Skip to main content

Gadget Wisdom

Author: David Shanske

Registration time

2011-09-25 06:23:49

Website

https://david.shanske.com/

Email

david@shanske.com

All posts by David Shanske

1 Response

Buying a USB Drive

As promised, we’re going to review USB flash memory drives. For some historical background, we once again referred to the people at Wikipedia for their entry on the subject.

There are many types of drives, and unfortunately we do not have the funding to do speed tests on a large selection of USB drives…unless someone would like to send us such a selection, in which case we will be happy to make such a comparison. In June of 2004, CNET reviewed 14 tiny USB flash drives. In November of 2005, PC Magazine published their USB Key Superguide.

Now that we’ve referred you to people who have the budget for intensive reviews, we’re going to refer you to a few different types of USB drives that are good for various uses. Now, most USB Drives look pretty much the same. A little rectangle that has a loop for a keychain. Many have a cover for the USB port that frequently is lost. We recommend you review Amazon’s user reviews for each drives to see what people are saying.
For rugged durability, you might want to try a Lexar Jumpdrive Sport. It is available in several sizes:

If you are interested in a newer feature we recently reported on, another Lexar Product, the Jumpdrive Mercury, has a built in usage gauge.

USB Drives from Kingston also receive favorable reviews:

While there are many others, we do want to cover the other popular brand, Sandisk…

Now, most of these drives have some kind of security software, often proprietary, designed to protect the data inside. If you don’t wish to spring for this, or wish to explore the wealth of open-source options for using your USB drive, please stay tuned for the next part of our series, where we will show you how to use your new USB drive to protect yourself.

Published on September 17, 2006
Full Post
0 Responses

Electronic Paper

As Wikipedia says, electronic paper is a display technology designed to mimic the appearance of regular ink on paper. Electronic paper reflects light like ordinary paper and is capable of holding its display without power, requiring it only to change the display.

The technology has been used limitedly for various things and is now coming into the mainstream. The E-Ink Corporation is responsible for many applications of this technology thus far, including the Lexar 2 GB JumpDrive Mercury JDMC2GB-431 or the Lexar 1 GB JumpDrive Mercury JDMC1GB-431. The Jumpdrive Mercury uses an electronic paper display from E-Ink to display an exterior usage gauge on the drive. Since it draws no power, the gauge is always visible.

While E-books as well as low-power informational displays are the most popular of the expected usage of this technology, it is definitely worth monitoring. For now, its use on the Jumpdrive makes us endorse the Mercury should you wish this feature. We will be reviewing USB drives and purchase considerations in a future article.

Published on September 17, 2006
Full Post
0 Responses

Mourning the Death of Imagination

CNET UK has an intriguing opinion piece on consumer electronics is causing the death of childhood and imagination and an open letter to the British government in the Daily Telegraph from 110 teachers, psychologists, children’s authors, and experts calls on the government to prevent this.

We wonder about the next generation and if they will be capable of taking on the future. We have no doubt that a technology based world is changing things. When a five year old has more mastery of a computer than their parents, we cannot say the world is not changing. However, if it is all for the worst, we doubt. We do however, believe we have some problems we must overcome.

The problems of society though, are somewhat beyond the scope of this blog. We bring it up so that you keep in mind, while we are very much in favor of a tech-filled world…it can occasionally be damaging to us.

Published on September 17, 2006
Full Post
2 Responses

Password Security

In last weeks post on Laptop Security, we explored some of the special issues of keeping your laptop secure, many of which also apply to desktops. Now, there are many commercial products to assist you in that, but we will generally focus on the free and open-source ones. Remember, free does not mean bad. The open-source community has produced a great deal of quality software.

Now, we turn to the issue of password security. A few bits of common sense advice:

  1. Do not base your password on a dictionary word. Brute force attacks on passwords use dictionaries.
  2. If possible, combine letters and numbers, even better, non-alphanumberic characters, ie ! $ % etc.
  3. Vary the case of letters. Remember, FoUr is a different password than four or Four.
  4. Passphrases can be a good idea with sites that do not limit the length of your password. If ones do, try a passphrase as a mneumonic. For example, turn The Quick Brown Fox Jumped Over the Lazy Dog into TqBfJoTlD – hard to break, but easy to assemble when you log in. Note the varying case.
  5. Change your password regularly.

Now, that requires a lot of work. So, try some software assistance. While several commercial software packages allow for password vaults, we offer this nice free one, KeePass. KeePass is a password manager that stores all passwords in one database locked with a master key/password or key disk. A key disk can be stored on a USB drive, a floppy disk, etc. Just remember to take a copy of it and store it in your safety deposit box, a fire-proof safe, or with a loved one, in case of unexpected loss.

KeePass is a Windows program, but doesn’t store any information in the Windows registry. Thus it will work on older versions and newer versions of Windows and will continue to be updated. It can auto-type into web browsers and other programs. It is extensible with plugins and very configurable.

Look forward to our next part in this continuing series of securing your computer use, when we will discuss more secure tools you can store on your USB key-disk, and more about USB jumpdrives in general.

Published on September 11, 2006
Full Post
1 Response

Laptop Security

Jim Rossman of the Dallas Morning News advised of his experience leaving his laptop at an airport security checkpoint. Mr. Rossman is right, a simple business card attached to your laptop will allow its owner to be idenitified.

Our colleagues at Flight Wisdom suggested that you consider STOP. Security Tracking of Office Property, despite the name, works well for personal use as well. If you want your thief to know your name and address, putting it on the laptop will certainly help them find you, although that may be a bit paranoid. A third-party is certainly helpful in these cases. Also, the security plate, cemented to your laptop, is a theft deterrent in itself.

The next step after a security tag, or equivalent label is a laptop security cable. These cables are enough theft deterrent. Given time and a hacksaw, someone can remove these cables, but the goal is such things will delay them. Most theft is dependant on stealth and speed, not hanging around with such tools. Of course, finding a place to lash it in your hotel room on vacation is usually hard.

The final step is of course, in software. Set your computer BIOS to require a password, and then prevent booting from the USB port, a floppy disk, or a CD-ROM. If you need to do any of these things, go in and override it for the time you need it. Then, set a password for logging onto the system, be it a variant of Windows, UNIX, or the Mac OS.

Of course, protecting your files can be a matter of encyption. Check out a future post, when we intend to report on Encryption Tools as well as other software security for your laptop or even your desktop.

Published on September 7, 2006
Full Post
0 Responses

Pocket Keyboard

We have yet to purchase the Virtual Laser Keyboard, but we have been waiting for this technology to become available.  It projects the image of a keyboard onto a flat surface, and uses lasers to sense key-press events. Currently, it is about the size of a cellular phone, and comes with either bluetooth or serial connectivity.

This technology, when coupled with various types of electronic ink and oled displays that are also being developed, could be used in the future to produce a very small keyboard and video hookup for a small computing device. Currently, that device is a PDA or mobile phone, both of which are continuing to increase their computer power.

For now, however, we believe as soon as the price point reduces, it may become a viable option for the basic of mobile functions, word processing, if nothing else.

Published on September 7, 2006
Full Post
0 Responses

Frugal it isn't

TrekStor i.Beat organix Gold MP3 Player (1 GB)

This MP3 player is built for every millionaire who loves digital music, according to the Amazon description. Eighteen-karat gold, 63 diamonds, and a gem-encrusted chain. Of course, we endorse frugal purchasing. We even are reluctant to endorse the Ipod, not because it isn’t impressive and well designed, but because too many people want to steal it. Imagine how much security this thing requires. Hope it comes with lojack for that price.

Published on September 7, 2006
Full Post
0 Responses

Dimmables Come into the Main Stream

On a recent trip to the local Home Depot, we were pleased to see not only a whole section of CFLs, but Phillips dimmable CFLs in the R30 and R40 sizes available for the first time. They only had a few boxes, but $11.95 each was still less than we’d found online. So, check your local home improvement warehouse for these dimmable CFLs if you can.
Published on September 7, 2006
Full Post
0 Responses

Programmable Thermostats

When we started this site, we did not think we would necessarily emphasize energy-saving. But, with rising fuel and energy costs a consideration for all, we feel it is a good move to explore new technologies can save you money.

Now, with the summer over and winter coming, it is time to think about heating your home. There are two basic types of heating systems: 24 volt and line voltage. Line voltage systems are usually used for electric baseboard heaters. In this, the 240 or 120 volts that power the heater run directly through the thermostat.

Now, there is no lack of programmable thermostats on the market. They are not all created equal and are priced differently for a reason. Programmable thermostats are divided into 7, 5-2, and 5-1-1 day programmable thermostats, based on the number of different programs it can contain. While we think that backlit displays for thermostats make them look more impressive and are easier to find, we have never sprung for the extra feature.

Some also have a vacation override function, which allows a second program to supplement the first in the event of a vacation. Another feature related to this allows the vacation override to be triggered by a dry contact switch. Thus, a wire can be run to a home automation system to allow remote control. This allows you to call ahead and switch back from vacation to normal mode, a wonderful feature for any vacation homes you might have.

One of the biggest problems with heating and cooling control is the multi-room house. With central heating and cooling, if one person wants the air on, the whole house gets air. With varying cooling/heating capability and size of room, that can mean variants in temperature. There is an option. One is of course, having vents that can close. A more high-tech solution is a motorized duct damper. By installing these dampers and wiring them to temperature controls, the duct can be opened or closed based on the temperature. This is called zonal heating or cooling, as it divides the house into zones.

This system is already in place if you have electric heating. Electric heating usually mean independent thermostats per baseboard, and thus the cost of upgrading to programmable is much more expensive, as there are more to replace. We are preparing to field-test the least expensive programmable line voltage thermostat we could fine, a rebranded version of the Line Voltage Thermostat – LUX ELV1 for a list price of $39.99. We’ll have more information on how that worked out in a future post as well as thoughts on controlling your temperature remotely.

Published on September 5, 2006
Full Post
1 Response

Where to Get Dimmable CFLs

We had a comment about where to get dimmable CFLS by mail-order. Try these vendors. Between the three, they offer the most variety and pricing for the dimmable flourescents. And their selection of regular CFLs aren’t bad either. If only we could get the local home improvement warehouse to carry them.
Imagine Energy

Good Mart

Buylighting.com

Published on September 3, 2006
Full Post

Get New Posts By Email