Change your jailbroken iPhone’s SSH password before it’s too late!

With the number of we iPhone users jailbreaking our devices, that means iPhone security has officially become an issue.  Why you ask? Well, for one, did you know that someone – ANYONE – can access your jailbroken iPhone’s file system without you even knowing? Scary huh?  Well, there is a very quick and extremely secure process you can take in order to protect your iPhone.  All you need to do is change the SSH password on your phone. This is done from the iPhone itself using an app from Cydia called Mobile Terminal, and it’s totally free!

Being the über geek that I am, I did this long ago, but I realize many users of a jailbroken iPhone have NOT done this.  If you had a jailbroken iPhone and changed your SSH password but upgraded to iPhone OS 3.X then jailbroke it again, you MUST change your SSH password again. If you never changed it to begin with, then all you have to do is follow the steps below.

Open Cydia, and search for and install the app called MobileTerminal. It’s small, so it shouldn’t long. Once downloaded, launch it. Once open, type the command at the prompt:  passwd

Now you will be prompted for your old password which, by default, is alpine. Next, enter the new password of your choice. You will then be asked to enter it again to verify.

Congratulations. You have successfully changed your iPhone SSH password. Rest assured knowing that your iPhone is now VERY secure!

I’ve seen the geek promise land!

I just got back from a literal geek utopia. I finally got to visit the Apple Store at the Summit in Birmingham.

I think I have a bruise on my chin from it dragging the floor. If it’s Apple, then let me assure you it’s in there. Of course, I had to buy something. I bought one of the iPod docks that works with the Apple remote, because my dock is the old school kind that doesn’t have the IR receiver and s-vid output. It was only $40. I really wanted to buy a Mac Pro with a 30″ cinema display, but Becky would have killed me. No seriously, I’d be dead. That rig would cost over $3000, but it is SO worth it!

The first thing that caught my eye was the Genius Bar in the back of the room. The guys who work there wear t-shirts with the word “genius” on them. That’s an understatement. If it is Apple, iPod, or Mac related, then they know it. No joke. You think I’m a geek? Go talk to one of those guys.

Another interesting thing is the absence of cash registers. That’s right. There are zero cash registers in the store. When you are ready to complete your purchase, one of the many available Apple professionals whips out a hand-held device, swipes your card, and your receipt is e-mailed to you. Top that Michael Dell!

Well, that’s enough of my drooling over the Apple Store for now. I am sure you’ll hear more from me on the subject in the future.

My geekness knows no bounds!

That’s right. In addition to my BlackBerry, I can now post from my PDA. Why, you ask? Why not?

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This message was posted from my Dell Axim X51v.

Posting from my BlackBerry

Yesterday, I updated my BlackBerry 7100i to the newest operating system. With the update came new browser capabilities. What I am trying to say is that I can now post from my phone!

Well, I thought it was cool!

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This message was posted from my Nextel BlackBerry 7100i.

Another reason Windows Vista sucks

As you all know by now, I am not a big Microsoft fan.  Don’t get me wrong, there are some decent products out there from the Evil Empire, such as Microsoft Office and, uh… solitaire?  I digress.  Here is my favorite “I’m a Mac.  I’m a PC.” commercial to date.  I laughed.  I am still laughing!  Enjoy!

My, Windows Vista looks familiar. Déjà vu?

Windows Vista was released to the public yesterday– finally.  If you have considered purchasing Vista, but you can’t decide which version is for you, perhaps this will help.

You see, just like millions of other people, I have been using Windows Vista for years.  It’s just called Mac OS X. 

Another reason to use a Mac

Yes, it’s true that I concluded My Mac Manifesto yesterday, so I guess you can call this a prologue.

I turn on my PC, and POOF! Bah!

That’s all I had to say. I just wanted to drive the nail into the coffin.

I think different: Volume III

Below is the final volume of My Mac Manifesto. If, for whatever reason, you cannot see Volume I or Volume II immediately below this post, click here for the permalink to Volume I or click here for the permalink to Volume II. Now the finale.
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Did I mention there is not a single computer virus that attacks the Mac platform? No, seriously; there are NO virii that can infect a Mac! There are millions, yes MILLIONS, of nasty little boogers out there than can flat out kill a Windows machine.

Now I know that there will be times I must have some software that will only run on Windows. As I mentioned before, it’s a good thing that my MacBook Pro can run Windows, thanks to FREE software from Apple called Boot Camp. I power up my Mac, I hold the option (alt) key, and a dandy little screen pops up asking if I want OS X or Windows XP. Now isn’t that convenient?

I have gone on for pages now ranting about Mac. I have yet to tell you the real reason why I finally ditched Windows for Mac. As many of you know, I am a computer technician, which means, of course, that I work on Windows-based PC’s for a living. I love Windows. Microsoft Windows is my livelihood! The fact that Windows is often prone to crash, lock-up, and flat out be stupid, keeps me employed. It’s a good thing I’m not a Mac technician. I’d be unemployed.

When I come home after a long day at work, and I want to check my e-mail, look at Ebay, or check out Digg, I want to sit down at a computer that I can trust. Since I have been using Mac, I have never had a blue screen of death, or any other screen of death for that matter. My Mac has never crashed. My Mac has never locked up. So why do I used a Mac? It just works. What more reason do I need?

I am a Mac user. I think different.

I think different: Volume II

Here is volume 2 of 3 of My Mac Manifesto. If, for whatever reason, you cannot see Volume I immediately below this post, click here for the permalink. Now, without furter adieu…
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I had an old iMac G3 running OS 9 that someone had given to me. I had never even turned the thing on. It sat in my home office on my desk, mainly as a decoration. Apple had just released OS X 10.2, a.k.a. Jaguar. My friend Jason Springer, who had made the “switch” to Mac the previous year, had purchased the full version of Jaguar, so he no longer needed his copy of Mac OS X 10.1, a.k.a. Puma, so he gave it to me. I figured installing this “new” operating system would be far too much for my archaic iMac to handle. I was wrong. It installed in about an hour, and it ran like a dream. I began to think, “Maybe there is something to this Mac stuff.” Now THAT was an understatement!

I used the iMac frequently for about a year until it was struck by lightning. Sadly, my new-found friend was dead. Luckily, like a good neighbor, State Farm was there! (In all, we had about $4000 dollars in damages due to lightning.) I used the insurance money to buy a used iBook G4 from the Mac Resource in Huntsville. It was then that I officially began my “conversion.”

My iBook managed to get “upgraded” to a MacBook Pro. (I love Ebay!) For those of you unaware, all the new Macs run on Intel processors instead of the old PowerPC processors. What’s the big deal about that, you ask? Well, our good friend Micro$oft Windows runs on Intel architecture. To make a long, tech-heavy story short, Macs can now run Windows. On this very MacBook Pro I am now using, I have both Mac OS X 10.4.7 AND Windows XP Professional! Not only does my MacBook run Windows XP, but it runs it faster, smoother, and more efficiently than my Dell Dimension 5100 desktop or my Dell Inspiron 6000 laptop. I kid you not.

One of the big gripes people have with Macs is that they cost too much. Although Macs do cost more than your average Wal-Mart specials, which is crap in a box, anyway, they still manage to be priced well below a Dell of the same mold. For example, a top of the line Mac Pro (desktop) will cost somewhere in the neighborhood of $24,000. I know that is expensive, but that is the kind of machine a business would have to run nonstop (a server). I am not talking about a “home computer” here. A Dell with the exact specs will cost almost $32,000! Last I checked, that is an $8000 difference! On a much smaller scale, a Mac Mini (desktop) specked for general consumer use, including monitor, will run you about $1200. (That is a very reasonable price for a mid to high-end machine.) Again, a Dell with the same specs will force you to go deeper into your pockets. The price: $2000. I am not bragging on behalf of Apple; I simply state the mathematical truth.

Another common, and rather unfair, complaint placed on Apple is that there is not enough available software. Once again, that simply is not true. It is true that there are literally millions of software titles available for Windows, and only a few thousand for the Mac. (But why do I need 13 different programs that all do the same thing (like play music), anyway?) “What about my Microsoft Office? I can’t live without Microsoft Office!” I have heard that one several times. I said that several times myself! Do you know on which program I am typing this very manifesto? Microsoft Word. On a Mac. Think you can’t live without Word, Excel, PowerPoint, etc? Fair enough. It’s available on a Mac, and it’s even cheaper than the Windows version.

Now permit me to talk about customer support. I have dealt with just about every major computer manufacturer’s customer support. I will say Dell wins, hands down, but have you ever called Dell at, say, 8:00 pm or on a weekend? If you have, then you probably spoke with Ahbu in India. I called Apple once on a Saturday morning at 3:30 am. I spoke to a real American in California. That also impressed me. Let’s face it, computers are going to have problems, and we, at some point and time, are going to have to deal with tech support. It’s no guarantee that our computer is going to have a problem 9:00 am to 5:00 pm, Monday though Friday. If I need help at some un-Godly hour or on a weekend, I want to talk to someone that speaks the same English as me. (Ok, I know California English is not the same as Alabama English, but you get my point.)

Once again, my bedtime has arrived. Please return tomorrow for the conclusion of My Mac Manifesto.

I think different: Volume I

I have to clear the air about something. I have been hiding a deep, dark secret. Only a few people know this, and I have to get this off my chest. Ok, here it goes… I am a Mac user!! That’s right, I am part of that 11% (and growing) of computer users that prefers to use’s Apple’s superior product! Now, don’t get too worked up. I still use Windows XP, but whenever it isn’t locking up, crashing, getting virii, updating, or blue-screening, I use my MacBook Pro. (Did you get my sarcasm there? If not, let me clarify. I prefer to use my Mac to my Dell quite often!)

Before you verbally rip me limb from limb, let me tell you that I used to be like most of you. I loathed the Macintosh platform and Apple in general. It all got started a little over two years ago when I got my first iPod. I had several mp3 players in the past, and I wanted a new one that held lots of songs and just plain ol’ worked well. It took me about two seconds to fall in love with the iPod. I am now on my 4th iPod. I’ll get one, use it awhile, the sell it. Somehow, I usually manage a profit. (Man, I love Ebay and the Apple educational discount!) What started as a 20 gigabyte 3rd generation iPod has blossomed into a 5th generation 60 gigabyte iPod. I have read many current rumors that the 6th generation iPod will have increased storage capacities, a larger video display, a touch screen interface, and Bluetooth. (The latter will go nicely with my Oakley O ROKR sunglasses!) What will become of my current iPod? Keep your eyes on Ebay.

The effectiveness and user friendliness of the iPod changed my opinion of Apple as a company, but I was still far from falling for the “Think different” mentality. Like many of you, I was thoroughly brainwashed by the Microsoft cult, er, I mean culture. After all, I had been using Microsoft Windows for over a dozen years, and I hadn’t used an Apple computer since the Apple IIe. There was no way that I, a PC technician, was ever going to fall for an Apple Macintosh based system– the “enemy” — was I?

Ok. It is way past my bedtime. Tune in tomorrow for the conclusion of my confession. Until then, the dude abides.