Buying a MacBook from CowBoom.com
I have a project coming up that will require some iOS development – which means that it has to be done on a Mac. Seeing as I didn’t own a Mac, and as the more I spent on acquiring one, the less money from this project will end up in my pocket; I needed a cheap solution. In the end I acquired a very nice 13″ MacBook from CowBoom.com; so this is both about the deals that are available and a review of my experience with the seller.
Read more…WikiLeaks Biggest Problem: Julian Assange
WikiLeaks has a growing issue that could easily lead to its downfall, and that problem is its leader, Julian Assange. As time goes on, he is becoming the persona of the organization, and as this happens he becomes more of a target, and more of a threat to the organization’s stability. There are rumors of death threats and assassination plots, on top on the fact that he is wanted in Sweden for what he has claimed to be trumped-up charges.
Read more…Being Fair
A couple of weeks ago, Hulu Plus shed its beta tag and opened to the general public. When this happened, the price was changed and a new one week free trial was added. As a subscriber I was happy to hear about the new lower price, though my main concern was wondering if I would have to contact them to get the price break. That concern, thankfully, was the furthest thing from the truth.
Read more…Thinking before you speak
The recent release of diplomatic cables by WikiLeaks has caused many to stop and think – which is always a good thing in my opinion. Of the many comments I’ve seen on this subject, one by Jeff Atwood seems to be the most relevant: WikiLeaks is preaching a message I've always practiced: there should be no difference between internal and external communication — Jeff Atwood (@codinghorror) November 30, 2010 Be it for a personal vendetta, political reasons, or perhaps just the love of chaos; there is always somebody that would love to take your secrets & thoughtless words and expose them to the world.
Read more…Christopher Adam Caudill – 6lbs, 7oz – Born 8/2/2010
On Monday, August 2nd 2010 at 11:16 PM, Christopher Adam Caudill was born. Weighing in at 6 pounds and 7 ounces and 19.25 inches, born just 24 minutes after our arrival at the hospital. He was born almost a month early, and was initially diagnosed with pneumonia, in addition to having issues maintaining his body temperature (as is common with babies born early). Thankfully, the next day the pneumonia diagnosis was withdrawn and his body temperature stabilized.
Read more…State of the (virus) art…
Imagine my surprise when one of my developers mentions he has a virus and I see this on his screen: No, the items listed aren’t the issue, it’s Security Tool that’s the virus. It’s vicious, plain and simple. It prevents almost all software from running (either by presenting a “virus warning” or simply killing the process), presents fake BSODs, and who knows what else that we didn’t notice. Only Explorer and Internet Explorer were operational, all other software was disabled.
Read more…Am I doing too much?
(Disclaimer: This is something of a rant, and was written at 3AM. My apologies if it doesn’t make sense. Feel free to ignore.) It’s 3AM, and I’m up reading, again. Is it the latest great novel or one of the classics that I enjoy so much? No, it’s research for my latest hobby. It’s lasers this time, but this pattern is far from new. I’m starting to think I just try to do too much, I go in too many different directions.
Read more…on Hiring
The company I work for is hiring several developers which marks my first significant hiring effort since being promoted to management. This had led to a few interesting observations* I would like to share that may benefit both those looking for a new job and those looking for the next star to add to their team. Immigration Law: I had no idea how complex this area of law gets; it’s a maddening maze of rules and policies that are more effective at confusing those involved than providing a reasonable solution to a problem.
Read more…Upgrading Windows 7 Pro VL
While performing some testing on a Windows 7 Professional workstation running a VL build from MSDN I found that a feature I needed was missing – the new Multi-Monitor RDP support. After a little research I found that only the Ultimate and Enterprise editions support this feature; which thanks to Windows 7’s Anytime Upgrade feature I assumed this would be no issue. But, it was an issue. It turns out that the build of Windows 7 I was using was missing WindowsAnytimeUpgradeUI.
Read more…Android & Windows 7 64bit
Setting up the Android SDK on Windows 7 64bit, with a 64bit JDK / JRE is a bit less straightforward than one would expect, thankfully though the solution is quite simple. There are two settings that need to be adjusted to make this work – otherwise you’ll get an error indicating that Java can’t be found. Step 1: Modify your PATH to include the bin folder of the JRE. Mine looks like this:
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About Me
Security researcher, engineer and software developer with more than 20 years of experience.
Work: I primarily focus on application security, usable security, secure communications, and cryptography. I build and lead strong and dynamic teams, who cover all facets of security and privacy.
Writing: I write about my research, security in general, development and software design, and leadership through my blog, essays, and various publications. I also engage in some creating writing when I can.
Photography: I am a purist fine art photographer, working primarily in black & white, and focused on sharing new perspectives of the world. Limited edition prints of my work are available on my online gallery. I also have a background in photojournalism, and volunteer in this field when I can.