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Mac OS X Lion’s Internet Recovery feature

23 September 2011 capn13 Comments off

Some people have noticed Apple’s feature on Internet Recovery or the various posts such as this one on tuaw.com about the new Internet Recovery feature in the new(est) Mac laptops.

Specifically, Mac laptops purchased after July 2011 have the ability to download a recovery installer via a WiFi network. This allows you to re-install Mac OS X Lion even if – say – your hard drive had to be replaced (as this would also remove the hidden Backup Partition which Lion creates during the install). Bare-metal recovery for the masses!

IT, Mac OS X bare metal, internet, leopard, lion, mac, os, recovery, snow, x

The Mac Dock and shortcut icons

21 April 2011 capn13 Comments off

Most Mac users will know that once an app has launched you can click-and-hold the icon to get the options…from there you can choose “Keep in dock”. You should be aware that you do not inadvertently drag applications from the Applications folder into the doc.

IT doc, firefox, mac, os, shortcuts, x

Make your Facebook access more secure

20 April 2011 capn13 2 comments

I’ve recently had several people ask me about Facebook security. Sometimes the topic of the Firesheep plugin also comes up.

Without going into more detail of how much personal information people provide to Facebook, it is handy to be aware that Facebook [now] has settings to make your Facebok sessions a little more secure.

IT, IT Security account, facebook, firesheep, https, security, ssl

Browsing with Firefox

10 April 2011 capn13 Comments off

Mozilla Firefox

Most people who ask me how I surf online get a little lecture on my love of Mozilla Firefox, the free, open-source browser from the Mozilla Foundation. (updated for 2011)

IT firefox, mozilla

Modding the (original) XBox

21 December 2010 capn13 Comments off

The original XBox

Some of you have asked me about my mods to my Xbox (the original one, not the Xbox 360).

I bought one with the intent to mod it so I could use it as a media centre system using one of the Team Xecuter modchips.

Electronics, Modding chip, ece, mod, xbox, xecutor

Customising Keyboard LED’s – Surgery on a Logitech Internet Navigator Keyboard

19 November 2010 capn13 Comments off

The Logitech Internet Navigator keyboard is a fairly nice keyboard with a decent enough feel for a membrane keyboard. Usefully it is liberally studded with several more customisable buttons and a scroll wheel. The latter is very handy for scrolling down webpages. I didn’t like the LED’s it came with however, and felt they could do with some customisation.

Electronics, Modding guide, internet, keyboard, led, light, logitech, navigator, solder

Tesco self-checkout is buggy!

10 October 2010 capn13 Comments off

This post is really just a little moan. Turns out that the sub-total function at the Tesco self-checkouts is buggy and will crash the checkout terminal. This is annoying and even more so when it happens twice in the same “shopping session” ! Kudos to the nice lady at Tesco’s Bishopsgate who offered to carry my shopping to a service-counter and scan it herself! And no, I didn’t take her up on it, it was just as easy to go to another terminal and repeat the exercise. Without using the Subtotal function!

Tesco’s: the way this is supposed to work is, if your self-serve terminal has a function, someone’s going to use it. You use to test at least all the buttons on the main screen. Thanks!

IT, Miscellaneous breaks, it, serve, shopping.self, subtotal, tesco

Flying

8 April 2009 capn13 Comments off

Me and a Cessna 172

I gained my UK Private Pilot’s Licence in March 2000 at the Britannia School of Flying in Winterhaven [AirNav airport info], Florida. Sadly Britannia has had to close it’s doors following the drop in student numbers following the events of 9/11.

Flying base, britannia, brown, cessna, florida, Flying, haven, jack, seaplane, winter

Checking the windows Registry

8 April 2009 capn13 Comments off

Because the Registry is where all malware (Trojan Horses, Dialers, Ad-ware, etc) will be recorded and will be run from. More clever programs can also use the Registry to protect themselves from being unistalled (after a fashion), by making sure their hidden installer file is called every time you start the computer.

Having a look in the Registry is not that hard and as long as you do not delete entries without any regard, there will be no problem. The instructions below should equip the average user with another tool in his or her arsenal against the continuous threat of malware.

IT, IT Security editing, items, registry, startup, windows

Safer Computing

8 April 2009 capn13 Comments off

Following are links for several popular products along the lines of defence mentioned above. If your friendly IT guru recommends something else by all means go with his/her recommendation. (Last updated: 21 April 2011)

IT, IT Security 7, anti, antivirus, browser, clam, clamx, email, firewall, it, mail, norton, nsa, readers, sav, security, spyware, symantec, windows, xp

Older Entries

Mac OS X Lion’s Internet Recovery feature

The Mac Dock and shortcut icons

Make your Facebook access more secure

Browsing with Firefox

Modding the (original) XBox

Customising Keyboard LED’s – Surgery on a Logitech Internet Navigator Keyboard

Tesco self-checkout is buggy!

Flying

Checking the windows Registry

Safer Computing

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