Why is FreeBSD So Awesome?

That's a good question.

Especially after reading this post.


"The problem is, that most of these companies do not really realize how many people would use their product if there were FreeBSD versions too, and most continue to only develop for Linux."

It is just curious to me why, if there are so many FreeBSD users ready to use the software from these companies, do the companies not develop FreeBSD versions?

Rock On: We're Not the Biggest Nerds

So, it may come as quite a shock to hear that we here at 10nerds aren't the biggest nerds ever, but we finally have proof.

Wireless != Security either!!!

Welp, apparently I'm going to have to find a way to operate without my keyboard or my wireless connection!

I taught myself how to hack wireless connections when I had some extra time on my hands one summer in Albuquerque, NM. I figured out that it took me about 5 minutes to crack a wireless network with 64-bit WEP and about 2 hours to crack a wireless network with 128-bit WEP. Cracking networks with WPA were a bit harder, and required some more computers to act as people using the network, so I didn't fool with that much.

However, it appears that cracking the wireless networks may have just become 10,000 percent faster, and using nothing more than a fancy video card.


Oh, and by the way, that 64-bit encryption that takes me about 5 minutes to crack -- yeah, that's what HIPAA says is "OK" to use when running computers on the same network that hold your medical records! -- It's just a scary day here at 10nerds!

Wire != Security

Welp, after this post, I will no longer be using a keyboard. These people have found a way to pick up (and decode) the electromagnetic emanations of the signals that run through the wire in a wired keyboard from the next room!

Here's the non-engineering version (engineers probably shouldn't read this):
Your computer and your keyboard are connected with basically what amounts to two cups and a string. When the keyboard wants to send a signal, say an "f", to the computer, it picks up the cup and screams "f!" The computer hears this, and puts an "f" on the screen. The problem with this is that the screaming makes noise all along the string and someone who is standing near the string can hear it.

So what does that mean for you? Well, if you type your password on your wired keyboard, someone with know-how can hear the screams of each letter and in effect listen to your password.


Here are a couple of videos showing it in action.

Man this stuff is scary.

How to Back Up and Restore a MySQL Database

Backup:
[/bin/nice -n 19] mysqldump -u [uname] -p [dbname] -c | [/bin/nice -n 19] | gzip -9 > [backupfile.sql.gz]

Note: You can use $(date '+%Y.%m.%d').sql.gz like I do for the name.


Restore:
gunzip [backupfile.sql.gz]
mysql -u [uname] -p [db_to_restore] < [backupfile.sql]


How to Back Up and Restore a MySQL Database

Import from Wordpress to Blogger

Just finished this import myself, as you can see by all of the extra posts!

http://code.google.com/p/blogsync-java/

A couple of hints:
1. Make sure you use Java JDK 1.5 (1.4 and 1.6 will not work!)
2. Make sure that you set the path to java 1.5 in your path in the shell, not just in the 'run.sh' file like the Blogsync Wiki says.
3. Make sure that you do not have any drafts -- they will not publish (and they will give you an error.)
4. Make sure that the tags on your posts (if you have any) do not contain any invalid symbols (like an ampersand).
5. The java interface does not give you any meaningful error messages. To figure out why things are broken, open Wireshark and watch the exchange.

Random as a...Rocket Scientist?

We all know the saying "Well, it doesn't take a rocket scientist."

Questions:
1. Is this a passive aggressive attempt at knocking the rocket scientists of the world because we're jealous?

2. Why is a rocket scientist THE definitive profession for the smart people?
2a. Is it because NASA needs rocket scientists and no one wants to be one?
2b. Is it to encourage people to be rocket scientists? -- I'm going to guess here, but I would say 50% of rocket scientists became so because they wanted to say (or wear some t-shirt that says) "I'm a rocket scientist".

3. Do rocket scientists say this?

Intel Open House -- Seattle

So, I ended up attending an Open House for Intel's Research Group in Seattle just the other day, and saw some pretty interesting things... Here's a link to their site, so you can follow along:

http://www.seattle.intel-research.net/projects.php

Some favorite research projects were:

Trustworthy Wireless

1. From the previous post regarding RFIDs, we see how vulnerable people are now-a-days to having their RFID-enabled drivers license or passport from being copied and possibly misused. Granted, from the previous discussion, the value on the RFID (the unique identifier) is just a number having no correlation to any of your personal data (so we've been told), but the fact that this number means something to SOMEONE poses a risk.

The Intel group here developed a wallet of sorts which has an accelerometer within it, and identifies specific motions. Given the appropriate motion, the wallet then "reveals" the RFID chip to a potential reader, and likewise without an appropriate motion, "conceals" the RFID chip from the outside world. An appropriate motion could be waving your wallet back and forth 1.5 times (as they did)... usually the motion necessary when you want the chip read anyway. You follow?

2. Another interesting topic they're tackling is the idea that there are quite a few pay-for-wifi spots available in densely urban areas (maybe even in not-so-densely urban as well), and given these options... there is no metric or heuristic for ranking these wifi hotspots, as signal strength is usually NOT a very good indication of connectivity or upload/download speed. Yet again, another interesting topic.

3. Finally, it's quite amazing how many wifi hotspots there are in certain locations -- even my hometown of Ottawa, KS has an enumerate number of APs one can connect to. I remember driving down the Main Street in town with my laptop, and within a mile, noticing nearly 100 hotspots.

So how do you curb those signals? As of today, the APs and your wireless devices tend to radiate the signal in a spherical direction from the source, and there's really no way of modifying that. This group developed an interesting technique, what they called Geo-Fencing, where they can basically reign in their AP's wireless signal to stay within the confines of whatever boundaries they determine... For instance, with Geo-Fencing, you can place the AP within your home, and then regulate how far outside of the house the signal propagates, removing any possibility of intruders from connecting in from outside the house.

Wireless Resonant Energy Link

1. These guys apparently got quite a bit of news coverage, by extending some work from MIT. The concept (as it was explained to me) uses two coils, of which the resonant frequency is known. Transmitting power through one coil at that frequency produces a magnetic field of which a second coil absorbs and converts back into electricity. They claim a 70% efficiency while lighting a bulb about 2 feet away. It's kinda cool to see!

Anyway... Cool stuff. *pushes eyeglass frames up*