Posts filed under ‘Tech’

I recently installed SQL Express 2008 and ran into an annoying issue when I later tried to alter the installation.

The initial SQL install went off without a hitch, but the problems began when I tried to add my application. During the installation process, I was prompted to enable full-text indexing on my SQL server. I had no idea this was a prerequisite…shame on me for not reading the application requirements! To add insult to injury, I was not aware that version of SQL Express I was using did not come with full-text indexing as an installable option.

Back to the Internet I went, searching for a copy of SQL Server 2008 Express with Advanced Services. A 500 MB download later, and I was well on my way to getting things running, or so I thought.

I began my SQL installation, choosing to add or change features to my existing install. Everything seemed to be pretty straightforward and painless until I tried to select which SQL installation to upgrade. Each and every time I tried to select the one and only instance on this particular server, I was greeted with the message, “The instance id is required but it is missing”.

I double-checked the installation options I had selected, I ensured that all of the proper services were up and running, plus I even rebooted the server and tried the installation again. However, no matter what I tried, I received the same error each time I attempted to select my SQL instance.

I poked around for awhile, then finally found a solution. First, I went to the Control Panel and selected the Add/Remove Programs console. There, I located the SQL express install and clicked the Change/Remove button. This brought up a slightly different version of the installer interface, from which I could choose an Add option.

Going through the paces, this installer found my existing SQL instance without any issues and I had my SQL Server, complete with full-text indexing in no time!

If you’re like me you’ve been keeping abreast of the recent developments regarding the fail0verflow team’s reverse engineering of Sony’s root signature key. This feat allows the generation of signed homebrew code which can run natively on the PS3 without the need for an existing jailbreak which bypasses the signature check. However, beyond the implications of this feat how did the fail0verflow team accomplish the impossible task of reverse engineering a private key from publicly available data? The answer lies in Sony’s botched implementation of Elliptic Curve Digital Signature Algorithm (ECDSA).

All code which executes on the PS3 requires a valid signature in order for the hardware to allow its execution. In the case of SELF (Signed Executable and Linkable Format) executable files Sony requires a signature within the file to be present which is an ECDSA signature of the file’s header utilizing Sony’s root signing key as one of the private variables. Sony’s crucial mistake comes in their implementation of the ECDSA algorithm which requires that all signatures be calculated with some unique random number k. Instead Sony used a fixed value for k across all of their application signatures which in turn has rendered the ECDSA algorithm effectively useless.

In the case of ECDSA when the random seed k is constant across more than one signature ECDSA hashing function can be solved for the private key d in the form d = (s*k – z) / r where s, z, and r are either publicly known values or are calculated as part of the ECDSA algorithm from publicly known values.

With the private key d now known SELFs may be generated which pass the security validation on the PS3 hardware and may run as native code without restriction. Furthermore, with this method duplicated across all levels of the PS3′s security layer less scrupulous members of the community may use the same method to trivially generate the private signing keys for game encryption, firmware validation, and even the system’s bootloader.

So with PS3 custom firmwares and native homebrew already starting to show up where does Sony go from here? Only time will tell. However, looking back you can say that you fully understand how it all began.

Now you know!


[Thanks to Armin Tamzarian]

I’ve been driving around Minnesota breaking their law about talking on cell phones while driving for a while now.  With the advent of my home state Wisconsin doing the same now, I figure I’d better start cracking down on my wayward ways.  I used to use a bluetooth headset for a while, but one thing always kept bugging me.  Every other day or so, the headset would run out of charge while I was in the car.  I’d have to take it in to charge and more often than not, I’d forget to bring it back with me into the car.  (Same thing as lunches, paperwork, and my identification badge.) So now that I have to drive through 2 states every day, it’s about time that I start using bluetooth AND charging it in the car.

So here is what I had to work with.  I’ve been given a Jabra GN Netcom headset along with a small compact base.  There was a larger base available, but I couldn’t see the need for it.  The output on the ac adapter lists output as 5-6v with a max of 5W (6v .3A).  A car’s voltage system is 12v and I already have an adapter to USB.  Easy enough, USB operates at 5v with 500-900ma.  Quite frankly, that is close enough for me.  I simply spliced the cable onto a usb end and there we have it, success.  Now I just need to dig out the usb car adapter, mount the small base in my car with removable adhesive and I will be all set.

Until recently when I needed to download media, either from Usenet or torrents, I searched for it manually. This usually involved either using a web based service or an IRC channel, searching for keywords and sifting through results that include spam as well as resolutions and file-types that were not what I was looking for. After successfully downloading the files, I would then manually sort them into their respective folders in my media collection, and rename them if necessary. This was especially tedious for items released on a regular basis (such as television shows), as the process would have to be done weekly for each item.


I realized there must be an easier way.


I had already been using SABnzbd for a while, as it was the only binary newsreader I could find with support for iPhone remote management, and I have to say, I loved it. SABnzbd has a very clean, intuitive interface, and although it doesn’t have quite the features of applications like Newsbin, it has many addons, such as the chrome and Firefox extensions, and a number of iPhone apps. Also, SABnzbd is free, open source, and available for Windows, Mac, and Linux. All the applications that will be used in this article utilize the extensibility of SABnzbd. Some can be used without it, but much of the functionality would be lost.

Sick Beard is a program that will periodically search for specified shows on various usenet search sites. When Sick Beard finds the episodes it is looking for, it downloads the NZB file, and sends it to SABnzbd for downloading. Sick Beard also comes with a script for SABnzbd post-processing, allowing for automatic renaming and sorting of downloaded media.

Sick Beard also supports downloading of NZB files to a “black hole” folder, rather then sending them directly to SABnzbd. This allows for other applications to pick the files up for downloading. In addition to usenet download support, Sick Beard also provides some torrent support, although there would be no provided post processing script so some extra configuration would probably be required to get file renaming working properly.

CouchPotato is similar in concept to Sick Beard, only it works with movies. Simply search for a movie using the application, and select the movie you want from a list of movies matching your search query that CouchPotato pulls from IMDB. The application will then search for all the movies in your queue at specified intervals, download the NZB file, and then either send the file to SABnzbd for downloading or send the file to a “black hole” folder, similar to Sick Beard.

These programs are the best I have found for the job, but off course these are just a couple suggestions. Episodebutler offers similar functionality to Sickbeard, although I have no personal experience with this one.

Also, a completely different route to go would be simply using RSS feeds. This can cause an issue however, as reposts will be downloaded multiple times.

You can find an update to this post here

While working on a co-worker’s computer today, I came across a curious problem. The computer in question was being upgraded to Windows 7, and was configured to support four monitors via two Matrox G450 PCI video cards. These cards have been around quite awhile and have been supported from Windows 2000 through Server 2008 R2, so I figured I would have no issue installing the new OS.

When all was said and done, Windows could not locate the drivers for the video cards on the installation DVD, nor could it install them via Windows Update. So, I did what any normal person would do, and headed straight for Matrox’s web site.

Much to my dismay they did not seem to have any drivers listed for these cards for Windows 7. The closest I could come to the proper drivers was this set of WHQL drivers meant for Windows Server 2008 x64 and Server 2008 R2. When I tried installing the drivers, my video cards were detected properly, but the installer simply could not finish the job. Each time I tried, the installer would fail.

I went through the standard procedure of attempting to update the driver via the Device Manager, only to be told that no better driver could be found. Even when I selected to locate the driver myself and picked the folder where the Matrox installer had extracted all of its files, I simply could not install the driver.

I returned to the Device Manager and selected to update my drivers once again. I chose to locate the driver on my own, but instead of simply picking the folder this time around, I clicked “Let me pick from a list of device drivers on my computer”. From that dialog window, I clicked the “Have Disk” button and again browsed to the folder where the Matrox installer extracted its files. I looked through the list of .inf files in the directory and one caught my eye – it was named W7G4G5.inf. I opened the file in a text editor to take a look around, and after poking around for a few moments, I knew I had the file I wanted. The file’s name signified that it was meant for all G4XX and G5XX Matrox cards running under Windows 7.

I selected the file and clicked OK. The Windows Hardware wizard presented a box asking me to pick between the Matrox G450 PCI card and the Matrox G450 PCI card. Decisions, decisions. In the end, I picked the first card in the list and let Windows do its thing. Everything installed properly and I was on my way.

The whole process is actually quite simple, but for the uninitiated, it can be a daunting problem. I imagine that most people would end up digging around online looking for a driver pack that does not exist, so hopefully this saves somebody a bit of hair pulling and a lot of time. I really have no idea why the installer comes packaged with the proper Windows 7 drivers, but is unable to actually install the software. Either way, it’s an easy fix.

LEDs are a part of most geek’s life, in one way or another. It could be changing the color of the LEDs in a Xbox 360′s ring of light, dressing up your PC with LED case lights & LED fans or that neat LED binary watch you just bought. And what true geek wouldn’t love bragging about the all LED lighting in his (or her) humble abode?

LED lights have a few things going for them besides the “cool” factor. They greatly beat the efficiency of incandescent lights and meet or exceed the efficiency of fluorescent lights.  They have a long lifetime and, unlike fluorescent lights, LEDs contain no mercury. LED bulbs are available to replace the bulbs in your standard incandescent/fluorescent light fixtures or your can go with a custom LED light fixture. Here is a look at a few of the available options.

Continue reading “LED Home Lighting, Part 1” »

Microsoft has officially released the fall dashboard update for the Xbox 360 today. When you connect to Xbox Live! today, you will be prompted to update your dashboard to the latest version. If you decline the update, you will be unable to connect to Live! – once you do run the update however, here are all the goodies Microsoft has in store for you:

ESPN on Xbox LIVE

• 3,500 Sporting Events A Year – Access more than 3,500 live and on-demand global sporting events from ESPN3.com a year, including college basketball, college football and college bowl games, MLB, NBA, international soccer and more.
• Out of Market Games – Catch your favorite college team games. Check out the huge catalog of out of market games and enjoy them on the big screen.
• The Best Ways to Watch – Enjoy HD programming, DVR controls, plus access to hundreds of clips from ESPN3.com, refreshed daily.
• Games at a Glance – Keep up on real-time score information using ESPN.com’s score feed without leaving the game you’re watching. View scores for leagues and games currently in the ESPN.com feed and select “Watch Live” or “Watch Replay” to jump straight into that game.
• Predict the Winner – Pick what team you think will win. While watching selected games in college football, college basketball, MLB, and NBA, you will be prompted to vote for your team of choice. You’ll also see the percentage of votes among the Xbox LIVE viewing community.
• Voice Chat – Voice chat with up to seven other friends while watching the big game.
• My Sports – To customize your ESPN on Xbox LIVE experience, click on the “Events, Highlights and More” slot on the homepage and browse by sport to pick a specific league that you want to follow for the season. The league that you select will now automatically display in your My Sports Channel.

Zune Music

• Zune Pass – Zune Pass is a monthly subscription service that gives you unlimited, on demand streaming of millions of songs at launch from all the major music labels and thousands of independent labels.
• Enhanced search – Search the broad library to find your favorite artists, albums, songs and playlists.
• Social – Connect with like-minded fans on the Zune online community and get new music recommendations. Zune Social also lets you see friend’s Avatars and listen to their recently played songs or check out their favorite artists.
• Smart DJ – Instantly create customized playlists by selecting an artist and have Smart DJ find songs that complement your selection.

Netflix Search – Experience a streamlined search function making it much easier to find the movies and TV shows you want to watch.

Improved voice chat quality – The audio codec is updated to improve Xbox LIVE Party audio quality. So grab your friends and jump into a multiplayer game or catch a big game with friends via ESPN3.

Improved Gamertag creation – Choosing a new Gamertag? If the Gamertag you’re looking for is already taken, your Avatar will spin a wheel and we will provide five other Gamertag suggestions at a time for you to choose from.

Streamlined in-dashboard virtual keyboard – We’ve taken the existing QWERTY keyboard in-dash and made it easier to use for scenarios that involve repeated text entry, when signing up for LIVE within the dashboard for example.

Improved Xbox LIVE Marketplace UI and browse experience – The Game Marketplace has been re-organized to provide streamlined access to the gaming and video content you want, reducing the number of steps to get to a download.

Easier to get on a wireless network – Trying to connect to a wireless network? Now you can see a list of all the wireless networks within range when you go into network settings. From there, you can select a new network or further configure the network you’re connected to.

Ability to sign-out other controllers in the sign-in UI – We’re adding the ability to sign-out profiles on other controllers in the sign-in UI within the Guide. This is especially useful when playing games like Rock Band.

New browse experience for 100% completed games – You spent a lot of time and effort earning those Achievements, so we’re giving you a new and better way to browse all of them.
Updated Family Settings – Xbox 360 continues to lead the industry in efforts to create tools that help parents and caregivers choose the right play and viewing settings for their families. We are enhancing the core Family Settings tools for all Xbox LIVE members:

Family Programming – When turned on, Family Programming disables display of all mature content on the dashboard and can be turned on or off with a protected password for individual members (per account). It also highlights all family-friendly entertainment.

Intelligent Default Settings – Your Xbox automatically customizes privacy and activity settings for each member, based on age (child, teen and adult). These settings can later be individually customized.

Title Exceptions – Allow your family members to play specific games above the console’s designated ESRB/PEGI (etc.) rating as you deem appropriate.

All in all, there’s not a ton to get excited about, but the improved chat quality, Netflix search, and the new sign-in UI are all welcome changes. Things look a bit cleaner and more polished as well, but it’s nothing groundbreaking.

You can also bet that there are some behind the scenes changes to the anti-piracy protections built in to the dashboard as well. Microsoft likes to up the ante just before a big game drops, so I am sure we will hear of large ban waves in no time, with the impending release of Call of Duty: Black Ops.

What are your thoughts on the new dashboard?

[via MajorNelson]

OK, you hate DRM – Who doesn’t?

Let’s say you purchased some books through Barnes and Noble, but you want to view them wherever you want – whenever you want, because technically you own them.

If you are a terrible person who has just downloaded NOOKstudy and are using the free 7 day download pass to gorge yourself on books, I have neigh but contempt for you.

Either way here’s how you can strip off Barnes and Noble’s DRM to enjoy your literature however you please:
Continue reading “Nook, DRM, and You.” »

A friend of mine was shopping Walmart looking for a new laptop.  This is something I recommend people do so they don’t have to come to me to find one.  Walmart is cheap and as long as you recognize the brand you’re buying, you should be getting something that is going to work and get done what you need it to.  What happens, though, when you find two laptops so similar, you have trouble telling the difference?  You’ll do what she did and send me the web links for the specifications.

Continue reading “Laptop Shopping – Scoping the Similarities” »

[Re-posted with permission from Marissa's Dad]

We’ve got various iDevices in the house.  An iPad.  Iphones.  We’re Apple junkies, regardless of the effect it has sometimes on the wallet.  All told, the tech has been pretty good to me, I’m sure I’ve made more money supporting it out in town than it’s cost me overall.  My inner cheapness prevents me from buying the whammerdyne max-capacity iPhones, and making do with old tech long after the rest of the world has moved on.

Our video library is hosted on an older machine crammed full of relatively ancient hard drives, honestly, well in excess of what the laws of physics should allow.  I’m fairly sure I can cook a turkey with the waste heat coming off that

machine.  As a result, the DVD rips we store on the iTunes running on that machine for the AppleTVs in the house far exceed the capacity of any given portable iDevice we may have.  The existing iTunes covers streaming to the AppleTV units, but not streaming to the portables.

I did some research, tried some free alternatives, then I found Stream to Me.  Stream to Me, by Matt Gallagher’s Projects With Love, is a combination application for your Mac or PC, and an iDevice (iPod, iPhone, iPod Touch).  The Serve To Me part of the application is free for download- it’s the iDevice app that’s very inexpensive.  Given my limited budget, Isplurged for it anyway when an iPad ostensibly to be used for Marissa and the Brother arrived in the house.

It’s an amazing, seamless solution for streaming entire libraries over a LAN to an iDevice.  The server application runs quietly and with very little footprint on our streaming computer running OSX Leopard.  The Serve to Me part of the application has transcoded on the fly many different containers, I’ve used MP4 H.264, AVI, and MKV files, all in 720p resolution and streamed them to the iPhone/iPad application with minimal pre-processing delay and no hiccuping in the video waiting for the 802.11g stream to catch up.

Before you freak out on me, and say I’m pushing all this on you just because the developer gave me the app for free- he didn’t.  I purchased the app in the beginning of April after I thought it would be best for my problem.  It’s streamed the Brother’s baby signs DVDs as well as some Baby Einstein for Marissa.  It’s an awesome solution for a portable video player for us inside our network.