Showing posts with label how. Show all posts
Showing posts with label how. Show all posts
Learn How to Code this Weekend
Whether you just want to be able to hack a few scripts or make a feature-rich application, writing code can be a little overwhelming with the massive amount of information available. Here are some resources to help get you started.
Learn the Basics
Before you click any other links on this page, you should read our Programmer 101 Guide so you can get acquainted with the basics. One of the first pieces of advice in the guide is to avoid getting hung up on choosing a programming language. Nonetheless, if you're having any trouble making a decision we asked our code-savvy readers for suggestions awhile back and that's a good resource for help. If you're looking to make web applications, you should take a look at our guide on building a web site from scratch with no experience as well.
Choosing Frameworks and Helper Libraries
Learning to code doesn't mean you need to use a programming framework, but it can make your life a lot easier once you know what you're doing. Before you even start looking at frameworks, however, you should understand the Model-View-Controller (MVC) design pattern. This is the pattern frameworks generally follow and eNode has a great overview of MVC to help you better understand it.
One of the most popular frameworks in recent time (that happens to follow MVC) is Ruby on Rails. Ruby is a comfortable language that feels a little bit more like writing English and less like writing code. This may or may not be appealing to you, but it's nonetheless very capable and a good place for a lot of people to start. Rails, however, is meant to scale for larger web applications and isn't always the best choice for less ambitious projects.
With JavaScript amounting for much of what the web does nowadays, it has its share of helper libraries to make coding a bit easier. Scriptaculous is one popular option, and jQuery can help you out with Ajax interactions and other operations you'll perform often with JavaScript.
Finally, if you're thinking of making a simple game, ActionScript is a good language to learn. Flixel and Flashpunk can be very helpful in your game development and are worth a look.
Starting Your First Project
One of the best and most fun places to start, once you know what you're doing, is to make Pong. This can easily be accomplished in both JavaScript and ActionScript (which aren't too different, so if you learn one you'll have an easier time with the other). Perhaps surprisingly, one of the easiest things to make is a blogging application, which is even easier to do with the Ruby on Rails and CakePHP
frameworks. Really, you can start with anything you feel comfortable with. Often a project that interests you is best, or something that's so simple you can make it in an hour or less and feel like you've accomplished something. Whatever you pick, hopefully it will be first of many to come. If you learn how to code and eventually come up with something pretty awesome, be sure to share it in the comments.2:32 AM 0
How to Get Tomorrow's iOS Features Today
Apple's iOS updates are seeded to developers, often in beta form, before they're released to the general public. This may seem like an impenetrable barrier for some, but very little is preventing you from upgrading early. Here's how to do it.
Acquiring an iOS Beta
The Proper Method: Be a "Developer"
Whether you're actually a developer or not, Apple allows you to pay to be a registered developer for $99. You don't have to make (or even think about making) a single iOS application. All you're required to do is pay the $99 entrance fee. This gets you access to iOS betas for a year and you can download install them as you please.
$99 isn't exactly a great deal to have future access to iOS betas unless you're an iOS fanatic. If you'd still like official access to the beta, however, what we'd recommend doing is rounding up a few friends who would also like early access and splitting the fee. If you can find four other people, that's just $20 each. Because Apple lets you add up to 100 device UDID (the unique device identifier on your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch) you can easily share a developer membership with others to save some money. With a large number of people, you can get your updates for just a few dollars per year.
If you want to register as a developer, you can do that at the Apple Developer Connection.
The Improper Method: Circumvent the System
It's not hard to locate iOS betas online by simple searching Google for a torrent file. That said, even though you'll be getting the iOS update for free later on in the month, Apple doesn't permit the free downloading of iOS betas. By downloading iOS without Apple's consent, well, you know you're breaking the rules.
If you're not a registered developer and you've somehow obtained a copy of an iOS beta, you may still have some issues. Apple requires that device UDIDs are registered on a developer account to activate the iOS beta. This means that if you install an iOS beta without registering your UDID you may end up with an unusable device. This can be especially problematic because once you upgrade, there's no going back. Well, technically there is but it takes some effort. If you decide to take the risk, be sure you DO NOT restore your iOS device using the beta image. That will pretty much ensure that your iOS device will be locked down. Instead, use the upgrade method (detailed below).
If it succeeds, however, it's unlikely the device will need to register with Apple. If it doesn't succeed, don't restore using the update but try to restore using the last available stable release of iOS (as in not a beta, and probably what was on your device beforehand). Again, if you try to restore your device with an iOS beta it will refuse to boot until it is registered with an Apple developer account. You have to use the "Check for Upgrade" route instead.
But what if I screw up?
As mentioned above, paying for a developer account with friends is an easy way to save money on getting these early upgrades. But what if nobody likes you (or just doesn't want to pay money for betas like you do)? A quick search will generally turn up a few ambitious individuals who have paid for developer accounts and are looking to make some money. Generally for around $5, they will add your UDID to their developer account so you can easily update without worry.
If you happen to screw up the update and lock down your device or just want piece of mind, this is a good alternative to paying the $99 required by Apple. Of course, this is still breaking the rules.
Installing an iOS Beta
Installing an iOS beta is very easy. Connect your device to your computer and open iTunes (if it doesn't open automatically). Choose your device from the iTunes sidebar and you'll see a section called Version. There are two options in that section: Check for Update and Restore.
Restoring will wipe everything off of your iOS device, so you want to avoid that whenever possible. Instead, hold down the option key if you're on a Mac or shift if you're on a Windows PC and click the Check for Update button. You will be prompted to choose an IPSW (iPhone Software) file. Choose the beta you downloaded for your device and click Choose. From there, iTunes will take over and upload the IPSW to your device. The upgrade will start, and if it works you will have the beta up and running in no time*.
* This is not true at all—iTunes takes forever to update. You should go make yourself a sandwich while you wait.
4:36 AM 0
How Do I Avoid Getting Scammed When Buying or Selling Online?
Lately I've been worried about being conned while buying or selling on Craigslist—and online in general. Do you have any thoughts on how I can avoid getting screwed?
Sincerely,
Paranoid Seller
Dear Paranoid,
I was selling stuff online before I entered puberty and have had only one bad transaction (out of hundreds). I believe that's because most people you'll encounter are good and honest. Nonetheless, we share a common paranoia of getting conned. Fortunately, there are some things you can do to ease your worries and prevent problems from happening, though. Some involve intuition, and others just help to minimize the chances of an issue. Let's get into it.
Get to Know the Buyer/Seller
Your intuition is your best weapon against getting conned in a sale. While it's unlikely it'll happen in the first place, you'll know when you're talking to someone who makes you uncomfortable. While a little discomfort will often rule out some safe buyers/sellers that you just find off-putting, unless you're selling some rare item you should be able to be picky and still find someone you're comfortable selling to or buying from. Ultimately, you just need to be patient.
If you have a prospective buyer/seller in mind, just get to know him or her a little bit. Ask to talk on the phone. If you're interested in the item they're selling, ask a few questions about it. Questions about usage often lead to answers with personal information. You can use this opportunity to ask a couple of questions about the seller to get to know them a little bit. If you're the seller, encourage the buyer to ask questions about the item. Make them feel comfortable, let them know a little bit about you, and try to find out a little bit about them. This can seem a little awkward but you can often find ways to ask a few questions. You're going to be setting a place to meet, so it's not unreasonable to ask (approximately) where they live and/or work. You can use this information to mention something you like in that area or even let them know you've never been there before. You can ask what the area is like, how far it is from your location, and so on. This shouldn't be a long discussion, but devoting about a minute of your conversation to ask a few questions will help you gain some comfort in dealing with the buyer or seller.
Avoid Online Scams
When it comes to buying, however, it can be hard to tell the difference between a good deal and a scam deal. I've found some very, very cheap stuff on Craigslist before from legitimate sellers who were just in a bind and needed to offload their stuff quickly. Scams tend to show up in the exact same form, so you need to be cautious when approaching a great deal. For the most part, the best thing you can do is get to know the seller (as described above) to get a feeling for their level of trustworthiness.
Keep an eye out for red flags, which often come in the form of unusual meeting places and payment requests. If you still don't feel comfortable, however, just make sure you meet in a public place, bring a friend with you, and thoroughly test what you're buying before committing to the sale. Alternatively, move on. You're making a purchase, not a life-altering decision. If you miss out on one great deal, be patient and you'll find another. Rarely will prices go up if you're willing to wait awhile. There's very little you need right now. Being patient gives you a great advantage over the majority of people in the world, in many situations.
Avoid Counterfeit Money When Selling in Person
First things first, ask to be paid in bills no larger than $20. Counterfeit money is generally produced in the larger bills sizes (meaning $50 and $100 bills) because it's more efficient. If you're paid in twenties (or smaller), you greatly reduce your chances of getting counterfeit money.
If you need greater assurance, simply request to meet up at their bank. This way you can meet in a public place, which many people tend to prefer, and then if the buyer does, indeed, want to buy from you, you can go to the bank or ATM with them and see that the money is legit.
Your eyes also work pretty well when it comes to detecting counterfeit bills. The US Secret Service provides some tips on detecting counterfeit bills, so read up if you want to use yourself as a countefeit-detecting machine.
Finally, you can always pick up one of those counterfeit detecting pens. While this will work, it creates a really awkward situation. If you want to be sure, this is the way to go. In most cases, however, the previously-mentioned techniques will serve you just fine.
Utilize Common Sense
If time has taught me one thing, it's that common sense is not very common. While some of these suggestions might be a bit obvious, they're worth repeating.
Do not, under any circumstances, let your emotions dictate the sale. This is not to say that you shouldn't pick a buyer you like and feel comfortable with, but that you shouldn't lower a price because of somebody's financial situation or change the terms of the sale out of pity. Do not rush into selling because you're afraid of losing the opportunity. Be patient. If anything is going to get you into trouble, it's going to be impatience.
Generally, though, the other party is going to be equally as paranoid as you are. It's a little bit scary meeting a stranger off the internet for the purpose of exchanging some valuable. In all likelihood you'll both have concerns, so just be a nice person while taking the necessary precautions and you should be just fine.
Got any great tips of your own for avoiding scams online? Let's hear 'em in the comments!
1:53 AM 0
HOW TO: Get the Most Out of Your New Xbox 360 With Kinect
So what should you do first with your Kinect, one of the hottest items of the season? After many extensive hours of research (the vast majority of it jumping around in front of the TV), we have some suggestions for how you can get the most of your new motion control machine.
If you have tips for the new Xbox 360 owners among us (and we’re sure you do), please leave them in the comments so the newbies can get the best experience out of their devices.
Without further ado, here’s our breakdown:
Random Tips to Get You Started
I’m not going to go into detail about getting started with your Xbox 360 with Kinect; I assume the majority of you already have an Xbox 360 or have played with one prior to this purchase. If you haven’t played with one before, bring someone who owns one to help you set it up and explain the cool things it can do.
Instead, I’d like to leave you with a few random tips and pieces of advice when you’re setting up a Kinect-enabled Xbox:
- Xbox Live is well worth a subscription price. It’s how you get the downloadable content and, more importantly, it’s necessary for multi-player. The nice thing about the new Xbox 360 is that it is Wi-Fi enabled; I have to stick an Ethernet cable into my older model to get an Internet () connection.
- Netflix streaming is a must. It changes the entire Xbox 360 experience for the better.
- The Xbox 360 is an entertainment station just as much as it is a gaming console. Link it up with your computers to play the music and movies you have stored. I personally have a 1TB wireless external hard drive where I store most of my movies, TV shows and music. Since both the Xbox 360 and the drive are linked to the same router, I’m able to play that multimedia on my television without any hassle. Definitely set up something similar if you have a digital collection.
- The Xbox 360 comes with iPod support via an optional support update. Download it from the marketplace if you’d like to enhance your TV’s entertainment potential.
- It’s really, really important to have the right space for the Kinect. You need the space not just for the sensors to pick you up, but for your friends to sit on the sidelines to cheer you on. Having couches to the side or well behind the range of the Kinect is ideal. Microsoft recommends having eight feet of space from the sensor to the player for any two-player game, but you can get away with an extra foot if it’s necessary. The key is not to let the space feel cramped.
)New Software Update: ESPN, Last.fm and More
To coincide with the launch of Kinect, the Xbox OS and dashboard have been redesigned. It’s cleaner, it’s faster, it has more features, and oh, it’s the update that adds Kinect support.
It’s not just the fact that you can now use voice commands to navigate some of the menus; it’s also the addition of services like ESPN and Last.fm. ESPN is great for highlights, and the videos are high quality. I’ll admit that I log into my Xbox just to watch some ESPN ever since I cut the cable cord.
One more thing: do try out the Video Kinect app if you have friends who are big Xbox players. Being able to chat with your friends in the living room is a fun experience, though you won’t be using it anywhere near as often as Skype .
The Games You Want to Buy
For all of its features, the Xbox 360 is still a gaming device, and it needs a fresh supply of games to be fun or useful.
Let’s start with the Kinect games. There are about a dozen out on the market, but only a few high-quality ones that really utilize the motion sensing technology in a way that doesn’t feel like pulling teeth out of your own mouth.
These are the Kinect games that will keep a party buzzing:
- Kinect Sports: This is the best activity game of the bunch. Jumping hurdles and having your friends cheer you on is a blast, and games like boxing and volleyball are both stimulating and intensive. It’s a great party game.
- Dance Central: We firmly believe that Dance Central is the best Kinect game out there today. Its visuals are electric, its gameplay is challenging and its entertainment factor is off-the-scale. Just watching your friends try to mimic Lady Gaga’s “Just Dance” is enough to justify getting this game, but it gives you some basic rhythm and move sets that can get you started on the path of dancing. It has a good selection of music as well, though we hope it’ll come with more in future updates. This is the game to buy.
- Kinectimals: While your average gamer will not find Kinectimals of interest, your young daughter will. This is a game to get for the kids.
If you want the true Xbox 360 experience though, you must get Halo: Reach. Halo is the franchise that defines the Xbox, and for good reason. Reach may very well be the best of the franchise.
Kinect in 2011
Developers are still trying to get a feel for the Kinect, so don’t expect anything too groundbreaking in 2011 for the device. With that said, we are definitely looking forward to trying Kinect Star Wars, Forza and Michael Jackson (): The Experience. The Star Wars game especially interests us (if only to relive our lightsaber fantasies), but we have a sinking feeling that this game will get delayed until early 2012.
)Spring 2011 is also the target date for another update to the Xbox 360 dashboard. Beyond adding more Kinect improvements (e.g. multi-language voice commands), it is also the target date for the launch of Hulu Plus on Xbox 360.
Finally, watch out for the release of Gears of War 3, Crysis 2, Dead Space 2 and Portal 2. Yes, all of these games are sequels, but they are all on track to be as good as their predecessors. We’re especially excited for Crysis 2, the long-awaited follow-up to the critically acclaimed 2007 hit of the same name.
7:01 AM 0
How to Get Things Done on an Airplane
Second, there is only certain kind of work you can do on the plane by dint of environmental factors. Short flights aren't worth powering up the laptop – you can't get traction on anything before being asked to power it down. Anything that requires an internet connection is going to be problematic. In my opinion you need a good 90 minutes or more to really get something done. In terms of tasks, flights are good times to clear out email, get caught up on reading, or – my favorite – to get started on a big project that requires some lengthy thinking/writing time. I usually try to stick to one or two tasks max, but normally long and important ones. My reason for this is simple: when I'm in a plane I'm away from the office.
I'm away from all the REAL disruptions that suck down my time. People who moan about the noise on the plane are missing the point. Plane noise is background noise. It's not directed at you, and for that reasons it's a hell of a lot easier to shut out than people turning up at your door or calling you on the phone when you're at your post.
I look forward to my routine two-hour flights and my quarterly transatlantic trips as mini retreats. The last trip I made across the Atlantic (7.5 hours of work time) I completed a long-term strategic plan to add 5 million euro in revenue in 5 years and created a half-day training session on data analysis for our client development teams. It would have taken me two weeks to do each of those things in my office.
And, finally, you need a good battery. I get 8 hours off my Dell extended battery with wifi off, all extensions/gadgets shut down (I have a batch file that gets me into Airplane Mode!), and screen brightness at absolute minimum.
In sum, for me it's all about focus. But then, isn't that what most of life is about.
1:28 AM 0
Give the Gift of No-Fuss Backup and Synchronicity to Your Less Tech-Savvy Loved Ones
Looking for a great last-minute gift? This holiday season, set up your less tech-inclined acquaintances with the gift of synchronized and backed-up data—including their most important files, bookmarks, and passwords (which we'll also help them improve).
Photo by Peter KorschThe gift of synchronicity is free, low-hassle, and it's a gift to yourself in fewer tech support questions. It may not sound like not much of a gift—just installing some stuff, right? But what might seem like second nature to you is going to be astounding to those who are used to clicking "Yes" about four dozen times while setting up their computer, only to find all those "protection" and "safeguard" packages don't do much at all. When you give this gift, the recipient doesn't need to head home at lunch time to retrieve a file, doesn't forget the password to an online store they shopped at years ago, and can always find that spreadsheet with their holiday card addresses.
What You'll Need
Access to the giftee's computer
Not necessarily in-person, though. You can use an app like TeamViewer—an easy-to-use remote desktop app—to install a few apps on that person's system, configure what's needed, and give them occasional support if necessary. You might be able to have the person pre-install the apps themselves, leaving you to step in and do the configuration.Software They Can Install
• Dropbox: It's 2 GB of free space, it keeps previous versions of files, and it's just quietly, constantly working in the background. By default, it works as a kind of "magic folder," into which you can consciously drop files for syncing between systems. But with a little configuration, it can also sync other folders, including the Desktop where so many users stash important stuff that's easily lost, or substitute as the My Documents folder.
• Mozy: Dropbox is great for the immediate stuff—the things people are working on at the moment. For backing up deeper files outside of the "magic folder," Mozy offers another 2 GB of free space that can selectively back up files across an entire computer—Microsoft Office documents, image files, whatever is needed. If 2 GB isn't enough, the unlimited Home plans are fairly cheap for the peace of mind they provide. What's more, Mozy can also work (for free) with an external USB drive to back up their entire hard drive.
• TeamViewer: A VNC client that makes it pretty easy for any computer user to let another person control their system—just share the access code.
If you're fixing up a Windows system, you can grab an all-in-one installer for these first three apps from Ninite—just download this all-in-one installer, which has all three apps ready to roll.
Software You Set Up
• LastPass: This is the any-browser password manager that we're huge fans of at Lifehacker. If you're not quite sure which browser someone uses on their system, you could download the Universal Windows Installer, which installs extensions for Firefox, Chrome, and Internet Explorer. There's a Safari extension for single-platform Mac users, and individual extensions for every browser—be sure to grab the "binary" version whenever possible, as this makes it easier to import passwords.
• Xmarks: This is the any-browser bookmark syncing tool. Versions of Xmarks are available for Internet Explorer on Windows, Safari on Mac, and Firefox and Chrome on both Windows and Mac.
• Optional—Mobile Apps for Dropbox, LastPass, Xmarks: LastPass and Xmarks each require a Premium subscription to use their Android or iOS apps for more than a trial period; you can bundle them together for $20. Dropbox has a free mobile app for iOS, Android, and BlackBerry.
The Setup
Note: To get the full benefit, you may be setting these apps up on both your gift recipient's laptop and desktop; after all, that's what' synchronicity is all about.Dropbox
Install Dropbox as you normally would—let it create a My Dropbox folder in the Documents/My Documents folder. The tricky part comes in lowering the barrier in getting your user's documents into Dropbox on the regular. A few ways to do that, in ascending order of hack-iness:
- Sync Your iTunes Library: With a little help, Dropbox is extremely skilled at syncing your iTunes library across computers. Chances are your loved one will need a paid Dropbox account to enjoy this luxury.
- Add a Start Menu Link: Explained at The How-To Geek's emporium—basically, it's adding the "Recorded TV" to your Start Menu options, then renaming and re-targeting the link.
- Use Dropbox as the My Documents folder: In Windows Vista or 7, right-click on the Documents folder (in a file window or the Start menu), select Properties, then select the Location tab. In that tab, you can add in the location of the Dropbox folder, then click the Move button. It's a similar process in XP.
- Taskbar Link: In Windows 7, you can't actually pin the Dropbox folder to the taskbar—try, and you just end up pinning the general file explorer there, with Dropbox listed in the right-click "jumplist." Use this trick for pinning individual folders, which, in short, involves creating an empty Dropbox.exe file using Notepad, then changing that fake executable file to point to something like
C:\Users\[username]\Documents\My Dropbox. - Automatic Desktop Syncing: It's not quite what we had in mind when we detailed syncing folders outside My Dropbox, but it's what I used with one relative's MacBook. It's a different command for Windows (and might require downloading a separate app, as explained here), but to sync up a MacBook's desktop with Dropbox, I created a folder in the Dropbox folder named, say, Desktop Backup, then ran this command:
That creates a "hard link" between the Deskop and a Dropbox folder, so that everything on the Desktop is instantaneously backed up to Dropbox. Add the Dropbox site to their bookmarks, and add their password to LastPass, and now they've got backup copies, un-delete, and multiple versions of everything they do on the most common file dump. Note: If there's a huge folder or two on the desktop that your giftee just can't seem to get rid of, you can prevent that folder from hogging all the Dropbox space with the new selective sync.ln -s ~/Desktop ~/Dropbox/Desktop Backup
Mozy
LastPass
Make sure you've got the "binary" version of LastPass installed on your browsers, if offered. While setting up LastPass for a new user, the software should ask you to import passwords from that browser's standard password pile. You'll want to install and import passwords from any and all browsers the user may have them stashed inside. If there's another password system in place, LastPass can likely grab from it—press the extension button, choose Tools, then select "Import from ..." You'll arrive at a secure web page with a big list of services to import from, along with detailed instructions.Dig into LastPass a bit, and you'll find tools for auditing and updating weak passwords. You can also dig into our beginner and intermediate guides for tips on creating bookmarklets, one-time passwords, and other extra security features.
One thing you'll want to do is make LastPass less noisy. By default, it notifies the user about everything it does—filling forms, saving passwords, detecting password changes or new passwords being entered, etc. Head to the extension's preferences, choose the Notifications category, and set up notifications akin to what I've entered in the screenshot above: check only "Show notifications," "Show Save Site Notifications," "Show certain notifications only after click," and "Show Change Password Notification Bar." This keeps LastPass from popping up on every page where an empty box exists, and only spins its icon when a new password can be saved. You could keep the "Save Site Notification Bar" in place if you'd like, to make LastPass more apparent to a new user.
Xmarks
This one's fairly straightforward. Once Xmarks is installed and the browser is restarted, you should see a pop-out window asking you to set it up. Do so, and import the bookmarks from each browser that your giftee regularly uses. Don't bother asking Xmarks to sync passwords—that's what we've got LastPass for.TeamViewer
During setup, you can run TeamViewer as just a one-time app for this setup, which is fairly convenient, but you can also set it up so the recipients' computer is accessible from anywhere, with the proper password. You'll have to decide whether you want to keep regular remote support as an option. If you're creating a permanent option to connect, you'll also have to create a TeamViewer account and confirm it in an email.
Generally, though, you can have your recipient simply launch TeamViewer and share their user ID and password with you—over phone, email, IM, SMS, what have you. It's then easy to connect and configure, fix, and update.
Add Helpful Bookmarks
All this setup is very handy, but only if the person being helped knows how to get at the files, bookmarks, and passwords when they're at their computer or anywhere else in the world. They all tie in together, luckily.Set up these links on a browser's main bookmarks bar, or in a folder named something like "Handy Backup Links." Because you're syncing bookmarks with Xmarks, you only have to set up on one browser.
- My Bookmarks on Xmarks
- My Passwords on LastPass
- My Dropbox (you can also link directly to their Desktop/My Documents backup, if you've set that up)
2:53 AM 0
How to Write Down and Encrypt Your Passwords with an Old-School Tabula Recta
ohn Graham-Cumming, an Oxford-trained computer programmer and mathematician with a doctorate in computer security, shares why he prefers writing his passwords down, and how he uses an old-school cipher technique to keep his wallet-friendly passwords secure.
Image by Rex Roof
The following is republished with permission from John Graham-Cumming.
Here's my advice on password security based on the collected opinions of others:1. Write them down and keep them in your wallet because you are good at securing your wallet. (ref)
2. Use different passwords on every web site because if you don't one site hacked = all your accounts hacked. (ref)
3. Use passwords of at least 12 characters. (ref)
4. Use mixed-case, numbers and special characters. (ref)
Research says you need 80-bits of entropy in your password so it needs to be long, chosen from a wide range of characters and chosen randomly. My scheme gives me 104 bits of entropy.
I use that sheet as follows. If I'm logging into Amazon I'll find the intersection of column M and row A (the second and third letters of Amazon) and then read off diagonally 16 characters. That would be my Amazon password (in this case, TZ'k}T'p39m-Y>4d); when I hit the edge of the paper I just follow the edge).
The security of this system rests on the randomness of the generated characters and the piece of paper.
PS Yes, it's a total pain to use long, random, different passwords.
PPS If it's not obvious to people you can add a second factor to this (something only you know) in the form of the algorithm for picking the password from the sheet. For example, instead of using the second and third characters from the site name you could pick any combination. And you could change the letters as well (e.g. for Amazon you could use the last two letters moved on one place in the alphabet; you'd have PO as the key). Also you don't have to read diagonally but could use any scheme that works for you (e.g. a spiral pattern, read vertically, read characters at offsets from the start based on the Fibonacci sequence, etc.).
2:38 AM 0
How I’d Hack Your Weak Passwords
Photo remixed from subcircle.
Note: This isn't intended as a guide to hacking *other people's* weak passwords. Instead, the aim is to help you better understand the security of your own passwords and how to bolster that security. We originally published this piece back in March, but in light of our recent security breach, it seemed more applicable than ever.
If you invited me to try and crack your password, you know the one that you use over and over for like every web page you visit, how many guesses would it take before I got it?
Let's see… here is my top 10 list. I can obtain most of this information much easier than you think, then I might just be able to get into your e-mail, computer, or online banking. After all, if I get into one I'll probably get into all of them.
- Your partner, child, or pet's name, possibly followed by a 0 or 1 (because they're always making you use a number, aren't they?)
- The last 4 digits of your social security number.
- 123 or 1234 or 123456.
- "password"
- Your city, or college, football team name.
- Date of birth – yours, your partner's or your child's.
- "god"
- "letmein"
- "money"
- "love"
Hackers, and I'm not talking about the ethical kind, have developed a whole range of tools to get at your personal data. And the main impediment standing between your information remaining safe, or leaking out, is the password you choose. (Ironically, the best protection people have is usually the one they take least seriously.)
One of the simplest ways to gain access to your information is through the use of a Brute Force Attack. This is accomplished when a hacker uses a specially written piece of software to attempt to log into a site using your credentials. Insecure.org has a list of the Top 10 FREE Password Crackers right here.
So, how would one use this process to actually breach your personal security? Simple. Follow my logic:
- You probably use the same password for lots of stuff right?
- Some sites you access such as your Bank or work VPN probably have pretty decent security, so I'm not going to attack them.
- However, other sites like the Hallmark e-mail greeting cards site, an online forum you frequent, or an e-commerce site you've shopped at might not be as well prepared. So those are the ones I'd work on.
- So, all we have to do now is unleash Brutus, wwwhack, or THC Hydra on their server with instructions to try say 10,000 (or 100,000 – whatever makes you happy) different usernames and passwords as fast as possible.
- Once we've got several login+password pairings we can then go back and test them on targeted sites.
- But wait… How do I know which bank you use and what your login ID is for the sites you frequent? All those cookies are simply stored, unencrypted and nicely named, in your Web browser's cache. (Read this post to remedy that problem.)
Assuming the hacker has a reasonably fast connection and PC here is an estimate of the amount of time it would take to generate every possible combination of passwords for a given number of characters. After generating the list it's just a matter of time before the computer runs through all the possibilities – or gets shut down trying.
Pay particular attention to the difference between using only lowercase characters and using all possible characters (uppercase, lowercase, and special characters – like @#$%^&*). Adding just one capital letter and one asterisk would change the processing time for an 8 character password from 2.4 days to 2.1 centuries.
Now, I could go on for hours and hours more about all sorts of ways to compromise your security and generally make your life miserable – but 95% of those methods begin with compromising your weak password. So, why not just protect yourself from the start and sleep better at night?
Believe me, I understand the need to choose passwords that are memorable. But if you're going to do that how about using something that no one is ever going to guess AND doesn't contain any common word or phrase in it.
Here are some password tips:
- Randomly substitute numbers for letters that look similar. The letter ‘o' becomes the number ‘0′, or even better an ‘@' or ‘*'. (i.e. – m0d3ltf0rd… like modelTford)
- Randomly throw in capital letters (i.e. – Mod3lTF0rd)
- Think of something you were attached to when you were younger, but DON'T CHOOSE A PERSON'S NAME! Every name plus every word in the dictionary will fail under a simple brute force attack.
- Maybe a place you loved, or a specific car, an attraction from a vacation, or a favorite restaurant?
- You really need to have different username / password combinations for everything. Remember, the technique is to break into anything you access just to figure out your standard password, then compromise everything else. This doesn't work if you don't use the same password everywhere.
- Since it can be difficult to remember a ton of passwords, I recommend using Roboform for Windows users. It will store all of your passwords in an encrypted format and allow you to use just one master password to access all of them. It will also automatically fill in forms on Web pages, and you can even get versions that allow you to take your password list with you on your PDA, phone or a USB key. If you'd like to download it without having to navigate their web site here is the direct download link. (Ed. note: Lifehacker readers love the free, open-source KeePass for this duty, while others swear by the cross-platform, browser-based LastPass.)
- Mac users can use 1Password. It is essentially the same thing as Roboform, except for Mac, and they even have an iPhone application so you can take them with you too.
- Once you've thought of a password, try Microsoft's password strength tester to find out how secure it is.
Another thing to keep in mind is that some of the passwords you think matter least actually matter most. For example, some people think that the password to their e-mail box isn't important because "I don't get anything sensitive there." Well, that e-mail box is probably connected to your online banking account. If I can compromise it then I can log into the Bank's Web site and tell it I've forgotten my password to have it e-mailed to me. Now, what were you saying about it not being important?
Often times people also reason that all of their passwords and logins are stored on their computer at home, which is safe behind a router or firewall device. Of course, they've never bothered to change the default password on that device, so someone could drive up and park near the house, use a laptop to breach the wireless network and then try passwords from this list until they gain control of your network — after which time they will own you!
Now I realize that every day we encounter people who over-exaggerate points in order to move us to action, but trust me this is not one of those times. There are 50 other ways you can be compromised and punished for using weak passwords that I haven't even mentioned.
I also realize that most people just don't care about all this until it's too late and they've learned a very hard lesson. But why don't you do me, and yourself, a favor and take a little action to strengthen your passwords and let me know that all the time I spent on this article wasn't completely in vain.
Please, be safe. It's a jungle out there.
4:47 PM 0
How To Watch Streaming Video Anywhere in the World
Getting Started
Watching geographically restricted content can be tricky. Streaming services like Hulu and Netflix (as well as other network sites) employ geotracking software to make sure nobody outside of the US can dip in to watch The Office or Exit Through the Gift Shop. And it's not just Americans who have this problem: Foreigners traveling to the US can't watch their obscure racing leagues and alternative ball sports. It's lame, really. But don't fret. There are fairly quick ways to get around these pesky barriers—namely, by using either a proxy or VPN service. Both of these options reroute your computer's network connection and change your IP address to make it look like it's coming from somewhere else—like, say, the US. They work in slightly different ways.Think of the proxy server as a kind of browser-based filter. In simple terms, it sends your traffic through another IP address that is located somewhere else. Then, when you fire up Firefox, Internet Explorer, or Chrome, web pages are routed to you via the proxy server with whatever benefits are associated with it—security, speed, geographic location etc. VPN ( which stands for Virtual Private Network), on the other hand, actually encrypts and reroutes all of your Internet access, effectively replacing your local ISP. We'll go over both options for the expat or jetsetter jonsin' for his home-cooked entertainment.
The Proxy Method
Netflix, Hulu, and sites like ABC.com look at your IP address to determine where in the world you're browsing from. But fooling them isn't all that hard. If you want a quick and easy way to bypass these annoying roadblocks, you can sign up for a proxy service like IP Hider. There's a free trial version of the software you can try, although it's PC-only. If you use Firefox, it'll provide an easy way to change your settings so that once you have IP Hider up and running, you can appear to be anywhere on the connected planet.THE PROXY METHOD
What it is: Software that redirects your Internet traffic through anonymous servers.
What you'll need: A PC, an internet connection, and strong yearning to watch geographically-restricted content.
What it costs: Nothing! All you need is the trial version of IP Hider and you're ready to rock.
What it is: Software that redirects your Internet traffic through anonymous servers.
What you'll need: A PC, an internet connection, and strong yearning to watch geographically-restricted content.
What it costs: Nothing! All you need is the trial version of IP Hider and you're ready to rock.
Here's how to do it:
• Download the free trial of IP Hider; install it on your PC.
• Click on the country you want to change your IP address to (might we suggest the United States?). Click the 'Check IP button. '
• If it doesn't work (or the connection is super slow), click the 'choose next' box to switch a (hopefully) a faster proxy connection.
• Browse the ole WWW and watch videos as you normally would.
The VPN Method
Going with a VPN service is another way to access your favorite content back home. It's also the most general-purpose way to view video content that has been restricted online. For one thing, proxies that support video must be custom coded to support each site so, for the most part, only the biggest sites will work. Unlike a proxy, a VPN will grant you a secured connection for all the programs you use, whether it's ICQ, email, or anything else. The only downside is that you usually have to pay for it if you want any kind of decent speed.THE VPN METHOD
What it is: Essentially, a second ISP. Like a proxy, you get a new IP address to show the world.
What you'll need: Again, an Internet-connected computer is your ticket.
What it costs: Free versions limit you to crappy bandwidth. A good, publicly accessible VPN will cost around $10/month.
Here's how to do it:
What it is: Essentially, a second ISP. Like a proxy, you get a new IP address to show the world.
What you'll need: Again, an Internet-connected computer is your ticket.
What it costs: Free versions limit you to crappy bandwidth. A good, publicly accessible VPN will cost around $10/month.
• First, choose a reliable (and well-established) VPN service. We like StrongVPN or HideMyAss Pro. The former offers accounts from $7/month, while the latter will cost you $11.50/month. You'll get better deals if you opt for longer time periods. Both are Mac, PC and Linux compatible.
• Choose your time length and sign up for service.
• On a Mac, open up your System Preferences. Click on Network.
• Click the ‘+' button to add a VPN (PPTP) connection.
• Enter the server, username and password you received in your greeting email
• Click ‘Connect' button and then ‘Apply.'
• Almost done. Next, go to Network Preferences and click the advanced button. Select Session Options and check the "Send all traffic over VPN connection" checkbox.
• You can check the speed of the VPN servers here.
A quick note: Just because we showed you how to do this, doesn't mean we endorse it. Please consider this guide a useful thought exercise—and nothing more.
2:22 AM 0
How to Use Gmail as Your Central, Universal Communications Hub
Not only are our communications spread over multiple inboxes, but a lot of times, it's hard to refer back to those inboxes later. You have to know where you received a message, then go searching in the right place. What's more, the longer you let SMS messages build up, the slower your phone becomes; the more voicemails you leave in your inbox, the more difficult it becomes to sift through them from your phone. Luckily, just like you archive old emails in Gmail, you can archive your text messages, voicemail, and other communications in Gmail, so every communication you have is stored in one central location for easy access later.
This method relies heavily on Gmail and Google Voice (which is thankfully available for iOS now), so if you don't have an account already, go ahead and set one up. We'll mainly be using Voice to forward SMS messages and voicemails to Gmail. Coupled with a few other hidden Gmail features, we'll set up Gmail as a universal communication hub from which you can send, receive, and organize all your email, text messages, and voicemail, and set it up so you can view them all on one page. By the end of this guide, you'll have set up your Gmail inbox to look something like this (click to enlarge):
Setting Up the Services
First, we'll have to set up Gmail and Google Voice to send all of our messages to our Gmail inbox, and set them up with labels so we can organize them. You'll want a Google Voice account with your own number from which you send and receive calls to get the most out of this, so if you haven't done so yet, you'll want to set that up now. Then tweak the following settings to get everything forwarded to Gmail.SMS Messages
SMS Messages are one of the biggest text-based forms of communication that most of us don't carry out regularly on our computer—unlike emails, IMs, Twitter or Facebook messages, and so on. That means they'll take the most work to migrate into your Gmail, depending on the services you use.If you Use Google Voice
If you use Google Voice for all your SMS messaging, you're in luck, because it's just a matter of checking a few boxes. Just head into the Voicemail & Text section of your Google Voice Settings. Under Text Forwarding, check the box that says "Forward text messages to my email". Now, whenever someone sends an SMS message to your Google Voice number, you'll get it as an email in Gmail.
Alone, this is awesome, since you can reply to text messages right from your email. That means if you're at your computer, you no longer need to resort to typing on your phone's tiny keyboard to send text messages to your friends. Note that you can't initiate messages to new numbers through your email this way, but you could always head to the Google Voice webapp on the rare occasions you may need to do that.
Next, we'll want to automatically apply a label to incoming SMS messages, which we'll use later to create our unified inbox. Just head into Gmail's settings and create a new filter for messages matching From: txt.voice.google.com. You can also have them skip the inbox and get marked as read, if you're still using a more traditional SMS method (like the Google Voice app on your iOS or Android phone).
If you Don't Use Google Voice
If you're on an Android phone and you haven't yet switched over to Google Voice for all your SMS communications, a wonderful app called SMS Backup+ will automatically back up all your SMS messages to Gmail. Just head into the Market, download the (free) app, and open up the settings. We've gone through the nuances of this application before, so I won't get into it here, but it's a nice alternative if you aren't using Voice as your main number yet.
If you use this app, you can't send and receive SMS messages from your email directly like you can with Google Voice. However, you can still send them from Gmail's web interface by enabling a lab called "Text Messaging (SMS) in Chat" that will let you send SMS messages from Chat in Gmail. It sends them from a number your friends won't recognize, though it'll show your email address at the end, and their replies will show up in Chat for you.
Voicemail
We're going to use Google Voice to forward our voicemails to Gmail. Just head to the Voicemail & Text section of your Google Voice Settings and, under Voicemail Notifications, check the box next to "Email the message to" and add your Gmail address to the dropdown. To automatically add a labe, you'll need to create a new filter in Gmail matchingFrom: voice-noreply@google.com and Subject: voicemail. Gmail reserves the "Voicemail" label for a Google Talk feature, so you'll have to use something else (I just use "Voice Mails"). It doesn't matter what it is, because when we create our unified inbox later, we'll have the chance to give the voicemail pane whatever header we want.
Phone Calls
Chats and Instant Messages
Gmail already has a great built-in feature that will log your Google Talk and AIM instant messages for you. Just head into the Chat section of Gmail's Settings and select "Save Chat History". Now, any Google Talk conversations you have (whether through the Gmail web interface or through an external client like Pidgin or Adium) will be saved in the "Chats" section of Gmail. If you're signed into AIM, it will also log those chats for you, as long as you are using the Gmail web interface to chat.
Facebook, Twitter, and Everything Else
Those are all the more complicated setups. Many other services, like Facebook and Twitter, have built-in forwarding tools so you can throw all those into your Gmail too if you want. For example, to forward Facebook Wall Posts, Messages, or anything else to your Gmail, just head to the Notifications tab of Facebook's Account Settings and check the boxes for everything you want archived in your email. If you want direct messages from Twitter forwarded to your email, you can do so from Twitter's settings: just go to the Notices tab and check "Email when I receive a new direct message". You can see the pattern here—anything that allows you to forward messages to your email can also fall into your "one unified inbox" with a few checkboxes (and Gmail filters, as described above).
Setting Up the Unified Inbox
To put it all together, we're going to use Gmail's awesome Multiple Inboxes feature, available in Gmail Labs. After enabling it, you'll still see your main email inbox in the Mail view, but with extra panes that we're going to use to show our SMS messages, voicemail, and chats (and whatever else you'd like).
label:sms-messages as the search query, "SMS Messages" for the panel title. Of course, replace the label with whatever label you used for SMS messages. Do the same thing for the voicemail pane, and if you'd like a chat pane too, you can use the search query is:chat. I like to put my panels on the right side of the inbox, but you can also put them at the top or bottom of the Mail view—whichever works best for you.Now, your Gmail inbox is far more than just email. You can send and receive SMS messages, listen to voicemails, make and record calls, and chat all right from the Gmail web interface. Furthermore, you can see and quickly access all your old SMS messages, voicemails and chats right from your main mail view, so you don't need to worry about deleting them from your phone. Of course, this setup is only limited to your imagination, since nearly every web service allows you to forward notifications to your email, so if you think of other services you'd add to your Gmail hub, tell us about them in the comments.
12:53 PM 0
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