Author Archives: karl.kranich

Eavesdropping on Bluetooth

People assume those bluetooth headsets can’t be listened in on … or that it’s limited to 30 feet.? Both beliefs are false!

Joshua Wright is a wireless hacker and security guy extraordinairre.

[youtube]http://youtube.com/watch?v=1c-jzYAH2gw[/youtube]

Karen’s Power Tools

If you occasionally need a little program to get something done on your Windows machine, check out Karen’s Power Tools. Sign up for the free newsletter to find out about updates–she doesn’t overwhelm your inbox with a lot of email.

Regarding the licensing, she says:

As always, each program is free for personal/home use. And you can download its complete Visual Basic source code too!

You can also get the latest version of every Power Tool on a shiny CD.
These include three bonus Power Tools, not available anywhere else. The source code of every Power Tool, every issue of my newsletter, and some articles I wrote for Windows Magazine, are also on the CD. And owning the CD grants you a license to use all my Power Tools at work.

Here’s the current list of tools and descriptions:

  • Replicator: Automatically copy and backup files.
  • E-Mailer II: Send E-Mail from Windows’ command line, desktop, from Countdown Timer II, or ‘Net Monitor.
  • Directory Printer: Print the names, and other information, of all folders and files on your computer.
  • Countdown Timer II: Never forget another appointment.
  • Computer Profiler: View your computer’s hidden secrets.
  • Show Stopper: Shutdown, Power Off, Reboot, Log Off, Suspend or Hibernate — all from a desktop shortcut or command line!
  • WhoIs: Discover who owns Internet Domain Names, and how to contact their owners.
  • URL Discombobulator: Understand those cryptic web addresses, and make a few of your own.
  • Calculator: A Calculator with a difference! This one can accurately handle numbers containing thousands of digits.
  • Once-A-Day II: Automatically perform tasks, the first time Windows starts or a user logs on, each day!.
  • Hasher: Compute and verify MD5, SHA-1, SHA-224, SHA-256, SHA-384 and SHA-512 hashes of text strings, files, and groups of files.
  • ‘Net Monitor: See if your web site, e-mail server, or any other computer on the ‘net, is up or down.
  • Cookie Viewer: View and delete web “Cookies” left by the web sites you’ve visited.
  • Zone Manager: Create desktop shortcuts to timezones, even create and edit your own custom time zones! Also synchronize your computer’s clock to an ultra-precise Internet time server!
  • Print Logger: Keep a record of each document your computer prints.
  • Disk Slack Checker: See how much of your disk space is being wasted.
  • Drive Info: View information about the disk drives attached to your computer.
  • Time Sync: Automatically synchronize your computer’s clock to any of the ultra-precise Internet time servers!
  • LAN Monitor: Monitor your computer’s connections to other computers (on your LAN, and on the Internet). See real-time traffic statistics.
  • Window Watcher: See the hidden programs running on your computer.
  • Recycler: View and manage each drive’s Recycle Bin. Empty bins manually, and automatically.
  • Alarm Clock: Turn your $2,000 computer into a $20 alarm clock. 🙂
  • Font Explorer: See the fonts available on your computer.
  • Power Toy: Teach your computer to talk, sing, and even dance!
  • Clipboard Viewer: View the contents of Windows’ Clipboard.
  • Time Cop: Time your meetings, recipes, exams, and more!
  • E-Mailer: Send E-Mail from Windows’ command line.
  • Version Browser: View and print the “Version” information stored inside your Windows programs and other files.
  • Autorun.inf Editor: Easily create the special file that causes programs to run automatically when a CD is inserted.
  • Registry Pruner: Remove unneeded entries from Windows’ Registry.
  • Registry Ripper: Extract portions of Windows’ Registry, and save them to a file.
  • Snooper: Track what programs are being run, and when they are running.

Hard Rock, the Olympics, and Silverlight

I just watched the keynote address from Microsoft’s MIX08 web conference.

The whole thing (2 hours, 28 minutes) was interesting, but I was really fascinated by the Hard Rock demo (the cafe, casino, hotel people).? They’ve built an application using Microsoft’s Silverlight that lets you browse the memorabilia that’s at their locations all over the world.

Hard Rock 1You can browse by artist, memorabilia type, decade, genre, or location.? You can zoom in to where you see the scratch marks on a guitar (using the mouse scroll wheel or click / control-click).? You can read information about each piece (or hide the info panel).? You can also drag the pictures around to see different detail or move to other items.

You can watch just the Hard Rock demo part of the keynote here.

Check out the collection by browsing to www.hardrock.com and clicking on “Memorabilia”.

Silverlight is currently available for various browsers on Windows and Intel Macs.? It will eventually be available for Linux also.

I also really liked the demo that NBC did regarding how they’re going to use Silverlight to make the summer Olympics available online this summer.? Watch it here.