Monthly Archives: November 2007

Bored

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Listening to Radiohead (not my choice). Finished doing some telework via-RDP. Sitting here, cold, with want to post something cool on my blog, but I dont have anything cool to post.

So, Ill just post this instead. Maybe there’s a snack in the kitchen…

Ultimate PC Technician’s Toolkit

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Here is my dream toolkit. Throw suggestions into the comments, if you wanna.

EDIT: 11/26 – Added Floppy and CD Drive Cleaning kits to the list…

NOTES:

  • This does not include replacement parts because I do not count those as tools, and parts specifications change too frequently for me to personally warrant carrying “inventory”.
  • Yeah, I know I could buy the hand tools a-la-cart, but I’m too lazy.

Carry Cases, etc.

  • 32 Disc Case for discs
  • Quick Release for pen drive on keychain
  • Carry Case(s) for everything. (A combo case that holds everything, including the laptop is sweet!)
    • http://www.justtoolkits.com/casessoft.html
    • http://www.plattcases.com/
    • http://www.mbelectronics.com/view.aspx?id=388
    • http://www.lanshack.com/acblanasp/stores/1/Technicians-Tool-Cases-Carts-C104.aspx

Accessories

  • (1) Compressed Air
  • Data Cables: (2) 80/IDE Cables | (2) SATA Cables | (1) Floppy Cable
  • Power Cables: (1) Standard Power Cable | (1) Molex Y-Splitter | (1) Molex-SATA Converter
  • Small Bag RJ-45 ends and Phone Ends
  • (4) ea. RJ-45 and RJ-11 Keystones
  • (4) Wall Plates | (4) Wall Mount Boxes w/Keystone
  • (3) 10’ Pre-Made network cables
  • Anti-Static Bags
  • Heatsink Compound – http://www.arcticsilver.com/ceramique.htm
  • (1) Superglue
  • (1) Partitioned screw case w/ coarse/fine screws, MB headers, plastic nubs, etc.
  • (1) DVI-VGA Adapter
  • (1) ATX12V Power Supply Tester – http://www.antec.com/us/productDetails.php?ProdID=77203
  • Plastic Pry Tools – http://www.apscell.com/prytoolb.html
  • (1) Sharpie Marker
  • (1) Brother PT-65 Label Maker
  • (1)300w In-Car Power Inverter
  • Zip Ties

Hand Tools

  • (1) FT812 Toolkit (just Google FT812)
  • (1) Torx Driver Set w/T9 – http://www.goldmine-elec-products.com/prodinfo.asp?number=G15628
  • (1) Power Screwdriver with Magnetic Phillips and Slotted heads
  • (1) Small Flashlight – http://www.streamlight.com/product/product.aspx?pid=52
  • (1) Ethernet Cable Tester – http://www.cablestogo.com/product.asp?cat%5Fid=1409&sku=13138
  • (1) Network/Phone Crimper – http://www.cablestogo.com/product.asp?cat%5Fid=1403&sku=04622
  • (1) Gerber Multi-Tool – http://www.gerbergear.com/product.php?model=7530
  • (1) Solder Sucker – http://www.cablestogo.com/product.asp?cat%5Fid=1413&sku=27444
  • (1) Cheap Digital multi-meter to test DC Voltage and Continuity – http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2103174&cp=&sr=1&origkw=multimeter&kw=multimeter&parentPage=search
  • Floppy and CD Drive Cleaning Kits

Hardware Tools

  • (1) laptop with DVDRW/USB/802.11/Serial/Parallel/Ethernet
  • (1) USB to IDE Adapter – http://www.cablesunlimited.com/products/Prod_Individual3.aspx?groupcode=I3523
  • (1) 2.5” to 3.5” IDE Adapter- http://www.cablesunlimited.com/products/Prod_Individual3.aspx?groupcode=I0644
  • (1) USB Ethernet Adapter
  • (1) USB External Hard Drive, if you want.
  • (1) USB MicroMouse

Software Tools

  • Diagnostic Pen Drive
    • 2GB or larger USB Pen Drive
    • http://www.dailycupoftech.com/usb-drive-systems/3/ – Incredible tools!
    • Malware Tools
      • ComboFix
      • HijackThis 2.0
      • SpyBot 1.5
      • RustockB Fix
      • SmitFraud Fix
      • SpyAxe Remover
    • Generic Tools
      • All Windows Service Packs – 2K-SP4,XP-SP3,2K-3SP2,Vista-SP1,98-ServicePack
      • BootVis (eh, why not?)
      • WCPUID
      • Norton Ghost for DOS and Windows
      • Partition Magic
      • NetStumbler – http://www.netstumbler.com/downloads/
    • Software Packages
      • WinRar 3.80
      • Internet Explorer 6 and 7
      • PrimoPDF and FoxitPDF Reader
      • OpenOffice
      • Cabs for 9x OSes
    • Diagnostic Tools
      • Dial-A-Fix – http://wiki.djlizard.net/Dial-a-fix
      • IEFix – http://windowsxp.mvps.org/IEFIX.htm
      • Win Debug Tools
        • Symbols: SRV*c:\websymbols*http://msdl.microsoft.com/download/symbols
      • Windows Support Tools
      • Windows Resource Kit Tools
      • Msicuu2.exe
      • Mail PassView – http://www.nirsoft.net/utils/mailpv.html
      • A litany of small .REG and .BAT tools to fix specific issues
      • Any Alternate Data Streams tool
      • LSPFix – http://cexx.org/lspfix.htm
      • WinsockFix (VB WinsockFix by Option^Explicit Software Solutions)
      • XP TCP Repair Tool (http://www.xp-smoker.com/)
      • Magical Jelly Bean Keyfinder – http://www.magicaljellybean.com/
      • RNAV 2003
    • Other Stuph
      • Drivers, Windows Updates that take too long to download, anything you feel is indispensable
  • CDs and other Disks
    • Diagnostic Boot CD
      • Contains most essential of the Pen Drive items above (Cabs, Tools, Ghost)
      • Is El-Torrito bootable to DOS
    • Windows Installation Disks
      • Win2k Pro/Server Disks, Win2k3 Server Disks, WinXP Home/Pro OEM, Retail, Upgrade, Corp Disks, Vista All-In-One DVD
    • Ultimate Boot CD – http://www.ultimatebootcd.com/
    • Ophcrack LiveCD – http://sourceforge.net/projects/ophcrack
    • Offline NT Password & Registry Editor – http://home.eunet.no/pnordahl/ntpasswd/
    • Bart PEBuilder CD – http://www.nu2.nu/pebuilder/
    • Ubuntu LiveCD – http://www.ubuntu.com/

Oberlin’s Weird Architecture

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I recently took a trip up north and passed through Oberlin, Ohio, home of Oberlin College. Right downtown they have the weirdest buidling, the Oberlin College Hall Auditorium. It was designed and built around 1950, and looks it. Here’s a picture:

Oberlin 1

The design is so awful and it makes me think of so many other things besides a building: the exhaust ports of some sort of sci-fi space ship, a high-intensity cold war radar waveguide, a Bose Wave radio, among others. However, I think the “photoshop” job below sums it up nicely.

Oberlin 2

It just screams “Eisenhower Era Rest Stop”, doesn’t it?

Musings on Lego

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I always thought I was good at Lego. But, I really have huge barriers to cross before I get really good.

I have a bad habit of building in the traditional manner, by stacking bricks one on top of another. That really doesn’t lend to good design, I have found.

Take a look at this and this. These people really know what they are doing. Real outside-the-box thinkers…

I may have to rethink my entire Nova Carrier design from scratch. Its all good. Every time I redesign it, it just gets better. We shall see.

Photographs

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I took some photos today with a really nice camera. It’s just a bunch of random things around the house and yard. I took over 130 shots, but some weren’t’ that great, so here’s the ones I think are really nice.

Note in the comments if you like any of them…

Photos for 11/10/2007