Technology

Better things coming soon. . .

Posted by Kenneth Ristau on April 23, 2009
Posted in: Causes, Food, Photos, Site News, Technology. Tagged: , , , , .

I’ve got a couple of ideas boiling in my head, building up pressure. I’ll be letting them out on this site over the next month or so. In the mean time, here are some updates on older posts.

  • 420 Picture Of The Day# is up to 23 pics.
  • CIALUG meeting minutes for April are missing ‘cause there wasn’t much discussed.
  • For Good Places to Eat in the Des Moines Area add Daddy O’s to the list. Close to my home, and they have Yam Fries! Yummy!
  • Tip: Catching up on podcasts at 2x speed works, but only if you don’t get too far behind. Had to perform some triage on my back log of podcasts this week.
  • SomaFM donation required me to sign up again for PayPal. UGH. Guess that just shows how much I like SomaFM, right?

Favorites: Google Reader

Posted by Kenneth Ristau on April 3, 2009
Posted in: Technology. Tagged: , .

I have to admit, I wasn’t too hot on the idea of RSS feeds when they were first introduced. I was in the habit of visiting each of my favorite Web sites each day to see if they had updated. Early on, I tried a few RSS feed readers and browser plug-ins. I wasn’t impressed.

That all changed about a year ago when I started adding those sites’ RSS feeds into Google Reader. As of today, I subscribe to a total of 18 feeds. I like the fact that is Web-based and not a plugin because I can access my feeds from just about any browser or computer (and I do get around in that regard).

I’m sure most of the other feed readers I tried have improved a lot since I last gave them a go, but I’m happy with Google Reader, and I’m sticking with it.

March 2009 CIALUG Meeting

Posted by Kenneth Ristau on March 19, 2009
Posted in: Linux, Technology. Tagged: , , , , , .

Zimbra Open Source Collaboration Suite

Presented by Rich Harms

Intro

  • Zimbra is more than just a simple mail server. It is a full collaboration suite.
  • Web browser client and offline client are extremely similar.
  • Supports IMAP and POP3 clients. Outlook, Thunderbird and the like.
  • Shared Calendars, document spaces and such not only within the company but with external users as well.
  • Powerful built-in search features.* Wiki-like document features.
  • Spamassassin and virus scanning built in.
  • Built on several other Open Source projects.
  • Zimlets scripting language for administrative and feature add-ons.
  • ZMProv utility for scripting admin tasks.
  • Import utility for pulling in Exchange data (licensed).

Installation from scratch

  • CentOS 5.2 virtual machine for the demo.
  • Download the OSE edition as a tgz file.
  • Run the included installer shell script which walks you through the install.
    • Install script is text-based, and starts out with some questions.
    • After the interview, it unpacks the RPMs, installs them and configures itself.
    • After it unpacks and installs, there are a few more questions, then completes the install.
    • At this point, you should have a basic running configuration.

Administrative Interface

  • Accessible via https://{siteurl}:7071/zimbraAdmin
  • Domains are pretty easy to set up, just a few steps configures all the services on the back end.
  • User setups are pretty easy. Password is not required, but you can’t log in with a null password!
  • Resources have their own management section.
  • Class of Service controls what features that client sees and can access.
  • Built-in IM server which uses the Jabber protocol.
  • Full control over what themes are available on the webmail interface.
  • Domains can be configured to be hosted on a specific server (clustering features).
  • Can also use the Zimbra server for LDAP authentication on your network to provide authentication for users on workstations.

Good Things

  • Lots of Zimlets, or plug-ins to add features. Some which are available are Bugzilla integration, Asterisk integration, WebEx integration, etc.
  • Good statistics gathering and reporting interface.
  • Some basic Exchange integration is built in to the Open Source version. The more advanced features require licensing, though.
  • Rich search features for building custom searches for Admin accounts, locked out accounts, inactives, etc.
  • Client can pull e-mail from multiple servers such as Gmail, Yahoo, mail-enabled PBX, etc.
  • Works with smartphones such as the Iphone (via IMAPS).
  • Two-month “try before you buy” license is available for the non-OS version.

Complaints

  • Web interface sometimes truncates HTML messages.
  • Most, but not all PCI requirements can be met within the configuration. Logging login failures is a bit wonky, so hard to bring into compliance.
  • User training can be tricky. Recommend leaving all unnecessary features disabled and only enable them as needed.
  • Non-core Zimlets require manual updating. No package management system for them.
  • Large mailboxes (10+ GB) can cause issues requiring more server-side RAM.
  • Be sure to install cron on your server! Zimbra will happily re-import logs, which it expects to be rotated by cron.
  • Backup management is missing from the OS version, but present in the licensed version.
  • Missing the Assigned Tasks feature Outlook/Exchange users are used to.
  • Exchange import wizard did not import recurring calendar appointments.

Favorite Internet Radio: SomaFM

Posted by Kenneth Ristau on March 11, 2009
Posted in: Causes, Technology. Tagged: , , , , , .

SomaFM has been streaming audio live on the Internet since 1995. I discovered them around 1997-1999 and have been listening off and on since then.

They have several channels, but I tend to listen to either Secret Agent or Groove Salad. They also have Techno, Rock, Lounge and several other styles available. They stream each station at several quality levels, so even if you have a lower bandwidth connection you can enjoy their broadcast.

They really, really need help. If you’ve listened to SomaFM in the past, please consider donating to them. If you’ve never listened to them, please give them a try. If you find yourself listening to them more and more like I did, please support them!

Podcast Favorites: Coverville!

Posted by Kenneth Ristau on February 24, 2009
Posted in: Causes, Technology. Tagged: , , , .

Sitting here wondering what I’m going to write for this blog next when it hits me (in my ears) — Coverville!

Even though I don’t listen to every single episode of this excellent podcast, I’m going to put it at the top of my list as my favorite. How is that possible? Brian Ibbott pumps out several 40+ minute podcasts each week. With such a prolific output, I just can’t keep up!

I will confess that I skip some episodes simply because I’m not in to the particular artist or artists being featured. That is not, however, a Bad Thing. In fact, I would call it a good thing for you, my reader. It means that Brian does a good job of “covering” various styles and genres of music — virtually guaranteeing you will be able to find an episode you really dig.

As I write this, I’m listening to episode #553! I encourage you to search through this extensive catalog — every single episode is still available.

The Electric Vehicle “Range Problem”

Posted by Kenneth Ristau on February 15, 2009
Posted in: Technology, Writings. Tagged: , , .

The Idea
Nothing radical here, really. I simply propose that electric vehicles be designed around a standard “battery sled” to be mounted on the bottom of all electric vehicles. This sled would be quickly interchangeable with a new sled at stations along the highways.

The Business Model
The model would be the same as the propane tank exchange which is common here in America. The spent sled you drop off at a station would either be recharged on site (best) or shipped to a charging facility. The vendor would be responsible for charging and refurbishing the sleds.

The Mechanics
A sled station would be similar to a car wash. You’d pull in to a bay and pay for your new sled at the entrance. You would then pull on to a track, place your drivetrain in neutral and power down. The track would pull your vehicle forward through two stations inside the bay. The first station would remove the spent sled and the second station would place a new sled on your vehicle. As you exit, you would simply power up your vehicle and drive off.

The vendor would service and recharge the spent sled using renewable energy sources such as solar or wind generation. They could utilize specialized fast-charge equipment capable of charging sleds much faster than your own, home-charging system.

At home, you would have a home charging system capable of overnight charging for day-to-day driving. For most of your short-range commuter travel, you would simply recharge the same sled over and over again. This sort of charging may also be offered at each parking space around town and billed via a parking meter system.

Problem Solved, Sort Of
The main thing holding back wide spread adoption of electric-only vehicles, in my opinion, is the long charging times required after your batteries run out. Gasoline and diesel are convenient sources of energy because you can fill up your tank in a matter of minutes and drive another 200 to 400 miles. With current electric vehicle technology, you can drive about 200 miles before you have to stop and charge for 8 or more hours. That makes long trips impractical.

The replaceable battery sled is the only way to get the same level of convenience as a gasoline or diesel vehicle in an electric-only one. Now the only problem is implementation. Which comes first, the sled or the station? In reality, you need both at the same time and in enough numbers to make the solution practical.

If only I were a billionaire. . .

Open Projects Group?

Posted by Kenneth Ristau on January 15, 2009
Posted in: Technology, Writings. Tagged: , , .

I had a funny idea the other day. Inspired by Make Magazine, Systm, Prototype This! and other sources, I thought it might be fun to organize a group of fellow geeks and hackers to work on various projects. I got as far as coming up with the following, very rough plan for organizing such a group:

  • Projects could be hardware, software, mechanical, practical, artistic, whimsical, or whatever.
  • All members would meet quarterly to brainstorm new projects, collaborate on current projects and help move stalled projects forward.
  • Members would split into project groups revolving around active projects. Each project group would determine how frequently they meet to progress their project.
  • There would be an annual project fair for presenting completed projects. This would be the deadline for completing projects. Projects presented at this event would be considered closed.

I have a few project ideas on which I’ve never acted. It would be nice to get a group together to help motivate me to take action on these ideas and provide some peer pressure to keep me focused on moving them forward. An Open Projects Group would provide this, I think.

Trouble is, I’ve got to find the motivation to move this idea forward. . .

PayPal/eBay troubles

Posted by Kenneth Ristau on December 24, 2008
Posted in: Technology, Writings. Tagged: , , , , .

Awhile back, I sold and purchased a few items via eBay and PayPal. OK, a long while back — before they merged, in fact. So I’ve had accounts on both systems for a long time which I have rarely used since their creation. To the point where I had almost forgotten I had them, really.

Recently I received a payment to my PayPal account from a random user. WTF? Before I could take any action, I also started getting direct e-mail messages from the buyer and seller accusing me of being a criminal. I didn’t want to deal with this, and I didn’t want to become a victim of fraud myself, so I dusted off my PayPal login to make everything right.

But PayPal wouldn’t let me make it right. Because the buyer had filed a claim against me I was unable to refund their money. Again, WTF? I tried to cancel my account. Again, because of the unresolved dispute, I was unable to do that. Huh? Thank You PayPal.

Unable to make it right myself, I decided to let the dispute run its course so I could then cancel the account. Wrong choice. I started to get additional payments from other buyers. Fortunately, I kept on top of the new payments and was able to cancel them immediately.

The seller had apparently given my e-mail address in several of their eBay auctions, so the buyers were unintentionally sending me their money. This could have been an honest mistake on the seller’s part, as our e-mail addresses are very close in spelling. With my refunds, I was able to include a note. I stated that the buyers should contact the seller immediately because of the incorrect e-mail address. That seemed to put an end to the harassing e-mail messages accusing me of criminal activity.

I was not thrilled about the prospect of checking this account multiple times a day until the dispute was resolved so I could cancel any new transactions, hoping I did not receive any more disputes in the interim. My only recourse was to call PayPal directly and request they make it right. That should be easy, right?

I called PayPal support and got through to a live person by hitting zero through the menus because none of the options really fit my situation. After explaining the details of my predicament, I was told that I would have to wait for the dispute to end before I could log back in to the Web site to cancel my account. I put my foot down. I demanded that the account be canceled immediately and that all money be returned immediately. I explained that I wanted to avoid the very likely situation where I continued to receive payments and disputes to the point that I would never be able to cancel the account myself. That’s why I was calling, so I wanted resolution now.

After being placed on hold for about 2-3 minutes, I was then told that the account had a $10 positive balance and it would take up to 180 days for me to receive my check. I advised them I did not care about the $10, just please cancel my account and make sure I receive no more payments. I explained that I did not want to log in to this account again. I wanted it canceled, disabled and defunct NOW. I was told this would be done within the next hour.

The very next day, yet another rogue payment showed up on my PayPal account. Yeah, they did not cancel my account after the phone call despite my explicit request and their assurance that this would happen. It was still in the same state as it was prior to my calling, except that the dispute had been resolved. That, at least, allowed me to log in, cancel the last rogue payment, then start the cancellation process. Oh yes, there was a process.

Since I still had that $10 positive balance, and I did not have payment information on file (thank goodness, lest the account get compromised), I had to give them a valid CC number or bank account in order to close the account. I understand they wanted to make sure to identify me as the owner of the account, but for $10? There should have been an option to disable the account and forfeit the balance, but there wasn’t.

To make sure I minimized my risk, I used my credit card’s online account number generator to generate a one-time account number to give PayPal so I could cancel my account. I put a dollar limit on that account number of $10, and an expiration of 2 months. I was then, finally, able to cancel my account. Whew.

The moral of this little tale? If you have any accounts on systems which take or make payments and you have let those accounts languish, stop reading this entry now and go cancel them. I mean it. I’ll wait for you to get back. Do it right now.

There, are you done? Good. Unless you plan on actively using these services, it is a good idea to not sign up for them in the first place. I thought, at the time, I was going to become a small-time eBay seller. I had various electronic items I was going to sell and I did sell a few things at first. After a time, however, I found it was more trouble than it was worth for me. My only mistake was keeping these accounts around “just in case” I needed them in the future.

Coda: a couple of days after canceling my PayPal account, I received an e-mail stating that someone was trying to send me a payment. It stated I should sign up for a PayPal account so I could receive it. No Thank You PayPal. I’ll pass.

Web site favorite: APOD

Posted by Kenneth Ristau on November 26, 2008
Posted in: Technology, Writings. Tagged: , , .

The Astronomy Picture Of the Day Web site literally digs into the vast archives of astronomy-related imagery and selects one photo to present every day. In addition to providing awesome desktop backgrounds, there is a small paragraph with each photo explaining exactly what you are seeing and providing links which let you dig deeper into the concepts behind the photo.

While I don’t select every day’s photo to add to my background collection, I do take the time to read the descriptions of every photo presented. I keep up to date by using their RSS feed.