New Today

New Perl module on CPAN

I received an email this morning that directed me to a "new" Perl module called Parse::Win32Registry. From the description, the module allows you to read the keys and values of a registry file without going through the Windows API. Very cool! This goes a step or two beyond my own Perl code for doing this, as it uses an Object Oriented approach (it also covers the Win95 Registry files, as well).

Even though this one isn't up on the ActiveState site yet, it looks like a great option, and will be extremely useful. The install went really easy for me...I downloaded the .tar.gz file, extracted everything, and just copied the contents of the \lib directory into my C:\Perl\site\lib directory. From there, I began running tests with the sample file, and things went really well.

Some of you are probably looking at this thinking, "yeah...whatever." Well, something like this can make parsing through Registry files to get all sorts of data much, much easier. I can also see this being used to parse through the Registry files in XP's System Restore points much easier, even to the point of running 'diffs'.

New CyberSpeak show
Brett's got a new CyberSpeak podcast out...it's a short one this time, folks. Brett mentioned feedback and encouragement in the show - I don't know what kind of feedback he and Ovie get, but like everyone else, I can see the comments on the LibSyn site. These guys are putting forth a great effort, and it can't be easy to parse out the kind of time it takes every week to put the show together. I tend to wonder if the show could be used as a focal point to a sort of extended e-zine for the community. I've thought before about how useful a digital forensics e-zine would be...something practical, useful, hands-on...not at an academic level, but more on the level of "here's what you can do, and here's how you do it". Since there's a wide range of subjects out there (I'm interested in Windows systems, Brett mentioned Macs in today's show...) I don't think that it would be too hard to put something together each week...folks sending in links to articles, etc. Using the LibSyn site, or some other site (like what the Hak5 guys do with their show notes in a Wiki format), a neat little e-zine can be put together each week/month, with lots of folks contributing. Just a thought...

Desktop Capture Software
Oh, and if anyone has any input or thoughts on some good, free desktop capture software, drop me a line. I want to capture my desktop while I speak into the mic on my laptop, so I can record HOW-TOs for my next book. I think that following along visually is better for some folks (and probably much more interesting) that reading a bunch of steps. Right now, I'm considering WebEx Recorder, but would like to get some input on other options. The requirements are simple...good quality output (with regards to video and audio), and the recorder and player should both be freely available. I know that the IronGeek uses CamStudio...anyone have any thoughts or input on that?