Author: Gary Rice

Hard disk recovery

Today I got asked if I can recover files off of a hard disk that was FKD. I’m always up for a challenge and do like to do things that others can’t.

So I got the disk and run my tools on it, some knackered sectors increasing the scan time to 45 hours! Geez really? I do not want to leave it running for that long! But it soon sped up and finished after about 4.5 hours.

It then took another 2 hours to recover the data off onto another hard disk, not made any quicker by the fact that it was 10 years old and USB 1! To top it off it contained a lifetime of memories for the person, so needless to say I was relieved and happy when I managed to get pretty much all of it back for them.

Wine that homos drink!?!?

You couldn’t make this shit up! I done Matraco a favour by fixing his pc that was infected with loads of dodgy shit, one being the Cryptowall 3 virus.

I do not know what the hell happened, but for some unknown reason none of his documents were encrypted. Maybe it was because there was loads of other crapware / shit ware / fag ware on there to clog up the system? Maybe it had too many spring onions or marrows on it, or maybe it was because he was using plastic gloves to type? Either was he is one lucky SOAB.

So, to say thank you for saving his life, he bought me some alcoholic beverages. Not just any alcoholic beverages. It was special alcoholic beverages. Apparently it was, and I quote `wine that homos drink`??? What the fucking hell?!?

That specific aside, I shall enjoy said alcoholic beverages, as its not often that TAB splashes his cash on anything other than marrows.

Cheers Matraco

Rex gets a second camera

Today I installed the second IP Camera in with Rex. As she is in a bigger vivarium now one camera doesn’t cover it.

As per normal with trying to fit things into places where they normally don’t go it was a hell of a job. I had to bodge a circuit board on a metal bracket held on with Velcro fixings!

For the love of god, why is nothing ever bloody simple?

At least they are in and working wirelessly, I just need to get some connectors and make up a longer cable so I can mount the main circuit board on the back of the viv.

Have a look at Rex and the second camera at http://www.rexcam.co.uk

Rex has a new vivarium

Today was the day that me and H moved Rex into her new vivarium.

It was also the day that I changed the god awful Axis IP Camera in with her to something that was a lot better and cheaper! You would think that an expensive make of IP Camera such as Axis would be top quality, but as I found out I was wrong.
So, like Yodacam, I purchased some cheap IP Cameras – Tenvis Mini319w. Yodacam`s Orite IP Cameras have lasted well over 10 years with no problems, except 1 blown power supply. Hopefully the Mini319w IP Cameras will last just as well.

After spending ages taking the Mini319w apart and fixing it to a custom bracket in the top of Rex`s new vivarium, it was ready to go. As it is wireless it saved on adding more structured cabling or extra switches to my network infrastructure!

Along with new IP camera was a new moss hut and hide as Rex has out grown her current ones.

We left her to explore for a few hours and then fed her a large rat as it was feeding time. That was pounced on and swallowed with no problems.

Rex`s new vivarium
Rex`s new vivarium

Rex`s new vivarium
Rex`s new vivarium

Rex`s new vivarium
Rex`s new vivarium

Rex`s new vivarium
Rex`s new vivarium

This new vivarium should see her for a good few years and with the addition of a few branches and decoration we hope to see her doing a bit more.

The New Year

Another New Year is here

A couple of things that I intend to do this year, not resolutions as such, more of a get my arse in gear…

I need to do things as they arrive. I have a habit of getting things to do, taking a look and then leaving it for a bit. Before I know it a week as gone and I have forgotten all about them.

I need to stop being distracted while I am doing said above things. The trouble with having computer work to do, you can bring up a second internet window on a second screen and go looking for something else……

Find a way to get the most out of what free time I have as it seems to disappear very quick. Not sure I can do that but I need to try something to get a bit of my life back.

Respond to messages when I get them, which I do for a few people but most of the messages I get arrive when I am at work and I can’t always respond and I end up forgetting about them.

I’ve also decided to go a bit healthier. I have given up chocolate again and am going to try and cut down on the amount of crap that I eat. You know a biscuit (or similar) while sat at my desk, or while walking across campus, or while in the server room, or while drinking a cup of tea or coffee, or just generally eating some crap. As I have decommissioned and shelved dadfat, I need to follow that up with a no going back message.

Lets see how all that goes!

Spectrum Vega

Today I was informed by the Nudger that there was a new version of the classic Spectrum being released, the Spectrum Vega

The spectrum was the first computer that I got that I programmed. I used to spend hours sat on, I think I did more programming than I played games.

So, when I read the article on the Spectrum Vega, I had to contribute towards it. Not really spending much money on myself I decided to spend £100 and get one of the first 1000 Spectrum Vega`s to be produced.

Not due for shipment until April 2015, I have some time to wait, but I can use that to search for extra games, as if 1000 isn’t enough, and see if I can get my RoyBot Compiler off of CF disk and onto a SD card along with my Sam Fox Strip Poker that is on tape. Those were the days……

The NUDGER virus

Today I came across a new virus, one that I have called `The NUDGER virus`

From what I can make out it is pretty much harmless, but does deliver a payload that is bound to annoy and wind up the victim. It only effects USB storage devices that are plugged into the system by changing the Volume name to that of the virus name.

Its source is listed below.

## Nudger Virus
## V0.0.2.1
##
## The NUDGER rules

define USB_INSERTED = 106 ##1101010
define N_label = `NUDGER`

regsiter_hook(USB_INSERTED, DO_NUDGER(USB_Drive_ID))

function DO_NUDGER(USB_Drive_ID)
 {
 if (USB_Drive_ID.volume != N_label)
  {
  USB_Drive_ID.volume = N_label  
  }
 }

It obviously doesn`t do much, except annoy the hell out of people by changing the volume name of the attached USB storage device.

Goodbye dadfat.com

I am saying goodbye to another domain name today, dadfat.com!

Dadfat.com was the drunken brain child of Smokey and myself while out with the munters in Cambridge one evening. We planned to do lots of things with it, so I spent a few months writing the site and released it to the world and all the fat dads out there.

Money then got tight and I had to stop the hosting, but I kept the front page up as a reminder that it could be back at some stage.

Sadly now that will not be happening as I have no real time to write/develop another website and no real spare money to waste on hosting and domain name renewals 🙁

dadfat.com will always be with me 🙂 and I have enjoyed it while it lasted…….

RIP dadfat.com 23/09/2007 – 23/09/2014

yodacam is 10 years old

10 years ago today I launched Yodacam.

Starting off as a bit of a laugh, I added an IP camera in with Yoda, so I could see him from work and see what he was up to. I then decided to add another camera as he was always in the wrong place.

After a drunken discussion with a friend, I went and bought yodacam.co.uk and published him to the world!

After a few years of monitoring for availability I purchased yodacam.com for him.

Yoda has since moved house with us, and gained a new home, which is now on the back of our house in our conservatory, built around a window so that we can see him as we go up and down the stairs. I added a third IP camera in with him as there was more space and more to see.
The 3 original IP cameras are still in with him, I am somewhat amazed that they are still going given the amount of heat they have to endure.

Yoda is now around 18 years old, we got him in February 1997 when he was a few months old, hopefully he will be online for a good few years to come.