At work we’ve been using Microsoft’s Surface Pro since its original release and it has been our standard issue laptop since last year, starting with the Surface Pro 3. Moving forward, we’ve starting deploying the latest Surface Pro 4 with Windows 10. I’ve been using the SP4 for the past week as my primary machine in the office and other than some obvious hardware enhancements and some cool new features, it’s pretty much the same as the SP3 (and in fact, this post will pretty much be the same as the one I wrote back then).
tech
Canon PowerShot SX710 HS and Olympus Stylus Tough TG-4
Despite being only four years old, my Canon PowerShot Elph 300 HS had been showing its age: there were annoying dust specks on the CCD and it had been taking longer and longer to auto-focus, causing me to miss shots. I decided it was time for a new camera. The top features I wanted? A really good optical (not digital) zoom, preferably waterproof, WiFi/GPS, and, of course, a decent price. After doing a lot of research it became apparent I wasn’t going to find a single camera that met all my criteria, but with prices so good why not get two new cameras?
Being a long-time Canon customer (since my first A70 back in 2003) I selected the Canon PowerShot SX710 HS as my daily-use super-zoom camera. For the specialty waterproof/rugged camera, I chose the Olympus Stylus Tough TG-4.
Building the PiDP-8
I’m a computer guy, and while I’m not quite old enough to have first-hand experience with classic golden age hardware like the PDP-8, I spent a good deal of time in college working on the VAX, still own my first computer, and have an appreciation for those forefathers of the amazing PCs and servers we use today.
Back in 2009 (episode #177 of the Security Now! podcast), Steve Gibson mentioned Bob Armstrong’s PDP-8/E-like front panel for his SBC1620 single-board computer. Watch any episode of Security Now! since then and you can see three of those units with their blinking lights over Steve’s left shoulder. The kit was expensive, though, and I couldn’t justify the cost or effort necessary to procure the necessary parts for a system I could really only use for eye candy.
Fast forward 8 years or so to this past April, where in episode #505 of Security Now!, Steve mentioned Oscar Vermeulen’s PDP-8/I kit, based on the Raspberry Pi, available for under $200. After just a few minutes of browsing the pages on Obsolescence Guaranteed, I immediately joined the mailing list …
Windows 10
It’s Windows 10 release day! The free upgrade for qualified devices is now available to the general public.
I’ve been using Microsoft’s latest desktop OS since the first Technical Preview was released for Windows Insiders last October, mainly on my old original Surface Pro 1 just to get a jump on learning the new software and seeing how it progressed. For the past two weeks I’ve been running the final builds on my new main home PC and the transition from Windows 7 has been pretty smooth. It’s definitely grown on me since that first tech preview.
We won’t be upgrading our Windows 7/8.1 PCs at work to Windows 10 anytime soon, but now that it’s officially released I’m sure we’ll start seeing new PCs with it pre-installed showing up soon. Luckily, so far it seems like Windows 10 will be an easy transition. Time, as always, will tell.
Intel NUCs
Since getting my standing desk at home last last year I’ve been thinking about getting a new, smaller PC that would fit on top of my desk instead of under it (like my old Dell Inspiron from 2008), eliminating cable clutter. With the upcoming release of Windows 10 I had been thinking more about this and also replacing my Aspire Revo Linux server with a newer box. The nettop had the benefit of being small and quiet, although slightly underpowered, which made it a decent “server” to hide away in my networking closet. Using size, features, and cost as my guides, I decided to go with Intel NUCs for both replacements.
CyberPower BRG1000AVRLCD UPS
A recent power outage that resulted in my server staying up for only about a minute made it apparent that it was time to replace my 5 year old CyberPower CP1000AVRLCD UPS in the computer closet. I’ve been very happy with that model so I chose just to go with its updated sibling, the CyberPower BRG1000AVRLCD.
The BGR1000AVRLCD is a 1000VA/600W uninteruptible power supply with, 10 outlets (5 battery/5 surge). It has one more surge outlet than the CP1000AVRLCD and as a result is slightly taller, but has a nicer, clearer, black and white LCD status screen. Like the older version, the outlet spacing doesn’t allow for power bricks, so you’ll need to invest in some short extension cables. The outlets are nicely shaded/color-coded to make it easier to figure out which side is battery-powered. My favorite feature by far is the mute option, which lets you turn off all beeps and alerts.
I also picked up two smaller CyberPower CP350SLG UPSes. These are 350VA/255W units with 6 outlets (3 battery/3 surge). While I wouldn’t really recommend these for a desktop PC setup, they work great for keeping my TiVos and tuning adapters running during power outages and flickers. Like the BGR1000AVRLCD, you can toggle all the beeps and alerts on and off by pressing the power button twice quickly, which is a nice feature. I do have one have one minor problem with the CPS350SLG: a slight hum that is very noticeable in a quiet room (like a bedroom).
Disney Springs construction and tech
Disney magic even extends to such mundane things like parking your car …
Downtown Disney is currently under massive construction as it undergoes the transformation into Disney Springs. On a recent trip over there (fighting through the increased construction traffic) we got to park in the new parking garage that has finally opened (a much needed addition to the area, Disney is finally taking a cue from Universal Studios). Like most new parking garages you may have seen, this one has the digital readouts showing the number of open spots on each level. What the new Disney garage also has is (sonic?) sensors over every parking spot providing real-time updates to those counters. Not only does every row have a sign showing the number of empty spots in it, you can easily find it by looking for the green light on the sensor. Pretty slick!
Spring Training 2015: Day 1
St. Patrick’s Day has passed, March Madness is in full swing, so it’s time for my annual Spring Training trip to the Cactus League with my little brother (and little sister, this year!). Spring has already arrived in Florida, but I’m sure my siblings are ready to get out to warmer climes for a few days.
This year’s tech is similar to last year’s, with some upgrades: new are my Surface Pro 3 and iPhone 6 Plus, and no stranger to the trip are my aging-but-still-functional Canon PowerShot digital camera (with EyeFi card), and Garmin nüvi GPS. I left the nüvi at home last year, in favor of Waze on my iPhone, but realized that with all the heavy use my phone gets on these trips, Waze was a big contributor to sucking the battery dry. So I’m back to a dedicated device for nagivation around the valley so I can save my phone’s battery for the important stuff: photos, social media, e-mail, etc. 😉
Microsoft Surface Pro 3
We’ve decided to give the Microsoft Surface another shot as our next “standard issue laptop” at work so I now have a Surface Pro 3 tablet. The SP3 is replacing my Samsung Ativ Book9 ultrabook, which I got in April 2014, in turn replacing my original Surface Pro. I’ve been using it now for two weeks as my main machine at work, so how does it stack up against the ultrabook and the original Surface? Some things change, some things stay the same …
WIJFR: Rogue Code
Cyber security expert Jeff Aiken knows that no computer system is completely secure. When he’s called to investigate a possible breach at the New York Stock Exchange, he discovers not only that their system has been infiltrated but that someone on the inside knows. Yet for some reason, they have allowed the hackers to steal millions of dollars from accounts without trying to stop the theft. When Jeff uncovers the crime, the NYSE suddenly turns on him. Accused of grand larceny, he must find and expose the criminals behind the theft, not just to prove his innocence but to stop a multibillion-dollar heist that could upend the U.S. economy. Unwilling to heed Jeff’s warnings, the NYSE plans to continue with a major IPO using a new, untested system, one that might be susceptible both to hackers and to ruthless high-frequency traders willing to take any risk to turn a profit.
I just finished “reading” (on Audible) “Rogue Code” (Book 3 in the Jeff Aiken series) by Mark Russinovich.