Ask the Geek

Now this is a cool Geek gadget!

From Popular Science:

A new electronic notepad may be lifelike, cheap and energy-efficient enough to replace those wasteful paper slips we still use for memos and grocery lists. The four-ounce Boogie Board runs for years on a single watch battery and, thanks to a novel use of the material inside ordinary computer screens, even mimics the feel of putting pen to paper.

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I’m going to get one, for sure!

I’m going to usher in this second month of 2010 with a password challenge contest. There are two entry categories: The Top Ten List of Worst Passwords; and, the Strongest Short Easy-to-remember Password . One First Prize winner in each category will get a free copy of my Geek Toolkit. Here are the rules:

Top Ten List of Worst Passwords: Compile your own Top Ten List of the worst passwords you’ve seen or read about. I will compare that with my compiled list from authoritative sources. The person whose list matches the most entries on my list wins. If there are ties, everyone wins.

Strongest Short Easy-to-remember Password: In ten characters or fewer, come up with a strong password that is also easy to remember. Random strings are not allowed, i.e., I won’t accept Xcy4lmO3az. I will judge the strength of the passwords using my Password Meter at Ask the Geek. You must tell me what makes the password memorable to you. For example, can you write down a password hint that means nothing to me, but that tells you what the password is? If there are ties, everyone wins.

You may send an entry for either or both categories, but they must be in separate emails. Use my secure contact form to enter (http://askthegeek.kennyhart.com/index.php/ask-a-question/). Deadline is Sunday, February 28, 2010

Results will be published.

Good luck!

You know how I preach about passwords? Well, here’s a password joke:

During a recent password audit at Bank Of Ireland it was found that Paddy O’Toole was using the following password:

MickeyMinniePlutoHueyLouieDeweyDonaldGoofyBerlin

When asked why he had such a long password he replied: “Oi was told it had to be at least 8 characters long and include one capital!”

Cheers!

The Geek

P.S. See the post below this one to get your Geek Toolkit!

When I turned on my laptop this morning, I was greeted with a red X on the Panda icon in my system tray. When I clicked on it, the program informed me that my beta version would expire in 10 days and I should download the latest release (dated 6/30/2009, Version 0.08.82). I was ready for a sales pitch; I’m happy to say there wasn’t one. Apparently, CloudAntivirus is still free and will remain so (it’s also still in Beta).

If you missed my previous article on this nifty security tool, read Check out Panda’s Cloud Antivirus: It’s a Winner! Be sure to watch the video I have linked in that article, too. Besides just being cool, the video will give you a new viewpoint on emerging security technology in the Cloud. While you’re at it, this Panda Security video ad’s also worth a look. (Check out the threat characters—very catchy.): Viruses pwned by Panda Antivirus [HQ].

Cheers!
The Geek

Spam-o-Meter is a Kool Tool that gives you an idea of how much spam is on the Internet. You can download a Mac OSX gadget, Flash for a website (like you see here), even a screen saver for Windows, all free. Check it out. I’ve posted it on a page over there to the right.

Here’s what you’d get:

Here’s an easy game to play.
Here’s an easy thing to say:
If a packet hits a pocket on a socket on a port,
And the bus is interrupted as a very last resort,
And the address of the memory makes your floppy disk abort,
Then the socket packet pocket has an error to report!
If your cursor finds a menu item followed by a dash,
And the double-clicking icon puts your window in the trash,
And your data is corrupted ’cause the index doesn’t hash,
Then your situation’s hopeless, and your system’s gonna crash!
You can’t say this? What a shame sir!
We’ll find you Another game sir.
If the label on the cable on the table at your house,
Says the network is connected to the button on your mouse,
But your packets want to tunnel on another protocol,
That’s repeatedly rejected by the printer down the hall,
And your screen is all distorted by the side effects of gauss
So your icons in the window are as wavy as a souse,
Then you may as well reboot and go out with a bang,
‘Cause as sure as I’m a poet, the sucker’s gonna hang!
When the copy of your floppy’s getting sloppy on the disk,
And the microcode instructions cause unnecessary RISC,
Then you have to flash your memory and you’ll want to RAM your ROM.
Quickly turn off the computer and be sure to tell your mom!

Cheers!
The Geek

Jenny Mackintosh over at the ITKE Community blog (the folks who host my Security Corner blog) announced a cool contest for anyone who wants to show their tech savvy. The only catch is that you have to register as a community member, but ITKE is reputable, so this isn’t a problem:

Now through the end of April, you can not only show off your IT skills by asking and answering questions on? ITKnowledgeExchange.com, but you can earn the chance to spend some quality time honing your bad-guy-vaporizing skills on your very own Xbox 360.

From today (March 18th) through April 30th, you have a chance to win one of three Xbox 360 consoles. The winners will be the top 3 community members who have the most Knowledge Points earned and have asked 5 IT-related questions (you still earn Knowledge points for asking questions) during the contest period. So tell your friends and co-workers to post their IT questions on? ITKnowledgeExchange.com so you can answer and rack up your Knowledge Points.

You can read my post about it here: http://cli.gs/WPeXGT.

Have fun and good luck!

Thanks to the latest issue of Popular Mechanics, we Geeks who remember these things can get our hands on some beautiful, handmade digital clocks (kit versions are also available). Nixie tubes have a warm glow that produces an aesthetic that today’s digital displays don’t even approach. Check out Peter Jensen’s site, tubeclock.com and browse around. You’ll learn that,

The 1950s saw the advent of the Modern design aesthetic; clean lines, utilitarian forms, and the motto: "Less is More" (Mies van der Rohe). The Nixie tube made its debut in 1954, and provided some of the first digital displays for the latest scientific equipment of the time.  Once utilized primarily in research and military equipment, Nixies are now prized for their modern aesthetic.

Nixies went out of production in the early 1990′s, but there is some new, old-stock surplus available. Do a Google search on "nixie tubes" and you’ll see. By the way, if you want to own the clock shown above, it’ll set you back $495. Look at it as the work of art that it is.

Cheers!

The Geek

Every Geek worth the moniker has inhaled helium from a toy balloon and proceeded to amuse everyone with the cartoon-like high pitch of his voice. I’ve been doing it almost forever and especially now that I have grandchildren (six and one in the oven).

Now, there’s a new Geek inhalation toy: “anti-helium,” better known as sulfur hexaflouride. Jay Leno tried it and it’s a hoot. Check out this video. Very cool.

Now, I just need to find a source for sulfur hexaflouride so I can turn my geek party into an event.

Cheers!
The Geek

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