My Top Science Fiction / Fantasy Books List

Here is a list of my favorite Top Science Fiction / Fantasy books.  I think everyone should check these out and read them at least once.

1. The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy
2. Blade runner: (Do androids dream of electric sheep)
3. 1984
4. 2001 Space Odyssey
5. Fahrenheit 451
6. The Wheel of Time Series (There is also a great game based on this series of books)
7. The princes Bride
8. I-Robot
9. The Martian Chronicles
10. The War of the Worlds
11. Game of Thrones
12. The Singularity Is Near: When Humans Transcend Biology
13. I Am Legend
14. Journey To The Center Of The Earth
15. The Stand
16. World War Z

Let me know some of your favorites or if I missed any classics. :)

+dwebb

This Week In Tech

Every week I will highlight some of the latest Tech topics I have come across on the net.  Below are a few I thought were interesting.

1.) BMW Introducing Laser Headlights - BMW is designing headlights that use lasers instead of LED.  The laser light is more efficient than LED and uses less power.  It can be directional and the intensity can be tailored depending on road conditions.  Plus if I get road rage I can cut the car in front of me in half ;)
2.) LIFI: Using LED light to transmit data thru the airways. - Scientists are developing a way to use LED lights utilizing a micro-chip to transfer data across the airways.  The plus side is the infrastructure is already there.  The visible light spectrum is allot larger than WiFi, and visible light does not go thru walls so it is more secure than traditional wireless. 
3.) Invisibility Cloak for Tanks - A British firm has developed a way of cloaking tanks in the infrared spectrum. The Adaptiv cloaking technology system can make a tank look like an SUV or even a cow standing in a field.

So there you have it folks.  Some of the cool projects people are working on for the future.  I will post more as I come across them in my travels.


+dwebb

Google Dorks and Hacks

Google Dorks:

What is a Google Dork you ask?  No it's not a nerdy person who is socially inept, it is a term to describe people or websites that are exposed and can be hacked using nothing but simple Google search terms.  Most people are unaware that Google indexes everything, even if it is not apparently out in the open online or accessible thru a link off a webpage.  If it is up on a web server and open to the public then it can be found.

Below are a few common Google hacks you can try to see what I mean:

1.) intitle:"IVC Control Panel"  (this can find security cameras online.  Many can be controlled remotely thru the website without a password :))
2.) filetype:xls   password   inurl:.com (This little gem can find spreadsheets with sensitive information in them)
3.) filetype:csv name address ( This finds CSV files or spreadsheets with goodies in them)

There are many more out there, but these are just a few to illustrate what can be done with just a search engine.

Google Hacks:  

Google hacks are more for finding fun stuff and free items online.

1.) Just type "File Name" filetype:torrent (File Name without quotes). - (Neat way to download torrent files using Google)
2.) In Google search bar type: "Software name" 94FBR -  (This is for finding serial numbers for software)
3.) -inurl:htm -inurl:html intitle:”index of” “Last modified” mp3 ( A cool way to find music using the powerful search engine)
4.) -inurl:htm -inurl:html intitle:"index of" +("/ebooks"|"/book") +(chm|pdf|zip) +"For Dummies" (This would search for the For dummies series of books, feel free to replace it with other titles you are searching for)

So you see Google can be used for a huge variety of things other than just to see if cow urine can cure your planters warts ;)

+dwebb

The Shattering Has Begun

Well boys and girls the time is upon us The Shattering has occurred.  No I am not talking about someone breaking dinner plates in the kitchen.  I am talking about the World of Warcraft.  After 6 years, Blizzard has finally come out with the next expansion for the game, and all of Azeroth has changed for good.  Deathwing has arisen and has wrecked havoc on all the land.  With the launch of Cataclysm just weeks away (December 7th, 2010) people are frantically getting their toons and gear in order.  There will be new races, brand new starting areas, added professions and features galore in the game.  We will have exciting new instances to run and new raids to keep us busy.  The leveling experience from 1-60 has all new content, and it is easier to level to 80 now.  Level 85 is the cap and I have heard it will take some time to get to it.  What does all this mean to the average person, probably nothing, but I figured I would share my thoughts on a game that has captured a good chunk of my time and passion.  I consider World of Warcraft to be one of the best MMORPG's out there, and I have played quite a few.


You can check out more about the new expansion here:  http://www.worldofwarcraft.com/cataclysm/


+dwebb

Online IDE & Debugging Tool

Here is a great resource I found this week for web development. The website is much more than just a pastebin for code. It is an online code compiler and debugging tool. It works with 40+ programming languages.

Check it out here: Ideone.com

+dwebb

5 Useful Web Tools

I am always looking for new tools to make my life easier as a web designer. Any shortcuts that cut down production time is welcome. here is a short list of web apps I have used or will try out on my next project.

Google Labs Browser Size: This handy website from Google lets you see how your page is viewed by visitors and gives you a percentage of how many people may be missing your message.

eType: Having and maintaining an international website can be very challenging. Here is a nice little website that translates your copy into multiple languages and uses a nice spell checking dictionary.

Awesome Highlighter: A nice way to markup and highlight what you think is important on a webpage. Saves the reader time in scanning articles.

Crazyegg: Although I have not used this yet, I think it is a great way to see what users are clicking on and where they are going on your website. Works in conjunction with Google analytics.

Vector Portal: Here is a handy image resource for finding tons of stock vector art for all your creative visions.

Let me know if there are others that you use in your day to day design work.

+dwebb

Hijacking Facebook With Firesheep

I am always looking for new ways of exploiting technology and pushing the boundaries online.  Here is a little addon for Firefox I found this week that basically Hijacks a user's session over a non encrypted wi-fi connection.  If a user is logged into Facebook, Twitter and many other social networks, you can capture the session and log into their account.  It works in Windows XP and on the Mac, but I have yet to get it to work in Windows 7.  You will need to install WinPcap as well.

You can download Firesheep.  or read more about it here.

Recently a new addon came out to counter the Firesheep attack.  Blacksheep alerts you if someone is using Firesheep on the wi-fi network you are connected to.  The other way to prevent it is to make sure you are always using a secure network and logging out of your sessions when not in use.  You can read about & download Blacksheep here.


+dwebb

10 Geek Skillz Worth Knowing

1.)  How to defeat most keyloggers on public computers - Keyloggers can be found on any PC floating around in the public sector.  Here are some methods for preventing your data from being ganked.  Read More


2.)  Crack the Account Password on Any Operating System - We have all forgot our Window's password at one time or another, or maybe you inherited a computer from someone else and can't log in.  Here is a way of breaking thru the frontline defenses.  Read More


3.)  How to hide a file in a picture - This little trick caters to the secret agent in all of us.  Here are some techniques to hide any type of file in an ordinary picture. Read More



4.)  Rip Streaming Videos - Maybe you want that video of the Star wars kid, or you want to grab the Blizzcon 2010 event off the net for future reference.  Here are some ways to get that streaming content onto a hard drive.  Read More


5.)  How to Hot Wire a Car - We have seen this done time and time again in movies, but here is how you actually do it.  Who knows when we will need this skill, maybe when the zombies come and we need to make a quick get-a-way.  Read More


6.)  How to Unlock an iPhone - If you have ever wanted to unlock your iPhone and free it from Steve Jobs icey grip, here is a great article on how to do it.  Read More


7.)  Unleash a Laser Pointer's full potential - Here is a nice tutorial on turning an ordinary flashlight into a laser that can pop a balloon.  Read More


8.)  Wire Your Home with Ethernet Cable - I actually have this need at the current moment and will be tackling this at some point.  Here is a great guide on how to do it without falling thru the ceiling  Read More


9.)  Pick a Lock - Don't let that unauthorized access sign get you down.  Here is a great tutorial on getting into places you thought were off limits.  Read More


10.)  The Wonderful Uses of Duct Tape - My mom uses it to secure tupperware, but here are many other uses for this amazing product.  Read More


+dwebb