tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-235397202012-02-16T11:49:54.373-08:00This blog organizes tech-related findings on the topics of hardware and software engineering, embedded systems design, Linux, reconfigurable computing, web 2.0, entrepreneurship and life hacks.Victor G. Lesauhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05778287944106198356noreply@blogger.comBlogger1051100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23539720.post-38399677974468388962011-12-07T01:45:00.000-08:002011-12-07T01:45:50.696-08:00

The world's first open source 32-bit RISC processor on ASIC supporting Linux (OpenRISC) | No royalties http://orsoc.se/openrisc1200-platform-2/ http://opencores.org/donation

Victor G. Lesauhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05778287944106198356noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23539720.post-59082799496298721022011-11-20T18:24:00.001-08:002011-11-20T18:27:20.812-08:00

http://www.ted.com/talks/david_s_rose_on_pitching_to_vcs.html What is the single most important thing VC looking for when you are pitching: You What is VC looking in You: Integrity Passion Experience Knowledge Skills Leadership Commitment  Vision Realism Coachability The Pitch First 10 seconds grab their attention. The rest of the presentation has to go up from there. Go through these:

Victor G. Lesauhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05778287944106198356noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23539720.post-9106784848433159732011-11-13T15:23:00.002-08:002011-11-13T15:29:11.898-08:00

Futurist Ray Kurzweil that made a number of accurate predictions about future says "We are only 8 doublings away from it [solar enegery] meeting our energy needs". In this TED talk he explains that 8 doublings is not too far considering the exponential growth of many technologies. Below is a screenshot of logarithmic Megawatts of photovoltaic production over 1975-2007.   http://www.youtube.com/

Victor G. Lesauhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05778287944106198356noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23539720.post-24587992687325444632011-11-13T12:50:00.000-08:002011-11-13T12:50:39.991-08:00

To avoid dashed lines converting to solid when pasting Visio 2003/2007 objects into Word for example, follow this registry workaround: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/837294

Victor G. Lesauhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05778287944106198356noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23539720.post-1891055139392879682010-10-15T18:21:00.002-07:002010-10-15T18:24:37.236-07:00

Are you annoyed by the automatically enabled review comments when you open a Word document? Apparently it is a security feature to make sure you don't send it out with unwanted hidden text. The default is "Final showing markup". Here is how to change it to always open in "Final" review mode in MS Word 2007: With Word open, click on Office button (round button, top left) -> Word Options -> Trust

Victor G. Lesauhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05778287944106198356noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23539720.post-39687393968180973122010-05-28T02:43:00.000-07:002010-05-28T02:43:00.965-07:00

Effortless access to iPhone 3GS’ files without hacking in the new Ubuntu 10.04. Versions affected: At least iPhone OS 3.1.2, 3.1.3. Ubuntu Lucid Lynx 10.04 can read your iPhone's secrets Victor

Victor G. Lesauhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05778287944106198356noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23539720.post-36515712617772407752010-05-28T00:58:00.001-07:002010-05-28T00:58:53.307-07:00

Round 2.5 & 3 companies announced at NVBC competition in Vancouver. There are 43 startups in total. Many of them are Tech | http://tinyurl.com/33clnvr

Victor G. Lesauhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05778287944106198356noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23539720.post-33989017869173098792010-05-28T00:03:00.000-07:002010-05-28T00:03:38.259-07:00

Raging blogger writing about the cloud, R&D of buzzwords and bad customer service. I would add that even though I am happy with the quality of my wireless service I believe that wireless service providers, specifically in Canada, are charging too much. We have among the highest price plans in the world! | http://tinyurl.com/yjzpyxt

Victor G. Lesauhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05778287944106198356noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23539720.post-59138841698715867602010-05-08T14:26:00.006-07:002010-05-08T14:27:14.825-07:00

Useful trick posted by Ubuntu Genius: How to Backup & Restore the Configuration of your Ubuntu Panel

Victor G. Lesauhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05778287944106198356noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23539720.post-88443133199732737012010-03-17T23:59:00.002-07:002010-03-17T23:59:58.691-07:00

Commanding robots by looking at them and waving | SFU Autonomy lab | http://youtu.be/Vv-rYx73Uqs

Victor G. Lesauhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05778287944106198356noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23539720.post-3454769688517963012010-02-23T01:19:00.001-08:002010-02-23T01:19:33.896-08:00

Adding Google Buzz to your Firefox sidebar | Reading messages without leaving browser window | http://tinyurl.com/yf7pjsm

Victor G. Lesauhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05778287944106198356noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23539720.post-55531434873153306322010-02-23T00:59:00.008-08:002010-02-23T01:08:50.439-08:00

Removing passcode on iPhone without restoring using iTunes is quite easy. This thread has step-by-step instructions on how to do this: http://tinyurl.com/ykg26x8. Which means, if you lost your iPhone, change the passwords that it stored for its applications!

Victor G. Lesauhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05778287944106198356noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23539720.post-40450828674631982932010-02-22T22:18:00.002-08:002010-02-23T01:00:45.907-08:00

Easy Canon cameras hack that allows time-lapse photography and many more features | http://tiny.cc/SE1Vn | demo: http://ping.fm/id5fd

Victor G. Lesauhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05778287944106198356noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23539720.post-67838065084838886802010-02-20T20:42:00.002-08:002010-02-23T01:01:18.437-08:00

It's been a while since I've posted here. Recently I discovered a number of tools that publish across multiple websites from one location. I especially like Hootsite.com and Ping.fm. All one has to do is login at one place, write a message, select social networks to publish on and send. Hootsite also allows scheduling the submission of messages, which is a great feature in my opinion. There is no

Victor G. Lesauhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05778287944106198356noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23539720.post-47314792555023258592008-12-13T20:41:00.013-08:002008-12-14T00:02:23.584-08:00

This post summarizes steps I've done to setup a NFS share on Ubuntu 8.10 VM host and mount it on an another Linux machine (Debian Linux running on embedded arm in my case).Host machine: Ubuntu, 192.168.1.110Client machine: Debian, 192.168.1.1751. Install NFS package by either going to Synaptic Package Manager (System->Administration->...) and searching for nfs-kernel-server or typing the

Victor G. Lesauhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05778287944106198356noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23539720.post-51297005590182122022008-12-13T16:57:00.003-08:002008-12-13T17:02:45.167-08:00

If you are trying to run a root command and your username is not in the sudo list (i.e. getting a message like " is not in sudoers file ubuntu" when running 'sudo '), then add yourself to the sudoers file.1. Reboot the machine and enter the recovery mode (press ESC a few times during the startup and select Recovery Mode)2. Execute 'visudo'. Copy the line containing 'root ...' from sudoers file

Victor G. Lesauhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05778287944106198356noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23539720.post-48984648098959552962008-12-13T16:31:00.006-08:002008-12-13T16:55:30.825-08:00

Here is another password recovery post that I previously used for dual boot system with Grub:http://cybercamping.blogspot.com/2007/04/easy-password-reset-in-linux-using-grub.htmlThis post explains how to reset a password using Ubuntu's Recovery Mode. I used it on my Ubuntu 8.10 VM running under Windows.1. Boot the machine and hit ESC few times to skip hardware boot options, and go into the grub

Victor G. Lesauhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05778287944106198356noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23539720.post-22318224275249590002008-11-16T02:22:00.004-08:002008-11-16T02:55:39.704-08:00

Ubuntu version: 8.10VMWare Workstation 6Download Ubuntu from http://www.ubuntu.com/getubuntu/download/Burn ISO image (i.e. using free open source InfraRecorder from http://infrarecorder.org/)Install VMWare and create virtual machine (I allocated maximum of 10 Gb in 2 Gb chunks and allowed expansion on demand since I am not expecting high performance)Power on the created VM and install Linux as

Victor G. Lesauhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05778287944106198356noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23539720.post-1615553669151534262008-11-16T01:25:00.003-08:002008-11-16T01:28:22.384-08:00

My experience installing CVS server on Ubuntu 8.10 DesktopCVS version: 1.12.13CVSD version: 1.0.15Quick reference:########################################################################### Installation########################################################################### Install CVSsudo apt-get install cvs# Alternative install (RPM to DEB)# Go to: ftp://ftp.gnu.org/non-gnu/cvs/binary/stable

Victor G. Lesauhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05778287944106198356noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23539720.post-75926245268387610542008-09-20T14:43:00.005-07:002008-09-20T18:02:12.238-07:00

With the alignment of recent political and commercial interests, the near orbital space flights will significantly go down in price in the next few decades opening up doors for space tourism.It's been several years since Space Adventures Inc. with Russia's RSA launched their first commercial customers in space for $20M each. However, the future promises much cheaper flights available to a wider

Victor G. Lesauhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05778287944106198356noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23539720.post-26410852651870855852008-07-31T11:35:00.002-07:002008-07-31T11:40:36.335-07:00

An article going over high-level details of interfacing a microcontroller and FPGA: read here[PLDesignLine]

Victor G. Lesauhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05778287944106198356noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23539720.post-91821620653651855352008-06-08T23:18:00.003-07:002008-06-08T23:29:21.689-07:00

Clive Maxfield (PLDesign Line) made a post in April about air-powered cars working on compressed air. Will they be able to compete with the cars of future?ArticleMiniCATCityCATOther models

Victor G. Lesauhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05778287944106198356noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23539720.post-86307141126881491752008-05-19T20:27:00.001-07:002008-05-19T20:29:08.514-07:00

2nd Gen iPhone as early as this summer? Read the possible set of specs on engadget

Victor G. Lesauhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05778287944106198356noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23539720.post-70624918344369806462008-05-11T15:59:00.003-07:002008-06-08T23:30:56.708-07:00

Keywords:restore MBRgrub error 22partitiontoolsRestoring mbr: http://www.neowin.net/forum/lofiversion/index.php/t405091.html1. Run fixmbr2. Run fix bootFree partitioning tools:CloneZilla GParted LiveCDGparted LiveCDParted MagicXP Recovery Console CD imagePartition LogicRanish Partition ManagerCute Partition ManagerShareware partitioning tools:Paragon Partition ManagerParagon Hard Disk

Victor G. Lesauhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05778287944106198356noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23539720.post-24084486036917376772008-04-13T02:32:00.000-07:002008-04-13T02:33:28.764-07:00

link

Victor G. Lesauhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05778287944106198356noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23539720.post-5257526140946407812008-04-13T02:16:00.003-07:002008-04-15T01:13:58.154-07:00

Creativecommons.comShare your work with the rest of the world - free IP licensing service

Victor G. Lesauhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05778287944106198356noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23539720.post-79157783683352802702008-04-02T00:18:00.000-07:002008-04-11T00:22:28.410-07:00

Harward's student database has been hacked and the backup of the whole database structure has been posted online via BitTorrent . The message in the torrent file said: "Maybe you don't like it but this is to demonstrate that persons like tgatton(admin of the server) in they don't know how to secure a website".

Victor G. Lesauhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05778287944106198356noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23539720.post-8134213839976467752008-04-01T22:28:00.001-07:002008-04-03T00:32:59.874-07:00

In other words, it's April Fool's Day: Reach NEW Heights with Xilinx Virtex 57

Victor G. Lesauhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05778287944106198356noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23539720.post-83488091049369285402008-03-31T15:43:00.001-07:002008-04-15T01:14:58.771-07:00

Miuro - a multimedia system equipped with camera and sensors that follows one around the house. Equipped with Wifi, it can play internet radio and mp3s from an iPod. The robot can be easily trained by tapping it with a hand and “showing” the motion path. http://miuro.com/

Victor G. Lesauhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05778287944106198356noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23539720.post-10493358558494006512008-03-30T21:16:00.002-07:002008-03-30T21:35:10.306-07:00

AT&T and Verizon won parts of 700 MHz spectrum bid that ranged around $4.6 billion [Wi-fiplanet.com]. Even though Google was one of the bidders and lost the auction, it keeps pushing towards opening the air for other (than cell phones) mobile devices. The targeted spectrum is the "white space", previously used as a guard band between broadcasting channels. FCC is welcoming the initiative by the

Victor G. Lesauhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05778287944106198356noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23539720.post-39178199858353028142008-03-30T20:43:00.002-07:002008-03-30T21:35:36.896-07:00

I've been browsing Wi-Fi Plant website and came across the following interesting pages related to VoIP.[List of VoIP articles][Skype vs. Other VoIP providers]

Victor G. Lesauhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05778287944106198356noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23539720.post-38439993497443470882008-03-20T00:02:00.007-07:002008-03-23T15:30:57.835-07:00

1. Robotics projects from EDN:Robotics Project (sound sensing, hardware, soft)Platforms and development toolsCoroBot - fast robot prototyping (runs Windows) - fast but expensive too!2. Dogoid - a diesel powered four legged robot that is made to carry load over a heavy terrain. Current application is mostly for military use. The really cool part about it is its very natural movement! The videos

Victor G. Lesauhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05778287944106198356noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23539720.post-28798439415428687102008-03-17T13:32:00.004-07:002008-03-17T13:53:56.488-07:00

An idea, DIY rool-up keyboard: http://www.gizmowatch.com/entry/diy-project-create-your-own-roll-up-keyboard/Installing a small camera into sunglasses: http://www.gizmowatch.com/entry/prepare-spying-sunglasses-for-secret-recordings/

Victor G. Lesauhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05778287944106198356noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23539720.post-24265521378365788192008-03-16T03:15:00.004-07:002008-03-16T03:22:27.216-07:00

The following two articles explain how to optimize Page File in Windows and how to use Task Manager to detect Page File usage.links:Page file OptimizationMemory Usage Tracking using Task ManagerWindows Process UtilitiesWindows Utilities (from Sysinternals, technet.microsoft.com)

Victor G. Lesauhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05778287944106198356noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23539720.post-61971343080759305282008-03-13T18:50:00.003-07:002008-03-13T18:55:32.458-07:00

"Startup Bug Labs, which aims to turn the task of constructing smart devices into a non-technical, lego-like affair, will begin accepting orders for its Linux-powered electronic building blocks later this month for shipment starting Mar. 17.""Open source-based platform for programmers to build not only the applications they want but the hardware to run it on"[DeviceGuru's article][wiki][forum]

Victor G. Lesauhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05778287944106198356noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23539720.post-45864128145545892792008-02-21T15:38:00.006-08:002008-02-21T15:47:51.651-08:00

Actel announced two new low-density FGPAs: IGLOO and ProASIC3 starting at only 99-cents! The target markets are communicatinos, consumer, medical and industrial applications (including smart phones, system controllers, portable medical devices, wireless sensors). With the example spec of 128 macrocells, 15k gates, 5 uW, and 1 Kb nonvolatile Flash ROM, it promises to beat the power consumption by

Victor G. Lesauhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05778287944106198356noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23539720.post-71191274611137465162008-02-03T01:03:00.001-08:002008-02-03T02:07:58.933-08:00

- August 13, 2007: UK is the first EU state to deregulate indoor use of UWB technology [vnunet]- US and Japan (deregulated at the end of 2006, beginning of 2007) [vnunet]- Canada (March 2004, Rogers Wireless Inc. acquired the first UWB license for experimental testing) [Canadian Amateur Radio Society]

Victor G. Lesauhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05778287944106198356noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23539720.post-86886812967708568522008-02-01T00:24:00.002-08:002008-02-21T15:51:20.709-08:00

Here are a few advices that I've heard at one of UBC's open lectures "The Aging Brain: How to age successfully." Here is the podcast of the full speech and here is the link to UBC podcasts blog.Good indicators of long life, as suggested by the speaker. Some of them are rather funny.- Be happy, avoid chronic stress that depresses immune system (stress hormone secreted by the adrenaline eventually

Victor G. Lesauhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05778287944106198356noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23539720.post-32576662503400385382008-01-30T14:20:00.000-08:002008-01-30T14:22:08.083-08:00

Tam Do's article from Altera on EDN. Read here.

Victor G. Lesauhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05778287944106198356noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23539720.post-13251070577871416292008-01-21T21:23:00.000-08:002008-02-01T00:53:40.613-08:00

I just got a 16Gig iTouch as a gift and almost immediately went to search for hardware hacks for it. To my pleasant surprise, iTouch has a microphone circuitry inside allowing one to activate it! The guys at www.touchmods.net created an iTouch USB to mic converter and a software that can be installed on the jailbroken gadget to allow the happy owners to make VoIP calls.VoIP call demo from

Victor G. Lesauhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05778287944106198356noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23539720.post-73461371005851016582008-01-17T13:18:00.000-08:002008-01-17T13:26:14.526-08:00

Startup from PhD thesis (Farid Mobasser, Ottawa U., 2006 winner (one of two) of Atherton Entrepreneurship Award)Places to get funding: Sponsoring innovations (Ottawa, Canada)ArsDigita: From Start-Up to Bust-Up (Philip Greenspun tells ArsDigita's story), thanks to Nick for the link.

Victor G. Lesauhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05778287944106198356noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23539720.post-78502885018368674062008-01-13T16:22:00.001-08:002008-01-17T13:27:19.297-08:00

Article by Chen Zhang, Virginia Tech. Chen implemented a simple ZigBee using an ECA (Element CXI's Elemental Computing Array). ECAs provide "higher computational density, lower power consumption and higher structural robustness" [1] compared to GPPs, FPGAs and DSPs. It looks like a great new platform for Software Defined Radio (SDR) projects![1] Dynamically-reconfigurable ECAs - Part 4 (Student

Victor G. Lesauhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05778287944106198356noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23539720.post-28436532109001679232007-12-04T21:31:00.000-08:002007-12-04T21:36:30.174-08:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c4988qaCvvM

Victor G. Lesauhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05778287944106198356noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23539720.post-41162047856877081202007-11-20T14:08:00.001-08:002007-11-20T14:12:25.883-08:00

An interesting read, good for beginners as well:http://www.rubyrailways.com/great-ruby-on-rails-rest-resources/

Victor G. Lesauhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05778287944106198356noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23539720.post-29473984631191748982007-11-20T13:53:00.001-08:002008-06-08T23:29:50.745-07:00

http://www.rubyrailways.com/the-top-10-rubyrails-blogs/

Victor G. Lesauhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05778287944106198356noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23539720.post-72390457641770003862007-11-18T19:50:00.000-08:002007-11-18T20:10:44.056-08:00

As lots of other inventions in the world, many are not eligible for patents. Patentable things must be useful, novel and unobvious. Same applies to IC industry. After reading the agreement on IP at my company, it was interesting to find out that numerous integrated circuits do not meet the requirement of novelty, hence, not patentable and not protected. Even though a lot of effort is taken to

Victor G. Lesauhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05778287944106198356noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23539720.post-35658202144160181222007-11-18T19:00:00.000-08:002007-11-18T19:05:15.686-08:00

.. is an American inventor who was designed, implemented, and most importantly, patented, the modularized circuit board that was sold to Magnavox and later became a part of the first interactive gaming console that used a TV as a screen. In 2006 he received a National Medal of Technology for his invention.[wikipedia]

Victor G. Lesauhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05778287944106198356noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23539720.post-56612017550458817952007-11-18T18:49:00.000-08:002007-11-18T18:58:06.993-08:00

Recently, at my workplace I had to sign the SarbOx conduct agreement. After numerous scandals with large corporations in the last decade, companies are trying to protect themselves by making employees sign it.From Wikipedia.org:"The Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, also known as the Public Company Accounting Reform and Investor Protection Act of 2002 and commonly called SOX or Sarbox; is a United

Victor G. Lesauhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05778287944106198356noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23539720.post-21742088377052912222007-11-08T00:32:00.000-08:002007-11-08T00:34:13.531-08:00

As posted on www.Engadget.com

Victor G. Lesauhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05778287944106198356noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23539720.post-52739387103724320902007-11-08T00:21:00.000-08:002007-11-08T00:24:00.603-08:00

Blogoscoped's post talks about experience of working at Google before IPO and after. Read here.

Victor G. Lesauhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05778287944106198356noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23539720.post-71242389427692102542007-11-01T17:31:00.000-07:002007-11-01T18:07:19.302-07:00

With Apple's goals to ship 50 million iPhones by the end of 2009, the author of this blog suggests that several new models should come out by Fall 2008 the latest. There are rumors that there'll be a lower end model without the touch screen capability and a higher end one. Read the post here.I've been thinking about getting iPhone or even iTouch for myself for a while now. Without flash memory,

Victor G. Lesauhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05778287944106198356noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23539720.post-30245657408453070822007-10-29T22:26:00.003-07:002008-03-20T00:01:57.061-07:00

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.Direct Link

Victor G. Lesauhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05778287944106198356noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23539720.post-56649097810233184922007-10-25T18:43:00.000-07:002007-10-25T19:37:27.075-07:00

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

Victor G. Lesauhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05778287944106198356noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23539720.post-40241327395333088082007-10-23T22:33:00.001-07:002007-10-25T19:39:41.827-07:00

Testing SmartLinks...Jack JohnsonAerosmithRene GrussGOOGRIMM

Victor G. Lesauhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05778287944106198356noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23539720.post-80767447877502253892007-10-22T16:22:00.000-07:002007-10-22T16:29:53.129-07:00

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/

Victor G. Lesauhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05778287944106198356noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23539720.post-62796106214762755832007-10-19T01:23:00.000-07:002007-10-22T16:31:38.285-07:00

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

Victor G. Lesauhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05778287944106198356noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23539720.post-22417072571617451162007-10-19T00:59:00.000-07:002007-10-19T01:01:20.071-07:00

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.

Victor G. Lesauhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05778287944106198356noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23539720.post-42867598424856670382007-10-19T00:50:00.000-07:002007-10-19T00:57:35.745-07:00

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

Victor G. Lesauhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05778287944106198356noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23539720.post-82067097674784109352007-10-18T23:23:00.000-07:002007-10-19T00:12:51.354-07:00

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

Victor G. Lesauhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05778287944106198356noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23539720.post-7829242804323054552007-10-18T23:10:00.000-07:002007-10-31T12:38:46.365-07:00

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

Victor G. Lesauhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05778287944106198356noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23539720.post-32555166347281753692007-10-04T22:59:00.000-07:002007-10-05T11:27:56.506-07:00

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

Victor G. Lesauhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05778287944106198356noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23539720.post-60828943158123454442007-09-25T10:54:00.000-07:002007-10-05T11:04:17.506-07:00

There are rumors that Google might be working on a mobile platform and a phone. Check it out here.Google Mobile Service in UK: herePicture of how the phone could look like: picture

Victor G. Lesauhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05778287944106198356noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23539720.post-24183008286903909162007-09-24T22:15:00.000-07:002007-10-01T11:58:34.108-07:00

Opera Platform: Mobile AJAX Widgets. Read post here.

Victor G. Lesauhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05778287944106198356noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23539720.post-81775373409321650152007-09-23T22:15:00.001-07:002007-09-24T21:17:08.766-07:00

An article describing 802.11n standard and ways to avoid interference with other devices working in the same frequency range, like Bluetooth, WiFi and Zigbee.by Wireless Net Design Line [ Article link]

Victor G. Lesauhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05778287944106198356noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23539720.post-16455913839132902372007-09-23T22:02:00.001-07:002007-09-24T21:18:58.494-07:00

Webinar (available online until July 25, 2009)

Victor G. Lesauhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05778287944106198356noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23539720.post-52620748598743388602007-09-23T22:00:00.001-07:002007-09-24T21:23:39.668-07:00

This a great video course on computer programming provided for free by MIT. Previously, it was exclusively available to HP employees. Course link Book LinkOnline version of the book

Victor G. Lesauhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05778287944106198356noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23539720.post-85766228794348794102007-09-22T22:24:00.000-07:002007-09-22T22:27:36.070-07:00

Interesting article about designing UIs: link

Victor G. Lesauhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05778287944106198356noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23539720.post-17702507977243632652007-09-22T20:54:00.000-07:002007-09-25T23:03:30.373-07:00

FPGAs are becoming more and more popular with every year of their existence. Previously slow and ignored by system designers working on speed-hungry applications, the newest FPGAs are reaching 600 MHz internal clock speeds. Altera announced it's Stratix III 65nm device at the end of 2006 (link). Xilinx Virtex 5, also 65nm, runs at around the same clock rates (link). Their ease of use,

Victor G. Lesauhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05778287944106198356noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23539720.post-87219109206337086252007-09-22T18:18:00.000-07:002007-09-22T18:23:37.563-07:00

Here is an interesting entry I found on Zeemz Blog about FPGA vs. Microprocessor programming comparison.He's referencing Design and Reuse's article from March 2004.

Victor G. Lesauhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05778287944106198356noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23539720.post-85876022483037945882007-09-22T17:53:00.000-07:002007-09-25T22:43:25.398-07:00

Check out this cool step-by-step tutorial that guides you through the process of designing embedded system on Virtex 4 FPGA. Steven Andersson from ZooCad consulting, with 15 years of ASIC design experience, is working on this project for a year on his own time and blogs his experience.I'd love to put my hands on something like this in the near future.Tutorial LinkXilinx Free E-learning

Victor G. Lesauhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05778287944106198356noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23539720.post-70251714261621024402007-09-16T23:50:00.000-07:002007-09-21T00:22:03.962-07:00

Check out the newly found wigit from Last.fm on the right of the page. I've added a few of my favorites by Rene Gruss, including The Red Room and Bellatrix.Last.fm is a free online service that seamlessly creates a personalized internet radio that streams the songs that you want or similar to the ones you selected. The radio learns your preferences. One can "love" the track or "hate" it, so it

Victor G. Lesauhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05778287944106198356noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23539720.post-40122583969094565832007-08-22T18:23:00.000-07:002007-09-25T23:34:56.524-07:00

The newest issue of EDN magazine had and article explored near-invisible user interface improvements. While a user is spending time with the system, he/she might not mention little modifications done in the background by a team of developers."...expert foley (sound effects) is invisible to a movie viewer, until the foley is either missing or implemented poorly." [read it]That reminds me the words

Victor G. Lesauhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05778287944106198356noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23539720.post-75852876752170781832007-08-19T17:00:00.000-07:002007-09-22T18:14:22.980-07:00

This is an update to my previous online organizer post about www.stikkit.com. After using it for a few months, I found out that some of the features were still buggy. Send sms reminder feature did not work with my Vancouver Rogers number.One of the things that I really wanted to see with this software is the ability to clean up your emailbox just by forwarding emails to StikkIt (allowing you to

Victor G. Lesauhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05778287944106198356noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23539720.post-41690849649313633752007-05-10T01:51:00.000-07:002007-09-21T00:23:24.135-07:00

Conan O’Brien visits the Intel headquarters in Santa Clara.(Conan): It's the SMT package!(Kids): Yay!

Victor G. Lesauhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05778287944106198356noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23539720.post-47631573121112563122007-04-26T01:29:00.000-07:002007-10-05T00:19:27.587-07:00

Article by Daniel V. Hoffman from www.ethicalhacker.net, mentioning the following topics:Finding Wireless NetworkAttachingSniffing dataProtectingThere are many more articles on this website. I am definitely checking it out later.http://www.ethicalhacker.net/content/view/16/24/

Victor G. Lesauhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05778287944106198356noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23539720.post-79132527227504839242007-04-25T01:12:00.000-07:002007-10-05T00:21:07.762-07:00

Java applet demonstrating motion of a sound source and breaking sound barrier at Vsource/Vsound = 1: http://lectureonline.cl.msu.edu/~mmp/applist/doppler/d.htmI found this visualization to be really useful in understanding the concept

Victor G. Lesauhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05778287944106198356noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23539720.post-31773014133636900412007-04-13T01:33:00.000-07:002008-12-09T06:42:09.911-08:00

60 seconds to crack WEP of a wireless network (read article here)! I remember back in 2005 when I've heard about WEP cracking for the first time when FBI's agents publicly demonstrated the cracking process. They broke the protection in 3 minutes by sniffing RF packets for long enough to be able to decode the key. Now, 60 seconds is an improvement!That's another reminder to be aware of

Victor G. Lesauhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05778287944106198356noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23539720.post-14445613719383943352007-04-13T01:25:00.000-07:002008-12-09T06:42:10.157-08:00

As suggested by linksys.org and originally by Wi-fiplanet.com. It enhances support for WPA2.The patch can be downloaded from here: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/917021

Victor G. Lesauhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05778287944106198356noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23539720.post-34007396714418984522007-04-13T00:50:00.000-07:002007-10-05T00:23:55.659-07:00

Yet another cool life tip from 43folders.com - remembering names

Victor G. Lesauhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05778287944106198356noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23539720.post-27163429942860842602007-04-12T13:02:00.000-07:002007-10-05T00:24:59.408-07:00

Previous record: MIT: 5 x 5 mmNew record: SFU: 0.07 x 0.1 mmread here

Victor G. Lesauhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05778287944106198356noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23539720.post-68960158117739776272007-04-12T02:30:00.000-07:002007-10-05T00:24:24.313-07:00

Now, that's the online tool I was looking for. Stikkit.com is an organizer, really easy and intuitive. Nothing needs to be installed, meaning you can use it anywhere where there's internet. What I found useful is the support for various email keywords. Forwarding your friend's email to your Stikkit account's address and adding a few words will automatically tag and format the note.Trip planning

Victor G. Lesauhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05778287944106198356noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23539720.post-57014164162276367112007-04-11T02:00:00.000-07:002007-10-05T00:25:21.187-07:00

to be finished

Victor G. Lesauhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05778287944106198356noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23539720.post-31339961813832694622007-04-11T00:57:00.004-07:002008-12-13T16:37:17.308-08:00

Another passwd reset post: linkIt's being almost a year since I've finished university. Back then I've had a dual boot system on my laptop, using Linux and Windows XP 50/50 percent of the time. Since then I went for a Eurotrip with my friends and moved to Vancouver exploring numerous local mountains and the beautiful land of BC and coastal US. It's been a good four to six months before I've

Victor G. Lesauhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05778287944106198356noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23539720.post-69812140192177001322007-04-08T22:36:00.000-07:002007-10-05T00:25:51.150-07:00

Recently I have become really interested in cell phone modifications. Here is an interesting video: http://www.break.com/index/cell_phone_hack.html

Victor G. Lesauhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05778287944106198356noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23539720.post-6844497900032150662007-04-05T00:45:00.000-07:002007-10-05T00:10:55.316-07:00

Here is another set of useful online tools that I came across this past week. First - somewhat randomly, unusually for me by following a commercial link.QIPIT - Online jpg scanning tool with email and fax capabilities. It allows taking a pic of a document, whiteboard, notes, etc and sending it, already scanned (color and b/w) to email or a fax number. This tool has proved to be really useful the

Victor G. Lesauhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05778287944106198356noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23539720.post-62972011163830237522007-04-05T00:30:00.000-07:002007-10-05T00:26:17.091-07:00

Wicked! Check out this flash demo first: http://www.getdropbox.com/u/2/screencast.htmlSo far they are in private beta: http://www.getdropbox.com/

Victor G. Lesauhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05778287944106198356noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23539720.post-80330482836213828862007-04-04T00:03:00.000-07:002007-10-05T00:26:30.145-07:00

As suggested by my friend Alex S.: "it's about user interface design, and it's one of the best articles I've ever read" http://worrydream.com/MagicInk/

Victor G. Lesauhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05778287944106198356noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23539720.post-22266699589516441212007-04-01T03:00:00.000-07:002007-10-05T00:26:46.528-07:00

I just came back from the club, partying it up with a some friends from work. A few pages were still open on my laptop that I was planning to shut down for the night. Being all myself, I didn't want to just close it, and gave it a few more minutes of attention. Here is what I came across.Home made fusion reactor by a 17 year old. "Pumps, deuterium source, neutron bubble dosimeter? Check." http://

Victor G. Lesauhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05778287944106198356noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23539720.post-75672941143419857712007-03-30T01:21:00.000-07:002007-10-05T00:27:02.527-07:00

What is really a Web 2.0 that everyone is talking about? Here is the article by Tim O'Reilly: http://www.oreillynet.com/pub/a/oreilly/tim/news/2005/09/30/what-is-web-20.htmlPaul Graham's essay: http://www.paulgraham.com/web20.html

Victor G. Lesauhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05778287944106198356noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23539720.post-49380418479049577382007-03-29T00:21:00.000-07:002007-10-05T00:41:17.883-07:00

I've got a bit addicted to some of the shows on this website. I don't watch too much TV myself, so by addiction I consider one or two broadcasts a week from the following website.Tech, comedy, music, etc Online TV Show - http://revision3.com/Example: Cracking open the iPod

Victor G. Lesauhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05778287944106198356noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23539720.post-65902666813779083132007-03-21T12:54:00.000-07:002007-10-05T00:27:36.478-07:00

Last night I was watching one of the episodes from Seinfeld from Season 9. I could not stop laughing at the scene when Kramer pretended to be a "wealthy industrialist, philanthropist and a bicyclist" just to get into the washroom of a $1.5 mil apartment that was put up for sale. I was having my dinner at that time and did not want to stand up from the couch to rewind it back. However, I did

Victor G. Lesauhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05778287944106198356noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23539720.post-35411690935874802832007-03-20T18:44:00.000-07:002007-10-05T00:28:04.427-07:00

Online picture editing tool allowing you to save directly to your computer, Flikr or WebShots: http://snipshot.com/

Victor G. Lesauhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05778287944106198356noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23539720.post-33927977253044998452006-11-28T20:13:00.000-08:002007-10-19T01:40:39.019-07:00

Being interested in GPS topics, I've spent a few hours on Internet reading about the current available solutions. As I was browsing the pages, I've came across the Description of positioning systems. My curiosity has been directed towards Skyhook Wireless' Navizon - a software solution that allows mobile devices to access online database of positions of WiFi access points around urban areas of

Victor G. Lesauhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05778287944106198356noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23539720.post-9321531921271923232006-11-27T21:44:00.000-08:002007-10-05T00:30:15.815-07:00

Dev/Project relatedDev board with a microcontrollerGadgets, ideas, DIY electronics linksOpenSource gift guideThe Time Fountain (really cool fountain project, which uses strobe light to "freeze" or slowdown and reverse the motion of fluorescent drops).Lucid Dreaming Mask (by the author of The Time Fountain. He claims his inexpensive hardware triggers lucid dreams... thought I might add this here

Victor G. Lesauhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05778287944106198356noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23539720.post-85577589782421158182006-11-27T21:28:00.000-08:002007-10-05T00:30:50.216-07:00

Some cool photoshopped classics:Coffee, Reach, McDavid, Raid

Victor G. Lesauhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05778287944106198356noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23539720.post-5630911029237928422006-11-27T21:07:00.000-08:002007-10-05T00:31:01.572-07:00

Parallax’s Basic Stamp is the mainstay for hobbyists wanting to add intelligence to everyday devices. A new system called Arduino provides the benefits of the Basic Stamp at a greatly reduced cost, increased speed, and is entirely open-source. (http://todbot.com/blog/2006/09/25/arduino-the-basic-stamp-killer/#more-121)

Victor G. Lesauhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05778287944106198356noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23539720.post-38116210226158922452006-11-27T20:47:00.000-08:002007-10-05T00:02:29.453-07:00

Mobile Processing is an open source programming environment for people who want to design and prototype software for mobile phones. It is based on and shares the same design goals as the open source Processing project. Sketches programmed using Mobile Processing run on Java Powered mobile devices. (http://mobile.processing.org/index.php)

Victor G. Lesauhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05778287944106198356noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23539720.post-1162981255381070792006-11-08T01:58:00.000-08:002007-10-05T00:31:52.825-07:00

In this article, Steven Leibson from Tensilica shows some tricks used to hardware-optimize DSP computations with the help of SoC, FGPA, or ASIC. He emphasizes that the use of hardware acceleration is crucial for many DSP applications. Adding special instruction extensions supported by configurable hardware has advantage over assembly-code optimization of a critical path of an algorithm.There are

Victor G. Lesauhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05778287944106198356noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23539720.post-1158254197753984452006-09-14T10:16:00.001-07:002008-06-08T23:30:24.767-07:00

from wiki: (http://wiki.tcl.tk/3262) and newsgroups.Tcl does not provide a way to simply pass arrays by value, as this is usually done for strings. Straigh forward way to go around this problem is to convert an array to list and pass it as list. Another method is to use upvar to pass variable by name. Some other methods are mentioned below:Use dict command instead of array (for Tcl 8.5 or greater

Victor G. Lesauhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05778287944106198356noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23539720.post-1145695244125776152006-04-22T01:33:00.000-07:002007-10-05T00:38:41.198-07:00

That's it! It finally pissed me off to the point where I went online and found the way to disable that Windows' popup message to remind you that the disk space is low. I know myself when I am close to zero since I am the one who is filling up the hard drive. I agree that this message might be helpful to some newbie Windows users; however, I also believe that there should be a gui option to

Victor G. Lesauhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05778287944106198356noreply@blogger.com0