AUC 2 – Arbitrary Unix Command #2
I thought it might be useful to cover some obscure unix commands that you may find useful in your day to day system administration. My primary work machine is a Macbook Pro these days, so I’ll lean towards cover commands that come with OS X. Most unix operating systems will likely have the commands I cover.
I never got into Stargate SG-1. I loved the original Stargate movie so I gave the series a try, but never got hooked.
I recently discovered the second Stargate spin off, Stargate Atlantis just as the SciFi cable channel was advertising it’s 5th and final season was about to come to a close.
I’m hooked.
If you are like me and sided with the HD-DVD format during the HD media war, you have an HD-DVD player collecting dust in your entertainment center. (I’m not bitter)
So how better to embrace the new world order that is Bluray than laugh at Sony by purchasing the same content, at the exact same quality, by buying up a storm of High Definition DVDs at rock bottom prices. In fact, at up to 90% off they are cheaper than purchasing most Standard Definition DVD’s on sale.
I picked out my favorites below (read: worth watching in High Def) as well as a link to what’s left of the HD-DVD stock. Pick $25 worth and get free super saver shipping. If you are HD-DVD player-less and have an Xbox 360 or a Windows Vista PC you can pick up the Microsoft HD-DVD add-on drive for about $50.
On the hunt for a travel netbook? After testing out early models with squished keyboards I decided to wait for a model with useable size and 10″ seems to be about perfect. I originally thought I wanted a fully loaded netbook until I realized that wasn’t the point. Netbooks are not intended to replace laptops. They are intended to be ultra portable with prices making them nearly disposable. Netbooks are perfect travel companions for photographers who need to dump the days pictures onto a backup external hard drive and review images on a screen larger than the thumbnail preview on the back of their camera.
Since a unit’s size is an important feature, how much juice can you realistically expect from the form factor? Find the list of which models last the longest after the jump.
AUC 1 – Arbitrary Unix Command #1
I thought it might be useful to cover some obscure unix commands that you may find useful in your day to day system administration. My primary work machine is a Macbook Pro these days, so I’ll lean towards cover commands that come with OS X. Most unix operating systems (OpenBSD, FreeBSD, Linux, Solaris) will likely have the commands I cover as well so only the Microsoft-only folks will be left out. (sorry)
Similar to the NYT Article Skimmer I posted recently, Newser.com provides another option if you want to absorb the news rather than read it. +5 points to them for reducing burn time spent on the internet.
I recently stumbled upon this website (OpenSourceMac.org) which is a clean list of useful open source software that has been written or ported over to Apple OS X. This is very handy to email to your friend which you recently converted to Apple 
I’ve been looking into home automation gadgets like X10 for quite some time now. My interest in home automation revolves around reducing power consumption, recording anomalous events with cameras as evidence and because I’m super lazy and only like doing things once (but the right way) and want my CFL’s to flick on when I stumble in after a long day at work. I also want to build a DIY BIDS: Burglar Intrusion Detection System.
I even admit to visiting my local library and borrowing books on the subject solely with the goal of pimping the geek out of my home. So did I find true trekkie bliss, full of motion sensing lighting, sexy sounding verbal computer readouts, intelligent power management and enhanced security?
When was the last time you visited a hotel, plugged in your laptop, and logged into your gmail account?
Do you recall the last time you connected to Free Public Wifi to quickly check your eBay actions? Looking back, don’t you wonder who else may have been listening in on your Internet activity? Let’s find out how to protect yourself against unwanted network ‘wiretappers’…
Do you only use unix once in a blue moon, need to setup crontab and can’t quite remember the order? (Without peeking at the image on the left)
Try out this handy cron job crib sheet which you can paste directly into your crontab as a reference each time you make a scheduled job change.