Galaxy S III bug bypasses lock screen, allowing access to personal data on Home Screen

http://bit.ly/Yd4P4C

The lock screen on your phone may not be doing a good job of keeping intruders out. A new bug has been found on the Galaxy S III that can let users bypass the lock screen and access phone data that resides on the home screen.

This issue also affects the Galaxy Note II.

Bought Samsung Galaxy Note II

I finally got the chance to replace my aging HTC Thunderbolt.

The Thunderbolt was actually fine until Verizon pushed a 4.0 firmware update (without my knowledge and without prompting me first...if I'd have known, I'd have done some research and postponed the update).

The update caused issues.  ICS is designed for multi-core CPUs.  The T-bolt is single-core.  After the update, I noticed serious lag in response times when clicking on objects.  2-3 seconds of lag, in some cases. I decided to restore back to the factory settings and wipe the microSD card of data.  Even after doing that, there was still lag (although not as much...but it was much more random).  As well, the battery was draining more quickly than it used to...power consumption was already kinda bad without adding ICS.  Sometimes the phone would shut down with little warning.  At first, I thought it was a system crash, but began to notice that the battery was dead, even when showing at least 50% power.  I don't know if the battery needed to be replaced, but I wasn't about to buy a new one when I was close to being eligible for an upgrade.

So, I was due for an upgrade.  The window of the upgrade would open on 3/9.  I'd been researching the last 4-5 months and had set my eye on two phones:

Samsung Galaxy SIII
Samsung Galaxy Note II

For those that don't know, both of these phones share the same hardware.  The Note II is bigger, though.   The SIII has a 4.8" screen and the Note II has a 5.5" screen.  The SIII is sold in a 16GB version and 32GB version.  The Note is only sold as a 16GB version.

I decided multiple times on the SIII 16GB version (I'd add my 32GB microSD to expand the storage), but I kept going back to the Note II and changing my mind.

**Another thing (treat this as a warning):  do not get these phones from Verizon.  They're a lot more expensive than 3rd party vendors such as Radio Shack and Best Buy.  As of 3/5/2013, both Best Buy and Radio Shack sold both SIII versions (the 16GB version for $99 and the other version for $199 -- Verizon sold the 16GB version for $199, AND Verizon only sold the 16GB version).  Both of those stores also sold the Note II for $199, whereas Verizon sold it for $299.  No-brainer for me...do not buy from Verizon.

So, I decided to get the Note II.  I wanted a traditional color, so I got the gray one.  I got it yesterday afternoon.

First, it is a BIG phone.  It is big, but I love the size of the screen.  The extra space is an asset.  It is also highly configurable.  I thought I liked ICS on the Thunderbolt (it was nice...it was just that it appears that ICS didn't like the phone's hardware)...  My Note II is running v4.1.1 (stock ROM, which I'm happy with).

I haven't found anything that I dislike about the phone so far, and I'll looking hard.

I got a case for it as well, the Platinum Series Kickstand Case.  At first, I wanted the Samsung flip case, but I read reviews that said that they're not durable.  The case that I got is pretty hardcore, but it is hard to remove the bottom portion...not a problem until you have to install or remove the microSD card or battery.

As well, the battery capacity is outstanding.  I can probably go 24 hours without recharging the battery, with heavy usage.  Wireless reception is very good.  4G reception still needs to be tested (I only have average reception when I'm at home, due to the distance of the tower from the house), but I shouldn't have a problem with that.

All my apps work fine on this phone (I've a crapload of apps, both free and paid).

The camera is outstanding.  The screen renders colors the way that most Samsung products do...extremely well.

All I have to do now is get insurance coverage, as I've read that it's a fragile phone.  I'll cancel my T-bolt coverage and add the Note II instead.

Overall, I'm very happy with this phone.  I'll be studying up on its capabilities by joining web forums that cater to this make and model.

I may donate the T-bolt, but may play with it to experiment with ROMs.  I'll have to get another microSD card before I do that, though.  At this point I should probably just donate it, because, really, my older iPhones are more capable than the T-bolt.  I liked the T-bolt but it got old rather quickly (was already an old phone when I first got it).

** I'm referencing US-spec models.

Thrustmaster T16000M and Windows 8

They don't mix.  I'm trying to fly planes in BF3 again and I didn't have this issue with Windows 7, but within Windows 8, I don't have full rudder control, even if I configure it within BF3.

I've downloaded these (2009_FFD_2.exe...based on the naming convention, these are rather old...Thrustmaster, fix this shit, please) drivers from Thrustmaster's support pages.  We'll see if that helps.

EDIT:  Yes, the drivers got the rudder to work.  BUT!  The drivers also appear to be causing some weird issues.  For example, whenever I get into a chopper, I occasionally hear my primary weapon being fired (ie, a sniper rifle, for example).  Also, once I exit the chopper, I can't sprint or reload a clip...the buttons will not work.  I experimented a bit, trying to determine where the issue lied until I realized that the joystick was the factor...when I disconnected the joystick, I found that I could sprint again, and reload a magazine.  the sniper firing while piloting a vehicle has stopped.  I captured footage of this happening.  It's a shame, because I was planning on practicing the upcoming DLC release of End Game.  I do not want to have to adapt to flying via mouse...screw that!  So, count this as a rather major negative in migrating to Windows 8...this did not occur with Windows 7.  Sure, this probably isn't the fault of Microsoft and is more than likely a Thrustmaster driver issue (that I'll report), but it ruins the experience of Windows 8 regardless.

iPhone Lockscreen Can Be Bypassed With New iOS 6.1 trick

And here we go again...

http://www.theverge.com/2013/2/14/3987830/ios-6-1-security-flaw-lets-anyone-make-calls-from-your-iphone

A security flaw in Apple's iOS 6.1 lets anyone bypass your iPhone password lock and access your phone app, view or modify contacts, check your voicemail, and look through your photos (by attempting to add a photo to a contact).

Something very similar happened with iOS 4.2 (see the article for a reference link).

The article also includes video footage of the flaw being taken advantage of.

Logitech G700

I forgot to mention that I got a new mouse a few weeks ago.  The TactX was acting wonky (apparently, the mouse cable tends to wear over time).  I was a bit pissed, since I spent a good deal of money on that mouse.  It works very well, but I expected it to last much longer.  That was the first wired mouse I've owned in awhile, but this time I went back to the tried-and-true wireless mouse.

I bought a Logitech G700, a gaming mouse.  And it is badass.   It has a replaceable battery and can be charged while using it (via USB cable).  It has profiles and has adjustable on-the-fly sensitivity settings.  It has this tactile material where your thumb sits that offers nice feedback/grip.  It has a ton of buttons.  It is heavy, as well, but there's nothing wrong with that.

Loving it so far.

I explain more about it here.

Alienware: Upgraded to Windows 8 Pro

Last month, I saw several posted articles mentioning MS selling upgrades for Windows 8 Pro for $40 ($39.99, actually).  I bit.  Why?  Because it was a good price for an upgrade and if I found I didn't like Windows 8, I could always go back to Windows 7 with little money spent.

The install wasn't bad and wasn't the best either.  Since this was an upgrade and it is typically best to use a fresh install, I opted to restore my system back to factory configuration.  I did not want any issues with programs that I'd installed in Windows 7 not working in Windows 8.  The factory configuration wouldn't negate this but the factory configuration doesn't have as much installed either.  So, I whipped out my special flash drive with the copy of the factory image and installed.  I then immediately installed Windows 8 from flash drive as well (to speed up the install).  It was rather cumbersome and long, even via flash drive, but it installed flawlessly.

Afterward, I checked to see what wasn't running against the listing of what Windows 8 had flagged that might not work.  Alien Respawn wasn't working.  I'll have to get a Win8-specific copy of that and install it.  Everything else worked.

I then installed my free copy of Windows 8 Media Center.  When I entered the product key, it conflicted with the product key for Windows 8 Pro, which I thought was odd.  Many people were complaining of the same issue and there were some solutions but none worked for me.  Apparently, the system didn't like being upgraded then immediately having Media Center added.  So, I had to call the automated Microsoft number listed in System Information (I believe...I'll check that and correct myself if I'm wrong).  I called the number and followed the instructions.  I had to key in 8 or 9 five-digit codes via phone keypad, then the automated system read back 8 or 9 five-digit codes that I keyed into the config window.  After I did that, the system properly registered!

I did NOT like Metro.  I know there's a way to remove it, but I'm now getting used to it and I think it is oddly intuitive.  I'll keep using it for now.  What I also like is the Windows 7 shell...I can fall back to that when I feel the need.  Chrome only works within the Windows 7 shell, which I don't like, but it's not a huge deal.

The system appears to be quite a deal quicker, but I've never benchmarked Windows 7 on this system and haven't benchmarked Windows 8 either.  Note that I'm not using an SSD (I'm running two 750GB drives in RAID0).  SSD will not help me all that much...it's not going to make my gameplay any faster (only upload faster, but really, that's nota huge deal for me).  One day, I'll go the SSD route, but I want lots of drive space and SSDs aren't cutting it in that department yet.

So, I'm keeping Windows 8 for now.  I may even reinstall it just to get a pristine image of it captured onto flash drive (backup copy).

Apple Disables Java

http://slackfiles.blogspot.com/2013/01/apple-disables-java.html

Posted on my security blog, but since this applies to Apple, I decided to link that blog entry here.

iMac Repair, Part II

Reference http://whitemacbook.blogspot.com/2012/08/imac-repaired.html.

So, not long after I got a replacement drive installed in my iMac, Apple sent me an e-mail stating there was a recall on the drives of certain iMacs.  WTF.  They replaced the drive then want to replace it again???  It means I'll have to pack up and haul the damned thing back to the Apple store again.  That was a pain in the ass last time and it'll be a pain in the ass again.  The iMac is working fine now, but eventually I will have to commit to participating in the recall.  :(

I'll have to research on how to restore using Time Machine, since I lost my backups after the last repair (the damned thing wiped out my backups to backup a fresh hard drive!).

White iPad Mini

I'm the new owner of a white iPad Mini.  It is the wifi-only version and is 64GB in capacity.

This replaces my 32GB 1G iPad (full-sized).  That unit is now my son's (on loan...if he misbehaves, I will take it back and sell it).

I'll be reviewing the Mini when time permits.

I still use the following, as well:

• iPod Classic 30GB - car jukebox, since it has lots of space.
• iPhone 3GS 32GB - car jukebox, since it also has bluetooth.
• White Macbook Core Duo - I still use it ocassionally, although it has been replaced by my Alienware M17x R3.
• iMac 27" - I use this when I really need screen real estate...but the Alienware is faster and I use it more often than the iMac. I use it as an additional screen as well, specifically when playing BF3.

My daughters got iPad Mini (wifi-only, 16GB models, one white and one black), as well.

Then, my wife went a bit crazy.  She initially bought the girls their Minis.  I saw them and played with them, then decided I might want one.  She ordered me one but the order didn't go through properly, so it was cancelled...it was also white when I wanted black.  She ordered a black 32GB and then changed her mind and decided to get another that was 64GB, with plans on returning the 32GB model.  Well, a few days before Christmas, she presented them to me both as early presents.  I was to pick one of them.  The only thing was, she couldn't find a black 64GB...they only had white.  I was expecting a black one but not expecting her to get a 64GB version.  I opted for the 64GB version, even though it was white.  I also mentioned to her that the 32GB unit was actually marked as 16GB...they shipped her the wrong one.  She pannicked, because the receipt stated she purchased a 32GB unit and she thought they'd reject her claim.  She called them and it took awhile for them to process the RMA...in the meantime, they sent her the proper unit, so that when she returned them, it would be less of an issue.  So she has two extra iPads (that need to be returned).  I got a headache when trying to track all that!  :)

Currently, I'm trying to back up my 1G iPad and iPod Classic.  This is difficult, as the iPad is now backing up to iCloud and I've to determine how to generate a local backup without duplicating music/vids/books.  As well, iPads and iPhones always want to back up from iTunes.  That's a problem, because my iMac's hard drive had to be replaced by Apple and I lost all my data (and Time Machine backups).  I think I did a write-up a few years ago on how to restore data from the iPhone back into iTunes...I just need to find it.

EDIT ---

So, I found the write-up:  http://whitemacbook.blogspot.com/2008/05/itunes-issues.html

There's a problem, though.  I've over 1500 tracks that need to be backed up.  Senuti will only back up 1000 tracks, unless you purchase a license.  I didn't want to have to fork over $20 for this, especially since I've only used this program twice in 4+ years.  I'll look at other options listed in my write-up and purchase a Senuti license as a last resort.  Another issue is that Windows will NOT sync my iPod Classic since it is running a Macintosh OS...I'd have to wipe the drive before I can use it in Windows, so I've no choice but to use my iMac (not a problem in itself, but that means I can't use SharePod, since it's a Windows-only app.

EDIT 2 ---

Oh shit...there are methods of doing this from the terminal!!  I'm done...no need to purchase Senuti or any other program, if I'm reading the directions correctly...gonna give the following a shot:

**from http://guides.macrumors.com/Recovering_Songs_from_an_iPod**

===

The iPod songs are hidden away on your iPod in an invisible folder, ie one that the Finder won't display normally. It is possible to let the Finder display hidden files as outlined in this guide or with 3rd Party Software. Otherwise you can follow the below instructions.

All songs are stored in this location:

/Volumes/[YouriPodName]/iPod_Control/Music

In this folder are a number of folders usually labelled from F00 to F49 or higher. The songs are actually stored in these folders with obscure names that are usually not relevant to the song.

To copy these songs using the Terminal, follow these steps:

1. Launch Terminal which is located at /Applications/Utilities/Terminal
2. Type in (replacing [YouriPodName] with the name of your iPod)

   cd /Volumes/[YouriPodName]/iPod_Control

3. To copy the music to your Desktop, type in

   rsync -r Music ~/Desktop

4. Once the rsync command has completed, drag the Music folder on your Desktop onto the iTunes icon on the Dock or in Finder
5. Wait while iTunes imports all the songs

Notes:

• This method does not recover your playlists, ratings or play count.
• If you use the standard copy command "cp", it will copy the special hidden flag and not allow you to see the folder in the Finder.
• This method does not work for the iPhone or iPod Touch, as they do not have "disk mode".

[edit]

===

I'll confirm if this works, but I'm already within the Music/ directory within the command-line interface.

EDIT 3 ---

Yep!  Worked!  Backing up the files and storing onto my backup drive.  Will also transfer the files from this system to my Alienware, so I can put them on my Mini.

Verizon Mifi

I mentioned earlier that I've a few new toys.  One of them is a Verizon Mifi.  I got the 890L, which is the black top and red bottom device.

I went to get a new holster for my phone...mine had recently broken.  While at the Verizon shop, the salesman looked at my account and offered me a plan refinement, which I took.  The adjustment allowed me to purchase a Mifi...in fact, I cut off $50 when adjusting the plan (employee discount helped a ton there), then I used the $50 to get the Mifi.  I also got a $50 rebate, so really, I got the Mifi for free.

It uses my current data allocation and I can use it when I go on vacation when there's no internet.  I can tether my iPod to it, or my iPad.  My wife can tie her Kindles to it.  My daughter can tether her Nook to it.  I've warned them to not stream videos and music when tethered to the Mifi, though...I don't want them using all my bandwidth.  I can also use it for work when I'm traveling on business (or if I need to do some emergency work while on vacation).  I can use it to access the internet using my iPad when I'm at autocross meets, too, which I actually welcome.  I can tether up to 10 devices to it.

The Mifi is extremely easy to tether to.  I gave it a test run while at work, tethering it to my iPad since I can't get a wifi connection from my cube.  It worked quite well.

I also can use my existing Verizon phone's charge cable to charge it (basically, it can use any micro-usb charging cable).  I've no idea how long of a charge it has and how long it can keep a charge with a tethered device connected to it (without the Mifi charging).  We'll eventually find out, although I do NOT want to hit my bandwidth limit.

Another thing:  I can update my data plan to 4GB if I have to, for only $20.  I'm on the 2GB plan now, and my data usage trend is 1GB/month on the average, so if I find I'm toeing the limit, I'll get a notice on my phone, then if I have to, I'll either stop using the Mifi for that month or upgrade to the 4GB plan.

I'll keep you informed of my Mifi usage and the positives and negative.

iMovie and GoPro

So, I got me a new toy (several, actually):  a GoPro Hero 2 HD Motorsports Edition.

I've been getting some driving footage during my commutes to/from work, just to get a feel for how to use the GoPro.  I got about a bit over an hour of footage and only wanted to collect up the footage of my car's exhaust (Subaru Impreza STI).

I tried to use VirtualDub on the Alienware, but VirtualDub doesn't like the .mp4 format that the GoPro utilizes.  I tried to use VideoPad, but and it's conversion tool (converting it to .mpeg) but Windows Media Player doesn't like the conversion.  So, I tried using the tools on my Macbook...bad move.  For one, the Macbook seems to be seriously under-powered when it comes to video editing.  My Macbook also doesn't come with iMovie (using Snow Leopard...the max OS X version it can utilize, which doesn't come with iMovie).  What's funny is that the wife's Macbook DOES have iMovie, and is an actual C2D system, while my Macbook is just a Core Duo system, which came in the first generation Macbooks.  So, next I tried my iMac.  I found that it had iMovie (it is running Mountain Lion).  It also did not bog in the least when it came to creating the montage I had in mind.  It was much easier to use than VirtualDub, as the interface is decently intuitive.

It took awhile to get the video footage from the SD card of my GoPro to the iMac, though...the files were rather large (recorded in 1080p at 30fps), so I went to bed while the files were transferring.  The next day, after work, I began to edit the files, which didn't take all that long.  I took about 8.5 minutes worth of clips and consolidated them, putting in the transitions I wanted.  I then finalized my project at 1080p/30fps, which took about 3 hours to do (went to bed while it was finalizing).  The next day, I reviewed the final product and it was very nice.

I uploaded it to YouTube.  It is here. While it is not raw, there is no music (I wanted to capture the that boxer rumble), as well as no annotations or text comments.  There's no title either.  I'll experiment with all of this sometime soon.

I'll be messing with iMovie a lot more when I get more footage, as I plan to use the GoPro when I have autocross meets and when I ride the motorcycle.  Maybe I'll play with VirtualDub and VideoPad a bit more, but I'm thinking iMovie is the best of the three tools...I do want to try to use the Alienware to edit videos, though, especially when/if I'm not home.  The laptop is my strongest system, so it may just outperform the iMac when using iMovie.

Now, let me tell you about this particular GoPro.

It is NICE!  I bought some accessories with it:  16GB SD card, as well as 2 extra batteries and a wall charger.  The Motorsports Edition comes with a bunch of accessories as well.  It comes with a suction cup mount, which has several bendable joints, including where the camera attaches to it.  It comes with several more permanent mount points (straight and curved) that you can stick to almost anything.  It comes with a back plate that allows sound into the protective case (the standard back plate makes the case water-proof, though).  There's a charging cable that I can use to connect to a computer to download the pictures from the camera, instead of removing the SD card.  That same cable will also charge the battery within 4 hours (provided the camera isn't currently being used).

The camera can take pictures, can be adjusted to take, for example, a picture every second or every 5 seconds (for time lapse vids)...up to a picture every 60 seconds.  It has various HD video configurations or can take VGA video.  It can do up to 60fps with certain HD video settings.  I believe it can take up to 11 megapixel pictures.  The max size of SD card allowed is 16GB.  I can take up to 4 hours of video footage, depending on how I'm using the camera.

The suction cup mount can be used on my motorcycle's fuel tank (that's about the only place it can go, since I've no fairings, although I could mount it on the tail of the bike, if need be).  The tank might be the best mount place, since I've seen much bike video footage that has a LOT of wind noise.  I can purchase several mounting accessories for motorcyling, too (helmet mount or chest-mount straps).

About the only thing I'm worried about is if the suction cup fails if I decide to mount the camera outside the car.  I'm thinking of fashioning a tether, but I don't want a huge dent in my car's aluminum, either.  I'm gonna have to think this through.

I really can't wait to test this thing out some more, but I'm going to have to wait about a month before I can do autocross footage.

iMac Repaired

I got my iMac back last Thursday, but was unable to do anything more than pick it up from the Apple Store, since I had to immediately go on bereavement leave.  I got back home today and I've just now finished installing Mountain Lion.  It is NICE!

Yes, my hard disk had to be replaced, but I've verified that S.M.A.R.T. isn't showing errors.  I'm now installing patches and will go through Time Machine to determine what I wanted restored to the drive...this'll be a week-long process.

So, stay tuned for whining and praises of Mountain Lion!

iMac showing SMART failure

Wow...this is the second time in a row where I'm having drive issues with my Mac.  The firs time, it was my Macbook, where the drive outright failed.  This time, it is my iMac.

I purchased Mountain Lion two days ago.  I began to download it last night to install on my iMac and during the install process, I was asked to select where to install ML, so I selected the main drive.  A pop-up appeared stating there were errors on the drive and that failure was imminent.  It would not let me install.

So, I've made an appointment to the local (if you want to call it that) Genius Bar, for tomorrow morning.  I've to pack up the 27" iMac and tote it to the Genius Bar.  That's going to be a bit of a PITA.  Then I'm probably going to be told that they'll have my iMac for a week or so...let's not hope I have to go through the same situation as my last visit.

Now, this problem is rampant on the Apple.com forums, as well as MacRumors.com.  Many people were blaming Lion, but some people were running Snow Leopard when this occurred.  I don't believe it is any Mac OS version, but something isn't quite right here.  Many people were affected by this.  The culprit is either a bad batch of drives, which Apple has a "recall" on (my system didn't qualify for this recall...weird), or a cooling issue that is adversely affecting hard drives, as many have complained that their systems are running excessively hot.  Many people have also stated that OS X is becoming smart enough to actually correctly assess imminent drive failure (whereas the previous OSs were not able to do this consistently).  That only partially explains the large amount of drive failure complaints...what's causing the failures?

Another thing:  I have no idea how long my machine has been showing "fail" as a SMART status.  You'd think the user/admin would be prompted somehow that there's an issue related to drive failure.  I wasn't made aware until I tried to install v10.8.  An admin shouldn't have to check the SMART status daily, weekly, or even monthly.  Really...this is 2012 and an OS should somehow convey (proactively) the nature of such a status.

I've Time Machine, so I've a backup.

Legacy Macbook Woes

I got the Macbook back in 2006, I believe.  It's pre-C2D and apparently doesn't support 64-bit OSs.  My wife's computer is C2D (mine is Core Duo), so her CPU is 64-bit...the motherboard probably doesn't support 64-bit, though.  I'd try to install Lion on it but she'd kill me.  It took her awhile to get used to Snow Leopard when I upgraded it without her consent (LOL).

So....

http://www.glitch.com/forum/general/11684/#reply-122479:

"The issue I experience with this is that I have one of the first intel core duo macs. This means that the max memory it can handle is 2 gigs. This means that the mac cannot handle running 10.6 even though it has 64-bit capable processors. This means that my mac is stuck at 10.5.8 until it breaks and I am forced to buy a new iMac (a few thousand dollars I do not want to spend until I have to since the iMac still does everything that I need it to). This is not a huge deal for me since I have 2 Windows machines and 1 Linux machine that run Glitch perfectly, but if anyone else has this issue and therefore is unable to use Flash 11, please post here so the devs have a better idea of usage statistics and can make a decision as to wether or not it is worth dedicating resources to allow people to play the game with Flash 10 with the caveat that it may not work right."

Yeah, I'm pretty much stuck in the same situation as the above, although a reply to the above hinted at a workaround:

http://www.glitch.com/forum/general/11684/#reply-122489:

Landar, first off your Mac will run *better* under 10.6 than 10.5, with the same hardware you have right now. I've done that with MacBooks and iMacs of that generation.
Second, almost all the C2D Macs can actually handle 3-and-a-bit gig (it's the usual Intel motherboard limitations) or even four, look up your system at www.everymac.com/systems/by... and click through to the details page.

So, there may be hope after all.  I'll need to look into this.

DriveImage XML

Did a backup of my M17X last night using DriveImage XML.  It was simple to execute.  So now, I've a fresh copy of Windows 7 on my recovery partition, a copy of that with some apps installed stored to a memory stick, and now I've a copy of the C: as it is right now.  At some point, I need to do a drive-for-drive image, but I don't want to have to buy another backup drive (and a big one at that)...a drive-for-drive image will be copying used and unused space...all 1.5 TB of it...or am I wrong?

What I really want is an extra copy of the restore partition, so I can burn it to CD and put it somewhere safe.  DriveImage XML won't even let me see the recovery partition, although native tools such as diskmagn (the default Windows disk management system) sees the partition.

Now I need to take that backup that ran last night, and place it on the MBL backup drive.  :)

Installing a Couple of Flight Sims

Installing Wings over Vietnam and Strike Fighters Project 1...older games, I know, but I want to start using my simulator games on the Alienware system.  I'll get Strike Fighters 2 next payday and maybe install Blackshark and A10C sometime this week, also.

EDIT:

Installed both but I believe that Wings over Vietnam is the successor to SFP1, so I'm going to remove SFP1.  Played some last night and I enjoyed myself.  Went to ThirdWire's website and downloaded the patches and installed without a hitch.  One problem, though, is that the game continues to use my integrated graphics card instead of my dedicated 580M.  Not that it matters with this game, though, since it is older and this system is so powerful.  I tooled with the game's settings as well as the Nvidia control panel and could not get the game to use the 580M.

Miscellaneous...

So, I'm finding out that the M17xR3 is bulky enough to where I don't want to carry it around from one part of the house to another, so I've still been using my Macbook (when I'm lazy).  Been using it a lot to pay bills, IRC (##slackware), and web browse.

So, one day, I unplug it and go to another room to help my wife with a project and notice that the battery icon is still showing 100% after not being plugged into AC power for about an hour.  I click the icon and it states that I'll be needing another battery soon.  COME ON!  First I run into the limited hard drive space, now I'm going to need a new battery?  GRRR...  Might be time to retire it.  Granted, this battery has been stellar since the original was replaced...it IS about time for a replacement, I guess.  And, it could do with more than 80GB of drive space.  So, it looks like I might be refreshing both sometime this year.  Maybe July/August, if I can hold off.

About the M17xR3.  I've decided to subscribe to Carbonite as a backup utility.  I was using Dropbox but didn't want to pay for the extra space (using the free account...and no, I'm not going to hawk Dropbox to my friends to get extra space).  Carbonite has no limit on backup spacing, but is tied to one PC.  It also won't backup the OS or applications, but will backup everything else.  I purchase the HomePlus version of Carbonite and it has a drive mirror option, but requires a dedicated local drive to mirror the drive...BUT...I'm using two drives in RAID0 format (stock configuration), which HomePlus won't support.

I'm also using DriveImage XML and plan to perform a whole disk backup (as soon as I figure out where to store the image...it should be pretty big).  I will also need to back up the restore partition.  I do have a clean image backed up to USB drive (using Alien Respawn), but it is a copy of the drive without most of my apps, which is a good start, I guess.

I've been gaming a lot from my dining and living room (via wifi connection), playing L4D2 and BF3.  The Killer wireless card is awesome, as I've noticed NO lag or connectivity issues.  I'm loving the fact that Killer prioritizes the packets associated with gaming...that may be why I'm seeing no connection issues.  I do notice that it takes BF3 longer to load (which I was attributing to my RAID0 setup), but most of my clanmates are experiencing the same issue, and they're using standalone hard disks.  The load issue wasn't present before the last BF3 patch, so I'm thinking the issue is related to that.

I'm having issues with using my iMac as a second screen now.  Not a real issue, but for some reason when I try to get BF3 to show on the 27" screen, Windows 7 keeps placing the gaming window on the M17x monitor instead.  I didn't have this problem initially, so I wonder why W7 is doing this.

I began to use my G930 wireless headset with the M17x and it is awesome.  I still need to get the headset set up so that W7 detects that it is in use and uses the headset by default when it is plugged into the Alienware system (I have to manually go into the sound settings to enable it).  I don't remember having this issue with my Turtlebay headset, but want to use my G930 since it sounds soooo much better than the Turtlebay.

I've been hitting on max disk space usage on my Mac (80GB drive). Wondering if it's worth upgrading the drive to something bigger, but I don't really use this machine anymore.  I mean, I do, but it's not a primary machine anymore...it has been replaced by my Alienware M17xR3, but I use the Macbook when I feel the Alienware is too bulky (there ARE times that the bigger machine is inappropriate).  I deleted 465 files from the Downloads directory (for browser)...freed up maybe a gig of space. Will be downloading Disk Inventory X to see if there are any extremely big files that need to go.

Update -- Oh yeah, Disk Inventory X is a Mac port of WinDirStat, by the way.

Update -- Freed up 6 more gigs of data. Found that I had some TomTom files that I didn't need (upgrade files).  I've quite a bit of music also...I might need to archive it or move it to the iMac (got 1.5TB in that one).

Got my mini-DisplayPort Cable!

I ordered a mini-DisplayPort cable this weekend.  The idea was to be able to use my iMac screen as additional screen real estate, so that I can game on a big screen (like 17" isn't enough...it's plenty but more is always better).

So, the cable arrived today.

Results:

All I need to figure out now is to how to configure BF3 sound to be heard in the headset (vs the iMac speakers).  Also, there's an issue where game sounds (on the iMac) lower or mute...the OS is apparently turning down the sound automatically.  It wasn't doing this when playing BF3 through the M17x audio and display.  I'll figure it out later.

Also, as a note, only the mini-DisplayPort cable will work (or a DisplayPort cable with mini DisplayPort adapters).  The main cable has to be DisplayPort...HDMI will not work.  This solution will also not work for Thunderbolt Macs.  My iMac is pre-Thunderbolt.

I'll be going to OBX for vacation next week.  I plan to take the M17x so I can occasionally play BF3 or other Origin/Steam games.  We'll see how that goes, especially since I don't know what type of internet connectivity we'll be provided.

M17x R3 Has Arrived

  

  

My M17x R3 has been delivered!

It was delivered 3/20/2013, late in the evening, around 7:45PM (rather late, but that's another story).

I cracked it open but decided not to capture the box-opening on video...there are FAR too many videos of this on the internet as it is.  Once you've seen one, you've basically seen them all.

Anyways, this is a large notebook, especially since I've been using a 13" Macbook almost exclusively.  This notebook positively dwarfs the tiny Macbook in size as well as weight (this notebook weighs at LEAST 10lbs).

The screen is awesome.  It's on par with my iMac's screen for brightness and clarity.  I'll certainly test both, as I plan to use the iMac screen when gaming on the M17x via a mini-DisplayPort-to-mini-DisplayPort cable.  I played BF3 several times over the weekend using the new notebook and my KDR went up at least on percentage point (it has been dropping in the last six months).  I primarily use the sniper class and noticed that I can aim and shoot quicker on this system, so I decided to use the engineer class last night.  This is something I usually don't use, unless I anticipate having to fix vehicles.  I used that class in Operation Metro, which usually has me dying left and right.  I used the AKS-74u.  In 8 minutes of gameplay using that class and that weapon, I raised my engineer score by several thousand and killed without mercy...checking BFStats.com, I found that my accuracy with that weapon went up 1.14% with that gaming session alone...unbelievable.  And with the M40A5, my accuracy went up 1.87% just with last night's few hours of play.  A large part of this is probably due to the video card in this system.  I also played some BF3 on my AMD 6-core system and noticed immediate differences in clarity.  I still have to install Fraps onto the M17x but I'm positive that the 580M is outgunning the ATI 5600-series card in my desktop system.  I've seen this before, when moving up from an Nvidia 7500 to a 9500...my gameplay kill scores skyrocketed due to pure FPS increase.  This means I might consider upgrading the vidcard in my desktop (again...when will it end????).  And we'll see if things get even better when I push the video to the 27" iMac screen...

I find I don't play as well if I have to use the notebook's keyboard (I bought the TacX keyboard for use with this notebook).  The TacX keyboard and mouse are awesome!  I play better with this keyboard because I'm used to the external keyboard layout when I game.  I have to have the arrow keys when gaming (I'm not a fan of WASD and never have been...been gaming since FPS became prevalent), as well as the upper row between the numpad and QWERTY keys.  I *might* try to adapt to the laptop's keyboard...we'll see.

I've installed only a few apps, such as Norton 360 and Norton Management, Origin, TeamSpeak, WinDirStat, HWINFO64, Chrome, BF3, and one or two others.

Temperature-wise, the 580M has been good, so far.  There are quite a few complaints of throttling due to heat on the NotebookReview.com forums, but the highest I've seen so far is 59C when playing BF3.  *knock on wood*

I've a few desktop gadgets running:  CPU usage, GPU meter, drives meter, and network meter.  When I installed Norton, it installed it's own desktop gadget, which I'll tolerate since it should keep me situationally aware.

I haven't noticed any issues with the notebook so far, which is good, since Dell's support appears to be rather shakey (from what I've gathered on the forums, as well as the pains I went through to even get the notebook delivered).

One last note.  The RAID 0.  It's getting a rather low WEI rating, due solely to the performance (or lack thereof) of the RAID 0 setup.  Now, I've not noticed anything abnormally slow with the drive writing and reading at all.  WEI has been massively sensationalized...the system runs good regardless of the low rating.  I don't need an SSD at this moment in time...really.  Many people are pushing for SSD, but it won't do much but help the OS start and shut down a few seconds quicker.  It might help game loading a bit, but not really much.  Besides, SSDs are REALLY expensive and to afford one, I'd have to buy a small one and shift my games back and forth between a platter drive and the SSD...not conventional at all and certainly not convenient to have to micromanage the notebook in such a manner.  No thanks...it's not for me.