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Unanimous Supreme Court Decision: Police cannot track via GPS without a warrant.

VinnyL — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 21:19:14 +0000

For those that don’t know, police and federal agencies have been keeping tabs on People of Interest (or anyone else) utilizing GPS devices without acquiring any form of warrant or approval nor have they been required to record that they are or have done it. On the surface, you might be like most Americans and say “So What” but due to the lack of oversight, I always thought this was absurd and was ripe for abuse. As such, it serves as a great example of the age old saying “The road to hell is paved with good intentions”.

Apparently, the US Supreme Court agrees in a rare unanimous decision restoring my faith in the US justice system. As stated by Justice Scalia:

It is important to be clear about what occurred in this case: The Government physically occupied private property for the purpose of obtaining information. We have no doubt that such a physical intrusion would have been considered a “search” within the meaning of the Fourth Amendment when it was adopted.

For those who would like a quick refresher on the 4th Amendment:

The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.

Feel free to read more about this at:

Top 5 Missing Features of the iPad

VinnyL — Wed, 24 Aug 2011 00:01:43 +0000

I have a Love / Hate relationship with my iPad. I love it as it helps me be more productive be that in meetings, on the road, or just at home sitting on the couch. In perhaps a bad way, it lets you be connected and do work easily from almost anywhere. I hate it as it could do so much more then it does today if Apple would address some basic items.

The list below are the top items that if addressed would materially improve my productivity with the iPad.

Keyboard

The ideal solution for me would be for Apple to allow us to customize the keys present on the keyboard. With that said, I do understand from a technical and usability perspective of how that could be problematic. If they could just address the following issues with keyboard, it would help immensely.

Cursor / Arrow Keys

Not having arrow keys is a complete miss for Apple. Their are several benefits to having arrow keys but the biggest one is to help all those people who attempt to place a cursor in the right spot – it almost never happens and having a couple of arrow keys is a lot simpler and faster than dealing with the pop-up magnifying glass.

Solution: Replace the Right “.?123″ key

Delete Key Functionality

Not to be confused with the “Backspace” key, the “Delete” key allows you to delete from left to right. Editing without this capability is painfully tedious.

Solution: Implement the Delete key when in CAPS mode.

Ability to access other common special characters.

Take your pick, but I could use any of the following keys: ? ” ( ) : ‘

Solution: Allow users to replace the right SHIFT key with the characters they use the most.

Calendar

Attachments

Apple has decided to not let you access attachments to scheduled meetings and not let you see all notes that may come with a calendar invite. I’ve heard this might be addressed in iOS 5 and if it is, I can’t get is soon enough!

Day View- Inability to see Appointments

Early morning or late day appointments can be easily missed as there is no indicator on the page to show that their are appointments on that day outside of the viewable hours.

Day/Week/Moth View – Inability to swipe to next day

Apple has trained us to swipe in all directions – it’s just annoying to not be able to swipe left or right to go the next or previous day. Instead, you have to click on a really small numerical representation at the bottom or side of the page.

Notifications

Current implementation is just horrid. Without spending time detailing why, I will just say that Apple recognized this and iOS 5 makes material changes here and everything I’ve seen shows a drastic improvement!

File Storage and Access

Admittedly, Apple does not want people to think about files but the fact of the matter is that when utilizing the iPad for business purposes, you normally don’t think about the application you want to use but rather the file you want to access. Not being able to manage those files easily and in a common way for all files makes using the iPad for work difficult at best.

Don’t buy songs from places like iTunes or Yahoo – DRM

VinnyL — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 05:59:55 +0000

A lot of people don’t understand the downfalls of buying music from places like iTunes and Yahoo. You see, their music is specially formatted with what is called Digital Rights Management (DRM) technology whose goal is to prevent people from listening to music they do not have rights to. While in concept it is a good idea, in practice, it only hurts the law abiding citizen.

Updated Feb 2009 - Funny that right after I made this post that Apple started to provide an option to buy a more expensive version of songs without DRM. With that said though, I still don’t recommend buying songs through iTunes. The issue here is that the music you download is typically only playable through iTunes and Apple products. This may sound good now while Apple makes decent (but expensive) products but will they always – for the rest of your life — and do you want to rebuy all those songs?-

Music that has DRM technology require the legitimate user to unlock the music when they want to listen to it. There are some limitations though:

The distributor has the ability to decide what devices you are allowed to listen to music on. If they decide not to support your favorite MP3 player, you’re out of luck. For instance, music you buy from Apple iTunes for the most part can only be played on your Macintosh or Windows computer and an Apple iPod. If you have a different MP3 player you are out of luck.
The distributor may eventually fail and no longer provide services to unlock your music. Again, if that happens you are out of luck and don’t think it will happen to no name companies – try Microsoft and Yahoo.

As such, you are at the whim of forces out of your control. While in the past, if you bought a CD or cassette, you always new that you would be able to play that music in any CD or cassette device – unfortunately that is no longer the case and to the computer neophyte you may not know until it’s too late and out of luck.

Here’s the good news, some merchants recognize that DRM only hurts the legitimate consumer and has little to no affect on music piracy. As such, they offer DRM Free music. How do you know if the music you are buying is DRM Free? Keep it simple, only buy music in the MP3 format – it is DRM Free.

Looking for a good place to buy music from – I recommend Amazon MP3 Music Service.

Apple Safari – Please Don't Install it!

VinnyL — Thu, 27 Mar 2008 20:58:00 +0000

Please, just don’t do it – especially if you’re a Windows user. Ignore that pesky recommendation you get from Apple when upgrading or installing iTunes.

Updated May 10, 2010 - Department of Homeland Security issues threat US-CERT Alert against Apple Safari.

For those who don’t know what Safari is, it’s Apple’s attempt to replace Internet Explorer on your computer. Not that Apple is a bad company, it’s just that the average computer user will at best be confused and at worst become vulnerable to a whole new set of security vulnerabilities with the introduction of Safari.

To reiterate, you don’t need Safari for anything – including iTunes.

If you’re really itching for something better than Microsoft’s Internet Explorer, go try out Firefox. It is safe and may actually have features that will make it worthwhile to learn something new.

And if some of you are asking – why am I posting this? I’ve recently seen it installed on a quite a few family member’s computers. With really little fault of their own it’s gotten installed as Apple has incorporated it in to the latest update for iTunes. By the way, unless you have an iPod – I don’t recommend using iTunes. Use Microsoft’s Windows Media Player – but that’s a different topic. And you are better off buying music from the likes of Amazon.com and Walmart (they are DRM free – which means if you want to use the songs you bought on something other then an iPod, you can).

Here are a couple of articles on Safari issues as of the last week:

FolderShare – Real-Time Syncing of Files Between Machines

VinnyL — Sat, 19 Jan 2008 20:16:55 +0000

FolderShare is one of those hidden gems out there that I can’t live without. Originally developed by a company called ByteTaxi, it offers real time synchronization of files between machines via a private peer-to-peer (P2P) network. Microsoft bought ByteTaxi, Inc. in 2005 and immediately started offering the software for free.

Straight from the FolderShare website, the application allows one to:

Synchronize all your devices – Retrieve work files at home or access photos at work. With your devices in sync, you no longer have to be frustrated that your information is on another computer.
Share files, photos, and home videos with your peers – Select the content you want to share, invite members, and they will be able to access the shared files directly from their device.
Access your computer or device remotely – FolderShare mobile access allows you to access your computer from any web browser.

For me, I have it set up to synchronize Bookmarks across multiple machines, photos and music between all the family computers, and synchronize work files from work to home and back again. It not only makes me more productive but is a great way to ensure that your data is safe.

Of course, as with all software, there are some downsides and unfortunately most of them revolve around Microsoft’s lack of continued development of the application. While Microsoft has publicly committed to enhancing the service, we haven’t seen an updated in the client in 2 years.

Here are some enhancements I hope they do:

Implement as a service so you don’t have to be logged in for synchronization to occur.
Better Windows Vista Support. (Default directories and the like)
Windows Home Server (WHS) support. I think building FolderShare in to Windows Home Server would take WHS from a good product to a GREAT product. With it’s always on state, it is ideal as it can act as the central repository everything syncs to.
Ability to synchronize folders on the same machine.
Better handling of FolderShare trash with a better Restore function.
Extend the ability to see the status of shared folders to include computers of others users that share the same folders.

So, at the end of the day, I highly recommend FolderShare if you need to synchronize files between machines. There are some competitors like BeInSync but even with Microsoft’s lack of development, it still beats them out.

Note to Microsoft – Please continue development of this product and don’t let in languish any longer. I would even pay for this software if asked in order to see some of the enhancements done.

Mozy – Secure Online Backup

VinnyL — Wed, 25 Jul 2007 05:32:12 +0000

Just want to spread the
word about Mozy - the secure online backup service.

Everyone should backup their data periodically! I mean everyone!! I know, it’s one of those things that you just can’t be bothered with but there are numerous studies that indicate that between 1.5% to 6% of drives will fail in a given year (i.e. Google’s paper titled Failure Trends in a Large Disk Drive Population). Those odds really aren’t that good! As such, I implore everyone to backup periodically and this is where Mozy comes in.

Why do I recommend it? You set it up once and it just goes about it’s business backing up and you never have to think about it again! This is very different from most backup apps out there since you don’t have to attach an external hard drive or burn DVDs to get this done. And to those that just run automatic backups to another hard drive…. the average person doesn’t have more then one hard drive installed and while the risk is certainly lower, since that hard drive is probably physically close to the main one, what happens in case of fire or other disaster?

Here is a quick list of features:

Free 2GB of online backup storage. Unlimites Storage for around $55/yr
Great client that once configured monitors changes in files and directories and backups when there are changes. It even self-limits itself to only backup when idle.
Ability to encrypt the backup on your local client – guaranteeing no one can ever gain access to your data.

While 2GB might not backup your pictures and music, it is certainly enough for everyone out there to backup your other important documents like your Address Book, eMail, Bookmarks, Financial data if you use MS Money or Quicken, important Word and Excel files, etc.

Now get to it and start backing up your stuff.

Big Brother Watching What You Print…

VinnyL — Mon, 12 Mar 2007 21:21:13 +0000

Now most people won’t give this a second thought but this is just another example of how privacy is slowly but surely going to the wayside… It seems that various combinations of printers and drivers print microscopic identifiers that are unique to a given printer. Take the original printed document and you could trace it back to the specific printer used.

Read more at the EFF – http://www.eff.org/Privacy/printers/

On the subject, two books you may want to check out:

The Digital Person: Technology And Privacy In The Information Age by Daniel Solove
Privacy Lost: How Technology Is Endangering Your Privacy by David Holtzman (Disclaimer – I know the author)

Shuttle SN95G5 Woes…

VinnyL — Fri, 05 Jan 2007 16:20:22 +0000

Updated – March 12, 2007. I filed a complaint with the BBB against Shuttle on this issue as they were unresponsive but I’ve decided not to pursue this further. Shuttle is still wrong but it seems that there is also an issue with Microsoft Vista, Nvidia Nforce 3 chipsets, AGP Video Cards, and AMD Dual Core Processor combination (aka Vista Code 43 error.) that may not get resolved. If you have this combination, you can either run Vista in single core mode or get the performance of a PCI Video Card with both cores enabled. As such, there is no meaningfull way to upgrade this machine anymore. I’m just astonished across the board at Shuttle for not standing behind their products and then pile on Nvidia’s lack of support for the Nforce 3 chipset in Vista.

Ughh!!! Upgrading your computer is suppossed to be fun (at least for me). You buy the new parts, you install them, and sit back and enjoy the upgrade. Not so much with my Shuttle SN95G5 Small Form Factor (SFF) PC.

Though my machine is suppossed to be AMD Socket 939 compatible, it appears that only the oldest of AMD chips which are no longer manufactured will work properly. My attempts to go from a AMD 3000+ to AMD X2 4400+ (E6) has led my machine to not be able to power up without clearing the CMOS/BIOS and some random shutdowns. It seems that Shuttle produced the SN95G5v1, SN95G5v2, and SN95G5v3 and while some SN95G5v1 and SN95G5v2 and all of SN95G5v3 are compatible with the latest AMD chips, my SN95G5v2 BOM 21 is not. It also seems I am very much not alone – SFF Tech (a great resource by the way) has a thread on some people’s experiences.

Suffice to say, I’ve contacted Shuttle and it seems like they are trying to blame AMD for the issue. I might be able to understand their argument if any other motherboard maker had the same issues but I haven’t been able to find any. I bought a machine that said it was Socket 939 compatible (there were no notices that this may not be compatible with future sockets or AMD CPUs) and what I got can not live up to that promise. I guess we will see what Shuttle replies with – will they try and work something out and stand behind their brand and product or won’t they?

The unfortunate part, aside from this, I really do like the Shuttle and love having a small, quiet, and powerfull computer on my desk! I really do not cherish the thought of going back to towers but will if need be.

For those who are in the same position – please do email Shuttle and try and get them to take action.

Stay Tuned!

Some technical details on the issue:
AMD E3 and E4 Steppings are not supported at all on the SN95g5v2.
AMD E6 (Toledo) Steppings are only supported for SN95G5v2 BOM 26 and greater.
AMD is no longer manufacturing anything other then E6 steppings so good luck to anyone trying to find a chip that works. SN95G5v3 apparently supports all steppings.

In my experience, I can get the machine to power up after I pull the plug out of the machine and clear the CMOS/BIOS. At that point, if I shut down, I have to repeat the process to get it started again. Try explaining that to my wife when she needs to use my computer! I also get some random shutdowns! Others report that the machine just won’t boot at all!

Verizon FIOS Internet Service Review

VinnyL — Fri, 04 Aug 2006 21:28:31 +0000

Wow! and it’s about time! Real Broadband Access for the Home is finally here! Verizon FIOS

Finally, internet service that advertises 5mb down/2mb up and delivers. See the results for yourself at DSL Reports for Verizon FIOS. Response times are excellent (sub 10ms) and this is sustained bandwidth not peak!

I will update this with more detail soon but suffice to say, that while the installation experience was not perfect, it was not too bad and is quickly forgotten after you taste what broadband should be from home. Of note – please do yourself a favar and when any provider installs a wireless router, secure it.

My only pet peeve with the Verizon FIOS service and this is a minor one: For those who know what they are – Newsgroup servers are a little sluggish.

Background on My Broadband Experience

Location:
I live in Northern Virginia about 5 miles from AOL HQ, the newly built MCI Worldcom HQ (a massive complex), UUNET, and a whole bunch of other main tier Internet Service Providers. To put it simply, this area has to be in the top 3 when it comes to pushing bandwidth and technology. I still can’t believe how slow broadband access has been here.

Past Broadband Experience:
Dial-up: What can I say, it was what had to be used until about 1998.
One-Way Cable Broadband: Offered by Adelphia and as one might expect was horrendous. How many times could the modem disconnect in one hours period of time?
Two-Way Cable Broadband: Offered by Adelphia starting around 2002 in my area. From then until early 2005, it worked but they didn’t have a clue how to route. Can’t tell you how many posts and calls to them to tell them they had a problem with node XYZ as evident by simple traceroutes. They would eventually fix and when the next storm rolled through would revert back!
Two-Way Cable Broadband: Still by Adelphia but starting in 2005, it actually was reliable. Not great speeds as peak and sustained would only be about half of the advertised 3mb down 512up but hey – what an improvement.
FIOS: June 2006 for me when I moved in to the new house! It was made available in 2005 though in Leesburg, VA.

My quip about Adelphia – probably the best thing that happened to Adelphia is that the Rigas’ clowns at the top went to jail. All I can say is that service actually became acceptable after that happened.

IDS Landscape Construction – don’t use them!

VinnyL — Tue, 06 Jun 2006 16:42:18 +0000

Just posting a warning to stay away from the company “IDS Landscape Construction” (aka “Irrigation Design Services” and “IDS Landscaping”). The company is located in Northern Virginia (Sterling, VA to be exact) and primarily installs in ground sprinkler systems but also does decks, patios, ponds, etc.

Long story short, this company (specifically the owner Dan F.) promised to do services and did not perform those said services. They have also failed to return various parts they took when they agreed to perform those services. As a result, the sale of my home was put in jeopardy and made the already stressfull event of closing on a home even more stressfull. Thankfully, while the buyers were annoyed, we were able to close – albeit with an escrow until the sprinklers are fixed.

As it turned out, when I had to bring in another contractor to do the work, there were other things wrong with the sprinkler system that should have been covered by warranty. I can only guess that Dan/IDS may have known as much and did not want to do the required work.

As an aside, this has given me an idea for a side project. Anyone know of any decent open sourse software that can serve as a foundation to rate local area contractors. How often are you looking for a plumber or something only to rely on an ad – not knowing how well that contractor will perform?