MODS: Installing BusyBox on Popcorn Hour C-200 (PCH-C200)

Popcorn Hour C-200 network media jukebox (NMJ) gained popularity among enthusiasts due to its inherent capabilities. It can play a wide variety of video formats including the more popular high definition formats H.264 and MPEG4-AVC. It can also play ISO files or a dump of a...

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TECH: Gmail-to-SMS Service For Free!

Apart from free email service, Gmail added another service that you folks will love. What is this service? It is the Gmail-to-SMS service. Gmail-to-SMS allows you to send SMS to Globe Telecom, Smart Communications, and Sun Cellular subscribers from your GMail account. The GMail-to-SMS...

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FUN: Happy Sysadmin Appreciation Day!

Sysads work anonymously. I know since I'm a sysad. Behind every IT infrastructure is a hardworking system administrator (or sysad/sysadmin) or a group of sysads keeping the infrastructure in tip-top shape. These are the people who often get overlooked, never thanked but would...

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HOW-TO: Using Windows Anytime Upgrade

What is Microsoft's secret to the fast widespread adoption of Windows 7? Bundle it to computers sold. Unless you're building your own computer system, chances are you got a computer bundled with Microsoft's latest and greatest desktop operating system, Windows 7. Windows 7 was...

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TECH: Sun CEO Approved Google's Use of Java

When Oracle bought Sun Microsystems years ago, people in the information technology were baffled at Oracle's purchase of a loosing technology company. Some were even criticizing that move. The term "sun-set" was used in referring to the agonizing bleedout and eventual demise...

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TIP: Test Your Browser's Functionality, Security and More

With the advent of HTML5, websites are presented to the end-user in a different light. What used to be flash dominated content are now CSS3 and javascript dominated. The development of jQuery library and javascript based modules and plug-ins present a different facet of webpage...

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FAQ: PRNG is not SEEDED

"There’s No Such Thing As A Silly Question" -- does the cliche sound familiar? In this part of pimp-my-rig reloaded, technical questions are answered. Mail them to me and I will post the answers here. If you have a better answer, by all means share it with us. Q: I was trying to help out a friend who was in a dilemma he had already resolved. While...

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TIP: Remaining Anonymous -- a Security Protocol

Nowadays, websites don't just give information for free. They ask you to subscribe or register to view content. This is not a bad thing, but it does make you give away your email address. Thus in turn, you give your identity away (sort of). There are sites where you are not...

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INFO: Keep GPS Data Safe and Secure

Your Garmin device can store a lot of information and history. It stores waypoints, tracks, routes, custom POIs, etc.. and most important your home address. So it is better to keep it secure at all times. In cases where the unit is stolen, there should be a layer of protection...

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TIP: Building a Budget Computer System

These days technology moves so fast that in what seemed like yesterday your electronic gadgets are obsolete. This is true in just about every area of the electronics industry. It is a very expensive hobby to move along with the current technological trend. You might consider...

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INFO: Virtual Box 4.1 Just Out

VirtualBox is a general-purpose full Virtual Machine implementation for x86 or AMD64 compatible hardware. Primarily targeted at server and desktop, it is now the only professional-quality virtualization solution that is also OpenSource Software. What's more? It runs on the major...

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INFO: Google Plus Profile RSS Feed

Google+ has hit 10M users since it re-opened the invites. And that fact was confirmed by the co-founder CEO Larry Page during Google's earnings report conference held just a few days back. So there should be more than that figure by now and that number is growing by the minute....

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INFO: Network Profiler and Analyzer

When it comes to the network (end to end infrastructure), there is little you can do as the end user. But on your end, you can do a little something to be able to provide feedback to our internet service provider (ISP). And as much as possible, you can reduce our dependence...

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TWEAK: Make Torrents Download Faster

Back in the days of XP, a limit of 10 half-open connections was implemented on the TCPIP to mitigate the quick infection of worms on a network. This limitation got carried over to all versions of Microsoft Windows. While this was good in stopping worms when it was implemented,...

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INFO: Using Hostsman for Host Redirection

Our previous tip, blocking potentially hazardous websites with hosts file was one of the many methods you can harden your system. You can also install your own caching DNS server and disable ports that are opened by default. These tweaks contribute bit by bit to the overall...

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TIP: Browser Plugin Check for Firefox

Adding to our write-ups regarding security, is this feature called plug-in checker. How are these plug-ins related to security? You'll know soon enough. Plug-ins are embedded in the browser and for us home users, this may be the most used application. And plug-ins, if you're...

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HOW-TO: Shorten Google+ Profile URL

We previously announced the public opening of Google+ invitations. In lieu to that, here is a tip on how to shorten your Google+ profile URLs. So you got a Google+ profile, now what? The learning curve varies here. G+ is an entirely different approach to social networking....

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TIP: Blocking Potentially Hazardous Websites with Hosts File

Security has taken top ranks in the news lately -- terrorism in a different form. Hackers taking sensitive top secret information, even breaching topnotch security systems put in place. While hackers may not waste time hacking our desktops they could use our systems as zombies...

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INFO: Google Plus Invites Now Open!

Google has re-enabled invitation for Google+ and since I have been previously invited, I am now part of the new social networking craze of Google. It is nice to see that I have friends who have added me to their circles as well. Head over to Google+ and find out if you can...

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TIP: Appear Offline in Microsoft Office Communicator

Microsoft Office Communicator (or MOC) has quickly become the social networking tool of choice in the work place. I have even witnessed relationships formed and forged out of MOC. It allows people to interact with a wide variety of tools which includes chat, video and desktop...

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TIP: Create Windows USB Installer using WinToFlash

Whoever predicted the eventual demise of the floppy drive was right. It is seldom used these days that to see one on a computer system characterizes its age. Nowadays, optical drives are used to contain installers. But the trend seems to be going to the direction of flash media...

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MODS: Infinite USB Plug Redesign

I was doing a research and comparison of backlit keyboards when I stumbled across this USB design whose concept is quite unique. The designer, Gonglue Jiang, calls it "Infinite USB" (source: Yanko Design). One of the limitations on notebooks is the lack of USB ports in proportion...

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TWEAK: Squid Cache + TreeWalk DNS = Faster Browsing

Having a local caching proxy server has significantly improved browsing speed; and, the local caching DNS server has improved security at the same time minimized dependence with the ISP. Both of these tweaks have boosted browsing speed. The apparent impacts of both are remarkable...

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HOW-TO: Create an Aggregated Link in Solaris

Nowadays, servers ship with multiple network interface cards (NIC). The rationale behind this, is you will use them for high availability implementations or utilize the other NIC as a private lan for backup. If the box is not designed this way, it doesn't usually get deployed in the enterprise. Previously, we featured a procedure in deploying IPMP...

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HOW-TO: Outlook Hack -- Blank Mail Subject Reminder

How many times have you forgotten to include a subject when you send emails through Outlook? If you ask me, I have done that a lot of times. Including subjects in mails is a good etiquette. It gives the mail a formal setting and bats the message across the recipient even though...

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MODS: Compudesk -- Computer Integrated into a Desk

Let's face it, the downside to desktop computer setups are the cable clutter it brings. Even with a good cable management system things don't change much, once the clean-up schedule comes it's a torture to tidy things up. This is usually the cause of dress downs I get -- the...

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