Laptop Hacking and Hardware Workarounds

If you've been around long enough sometimes you'll realise that people are sometimes unwilling to pay for the parts required in order to get the job done and you have to make do. A while back someone left me with an Acer Aspire One which had its fair share of problems but I was able to get going.

http://dtbnguyen.blogspot.com.au/2012/08/cleanup-operations.html

However, he neglected to purchase a power switch/cable. Obviously, these are key parts of any electronic device but the cost of them actually constitute a large proportion of the cost of the device itself. I've decided to turn it into an experimental device.

By hooking pins 2/3 of the power connector on mainboard to the the pins corresponding to relevant contact points of a 3.5mm sound socket/plug (a multi-meter with an audible continuity tester is extremely useful but you can also use guesswork, or a battery, some wires, and a standard multi-meter/LED to get around this problem) I've turned the the microphone socket into a a partial solution to power control. The other part involes a microphone plug which is then hooked up to a SPST LED switch.

http://search.jaycar.com.au/search?w=spst%20led%20switch&view=list
http://search.jaycar.com.au/search?w=3.5mm%20stereo%20plug&view=list

While I was in Jaycar I noticed these (SPST switches that require a physical key). Not a bad security option actually... How can you hack something if you can't  power it up?

http://www.jaycar.com.au/productResults.asp?MID=1&SSUBID=708&SUBCATID=978&keyform=CAT2#1

Some notes from my experiment:

- clear that this particular machine had poor build quality. Even some basic things like the SD card reader slot needed some more thought/work. Based on personal experience tolerances and physical dimensions of memory cards are not identical and often vary from one manufacturer to another which means that sometimes cards from a particular manufacturer will get stuck and need to be extracted via abnormal means. This card slot erred on the side of being slightly too small. So many extra pieces which were not required. Small number of larger panels compared to larger number of smaller panels more preferable as the smaller ones tend to break more easily. Better to use more screws than snap lock type systems which when breached are often unrealistic to repair in spite of advances in glues, cements, and my experiments with plastic welding.

http://www.zdnet.com/blog/government/more-epic-fails-involving-acer-this-is-not-a-new-story/10263
http://www.zdnet.com/blog/perlow/acer-its-time-to-own-up-to-your-lemons-and-fix-your-lousy-support/16746
http://www.geckoandfly.com/6311/the-most-reliable-laptop-survey-best-netbook-reliability-comparison/?ModPagespeed=noscript

- if you've ever repaired/modified laptops before you'll realise how specialised how some parts are and how difficult it is to find replacements (which are often expensive as well). This is particularly the case with parallel style cables that are often used for data transfer. I fashioned the required cable by using Scotch tape and filaments extracted from multi-stranded wire from junk electronic equipment. Obviously, this is not easy and could lead to terminal problems. I consider it only a method of last resort because if you don't do the job cleanly it's likely you'll have reached a point of no return and won't be able to go back. Some tips,  remove the clamps which hold the cables in place, clean the connections first, and then attempt to add some solder/flux to the relevant elements which you mean to connect. Then attempt to the final connection. Obviously, too high a level of heat and you could burn away tracks, to low and you won't be able to get the solder to flow and it will increase the difficulty of the job. Not enough solder will mean a loose connection while too much will make it hard to put the system back together without deformities.

- fashioning a cable is not easy. Try to make life easier for yourself. Use maintenance manuals when/where ever possible to find out which connections are superfluous and do not bother with them.

http://podolsk.pro/scheme/Toshiba/portege%20r500.pdf

The reason why I say this is because making a cable is far more difficult than you think without a decent lab/equipment (use cables from another laptop if at all possible!). Simple things like keeping the wiring straight and insulated from it's neighbour are an issue. Several options include:

- using a single wire strand and then enclosing it with tape, then wrapping this with the next wire and so on
- using paper to create a backing which you could then begin to glue the wires to
Reaslitically you're limited to creating cables only for:
- speakers
- memory cards
- trackpads
- power
- antennas

Basically anything less than six pins/connections and it shouldn't be too difficult. Any more and you'll require skill/patience/time.

Data card (optical drive and hard drive in particular) cables should definitely not be attempted by those who don't have good hands and technical knowledge. As I've discovered many odd things that can result which with cause/effects relationships that are not immediately clear when making custom modifications. In my case, the Aspire One works perfectly fine if you leave the switch in permanently. Remove it and re-insert (or any other electronic devices such as USB devices) while the power source remains intact and the machine may not boot properly next time (fiddle around with the ordering and it will work again though. Need more time to understand the bug compeltely...).  Like I've said though it's a hack and does minimal/no permanent damage to the system (I was considering drilling but there's little room to work with as it is. The recording socket seemed like the most obvious option since it is rarely used unlike network and USB ports).

- use dollar/discount store as a place from which to extract parts from toys which you can not find elsewhere. Membrane type switches are a constant source of pain for me and often I find that just breaking it off from another device is the only way that I can find one (creating one is also possible but also requires skill/time/patience. Possibly more than that required of creating a cable)

BIOS hacking introduction/roundup for those who are interested (a continuation from some of my previous posts/work obviously. Even if it is related to compliance issues there are surely better ways around this than a hardware whitelist?).
http://forums.mydigitallife.info/threads/20223-Remove-whitelist-check-add-ID-s-to-break-hardware-restrictions-mod-requests
http://www.sbbala.com/DellWWAN/Whitelist.htm
http://forums.lenovo.com/t5/General-Discussion/WWAN-and-wireless-card-BIOS-whitelists-Lenovo-COME-ON/td-p/952681
http://www.prizepony.us/2010/12/hacking-the-hp-nx5000-bios-whitelist/
http://www.insanelymac.com/forum/topic/140664-whitelist-bios-for-dv2000-dv2710us/
http://www.endeer.cz/bios.tools/bios.html
http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/54350-2-laptops-blacklist-whitelist-nics-bios
http://forum.notebookreview.com/panasonic/703862-cf-52-wifi-bios-whitelist.html
http://www.tomshardware.co.uk/forum/forum2.php?config=tomshardwareuk.inc&cat=20&post=58770&page=1&p=1&sondage=0&owntopic=1&trash=&trash_post=&print=0&numreponse=0&quote_only=0&new=0&nojs=0

Freezing issue on an Acer. Interesting how many tangets they took.
http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1702462
http://www.notebookcheck.net/Review-Acer-Aspire-One-522-Netbook.50481.0.html
http://www.umpcportal.com/2011/03/acer-aspire-one-522-upgrade-how-to-and-tests/

Linux on the Toshiba AC100. A so called 'Smartbook'.
http://code.google.com/p/cm-paz00/downloads/list
http://www.tabletroms.com/forums/ac100-rom-development/3562-android-4-0-toshiba-ac100-firmware-review-installation-ice-cream-sandvich-4-0-a.html
http://wiki.debian.org/InstallingDebianOn/Toshiba/AC100
http://kotelett.no/ac100/README/
http://pole.su/Toshiba-AC100-Ubuntu-2.6.37-install-ENG.htm
http://pole.su/Toshiba-AC100-Fedora-2.6.37-install-ENG.htm
http://www.umpcportal.com/2010/10/hacked-toshiba-ac100-ubuntu-10-10-is-running/

Interesting articles on power management/consumption under Linux and how to re-pack a laptop battery.
http://www.overclock.net/t/1205257/overclock-cpu-in-linux-necessary-program-names-given
http://www.codinghorror.com/blog/2006/04/how-much-power-does-my-laptop-really-use.html
http://www.murga-linux.com/puppy/viewtopic.php?t=67965&sid=2965074f1377886634859c9c48f0dd77
http://www.linuxjournal.com/content/rebuilding-laptop-battery

Disabling cores doesn't really help with power saving and may even increase it in some cases.
http://pundiramit.blogspot.com.au/2010/07/how-to-disable-cpu-cores-in-multicore.html
http://www.absolutelytech.com/2011/08/01/how-to-disable-cpu-cores-in-linux/
http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/318586-28-solved-disabling-cores-save-energy

Disappearing Optical Drive Fix
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/314060

- as usual thanks to all of the individuals and groups who purchase and use my goods and services
http://sites.google.com/site/dtbnguyen/
http://dtbnguyen.blogspot.com.au/

Netbook, Ultrabook, and Macbook Air Alternatives Continued

I've been looking further at some of the models mentioned in my previous post and it seems they are not without their idiosyncracies/foibles. The HP DM1 has a number of problems which may be potential deal breakers for those who are more technically inclined. These include:
- they use an Insyde BIOS which also uses a device whitelist which means that you may be limited with regards to hardware upgrades/swaps/replacements
- the wireless module on the system I examined was a Broadcom BCM4313 which may work under Linux but isn't the best solution out there. In fact, under Linux you may simply be better off using an USB based wireless module (use blacklist.conf/rfkill or even remove the wireless module to block/disable it). Swapping it out isn't an option though because of the whitelist issue! (more on this later) This is the error message if you're interested.
####Start Quote####
Wireless module not supported

The system has detected a Wireless module installed in the system is not supported. System halted. Please remove device and restart.

WLAN Module ID (702)

For more information visit: http://www.hp.com/go/techcenter/startup
####End Quote####
- we've mentioned the BIOS previously but I must mention it here again. Normally, there is an 'Advanced Mode' with many BIOS's or there are more options that are available in the open but I'm not sure what has happened  here. In the past, F12+A would allow you to access the 'Advanced Mode' but things have changed and you're left with an extremely stripped down version of what you would normally want (no options to turn on/off various capabilities (USB ports, wireless/BT, etc...), no choices with regards to SATA/ACHI mode, etc...)

Obvious ways around the BIOS/whitelist problem include:
- altering serials/ID's of devices, modifying the BIOS/whitelist, physically altering devices itself so that certain identifying information can't be gathered (create a secondary switch to make the device 'visible' again. If the machine doesn't support it obviously this could result in a smoky mess. You have been warned...) and so on but clearly these may impinge upon your warranty
- extracting BIOS/whitelist and finding compatible hardware so that you can work within whatever space is left
- creating an internally accessible (seen this mod with an Eee PC. Basically tap the internal USB bus, hook a hub to it, and plug a wireless card into that) USB wireless card. Some space in there but not much and there is already substandard thermal venting (the entire bottom side includes aluminium sheeting on the inside face, the frame uses some metal, and there are only two vents on the side. It should be noted that the machine can get extremely hot under maximum exertion) so not sure how it would go
- using a different/older BIOS. HP's utility doesn't seem to support downgrading though based on what I've seen. Hacks include using a different flashing utility or fiddling around with the extracted firmware/executables. Past experience with other manufacturers indicate that they often only make the most minor of efforts to obfuscate their work and reverse engineering may be realistic/possible
- modifying the BIOS itself, http://www.bios-mods.com/forum/archive/index.php?thread-4191.html

Having a locked down BIOS is understandable from a security, quality control, and other standpoints but this is seriously dumb for a device that is likely to be used in the consumer space. What's worse is that clearly not enough testing/research has been done with regards to providing a platform that will work across most operating systems...

For me these issues aren't really problematic. The real deal breaker here is the fact that the entire keyboard/moouse freezes from time to time. There have been numerous accounts of these problems and numerous supposed answers which include:
- build up of static
- faulty hardware
- incompatiblity with Linux (virtual machines are actually are realistic option on this particular machine but I often require raw access to the underlying hardware and I often use non-persistent/Live Operating Systems for testing)
- heat dissipation problems

Based on what I've seen it feels like there is a strong correlation with heat increases and keyboard/mouse freezes (everything else works except the keyboard/mouse. You can even plug in an external keyboard/mouse and everything works). I ran it with the following extra kernel boot parameter ("thermal.off=1") which offloads thermal management from the OS to the BIOS and it seemed to work. Then, I ran a simulation by running multiple instances of dd running pseudo random number generation and outputting them to stdout.
dd if=/dev/urandom of=/dev/stdout
This allowed me to increase system temperature without requiring significant user interaction. Thereafter, it was a case of watching whether or not the system would keel over. One night of testing and I thought that I had may have overcome the problem but after doing some intense network based wireless transfers it seemed clear that I had not. Moreover, attempting to cool it via air-conditioning seemed to have no effect. If I had more time this would be a non-issue since I could work away at the problem until it's fixed but the fact of the matter is I'm busy at the moment....

Still, I honestly believe the DM1 is a strong offering (screen, keyboard, battery life, and so on) in spite of these problems. If HP are willing to make the necessary modifications (and offer better/stronger support for their product) they clearly would have one of the strongest options in this particular market sector/price point.

http://forums.whirlpool.net.au/archive/1986925
http://h30434.www3.hp.com/t5/Hardware-Upgrades-Replacements/excess-heating-and-stopping-work-of-keyboard-and-touchpad/td-p/1347457
http://askubuntu.com/questions/182730/keyboard-freezes-with-wireless-use-on-hp-pavillion-dm1
https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/linux/+bug/1026697
http://www.bios-mods.com/forum/Thread-REMOVED-DV6-3071tx-Whitelist-Removal
http://www.bios-mods.com/forum/Thread-Test-sp55495-WIFI-Unlock-HP-Pavilion-DM1-4000
http://forums.fedoraforum.org/archive/index.php/t-276283.html
http://joshuawise.com/wireless-whitelist
http://web.archive.org/web/20090310024936/http://www.srcf.ucam.org/~mjg59/thinkpad/bios.html
http://web.archive.org/web/20090204194109/http://www.paul.sladen.org/thinkpad-r31/wifi-card-pci-ids.html
http://h30434.www3.hp.com/t5/Notebook-Operating-Systems-e-g-Windows-8-and-Software/screen-says-www-hp-com-go-techcenter-startup/td-p/1100475/page/17
http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/softwareCategory?cc=us&dlc=en&lc=en&product=5215434&
http://h30434.www3.hp.com/t5/Notebook-Hardware-e-g-Windows-8/HP-DM1-4108AU-Solid-Sate-Drive-SSD/td-p/1437603
http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/product?cc=us&lc=en&dlc=en&product=5215434
http://www.bios-mods.com/forum/Thread-Test-sp54026-Whitelist-Removal-Request-HP-DM1-3248CA-F-12-or-F-13
http://www.bios-mods.com/forum/archive/index.php?thread-8126.html
ftp://ftp.hp.com/pub/softpaq/sp54001-54500/sp54026.exe
http://www.bios-mods.com/forum/archive/index.php?forum-143.html
http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1989051
http://forums.whirlpool.net.au/archive/1878300
http://forums.fedoraforum.org/archive/index.php/t-276214.html
http://forums.fedoraforum.org/archive/index.php/t-276283.html
http://blog.tomw.net.au/2012/12/installing-linux-on-hp-pavilion-dm1.html
http://h30434.www3.hp.com/t5/Notebook-Lockups-Freezes-Hangs/Cursor-freezes-pavilion-dm1/td-p/1705561
http://www.laptopmag.com/review/laptops/hp-pavilion-dm1-4010us-late-2011.aspx
http://gingernfree.blogspot.com.au/2012/09/hp-dm1-series-laptops-with-ubuntu-1204.html
http://www.linuxfordevices.com/c/a/News/HP-Pavilion-dm1z-review/
http://techlogg.blogspot.com.au/2008/02/unstick-those-stuck-pixels.html
http://h10010.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/document?cc=us&lc=en&dlc=en&docname=c00288895
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Defective_pixel#Partial_sub-pixel_defects
http://forums.whirlpool.net.au/archive/1804786
http://forums.debian.net/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=75795
http://www.linuxquestions.org/questions/linux-hardware-18/amd-e450-radeon-6320-stability-issues-924838/

A utility to allow for more better temperature control/battery life on your laptop
http://scottiestech.info/2010/02/05/how-to-increase-your-laptops-battery-life-a-lot-with-crystalcpuid/

http://www.consumerlaw.gov.au/content/the_acl/downloads/consumer_guarantees_guide.rtf

Work with enough audio equipment and you'll eventually get crackling at some point. Often you think it's the speakers or the cable themselves but they're often the connections. Replacement parts are available from local electronic stores.

- as usual thanks to all of the individuals and groups who purchase and use my goods and services
http://sites.google.com/site/dtbnguyen/
http://dtbnguyen.blogspot.com.au/

Netbook, Ultrabook, and Macbook Air Alternatives

With the end/widespread production of netbooks options have become limited for those who require similar functionality at a similar price point. I've recently been investigating some of the options that are still available and aren't quite willing to move towards far more expensive Ultrabooks and ultralight notebooks. An obvious option includes working with whatever netbooks that are still being manufactured. Some of the locally available options include Acer, Samsung, and Toshiba. Ironically, Asus netbooks (the original creators of this product category) aren't easily obtainable (One thing I've found interesting has been the evolution in the design of netbooks. Clearly, the original netbooks were highly limited but I noticed a gradual evolution of these devices over time such that many of the original flaws were ironed out (poor keyboard design, small/slow primary storage options, etc...). However, of late I've discovered significant flaws in the design of these devices that makes them difficult to justify even at their low price point.

http://liliputing.com/2012/05/netbook-shipments-down-34-percent-from-last-year.html

Among them are clear deficiencies in thermodynamic management (ventilation design and fan efficiency/noise), issues with hard drive choice (some drives are notorious for noise problems and yet they are still chosen for mass production), upgradeability (many of them quite simply aren't able to be easily upgraded (hard drive and somtimes RAM) without voiding the warranty (they often use locking mechanisms that that will break upon opening them), power consumption (reaching silly levels given the size of the devices), build quality (I think they've gotten progressively worse over time), weight (it used to be that the best netbooks were about 1.1KG but they're now approaching 1.5KG) and durability (plastic only works so well. Even some of the more expensive Toshiba R/M series based laptops suffer from issues because they haven't given enough through towards materials engineering).

Other alternative options include:

- used ultralight notebooks (premium options such as those from Lenovo, Toshiba, Sony, and others)
- cheaper ultrabooks (often expensive, come at the cost of build quality, battery life, and so on). Includes branded as well as generic options via various eCommerce websites
- tablets, so called tablet hybrids, and smartphones (often expensive, aren't as flexible (especially with regards to application support), and have poor battery life and keyboards or no keyboards at all)

However, of late there are seems to be a re-interpretation of the netbook class among some manufacturers. Price point and weight are a fraction higher than that of netbooks (though the same if you can get them on sale especially in light of the deployment of Windows 8), but so are screen sizes, keyboards (they still have some issues particularly with layout such as the sizing of the arrow keys, and often battery life. Each has their own idiosynchrocies but I've found the following to be worthwhile exploring:

- Asus 1225 series (enlarged 'Seashell' series)
- HP DM1 series (enlarged 'Mini' series)
- MSI Wind series (various designations/models but they seem to be similar in size/configuration to the 'Macbook Air' but aren't widely available locally).
- Acer A0725 series (enlarged 'AOD' series)

Since they are often enlarged netbook platforms, they still exhibit many of the same weaknesses of existing netbooks. Namely, the inability to upgrade (though you are often able to overcome the 2GB limit inherent to the standard netbook platform) without voiding your warranty, poor screens, performance (similar Intel/AMD chips are used) and thermodynamic design, and compatibility issues. 

If you do some digging you'll notice that the A0725 and DM1 series both have interesting bottom panel designs. They both have bottom panels that come apart in a single section. The A0725 seems to use a single screw while the DM1 uses an innovative latch (doubles as a means of holding the battery in place) system that allows for easy upgrades. Structural integrity and build quality issues seem to have been compromised to achieve this. Nonetheless, not a bad compromise for this price range. The 1225 series has many of the same flaws as 'the Seashell' series. Beauty, thermodynamic design, and the desire for higher margins comes at the price of ease of upgrade (look at the F-35/JSF program for a good guide on how to design/create easily upgradeable systems, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/F-35_Lightning_II) and other build compromises. The most annoying thing about many of the keyboards out there is that there is clearly more than enough room to create a good keyboard on many laptops provided some thought is put into it. I'd take a ergonomic/useable keyboard over an aesthetically pleasing design any time.

http://support.acer.com/acerpanam/netbook/2012/Acer/Aspire/AspireOneAO725/AspireOneAO725sp2.shtml
http://computers.toptenreviews.com/netbooks/acer/aod257-13685-review.html
http://lookatprioryearfiles.blogspot.com.au/2012/06/upgrade-hard-drive-of-your-samsung.html
http://uk.hardware.info/reviews/2700/cpu-shoot-out-intel-atom-d2700-vs-amd-e-450
http://forum.eeeuser.com/index.php?/topic/83131-1215n-hard-drive-swap-with-pics/
http://forum.eeeuser.com/index.php?/topic/89236-1215p-vs-1215b/
http://forum.eeeuser.com/index.php?/topic/82953-1215n-hard-drive-noise/
http://www.cnet.com.au/hp-pavilion-dm1-4108au-339333319.htm
http://www.insidemylaptop.com/how-to-disassemble-hp-pavilion-dm1-laptop/
http://forums.whirlpool.net.au/archive/2009901
http://www.notebookcheck.net/AMD-E-Series-E1-1200-Notebook-Processor.73569.0.html
http://www.cpubenchmark.net/cpu_lookup.php?cpu=AMD+E1-1200+APU
http://forums.whirlpool.net.au/archive/1878300
http://reviews.cnet.co.uk/netbooks/hp-pavilion-dm1-4125ea-review-50006730/
http://www.notebookreview.com/default.asp?newsID=6018&review=hp+pavilion+dm1&p=4
http://forums.whirlpool.net.au/archive/1799014
http://forums.whirlpool.net.au/archive/1804786
http://thebottomline.as.ucsb.edu/2013/01/windows-7-vs-windows-8
http://www.officeworks.com.au/retail/products/Technology/Computers/Laptops/Everyday-Laptops/ACAOD27026
http://mail.myself-care.com/Acer-notebooks/acer-netbook-10.1/
http://forums.whirlpool.net.au/archive/1510270
http://www.smh.com.au/digital-life/computers/blogs/gadgets-on-the-go/googles-chromebook-pixel--an-oxymoron-priced-to-fail-20130222-2evse.html

Working with Office files on Android platform.
http://www.kingsoftstore.co.uk/kingsoft-office-android.html
http://www.free-power-point-templates.com/articles/view-and-edit-ms-office-files-on-android-for-free-with-kingsoft-office/
http://download.cnet.com/android/office-suites/3150-18483_4-0.html

Fanless designs becoming more commonplace. Should make for some extremely interesting and less compromised/more optimal designs in future. Obviously, not too many options in the marketplace though and where there are they are difficult to procure locally.
http://liliputing.com/2012/05/more-fanless-netbooks-could-be-on-the-way.html
http://www.netbooklaptopreviews.com/netbook-news/increase-in-fanless-netbooks/

Linux/Android on a few hybrid tablet/netbook class devices.
http://gdgt.com/toshiba/ac100/
http://news.cnet.com/8301-13924_3-20015201-64.html
https://wiki.ubuntu.com/ARM/TEGRA/AC100
http://pole.su/Toshiba-AC100-Fedora-2.6.37-install-ENG.htm
http://nullr0ute.com/2012/11/a-long-overdue-status-update-of-fedora-on-arm/
http://android.stackexchange.com/questions/27975/how-to-dual-boot-ubuntu-on-asus-eee-pad-slider-sl101

Power consumption/performance comparison between low power/mobile solutions from Intel and AMD. Obvious issue is driver support when switching from Intel to AMD platform though. Have observed some anomalies myself while working with AMD platform. More investigation required but believe that even if AMD is just as solid as Intel option, driver/software support may be enough to make a difference in the marketplace for AMD.
http://liliputing.com/2011/02/low-power-chip-battle-amd-c-50-intel-atom-n550-power-consumption-compared.html
http://www.amdzone.com/phpbb3/viewtopic.php?f=52&t=138262&sid=81a5b86212664aa39bec6bfe5d0ff84e
http://www.cpu-world.com/
http://www.cpubenchmark.net/

I often use plastic packaging (thin enough to open a package but not thard enough to break it) of from other products to open sensitive equipment without damaging the casing but apparently a gap guage adjuster works just as well.
http://www.oldclassiccar.co.uk/champion_sparkplugs.htm
http://www.supercheapauto.com.au/online-store/products/Stanley-Feeler-Gauge-Metric.aspx?pid=12571

For those of us who are simply interested in the Windows 8 interface but don't necessarily want to install/purchase it.
http://betanews.com/2012/12/11/disable-the-new-windows-8-interface-for-good-with-ex7forw8/#comments
http://forums.mydigitallife.info/threads/35189-Windows-7-explorer-for-Windows-8
http://www.nngroup.com/articles/windows-8-disappointing-usability/
http://www.informationweek.com/software/windows8/are-businesses-waiting-for-windows-9/240148533
http://www.iobit.com/iobit-winmetro.php
http://www.neowin.net/news/winmetro-bring-window-8-metro-ui-to-your-desktop
http://darktips.com/metro-windows-7/

- as usual thanks to all of the individuals and groups who purchase and use my goods and services
http://sites.google.com/site/dtbnguyen/
http://dtbnguyen.blogspot.com.au/

Laptop Thermal Design, Convergence, and More Security Analysis

If you've ever used any laptop/netbook you'll realise a lot of compromises need to be made to achieve a balance of power, portability, durability, and longevity. One of the big issues is heat dissipation. For instance, running a fan can result in significantly higher power requirements. If you're curious one experiment I came across said that shifting more air via a larger fan was more efficient and quieter than a series of smaller fans.).

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heat_pipe
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heat_sink

Recently, the thermal pad (it feels like a silicon/rubber compound) dried out on my Asus 1015 series EeePC which led to higher than average temperatures and ultimately permature shutdown. The interesting thing about the design is that the CPU is placed almost directly over RAM chip socket. Moreover, foil is then used as another supposed heat dissipation mechanism on the inside the RAM cover. The obvious issue is if the fan/heatsink combination on the CPU is not working properly this combination results in a 'heat sandwich'.

If you're curious, I've used copper shims, coins, and even foil in combination with standard thermal paste as a means of replacing thermal pads if I couldn't find a replacement. Be sure to cut to size if the material is somewhat malleable though particularly if there are components on top of the chip which may cause a short (can lead to non startup of your machine and can often be difficult to diagnose if you've been roaming around the whole board) or other problems.

One of the things I examined in the 'Convergence' report was pricing differences between local retailers and overseas options, the premium that people were willing to pay for locally purchased goods, and whether or not prices would eventually converge regionally/internationally. Clearly, there is some work with regards to suppliers/channels and a Federal Government enquiry as well. It's going to be interesting whether things will change and how long they will take given the smaller size of the Australian market.
http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/news/national/growing-consumer-outrage-at-information-technology-mark-ups-and-rip-offs/story-fndo1qgd-1226440690843
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/australian-it/firms-to-answer-on-cost-disparity/story-e6frgakx-1226505607189
http://www.smh.com.au/business/retailers-forced-to-step-into-line-on-price-20130111-2cjx8.html
http://www.abc.net.au/pm/content/2013/s3687910.htm
http://www.theage.com.au/technology/technology-news/tech-giants-to-face-it-gouging-probe-20130211-2e80e.html
http://www.afr.com/p/technology/adobe_cuts_australian_prices_after_BgBXyFaCrXRGNIrS1M2fNN
http://www.gizmodo.com.au/2013/02/australian-government-to-force-apple-microsoft-to-front-up-australia-tax-inquiry/
http://www.crn.com.au/News/333106,why-the-it-price-inquiry-summons-may-not-mean-answers.aspx
http://www.ozbargain.com.au/node/93744

Raytheon have been playing around with concepts similar to social networking OSINT (aware that FBI/DHS/NSA may have been working on similar technologies as well) and 'Algorithmic Masking' concepts outlined in 'Convergence' report.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/news/9861155/Warning-over-social-networking-snooping-technology.html

Continuing work on 'Cybersecurity' report (Hope to finish soon. It's 871+ pages/229K+ words now though I think I should be able to cut down a lot). Been interesting just how much difficulty a lot of cutting edge projects have run into, in particular the JSF program.
http://motherboard.vice.com/blog/the-pentagons-new-trillion-dollar-jet-is-a-garbage-can
http://motherboard.vice.com/blog/f-35-takes-flight-sans-ge-and-perhaps-canadians
http://www.airforcetimes.com/news/2011/03/air-force-norman-schwartz-says-software-may-slow-f-35-development-030611w/

- as usual thanks to all of the individuals and groups who purchase and use my goods and services
http://sites.google.com/site/dtbnguyen/
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News Websites

Google News and other news aggregators work but sometimes they don't pick up everything that you may be interested in (though an alert service can sometimes help). Here is a list of some interesting local and foreign news websites. This list will be updated over time.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/
http://www.reuters.com/
http://asia.wsj.com/home-page
http://www.foreignaffairs.com/
http://www.foreignpolicy.com/
http://www.theatlantic.com/
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/
http://www.aljazeera.com/
http://www.washingtonpost.com/
http://www.sbs.com.au/
http://news.xinhuanet.com/
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/
http://www.darkreading.com/
http://www.americanthinker.com/
http://english.ruvr.ru/
http://www.asiapress.org/api/01en/index.html
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/
http://www.smh.com.au/
http://www.afr.com/
http://www.theage.com.au/
http://www.dailystar.com.lb/
http://www.crikey.com.au/
http://www.jpost.com/
http://www.israelnationalnews.com/
http://www.timesofisrael.com/
http://www.haaretz.com/
http://www.ynetnews.com/
http://www.publicserviceeurope.com/
http://www.dw.de/
http://www.latimes.com/
http://www.wnd.com/
http://www.japantimes.co.jp/
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/
http://dailysignal.com/
https://news.ycombinator.com/
http://atimes.com/
http://allafrica.com/
http://debka.com/ 
http://www.standard.co.uk/
http://english.pravda.ru/
http://english.alarabiya.net/
http://www.tehrantimes.com/
http://www.thestar.com.my/
http://www.zerohedge.com/
http://russia-insider.com/en/
https://rbth.com/
http://www.inform.kz/en
http://www.rferl.org/
http://nationalinterest.org/
http://english.hani.co.kr/
http://www.dailynk.com/english/
http://www.bloomberg.com/
http://www.nytimes.com/
http://www.abc.net.au/
http://www.euractiv.com/
http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/
http://www.haaretz.com/
http://www.spiegel.de/
http://www.radio.cz/en
https://intpolicydigest.org/
http://www.euronews.com/
http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/index.asp
https://consortiumnews.com/
http://www.newyorker.com/
http://www.theepochtimes.com/
http://www.politico.com/
http://www.telesurtv.net/english/
http://www.europeanvoice.com/
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/
http://theconversation.edu.au/
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/
http://www.indiatimes.com/
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/
http://www.news.com.au/
http://www.thenation.com/
http://www.businessinsider.com/
http://edition.cnn.com/
http://world.time.com/
http://www.themoscowtimes.com/
http://www.economist.com/
http://www.europeanvoice.com/
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/
http://seattletimes.com/
http://rt.com/
https://sputniknews.com/
http://www.thetimes.co.uk/
http://www.china.org.cn/
http://www.nationalpost.com/
http://www.chinatoday.com/
http://www.chinapost.com.tw/
http://english.china.com/
http://www.scmp.com/news/asia
http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/
http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/china/
http://www.shanghaidaily.com/
http://www.news.cn/english/
http://en.people.cn/
http://chinaview.cn/
http://english.cctv.com/
http://english.sina.com/index.html
http://www.onlinenewspapers.com/china.htm
http://www.chinatoday.com/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_newspapers
http://www.rfa.org/english/news/china/
http://sampan.org/
http://www.english.rfi.fr/
http://www.thehindu.com/
http://www.csmonitor.com/
http://english.pravda.ru/
http://dawn.com/
http://www.thestar.com/
http://www.presstv.ir/
http://www.voanews.com/
http://www.opensocietyfoundations.org/
http://www.globalpost.com/
http://www.cbc.ca/
http://english.alarabiya.net/
http://gulfnews.com/
http://www.3news.co.nz/
http://www.sltrib.com/
http://www.worldbulletin.net/
http://www.mirror.co.uk/
http://www.democracynow.org/
http://thediplomat.com/
http://www.nationalreview.com/
https://www.total-croatia-news.com/
https://www.leafly.com/
http://www.truthjustice.net/
http://euobserver.com/
http://www.israelnationalnews.com/
http://www.greenleft.org.au/
http://www.truth-out.org/
https://www.truthdig.com/
http://www.thefiscaltimes.com/
http://www.independent.co.uk/
http://www.presseurop.eu/
http://www.euractiv.com/
http://www.incyprus.com.cy/en-gb/
http://english.ruvr.ru/
http://www.euronews.com/
http://www.businesstimes.com.sg/
http://www.wsws.org/
http://www.channelnewsasia.com/
http://www.cyprus-mail.com/
http://www.social-europe.eu/
http://www.hindustantimes.com/
http://www.ft.com/
http://www.guardian.co.uk/

- as usual thanks to all of the individuals and groups who purchase and use my goods and services

http://sites.google.com/site/dtbnguyen/

http://dtbnguyen.blogspot.com.au/

The Rebirth and Regrowth of the European Union

With regards to the financial state of the European Union, it's clear that we're in a better situation than several years ago. Nonetheless, it's also clear that there is strong discussion with regards to re-molding the union to serve greater good over the long term. Things that should be factored include:
- one model I've been considering revolves around three layers of cohesion within the union. One is core Europe and uses the Euro as it's currency, another is less cohesive and uses another currency which will allow for greater flexibility with regards to currency movements during times of ecnonomic stress. The final group is very loose and is based on primarily around trade purposes. All would technically be part of a geo/socio/political union but ultimately they would be of course associated with Europe. Countries free to move between levels as desired or deemed to fit. Naturally, moving between different groups wouldn't be easy to remove possible chance of nations shifting between them for tactical/cynical reasons. Bonus, is that countries can gain benefits of union without potential for 'contamination' of issues that face those countries that aren't quite as mature in some areas
http://dealbook.nytimes.com/2013/01/21/in-euro-zone-signs-of-progress-and-fears-of-complacency/
- this structure will allow for flexibity and to facilitate needs of states that do not want to be part or sense a desire to be part of a European state
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2013/jan/27/britain-europe-in-or-out-debate
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2013/jan/27/david-camerons-disastrous-europe-speech
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/david-cameron/9828437/Europe-must-change-to-stay-the-same-and-the-PM-knows-it.html
http://www.social-europe.eu/2013/01/cameron-speech-and-britains-new-vision-for-europe/
http://www.express.co.uk/posts/view/373768/EU-red-tape-cost-us-700m-in-2-years
http://www.publicserviceeurope.com/article/2686/uk-cannot-afford-eu-open-borders-any-longer
http://www.forbes.com/sites/laursonpieler/2013/01/27/david-camerons-initiative-may-strenghten-the-eu-for-questioning-it/
- smaller groups of geographical unions will also reduce the possible number of issues in question. Easier to govern/more representative of those in question. After all, if their core values/aspirations/interests are more similar in the first place agreement should be easier over the long term (level of cohesion to be determined by those in question obviously). Moreover, why bother with central organisations if people refuse to play by the rules that they are supposed to develop, implement, and enforce?
- needs to be a reason for a union if you are to go deeper and it seems clear that there are those who still remain unclear in regards to this. The way I see it, you can't force a square block into a round hole. Moreover, centralised decision making/bodies should only take precendence if it can be proven that it is for the greater good or those who are currently making decisions lack the ability to do so by themselves. Even so, I think this is a longer term issue
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/barackobama/9828438/Democracy-is-on-the-brink-of-a-sea-change.html
http://www.breakingviews.com/hugo-dixon-uk-faces-five-years-of-limbo-land/21064511.article
http://www.csmonitor.com/World/Europe/2013/0117/Could-Britain-move-away-from-EU-and-toward-the-Commonwealth
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2013/jan/27/britain-europe-in-or-out-debate
- also, clear that interests of those at stake are very much different. A restructure/rethink of the governance mechanisms behind EU should be an option to be considered (majority instead of complete agreement) during times of crisis?
- people often underestimate the challenge of running a country/state. So many conflicting interests. Put yourselves in the place of European, United States, or Japanese leaders during the recent crises. Incredible number of variables involved, measurements and projections are not always accurate, people's lives are on the line. What would you do?
- think about bottom-up stimulus as another option rather than purely top-down stimulus. Local experience has proven that downward movement in interest rates from a central bank doesn't always get passed on in it's entirity to the average citizen. Consumers are more likely to spend on necessities, business will obviously try to make a profit...
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/08/05/books/review/the-price-of-inequality-by-joseph-e-stiglitz.html?pagewanted=all
http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/01/19/inequality-is-holding-back-the-recovery/
- I covered a lot of issues in my 'Covergence' report. The World Economic Forum have since come up with several further studies that expand on that work and quantify many of the issues in discussion. Interesting reading
http://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_KSC_Re-emergenceEurope_2012.pdf
http://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_GlobalCompetitivenessReport_2012-13.pdf
http://www.weforum.org/re-emergence-europe
http://www.weforum.org/news/new-book-klaus-schwab-re-emergence-europe-published
- need to think about economics more carefully. It's almost like a game, a relatively closed system that is governed by rules and has a relatively finite number of players. If everyone cheats by changing the rules of the game then the original game is no longer the same/valid. However, if everyone makes the same changes, the relative dynamic between players remains the same. Your level of competitiveness does not change relative to others. If however, by building on distinctive changes that separate your ecnonomy from others then significant gains (and potential losses) are possible. Almost like a game of risk/reward
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/jan/13/world-trade-organisation-new-director-general
http://www.aljazeera.com/news/europe/2013/01/2013126163722186783.html
http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/trafficandcommuting/us-losing-ground-in-global-marketplace-report-finds/2013/01/17/b8d4f35e-60ae-11e2-9940-6fc488f3fecd_story.html
http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2013/jan/18/us-billions-renewable-energy-investment
http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/sns-rt-us-eu-latinamerica-deguchtbre90p0l5-20130126,0,3641151.story
- time has proven that many bailouts (American TARP program was successful and several European states are well on their way to dealing with their debt issues) have been successfully repaid. If this is the case, don't see any reason why the largest banks shouldn't have a place in bailing out smaller banks? Larger banks to be bailed out by smaller banks and central bank only when situation is critical (Basel agreement/reforms should go some way towards dealing with this problem in future provided we continue to push forward). Must be more willing to let banks go bust. Reward performance, not incompetance. Central bank guarantee of funds with deposits being shifted to other well performing, stable, well structured banks?
http://dealbook.nytimes.com/2013/01/20/a-year-later-pressure-on-banks-remains/
http://www.timescolonist.com/business/imf-head-lagarde-warns-governments-in-europe-and-us-to-not-relax-1.57174
- a lot to learn/gain from some meetings. May need better structure though. Perhaps time limits for each speaker as in some parliaments?
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/klaus-schwab/restoring-europes-competi_b_2489766.html?utm_hp_ref=yahoo&ir=Yahoo
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/eu/9811265/David-Cameron-can-prove-de-Gaulle-was-right-about-us-all-along.html
http://www.economist.com/blogs/dailychart/2010/12/europes_economies
- can't pursue growth above all else. Perhaps termporarily but over the long term environmental, resource, social issues on the line as well
- do the people in question really share a common identify? One thing I've noticed that older people are less aware (and are less willing to take advantage) of many benefits the European Union. If Europe is going to go down the route to deeper integration the benefits must be sold to the public. Believe that time may be a few decades down the road
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2013/jan/27/what-does-europe-mean-to-you

- as usual thanks to all of the individuals and groups who purchase and use my goods and services

http://sites.google.com/site/dtbnguyen/

http://dtbnguyen.blogspot.com.au/

Political/System Change

It's only when you do genuine research which spans months possibly years do you understand just how big the world really is, how much progress humans have made and similarly how foolish we've been in some of our endeavours. Extremist views and terrorism impacts no longer impacts upon those whose countries where it has taken root. The globalised nature means that these perspectives now play a global role as well. While it's clear that covert operations are one option regime change (whether as a cause or side effect) can have a substantial impact as well. Things that need to be considered though:
- how often has intervention actually worked? Is it our intervention that is causing the process of fail or is the way in which we are forcing intervention?
http://www.theamericanconservative.com/articles/in-mali-the-domino-theory-is-real/
http://www.acus.org/?q=new_atlanticist/mali-no-way-go-war-going-nowhere
- in totalitarian regimes the distinction between reality and propoganda is not always clear or easy to uncover. Behaviour bears some similarities 'Stockholm's Syndrome'. Do people see the current regime as the best option only because they are not aware of other options?
http://www.vanityfair.com/politics/features/2001/01/hitchens-200101

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/asia/north-korean-cannibalism-fears-amid-claims-starving-people-eat-children-and-corpses-8468781.html
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/asia/the-secret-lives-of-north-korea-8468421.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stockholm_syndrome 
- the structure of authoritarian governments is such that they serve two purposes. One, is to maintain security of the state from external threats. The other is to secure it against internal threats. No matter what happens in a transition there still is somewhat of a security vacuum which is made more hazardous by (sometimes corrupt) former secret police/intelligence using their 'skills' in any subsequent democracy. Vetting/background intlligence is critical in develop ment of any subsequent regime. Desire/determination of the general population is critical to determining whether or not radicalism/extremism/terrorism can survive (or be repelled) in such an environment
http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/us-paid-to-maintain-inoperable-afghan-police-vehicles-audit-finds/2013/01/17/a32d03d2-60e7-11e2-9940-6fc488f3fecd_story.html
http://www.usnews.com/news/politics/articles/2013/01/15/panetta-no-us-troops-on-the-ground-in-mali
- almost impossible to avoid non vacuum type situation in the advent of political/system change. One report that I read indicated that the most stable choice was to simply replace one autocrat to another and basically attempt gradual change (similar to the Egyption situation but I'm quite certain how that really is progressing). Even then, may not be possible though. An 'autocrat' is someone fundamentally/psychologically different from 'normal people'. How do you get them to institute genuine reform? A time limit for constitutional change via the UN with automatic sanctions?
- not sure that people really care who there leaders or the system. Believe that as long as their best interests are represented the system in question isn't particularly important
- we need to acknowledge that one system may not necessarily be the best for everyone. Imposing a system which doesn't work may potentially be just as problematic as not intervening in a crisis situation. In some countries/regions security/stability takes precedence over civil liberties. In others, people need to be behave in a certain fashion in order to succeed among their peers. We need to always keep at the back of our minds that many of the systems that we have devised have come about through people's desire for greater prosperity and better representation of the 'people's interest'. It's for this reason, I find some of our current troubles amusing. It's clear that pure capitalism doesn't work and history has clearly proven that often the pure interpretations/forms of other idelogies such as socialism, communism, and are also flawed. Even the democratic process and implementations that we have found ourselves with have resulted in often compromised, untimely decision making with representatives with backgrounds or personalities who we often find significantly flawed or questionable. I studied human resources and management as a part of my studies and while there were many theories with regards to motivation and general management, Maslow's Hierarchy of Human Needs continues to remain important in my mind. If a person has adequate housing, food, and health you'll be going a long way towards fulfilling their needs and desires
http://dealbook.nytimes.com/2013/01/23/at-davos-financial-leaders-debate-reform-and-monetary-policy/?ref=worldeconomicforum
http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/opinion/2013/01/2013126125850486938.html
http://www.smh.com.au/world/czechs-lean-left-for-zeman-20130127-2des4.html
http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/opinion/2013/01/201312612182907642.html
- after Balkan conflict there was some discussion regarding UN policy which would basically stop a recurrance. Where do we set the tipping point for intervention? How do we set it? What type of intervention?
- is the structure of the UN now 'outdated' and ill equiped to deal with these type of situations? Is modernisation of the UN required? A rotating head such as the EU? with a majority/set percentage a better option than the current UNSC structure?
Are the members of the current UNSC willing to cede some control back to the global community?
- regime change often comes at the price of much blood. We need to understand that existing authorities and associated stakeholders often stand to lose much more than what appears on the surface. The cynic in me thinks that some will not let go of power without a decent 'exit package'
- ruling out insanity the only way an existing regime can be certain that the will of the people is not with them is via a vote. Can you launch an election in the middle of a war zone? If much of the country is evacuated already can you run an election composed of people whose identities can be verified in refugee camps as well? Do you need to 'secure' a country before a vote/negotiations can take place? Either way, you need to be willing to make potentially strange concessions during times of conflict or else back your decisions up with 'brute force'
- dividing a country a realistic option at some point?
- less likely to fight in densely populated areas?
http://www.wnd.com/2013/01/syrias-assad-regime-flexing-muscle/
- while it's important to learn and honour our pasts it's also important to realise that people, the world, has changed and the rules need to change to fit the new model. People need to be able clearly see a benefit from a single market/union to genuinely yearn for it. A controversial theory says that scientific paradigm shifts only occur when the new theory can be proven to be significantly better and the previous paradigm falsified or the believers of the previous paradigm can be made to see that their perspective was flawed or they simply die/move out of their profession. I believe that it may be the same case with regards to political leaders as well. Broader communication may be required
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/barackobama/9828438/Democracy-is-on-the-brink-of-a-sea-change.html
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2013/jan/27/britain-europe-in-or-out-debate
http://www.timescolonist.com/business/imf-head-lagarde-warns-governments-in-europe-and-us-to-not-relax-1.57174
http://www.breakingviews.com/hugo-dixon-uk-faces-five-years-of-limbo-land/21064511.article
http://www.csmonitor.com/World/Europe/2013/0117/Could-Britain-move-away-from-EU-and-toward-the-Commonwealth
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/01/25/opinion/dealing-with-two-russias.html?ref=global
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Kuhn
- is the desire really there amongst the general population for revolution?
- if so, are the structures/governing bodies in place in there for them to fend for themselves?
- do they see intervention as foreign interference or aid?
- where's the tipping point in determining the difference between dissent/unpopularity and revolution?
- if the tipping is reached, how do you even measure it? number of casualities? amount of time in trouble?
- SIGINT/COMINT is possible but many ways around this (tunnelling/encryption)? Moreover, where do we draw the line with regards to bringing potentially highly sensitive communications to light?
- experiments with social media/group think indicates that a lot of work needs to be done. Obvious problems include access and desire. Do people actually want to get involved with the decision making process. Personal experience indicates that there is a small minority cares but the rest of the population doesn't really care
- is it the place of foreign governments to intervene in other nation's affairs?
- who takes reponsibility if the intervention is not completed satisfactorialy?
- going to war is a final option. It's clear that some nations/administrations favour intervention, others clearly try to steer clear of it. Moreover, arming rebels can lead to other difficulties as seen in Afghanistan, Libya, Syria, etc... There is also some evidence to suggest terrorist groups may aide a revolution and then seek to topple the subsequent regime. Care needs to be taken with regards to arms distribution. Possibly arms that have a limited lifetime?
- more studies required with regards to succesfull counter terrorism techniques?
- sanctions obviously have an impact but they obviously have a more widespread, civilian impact as well

http://www.isis-online.org/
http://www.wilsoncenter.org/sites/default/files/IranReport_091112_FINAL.pdf

- as usual thanks to all of the individuals and groups who purchase and use my goods and services
http://sites.google.com/site/dtbnguyen/
http://dtbnguyen.blogspot.com.au/

Wireless/Behavioural Security Analysis and Bugs

I previously theorised ('Cloud' document) about wide spectrum radio solutions to help deal with the problem of expensive/continuous hardware ugprades of telecommunications infrastructure. The CSIRO has since built something along these lines.
http://www.itwire.com/business-it-news/technology/53040-csiro-debuts-10gbps-microwave-backhaul-technology

What has interested me even more though is recent work in software based radio technology. A similar concept but what I'm particularly interested in is the flexibility it will provide with regards to offensive opeations (Electronic Warfare and Jamming).
http://www.h-online.com/open/features/One-software-radio-to-rule-them-all-1775971.html

As many people are probably aware GPS is being updated/upgraded to deal with various known threats such as susceptibility jamming, substandard performance in enclosed areas, and so on. One complementary solution/alternative being considered is Leica's 'Jigsaw'.
http://www.gizmodo.co.uk/2013/01/move-over-gps-a-new-positioning-system-has-you-in-its-sights/
http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg21728985.600-new-positioning-technology-could-compete-with-gps.html
http://mining.leica-geosystems.com/products/
http://mining.leica-geosystems.com/products/unified-hardware-platform-uhp/

Variation of 'Adaptive Networking' concept I was playing with in the original 'Cloud' document.
http://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2013/01/a-wireless-router-that-tracks-user-activity-but-for-a-good-reason/

I've spoken about interlaced attacks, and attacks which involve disrupting activity (they tend to fail open though there are a number of devices which allow you the option of having them fail closed at the expense of ) of security systems by overloading or confusing them in the 'Convergence' report before. The following of a study of how performance drops off in the real world using entry level enterprise firewalls from several well known vendors.
http://www.spirent.com/White-Papers/Broadband/PAB/Broadband-Testing_Entry-Level_Enterprise_Firewall_Test_Report

A variation of my 'Cognitive Fingerprinting' work as outlined in the 'Cloud' and 'Convergence' reports. Basically instead of using purely signatures we're going to look at behaviour as the main means of detecting whether a file is good or bad. Of course, this will be on top of existing security models/systems but something we need to think about is how even this can be bypassed. Some recent research I've come across seems to suggest that many sandbox type solutions that are used to detect presence of malware can be rather obvious. Countermeasures are being deployed which means that only 1/3 of all malware may be being picked up. More thought required...
http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg21728983.100-unmasking-the-cyber-saboteurs-whoever-they-are.html
http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg21728985.300-mapping-malwares-genome-to-fight-future-attacks.html

Neat way of increasing collaboration from the perspective of defense.
http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg21428684.600-why-we-may-never-know-who-created-flame-virus.html

Interesting graph of where your system is likely to get infected by a virus on the Internet. Not sure of it's overall validity...
http://www.newscientist.com/data/images/archive/2898/28985301.jpg

Details surrounding NSA 'Perfect Citizen' program to protect critical infrastructure becoming clearer.
http://phys.org/news/2012-12-privacy-group-nsa.html
http://epic.org/2012/12/epic-comments-on-federal-cyber.html
http://news.cnet.com/8301-1023_3-57560644-93/revealed-nsa-targeting-domestic-computer-systems-in-secret-test/
http://www.examiner.com/article/perfect-citizen-program-tests-security-of-u-s-utility-infrastructure
http://www.fiercesmartgrid.com/story/nsa-secret-cyber-security-testing-no-longer-secret/2012-12-26

Microsoft email Exchange/Outlook plugin to block reply all, forward option. Still doesn't deal with the 'analogue hole' problem though. Namely, taking a screenshot, a picture of your monitor itself, or even just (manually or automatically) copying and pasting the contents of the email in question itself and then relaying this on to the desired recipients.
http://research.microsoft.com/en-us/projects/researchdesktop/noreplyall.aspx

A more comprehensive Microsoft Data Loss Prevention (DLP) solution.
http://www.microsoft.com/exchange/en-us/information-protection-and-control.aspx

Vacuum your laptop/netbook ventilation ports regularly. Not doing so can result in higher dust build up, higher temperatures and fan speed, power consumption, etc... As stated previously, design of portable systems is always a compromise between performance, size, power consumption, and so on. If I had a way of being able to alter shell design without comprimising structural rigidity and resale value I would use it in a heartbeat.

The article that I was referring to in my previous post with regards to how the wealthy don't always produce more jobs.
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-07-20/top-2-not-job-creators-or-millionaires-in-tax-debate.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tabula_rasa
http://forums.whirlpool.net.au/forum-replies.cfm?t=1310314
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4300066,00.html

Bugs of the Week

Sega's/Sports Interactive's Football Manager Series (most of these apply to 2009 but some apply to only earlier versions)
- when operating in small window mode some fields/words will overlap making it sometimes impossible to navigate
- sometimes go on holiday mode doesn't stop before the play of a game on that particular day. Would like more 'predictable' behaviour

Microsoft's/Big Huge Game's Rise of Nations
Not really a bug. Sometimes I modify lines in rules.xml file so that I can tweak the game rules (population limits, resources, etc...) to make it easier/harder depending on my mood. I've discovered that depending on the total number of units and movement currently occuring underlying hardware performance becomes a major limiting factor. Just have to be careful.

KNetWalk
Opens to a rediculous default window size on a Netbook (not sure about other platforms as yet). Neat game though (fun for those who enjoy mazes) and each puzzle is reasonably short/easy (depending on level).

NeverPutt
Algorithm for finding direction to hole doesn't correctly identify best/easiest pathway to goal all the time which means some awkward/impossible starting directions are possible. Believe that it may be limited to holes where a certain terminal/short distance condition is triggered.

SuperTux
Basically a clone of SuperMario/Sonic the Hedgehog style games. Not really a bug but one thing I've always wanted to do in these games is to have more freedom with regards to going backwards and choosing another pathway through the game (understand the underlying hardware limitations of the consoles at the time though).

News Website (further details not disclosed for reasons of security and reputation)
Various uncaught exceptions after turning off JavaScript.

E-Commerce Website (further details not disclosed for reasons of security and reputation)
Website started sending refund messages to people who weren't involved in a recent mix up/pricing error.

HPM Powerboard
Purchased this a while back because it had a lot (12) of sockets and built-in RF/EM noise suppression. Lately been having problems with it though. It doesn't seem to smooth the power supply out. It seems to be cutting power in/out now. Believe it may simply be malfunctioning. Difficult to diagnose/fix personally though due to strange/unique screws being used in casing. Hoping still under warranty.

- as usual thanks to all of the individuals and groups who purchase and use my goods and services
http://sites.google.com/site/dtbnguyen/
http://dtbnguyen.blogspot.com.au/

Open Core Security and More Security Analysis, Routing Problems, and More Bugs

I once recall a conversation with a engineer from one particular security firm/vendor. They said that they were prohibited/dissuaded (by their country) from using solutions (even though one solution was considered world class) from another particular country because of philosophical/national security concerns. This is ridiculous. In a large number of cases, firms are having to open up their source code for analysis by national intelligence agencies and third party auditors. If the solution being provided is minimalistic, there is a common open source framework and Application Programming Interface (API) that the solution can plug into (and that can fit into popular devices) I don't see any reason (apart from commercial/political/philosophical) why we shouldn't be able to use the best possible solution/s even they may come from possibly questionable sources (I'll expand on this concept in 'Cloud and Internet Security' report. Currently, 820+ pages/214K+ words).

Tom Clancy's book, 'Threat Vector' actually provides a decent (though fictitious) example of how to carry out an integrated cyberwarfare/conventional warfare attack.

Richard J. Aldrich's, 'GCHQ' actually provides a good explanation of some of the activities of modern intelligence agencies. Certain decisions make sense but seem incredibly cynical.

In the past I've tried using open proxies and fiddling with MTU and other setting to get around certain networking problems. Sucess has been limited. The most elegant/useable solution that I've come across/found has been 'Tor'.

Interesting to see what the rest of the world is downloading via BitTorrent.
http://www.customer.scaneye.net/data

I remember developing and running small programs/games for the TI-83 platform. Amazing how far some graphic calculators have come...
http://hackaday.com/2012/11/12/linux-on-a-nspire-cas-cx-calculator/

Cool robot called 'iCub'.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ICub
http://www.icub.org/

Timestamping audio using power hum.
http://gizmodo.com/5968396/police-can-timestamp-any-audio-recording-from-background-interference-alone 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-20629671

After my recent wireless experiments with EM/RF permeation of various materials (and the surprise at how even the thinnest/least dense materials have impacted significantly upon reflection/absorption) I'm curious to see how the NetGear AC6200 (USB wireless 802.11ac dongle) performs with a shell integrated adjustable antenna. Reviews so far have been mixed (though most problems feel like they are related to the frequency band in question as well as driver support under Windows 8)...

Bugs of the Week

Google Images
Not really a bug but a problem nonetheless. Certain websites can't be previewed in Google Images since they can not be opened in a frame and must be opened in a seperate window.

Microsoft's Windows Media Player 12
After ripping a few CD's recently at max bit rate of 320KB using MP3 format I've noticed a bug. When you go into the 'Library' you'll notice that the size is incorrectly listed as 'O KB'. Solution is to remove and re-add files to music library. Not sure if this is limited to my particular setup though. Bug doesn't seem to appear at other bit rates.

Sega's/Sports Interactive's Football Manager Series (most of these apply to 2009 but some apply to only earlier versions)
- clubs still silly enough to bid on a player even though he is approaching end of contract
- even if you give a company in a lower division a significant cash boost it doesn't seem to provide them with that much of a performance boost. The burn rate for clubs in lower divisions when given cash boost doesn't seem to make any sense as well. If a club can make it on a net worth of only a few million dollars how can it burn through millions of dollars over the space of a year and not make any significant performance jump?
- accept all offers option for players not honoured sometimes even when you have taken over another team
- transfers in next window option often doesn't work even though transfer fee to break clause has been met (unless there is something about my understanding of this is incorrect)

General Observation of eBook Readers
Often sub-par performance (performance and usability such as having a decent font size/zoom level) using PDF files on inexpensive eBook readers. Try to use native formats (MOBI, ePUB, etc...) where possible. Makes a big difference...

http://calibre-ebook.com/
http://www.lightreading.com/

- as usual thanks to all of the individuals and groups who purchase and use my goods and services
http://sites.google.com/site/dtbnguyen/
http://dtbnguyen.blogspot.com.au/

Abseiling Down the Fiscal Cliff

When you look at the magnitude of the problem it seems insurmountable. Nonetheless, let's have a look and see whether we can break this down and make a difference...

- Pass the bill in chunks (3-4 $500 Billion USD chunks) if you can't do it at the moment. Situation is manageable but not dire. There is still time.
- Seems as though both sides are attempting to for a 1-1 dollar debt cut/revenue raise ratio. Use this as the basis for what essentially amounts to a trade of what can be done now if we need to pass an intermediate/stop gap package.
- Think about negotiatons in another way. Focus on the big things that affect the largest number of people first or have the largest impact first or do the exact converse.
- Another option is to simply find finding those who are willing to cross and convincing to see whether they will do so.
- Think we may be looking at this too simplistically. It's not just cutting costs and revenue raising. One of the things that has always surprised me with the United States is the total number of agencies and the size of the government/administration. Many different agencies with overlapping responsibilities. Believe that their may be signifiant savings to be made if there were simply greater co-operation and a streamlining of many activities. Best way to achieve this without cutting required/critical programs would simply be to ask the heads of the relevant agencies (consult individual states as well. Look at programs that aren't producing results, look for alternatives, you'd be surprised what you can provided you have the right in people in the right position in place). Look at the big picture but try to see the smaller details as well. It's clear that there are loopholes everywhere if you spend enough time and consult enough people. If you pass the bill in chunks then you can spend more time dealing with these issues as well.
- Clear that there are generally limited options when it comes to elected officials and members of the administration/executive. Need a clearer vision of where the country is headed. Once this is done, use this as the basis of cuts (if they are required). Have seen a number of times where programs have been stopped and then restarted. In the end of the cost of this administration actually outweighed the cost of having the program running for that entire period.
- Continue 'economic stimulus' and using this money to restructure/reinvest in infrastructure and other projects that are likely to result in strong returns. Use it wisely though. If not, it basically amounts to a risky bet and if the investment doesn't produce the expected return or does not keep pace with inflation then you may be worse off then when you began. Reminds me of dogs chasing rabbit at the race track. Theoretically, if the growth curve runs ahead of the debt curve you could do this forever. Not recommended though. Best used in combination with other reforms.
- Not sure we should be looking at only 1/2 tiers for tax increases. Perhaps 3/4 so that the impact  is not as strongly felt. Need to factor in implementation and overheard issues though. Moreover, clear that there each state has different costs of living. By having a larger number of tiers we can increase flexibility and 'spread the load' better so to speak without pushing family budgets over the edge.
http://www.usmayors.org/pressreleases/uploads/2012/1219-report-HH.pdf
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2012/12/20/choose-your-own-fiscal-cliff-adventure/
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0AkeTUNT8ZF3ldGNTU2g3Y2pTaFVabDNpaG5Ua2F6cEE#gid=3
http://viableopposition.blogspot.ca/2012/12/your-very-own-fiscal-cliff-tax.html
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2012/12/20/there-is-no-fiscal-crisis-what-that-means-for-the-us/
- Changing measure of inflation (CPI-U Vs chained CPI) difficult and possibly dangerous route to take. At the end of the day, it is just another metric/variable. By not changing this and focusing in on other issues you may actually save on administrative costs associated with the switch. Moreover, in practive, over time it may just push too many people over the edge. Need to realise that the theory/principle behind this is much like broad based taxation anyhow. If that's what you want why not use it? Moreover, other styles of taxes have greater flexibility naturally built into them. For instance, GST/VAT can be applied to whatever goods/services are relevant and changed when required if they are written well.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/rep-alan-grayson/the-chained-cpi-cut-if-yo_b_2340095.html?utm_hp_ref=politics
- Let the cliff occur. Then start working backwards. Horrible option but an option nonetheless. Won't give markets much confidence. Temporary pain obviously. Need to put this into perspective though. United States economy is huge and should be able to absorb it.
http://www.smh.com.au/business/world-business/so-what-now-seven-fiscal-cliff-scenarios-20121222-2bs8d.html
- Focus in on cause and effect issues. Look at the number of healthcare programs that are currently  being considered to be cut. If you increase the tax on products/services (and it successfully leads to a reduction for these particular products/services) that are likely to cause them health issues then you ultimately reduce the burden on the healthcare system and also gain extra revenue from the product/service themselves. Question is of course, just exactly what is the level of taxation required to achieve this?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Medicare_%28United_States%29
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Medicaid
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tricare
- Large number of healthcare problems/costs. Consider bringing in overseas healthcare specialists/staff to help relieve possible costs. Really need to be careful with screening though. Local experience has taught us that this can lead to medium/long term pain if insufficient checks regarding qualifications are made.
http://www.careerbuilder.com/Article/CB-1806-Healthcare-Why-Healthcare-is-Experiencing-Work-Shortages
http://www.njhealthjobs.org/sites/default/files/health_care_workforce.pdf
http://app1.kuhf.org/articles/1337207668-Legislators-Grappling-with-State-Wide-Shortage-of-Healthcare-Workers.html
- Link the increase in age for Social Security to occupation (labourer, office workers, etc...). Dig enough into your data and you'll figure out what is a fair age for the relevant occupation so that ultimately everyone averages out
- Economy is too dependent on gas/carbon at this stage. Larger carbon producers and transportation for both people in general as well as for goods may be too strongly impacted (If public transportation were safe, could handle extra load, and was cheap enough it may be a viable option though but this doesn't seem to the case in many cases. Have noticed that price of gas in the United States is significantly lower than elsewhere in the world.). Australian implementation of carbon tax to top producers of carbon have had limited impact on end consumers but there has still be an increase in price. May consider this further along the line or stagger it as Green technology uptake becomes stronger (in first year and increasing in 1% increments until reaching a chosen target?)
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-13338754
http://chartsbin.com/view/1115
- VAT/GST with exemptions for staples/necessities. This would allow people to budget better while maintaining a revenue stream. Need to be careful with implementation though. Overheads of changing it once in place is not easy as indicated by local experience. While there are critics with regards to transparency experience indicates that if you remove other complex, competing, tax schemes at the same time a lot of overhead can be reduced for businesses in the long time making business easier.
- Despite the obvious problems, need to be wise about this. Policy that is created hastily without thought of the medium/longer term effects can be damaging not only for your economy, but for morale, healthcare, and a large number of other issues as well.

- as usual thanks to all of the individuals and groups who purchase and use my goods and services
http://sites.google.com/site/dtbnguyen/
http://dtbnguyen.blogspot.com.au/