notwilson.com

notwilson.com

Wilson  //  i post stuff when i'm bored, and that happens quite often.

Aug 29 / 1:04am

Installing Nemesis on Ubuntu 10.04

Nemesis is a command-line network packet crafting and injection utility. Ubuntu 10.04 does not provide easy installation of the package through apt-get command. Here are the instructions to successfully install Nemesis on Ubuntu 10.04:

1. Remove any previous libnet (sudo apt-get remove libnet1).
2. Download the source for libnet-1.0.2a (Google it out).
3. Install gcc-4.1 (sudo apt-get install gcc-4.1).
4. Change the CC line in the Makefile of libnet-1.0.2a to be "CC = gcc-4.1" and compile.
5. Download nemesis-1.4 source code (Google it out).
6. Perform "./configure --with-libnet-includes=/usr/include/ --with-libnet-libraries=/usr/lib/ --enable-debug" and compile.

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Aug 22 / 8:42pm

Experimentation with VoIP Services on iPhone/iPad

With prepaid SIM card, calls are charged per minute. I paid $100 for 1000 minutes every year, which is equivalent to 10 cents a minute. Or 10 cents per text message. Although my phone usage is considered insignificant at all compared with other average household, I'm still determined to find ways to reduce my phone expenses.

Solving Incoming Calls Expenses

There are a number of VoIP services out there, but I chose to use the free ones. Gizmo5 is a well-known service, but new registration has been disabled since Google acquired it. I was thankful to have an account before that. But there is another free service called sipgate. A phone number is assigned to the account once it's registered. What I like about these services is that even though outgoing calls are still charged, incoming calls are essentially free! So, that pretty much solves the incoming calls side of expenses.

Outgoing Calls are Trickier

Thankfully there's the free Google Voice. Again, a phone number is assigned after registration. What's great about Google Voice, even though it does not provide VoIP service, is that it acts as a great phone forwarding system. For those who don't know how Google Voice works, say if you want to make a phone call to someone, Google Voice forward that request to your phone first, before it automatically dial out to the person. So the idea is to have Google Voice dial sipgate number first before it actually dial out to the person you wanted to call. Sipgate incoming calls are free, Google Voice act as a free forwarding system, and combining those two made outgoing calls anywhere within the US free.

Integration with iDevices

The next step is to make life simpler. I sure don't want to spend my time in front of the computer every time I make a phone call. Since I have iPhone and iPad, those two could potentially be very useful.

Sipgate has its own iPad app which is great. But it has its flaw. For example, I can't pick up an incoming call if a call comes in if the app is running on the background because the "accept call" button cannot be viewed on the screen. Thankfully there's another app called iSip, which allows integration with any VoIP services or devices. One trick when setting sipgate on iSip is to turn off NAT Detect, otherwise an incoming call will not get alerted.

Having a VoIP app on iDevices is great. The problem now is with wifi constantly turning itself off after few minutes in sleep mode. An app from Cydia called "Insomnia" and "KeepAwake" is available to solve this issue. However, it only works with iPhone. With iPad, it reboots itself few minutes after the screen is turned off. Even Insomnia Pro v4.0 seems to have this problem. Nevertheless, all is well with iPhone.

And Then ...

I do not have data plan on an iPhone. So, this probably kills the "anywhere, anytime" characteristics as a cell phone. But I will be looking to see if there is a cheap, simple solution from LEiMobile.

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Aug 15 / 2:26pm

Smooth Streaming of YouTube Videos to iOS Devices Through Wifi

Watching a streaming YouTube video on iPad can be quite annoying when it occasionally pauses halfway. So, before I even intend to watch any YouTube videos, I did a little preparation by downloading them into a local machine, and have the machine stream to my device via wifi, which is significantly faster without any hiccups.

For downloading the YouTube video, Firefox has a really nice plugin called Video DownloadHelper. For streaming to iOS devices, I look for no other than Air Video app. Air Video helps to perform live conversion of flash video (flv) file downloaded by Video DownloadHelper so that it can be played on any iOS devices.

Sure it takes extra time and effort, but that's the trade-off for convenience vs quality of experience.

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May 23 / 2:11pm

The Third Coming of iPad (Almost)


Yesterday, Apple sent me an email in response to the iPad 3G 16GB reservation I made 17 days ago. I was excited despite already owning an iPad Wi-Fi 16GB. I rushed to Apple Store (Oakridge), charged $695 to the credit card, and went home in joy, hoping to turn this into my primary device.

I compared the two iPads and found them to be identical except the sound coming out from the speaker. I tested both devices using the same music, tuning the volume control and discovered that iPad Wi-Fi sound quality is actually better, louder and clearer than iPad 3G. To some, this is slightly unnoticeable, but I'm able to sense the difference.

On an iPad 3G, it was also a hassle to switch between 3G and Wi-Fi. At one point, I noticed that after switching back and forth, the 3G was either low or has no signal.

These two weaknesses are sufficient to make me return the iPad 3G today. There's 10% restocking fee; a small price to pay for being itchy with iPads.

Filed under  //  aapl  

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May 23 / 1:37pm

This iPad Accessory Makes Huge Difference!

To me, iPad's most annoying feature in terms of usage has always been the over-reflective and fingerprint-magnet screen. Sure, it looks beautiful at first, but trying to read on an iPad is not the most pleasant experience.

Enter ILUV iCC1191 Anti-glare Type Protective Film for iPad.

I first heard this from a well-known trusted source. True to his words, it really makes a difference. The screen prevents scratches, and no longer collects fingerprints. Reading on it is now a pleasant experience as the reflection is no longer visible. Even touching the screen feels real good.

One setback is the bubbles that appear on the screen after applying this film. The instruction claimed that the bubble will disappear within a day. True, but be careful of dirt. Just a tiny dust that sticks into this film will leave a patch that will be visible on an iPad especially when it's turned off.


This is how the screen looks like when the film is first applied.


The next day, some of the bubbles have disappeared. The rest of the patches are from the dust collected during the application of the film.
Filed under  //  aapl  

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May 22 / 7:03pm

The Second Coming of iPad

Life without iPad has been challenging. Sure, I was able to focus on other things in life, but there are times when I craved for it.

May 3: I passed my iPad Wi-Fi 16GB to dad.

May 6: I went to the Apple Store in ValleyFair Mall, but all the iPads were out-of-stock. The staff pointed me to an online reservation website so that I can pick it up as soon as it's available in-store. I proceeded to reserve iPad 3G 16GB to be picked up at Oakridge Mall.

May 10: Four days passed as I anxiously waited to hear from Apple. I knew I needed some sort of assurance, so I ordered an iPad Wi-Fi 16GB from Apple Online Store. Truth be told, I was conflicted in the decision to purchase iPad W-Fi only or iPad 3G.

May 16: I went to Oakridge Mall to inquire the stock of iPad 3G and informed them that I made a reservation 10 days ago. I was basically told to continue waiting and that Apple has not forgotten my reservation.

May 17: iPad Wi-Fi 16GB shipped from Shenzhen, CN.

May 20: Received iPad Wi-Fi 16GB after having go through HK and Alaska before arriving here.

       
Click here to download:
The_Second_Coming_of_iPad.zip (306 KB)

Filed under  //  aapl  

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May 2 / 10:46pm

Hike at Mt. Diablo

This was quite a challenging hike, mostly because we got lost due to tricky and confusing trail. Nevertheless, it was quite a good workout and boy what an adventure it was! Mostly under open-space, we unknowingly walked from Diablo Foothills Regional Park to Diablo State Park. Thanks to the old couples who offered us a ride to our parking lot, we were able to get back home before the sun sets.

                                                   
Click here to download:
Hike_at_Mt._Diablo.zip (3173 KB)

Filed under  //  hike  

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Apr 25 / 7:26pm

Hike at Briones Regional Park

It took roughly around 1 hour and 11 minutes to reach this place with lots of greens and mostly open hike. In fact, it was such a beautiful sunny day that by the time I got home, I realized that my arms were turning red and felt warm due to constant sun exposure.

While this hike wasn't as beautiful as previous few, the people and my new Canon PowerShot S90 made this hike so much more enjoyable. Included a stitched picture of my view from lunch spot.

                                             
Click here to download:
Hike_at_Briones_Regional_Park.zip (7909 KB)

Filed under  //  hike  

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Apr 11 / 2:03pm

Office Depot Study Stand ... for my iPad ~

Went to Office Depot yesterday to get a study stand. As soon as I entered the store at Fremont, I was greeted by the staff and I asked for a study stand. She took me to the clearance area where I came across two study stands. I decided to pick the cheaper ones which only costs $3.71. It's called Office Depot adjustable book and copy holder. I placed the iPad on it and was quite easily impressed.

Cooking has never been more fun with NBC news playing on the background. I can almost see the 32" LCD TV in the living room going extinct soon. I can read books on the side while lying on the bed. Although this thing is cheap, it definitely plays a critical role in everyday use of iPad. Thinking of buying another one for use at work.

           
Click here to download:
Office_Depot_Study_Stand_..._f.zip (2334 KB)

Filed under  //  aapl  

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Apr 3 / 10:47am

Officially an iPad owner today ~

This is the day I've been looking forward to for two and a half years. Many mockups and speculations have appeared on the net.

All rumors were put to rest in January this year when Apple announced iPad, signaling its intention to jump into tablet and e-book markets. Consumers had to wait for over 60 days to own one of these.

Well, today, the waiting game is officially over. After having made a reservation two weeks ago, I picked up an iPad this morning to complete joy and excitement. Although I've only owned this device for less than an hour, I must admit that I'm blown away by what I've seen so far. I'll try to tweet my thoughts on this device in the coming days, but for now, allow me to show my first memorable unboxing pictures ~ :)


                                         
Click here to download:
Officially_an_iPad_owner_today.zip (7348 KB)

Filed under  //  aapl  

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