Code Injection

Dear Reader:

Never underestimate the power of Code Injection:



This is one of the brightest yet geekiest jokes I've seen in years!

What kind of nerd are you?

I personally prefer the term "geek" to "nerd" because the former implies a natural ken or knack to do something many others find uninteresting or exceedingly difficult, while the latter not only is a little derogatory but also implies certain clumsiness.

Anyway, let's see how you do on the Nerd Test, v.2.0:

A recap of past events

So it is already december. I cannot complain, this has been a very good year overall.

Looking back into my recent past, several pending personal milestones were finally reached. The most important is, without doubt, my engineering certification.

Time waits for no one. I had very little of it to prepare my written work, and quite frankly, I still feel unsatisfied by its quality; but even though it didn't fully address my area of expertise (assuming geekness can be classified as such), it allowed me to make some interesting although somewhat late discoveries:

Despite all the pressures Layers 9 and 10 (that would be the financial and political layers, respectively) exert on the field of software development, this discipline has departed from its modest artesanal algorithmic roots and has flourished into a more manageable and predictable process. There are many different approaches, each one suitable to a specific set of conditions. Some are too rigid while others are extremely permissible, but many recognise real needs to deliver quantisable results on time and manage risk and disaster when it is unpractical to avoid them.

Who knows... maybe I'll focus on those subjects from now on.

Leeching WiFi from your neighbor's AP?

While OEMs have begun to address the security issues implied by improper default settings on many wireless products (specially residential routers/wifi APs), one still can locate several left wide open to anyone who happens to look for them.

The often addressed perspective is that of someone's bandwidth being shared (read "stolen") by unknown people. However, most of the wardrivers take care not to consume too much of it, lest the real owner notices severe lag and finally decides to learn about properly securing his AP.

Another implies a certain amount of paranoia: your ip could be used for criminal activities, and if/when the cops come asking questions, it is said owner who might have to answer to them.

However, consider a third scenario: The Honeypot of Doom(tm).

Someone installs an open AP and logs all the traffic that passes through it for several weeks. As you are well aware, most, but not all sensitive communications are encrypted. Mine the resulting data and maybe you'll stomp across something "interesting".

Here's a proof of concept, although with a twisted and very nice touch of humour:

http://www.ex-parrot.com/~pete/upside-down-ternet.html

This guy divided his local network in two segments. One goes straightforwardly in and out of his AP while the other is diverted to a proxy server. On the latter, images are turned upside-down or blurred on the fly before being relayed to the unsuspecting freeloader.

Another nice touch would be to submit all text to a ROT-13 transform creating gibberish everywhere.

So, next time you happen to find an open AP, think twice before transmitting any sensitive or personal information over it.

Once a geek, always a geek

It is a well known fact geeks (such as yours truly) can't easily stop being geeks. "Professional deformation" others say, but one must admit that so many hours invested in learning how things work just for the fun of it do have a profound impact on personal traits and habits.

For a while, I have been enjoying watching video recordings from several sources on my TV, which is also used as a secondary display for my computer. This arrangement makes it possible for me to decode almost the whole plethora of formats available. But there is a drawback: the noise emanating from the fans that prevent my computer and associated storage units from overheating and burning are annoying as heck. I also fear they might impair my hearing on the long run, so obviously something has to be made about this situation.

Where I live, it's not easy to find liquid cooling systems. Also, I don't have the time to transcode all that material to standard DVD (the media is still unreliable and the selection and recording process is very time consuming too). What a geek's got to do then?

Well, several manufacturers are now offering HDD cases with built-in decoders and video ports. Get one, add your hard disc filled with DiVX, XviD, Mp3 and many more files, connect it to your TV and you're set!

Only problem is, they are also rare around my neck of woods. Ack!!! Curse this company-driven market.

But while I wait for my decoder HDD case to arrive, I found another solution: a dvd-player/home theater set which also plays many kinds of mpeg-4 video. It's not as flexible as the aforementioned option, but at least I think I can set aside some time to transcode everything I have to DivX (their decoder is free, and the encoder license is quite affordable). Thanks to their advanced compression format, I can make a whole season of Stargate SG-1 fit within a DVD-R.

Let's take a look at the steps I took on this geek-x-periment:


1 - Select DVD/HTS device.

After shopping around, I settled for the Philips HTS3300. You can take a look at it here. There are several sub-versions depending upon where you live (RCA or SCART connectors at the back, for example). But I'll give you a short list of reasons why I chose it:

* Decodes and displays DivX versions 3 thru 6. Be forewarned though that video files encoded using QT (quarter pixel) or GMC (Global motion compensation) are not supported.

* Built in support for separate subtitle files.

* Plays and converts NTSC or PAL DVDs to the appropiate format for your TV.

* It's Region-free hackable.

* Even though the manual states only DVD+R(W)s can be used, it also plays DVD-R(w)s.

* Built-in Radio tuner.

* AUX-in input. Hey! I can use it as an amplifier for my synths too!


2 - Installation.

This HTS comes with 5 little speakers, a subwoofer and plenty of wiring with Easy-Fit color-coded connectors at the end so you can plug-in each speaker without confusion. I suggest you to obtain a kit of 5 speaker mounts though. Also, only the frontal channel speaker is magnetically shielded (don't put the others to close to your CRT TV or you'll end up creating color spots on the screen).

After installing the speakers and routing the wires appropiately, plug the power cord into an AC outlet and connect the TV selecting the appropiate composite video input (Component progressive video must be enabled manually, but that's piece of cake). Cross your fingers and turn power On.


3 - Configuration.

Now is when the geek side of the force shows up!!!

Make the unit multi-region capable:
Grab the remote control, push [OPEN] and wait for the disc tray to open, then push [9] [9] [9] [9] [0]. Cycle power and you're done!

Upgrade the firmware:
Click here and decompress the file on your desktop. Read the PDF instructions first!!! Not all units require a firmware upgrade.
If you decide to continue, burn a CD with the .BIN file (single session disc-at-once), insert it on your DVD-player and press PLAY. The rest is automatic and the unit will shut off automatically at the end of the process.

Select the appropiate color signal conversion:
Depending upon where you live, you'll want to use the color mode (NTSC or PAL) Native to your region. The unit will automatically convert based upon your choice. Check your manual for the appropiate instructions.


4 - Transcode contents.

Go back to your computer and acquire an encoder license of DivX-Create (20 USCY).
Make sure to select the Home Theatre profile. After that, the process is as simple as dragging and dropping files into the encoder icon.

Rename your files using less than 30 characters. This is only so you can identify them more easily on the DVD navigation screen. Also, if you have external subtitle files, they must be named exactly as the video file that uses them. The supported formats are .srt .smi .sub .ssa and .ass

You don't have any subtitles?? May I suggest then the excellent SubTitle Workshop? It's a movie translator's dream come true!


5 - Enjoy!

Why not, it's a snap and you'll appreciate your files comfortably sitting at your coach-potato spot :)

Let me know what you think. Okie?