By @edent · HowTo python rant tutorial · 5 comments · 450 words · read ~568 times.
I've grown to loath IFTTT. What started out as a cool way to plug internet things together has being an opaque an uncommunicative company with no real interest in customer service. That's not surprising, I suppose, its paying customers are the companies who can't be bothered to develop a proper API and so just shove […]
Continue reading →By @edent · 2fa Amazon security usability · 2 comments · 550 words · read ~702 times.
Amazon now let you secure your account with Two-Factor-Authentication (2FA). This means you can log on with a one-time password which changes every minute. For some reason, Amazon call it Two-Step-Verification (2SV) - but it is exactly the same as all the other 2FA solutions. The Process There's no direct link to 2FA settings. So […]
Continue reading →By @edent · advertising badvertising spotify · 650 words · read ~694 times.
Music streaming service Spotify has launched a new range of adverts which have gathered mixed reactions. On the surface, they seem like the usual bland corporate attempts at chumming down - trying to cynically pass off advertising as friendship. It's kinda funny, right? At least a funny way to display the privacy we're allowing companies […]
Continue reading →By @edent · fridge hacks internet IoT omega2 · 1 comment · 1,050 words · read ~621 times.
The Internet Fridge is a standing joke among technologists. I was writing about them in 2002, and they still haven't appeared! So I'm going to show you how I built one. Stop giggling at the back! All I want is for my fridge to notify me if the door has been left over for more […]
Continue reading →By @edent · hardware IoT omega2 review · 600 words · read ~1,746 times.
I've been sent an Omega2 Plus from Onion.io - it is a $9 Linux computer with built in Wi-Fi, Made for IoT. The obvious comparison is with the Raspberry Pi - and the ultra-cheap Pi-Zero. The Omega2 has a few advantages. It has a (small) amount of built in memory - so even if you […]
Continue reading →By @edent · review vegetarian · 400 words · read ~244 times.
Has it really been 6 years since I last had vegetarian caviar? That's far too long! Sadly, the manufacturers of that particular brand have disappeared - so I was overjoyed when I discovered the UK-based Vegetarian Caviar Club. There are four flavours available, and jars cost between £6 and £7 plus postage. Let's get one […]
Continue reading →By @edent · advertising asa virgin wine · 3 comments · 400 words · read ~156 times.
Welcome to another edition of "Middle Class Whinging!" The exciting blog where I chronicle disappointing experiences with admired brands. Virgin Wines loudly and repeatedly promise "next day delivery" on their wine cases. What they don't tell you is that this excludes orders made on Friday. And Saturday. And Sunday too. Basically, they only consider an […]
Continue reading →By @edent · HowTo linux tutorial ubuntu · 6 comments · 400 words · read ~11,961 times.
As ever, mostly notes to myself. RAR is a silly and proprietary format. I prefer free software and I find that ZIP files are smaller and decompress faster. Not everyone agrees, and that's fine. Assuming you've downloaded a RAR file and want to convert it to ZIP, what's the easiest way? Install P7Zip sudo apt-get […]
Continue reading →By @edent · email phishing scam security spam · 5 comments · 500 words · read ~2,481 times.
Gmail is usually pretty good at stopping spam from reaching my inbox. When it slips up, it reminds me of just how terrifying the modern internet is. Early one morning, I received this email from someone I know (details redacted by me). It came from his email, it has his signature at the bottom. This […]
Continue reading →By @edent · law mail post Royal Mail · 350 words · read ~1,911 times.
This is mostly written so I can copy-and-paste it on to forums where people keep getting this basic information wrong. If you've ever moved house, you'll know how annoying it is to receive mail for the previous occupants. When those letters have a big red BAILIFFS ARE COMING warning on them - it is especially […]
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