An OS for the home and cool Kickstarter projects

05/18/12

This week we start with something that has both intrigued and amused me: Microsoft Research has a new operating system in the works targeted at home automation called, with glaring dullness, HomeOS.

Cool hacks: DIY cellphones and a magic trackpad rethink

05/09/12

There's something of the hacker in all IT people ... there has to be because you spend so much of your time figuring out how things work and how to fix said things when they break (which is usually far too often).

An RDP client and a Smartphone 'Copter

04/25/12

Ah, what a week it's been. Ravelling the unravelled and fixing stuff I thought was fixed.

Google AROUND, network scanning, and pinging with TCP

04/19/12

We start this week with a real geek out: If you have ever had to weigh the benefits and tradeoffs of Apache as an application server (for example, using Tomcat vs. node.js ("a platform built on Chrome's JavaScript runtime for easily building fast, scalable network applications"), then you absolutely have to watch "Node.js Is Bad Ass Rock Star Tech" (it's NSFW -- bad words). Make sure you watch all of it ... the end is great!

Two tools; One stable, one not

04/11/12

If you should have, as many of us do, a love-hate relationship with the PHP programming language but have yet to fully articulate what you don't like about it, then you need to read "PHP: a fractal of bad design" by "Eevee" who describes himself as "just some guy who loves hacking." An outstanding, exhaustive and exhausting rant!

Five geek projects

04/06/12

At the end of last week I slipped on a wet floor, did a wild, balletic (or so I thought) attempt to recover, and wrenched my knee and leg. The next four days were a blur of X-rays and Vicodin. Luckily nothing broken, but I've had better weekends.

The Lytro camera: Too little for too much

03/28/12

My editor will be glad to know that this week, in contrast to the last few Gearhead columns I will not be discussing AT&T, ADSL (+ or otherwise), or Motorola DSL modems.

Linksys Powerline connections: Wired without wires

03/23/12

Last week here in Gearhead I discussed my ongoing saga of trying to get decent IP DSL service from AT&T U-Verse.

Motorola's NVG510 DSL modem... not very good

03/14/12

Gibbs is seriously unimpressed with AT&T's choice of the NVG510 DSL modem

Yet more DSL woes

03/08/12

For the last few weeks I've been wrestling with my new AT&T U-Verse DSL service and in my last two Gearhead column I discussed my travails after which you might have assumed all would be well, that AT&T would have pulled out all the stops and sorted out my issues. Alas, this week I'm no happier and, apparently, neither are many of you.

AT&T DSL: Getting What I Pay For?

02/29/12

Gibbs discovered that his DSL service can start at a lower line speed than he signed up for and he's not happy

Diagnosing DSL. Again.

02/23/12

In the last 11 years I have moved house three times. Each time I have purchased Internet service from AT&T and each time AT&T has managed to make establishing service an epic struggle that consumes hours of my time, leaves me without service for days or weeks, and drives me to the edge of homicidal despair.

Two slick input devices: The Azio KB336RP Wireless Multimedia Keyboard and the new Logitech m600 Touch Mouse

02/15/12

In which Gibbs is saved by a keyboard ...

NeuroSky MindWave: Fun with Brainwaves

02/09/12

Gibbs is thinking about the NeuroSky MindWave

Smart hat monitors brain waves to watch fatigue levels

02/01/12

An Australian company plans to offer a system to check how alert drivers are by monitoring their brainwaves ...

Twine, jump-started by Kickstarter

01/25/12

Gibbs follows up on last week's column on the Lantronix xPrintServer and looks at Twine, a wireless sensor device that got funded on Kickstarter.

AirPrint to almost any printer

01/19/12

Back when I was young printing was complicated. Printer drivers were a nightmare of options and standards were rare. Now there are all sorts of standards for printing but the nightmare still continues. Even printers that sell for $50 have multiple drivers, often support various printing protocols, have multiple driver updates, and then there is the printer installation software.

A tablet for under a Benjamin?

01/13/12

After he grumbles about product names, Gibbs gets very excited by the MIPS Ainovo Novo7 BASIC tablet.

Gmail Backup, a recipe for happiness

12/15/11

Gibbs wants to avoid a "Googlesplosion" ... Gmail Backup is the recipe for happiness.

The amazing shrinking computer

12/07/11

Gibbs is really impressed with a tiny computer with an amazing set of features.

Cracking MD5 ... with Google?!

12/01/11

The MD5 algorithm has a new vulnerability: Google!

Finding yourself ... more iOS maps

11/22/11

Gibbs has a bit of an obsession with maps and he loves him his iOS apps.

Grazing: Better browsing under iOS

11/18/11

Safari under iOS is OK but if you want a great browser, Gibbs reccommends Grazing.

Programming in Lua

11/09/11

Gibbs discusses the Lua programming language, an app that lets you program in Lua, and a Sci-Fi novel that has nothing to do with the language

iPad improvement: A great keyboard and network app

11/03/11

Gibbs has found a great portable keyboard for the iPad and an excellent network discovery tool.