Una carta al Arturo, (o de cómo construí una Hackintosh y me despedí de la G5)

Estimado Arturo,
¿Cuál es su dirección de correo electrónico? Aim, AOL (really!? ¿Todavía?), o Yahoo. Siempre que voy a escribirle tengo que meter las tres direcciones para asegurarme de que llegue y aún así pasan meses sin obtener respuesta.
Pero adentrándome en la razón de ser de esta misiva. Todavía le escribo desde mi vieja Mac (G5 Dual, 2.3 GHz, 6 GB DDR2 SDRAM) porque la Hackintosh ya se vendió. Luego de varios días de pruebas, me decidí a retirar a la G5 y pasarme a la Hackintosh. Estaba moviendo los muebles para hacer el cambio (estaba pasando la aspiradora en el hueco que había dejado la G5 en la alfombra) cuando llegó mi jefe y me dijo que había estado pensando. Esto siempre es razón para ponerse nervioso así que tomé asiento. Resumiendo; luego de breve preludio me dice que quiere instalar una Mac en la oficina principal. Yo naturalmente le agradezco a los dioses, me rasgo las vestiduras y arrojo cenizas al cielo. Minutos más tarde (y un cheque de por medio) me despido de mi Hack.
Como ya sabrás, en la Wicks Rd. tengo una oficina donde arreglo computadores y doy asesorías varias. Esto es por las mañanas. Luego de la una voy para abajo y estoy a sueldo en RBPublish, donde hago atención al público, diseño (tarjetas de presentación, volantes, menús y vainas por el estilo). Allí he sufrido la iniquidad y la abyección de una Windows 7 por más de un año. No me quejo. Windows 7 ha progresado bastante. Es decir, comparado con XP (el sistema de facto en los últimos diez años) era algo muy parecido a la Tierra Prometida. Pero yo lo comparaba con mi viejo sistema (Mac OS X 10.5) que está un par de años detrás de la curva. Al final del día Windows 7 no quedaba tan mal parado. Aparte de la interface gráfica… ¿Ventanas traslúcidas? (Really!?) Sí, ya sé que se pueden quitar pero eso no mejora… ¿para qué ahondar?

Farewell Windows 7 and welcome to the machine.

Resumiendo, después de usar la Hack por un par de días noté diferencias. Diferencias graves. Mac OS X 10.7 vs. Windows 7 ya no es una comparación justa, pero eso es otra historia.

La historia es la Hackintosh.
Yo siempre tuve cierta reticencia cuando se trata de instalar OS X en una simple PC. Algo que hará que Steve Jobs se retuerza en la tumba, (Sorry mate!) pero no hay vuelta. Mi reserva viene de que una Mac es la unión perfecta del Hardware y el Software. Y también hay un efecto de halo, un elemento estético que trasciende el simple hardware y que hace que una Mac sea una Mac. El gris del aluminio en la G5 imita elementos de la interface gráfica y viceversa. Aparte de que la torre es sólida. Es un monolito de aluminio que va a soportar el paso del tiempo. Entonces mi dilema era casi religioso, armar una Hackintosh me parecía una especie de sacrilegio. Algo no tan grave como hacer caricaturas del Papa, pero sí algo que debía evitar por todos los medios.

Entonces tuve un par de encuentros con el sistema nuevo y con los programas que ya no corren en la G5. Y justo esa semana aparece el Google Drive que solo corre en los nuevos procesadores. ¿Y para qué carajo necesito yo Google Drive? Me pregunto. Google fucking Drive. Really!? Dropbox es la misma cosa, ¡y hasta tiene la aplicación para el iPod y el iPad!

Pero mi pregunta era otra. ¿Hasta cuando vas a usar un sistema fronterizo, pibe? La tecnología avanza, te aplasta y sigue de largo.

Entonces ocurrieron un par de cosas: un cliente llega y me encarga un computador. Me dice que no tiene apuro, unas dos semanas. Ordené las partes, pero ordené Intel… y una motherboard en particular pensando en mi Hack.

Dos días más tarde llegó UPS con las cajas y ahí empiezó la pasión.

Porque no hay un manual de cómo armar una Hackintosh, hay veinte manuales distintos y hay foros y páginas completas dedicadas al tema. Pero la cuestión es orientarse un poco, sobre todo cuando mucha de la información es contradictoria.

Resumiendo; el computador funciona mejor de lo que yo pensaba, pero también costó un poco más de lo que había calculado. Tuve que comprar una tarjeta de video (ATI de 1GB de memoria) que habilitó todos los efectos del sistema; animaciones y boludeces que no hacen mucha diferencia pero que tampoco dejaban funcionar a YouTube, (Really?) o instalar Final Cut Pro. And we want that!

El resto funciona todo. Como si fuera una Mac. Menos el Sleep mode. But who needs sleep? (I’m working on it.)

Hay algunas aplicaciones que son específicas… boot loaders y cosas por el estilo, pero el resto es 100% Mac. Hasta el Carbon Copy Cloner funciona (solo que al final hay que correr una aplicación para que arranque del disco clonado, pero es lo mismo). El disco duro que estoy usando ahora fue clonado del original (para tener back up en caso de catástrofe inesperada) y la semana que vienen me llegan las partes para mi segundo equipo (este ya lo ordené con los 8 GB).

Llego ahora al punto en el relato donde debo admitir haber llegado a un punto clave en el relato. Hubo un momento en esas dos semanas en que debo haber sufrido alucinaciones a causa del exceso de adrenalina o de alguna otra droga que genera el organismo en estas ocasiones. Sentí que tenía poderes, loco. Sentí que estaba pandeando la realidad a mi antojo y que a partir de ahora podía hacer cualquier cosa. Caminar por las paredes o dejarme crecer el pelo. Ahora mismo, por ejemplo, podría hervir agua con solo mirar fijamente los contenidos de una taza. Solo que ahora no tengo tiempo para ese tipo de boludeces.

Como verás, los efectos de las drogas todavía no se han ido por completo.

Para despedirme, si quieres vas comprando las partes. Yo te puedo mandar unos enlaces para Compusa. Yo, ¿qué te puedo cobrar por el armado? Las partes y el manejo y envío corren por tu cuenta.

Saludos.

Windows Phone 7

Windows Phone 7 is out and it looks pretty cool. It seems that my prediction on a previous post is about to be refuted. But only time will tell.

After the Kin disaster, Microsoft managed not only to make some commercials that look good (see below, really?), but also an operating system that actually works. (really?)

Here are some of the points that might help Phone 7.

1. The interface is cool. I have never been near a Zune, but some people claim that once you get pass the hideousness of the hardware, the software is almost good. Phone 7 borrows a lot of elements from the Zune and that’s good.

2. Microsoft is taking an approach very much like Apple’s, and is requiring its hardware partners to meet a rigid criteria in order to run Windows Phone 7. Each device must feature three standard hardware buttons, for example, and before they can ship with WP7, they have to pass a series of tests directed by Microsoft. By contrast, Google doesn’t subject manufacturers to similar testing criteria. And we’re seeing the consequences: Some touchscreens work better than others, some apps don’t work on one version of Android while they do on another, and some manufacturers are even loading bloatware onto Android devices. Most importantly, a consistent user experience will help customers understand what they’re getting when they’re shopping for a Windows phone.

3. Microsoft’s got apps, really? For business users, Microsoft’s inclusion of Office apps will be a huge lure. And there are a few important apps available right out of the gate, including Netflix, eBay, Twitter and Slacker radio.

4. Microsoft’s supposed to have games. Apple’s success with games for the iPhone has given Microsoft a clue on what a lot of people do with their smartphones: play. Integration with the Xbox 360won’t hurt, either.

Why Apple may be revisiting old battles and making the same mistakes

In 1984 Apple introduced the Macintosh. This was a huge paradigm switch on personal computers. These were the first machines to have a GUI (Graphical User Interface) and a mouse. Apple’s trademark has always been innovation. They have always been ahead of the curve and continue to do so, marking trends for others to follow and telling us what the next big thing is.

Back then; Microsoft was trying to catch up. They introduced the GUI on their first Windows incarnation… As always, the guys at Redmond had seen a good idea and had to follow. They had to have a piece of the action, and they were right. Because back then, the GUI was the future and ignoring the future would have made them irrelevant.

That was more than 20 years ago and we know how the story went. Microsoft started to license Windows to everybody. Apple went the other route and after a short while stopped licensing the operating system. They stayed in control of the hardware and the software and in part this is why Apple was able to innovate at such a pace. Nobody can keep up with them. Even when Steve is being a little stubborn at times (I’m still waiting for Blue Ray support) he is pushing his agenda, something that is obviously part of the Bigger Picture. And what’s the Bigger Picture? Only Steve knows. That’s why Steve is Steve and I’m just me.

We know what happened in the 90’s. Microsoft went on to grab more than 90% of the market share and Apple stayed a niche player that for a while was on the verge of disappearing. Remember when Michael Dell came up with a solution for Apple? But that’s another story.

The story now is the future, again. Because we have seen the future and we want a piece of it. The iPad is the future. Yep, I know what you are going to say. I’ve read the blogs all over the web and I’ve been using an iPad since week two. (By the way, I’m writing this on my G5 so I don’t loose touch with old technology) The iPad has been the biggest paradigm switch since 1984. The introduction of the iPhone was close, but the adoption rate of the pad has been unprecedented and that alone points to reasons of deeper waters. The future, dude! The future.

Now let me get to the point I wanted to make. History has a way of repeating itself. That’s why we watch the History Channel; so we don’t make the same mistakes. Over and over again. I don’t know what’s going to happen but is going to be very interesting.

Now Microsoft is out of the picture. Forget Windows Mobile 7 or whatever they want to call it, Microsoft is out of the picture. Google is in now and it’s aiming for the tablet. The only difference between this battle (Android vs. iOS) and that other historic battle (Windows vs. Mac OS) is that Android is actually pretty good. Google (following the Microsoft playbook) is going to license Android to everybody and their sisters and sooner or later, somebody is going to come up with a decent piece of hardware (probably Dell) to take away market share form Apple.

Until then, I’m going to turn off the G5 grab my Pad and go lie down on the couch… I’ll browse the web for a while, I’ll read a book, or catch a movie on Netfilx. The possibilities are endless.

How GoDaddy got hacked for no particular reason

This story describes the events that took place on January of 2007. The names had been changed to protect the innocent.

I’m no hacker. My knowledge of operating systems in particular and computers in general may be above average but no one can accuse me of being a hacker. However, I need to narrate this to clear my conscience.

How did this happen?

I work for a company that (to avoid legal complications) I’ll call Metallic Metals. For a long time, we had contracted the services of… Exponential Warfare Corp. They did our web page, our emails and also registered the Metallic domain for us. However, their contract was about to expire and that’s how it got started. We had the option to renew the contract or find another company to take care of our modest needs: a server for a Web page and a few email addresses.

GoDaddy offers all that for a small fee. Among other things, five GB to set up a Web site and 500 email addresses. More than enough. Exponential Warfare’s services were not bad, but left much to be desired. For example, no one answered the phone. Technical support happened by e-mail, which was always slow. Not to mention some of the answers they gave us… Once, when I complained that an attachment of five megabytes from one of our customers was not getting through, the technician asked: Are they sending this with Outlook or what kind of program are they using? My answer (a little more diplomatic, of course) was that I didn’t give a damn about what kind of program they were using, since I had no control over that part of the equation and the same file had arrived without problem to my free Google address.

Let’s say that the fate of Exponential Warfare was sealed. My boss has a tendency to agree with me on technological issues, so without thinking it twice he gave me the compani’s Black American Express and said he didn’t want to hear any more about any kind of Warfare.

The Cyber Move

GoDaddy’s technical support is efficient. In less than two minutes I was able to talk to a representative who explained everything in plain English. I opted for a two-year economy plan, and here began the story that I think has to be told. I explained to the representative (who I will call Herbert McPollo to avoid legal issues) that we acquired the domain through GoDaddy but I didn’t know the user name or password of the account.

“No problem,” said McPollo, typing frantically at his terminal. “Can you confirm the last four digits of your credit card?”

Of course I could. The numbers shone like a mirage on the card. I read the numbers and then he told me my account number. Within seconds he was going to send me an email so that I could change the password. It was very easy. Very efficient. But the email address they had on file was for somebody on Exponential Warfare.

“No, no,” I said. “That’s the company we’re leaving…. can you send it to my address?”

“No problem,” said McPollo. “Can you confirm the last six digits of your credit card?”

Obviously I could. Six numbers, four numbers. What was the difference? So a few minutes latter I received the email containing the temporary password and the link that opened the website that allowed me to enter my account number and my temporary password and thus create a new password and finally log in. If only everything was that easy.

The password has to be at least six characters long and have at least one number. It should also be easy to remember. Ergo: BigBoy69.

“That’s all,” said McPollo. “Make sure you have the files on your Web page before they remove them from the server on the other company. Once they release your domain, you can create the email addresses on GoDaddy. “

Very Simple. Very efficient.

The Beginning of the End.

But something didn’t feel right. I entered the system and changed some basic information. I put myself as the technical manager and primary contact, of course. I returned the black card to my boss and tried not to think about it. The most difficult part was over. But there was the issue of the email addresses… the deadline was January 31, the next day, after which some twenty people in Metallic Metals could be without email. Dear Lord! What would we do without email?

When I got home I tried to get started. Contrary to what my wife thinks, you can accomplish a lot sitting in front of a computer. Just typing. Entering bits of information on a keyboard that translates all this into machine language. Binary system. A stream of zeros and ones running through the network, talking with other computers in refrigerated rooms that have never seen the ligth of day. Night and day crunching information for millions and millions of users. Account numbers and passwords.

BigBoy69. Access Granted. Very efficient.

I entered the system and began to browse. All systems resemble each other. There are layers that lead to more layers of information. Hosting. Domains. Email… Then I discovered something strange. In the domain section there were more almost two hundred domains registered. How was this possible? Metallic Metals had only one domain and was not trying to extend into the world of the Web.

Then came the discovery. I had become the manager of Incremental Warfare’s account.

The last day at Warfare Corp.

I’m no hacker. My knowledge of operating systems and other things like that is barely above those of a mere mortal. However, in less than two hours I had breached the security of two companies of considerable size one of which had the word Warfare stamped in their letterhead.

How was it possible? The answer was simple: the Black American Express of Metallic Metals. Some of the technicians at Incremental Warfare had used the card and the information had been filed with GoDaddy. When they asked for the last six numbers of the card to verify my identity, the information was consistent. That was all it took.

However, the situation was tricky. My boss is not interested in technical or legal details. He just wants his email to work and that’s part of my job. At seven o’clock I contacted McPollo and explained the situation. At the end of the line there was a long silence. McPollo was aware of the legal ramifications of the case.

BigBoy69. Warfare.

“Any Webmaster would be very interested in these details,” said a gloomy voice. And then he explained the plan of action. I had to open another account as soon as possible and transfer the domain and hosting.

At nine o’clock in the morning, after two days of leaving messages and waiting in vain for an answer, I received a call from Incremental Warfare. I was surprised to find that it wasn’t the technician who ussually talks to me.

“This is Herbert Warfare,” said a rough voice.

Naturally, I thought. Someone had called the boss at an ungodly hour. Seven-thirty? Eight in the morning? A technician on the verge of a nervous breakdown used the red phone labeled: Use only in case of nuclear emergency. The boss of bosses had decided to answer my call. BigBoy69 was responsible.

“Someone has entered our system and changed the contact information,” said Mister Warfare. “I’m calling to see if you have information about this matter.”

Afterword.

Mister Warfare, despite the bellicose name, was more reasonable than I had expected. He was very interested in the technical details and lamented that we had decided to leave his company. He said that at four PM he would release our domain server and I could finish the transfer of the email addresses.

“The domain has already been transferred,” he said.

“Yes,” I said smiling. “I saved you some work.”

“Indeed…” said Mr. Warfare without conviction. “Indeed.”