So, after most of a year, I finally revisited Cyanogenmod 7.2 on my Nook Color. Competent tablets are available for around $100 now, so perhaps this is less interesting now, but I had a Nook Color, and figured I might as well try it out before spending money on something else. I was never happy [...]
All posts tagged ZIP
How I turned my Nook Color into a Cyanogenmod 7.2 Android tablet
Posted by Dave Farquhar on November 13, 2012
http://dfarq.homeip.net/2012/11/how-i-turned-my-nook-color-into-a-cyanogenmod-7-2-android-tablet/
A cheap upgrade for obsolete computer cases
The ATX standard has changed very little in the last 15 years, which means some rather old computer cases can still accept new motherboards, as long as you also replace the power supply. The bad news, as I stare at the case that once housed a Micron Client Pro 766 Xi (a 266 MHz Pentium [...]
Posted by Dave Farquhar on October 31, 2012
http://dfarq.homeip.net/2012/10/a-cheap-upgrade-for-obsolete-computer-cases/
How to encrypt PDF files for free
Yesterday I wrote about the importance of encrypting documents before you send them via e-mail. But what if you don’t have a PDF creator, other than Microsoft Office or Open/Libre Office? It turns out you can encrypt PDF documents, including those you create with office software, for free–with caveats.
Posted by Dave Farquhar on October 10, 2012
http://dfarq.homeip.net/2012/10/how-to-encrypt-pdf-files-for-free/
Don’t let what happened to Mat Honan happen to you
Technology journalist Mat Honan infamously had his entire digital life hacked and erased this week. Slate published some advice to keep the same from happening to you, and my former classmate and newspaper staff mate Theo Hahn asked me to comment.
Posted by Dave Farquhar on August 9, 2012
http://dfarq.homeip.net/2012/08/dont-let-what-happened-to-mat-honan-happen-to-you/
Why I fired my mechanic and how I found a good new one
Consumerist asked its readers why they ditched their car repair shops. For me, that’s really easy. They didn’t do the work, and they were jerks. I’ll elaborate.
Posted by Dave Farquhar on April 20, 2012
http://dfarq.homeip.net/2012/04/why-i-fired-my-mechanic-and-how-i-found-a-good-new-one/
Tips for connecting traditional tubular track
I saw a question earlier this week about working with Lionel tubular track. It doesn’t snap together quite as easily as modern Fastrack does, but it’s a lot cheaper, especially if you already have a bunch of it on hand. I probably have 100 linear feet of tubular O27 track (Lionel, Marx, and K-Line) on [...]
Posted by Dave Farquhar on March 3, 2012
http://dfarq.homeip.net/2012/03/tips-for-connecting-traditional-tubular-track/
Fixing track that gets hot at the track joints
I saw a question about a Fastrack layout getting hot at a track joint. That’s a conductivity issue causing the heat. While not likely to be dangerous, it’s a sign of inefficiency and can lead to other problems, such as the train slowing down at some parts of the layout. Poor conductivity also causes motors [...]
Posted by Dave Farquhar on February 15, 2012
http://dfarq.homeip.net/2012/02/fixing-track-that-gets-hot-at-the-track-joints/
First impressions of a low-tier tablet, plus why I don’t shop at Best Buy
I received my Nook Color this week. I haven’t hacked it yet–I only just got an SDHC card for that, which is a story in itself–but to my pleasant surprise, I’m not certain everyone would need to. Yes, it’s marketed as an e-reader, but what I took out of the box is a viable entry-level [...]
Posted by Dave Farquhar on December 11, 2011
http://dfarq.homeip.net/2011/12/first-impressions-of-a-low-tier-tablet-plus-why-i-dont-shop-at-best-buy/
Chasing the ramdisk and slipstreaming rabbits
I’ve been messing around with slipstreaming and with ramdisks, but since I’m not completely certain the slipstream process works consistently, I’m not publishing it today. I’m very excited about the possibilities that ramdisks have, but I got the ramdisk to fail on me twice last night. In light of that, I’m not going to come [...]
Posted by Dave Farquhar on September 9, 2011
http://dfarq.homeip.net/2011/09/chasing-the-ramdisk-and-slipstreaming-rabbits/
DOS war stories
In honor of the IBM PC turning 30, I thought I’d tell some stories about my experiences with the operating system introduced with it, PC DOS (aka MS-DOS).
Posted by Dave Farquhar on August 13, 2011
http://dfarq.homeip.net/2011/08/dos-war-stories/