Want: a virtual USB DVD-ROM implemented in hardware
Dear Lazywebs,
I’d like a hardware device which has a USB connection and SD card reader.
I want to copy an ISO file to the SD card, put the card in this mystery USB device, and have the USB device appear like a USB CD-ROM or DVD-ROM drive. And when I say “appear like”, I mean “indistinguishable from” – it would have the USB mass-storage device type of a CD-ROM or DVD-ROM drive. So the BIOS sees it as true optical removable media, and can boot from it. Whatever operating system I use would see it as true optical removable media.
Being more ambitious, I’d like to be able to put multiple ISOs onto the SD card. There would be a way of “ejecting” the fake drive and then selecting an alternative ISO to “close the fake drive tray”.
Yes, I know I could use something in Windows to mount the ISO as a virtual drive. I could use loopback devices in Linux to mount it too. But that’s not good enough – I can’t easily use it to install operating systems without doing bootloader stuff and other voodoo. And I can’t be arsed to do that.
I just want to copy the ISO to the SD card, and have it appear (to the USB host controller) like a real shiny physical CD.
Please, Lazywebs, make it possible.
Tags: help, idea, iso, lazywebs, usb
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Jan 12th, 2010
Skydiving – full of win
I made a few parachute jumps 15 years ago, and have wanted to start again ever since. So I took the plunge and booked an AFF course with Phil Curtis of Air Supply, who is based at BPS Langar in Nottinghamshire. I completed the ground-school and the first 7 levels (plus one retake) in two days. In October. In the UK.
The training from Phil was absolutely first class, and I was more than happy to provide a testimonial for his website. So if you’ve found this blog post while looking for an AFF instructor, there you go: I can’t recommend Phil highly enough. And, if you were in any doubt, the testimonials on his website are real – I’m the handsome chap with the blue ProTec helmet and pink goggles.
Here’s why Phil gets my thumbs up:
- Phil’s enormous skydiving experience
- his obvious love of the sport, and of teaching the sport
- full one-on-one attention from Phil himself
- business-like, professional, no-bull approach to the training
- very relaxed when not in the classroom, in the aircraft or in freefall
- helmet-mounted video of every dive (Phil’s helmet, of course!)
- and the Air Supply AFF course, believe it or not, is an absolute bargain: video included, BPA membership included, gear-hire for consolidation jumps included, and reasonable retake fees
So that’s it. A skydiver. And completely hooked. Who’d have thought it?
Tags: AFF, air supply, freefall, langar, nottinghamshire, phil curtis, skydiving
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Nov 30th, 2009
Dual-screen monitor problems with Ubuntu 9.10 (Karmic)
Problem: Could not get multiple monitors to work (one laptop screen, one external widescreen) with Ubuntu 9.10 (Karmic Koala)
Symptoms: Blank screen when turning off “mirror screens” mode.
Resolution: Disable or remove compiz. (System -> Preferences -> Appearance -> Visual Effects -> None)
Other Karmic annoyances…
Tags: compiz, dual screen, karmic, rant, ubuntu
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Oct 30th, 2009
Useful bookmarklets for iPhone
Over the past few weeks, I’ve come across a few useful bookmarklets which work great in Mobile Safari on the iPhone.
I can’t take any credit for writing these, but hope to be helpful by listing them in one place.
How to install
Open this page with mobile Safari and tap-and-hold on the bookmarklet hyperlinks below. Select “Copy” when the menu appears. Then bookmark a page (any page will do), giving it a name like “Scroll to bottom”. After storing the bookmark, edit it – the URL will now be editable where it wasn’t previously. Delete the original URL and paste in the bookmarklet code. Finally, remove the “http://” from the front. Save!
Scroll to bottom
How many times have you been reading a long webpage and accidentally hit the top bar in mobile Safari? Yes, it takes you to the top, but there’s no “go to bottom” shortcut. This will do just that. Copy me
Find in page
This provides a “find text in this webpage” feature. Copy me
View source
Yeah baby! Copy me
Tags: bookmarklet, hacking, iPhone, safari
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Oct 28th, 2009
Opening Google Earth files (kml, kmz) on an iPhone
Yes you can! But the kml/kmz file needs to be hosted online somewhere.
- find the URL of a kml/kmz file hosted somewhere on the internets. (I used this one hosted at dropzone.com)
- open the iPhone “Maps” application
- type the URL into the search bar and press [Search]
… and you’ll get something like this:
iPhone viewing kmz file
The Search autocomplete feature should help the next time you open the file – because it’ll remember the URL. Just type “http” and the URL should pop up underneath.
Tags: Google Earth, iPhone, kml, kmz
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Oct 9th, 2009
Aslockton station service improvements – confirmed?
East Midlands Trains produce a stakeholder newsletter, called “Impact”. The August edition is now available. It contains this gem:
Improvements for Aslockton
Another area set to benefit from our December
timetable improvements is Aslockton in
Nottinghamshire. The community at Aslockton will
see an additional eight train services a day from
December, providing a much improved service to
and from Nottingham.
Looking good for December 2009! :-)
Tags: east midlands trains, trains, transport
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Aug 26th, 2009
Building Society accounts for kids
The baby is now 3 months old, and needs a savings account – so I’ve had a wander through the web pages of most of the Building Societies in the UK to find the best deal.
Notes:
- All interest rates listed below, by chance, are variable
- All interest rates shown are gross (you’ll need to complete the R85 form)
- Some accounts have limitations on the postcodes of accountholders
- I didn’t consider accounts which had long limitations on withdrawals (such as “no account closure until the child’s 16th birthday)
- No guarantees about the completeness or accuracy of this list!
- There’s a complete list of Building Societies at the Building Societies Association website
The short answer
Earl Shilton BS
Acct: “Foundation” (leaflet)
2.25%
Annual interest, 3 withdrawals per year
Minimum: £250. Maximum: £12k
The long answer
Tags: building societies, kids, savings
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Aug 2nd, 2009
Larger, greener, quieter: Kurobox changes
320Gb just isn’t enough nowadays, for a machine-under-the-stairs packed full music in flac format, video and digital photos… so an upgrade was needed. And while the hard disk is being upgraded, I thought I’d help it spin down by putting the root filesystem on a USB stick.
Ingredients
1x Buffalo 8Gb Thumbkey
1x KURO-SATA (because the Kurobox HG only has a PATA controller)
1x Western Digital Green 1Tb hard disk
WD 1Tb hard disk, KURO-SATA and Buffalo Thumbkey
Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: hacking, storage
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Jul 28th, 2009
2009 Aslockton passenger survey results
Here’s the (belated) results of a completely unscientific passenger-count, conducted on Thursday 9th July.
Total number of passengers: 51 (compared with 92 last year)
Number of services: 13 (21 last year)
Passengers per train: 3.92 (4.38 last year)
There is still a very strong trend of people travelling to/from Nottingham, rather to/from Grantham:
Nottingham Grantham
Arriving from 22 1
Departing for 27 1
Total 49 2
I understand it’s likely that East Midlands Trains will provide a commuter service for people working in Grantham, from December 2009. If that’s confirmed, then we should be able to muster more than one return journey per day in that direction!
Tags: east midlands trains, survey, trains
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Jul 28th, 2009
A year since the Great Aslockton Passenger Count
It’s nearly a year since I spent the day counting people using trains to and from Aslockton station. So I’m doing it again, to get a very un-scientific view of the effects of the December 2008 service cuts.
It starts tomorrow morning at 05:28!
Tags: east midlands trains, survey, trains
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Jul 8th, 2009