The term ‘geek’, once used to label a circus freak, has morphed in meaning over the years. What was once an unusual profession transferred into a word indicating social awkwardness. As time has gone on, the word has yet again morphed to indicate a new type of individual: someone who is obsessive over one (or more) particular subjects, whether it be science, photography, electronics, computers, media, or any other field. A geek is one who isn’t satisfied knowing only the surface facts, but instead has a visceral desire to learn everything possible about a particular subject.

A techie geek is usually one who knows a little about everything, and is thus the person family and friends turn to whenever they have a question. If you’re that type of person and are looking for a few extra skills to pick up, or if you’re a newbie aiming to get a handhold on the honor that is geekhood, read on to find out what skills you need to know.
1. The Meaning of Technical Acronyms
# USB – Universal Serial Bus
# GPU – Graphics Processing Unit
# CPU – Central Processing Unit
# SATA – Serial ATA
# HTML – Hyper-text Markup Language
# HTTP – Hypertext Transfer Protocol
# FTP – File Transfer Protocol
# P2P – Person to Person data sharing
2. How to Reset RAM

If you rolled your eyes here, that is a good thing. If not, you have many things to learn, young padawan. It’s amazing how few people know how to do this. If you’re unsure, hit up the link below to find out how:

http://www.yousaytoo.com/sudjarwo/how-to-reset-ram-in-a-computer/29133

3. Identify Keyloggers

Internet cafes are the most likely place you’ll find them, followed by library, perhaps, and maybe even you own house if you’ve some unscrupulous friends/family. Identity theft groups warn about keyloggers and advocate checking out the keyboard yourself before continuing. Can you identify a keylogger, however, if one is plugged into the back of the system?

Here’s what one looks like:

Hit up this link for excellent info on keyloggers on public computers and how to protect yourself:
, http://www.ghacks.net/2007/06/28/how-to-defeat-most-keyloggers-on-public-computers/
4. Surf the Web Anonymously

We won’t make any assumptions about why you may need this particular skill, but the fact remains that every geek should know how to traverse the Internet with the highest amount of security possible.

Aside from the safest method–which is using a connection that is not yours–you will need the ultimate in proxies…Tor. Tor is an onion-routing system which makes it ‘impossible’ for someone to find out who you actually are.
5. Bypass a Computer Password on All Major Operating Systems

Obviously you shouldn’t use this to gain unlawful access to a computer. If you’re a geek, however, you’ll eventually end up in a situation where someone forgets their password, you acquire a machine with an operating system you cannot access, or similar situation.

See this tutorial for info on how to bypass the password on the three major operating systems: Windows, Mac, and Linux.

http://www.joetech.com/2009/01/29/how-to-crack-the-account-password-on-any-operating-system/

6. Find a Users IP Address on AIM

Knowing someones IP address is actually pretty useless in this case, but most people don’t realize that. If someone is harassing you via AIM and you can’t get them to stop, discovering their IP and sending it to them–with a nicely worded threat of law enforcement involvement should they not stop–is likely enough to send them scamping away with tail between legs.

http://www.elitehackers.info/forums/archive/index.php/t-2827.html

7. Hide a File Behind a JPEG

So you need a nice spot to hide your blackmail personal files. You could, of course, bury them deeply within a series of random, useless folders, but there’s always the chance of them being discovered. A password protected RAR is the best choice, but it’s a bit obvious despite the most boring title you could give it.

A sneaky person would hide the important file behind a completely random and boring family reunion photo, where no person in their right mind would shift through.

http://www.online-tech-tips.com/computer-tips/hide-file-in-picture/

8. Crack a Wifi Password

This is one of those things you don’t need to do (hopefully), but that you still need to know just for the sake of knowledge. A strong WPA password is very secure, but most people don’t want to bother learning a convoluted series of letters, numbers, and symbols, instead opting for random everyday words.

A good overall tutorial on wifi and cracking can be found here: http://docs.lucidinteractive.ca/index.php/Cracking_WEP_and_WPA_Wireless_Networks
9. Monitor Network Traffic

The Internet is a vast place with a bit of everything. Whether you’re curious about what your roommate is downloading, your kid is getting into, or any leeches living around you who’ve unscrupulously breached your wifi, knowing how to analyze network traffic is an invaluable skill.

Here is a list of dozens of network analyzers, as well as some general info to get you started: http://www.slac.stanford.edu/xorg/nmtf/nmtf-tools.html
10. Recover Master Boot Record

A virus or other problem can lead to an MBR error, which will make it impossible to access install. Many users would simply become frustrated and reinstall, but not you! Every geek should know how to recover the master book record.

Here is an excellent guide to get started: http://www.ntfs.com/mbr-damaged.htm
11. Retrieve Data off Hard Drive

There will come some point in your life when a hard drive craps out sans warning. It could be due to a number of reasons–physical damage, file corruption, etc. There are computer service centers that would be happy to extract the data for a (hefty) fee; a true geek would be the one working at center, not taking his or her drive there.

To find out how to retrieve data off a damaged hard drive, read here: http://laptoplogic.com/resources/5-ways-to-retrieve-data-off-a-crashed-hard-drive
12. Load Rockbox onto an MP3 Player

The firmware that comes on your average mp3 player is intended for those who are scared of advanced features; often, the only audio settings available are a few prearranged EQs. If you’re an audiophile–or simply frustrated with the lack of control over your music settings–Rockbox is the firmware for you. Open source and free, it can be installed on several different types of players and enables full control over what you listen to.

http://rockbox.org

13. Unbrick a Smartphone

No geek can resist the allure of flashing the newest beta firmware onto their shiny smartphone. The byproduct of that is sometimes a bricked phone, which would leave many sobbing into their pillow at night. To avoid rendering your $400 gadget into a door stopper, learn the fine art of unbricking and then flash away.

As the method used to fix a phone will vary, this is the best place to start looking for answers: http://www.howardforums.com/
14. Replace a Laptop Keyboard

Keyboards get gummy after awhile. If you use yours a lot (aka: all day), then you probably eat over it at some point. Crumbs get into the keys and things are sticking, and before you know it, you need a new keyboard.

http://www.refurbished-laptop-guide.com/how-to-remove-a-laptop-keyboard.html

15. Rip Streaming Videos

Streaming videos are officially in vogue. We’re not going to make any assumptions about what type of videos you are streaming and may want to keep, but no matter what it is, any geek could rip them while sipping a Red Bull and watching the latest episode of BSG.

Here’s a hint to get you started: http://applian.com/download-videos/
16. Strip Windows DRM

DRM is incredibly annoying. With many online stores now offering DRM-free mp3 audio files, it would seem it’s not as big of an issue as it used to be. That is not not the case, however, with all videos bearing a DRM as well as music of a higher-quality than MP3.

Stripping Windows DRM is not legal. If you’re a geek, your probably don’t care: http://undrm.info/remove-DRM-protection/FairUse4WM-freeware-DRM-removal-Windows-software-Strip-copy-protection-from-WMV-ASF-WMA-Windows-Media-Player.htm
17. Homebrew Hack Game Systems

Gaming consoles are notorious for having features you can’t use simply because the manufacturer decided to lock them down. As a geek, you can’t just be satisfied with the features they decided to give you. No, you have to crack that case open and take a peek inside. Every geek should know how to homebrew hack their system and unlock it’s full potential.
18. Find a Website IP Address Without Web/Command Prompt Access

Some school admins think they’re being sneaky when they lock down the command prompt and block all major IP search websites and block all the websites you actually want to visit. Of course, that is child’s play for any geek.

First, to get a new command prompt, open Notepad and type: command.com. Then, save as “cmd.bat”. You now have a command prompt.

Now, open the command prompt and type “ping http://www.website.com/” to find the IP address of that website.

Enter the website into the browser and you will officially have impressed all your friends.
19. Bypass School or Work Website Blocks

What is a horrific situation for an average computer user is a simple irritation for an everyday geek. To bypass a website block/filter, simply enter that websites IP address in instead of the actual site address.
20. Screw with Wifi Leeches

Nobody likes a wifi leech. At best, they’re simply using up your valuable bandwidth. At the worst–and far more likely, they’re stealing your identity and watching your activities. After watching your network and identifying the leech, use this trick to flip their browser upside down and let them know you don’t appreciate the intrusion.

http://tech.nocr.at/hacking-security/baffle-wifi-leeches-with-an-upside-down-ternet-2/

21. Hexadecimal and Binary Number Systems

Everyone knows the normal, everyday digit system used. It takes a special–possibly psychotic person–to also know hexadecimal and binary number systems.

Here is an excellent interactive tutorial on learning the two systems: http://www.wisc-online.com/objects/index_tj.asp?objID=DIG1102
22. How to Hot Wire a Car

If your family always turns to you any time their computer hiccups, their DVD player needs fixed, or their home security system doesn’t activate, it’s only a matter of time before someone asks you how to hot wire a car. Wouldn’t it be great to be able to answer them?

To learn this unique skill, read here: http://howto.wired.com/wiki/Hot_Wire_Your_Car
23. Increase Wifi Range

With so many small portable gadgets gaining more and more sophisticated web browsers, in addition to gaming systems like the PSP and DS, getting the most use out of your wifi is practically a geek necessity.

Here is a good guide on extending your wifi’s range: http://www.mavromatic.com/archives/000451
24. Carrying a Computer Cleaning Arsenal on Your USB Drive

A good geek prepares for their friends stupidity. No matter how many times you tell them to stop downloading porn, they keep doing it until their machine is so infected it can’t drag itself into a grave. An arsenal of portable malware cleaners, a portable task manager, anti-virus, etc, will make those impromptu purging sessions all the easier.
25. Running an Operating System from a USB Thumb Drive

Most people don’t even understand what the magical operating system is. As a geek, you should transcend that basic knowledge and have a small operating system on your thumb drive handy for those times you need computer access but don’t know the password to a nearby computer.

http://www.pendrivelinux.com/

26. Understand What “There’s no Place Like 127.0.0.1″ Means

A lot of geeks wear this shirt as a short hand code for their computer finesse–or maybe just to screw with other people who stare but cannot figure out what it means. No matter the reason, if you’d like an answer, check out the link below.

http://www.tech-faq.com/127.0.0.1.shtml

27. Read 1337 At Normal Speed

Sure, everyone knows about it and it’s no longer cool, but if you’re going to proclaim yourself as a geek, you should be able to read it full speed. Who wants to choke in front of the wannabe that learned to read it full speed and flaunts it in your face?

http://www.wikihow.com/Read-and-Write-in-1337

28. At Least One Fictional Language

And not only should you know a fictional language, but you should use it to say something about yourself. Do you choose Klingon or Quenya?

Here’s a list of constructed languages: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_constructed_languages
29. How to Survive in a Linux Argument

Linux is gaining an all around higher standing in the geeksphere, and it’s bound to enter a conversation at some point (which will invariably end up turning into an argument). If you want to keep up, you’ll need to understand the basic points of Linux, as well as the general info of all basic things.

Here’s a good place to read and gain a foothold: http://www.linux.com/articles/feature/
30. Identify Major Constellations

For those times you venture from the air-conditioned, computer filled basement of your parents house (or something like that), look up at the stars and have yourself a Galileo moment. The stars may just be dots to many people, but with the handy website below, you’ll be stopping man-belts and lions in no time.

http://www.sky-watch.com/astronomy-guide/major-constellations.html

31. Use a Camera in Manual Mode

Sure, you could just use auto mode like everyone else too afraid to learn what some letters and numbers mean, but then you wouldn’t be much of a geek, would you? The oft-ignored dial on a camera is the key that unleashes the best quality photos possible, and every geek should be a whiz at using one.

http://digital-photography-school.com/digital-camera-modes

32. Who Mulder and Scully Are

It seems that in the plethora of geek websites, there always appears a joke about Mulder and Scully, the two main characters from the X-Files. If you don’t know who they are, you’ll be left in the dark, alone, contemplating what exactly it was you were doing in the 90′s that you wouldn’t understand the joke.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mulder_and_Scully_(song)

33. Javascript

HTML is running the world (not really). Everyone knows some HTML and it makes them feel empowered. As a geek, you want to transcend that basic knowledge others share and know a little more. JavaScript is the answer–it is easy to learn if you’re not actually interested in web programming, but simply curious, and it looks scary to anyone who doesn’t know it.

http://www.yourhtmlsource.com/javascript/basicjavascript.html

34. How to Unlock an iPhone

Sure, most geeks wouldn’t be caught dead with an iPhone, but what about your friends? You’re the smart techie, they’ll expect your to know how to unlock it.

http://www.pcworld.com/article/137223/how_to_unlock_an_iphone.html

35. How to Install Mac OS X on a PC

Just because you don’t want Mac on your PC doesn’t mean you shouldn’t know how to do it. Knowledge is power, right? Go ahead, use this to stump your friends and family.

http://dailyapps.net/2007/10/hack-attack-install-leopard-on-your-pc-in-3-easy-steps/

36. Build a PC

If you purchase a ready-made PC, you can be sure of one thing–you’re paying more than you should. Assembling your own PC isn’t too hard, and is the first thing you should be aiming to accomplish as a geek.

Here is a massive article on assembling your own PC: http://www.pcmech.com/byopc/
37. Tethering a Smartphone

Nothing like a little wifi on the move, eh? Tethering a smartphone means using the Internet on your laptop/netbook via your cell phone. Of course, the method to do this depends on your phone, but here’s an article to get your started:

http://www.tech-recipes.com/rx/2276/smartphones_bb_treo_tether_modem_usa_carriers/

38. Wiring a Home Theater System

Home theater systems used to consist of a TV and a chair. Gone are those days of simplicity, however, and setting up a modern system can be pure mind-boggling horror. Where does the modulator go, why does the DVD player have no video and the cable box no sound?

Here’s a tutorial, including excellent diagrams, to show you how: http://www.prillaman.net/ht_info_8-wiring.html
39. Replacing a Laptop LCD

Laptop LCDs are vulnerable to many different mishaps: accidental pressure spots, shadows, airsoft pellets…. No matter, there will come a point when you need to swap your LCD for a new one. Now, as a geek, you probably don’t have an extended warranty. If that’s the case, here are some excellent pages and pictures on replacing the display:

http://www.fonerbooks.com/laptop_4.htm

40. Make a Laptop Cooling Pad

Can you believe these cost $50?! A geek will need one, because data crunching/DVD ripping/videos playing/rendering at the same times tends to cause excess heat. Instead of shelling out your hard earned dollars, make your own like so: http://www.instructables.com/id/Lazy-mans-laptop-cooler/
41. Unleash a Laser Pointer’s full potential

A normal person uses a laser pointer to drive their dog crazy. A geek uses it to melt butter for their grilled cheese sandwich. To unless a laser pointer’s full strength, crack open the case, fry the resistor with a hot soldering iron, then snap it back together and keep it away from flesh/eyes/airplanes. The pointer will burn out after a few hours, but what a fun few hours they will be.

Note: this is dangerous. Don’t do anything stupid.
42. Keyboard Shortcuts

This will depend on your operating system and the apps you use, so there’s no tutorial available. However, that is irrelevant–you’re a geek, you can find them yourself. Shortcuts are the difference between a slow computer user and a geek. The geek will always will out in a speed contest, because they do practically everything from their keyboard.
43. Soldering Glasses Together

Nerds use tape on broken glasses; geeks use solder. ‘Nuff said.
44. How to Execute a Shell Script

If you’re a true geek, you’ll need to do this at some point. Below are instructions on how to do so. Remember: always be cautious when running a script, you don’t want your computer to turn into a door stop, now do ya?

http://www.mcsr.olemiss.edu/unixhelp/scrpt/scrpt1.2.html

45. How to Hack a Pop Machine

Okay, so stealing isn’t cool. Still, hacking is simply a misunderstood art, right? So hacking a pop machine isn’t really stealing, because it’s not about the pop, it about the pleasure of getting your way. Or something like that. (Newsflash, it is illegal, don’t do it.) If you want to try your fingers at getting a free Coke, check out this link:

http://skattertech.com/soda-machine-hack/

46. Turn a Laptop into a Digital Picture Frame

So you want to show off pictures of your dog and that girl you once met, but you want to do it in an uber geeky way. Any schmuck can go to Walmart and buy a digital picture frame for a grossly inflated price. But you…oh, you’re too smart for that. No, instead you’ll find an old laptop on eBay for $5 and turn it into a true work of art.

http://repair4laptop.org/notebook_picture_frame.html

47. How to Mod a Flash Drive Case

All the geeks are doing it…. Whatever. The case your flash drive came in is probably weak and most certainly plain. Why not jazz it up with your own unique style?

Here’s one such case mod, and dozens of related projects: http://www.instructables.com/id/Metal-USB—Flash-drive-case-mod/
48. Do Cool Things to Altoids Tins

People are obsessed with these things. Altoids tins are durable, small, and just begging to be filled with LEDs, mp3 players, audio amps, and maybe some snuff. A good geek will find millions of uses for these little metal wonders. If you need a mental boost, however, here’s some interesting links:

http://www.squidoo.com/altoids-tins

49. Convert Cassette Tapes to Digital Audio Files

If your geekhood started in the 90′s, then you probably have a least a few (dozen) cassette tapes still sitting around. Why not breathe digital life into them before they fall ill to mortal fate?

http://lifehacker.com/software/mp3/alpha-geek-how-to-digitize-cassette-tapes-222394.php

50. Lock Your Computer with a USB Drive

You don’t want anyone getting into your files while you’re gone. A normal password would be enough to keep most people out, but what if you got super-secret X files on your computer? You can lock your machine down with a USB drive via these instructions:

http://lionjkt.wordpress.com/2008/12/31/how-to-lock-your-computer-with-usb-drive/

51. Run Your Own Ethernet Line

Wifi has taken the place of a wired connection in many homes, and with good reasons–you can go anywhere, no cables necessary. What about those…sensitive…activities that you’d rather the neighborhood script kiddie didn’t see on your wifi? An Ethernet cable is your solution.

To wire your own Ethernet, hit up this link: http://www.ertyu.org/steven_nikkel/ethernetcables.html
52. Set Up a Streaming Media Server

With digital files becoming the ultimate medium, many people have hundreds of gigabytes worth of music, videos, and pictures. You could keep them on a portable hard drive, but then you’re have to take it everywhere, and only one person could use it at a time. The solution is a streaming media server, something no geek can live without.

http://www.n00tz.net/2008/07/vlc-media-server-ubuntu-hardy/

53. Setting up a VPN

If you’re like most geeks, you can’t live without your computers. They store your life in some poetic fashion, holding files you feel a personal connection with…. Anyway, if you are at work and suddenly realize you left an important picture at home (or you need blackmail material pronto), having a VPN ready to go will save you big time.

http://www.computernetworkinghelp.com/content/view/41/1/

54. Turn Webcams into Security Cameras

Is someone stealing your Netflix DVDs? Do you suspect it is a fat hairy man in his boxers taking them each morning? If so, you can get your proof using a couple webcams and a bit of software.

http://www.simplehelp.net/2006/09/27/how-to-use-your-pc-and-webcam-as-a-motion-detecting-and-recording-security-camera/

55. Control Your House Lights with a Computer

Controlling the lights in your house via computer is a great way to freak out the neighborhood kids ding-dong-ditching (assuming you wire up a Halloween scream motion sensor, also). If you reasons are less nefarious, you simply use it to turn on and off lights without having to life ye butt from thy seat, which is a good reason in itself.

http://www.instructables.com/id/Control-lights-in-your-house-with-your-computer/

56. Play Retro Games without Retro Consoles

This applies to the geeks who enjoy gaming. Setting up an emulation PC on your TV is a great way to relive those games of old.
57. Put LEDs Inside a Lightbulb

The days of hot incandescent and mercury-laden fluorescent are gone, and in are the days of long lasting, low heat, low consumption LEDs. As any good geek, you want to be able to say “I was doing X long before it became mainstream.” Here’s your chance–the following link will show you how to put an LED inside a lightbulb, something sure to stump your friends the same way Grandpa’s ship-in-a-wine-bottle used to stump you.

http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2006/06/make_a_led_bulb.html

58. Create Music with Keyboard

How awesome is KeyBored? This little app gives all of your QWERTY keys a piano note. When you type, it sounds like an infant monkey punching a keyboard. If you’ve got some musical chops, it won’t take you long to figure out the Star Wars theme or find a hidden musical message in Counter Strike control buttons.

http://thebatman.net/keybored/

59. Make Your Office Ergonomic

Face it–you spend a lot of time at your desk. You might even have a few extra pounds and pallid skin to show for it. While those things are temporary, far to common and more serious is the carpal tunnel, eye strain, and back problems you’ll develop from having a poor workspace.

Hit up this link to create a body-friendly workspace that will keep you limber and flexible: http://www.ergotron.com/tabid/305/language/en-US/default.aspx
60. Adding a Third Monitor

Studies show that dual monitor increase work productivity by 30%. As a geek, you’ll need a third monitor to equal the dual setup of a layman (if that makes sense). While any hack with a VGA port can add a second monitor, it takes a true geek to add a third (or more). This will vary based on graphics/OS, so hit up Google for a tutorial or two.
61. How to Convert a DVD to x264 (or XviD or DivX)

It might seem like child’s play to you, but many individuals do not understand the fine art of converting a DVD into a digital file, let alone the careful skills it takes to achieve a happy balance between size and quality.

Here is an excellent tutorial demonstrating how to rip a DVD with the multi-platform free software Handbrake: http://howto.diveintomark.org/ipod-dvd-ripping-guide/
62. Flash System BIOS

Ya gotta do it some time, so stop putting it off and man up. Flashing the BIOS on your laptop might seem scary (as it should–fear keeps you on your toes and prevents mistakes), but it’s not (actually, it is, but if you even understand why you need to do this, you’ve gotta have at least a few chops by now). Warning–you can seriously bork your computer doing this!

http://www.pcstats.com/articleview.cfm?articleID=1605

63. How to Irrecoverably Protect Data

TrueCrypt, my friends. Learn to use TrueCrypt. If you have ask why, you don’t need it.
64. The Fastest way to Kill a Computer

It’s said that you have to get into a killers mind to understand their weaknesses, right? Same goes for the unfortunate boobs who always kill their laptops. Here’s a list of all the different ways you can accidentally kill a computer–arm your family and friends, and save yourself grief (because it’s surely you they will call when something goes horribly, horribly wrong).

http://www.pcstats.com/articleview.cfm?articleID=1720

As I said, this process is pretty easy, and straight forward. You should also note that I got the inspiration for this post from a thread at Forums.MSIWind.net.

1. Partition the Drive
Boot from the Wind compatible OSX USB stick or DVD that you created to install OSX and partition the drive with Disk Utility. Insure that the Windows partition is first, and is formatted as FAT32. After that, if you want to have a data partition or simply use the rest of the drive for OSX, that’s up to; but that should be formatted as FAT32 as well so both Windows 7 and OSX can read and write files to and from it. The OSX drive should, again, be formatted as HSF+ (Journaled).

The point is that you can partition the drive any way you want, as long as the drive is partitioned with MBR and the FAT32 Win7 partition is at the top of the drive map.

2. Install OSX
When the drive is partitioned the way you want, quit Disk Utility and install OSX. When that’s done, boot into OSX to insure that everything is good to go.

3. Install Windows 7
I’m not certain if there are still beta licenses of Windows 7 available. If there are, you’ll need to get one, to obviously install Windows 7. If you have access to another legal copy, you should get it that way. When you get to the point where Windows 7 wants you to pick a drive to install Windows 7 to, the install routine will tell you that you can’t install Win7 to any of the drives you’ve got. Pick the intended drive for Win7 and reformat it as NTFS. You’ll then be able to move forward with the install.

Make sure that you run Windows Update twice. The first time, you’ll download drivers for the 802.11b/g/n, as well as updates for Windows Defender and a Win7 Beta Client update. The second time, you’ll download drivers for the wired LAN card and the USB Card Reader.

Restart the PC as necessary. The computer will boot into Win 7. Please note that you will NOT see OSX at this point. Don’t worry. The install is still there.

4. Set the Windows 7 Partition as the Active Partition
When you finish, boot from win7 DVD and select repair. Select CMD (last choice) when the Command Prompt opens, type the following commands:

Diskpart
DISKPART> list disk
DISKPART> select disk 0
DISKPART> list partition
DISKPART> select partition 1
DISKPART> active
exit
exit

Now, off the main menu, select repair (first choice). Once you’re done, reboot. You’ll be taken back into Windows 7 again.

5. Download and install EasyBCD
EasyBCD is a bootloader, like the Darwin Bootloader that comes with the Wind compatible OSX install. However, unlike GRUB, Darwin, or even the bootloader that comes with Windows 7, its got a GUI interface; and its very easy to use.

EasyBCD 1

After EasyBCD is installed, follow these steps. Please make certain you are logged in with Administrator privilages:

EasyBCD 2

Click the Add Remove Entries button
In the Add an Entry area, click the Mac tab.
Click the Type Tab. Select Generic X86 PC
In the Name dropdown, use the name NST Mac OS X
Click the Save button in the upper right corner

EasyBCD 3

6. Restart the Computer
When you restart the computer, you will see a boot loader screen. Hit the down arrow to choose the OSX entry you just created. Hit the enter key. You’re going to be taken to the Darwin Bootloader. Hit any key to stop the counter, and scroll to the OSX install, and the computer should boot to OSX.

That’s it… The only problem that I have found (if its actually a problem) is that there are two boot loaders on the Wind right now. However, I can boot to either OS at my leisure. I’ve already updated OSX to 10.5.6 and reinstalled the KVM drivers. The whole process was done in under 2 hours, and that included installs of both operating systems and updates to both.

If anyone has an easy process for installing Grub instead (or another bootloader), OR knows how to fix the dual bootloader problem I’ve created for myself, I would really love to hear from you. While this isn’t a huge problem, its kinda gimpy, and not ideal for the local Geekdom…

1. Mark Covert has run at least one mile every day since July 23, 1968

In the decades since he started the streak, Covert has covered more than 136,000 miles. At his competitive peak, he ran more than 150 miles a week and was one of the top road racers in the country, finishing seventh in the 1972 Olympic trials marathon. He still averages eight miles a day. To get a grasp of this, think of all the times you’ve been sick or hurt yourself. Sure, his running may consist of only be 9 or 10 minutes a day but did you read how long? Since 1968.

“I’ve trained through illness and injury, run plenty of times when I shouldn’t have. I ran on the days my parents passed away and I’ve run when every one of my four kids was born. I still look forward to running every day, although the trees go by more slowly now. Covert is now the Cross Country Coach for Antelope Valley College (he knows a little about running) and I guarantee there has never been an excuse by one of his runners of why they can’t make practice.

2. Xu Zhenjun Ran a Marathon in 3:43……….Backwards!

Xu Zhenjun of China – a marathon runner who likes run marathons, backwards. Yes, that’s backwards. In a world where 99% of people never finish a marathon in their lifetime and if the do , 90% of them don’t run sub 4 hours, Zhenjun runs the whole thing in reverse. I thought Zhenjun was one of very few who run backwards for fun but it turns out there are a bunch of people that prefer to run backwards. Timothy “Bud” Badyna ( pictured right) the father of backwards running, has run a sub 4 marathon and the 10K in 45.37 which are not even records

.3. Three men ran 4000 miles across the Sahara desert in 111 days.

They ran the equivalent of two marathons a day to become the first modern runners to cross the Sahara Desert’s grueling 4,000 miles. American Charlie Engle , Canadian Ray Zahab, 38, and Kevin Lin, 30, were stricken with tendinitis, severe diarrhea, cramping and knee injuries all while running through the intense heat and wind, often without a paved road in sight. Temperatures varied from over 100 degrees Fahrenheit during the day to below freezing at night. And they did this for 111 days straight. Typical day, up at 4am run until lunch, eat, run until 9:30. Get up and do it again……for 111 days.

4. 7 Days, 7 Continents, 7 Marathons

Sir Ranulph Fiennes and Dr. Michael Stroud went seven for seven during a grueling week of marathon running and transcontinental travel. The pair ran seven marathons in seven days on seven continents from October 26 – November 2, 2003. Fiennes and Stroud’s first marathon was in southern Chile, followed by ones in the Falkland Islands and Sydney Australia. The two men then ran 26-mile races in Singapore, London and Cairo, before finishing their amazing seven-day feat by completing the New York City Marathon. Besides battling the exhaustion that any marathon runner faces, Fiennes and Stround also had to battle jet lag and dramatic changes in temperature and humidity during each race. The feat was even more impressive for Fiennes, who suffered a heart attack just four months earlier. Not too shabby for a guy who lost the role of James Bond because “his hands were too big and he had “a face like a farmer”.

5. Finish Badwater

Plain and simple, Badwater is the toughest endurance run in the word. Each year, approximately 70 people attempt to run 135 mile from Bad Water, Death Valley to the portals of Mt. Whitney. In case you’re not familiar with Badwater or Mt. Whitney, Badwater is the lowest place in the Western Hemisphere and Mt. Whitney is the highest point in the contiguous United States. Basically you’re running from the lowest place in the U.S. to the highest. In addition to the 13,000 feet worth of ascent, there are the 130 degree (55C) temperatures to deal with. Think it’s a dry heat, well think again. Participants are forced to run the white lines on the side of the road to keep the soles of their shoes from melting and a heat suit(see right) to keep them from burning to a crisp. The winner from the last two years has finished in the 24-25 hour range but the average finish time is in the 35 hour range. My first question was “How in the world does someone train for this type of event?”. Luckily for me they have a training guide on the Badwater homepage. Here are a few examples of training recommendations I picked off the site.

(1) – HEAT is the main nemesis, acclimate your body NOW!! Start using a sauna ……. on your EXPOSED body. Do not wear any protective clothing.

(2) – ENDURANCE is very slow to develop. Set a target of being able to WALK, ONLY, at 20 to 30 minute per mile (LSD) pace, NON STOP (NO SLEEP) for 24-30 hours. Do not exceed this pace, nor train (LSD) more often than once a week.

I can’t even stay awake for 24 hours, I doubt I can run the whole time while in 130 degree heat. Pass

6. Dean Karnazes running 350 Miles Non-Stop

This may be the most amazing feat on this list. Dean ran 80 hours straight to cover the 350 miles. Like the last achievement, the are very few people that can stay awake for this period of time and he kept a good pace the whole time. For most The Relay , a 199 mile 12 person relay, is one of the greatest moments of their life. But for most, the miles are split with 11 other people. Dean ran those all by himself. To make the run a little more challenging, he ran 151 miles to get to The Relay. 40,000 calories consumed later and Dean does something nobody else has even come close to. Dean has been criticized for being a media hound because of “stunts” like this. He ran 50 marathons in 50 days last year, has finished the Western 100 ten times, and has finished Badwater 4 times and yet he is often criticized for doing it for the notoriety. Two things make me believe otherwise, one, the millions he collected for charity, and two, when you run 350 miles without stopping you deserve some attention.

7. Ethiopia’s Haile Gebrselassie Marathon World Record Time of 2 hours, 4 minutes, and 26 seconds

We are seeing such fast marathon times we are starting to take them for granted . Marathon winners are constantly throwing down finishing times of 2 hours and 6 minutes. It gotten so common that we have forgotten exactly how fast that is. That is 4 minute 48 second miles. Most likely there is not on reader of this article that can run that pace for a half mile, and certainly not for 26.

I feel comfortable in saying that if I trained for a month I could, make contact with a 98 mile fastball, gain 5 yards on a carry in the NFL, or score 2 points if I was in a NBA game. ( taken quite a bit of heat on this one, I’m just saying that I have a better chance of those 3 than I ever do of running that fast)  What I could never do is run that fast, no matter how I train. I don’t think it would be a stretch to say that elite marathon runners are some of the most gifted athletes in the world. They do something that nobody but other elite runners can do. Not one person from any other sport could come in with complete training and come within 10 minutes of them. Haile Gebrselassie is the cream of the crop. There are other incredible marathoners in the world but Haile took down the 4 year old world record by almost 30 seconds. The record had been coming down a second at a time and then Gebrselassie comes and crushes it.

If you spent the few hours it would take to watch even one of these movies mentioned, it would mean that much more to the filmmakers. This isn’t about getting kudos for mentioning certain films, this is about pointing out those movies that don’t deserve to be forgotten and are begging to be watched.

Across the Universe
Opened September 14th, 2007
Directed by Julie Taymor
A dock worker Jude travels to America in the 1960s to find his estranged father. There he falls in love with sheltered American teenager Lucy. When her brother Max is drafted to fight in the Vietnam War, they become involved in peace activism.
Why it’s Great: This Beatles-infused musical features over 30 Beatles songs modernized and sung beautifully right into the story by an immensely talented cast. It wasn’t the greatest film – it got hacked to pieces in editing – but the songs and a great love story combined with some profoundly unique visuals make it one of the most memorable films this year that shouldn’t have been missed.

Air Guitar Nation
Opened March 23rd, 2007
Directed by Alexandra Lipsitz

Air Guitar Nation chronicles the birth of the US Air Guitar Championships and the personal journeys of those talented contestants who are vying to become the first World Air Guitar Champion from the United States.
Why it’s Great: We’ve all had that moment – dancing around our house in our undies rocking out to some old school rock and roll. It is those moments of glory that spawned the worldwide sport of Air Guitar, the subject of Alexandra Lipsitz’ fast paced, energetic and deeply respectful documentary. Showing off the silliness and the seriousness of the sport, this documentary left audiences both in stitches and filled with great respect for these wannabe rockers.

Angel-A
Opened May 25th, 2007
Directed by Luc Besson
A beautiful woman helps an inept scam artist get his game together.
Why it’s Great: Despite being in black & white (which this actually uses to its advantage), it’s a fantastic morality tale about a down-on-his-luck guy who thinks he meets his lucky ticket but eventually discovers she is helping him get on the right track. It’s not overflowing with visuals, besides the gorgeous streets of Paris, instead it focuses on the story and morals at hand. I came out of this a much better person and realized that it’s yet another wonderfully cinematic film from Fifth Element director Luc Besson that sadly not enough people have discovered.

The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford
Opened September 21st, 2007
Directed by Andrew Dominik

Robert Ford, who’s idolized Jesse James since childhood, tries hard to join the gang of the Missouri outlaw, but gradually becomes resentful of the bandit leader.
Why it’s Great: One of the most gorgeous looking films of the entire year, The Assassination of Jesse James is an absolute masterpiece with critically acclaimed cinematography and some of the best performances in any movie. Despite it’s epic length and mediocre reviews, you’ll find yourself drawn into the detailed world of the old west and won’t be ready to let go of the story until that final moment. Even if you’re not a fan of westerns, this is still a phenomenal film that shouldn’t be passed by without a second glance.

Death at a Funeral
Opened August 17th, 2007
Directed by Frank Oz
Chaos ensues when a man tries to expose a dark secret regarding a recently deceased patriarch of a dysfunctional British family.
Why it’s Great: The funniest farce and best British humor you’ll see in a movie in years. Death at a Funeral takes us back to Frank Oz’ comedic roots with a great film that builds momentum as time goes on and turns a typically morbid event into the most hilarious mishap ever. Fans of “Firefly” star Alan Tudyk won’t be able to stop laughing once he’s on the drugs – and it never lets up, it only gets better and better as the story goes on.

Delirious
Opened August 15th, 2007
Directed by Tom DiCillo

An offbeat drama focused on a homeless youth, a pop music siren and a member of the paparazzi.
Why it’s Great: A little indie comedy that has so much warmth found amidst some solid comedy. The more I watched this the more I started to appreciate both Michael Pitt and Steve Buscemi’s performances and their story within. The final scene with Buscemi on the red carpet is still one of my favorites. This is such a happy-go-lucky comedic gem that many people will appreciate and enjoy, but it never got traction enough to make it to the mainstream.

Everything’s Gone Green
Opened April 13th, 2007
Directed by Paul Fox
Ryan, a good-natured slacker, is tempted into a money laundering scheme while working for a lottery magazine. A capitalistic comedy that asks the question – when is “enough” enough?
Why it’s Great: A Canadian indie comedy about everything from money to marijuana. It’s not about how over-the-top it can get nor is it a stoner comedy, it’s an incredibly smart drama with some great comedic moments all lead by one of the finest up-and-coming actors of this generation – Paulo Costanzo. This is such a “chill” and down-to-earth film that I’ve suggested it to more of my friends than almost anything else.

Fido
Opened July 6th, 2007
Directed by Andrew Currie

Timmy Robinson’s best friend in the whole wide world is a six-foot tall rotting zombie named Fido. But when Fido eats the next-door neighbor, Mom and Dad hit the roof, and Timmy has to go to the ends of the earth to keep Fido a part of the family.
Why it’s Great: This is as hilarious and as awesome of a take on the zombie genre as Shaun of the Dead. Once you actually see it you’ll know why it deserves a spot in your collection next to Shaun of the Dead. It’s smart, it’s funny, it’s got a great cast, and to top it off, director Andrew Currie pays such close attention to detail that every scene looks lush and vivid. I don’t know anyone who saw it who didn’t end up loving it.

The Go-Getter
Opened Never
Directed by Martin Hynes
When his mother dies, a teenager takes a road-trip in a stolen car to find his long-lost brother. Along the way he discovers a profound connection with the car-owner and with himself as well.
Why it’s Great: Although this was never actually picked up by a distributor after its debut at Sundance in January, I still haven’t forgotten it. The best road trip movie I think I’ve ever seen with a great soundtrack and an unforgettable, and often funny, plot. This should’ve been in theaters this year and it’s likely that if it would’ve made it out it probably would have become a cult hit by now.

Gone Baby Gone
Opened October 19th, 2007
Directed by Ben Affleck

Based on the Dennis Lehane novel about two Boston area detectives investigating a little girl’s kidnapping, which ultimately turns into a crisis both professionally and personally.
Why it’s Great: It had a poor run at the box office and yet was one of, if not the, best movie of the year. Not only are Casey Affleck and Ed Harris awards-worthy, but the plot has so many perfectly executed emotional twists and turns that I was very moved at the end. Don’t be fooled, Ben Affleck is an immensely talented director who has succeeded brilliantly with his first feature film.

Grindhouse
Opened April 6th, 2007
Directed by Robert Rodriguez & Quentin Tarantino
Two full length feature horror movies written by Quentin Tarantino & Robert Rodriguez put together as a two film feature. Including fake movie trailers in between both movies.
Why it’s Great: I’m not sure how so many people missed this set of two of the best movies the year. Planet Terror is quite grotesque yet a finely crafted small-town zombie fiasco directed by Sin City’s Robert Rodriguez. Death Proof contains not only Kurt Russell’s greatest performance, but the best car chase ever filmed, hands down. Forget the length, watch each individually and you’ll still find they’re equally awesome. The best experience I’ve had at the movies my entire life.

The Host
Opened March 9th, 2007
Directed by Bong Joon-ho

A monster emerges from Seoul’s Han River and focuses its attention on attacking people.
Why it’s Great: Subtitled or not, The Host is one of the most gripping films of the entire year. Forget about Cloverfield, this is what a monster movie should be – a huge slimy sea monster created by American ignorance that terrorizes Seoul. It’s at times ridiculous, at others intensely scary but always entertaining. There is no other movie that redefined its genre the way The Host gave a makeover to the monster movie in ’07.

Interview
Opened July 13th, 2007
Directed by Steve Buscemi
After falling out with his editor, a fading political journalist is forced to interview America’s most popular soap actress.
Why it’s Great: If you truly appreciate independent film, then there’s no way you won’t find something incredible in Interview. It’s a two-person back-and-forth interview piece without a moment of boredom. I never would have thought I would enjoy Steve Buscemi and Sienna Miller talking for nearly two hours, but I’ll be damned if they didn’t pull it off and still had me amazed at the ending. Be brave and take a risk with Interview, the pay off will be sweet.

King of California
Opened September 14th, 2007
Directed by Mike Cahill

An unstable dad who after getting out of a mental institution tries to convince his daughter that there’s Spanish gold buried somewhere under suburbia.
Why it’s Great: Another indie gem that I don’t understand how so many people overlooked. Michael Douglas is great as a crazed institutional lunatic who’s searching for Spanish gold underneath a CostCo in California. This is such a fun movie on top of being very well-made and I can’t suggest it enough. It’s not the best comedy nor is it the best drama, but it is a very fun flick and one of the better movies that was missed this year.

The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters
Opened August 17th, 2007
Directed by Seth Gordon
Diehard video game fans compete to break World Records on classic arcade games.
Why it’s Great: Probably the greatest underdog story ever told on film, The King of Kong was loved by both critics and all who saw it play in limited release. It’s the story of two gamers, both determined to hold the world record in the classic arcade game Donkey Kong. Edited to perfection, this one plays out to be just as epic a battle as Jedi v. Empire. If you’ve ever played a video game or loved a geek, you will be easily captivated by this enchanting documentary.

The Lookout
Opened March 30th, 2007
Directed by Scott Frank

Chris is a once promising high school athlete whose life is turned upside down following a tragic accident. As he tries to maintain a normal life, he takes a job as a janitor at a bank, where he ultimately finds himself caught up in a planned heist.
Why it’s Great: The opening scene alone with the fireflies is enough to suggest this, but it’s much more than that. In fact, The Lookout is even much more than a small-town heist movie, as they thrown in Joseph Gordon-Levitt, who has trouble remembering things, into the mix. Too many people missed a great indie thriller from early in the year that I’m sure a lot will find fulfilling and thoroughly enjoyable.

The Nines
Opened August 31st, 2007
Directed by John August
A troubled actor, a television show runner, and an acclaimed videogame designer find their lives intertwining in mysterious and unsettling ways.
Why it’s Great: Although it’s hard to suggest this as I wasn’t too fond of it, I can’t help but include it because of how unique it is. Ryan Reynolds is outstanding as three different people in three almost unrelated plots. If you end up catching this, I’m certain you’ll find yourself drawn in to figuring out exactly what’s going on as well as searching for all of John August’s cartefully placed nuances. By the end you’ll be a changed person for experiencing The Nines.

Sunshine
Opened July 20th, 2007
Directed by Danny Boyle

A team of astronauts are sent to re-ignite the dying sun 50 years into the future.
Why it’s Great: One of the most incredibly envisioned sci-fi movies of this entire decade, Sunshine is a fascinating adventure through the cold and lonely depths of space. What Danny Boyle did for the zombie genre with 28 Days Later he has done again for sci-fi with Sunshine. The production design and visual effects look and feel incredible, and the performance of the small cast and hugely thrilling plot all deliver.

Talk to Me
Opened July 13th, 2007
Directed by Kasi Lemmons
The story of Washington D.C. radio personality Ralph “Petey” Greene, an ex-con who became a popular talk show host and community activist in the 1960s.
Why it’s Great: Talk to Me is as powerful and profound of a biopic as Ray or The Pursuit of Happyness. Don Cheadle absolutely deserves an Oscar for his portrayal of Petey Greene and not only makes it emotional but also injects the perfect amount of humor in the right spots. Talk to Me is both charming and inspiring and does not deserve to be so easily passed by. It’s musically inclined and wonderfully filmed and tells a powerful story in our country’s history. I can’t say enough good things about it and yet how depressing it is to see such a phenomenal movie be forgotten so easily.

I hope you consider yourself educated on 19 more movies that you now need to see. You may not like all of them, but I guarantee you’ll find something great in at least one of them.

from youtube.com posted with vodpod

Here is a complete guide to install Mac OSX Leopard 10.5.1 (9B18) on your PC, in just one step that is as easy as it could possibly get. Just pop in the DVD and you are good to go, running Leopard in no time, with all the 300+ features at your fingertips.

Its been nearly two months, since I last  wrote my guide to Install Leopard on your PC in just 3 Steps. Well I wanted to write a better How-To that would answer many questions that people had from my previous How-To.

I am writing this guide for a novice user, who doesn’t know much about the various commands that went into my previous article. This is a one step process that almost anybody in this world would be able to follow.

Here are the basic requirements for you to proceed with the installation of Leopard  :

• A Blank DVD-R to burn the ISO.
• The ISO image to be downloaded from Mininova.

Before I tell you, how to install OSX I would like to tell you why this release by Uphuck and Eskurza is an important milestone in the OSX86 Project.

• This is the first ever Leopard DVD to come out with the amazing PC-EFI built in. If you are wondering what PC-EFI is all about, then let me tell you something about it :

With the EFI patch, the hackintosh can boot off VANILLA UNMODIFIED OS X kernel and use  vanilla kexts, which gives a more clean room and great peace of mind for future system updates.

To Know more about PC-EFI visit the OSX86 Wiki

• iATKOS (as this release is called) supports a variety of Hardware configurations, and many popular Graphic Cards, Network Cards are supported.

Now lets proceed with the installation of Leopard. Before that here are few conditions your CPU must satisfy to use this installation method..

• Non Core Intel Processors, no PC-EFI for you.
• Core Based Processors, for PC-EFI to work.
• AMD processors are not supported at this time.

Ok now, lets proceed with the installation :

Step 1: Installing Leopard

• Download the Installation ISO from Mininova. You can find it by performing a search for iATKOS v1.0i (Its about 2.09 GB).
• Once you are done, with downloading burn the ISO at very slow speeds to the DVD.
• Pop in the DVD and boot into it from BIOS and follow the Onscreen Instructions.
• Select the Appropriate Packages, based on your hardware and then proceed.
• Installation might take about an hour or so, so grab yourself a cup of coffee  while you install Leopard.

Step 2: That is all my, my Friend

• Didn’t I say it was a one step installation process. Yes it really was.. Congratulations you’ve done it.

That’s it for now. I will be updating this post in the future, when the AMD patch is released. If you have any questions, please drop in a comment, or ask your questions in the Uphuck Forums.

A big thanks to Uphuck and Eskurza for this amazing release. A lot of credit for all this hardwork goes to them. And ofcourse to Netkas for the development of PC-EFI. Cheers!

• Money isn’t made out of paper; it’s made out of cotton.
• The 57 on Heinz ketchup bottle represents the varieties of pickle the company once had.
• Your stomach produces a new layer of mucus every two weeks – otherwise it will digest itself.
• The Declaration of Independence was written on hemp paper.
• A raisin dropped in a glass of fresh champagne will bounce up and down continuously from the bottom of the glass to the top.
• Susan Lucci is the daughter of Phyllis Diller.
• Every person has a unique tongue print as well as fingerprints.
• 315 entries in Webster’s 1996 Dictionary were misspelled.
• On average, 12 newborns will be given to the wrong parents daily.
• During the chariot scene in ‘Ben Hur’ a small red car can be seen in the distance.
• Warren Beatty and Shirley MacLaine are brother and sister.
• Orcas (killer whales) kill sharks by torpedoing up into the shark’s stomach from underneath, causing the shark to explode.
• Most lipstick contains fish scales.
• Donald Duck comics were banned from Finland because he doesn’t wear any pants.
• Ketchup was sold in the 1830s as medicine.
• Upper and lower case letters are named ‘upper’ and ‘lower’ because in the time when all original print had to be set in individual letters, the ‘upper case’ letters were stored in the case on top of the case that stored the smaller, ‘lower case’ letters.
• Leonardo da Vinci could write with one hand and draw with the other at the same time.
• Because metal was scarce, the Oscars given out during World War II were made of wood.
• There are no clocks in Las Vegas gambling casinos.
• The name Wendy was made up for the book Peter Pan, there was never a recorded Wendy before!
• There are no words in the dictionary that rhyme with: orange, purple, and silver!
• Leonardo Da Vinci invented scissors.
• A tiny amount of liquor on a scorpion will make it instantly go mad and sting itself to death.
• The mask used by Michael Myers in the original “Halloween” was a Captain Kirk mask painted white.
• If you have three quarters, four dimes, and four pennies, you have $1.19. You also have the largest amount of money in coins without being able to make change for a dollar.
• Celery has negative calories! It takes more calories to eat a piece of celery than the celery has in it to begin with. It’s the same with apples!
• Chewing gum while peeling onions will keep you from crying!
• The glue on Israeli postage stamps is certified kosher.
• Guinness Book of Records holds the record for being the book most often stolen from Public Libraries.
• Astronauts are not allowed to eat beans before they go into space because passing wind in a space suit damages them.

from break.com posted with vodpod