What classes should I take this fall semester?
What classes should I take this fall semester? Vote for your favorite among the subjects listed on the right!
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by Wilhelm, 00:15 03/06/2010 UTC+1
by Wilhelm, 19:55 23/12/2009 UTC+1
Christmas 2009
by Wilhelm, 12:21 19/10/2009 UTC+1
Getting VMware vSphere Client to work on Windows 7
How to get VMware vSphere Client working on Windows 7 (by ftubio on the VMWare forums):
Obtain a copy of %SystemRoot%\Microsoft.NET\Framework\v2.0.50727\System.dll from a non Windows 7 machine that has .NET 3.5 SP1 installed. Create a folder in the Windows 7 machine where the vSphere client is installed and copy System.dll here. For example, create the folder under the vSphere client launcher installation directory (%ProgramFiles%\VMware\Infrastructure\Virtual Infrastructure Client\Launcher\Lib).
In the vSphere client launcher directory, open the VpxClient.exe.config file in a text editor and add a <runtime> element and a
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<configuration>
...
<runtime>
<developmentMode developerInstallation="true"/>
</runtime>
</configuration>
Create a batch file (e.g. *VpxClient.cmd*) in a suitable location. In this file add a command to set the DEVPATH environment variable to the folder where you copied the System.dll assembly and a second command to launch the vSphere client. For example:
SET DEVPATH=%ProgramFiles%\VMware\Infrastructure\Virtual Infrastructure Client\Launcher\Lib
"%ProgramFiles%\VMware\Infrastructure\Virtual Infrastructure Client\Launcher\VpxClient.exe"
(Optional) Replace the shortcut on the start menu to point to the batch file created in the previous step. Change the shortcut properties to run minimized so that the command window is not shown.
You can now use the VpxClient.cmd (or the shortcut) to launch the vSphere client in Windows 7.
by Wilhelm, 22:38 01/09/2009 UTC+1
Politi.no mockup
The Norwegian Police's new web site is, in my humble opinion, less than ideal. Apparently, they spent around 25 million NOK (around 4.2 million USD) on the new site, but I think that I could do better for free.
So I threw together this quick sketch. What do you think?
by Wilhelm, 14:57 26/07/2009 UTC+1
Vanish: Time your messages
A group of students at the University of Washington have developed a system called Vanish that aims to give people the ability to make messages in e-mail and other social media the ability to self-destruct (vanish) after a set period of time. The system does this by encrypting this message with an encryption key that is uploaded in several parts to a P2P-style distributed network that is configured to automatically destruct the key after a while, making recovery of the plaintext impossible (improbable).
The weakness here lies in the facts that a) anyone can convert the ciphertext to plaintext, even Google/Facebook should they choose to do so and b) it implies trust in the distributed network it utilizes.
Regarding a), if Google, Facebook (or any other site for that matter) wishes to retain your message for future use, it would be trivial to write an application that detects when users upload Vanish'd text, convert it to plaintext and then store it. Any other user overseeing the ciphertext could also do this. If one does not accept this as a point of fallacy, one must also forfeit the need for Vanish in itself: By using it, you are highlighting otherwise plain information as being sensitive and drawing attention to it, thereby undermining the purpose of the system. In addition, if one choses to argue the need for this system, one must also accept that this need arises from the fact that social networking sites wants or seeks to retain your information for future use. If we accept this then we must also accept that the site may employ any mean to achieve this goal, part of this being the timely decryption and storing of the plaintext message.
In regard to b): Trust on this scale is very difficult. As I mentioned earlier, the use of such a tool draws attention to your message, and the creators of these tools might (now or in the future) be inclined to create backdoors or ways to recover outdated messages. The fact that the system is distributed makes this even more complicated. One would have to assume that such a tool would be primarily used for sensitive information, and again this might incline either the operator of the network or government agencies to seek access to this data. In addition, there is no reason to trust this network any more than you should trust a porn site asking for your credit card number: We know nothing about the people or organizations behind either, and it is unlikely that there will be an independent review from a credible source to support it.
I guess that the bottom line of my post is essentially that this product renders itself useless.
by Wilhelm, 21:21 03/07/2009 UTC+1
Lightning pictures
by Wilhelm, 13:43 01/06/2009 UTC+1
JAP2501 Term Paper on Hayao Miyazaki
This semester I took the somwhat extracurricular (in the sense that it's not part of my study program) course JAP2501 - Japanese Popular Culture. This course had no final exam; the final grade was given through the submission of a term paper on the topic of your own choice.
I wanted to write about the Japanese animator and director Hayao Miyazaki, so I elected the following study question:
What are the central themes of Hayao Miyazakiʼs films, and how are they presented?
I've chosen to share my work with the entire world, so if you'd like, you can read my term paper here. Feedback is, as always, appreciated.
Update (2009/06/22 21:48): Final grade: A! :D
by Wilhelm, 17:52 26/05/2009 UTC+1
Four clever bookmarklets
I've always thought that using bookmarklets is a clever way to quickly get the info you need. Here, I've created four bookmarklets that I find quite handy. To use then, drag them to your bookmarks bar.
Update (18:34): Here's one for YouTube as well:
Update (2009.09.09 17:38): Updated the bookmarklets to work under Firefox.
by Wilhelm, 17:17 01/05/2009 UTC+1
Buypass Class 3 CA 1-v2
If you ever need the Buypass Class 3 CA 1-v2, you can download it here. In addition, if you ever need the Buypass access (CSP) application, you can download it from buypass.no or if that file disappears, grab my cached copy of it.
They'll probably hate me for publishing this, but information yearns to be free, right?
