SaqibSaab

How to fix a dead Seagate Barracuda 1 TB hard drive

My Seagate Barracuda 7200.11 ST31000340AS 1 TB hard drive suddenly went kaput two weeks ago and was brought back to full health just yesterday. The problem is a common occurrence in these drives, and since I haven’t found many clear online solutions, I thought I’d document how I fixed mine here.

How my hard drive died

Two weeks ago, I was using my machine throughout the day as usual. When it was turned on later in the afternoon, the BIOS was unable to detect the drive. A few Emails and status updates to friends later, I was stuck on figuring out the root of the problem. Between various da’wah projects being put on hold, NIU CPA Review night class in Hoffman Estates later that evening, and a trip to MI the following weekend, I had to quickly figure this thing out. Read more »

Android – Google’s New OS On Their New Phone

I don’t need a smartphone. I really don’t. But when they come around this good, it’s definitely an attractive thought. Especially this here G1 phone, from Google, built on their new Android OS.

Again, most of the features I really don’t need. I’ve survived just fine for the past two years with basic phone calls and SMS text messaging while seemingly everyone upgraded to smartphones. But if I would ever go big time phone, like pay over $200 type ordeal, I think I’d go with an Android built one like this G1. This thing turns phones an all-in-one Pentium 4 computer. I mean 3D rendered graphics in gaming? Nuts. Other features on this, like the Google Street Maps trick, are really cool, too.

Time to give Apple’s iPhone a run for its money? Read more »

My New Computer – Fully Armed and Operational!

Many of you know that I’ve been in the means of purchasing and building a new computer, and have been asking what the status of it is. Here’s a status log using pics.

September 12th, 2008, 1:30pm

The computer parts arrive at my house after Jumu’ah, as excited as I am, I had to leave to MI for a Ramadan weekend with my family and in-laws there within an hour of the parts’ arrival. After I came back, assembly began.

September 18th, 2008

This is a pic of Waasiq, my wife, and me watching it incomplete in my basement. My wife’s the Emperor because she actually owns a jilbab that looks like his cloak. Major component building has begun Read more »

Some Cool New Gmail Labs Customization Features

Gmail gets awesomer. Dunno if you read the Gmail blog which feeds updates to the bottom left corner of the main login screen or not, but a recent post showcased some of the latest updates with Gmail Labs. I clicked the link and found that Gmail Labs has a whole bunch of cool add-ons and customization settings for your Gmail. Pretty neat; I was able to change the way my Gmail looked pretty easily.

Click the pic below and see if you can spot any differences (yes, I’m using Google Chrome here and there, but prefer Firefox above all).

Want to mess around? All you gots to do is  Read more »

My Dream Wedding Registry

I’ve been married for over 18 months by nikāḥ kitāba. In less than a week, my wife and I will be having our wedding party and she’ll be moving here to Chicago, inshaAllah. I’ve created a personal Wedding Registry for you to go through and purchase for me. After all, you want to buy me a gift, right? Might as well make it easy for you.

Canon EOS Rebel XSi SLR Digital Camera w/ 18-55mm IS Lens
Price: $750 – $800

Digital Single-Lens Reflex (DSLR) cameras are becoming very popular as of late. It’s probably because of how digital photography has made the camera industry boom but mainly it’s for five reasons: (1) DSLRs like the XSi are no longer huge and now come in compact sizes, (2) they offer lens upgrades much more and better manual and custom controls than standard point & shoots, (3) they now are made easier for amateurs (AKA n00bs), Read more »