Mac OS X Single User Password Reset

The following procedure is more or less a back door into the Mac OS X operating system that will alow you to reset lost or forgotten Administrator passwords. This situation was presented me when a client had forgetten their User password and the Administrator password when I needed to install software on their Mac.

I encourage that you save your work and if possible make a backup prior to performing this procedure.

Note: I have confirmed this to work on Mac OS X 10.4. Please comment if you have been able to use this in other versions.

Firstly, make note of the username(s) you wish to reset. This can be found in System Preferences. You will need the Unix username which will not have any spaces. For example, if your Display Name on the Mac is John Smith, your username is likely to be johnsmith as configured by the Mac. Preferably make note of the main administrator account. Once you have reset this password, you can make other changes later.

Once you have made note of the username, reboot the computer.

On startup (about the time of the startup sound), press and hold Command+S

Once the system has booted in the Safe Mode or Single-User Mode, you need to enter a particular command shell. Enter the following:
sh /etc/rc
then press Enter.

You will now be able to reset any user account on this PC using the following command:
passwd , then press Enter.
After the passwd, enter the unix username for the user account that you wish to reset. You will be asked to enter the new password in twice to confirm the change.

Once the changes have been made, you can now reboot the system. Commands reboot or init 6 should initiate the reboot.

Remember, please leave a comment of your experiences below.

HP iLO Reset via Command Line

This is how you can signal a reset on the iLO interface when you have no access to the Web Interface or it is otherwise not responding.

If this article was helpful,  please let a comment below or even drop a donation.

By default you can access the controller via command line interfaces such as SSH.

To reset the controller via SSH:

1. Connect to the controller via IP address using your chosen SSH client (use PuTTY for Windows)
2. Login with an Administrator account (or an account with equivalent rights)
3. At the command type
      cd /map1
   Press Enter
4. Then type
      reset
   Press Enter

Resetting HP iLO via SSH Command Line

The iLO controller will begin to reset itself. Reseting the controller fixes a lot of hung-up issues and freezes on the interface. Also I recommend updating the firmware on the controller wherever possible. Firmware update do not require reboots or downtime which is especially good for servers.

Reference:
FatMin - Reset HP ILO Via the Command Linehttp://www.fatmin.com/2010/08/reset-hp-ilo-via-the-command-line.html

Call of Duty Elite still struggling

Roughly four (4) days since it's launch, the new Call of Duty Elite service is still battling to keep it's head above water.

The Call of Duty Elite service allows players to view a full range of statistics of their game play including kill/death data, ratios, heat maps, frequent body as well as the ability to join clans and participate in competitions.

Since Modern Warfare 3's launch on Tuesday, the service has been overwhelmed with demand and has not be available. According the status site, on launch day, the registration and login servers were of such high demand, they crashed out leaving some new users unable to register to the service. Since then those servers have been extended however the main servers are still being extended and updated keeping users from viewing their stats either via the website, or the on-console apps.

To keep up-to-date with the current service status, keep an eye on this site:
http://www.callofduty.com/elite/status

I commend the Elite service for remaining transparent about the issue with frequent updates and detailed updates at that.

Is Microsoft Sexist?

Take the title with a grain of salt.

While doing some research today, I found this forum topic discussing security and started with an article from Microsoft.

Under the topic heading Law #1: If a bad guy can persuade you to run his program on your computer, it's not your computer anymore Microsoft says this:

It's an unfortunate fact of computer science: when a computer program runs, it will do what it's programmed to do, even if it's programmed to be harmful. When you choose to run a program, you are making a decision to turn over control of your computer to it. Once a program is running, it can do anything, up to the limits of what you yourself can do on the machine. It could monitor your keystrokes and send them to a web site. It could open every document on the machine, and change the word "will" to "won't" in all of them. It could send rude emails to all your friends. It could install a virus. It could create a "back door" that lets someone remotely control your machine. It could dial up an ISP in Katmandu. Or it could just reformat your hard drive.
That's why it's important to never run, or even download, a program from an untrusted source – and by "source", I mean the person who wrote it, not the person who gave it to you. There's a nice analogy between running a program and eating a sandwich. If a stranger walked up to you and handed you a sandwich, would you eat it? Probably not. How about if your best friend gave you a sandwich? Maybe you would, maybe you wouldn't – it depends on whether she made it or found it lying in the street. Apply the same critical thought to a program that you would to a sandwich, and you'll usually be safe.

However, this is what really stood out for me:

How about if your best friend gave you a sandwich? Maybe you would, maybe you wouldn't – it depends on whether she made it or found it lying in the street.

Not that I condone sexism, it just made me laugh that only a female friend would be giving me a sandwich.

Google Buzz comes to an end

Reported out of Slashdot.org this morning is Google is shutting down the Google Buzz social network.

Google Buzz was considered as Google's answer to Twitter where users to could post their status right within the GMail. However the service sparked major controversy and privacy issues when it was released as it was implemented to all users without so much as a warning as well as all updates where publically readable.

After much backlash, these privacy concerns where fixed, however Google Buzz continued to declined on user base and popularity.

Google recently released another social network called Google+ and Buzz's closure is to allow them to focus on developing this network.

Google says:

In a few weeks we’ll shut down Google Buzz and the Buzz API, and focus instead on Google+. While people obviously won't be able to create new posts after that, they will be able to view their existing content on their Google Profile, and download it using Google Takeout.

 On the same blog post, Google annouced they will be closing other services like Google Code, Jaiku, and University Research Program for Google Search.

The full blog post can be read here.

Creating a Bootable Linux USB Thumb Drive

An increasingly common method for install operating systems these days is to boot from a USB Pen/Thumb Drive and install the desired operating system over USB.

While providing a faster install, in comparison to optical media, for Linux operating systems, this can also be setup as a live OS running from the USB, allowing it to be booted from any computer, while saving all your data and settings.

However when it come to creating a Bootable USB Thumb Drive with Linux installed, this can be a task in itself without the proper tools (especially for Windows users like myself). For some months now I have been using one tool in particular to painlessly setup a bootable USB drive allowing me to install a Linux OS right from the USB drive.

Pendrivelinux.com offers a range of guides and tools for running Linux OS from a USB Thumb drive and this is where I have found the Universal USB Installer. This is a Windows tool that allows to setup a USB Thumb drive to be bootable with your choice of Linux distro.

You can either have the desired OS disk image pre-downloaded or the utility can download it for you. This can be down from selecting which distro you want setup on your USB drive, pointing the utility to the disk image and selecting with USB drive you want to install to.

It's simple, easy to use and works every time.

Universal USB Installer - http://www.pendrivelinux.com/universal-usb-installer-easy-as-1-2-3/

For creating a Bootable USB Drive in Ubuntu, use Startup Disk Creator. Instructions can be found on their download page - http://www.ubuntu.com/download/ubuntu/download

Steve Jobs dies aged 56

Apple's former CEO and co-founder Steve Jobs died today aged 56.

Steve Jobs (Image: Apple Inc.)

Jobs has been for a long time now battling Cancer and today he lost that battle. While Steve has on several occasion taken leave from the company due to health concerns, all of us in the technology industry knew this day was coming. Although this news was still shocking for everyone.

I found this news over Twitter, were people littering this streams with well wishes and retweets of the news of his passing.

Steve Jobs founded Apple Computers along with Steve Wozniak and Ronald Wayne in 1976, and from then the company has many ups and downs. However since Steve Jobs return to the company 1997, Apple Inc. has been on the increase of profits and innovation. Not only have we seen new designs in Desktop and laptop computing, but revolutionary (and evolutionary) devices such as the iPhone which took over and redefined the smartphone market, the iPod which redefined the way we listened to music, and the iPad which showed the world (and Microsoft) how tablet computing should be done.

The world is today morning the loss of what they are calling a visionary, genius and man on the levels of Einstein. Jobs was able to turn a failing company in to billion dollar industry icon.

Does this mean the end for Apple? Certainly not. Many people are unaware that Steve Jobs hasn't been behind the latest innovations at Apple while the company still shows its ability to amaze and dominate the industry  Tim Cook was recently announced as the successor of Steve Jobs as CEO who has continued to drive the ideals and innovation that Steve has ingrained into the culture of Apple over the years.

Steve Jobs will be remembered as a great business man and a visionary. Fair well Steve Jobs.

Windows XP support ends... in roughly 1000 days

So Microsoft have given the date when the last updates will be done for the Windows XP operating system. But is this enough to convert users?

Microsoft will stop developing and patch the Windows XP OS as of April 8, 2014. Seems like a long way off yet, right?

Windows XP was first released to manufacture in August 2001. That is a long innings for a software package and Microsoft have been under pressure for continued support for some time now from it's major partners. However it has come to the time where these business need to move on. Windows the success of Windows 7, there continues to be little reason to remain on the dated OS.

At the Worldwide Partner Conference, Microsoft announced that they had sold 400 million license of Windows 7 since its October 2009 release. With these figures they continue to try and rid the industry of the aging Windows XP.

For the individual, your next computer purchase will come with Windows 7, or if you would rather just upgrade, it is likely that your current hardware could run the Windows 7 operating system (check system requirements first).

Other articles regarding this can be found here.

Microsoft releases Windows Server Connector for Windows Phone 7

On the official SBS Blog, Microsoft has announced a new app that allows admins to remotely manage and control their respective servers.

The software has both a Phone and Server components, but once installed allows users to view alerts, manage users and control backups. This software is compatible with the line of Server 2011 products including Windows Small Business Server 2011, Windows Home Server 2011, and Windows Storage Server 2011.

Full article here.

New GMail?

If this is what the new GMail is going to look like, I don't want any part of it.

You can have this style now by going into the Gmail Settings and selecting the Preview theme.

Frankly, I am not a fan?

Blogger updates browser support

In its latest blog post, Google Blogger has announced that it has dropped off support for some older browsers.
to stay uniform with the rest of the Google kingdom, Blogger will discontinue support for the following browsers and their respective predecessors:

• Firefox 3.5
• Internet Explorer 7
• Safari 3

Later browser versions will support the web technologies that will be implemented in to Google sites.
For the full article, read here.

Google+

There has been a lot of buzz on the internet lately about Google's latest attempt at social networking, and they maybe on the right track.

Google+ is a social networking website allowing it's user to connect with their friends, family and whatnot to share updates, photos, videos and weblinks. I find that this service however is very comparable to Facebook, who this is clearly targeted to be a competing service.

While Facebook has the News Feed, Google+ has Streams. Where Facebook has Groups, Google+ has Circles. What you Like on Facebook, is +1'd on Google+.

Google+ plus does alot of what Facebook does but brings a new view to the type of service it is. The interface is cleaner and less cluttered. Google is focusing more on the communications and sharing functions than anything else. Google+ allows it's users to do Video chat from within the site through what they are calling Hangouts. Facebook have decided to intergrate Skype into their site, which has yet to be released, to compete with this.

Just like the Like button found all over the net, you will start seeing +1 buttons start to appear everywhere also. These both act very much the same in their function. It will post the recommendation to the users Stream for the friends to view.

One thing that has impressed me, but other might not be inclined to use, is that Google+ allows user to micro-manage the posts or Status Updates. What I mean by that is that you can choose who can see the update via the Circles. If you make a post, but only want your friend but not your family, well just select the Friend circle when making the post.

I am stick playing with the new service and find new things all the time, but I will continue to share with you what I find.

Google+ is invitation-only at this stage, but will eventually be available to all.

You can find more information here.

New Mobile Support

It's been a while since my last post but I am excited with this news.

Blogger has recently added mobile-supported templates for it's blogs, including this one.

You can now view and read the blog on mobile devices like Apple iPhones and Androids.

Call of Duty Modern Warfare 3 Trailer and more

Trailers have been released this more of the latest installment of Call of Duty, Modern Warfare 3.

I am unsure who is behind the development of this release as Activition has take more control over the franchise.

Update: As I said before, I couldn't remember who was behind this release, but I have since found that it is Infinity Ward and Sledgehammer Games. Infinity Ward was the developer for the last Modern Warfare games. Due to current conflicts with Infinity Ward developers, Sledgehammer Games were contracted by Activision to meet the deadline on MW3 (See here).

Here is the trailer

For those Australian readers, you start you pre-order now at EB Games stores and online: http://bit.ly/iWEcp5 

Boot Camp Assistant cannot partition

The other day at work I was given the task of setting up Windows 7 on a little MacBook. As per normal, we got Windows ordered in and the customer dropped off their laptop. However I had a couple of issues when performing the BootCamp.

I kicked the process off by running the assistant, aligning the partitions how I wanted them (and the customer agreed on), and set it to partition. However I got this error:

The disk cannot be partitioned because some files cannot be moved.
Back up the disk and use Disk Utility to format it as a single Mac OS Extended (Journaled) volume. Restore your information to the disk and try using Boot Camp Assistant again

Some how I had a feeling that there might have been some errors on the drive that may have faulted this. So I run the Disk Utility on the drive from the CD and sure enough the drive had several error and were repaired.

I reattempted the partition, but same error. I spent a bit of time on the net finding a solution, and I did find one.

Solution:
Boot Mac OS X in Safe Mode, run the Boot Camp Assistant and partition the drive.

This worked for me, however the assistant didn't recognise the Windows 7 DVD despite the DVD being genuine.

Solution:
After the partitioning, cancel the assistant and boot into normal mode. Continue the Boot Camp Assistant, and the setup will start to boot from the DVD.

Since it took me a while to find a solution on the net, I thought I would write up my experience to hopefully help someone else.

Microsoft buys Skype

The biggest news to come out of this week is of Microsoft’s acquisition of the internet VoIP giant, Skype.

Skype is the worlds popular video and voice communication system which allows users to talk for free Skype-to-Skype or for a small fee to landlines or mobiles globally.

Announcement came this week that Microsoft has purchased the company for US$8.5 billion, however the reason behind the purchase is unclear.

Analysts and insider speculate that Microsoft will be using the technology and user base to increase it’s market share in the communication space. Also it is believed that the software giant will be integrating the service into it’s other services like Windows Live Messenger, XBOX 360 with Kinect and even the Windows Phone 7.

Microsoft has said that it will continue development and support for non-Microsoft platforms like Apple and Android. Skype will become a new business division while the current Skype CEO, Tony Bates, will assume the title of President at the new division.

The most surprising thing to have been said about the buy out is that Microsoft paid too much for the company. Skype has reported losses and is not worth the price they paid.

Time will tell what Microsoft will do with it’s new toy and how it will continue the product.

PSN Outage Leaves One In Five PS3 Customers Considering Xbox Live

Wanted to share out this article that mentioned that in a recent survey that 21% of PS3
owners are considering selling up and getting an XBOX 360.

PSN Outage Leaves One In Five PS3 Customers Considering Xbox Live

PlayStation Network continues in Offline Mode

There are lost of angry PlayStation players at the moment, but can you blame them?

Sony has switched off their multiplayer online network for a week now while they investigate and intrusion into the PlayStation Network. Recent reports have come out advising users of information being collected by the hackers. Sony originally explained the outage as being "infrastructure upgrades", however as time has passed and the situation has become more serious they have released that the outage was cause by unidentified hackers.

Sony has posted a FAQ on their support website with some more information regarding the outage, but at most the response is "we're looking into it.... stay tuned".

Yesterday here in Sydney, NSW Police have advise people to check or even cancel their credit cards while advising they are borderline on starting their own investigation.

What is further frustrating users is that some games require connection to PSN server for even the Offline campaigns for Trophy updates and more.

Microsoft has not been silly regarding this outage. They have recently had an open weekend for Gold membership trials for XBOX Live and running additional advertisements for the XBOX 360 over the outage period.

For players who have paid for the additional access on the PlayStation Network, according the FAQ a possible refund or credit maybe arranged to compensate for the downtime. However even at this point of a week of downtime there has been no sign of the network returning to Online status, which is deeply concerning.

The PlayStation Network Outage FAQ can be found here:
http://us.playstation.com/support/answer/index.htm?a_id=2356


SMH: Police advise on PlayStation Network
http://www.smh.com.au/digital-life/games/playstation-hacking-scandal-police-chief-says-contact-your-bank-now-20110427-1dvts.html

Nintendo confirms new Wii console

Nintendo have confirmed rumors that there will be a new release of the popular Wii console and the next E3 conference.

Although some have speculated the introduction of 3D, Nintendo has said that there is no focus for 3D as 3D televisions have not become mainstram. It is well speculated that a new controller will be intruduce to compete with that of the XBOX Kinect and even evolutionise on its own Wiimote.

More to come soon...

White iPhone 4 is soon to be released

More stories are coming out of the UK with the White version of the iPhone actually being release.

The White Apple iPhone 4 has been a no-show for a while now with Apple claiming technical difficulties with the colouring and casing being white. The most reported problem was that the white case would affect the results of photos taken by the in-built camera.

But it seems they have figured out their problems and will soon be releasing it. Engadget have report that UK Vodafone do have stock of the new device and have photos of the new phone.

You can see them here: http://www.engadget.com/photos/vodafone-uk-stocks-official-white-iphone-4/#4082352

New domain name: blog.danielburrowes.com

Hi All,

I have recently signed up for my own domain name.

You can now find this blog at blog.danielburrowes.com.

Installing Windows Home Server 2011 on MediaSmart Server

I haven't tried this on my own hardware yet, but as soon as I can backup my data I will be.

This article shows how to install the latest version of Windows Home Server on to the HP MediaSmart Server.

Check out Sean Daniel's latest posts here

Internet Explorer 10 is not for Windows Vista

The next version of Internet Explorer will not be available for PCs running Windows Vista or older.

Microsoft has confirmed recent rumors that the next version of the company's web browser, Internet Explorer 10, will not be available on Windows Vista. While most Windows user are either still on Windows XP or have made the upgrade to Windows 7 this doesn't mean much. Those using Windows Vista can continue using Internet Explorer 9 or more likely, use another browser.

Internet Explorer 9 is available for download here.

Call of Duty: Black Ops - Escalation Map Pack on its way

From an article by IGN, Activision has confirmed the latest news of the release of a map pack for the Black Ops game.

The first map pack, First Strike, broke records on XBOX Live when it surpassed 1.4 million downloads in the inital initial 24 hours of it release.

The new multiplayer map apck pack will include maps titled Zoo, Convoy, Hotel, and Stockpile with a new Zombie map called Survive.

The new map pack will first available on XBOX Live, followed by PlayStation and PC.

Update (3-May-11):

Check out this preview video from callofduty.com

Got an iPhone

Yesterday my brand new iPhone 4 had arrive, as so as I unboxed it came the end of my Galaxy S.

What was wrong with the Galaxy S?

The biggest problem I had with the Galaxy S was performance. For as long as I had it, I have problems with the phone performing slow, apps crash and more recently the phone rebooting randomly. When the Android 2.2 update was release I upgraded and notice a small difference but nothing to write home about. However I did apply the know LagFix which solve a ton of problems, however still not 100%.

Also the other issue was that it sucked for media. Because I travel alot for work, I listen to lots of podcasts and music. I know there are programs like Doubletwist and Winamp for syncing media with the Android, but they suck. It's awkward and unreliable. Sometimes I would sync it an everything would be gone. No settings change or anything, but that would be the result.

So that's when i decided to get a new phone.

Why the iPhone?

I had decided to go back to the iPhone for several reasons, but the main one was that I knew it worked. I did have the iPhone 3G and the only real complaint I had was that it was incredibly slow. Also I loved the system of iTunes and the simplistic syncing that I had setup. So it was only natural to return to the iPhone.

I am aware that the iPhone has its own issue and I have come to expect that from technology, however I know from having the old iPhone and an iPod Touch (which I lost on a cruise) that it will work especially for apps and media.

In terms of the Android platform, I see its potential as well as how some love it. The openness and it ability to be changed and customized beyond belief. But for me, having to hack the shit out of the phone to get it to a workable state is unacceptable and is a downfall of the Android fragmentation.

Samsung release Wifi-Only Galaxy Tab

From Engadget:

We've already seen it turn up on a few retail sites, but Samsung has now finally officially confirmed the launch details for its WiFi-only Galaxy Tab. It will be available online and at retail stores across the US on April 10th for $349.99. Specs otherwise remain the same as the 3G version, including a 7-inch 1024 x 600 display, 32GB of internal storage (with a microSD card slot for up to an additional 32GB), rear and front-facing cameras, and Android 2.2 with support for Flash 10.1 -- from the looks of things, it's also only available with a white back. Full press release is after the break.


Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/04/06/samsung-confirms-wifi-only-galaxy-tab-availability-april-10th/

Linux Claims Victory Over Microsoft

From Gizmodo:

In Linux's Eyes, their 20 years war against Microsoft has come to an end, and they're the victor. Foundation Executive Director Jim Zemlin thinks that they've handily surpassed Microsoft in every product category...except one, desktops:

"I think we just don't care that much [about Microsoft] anymore,' Zemlin said. 'They used to be our big rival, but now it's kind of like kicking a puppy."

Original Source: http://gizmo.do/dUZ9ss

My responce to this was that they are clearly out of touch with the real world. Linux does have the mobile with the success of Android, and as well as the web server space, however there are still other markets that they are very small players.

Smart TVs hitting the Aussie market

Get ready for the next wave of new TV technology. You thought 3D would be it for a while? Not even close.

Smart TV is the next craze to boost TV sales. More than a HD tele, the Smart TV comes with it's own operating systems and ecosystem, allowing apps, internet access and streaming. Users can stream videos from YouTube and other online sources as well as search and view information from the net while in the lounge room.

The Samsung smart TV is a hot item and most talked about featuring an app store and the ability to install apps providing added functionality to your TV like weather, IMDB access, improved TV and of course...3D.

iPhone: It’s Off-Centre

It’s hard to tell whether this blogger is sincere in his rant or just going on the April Fools trail but it interesting none the less.

This blogger goes on a rant about how on his iPhone, the 1 on the Calendar app appears off-centre. Clearly upsetting the writer’s Obsessive Compulsive Disorder.

Take a look.

Source: Gizmodo - http://www.gizmodo.com.au/2011/04/why-the-fck-is-the-1-on-the-iphones-calendar-off-centre/

XBOX Gamertag Image

You might have noticed on the right hand panel I have had an image that generated a little picture relating to my activities on my XBOX 360.

Sadly, the service that used to produce a nice XBOX gamertag image here is no longer. I have created a post to bring awareness to the closure of this service while also freeing up space on my right-hand panel.




Update (3-May-11):
I have since found another site that allows me to do the same thing as you can see on the right hand side.
http://www.xboxlc.com/

Google April Fools becomes reality

Google has become renowned for its April Fool’s jokes on the world by announcing bogus products and services.

This year, Google announced a service for it’s GMail users called GMail Motion. The idea is that instead of simply typing an email, one would use body gestures to not only type the email but to also control the entire GMail experience. This is the video by Google explaining and demonstrating the service.

Those who went to the website and clicked the Try GMail Motion button were presented a window revealing the joke.

However, it didn’t take long before someone actually made it a reality. Using the popular XBOX Kinect camera, MxR Lab has developed software that actually controls GMail using body gestures. Using similar gestures to that in Google’s video, MxR guys are able to open, reply and send an email using body gestures.

MxR Lab’s Responce to GMail Motion

We may not get Internet Access via our Toilets, but this is one GMail prank to have become a reality.

Start Call of Duty: Black Ops in Multiplayer by default

This has probably been cover in another blog but I couldn’t find it so I thought I would make a post myself.

I know there are other players like me who play the campaign of a game and once that has been completed, go immediately on to the multiplayer. This is easy for PC gamers as the application is often split between two icons, Single Player and Multiplayer. But what about for XBOX 360 (and maybe PS3)? I have found a way which will kick the game straight into Multiplayer mode without having to boot to the Main Menu first.

(Before I go too far. I apologise for the picture quality in advance)

Start the game and get into Multiplayer.

Then select Options.

In Options, you will find an option for Load Multiplayer by Default. Enable this option.

Once Enabled, the game will start in Multiplayer mode by default every time you start the game on you XBOX. You can always turn this option off or, if you want to play the campaign again, just go to Main Menu option on the multiplayer main menu.

Android 2.2 is now number one

According to Android Developers site, Android 2.2 is the most popular version of the Google OS on mobile devices.

A reported 61.3% of all Android devices are currently running Android 2.2, with 2.1 not far behind.

A more welcoming site is the decline of the 1.x version of the OS sitting at less than 5%.

However, users are still complaining that updated versions of the OS, such as 2.3, aren’t being rolled out efficiently by handset makers leaving devices with older software and missing out on features in some cases.

 

 

Source: http://developer.android.com/resources/dashboard/platform-versions.html

Microsoft release Internet Explorer 9

Microsoft today release it's latest edition of the Internet Explorer product, Internet Explorer 9.

The new web browser has been available to the public in testing and beta form for some time now. Microsoft reported that over 40 million users downloaded the betas.

Internet Explorer 9 has HTML5 rendering and hardware acceleration as its main focus features and is now available for all to download.

Internet Explorer in recent months has lost market share ground to alternate browsers like Mozilla Firefox and Google Chrome. However with the new release of the browser with better rendering engine and increased security, it is hoping to see some users return.

Internet Explorer 9 is only available to user running Windows Vista and Windows 7, leaving Windows XP users to IE 8 or alternative browsers for continued security and features.

IE 9 continues Microsoft's battle to end the usage of IE 6 which was plagued with security holes and bad rendering engine which has caused endless headaches for web developers and maintain site compatibility.

IE 9 can be downloaded for free from the Microsoft Download Centre website:
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/en/default.aspx

Microsoft apologizes to developers for Internet Explorer 6

At a Microsoft event via marketing, Microsoft has apologized for Internet Explorer 6.

Update: Internet Explorer 6 falls below 1% in the US

Internet Explorer 6 has an established reputation of supporting proprietary Microsoft website code and poorly supporting more open standard which has changed in recent versions of Internet Explorer. Migration from Internet Explorer 6 has been an up hill battle for Microsoft has large amounts of enterprises and businesses invested their web applications to be optimized for IE6 and compatibility was an issue for new versions of IE.







Original Tweet: http://twitter.com/AndrewJCohen/statuses/44982527538110464

iPhone Hotspot feature only support 3 devices on WiFi

One of the major new features of the next release of Apple iOS, 4.3, is the hotspot features which allows users to tether wirelessly to the phone for internet access and syncing.

However, according to Engadget, to get the advertised 5-devices it means 3 devices via Wifi, 1 via USB connection and 1 via Bluetooth. This seems somewhat of a waste or technical back step if you will but that’s Apple for you.

http://www.engadget.com/2011/03/04/atandt-mobile-hotspot-for-iphone-4-limited-to-just-three-wifi-devi/

HDMI output for iPhone and iPod

AppleInsider has reported that Apple is releasing a HDMI adapter for the iPhone and iPod devices along side the iPad 2 release.

Alongside iPad 2, Apple has released a new US$39 "Digital AV Adapter" that supports HDMI audio and video output for 720p photo slideshows and movies on iPhone 4, iPod touch 4 and iPad, while also supporting video mirroring on the upcoming iPad 2.

Blackberry Messenger maybe available on Android

A particular feature is the proprietary messaging service that comes with the Blackberry mobile maybe soon available on Android devices, later followed by Apple iOS devices.

This speculation/prediction comes out of the Boy Genius Report and gains momentum from the news that Research in Motion (RIM) will be designing and implementing a “Android emulator” in their line of tablet to enable a large amount of apps straight out of the gate for the new PlayBook tablet device.

The Blackberry Messaging (BBM) at the moment allows users to send simple messages to each other using the devices PIN code as an addressing identifier, bypassing conventional methods like SMS.

How this would be accomplished on non-Blackberry devices is yet to be determine or even announced but is it enough for RIM to stay competitive and relevant in such competitive time in the mobile device market? We will just have to wait and see.

Discounts and refunds for current iPad

Since the annoucement of the new iPad, Apple and retailers have dropped the price of the currnet Apple iPad.

With the arrival of the new iPad to hit Australian stores by 25th March, stores have dropped the price of the current iPad by as much as $200. Apple has also stated that if you have purchased a new iPad within fourteen days of the permanent price drop, you may request refund on the difference.

These are the price drops of the orginal iPad (thanks to CNET)

iPad "One" Model	Price as of 3 March 2011	Launch price
16GB Wi-Fi	AU$449	AU$629
32GB Wi-Fi	AU$579	AU$759
64GB Wi-Fi	AU$689	AU$879
16GB Wi-Fi and 3G	AU$598	AU$799
32GB Wi-Fi and 3G	AU$729	AU$928
64GB Wi-Fi and 3G	AU$839	AU$1049

Mortal Kombat Refused Classification (But that's not the end of it)

This week, the Australia Government Classification department rejected and otherwise Refused Classification to the reboot of the classic fighting game Mortal Kombat.

Classification rejected the game claiming it to be too violent for the Australian public and the game didn't meet criteria for MA15+ classification. Therefore was refuse for release in Australia. This has anger many gamers and has added more fuel to argument for a R18+ gaming rating. Australia continues to be one of the few countries without a R18+ rating for games.

Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment Australia have responded saying they will appeal the decision as the game ha no more violence than other games currently in the Australian market.

"After careful consideration Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment Australia have decided to appeal to the Australian Classification Review Board against the RC (Refused Classification) decision given to Mortal Kombat. After reviewing both the game play and the Board's original decision WBIE Australia believe the violence in the game is on par with numerous other titles readily available for sale in the Australian market. As such the company wants to exhaust all options to make the game available to Mortal Kombat fans in this country. An identical version of the game will be submitted for appeal." 

For more information on the R18+ classification for games in Australia, see this website
http://www.r18games.com.au/

Galaxy S to get Android 2.3

It was leaked this week that the Samsung Galaxy S will be getting the Android 2.3.2 update.

Leaked ROMs are already available for download for those who cant wait for the official release, however some sources say that it could be as soon as this month that we will see the official release (although this is highly unlikely).

Android 2.3 comes with the normal update feature points like improved performance, as well as improved keyboard functionality, ability to modify dictionary, improve app management, power management and more.

Published with Blogger-droid v1.6.7

Apple iPad 2 announced

Apple's CEO Steve Jobs last night revealed their latest product, the iPad 2.

The revision has upgrades like a new and thinner body measuring only 0.88cm deep (down from 1.34cm)  and weighing only 603 grams.

As with the previous release, the iPad 2 will be released in Wifi-Only and Wifi+3G model with storage capacities of 16GB, 32GB and 64GB. The new iPad will be sporting a dual-core processor increasing performance including graphics for gaming.

The rear camera reportedly captures at 720p resolution while the front facing camera is VGA-quality intended for Video especially Apple's FaceTime.

The iPad 2 will be shipped with iOS 4.3 which includes new features allowing users to port images and audio from apps to other devices, improve Safari performance as well as the ability to set the function of the switch on the right side of the iPad. This was changed after the first iPad was released from a rotation lock switch to a mute switch which no option to change it back with upset users. The ability to change the functionality will be a welcomed feature. Ability to sync with iTunes over Wifi will also included with 4.3.

iPad 2 will go on sale on 25th of March. Pricing is yet to be announced for Australia.



For more information see the CNET article: http://bit.ly/gWJdUZ

Ubuntu Netbook Remix on HP Mini 110

Note: This article is written for the Ubuntu Netbook Remix 10.04 release. The current release of Ubuntu is 11.10 (as of Jan-12) and no longer offer the Netbook Remix, although the standard edition is said to work on netbooks. 

For a long time I have been looking to try out the Netbook release of the famous Ubuntu Linux distribution, and see if it made my HP Mini 110 any better than running it with Windows 7.

Ubuntu Netbook Remix is a optimised edition of the desktop Linux system with a custom layout and interface that is intend to ease and enhance the netbook experience. As the desktop edition, the netbook remix comes with Firefox, OpenOffice, Empathy just to name a few to get you started on your way.
I have installed this onto my HP Mini 110 (HP Mini 110-1135TU) and it is now running great. However, there were some things I had to do before it was 100%. Out of the box, the wireless card does not work. Standard Ethernet does, but wireless cannot be found. But before I go into that lets start with the install.

Hardware Checklist

This is a simple table outlining the devices and their working state on the netbook once the OS was installed.

Device	State
Intel Atom CPU	Working
Monitor/Display	Working (and correct resolution)
RAM	Working
HDD	Working
Network Card	Working
Wireless Network Card	Needed addition configuration, but working
Card Reader	Working
Wireless Switch	Working
Bluetooth	Working
Shortcut Keys	Working
Sound	Working

Download and Install

This is how I got it installed. First I must emphasis the importance of a good backup before system changes. Please perform a backup before continuing. Also make sure you have an available 1GB+ USB Flash Drive. This will be used for the install.

1) Download the Ubuntu Netbook Remix from here.
2) Once the ISO was downloaded, I went to Pendrivelinux.com and downloaded the Universal USB Installer. This utility will install the ISO image onto a USB Flash Drive. Please backup any data off this drive as it will be formatted and all data will be lost. When running the software, select Ubuntu Netbook remix 10.10 from the drop-down and it should automatically find the ISO image (if not you can always manually locate it). Next plug in you USB Flash Drive and select the drive letter from the dropdown. Then click Create. Once this is done, continue on.



3) Plug the USB Flash Drive into the HP Mini 110 and boot off the Flash Drive. You can force this by pressing F9 at the BIOS to bring up the Boot Order Menu. Once you have selected the USB and are booting, this will take some time. This will boot into Ubuntu Live giving you a chance to demo the software. When you are ready, install the software with your preferred configurations.



4) Once you have installed the system you can now start using your netbook. Next I will guide you through getting the wireless working. Out of the box 90% of the devices are working without any configuration so enjoy.

Wireless Network Card

Getting the wireless interface was so what tricky and didn’t seem easy at first but then I was surprised when it did work. I was able to get it working with the thanks to some helpful contributors at Ubuntuforms.com.
1) Ensure the wireless switch is on.
2) Open Terminal. This can be found in the Applications menu.
3) These are a series of commands that will uninstall the various components and reinstall them.
-sudo apt-get - -purge remove firmware-b43-installer
-sudo apt-get - -purge remove dkms
-sudo apt-get - -purge remove bcmwl-kernel-source
-sudo apt-get install bcmwl-kernel-source
-sudo reboot
4) Once the netbook has rebooted, your wireless card should now be working.

Ubuntu on this netbook is excellent and the Unity interface is excellent. If you have found this article helpful, please let me know in the comments section. And if you need further help, also leave a comment.

Windows 7 SP1 is out

Service Pack 1 for Windows 7 is now available. Not that exciting really. No new features. Just a bulk load of the updates you probably already have. You’re Welcome!

Sony looks to pull music from iTunes

Music giant Sony is looking to pull its music from the all popular Apple iTunes store after Apple rejected Sony e-reader application.

The music industry has been, for a long time, looking for a way to pull out of the grips of the Apple iTunes store and it looks like Apple last app rejection to Sony could be the beginning of the end.

Since rejecting Sony’s e-reader app from the App store, Sony is now threatening to pull all their music from the iTunes store and looking to put more effort into either their own ecosystem and alternative system that has yet to hit the market.

For now though, the music is still available and will be for users to download through the iTunes store.

Guitar Hero’s last show

Activision this week made the announcement that they will be shutting down the Guitar Hero franchise.

The once-popular game Guitar Hero were the player would use a toy guitar-shaped controller to “play” along to the music will no longer be developed as Activision will be shutting down the division that develops the franchise including DJ Hero.

Less than two years ago, the game reportedly brought in $2 billion to the company however that is no longer the case as sales continue to decline. The high cost of licensing fees and royalties further meant that the game was no longer profitable.

For those who still play and enjoy the game, downloadable content will continue to be available for some time to come.

Nokia to use Windows Phone 7

Nokia and Microsoft have gotten together to create, what could end being a shakeup to the smartphone industry. Nokia devices will now run Windows Phone 7.

Nokia will be dumping their native mobile OS Symbian and will be adopting the new Microsoft platform as their new smartphone operating system.

This new move will see a boost to both companies sales. Nokia and Microsoft will be working together in development while Nokia is set to define the Windows Phone 7 smartphone.

Bing will become Nokia primary search service across Nokia’s devices and Nokia Maps will become apart of Microsoft core mapping services such as Bing and ad services.

NSW Election Twitter Feed: The Fun I Have

The Daily Telegraph site is running a campaign on the NSW Election, and currently they have a monitor going for the Twitter hashtag #NSWElection. I thought I would have some fun with it.

Foursquare for sex (NSFW)

As my friends will tell you, I am a huge Foursquare fan, but this is taking it to the next level.

See more funny videos and funny pictures at CollegeHumor.

Apple Store coming to Penrith

According to the Apple site for future stores, Penrith NSW will be getting one.

The famous Apple stores have gained the reputation of being shiny and selling nothing but the handful of products that Apple offers. And now Penrith will be home to one. Who would have thought?

I now look forward to my work receive increasing amounts of questions and support enquires regarding their new Mac or iPhone.

By the way, I recommend you read this blog on the views of some of the workers of the Apple Store: http://crapplestore.blogspot.com/

New Windows Home Server released for testing

The next installment of Windows Home Server was released to the public for testing.

Windows Home Server 2011, codename Vail, has been promoted to Release Candidate status and is now available for download and testing. One of the most outstanding missing features is the famous Drive Extender technology which was pulled from the software late 2010.

Drive Extender was the technology allowing users to add and remove drives on the fly as well as providing a data duplication system. It has been said that this technology was removed because the software being incompatible with the systems of Microsoft's larger partners, leaving enthusiasts confused and betrayed.

While the drive extender may be gone, WHS 2011 still comes packed with features like Media Streaming, PC Backup, and Remote Access.

If you would like to be apart of the testing process, go to the Microsoft Connect site and sign up for the programme. http://connect.microsoft.com/WindowsHomeServer

Windows 8 to run on more than Intel chips

A lot came out of the Microsoft CES presentation today with twitter a buzz with highs and lows regarding what they had on offer this year and results of last year.

Majority of the presentation was what we already knew about products like XBOX Kinect and Windows 7, however the big thing was that we will soon see Windows 7 running on low-end processors like Intel Sandybridge and AMD fusion, which signals to a future in mobile and tablet-based computing.

The other major point was the future for Microsoft and their development with SoC or System on a Chip. Windows 8 will be developed with the ability to be coded directly on a microprocessor such as Intel, Snapdragon and the NVIDIA Tegra. A big concert of future computer engineering.

Those two point for me were the major factors of the presentation that shows that Microsoft as a company has just shown the world that they are serious about innovation and consumer technology. Some Twitter comment included remarks about Apple have something to worry about while other also said the presentation was a bore and nothing exciting came of it.

Other facts were fed to the audience like 30 million Xbox Live subscribers, 50 Million Xbox 360’s sold and 8 Million Kinects sold. Apparently 20% of internet connected PC are now running Windows and Windows Live used by 500 Million people.

IT Intern Story you must read

If you have ever been the supervisor for a work experience kid in IT, this story is your worst nightmare.

Rob's employer didn't need a summer intern, let alone a paid intern. This absence of need conflicted directly with the Director of Engineering's need to find his son a summer job while he was home from college. In the battle between Frugality and Nepotism, there could be only one victor, and plenty of collateral damage.

On his first day, Chris arrived wearing jean-shorts and a stained Boba Fett t-shirt that wasn't quite long enough to reach his waistband, which itself wasn't quite broad enough to completely contain his waist. He exuded the faint aroma of Cheetos and basement, and had the dazed look of someone unused to full sunlight.

Rob decided the first order of business was to get a feel for Chris's technical background. The Director of Engineering assured him that Chris was a computer whiz, but he didn't intend to throw Chris at their servers without a little vetting. "So, have you ever run a web-server?"

"Oh, yeah, all the time."

"Apache? IIS?"

"No. I use Internet Explorer. People say you can get viruses from it, but that's only if you're a porno-browsing moron. I had a guy try to hack me once. Once. He won't be trying that again."

"Well, great," Rob said. "Building management needs to do some renovations upstairs, so we're going to need to move a few workstations to another office. Let me get you a hand-cart and show you where things are."

Rob handed Chris a cart, showed him where the "to" and "from" locations were, and went to go do some real work. Fifteen minutes later, the hallway reverberated with an expensive series of crashes, punctuated with a whimper. Rob found Chris leaning over a thoroughly destroyed tower. "I… I tripped," Chris said. His lame story was corroborated by the Chris-shaped dent in the side of the case, and an honestly pained grimace.

"Why didn't you use the hand-cart?" Rob asked.

"I wanted to get some exercise. I need to be in good shape for my Jeet-Kun-Do classes. I'm totally going to rock my brown-belt test next week."

After explaining that the office wasn't a gymnasium, Rob learned his lesson and supervised Chris a bit more closely. The morning passed without Rob retiring any more asset tags. He left for lunch and spent a portion of it brainstorming a set of scut-work that needed done and would keep Chris out of trouble. When he pulled his car back into the lot, what he saw caused him to narrow down the list of acceptable tasks even further.

Someplace among the construction equipment, Chris had scavenged a five-foot long metal bar. He spent his lunch break doing his best impression of the "Star Wars Kid". His skill with his improvised staff was on par with his skill at moving towers. He showed the grace and elegance of the Incredible Hulk at a tea-party. Rob parked far away from Chris's practice area, and spent a few minutes waiting to see if the bar went through someone's windshield.

Nothing dramatic happened. Rob shook his head and went back to work. Over the next week, Chris's floor show became a gag around the office. Anytime he didn't have an assigned task, Chris darted out to the parking lot or an empty room and pretended to be the Baton Twirler of the Apocalypse. The staff dubbed the bar his "companion cube", since it was nearly always at hand.

One day, Rob allowed Chris into the server closet; he needed a gopher. He didn't pay too much attention when Chris excused himself, but he did look up when Chris waddled back in with a pair of steaming coffee mugs. Beside Chris's head was a sign that read, "ABSOLUTELY NO FOOD OR DRINK IN THIS ROOM."

"Hey, I brought you some coffee," Chris said.

"Don't bring that in here," Rob warned.

The warning went unheeded. Chris's foot found a delicate barometric imbalance around floor level; he tripped, the coffee went flying. The company's internal webserver was destroyed, and Rob dealt with the after effects of a scalded groin.

By the end of the summer, Chris's clumsiness, lack of caution, and general incompetence caused no less than five major outages and destroyed a few thousand dollars worth of equipment. Chris said he was sad to go back to school, but everyone else patted him on the back and hoped they would get to see the door strike his ass on the way out. After his last day, things returned to normal, and he was quickly forgotten. The only trace of his passage was a clumsily photoshopped picture of Chris battling an oversize server with his metal rod.

And then, sometime near Christmas, the network went down. Rob scrambled to the server room, analyzed the situation, and quickly identified the problem. Fixing the problem was as simple as reconnecting a few network cables. And the root cause? Chris's metal bar. It had been propped in a corner behind some equipment. The combination of trucks driving by, the tides, and perhaps Santa's sleigh cruising overhead had jostled it loose. Gravity did the rest.

It was one last gift from Chris to ensure he would never be forgotten.

Source: http://thedailywtf.com/Articles/An-Intern-Walks-in-with-a-Bar.aspx 

iPhone alarms continue to not work

Further articles are dominated the internet with iPhone users continuing to not being woken up from their one-off alarms set on their iPhone.

Since the 1st, iPhone users have found their alarms to not be working with once-off alarms not activating at their designated times. Further reports and tweets from users of their missed flights and their latenesses to appointment and work.

Unfortunately, Apple does not regard the issue as high-priority but will be looking into the issue.

Source: http://bit.ly/fZLcF9 

Aussie Retails Giant Push for Online Tax

Retail giant like Harvey Norman and Myer are pushing th government make changes to Australia Tax due to recent trends in online shopping internationally.

Due to recent surge in the Aussie dollar (and other factors) have encouraged spending overseas online, which also comes with the added benefit of no tax with spending sub-$1000.

Gerry Harvey, and other retail outlets, are pushing the government to either remove local taxes from sub-$1000 goods or apply the same tax to international purchases. Harvey Norman and Myer claim that to these lack of taxes, long-term results will include reduction in part-time/casual hours, and manufacturing and logistics just to name a few.

The government has said they have little interest in modifying Australia Tax law and see no immediate concern. Consumer group Choice have said that this push from the big retailers is nothing but scare tactics and retailers should recognize that consumers are simply sourcing lower prices.

Source: http://bit.ly/iaBdNX 

NSW Government support Digital Development

In an article by the Game Developers Association of Australia, the NSW Government will be funding $4.5 million to digital projects and creations.

As par of the NSW Digital Media Intuitive, NSW Industry and Investment is providing grants for a wide range of projects from small, early-stage projects to large scale developments.

The intuitive is in an effort to boost digital creation and encourage competitive development within certain industries such as Film, Gaming and software development.

For more information see here: http://www.business.nsw.gov.au/industry/ict/Digital+Media.htm

Source: http://bit.ly/fhIahg

iPhone alarms not working

Reports out today that since the new year, iPhone users are finding that their alarms aren't working.

In an article from Gizmodo, this is a bug that has been discovered since the new year and applies only to One time event alarms, while reoccurring alarms will continue to work fine. As a temporary workaround, set all alarms to reoccur and simply manually disable the alarm once it has gone off.

Users should expect a fix for the bug on Jan 3rd.

UPDATE: In an article from AppleInsider, Apple has confirmed the alarm bug with the phone, but believes the problem will be resolved on its own by the 3rd.

Source: http://gizmo.do/fDsavR, http://bit.ly/gevchC
Pic Source: Gdgt.com

2011: The Future for this Blog

Another year has clicked around and fatties everywhere are vowing to loose weight while chowing down on a BigMac, loners are saying they will spend more time with the family while leveling up on World of Warcraft, and that rich dude in his sports Mercedes-Benz thinks about buying another car for the weekends while still declining the extra cost to a bluetooth stereo. In other words, new years resolutions are bullshit and that's why I am not making any promises.

For the Tech blog this year though I will be looking to getting an actual domain name and losing the blogspot.com URL. Every time I look at this sites address I can only imagine people laughing at the ridiculousness of such an address. Not sure what it will be yet but I am brainstorming.

I am also hoping to give the blog and overhaul and new look this year. Although Blogger last year introduced the new layouts and looks for blogs, it is still dated and you just know that it is a Blogger blog and I hate that.

And I spose the other goal for this blog for 2011 is content. Posts are far and few between like a CityRail train (a little Sydney joke there), and I aim to post more frequently with news updates and some more fixes where I can.

To all the readers of this blog, thanks for your support in 2010 and I hope you continue with me in 2011. Happy New Year to you all!

Updated the "What I Use" Page

I have made some changes to the What I Use page with some changes to how I do things as well as some easy links to the websites of the hardware and software.

I no longer use Seesmic as my twitter client and have come to like TweetDeck some more as it is also a great app on my Android phone.