Category: Software

How to enable Bridge mode on a Telus v1000h/v2000h without root access!

I was cleaning up my network today and was frustrated that I couldn’t enable bridge mode on my Telus Actiontec v1000h modem/router to put it into a modem-only state. The problem is that Telus changed the root/tech passwords on firmware 31.121L.13 and nobody knows what they are. My buddy Mike told me to try editing the webpage source and I’ll be damned it actually worked!

Basic Instructions (if you don’t want to watch the how-to video below):
1. Go to 192.168.1.254 (or whatever your gateway is) and log in to the admin/telus account.
2. Go to the Advanced Settings tab and open up WAN IP Addressing.
3. Open up your web browser’s developer tools (F12)
4. Search for <tr id=”id_rfc_1483_transparent_bridging” style=”display: none;”>
5. Change “display: none;” to “display: block;”
6. Select the now visible Transparent Bridging option on the page, then Apply
7. You’re done! You can see that the bridge is enabled on the Status tab under Connection Status > ISP Protocol.

Programming a 4D Systems Serial Display With an Arduino Board

I’ve just begun working on a new project and I’ve very briefly been playing with a 4D Systems serial display (the uLCD-32PTU to be precise), ordered from Sparkfun. I figured there was no way I was gonna drop any coin on their proprietary 4D Programming cable, because from what I read it just uses a standard FTDI chip. Fortunately I had my Arduino Duemilanove kicking around, which has the USB interface with a built in FTDI controller (as do most Arduino boards) .

This one’s dead simple, so long as you have a removable ATMega chip in your Arduino.

For Arduino’s with removable chips:

  1. Remove the ATMega chip
  2. Connect +5V, GND, Rx, Tx, and RESET straight from the serial display to the appropriate, matching pins of the Arduino’s header. You might mix the Rx and Tx up like I did the first time around; Rx on the display goes through the line marked Tx on the included 5-pin header cable and connects to Rx on the Arduino (so, ignoring the cable, Rx to Rx). Same idea for the Tx line.


If your chip isn’t removable, it’s more complicated (and might not work):

  1. Disable the ATMega chip by tying the RESET line to GND.
  2. Do the same as step 2 above, but do not connect the RESET line.
  3. The 4D Serial Display requires a momentary RESET pulse before the code can be loaded onto it (this is the DTR leg of the FTDI controller). Unfortunately, the DTR leg was tied to GND in step 1. You’ll have to manually trigger the RESET on the serial display right before it’s programmed. To do that you have to connect the display’s RESET to GND momentarily, right before the code download is initiated. It’s a matter of good timing (and would really, really suck for development purposes).

 

Of course, this could be applied to any board that is programmed through an FTDI controller. Hope it helps someone.

HyperSLI: Enable SLI on a Crossfire-Only Motherboard

I built my computer a little over two years ago. At the time, NVIDIA (a GPU manufacturer) and Intel (a CPU manufacturer) were at odds with their licensing agreements, and I ended up being stuck with a Crossfire-only motherboard. If I wanted to use multiple graphics cards in parallel, they had to be ATI cards. Nevertheless, I purchased an NVIDIA GTX280 card because it seemed like the best card for the price. Lo and behold, earlier this year I completely forgot my motherboard was Crossfire-only and I bought a second GTX280 in anticipation for new games such as Battlefield 3. That was basically a $200 mistake.

Fortunately, a lot of other people also wanted SLI on their Crossfire-only boards, and someone created SLIpatch.  SLIpatch is great, but it has a few shortcomings such as requiring modified NVIDIA drivers for each driver revision. A few days ago the developer released a new tool called HyperSLI, which greatly simplifies the process and doesn’t require modified drivers. HyperSLI currently only works for motherboards with Intel processors, so if you have an AMD processor, you’ll have to stick with SLIpatch [Edit: Now works with AMD chipsets] . But if you do meet the requirements, here’s how to make it work:

  1. Install the latest NVIDIA drivers for your card.
  2. If you’re upgrading from SLIpatch to HyperSLI, just run the HyperSLI installer and click “Update”. If otherwise, just click “Install”. Simple.
  3. When the computer is rebooting, open up the BIOS. Most computers use either F1, F2, or DEL to access the BIOS. Look for something called “Virtualization Technology” and make sure it is enabled.
  4. When the computer boots back up, open up the NVIDIA Control Panel and enable SLI.
That’s it. Pretty easy.

Open a Google Chrome Tab in Firefox, or a Firefox Tab in Chrome

I’ve put this application together to switch quickly between Chrome and Firefox as I often do. Simply put, this will allow you to open an active Google Chrome tab in Mozilla Firefox (and vice versa) using the shortcut Ctrl+Shift+F. The program itself is an executable that will run in the background and can be accessed from the system tray notification area (bottom right). It’s built with AutoHotKey.

Download
ChromeToFirefox.exe Standalone Executable Download

ChromeToFirefox.ahk Script (requires AHK) Download
AutoHotKey website Link

Note: If you want this to run every time you turn on your computer, place ChromeToFirefox.exe in the startup folder. The startup folder (for Windows 7) is located at C:\Users\YourUsername\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\Startup

If there is a bug, it’s probably because Chrome recently updated and I haven’t had a chance to fix it yet. If it doesn’t work, let me know in the comments. Another possibility for error is that it is failing to locate firefox.exe or chrome.exe. It only works if the installation directory is the default location. I’ve included the script to edit, but you will need to download AutoHotKey to compile the exe.

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I’ve used scripts from both here and here – wouldn’t have been possible if I didn’t have them to work off of.

iPhone – Cydia Apps/Tweaks

This is probably just for my own future reference, but there is a ton of Cydia tweaks and apps I use, I figure I should list them.

(iPhone 4 on iOS 4.2.1)

Tweaks

  • Activator – create shortcuts for just about anything
  • App Switcher Brightness – self explanatory: change screen brightness from app switcher
  • App Switcher Ringer – tap on the volume icon in the app switcher to change the ringer volume instead
  • AppStore Update Size – show the size of an update in the App Store (useful if you’re using 3G)
  • Auto3G – disable 3G when the phone is connected to Wifi or in sleep mode (battery saver)
  • Backgrounder – true backgrounding of applications
  • Barrel – make the springboard page transitions awesome
  • BrowserChanger – change the native browser from Safari to something better like Atomic
  • CyDelete – delete Cydia applications from the springboard
  • Cyntact – add profile pictures to the contact list
  • Fake Operator – change the cell carrier name to something more unique
  • FakeClockUp – increase the transition speed of iOS animations (I prefer 1.6X)
  • FBphotoSave – save pictures from the Facebook app into your pictures
  • FolderEnhancer – faster than the default folders and allows folder paging
  • FreeSync – allows you to use the iPhone while it is syncing with iTunes
  • GridLock – place springboard icons anywhere within a grid
  • HapticPro – haptic feedback of keyboard and other buttons
  • LastApp – quickly switch between the last two active apps with an Activator shortcut
  • LockInfo – adds configurable notifications to lockscreen, homescreen, and/or a pull down “InfoShade”
    • Lock Weather Plugin
    • RSS Plugin
    • Twitter Plugin
    • Typography Time Plugin
  • MagicFingers – close app with 3, 4 or 5 finger gestures
  • ManualCorrect – opposite of the native AutoCorrect: tap on correction suggestion to change word
  • Multiflow – faster and more intelligible than the native app switcher, shows a mini-preview of running apps
  • MultiIconMover – move multiple icons very quickly
  • MyWi4.0 – tethering of your 3G connection to another device through bluetooth, USB, or Wifi
  • Notifier+ – adds statusbar icons for notifications – very configurable
  • NoVoiceMail – removes the voicemail tab from the Phone.app because I don’t have voicemail
  • PhotoAlbums+ – built into native photo app, manage, create, and password protect photo albums
  • Popup Blocker – block annoying popups from pretty much anything
  • Rename II – rename any apps (for instance I renamed AlienBlue to Reddit)
  • Safari Download Manager – for those rare occasions when I use Safari this is a must have
  • SBrotator – rotate the springboard and a few native apps that normally don’t rotate
  • SBsettings – control many springboard elements with tons of options / addons
    • Airplane SBsettings – toggle
    • Auto3G SBsettings – toggle
    • AutoLock SBsettings – toggle
    • Calculator Widget – built in calculator
    • HapticPro SBsettings – toggle
    • iPod Widget – toggle to play/pause music
    • iRetina+ – SBsettings theme, absolutely perfect
    • NoLockScreen – toggle to disable the lockscreen entirely
    • Remove Background – close all apps running in background
    • Rotation Inhibitor – disable/enable rotation
    • SpringFlash SBsettings – enable the iPhone 4 camera LED to use as a flashlight
    • Volume Slider Widget
  • ScreenDimmer – dim the screen, then turn off the backlight, after a configurable amount of time
  • ScrollingBoard – add scrolling options to the dock and folders, scroll left in dock for iPod player, supports addons
    • ScrollingBoard LiveMaps – adds google maps to a springboard page!
    • ScollingBoard Web Browser – adds a web browser to a springboard page – I love this.
  • ShakeToUndo Killer – removes the incredibly annoying iOS feature
  • SleepFX – custom screen effects when screen turns off from sleep button
  • StayOpened – prevent the App Store from closing upon installing/updating an application
  • SwitcherMod – hide apps that aren’t actually running in the background (wtf, Apple?), drag to reorder, show close button by default
  • ToneFXs 2.0 – Change the notification sounds of any application
  • Winterboard – theming application
    • inPulse – the only Winterboard theme I’ve ever liked
    • Transparent Slider bkg – makes the background of the lockscreen slider invisible, a minimalistic look
  • WeatherIcon – adds weather information directly to the weather.app icon, as it should be

Applications

  • BatteryDetective – useful for troubleshooting what app is draining your battery
  • BatteryLogger Plus – keeps track of the rate of battery useage and makes a nice plotted timeline
  • biteSMS – superior to native SMS, and the QuickReply option is FANTASTIC
  • Firewall iP – useful if you have rogue network connections running and need to troubleshoot
  • Grooveshark – stream any songs to your phone, save playlists, offline play options – requires $9/mo subscription after free trial
  • iFile – browse the iPhone’s internal files, copy, view, and run files
  • Installous 4 – pirate App Store apps (but buy the ones you like for heavens sake!)
  • iWhiteBoard – draw directly on top of any app for annotations, then take a screenshot
  • MobileTerminal – a terminal emulator
  • NetServices – shows your internal and external IP address as well as other network information
  • SysInfoPlus – shows memory useage, running system processes, and other system info
  • Veency – view and control the iPhone on a computer over a VNC server – neat, not very useful unless you bust the screen

Trillian 5

I recently (yesterday) discovered the Trillian 5 beta for Windows. Immediately I noticed, from the tiny thumbnail of a screenshot, that it didn’t look like a pile of vomit splashed on my computer screen, amiss to previous Trillian outings. Okay maybe that is a little harsh, all I know is I hated Trillian.

For those not born on the internet, Trillian, much like Pidgin, Digsby, and Miranda, is a universal IM/social media client that allows you to connect with MSN, AIM, email, Facebook, and Twitter among many other services all from one application on your computer.

Why Trillian 5 is Good

  1. The GUI looks exceptional.
  2. The tonal audio is pleasing.
  3. It has Skype control.
  4. Multi-login – I can be logged into Trillian on my BlackBerry, iPod, laptop, and desktop at the same time. Every message can appear on every device.
  5. Customizable interface.
  6. No ads.
  7. Can dock contact list to edge of screen with drag and drop.

Why Trillian 5 isn’t Perfect

  1. If I am logged into several places, I receive “unread” messages on every single device, even if I read them on something else.
  2. The pop-out menus when hovering over contacts and mail feels a little clumsy and loads a little slow. Optimization could probably cure this.
  3. As far as I can tell, there isn’t an option to disable notifications from certain services.
  4. It would be nice to be able to bookmark specific locations in conversations.
  5. Lacking a video chat option for Live Messenger.
  6. The Skype client needs to run in the background for Trillian to support it. Also, video calls open up a Skype client window. Any Skype support at all is still pretty good.
Trillian 5 Contact List and Conversation Window
Trillian 5 Contact List and Conversation Window
Trillian 5 Pop-out menu
Trillian 5 Pop-out menu

Update: I’m not sure why really, but I switched back to using Digsby. Trillian didn’t feel right for me.

Downloading

I am sometimes asked where I download stuff, so here are my favorite websites that aggregate content from all over the web.

Newly Released Movies and TV Shows
rlslog.net

This is probably my favorite site to visit. It’s laid out in a blog type format and the commenters of each post provide the links to the content. Although it sounds very unsafe, in my experience I have never had a problem. I recommend looking for megaupload.com or hotfile.com urls – they are popular and have high bandwidth rates. Being in the Mountain time zone, I can almost always watch an entire TV show before it even airs on local TV.

Live TV Shows and Events
atdhe.net

This is hands-down the best place to find live TV streaming of sporting events. I use it to watch live hockey, football, and MMA fighting – oh man I am into violent sports.

Educational Text and Solutions
pdf-search-engine.com

I find this website useful when looking for educational material during school. It’s a helpful study aid.

Everything and Anything Else
Warez-bb.org
ForumW.org

These websites are laid out in a forum format. The downside is you need register (totally free of course) in order to search, view and comment on the posts. Similar to rlslog.net, I mainly look for megaupload.com [MU] or hotfile.com [HF] links. Unlike rlslog.net, the original poster provides the links, and the commenters merely provide a “Thanks”, “Links are broken”, or “teh crack doesnt work”.

Download Clients
JDownloader
CryptLoad

If the content is large, the links are split into several WinRAR parts. For this, I use either JDownloader or CryptLoad – they are able to automate the download process and enter in passphrases for popular download sites like megaupload.com, hotfile.com, and rapidshare.com.

Last Resort
Torrentz.com
Mininova.org
isoHunt.com

If I can’t find what I am looking for through direct links, I resort to p2p (peer to peer) downloading – torrents. My favorite site to find torrents is Torrentz.com since it aggregates links from several other torrent sites. uTorrent is the best client to download with. If the download is very large (4GB+), torrents are usually a better alternative compared to direct links because there is less of a chance the torrent will die, and most direct download sites have bandwidth restrictions. I don’t regularly use torrents because new content has a low seeder-to-leecher ratio (slow download). Also, my ISP knows something is up if my upload bandwidth is through the roof.