Where you wish you were…

I actually have no real reason to post this picture that I took the other day.  I just like the idea that somewhere, there’s a room dedicated to partying.

My new camera.

I recently wrote about my new point and shoot Nikon.

 

For anyone who might be curious, I ran into a very detailed review of it.

Here’s the link to photographyblog.com:
Nikon Coolpix P100 Review

New Camera Part II

So, I originally bought Fuji Finepix S1800 for my birthday, but the pictures weren’t coming out very crisp.  In fact, I thought they were blurry under many instances that should have produced nice pictures.

Fortunately, I bought the camera from Costco, and they have a 90-day return policy on electronics.  This is an outstanding policy, because it sometimes takes a long time to figure out if a piece of equipment, like a camera, will do a good job.

I decided to go with a Nikon P100 10 megapixel 26x Zoom camera.  The Fuji was 12 megapixel with 16x zoom.  The megapixels didn’t matter as much to me as the picture quality, and the difference in zoom was phenomenal.

I took some pictures this weekend and thought I’d post a couple so you could see how good they turned out. Most of the pictures I took were outside, and looked great even without the flash.

The duck and the rooster I took at wheeler farm.  I was at least 40 yards from the duck and 20 from the rooster.  The details in the feathers are great and the colors are really rich.

This is the Angel Moroni Statue on the top of the Salt Lake LDS Temple.  I was at ground level about 5 floors down to the east of it. I was worried the statue would be indistinct and washed out by the sun, but the details and color turned out pretty good.

So, I think this new camera is a keeper.

Wicked robosculptures

I'm not sure I really need one of these.

I'm not sure what kind of furniture I'd have to go along with this.

I am sure my wife won't let me have one in public.

Make: Online : Wicked robosculptures

Gone Fishing

Lately, I’ve just been sharing links to articles or other blog entries that I’ve found interesting. In an attempt to keep this as more of a blog than a Internet Travel Log, I’m going to attempt to generate better content.

To that ends, I’m going to post some interesting pictures that I take. I recently got a new camera.  It’s a Fuji Finepix S1800. I’ll post a more intense review later as I learn the ins and outs of it.

We went to the aquarium the other day and I got a couple of nice pictures. I thought I start out my new blogging resolution with these:

The picture above was untouched.  I thought the camera did a decent job.

This lion fish picture has had an auto contrast filter applied. The original contrast wasn’t that much different, but I wanted to see how different the cameras “natural” settings were from Picasa’s auto contrast filter.

Feel free to comment and let me know what you think about the way cameras process images versus photo editing software. I think I may also look at the different ways photo editing/cataloging software treat images.

Free Rides!

Anyone within reach of the great and good Utah Transit Authority might be interested in this e-mail I just got:

"As someone who uses or is interested public transit, UTA hopes that public transit helps you get where you need to go. Do you have friends, family or coworkers who you think might benefit from using public transportation? Encourage them to try public transit for free on Friday, Feb. 12. All UTA services except for ski bus will be free for the entire day. Take TRAX downtown, FrontRunner to Ogden or the bus to points all over Utah, Salt Lake, Davis and Weber counties. Give transit a try, to plan a trip go to www.rideuta.com or call RIDE-UTA (801-743-3882).

The emailservice@utaservices.com address is not monitored. Please do not send replies to this address. To reply to this message, click the Reply button in your e-mail program and the reply will be sent to the appropriate address."

If I actually left the house to go places, I'd take 'em up on their offer.

Free anti-virus from Microsoft.

As many of you know, I am a big fan of free.  Especially free utilities that make computing a little bit nicer.

Microsoft has just announced a new anti-virus application that will come in at first in a beta and possibly end up being free when it’s released.

I don’t know if this will get them as far anti-trust matters are involved, but I say let them give us stuff for free if they feel like it.

 

UPDATE 3-Microsoft will soon unveil free anti-virus software | Reuters

Introduction to Internet Safety and S...

How the internet works

1. The Internet is made up of a lot of nodes.
2. Individual users, Internet Service Providers, Backbones (Universities, Gov't, Telcos), Underwater Cable to Other Continents
3. Each computer to some degree is assigned an IP address (ex.: AOL.com -> 205.188.142.182, 64.12.50.151, 64.12.193.85, 207.200.94.38)
4. Some IP address are mapped to domain names (ex.: AOL.com -> 205.188.142.182, 64.12.50.151, 64.12.193.85, 207.200.94.38)
5. DNS Servers - Are the indexes in which IP address are matched up to Domains
6. A host of servers or computers may sit behind an IP range or Domain
7. Entities, usually companies, map their given IP address to a specific name

Common attacks

1. Virus - Embeded in .exe or document file, attachments to e-mail
2. Phishing - Social engineering designed to trick you into giving sensitive information (Bank, Credit Card, Health Info.)
3. DNS Poisoning - Non-authoritative DNS server (replacing the trusted lookup server with a compromised one)
4. Cross Site Scripting - Browser attack in which on site grabs parallel data from a concurrently browsed site (Don't browse while you're doing activities that require security
5. Buffer Overrun - The router is sent large amounts of bad data in order to overwhelm the router and put it in a defaulted state that can be taken can be taken over remotely

Securing your DNS

1. OpenDNS
   1. Filter out by type
   2. White/Black list
   3. Growing community screening new sites and classifing them
2. Make sure you use the settings recommended by your ISP (usually obtain from DHCP)

Securing your network

1. Wired
   1. Make sure your Router is properly secured with a strong password.
   2. Make sure you only allow people you know well on to your network
   3. Keep your important personal data behind some sort of strong password
   4. Make sure each machine on your network requires a password to access
   5. Keep your router firmware reasonable up-to-date
2. Wireless
   1. Wired security rules still apply
   2. Only allow people on to your network that you would trust with your life
   3. Enter the key for them
   4. Make sure you use secure with a passphrase using the latest common denominator of encryption
      1. WPA2 PSK TKIP
      2. WEP with at least 64 Bit Encryption
   5. Choose a passphrase that's hard to guess
   6. If possible, hide the broadcast of the SSID

Securing your computer

1. Use a secure account and password
2. Do not have open shares
3. Use the built-in firewall, or port security software, on your operating system below are links to articles about the different Operating System firewalls
   1. Windows
   2. Mac OS/X
   3. Ubuntu 
4. Virus/Malware Scanning Software
   1. AVG
   2. Trend Micro - PCillan
   3. Microsoft One Care
   4. ClamWin
   5. Google Pack
   6. ISP will often provide free security software as part of their service

1. Keep your machine updated regularly
   1. Windows Update
   2. Ubuntu Update Manager
   3. Mac Update releases
2. Use modern operating system
   1. Windows Vista/7/XP SP3
   2. Ubuntu 8 or newer
   3. Mac OS/X
3. Make a full backup of your machine from when you know it was in a good state

Good Habits

1. Keep the computer in a public space, not in bedrooms or far off corner of the house
2. Use the buddy system, make sure the computer use is during times when everyone is around, so no one is tempted to participate in inappropriate activities
3. Limit the amount of time you or your family spends on the computer for leisure activities (Click Here for instructions)
4. Install reputable well tested web site filtering software (K9, Microsoft Family Safety Software, OpenDNS)
6. Do not over estimate people's will power where illicit/pornographic material is involved
7. Go through the logs of sites visited generated by the web safety/filtering software regularly, either weekly or semi-weekly (available with OpenDNS, and Microsoft Family Safety Software)
8. Phones/SmartPhones/iPods are computers, treat them as such, monitor their access and usage
9. Things as They Really Are - Elder David A. Bednar, Quorum of the Twelve Apostles 
10. Use “Private Browsing” when doing things like banking or private health related activities, only do one activity per private session, after the activity is done, close the private browsing session and open another if you have another activity to do
1. Internet Explorer – only available in IE Version 8 (hot key: ctrl + shift + p)
2. FireFox – Private browsing isn’t supported in the current release but is slated to come out when version 3.1 is released
3. Chrome – is available in all versions and is called “Incognito Mode” (hot key: ctrl + shift + n)
4. Opera – no standard private browsing session feature

Know your computer

1. Recognize when it's behaving slowly or unresponsive
2. Be comfortable that you have enough security
3. Some security like Window User Account Control, will be somewhat annoying, but it does add a measure of safety; The worst security you have is the security you disable
4. Be willing to do the maintenance or have someone do the maintenance regular like updates, patches

What to do if you think you've got problems

1. Unplug the internet connection
2. Run virus scan
3. If you've recently installed something prior to the problems, uninstall it
4. Run Task Manager and see what seems to be running (advanced)
5. You may have to have someone take a look at it.

Update: I just added section 10 under “Good Habits” about private browsing and browser that support

Watch your head, uhhh...camera...

For those of you who haven't had a chance to use Google Maps Street View, I would have to say that you're missing out.

It's pretty nice to be able to really see the building or place that you might be headed to. I've used it a few times, and I like knowing what the destination building actually looks like.

Google has hired a fleet of cars/vans/trucks, with cameras on top, to build these street "views. The cameras are usually mounted on the top of the vehicle.

This is where the entertainment of this entry begins. Things are kind of funny when something gets knocked askew. Things are even funnier when they happen with photographic evidence. I only wish it were a video camera on top of the car this time.

Google Street View camera + low bridge = uh-oh Webware - CNET

Car Stereo Thieves Phone Home...

Okay, so one of my pet peeves is people stealing things from other people.

It's kind of the epitome of the parasitic nature of the "terrible" society we live in.

This article does bring a smile to my face, because sometimes the dumb people take themselves out of the game.

Technically Incorrect - CNET News: Kid's cell calls police while he allegedly boasts of burglaries

Fire-Breathing Robot Babies

This is one of those things that defies descriptions. In fact, it bets to be judged entirely on its own merits. I will say that this is one of the reasons I consider living in Japan:

Gigantic Fire-Breathing Robot Babies Have Taken Over Roppongi

Think before you Tweet...

A little while ago I did a few blog entries about Twitter, a micro-blogging/personal broadcast tool.

While I found it entertaining, I realized that my "Tweets" would be broadcast into the ether. I wasn't sure that everybody needed to know everything I was doing or doing.

Well, apparently some people just don't learn that water is wet until they jump right in.

Here's an interesting article on the deliterous effects of Tweeting before Thinking:
Twitter gets you fired in 140 characters or less - Technotica- msnbc.com

Academic Research Paper Aggregator

I don’t personally read a lot of academic papers.

Actually, I don’t read a whole lot of anything on paper, but apparently a company that builds an organizer/aggregator seems to be doing pretty well.

It just secured another round of funding from VC, and from the screen shots, looks to have put together a nice application.

So if any of you want to give it a try let me know how it goes.  I might even start reading again, if it’s a nice enough application:

http://www.mendeley.com

Je ne sais quoi...

This is a video I cam across from the robot blog on Makezine.

I don't know that I would call it disturbing, so much as beyond understanding.

I do believe that the Japanese bring interpretive art and robots together far to often for my tastes.

Here's the link to the exercising robot.

Religious Programming

I realized a long time ago that people, developers in particular, are fanatic about the way they practice their professions. Programmers especially tend to be religous or dogmatic about the particular tenets of their programming language or development methodologies.

This article kind of brings into focus, plus it's funny if you're a nerd.

Creepy music aside...

I came across this post from Engadget the other day and just barely found time to pass it along.

It's about an "OS" that replicates the interaction made famous by the movie "Minority Report".  There's also a pretty in depth video to go with it, although the music that's used in the background is a little too esoteric.

It's pretty impressive. I would install it as an add-on to just about any operating system out there, if it were available.

g-speak overview 1828121108 from john underkoffler on Vimeo.

We can all have our own Nuclear Reactors!

Okay, maybe we can't have our own reactors, but a neighborhood or two could all pitch in on one.

This new design from Hyperion Power Generation could be the ticket for cheap, local power.  Plus it's "fun" sized.

A car that makes me wish I had to drive more often...

This may be the smallest version of the Batmobile that I've ever seen, but it's definitely worthy of the name.  This is one of the cars that was on display at SEMA 2008.

Click on the image below if you'd like to read the original blog entry.

Thanks to Rich for finding this gem.

Should the people who are successful be treated fairly, too?

I suppose I can't let this election go without posting at least one interesting politically charged topic go by.

One of the proposals out on the table, I won't mention who is championing it by name, is that we tax people who make more than $250,000 more heavily.

I found this article, on the Fortune Magazine's website, that gives a perspective on who these "rich" people are.

I'm always worried when plans that come up that make those who work hard and excel pay extra for working hard and excelling. Don't they deserve fair treatment at the very least?

You should also look closely at the chart of the distribution of the amount of taxes paid by the higher income brackets. Taxes are already largely disproportionately paid by the upper brackets.

Crib Safety Recall

This actually has nothing to do with the theme of my blog at all, but I figure that sometimes it's good break with tradition.

I saw this video on Hulu about a recall on some hazardous baby cribs. We don't have one in particular, but if any of you do, I'd rather have this video out there at least one more time just in case it saves even just one person some grief.