DivineOmega.co.uk

Worthwhile Neglection

DivineOmega — Tue, 23 Sep 2008 22:35:54 +0000

I’ve done that blogger thing. Neglected the blog.

Over a year has passed since my last entry. Looking at it now, it seems it was rather anti-climatic. That lonely entry of July 11, 2007 had it no knowledge that would be the last entry for over a year’s time. Although - it is just a blog entry, and therefore is just text… and therefore doesn’t care.

I, in constrast to that blog post, have had a lot of things happen to me. I’ve been working full time at a web development company for the past year. From there I’ve learnt a great many things both technically and otherwise. I now know…

SEO stands for soluble egg optimisation. I can’t honestly say I’ve ever wanted my eggs optimised for extreme solubility.
PHP means… No, I can’t actually start to say what PHP stands for or I will be in an infinite ever-destined to read the meaning of a never ending acronym. Basically, it has things do with monkeys and the Internet.
My Squirrel lives in database servers. It is quite a clever squirrel as you can tell to SELECT and DELETE things. In fact, only shortly after I started at the company, we upgraded our squirel. It now has a cape and… super-’squirrel’-powers.
The ‘universal answer’ is not, as I previously thought, 42. But instead, it ranges from approximately 2 to 8.5. I originally thought only Deep Thought was able to give the universal answer, but it seems I was mistaken.
That you should always turn it off and then back on again - *ahem* power cycle.
There is a laptop. An almightly laptop, which must, contradictory to the above, never be turned off…. for it runs Google.
Not to Wollalalalah in public.
Never to utter the letter ‘T’ in public.

Hopefully the above bullet points have got me several laughs from those are in on the office jokes. For those of you who are not in on the in jokes, I imagine your highly confused ‘what the fuck’ expressions, and I like them.

Now however, I’m in my final year of that almighty education machine known as university. Already, in only two days I have received over 3 chapters of reading material with instruction to read an additional chapter and a bit from a book I have yet to order. Excellent!

I’d also like to make a recommendation to anyone currently studying at university, get a portable laptop or a ‘netbook’ as the press are calling them now. Any laptop of about 1kg is weight is incredibly convinient, especially with a high capacity battery. I personally have an Asus EEE PC (the 900 series, with the - suprise suprise - 900 Mhz CPU) with a third party battery which is over 3 times the capacity of the standard battery that the 900 series comes with in the UK.

That’s it for now! Tune in next time for something ace.

Decode The Message Challenge

DivineOmega — Thu, 12 Jul 2007 18:34:52 +0000

First to answer with the gist of the message, in English, wins. Some people have experienced problems viewing this code in Internet Explorer due to a possible fault within its rendering again, thus I have now hidden it until the ‘Read…’ link below is clicked.

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Pixel People

DivineOmega — Wed, 11 Jul 2007 21:46:28 +0000

Frankly, these guys (and girls) are awesome. Just watch, seriously!

http://youtube.com/watch?v/X76ZIGQgBWg" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="100%" height="100%">http://youtube.com/watch?v/X76ZIGQgBWg">

1st Song - “Go west” by Lazybone (Korean band)
2nd Song - “질풍가도(Zil-poong-ga-do)”
3rd Song - “Kang-Kang” by LPG.(Korean)
4th Song - “Worldcup Song” by Clone
5th Song - Modern Talking - Ready for the Victory

This is a coordinated dance (from South Korea) pulled off for the Samsung corporation.

Goron

DivineOmega — Wed, 11 Jul 2007 17:18:40 +0000

Possibly the most in-your-face depiction of a video game character - a Goron from the tribe which live on and in Death Mountain. The Gorons are present in the three dimensional Legend of Zelda games, with this specific Goron model being from the latest game, ‘The Legend Of Zelda: Twilight Princess’. Made by one of the IRC users from the Virtual Console forums.

Image removed, sorry.

According to Wikipedia (who writes these articles, seriously?), Gorons are physically larger than an average human. They appear to be muscular, but their large bellies provide contrast. They maintain a strict diet of rocks and iron…. yummy. :S

LoV3 7Wo Po1Nt oH (th3 k3y)

DivineOmega — Wed, 04 Jul 2007 22:11:53 +0000

Lyrics:

Let down your Firewall baby let me upload packets of love
Directly into your heart tonight

I’ve got your SSID all I need now is your WEP Key
C’mon girl, everything’s gonna be alright

Don’t wanna be be your myspace friend, already got a million and one of them
But maybe I could be your friend on facebook?

I’ve had my spy-ware on you, but I never seem to get through
Your Ad-Aware must be working overtime

I’m running love 2.0 for you, it’s still in beta but it’s running pretty smooth, oh owowo..
I’ve got the latest patches, right now the only catch is
I don’t know your user name

Just kidding ’bout the spy-ware, I would never ever go there
But I really digg dot com you girl

All my heart are belong to you, this song’s going straight to youtube
Hope you leave a comment or subscribe

You’re prettier than fine CSS, you’re finer than del.icio.us
If I googled “wonderful” I’d find you

We’d have better chemistry than Kevin and Alex and Tikibar.tv
Combined. I think you’ll find. I won’t ebay, our love away!

I’m running love 2.0 for you, it’s still in beta but it’s running pretty smooth
I’ve got the latest patches, right now the only catch is
I don’t know your user name
I got the key to our love, no DRM’s gonna stand in our way
I got the key to our love, no DRM’s gonna stand in our way

Digg on Digg on Digg on Digg on
Digg on Digg on Digg on Digg on
I digg you girl

C’mon C’mon C’mon C’mon
C’mon C’mon C’mon C’mon
I need you girl

C’mon C’mon C’mon C’mon
C’mon C’mon C’mon C’mon
I love you girl

Digg on Digg on Digg on Digg on
Digg on Digg on Digg on Digg on .. I digg you

Warning! Hackers!

DivineOmega — Sun, 01 Jul 2007 01:16:25 +0000

Eeeek… I just read the following article from an adult advice and news website.

“Is Your Son a Computer Hacker?

As an enlightened, modern parent, I try to be as involved as possible in the lives of my six children. I encourage them to join team sports. I attend their teen parties with them to ensure no drinking or alcohol is on the premises. I keep a fatherly eye on the CDs they listen to and the shows they watch, the company they keep and the books they read. You could say I’m a model parent. My children have never failed to make me proud, and I can say without the slightest embellishment that I have the finest family in the USA.

Two years ago, my wife Carol and I decided that our children’s education would not be complete without some grounding in modern computers. To this end, we bought our children a brand new Compaq to learn with. The kids had a lot of fun using the handful of application programs we’d bought, such as Adobe’s Photoshop and Microsoft’s Word, and my wife and I were pleased that our gift was received so well. Our son Peter was most entranced by the device, and became quite a pro at surfing the net. When Peter began to spend whole days on the machine, I became concerned, but Carol advised me to calm down, and that it was only a passing phase. I was content to bow to her experience as a mother, until our youngest daughter, Cindy, charged into the living room one night to blurt out: “Peter is a computer hacker!”

As you can imagine, I was amazed. A computer hacker in my own house! I began to monitor my son’s habits, to make certain that Cindy wasn’t just telling stories, as she is prone to doing at times.

After a few days of investigation, and some research into computer hacking, I confronted Peter with the evidence. I’m afraid to say, this was the only time I have ever been truly disappointed in one of my children. We raised them to be honest and to have integrity, and Peter betrayed the principles we tried to encourage in him, when he refused point blank to admit to his activities. His denials continued for hours, and in the end, I was left with no choice but to ban him from using the computer until he is old enough to be responsible for his actions.

After going through this ordeal with my own family, I was left pondering how I could best help others in similar situations. I’d gained a lot of knowledge over those few days regarding hackers. It’s only right that I provide that information to other parents, in the hope that they will be able to tell if their children are being drawn into the world of hacking. Perhaps other parents will be able to steer their sons back onto the straight and narrow before extreme measures need to be employed.

To this end, I have decided to publish the top ten signs that your son is a hacker. I advise any parents to read this list carefully and if their son matches the profile, they should take action. A smart parent will first try to reason with their son, before resorting to groundings, or even spanking. I pride myself that I have never had to spank a child, and I hope this guide will help other parents to put a halt to their son’s misbehaviour before a spanking becomes necessary.

1. Has your son asked you to change ISPs?

Most American families use trusted and responsible Internet Service Providers, such as AOL. These providers have a strict “No Hacking” policy, and take careful measures to ensure that your internet experience is enjoyable, educational and above all legal. If your child is becoming a hacker, one of his first steps will be to request a change to a more hacker friendly provider.

I would advise all parents to refuse this request. One of the reasons your son is interested in switching providers is to get away from AOL’s child safety filter. This filter is vital to any parent who wants his son to enjoy the internet without the endangering him through exposure to “adult” content. It is best to stick with the protection AOL provides, rather than using a home-based solution. If your son is becoming a hacker, he will be able to circumvent any home-based measures with surprising ease, using information gleaned from various hacker sites.

2. Are you finding programs on your computer that you don’t remember installing?

Your son will probably try to install some hacker software. He may attempt to conceal the presence of the software in some way, but you can usually find any new programs by reading through the programs listed under “Install/Remove Programs” in your control panel. Popular hacker software includes “Comet Cursor”, “Bonzi Buddy” and “Flash”.

The best option is to confront your son with the evidence, and force him to remove the offending programs. He will probably try to install the software again, but you will be able to tell that this is happening, if your machine offers to “download” one of the hacker applications. If this happens, it is time to give your son a stern talking to, and possibly consider punishing him with a grounding.

3. Has your child asked for new hardware?

Computer hackers are often limited by conventional computer hardware. They may request “faster” video cards, and larger hard drives, or even more memory. If your son starts requesting these devices, it is possible that he has a legitimate need. You can best ensure that you are buying legal, trustworthy hardware by only buying replacement parts from your computer’s manufacturer.

If your son has requested a new “processor” from a company called “AMD”, this is genuine cause for alarm. AMD is a third-world based company who make inferior, “knock-off” copies of American processor chips. They use child labor extensively in their third world sweatshops, and they deliberately disable the security features that American processor makers, such as Intel, use to prevent hacking. AMD chips are never sold in stores, and you will most likely be told that you have to order them from internet sites. Do not buy this chip! This is one request that you must refuse your son, if you are to have any hope of raising him well.

4. Does your child read hacking manuals?

If you pay close attention to your son’s reading habits, as I do, you will be able to determine a great deal about his opinions and hobbies. Children are at their most impressionable in the teenage years. Any father who has had a seventeen year old daughter attempt to sneak out on a date wearing make up and perfume is well aware of the effect that improper influences can have on inexperienced minds.

There are, unfortunately, many hacking manuals available in bookshops today. A few titles to be on the lookout for are: “Snow Crash” and “Cryptonomicon” by Neal Stephenson; “Neuromancer” by William Gibson; “Programming with Perl” by Timothy O’Reilly; “Geeks” by Jon Katz; “The Hacker Crackdown” by Bruce Sterling; “Microserfs” by Douglas Coupland; “Hackers” by Steven Levy; and “The Cathedral and the Bazaar” by Eric S. Raymond.

If you find any of these hacking manuals in your child’s possession, confiscate them immediately. You should also petition local booksellers to remove these titles from their shelves. You may meet with some resistance at first, but even booksellers have to bow to community pressure.

5. How much time does your child spend using the computer each day?

If your son spends more than thirty minutes each day on the computer, he may be using it to DOS other peoples sites. DOSing involves gaining access to the “command prompt” on other people’s machines, and using it to tie up vital internet services. This can take up to eight hours. If your son is doing this, he is breaking the law, and you should stop him immediately. The safest policy is to limit your children’s access to the computer to a maximum of forty-five minutes each day.

6. Does your son use Quake?

Quake is an online virtual reality used by hackers. It is a popular meeting place and training ground, where they discuss hacking and train in the use of various firearms. Many hackers develop anti-social tendencies due to the use of this virtual world, and it may cause erratic behaviour at home and at school.

If your son is using Quake, you should make hime understand that this is not acceptable to you. You should ensure all the firearms in your house are carefully locked away, and have trigger locks installed. You should also bring your concerns to the attention of his school.

7. Is your son becoming argumentative and surly in his social behaviour?

As a child enters the electronic world of hacking, he may become disaffected with the real world. He may lose the ability to control his actions, or judge the rightness or wrongness of a course of behaviour. This will manifest itself soonest in the way he treats others. Those whom he disagrees with will be met with scorn, bitterness, and even foul language. He may utter threats of violence of a real or electronic nature.

Even when confronted, your son will probably find it difficult to talk about this problem to you. He will probably claim that there is no problem, and that you are imagining things. He may tell you that it is you who has the problem, and you should “back off” and “stop smothering him.” Do not allow yourself to be deceived. You are the only chance your son has, even if he doesn’t understand the situation he is in. Keep trying to get through to him, no matter how much he retreats into himself.

8. Is your son obsessed with “Lunix”?

BSD, Lunix, Debian and Mandrake are all versions of an illegal hacker operation system, invented by a Soviet computer hacker named Linyos Torovoltos, before the Russians lost the Cold War. It is based on a program called “xenix”, which was written by Microsoft for the US government. These programs are used by hackers to break into other people’s computer systems to steal credit card numbers. They may also be used to break into people’s stereos to steal their music, using the “mp3″ program. Torovoltos is a notorious hacker, responsible for writing many hacker programs, such as “telnet”, which is used by hackers to connect to machines on the internet without using a telephone.

Your son may try to install “lunix” on your hard drive. If he is careful, you may not notice its presence, however, lunix is a capricious beast, and if handled incorrectly, your son may damage your computer, and even break it completely by deleting Windows, at which point you will have to have your computer repaired by a professional.

If you see the word “LILO” during your windows startup (just after you turn the machine on), your son has installed lunix. In order to get rid of it, you will have to send your computer back to the manufacturer, and have them fit a new hard drive. Lunix is extremely dangerous software, and cannot be removed without destroying part of your hard disk surface.

9. Has your son radically changed his appearance?

If your son has undergone a sudden change in his style of dress, you may have a hacker on your hands. Hackers tend to dress in bright, day-glo colors. They may wear baggy pants, bright colored shirts and spiky hair dyed in bright colors to match their clothes. They may take to carrying “glow-sticks” and some wear pacifiers around their necks. (I have no idea why they do this) There are many such hackers in schools today, and your son may have started to associate with them. If you notice that your son’s group of friends includes people dressed like this, it is time to think about a severe curfew, to protect him from dangerous influences.

10. Is your son struggling academically?

If your son is failing courses in school, or performing poorly on sports teams, he may be involved in a hacking group, such as the infamous “Otaku” hacker association. Excessive time spent on the computer, communicating with his fellow hackers may cause temporary damage to the eyes and brain, from the electromagnetic radiation. This will cause his marks to slip dramatically, particularly in difficult subjects such as Math, and Chemistry. In extreme cases, over-exposure to computer radiation can cause schizophrenia, meningitis and other psychological diseases. Also, the reduction in exercise may cause him to lose muscle mass, and even to start gaining weight. For the sake of your child’s mental and physical health, you must put a stop to his hacking, and limit his computer time drastically.

I encourage all parents to read through this guide carefully. Your child’s future may depend upon it. Hacking is an illegal and dangerous activity, that may land your child in prison, and tear your family apart. It cannot be taken too seriously.”

Almost too funny for words, although if any parent was to take this article at all seriously then I pity their poor, poor children.

‘Vista Only’ Games Cracked

DivineOmega — Wed, 27 Jun 2007 01:20:12 +0000

As previously predicted, the so-called ‘Vista Only’ games have been cracked to work on DirectX 9 and thus Windows XP.

“News has filtered through on this last week of June that the first week of June released and infinitely forgettable Shadowrun has already been hacked to work on DirectX 9 and therefore Windows XP. P2P fans’ favourite Razer1911 are the team responsible for the breakthrough which it achieved simply by overwriting specific files in the game’s installation folder.” …

“So all in all a great start for Vista and DirectX 10. We have the forgettable, now-DirectX 9 friendly, Shadowrun and the antiquated port of Halo 2 (which clearly needed the best available technological platform for Windows games). Some might say Vista and DirectX 10 are in something of a crisis… other – smarter people – would say it is in need of Crysis…”

First Vista ‘Only’ Game Cracked For XP

Designless Drawing & My Sale

DivineOmega — Fri, 22 Jun 2007 14:08:26 +0000

These are just a few random sketches I did in about 5 minutes, when I was bored. And what’s that list you say? Well, originally this piece of paper was for a list of items I’m selling on Ebay, before that strange angel woman I drew vandalised it. Click the image below for an enlargement of not only the image, but my drawing prowess and consequently my ego.

Half Life 2 Episode 2 Launch Date

DivineOmega — Sat, 16 Jun 2007 00:02:35 +0000

The episodic sequel to episode 1 of Half Life 2 now has a confirmed release date from Valve. This release date is the 9th October, 2007 and it is to be released on the PC, Playstation 3 and Xbox 360. Released alongside Episode 2 will be two of Valve’s most highly anticipated titles, Team Fortress 2 and Portal.

All three of the upcoming games are going to be based on (as always) Valve’s latest installment of the Source engine, which was built for Half Life 2 originally and has seen a vast variety of improvements. The engine contains some of the most interesting innovations in recent FPS gaming, including highly detailed character models with dynamic facial expression, not to mention the fully integrated physics engine which binds all objects within the virtual ‘world’ created by game designers

Personally, I am really looking forward to Portal even more so than Episode 2. The idea of 3 dimensional space portals is not new as the technique was used extensively in Prey (Doom 3 engine) - a game I intensely enjoyed playing. However, Portal looks like it is going to be primarily a first person puzzle game which the impossible (maybe?) physics which these portals introduce into the game. I’ll like to see how current hardware copes with this kind of game, as it will no doubt involve rendering and re-rendering various portions of the environment a multitude of times to allow the player to ‘look through’ the portals he or she creates.

Ubuntu 7.10 Changes & Mobility

DivineOmega — Thu, 14 Jun 2007 21:44:50 +0000

Ubuntu 7.10 whose development codename is Gutsy Gibbon is still very much in alpha stages of development, however there appears to be quite a few changes already. Slight artwork changes to the login screen (GDM) have been included.

Work has also been done upstream on the standard file selector windows. With the inclusion of recently used items and a directory search function for both file loading and saving, this should increase usability considerably.

Ubuntu’s default music player (Rhythmbox) and movie player (Totem) have also had some significant work done, both on the front-end and back-end. Rhythmbox introduces a new Tango icon set and a cross fading back-end that allows the songs to fade into one another allowing for a smoother listening experience. Regarding Totem, the main visible changes appear to be the inclusion of a plugin system which appears very similar in design to Rhythmbox’s system.

Additionally, Pidgin 2.0.1 (formerly GAIM) is now included as the default instant messenger. The GIMP has also seen an update to the latest version with several new tools available to budding digital artists. And finally, the ‘Add/Remove Applications’ program used for the installation and removal of most Ubuntu programs has been updated with a variety of usability improvements.

Also, the release of Ubuntu 7.10 will coincide with the new Ubuntu Mobile and Embedded Edition.

“The first full release of the software will be available in October 2007 corresponding with the normal release cycle of the Ubuntu operating system. Working collaboratively with Intel, Canonical is working to deliver software on actual devices from system manufacturers in 2008.”

Canonical Announces Details of Ubuntu for Mobile Internet Devices

Although not at all finalised there have been many potential design for the user interface of the Ubuntu Mobile and Embedded Edition from developers. As a final addition to this post I will show you some of the recent mobile interface designs.