Data recovery tools

Chelsey’s hard drive crashed a few weeks ago, and I have been doing my darndest to recover what I can from it, since she last backed up in December.  The first problem is that I am using the 64-bit version of Windows XP Pro, which means that half of the utilities I could find don’t even work on my OS.  But I am here today with a tale of happiness, in the hope that this knowledge can help someone else out in the future.

When I say that Chelsey’s hard drive crashed, I mean a hideous, raging inferno.  No file recovery program could even see the drive, much less pull any data off of it.  That is, until I found George M. Garner Jr.’s Forensic Acquisition Utilities.  Once I found this utility on the internet, I realized I had used it before - when our SD card died and no other utility could do anything with it.  FAU actually contains several different utilities, but the one that saved me was dd.exe, which performs the same function as the GNU dd program.  For you non-unix-ites out there, dd is a program used for low-level data copying and conversion.  Much more low-level, it turns out, than all the other “low-level” Windows utilities out there.  Bit-for-bit.  In particular, it is much more forgiving of physical damage to the drive than anything else I found.  In addition, you can specify a starting address, so you can skip over bad parts of the drive.  You have to be careful with dd, though, because you can write over the top of your good drive if you aren’t careful.

So, if I want to copy the bits from L:, starting at address 0×1c9f01c400 to a file called “drive_dump.img”, I type

dd.exe -v if=\\.\L: of=./drive_dump.img conv=noerror --localwrt --skip 0x1c9f01c400

“conv=noerror” tells dd.exe to keep going if there’s an error, and “–localwrt” tells it it’s okay to dump to a local drive.  There are a lot of other good options, too.

Unfortunately, there was even more physical damage to Chelsey’s drive than FAU could handle.  It was time to get nerdy.  When dd.exe can’t go on any further, it spits out the last byte it was able to read successfully.  So, I wrote a Perl script to look at the output, and find the last successful byte, in order to know where to start from the next time.

So, now I’ve got a bunch of image files.  Of course, there is only one utility out there for 64-bit Windows XP that will mount dd images, and it’s only free for a trial period.  Then there’s the question of software to recover the files Chelsey wants - PNGs and XCFs.  The software I have only does JPEGs.  But behold, another diamond in the rough: PhotoRec.  Not only does PhotoRec recover PNG, XCF, and a buttload of other file formats, but it does so straight from a dd image file! Sweet.  So, now, Chelsey will have 35 GB of data to mill through, while any other (free) recovery software would have given us nothing.

Diablo 3

Engineers will save your precious climate

I have to groan every time I hear a radio spot or read a magazine article on “17 Ways To Fight Global Warming”, because the suggestions are things are either completely obvious (”Don’t leave the water on when you go to bed!”), or virtually inconsequential (”Use organic ribbon when you tie bows on Christmas presents!”).  These are nice ways to feel like you’re helping the environment without actually making any lifestyle changes or putting forth any effort.

Compare these with the efforts of Doug Heffron.  In 1993, Doug took a 1989 Geo Metro Xfi, which already got 58 miles per gallon (compare that to 46 mpg for a Prius), and made a few home-brewed modifications.  Result: a two-seater that got 75 mpg.  Now, I made fun of the Geo Metro as much as anyone else back then, but now as an engineer, I’m obligated to admire such a sweet hack.  The dude even cut two new gears (to change the fifth-gear ratio) at home with his lathe!

Here’s to a guy who really knows what it means to reduce energy consumption. Doug Heffron, I salute you.

Durian

While out for lunch with some coworkers last Friday, I had the opportunity (misfortune?) to try a durian shake.  Durian is, to put it succinctly, is a fruit from Southeast Asia that has a pretty unpopular taste.  I really enjoy trying new foods, and I’m glad I tried the durian shake.  Everyone present who had tried durian said it’s horrible.  Honestly, I didn’t find it that repulsive.  It wasn’t good, by any means, but I didn’t want to throw up or anything.  I think the best I can describe the flavor is something like a sweet onion, with a hint of nastiness.

Heather Wilson: Fighting high gas prices and independent thought

Somehow, I recently managed to get myself on Heather Wilson’s (R-NM) mailing list.  When I received an email entitled “Heather Wilson: Fighting high gas prices,”  I thought I might find a reason to take myself off it.  How right I was.  This email included a poll:

Do Rep. Wilson and Senator Domenici have the right idea when it comes to increasing the fuel efficiency of cars and trucks?

• Yes. Heather and Senator Domenici are putting good policies in place and working with the auto industry so our cars get better gas mileage, and we get more out of every gallon of gas.
• No. Cars get good enough gas mileage now and we don’t need to increase fuel economy standards.

This is why the poll is the evidence of choice in USA Today.  You can write a poll to give you whatever results you want.  For example:

Do you think I’m awesome?

• Yes, your blog is very well written and you have nice teeth.
• No, I’m an idiot.  I haven’t read your blog, and I don’t know anything about you.

What I’m saying is that this is not a well-written poll.  A better one might read:

Heather Wilson and Senator Domenici are putting policies in place to require the auto industry to produce cars with better gas mileage. Do Rep. Wilson and Senator Domenici have the right idea when it comes to increasing the fuel efficiency of cars and trucks?

• Yes
• No

Polls are fine, and I’m not even dead set against the idea of requiring auto manufacturers to achieve a certain gas mileage (although I’m not fond of it, either), but when my Congresswoman assumes I’m gullible enough to go for this kind of garbage, I don’t feel too bad that she lost the primary this year.

BBQ ribs, round 2, and kvass

For those who haven’t heard the tale, my previous attempt at barbecuing ribs consisted of me battling stereotypical Albuquerque wind to try to keep the grill hot enough to cook at all.  Result: the ribs were just barely good enough to justify eating.  Needless to say, I was a little hesitant to take on the challenge again.  But, the second rack of ribs (the pork spareribs come in packages of two racks at Costco) were taking up space in the freezer, so I figured I’d better get it over with.

The weather looked great all morning, so I was feeling pretty good about my chances.  Of course, as soon as I threw the meat on the grill, the wind started up.  It (and the rain) ended up not lasting very long, though, so things went pretty smoothly.

For this barbecue adventure, as with most others, I consulted with The Cook’s Illustrated Guide To Grilling And Barbecue, which I’ve found to be pretty reliable.  What I’ve also found, however, is that there’s no substitute for hands-on experience, as these ribs would turn out to prove.

If you’re doing ribs on a grill, you have to cook them indirectly, meaning that you don’t have the burners going directly under the meat; you set the meat on one side of the grill and run the burner on the other side. Last time, I wasn’t able to keep the internal temperature of the grill up with a single burner, so I knew I’d have to run two of them.  Luckily, my grill is deep enough that the ribs fit across the grill (front to back), so I could push them far enough to one side that two burners remained uncovered.  So, with one burner on full and the next one about 1/4 of the way up, I was able to keep the internal temperature between 250° and 275° (usually closer to 275°).

The other problem I had last time was that my wood chunks kept catching on fire.  I had them in a foil tray, sitting on top of the burners (under the cooking grate).  Unfortunately, I had the same problem this time, and my wood chunks were quickly reduced to ash.  I think next time I’ll set the foil tray on top of the cooking grate, and see how that works.

My other problem is that I really don’t know how to tell when the ribs are done, other than “looks good.”  Fortunately, that method worked perfectly this time.  After about two hours and fifteen minutes of cooking, the ribs “looked good,” so I pulled them out.  Then, I wrapped them in three layers of aluminum foil and sealed them in a paper bag for an hour.  When they came out, they were even better than I could have hoped for.  They were very moist and tender, and the flavor was pretty good, although I think there’s room for improvement in the flavor if I can get the wood chunks smoking like they should.  As I said before, I got the ribs from Costco, and they were very meaty and good.  At $16 for two full racks of ribs, they’re a very cheap way to do a good barbecue.  As for the rub, I used a recipe from the cookbook, but I know the Costco in Salt Lake sells some rubs, and I’m sure they’re just as good.  Ditto on the sauce - it was pretty good, but not really worth making by hand.  If I had a really good sauce recipe, maybe I would change my mind.

So, to celebrate my success, I topped off my meal with a tall, cold glass of kvass, a taste for which I acquired as a missionary in Lithuania.  For those of you unfamiliar with kvass, here’s the intro from Wikipedia:

Kvass or kvas (literally “leaven”; borrowed in the 16th century from Russian квас (kvas)[1]), sometimes translated into English as bread drink, is a fermented mildly alcoholic beverage made from black or rye bread. It is popular in Russia, Belarus, Ukraine and other Eastern and Central European countries as well as in all ex-Soviet states, like Uzbekistan, where one can see many kvass vendors in the streets.

The alcohol content is so low (0.05-1.44%) that it is considered acceptable for consumption by children. It is often flavoured with fruits or herbs such as strawberries or mint. Kvass is also used for preparing a summer cold soup, okroshka.

Like root beer, kvass is sold in the supermarket as an artificially flavored soft drink.  In fact, the brand I favored, Bajorų Gira, was bottled by Coca-Cola.  The flavor of the bottled stuff is actually pretty similar to the real thing, which (as I have been told) is not so true for root beer.  I don’t speak Russian, so I have no idea if this is flavored sugar water or the real thing, but, although I abstain religiously from alcohol, I figure that I’m safe with anything a ten-year-old could buy at the store.

It’s not easy to find, but I finally did locate a place here in Albuquerque where you can buy it: Cafe Istanbul, 1415 Wyoming Blvd NE.  Apart from the cafe, which makes really delicious food, Cafe Istanbul is a grocer as well.  They actually had three or four brands of kvass to choose from, so I’ll have to try them all.  This brand was pretty good.  The taste wasn’t very strong, but I wouldn’t call it weak.  Maybe “mild”.  The flavor was pretty good, though, not the sacchariny, artifical flavor you get with a lot of cheap brands of kvass.  I’d definitely buy it again, although I think I’ll try the other brands first.

Chelsey did not join me in the kvass-drinking (she claims she “doesn’t like it”), nor did she want her picture taken next to a big pile of masticated rib bones.  Spoilsport.

This one’s for you, Chelsey!

It’s almost scary how some jokes ring so true.

Very cool stuff: Google Reader

If you’re not using Google Reader, you should. This thing is fun, and fun is good. What is Google Reader? To the internet-savvy, it’s an online RSS reader. To everyone else, it’s a way of keeping up on your favorite websites without having to constantly visit each one.

I especially like it for keeping up on friends’ blogs. Most of my friends don’t update their blogs very regularly, so there’s no point in visiting every day. But after not checking a site for a while, it’s easy to forget about it altogether. Enter Google Reader.

Let’s take Chelsey’s blog as an example.

First, you have to have a Google account. If you don’t, go to http://www.google.com/ and click “Sign in” in the top right corner.

Second, go to the site you want to add to Reader. If I go to Chelsey’s blog and scroll down to the bottom, I find a link that says “Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)“. Right-click the link and choose “Copy Link Location” (Firefox) or “Copy Shortcut” (Internet Explorer). These links may be labeled differently on different sites. They might be called “RSS” or “headlines” or something like that. You may have to really search, though. Most sites nowadays have RSS feeds, but some don’t, in which case, you’re outta luck.

Next, you go to Google Reader, sign in if you haven’t already, and click “Add Subscription”. In the box that pops up, paste the link that you just copied, and click “Add.” This will add the site to your subscription list, and give you access to the content of that site:

Of course, you can always click the title of a post to see it on the original site. The best part, though, is what happens when a site is updated:

The numbers and boldface font mean there’s new content in these feeds. So, in the image above, there are two new posts on craigslist, two on Engadget, and two on ExtraLife. No more going through every site to see if there’s anything new! If this doesn’t sound that great, just try it out. You’ll wonder how you lived without it.

If you’re using Firefox, there is a slightly easier way to add content to Google Reader. If, back at Chelsey’s blog, I do a normal left-click on “Subscribe to: Posts (Atom),” I get the following screen:

I just select “Google” from the drop-down menu, hit “Subscribe Now,” and I get this screen:

Click “Add to Google Reader,” and you’re done!

Stuff White People Like

I came across a really funny blog last week called Stuff White People Like. Some of my favorite entries were “Bottles of Water,” “Standing Still at Concerts,” “Knowing What’s Best for Poor People,” “Marathons,” “Not Having a TV,” and “Awareness.” Definitely worth checking out.

If you find yourself in a situation where a white person is talking about a marathon, you must be impressed or you will lose favor with them immediately.  Running for a certain length of time on a specific day is a very important thing to a white person and should not be demeaned.

Flywrench

I just played a fun little freeware game called Flywrench.  Basically, you’re a little spaceship that you have to fly through obstacles.  The tough part is that you have to flap the wings of the ship, so it’s hard to keep it very steady.  Nothing too complex, but I had a lot of fun with it.