Blizzard Downloader (or Background Downloader) is a combination BitTorrent/HTTP client used for Blizzard Entertainment's software products. It was first implemented with MMORPG World of Warcraft. It is used to download full game installer package or large updates for the game, smaller updates being downloaded directly from the server. It is also used to download the trailers for The Burning Crusade and StarCraft II. Early versions were based on the source code of the original BitTorrent client, though it is unclear what the source model is now. When a large update is issued a Blizzard Downloader is downloaded to the WoW directory and it fetches the update file, using TCP ports 3724 and 6881. Blizzard offers an individual client for each download they offer, instead of just a torrent file. The Blizzard downloader also runs in the background under the name of "Background Downloader." While the downloader is running, the program also uploads parts of files over the internet to other users who need the same data.
Structure
The Blizzard Downloader bundle is actually a plain BitTorrent client that has at least one .torrent file inside. The .torrent can be opened by other BitTorrent clients giving the user greater control over how the download is handled.
It is possible to extract the .torrent file from the end of the downloader executable:
Windows version
*Search for d8:announce at the end of the downloader executable, and then save from this point to the end of the executable to a separate file. Add .torrent to the file name and open in any BitTorrent Client.
*Note that these executables may contain multiple torrent files (e.g. the Burning Crusade Downloader contains a 'slim' torrent 1.24 GB and a 'full' torrent for 2.23 GB).
Earlier versions included a Macintosh-variant of the .torrent as well, but this has been removed in later versions. You may also need to remove some trailing characters at the end of the file, since they do not all belong to the .torrent; essentially, the resulting file has to be Bencode-compliant.
Alternatively, start the background downloader and check the end of Logs\BackgroundDownload.log for a message like this:
*Creating cache file C:\Program Files\World of Warcraft\Cache\BackgroundDownload.torrent
This .torrent file can be used with any BitTorrent client. Alternate locations may include the Cache folder, depending on the WoW client's locality.
Macintosh version
*/Applications/World of Warcraft/WoW-old-to-new-local-downloader.app/Contents/
**MacOS/
***Blizzard Downloader - executable file
**Resources/
***downloader.torrent - torrent file
:Note: GUI & localization files not listed for readability.
Structure
The Blizzard Downloader bundle is actually a plain BitTorrent client that has at least one .torrent file inside. The .torrent can be opened by other BitTorrent clients giving the user greater control over how the download is handled.
It is possible to extract the .torrent file from the end of the downloader executable:
Windows version
*Search for d8:announce at the end of the downloader executable, and then save from this point to the end of the executable to a separate file. Add .torrent to the file name and open in any BitTorrent Client.
*Note that these executables may contain multiple torrent files (e.g. the Burning Crusade Downloader contains a 'slim' torrent 1.24 GB and a 'full' torrent for 2.23 GB).
Earlier versions included a Macintosh-variant of the .torrent as well, but this has been removed in later versions. You may also need to remove some trailing characters at the end of the file, since they do not all belong to the .torrent; essentially, the resulting file has to be Bencode-compliant.
Alternatively, start the background downloader and check the end of Logs\BackgroundDownload.log for a message like this:
*Creating cache file C:\Program Files\World of Warcraft\Cache\BackgroundDownload.torrent
This .torrent file can be used with any BitTorrent client. Alternate locations may include the Cache folder, depending on the WoW client's locality.
Macintosh version
*/Applications/World of Warcraft/WoW-old-to-new-local-downloader.app/Contents/
**MacOS/
***Blizzard Downloader - executable file
**Resources/
***downloader.torrent - torrent file
:Note: GUI & localization files not listed for readability.
World of Warcraft Launcher (referred to in press releases and the menu bar as Blizzard Launcher) is a program designed to act as a starting point for World of Warcraft players. It was included with the version 1.8.3 patch. As of the 2.1.0 patch, there is an option to hide the launcher which makes the game behave as it did before the launcher was released.
Features
The program incorporates latest Blizzard news, customer support, as well as a mechanism to play on test realms and play the game.
News and community/support updates
The News section provides information on latest topics of interest to World of Warcraft players, upcoming game content, contests and player-guide updates.
Trojan/Cheat-Program Scan
The World of Warcraft Launcher’s built-in trojan and cheat-program scanner, named Warden, is considered as an additional level of security and is particularly used to protect the customer’s interests by continuously monitoring hidden malicious (also referred as Malware) programs which collect client’s information such as account names and passwords. It does not report any information back to Blizzard, but if a bypass is made and World of Warcraft runs with a cheat program, you risk having your account closed if the cheat is detected while you are in game.
Support
The Launcher also provides quick access to World of Warcraft support website with lots of helpful information. It is the place to find detailed answers to inquiries concerning the in-game, billing or technical issues.
Public Test Button
Whenever a test version of World of Warcraft is live on the test realms, players with the test client installed are able to log in and help Blizzard test upcoming patches.
Updates
The Launcher updates itself often but irregularly. Updates to the launcher improve the Warden software and possibly add new threats to detect. Updates are often small (a few hundred kilobytes) compared to game updates.
Features
The program incorporates latest Blizzard news, customer support, as well as a mechanism to play on test realms and play the game.
News and community/support updates
The News section provides information on latest topics of interest to World of Warcraft players, upcoming game content, contests and player-guide updates.
Trojan/Cheat-Program Scan
The World of Warcraft Launcher’s built-in trojan and cheat-program scanner, named Warden, is considered as an additional level of security and is particularly used to protect the customer’s interests by continuously monitoring hidden malicious (also referred as Malware) programs which collect client’s information such as account names and passwords. It does not report any information back to Blizzard, but if a bypass is made and World of Warcraft runs with a cheat program, you risk having your account closed if the cheat is detected while you are in game.
Support
The Launcher also provides quick access to World of Warcraft support website with lots of helpful information. It is the place to find detailed answers to inquiries concerning the in-game, billing or technical issues.
Public Test Button
Whenever a test version of World of Warcraft is live on the test realms, players with the test client installed are able to log in and help Blizzard test upcoming patches.
Updates
The Launcher updates itself often but irregularly. Updates to the launcher improve the Warden software and possibly add new threats to detect. Updates are often small (a few hundred kilobytes) compared to game updates.
Associated Students of Arizona State University (ASASU) is the student government at campus at Tempe, Arizona. It is commonly referred to by ASU students as the ASU Student Government.
Structure
ASASU as it exists today was created in 2003, when the Student Government at the time adopted a new Constitution under the oversight of several individuals. The constitution originally split the student government into 3 branches:
#Undergraduate Student Government (Acronym USG. Established to serve the undergraduate students at ASU)
#The Graduate & Professional Student Association (Acronym GPSA: Established to serve the graduate students at ASU)
#Programming and Activities Board (Acronym PAB: Established to coordinate student events and activities on campus, no longer exists within the association - it is now an independent body)
All three branches are overseen by a Supreme Court, and communicate with each other through a coordinating board that consist of executive officers. The PAB was dissolved following a student referendum in late 2006. Its last ASASU executive officers were Neal Stephenson and Nicole "Nicci" Pannier, who were elected in a walkover (unopposed) election in 2006. Lauren Hengl and Nick Hammond are PAB's first executive officers under its new independent constitution.
The USG and GPSA both have an elected assembly within its structure, which consist of representatives from all colleges on campus, and provides a forum for students to voice concerns that are particular to a specific college on campus. The USG Senate is also known for its role as a springboard for various student leaders toward an eventual tenure in the USG executive offices.
Graduate and Professional Student Associaton (GPSA)
The Graduate and Professional Student Association (GPSA) is a part of the Associated Students of Arizona State University. They provide advocacy, support and unity for the graduate and professional student community at Arizona State University. Their executive branch meets regularly with President Crow, other members of administration, and the Arizona Board of Regents (ABOR) to make sure graduate student needs and concerns are addressed. The GPSA External Affairs office participates with the Arizona Students Association (ASA) to present issues of concern to the legislature and to influence public policy. The GPSA Internal Affairs office provides graduate and professional students opportunities for professional development and recognition through their conference travel grant, research grant and teaching excellence award programs.
Undergraduate Student Government Elections, Governments
USG elections often receives the most attention from on-campus student media, and its history of election often parallels real life politics.
Since its inception in 2003, there have been 4 government elections, with each elections mirroring more closely to real life elections.
Programming and Activities Board (PAB)
The Programming and Activities Board (PAB) is no longer a branch of ASASU.
The PAB is led by the Board of Directors, of which the President serves as Chairperson. Three graduate students and three undergraduate students serve on the Board, as well as the executive officers and ex-officio members as appointed by the President. The Executive Chief of Staff serves as Executive Director of the Board of Directors.
PAB directs all student programs and activities for the ASU student body, including concerts, movies, lectures, comedy shows, diversity programming, late night events, and campus tours. The President also chairs the Diversity Awareness Programming Board (DAPB) that consists of the Executive Director and members of ASU's student coalitions.
Since its inception in 2003, the Programming and Activities Board has been led by 4 executive administrations.
Structure
ASASU as it exists today was created in 2003, when the Student Government at the time adopted a new Constitution under the oversight of several individuals. The constitution originally split the student government into 3 branches:
#Undergraduate Student Government (Acronym USG. Established to serve the undergraduate students at ASU)
#The Graduate & Professional Student Association (Acronym GPSA: Established to serve the graduate students at ASU)
#Programming and Activities Board (Acronym PAB: Established to coordinate student events and activities on campus, no longer exists within the association - it is now an independent body)
All three branches are overseen by a Supreme Court, and communicate with each other through a coordinating board that consist of executive officers. The PAB was dissolved following a student referendum in late 2006. Its last ASASU executive officers were Neal Stephenson and Nicole "Nicci" Pannier, who were elected in a walkover (unopposed) election in 2006. Lauren Hengl and Nick Hammond are PAB's first executive officers under its new independent constitution.
The USG and GPSA both have an elected assembly within its structure, which consist of representatives from all colleges on campus, and provides a forum for students to voice concerns that are particular to a specific college on campus. The USG Senate is also known for its role as a springboard for various student leaders toward an eventual tenure in the USG executive offices.
Graduate and Professional Student Associaton (GPSA)
The Graduate and Professional Student Association (GPSA) is a part of the Associated Students of Arizona State University. They provide advocacy, support and unity for the graduate and professional student community at Arizona State University. Their executive branch meets regularly with President Crow, other members of administration, and the Arizona Board of Regents (ABOR) to make sure graduate student needs and concerns are addressed. The GPSA External Affairs office participates with the Arizona Students Association (ASA) to present issues of concern to the legislature and to influence public policy. The GPSA Internal Affairs office provides graduate and professional students opportunities for professional development and recognition through their conference travel grant, research grant and teaching excellence award programs.
Undergraduate Student Government Elections, Governments
USG elections often receives the most attention from on-campus student media, and its history of election often parallels real life politics.
Since its inception in 2003, there have been 4 government elections, with each elections mirroring more closely to real life elections.
Programming and Activities Board (PAB)
The Programming and Activities Board (PAB) is no longer a branch of ASASU.
The PAB is led by the Board of Directors, of which the President serves as Chairperson. Three graduate students and three undergraduate students serve on the Board, as well as the executive officers and ex-officio members as appointed by the President. The Executive Chief of Staff serves as Executive Director of the Board of Directors.
PAB directs all student programs and activities for the ASU student body, including concerts, movies, lectures, comedy shows, diversity programming, late night events, and campus tours. The President also chairs the Diversity Awareness Programming Board (DAPB) that consists of the Executive Director and members of ASU's student coalitions.
Since its inception in 2003, the Programming and Activities Board has been led by 4 executive administrations.
Radio Station M1IOS - Islands of Scilly is an amateur radio station located on the Isles of Scilly, a group of islands off the south west United Kingdom coast.
The Isles of Scilly are designated as EU-011 in the Islands on the Air (IOTA) directory. M1IOS is the only Class A licensed Radio Station on the Islands. Radio Station M1IOS is located at 0.5 metres above sea level, on a narrow sand bar, in the centre of Hugh Town, St. Mary’s. It is in the lee of a low hill, The Garrison, to the west, which attentuates Trans-Atlantic signals. From Scilly, global two-way HF radio communications are conducted between the islands and a variety of worldwide locations, including, and for example; Australia, Japan, Brazil, Antarctica, South Africa, Zambia, Kazakhistan, Lebanon, Canada, the USA, the Caribbean, and all European Countries. Reciprocal 144Mhz communications have been conducted between Scilly and the Adriatic. The Main Station transceiver is the Yaesu FT920AFC, with narrow filters fitted. The Yaesu FT1500M is used for Main Station VHF, 144Mhz FM contacts, monitoring the marine channels, and also for accessing the UK, Irish and French 2 Metre Repeater networks. Portable operations take place from various locations around St. Mary’s and the Off-Islands. Multi-band, HF, VHF and UHF frequencies are worked using a Yaesu FT857D transceiver. Emergency, RAYNET, facilities include a Yaesu FT8900 cross-band repeater and a Kenwood TH-F7 transceivers.
Whilst RF power levels are permitted at levels up to 400 Watts, all communications are conducted at very low power, of around 50 to 100 Watts. Digital transmissions are at QRP levels, ie below 5 Watts. UHF 70cm transmissions are conducted using a vertical co-linear antenna. VHF 144MHz transmissions use two roof-space, internally mounted, fixed-heading 6 element Yagi beams. 50Mhz transmissions use a vertical ground plane antenna. 18MHz to 28Mhz transmission use a vertical co-linear antenna. 14MHz transmissions are through a dipole resonate at 14.260MHz. Contacts from 1.8MHz to 10Mhz are conducted with an inductively loaded long wire.
From St Mary's, Station M1IOS operates on the following bands and modes.
Bands: HF Bands - 1.8MHz, 3.5MHz, 7MHz, 10MHZ,18MHz, 21MHz, 24.5MHz and 28MHz.
VHF Bands - 50MHz and 144MHz. UHF - 430MHz.
Operating Modes: Upper and Lower Single Side Band (SSB) - J3E.
Morse Code with 300Hz filter (CW) - A1B Computer generated.
Slow Scan TV (SSTV) - J2F.
Radio Teletype (RTTY) - J2B.
Phase Shift Keying (PSK31) - J2D.
Narrow Band Frequency Modulation (NFM) - F3E.
Wide Band Frequency Modulation (WFM) - F3E.
Amplitude Modulation (AM) - A3E.
The Isles of Scilly are designated as EU-011 in the Islands on the Air (IOTA) directory. M1IOS is the only Class A licensed Radio Station on the Islands. Radio Station M1IOS is located at 0.5 metres above sea level, on a narrow sand bar, in the centre of Hugh Town, St. Mary’s. It is in the lee of a low hill, The Garrison, to the west, which attentuates Trans-Atlantic signals. From Scilly, global two-way HF radio communications are conducted between the islands and a variety of worldwide locations, including, and for example; Australia, Japan, Brazil, Antarctica, South Africa, Zambia, Kazakhistan, Lebanon, Canada, the USA, the Caribbean, and all European Countries. Reciprocal 144Mhz communications have been conducted between Scilly and the Adriatic. The Main Station transceiver is the Yaesu FT920AFC, with narrow filters fitted. The Yaesu FT1500M is used for Main Station VHF, 144Mhz FM contacts, monitoring the marine channels, and also for accessing the UK, Irish and French 2 Metre Repeater networks. Portable operations take place from various locations around St. Mary’s and the Off-Islands. Multi-band, HF, VHF and UHF frequencies are worked using a Yaesu FT857D transceiver. Emergency, RAYNET, facilities include a Yaesu FT8900 cross-band repeater and a Kenwood TH-F7 transceivers.
Whilst RF power levels are permitted at levels up to 400 Watts, all communications are conducted at very low power, of around 50 to 100 Watts. Digital transmissions are at QRP levels, ie below 5 Watts. UHF 70cm transmissions are conducted using a vertical co-linear antenna. VHF 144MHz transmissions use two roof-space, internally mounted, fixed-heading 6 element Yagi beams. 50Mhz transmissions use a vertical ground plane antenna. 18MHz to 28Mhz transmission use a vertical co-linear antenna. 14MHz transmissions are through a dipole resonate at 14.260MHz. Contacts from 1.8MHz to 10Mhz are conducted with an inductively loaded long wire.
From St Mary's, Station M1IOS operates on the following bands and modes.
Bands: HF Bands - 1.8MHz, 3.5MHz, 7MHz, 10MHZ,18MHz, 21MHz, 24.5MHz and 28MHz.
VHF Bands - 50MHz and 144MHz. UHF - 430MHz.
Operating Modes: Upper and Lower Single Side Band (SSB) - J3E.
Morse Code with 300Hz filter (CW) - A1B Computer generated.
Slow Scan TV (SSTV) - J2F.
Radio Teletype (RTTY) - J2B.
Phase Shift Keying (PSK31) - J2D.
Narrow Band Frequency Modulation (NFM) - F3E.
Wide Band Frequency Modulation (WFM) - F3E.
Amplitude Modulation (AM) - A3E.