Category: Computers

Use Epoch Time in SOAPUI as a unique value

Want SOAPUI to insert epoch time into your request to be used as a unique value when the request is submitted? Use the following string in your SOAP request and epoch time will be inserted in its place!

${= System.currentTimeMillis() }

Sony Removes PS3 “Other OS” Functionality

The latest version of the PS3 OS, 3.21 removes the ability to install another operating system, like Linux, for use on the PS3.

From the Playstation 3 Web site :

“o not update the system software if you want to keep using the [Install Other OS] and [Default System] features. If you choose to continue using another operating system, the following features will no longer be available:

The ability to sign in to PlayStation®Network
The ability to use online features that require you to sign in to PlayStation®Network, such as chat.
The ability to use the online features of PlayStation®3 format software
Playback of PlayStation®3 format software or Blu-ray Disc videos that require PS3™ system software version 3.21 or later
Playback of copyright-protected videos that are stored on a media server (when DTCP-IP is enabled under (Settings) > (System Settings) > [Enable DTCP-IP])
Use of new features and improvements that are available on PS3™ system software 3.21 or later”

This really angers me. I had planned to try out Ubuntu on the PS3 for the fun of it, and now I won’t get the chance unless I want to essentially turn my PS3 into a paperweight by keeping the older OS version. I paid for that functionality. What gives them the right to disable something I paid for? It’d be like buying a car and then having your air conditioning disabled on purpose by the dealership while you were having maintenance performed. Can you see a car dealership saying, “Oh yeah, we removed your AC because we don’t want to support that feature anymore.” It’s ridiculous.

Make a VM of a Real Machine Using Disk2vhd

Ever wanted to clone a windows machine, and run it as a VM? Well, Disk2vhd is the answer.

“Disk2vhd is a utility that creates VHD (Virtual Hard Disk – Microsoft’s Virtual Machine disk format) versions of physical disks for use in Microsoft Virtual PC or Microsoft Hyper-V virtual machines (VMs).”

In order simplify my home office, I made a snapshot of one of my Windows machines, and now run it on my Mac using VirtualBox. Saves physical space, and keeps me from having to use that Dell I hate.

OpenNMS – Configuring RRD Graph for SNMP Informant

I struggled to create a report in the snmp-graph.properties file to show Logical Disk Percent Idle, but after some tinkering I got it to work. Here’s how the report looks in the file…

report.sinf.peridletm.name=Logical Disk Percent Idle (SNMP-Inf)
report.sinf.peridletm.columns=sinfLDskPctIdleTm
report.sinf.peridletm.type=sinfLDskInstance
report.sinf.peridletm.propertiesValues=sinfLDskInstance
report.sinf.peridletm.command=–title=”Logical Disk {sinfLDskInstance} Percent Idle (SNMP-Informant)” \
DEF:utilization={rrd1}:sinfLDskPctIdleTm:AVERAGE \
DEF:minUtilization={rrd1}:sinfLDskPctIdleTm:MIN \
DEF:maxUtilization={rrd1}:sinfLDskPctIdleTm:MAX \
LINE2:utilization#ff0000:”% idle.” \
GPRINT:utilization:AVERAGE:”Avg \\: %10.2lf %s” \
GPRINT:utilization:MIN:”Min \\: %10.2lf %s” \
GPRINT:utilization:MAX:”Max \\: %10.2lf %s\\n”

Make sure to put the name of the report in the top of the file. (In this case the name of the report is “peridletm”.

Worst Apple Products List – Reasoning Misses the Mark

PCAuthority.com.au did a piece on the worst Apple products ever, and while I don’t necessarily disagree with the Apple devices that made their list, I found much of their reasoning unsound.

For example :

In regard to the “Color Classic”…

“It could be argued that this system forced Apple to rethink building screens into systems. Sure it looks very good but it increases the overall cost of the system and limits users to a particular view. Built-in screens made sense at the start of the computing age but they have thankfully gone the way of the dinosaurs.”

Have they not heard of the G3 iMac, or the G4 iMac, or the eMac? Or how about the new iMacs? They all have built-in screens. What “way of the dinosaurs” are they talking about?

Or how about in regard to the QuickTake, Apple’s old-school digital camera?

“In hindsight, we can say that computer companies make for lousy digital camera vendors. The high-end brands we see in the market today are almost all companies that made old-fashioned film cameras…”

What about Sony? They make some of the best digital cameras. And, Kodak – one of the oldest camera companies in the world, makes terrible digital cameras. I think they’re over-simplifying here.

The article has got some great pictures, and takes you back to the crappier era of computing though, so I suggest you check it out.

Article asks “Are Ad Servers Slowing Down the Web?”

In a word, yes. Yes they are.

Slashdot excerpt and link to full article HERE.

Microsoft Opens First Store

Microsoft opened it’s first Apple Store ripoff today in Scottsdale, Arizona. I still don’t know what they plan to sell there that I can’t just get at a Best Buy. I also don’t know who the people in this video are cheering to, or who the line of people walking in are. I seriously doubt they’re actual customers. I don’t know anyone who loves Microsoft enough to actually stand in line for a Microsoft store opening, let alone cheer about it. My guess is that the people in the video are employees, employee family members, and PR firm staff.