Saving Tab Space in Firefox

Another useful Firefox plugin that lets one minimize space common tabs take in the browser. Displaying just an icon for GMail, or any other website is enough! Saving tab space with FaviconizeTab.

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FPGA Optimized Soft Core Processors

Based on Programmable Logic Design Line article titled "Actel and ARM announce the Cortex-M1 soft processor core" (March 19, 2007)

ARM processors are widely used in the industry with applications ranging from automotive systems to wireless networking. The recent addition to their family, the 3-state pipeline Von Neumann Cortex-M1 processor, is developed with FPGA implementation in mind. It can execute Thumb code from previous generations of ARM processors (ARM7, ARM9 and ARM11), as well as compatible with the newer members of ARM's processor family - Cortex-M3, Cortex-A8, etc that support 32-bit Thumb-2 system instructions. Fast, and optimized for various FPGA devices (including Xilinx, Altera, Actel and QuickLogic), it is designed to take less FPGA fabric and produce less power.

Short history:
ARM7 - 1993, 3-stage pipeline (supports both, 32 and 16-bit ARM and Thumb instruction sets)
ARM9 - 1997, 5-stage Harvard memory architecture (32-bit RISC)
ARM11 - 2002, 8-stage Hardware memory architecture (32-bit RISC)
Cortex-M3 - 2004, 3-stage, high-performance, low cost (32-bit RISC)
Cortex-A8, 2005
Cortex-R4, 2006, 8-stage

SmartLinks Test

Testing SmartLinks...

Jack Johnson

Aerosmith

Rene Gruss

GOOG

RIMM

Fix your iPod, Mac, iPhone yourself!

If your iPod is broken and run out of warranty, do not worry yet. Some problems can be fixed yourself fairly easy. The following website provides parts and tutorials how to change screens, batteries, hard drives, cases and sensors.

Replacement parts for Macs, iPods and iPhone: http://www.ifixit.com/

Wi-Fi Location Tracking using RF Fingerprinting

In addition to Closest Access Point and Triangulation methods used find Wi-Fi device's location that I've mentioned earlier here, there is another method - RF Fingerprinting. Cisco's Wi-Fi Based Real-Time Location Tracking: Solutions and Technology white paper describes the method in detail.

The difference of RF Fingerprinting from Triangulation method lies in the database with which the possible locations are compared to. The signal levels detected from a Wi-Fi device are still found using multiple access points as in Triangulation. Then the combined signals are compared with the database that contains power levels of each point on the map. The database is usually calibrated by measuring power at different locations.

RF Fingerprinting takes into account such factors as reflection, attenuation, and multi-path, which can create uncertainty in other techniques.

Related:
GPS and Wi-Fi combination: link

Hacking DWL D-Link Router

Low Quality video shows how D-Link router's configuration file can be downloaded without authorization. The config file contains user name and password. Watch on YouTube.

Hacking WEP tutorial (with video)

I have not tested it myself as I did not need it, but here it is, the tutorial - and it's supposed to be not bad. Anthony D. from cyber-knowledge.net even posted a video tutorial.

Other links:
Hacking WEP (FBI demo: hacking WEP in a few minutes)
Essential Wireless HackingTools

VoIP over GPRS or EDGE/EGPRS

Wouldn't it be possible to use VoIP over GPRS or EGPRS that is already supported by cell phones, thus, minimizing the number of minutes used from a regular plan?

I think technically it should work, since in both networks, data and voice 'calls' are made simultaneously using different time slots. So, if using one time slot per voice call is OK (that's what everyone is doing when calling), using the remaining time slots for data (one or more if paid for more) should allow encoding VoIP packets and transferring them via data channel.

The problems that need to be solved here are: (1) mobile hardware/software to allow fast packet creation and extraction and (2) cost effectiveness of this method. Cell phones are quite fast these days with majority of new cell phones and hand held devices supporting video decoding and even streaming over fast data connection (i.e. iPhone over WiFi). That means that hardware is fast enough to be able to packetize the voice. The second problem can depend on the data plan that a user pays for. Does it make sense to pay more for data and squeeze more minutes from a mobile plan over data channel? I think unlimited data plans can solve these problems.

Data plans are usually quite pricey. However, just last week Virgin Mobile in Canada announced Unlimited data plan option for just $10 on top of a regular cell phone plan. That should push other providers in Canada to decrease their rates soon as well!

References:
$10 Unlimited Data Virgin Mobile plan: link
Easy explanation of GPRS and EDGE: link

Spectrum Analyzer to Hunt Wireless VoIP Interference

WLAN is using the unlicensed frequency bands, which are shared among numerous applications including some cordless phones. In this article, Cognio's Spectrum Expert frequency analyzer is tested in action by Mike Outmesguine, the president and founder of TransStellar Inc. (and the author of the book I had the chance to look at, "Wi-Fi Toys - 15 Cool Wireless Projects For Home, Office, and Entertainment").

Outmesguine examined his Wi-Fi network and observed a slowdown when multiple cordless phones were turned on. As they were fighting for the same spectrum with Wi-Fi, the speed of the connection decreased. Spectrum analyzer showed the increased power coming from the phones. The speed was restored once the phones were turned off.

Read the article here

iPhone in Canada

Again, supposedly insider information. Read here and here.

If the price for iPhone will indeed be $799, there's no way I am buying it! iTouch simply as a gadget would be a better option for me then. I have a feeling though that it's an old political trick of overshooting (originally used by ancient Romans). Intentionally raise the expected price high, and then offer it at a better one, making buyers happy to have the lesser of two! Romans used it for interrogation to make the victim accept the lesser of two evils.

I think the strategy worked quite well before when Steve Jobs, Apple's CEO, offered a $100 discount towards future shopping at Apple Store to those who bought iPhone early. That's only after dropping iPhone's price by $200 after 68 days following its release. Consumers were happy even though they lost $100!