Bastard Sons of Dial-Up

BSoD is not dead, nor is I the one and only Foxx. Mustang is still kicking, figuratively speaking. Unfortunately my 500GB Hard Drive with my entire lifes work, an unsurpassed amount of projects spanning over 15 years, backups of my local drives, Operating System ISO disc images, and much much much more... died. I know the first thing you are thinking "Foxx you ASSHOLE, you should have used a RAID backup! MORON!". Yes.. I know.. unfortunately I am in the progress of migrating well over 6000GB of data, yes, 6TB of crap, around-across-trough my LAN and devices. Tivos', Xboxs', Tons of PCs, a few embedded gizmos, and even a Western Digital TV now. I had to toss my 1TB external HDD on my WDTV as I migrated all of my media over to that to free up space on a smaller drive to replace it in RAID, or at least duplicate copies of my files.

This is an external drive and used only when needed, unfortunately when I had powered down to migrate it to another computer, as the platters spun down the spindle berrings decided to seize. Using my Electron Stethoscope from an earlier segment, ironically showcasing how to listen to the EMI/EMF signatures of devices, among that some Hard Drives both good and bad, I can safely assume the platters cant move. After opening the drive, yes I know how bad that can be, but I think I know what I am doing, I tried to move the platters and frankly, I hate being right so often. Want to hear the pain and bane of my life? Check this out...

Sound Byte of whats been going on.

We have been working on a new BSoD release, but it will have to wait a little while longer until I can redo all the new BSoD v3 Graphics and animations, find archives of the software I use for producing final episodes and such. I even got a new computer to handle the higher 'quality' of production just for this task, but now don't have an OS to put on it as all my ISOs of them are fouled and begone. Be patient. We are not dead, just having a really shit run of luck lately.

We have all been very distant lately but still conversing about ways to show to the web that we are still alive. One method we are going to try out is to make a Mini-Series. We will take previous segment content and mix common topics together so you have a single episode focused on one exact topic. We are also going to throw in some new stuff when we can, since some of us are still producing segments. This will be a lot like when your favorite TV show makes a new episode by mixing old episode clips together and cuts between them to tell a backstory in order to get newcomers up to date on the plot.

Right now I think we should do a 2.4Ghz / Wifi series, since thats the longest running topic we have had. If you are into anything wifi, bluetooth, or other 2.4Ghz feel free to help us out with this. Show us your wardriving setup, explain different wifi scanning and mapping apps. Perhaps show us your pimped out scanning gear, or just showcase some known issues in wireless security encryption.

More info here on this forum post: http://forums.bsodtv.org/index.php?showtopic=622

Right now the East Coast is getting hit by some really nasty rat bastard weather so most of us that can go out and do field segments are being kept in by horrible rain and snow. We wont be posting a deadline on this just yet, but we would like to get content sooner than later. Pop on IRC if you want to help out or see what we are up to and progress on things.

The new year is almost here and we want to wish everyone the best, and curse some of you with the worst. We have been getting a lot of feedback from the cancellation of the show. Many of you see this as a final The End and farewell to thee for BSoD. We arent going anywhere, and the show isnt canceled forever, so stick around. We are still offering a good home for hackers and technophiles alike so if you still want to jump on board feel free to poke in and say hi via IRC or Forums. If you feel like you can help bring the show back to life or add something to the community feel free to speak your mind. We are always up to something or other project wise which might spark some interest, so come in and see what we are up to.

BSoD has held strong for years, we have made many new friends and introduced interesting topics to newcomers. Unfortunately more than too many people have been following BSoD rather helping. The good majority of people that have offered to help out by creating content have either not followed due-process, or have not followed through at all. BSoD is an open community and without people helping with viable content, it wont continue being what it is. Because of this I have decided to cancel the show. I refuse to run BSoD as 'The Foxx Show', and until we start getting reliable people to help make segments, the show will not go on. We all understand that its not easy setting up to record and all of the technical issues and time involved, myself especially, so we arent pointing any fingers to blame anyone. Its a pain in the ass, but without proper help, Mustang and I cant do this alone. We dont have enough time, and our health, family, friends, and personal affairs hold a higher priority, and we wont beg for help.

For all of those that have helped build BSoD to what it is, their help has been very appreciated. We will continue to run the forums and IRC which is always a good place for help, support, organizing events, and generally chatting. Episodes will also remain on the HTTP servers for download, and we might still seed to Usenet and Torrents, granted we still have the ability. Some of us may still continue to produce segments and bring up topics of interest, but we can not promise a deadline of when the next episode will air. If you feel compelled to help out with producing segments feel free to toss up some ideas on the forums, but dont make empty promises you cant follow up on, this is what canceled the show in the first place.

Cheers, beers, and bunny ears to all, and to all a good night.

Foxx and a few other BSoD'ers have been working closely with the hackerspace out in NJ, FUBAR Labs and will be having a tech Expo and LAN party November 21st from 7PM -3AM. Some details here:

http://fubarlabs.com/2009/10/lan-party-and-tech-expo/

Some of the things that will be available

We will be bringing in a bunch of game consoles for the LAN party, and even partake in some NES RAM Hacking, and maybe even fire up the Wii to do some work with the USB Gecko. There will be a bunch of stuff thats already been showcased on BSoD regarding 2.4Ghz scanning. Modded wifi and bluetooth cards, antennas we have designed and built, video scanners, and much more. If weather permits we will be going out to do some field scanning to find out whats out there in the wireless wilderness of New Brunswick.

Besides Gaming, console hacking, and 2.4Ghz we will also have some ham radio topics there as well. If you are interested in Ham Radio in general there will be live demonstrations of the different forms of radio communications, like repeaters, Slow Scan TV, Radio Teletype, and perhaps even Radio BBS. If anyone is interested enough they can even hop on the air and chat with a few random people.

If you are interested in coming and need a ride, hit the BSoD Forums and let us know if you need a lift, or can bring something to the shin-dig.

Episode 34, holy hell! Foxx continues with antenna design showcasing how to design and build Yagi Antennas. Uber' shows us more about overclocking, and some software that can help tweak your settings to perfection, or detonation. Even if you dont give a rats ass about overclocking, again Uber's segments explain how computers work. This also contains information on how to troubleshoot issues, so try not to skip it. Mustang grabs his Asus EEE by the gonad and turns it into a less crippled bitch by circumsizing Xandros, adding a few inches to its capabilities. Ugster follows up on last months 'What Is Linux segment' with some Live Linux Distros you can download (for free) and try without having to install them to your hard drive. Now you have no excuse to try out Linux. Since they dont install to the hard drive, nothing can really break, and you wont loose your current Operating System and personal files. Check the shownotes for more info on what each distro has for features, and where to download from.

Episode 33

iPod mp4 and xvid avi formats are available.

Usenet feeds are also available in the usual places.

Well boys, girls, and things in between, its that time again. No, not a visit from Aunt Flo'. Time for a release. This month we bring you more antenna stuff with the Double Zepp Antenna, a fairly easy and diverse antenna for your (ham) radio. Uber' gives us a rundown about the hardware side of overclocking. Although its a very generalized segment, even if you dont care for overclocking this segment does a good job explaining how a computer is actually put together, and how it works, also why proper cooling and reliable components can save you hours of headaches in the long run.

Unfortunately Foxx dropped the ball a few episodes back and forgot to air his NES Repair segment, so it will make its debut in this episode. After this segment... you WILL get your NES back to life. If you cant, then its an issue well beyond repair. Be sure to check the shownotes for more information regarding tips, techniques, and little nuances that can help you further understand the steps showcased, and some shortcuts into finding critical issues.

If you have no clue about what Linux/Unix really is there is a nice little explanation of its history, and roundabout of why it has made a very big impact on the different tech cultures on the internet. If you are already well versed in what Unix and Linux is, bear with us and watch it anyways... and add onto the shownotes. I (Foxx) do not take any credit for this segment, as its clips from various pre-existing videos, and a little more added on at the end to clear up some misconceptions. Please, if you are linux savvy feel free to amend onto the shownotes to fill in the gaps. In fact, everyone is encouraged to add on to the shownotes to make them more detailed in general.

BSoD is about a community all helping out with providing accurate information for everyone that wants to learn, so get of the bench and into the game already!

Episode 33

iPod mp4 and xvid avi formats are available.

Usenet feeds will uploaded to the typical places.

As life would have it we have to postpone Episode 33. We have been getting involved with some interesting topics and would rather not break the pace of things. Unfortunately we have been getting very little or no feedback from the viewers on which direction to exactly take the show. We will continue to do Ham Radio, PC Overclocking, and Firmware hacking, but they are broad topics that will also need some background material to be covered. Also as things have developed both Foxx and Mustang have been in and out of medical visits. BSoD is a hobby, we can not put the show in front of our health issues. I know many people follow BSoD almost religiously, but you have to understand we are all human after all, and we need to take care of our priorities.

BSoD always appreciates the community behind it. We would appreciate it more if you spoke your mind and helped us out a bit more often so things like this dont happen as much, but it seems many of you like ot sit back and watch the show rather get into the thick of it. Its not hard people. Just voice your ideas, ask questions, make comments, explore your minds. That alone helps because then we know what to do and where to go. Granted we dont know everything, but as a community we can aspire to great new feats, helping one another learn along the way.

on a similar note, apparently BSoD has been on Navi-X ( http://website.navi-x.org/home.html ) which is a kick ass user based content sharing system for XBMC. This is one of the reasons the BSoD servers have been hit so hard. Some people have been seeding BSoD to such sites, which is good! We love the fact you share the show with everyone. But... can you let us know next time? That way we know why the hell we are being hammered, and so we can link to the different syndications.

We are in the process of trying to find out all the places BSoD has been syndicated. Hop on the forums and let us know where you found BSoD so we can fill in the list.

We never get a break! So it seems www.FileDump.BSoDtv.org was hit so hard this release that the PHP script that was running to make the main page look pretty used up so much resources it was killing downloads for everyone. Fortunately the issue has been resolved by removing the glam' completely, so if you dont like the look of a bland file listing, blow it out of your ass. Be happy its working!

This shows that BSoD is really growing, unfortunately we are not seeing as much viewer feedback as we would like. As much as we try to keep reminding you, this is an OPEN SOURCE SHOW. Content in every episode is completely dynamic to the topics that interest the community as a whole, and is also provided by them. Hop on IRC or the forums and speak your mind. The only stupid question is the serious one that was never asked...

Foxx continues a breakdown of serial communications with the the software side of interfacing into some hardware, showcasing how some devices can be controlled from a very simple serial terminal. Mustang pops in and out of satellite lock with some nifty or flat-out must have GPS apps for the G1. The Wireless Warrior Foxx yet again rampages us with some antenna design, cramming the J-Pole in our face. Nixx brings us a well covered firmware hacking segment with the HTC Touch Pro, going deeper into explaining exactly what IPL, SPL, HardPL is, how it effects the device and other information pertaining to firmware hacking HTC (or damn near any) devices. Tommy, a well seasoned ham radio operator meets an untimely and unexpected interview with us and tells us a little bit about what attracted him to the hobby, some insight to the Ham Radio community, and how he quite literally owes his life two-fold to it. Never knew a ham radio could be used as a real life 1-Up!

Episode 32

iPod mp4 and xvid avi formats are available.

Usenet feeds will uploaded to the typical places.

Quick, grab it,before it runs back under the entertainment center!! SON OF A BITCH! Now we have to get a stick and poke it in face until it scurrys back out. What a Dickbag...

Sorry for the late release, we all had a very bad case of Life.

This episode I get more into firmware hacks using my Dell Axim X51v, explaining the basics of using a PDAs onboard flash utility to get a non-crap OS on your PDA. Please check the shownotes! There is a lot I couldnt cover because of time constraints. Ophidian shows us how to make a universal dipole base thats very hands for any ham. I get into what serial ports and communications are, but again ran into the time limit wall, so expect more in the next episode. This segment will be very important later on, so try and pay attention! UberarchAngel gets into what overclocking is. This is the first installment of his multi-part series of segments, so stay tuned. Same BSoD time (we hope), same BSoD Channel.

Episode 31

iPod mp4 and xvid avi formats are available.

Usenet feeds will uploaded to the typical places.