Publication Date: March 3rd 2005
ISSN 1445-1360
In this issue you will read:
Editorial: March 3rd 2005
Definition: Pot Plant
Web site Review: Dynamic Network Services
Quotable: Katharine Graham said...
Nuts and Bolts: Setting up a Live Internet Camera
The Great Australian Joke: The Gum Chewing American
G'Day Blokes and Sheilas!
I know it has been a long time between drinks, or should I say issues, but life happens. With Casey preparing to quit her full time job to help me at the Inn, the idea is I will have more time to spend on NetBloke. As it is right now I am working at helping my friend John Young do the integration of the newsletter and forum software that I am going to use. In turn this is one of the steps I think is necessary to take NetBloke to another level. I know a few of you had a look and even signed up for the test forum I set up, which I thought was great. However when I roll out the real thing it will be a much easier process.
So this issue is based around my fiddling with my network and in turn my Internet Camera. With the obligatory regular items to inspire and entertain you! As a side note for those of you developing web sites or thinking about it check out this post on my blog.
I thought I would try a new section out that I will occasionally write. I am calling it Nuts and Bolts. This issue is melding together the Internet Camera I reviewed last issue with the Dynamic DNS service I review in this issue. The idea being that I show a practical use of the technologies I talk about. No rocket science involved! Easy for everyone to give a go, given the right equipment.
Nathan Allan
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We have a lot of pot plants at the Inn. They are mainly in the kitchen as they were looking a little tired and needed some TLC. Once we have them all healthy and luscious again we will put them in the guest areas so that the guests can enjoy them.
Whoa! You thought I was talking about that plant that people smoke! Not at all. I am talking about a house plant in a pot. Americans call them potted plants. I don't know if it is just me but I have always referred to them as pot plants. So put down the phone, but tell the ATF agent that you haven't uncovered their next big bust first please!
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Ever wanted to host a web site on your home computer? Or have a nice name to access your home network from elsewhere? Well you need a Dynamic DNS service then.
The service will allow you to have a domain name that points to your network. In my case I am using it for my Internet Camera. The camera has built in software (firmware) that allows me to allocate it a domain name, hence making it easier to access from the Internet.
Dynamic Network Services are one such Dynamic DNS service providers and this is what they have to say about themselves; "Dynamic Network Services, Inc. is a leading provider of Domain Name Services (DNS). We provide full managed DNS hosting, Dynamic DNS, Static DNS, web redirection, e-mail, and domain registration services. Maintaining 100.000% DNS up time with over a million users, we offer the flexibility, support, and service to ensure a strong and reliable presence on the Internet for you or your business."
It is a great service, and with today's proliferation of Cable and DSL broadband connections more and more people are going to find this service useful.
Visit: Dynamic Network Services
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To love what you do and feel that it matters - how could anything be more fun?
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Last issue I reviewed the DCS-900 Internet Camera and with this issues Web site Review of Dynamic DNS services you have a powerful combination that allows you to create some practical uses for your camera.
It is really quite easy to implement a web accessible camera, thanks to D-Link building in the Dynamic DNS settings directly in to the cameras firmware. All you have to do is go to a service like Dynamic Network Services, pick a domain you want the camera accessible from and then on the camera's settings put in your Dynamic Network Services account information.
In my case I chose "is-a-geek.com" and simply requested "netbloke" be added as the subdomain. This subdomain makes my domain unique. Dynamic Network Services does the rest, identifying your Dynamically allocated IP address and linking this with the domain. In no time at all you have a web accessible camera.
The last step is to set administrator and user logins for people to use. This can be used to keep traffic to a minimum.
Note that with a lot of todays routers you can do the same thing but for the purpose of a home run web site or gaming server.Just keep in mind you are not going to have the bandwidth to run a site that is going to be popular.
See it in action at: NetBloke Live Internet Camera
Username is: netbloke
Password is: letter
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This joke requires a bit of a PG warning. Not for the kiddies or the easily put off, but very Australian nonetheless! So with out further ado may I present;
The Gum Chewing American
An Australian man was having coffee and croissants with butter and jam in a cafe, when an American tourist, chewing gum, sat down next to him.
The Australian politely ignored the American who, nevertheless, started up a conversation. The American snapped the gum in his mouth and said, "Do you Australian folk eat the whole bread?"
The Australian frowned, annoyed with being bothered during his breakfast, and replied, "Yeah, of course".
The American blew a huge bubble. "We don't. In the States we only eat what's inside. The crusts we collect in a container, recycle them, transform them into croissants and sell them to Australia." The American had a smirk on his face, the Australian listened in silence.
The American persisted, "Do you eat jam with the bread?"
Sighing, the Australian replied "Yes." Cracking his gum between his teeth, the American said, "We don't. In the States we eat fresh fruit for breakfast, we put all the peels, seeds and leftovers in containers, recycle them, transform them into jam, and sell it to Australia."
The Australian then asked, "Do you have safe sex in the States?"
The American smiled and said "Yeah, of course we do." The Australian leant closer to him and asked, "What do you do with the condoms once you've used them?"
"We throw them away of course" replied the American. Now it was the Australian's turn to smile.
"We don't. In Australia, we put them in containers, recycle them, melt them down into chewing gum and sell them to The United States, that's why its called Wrigley's".
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