broke my router!

I broke my belkin F5D7231-4 wifi G router.

Bought it on sale in canada in 2008, $39.99 (canadian dollars). Its 110v.

Iit was plugged into an AVR and the avr was plugged into a Panther PSP - 1102 surge protector/filter. What happened was that the panther has loose wires inside so if you unplug one plug, the other 3 sockets may lose power. Well I unplugged something and the power went off for a split second.

Checking all the stuff that was plugged into the AVR.
* PC initially wont turn on but after power cycling the AVR and the switch at the back of the PSU, its ok.
* Monitor = ok,
* PLDT DSL modem = ok ... wait a minute, why is the Ethernet light off and why is there no internet?

OH NO! My router is broken!

Usually when you turn it on, all the lights flash then eventually a few turn off or flash. The lower row of 4 numbers represent the wired connections. Only the ones with active LAN connections light up. In this case all 4 and the modem light light up even with nothing connected except the power

Here's a pic of the lights on the face of the router. Again, nothing is connected except the power. It doesnt change even if I wait

Any suggestions for a new router?


requirements:
* not too expensive. 2-3k budget
* wifi N (my laptop is G but what the heck, its 2006 vintage and i plan to buy a new one soon)
* compatible with usb internet dongles
* optional - can use external antennas

UPDATE: pictures of the insides here
Update: the culprit was my surge protector. Here's how i fixed it.

AMD catalyst drivers on steam

AMD catalyst drivers are now on steam

Just install/run the steam client and click on the menu

STEAM > update amd video drivers

There are many laws for breaking copyright, what about for hindering fair use

Fair is fair. The law must cover both sides.


Imagine a supermarket and a customer. There are laws against shoplifting, hijacking the supply trucks, holding up the cashier, vandalism of store property, etc. But what if in return there were no laws protecting the other guy, the consumer. For example laws against misleading advertisments/labels, laws against hazardous ingredients, laws against cheating the scales, etc etc.

A medical example. What if there were laws where a patient could sue a doctor for malpractice, but in return, there were no laws for doctors to sue patients who file frivolous lawsuits. For people who don't know about that, I'll explain. That is one way for a patient to make money.  If the doctor has malpractice insurance, Its a heck of a lot cheaper for the insurer to just settle out of court than to go through the legal process and win. If the patient has no fear of punishment under the law then he could file a frivolous lawsuit against a totally innocent doctor knowing that the insurance will pay even a small amount to avoid going through the court system.

OK, back on topic

As a rich business, its pretty easy for the supermarket to "lobby" the government for tighter laws that benefit them, but what about the consumer? He's only one relatively powerless person so the government should make an effort to protect him.

Brazil has proposed copyrght laws that address this. Two examples quoted from here <LINK>.

Brazil went with a "notice-and-notice" setup, that let an accused party respond before their content gets taken down. Isn't due process grand?

I'm no expert but I'll try to explain. For most every other offence in the modern world, there is a presumption of innocence, but that doesnt seem to apply with copyright. For example, with most video streaming sites, (correct me if i'm wrong) AFAIK the process if someone complains about a video being a breach of copyright is to immediately take down the video then the one who posted the video has to prove that he's not in breach before the video is re posted by the site. What that law seems to require is that the accused be given a chance to reply to the accusation. Looks fair to me.

Here's the second example

What's especially surprising about Brazil's approach isn't just that it's allowing non-infringing circumvention (which, alone, would be nice to see), but that it's actually adding sanctions and punishment for those who block fair use or use of public domain works

 Looks pretty fair to me. I'll end by quoting the end of that article

Breaking DRM for infringing purposes is still very much illegal, but what Brazil is saying here is that locking up the public domain, or blocking fair use will not be tolerated. I cannot fathom who could possibly be against such a proposal, but I imagine we'll start to hear twisted arguments against it pretty quickly.

new biofuel re-discovered : butanol

Butanol or (n-Butanol to be precise) is not a new chemical. It used to be distilled in the 1900's for industrial purposes. It turns out it could be a new biofuel

• With 4 carbons, butanol has more energy than ethanol - 25% more energy per unit volume.
• Butanol has a lower vapour pressure and higher flashpoint than ethanol, making it easier to store and safer to handle.
• Butanol is not hygroscopic while ethanol attracts water. Ethanol has to be blended with petrol shortly before use. Butanol can be blended at a refinery without requiring modifications in blending facilities, storage tanks or retail station pumps.
• Butanol can run in unmodified engines at any blend with petrol. Ethanol can only be blended up to 85% and requires engine modification.
• Unlike ethanol, butanol may also be blended with diesel and biodiesel.
• Butanol is less corrosive than ethanol and can be transported using existing infrastructures.

link


Butanol can be made from non food crops. Here's an example, butanol distilled from leftovers of whiskey production.
link

Elder scrolls iv: oblivion sale

 

 

 The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion® Game of the Year Edition

The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Game of the Year Edition includes Knights of the Nine and the Shivering Isles expansions.

$6.79 USD

The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion® Game of the Year Edition Deluxe

The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Game of the Year Edition Deluxe includes Knights of the Nine and the Shivering Isles expansions plus Fighter's Stronghold Expansion, Spell Tome Treasures, Vile Lair, Mehrune's Razor and much more.
$8.49 USD

Today's sale on gamersgate

XIII for $5
link

ArmA Gold is pack of ArmA Armed Assault and an expansion pack Queen's Gambit. $10

link

 dark sector for $4
link

 frontlines fuel of war for $3
link

cybertec surge suppressors

You see lots of surge suppressors or surge protectors in the market. Here's one. Cybertec brand.

The pics clearly show the "surge suppressor" claim on the box, while the internal pics only show power sockets, switches, indicator lights and a box for the fuse. Compare this with a true suppressor which has varistors and EMI filters

I bought it because its only 300 pesos, I need a power strip with individual switches, it looks a heck of a lot better than my old one which has a busted switch and no fuse, and I need plugs that are widely spaced apart so that a small power supply or transformer does not cover adjacent slots. I would have liked to have a real one but I'm on a budget.