Friday, September 13, 2013

New from NirSoft, SoundVolumeView (think "Uber volume control with profiles, command line and more" utility)

NirBlog - New utility to control the sound volume on Windows Vista/7/8/2008

SoundVolumeView is a new tool for Windows Vista/7/8/2008 that displays general information and current volume level for all active sound components on your system, and allows you to mute and unmute them instantly.

SoundVolumeView also allows you to save a sound profile into a file, containing the current volume level and the mute/unmute state of all sound components, as well as the default sound devices, and then later, load the same file to restore exactly the same volume levels and settings.

There is also extensive command-line support, which allows you to save/load profiles, change current volume of every sound component, and mute/unmute every sound component, without displaying any user interface.

NirSoft - SoundVolumeView v1.00

...

This utility works on Windows Vista, Windows 7, Windows 8, and Windows 2008. Both 32-bit and 64-bit systems are supported.
Windows XP and older systems are not supported

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Start Using SoundVolumeView

SoundVolumeView doesn't require any installation process or additional dll files. In order to start using it, simply run the executable file - SoundVolumeView.exe

After running SoundVolumeView, the main window is displays all sound items found in your systems. There are 3 types of items: devices, subunits, and application volume.
For every item, the current volume level is displayed in percent unit. For devices and subunits, the volume level is also displayed in Decibel. For subunits, the volume level is displayed for every channel separately.

Increase/Decrease/Mute Volume

In the main window of SoundVolumeView, you can select one or more items, and then mute, unmute, increase, or decrease the volume of selected items, using accelerator keys:

...

Sound Profiles

SoundVolumeView allows you to save all your current sound settings into a sound profile filename, and then load it later when you want to restore these settings.
The sound profile file stores the following information:
  • Volume level of all active sound components on your system. (Devices, Subunits, and application volume) For Subunits, the volume level of every channel is stored separately.
  • Mute/Unmute state of all active sound components on your system. (Devices, Subunits, and application volume)
  • Default render/capture device.

You can save and load sound profiles by using the 'Save Sound Profile' and 'Load Sound Profile' options under the File menu, or by using the /SaveProfile and /LoadProfile command-line options. There is also a recent menu located under the File menu, which allows you to easily load the last 10 sound profiles you used, as well as you can also load the recent 5 sound profiles from the tray menu (If the tray icon is turned on)

Be aware that sound profiles are bound to specific computer and its devices. You cannot save a sound profile in one computer and then load it into another computer.

Command-Line Options

You can use the command-line options below to change the volume level and mute/unmute status of every sound component on your system.
In the [Name] parameter , you can specify one of the following fields:
  • The name of the item, as appeared under the 'Name' column. (If you have multiple items with identical name, you should use the ID field.)
  • The ID of the item, as appeared under the 'Item ID' column.
  • For sound devices (Type = 'Device'), you can also use the value specified under the 'Device Name' column.
  • For application items (type = 'Application), you can also specify the process filename, for example: firefox.exe

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NirSoft (the heir apparent Sysinternals?) continues to provide a series of awesome utilities for Windows. I mean check out some of the available tools and utilities;

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See what I mean?

No need to fake it 'till you make it when you have this book, "Zero to Maker"

Make: - New to This Whole “Maker” Thing? Great!

As much as the headlines like to focus on 3D printing, robots, and new manufacturing companies, there’s actually a more important trend happening in the maker movement: accessibility. Even (and especially) if you don’t consider yourself a maker or tinkerer.

The tools and services are evolving at a breakneck pace, becoming both cheaper and easier to use. It’s an arms race to see who can create the most accessible, affordable ways to help you build whatever you can imagine! The big winner in this fierce competition is you, the new maker.

Getting involved has never been easier. And a lot can happen in just a few years. For instance, here’s my first Zero to Maker post from two years ago. Fast forward to next week at World Maker Faire where we’ll be demoing the newest version of OpenROV, an underwater robot I helped build with hundreds of other citizen ocean explorers.

...

Zero to Maker

Are you possessed by the urge to invent, design, and make something that others enjoy, but don’t know how to plug into the maker movement?

In Zero to Maker, David Lang explains how he became a pro maker after losing his job, and how the experience helped him start OpenROV—a community and product line focused on open source undersea exploration. It all happened once he became an active member of the maker culture.

Ready to take the plunge into the next Industrial Revolution? This guide provides a clear and inspiring roadmap.

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I love that "Just enough" subtitle. I think that's one of the things that's going to be on my cryogenic case... :)

Available on Amazon, and other sources..

Pre-order the paper...

... or today start reading the Kindle today...

[I Miss My Amiga - Way Back Post] AmigaHASP

CodeProject - How the AmigaHASP was born

Introduction

During 1989, while developing Rashumon, I found myself looking for a copy protection solution for Amiga software but there wasn’t any. The Amiga had a very non standard Parallel port, which made it impossible to just adopt a copy protection dongle from other platforms, and there was a need to develop a completely new system

Background

Hardware based copy protection systems are based on a hardware device which interact with the computer using the port assigned to it. Back then (1989), the USB wasn't invented yet, and the Parallel port was used. The Parallel port was the port used for printers for many years, and therefore any dongle would need to have “pass through” connector allowing the printer to be connected to it, instead to the port directly.

The Amiga HASP is created

Hardware based copy protection requires interaction with the device through most of the connector pins, being able to read each pin’s value, and to change each pin’s value from 0 to 1 and vice versa. The Amiga didn't provide any API to do so, which made me look for undocumented features, and code directly to the hardware instead of using any existing SDK.

With the help of Shimon Groper, the founder of Eliashim, I have made many attempts to create a dongle compatible with the unique and undocumented hardware. I used to go from Tel-Aviv to Haifa, and after several hours, leave with a box, covered with many wires in all colors, which was supposed to be the prototype… Eventually I found the way to implement the first Amiga based copy protection dongle and instead of buying bulk dongles from Aladdin Knowledge Systems, I have accepted the kind offer of Yankee Margalit, their founder and CEO, to by the Amiga product from my small software house (HarmonySoft), and after a short period of negotiation, Aladdin paid me $12,000 and my product became the AmigaHASP.

...

Not a long or in-depth article, but it's Amiga!

Wednesday, September 11, 2013

Remember...

Remember

How we came together. How we put aside the little stuff and felt part something bigger. How the shared grief, broke down all boundaries for while

Remember

Remember and never forget, those then and those now. Those in Towers, in the Pentagon, a field in Pennsylvania, the planes.

Remember

Those on that have been on the front lines and still are, sacrificing their blood, sweat and tears. The ones left home.

Remember

Remember

And never forget

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Image Credit: Mike G - Tribute in Light

Tuesday, September 10, 2013

"Winging It" is a pretty rough Preparedness Plan (aka. "Fake it 'till you make it" doesn't work as an Emergency Plan)

USA.gov - Winging It Is Not an Emergency Plan

Emergencies can occur with no warning. Do you have a supplies kit and a plan of action?

September is National Preparedness Month. Visit Ready.gov for guidance on what to before, during, and after different kinds of natural disasters and other emergencies.

Another action you can take is to join the National Preparedness Community. It’s free and open to all. As a member, you’ll have access to special preparedness resources and can collaborate with others in your community.

FEMA - National Preparedness Community

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National Preparedness Month 2013 Toolkit

The National Preparedness Month (NPM) 2013 Toolkit includes suggestions for activities and events that state, local, tribal and territorial governments, business, non-governmental organizations, and community organizations could sponsor to promote NPM.

This toolkit also includes templates and drafts of newsletter articles, blogs, posters, and other collateral material that you are able to use in various outreach efforts. As you familiarize yourself with the toolkit, keep in mind the audiences that you work with, and select the tools that are best able to help your organization reach them most effectively.

The National Preparedness Month (NPM) 2013 Toolkit is available below in its entirety. Individual chapters and resources by audience from the NPM Toolkit are also listed below according to the Toolkit's Table of Contents

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You've heard me stand on the soapbox before, so I won't repeat it all. Just let me say preparedness is a process, not a destination...

 

Related Past Post XRef:
Prep'ing your Pets, National Animal Disaster Preparedness Day is May 8th
When the unthinkable happens, make sure you think about your pets... Caring for your animals in a disaster means preparing now.
CDC does Earthquakes, Preparedness that is...
"Homebuilders' Guide to Earthquake-Resistant Design and Construction" Free PDF from FEMA
While it can be too later to prepare, it's never too early... Being ready is not hard, just do it, bit by bit...
Be prepared and know what you've got - Free Home Inventory Spreadsheet
A 2012 Survival Guide from How Stuff Works (Nonsense, but being prepared isn’t)
Centers for Disease Control (US CDC) provides Zombie Apocalypse 101 Survival Tips (really...) - And Zombie badges too!
Live on Earth? Then you live in a earthquake zone (your local activity may vary). When should you think about preparing for one? Um… Now!
Your Evacuation Plan – Do you have one? The time to make one is now, BEFORE you really need it…
National Preparedness Month: Don’t be afraid.. Be Ready

Also out yesterday, 2012.4rc3 - TFS 2012 and Visual Studio 2012 Update 4 RC 3

Microsoft Downloads - Visual Studio 2012 Update 4 RC 3

This is a release candidate (RC) for Visual Studio 2012 Update 4

Version: 2012

Date Published: 9/9/2013

  • tfs_express.exe, 735 KB
  • tfs_server.exe, 735 KB
  • vcredist_arm.exe, 1.4 MB
  • vcredist_x64.exe, 6.9 MB
  • vcredist_x86.exe, 6.3 MB
  • VS2012.4 RC TFS Express enu.iso, 484.1 MB
  • VS2012.4 RC TFS Server ENU.iso, 1.1 GB
  • VS2012.4 RC.exe, 1.3 MB

year-round to features in the main product release. These releases will be aligned with the core software development trends in the market, ensuring developers and development teams always have access to the best solution for building modern applications.

This is a release candidate (RC) for Visual Studio 2012 Update 4. These cumulative updates to Visual Studio 2012 include a variety of bug fixes and capability improvements. More details can be found here.

Statement of Support:
Visual Studio 2012 Update 4 RC and Team Foundation Server 2012 with Update 4 RC are “go-live”. This means that customers can use these builds in production environments. These are still pre-releases, so there may be some bugs that will be fixed for the final release. Upgrade from Update 4 RC to Update 4 RTM is supported. In order to upgrade to future releases, the customer must first upgrade from Update 4 RC to Update 4 RTM.

...

Update Package per offering:

  • Visual Studio
    • VS2012.4 RC.exe
  • Team Foundation Server (Choose either Web Installer or ISO Image)
    • Web Installer: tfs_server.exe
    • ISO Image: VS2012.4 RC TFS Server ENU.iso
  • Team Foundation Server Express (Choose either Web Installer or ISO Image)
    • Web Installer: tfs_express.exe
    • ISO Image: VS2012.4 RC TFS Express enu.iso
  • Visual C++ Redistributable (Choose architecture: x86, x64, arm)
    • vcredist_x86.exe
    • vcredist_x64.exe
    • vcredist_arm.exe

With all the news yesterday, it's easy to see how this could get lost in the noise...

Just a few shell games... shellproperty.exe and Raymond's Audio file metadata setter

Matthew van Eerde's web log - shellproperty.exe - set/read string properties on a file from the command line

Yesterday Raymond Chen blogged a "Little Program" which could edit audio metadata. As it happens, I have a similar tool I threw together which accepts a property key and a string property value to update a property, or can read a string or string-vector property.

Usage:

>shellproperty
shellproperty read <key> from <filename>
shellproperty set <key> to <string> on <filename>

Here's an example _fixup.bat script I use to set audio metadata on my copy of Giuseppe Sinopoli's recording of Madama Butterfly, to help distinguish it from other recordings of the same opera that I have.

@echo off
dir /s /b "I *.mp3" | xargs /addquotes shellproperty set PKEY_Music_AlbumTitle to "Madama Butterfly - Sinopoli / Freni: 1 of 3" on
dir /s /b "II *.mp3" | xargs /addquotes shellproperty set PKEY_Music_AlbumTitle to "Madama Butterfly - Sinopoli / Freni: 2 of 3" on
dir /s /b "III *.mp3" | xargs /addquotes shellproperty set PKEY_Music_AlbumTitle to "Madama Butterfly - Sinopoli / Freni: 3 of 3" on

Source and amd64/x86 binaries attached, but in substance it's very similar to Raymond's "Little Program".

..." [GD: Click through for the source ;]

The Old New Thing - Programmatically editing the metadata of an audio file

Today's Little Program edits the metadata of an audio file, ostensibly to correct a spelling error, but really just to show how it's done.

Today's smart pointer class library is... (rolls dice)... CComPtr!

We open with two helper functions which encapsulate the patterns

  • Get property from property store
    1. Call IProperty­Store::Get­Value
    2. Convert PROPVARIANT into desired final type
    3. Destroy the PROPVARIANT
  • Set property in property store
    1. Create a PROPVARIANT
    2. Call IProperty­Store::Set­Value
    3. Destroy the PROPVARIANT

... [GD: Again, click through for the source]

Two little command line app's that not only teach, but look useful in their own rights. And who doesn't like hacking document metadata properties? :P

Monday, September 09, 2013

Remember 9-11, Los Angeles Events

LAFD News and Information - Public Invited to Remember 9-11 in Los Angeles

In many ways, it is hard to believe that twelve years have passed since our nation was savagely attacked on September 11, 2001. While time moves forward, it in no way lessens the resolve of firefighters who loudly pledge:

We Shall Never Forget!

The men and women of the Los Angeles Fire Department warmly welcome you to stand with them in fulfilling this pledge, as they gather for Patriot Day and National Day of Service and Remembrance events on Wednesday, September 11, 2013 at five separate locations.

All are welcome to these solemn yet uplifting public ceremonies:

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Never forget...

I miss you, MSICUU2 - "What happened to the Windows Installer Cleanup Utility (MSICUU2.EXE)?" (hint: Replaced by "Program Install and Uninstall troubleshooter")

What happened to the Windows Installer Cleanup Utility (MSICUU2.EXE)

The Windows Installer Cleanup Utility (MSICUU2.exe) is replaced by the Program Install and Uninstall troubleshooter

(http://support.microsoft.com/mats/Program_Install_and_Uninstall)

which works better. If you cannot install (setup) or uninstall a program, try this troubleshooter.

Start the Program Install and Uninstall troubleshooter

If you have problems when you try to uninstall Microsoft Office, we recommend that you first use the relevant Microsoft Fix It that is included the following articles:

If you have problems when you try to uninstall Microsoft Security Essentials, see the following articles:

I kind of miss the Windows Installer Cleanup Utility (MSICUU2.exe). It was simple, easy and just got the job done. Sure if used wrong, it could hose your install database, but still, every time I needed it, I really needed it (and it just got the job done). And while I like most of the "Troubleshooters", I still miss you MSICUU2.exe...

 

Related Past Post XRef:
Can’t uninstall, can’t repair, and just want to make that install disappear? MSIZap it…
TFS Administration Tool - Having a problem installing v1.3 after having upgraded to TFS2008? Here's your ticket to v1.2 freedom...

Get Blue! (No, not that Blue...) Get the free Office 2010 inspired Blue theme, free from Infragistics

Brian Lagunas - FREE Office 2010 Blue Theme for WPF and Silverlight Microsoft Controls

Shhhhh…. Do you hear that?????  That’s the sound of another great FREE theme!

Today’s theme is the highly requested Office 2010 Blue theme.  The Office 2010 Blue theme takes it’s visual cues from the Microsoft Office 2010 product suite.  This is probably the most popular theme among Windows developers.  Why?  Well ,let’s face it!  Most clients want all their apps to look like Outlook and Excel.  Don’t ask me why, they just do.  Maybe they just feel more comfortable with apps that have that Office feel to them.  Because of that, most LOB developers have to provide an “Office” type theme to make their end-users feel all warm and fuzzy inside.  Well, now you can!  I am giving you this awesome Office 2010 Blue theme for Free!

Now remember, there is a catch to this free theme.  I will NOT support every single Microsoft control.  Why?  Well, because I would prefer for you to use Infragistics controls instead.  For example, I will not be providing a style for the Microsoft DataGrid because Infragistics has a much better xamDataGrid control.  You get the idea.

Silverlight

First up is the Silverlight version of the Infragistics’ “Office 2010 Blue Theme”. ...

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WPF

Next up is the WPF version of the Infragistics’ “Office 2010 Blue Theme”.  Just like the Silverlight version, we are providing you with styles for the primitive WPF controls that appear in the Visual Studio toolbox, as well as some controls in the WPF Toolkit.  Just like for the Silverlight version, we organized the themes by their respective source so that if you don’t use the WPF toolkit, there will be no need for your code to take a dependency on it....

 

Here is the full list of support controls:

  • Accordion
  • AutoCompleteBox
  • Button
  • CheckBox
  • ComboBox
  • Expander
  • GridSplitter
  • GroupBox
  • Label
  • ListBox
  • PasswordBox
  • ProgressBar
  • RadioButton
  • Rating
  • RepeatButton
  • Slider
  • TextBox
  • ToggleButton
  • Tooltip

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Blue is coming back, as seems to be a theme that people like, so having a free version that supports many WPF controls, is nice...

 

Related Past Post XRef:
WPF/SilverLight IG Theme is now free from Infragistics
Brian (and Infragistics) is having a theme give-away... As in giving away some of their WPF and Silverlight themes

Thursday, September 05, 2013

Silicon Beach gets a new Microsoft [Technology Center]

The Fire Hose - New state-of-the-art Microsoft Technology Center opens in Los Angeles

On Thursday, we celebrated the opening of a new Microsoft Technology Center in Los Angeles with a ribbon cutting ceremony featuring local officials, non-profit partners and area customers.

Located in the “Silicon Beach” area of L.A., our newest MTC is a 21,000-square foot state-of-the art office with the latest in Microsoft consumer and business technologies on display. L.A.-based customers and partners visiting the MTC will experience how our collaboration technologies enable them to seamlessly connect with colleagues all over the world via high-definition audio and video.

They can also play with the latest in mobile devices such as Surface and the Nokia Lumia 1020 with Windows Phone 8 and immerse themselves in the latest in large, touchscreen displays. With this new MTC, our customers and partners will see our innovation come to life.

Guests at today’s opening included Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti, State Senator Ted Lieu, Congresswoman Maxine Waters (D-Calif.), City Councilman Mike Bonin, Gary Toebben from the Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce and actress Holly Robinson Peete of the HollyRod Foundation.

...

LA Times - Microsoft, with Mayor Garcetti on hand, opens office in Playa Vista

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Microsoft celebrated the grand opening of its new L.A. office on Thursday, and Mayor Eric Garcetti, a high school mariachi band and actress Holly Robinson Peete were among the eclectic mix of guests at the event.

The roughly 20,000-square-foot Microsoft space is part of the Reserve, a 20-acre creative use campus in Playa Vista that was formerly a U.S. Post Office facility.

Half of Microsoft's space -- which features an open floor plan, communal tables and conference rooms with SoCal-inspired names such as Malibu, Hermosa and Zuma -- will be occupied by employees, primarily those on the enterprise and sales and marketing teams. About 130 employees will work from the new office; they previously worked from Microsoft's now-closed office in downtown L.A.

The other half of the space will be used as a  technology "showcase office" for Microsoft to display its latest devices and software to customers and host community events, Mark Kornegay, the company's general manager for the Southern California district, said in an interview.

...

89.3 KPCC - With new technology center, Microsoft expands its turf on 'Silicon Beach'

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Microsoft opened new offices in Playa Vista Thursday, adding to its presence in the technology zone known as Silicon Beach.

Elected officials, including Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti and Congresswoman Maxine Waters were on hand to cut the ribbon on the new Microsoft Technology Center.  The center will be the base for about 130 Microsoft employees and replace offices in downtown Los Angeles.

“If you think through where our offices have resided, it’s always been where growth is,” said Mark Kornegay, the new General Manager of Microsoft, Southern California.  He said the company opened offices in downtown Los Angeles during a period of revitalization there.  “Now, Silicon Beach is where a number of companies have invested, a number of our customers are, so this is the area where there’s a tremendous amount of growth and Microsoft continues to follow that growth.”

...

It's a shame there's not yet a light rail/sub near this office... I'd love to take a lunch train ride down to check it out (Drive down? The 405? Santa Monica/Playa Vista? Yeah, not unless I have too and there's money or beer involved... ;)

What's the new in Windows Server 2012 R2?

Kurt Shintaku's Blog - INFO: New Windows Server 2012 R2 Innovations… listed!

The System Center Team blog wrote a great post that goes over some of the most significant improvements made to Windows Server 2012 R2.

...

  • Storage transformation –...
  • Software defined networking – ...
  • Virtualization and live migration – ...
  • Access & Information Protection – ...
  • Java application monitoring – ...

...

The System Center Team Blog - Better Together - The New Windows Server 2012 R2 Innovations – Download Now

There are quite a few products that make up the Microsoft Cloud OS vision. Windows Server 2012 R2 is in preview right now and ready for your evaluation.  We also have a strong management platform that make up the System Center family of products. They are designed to have tight integration with the core being Windows Server.

If you are looking for information on Windows Server 2012 R2, we have been rolling out detailed information though Brad Anderson’s What’s New in 2012 R2 blog series.  That will continue but we thought you would like a short consolidated list for consideration.  Here are some of the new innovations in Windows Server 2012 R2.

Storage transformation – Delivers breakthrough performance at a fraction of the cost

  • The storage tiering feature of Storage Spaces in Windows Server 2012 R2 automatically tiers data across hard disks and solid state drives based on usage to dramatically increase storage performance and cost efficiency.

Software defined networking – Provides new levels of agility and flexibility

  • Network virtualization in Windows Server 2012 R2, along with the management capabilities in System Center 2012 R2 provides the flexibility to place any virtual machine on any node regardless of IP address with isolation. 
  • New in-box gateway in Windows Server 2012 R2 extends virtual networks to provide full connectivity to physical networks as well as access to virtual networks over the internet.

Virtualization and live migration – Provides an integrated and high-performance virtualization platform

  • Cross-version live migration enables virtual machines running on Windows Server 2012 to be migrated to Windows Server 2012 R2 hosts with no downtime.
  • Live migration compression provides dramatic time savings (approximately 50% or greater) by using spare CPU cycles to compress live migration traffic with no special hardware.
  • Live migration with RDMA enables offloading of the process to the NICs (if they support RDMA) for even faster live migrations.

Access & Information Protection – Empowering your users to be productive while maintaining control and security of corporate information with Windows Server 2012 R2

  • Enable users to work on the device of their choice (through BYOD programs or on personal devices) by providing a simple registration process to make the devices known to IT and be taken into account as part of your conditional access policies
  • Deliver policy-based access control to corporate applications and data with consistent experiences across devices
  • Protect corporate information and mitigate risk by managing a single identity for each user across both on-premises and cloud-based applications and enabling multi-factor authentication for additional user validation

Java application monitoring – Enables deep application insight into Java applications.

  • Provides performance and exception events as well as level alerting within Operations Manager for Java applications.
  • Supports Tomcat, Java JDK, and other Java web services frameworks.
  • Line-of-code level traceability with performance and exception metrics for .NET and Java application monitoring for more actionable, tool-driven dev-ops collaboration

...

Try Windows Server 2012 R2 on Windows Azure today!

...

In a word, lots (for an R2)

 

Related Past Post XRef:
"Introducing Windows Server 2012 R2" [Preview eBook Release]

UC Irvine, Canvas and AMC - "Society, Science, Survival: Lessons from AMC’s The Walking Dead" online course...

DVICE - California university now teaching zombie survival online

UC Irvine has just announced that it will be extending its studies of the human condition into the undead. By partnering with online learning platform Canvas and AMC, UC Irvine has created a class called "Society, Science, Survival: Lessons from AMC's The Walking Dead."

The course, while clearly a bit of a gimmick, will cover a wide range of topics pertinent to surviving a zombie apocalypse. By enrolling, you'll be signing up to learn about subjects from "Nutrition in a post-apocalyptic world — are squirrels really good for you?" to "The spread of infectious disease and population modeling — swarm!"

...

Society, Science, Survival: Lessons from AMC’s The Walking Dead

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From understanding social identities to modeling the spread of disease, this eight-week course will span key science and survival themes using AMC’s The Walking Dead as its basis. Four faculty members from the University of California, Irvine will take you on an inter-disciplinary academic journey deep into the world of AMC’s The Walking Dead, exploring the following topics:

  • Maslow’s hierarchy of needs—is survival just about being alive?
  • Social order and structures—from the farm and the prison to Woodbury
  • Social identity, roles, and stereotyping—as shown through leaders like Rick and the Governor
  • The role of public health in society—from the CDC to local community organizations
  • The spread of infectious disease and population modeling—swarm!
  • The role of energy and momentum in damage control—how can you best protect yourself?
  • Nutrition in a post-apocalyptic world—are squirrels really good for you?
  • Managing stress in disaster situations—what’s the long-term effect of always sleeping with one eye open?

Each week we’ll watch engaging lectures, listen to expert interviews, watch exclusive interviews with cast members talking about their characters, use key scenes from the show to illustrate course learning, read interesting articles, review academic resources, participate in large and small group discussions, and—of course—test our learning with quizzes. We recommend that you plan on spending about two (2) to four (4) hours per week on this course, though we believe the course is compelling enough you’ll want to spend more time.

At the end of this course, you will be able to:

  • Describe how infectious diseases—like a zombie epidemic—spread and are managed
  • Apply various models of society and Maslow’s hierarchy of needs to existing and emerging societies as a means for understanding human behavior
  • Analyze existing social roles and stereotypes as they exist today and in an emerging world
  • Debate the role of public health organizations in society
  • Describe how mathematical equations for population dynamics can be used to study disease spread and interventions
  • Apply concepts of energy and momentum appropriately when analyzing collisions and other activities that either inflict or prevent damage
  • Summarize multiple methods for managing stress in disaster situations

Of course I signed up! :)

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Wednesday, September 04, 2013

I2BLE (Intro to Bluetooth Low Energy)

Hack A Day - Primer on Bluetooth Low Energy

We’re sure that, like us, you’ve heard at least something about Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE). Bluetooth 4.0 is another name for BLE and it’s already available in some smartphones; starting with the iPhone 4S, BlackBerry 10, and with Android support added in 4.3 — Jelly Bean. Here’s your chance to get acquainted which what the specification brings to the table. The source material (which we’ll talk about below) provides a ton of background. But if you want a succinct overview check out [Gervasi's] summary of Bluetooth Low Energy.

We won’t republish the technical details here as both articles do a great job of covering those. Here’s what you should take away from BLE: It’s meant for use with devices running off of a tiny power source...

Element 14 - Bluetooth Low Energy

In the past year Bluetooth low energy (BLE) has seen a surge in popularity.

Despite its name, BLE is not that similar to conventional Bluetooth.  One of its selling points is that you can design a BLE device to run off a 230mAh CR2032 Li coin cell.  This is possible, but in practice developers often end up using a larger battery.  The rated 230mAh on a coin cell assumes very low current draw.  If you draw more than a few hundred microamps, except in very short bursts, the capacity is cut in half.  Moreover a Li cell’s internal resistance rises as its power is depleted more than cells of other chemistries.  If your power budget requires more than 100mAh, a CR2032 will be insufficient. 

The BLE physical layer divides ...

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BlackBerry 10 - Bluetooth LE primer for developers

This article is part of a series intended to help developers wishing to exploit Bluetooth® Low Energy® technology in their BlackBerry® 10 applications. No pre-requisite knowledge of Bluetooth Low Energy is necessary to appreciate this article as a summary of the technology is included. Readers of this article ought to be familiar with BlackBerry 10 native development, including Qt® and QML, and should be familiar with C++ in order to appreciate the sample application that is used to demonstrate the concepts.

The approach taken in this article is to describe the concepts and architecture that comprise Bluetooth Low Energy and then use the vehicle of a real world example of a Heart Rate Monitor application (HeartMonitor) to build on these concepts. This sample application has been published on GitHub® as Open Source.

The Authors

This article was co-authored by Martin Woolley and John Murray both of whom work in the BlackBerry Developer Relations team. Both Martin and John specialize in the application of proximity radio technology on BlackBerry devices including Bluetooth and NFC (amongst other things).

An Overview of Bluetooth Low Energy Technology

So, you’ve probably thought to yourself: “What can possibly be new in Bluetooth? What’s this “Low Energy” thing and what can I use it for? ” Bluetooth is a technology that’s been around for many years (it was originally conceived in 1994 as a wireless cable replacement technology) and we’ve become comfortable with its presence everywhere in devices such as Bluetooth Headsets, or other peripherals.

If I was to paraphrase how Bluetooth has evolved since its inception until about 2010, then it would be to say that it was following a path towards higher ...

At Build 2013 Scott Walker of Secret Labs was very excited about the AGENT Smart Watch's support for BLE. I didn't have the heart (or the will to highlight my ignorance) to say that I didn't really know jack about BLE. And while I still am clueless (and not just about BLE, ask anyone! ;) I'm that much less now after reading these, and they didn't even make my eyes bleed or brain explode (much). And now I see why he was so excited... :)

"Introducing Windows Server 2012 R2" [Preview eBook Release]

Microsoft Press - Free ebook: Introducing Windows Server 2012 R2 Preview Release

We’re very excited to announce another free ebook offering from Microsoft Press. Introducing Windows Server 2012 R2 Preview Release (ISBN 9780735682931), by Mitch Tulloch with the Windows Server Team, introduces new features and capabilities, with scenario-based advice on how the platform can meet the needs of your business. Get the high-level overview you need to begin preparing your deployment now. This book is based on the Preview release and will be updated to cover Windows Server 2012 R2 RTM.

Download the PDF version of this title here (108 pages, 5 MB). UPDATE: The EPUB format is here and the MOBI format is here.

Watch for the lengthier RTM edition of this ebook later this year!

If you prefer a hard copy of the book, you can order it here from our official distributor, O’Reilly Media, for $9.99.

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No need to jump through any hoops, just click. Will keep my eyes open for the RTM version...

The Old with the New - How to [unofficially] upgrade from Windows 8.1 Preview to Windows 8.1 RTM [Think "cversion.ini hacking for fun and..."]

Do This Best - How to Site - How to Upgrade from Windows 8.1 Preview to RTM – Guide

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One of the problems users encountered with these leaked ISO is the fact that they require a clean install, so everybody would lose all settings and apps.

The good news is that upgrading from Windows 8.1 Preview to RTM is actually possible, even though you install the stable version of the operating system from a stand-alone ISO.

...

1. Download Windows 8.1 RTM ISO

2. Modify cversion.ini file

3. Save Windows 8.1 RTM ISO

...

In the end, you only need to burn the ISO to a DVD or create a USB stick to start the installation of your Windows 8.1 RTM OS. After launch, the installer will give you the option to either deploy a fresh copy of the operating system or upgrade from Windows 8.1 Preview, while keeping settings and applications

...

It's an somewhat old hack, but has been know to work. For the record, I would NOT suggest you get a Windows 8.1 RTM ISO from another other source than Microsoft (i.e. just hold your horses until 10/18). You grab an leaked ISO, you're taking a huge risk. Don't do it. It's only a month and a half...

But when you do, this hack might come in handy. Remember YMMV, and this is totally unofficial and not supported (and don't come crying to me if this hoses your PC, etc, etc, etc).

Setting your Kindle on fire with Kindle MatchBook

Kindle MatchBook

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Introducing Kindle MatchBook

For thousands of qualifying books, your past, present, and future print-edition purchases will soon allow you to buy the Kindle edition for $2.99, $1.99, $0.99, or free.

Available for thousands of great print books purchased new from Amazon, going all the way back to 1995 when Amazon first opened its online bookstore.

In a word? OMG, this is pretty darn fricken awesome! (It's too cool for just a single word!)

The only downside for me on this is that I bought so many of my books before Amazon (yes, there was such a time). Oh well, still a number of purchases were made on Amazon, and I do enjoy re-reading, so this is still officially cool...

Tuesday, September 03, 2013

CodePlex has a new face (well actually, he's kind of old, but you get the idea) - Martin Woodward joins the CodePlex team...

CodePlex Weblog - Hello

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You’ll be seeing some more posts from me here soon so wanted to quickly say hi. My name is Martin Woodward and I’ve just moved over to work on CodePlex team here in Microsoft as the PM. I’ve been part of the CodePlex community since May 2006 (3 years before I started here at Microsoft) so it’s very bizarre to be come work behind the curtain. Previous to coming to the CodePlex team I worked on the Git support in TFS and Visual Studio as well as working on Team Explorer Everywhere – the Eclipse and Cross-platform client to TFS. I’ve been and continue to be a contributor or maintainer on various open source projects around the internets, doing some fun things in various different languages. In fact the commit that I’m most proud of in an open source project  isn’t actually one that is hosted on CodePlex at all - it was just a small bit of code I knocked up as a weekend project and then contributed to the PDE project in Eclipse. Basically it enabled some Java code to rewrite the eclipse.exe launcher on 64-bit versions of Windows at a binary level, injecting a custom icon as part of a Java based build process. It was just a small fix to an arcane bit of code that manipulated the Portable Executable file format at a binary level in Windows. This was just a raindrop in an ocean of code written that day. Yet because I took 5 minutes to attach the patch to a bug report the code has lived on for years and is still being used by organizations all over the planet, and beyond (NASA use PDE based tooling when dealing with nuclear powered, laser toting robots in outer space – how cool is that!?! )

...

My RadioTFS co-host has a new gig at one of my favorite Microsoft services, CodePlex! While the CodePlex team has been chugging along, quietly and constantly improving CodePlex, it's good to see Martin take on this role. He's kind of an outsider (kind-of) so it will be great to see his influence in the product.

I had to laugh. He and I had a "Man Moment" the other day. I proudly said I'd been a CodePlex member since early beta (May 19th, 2006). Martin? May 16th, 2006. He wins. grrr.... LOL

Anyway, I expect in the coming months and years we're going to see a resurgence of, and renewed interest in, CodePlex. (Well, a boy can dream, right?  ;)

[Not Humor] Windows To Go Fact Sheet from the NSA

NSA - Information Assurance - Configuring Windows To Go as a Mobile Desktop Solution

Windows To Go is a new feature of Windows 8 Enterprise that allows a fully functional Windows 8 instance to be run from an external USB flash drive. When a host machine is booted from a Windows To Go drive, the user experience is the same as the Windows 8 Enterprise desktop. This document provides uses cases, security and administrative considerations, configuration recommendations, and instructions for creating a secure Windows To Go device.

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Also of note for our Friends at the NSA:

IAD's Latest Security Guide Helps Customers Protect Home Networks

The Information Assurance Directorate (IAD) at NSA recently released a new technical guide entitled Best Practices for Securing a Home Network. This guidance could not be more timely in light of the increasing threats to U.S. public and private networks, alike. Over the past ten years, IAD has provided many guidance documents to customers outlining practical tips for improving the security of all kinds of applications, operating systems, routers, databases, and more. Recently, Best Practices was produced in video format. Take a moment to view the guide, or watch the video.

I've not seen much about Windows To Go recently, and given the recent NSA news, I thought it cool  to show another view of the NSA, one that's positive and helpful [insert "We're from government and we're here to help..." no, wait that's snarky... no snarkyness, darn it!] And a four page guide of useful information from a government source?

(via reddit/windows - NSA Instructions on “Configuring Windows To Go as a Mobile Desktop Solution”)

 

Related Past Post XRef:
ars technica provides its own "Windows To Go" step-by-step setup guide
Windows 8 To Go - A step by step setup guide...
Windows 8 on a stick... A look at the "Windows To Go" feature coming with Windows 8

Lighting the way into the future (of LightSwitch) - "Live from Redmond - Visual Studio LightSwitch Town Hall"

Hosam Kamel's Blog - Live from Redmond - Visual Studio LightSwitch Town Hall Thursday, September 12, 2013 | 8:00AM – 9:30AM (PDT, Redmond Time)

Are you interested in the future of Visual Studio LightSwitch? Come see what we’ve been working on and ask questions in this live public meeting. Joe Binder and the rest of the LightSwitch Team will be here to discuss the LightSwitch roadmap and discuss the product direction. We’ll start with a demonstration of the new features in Visual Studio 2013 and then we’ll open the floor to questions. 

If you have burning questions or topics you'd like to discuss, it would be a great help if you post them to this thread in advance so we can provide more complete answers.  Of course, you're more than welcome to ask live too.

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More details and an interesting discussion can be accessed here

I'm still saying that VS2013 is going to be the break-out of LightSwitch, that in a couple years we'll see this VS as the true birth of LightSwitch (Or will be saying, "Man, remember LightSwitch..." :/ )

Anyway, here's a great chance to check out what's coming and to ask the team questions...