Podcasts Worth Listening To

For the longest time, I was a Leo fanboy. I'd listen to everything that Leo Laporte put out. I still listen to a lot but not everything as I've branched out. Well, I branched out a little as I still listen to people I discovered through the TWIT network.

• No Agenda (audio, commentary, explicit)
  
• Tekzilla (video, technical)
  
• This Week in Tech (TWIT) (audio, technical)
  
• Cranky Geeks (video, technical)
  
• MacBreak Weekly (audio, technical)
  
• Diggnation (video, commentary, explicit)
  
• This Week in Photography (TWIP) (audio, technical)
• WebbAlert (video, news)
• Tech5 (audio, news)
• Scam School (video, magic)
• You Look Nice Today (audio, humor, explicit)

The explicit tag is given by iTunes to those podcasts that may contain strong langauge or themes. You might not want to have these blaring at work or in front of your kids/parents. This is just a heads up; I'm not a censor.

What do you guys listen to?

Where Have All the Good Mice Gone?

I would love to have a decent Bluetooth mouse that works with the MacBook. Yes, I could use an Apple mouse but my hand isn't symmetrical so why would I want my mouse to be? Even soap, which the Apple Mouse most closely resembles, now comes in ergonomic styles.


So, by definition, I'm looking for a mouse designed for portability which in reality translates to no base station and it needs an on/off switch. Those criteria eliminate the only really good, ergonomic, bluetooth mouse from consideration; the old Logitech MX900. This wonderful mouse comes with a base station (which you can do without if you are willing to recharge batteries separately) but no on/off switch. Yes, I could pull the batteries but do I really have to?


So the MX900 is relegated to being used as a desktop mouse as it lacks portability and I'm reduced to using the only real option out there, the Microsoft Bluetooth Mouse 5000.


The 5000 is a good looking mouse, it works well and meets all the criteria I specified except its built for 3 year olds. Could they have made this mouse any smaller? Okay, I'm a little larger than the average person but this thing is the size of a toy.

I'd appreciate hearing from anyone that has any information about a really good bluetooth mouse for the MacBook.

Adobe Acrobat Pro 9.0

I just started playing with Adobe Acrobat Pro 9.0. It starts lightening fast compared to the previous version and does not crash (well, I haven't been able to make it crash with the routines that would make the previous version crash). I don't really care about the added features in this version (yet! I probably won't be able to live without them in a weeks time, of course) but the added stability and start-up time make this version worth the upgrade. I still balk at the full price of the software for anyone buying it for the first time though.

Mac on a Stick

I created a Mac On A Stick using the instructions posted on the excellent nothickmanuals. The file I uploaded is my version which comes in at under 3Mb so you can put it on even the smallest memory stick.

To open the computer, drop hfs24M.DSK onto Mini vMac (these terms will all become apparent when you download the file).

I added one program to the basic computer, the game that took far too much of my time about a decade and a half ago, Shuffle Puck Cafe.


Anyone else play this way back?

The Region Free MacBook

I've posted these instructions elsewhere but wanted to bring them here. The topic is how to play DVDs from anywhere in the world on your MacBook. The reason you might want to perform this hack is that DVD players are manufactured to only be able to play DVDs manufactured for the local region. That sucks. I buy the MacBook and the DVD and they won't let me play the darn thing. I could download the video illegally but I like to collect DVDs (I know, I'm already in the 12-step program). I could rant about this for hours but Wikipedia does a good job of describing the issues.

This is how I performed the hack and links to the software I used. Special thanks to the guys at RPC1.org for making this possible, especially Ben11 who did all the hard work.

Copy this at your own risk but it worked for me.

1. Go to Apple -> About This Mac -> More Info -> Disk Burning to check what firmware version you're running.

2. Download the software you need. A list of the MATSHITA drives (the appropriately named company whose drives Apple uses in their MacBook and other lines) that can be currently upgraded by this method is available.

3. Apply the flash AT YOUR OWN RISK. Do not interrupt the installation. Restart the computer after the installation has been complted. FYI, my installation paused a couple of times; if yours does too, don't be tempted to restart the computer or stop the installation before the installation is complete.

4. Use DVDInfoX to confirm that you're flash worked.

When I did the check, this is what it showed:

DVD Info X v1.0.1, by xvi (xvi@rpc1.org)

WARNING --- DVD Info X will only list DVD drives that have some WRITE
capabilities, like combos, DVD-R, DVD-RW, etc...
DVD-ROM-only drives will NOT be listed.
WARNING --- You also must eject any inserted medium to list the drive.

Vendor: MATSHITA
Model: DVD-R UJ-857
Firmware: HBEA
RPC-1 (region free)

5. Set and change the region using (the Intel updated) Region X 1.3.

6. Use DVD Player to watch your region free movies and reset the region as need be (using Region X) or use VLC and don't worry about changing the region (as it doesn't set a region).

Twitter

Okay, not a hack but I wanted to post my Twitter feed for those that want to follow me.

http://twitter.com/GrendelKhan or @GrendelKhan if you want to contact me.

Oh, and the Digg sign is here as it's applied to all posts. I can't really see any validity in Digging the post though.

Why Can't Microsoft Write OSX Software?

So I just installed the latest Microsoft Office 2008 update from M$. It took about 4 hours to figure out what the installer was seeing that prevented it from seeing my installed version. To cut a long story short, the installer didn't like the fact that I had an Adobe Acrobat Pro toolbar installed.

But that's not all that I've seen reported that the installer doesn't like. It doesn't like XSlimmer. it doesn't like Monolingual. It doesn't like it if you've renamed the Office folder. It doesn't like a long list of things.

I can buy shareware that updates flawlessly. I can get freeware from a single developer that updates just as easily. Yet this overpriced POS can't update unless EVERYTHING is just right?!?!

Message to Microsoft: "Hire some programmers!"

Safety from THE Mac Virus

The Mac Virus story

Okay, before we get started, it's not actually a virus, it's a Trojan. This little nasty requires that you run a program to install it. So there are a number of ways to remain safe from this Trojan (or others attacking the same vulnerability):

1. Don't run the software. Obvious, right? The software has been hidden as a codec, etc. that you have to install to watch porn videos. Check what you're installing. Don't run as Administrator so the software can't self-install.

2. For someone comfortable using the terminal, they would type "sudo chmod -s /System/Library/CoreServices/RemoteManagement/ARDAgent.app/Contents/MacOS/ARDAgent". When a fix comes out from apple, turn it back on by typing "sudo chmod +s /System/Library/CoreServices/RemoteManagement/ARDAgent.app/Contents/MacOS/ARDAgent" BEFORE you apply the fix.

3. For someone who prefers to see what's going on, they could zip the ARDAgent file so it cannot be used until a patch comes out from Apple. They would find the ARDAgent file in System -> Library -> CoreServices -> RemoteManagement folder -> ARDAgent.

Options 2 and 3 will also prevent the ability to use Apple Remote Desktop. If that's a problem, refer to option 1. Of course, standard disclaimers apply.

This is a pretty simple fix for a story that's getting a lot of mileage. Far more than it deserves but I guess the M$ fanboys have finally gotten something to point at.

Goals for this Blog

I want to establish somewhere on the web where I can record details of hacks I've tried, those I been forced to do to keep the mac working and software I've sampled.

This blog will NOT be a source for cracks, SNs, STWs, etc. that may be illegal. I've been told that those resources already exist on the web and that some of the forums that provide these services can be revealed with a simple search. To confirm that theory, I used Google reveal that such sites include (in no particular order):

• macBB
  
• mac-Hacker
  
• Mac Serial Junkie
  
• Codez 4 Mac
  

The images I've used to illustrate my topics where found using Google's Image Search function and are directly linked to their original places. Please contact me if you are the copyright holder of any of the images I've used and don't want the free advertising for your work that this blog provides.

Hope you find this blog useful.