QuickFix: Basic Troubleshooting Steps for Non-branded External HDDs and HDD Enclosures

Category: Tech Today

The advantages of buying branded hard drives is for the warranty, availability, and reputation but anyone who has gone through several Western Digital and Seagate drives know the chances of getting a lemon can still be pretty high and there are horror stories for both internal and external products from both companies.

Buying a cheap HDD enclosure or non-branded external HDD can be a pretty good investment if you're the DIY type (or even if you're not).  For enclosures, you can reuse your old Samsung or Toshiba hard drives from your old laptops or desktops and setup is pretty easy. Prebuilt external HDDs, on the other hand, are pretty similar to enclosures but the obscure companies that sell them install a huge 1TB or 2TB hard drive inside and make them available for less than commercial brands.




If these types of products suddenly "stop" working, there are a few steps you can try to get them working again. There are a lot of funky advice online on how to get a "dead" hard drive to work, but in general, it really doesn't take much to get them to work again.

Basic Steps:

1. Turn on the non-branded external HDD enclosure or external HDD. Listen to any drive sounds or check for LEDs. Sounds from a drive is a double-edged sword. If the device actually makes the typical chirping sounds then you're in luck. However, if you hear the dreaded clicking sound from platters struggling to spin, expect to work a little harder to get it working.

2. If you're working with an enclosure, take it apart and reseat the connectors. The problem with most enclosures is that the contact points loosen pretty quickly. Firmly reseat the drive. The dimensions of the enclosure are not always on the spot - which isn't really the manufacturers' fault since Samsung, Seagate, etc. all have different production methods and testing procedures for their internal drives. Even a few millimeters of difference means the drive might get jostled loose when moving the enclosure from place to place.

3. If it's a prebuilt external HDD, don't take it apart yourself. It's actually ok if it doesn't power up or make any sounds when you press the power on button - it just means it's not getting enough voltage. If the external HDD has a LED and it doesn't power on, remove the power strip and plug it directly into the wall socket. Even a lazy-daisy chain within company premises doesn't ensure enough voltage for a non-branded external drive/enclosure. If you're using a universal adapter for the plug to fit (say you're on a different country), bypass that too.




4. Try a different USB port. If you're using a Macbook, ultraportable, or netbook, switch to a desktop replacement or desktop PC. Most notebooks limit the voltage from the USB port. Toshiba's Sleep N'Charge USB feature provides extra voltage even while the system is powered off while Dell and Acer has their own proprietary USB controller firmware. Avoid using an eSATA-USB combo port. Bypass USB hubs.




5. If the LED lights up on the external hard drive and you hear churning sounds but Windows doesn't detect the drive, then you're pretty much in business. All you need is a Linux system like Ubuntu or openSUSE. MacOSX and Windows doesn't have the flexibility to detect and mount corrupted drives or odd partition tables. Linux is dependable when it comes to accessing different types of partition tables and formats such as NTFS and FAT. If needed, fix or format the partitions.

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Digital Taipei Part 2

Category: Techtoday

Continued from Digital Taipei Part 1

I grinned when I saw the poster of the now-familiar Megan Fox ad for Acer S7 Ultrabook. Haters may hate but I found the ad extremely charming and almost laughed out loud when I saw the Acer kiosk inside the store looping the video over and over again. For people who are used to the structure and rustle-and-bustle of Asia's boutique electronics stores, there's nothing new to Nova other than their choice of brands. Plus, like most Asian boutique electronics stores, all the displays are playing sexy K-Pop videos that can entrance even the most geekiest of shoppers from reading device specifications (it's a sales trick I'm not immune from). However, as a veteran visitor to places like Manila's Greenhills, Singapore's Sim Lim Square, and Shanghai's Metro City and Pacific Digital Mall, I immediately felt the difference. Unlike stalls in Shanghai, the shopkeepers and owners don't assault you with questions asking you what you're looking for. They're not aggressive and I found it easy to hop in and out of the shops to check what they were selling. It wasn't stressful or intimidating and the experience was much better than some of the places I've visited. As a foreigner, I was surprised I only received a nod or greeting instead of "What are you looking for ?" or "Want an iPhone or iPad?" in Mandarin.






The prices were as to be expected though overall they were reasonable considering that the area was close to well-known tourist spots. Places like Best Buy in the U.S. and Future Shop in Canada are great for fully-built devices like smartphones, laptops, and accessories. Shanghai's Pacific Digital Plaza can get you good deals for cameras, camcorders, and consumer devices. However, what truly made me smile was the availability of video cards, motherboards, and desktop parts. In fact, the basement of Nova had a section labeled DIY, which would please any Linux user wanting to build a new ArchLinux  or Fedora system. I quickly found the wireless Microsoft Mouse I needed (which I preferred over Logitech's offerings) and Sony Rechargeable batteries for my digital camera/mice. If you're put off with Linksys being sold to Belkin, I highly recommend buying D-Link products in Taipei, which are dependable and affordable, especially if you can't wait to try the new wireless AC standard.  Like most places, the availability of specific parts aren't always available (I couldn't find a $1 universal adapter for my Toshiba NB520), but I'm pretty sure I would have found it if I had the appetite for walking around and asking a little bit more. With great electronics brands and non-aggressive non-rabid salespeople, I had a great time browsing around.


I love product fliers!

So what did I buy? Moisturizer and mouthwash from the Watson's next door (mostly because I had only a pathetic NTD$500 in my wallet).

Final notes

Now, my articles are mostly about tech stuff but I can't help but comment that it's embarrassing seeing a white guy (or Western professional) walking around wearing 4 foot backpacks trudging around feeling all smug and thinking "I'm roughing it in the wilds of Asia". For Peter Parker's sake you look ridiculous - can't you see the freaking high-end touchscreen ultrabook the locals are using as they sit down drinking cappuccino over at Starbucks?

As I walked around hoping no one noticed the Nokia E63 bulging in my inside pocket, I kept noticing that the younger generation all looked like Asian matinee idols or pop stars. Meanwhile, I looked like a short Harrison Ford after he was manhandled by the Thuggees in Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984). I was the only guy walking around with a cap and I decided not to remove it because everyone else had a fantastic hairdo - even the bespectacled youths trying out the new HTC One.  I made a mental note to slap on some Nivea before going out the next day to buy that Microsoft Mouse. 

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Digital Taipei Part 1

Category: Techtoday

I was quietly munching on my KFC hamburger outside the Taipei Main MRT Station, just above the underground MRT Mall one Saturday afternoon. A group of young Taiwanese students were having an outdoor activity to one side, toting their shiny new HTC and Samsung phones. I was so embarrassed for my archaic Nokia E63 mobile phone that I was sure they would hand me an HTC One if I whipped my phone out and started using it. Like an idiot, I left my Canon PowerShot A2000IS at my lodgings, though I guess the equally obsolete 10MP camera  would have been more embarrassing than using my iPod Touch for taking photos (which could pass for an iPhone 5 from 10 feet away with the right casing). Unfortunately, I prefer using any decent camera over any mobile device for taking photos so it's with chagrin I'm uploading shoddy images to this blog post.


Should have asked her for a photo . . . so I made like Peter Parker and took it while clinging to a wall (literally).



Please don't notice my phone!


My business trip took me to lovely Taipei, which took me totally off guard. Now, most everyone who has visited the most popular cities in Asia think Singapore is superficially superior, Tokyo is truly technological, Seoul is simply slick while Bangkok boasts the best bevy of beauties. However, they should never ever pass up Taipei - Taiwan's capital deserves a visit not only for its reputation as the world center of tech production and design but for the country's modernity and charm. Taipei feels like a modern Japanese city minus the pretense, noise, and neon signs. The city doesn't have the arrogance of Singapore or Hong Kong and retains the traditional tastes of South Korea and Japan. As a current resident of Shanghai, it was pleasant finding people lining up before entering the Metro and people still talking to each other while riding the train (whereas everyone is busy with their tablets or phones in bigger cities).

While heading off downtown via their excellent MRT system, I observed the device usage of the passers-by. I was surprised that not many flaunted their 7" tablets. Much later, I watched the locals casually read from their Galaxy Tabs, iPad Minis, and Google Nexus' as they relaxed in Peace Park. However, unlike New Yorkers and Shanghainese, very few made a lot of noise with their devices as they rode the trains. They actually talked to each other and very few wore headphones as they commuted. It was absolutely charming and I was glad I didn't bring along my huge Sony MDR-ZX100 headphone.  A quick check of my iPod Touch showed that there was a free wireless available within the the public transportation system, and yet very few were in any hurry to clog the bandwidth (compare this with Chicago O'Hare International where everyone seems desperate to be logged on the moment they get to the departure area).


Wireless on the MRT

Nova Electronics Store

Although Taipei MRT Main Station is big enough to confuse even the most experience New Yorker who has memorized Port Terminal, once you exit, the best of Taipei is there for the taking.

Although it may come off as a political statement, most Asian cities have more in common than they think and as I mentioned earlier, Taipei has a familiar and exciting feel similar to some of the more PR-focused Asian capitals. There are excellent food stalls, well-maintained historical sites, and of course, multilevel department stores  which have electronics-related items by default. The ESlite bookstore sells Apple accessories, the small stalls selling clothes will have pretty durable laptop bags, and of course, there's the huge boutique electronics stores that anyone who has visited Asia should always expect. I made a beeline for Nova, which is just opposite Shin Kong Mitsukoshi Department store. There was a small concert in front of the aforementioned department store so onlookers were probably wondering why I was taking a photo of the Nova building instead.



Continued on Digital Taipei Part 2

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Using YaST2 Partitioner to fix USB Flash drives Part 2

Category: openSUSE

Continued from Using YaST2 Partitioner to fix USB Flash drives Part 1

6. After clicking Yes to the confirmation message for partition creation, the main Partitioner page will now display just one block of unpartitioned space. Take note that your drive hasn't been wiped out or repartitioned quite yet and you can still turn back if you get cold feet.



7. Click the Add . . . button. On the next window, select Primary Partition, which is recommended for small storage devices. If you plan to use the flash drive for updating a motherboard's BIOS for instance, the motherboard will only accept flash drives which are formatted on a single partition.




7. Select Maximum Size on the next setup page. Selecting formatting options really depends on where you'll be using the USB flash drive. If you're planning to use the USB flash drive for Linux machines then you can assign a mount point or select EXT4 as the file format. However, if you have Windows or MacOSX machines, then select FAT (don't worry, you will still be able to use the maximum storage size). Click Next.






8. On the main Partitioner page, the graphic will now display what your drive will look like after the whole process is over. Click Next. Partitioner will provide a summary of tasks it will begin executing including removing the old partition table and formatting the drive. Click Finish. Partitioner will then create a new partition table, create a primary partition, and format the primary partition as FAT.





9. Expert Partitioner has an unsettling habit of just disappearing once it's done with its job. To check if the process was successful, unmount the flash drive using the Device Notifier in openSUSE KDE. Plug the flash drive back in to check if the flash drive can now be used for storage.

In the screenshot below, the drive's label is still "ARCH_201303" on purpose to prove that the procedure does work. Take note that the drive is completely empty and that openSUSE can now copy or move files to store on the VERBATIM. After testing the Store N' Go in openSUSE 12.2 KDE or any other Linux distribution, try the flash drive on a MacOSX or Windows machine.



The procedure for recovering the storage space of a "broken" flash drive loaded with PC-BSD and the third sample USB key which only provided 512MB out of 2GB is the same. For users who want to format the drive as NTFS, I recommend "fixing" the drive in Linux and formatting it first as FAT. You can then plug the USB flash drive into Windows and format the drive as NTFS using diskmgmt.msc to ensure compatibility with older Windows operating systems and take advantage of OSX's limited support for NTFS. 

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Using YaST2 Partitioner to fix USB Flash drives Part 1

Category: Linux

It's easy to give up on a USB flash drive especially when a Windows OS can't seem to detect it anymore. Flash drives rarely fail unless they're the boutique-type found in stuffed toys, flashlights, souvenirs, company giveaways and bags. Besides physical damage, one of the most common reason why a USB flash drive "stops working" in Windows is a corrupted file partition table or a unique file partition table Windows can't recognize.




Kingston provides pretty good documentation on fixing their portable storage products but when you're dealing with a flash drive with no brand and Windows Disk Management can't detect the drive for formatting, it's time to run Linux, or in this case openSUSE.

openSUSE's YaST2 Expert Partitioner isn't as well-known as GParted, which comes with most Debian-based Linux distributions. However, if you're running the excellent openSUSE 12.x releases or have an openSUSE 12.3 Rescue CD with you, then you can fix USB flash drives in a jiffy with YaST2 Expert Partitioner.

This simple tutorial will use as an example three USB flash drives. The first is a VERBATIM Store N' Go loaded with a bootable Archlinux system. The unique partition table of Arch prevents even Lubuntu or openSUSE from using it as a storage drive or even accessing the contents of the drive. In contrast, LiveUSB's for Linux Mint and Knoppix can still double as storage as long as there is space available. The second example is a no-brand USB flash drive I have with me loaded with PC-BSD, a popular FreeBSD variant. This particular Flash drive suffers from the same challenges as the Archlinux-loaded Flash drive - it can't be used for storage and Windows can't detect it either. A third non-branded and "broken" 1GB flash drive I used for testing is a corrupted flash drive that MacOSX and Windows can no longer detect properly. Windows prompted to format this drive but failed in recovering the storage space. After formatting using diskmgmt.msc, Windows was only able to use 512MB of the 2GB flash drive.

To use YaST2 Expert Partitioner to fix a USB flash drive:

1. Plug the USB drive into your USB port. openSUSE will immediately notify you that a storage device has been plugged in. It may even tell you if the drive is accessible or not. For the VERBATIM Store N' Go, openSUSE cannot access the Arch files stored inside but will mount the drive.




2. Launch Yast2 Partitioner by running YaST or pressing ALT+F2 and then searching for Partitioner. Partitioner will prompt for root and warn you of the dangers of using a disk utility. For a drive with partition table errors, a message will be displayed indicating that it is unreadable and you cannot modify the USB's partitions directly.




3. On the left panel, click the tree listing the detected storage drives. In this scenario, openSUSE found the VERBATIM Store N' Go as sdb1. If you're somewhat confused as to which storage device is your USB flash drive, check the storage size.




4. The Overview tab will offer options such as Edit, Move, Resize, and Delete. To recover a typical drive filled with corrupted or unusable data, we would normally use the delete or edit option to format the drive.  Unfortunately, due to the reasons I mentioned earlier, Partitioner will inform you that it can't delete or wipe out the contents of the VERBATIM and instead advises you to create a new partition table.





5. Click the Partitions tab. On the lower right-hand side, click the dropdown list and select Create New Partition table.




6. Partitioner will request for the partition table type. For compatibility with MacOSX and Windows machines, select MSDOS. A warning will follow telling you that creating a new partition table will destroy all the data.




Using YaST2 Partitioner to fix USB Flash drives Part 2

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What is the openSUSE 12.3 Rescue CD?

Category: openSUSE

Although I've been an openSUSE user for a few years now, I haven't tried the brand spanking openSUSE 12.3, which looks to be one of the better releases of the SUSE team. The openSUSE 12.3 Rescue CD, released along with the KDE, DVD, and Gnome versions, is not designed to be installed but rather to run as a LiveCD or LiveUSB for use with workstations or home desktops for repairing or recovering data. Although the openSUSE 12.3 Rescue CD doesn't have the reputation of easy-to-use specialized rescue LiveCDs such as System Rescue CD, Clonezilla, or even Knoppix (which has had a long history of being the Swiss Army knife of Linux distributions), there are advantages in using openSUSE over other recovery LiveCDs. I myself have used Knoppix for more than half a decade for accessing files from Windows and Linux systems, saving Linux distributions, and fixing GRUB. However, considering that my systems run openSUSE, having an openSUSE recovery system seems like a no-brainer.

The openSUSE 12.3 Rescue CD clocks in at less than 600MB and easily fits in a cheap 2.0GB USB key. Even if the Rescue CD isn't running lightweight Xfce, the 12.3 is miles ahead of previous releases of openSUSE, which isn't well-known for booting up quickly or performing faster than Ubuntu or Archlinux. Boot up is exceptionally fast and matches my somewhat long in the tooth Knoppix 6.5 LiveUSB.  Shutdown is also quicker than the mainstream release of openSUSE for those James Bond-esque escapes.

The Xfce desktop has become a favorite of mine recently but there are other reasons why I'm considering creating an openSUSE 12.3 Rescue LiveUSB and toting it around on my IT backpack:

1. Grsync, Xfce Bulk Rename, and File Roller - Grsync is one of my favorite GUI-based utilities. Running Rsync on the commandline isn't that difficult but there's nothing like a well-designed interface that makes backing up and accessing networked folders easy. Backing up files from a downed Windows or Linux system is never fun but a combination of File Roller and Grsync makes it a breeze. In fact, Grsync has always been on my wishlist for any Linux distribution designed for LiveUSB or LiveCD - Knoppix doesn't have it included by default.




2. Classic and modern file managers (Thunar and Midnight Commander) - If you need to move, copy, rename, or delete files, you can use the popular Thunar file manager. Although I'm more familiar with Dolphin, PCMANFM, and Nautilus, Thunar is a competent and fast file browser. For those who prefer the classic two-pane folder and file navigator, there's Midnight Commander, which harkens to the old-school days of 8-bit displays.




3. Xfce - Using either Xfce or LXDE as a desktop environment is always a good idea for a LiveUSB or LiveCD because of their lightweight design. However, with newfangled powerful and fancy desktops such as E17, Gnome 3, and Unity floating around, there's nothing like a familiar desktop where you don't need a cheat sheet for shortcuts or having to worry about Amazon searches.

4. The basics - When recovering data from a broken system, you don't have to backup everything. If you want to preview files as you mine usable data from a desktop or laptop, there's Ristretto Image Viewer and ePDFViewer or run Midori to upload files or access Google Docs or Microsoft SkyDrive.

5. The power of YaST and dependable hardware support - I recently had problems running Ubuntu and Fedora on my Toshiba NB520. openSUSE 12.2, on the other hand, had no problems configuring X Server and connecting wirelessly to the network. The YaST modules included with openSUSE Rescue CD are minimal, but it even includes utilities for connecting to a network using legacy devices like Dial-Up modems, ISDN, or connect via Proxy.




6. GParted and Expert Partitioner - Casual users rarely have to partition drives or reformat storage, but if you've created LiveUSBs or broken partition tables of external hard drives or your USB key, then you'll know just how useful GParted and YaST's partitioner utility is. GParted is found preinstalled with most Debian Linux distributions and well known for its ease of use when used in conjunction with a distro's setup process. YaST Partitioner has fixed numerous Kingston flash drives in my time - especially those I used for trying out FreeBSD variants such as PC-BSD and GhostBSD.




7. VNC and XChat - Your system is down and you need someone who knows how to fix an RPM-based system better than you. No problem. Run the VNC utility to configure remote access for you. While running VNC, use XChat with your buddy and talk about the sheer awesome power of openSUSE.      

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Linux (Probably) on Film: Captain Power and the Soldiers of the Future

Category: Linux

I was more of a Raiders of the Lost Ark and Ghostbusters fan than I was of sci-fi movies and shows back in the 80s. I loved the Back to the Future trilogy but preferred Indy over Han Solo and Spidey over Flash Gordon (the only part I remember from the 1980 film was sexy Princess Aura). I'm often surprised that my younger self was a devoted fan and toy collector of the controversial, short-lived, "children's" show, Captain Power and the Soldiers of the Future. The show, which aired during the fantastic 80s (1986-1987 and then reruns), was ahead of its time and probably would have been successful if it had a one hour running time, didn't come off as a shill for the toy set, and was aired today. Like the 1980s Spider-Man animated series (which was poorly written but awesome nonetheless), 20 minutes of air time just wasn't have enough for convincing action or dialogue. Captain Power's writers, to their credit, did attempt to squeeze as much plot in the series without losing sight of its more commercial aim of billing itself as an "interactive show." This scheme of using the toys to take part in the show was ultimately detrimental to the success of both the Mattel toys and the TV show - both the series and the show famously became a target for groups that fought against violence on TV. Landmark Entertainment Group, the production company behind Power, eventually folded.

As a fan, I owned and kept most of the toys and the manuals. Scan from the author's own collection.

Strangely enough, the 80s was not as conservative as most people recall it to be. There were plenty of sex and violence on both the tube and in films at the time. For those too young to remember (or who are only mostly aware of events in the U.S.), the brilliant albeit very violent original Dragon Ball animated series aired in 1986 in Japan and was widely successful to children both in print and on television. The criticisms over the post-apocalyptic background of Power and the idea of "digitization" of human beings seemed misplaced compared to the material being published in Asia and Europe. Socialism, propaganda, war, technology, and the fear of machines taking over the world figured prominently in Captain Power and the Soldiers of the Future. The series also paid homage to themes discussed in more well-known media such as the original Star Wars trilogy and the classic Star Trek series.

One of the widely advertised aspects of the show was the Bio Dread creature Soaron Sky Sentry, who was a computer generated flying entity that (based on the action figure's file) could destroy whole cities and had the human weakness of being vain. Soaron was a cross between a humanoid falcon and a prehistoric lizard. I had two action figures of this character and thought it had the best design and accessories in the whole set (Soaron came with a Digitizer Staff, a pair of detachable wings, and a detachable "tail"). Soaron was one of the first creatures modeled using computers to ever convincingly appear on television. Among other things, Soaron could shoot blasts from his eyes and had mounted blasters on his forearm along with his retractable "Digitizer," which Soaron gleefully used on humans in the episodes. Soaron could also replicate damaged parts of his body and could replace/repair himself after battle (a very original take on the now-overused "healing factor" concept). I had to write a lengthy description of Soaron because as of this writing, "Soaron Sky Sentry" doesn't even have an entry in Wikipedia.

Most of the set and costumes on Power were exceptionally well-designed and were much, much, much better than those you found in more recent shows like Smallville. Although Soaron and a later computer animated character, Blastarr Ground Guardian (I have his action figure too), are choppy and visually unappealing by today's high standards, they were wholly original designs and were real characters rather than ornaments or superficial embellishments in the show. For the Terminator (1984) fans out there (me being one of them), Terminator 2: Judgement Day, came out in 1991 and was lauded for its CGI despite its predecessor winning accolades for make-up.

For those looking for screencaps of Soaron or Blastarr, buy the complete series on DVD. Scan of Blastarr's profile from author's collection.

Was Unix or Unix-like operating systems behind some of the early CGI scenes and instrumental in producing Captain Power? Considering the dearth of information of this obscure show, it is still easy to conclude that customized systems were used for the computer modelling rather than commercial software (which wasn't widely available yet). There's a strong possibility Unix was involved in producing Soaron and Blastarr. For those interested in the history of computer animation, there's a well-researched paper by a gentleman named Judson Rosebush published in 1992 and available online .

I have mixed feelings about the possible "reboot" of the largely forgotten Captain Power and the Soldiers of the Future. The new series, which would be aptly retitled Phoenix Rising according to show creator Gary Goddard , would begin where the first series left off. The ending of the show culminated with the death of a primary character, the destruction of the Power Base (the abandoned NORAD station that was the team's headquarters), and a victory on the side of Lord Dread's forces. The climax left room for a more satisfying conclusion with a Power Suit now available after the death of their team member. I certainly would like to follow the continuation of the series though more for sentimental reasons and curiosity than anything else. However, like most well-written productions made in the 80s (the aforementioned Ghostbusters, Back to the Future, and MacGyver come to mind), Power is best viewed during its original milieu rather than today, when audiences are over-saturated with science fiction in every format (gaming, movies, film). Although Power was a failed series, it was unique in an endless line of sci-fi shows and it would be a shame to see a half-baked unoriginal reboot of the stories and a quick cancellation. One thing I'm hoping though is that they don't hire Justin Bieber or Gossip Girl-looking actors and actresses - the original unglamorous and enthusiastic (except for Jessica Stein) cast were clearly not spring chickens.

Scan of one of the four Captain Power activity books from author's collection.

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Linux on Film: Skyfall

Category: Techtoday

Skyfall brings back the classic elements of the James Bond mythos such as the gadgets, Q, a male M (played by the immortal Ralph Fiennes), a sexy character (played by the delectable Berenice Lim Marlohe) that dies after minimal screen time, and a very lovely Moneypenny (Naomie Harris). Unlike the poorly conceived, disastrous, and pathetic 50th anniversary celebration of the Spider-Man comic books last year, Skyfall successfully brought very fresh and modern elements to the franchise while paying homage to 50 years of Craig, Moore, Brosnan, and Connery eras of the Bond films.

So-called tech experts panned the scene with Q battling a "stylized" and very graphic cryptographic scene. They said that "hacking" doesn't look as beautiful or as organic as what the main antagonist Silva (played by the awesome Javier Bardem) designed and Q (played by the exceptional Ben Whishaw) attempted to decipher.

I scratched my head over this and consulted a few of my own (ahem) experts (there are people out there you can pay RMB2000.00 to have them break into a Facebook account, steal all the pictures, and post them across Instagram and LinkedIn). They told me that it's actually very easy to provide a graphical and colorful representation of a security system or hacking script. In fact, considering the amount of power most servers and desktop replacement machines have, it takes very little GPU or CPU to provide a visual display of any processing a computer does. Sure, it's nothing more than eye-candy and really doesn't serve any purpose other than to entertain anyone working his/her magic online, but it is entirely possible. I was told to think of it as the randomized visualizations you can display  while playing an MP3 on Windows Media Player or iTunes but instead of the application interpreting pitch, volume, beat, and bass, the application displays the system processes that occur - that is, the jousting between the security protocols and the user.




Considering Silva had a knack for drama and affectation, it would have been very much part of his repertoire to merge genius with visual creativity.

Like The Amazing Spider-Man (2012), Skyfall prominently featured Sony products, particularly the Experia and the Vaio. However, unlike the Spidey reboot (which featured Microsoft Windows), Skyfall was more platform agnostic, with MI6 headquarters using largely unmarked user interfaces that could have been any customized FreeBSD or Linux variant.




Although James Bond is a fair third to Peter Parker and Indiana Jones in my list of heroes, I'm a fan and enjoyed Skyfall immensely (though Adele's theme song was nowhere near as good as Casino Royale's "You Know my Name" performed by Chris Cornell). Like most Bond movies, there were horrible plotholes (like the ballistics report that traced the gun to three people), but there was nothing technologically unbelievable about it. I did find it hard to believe that a Cold War dinosaur like Bond can spot the name of a UK train station amidst flowing binary characters - most programmers probably can't.


"I have no idea what is happening on that computer..."
Screenshots from Skyfall

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Toshiba NB520 HCL in openSUSE Wiki Updated

Category: openSUSE

The Hardware Compatibility List (HCL) for Toshiba laptops has been updated with an entry for the Toshiba NB520 netbook.  For a more in-depth review of openSUSE 12.2 on the Toshiba NB520, please read my 2-part review.

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Review: Toshiba NB520 Netbook featuring openSUSE 12.2 Part 1

Category: Linux

With the Smolt Online Profile system effectively retired, users can go directly to laptop Hardware Compatibility Lists for their respective Linux distributions to contribute to hardware profiles. The openSUSE wiki doesn't list Toshiba netbooks and I'm looking to add the Toshiba NB520 to the list despite the decline of the form factor.

As mentioned in a previous post, netbooks are underrated products though I'm realistic about their survival in the face of powerful smartphones and productive tablets. One of the reasons why I purchased the Toshiba NB520 is the rapid decline of netbook availability and manufacturers' decision to end production. They are perfect portable Linux workstations without a hefty price tag.

Why openSUSE 12.2?

openSUSE 12.3 was released last week and I've read one positive review so far, but I'm not an early adopter and I'm sticking with 12.2, which I've been running since its release last August.

OpenSUSE seems to work best with a KDE environment, so openSUSE 12.2 was NOT my distribution of choice when I purchased the Toshiba NB520. Although KDE 4.x does include an improved KDE Plasma Netbook Interface, LXDE or Xfce work much better on small screens. KDE's glossy interface functions (and looks) better on larger screens. However, my distribution of choice, Lubuntu, failed to install on the Toshiba, as did Linux Mint due to a generic Xorg error regarding "no screens found." My second choice after Lubuntu for the Toshiba NB520 was Archlinux but due to mirrorlist access issues in the Middle Kingdom, I turned to the Lizard distribution in the end.

I'll post the Xorg solution once I have time to work on the system, but in the meantime I'm running openSUSE 12.2, which detected the screen resolution and graphics chipset out of the box. I must admit it was a surprise considering that Ubuntu-based distributions are often exceptional at supporting odd screen sizes and video chipsets.

Toshiba Netbook NB520 specifications

• Intel Atom N2800 (1.86Hz) - supports 64-bit computing
• DDR3 1333 4GB
• 10.1" 1024x600 with Intel GMA3150
• Harmon Kardon stereo speaker
• 802.11bgn Intel wireless card
• Bluetooth
• Webcam
• SD card

For more details, visit Toshiba's laptop site, where the NB520 is one of the last netbook models available. CNET also posted a positive review on an earlier release of the model, which ran with a slower N550 1.5 GHz processor.

Superficial Considerations

For anyone who has worked with or owned a netbook during its brief heyday, the Toshiba NB520 provides few surprises. However, I did my research before purchasing the NB520 and there are reasons why I chose it over the Acer Aspire One or one of the last EEEPC models.

1. Supports 64-bit computing and 4GB of RAM - The NB520 came with 2GB of RAM, the maximum allowable amount for the bundled (and severely crippled) Windows 7 Starter. In fact, if you exchanged the 2GB of RAM with 4GB of RAM and attempted to boot into Windows 7, the netbook will refuse to boot into the OS. Not so for 32-bit openSUSE 12.2, which not only loads perfectly but makes use of the full 4GB of RAM I added without any additional PAE configurations. The result? A perfect replacement/upgrade for my aging first-generation ASUS EEEPC1000H netbook.
2. Harmon Kardon speakers - Speakers on a netbook had been a target of reviewers for years but the NB520's speakers are definitely above average, matching those found on the larger Lenovo Ideapad Z360 I own. Although openSUSE's Pulse Audio system may not take advantage of the Harmon Kardon hardware to the fullest, the speakers are more than adequate for playing videos and music.

Toshiba isn't well known for its design pedigree, but they do make solid and dependable hardware. I've known IT professionals who prefer Toshiba's notebooks over Dell's and HP's portable offerings. The NB520 is solidly built and doesn't look as cheap as my beloved EEEPC1000H. The pockmarked lid may not be as shiny as the 1000H's glossy reflective casing, but it does look more professional.

The location of the power connector, LED indicators, USB 2.0, VGA, and audio ports are exactly as where one might expect them to be but there are two odd design choices. The power button is right smack in the middle of system, just above the keyboard, below the LCD screen, and right on the display hinge (which Dell used to call the "light pipe"). It's not a big deal, but it also means you can press the power button while the display is closed.

The second less visible but unusual physical feature of the NB520 is the SD card reader, which is found underneath the touchpad. The slot is all but hidden and reminds me of hidden air-to-air missile launchers in old fighter jets and Japanese sci-fi aircrafts. It's clever but not practical. I found myself accidentally pushing the touchpad buttons while removing or inserting SD cards. It's not a deal-breaker though I definitely prefer the SD card slot placed at the lip of the notebook as with the Ideapad Z360 and 1000H.

The Keyboard: Buyer's Remorse?

As any writer or developer would tell you, a good keyboard can make or break any portable. I prefer the island-type of keys on the Ideapad and Macbook Pro over the more common chiclet-type keyboard. I also prefer a more resistant type of keys as those found on my aged Acer Aspire 5500Z. The NB520 sports neither. I initially thought I had made a mistake in choosing the NB520 over a Samsung netbook especially when I found out that the small arrow keys to the right of the keypad interfered with my typing. The SHIFT key is also awkwardly placed and can be difficult for users who are used to a full size keyboard.  Moreover, the location of the PGUP and PGDN buttons made it very easy to make a mistake while navigating through long documents. While writing a blog post about FreeBSD, I yearned for the tough but well-designed keyboard of the EEEPC1000H, which I had been using for more than 4 years now.

However, as is often the case with a new interface or input device, my hands quickly got used to the key placement. After 2 or 3 rounds of extended typing, I was comfortable with the NB520's keyboard and realized it was my acquired habit that prevented me from appreciating the key placement.

With devices like the Microsoft Surface available and hybrid laptops with touchscreens, are small keyboards like those on a netbook still relevant? It probably isn't for the casual user enamored with the novelty of apps/onscreen keyboard on a touchscreen. But for those who spend a lot of time getting work done, a comfortable keyboard is indispensable and the NB520 has a praiseworthy keyboard - though it does take time to get used to. I definitely prefer it over the detachable keyboard found in docking stations and tablet accessories. Yes, the netbook keyboard will soon be extinct, but I would definitely miss it when it's gone.

Quick Review: Toshiba NB520 Netbook featuring openSUSE 12.2 Part 2 - openSUSE 12.2 KDE

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Flirtations with FreeBSD 9.1

Category: Linux

Although I've been using Linux for awhile now, I've had little experience with its brother-in-arms, FreeBSD. However, I've admired FreeBSD and its derivatives from afar (somewhat like watching Jun Ji Hyun in movies like Il Mare). The FreeBSD wiki is well-written and comparable to the Fedora Project's robust online documentation so it was more about time and attention that prevented me from committing to a FreeBSD system. Having been unable to install ArchLinux due to the Great Firewall in China, I decided on FreeBSD 9.1 for my spare laptop.


Yeah, I used FreeBSD as an excuse to post a picture of Jun Ji Hyun. If only the Linux/Unix community can get endorsements from celebrities like her. Screencap from a Korean tea commercial.


Although there's a graphical installation process available, I opted for the more orthodox approach. Jesse Smith over at Distrowatch cited issues with the online repository for binary packages and it seemed the repository was still offline at the time of my trying out FreeBSD 9.1. Compiling software from the FreeBSD ports collection is relatively easy but I didn't realize it would take such a long time. Installing FreeBSD is a great change of pace from repairing Windows, fixing OSX issues, and yes, even testing Linux distributions. However, the novelty of setting up FreeBSD quickly disappeared after the first four hours of compiling software.

Distrowatch's resident reviewer quoted 6 hours to set up a workstation. I'm not exactly a power user but it took me upwards of more than 8 hours just to get everything done though I followed the FreeBSD manual to the letter (installing the FreeBSD Gnome 2 environment surprisingly took forever). In a quick comparison, my setup for a basic Lubuntu install takes around 2 hours at most (most of the time is devoted to Ubuntu updates). Ditto for an openSUSE system. My Windows machine probably takes 3 hours at the most since I have a few Adobe and Corel products to install alongside Office 2010 and Windows' prodigious patches. A Mac takes considerably less time of course. I am sure however, that FreeBSD wouldn't have taken very long if the binary repository was up and running.


It's very difficult and unfair to write a review or tutorial of FreeBSD 9.1 on an incomplete install on an EEEPC1000H system.

New user who want to try FreeBSD 9.1 may be put off by the lengthy and laborious process, though if you've undergone the missteps of previous openSUSE releases, the final Mandriva release before bankruptcy, or some of the more dubious Fedora iterations, you're more than likely to go through the experience in good humor. Admittedly, troubleshooting an ArchLinux system was somewhat less tedious. A FreeBSD installation can't be left attended so I multitasked between compiling software/downloading packages and watching Takeshi Kaneshiro in Lost and Found (1996). Moreover, the endless stream of almost undecipherable gibberish as packages were downloaded, checked, and installed was enough to drive anyone insane in an H.P. Lovecraft way especially if you're susceptible to the hypnotic nature of flowing ASCII text. It didn't take me long to realize just how far (and how simple) Linux installations have become in comparison. For those who complain about Fedora's Anaconda installer or ArchLinux's text heavy setup process, try FreeBSD 9.1.

I've been procrastinating about saving up for a Macbook Pro for years, often coming to the realization that OSX doesn't provide any real advantages for me compared to most Linux distributions (and plenty of financial disadvantages). With an iMac and Windows workstation at work and Linux boxes at home, I am determined to get to know Linux's kissing cousin a little better. The latest release of PC-BSD, a FreeBSD derivative that is somewhat more similar to a mainstream Linux distribution, is my next stop.

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A Brief Review of WD TV Live Streaming Media Player Part 1

Category: Techtoday

With the amount of products available in the market today, it's as important as ever to make an educated decision before purchasing a product. Media players, such as the Ubuntu-powered Xstreamer Sidewinder, Apple TV, and the Roku 3 each have their own unique features but they're generally very subtle for buyers not inclined to doing their research. More mainstream products such as the ASUS O!Play Series of media players and Western Digital's own set of players may seem somewhat out of place in an Internet-obsessed market obsessed more with getting media on to their tablets and smartphones than sitting down or watching video on their HD displays. However, I'm fairly confident there is a market out there - which includes me.
    
My reasons for purchasing the affordable WD TV Live Streaming Media Player are pretty simple - it's great for traveling and for expatriates living in places like China. Finding bootlegged DVDs and downloading videos are fairly easy and tablets, netbooks, and notebooks make media consumption on the run extremely convenient. However, there's something to be said about watching Downton Abbey or Young Justice on a huge display in your rented apartment or business hotel room without worrying about the lack of HDMI or using a laptop as an alternative. For foreigners living in China and Africa, getting HBO or Cinemax can be very difficult (if not impossible in Shanghai). The WD TV Live is small and can fit in a laptop backpack. It supports HDMI and the more obsolete composite/component connections. Like the previously mentioned media players, WD TV Live can support a bevy of codecs and video containers - codec support is not an issue any longer for today's newer media players.


The WD TV Live is smaller than a Cisco TV set-top-box. The media player is connected to a 500GB Toshiba portable HDD in the photo.


I needed a device that could play my videos stored in my portable and desktop hard drives. As a Linux user, I'd love to have a full-blown media center with XBMC installed, but considering how often I move around, it just isn't practical to lug around a powerful server (much less a Blu-Ray player). Small media players work with cheap Changhong flatscreens or the more expensive Samsung LED panels you find in pricey boutique rooms in Bangkok. One of the more admirable standard inclusions of the WD TV Live is a plug adapter to circumvent the occasionally annoying sockets one encounters while visiting Asia or Europe (an HDMI cable isn't included however).

All things considered, the WD TV Live isn't for everyone, as this brief review will prove in the next sections. For my part, the WD TV Live media player is cheap, easily available, and fits my simple needs. For caveats and additional considerations, read on.

Somewhat a No-Brainer - Update the Firmware

The WD TV Live doesn't come with much documentation, which is a shame since users will be disappointed if they encounter some of the issues I hit upon on running it the first time. For one thing, the WD TV Live's firmware needs to be updated immediately before you start playing your videos. As of this writing, the current firmware for the WD TV Live is 1.14.09, which was released on February 2013. My newly bought media player had 1.04.12. The firmware version can be found on the About screen on the Setup page.

The firmware will correct a glitch that delays remote control response and odd pauses in video playback while the media player indexes your local storage for the first time. When you plug a hard drive (such as my 1TB Buffalo or my 2TB Seagate), the WD TV Live undergoes a fairly lengthy and extensive indexing of all supported media files for your WD TV Live media library. This doesn't prevent you from playing videos (I immediately played an episode of Coupling on my first run), but performance while navigating the interface is incredibly slow and there were moments when the video just stopped. To be fair, most media players don't have the option to "kill" a video that has stopped working (sorry, Linux term), but it was disconcerting having to encounter long pauses while watching the Korean movie Hello, Schoolgirl.


The message "Compiling Media Library..." appears on the main page and affects performance.


You can disable the Media Library feature by going to Setup then System, but it's fairly useful if you want to organize your media and improve the overall navigation experience. As mentioned earlier, I'm working with just a plugged in local storage so I was satisfied scrolling through my folders and playing my Norah Jones and Duke Ellington MP3s. Disabling the Media Library feature definitely improves performance especially if you switch to the Preview View while scrolling through your list of videos.

When I encountered the performance issue, I made a conjecture it was probably due to a pokey processor or the "huge" storage size of my hard drives. However, a quick visit to the WD support site proved otherwise. Updating the firmware to correct this issue is fairly straightforward and should be done before you enjoy your legal and illegal media collections. The download is a hefty 148MB, but is worth the hassle of downloading.

Rename Filenames and Subtitles

The second task a user must do before plugging in storage drives and enjoying ripped or downloaded videos is to rename files. The WD TV Live interface has four views for folders and filenames. However, you can't view the whole filename if it's too long. It doesn't matter how big your LED/LCD display is, the filename will be displayed like a ticker tape if the characters exceed the limit allotted. So, if your filename is "Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles - Season 1 Episode 4 Heavy Metal.avi" then you're only going to see "Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles - Season 1 Episode . . ." and you'll have to wait till the text crawls to the rest of the title.

The aforementioned Preview View where a small window will display your video when you select a file on the list is useful but it can be slow especially if you enabled Media Library and the media player hasn't finished processing all your files. Renaming is a pain, but it's a necessity if you want to enjoy your videos without constantly playing and then skipping files.


Preview View


In fairness to Western Digital, truncated text occurs with other media players such as the ASUS O!Play HD and Xstreamer Sidewinder so it's more of a user issue than anything else.

I also encourage users who have downloaded subtitles to rename them to match the name of the video file and store the subtitles on the same folder. Browsing and selecting subtitles using VLC or SMPlayer on your Linux desktop is easy, but media players, including WD TV Live, can't detect .srt and .sub files unless they are hard coded to the video (as in .mkv files) or they have the exact name of the parent video file. For example, if you ripped a VCD and named it "Chungking_Express.avi" then the subtitles you downloaded from Opensubtitles.org should have the name "Chungking_Express.srt" and should be located on the same folder. Otherwise, pressing the Subtitle button on the remote really doesn't do anything.


MKVs with subtitles work fine. Clip from El-Hazard: The Wanderers


If, however, all your ripped files were encoded properly along with the correct subtitles or the subtitles were embedded, then you're not going to encounter any issues. I have a collection of ripped and downloaded Asian movies and often keep several subtitles of each film due to differences in translation or frame rate so I have to be more vigilant about keeping track of video and subtitle filenames when I rip VCDs or DVDs using Handbrake or K3B for Linux.

A Brief Review of WD TV Live Streaming Media Player Part 2: Audio, Networking, and Tips

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Use Sigil to insert SVG images into an EPUB

Category: Techwriter

You can actually use SVG images for your ebooks in EPUB format. They're great for covers and small illustrations all throughout your ebook. SVGs, which are based on vectors, are significantly smaller than JPEGs or PNGs. Since the EPUB format is nothing more than packaged XHTMLs, inserting SVGs aren't that difficult.

In this example, we'll insert a CorelDraw X3 vector layout as cover using Sigil for a fictional book entitled "Music and Linux" (an obvious reference to the 2007 Hugh Grant comedy Music and Lyrics).  The sample cover is composed of 100% vectors without any bitmaps (the logos for the Linux distributions are redrawn vectors). As outlined in the previous tutorial regarding CorelDraw and SVG, export the layout as SVG. You can, of course, use excellent applications like Adobe Illustrator or open source Inkscape to design your vector graphic.




Test the SVG by opening the file in an updated browser such as Mozilla Firefox or Google Chrome. Make sure that the illustration is complete and no parts are missing. On my first try at drawing this mock cover, the Linux Mint logo had missing parts in Google Chrome so I had to revise the vector drawing a bit. Although the sample cover in this tutorial is a bit busy and complex, it is recommended to keep the cover simple mostly because Sigil might crash when a complex SVG is inserted into a page. Once you're satisfied with your SVG cover and it displays properly on a browser you can now insert the code using Sigil.

To add SVG images to your EPUB using Sigil:

1. Run Sigil and follow the instructions in the Sigil Guide by in creating and tagging a cover.html for your book. This tutorial makes use of Sigil 0.5.3 though the current version is currently at 0.7.1.

2. Click View then Code View or press F11.

3. Open the SVG file using a text editor like Notepad++ or Bluefish. As an alternative, open the SVG file using the aforementioned browsers, right-click, and click View Page Source.

4. For this example, we'll copy the markup text just below the text for Creator: CorelDraw. Make sure that you select all the text included within the svg tag.

5. In the cover.html page in Sigil, paste the SVG markup text where you want the cover to appear. You can modify the position of the SVG image just like any web based object using CSS later. Click File then Save.




If your SVG drawing is extremely complex (like my "Music and Linux" cover), do not click View then Book View on the cover.html from here on as Sigil will crash. Use an EPUB viewer such as Adobe Digital Editions or the EPUB Viewer Extension for Mozilla Firefox to preview the cover. You can safely edit other pages and sections of your ebook using Sigil but avoid opening the cover.html in book view.




If it's small SVG image like the simple MP3 SVG technical drawing below, you can preview the ebook cover or page in Book View without any problems.




The resulting EPUB file for the "Music and Linux" and small MP3 illustration displayed successfully in the Mozila Firefox EPUB Reader plugin, Adobe Digital Editions, SONY PRS-600, and Apple iBooks for iPad and iPhone. However, the cross-platform Calibre was not able to display the "Music and Linux" cover completely (the complex Linux Mint logo and the book title were missing) but was able to display the simple MP3 technical drawing SVG without issues.




As mentioned previously, you can add SVG images as illustrations for your sci-fi short story or add attractive embellishments to your graphic novel.

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