Posted by richardyoo on Natuba

Someday, when I run out of projects… maybe I’ll build one of these… 🙂

After visiting some web pages about 2.4 GHz ISM band spectrum analyzers based on the CYWM6935 module, I tried to build my own analyzer, but with some improvements. The references I found on the net used the parallel port or a serial link to a host computer. I want the analyzer to be portable, and easy to transport, so I will use a microcontroller and a graphical LCD.

Handheld 2.4 GHz Spectrum Analyzer

-Richard

Posted by richardyoo on Natuba

Antenna party

-Richard

Posted on Natuba

Antenna party – quad on the ground

-Richard

Posted on Natuba

This has gotten me so freaked out that I have this new habit where I inspect an ATM carefully even before I take my wallet out… yikes!

Easily the most-viewed post at krebsonsecurity.com so far has been the entry on a cleverly disguised ATM skimmer found attached to a Citibank ATM in California in late December. Last week, I had a chance to chat with Rick Doten, chief scientist at Lockheed Martin’s Center for Cyber Security Innovation. Doten has built an impressive slide deck on ATM fraud attacks, and pictured below are some of the more interesting images he uses in his presentations.

According to Doten, the U.S. Secret Service estimates that annual losses from ATM fraud totaled about $1 billion in 2008, or about $350,000 each day. Card skimming, where the fraudster affixes a bogus card reader on top of the real reader, accounts for more than 80 percent of ATM fraud, Doten said.

ATM Skimmers, Part II

I already own a Wilson cell phone amp (part of my pile of ham radio gear)… but they may become extinct soon…

Its like iTunes (and will work with iTunes) to sync any device with your media.

DoubleTwist

Here’s a video of Mark Roth from this year TED conference – Mark talks about how suspended animation is very real and will be here soon for humans.

I’m excited!

Sadly, I agree… except, the last line in his article… I think TED is done too. 🙁

The Interactive portion of the conference drew over 12,000 attendees this year, and the rumor going round is this is the first year that Interactive has more badge-holders than Music. But the same rumor went around last year, and who cares, Music’s still got all the wrist-banders too. Burning Man gets bigger every year, but it’s (reportedly) pretty much as cool as ever. What’s different at this year’s SXSWi?

SXSW Interactive Is Dead

Posted by richardyoo on Natuba

I really enjoyed watching this… these LEGO builders are SERIOUS (and apparently all from Washington state):

AFOL A Blocumentary from AFOL on Vimeo.

Posted by richardyoo on Natuba

Posted by richardyoo on Natuba

Posted by richardyoo on Natuba

Posted by richardyoo on Natuba

Posted by richardyoo on Natuba

Posted by richardyoo on Natuba

Channel 4 in San Antonio did a little video about things to do in Houston…

Posted by richardyoo on Natuba

Posted by richardyoo on Natuba

I was fascinated with this antenna design when I saw it at a local ham radio meeting… I love how you can roll it up for travel…

This antenna evolved during my search for a beam with a really great front-to-back ratio to use in hidden transmitter hunts. This design exhibits a very clean pattern and is perfect for RDF use. It trades a bit of forward gain in exchange for a very deep notch in the pattern toward the rear. (You could optimize the design for more forward gain, but at the expense of a really good notch in the pattern toward the rear.) It is a design that can be constructed using only simple hand tools (no machine shop needed) and still perform well. It has been duplicated several dozen times by other local hams and has been successfully used as a club construction project.

TAPE MEASURE BEAM OPTIMIZED FOR RADIO DIRECTION FINDING

Posted by richardyoo on Natuba

Too smart for our own good… 🙂

Evolutionary psychologist Satoshi Kanazawa at the the London School of Economics and Political Science correlated data on these behaviors with IQ from a large national U.S. sample and found that, on average, people who identified as liberal and atheist had higher IQs. This applied also to sexual exclusivity in men, but not in women. The findings will be published in the March 2010 issue of Social Psychology Quarterly.

Liberalism, atheism, male sexual exclusivity linked to IQ

Apparently I set up my treadmill-desk just in the nick of time!

It doesn’t matter if you go running every morning, or you’re a regular at the gym. If you spend most of the rest of the day sitting — in your car, your office chair, on your sofa at home — you are putting yourself at increased risk of obesity, diabetes, heart disease, a variety of cancers and an early death. In other words, irrespective of whether you exercise vigorously, sitting for long periods is bad for you.

Stand Up While You Read This!