps and notices for the next cooking cycle. This will obviously not be able to silence the sound of the microwave actually cooking, but this tone is often much less than the buttons and alarm. After the food has completed its cook time, the microwave resumes its usual function.

Not only does this feature have implications for silent, almost James Bond like midnight snack runs, but many other applications as well. A loud alarm can be distracting while popping a bag of popcorn during a movie. How many times have you stopped the microwave with one second left to avoid hearing the annoying beeping notification that your food is ready? Then the next time you need to use the device, the one second remains, leaving you with no choice but to clear it before you can input your new time. With a microwave silent mode, all this hassle can be avoided.

Hopefully a feature like this is available on some microwaves (although it has never been on any I have owned). If not, it should be implemented soon. Thoughts? Other microwave improvements? Let me know about it in the comments.

DC3 Challenge

Chris — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 21:36:58 +0000

Every year the Department of Defense Cyber Crime Center puts on a publicly available challenge. This challenge includes problems with known solutions, as well as open ended currently unsolved problems. This challenge is open to anyone wishing to compete. Entries are typically from both civilian, academic, and military contestants. Each year the challenge differs, presenting those wishing to participate with new, different problem sets.

This year, the challenge is a Digital Forensic challenge. This challenge entails gathering evidence from a suspect hard drive and corroborating it to make a case against the suspect. Several of my classmates and I have entered the challenge and have been working diligently on the case since early June. It has been a great and challenging experience so far, and we continue to find more evidence every day. With over 900 entries so far (thanks in part to an article about the challenge on the front page of Digg), the competition is sure to be stiff. I will update again with the results of this challenge after we have submitted and received our scores. To anyone else who might be in the challenge, drop me a line in the comments, and good luck (but not too good).

Notebook Sketches

Chris — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 20:18:35 +0000

I like to take notes during lecture, but I also like to sketch. It breaks the monotony of just a bunch of words on the page. Here are a few of the sketches from my Public P0licy class notes this summer.

This burger dreams of breakfast

Sure, burgers have dreams too. This one dreams of being breakfast. Too bad his dream will never come true. Not if I have anything to say about it. Plus there is a mini stick figure looking through a telescope. I dunno why.

Nuclear explosion

The lecture was about the cold war and buildup of nuclear warheads by the United States and the USSR. So naturally, I needed to blow some shit up. Speaking of the cold war:

The Berlin Crisis

Instead of writing out the situation, I decided to draw a comic of part of the Berlin Crisis. In the middle is Germany, separated into East and West. The east calls for the help of the USSR, while the west calls for Britain and France. Poor Poland is caught in the middle. Man, it sucks to be Poland.

Mmm, brains...

This sketch kind of gave me the idea for the Zombie Digital logo. The chick next to me kept looking at the drawing, then looking worriedly at me. Oh, well.. The rest of these are just random bits of junk that happened to come into my mind while drawing.

C'mon, who doesn't dream about naked girls in class?

A hot rod and a monster truck

A drawing of a drawing. Irony, anyone?

Have some sketches of your own or want to judge mine? Let me know in the comments. I can take it. I plan to go through all my old notes and upload some of the better sketches. There’s plenty more where these came from.

Desktop Configuration

Chris — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 03:15:49 +0000

Throughout most of my computing experience, I have always been rather old school with my computer desktop. I preferred an image background and standard icons. That’s about it. Even when Vista’s sidebar became popular, I shied away. To me, tons of stuff all over the desktop was distracting. More and more, however, the idea of an interactive, heads up display type desktop began to appeal to me. I had to recently reformat due to a motherboard failure (which is another story for another day), and had an opportunity to start anew. With this blank digital palette, I set out to create an informative, fun, and aesthetically pleasing desktop that could make me more productive and efficient. The following is what I came up with. Click the picture to enlarge.

All you could ever want

I’ll go through the components of this desktop setup individually to give them each a summarization. All of the applications I am using are free, so you can go out and download them to do some desktop customization of your own. I wish I could give credit to the creator of the octopus background, but I cannot remember where I found it. If you know, let me know in the comments. First off, the utility that has saved my life multiple times: Rainlendar. You can see it in the upper left hand corner of this desktop.

Rainlendar

Rainlendar is a desktop calendar and organization tool. It is completely skinnable, so you can download custom themes to fit in with your style. I am currently running the default skin with a few tweaks to the information that the calendar displays. With Rainlendar, you create events and To Do items that also reside on your desktop, making them easily visible. Each event or to do item can have separate categories, importance, and persistence. For anyone with multiple obligations and appointment who is particularly forgetful (like yours truly), this tool makes it easy to remember and manage those appointments. Its clean interface, customizable functionality, and minimal resource use make it a must have.

The next item on my desktop is a nifty little music visualizer/controller called CD Art Display. This application works with your current music player of choice (iTunes in my case) to display song information and album art of the currently playing track. It goes farther than simply monitoring the music being played. You can control the music player itself through CD Art Display.

CD Art Display

CD Art Display is completely customizable. It comes with standard skins, plus has a host of them for download at its website. You can take customization a step further and edit each skin individually. CD Art Display allows for the manipulation of each component of the display, from each line of text to the progress bar and control buttons. I am currently running a modified version of the ‘Darrk’ skin in ‘ThaUpright’ skin package. This application practically begs to be altered to fit your tastes. This is a convenient way to spice of your desktop and add a more robust yet minimized interface to your current music player.

The next application on my desktop is one of the most robust, feature rich customization tools out there. It allows you to create, manipulate, and define a multitude of different features on your desktop. It has computer hardware monitoring, time and date displays, and even weather updates. This program is called Rainmeter.

Rainmeter

Rainmeter is another completely customizable application via the use of skins. Each skin, however, can have different components that can be turned on or off. In my desktop, I have three hard drive monitors running as well as a RAM monitor. Each of these had been modified to show the correct drive letters and names. The skin I am using is a modified version of ’10 Foot HUD’ and ‘HUD.Vision’. The layout of each component of Rainmeter can be customized down to the location and appearance of font. Rainmeter’s customization is through code, rather than a GUI, so it is a little harder to make changers. Once you figure out what each portion of the skin is doing, customization is a breeze. The large time and date display on my desktop is also another Rainmeter skin running that I have customized. The possibilities for customization of this program are endless, and it is a great and powerful tool to have.

The final and most prominent feature of my desktop is the dock. Although this is obviously a Windows machine, the Mac style dock is incredibly productive. This feature is made available through Stardock’s ObjectDock. This dock program is feature rich and one the most popular out there today. With it you can add your most often used programs to the dock for easy access and launch. It has many different themes and styles built in for you to customize with. You can also define mouse over effects and custom icons to be used in your dock. One of the most unique features of ObjectDock is Docklets. Docklets are small programs that run inside ObjectDock that increase its functionality and power. A built in ObjectDock Docklet is ReadyView.

ObjectDock's ReadyView

ReadyView gives a flyout display on mouse over of the current weather conditions as well as a 5 day forecast. This beats opening up a browser and navigating to your favorite weather forecast. There are many more Docklets that can be added to ObjectDock to give it a more personalized look and feel. Based on what programs and applications you use, ObjectDock can be a real productivity booster and enhance your computing experience.

Whether you have created your own custom desktop or would like to have a little more than a standard out-of-the-box look and feel, I recommend you give these programs a go. They can make your day more streamlined and productive as well as give your desktop some killer cool looks. With a little patience and tweaking, you can have a unique desktop that is custom tailored to you. Questions? Comments? Snide remarks? Let me know about it in the comments. If you’ve created a custom desktop of your own or want to know more about mine, drop me a line in the comments. Happy customizing!

Case Mod Project

Chris — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 18:30:19 +0000

My current desktop computer is a Compaq 6450NX. It has a P4 processor at 2.53 gHz, 2GB RAM, and a 512MB dedicated graphics card. It is a bit outdated, but has served me well for years, and shows no sign of stopping any time soon (until I buy a new one, at least). The problem is that it is ugly as sin. Take a look (and click on any picture to enlarge):

Ugh. Too plain and boring.

Worse yet, the inside is even more unsightly. Cables are strewn everywhere, and it looks like a hot mess.

Gross

There is only one solution for this eyesore: a case mod. I debated simply buying a new case for this machine, but that option lacked a certain finesse, and opportunity for artistic flair. Plus it is expensive as hell. So, I decided to do it myself. Not only could I save some dough, but I could also have some fun while doing it.

First things first. I need a side window. Any custom PC always looks better with a case window. It allows you to see the innards of the machine, and mesmerizes those who have no clue what the components are. Time to break out the trusty Dremel. I’m going to remove the side panelfrom the computer, then cut a rectangular gap for the window. I’ll then add a piece of clear Plexiglass, for maximum viewing and workability. Let’s get on it!

Side window measured and marked

Mmm, destruction...

Smooth edges are a good thing. Because a bloody computer case is not as cool as it sounds.

Completed side window

Now that the window is cut and the Plexiglass installed, it’s time to add some paint. I am going with flat black on the main case itself, and a portion of the front bezel. For the accents on the bezel, I am staying with classic silver. I decided on flat black rather than gloss black for two reasons. First, gloss black sometimes comes off looking cheap. Second, gloss black shows fingerprints heavily. To avoid the need for constant polishing and buffing off fingerprints, flat black was the only choice.

Painting is fun.

Painting the side window

Putting it all back together...

While the paint is drying, I need something to make this case pop. I need some eye candy to really set it apart from just a plain old case. Case lights offer this possibility. I have two long fluorescent type blue lights. If positioned directly under and beside the edge of the case window, they will be able to fully illuminate the motherboard and video cards, while remaining out of sight from the outside. This will give the illusion that the computer itself is glowing, rather than light being shined directly on it. I will also add a blue LED case fan to the front grille. This will serve dual puposes. It not only improves computer performance by cooling the components, but adds more glowing effect that will emanate from the front of the machine.

Ooh, pretty...

With the lights and fan in place, I am now faced with another issue. The inside of the computer is glowing nicely, but unfortunately it is still a tangled mess of wires. I need a way to make them look a bit more organized. Cable ties are a nice way to go, but not very eye catching. There is, however, a clever solution to this. Since the case lights are blue, they act along the same lines as black lights. Any florescent colors inside the case glow brightly. So, I went down to the local hardware store and grabbed some UV reactive cable ties. Now once the cable ties are in place, they will glow, enhancing the overall effect of the case. I am very pleased with the complete effect.

Florescent Lights

Front LED Fan

Close up of some motherboard components

All in all, this case mod project was a huge success. Not only did I save some money by not buying a new case outright, I now have a custom case unlike any you can buy at the store. If you are tired of your boring PC case, I suggest taking on a similar project. It doesn’t have to be a complete case overhaul, but you’d be surprised how far a little paint goes for aesthetic flavor. Let me know what you think about this mod, let me know if you have done one of your own.

Completed Case

In all its glory!

Coolness

Here is a nice comparison of the case before and after the mod project:

Before

After

Before

After

Leave me some comments and let me know what you think!

Putting it all back together...

Billy Mays Funeral

Chris — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 17:26:18 +0000

The funeral for Billy Mays has to go something like this:

A priest steps onto the pulpit with a beard and blue polo shirt. He says, “HI, THIS IS PASTOR JOHN HERE FOR BILLY MAYS’ FUNERAL!!! ARE YOU MOURNING THE DEATH OF YOUR LOVED ONE AND FRIEND? TODAY IS THE DAY TO MAKE THE PAIN GO AWAY!!! IT’S SO EASY, ANYONE CAN DO IT! WOULD YOU LIKE TO MAKE A DONATION TO THE BILLY MAYS REMEMBRANCE FUND? THIS PIECE OF MIND CAN BE YOURS FOR ONLY THREE EASY PAYMENTS OF $19.99! AND IF YOU ACT NOW, YOU WILL GET HOLY COMMUNION, ABSOLUTELY FREE! DONATE NOW, ALTER BOYS ARE STANDING BY!!!”

Just pay separate shipping and processing!

Funny Things My Professors Say

Chris — Sat, 27 Jun 2009 08:05:43 +0000

“5 o’clock in the morning is not meant for humans.” -Dr. Carroll

Michael Jackson: Thoughts

Chris — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 20:59:39 +0000

So as you probably have heard (unless you live under a rock somewhere) that Michael Jackson has died. The “King of Pop” is no more. His untimely death came as a shock to everyone, unlike the late Farrah Fawcett, who had been battling cancer for years. While I admit this was a tragedy to the music industry, I think it has become blown completely out of proportion.

As I sat at work yesterday, I watched CNN (its always playing on a TV near our office). The reporters of CNN were exclusively covering the breaking news of Michael’s death. As time went on, however, the story did not change. For hours the same set of basic facts and condolences looped and looped. No other news story was covered or even mentioned for hours. No talk of the economy, war, healthcare reform, or any other major pressing issue. As I turned on the local news when I got home, I was confronted with the same ‘newscast’. As I watched, innocent people were being killed in Iranian riots. North Korea threatens us with nuclear attack. Where are these stories? Where is the actual news that really matters? While Jackson’s is certainly saddening, does it deserve to drown out every other problem facing the American people? I think not.

Michael Jackson’s musical legacy will live on forever in the music and culture that he helped create. His influence on the musical world will always be felt. But there are more important matters on hand. Agree? Disagree? Let me know about it in the comments.

Idea: Wireless Cameras

Chris — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 13:57:17 +0000

Here is an idea that I think would do really well in today’s electronics market: wireless cameras. Imagine if your digital camera were equipped with a wireless or Bluetooth transmitter that could send all of your photos and videos directly to your laptop or otherwise wireless capable devices. It would eliminate the need for the clumsy cables necessary for data transmission from your current camera.

This could work.

Plus, this technology opens up entire new possibilities that digital cameras have never been able to do before. Imagine being in a room with your spiffy new wireless-equipped camera. Imagine further another person with the same technology. Now, you can both share pictures wirelessly with one another and anyone else in the room with the same capabilities. File transfer would have to be voluntary, that way you don’t have people connecting to and randomly taking pictures from your camera.
This idea also has applications in professional photography. Think of a sporting event or press conference, filled with hundreds of photographers. They can all take photos while streaming their images to a central location, where they can be received, edited and distributed even faster than ever before.

This technology cannot be that hard to implement. Cell , phones have the same functionality, and are in some cases even smaller than most digital cameras. The addition or transmitters would not drastically increase the size of even the slimmest pocket digital camera. It would be completely unnoticeable in larger DSLR cameras.

With the seemingly limitless possibilities that come with wireless transmitting cameras, I think this technology is long overdue. Not only would it bee convenient, but incredibly productive as well. I hope to see something like this is the future of mainstream digital cameras.