30 August 2011

Seaside wallpapers

For the last few days I was away, at a photography workshop (some posts are up on my other blog, some will come later), a trip that slowed my progress with the Wikipedia photography contest, but I am back and working.

So a trip to the sea side, of course I took a lot of pictures and from some (which are safe for work) I had to make some wallpapers, all freely licensed:





And not only beaches, but also sunrise on the beach (enough with the sunsets OK?):


The way back home was also a good opportunity:



Enjoy!

PS: maybe one day will make some NSFW wallpapers from the same set of photos, but those won't appear here.

Wiki Loves Monuments in 3, 2, 1...

One day remaining until the official start of the Wiki Loves Monuments free photography contest for Wikipedia, which will happen during September in 16 European countries. In the last week I was away and busy (the work will start showing at some point on my photography blog) so didn't promote it as I should, but I am back and kicking. Wanna join?

23 August 2011

Wallpapers in the sunset

No, nothing is setting (yet), it just happened for me to get with my camera in front of some beautiful sunsets and take pictures. Of course I had to continue my series of wallpapers, all under the same free license. Enjoy.






19 August 2011

Wanna laugh? Facebook malware

It happened to me twice today. I had a facebook chat like this with someone I know from real life:

hi
hi
Wanna laugh? :)
sure!
at which point I received a tinyurl address, leading to a malware delivery site.
my reaction was:
ops! that was a virus, good thing i dodged it
There are no viruses there
A bit later, another person I know from real life:
hi
hi
Pre-emptively I tried to check in front of me is a real person:
how are you?
It continued:
ok. wanna laugh? :)
no, thanks
But I received again a tinyurl encoded address to which I didn't reply further.

Seeing this primitive dialogue, I suspect there is a malware with some chat boot embedded or a low-wage worker in the 3-rd world.

Anyway, the malware addresses will lead you to a fake personalized YouTube page like this, trying to make you run an .exe:


See the problems:
  • the numeric URL is the first thing to give it away as malware, unfortunately some browsers, like Chrome, will hide the URL bar by default, leaving the user more vulnerable (Furefox is expected to blindly copy this feature too, making even more naive users vulnerable)
  • the target has knowledge of my real name, making me more inclined to trust the source;
  • the "video" is a link to an .exe file, something able to trick unsuspecting Windows users;
  • the first couple of comments are fom real facebook contacts, making you be even less suspecting;
  • the status bar shows the download as being an .exe, Firefox removed the status bar at all before FF4 and restored it after the users outcry, it shows it was a wise decision.

What can I say? this is a pretty sophisticated attack, combining AI (bots), social engineering, competent crafted design and advanced use of facebook APIs. Be careful!

PS: of course nothing bad happened to me, I spotted the URL instantly, noticed the .exe and don't run Windows anyway.

18 August 2011

Free photography contest for Wikipedia

Part of a pan-European contest happening (so far) in 17 countries, in September we will organize in Romania Wiki Loves Monuments. We have rules and prizes, we have a jury and we have the first press release.

What is is about? People are invited to take pictures of monuments in Romania (there is a list with those out of copyright) and upload them on Wikimedia Commons under a Free licende (CC-BY-SA) during September 2011. 10 will be selected, 3 prizes and 7 mentions will be awarded and the 10 winners will also go to the European contest, for a new round, with its different prizes.

Why are we doing this? To enrich Wikipedia with pictures from our country, to teach photographers about sharing, to increase awareness about Wikipedia and Free culture and so on. Like it? Help us by spreading the work and, more important, submitting your photos.

11 August 2011

Sorry, no CDs

I got asked if I can provide some Fedora CDs for an upcoming install fest (happening in October). My answer was a straight one: sorry, I don't have any due to GNOME 3, I am not willing to spread that thing so I got no CD. Maybe if I go to FUDCon and find there some Xfce disks available, I will bring some, but in limited quantity, since I will have little space available in my bags.

Then I was asked if I can point to someone else who may have such CDs and my answer was straight again: I don't know any active Fedora ambassador still based in Romania (my friends moved). So no luck, I guess they will have to use self-recorded disks or USB drives.

(and no, I was not lured elsewhere)

Update: Just after I pressed "publish" I received an IM from an old contributor, wich was silent for the last couple of years and re-started after the last FLOSSCamp:

he: i installed fedora 15 on my laptop and can't understand what's about this interface
me: gnome 3?
he: i think so...
he: but i didn't think is that bad:|
me: i was protesting against it from the beginning and refused to upgrade
me: try Xfce
he: can't install gnome 2 ?
me: in fedora 15? not
me: someone tried a port but is still work in progress
he: meh, i think i will install fedora 14 and call it a day:)) is way too much...
me: that's what I did
he: ok... we'll talk after I get a working system

10 August 2011

Wallpapers from... heaven?

"You were in heaven" a friend told me after seeing some landscape pictures I took at FLOSSCamp 2011. "It could have been" I sourly smiled but also I thought seriously, selected a few and prepared them as wide-screen wallpapers, to be made freely available (CC-BY-SA). Enjoy.










09 August 2011

More on the supremacy

Some may jump for joy, shouting "good riddance!" but... the rumors about me joining the orange side are... uhm, greatly exaggerated :D it was harmless fun with old friends from the Ubuntu community at FLOSSCamp


But speaking about pictures, communities, friends, FLOSSCamp and poking fun, I have to continue with another pic about Ubuntu's supremacy:

08 August 2011

Distro wars?

This picture, which I took at this year's FLOSSCamp may be a reasonable explanation for some distro's supremacy, methinks:

FLOSSCamp 2011

"Where the Irinas are, why didn't you bring them?" was a question I was repeatedly asked at FLOSSCamp, the 5th edition of the Romanian Free and Open Source Software annual gathering. I could only smile and reply "they aren't mine, they were with Ceata, which is pretty much dissolved by now".


Long story short, past week-end people from various communities meet at this social event, near Bran and Șimon in Romania, in the middle of some beautiful scenery (I may have some wallpapers at a later time).

It was some wonderful company, seeing again many old friends from all corners of the country:

And we had some unexpected funny company: the dog, the cow and the cat, inhabitants of the mountain (I didn't manage to capture a pic of the deers or the lizards and butterfly are kind of cliche).

The food was great (and unrelated with the above-mentioned animals):

And the camp fire warm (in all senses):

Myself, I didn't manage to recapture the magic of last year, but still got an interesting sunrise:

one over another, it was a big mix of various projects, with people from GSL, RLUG/Prolinux, Debian, Ubuntu, Fedora, openSUSE, FreeBSD, Mozilla, GNOME, Wikipedia and other projects which escape my memory for the moment (sorry guys and girls):

All like a big, happy family:

And for all those who didn't attend: we missed you :(

 
{"cc_re__cc_re__cc_by_sa_3_0": ["der Posts</a>\n</span>\n<a class='home-link' href='http://nicubunu.blogspot.com/'>Home</a>\n</div>\n<div class='clear'></div>\n<div class='blog-feeds'>\n<div class='feed-links'>\nSubscribe to:\n<a class='feed-link' href='http://nicubunu.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default' target='_blank' type='application/atom+xml'>Posts (Atom)</a>\n</div>\n</div>\n<script type=\"text/javascript\">window.___gcfg = {'lang': 'en'};</script>\n</div><div class='widget HTML' data-version='1' id='HTML3'>\n<div class='widget-content'>\n<a href=\"http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/\" rel=\"license\">\n<img alt=\"Creative Commons License\" style=\"border-width:0\" src=\"http://i.creativecommons.org/l/by-sa/3.0/88x31.png\"/>\n</a>\n<br/>\n<span xmlns:dc=\"http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/\" property=\"dc:title\" href=\"http://purl.org/dc/dcmitype/InteractiveResource\" rel=\"dc:type\">Nicu's Blog</span> by \n<a property=\"cc:attributionName\" href=\"http://nicubunu.ro/\" rel=\"cc:attributionURL\" xmlns:cc=\"http://creativecommons.org/ns#\">Nicu Buculei</a> is licensed under a \n<a href=\"http://creativecommons.org/licenses", "mons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/\" rel=\"license\">\n<img alt=\"Creative Commons License\" style=\"border-width:0\" src=\"http://i.creativecommons.org/l/by-sa/3.0/88x31.png\"/>\n</a>\n<br/>\n<span xmlns:dc=\"http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/\" property=\"dc:title\" href=\"http://purl.org/dc/dcmitype/InteractiveResource\" rel=\"dc:type\">Nicu's Blog</span> by \n<a property=\"cc:attributionName\" href=\"http://nicubunu.ro/\" rel=\"cc:attributionURL\" xmlns:cc=\"http://creativecommons.org/ns#\">Nicu Buculei</a> is licensed under a \n<a href=\"http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/\" rel=\"license\">Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 License</a>.\n</div>\n<div class='clear'></div>\n<span class='widget-item-control'>\n<span class='item-control blog-admin'>\n<a class='quickedit' href='//www.blogger.com/rearrange?blogID=5797212&widgetType=HTML&widgetId=HTML3&action=editWidget&sectionId=main' onclick='return _WidgetManager._PopupConfig(document.getElementById(\"HTML3\"));' rel='nofollow' target='configHTML3' title='Edit'>\n<img alt='' height='18' src='https://resources.blogblog.com/img/icon18"], "cc_re__cc_re__cc_by_sa_3_0_us": ["ew days I was away, at a photography workshop (some posts are up on my other <a href=\"http://photoblog.nicubunu.ro/\">blog</a>, some will come later), a trip that slowed my progress with the <a href=\"http://nicubunu.blogspot.com/2011/08/free-photography-contest-for-wikipedia.html\">Wikipedia photography contest</a>, but I am back and working.<br />\n<br />\nSo a trip to the sea side, of course I took a lot of pictures and from some (which are safe for work) I <b>had to</b> make some wallpapers, all <a href=\"http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/us/\">freely licensed</a>:<br />\n<center><a href=\"http://nicubunu.ro/pictures/photoblog/img_1919w.jpg\"><img alt=\"wallpaper\" border=\"0\" src=\"http://nicubunu.ro/pictures/photoblog/img_1919-preview.jpg\"></a></center><br />\n<center><a href=\"http://nicubunu.ro/pictures/photoblog/img_1923w.jpg\"><img alt=\"wallpaper\" border=\"0\" src=\"http://nicubunu.ro/pictures/photoblog/img_1923-preview.jpg\"></a></center><br />\n<center><a href=\"http://nicubunu.ro/pictures/photoblog/img_1925w.jpg\"><img alt=\"wallpaper\" border=\"", "m/2011/08/wallpapers-in-sunset.html'>Wallpapers in the sunset</a>\n</h3>\n<div class='post-header-line-1'></div>\n<div class='post-body'>\n<p>No, nothing is setting (yet), it just happened for me to get with my camera in front of some beautiful sunsets and take pictures. Of course I <b>had to</b> continue my <a href=\"http://nicubunu.blogspot.com/2011/06/summer-wallpapers.html\">series</a> of <a href=\"http://nicubunu.blogspot.com/2011/08/wallpapers-from-heaven.html\">wallpapers</a>, all under the same <a href=\"http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/us/\">free license</a>. Enjoy.<br />\n<br />\n<center><a href=\"http://nicubunu.ro/pictures/photoblog/img_1238.jpg\"><img alt=\"wallpaper\" border=\"0\" src=\"http://nicubunu.ro/pictures/photoblog/img_1238-preview.jpg\"></a></center><br />\n<center><a href=\"http://nicubunu.ro/pictures/photoblog/img_1246w.jpg\"><img alt=\"wallpaper\" border=\"0\" src=\"http://nicubunu.ro/pictures/photoblog/img_1246-preview.jpg\"></a></center><br />\n<center><a href=\"http://nicubunu.ro/pictures/photoblog/img_1590.jpg\"><img alt=\"wallpaper\""], "copyright__copyright__copyright": [" above-mentioned animals):\n\nAnd the camp fire warm (in all senses):\n\nMyself, I didn't manage to recapture the magic of last year, but still got an interesting sunrise:\n\none over another, it was a big mix of various projects, with people from GSL, RLUG/Prolinux, Debian, Ubuntu, Fedora, openSUSE, FreeBSD, Mozilla, GNOME, Wikipedia and other projects which escape my memory for the moment (sorry guys and girls):\n\nAll like a big, happy family:\n\nAnd for all those who didn't attend: we missed you :(\n\n\u00a0"]}