Ubby Dubby Translator
A simple English to Ubby Dubby translator.
echo Can you understand this? |sed -e 's/\([aeiouAEIOU]\{1,\}\)/ub\1/g'
Stompbox: HowTo Switch to Sprint Merlin S620 Linux
Just a quick notice about switching to Sprint from Verizon.
So far the network is more stable but not a lot faster. I don't get disconnects at all on Sprint where I'd average 2-3 per day on Verizon. I don't yet have an external antenna adapter and I'm pretty sure that will help with the speed. It helped a bit with the Verizon speed but not stability.
Getting switched over was very easy and just took a couple minutes. I changed the USB IDs for the modem. Check in dmesg or /var/log/messages for these values after you plug the card in the first time. Modify this line in /etc/modules:
usbserial vendor=0×1410 product=0×1110
There were minimal changes to /etc/ppp/peers/1xevdo:
/dev/ttyUSB0
230400
debug
noauth
defaultroute
usepeerdns
crtscts
lock
persist
maxconnect 0
lcp-echo-interval 30
connect '/usr/sbin/chat -v -t3 -f /etc/ppp/peers/1xevdo_chat'
I don't think I made any changes to the chat script /etc/ppp/peers/1xevdo_chat:
TIMEOUT 120
" 'ATZ'
'OK' 'AT&F0'
'OK' 'ATE0V1'
" 'AT+CSQ?'
'OK' 'ATDT#777'
'CONNECT'
HOWTO - Cancel a Verizon EVDO Contract Without Paying
There is a simple and nearly foolproof way to get out of a Verizon EVDO contract without paying the early termination fee.
Use a lot of bandwidth. Lots and lots of movies, music, and CD images. Don't do anything illegal or unethical, just hit youtube.com, video.google.com, Flickr and last.fm. Watch movies, listen to streaming audio while you watch the movies, load up hundreds of pictures in browser tabs while you listen to streaming audio and watch movies. Download a few ISOs from ubuntu.com before you go to bed to keep the love going all night long.
Be sure to chew up at least 10GB in a month. That might be difficult if you have crappy service but if you persist I'm sure that you can do it. If you need some help and run Linux, try the following command from a shell: "wget -p –mirror –span-hosts –timeout=30 http://yahoo.com/". About the same time your disk is full you should be getting a letter in the mail from Verizon like this one.
Of course all this is just hypothetical advice and any encouragement to actually follow these steps is purely in the imagination of the reader. I don't condone or encourage these actions. If Verizon chooses to stop waiving the early termination fee it's not my fault and you will probably have to fork over the bucks or hire a good lawyer. I'll leave it to you to decide which is cheaper.
[UPDATE]
Looks like Verizon is putting the brakes on a mass exit:
http://www.evdoforums.com/viewtopic.php?t=2366&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=135
Heads up everyone verizon is changeing all customers contracts I just left vzw and signed up with cingular now with vzw if you make any changes to your plan you will have to commit to at least 1 year contract or if you now get terminated for using to much data while under contract you will have to pay the E.T.F. here is the new contact that vzw sent me.
Note about Verizon Wireless' Broadband Access
Just an FYI for anyone considering using Verizon's Broadband Access.
I just received a termination notice from Verizon for using too much bandwidth. The letter states that I used more than 10GB in a 30 day period. I called to protest and the representative that answered the phone told me that such high usage was proof that I was violating their terms of service by watching streaming video and music. I checked my past bills and I've used 6.3GB per month for the last 3 bills. They count both incoming and outgoing bandwidth.
I've read up on evdoforums.com and it appears that 10GB in 30 days or 5GB per month for 3 months is the trigger.
Verizon has no dispute process, once you get the letter they will cut you off and there is nothing they will do about it. No warnings, one strike and you're out.
As for my network access I'm signing up with Sprint now since they actually advertise great for streaming video and audio right on the features page. I also haven't heard of anyone getting term notices from Sprint for high usage.
LED Temperature Thermometer Project
LED Temperature Thermometer Project
This LED temperature thermometer project will display the room temperature where it is placed using 10 LEDs, with each LED representing 2 degree Fahrenheit step, forming a bargraph display.
Apache2 SSL and Subversion in Debian
Apache2 SSL and Subversion in Debian
Debian Sarge comes with an apache2 package. I thought I'd give this a go to get it working with a self signed SSL certificate. However, I had little idea of what I was doing. Eventually I worked it out - and it's easy:
Handy howto on setting up Apache2, SSL, and SVN in 683 seconds. I'm quite certain it took me much less than that to copy and paste all the commands but it worked well and was easy.
www.soundbombs.info
Soundbombs are New-Media-Accessories. Each one a lowtech object for interactive transmission. An integrated soundmodul makes it possible to record any given sound and then activate it through a motiondetector.
Interesting looking project. A couple of us at work have been contemplating how to make sound throwies but this could be fun too.
How-To: IR Remote Control your Computer - Engadget
How-To: IR Remote Control your Computer - Engadget
For today's how-to we spent some time rummaging around in our parts box to build a serial IR remote interface for our PC. We took a few pieces from various designs to come up our own, built specifically to work with WinLirc or LIRC; it can transmit and recieve IR signals, just imagine the possibilities.
What's that sucking noise? It's Sourceforge.net
Is it me or does Sourceforge just suck lately?
In the last 3 months it seems that half the time I've wanted to download something hosted by them I cannot connect. I've tried from home, both my web servers, and work and the connection times out from all locations.
[update:]
Now that I've complained about it things have improved. The preferred mirror options seems to be working correctly and downloads are once again fast.
Making hobbyist PCBs with professional CAD tools
Making hobbyist PCBs with professional CAD tools
Very cool tutorial on using EagleCAD to design a circuit and etch a board with the toner transfer method.
Intro Making hobbyist PCBs with professional CAD tools
It's nice that there are some professional circuit board tools available to the hobbyists. Here are some tips for using them ito design boards that don't need a professional fabricator to actually MAKE them…