"!" A Dim View of Google's LED Light Bulb

Since being announced in May 2011, neither Google nor Lighting Science Group (LSG) have made mention of the Android@Home light bulb.  It's not clear what the holdup is, but it could easily be another case of Google pushing a product out before it's ready.

I sent a message to the LSG asking for comment or an update.  We'll see if we get a reply.

"Quality Associates" Indeed

A small note tonight...

I was reading this article in the NYTimes today about how some contractor for the FDA fucked up and posted 80,000 pages of silent monitoring online.  Unfortunately for the FDA, a significant part of that surveillance may be illegal.  Worse, they don't even have "good faith" to back them up as they fired the employees monitored after giving them permission to use the monitored equipment for personal purposes.

There are lots of implications in this case, but here's where I find things get fun.  The NYTimes was oddly specific about how they found the documents.  My first Google search landed me some results.  :)

Search: Julian Nicholas m.d. fda
Page 2 of Google yields fruit:

That link looks juicy... A consulting firm with an FTP site that's indexed Excel files (generally you do NOT want these indexed).
Let's take a bite.

Shit.  Requires a username and password.  Well, the Times did say it was "taken down."  As always though, check Google!  The cache, that is; if it's showing in results it means Google has or had access.  This is my favorite way of passing paywalls on content BTW.
Click the "View as HTML" link from Google and...

Bingo!
See those file names?  Cruzer is a brand of portable flash drive, or USB thumb drive.  These were files Dr. Julian Nicholas likely had on a personal flash drive that he plugged into his work computer at some point.

Better than that, there are more to be found.  Adding "site:qualityassociatesinc.com" limits our Google results to those from the qualityassociatesinc.com domain.  Google shows 18 results for "Julian Nicholas m.d. fda site:qualityassociatesinc.com."

I can't wait until someone comes out of the woodwork with these documents.  I plan on having a feast.

The FDA.  Quality associates indeed.

A Real Error

So it looks like I found a real error in Windows 7.

The issue is this:  That config file is in the Program Files folder so modifying it requires administrative privileges. Simple enough (although Notepad++'s error wasn't so useful...).  I zip over to the Notepad++ executable, right click, go to properties, the compatibility tab, and tell it to "Run with Administrative privileges."  Really not complicated unless you're an end user.  Click OK and save the settings.  Zip back over to my .ovpn file, right click, and use the context menu "Edit with Notepad++" selection to open the file and this pops up.

Maybe it's the way Notepad++ adds itself to the context menu, IDK, but this seems like a really old-school error.  And the first such one I've found in Win7.  Just thought I'd give everyone a heads up.  :)

Sideways and slantways and longways and backways and squareways and frontways and any other ways that you can think of.

So this is hilarious.  I've updated a DNS entry on Afraid.org to point at a new server I've rented.  So I'm waiting for the address to propogate.  It's like watching the pot waiting for the water to boil (assuming you don't have an inductive stovetop).  Plus I'm extremely impatient when it comes to this kind of stuff.  Anyway...

I update the record.  Great!  Now let's go see if it's updated.  "ping foo.bar.com" I write.  It resolves.  To the old address.  That's fine, I'll check my email.  Nothing new.  "ping foo.bar.com."  Nada.  OK, I'm bored already, let's check with a tool online.  Using an online ping tool, I hit foo.bar.com at its new address.  Yay!  :)  "ping foo.bar.com"  WTF.  Still on the old address.  Well now this is silly.  Check my DNS servers and they're set to Google.  "ping google.com" Hmm, pings are really high for a DNS server (around 150ms) but just to be sure... "ping 8.8.8.8" (Google's public DNS address).  Still around 130ms.  Alright, I'll just be clever.  I like the reliability of Google's DNS but also the speed of the local DNS.  I'm used to being in the USA where latency is low enough no matter where you are.  Let's go see...

These are my current settings and guess what?

This is how I got them :)

Yota, my WiMAX provider, cheap as they are, decided to point EVERYONE'S DNS at Google.  Which would be fine!... If everyone were located in the US close to Google's servers.  :/  Basically this means that Yota doesn't have to pay for purchasing or operating a single DNS server in the entire country.  Which is pretty impressive really.  I just wish Google would catch on and co-locate a DNS server here at an exchange or something.

Anyway I just thought it was funny.  In the US, I'm used to always having to configure my router and/or clients to point at Google's DNS (it's more reliable AND returns legitimate "record not found" entries).  Here, with Yota, I have to change it to something more local.  It's hilarious.

Quick notes on travel

On January 5, 2012 I'll be on a flight to Managua, Nicaragua.  I've learned a lot along the way.  This post will reflect the small bits of knowledge I've picked up along the way.

First, check the State Dept. site for the entry requirements for the country you're visiting.  Delta checks your paperwork at check-in and if you're missing anything needed for entry, they'll refuse to let you board the flight.

If possible, find a good website dedicated to the country you're visiting as well (for Nicaragua, that's definitely NicaLiving.com).

ALWAYS do your research.  Even after about a month of research, I learned this morning (even AFTER purchasing my ticket!) that Managua will only accept ONE checked bag because of my arrival date during a tourist season.  Only found out because I read the full and very detailed Delta Contract of Carriage ( http://www.delta.com/legal/contract_of_carriage/index.jsp ).  I don't believe I actually saw that directly linked from ANYWHERE during my ticket purchase.  I'm going to ask at the desk if I can check both bags... this ought to be interesting :)

Also, you CAN take an uninterruptible power supply (UPS) on flights with you depending on your airline.  Or should be able to.  Most modern UPS's use (and are clearly labelled) "SEALED, NON-SPILLABLE BATTERY."  Including my APC's lead-acid battery.  :)  Called some Hazmat hotline I found in a travel doc and the guy pointed me to this document.  Hopefully you'll be able to find it if the link dies.  It's called "Shipping batteries safely by air" and it's important to remember that the UPS makers don't want to have to spend extra worrying about whether their shipment method follows all the necessary regulations, etc.  So for me at least, it'll work as long I'm under the 50 lb. checked luggage weight limit!  :P

For Nicaragua, you should have at least USD$50 in cash on you and proof that you can support yourself during your stay... I don't know what that means so I'm just going to bring printed bank statements and hope that's enough.  Certainly I'll be posting on here again if it's not!  The USD$50 is for your visa, "tourist card," and the guy to help you through customs.  At least in Managua, they can be a real pain.

Be sure your baggage is tough.  I can't tell you how many stories I've read about people with crappy baggage that fell apart after a couple trips abroad.  My bag is a Zuca Pro.  Lifetime warranty, can be used as a seat (good for check-in and security lines at some airports), metal frame, great wheels, really tough, fits in overhead bins, and it's $65 cheaper in pink!

I'll add pictures later but hopefully this helps someone out!  Please feel free to leave a comment or email me if you have a question.

A brief overview of technology rebate experiences

So recently I built two very similar PC's for my own personal research.  As part of the cost savings process, I bought multiple components with mail-in rebates (MiR's).  This is a record of my experience.

Let's start with the good.  My first check already came in from XFX.  Yay!

My order for this part was placed September 4, 2011 and the check is dated October 7.  If I recall correctly it couldn't have arrived later than the 15th.   That means a maximum gap of just 6 weeks between these dates and I'm slow to mail this stuff!  Please also note that XFX mails actual checks and not just those shitty prepaid cards from AmEx.  They also don't hold your check hostage like a certain other company I'm about to mention...

OCZ offers their customers 6-8 week shipping for their AmEx cards... OR customers could just forfeit $2-3 of the value and receive it in 5-8 business days!  :)  Yeah.  Right.

Notice something?  Yes, I might have taken a week to get my documentation mailed.  That's not what I meant!  There's a 3 week and 5 day gap between OCZ receiving my documentation and going into "Reward Card processing."  The funny part?  XFX and OCZ's rebates use the same URL.  Hmmm...  I'd like to know whether OCZ pays for these added "features" or if XFX pays for speedy processing.

Of course since OCZ also owns PC Power & Cooling the rebates are just as wonderful a process:

Gee, thanks for continuing to hold onto my cash for me OCZ!  UPDATE:  And just like that, I received my first OCZ rebate the very next day after posting this.

Then there's Corsair... Yep, I was REALLY getting around with those rebates.  I'm such an avaricious whore.

Seeing as today is October 30, 2011 I'm rather surprised by how much this sucks.  Notably the Corsair site never leads you to an OCZ logo the way the XFX site does.  That is, Corsair uses a different rebate processor than both OCZ and XFX.  The acknowedged receiving the documentation on October 11 but have to do anything with it.  Shit's like watching grass grow (but at least I can smoke that!).

Of course for all the problems the above suppliers might or might not have with the rebate process, no one can compete with Xigmatek...

(click for full size)

That's right.  I've not received a check, an email, there's no website... Yep, I'm in the woods here :)  I'm lucky I remembered that I sent this one in!  FUN FACT:  For a while at least (I've not looked at my rebate form) there was a personal email address to check with for updates on a rebate.  Mmmmm, efficiency!

Anyway that's all I got for now folks but I hope you enjoyed the ride and appreciated my research.

BONUS TIME!!!

I bought that product on September 23.  They still have a couple weeks to beat their record!  :)

The fail of Google

When I was browsing for houses in Nicaragua online it kept offering to translate the pages via a toolbar at the top of Chrome's rendering.  It's actually kind of annoying so I decided to read the "About Google Translate" section under the Options button and boy was I surprised.  Here's the link if supplied.

https://www.google.com/support/chrome/bin/answer.py?answer=173424&hl=en-US

Here's what the page looks like to me today:

For a company that's supposed to be exceptionally expert at helping me find information their "help" site certainly isn't helpful.  There's not even an immediately available way to report a dead link!  Web design 101 FAIL.  Congratulations Google.  You aren't even good at what you're good at anymore.