Bluejacking!: Explanation

1. Get your hands on a Bluetooth-enabled device mobile phone.
2. Create a new phone book contact, with the message you want to send to someone in the 'Name' field. e.g. 'I like the look of your cappuccino'....

3. Go to a busy place (Busy shopping centre, High Street, On a train/ tube / bus, Cinema, Cafe/ restaurant/ pub, Mobile phone shop, Electronics shop, etc..)
4. Select the contact you made earlier, and choose 'Send via Bluetooth'
5. Your phone will search for other Bluetooth devices roughly 10 metres around you. It will either list available devices, or say none could be found. If it doesn't find any, choose another spot.
6. Your phone will list the names of devices in range. Sometimes the names will give you a clue to the model of phone.
7. Select one of these devices listed for your phone book contact to be sent to.
8. If all goes well, your contact will be sent to the selected device
9. If you can, try to casually look around you and see if you spot anybody with a bluetooth enabled phone/device nearby looking truly puzzled. It would help greatly if you know which phones have Bluetooth and which don't. This way, you can eliminate anybody who is looking at, say, their Nokia 3310 which doesn't have Bluetooth.
10. The rest, as they say, is up to you.
---
In case it all goes wrong:
If you manage to identify your victim and they are looking angry rather than puzzled & confused, jellyellie's advise is to run, not walk, in the opposite direction!
The Reveal:
'The Reveal' is what it all comes down to in the end. It is what your messages have been building up to, and it's certainly the climax of your exchange.
If you know who your victim is, when it's time for you to leave the area send them a contact saying something like ''Listen out for 'parrot''. Then, as you walk past them, say (loudly) to yourself ''I hope my parrot will be OK!'' That will definitely get their attention.

free WAP site builders/hosts:

If you become a Prodigits member, you can set your own wap site for free. You can add your profile information, blogs, polls, links, photos and your videos on your Prodigits WAP site. Go to http://members.prodigits.co.uk......


Other free WAP site builders/hosts:
www.peperonity.com
www.wen.ru
www.winksite.com
www.tagtag.com
www.wappy.to (for redirection)
Don't forget to give a link to twilightwap.com after you finished ;)
If you want to go one step forward, learn WML (Wireless Markup Language). There are resources on web, search with Google.
Next thing to do is to register a domain name and buy a hosting to serve your wap site.
Good Luck!

Block SMS receiving

If you want to block SMS reception (if you are spammed by someone) just type this code on the main screen:
*35*xxxx*16#
xxxx is your Call Barring code (default is 0000).
To remove this barring type:
#35*xxxx#

If you have a Nokia Series 60

If you have a Nokia Series 60 or another Symbian smart phone, while connected via GPRS and you are downloading a huge file like a video or application, just click to download and then leave the browser or mail application (don't cut the connection or close the application, use red button), go to main screen. Once the download is over, it just pops out on your screen. You just need to save them.

Mobile Phone security - worth doing

Mobile Phone security - worth doing.

Here is something worth knowing if you have a mobile phone ....

Have you ever wondered why phone companies don't seem interested in trying to prevent the theft of mobile phones? If you have ever lost, or had one stolen, and if you are on a plan, you still have to pay the plan approximately up to 24 months, and you have to buy another handset and enter into another contract. This is more revenue for the phone company.

There is a simple way of making lost or stolen mobiles useless to thieves and the phone companies know about it, but keep it quiet.

To check your mobile phone's serial number, key in the following on your phone..............:


star-hash-zero-six-hash ( * # 0 6 # )
and a fifteen digit code will appear on the screen. This is unique to your handset. Write it down and keep it safe. Should your mobile phone get stolen, you can phone your service provider and give them this code. They will then be able to block your handset, so even if the thief changes the sim card, your phone will be totally useless.

You probably won't get your phone back, but at lease you know that whoever stole it can't use / sell it either.
If everybody did this, there would be no point in stealing mobile phones.

Samsung mobile tricks......

1. *#06# IMEI code
2. *#9998*5282# Java menu (GRPS/CSD settings for JAVA server)
3. *#9999#0# Monitor Mode
4. *#9999# or *#9998*9999# Software Version...............
5. *#8888# or *#9998*8888# Hardware Version
6. *#9998*746# or *#9998*0746# or *#0746# Sim Infos
7. *#9998*523# or *#9998*0523# or *#0523# Display Contrast
8. *#9998*842# or *#9998*0842# or *#0842# Vibration On (until you push OK)
9. *#9998*289# or *#9998*0289# or *#0289# Buzzer On (until you push OK)
10. *#9998*288# or *#9998*0288# or *#0288# Battery & Field Infos
11. *#9998*377# or *#9998*0377# Error log
12. *#9998*778# or *#9998*0778# or *#0778# Sim Service table
13. *#9998*782# show date and alarm clock
14. *#8999*638# show network information
15. *#9998*5646# change operator logo at startup
16. *#9998*76# production number
17. *#9998*968# view melody for alarm
18. *#9998*585# Non-Volatile Memory (NVM)
19. *#3243948# Digital Audio Interference Off
20. *#32436837# Digital Audio Interference On

view your Gmail e-mails from your phones

In order to view your Gmail e-mails from your phones mailbox you should first enable pop3 e-mail from Gmail options then make the following settings..............

incoming mail : pop.gmail.com
outgoing mail : smtp.gmail.com

username: your e-mail address
password: your password

smtp authentication : on

ADVANCED SETTINGS
pop3 port : 995
smtp port : 465

use ssl port 4 pop3 : on use ssl 4 smtp : on
rest all off

Nokia codes

Some tricks for ur phone.. u must know these..
.:: NOKIA ::. Nokia Universal Codes Code Description :
These Nokia codes will work on most Nokia Mobile Phones..............



(1) *3370# Activate Enhanced Full Rate Codec (EFR) - Your phone uses the best sound quality but talktime is reduced my approx. 5%

(2)#3370# Deactivate Enhanced Full Rate Codec (EFR) OR *3370# ( Favourite )

(3)*#4720# Activate Half Rate Codec - Your phone uses a lower quality sound but you should gain approx 30% more Talk Time.

(4)*#4720# Deactivate Half Rate Codec.

(5)*#0000# Displays your phones software version, 1st Line : Software Version, 2nd Line : Software Release Date, 3rd Line : Compression Type. ( Favourite )

(6)*#9999# Phones software version if *#0000# does not work.

(7)*#06# For checking the International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI Number). ( Favourite )

(8)#pw+1234567890+1# Provider Lock Status. (use the "*" button to obtain the "p,w"
and "+" symbols).

(9)#pw+1234567890+2# Network Lock Status. (use the "*" button to obtain the "p,w"
and "+" symbols).

(10)#pw+1234567890+3# Country Lock Status. (use the "*" button to obtain the "p,w"
and "+" symbols).

(11)#pw+1234567890+4# SIM Card Lock Status. (use the "*" button to obtain the "p,w"
and "+" symbols).

(12)*#147# (vodafone) this lets you know who called you last.

(13)*#1471# Last call (Only vodofone).

(14)*#21# Allows you to check the number that "All Calls" are diverted to

(15)*#2640# Displays security code in use.

(16)*#30# Lets you see the private number.

(17)*#43# Allows you to check the "Call Waiting" status of your phone.

(18)*#61# Allows you to check the number that "On No Reply" calls are diverted to.

(19)*#62# Allows you to check the number that "Divert If Unreachable (no service)" calls
are diverted to.

(20)*#67# Allows you to check the number that "On Busy Calls" are diverted to.

(21)*#67705646# Removes operator logo on 3310 & 3330.

(22)*#73# Reset phone timers and game scores

Activate Airtel Live! ( It’s FREE so no probs)

You need a PC or a Laptop and the required connectivity tools ,ie.,
Serial/USB cable OR Infrared Device OR Bluetooth dongle

1) Activate Airtel Live! ( It’s FREE so no probs)

2) Create TWO Airtel gprs data accounts (yep TWO) and select the
FIRST as the active profile.............


3) Connect your mobile to the PC (or Laptop) and install the driver for
your mobile’s modem.

4) Create a new dial-up connection using the NEW CONNECTION
WIZARD as follows

Connecting Device : Your mobile’s modem
ISP Name : Airtel (or anything you like)
Phone Number : *99***2# / Try 99***1
Username and Password : blank

5) Configure your browser and download manager to use the proxy
100.1.200.99 and port 8080.( My advice is to use Opera since you
can browse both wap and regular websites)

6) Connect to the dial-up account. You will be connected at 115.2
kbps (but remember, that is a bad joke).

7) Pick up your mobile and try to access any site. You will get “Access
Denied…”(except for Airtel Live!). IT DOES NOT MATTER.
Keep the mobile down.

8 ) On the PC ( or Laptop) open your browser, enter any address ,
press ENTER and…….WAIT

9) After a few seconds the page will start to load and you have the
WHOLE internet at your disposal.

Permanent Genuine Activation

Permanent Genuine Activation
------------------------------------
Items in package:
1. OEM Keys
2. OEM Certifications (for Acer, Asus, Dell, Emachine, Getaway, HP, Lenovo, NEC and Sony)
3. OEM Logos (for Abit, Acer, Asrock, Asus, BenQ, Dell, ECS, Futjitsu-Siemens, Gateway, Gigabyte, HP, IBM, Lenovo, MSI, NEC, Neo, Toshiba and Sony)...........


4. Everest (to check if your BIOS does support SLA 2.0)
5. BIOS emulator ( for those BIOS without SLA 2.0 support)
6. Clear and easy do understand install manual (with screen shots)

What is it?
If you downloaded the Windows Vista retail version DVD media image, or downloaded pirate leaked RTM edition of Windows Vista, or have MSDN release, you will need to import and install Microsoft signed OEM certificate for corresponding OEM-made computer with BIOS that supports SLA 2.0 and build with the SLIC ACPI table from Dell, HP, Lenovo, Asus, Acer, Sony or other manufacturers. OEM cert is a requirement for OEM style permanent Windows Vista activation, where users need not to activate online if they have the correct and valid OEM product key. If you downloaded an OEM version of Windows Vista DVD media, the digital certificate is already built-in into the distribution disc.



How do I install the OEM Certificates?
You need to check if the BIOS contains SLIC (Software Licensing Description Table) and RSDT tables by using Everest which you will find in this kit. Run the Everest and look for an entry called ‘’SLIC’’and ‘’RSDT’’ in Motherboard>ACPI. (see screen shot)

If your BIOS if not currently supported, try to upgrade and flash the BIOS to latest version from motherboard manufacturer, should this not work, use the BIOS Emulator (VistaActivator 2.1.2) from this Kit.

Vista OEM certificates for the folowing brands are included in this Kit: Acer, Asus, Dell, Emachine, Gateway, HP, Lenovo, NEC and Sony.
Once you confirm that your motherboard and BIOS has SLIC table in ACPI and you have the OEM certification for your brand, you can proceed with one of the two following methods:

Method 1: OEM activation for during Vista installation:
1. Install any of the following Windows Vista edition:
Home Basic, Home Premium, Business, Ultimate
2. During installation, enter the corresponding edition of OEM product key listed in this file (OemKeys.txt) in the folder Oem Keys of this Kit.
3. After installing Windows Vista, open an elevated command prompt with administrator rights and execute the following command to import the correct OEM cert:
slmgr.vbs -ilc oemcert.xrm-ms ‘’Wait until windows pops up with a conformation-message.’’
For example, to import and install a Dell OEM cert for a Dell computer, execute (assuming the OEM cert is located at C: drive:
slmgr.vbs -ilc c:dell.xrm-ms

Windows Vista should be automatically and permanently activated.

Method 2: OEM activation Vista already installed:
1. Open an elevated command prompt with administrator rights and execute the following command to import the correct OEM cert:
slmgr.vbs -ilc oemcert.xrm-ms ‘’Wait until windows pops up with a conformation-message. ‘’
For example, to import and install a Dell OEM cert for a Dell computer, execute (assuming the OEM cert is located at C: drive:
slmgr.vbs -ilc c:dell.xrm-ms

2.Now type "C:windowssystem32slmgr -ipk ". Wait until windows pops up with a conformation-message.
3. Now type "C:windowssystem32slmgr -ato ‘’Wait until windows pops up with a conformation-message.’’
This will activate OEM version of Windows Vista (or Windows Vista as OEM edition) once the digital certificate is loaded.
You are now activated!

How to install OEM Logos?
Double click on the exe file of the brand you want to install, and confirm with yes at the next pop up window. You are done!

How to install the BIOS emulator (Only for those BIOSs without the SLIC table support!!!)
1. Install Windows Vista WITHOUT a key (if already installed, never mind)
2. unpack the complete folder to a folder, say "C:\vistaloader_2.1.2"
3. go to start > all programs > accessoires and rightclick "Command Prompt" > choose "run as administrator" type "C:\vistaloader_2.1.2\install.cmd".
4. Now REBOOT!
5. go to start > all programs > accessoires and rightclick "Command Prompt" > choose "run as administrator" type: "C:\windows\system32\slmgr -ilc c:\vistaloader_2.1.2\dataoemcert.xrm-ms". (oemcert= you have to choose by yourself which brand you want to use) Wait untill windows pops up with a conformation-message. Be sure to use an UNMODIFIED version of slmgr.
6. now type "C:windowssystem32slmgr -ipk ". Wait untill windows pops up with a conformation-message.
7. now type "C:windowssystem32slmgr -ato Wait untill windows pops up with a conformation-message.

DONE, you're activated!

Download:
http://www.megaupload.com/?d=RMFRERV0

Enable Aero on SUPPORTED Cards, with no drivers!
------------------------------------------------------------
1. Click on the start menu and type in devmgmt.msc and Enter to load it up.
2. Expand the Display Adapters section and right click on each device and select Uninstall.
3. Reboot the computer.
4. When it restarts, it should install a generic video driver so your screen will still work.
5. Go back into Device Manager, expand the Display Adapters section again and then right click on the device and select Update Driver.
6. This time select Browse My Computer for Driver and then Let me pick it from a list.
7. Go to the Graphics section closest to your Graphics Card and select the Driver closest, too.
8. Hit OK and install the new driver. Restart your computer.
9. Once you have rebooted, right click on your desktop and select Personalize again.
10. Click on Windows Colors and Appearance.
11. Click on Open classic appearance properties for more color options.
12. In the Color Scheme box, select Windows Vista Aero.
13. Hit OK and glass will now load.

Applications to make Home Basic like Premium
---------------------------------------------------------
VisualTaskTips - Thumbnail view of the windows in the taskbar.
Taskbar Shuffle - No hotkey, no extra steps, rearrange the programs on your Windows taskbar by simply... well, dragging and dropping them! Neat concept, huh?
Taskbar Tools - Check this site out smile.gif Nice free stuff!
TopDesk - FLIP 3D and Alt+Tab Alternative to Vista. Home Basic just got better smile.gif

Enable Aero (NOT Glass) in Home Basic
-----------------------------------------------
Regedit:
HKCU/Software/Microsoft/Windows/DWM/

Composition = 1
CompositionPolicy = 2

Right click Command Prompt and run as admin:

net stop uxsms
net start uxsms

Enable New Boot screen in Vista
-------------------------------------
1. Click on the start orb and type in "MSCONFIG" in the textbox.
2. Once the System Configuration tool loads, click on the Boot tab.
3. Under Boot Options check 'NO GUI Boot'
4. Reboot and enjoy!

Resize Partitions with Vista Disk Management
----------------------------------------------------
1. Click on the Start Button and right click on Computer and select Manage.
2. Expand the Storage section and select Disk Management.
3. Then just right click on any partition and select either Expand or Shrink to change the size of the partition.

Create a Shortcut for Flip 3D
----------------------------------
1. Right click on your desktop and select New and then Shortcut.
2. Copy and paste "RunDll32 DwmApi #105" into the location box and hit Next.
3. Enter in a name for your shortcut and hit Finish.
4. Copy/Cut and Paste your new shortcut where ever you want.

Disable Network Printer Search
------------------------------------
1. Hit Alt to bring up the menubar if it is not already on the screen.
2. Click on Tools and select Folder Options.
3. On the View Tab, uncheck Automatically search for network printers.

Super Quick - Quick Launch Bar
---------------------------------------
If you have the quick launch bar you can press the WINDOWS + a number and it will launch that application.

For example: If you have a shortcut for a folder in the first slot you would press WINDOWS + 1 to open that folder.
A second quick launch application would be WINDOWS + 2.

Tweaking tools
-----------------
"TweakVista"
"TweakVI"
"VistaBootPro"

Ethical Hacking tools

Ethical Hacking tools
Here is a list of the most important tools:


1) IP Address Scanner
2) IP Calculator
3) IP Converter........................

4) Port Listener
5) Port Scanner
6) Ping
7) NetStat (2 ways)
8) Trace Route (2 ways)
9) TCP/IP Configuration
10) Online - Offline Checker
11) Resolve Host & IP
12) Time Sync
13) Whois & MX Lookup
14) Connect0r
15) Connection Analysator and protector
16) Net Sender
17) E-mail seeker
18) Net Pager
19) Active and Passive port scanner
20) Spoofer
21) Hack Trapper
22) HTTP flooder (DoS)
23) Mass Website Visiter
24) Advanced Port Scanner
25) Trojan Hunter (Multi IP)
26) Port Connecter Tool
27) Advanced Spoofer
28) Advanced Anonymous E-mailer
29) Simple Anonymous E-mailer
30) Anonymous E-mailer with Attachment Support
31) Mass E-mailer
32) E-mail Bomber
33) E-mail Spoofer
34) Simple Port Scanner (fast)
35) Advanced Netstat Monitoring
36) X Pinger
37) Web Page Scanner
38) Fast Port Scanner
39) Deep Port Scanner
40) Fastest Host Scanner (UDP)
41) Get Header
42) Open Port Scanner
43) Multi Port Scanner
44) HTTP scanner (Open port 80 subnet scanner)
45) Multi Ping for Cisco Routers
46) TCP Packet Sniffer
47) UDP flooder
48) Resolve and Ping
49) Multi IP ping
50) File Dependency Sniffer
51) EXE-joiner (bind 2 files)
52) Encrypter
53) Advanced Encryption
54) File Difference Engine
55) File Comparasion
56) Mass File Renamer
57) Add Bytes to EXE
58) Variable Encryption
59) Simple File Encryption
60) ASCII to Binary (and Binary to ASCII)
61) Enigma
62) Password Unmasker
63) Credit Card Number Validate and Generate
64) Create Local HTTP Server
65) eXtreme UDP Flooder
66) Web Server Scanner
67) Force Reboot
68) Webpage Info Seeker
69) Bouncer
70) Advanced Packet Sniffer
71) IRC server creater
72) Connection Tester
73) Fake Mail Sender
74) Bandwidth Monitor
75) Remote Desktop Protocol Scanner
76) MX Query
77) Messenger Packet Sniffer
78) API Spy
79) DHCP Restart
80) File Merger
81) E-mail Extractor (crawler / harvester bot)
82) Open FTP Scanner
83) Advanced System Locker
84) Advanced System Information
85) CPU Monitor
86) Windows Startup Manager
87) Process Checker
88) IP String Collecter
89) Mass Auto-Emailer (Database mailer; Spammer)
90) Central Server (Base Server; Echo Server; Time
Server; Telnet Server; HTTP Server; FTP Server)
91) Fishing Port Scanner (with named ports)
92) Mouse Record / Play Automation (Macro Tool)
93) Internet / LAN Messenger Chat (Server + Client)
94) Timer Shutdown/Restart/Log Off/Hibernate/Suspend/
Control
95) Hash MD5 Checker
96) Port Connect - Listen tool
97) Internet MAC Address Scanner (Multiple IP)
98) Connection Manager / Monitor
99) Direct Peer Connecter (Send/Receive files + chat)
100) Force Application Termination (against Viruses and
Spyware)
101) Easy and Fast Screenshot Maker (also Web Hex Color
Picker)
102) COM Detect and Test
103) Create Virtual Drives
104) URL Encoder
105) WEP/WPA Key Generator
106) Sniffer.NET
107) File Shredder
108) Local Access Enumerater
109) Steganographer (Art of hiding secret data in
pictures)
110) Subnet Calculater
111) Domain to IP (DNS)
112) Get SNMP Variables
113) Internet Explorer Password Revealer
114) Advanced Multi Port Scanner
115) Port Identification List (+port scanner)
116) Get Quick Net Info
117) Get Remote MAC Address
118) Share Add
119) Net Wanderer
120) WhoIs Console
121) Cookies Analyser
122) Hide Secret Data In Files
123) Packet Generator
124) Secure File Splitting
125) My File Protection (Password Protect Files, File
Injections)
126) Dynamic Switch Port Mapper
127) Internet Logger (Log URL)
128) Get Whois Servers
129) File Split&Merge
130) Hide Drive
131) Extract E-mails from Documents
132) Net Tools Mini (Client/Server, Scan, ICMP, Net
Statistics, Interactive, Raw Packets, DNS, Whois, ARP,
Computer's IP, Wake On LAN)
133) Hook Spy
134) Software Uninstaller
135) Tweak & Clean XP
136) Steganographic Random Byte Encryption
137) NetTools Notepad (encrypt your sensitive data)
138) File Encrypter/Decrypter
139) Quick Proxy Server
140) Connection Redirector (HTTP, IRC, ... All protocols
supported)
141) Local E-mail Extractor
142) Recursive E-mail Extractor
143) Outlook Express E-mail Extractor
144) Telnet Client
145) Fast Ip Catcher
146) Monitor Host IP
147) FreeMAC (MAC Address Editor)
148) QuickFTP Server (+user accounts support)
149) NetTools Macro Recorder/Player (Keybord and Mouse
Hook)
150) Network Protocol Analyzer
151) Steganographic Tools (Picture, Sounds, ZIP
Compression and Misc Methods)
152) WebMirror (Website Ripper)
153) Extra Tools (nmap console & win32 version)
154) ...

Warranty Void if Removed :Internal Bluetooth

Internal Bluetooth
I wanted to add internal bluetooth to my tablet PC, so I took a USB bluetooth dongle and shoehorned it into my tablet; adding a little control PCB to allow it to be turned on and off.

Firstly I looked at the current consumption of the dongle, as I was wondering whether to bother to add a power switch of some sort. I desoldered the USB plug with my hot air reflow tool (could have used my soldering iron, of course, but to a man with a new hammer everything looks like a nail).

I reattached the plug with wires so I could add a multimeter in series with the USB power line.


It used about 50mA when idle! I desoldered the LED, but that only used about 10mA of course. When transmitting it went up to around 140mA. 40mA is, arguably, fairly insignificant when compared to the rest of the hardware (and 10Ah battery!), but I still found it quite offensive. A power switch was required.
I didn't want to destroy the cosmetics by adding an external switch, so I had to make use of the existing tablet buttons. There are 9 buttons on it, but all except the wifi button do something immediately when pressed. The wifi button turns the wifi on and off, but must be held down for a few seconds. So I considered turning on the bluetooth with a tap of the wifi button, leaving the wifi-switching functionality intact. A more elegant solution, however, was to use the Fn button somehow. Pressing the function button in combination with each of the other buttons activates some secondary feature, with the exception of the power and wifi buttons. Some of these features are useful, and others can be reassigned in software, so I wanted to leave them alone. So I decided to have Fn+Wifi toggle the power to the bluetooth module. This made sense to me, because both of the radio devices would share a switch!

I knew I had an extra USB port because there is an optional docking station that includes some USB devices, so I dismantled the tablet to look for it, investigate the operation of the buttons, and find a spare space for the dongle to occupy. I carefully removed the "tamper proof" Warranty Void if Removed stickers, so that I can desolder my bluetooth mod and return it to the manufacturer if my tablet ever breaks! These stickers are easily (but slowly) removed by applying lots of petrol and very gentle peeling. I found that a hypodermic syringe full of lighter fluid (petrol, basically) and a Stanley knife blade worked well. Hypodermic needles are available for free from pharmacies (at least in the UK), so that drug addicts needn't use dirty needles. They even supply sterile citric acid and spoon-replacements for safely cooking up your heroin!

Nicely tampered with, but with none of the "void void void" intruder detection! I stuck them onto some sticker backing material. My tablet had been dismantled once before, and I had done the same thing. It developed a fault and I sent it back, stickers-reattached, and Electrovaya didn't say anything! They look slightly strange in this photo, but they really are perfect.

Hunting down the USB connections was pretty tricky. Ground connections abound, of course, and a suitable 5V supply could be found by poking around likely looking chunky tracks with the multimeter in continuity mode and the other probe connected to another USB port's 5V connection. I realise that sucking power from another port isn't ideal, but it was really the only option, short of living in some fantasy dreamworld where manufacturers are actually nice to people. The multilayer board was really far too complex to find anything by following traces. I soldered on temporary power and ground connections, and poked around the docking station connector with wires soldered to the D+ and D- pads on the BT module. This was quite intersting, it seems that USB goes into some kind of "device not working properly" mode when just the D- connection is made. Windows pops up a little box to tell you so (I appologise for my use of Windows here, but I'm really stuck with it on my tablet until someone writes some decent handwriting recognition software for Linux. I now dual boot FC6). Once the D- connection was made, I poked around with the D+ connection until the device enumerated correctly. I didn't take any photos at this stage, because poking around with the wires and clicking on things occupied quite a lot of hands. Rob helped here, thanks Rob.
Once the BT module enumerated correctly, I worked out the simplest way to turn if on and off. Breaking and making the ground connection didn't work, as the device then failed to enumerate properly when reconnected. Breaking and making the +5V rail with D+, D- and ground all connected worked reliably. I therefore needed to use a p-channel FET as the switch.
Next I hunted down the switch connections. I removed the board to see how it worked, but I didn't really need to, I should have just looked at the voltages on the connector pins.

Each button simply grounds one of the pins on the connector. They must be pulled high on the motherboard. I found the two pins responsible for the wifi and Fn buttons, and measured the signals to be 5V, and active low. So I designed a simple circuit with a dual switch debouncer to clean up the switch signals, a tiny logic NOR gate to produce the AND behaviour (because a NOR with inverted inputs is an AND), a D-type latch to generate the latching function, and a p-channel fet to do the switching. I knocked it up in eagle, and produced a little PCB layout.

The NOR gate has a funky symbol because it is actually a TI 74LVC1G57 "Multi-configurable gate", which does different things depending on which pins are connected high, low, or to other pins. I didn't have a tiny logic NOR gate to hand. Note I read the datasheet wrong, and ended up modding the PCB! The schematic is still wrong, so don't go and build it! I also drew funky hourglass symbols for the switch debouncers. Also note the RC network on the Preset pin of the 7474. It is there to set the output high just after the circuit is powered up. This way the tablet powers up with the bluetooth switched off, rather than in an undefined state. Time constant is not critical, just a few ms. The pull-up on the FET is not really required, just added instinctively. Unused inputs on the other half of the 7474 are tied high. C2 and C3 are decoupling caps.
Here's the PCB layout.

I etched it by my standard photolithographic means, along side some of Xbee test adapters for Rob. I made two copies just in case.

Here's the finished board, cut out and resist-stripped, with the bluetooth adapter. Isn't it embarrasing that my ridiculously simple board is about the same size?! One day...

The sharpest readers may have noticed that's not the same bluetooth module I had at the start. The first one was too cheap to work properly in Windows. Works fine in Linux, so I reassembled it for use with my laptop.
I populated the board. See the flickr set for more details, and more on the PCB etching process too. I didn't have any solder paste, so I assembled it with a soldering iron. I did solder on a couple of components by tinning the pads and reflowing with the hot air tool because it was brand new and I wanted to know what it was like! It's worth noting that there's little you can do with a hot air tool that can't be done with more patience with a soldering iron. With the exception of BGAs, of course, and desoldering very large, fiddly things. I drilled a couple of holes to allow for wires to the existing mechanical support holes in the BT module.

I soldered the bluetooth module directly to the board. I had intended to mount the bluetooth module up the other way, but I accidentally mirrored the layout of the connector! It worked out well though, with small bits of wire bridging the solder joints (not visible, embedded in the blobs).

I soldered on some temporary connections, and hooked it up to a breaboard to test it because, as we know, the simplest of PCBs don't work first time. The LED was connected in parallel with the BT module, to indicate it's power status. The flying wires and pullup resistors are emulating the buttons.

This, the simplest PCB in the world, didn't work first time. I had the multiconfigurable gate configured incorrectly, as described above! Kynar wire to the rescue (blue, on the left).
I replaced the chunky temporary breadboard wire with nice, thin kynar wire. I twisted the D+ and D- leads together for some noise immunity, reasoning that it would help since USB is differential. Does it help? Who knows.

Then I began soldering stuff to the motherboard. Feel the freedom of modding, comrades!
Tinning the button connections

Soldering the USB connections to the docking station connector

All the connections made, I temporarily taped it down and tested it at this stage. Sure enough, pressing Fn+Wifi resulted in a nice windowsy "pong-ping!" sound and a new hardware pop-up! Another press led to a nice "ping-pong". I neglected to photograph it, because I'm an idiot. Watch the video at the bottom instead.

I added some heatshrink, and tucked it away in a corner. I checked the corner was roomy enough first by adding a little column of blu tack, screwing the case together to squash it, and measuring its final height.

I reassembled the case, and tested the range. It was a rather disappointing 30mm or so, and only from the back of the tablet! I was both surprised and not surprised. People have done it successfully on other laptops without offering any sacrifices to the easily-angered RF gods, but it's a pretty much perfect Faraday cage!
So I decided to sacrifice my auxilliary wifi antenna and connect it to the bluetooth module in place of its weedy chip antenna.
I desoldered a UFL connector from an old wifi module (thanks Justyn!) and added it to the BT module:






Fortunately it just fitted at that jaunty angle without my having to extend the antenna connection.
The range is now excellent - a good few metres. Wifi performance doesn't seem to have degraded noticeably. This is possibly because the antennas are orthogonally placed for use in portrait and landscape modes, and I pretty much always use my tablet portrait. Who knows, wifi is essentially witchcraft. One day I would like to add an external antenna socket to extend wifi range in times of need. Early experiments with a 7dBi antenna on a UFL pigtail seemed to improve perfomance quite impressively.
Here's a really exciting video

Update:
As per Electrical Idiot's request below, I have created an alternative, single input, schematic

It has just one switch input which toggles the power when the switch input goes high. Note that this is just one of many ways to build this circuit. The original one was made to be as compact as possible with the parts I had to hand. As long as you have something to debounce the switch (this may even be included on your laptop motherboard if you poke around), some kind of latch to toggle the power, and a P-channel FET with a fairly low Rds(on) at -5V gate-source voltage, then you're set. I like the Maxim range of debouncers, but if you can't get hold of them you could use a schmitt-RC combo, or even a small microcontroller if you really want.

Skills every IT professional MUST have

A career in the field of information technology (IT) is one of the most sought these days. Most engineering college graduates land up in the IT industry. While, a job as a software engineer looks very lucrative at first glance, once you get into the industry, you realise that it is not just your technical skills that will keep you in the race.
You need something more to ensure that you are able to do a good job. In other words, you need some extra skills to ensure that you are able to keep the job after you land it. These extra skills are called 'soft skills'.

What are the advantages of soft skills?Your soft skills or people skills decide how fast and well you climb the ladder of success. Here are some of the advantages that your soft skills can reap for you:
~ They help you grow in your career~ They give you an eye to identify and create opportunities~ They help develop relationships with your colleagues and clients~ They develop good communication and leadership qualities in you~ They help you think beyond dollars.
After reading the advantages your soft skills can get you, you would want to know what is it that you need as a technical person to grow as a professional and climb the ladder of success.
Here are some soft skills which will help you grow not just as a professional but also as a person:
~ A never-say-die attitudeAny task that comes to you or your team, undertake with a can-do attitude. Slowly you will observe that you and your team have become the favourite of the management. Every accomplished task boosts your self confidence and pushes you one step closer to success.
From college to corporate: What you need to know
~ CommunicationThis includes verbal, non-verbal and written communication. Be sure that you are able to put across your point clearly and confidently. As an IT professional you will need to work with colleagues and clients of various nationalities and backgrounds. Ensure that you are able communicate clearly with them. This applies to teleconferencing as well.
~ Learn to listenListening is an essential part of communication. Ensure that you listen attentively. This will help make the other party feel comfortable while interacting with you and improve your communications.
~ Be a team playerHelp your team members help themselves. Be friendly and approachable. If your team is stuck somewhere look out for ideas to overcome the obstacle together.
6 ways to be a great boss
~ Learn to delegateChances are you will have junior members on the team. Recognise their strengths and delegate them the right work.
~ Give credit to those who deserve itDo not all the credit for a job well done. Pass on praise or recognition from superiors to team members who deserve it. Doing it publicly or in front of your boss will further instill a feeling of confidence among your team.
~ Motivate yourself and othersAs you look ahead to grow in your career you will need to deal with various people under you. You can not expect quality results from a team whose motivational level is too low. So, stay motivated and keep others motivated.
10 ways to boost your self-confidence
~ Develop leadership qualitiesA leader is a person whom people are ready to follow. Develop qualities that will make people follow you not because they are required to but because they want to. Even while operating in a team, take a role to lead and facilitate the work for other members.
~ Control your sense of humourWhen you are working with people from various cultures you need to be extra careful with your sense of humour and gestures. Behaviour that is acceptable among Indian colleagues might be considered obscene or disrespectful by people from other cultures. Stay away from controversial topics or ideas in the office.
~ MentoringThis is a quality one needs to develop in order to grow. If you want to grow in the hierarchy, you need to help sub-ordinates grow. Be a good mentor. Help them understand things better. This not only improves the work environment but also improves your work relationships.
Stagnating at work? A mentor could help
~ Handling criticismWhen you are working with people, at times you will be criticised while at others you will be required to criticise your colleagues or sub-ordinates. Ensure that you take the criticism constructively and look at it as an opportunity to grow. Similarly, while criticising others shoose your words carefully and keep it professional. Destructive criticism will lead to loss of respect and trust. Let your criticism help the other person grow.
~ IT-preneur- Like an entrepreneur, have a risk-taking attitude. Learn to take responsibility for failures and pride in a job well done.
~ Managing spoil sportsWhile working in a team there will always be one or two people with a negative attitude. This attitude can be contagious. Employ tactics to deal with such people and improve motivation.
~E-tiquetteKeep an eye on your e-mails for proper language. Open up the e-mail with a suitable address and end with a thanking note. Your words should convey the correct meaning and invoke the desired action.
~ MultitaskingAs you climb the ladder of success, you will need to handle work from various fields. For example, you will have to interact with your technical team on project success, with the HR department for team appraisal and recruitment, with clients on project requirements or problems etc. Organise and plan to fit in all the required activities into your schedule.
Once you have developed these soft skills along with your technical skills you will find that you are a lot more confident about your capabilities.

'At Microsoft it's not about a person's degree'

From 20 employees in 1998 to now -- nine years later -- over 1,400 employees and still counting... That, in a nutshell, sums up the galloping growth story at Microsoft India Development Centre, Hyderabad.
Equally interesting is the fact that MSIDC is Microsoft's second largest product development centre outside its headquarters in Redmond, Washington state, USA. This helps in attracting talent big time. However, apart from a recognised name, a company also needs to be sensitive to its employee aspirations to retain talent.
While MSIDC's employee strength has multiplied almost 70 times since its inception the attrition rate -- at the below-industry mark -- of seven per cent speaks volumes about the company's human resource policies.

"Attrition has not really been a significant challenge for us at MSIDC," says the genial staffing director at MSIDC, Chitra Sood. She was in Mumbai recently for the IIT Bombay Tech-Fest 2008 to preside over a few contests sponsored by Microsoft.
She was also at the fest to check out the people showcasing their vibrant ideas.
"We get an opportunity to peek into great ideas that are buzzing around. Events like these really provide an opportunity to bring people from the industry and talent together."

Interestingly, this year MSIDC has hired more than 30 per cent of the students studying at IITs through its campus recruitment programme.
In an hour-long interview with rediff.com's Prasanna D Zore on the sidelines of Tech-Fest 2008, Chitra spoke about MSIDC's campus recruitment programme, their policy of hiring freshers and honing their talent, of attracting more women to work at MSIDC and their immediate recruitment plans.
A brief overview of the Microsoft India Development Centre, MSIDC, Hyderabad:
MSIDC is the product development centre of Microsoft based out of Hyderabad. It is a pure product development centre where engineers work on end-to-end product development of key Microsoft products and technologies.
For any software development company to succeed they need the best talent. Microsoft develops products that are used by millions of consumers worldwide. The talent we have needs to understand software development and have a passion for it; a passion for software development from the perspective of solving real-life customer problems.
So it's really that talent that helped us to put up a development centre in the US. And as you know India with its huge talent reservoir was an obvious choice for a company like ours to establish a development centre here.
MSIDC's campus recruitment drive:
From 1998, MSIDC has worked on key products and technologies and as the staffing head of MSIDC it's all about my ability to reach out to this talent wherever it is.
'Great companies are always built on aspirations'
So we do visit campuses during the campus recruitment season, year after year. In addition to that we participate event like this (IIT Mumbai's Techfest 2008), which in our view are really places where we see innovation as it is happening on the campuses.
It is here that we really have an opportunity of interacting with and understanding this talent. We get an opportunity to peek into great ideas that are buzzing around. Event like these really provide an opportunity to bring people from the industry and the talent together.
We have interacted with talented candidates in a similar festival at IIT Madras called Shastra, a few months back, and now we are doing the same at Techfest 2008 (in Mumbai). What's interesting to us is that people from MSIDC come here, become a part of evaluating and judging the process. And to my mind it's just not meeting the students and talking to them but also providing an opportunity to them to interact with the people from the industry.
That's the reason we go out and seek out opportunities like these.
Key to MSIDC's success in scaling from 20 employees in 1998 to 1,400 today:
It was an interesting journey indeed. Personally too it was an exciting journey to see our employee strength move up so fast. The evolution though is a thoughtful process. The journey started with an understanding that there was talent in the Indian market that we could reach out to.
From the beginning we were very clear in our mind that as an organisation we would commit resources, that is people, to working on new technologies and products.
The key to employ and retain the best of the talent is to address the fact as to how do you provide a meaningful career and growth opportunities for every person who joins your organisation. So every time you are evolving, constantly thinking as to what would be your next step in this journey as a global organisation.
Here I am not talking only in terms of ladder-level growth but about the ability of our resources to learn advanced technology platforms and be able to contribute their bit to it.
Personally, I have been very pleased with this journey because we have been able to reach out to young talent in India. For this we must have covered over 25 to 30 colleges across India. According to an AC Nielsen study we were the most preferred employer amongst engineering graduates for four years in a row.
Do you specifically hire engineering graduates? Do you have plans to recruit freshers and undergrads from science stream as well?
The way we look at it in Microsoft is: it's not about the degree a person has. It's really about understanding computer science. Because the business is about software development we see if a person understands structures, databases and algorithms. Now that could come from their educational background or come through their deep interest and understanding of the subject.
I have personally known of instances where we have hired people who didn't have an engineering background but were very good in software and product development. We always look out for people who have a good aptitude and understand computer science fundamentals. Passion for technology is what a candidate must have.
You could innovate change, build products and actually change people. These three things together are all that we need. We are not really saying that we need this particular degree or this qualification.
If I were an undergrad and wanted to apply for a position in MSIDC then how do I go about it?
The best way to reach out to us is through our website. After that we have a process to take them to the next step where we typically have two to three interviews once we are sure that the person has the necessary qualities to get selected. These are not group discussions. These are not panel interviews but a one-on-one with suitable candidates.
What we really try to do is assess in our interview process as to how much could a candidate use the knowledge s/he has gained to develop products.
Learnability is another very important facet that we try to assess during interviews. Because in a career you may be working on a particular product and tomorrow you may be shifted to a different product or domain. It might be altogether a new technology, new software. So how fast is one able to learn or adapt to such changes.
It is based on these evaluations that we shortlist and hire people.
Any immediate recruitment plans?
We are constantly recruiting good talent because year-on-year we work on new products and technologies. Right now we just finished a round of campus recruitment. Apart from that we would continue to hire from the industry. I would also like to emphasise the fact that we go out to campuses and reach out to interns.
We believe that the internship programmes serve as a very important bridge between the students and industry. During these programmes the students understand how an organisation functions. Working as an intern really gives them a background. More importantly, as far as Microsoft is concerned we look at interns as somebody who would be ready for industry after completing their studies.
Top 5 career mistakes
We have a very successful internship programme. Last year we had about 70 to 80 interns come to us and the conversion rate was very high at about 85 per cent. So it is an important programme for MSIDC.
In February we are going to have an initiative across India where we would be looking out for colleges from all over the country. Then in March we are planning to do a diversity focus event that would bring many more women into our organisation (as of now MSIDC has a workforce comprising 10 per cent women). In the campus hiring programme that we finished recently we hired 16 per cent women. But we want to make sure that we are able to attract more women.
Diversity and inclusive work environment are the very strong values that we believe in at Microsoft. We are trying to start this initiative from March 8 -- International Women's Day -- wherein the sole focus would be to attract more women to join MSIDC.
Apart from this we continue to hire laterally from the industry for some of our other positions.
What would be an ideal diversity mix for you?
Let's look at it this way: Some of the colleges in India have a women population of 25 per cent. While in others it drops to as low as 7 to 8 per cent. So, it's very diverse. In my personal ideal world if colleges could attract 25 per cent women then I should also be able to do the same. However, anywhere up to 15 per cent would be a good number to begin with.
The hindrance here is I can get only as much women into MSIDC as they enroll into colleges. The important purpose of this March 8 initiative is to encourage more women to enroll into computer science courses so that we can hire more.
How many people do you plan to hire in the calendar year 2008?
My hiring numbers are not predicated. I don't have a fixed plan that says that every year we will have an X number of people. It really depends on the products and technologies that we are working on. We undertake hiring at MSIDC in a very thoughtful and measured way.
As a ballpark figure based on our product line and technology roadmap we try to ensure that at least 30 per cent of the talent that we hire is from the campus -- students who are graduating in that particular year.
What's your campus selection programme like?
It's very similar to what's it like during lateral hiring. The only minor difference that we have during college interviews is that at the start of the process we administer a written test to the students. A written test is more in the sense of getting an overall idea about their understanding of computer science and its fundamentals.
Thereafter the process that we follow is exactly similar to the process that we follow for our lateral hiring programmes. This is followed by two more round of interviews, one-on-one interviews; we assess the person's ability to build on her/his knowledge in terms of applications.
Normally, when we are doing interviews, it's not about what you learned from your textbook but what you learnt at your work. When you are looking at a college student what you really do is to build on the projects that they have worked on as part of their curriculum. Then we look at the application that they were trying to work on, or the problem they were trying to solve through their projects.
Have you ever recruited freshers from colleges?
When we hire from campuses we know that the students have gained knowledge during the four years at college. Also, they may have done internships with us or maybe with someone else. But once they come on to the campus the most important thing for them is to have a complete understanding of product development life cycles; how do you actually build on a product or ship a product. Also, the procedure right from the stage a product or technology is conceived till the time it is ready for shipping.
An unusual career in dance and choreography
For freshers we have a programme at MSIDC called LEAP, that is, Leap Engineering Acceleration Programme. In this programme, over a period of six weeks, students are put through structured programmes wherein they get to know about all the things that I mentioned above.
More importantly, they are given small projects that are currently happening in the company and they are asked to work around that; develop code around the product, write specifications etc. What we do is take a small sub-section of a big product and expose freshers completely to the entire lifecycle of a product's development stage.
This helps them to know what their real job will be in just six week's time. At the end of this programme when they go out to their respective product groups they know what their product is.
Attrition rate at MSIDC and plans to contain it.
Attrition has not really been a significant challenge for us at MSIDC. Our attrition rates are way below the industry mark. People who leave our organisation would be around seven per cent.
Typically, what we have found is, by and large, people leave us because they want to pursue higher studies. Most of them leave us because they want to improve upon their already existing knowledge, do a Master's degree from a reputed university. And having worked in an organisation like Microsoft they do have an opportunity to seek admissions to the best global universities. It's a part of their overall evolution and sometimes we also help them go for it. We do encourage them to pursue higher studies when they are working with us and we reimburse their fees.
We don't look at this as an issue that needs to be contained. As an organisation we would always look at people who have gone to pursue higher studies come back to us. They are always welcome.
Average age of an MSIDC employee.
At the last count it was about 24 to 25 years. It's the only organisation where we get younger by the day.

12 things your CV should NOT have

Your CV is your marketing brochure through which you try to sell a commodity, ie your skills to the potential buyer ie the prospective employer. The sole purpose of your CV is to fetch you an interview call. Nothing more, nothing less.


However, creating a CV isn't as simple as just using flowery language and pretty fonts. There are certain things that put recruiters off and if you want to make a good impression, make sure you do not commit these mistakes in what is arguably the most valuable document of your job hunt.
While the rules listed are well-founded, they are not carved in stone. At times you will need to break the rules. If you want to add these things knowingly and purposefully to your CV we advise you to do that.
The points mentioned here are not listed in the order of priority; instead they are listed in the sequence in which they usually appear on a CV.
~ Colorful or glossy paper and flashy fontsYour CV is a formal, official document. Keep it simple.
~ Resume or CV at the top Many people tend to add headings to their CV. The usual are CV, Curriculum Vitae and Resume. Do not do this.
~ Photographs until askedDo not add your photo to the CV until you have been asked for it. Photographs are required only for certain types of positions like models, actors etc.
~ Usage of 'I', 'My', 'He', 'She'Do not use these in your CV. Many candidates write, 'I worked as Team Leader for XYZ Company' or 'He was awarded Best Employee for the year 2007'. Instead use bullet points to list out your qualifications/ experience like: Team leader for XYZ Company from 2006-2007.
~ Spelling mistakes and grammatical errorsProofread your CV until you are confident that it doesn't have any spelling mistakes or grammatical errors. These are big put-offs for the recruiters. Moreover, sometimes these mistakes might land you in an embarrassing situation.
A candidate who submitted his CV without proofreading it committed the mistake of wrongly spelling 'ask' as 'ass'. Now you can imagine the type of embarrassment he must have faced during the interview, when the interviewer pointed it out. These mistakes tend to convey a lazy and careless attitude to the interviewer.
~ Lies about your candidatureDo not lie about your past jobs or qualifications or anything which might have an impact on the job. You may be able to secure a job with these lies today but tomorrow you may lose it as well.
~ Abbreviations or jargon that is difficult to understandPeople screening your resume usually belong to the HR department. If they do not understand what the abbreviations and jargon mean, they will simply dump your CV in the trash can. Avoid over-using such terms as far as possible.
~ Reasons for leaving last jobLeave these reasons to be discussed during the personal interview. For example, some candidates write: Reason for leaving the last job: Made redundant. Avoid making such statements in your CV, they add no value. Besides, if you do get an interview call, chances are the interviewer will address the issue.
~ Past failures or health problemsMentioning these immediately slash your chances of getting an interview call.
For instance, you have a gap in your employment because you started your own business which did not do well. Some candidates might write -- Reason for gap in employment: Started own business which failed. Do not do this type of injustice with your job hunt at this stage of writing the CV.
~ Current or expected salaryLeave it to be discussed while negotiating the salary.
~ Irrelevant detailsLeave out the details like marital status, sex, passport number, number of kids, age of kids. These are usually irrelevant for most interviewers but at times could be used as a basis for discrimination.
~ ReferencesDo not include them until asked. In fact, it is not even required to mention the line 'Reference available on request'. If the recruiter requires a reference, he/she will ask you to bring it along for the interview.
Now that you have run through the list, take a fresh look at your CV and prune away unnecessary details and unaffordable blunders that could have cost you your dream job.