Useful Thoughts and Actions Taken

GNU Radio

Research Links

GNU Radio is a free & open-source software development toolkit that provides signal processing blocks to implement software radios. It can be used with readily-available low-cost external RF hardware to create software-defined radios, or without hardware in a simulation-like environment. It is widely used in hobbyist, academic and commercial environments to support both wireless communications research and real-world radio systems.

 

GNU Radio hardware

gnuradio_board

Universal Sofware Radio Peripheral (USRP)

  • 2 x AD9862 codec: each 2 A/D 12 bit, 64 Megasamples/sec; 2 D/A, 14 bit, 128 Ms/sec
  • FPGA: Altera Cyclone EP1C12, 64 MHz, 12,060 LEs, 239,616 RAM bits
  • USB 2.0, Cypress FX2
  • 4 x daughterboards for signal conditioning

Available from Ettus Research LLC, but design is open source.

Newer USRP2 has 100 MHz converters, much larger Xilinx FPGA

By Fudgy McFarlen, ago

Password Management

The hackers seem to be upping their game the last few years.  It is time to consider strengthening security.

Research Links

Notes

  • KeePass on a USB flash drive works on both linux and windows.  Very convenient in that regard.  I tested this. 
  • I purchased a key ring usb flash drive so I could keep my passwords with me.  This requires a strong mechanical design to avoid the inevitable chinese twink break that sneaks up on everything made there. This is the one I purchased.. It looks like a high tech rape whistle.  Well I can hope it attracts some admirers anyway. Female please!

 

usb-flash-key-ring

 

By Fudgy McFarlen, ago

Riding the KT Trail Saint Louis to Clinton Missouri

I check out the KT trail at Weldon Springs and rode to Augusta Missouri.  The surface is good.  A standard rode bike tire works well.  If you have a high end road bike with the ultra narrow tires there may be issues.  If you are running the ultra narrow tires check it out before committing to big efforts.

Research Links

By Fudgy McFarlen, ago

It looks like Oprah fell for the old sales tactic “you can’t afford a £24,000 handbag”…

Once upon a time little ole Oprah skipped to my lou into a high end Les Trois Pommes store to look at purses.  She looked at the ones out on the stands and thought "Oh my these are lovely!".  But then she saw the ones in the display case and thought "Oh my god! These ones in the display case are even more wonderful."   Then her eyes naturally wondered up to a display case way up high above the floor where she could not reach even on tippy toes. There she could discern the outline of a purse behind a gauzy screen in the way up high display case.  Her whole body shook.  This was the most lovely purse of them all!

Oprah blurted out "I want to see that one!" as she pointed to the very tip of the purse needs pyramid. 

The sales assistant Miss Clerk replied in a breathless tone "But you can't afford a £24,000 handbag" 

Oprah retorted in her most imperious tones  "I most certainly can afford a  £24,000 handbag.  I shall have it! NOW"

Miss Clerk dutifully wrote up the sale and placed the purse in a dainty box festooned with ribbons,  Shortly after Oprah passed out the door Ms Clerk took one of the purses from the lower display cases and as she was wont to do lithly placed it in the display case at the tippy top of the purse needs pyramid. 

By Fudgy McFarlen, ago

Removing Banco Do Brasil Security Module

Research Links

Notes

  • This module is also referred to as G Buster

Tools

Side Notes

Resolution

  1. I tried using a 2 different boot disks but both times I could not see the file structure on the hard drive in question. 
  2. Popped the hard drive out of the machine and connected it as an external drive on another box.  At this point I could see the files I needed to delete.  I deleted the GpPlugIn folder 
  3. Placed the hard drive back in the original machine and ran SysInternals program: Autoruns. I hand edited the registry to delete all the keys that referred to the now deleted files. They are easy to find because they are highlighted yellow to signify that they are missing.
By Fudgy McFarlen, ago