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Version 26 “Beta”.
Posted by Markus Langenfeld - 06/25/08 at 10:06:13 pmHere it is - Markus Langenfeld.com Version 26.
Well, not quite. I have a load of stuff I want to get on here still and a few colors and small details are slated to change over the next few days… When I get time. Some of the features yet to be ported from the mighty version 25 include my Twitter integration, and some sort of RSS thing on the sidebar.
I’m content with the design but more importantly I’m loving the ’skeleton’ of the new layout as it will allow for new expansion options that I didn’t have with the prior design. You will notice some new additions to my little corner of the internet including an Advertise page that will be online shortly.
Version 25 had a good run at just 3 months shy of a year (all-time-record FTW), this will be a refreshing change of pace.
Returning back to life, hopefully soon.
Posted by Markus Langenfeld - 06/19/08 at 03:06:49 pmThese past few weeks I’ve barely had a chance to do anything outside of work. I miss hanging out on my favorite websites, I miss chatting with friends, but more then anything I miss blogging.
The new SCI Broadband.com successfully launched yesterday afternoon in-between the meetings we had going all day. This project was a chapter of my immediate career that I’m proud to have finally finished. The company needed a new web presence - in fact, “needed” is an understatement. While my revamped design could be better, I think it turned out nice and it will be a solid addition to my little portfolio.
Just because I finished this website doesn’t mean I can return to how it used to be. The list of projects at work that need to get finished this year is endless. Just to explain how endless it is, I started messing around with website ideas a couple months after I started with the company. That was almost 2 years ago.
I’m trying hard to efficiently manage my time so I can fit in more things that I want to do, I need more time for myself and my own projects. For example, some of the things I’d like to accomplish in the next month on this website alone include a brand new design and a couple big product reviews. If I plan to get this stuff done I need to figure out where my time is going and how I can reclaim some of it.
Dammit Wednesday: Get it done.
Posted by Markus Langenfeld - 06/11/08 at 09:06:00 pmWhat a week. I’ve been completely disconnected from most everything to ensure I’m getting stuff done at work. After going on almost 2 years of pushing the need for a new company website I have gotten a full green light on the project. The new website is something I want to work on but because we need it online in such a short amount of time I’ve essentially spent every free moment coding and designing the company’s brand new web presence. Even as I’m typing this on my bed, at 10:45 PM, with my hands falling asleep — I’m flipping back and forth between Word, Photoshop, FTP, and the bombing of IMs I’m getting from the people I haven’t spoke to in a week.
So my work related rant this Dammit Wednesday is projects and their tendency to consume life.
At least nothing burned down…
Posted by Markus Langenfeld - 06/02/08 at 05:06:34 am
We made it! I essentially used up my entire weekend but this website along with the others I maintain and host are all moved over to A Small Orange. I can’t say it was easy, in fact I ran into some head scratching (and hair pulling) roadblocks along the way. However I’m fairly confident that the big issues are behind us, and it’s always reassuring to know that it could be worse.
I’m really digging A Small Orange so far. The support has been great, it’s reliable and they have some neat programs and tools set up for their customers that I haven’t seen before. In fact, I have a little something for you guys – If you’re in the market for affordable, reliable, web hosting you can save yourself $5 on your order by using coupon MARKOSENTME or 15% off with 15%FTW.
Also, although there are much better things to donate your money to, ASO has set me up with a donation link if you want to help out with my hosting costs… You know, if you’re into just giving away money.
I’ve already referred my work to ASO, so we can continue development on the new company website. In other words, don’t be surprised if I mention them more often as I’m sure I’ll run into more headaches that tend to come with any development project.
From Silicon Valley to The ATL, we’re moving.
Posted by Markus Langenfeld - 05/30/08 at 10:05:59 amIn between my ever expanding daily routine at work and trying to keep up with everything going on in life - I’ve been moving websites all week to a brand new web host. I recently expressed my dissatisfaction for Media Temple (MT), and although I’ve been in contact with MT management since then, and they did their best to make up for the many problems I’ve had with their services, I just don’t feel that they are living up to my expectations in terms of reliability and value. However, this might not be good bye forever. The upcoming developments at MT sound very exciting and I really hope that they iron all of the little issues before it’s released. If they do it right the next time around there’s a good chance I could come back, but for now I’m able to get a competitive plan with solid customer support for half the price and I’m not about to pass it up.
After shopping around and actually signing up with and trying a couple different hosts I’ve decided to choose A Small Orange as the new home for my little internet empire. So far A Small Orange (ASO) has offered very quick support and a few nice features I was missing with MT. The pricing is very competitive but most importantly they are already offering very reliable service. ASO’s data center is located in the state-of-the-art AtlantaNAP Colocation Facility in Atlanta, Georgia. Just for the record, Media Temple’s data center is in 365 Main’s new El Segundo, California facility.
Anyways, this entry will be my last with Media Temple. When I return (hopefully everything will return) later this weekend I will be bringing you my captivating ramblings from my new home.
Droppin’ E
Posted by Markus Langenfeld - 04/29/08 at 10:04:04 am
Entrecards that is, I joined Entrecard yesterday and so far it looks like it’s going to be an invaluable addition to my website. Entrecard is a new concept that allows bloggers to easily drive traffic to their websites by showing genuine interest in others.
Entrecard has set up a video that explains the service but they make it sound more complicated then it really is. Basically you create then have the ability to drop a virtual business card at the blogs you visit every day that run an Entrecard widget. The website owners will then see your card and often times visit your website in return. Each time you drop a card it earns you credits which can be used towards advertising on other blogs, transferred to other members, or privately sold in classifieds or auctions. You can also receive credits from bloggers wanting to advertise on your blog for a price that’s determined by your blog’s popularity. It’s almost like a game, but best of all it’s is a free service.
I’ve only been a member for a day and I’m already seeing an increase in traffic, very cool.
My official list of 17+ must-see computer geek movies – Part 2
Posted by Markus Langenfeld - 04/24/08 at 07:04:07 pmContinuing from where we left off in Part 1, I’ve got another batch of must-see technology related movies that geeks, gamers, programmers, and nerds will all surely enjoy if they haven’t already.
Swordfish & Firewall
Two more Hollywood movies to make the list are Swordfish and Firewall. Swordfish is about a DEA dummy corporation codenamed SWORDFISH that was shut down in the 80’s who in it’s time had generated $400 million which they apparently let sit around; fifteen years later and the compound interest has put it to $9.5 billion. A covert counter-terrorist unit called Black Cell headed by Gabriel Shear (John Travolta) wants the money to help finance their vengeance war against international terrorism, but it’s all locked away behind super-encryption. He brings in convicted hacker Stanley Jobson (Hugh Jackman), who only wants to see his daughter Holly again but can’t afford the legal fees, to slice into the government mainframes and get the money.
Firewall is a typical Harrision Ford kidnapping movie that features him as Jack Stanfield, the chief computer security expert of a large bank in Seattle, Washington. A terrorist named Bill Cox (Paul Bettany) has been spying on Jack for the last year and he knows the family’s daily routines, friends, and personal information. Cox leads a team of mercenaries who break into Jack’s home and take his wife and children hostage. With the lives of his wife and children at stake, Jack is forced to steal $100 million from the bank by electronically transferring the money to an offshore account.
Sneakers
Sneakers is another great caper film from 1992, it’s about this guy Martin Bishop (Robert Redford) who is the leader of a group of experts that specialize in testing security systems. When Bishop is blackmailed by government agents into stealing a top secret “black box”, the team find themselves embroiled in a game of danger and intrigue. After they recover the box, they discover that it has the capability to decode all sorts of encryption systems and the agents who originally hired them didn’t actually work for the government.
The Net
Angela Bennett (played by the beautiful Sandra Bullock) is a young computer software analyst. A fellow analyst from Cathedral Software, Dale, sends her a program on a disk that when run displays a peculiar symbol in the lower-right corner. When clicked in addition to a couple keystrokes the software reveals a bug that gives the user entry point access to government and military computer systems. When Angela discovers the potential in this security flaw her life turns into a nightmare. Her records are erased from existence and she is given a new identity, one with a police record. Throughout the movie Angela struggles to find out why this has happened and who is behind it all.
After The Net there was an unsuccessful TV series by the same name that ran only 22 episodes on the USA network. There was also a direct-to-video sequel called The Net 2.0 released in 2006 that I have yet to see.
The Matrix Trilogy
Ok well, technically this is three movies and I’m not going to bother writing a synopsis for the whole trilogy. Most people are familiar with The Matrix and unlike many I’m personally a fan of all three movies and I recommend them equally. If you consider yourself a Matrix fan make sure you check out The Animatrix. The Animatrix is a collection of nine animated short films that detail the back-story of the “Matrix” universe and the original war between man and machines, which led to the machine’s creation of the artificial reality for humans. The short films fill countless plot holes created in the original trilogy and the artwork alone is truly stunning.
Enemy of the State
Another good Hollywood film that isn’t too farfetched is Enemy of the State. Will Smith stars in this film as Robert Clayton Dean, a lawyer with a wife and family whose happily normal life is turned upside down after bumping into a college buddy at a lingerie shop. Unbeknownst to the Dean, he’s just been burdened with a videotape of a congressman’s assassination. A group of National Security Agents chase him and track his every move by using surveillance from satellites, bugs, and other sophisticated devices, the NSA infiltrates every detail of Dean’s existence. Driven by intense paranoia, Dean enlists the help of a former NSA operative named Brill (Gene Hackman) to stay one step ahead.
Mercury Rising
NSA thrillers must have been a popular theme in 1998 because Mercury Rising is essentially the same movie except instead of a videotape they are after an autistic boy named Simon who has an affinity for puzzles and is able to crack the NSA’s new ‘unbreakable’ encryption. Instead of Will Smith playing a lawyer the movie stars Bruce Willis as Art Jeffries, an undercover FBI agent who protects Simon from the NSA agents trying to terminate him.
Live Free or Die Hard
I bet the last movie you would expect to see on this list is the latest chapter of the Die Hard anthology, but despite Live Free or Die Hard following the typical ‘Die Hard’ storyline it does have a geeky twist. Even if it didn’t who could not like the Die Hard movies right?
12 years after John McClane (Bruce Willis) stops the German terrorists from successfully robbing the Federal Reserve, he’s about to face a new kind of challenge more difficult and personal than ever before. An organization of cyber terrorists led by Thomas Gabriel (Timothy Olyphant) is taking control of everything in the United States from public utilities to the stock market. McClane, accompanied by Matthew Farrell (Justin Long), one of the hackers who accidentally assisted the villains in setting up the system, must stop Gabriel from taking over the country completely. In response to McClane’s diligence Gabriel also manages to take McClane’s daughter hostage.
Pirates of Silicon Valley
Last but not least is Pirates of Silicon Valley. I almost didn’t include a synopsis for this movie but it’s actually not bad and the characters did a decent job playing the roles of Steve Jobs and Bill Gates. Pirates of Silicon Valley was an unauthorized made-for-television docudrama that’s loosely based on the book Fire in the Valley: The Making of The Personal Computer by Paul Freiberger. The film documents the rise of the personal computer through the rivalry between Apple Computer and Microsoft.
More?
Johnny Mnemonic, 23, Breach, Tron, Total Recall, 2001: A Space Odyssey, The Thirteenth Floor, all great movies you could look into and I’m sure there are plenty of others that I’m missing so feel free to post your own favorites in the comments.
Looking for more must-see computer geek movies? Check out Part 1 of this list.
My official list of 17+ must-see computer geek movies - Part 1
Posted by Markus Langenfeld - 04/22/08 at 11:04:19 pmFrom the outlandishly inaccurate to the surprisingly plausible, here is my list (in no particular order) of technology related movies that geeks, gamers, programmers, and nerds will all surely enjoy if they haven’t already.
WarGames
WarGames is a 1983 classic starring Matthew Broderick as David Lightman, a bright but unmotivated high school student who uses his 1970s vintage IMSAI microcomputer and modem to perform automated searches for computer systems connected to the public telephone network, which he then cracks. After seeing an advertisement for a new game David has his computer dial every number in Silicon Valley in an attempt to find the game manufacture’s computer system. When he later reviews the results, he finds a system that has a very intriguing list of games that later turns out to be a government supercomputer that runs real-life war simulations.
Hackers
Hackers although wildly unrealistic is another cult classic that features Jonny Lee Miller as Dade “Zero Cool” Murphy, a young computer hacker who, at the age of 11, was able to take down 1,507 systems in one day causing havoc in the New York Stock Exchange. Upon conviction for his computer crimes Dade was banned from owning or operating a computer or touchtone telephone until his 18th birthday. Fast forward to 7 years later, Dade and his divorced mother move to New York City and he quickly returns to his crazy computer cracking shenanigans under his new name Crash Override.
Dade later hooks up with a group of fellow hackers and together in their travels through cyberspace they discover The Plague (Fisher Stevens), a former hacker turned computer security expert for a multinational corporation. The Plague secretly allied himself with a group of criminals and is using his expertise to drain funds from corporate bank accounts. He is also smart enough to leave clues that would lead investigators to someone else (in this case, Dade and his friends) and has a secret weapon at his disposal, a computer virus that could wipe out the entire World Wide Web in a matter of minutes!
Track Down & Freedom Downtime
Track Down, also known as Takedown, is a movie about computer hacker Kevin Mitnick that is based off the book Takedown by John Markoff and Tsutomu Shimomura. Kevin Mitnick, the most notorious computer hacker in the nation uses the latest (at the time) electronic gadgetry to break into countless computers and gain access to sensitive and valuable information. But when he breaches the system of leading computer crimes expert Tsutomu Shimomura it sets off an epic battle between a pair of hard-driven geniuses operating on different sides of the law.
In Kevin Mitnick’s book The Art of Intrusion, Mitnick states that both book and movie are “extremely inaccurate” and are based on nothing more than media hype. In response to this hype the 2600 Magazine community created its own film titled Freedom Downtime which is supposed to depict a more accurate take on the Kevin Mitnick story and the Free Kevin movement. In my opinion, both movies are great in their own ways.
Antitrust
Antitrust is by far one of my favorite films of all time, and when I mentioned surprisingly plausible at the beginning of this entry I think this movie could easily fit the description. While working with friends to start their new software development company, Milo Hoffman (Ryan Phillippe) is approached by CEO Gary Winston (Tim Robbins) of a Microsoft like company called NURV for a programming position few would refuse. Despite the flagship product (Synapse, a worldwide media distribution network) being well on schedule, Hoffman begins to develop suspicions about the motives and methods of NURV. He eventually discovers that their employees are extensively monitored and much of the source code for Synapse is stolen from other programmers who are being contractually killed by the company. Hoffman begins a one-man investigation into NURV’s secrets, and by gathering his computer hobbyist friends and an FBI mole inside the company he manages to disrupt Gary Winston’s ultimate goal.
Revolution OS, E-Dreams & Startup.com
Revolution OS, E-Dreams, and Startup.com are all documentary style films. The latter two are about internet startup companies with E-Dreams being real footage that follows the founders of Kozmo.com as they raise money and file for an IPO only to suffer from the .com crash shortly after. Startup.com is a similar concept but it’s based off a fictional story. Revolution OS is an informative documentary about Linux founder Linus Torvalds and the twenty-year history of GNU, Linux, open source, and the free software movement. I recommend all three.
Looking for more must-see computer geek movies? Check out Part 2 of this list.
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