Dropbox+Bittorrent trick
I don't particularly like cloud type things, it's my data and i want it completely under my control and I don't particularly like dropbox as I don't think I actually trust them. However, I do have a dropbox account because they were offering extra storage from the default for doing a quiz and we all know I like quizzes. When I finished building the new VM I suddenly remembered that my upstream bandwdth is kind of yukky even on my remote server, which had problems with hits last week anyway and although it seems to be coping now after a couple of tweeks, a few hundred attempts to download the VM might make it melt or at least go on strike for better working conditions so I decided that i'd actually use my dropbox account and publish the public url. i was about 25% of the way through uploading it and I suddenly had a horrible thought dropbox probably has a GB/Day limit and that publishing the public url might not be a good idea. So what to do? I could just give the public link to a couple of people and hope that it doesn't escape or I could see if it was possible to use dropbox as a seedbox for a public file.
After a bit of googling I found the following webpage describing exactly how to do it using uTorrent.
https://sites.google.com/site/torrenttricks/use-dropbox-as-a-free-webseed-for-your-torrents
It's actually pretty good however I think it works better with smaller than 2GB files as i still got an automated suspension email about 10 minutes ago but it looks like it was up long enough for a few people to be able to start seeding it. Once my account suspension is over i'll take a look at the process and limits more closely.
OpenWRT on the Zipit Z2
projectgus has just announced that OpenWRT has been ported to the Zipit Z2.  The base install includes wifi support, ssh server and ZipIt-friendly console and there are nearly 3000 prebuilt binary packages available to install using the opkg package manager. As OpenWRT was designed to run on devices with small (<64M) ram (routers) it should run quite well and will be a nice base for people to use to build their own custom rootfs.
To be able to use the OpenWRT port you must have a u-booted zipit and be able to format an sd card as ext2 which means you'll need to have access to a computer running linux (or have a linux VM) that can write to sd cards (USB SD Card Reader/Writer most likely as most virtualization software, VirtualBox, VMWare and linux generally have problems with builtin sd card reader/writers, especially on HP computers). The reason you need to have a linux system is that the OpenWRT Zipit Z2 port is supplied as a tarball rather than a disk image.
The OpenWRT port contains mostly console/text programs however some graphic programs have been ported from the Ben Nanonote OpenWRT port.
You can find more details about the port on the projectpage
http://www.chainxor.org/openwrt-zipit/
Cheap Zipit Z2′s
Zipit wireless inc seems to be no longer supporting the Zipit Z2 as it was originally intended. in other words they no longer support the radiostations, sms, backgrounds, im etc. however this means you can now buy them cheaply from the authorized distributor. I don't know the price they are being sold at but here are the details as copied from the zipitwireless wiki.
Z2's on sale
Effective immediately, the Zipit Z2 is available for purchase at a very discounted price for those who desire repurpose the device with the Linux software available through this linux.zipitwireless.com forum and other public domain avenues.
To take advantage of this offer, please contact:
Edward Solomon President Proactive Distribution 1880 John F. Kennedy Blvd. 17th Floor Philadelphia, PA 19103-7422 (215) 568-1700 ext. 245 (215) 568-1701 (fax) esolomon.at.proactivedistribution.com
Update: #zipit irc channel user iggykoopa sent an email and received a list of the prices back. for those that are interested the prices are very good.
1- 5 for $15.00 each
5 – 15 for $12.50 each
$10.00 each for any quantity above 15
Shipping is additional and billed at actual cost.
44Con — Information Security Conference and Training Event in the UK — Finally
Many years ago in a previous life, yes dinosaurs did roam the earth. They had names like IBM 4381 Rex, DEC VAX-osaurus, Prime-adon, CDC Cyber-tops and so on. I was involved with several groups of individuals who were interested in computer and network security and I was sysop/co-sysop of several security related bbs's. Anyone else remember CCUK, Lightfinger's Palace, RUB, Mehlbox, Altger, Althh.....? Towards the end of the 80s A group of us tried to publish a British version of 2600 called 1200/75, we published about 6 issues before RL stuck it's nose in and we all had to go our seperate ways (i've recently managed to get back in touch with a few of them but still wonder what happened to some of the others and one day i'll put a bit more effort into tracking some of the others down). As well as publishing the magazine we also tried to start a conference too and got quite alot done in organising one but unfortunatly lack of time and lack of money to pay the initial costs just shut the idea down. We ended up scrapping the idea and just going to Hack-Tic instead, it was a pity as we had managed to get provisional agreement by some big names in the industry and community to sign on to give talks and lectures.
Anyway enough about our failures, it looks like that there will finally be a decent Information security conference and Training event in the UK. I just found out that two of the UK based DEF CON goons are running an event in London from the 30th of August to 2nd September. It looks very interesting and i'd love to attend but that just isn't possible but I wish them all success and hope it runs for many years. http://www.44con.com/index.html
What to do with a Palm Z22?
My wife was working a street fair on sunday and as per normal I got bored after about 30 minutes and started wandering the side streets looking for stoopsales and flea markets. Sometimes I find some good stuff, books i haven't yet read and would like too, old computer parts and stuff I have no idea what it is but looks cool. This time I found a pair of Palm Z22's and after a bit of haggling I ended up getting them, two palm usb cables and a palm charger for nowt 
getting stuff free, gratis and for nothing is probably my 3rd favourite thing in the whole world 
-- One of the Z22's was perfect, nary a scratch on it (a few worn spots on the touch screen but you don't really notice them unless you look for them) and the other has a dead touch screen and is now in pieces as i learn how to take it apart, put it back together and see what's what.
I do now have a problem. what on earth to do with the working Z22? I have messed around with it and put a BASIC interpreter on it (hotpaw) and a few other bits and bobs but i'm now at a loss what to do next with it. Anyone have any ideas on what I could use it for?
IBM T30 bios password reset using buspirate
I just stumbled across this post about removing the bios password on an IBM t30 laptop using a buspirate. The bios password on IBM Thinkpad laptops is stored in an EEPROM so removing the battery from the motherboard won't help you at all but using a buspirate the author has been able to grab the relevant data from the EEPROM and gain access to the bios so he can reset the password. I wonder if the same technique would work with the harddisk password  on IBM thinkpads?
the full article is http://www.haxaday.com/projects/t30-bios-password-reset-buspirate
Some people have too much time (and x-ray machines) on their hands
I was performing my normal morning procedures of making coffee, checking email and trawling the web looking for interesting items on blogs and in the news and stumbled on Geordy's latest blog post. I'm not sure why exactly he wanted to x-ray a zipit z2 although x-raying items does seem to be his new hobby and why the heck not at least it keeps him off the streets and out of trouble, at least until he irradiates half his block and gets attacked by mutants.
Samsung Netbook modded with a Pixel Qi Display on ebay
A few weeks ago Hunter Davis modded a Samsung N210 netbook with a Pixel Qi display. Well now he has tired of it and wants it out of his house as it is just cluttering up the place. Not really but he has decided to sell it on ebay. If you want to buy a completly unique netbook, only one in the whole Galaxy then follow this link to the ebay auction.
Disclaimer: I might bid on this myself if I can find a way to deal with my paypal problems and the wife opens the household purse to my sticky mitts but other than that I have no personal motive in posting this other than it is pretty cool..
FlashStock v0.1
Recently #zipit irc channel user mozzwald put together a series of scripts to make flashing from stock, (and .29) to u-boot and back again very easy. I have taken his from stock to u-boot script and made it a bit prettier (dialog) Â and rather than having to "add" the script to an sd card with EZ2S already installed I have created a "special" version of EZ2S with just the flasher script in it. I haven't made any real changes to mozzwald's logic or process so any errors in the flashing are all his fault not really:) -- i've used this last night to take 2 zipits from stock to u-boot so everything seems fine but as per normal if anything goes wrong fix it yourself, mozzwald, marex and I are not responsible for anything that happens in anyway.
You can download FlashStock v0.1 from here
WARNING: FlashStock is alpha grade software. It has been tested and used a couple of times but there is always a possibility that something could go wrong. If you aren't prepared to accept that it might go wrong then please don't use it.
[This is the first stage of making an "all for one, one for all" flasher sd card where you just extract an image file to a small sd card and it will flash from stock to u-boot and back again with all the stops (.29) inbetween.]
I need as many USB Bluetooth adapters as I can get hold of
I need to get hold of as many USB Bluetooth adapters as I can. Especially Class 1 and those that have an external antenna. If anyone has any lying around surplus to requirements I could really use them.