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September 30, 2007

VIDEO: Jet-Turbine Powered MiG-29 Model Takes Flight

by @ 9:15 am. Edit This Filed under Radio controlled model aircraft


1/5 Scaled Mig 29 - First Flight - Click here for more amazing videos

1/5th Scale model jet sounds incredible!

September 23, 2007

KeePass Password storage/generator utility

by @ 8:33 pm. Edit This Filed under Computer Security, Utilities, Hiddenpcmaster's Top Utilities

I have finally decided to take charge of my passwords . Or I might even say, my complete lack of using strong passwords has finally come to an end. I have completed my research on the KeePass Password Safe. No, I haven’t been burned by a malicious hacker out there, but I’m taking the time to make certain it won’t be as easy as it could of been for them.

How many of you use 1 or 2 passwords for all? How often do you change passwords? How difficult is it for someone to remember your password? If you were like me, you had only a couple of weak passwords for all, never changed them, and had passwords with only 4-8 characters making it easy to remember, This is for you!

I have had enough and have made the decision to protect myself from mischiefous forum admins, backroom database administrators, and anyone else who decides to look over my shoulder, or pull my password from a database of info we hear about so frequently on the evening news.

We encounter LOG-IN screens all the time. Such as Bank accounts, Credit card accounts, Forums, Paypal, Ebay, Blogs, Yahoo, Gmail, Google, Outlook express, Outlook, AOL Instant Messenger, Windows Log in screens, Pandora, Web hosting vendors, ftp servers, shopping sites etc. Not to mention work VPN’s (virtual private networks), email, MS Exchange servers, Windows 2003 servers, database servers etc.

Opensource (FREE!) KeePass handles them all.

What is KeePass?

KeePass is a free/open-source password manager or “safe” which helps you to manage your passwords in a secure way. You can put all your passwords in one database, which is locked with one master key or a key-disk. So you only have to remember one single “master password” or insert the key-disk to unlock the whole database. The databases are encrypted using the best and most secure encryption algorithms currently known (AES and Twofish).

With most of todays computers having a readily accessible USB port, KeePass is perfectly suited for an inexpensive flash drive due to it’s small size. I plan on using this method of password management for the foreseeable future as I have a very strong master password to protect myself from anyone stumbling across my encrypted password safe should I loose it. This way I won’t leave a trail of passwords on any computer I use.

Information URL: http://keepass.info
YouTube Demo: http://youtube.com/keepass
Googlevideo Demo : http://www.googlevideo.com/keepass
Download URL : http://keepass.info/download.html I use the portable version which is the smallest sized and will not add desktop shortcuts on my pc and I can just unzip onto my flash drive.

This utility has been approved worthy by the Hiddenpcmaster Top Utility section

Is Your Computer Connecting To Websites Without Your Knowledge

by @ 9:25 am. Edit This Filed under Computer Security, Utilities

If you are worried that some programs on your PC are secretly making connections (”phone home”) to websites in the background, here’s a quick tip that uses a simple DOS command to detect and prevent such suspicious activity:

1. Type cmd in your Windows Run box.

2. Type “netstat -b 5 > hidden.txt” and press enter. After say 2 minutes, press Ctrl+C.

3. Type “activity.txt” on the command line to open the log file in notepad (or your default text editor)

The file hidden.txt will have a log of all process that made a connection to the Internet in the last two minutes. It will also show which process connected to which website in this time. And not just the web browsers (like iexplore.exe or opera.exe), the log will also show your IM clients, download managers, email programs or any software that requires a net connection.

Scroll though the hidden.txt file and look for any process names or website addresses that you are not aware of. If you track one , go to the task manager (or Process Explorer) to find the location of the executable on your computer and eliminate it.

September 16, 2007

How to troubleshoot wireless network connections in Windows XP Service Pack 2

by @ 10:14 am. Edit This Filed under Utilities, Computer Repair

If you are having any kind of “Wireless” network issues between your router and your wireless device using windows XP, Follow the steps outlined in this article.

September 11, 2007

Ground Zero Mega Cam

by @ 12:01 am. Edit This Filed under Uncategorized, Anniversarys

Ground Zero Megapixel - detailed close-up and high-resolution webcam.

September 9, 2007

My Current Desktop…

by @ 10:06 am. Edit This Filed under Utilities, Hiddenpcmaster's Top Utilities

As you can see, my desktop is quite simple but it’s the simplicity that makes it work for me. Afer all, the desktop isn’t something you’ll sit down to stare at for any extended period of time, and the few times I do look at it I like to find just the things I’m looking for and nothing else. Having a bunch of colorful icons all over the place is just counterproductive if you ask me. When I need to launch applications, I just bring up my launcher of choice, ObjectDock, located at the bottom of my desktop …

ObjectDock™ is a program that enables users to organize their shortcuts, programs and running tasks into an attractive and fun animated Dock. By allowing users to have more control over how they organize their desktop, users can take control of their desktop icons and shortcuts to have them be available when where and how they need them. This, all with the unique style and top-rate performance that ObjectDock is known to deliver!

In constant development, ObjectDock and ObjectDock Plus are enhanced often to provide the most unique features of any stylized shortcut organizer / launcher available.

Besides the Geeky “Apple like, Eye Candy”effects for windows, you get a fully functional and productive quality piece of software for FREE!!!!! Try it out and let me know what you think.

Hiddenpcmaster

Worlds Largest Model RC Plane

by @ 6:02 am. Edit This Filed under Radio controlled model aircraft


Worlds Largest Model RC Plane - Watch the best video clips here

September 8, 2007

If anyone has experienced the displeasure of T-mobile cell phone service in the NY/Long Island area, here is something to help make it just a bit less displeasurable.

by @ 9:04 am. Edit This Filed under Work

T-Mobile Tips & Tricks

Voicemail

Voicemail is included with your service. Voicemail will take messages for you when you are unable to take calls.

The following are key presses that control what your voicemail will do:

* 1 Rewinds 6 seconds. Press 11 to rewind to the beginning
* 2 Pause
* 3 Fast forward 6 seconds. Press 33 fast forward to the end
* 4 Slow down
* 66 Speed up. Press 6 for normal speed
* 7 Delete message
* 9 Save message
* * Interrupt outgoing message to enter passcode when accessing voicemail from an external phone or if you have your phone set to require password when accessing it from the handset
* # skip message

Change the length of time before your voicemail picks up:

Your voicemail can be configured so that it will pick up from 5 seconds to 30 seconds. To change the length of time for the voicemail service to pick up the line enter the following:

***61*+18056377243**30# This will configure your voicemail to answer after 30 seconds of ringing. If you wish your voicemail to answer in a shorter time change the final value from 30 to another number as little as 5.

Security

Command string Description Change call barring code **03*OldCode*NewCode*NewCode#©

Change call barring code **03*OldCode*NewCode*NewCode#©

Change PIN code **04*OldPIN*NewPIN*NewPIN#©

Change PIN2 code **042*OldPIN2*NewPIN2*NewPIN2#©

Unlock PIN code (PUK) (when PIN is entered wrong 3 times) **05*PUK*NewPIN*NewPIN#©

Unlock PIN2 code (PUK2)**052*PUK2*NewPIN2*NewPIN2#©

Activate PIN code (works on some Sony models) *09*PIN#©

Deactivate PIN code (works on some Sony models) #09*PIN#©

Display IMEI *#06#©

Default T-Mobile SIM PIN’s: PIN1= 1234 PIN2= 5678

Forwarding/Diverting

I tried the ‘activate’ codes below on my T-Mobile phone and they did not work. However, when I used a slight variation, they did work. I’ll give just one example: Unconditional Call Forwarding - To activate, I used **21*number# - and not **21number#. The ‘*’ after 21 was required for me. I suspect all those ** codes may require this.

Command string Description

De-register all call diversions ##002#©

Set all configured call diversions to number and activate **004*number#©

De-register all configured call diversions (no answer , not reachable, busy)##004#©

Unconditionally divert all calls **21number#©

Activate Unconditionally divert all calls to number and activate **21number#©

Activate unconditionally divert all calls *21#©

De-register unconditionally divert all calls ##21#©

Deactivate unconditionally divert all calls #21#©

Check status of unconditionally divert all call *#21#©

Divert on no answer to number and activate **61*number#©

Activate divert on no answer *61#©

Divert on not reachable to number and activate **62*number#©

Activate divert on not reachable *62#©

De-register divert on not reachable ##62#©

Deactivate divert on not reachable #62#©

Check status of divert on not reachable *#62#©

Divert on busy to number and activate /td> **67*number#©

Activate divert on busy *67#©

De-register divert on busy ##67#©

Deactivate divert on busy #67#©

Check status of divert on busy *#67#©

Change number of seconds of ringing for the given service before diverting a call (such as on no answer). Seconds must be a value from 5 to 30. De-registering the same divert will also delete this change!**service*number**seconds#© (Service numbers, see below)

Call Waiting

Activate call waiting *43*#©

Deactivate call waiting #43##©

Check status of call waiting *#43#©

Here is the link to the complete Howard Forum Wiki for T-mobile

September 7, 2007

Adding Calendar functionality to Mozilla Thunderbird

by @ 7:56 pm. Edit This Filed under Open Source Software (FREE!)

In the continuing quest to detach myself from Microsoft reliance, I’ve deployed Thunderbird as a replacement for Outlook across all of my workstations. I’ve found that when people switch from Microsoft Outlook to Mozilla Thunderbird they often miss having the calendar/task features. Fortunately, you can add Calendar and Task functionality to Thunderbird with the Lightning add-on.

* Go to the Lightning download page

* Right click on the download link and Save As… (If you don’t, Firefox might try to install the add-on itself.)

* Open up Thunderbird and click on Tools > Add-ons

* Install the Lightning file you just downloaded

* Once you’re done, restart Thunderbird, and start using your new Calendar feature!

* If you need Holiday calendars, you can get them here

How to add Hibernate as a 4th option in XP’s Shut-Down Menu

by @ 7:29 pm. Edit This Filed under Utilities

WARNING! NOT FOR THE COMPUTER ILLITERATE! WARNING!

You might have seen it before on someone else’s laptop, and wondered how you can get the hibernation button displayed. Why doesn’t it show up by default on your shutdown screen??

Don’t have hibernation envy!

I’m referring to seeing 4 options to choose from on your Shut Down menu of Windows XP. After this hack the Hibernate option will stay there without the need to press the Shift key any more.

Let’s get started:

The first thing to do is get a hold of Microsoft’s hotfix KB893056. MS wants you to call its customer support to get it, but instead- you can use this web-form to request it immediately.

After we’ve installed the hotfix, we need to make some small registry changes. Get it here

For those of you working in a Workgroup environment and using the friendly “Welcome Screen” you need to run the Reg-file called: “1 AddToShutdown”. If you use the classic logon screen you can also run the 2nd Reg-file to set Hibernate as the default action in the menu.

When you’re finished just restart the machine and check it out!

Needless to says that you must have the Hibernate feature on in your Control Panel’s Power Options. or else nothing would appear, obviously.

Enjoy :-) Hiddenpcmaster

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