Welcome to The Serpent
Here you'll find guides, articles and news from the world of IT, from the perspective of a computer engineer based in the UK. Covering a wide range of computing\networking\programming and even some totally unrelated 'warped views' - we hope you'll notice our passion for IT and all things techie.
A geeks retreat - this site aims to promote shared knowledge though articles based on experience. We hope you enjoy your stay, and feedback is always welcome.
SimCity is Back...
Wednesday 16th May, 2012Reticulate splines, Sixam and all that!
I'm not sure why I didn't broadcast this the minute I found out back in March, possibly because I was too busy pre-ordering SimCity via the Origin store, but I thought it's my duty to spread the word of a fantastic, and magical come back.. SimCity.
SimCity was the game of my youth. It helped me get through business studies as a child, and basically...
Tor Project - Anonymity Online
Thursday 10th May, 2012Beating the system
It's been a long time coming, but finally I submitted to writing an article that network admins everywhere have wondered - can you block Tor? With the right tools and know-how, the answer is yes. But be assured, we're only writing this for admin purposes, don't go silencing the web now ;)
You can find the article here.
Windows 8 Screenshots
Sunday 6th May, 2012Because everyone likes screenshots!
For those of you itching to see what Windows 8 will look like, screenshots from the Consumer Preview release can be found on The Serpent. Follow the article link below to see what we're in for, and if you'll be moving to the new MetroUI interface.
Raspberry Pi en Route
Friday 4th May, 2012Miniature fun for all!
I decided back in February to get on board with the phenomena known as Raspberry Pi, partly because I just love the idea of a credit card sized computer capable of running Linux, but partly because I feel it might become some sort of collectable later (assuming I don’t fry it first with my complete lack of hardware hacking skilz).
Assuming the little system-on-a-chip (SoC) device...
Virgin Blocks Pirate-bay
Wednesday 2nd May, 2012Don't panic
Virgin Media haven't wasted any time enforcing the new court ruling to ban Pirate-bay in the UK, with customers receiving the block page upon visit. We expect other ISP's to follow suit in the coming weeks.
This is indeed the start of a slippery slope, for if you decide to block pages, you then must enforce it - and ensure you block all attempts to circumvent those blocks. This means blocking other...
Windows 8 Editions
Tuesday 17th April, 2012Mostly sensible...
Microsoft have announced the various flavours that Windows 8 will ship in, and we've found it far easier to follow then previous years, but can't help but feel they are padding the features a little (e.g, they all come with Windows Update!). You can take a look for yourself on the Windows Blog site found here.
To...
Internet Monitoring
Monday 2nd April, 2012Here we go again...
I've had to calm a few people regarding this subject in recent days, and would like to weigh in a little reality based on past experience of governments making requests they really aren't willing to pay for. So let's lay down some facts.
1. Is it possible to monitor an entire country's Internet usage and phone calls? Yes.
2. Is it economically viable? No.
Asking the lights of BT to monitor...
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