Archive for March 2011

Selenium web test tool

Selenium IDE is a Firefox add-on that records clicks, typing, and other actions to make a test, which you can play back in the browser. It allows you to easily and quickly record and play back tests in the actual environment that they will run. Selenium IDE is not only recording tool: it is a

Taking power from USB port

Power-supply circuit operates from USB port article mentions some useful points on using USB connector as power source as well as gives an useful circuit diagram. You can use a USB port to power an external circuit. Even one without any USB functionality in it. Every PC has a USB (Universal Serial Bus) port that

Why You Shouldn't Reboot Unix Servers

You-Should not Reboot Unix Servers without a good reason. Rebooting Windows boxes when something is not right is a way of life. Article When in doubt, reboot? Not Unix boxes explains why you should almost never reboot a Unix server. Server reboots should be rare — very rare. In many cases, it’s extremely important not

Japanese earthquake on electronics

Japan in 2010 accounted for 13.9% of all global electronic equipment factory revenue, according to a preliminary IHS iSuppli estimate according to Impact of Japanese earthquake on electronics industry article. The article tells also what kind of disruption to the supply chain can be expected. Update on events in Japan page is a compiled a

Toolduino

Toolduino is a simple software tool that lets you easily interact with Arduino hardware. With this software you can easily can test the circuits you create. The Arduino must be running the Firmata firmware that comes with the Arduino IDE. Things can’t get much easier for all kinds of hacks. You can just connect some

Ethernet networks for telecom operators

Hardware developers familiar with the history of Ethernet in the enterprise may find themselves overwhelmed by the service diversity and complexity which must be addressed in applications for the local exchange carrier, long-haul or inter-exchange provider, and wireless operator. Analyze service complexity in a common Ethernet infrastructure article tasks Ethernet is called upon to perform

Dirty PCs and how to clean them

Dirty, dirty PCs: The X-rated picture guide shows you horror beyond computer hacker imagination. If your PC looks anything like in those pictures then start cleaning your PC. If you are unsure how to properly clean your computer read Cleaning the computer and its components guide. Anyways a good idea to clean your computer at

PS3 firmware update hurts

When Sony issued a recent PlayStation 3 update removing the device’s ability to install alternate operating systems like Linux, it did so to protect copyrighted content—but several research projects suffered collateral damage. Air Force may suffer collateral damage from PS3 firmware update. The Air Force Research Laboratory in Rome, New York picked up 336 PS3

URL Hunter

URL Hunter is an experimental keyboard-character based game played entirely in your browser’s URL bar. Go to URL hunter web page at http://probablyinteractive.com/url-hunter to see yourself. Is it a good game? Not really. The gameplay is pretty awful, and the concept is naturally pretty limited. But it’s clever and unusual. Great misuse of technology. Another

Ground loops are sometimes OK

Good grounds do not mean you will not get ground loop noise. The two are completely different balls of wax. No matter how much you sand the surface, no how good your connectors are, no matter how tight it is bolted down, you are still going to have ground loops. Having a ground loop does