New Site to Monitor - DownloadSquad.com

A new site from the fine folks who bring us Engadget (hardware), comes DownloadSquad (software).

Filled with great info about the latest in software for all platforms, add the site to your frequent visit list or RSS feeds. I'll also be highlighting tasty bits here on KJR.

Microsoft "Adopts" RSS

Adopts is perhaps the wrong word--Microsoft doesn't adopt, they embrace and extend. Thankfully RSS (based on XML) is made to be extended.

MSDN's Channel 9 has a demo video of Windows Longhorn and IE7 with RSS features. As a post on the site mentions, some folks are already upset about the whole thing.

Personally, I'm already tired of hearing about how evolutionary RSS is. People talk about the technology (and the fact that they are getting news feeds via RSS) as though the technology is The Second Coming. I might be missing something (wouldn't be the first time), but it's XML people--plain and simple. Correct me via comments if I'm wrong and follow the links above to enjoy the discussion surrounding the Microsoft flack.

Konfabulator - "whatever you want it to be"

I've espoused the features and benefits of Konfabublator to a few friends, but somehow forgot to mention it here. So here goes...

Konfabulator is a scripting language and framework to build widgets--CPU meters, RSS readers, clocks, WiFi signal meters, and much, much more. Take a gander at the screen below that shows my desktop and the various widgets I employ on my desktop. (As with most images here, click on the image for a larger view.)

Konfabulator comes with a handful of widgets and the Konfabulator website has a Widget Gallery filled with more pre-made widgets from the Konfabulator crew and the general public. If there isn't a widget to suit your needs you can use the XML-style framework to define your widget's window, features, etc and JavaScript to control it. The whole kit and kaboodle is packaged in a ZIP archive with a .widget extension. The code below creates a simple clock that updates every 5 seconds:

SimpleClock.kon (XML framework)

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>

<widget>

<debug>on</debug>

<window>
  <title>Simple Clock</title>
  <name>main_window</name>
  <width>200</width>
  <height>100</height>
  <opacity>255</opacity>
</window>

<text>
  <name>SimpleClock</name>
  <hOffset>30</hOffset>
  <vOffset>30</vOffset>
  <data></data>
  <size>36</size>
</text>

<action trigger="onLoad" file="SimpleClock.js" />

<timer>
  <name>ClockTimer</name>
  <ticking>false</ticking>
  <interval>5</interval>
  <onTimerFired>
     TimerUpdate();
  </onTimerFired>
</timer>

</widget>

SimpleClock.js (JavaScript code)

<!-- 
function TimerUpdate() {
  t = new Date();
  h = t.getHours();
  m = t.getMinutes();
  if ( m < 10 ) { m = "0" + m; }
  if ( h <= 12 ) { 
    ampm = "am";
  } else {
    h = h - 12;
    ampm = "pm";
  }
  SimpleClock.data = h + ":" + m + " " + ampm;
}

TimerUpdate();
ClockTimer.ticking = true;

// -->

Of course, the widget above doesn't use any graphics or advanced features of Konfabulator, but it illustrates how easy it is to build widgets. Konfabulator supports both Mac and Windows platforms, is free for evaluation (nag-ware), and $19.95 for extended use.

Password Maintenance

Earlier this year I was taught some valuable lessons about passwords. A critical server was hacked and for all I know, all the user passwords were compromised. I realized that the user passwords had been migrated across several resources on the server--database access, etc--not just account access. In rebuilding the server I had to consider the scope I wanted passwords to span and how truly secure I wanted to make them.

Previously, I had spent years using the same password scheme and was loath to change. However, many sites on the Internet were already forcing the change--my bank requires “one upper-case letter, one lower-case letter, one number, and one non-alphanumeric character” in my online password. Other sites had similar (but different) requirements. Realizing that I had to start using and remembering lots of diverse passwords I began my search for a better way to manage that information.

An Integrated Hardware Solution

My IBM (er, Lenovo) Thinkpad X31 has a built-in security subsytem that uses hardware to encrypt information including a password vault, files, and folders (as directed). The client software requires a user password and can auto-populate fields in online forms that were previously visited and configured. The software has been a godsend for my online password, but is still inherently insecure--anyone sitting down at my logged in computer can press the magic keystroke to auto-login a remembered site, there's no guarantee that it is actually me pressing the keys. (Nope, the X31 doesn't have the integrated fingerprint reader--keep reading!)

Same Thing, but in Software

Those that like the idea above (password vault that can auto-populate forms and therefore automate online logins) but don't have a security-enabled Thinkpad should review KeePass, the “Open-Source Password Safe”. KeePass creates a secure vault for storing all your passwords and can be configured to auto-populate forms with the stored info.

There are a few featues that make KeePass a really cool (and more secure) application:

• When cutting and pasting a password from KeePass, the clipboard is automatically cleared after 10 seconds (helping ensure the password doesn't remain there for anyone else to access.
• The vault auto-locks when minimized or after a period of inactivity.
• The pass-phrase to access the vault can be stored on removable media, like a USB thumb drive. Supposing the two (computer and thumb drive) aren't always connected you can be reasonably sure no one can access the vault without your presence.
• It will also autogenerate passwords and indicate how secure a manually entered password is.

The product is feature-rich, but a bit rough around the edges. It also doesn't integrate deeply into Windows--the options to put info into web sites and applications is limited to cut and paste with a few template options (text mixed in with fields from the vault). It also doesn't integrate with hardware authentication options--though that is probably due more to the lack of APIs for the hardware solutions than a shortcoming of the KeePass programmers.

Fingerprint Readers

In the last few months several vendors have released fingerprint reader hardware. HP's iPAQ 5500 has a built-in reader, as does a handful of Microsoft input devices, and some new IBM/Lenovo products. There are also a handful of USB flash drives that have built-in readers.

Anxious to try the whole biometric thing, I bought the Microsoft fingerprint reader at CompUSA for ~$50. Although I was initially impressed by the technology, the software was too simple and only worked with web pages. The reader also has a semi-sticky substance covering the reader surface that attracts all kinds of debris. The lack of integration with applications meant that the reader couldn't interop with Keepass or the IBM client software.

Recently I saw an ad for the APC fingerprint reader, on sale at Circuit City for ~$25. A few reviews of the product were positive and the price was right, so I bought one at the local CC store.

So far I've been pretty impressed by the hardware and the software (Softex Omnipass). One really bad design flaw in Omnipass is the reliance on the Windows password--you can use the Windows password to access the password vault. I'd prefer that the access be limited to a valid fingerprint or super-secure vault password (similar to the IBM Thinkpad client software). The interface is also a bit intrusive--a “confirm password” dialog pops up (and steals the cursor) every time the browser accesses a site stored in the vault. Although you can press Esc to ditch the dialog it can be a real PITA. I'd prefer that the application wait patiently in the background for a valid fingerprint. Still, the APC solution is a good one, especially for the price.

Recommendation

My personal opinion is that biometrics isn't ready for consumers. Although there are a handful of affordable products, they all have client software limitations and/or features that that make them more insecure than keeping passwords in a text file on the hard drive. Of course the products aren't presented as insecure--how much safer can your data be than hiding behind your fingerprint? Well, it's only as secure as the software handling the hardware and password vault.

Right now I'm using KeePass locked with a removable storage device to hold most of my system passwords and the security system built into my Thinkpad for online passwords. I'm still playing with the APC fingerprint reader, but don't trust the security of its software.

I'd highly recommend KeePass to anyone needing a password vault and only recommend the APC fingerprint reader if your Windows password is ultra-ultra-ultra secure to protect the Omnipass vault.

Fast Women (at 1:18 scale)

I know a few people that collect die cast car models and have seen a lot of accessories for them. However, the folks at Isolde Industries International have the ultimate accessories for any collection, Fast Women.

"Batman Begins" Rocks

For those that haven't seen it, dreading another awful Batman movie, go now! Right now! It's very, very good.

Batman Begins rocks for the following reasons:

• It's true to the original Batman story, created by Bob Kane
• The atmosphere of Gotham is almost perfect, somewhere North of Burton-ville but South of Gilliam-town.
• No villain is played over the top, they are serious nogooders
• The story of how/what/why Batman began is uniquely and convincingly covered
• The Batmobile is much more than a background prop

Some low points (IMO, with no spoilers):

• Christian Bale does an awesome job as the bat, but not so well as the billionaire playboy
• Katie Holmes, recent press uproar notwithstanding, is awful
• I miss the other Alfred
• In typical movie superhero fashion, 90% of the cast knows Bruce Wayne's “secret” by the end of the movie

Definitely my favorite Batman movie to date.

Another Cool Case Mod

Case mods, IMO, are cool. I'd work on something less commercial for my main desktop (currently in a Thermaltake Xaser III) if:

1. I had a lot of time to kill
2. My PC spent any time out in the “wild” instead of under my desk all the time

Anyway, it seems that ExtremeTech has an ongoing case mod contest. This week's winner did a case that looks like the “PainMaster 5000” rocket launcher from Unreal Tournament. (I had no idea the weapon had an actual name and model number!) Although not as cool as another mod we highlighted, it's still very cool.

Check out Justin Hatem's mod at ExtremeTech.

Specialized Game Controllers

(This article details my experience with a handful of specialized game controllers. It only covers my experience with the noted controllers--I hope it sheds some light for others that may be considering such controllers.)

There are a handful of keys on my keyboard that get more use in a week than the whole keyboard did over the last two years while I wrote three books. The problem is that I'm a gamer and I play a lot of games that use the WASD and spacebar keys for movement. I also do quite a bit of writing, so I have a pretty nice keyboard--the Microsoft Natural Elite. Because the keyboard layout isn't as conducive to game play and I don't like being rough with a keyboard I need for everyday typing, I'm constantly looking for another gaming solution.

A few years back I picked up the Belkin Nostromo SpeedPad n50. (below, left, $30-50) I liked that I now had a hot-pluggable device (USB, not a replacement keyboard) for my oft-used gaming keys. However, I quickly found that the 10 keys and assorted switches didn't give me enough keys for moving, switching weapons, activating powers, etc. Moving my hand off the Nostromo to the keyboard for a handful of controls didn't make sense so I migrated back to full-keyboard use. (Note: Belkin has since come out with the Nostromo n52 [below, right, ~$], which has a slightly better design, more keys, and a few more features. I haven't tried the n52.)

A few years ago a friend picked up the short-lived Thrustmaster Tacticalboard (below). It ups the Nostromos key count almost five-fold, and offers interoperability with TeamSound, though all of the TeamSound buttons can be mapped like any other button. The layout didn't suit my friend so I've borrowed the Tacticalboard for an indefinite period to see if it might suit me.

One immediate problem I had with the TacticalBoard is one common to game controllers--it takes an act of God to get a program set downloaded to the controller. Most of the programs that come with such devices try to be too helpful--they wait for a particular program to run that matches the keyset that should be downloaded. For example, I created a City of Heroes keyset for my most often used keys in CoH. Unfortunately, City of Heroes isn't run directly--an update program is run first and after checking for updates the updater runs the actual game. I put in the right executable (game, not the updater) but still could not get the keyset to download--the utility still wasn't seeing the game being run. (Note to all configurable gaming device manufacturers: Give us a button that will just unconditionally program your device with a particular keyset--I appreciate you being helpful with matching games that are actually run so I don't have to do more work, but this fiasco cost me about two hours of trouble-shooting...) As it turns out, the drivers are just shoddy. It wasn't the game that wasn't being recognized, it was the TacticalBoard. Windows XP was seeing it as a generic Human Interface Device instead of the TacticalBoard, leaving the utility program nothing to download the keyset to.

(Thrustmaster's online knowledgebase helpfully blames DirectX, not their unsigned, flakey, older than dirt drivers.)

I'm still playing with the TacticalBoard, stay tuned for some conclusions.

For the last few years I've had my eye on the ZBoard (below), a keyboard that has a replacement key system with templates for a variety of games. The original ZBoard had a PS2 connector making it a candidate for total keyboard replacement (whereas a USB connector could be utilized to hotplug the device only when you needed it).

After a bit more scrutiny I've decided to forego the Zboard, even though it now comes in a USB variety. For starters I don't like the specificity of the templates--I don't play most of the games they have templates for. The second reason is size--I don't want something full-keyboard sized, especially when the keyboard side of most templates is mutilated so badly (I still need to type sometimes while gaming and need my typing to be coherent and quick). Still, the ZBoard is a great idea--especially for those that want to replace their keyboard and don't need a particularly good keyboard for long typing sessions. (One of the replaceable keysets is a standard keyboard.)

The Saitek Gaming Keyboard (below) falls into the same category as does the ZBoard--replacement keyboard with gaming features. The Saitek board comes with a special, numeric-keypad looking gaming pad that can be programmed with several functions. I've heard the keyboard is top notch (keytouch, responsiveness, etc), but again I'm not looking for a keyboard replacement (although I could hotplug the Saitek...). I do want the Saitek X52, oh, and a flight sim to play with it.

Also, the Saitek gaming pad seems too limited. I could move most, but not all of my movement keys to the pad and save some banging on my everyday keyboard. However, I'd probably look at buying a Targus USB Keypad for that function if that's what I wanted.

One of the truly innovated products that hit the market lately is the Ergodex DX1 Input System (below). This beauty provides a flat surface (10" x 12") where the 25 keys can be arranged however you like--the board picks up which key was pressed wherever you locate it. You can expand the DX1 with an additional 25 keys providing 50 total keys.

The keys stick to the clear tray by a reusable sticky pad on their base--the keys attach firmly but can be removed and/or moved by applying a simple twist to the key. Since the tray is clear you can print out templates for key placement, alleviating the need to remember exactly where each key was placed for a particular application or game.

The downside to the DX1 is price--the base system costs $150, the extra keyset costs an additional $50. I was all set to order this beast until I realized how much time I'd have to put in to create layouts that worked for me. I guess there is some advantage to having a fixed set of keys to work with after all.

The bottom line is that there is a solution for just about everyone. Some of us don't mind experimenting and spending lots of cash in search of the holy grail of controllers. Others are perfectly happy with a standard, no-nonsense keyboard.

Cool laptop, dude!

On somewhat of a whim I picked up a Vantec LapCool2 notebook cooler from Fry's ($25). When I use my laptop for extended periods it tends to heat up--even though it's only a Pentium-M 1.6 GHz.

The device is a simple platform, about 1/2" thick with two fans in the center. Small rubber pads hold the cooler slightly off the table, desk, or whatever it sits on and raise the laptop slightly above the cooler. The fans are powered by a USB connection and has a power and speed setting.

This thing is amazing. It keeps the laptop very cool--cool enough for me to require a blanket on the couch one night while using it. Although it could be my imagination, I swear I've noticed a performance increase as well. I'd probably get the same increase by disabling the speed step switching in my BIOS settings, but I'd prefer to run a cooler laptop. Those that have higher end processors should probably give one a try.

X3 Doomed to Fail?

Okay. Let's start this one off by asking a few questions of the executives at Fox. In general, “What the F are you trying to do to this franchise?” Specifically:

• Why put a first time director (okay, first time on this scale) at the helm? Yeah, Layer Cake looks entertaining, good even, but it ain't in the X-series leagues.
• Couldn't you have begged, paid a few million to, or otherwise convinced Singer to stay on board? (Anyone else remember what happened last time a good director got separated from a superhero franchise?)
• Kelsey Grammer as the Beast? (yeah, I'm familiar with the character, and didn't know who Jackman was prior to X1, but I still can't see the hack pulling off the role--convince me in comments if you feel otherwise)

Sorry guys, but this one is starting to stink. I'll keep my hopes up that Uwe's name stays off the director list--that would sink it for sure.

Star Trek MMO Game in the Works

PC Magazine had two articles across the March and May '05 issues regarding Perpetual Entertainment's upcoming (as in the next few years) Star Trek MMO. The first, more of an overview, can only be found in the magazine. The second, an interview with the lead designer, is currently online.

The game sounds like a fan boy's wet dream. Yeah it's on my radar.

PC Drive Bay Ionizer

I've spoken before about how I like an ionized workspace. Well somebody else likes it too, enough to create a drive bay ionizer for inserting into a drive bay in your PC.

There's little (to none) details on the unit, beside the clip on Engadget.

iPod Battery Settlement

Those of you that have a 3rd Gen iPod will be interested in this story via Engadget. Apple has agreed to a settlement to benefit the owners of iPods who's battery goes belly up.