Author: Dave Farquhar

Is Aliexpress safe?

Dave Farquhar Retro Computing, Toy trains
Is Aliexpress safe?

Aliexpress offers deals on hard-to-find items at unbeatable prices. It also offers deals on ordinary items at lower prices than usual, because it’s coming straight from China, with fewer middlemen. But is Aliexpress safe?

Aliexpress does offer buyer protections. But being overseas and dealing with overseas shipping times does mean Aliexpress is inherently riskier from buying from online sources that are closer to you.

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What is DDoSing or a DDoS attack?

Dave Farquhar security
What is DDoSing or a DDoS attack?

What is DDoSing? A DDoS attack something every system administrator and security professional needs to be concerned about. You can expect to see this concept on certification tests and get questions about it in job interviews. So let’s look at the concept of DDoS, and why I think this is going to get worse before it gets better.

DDoS stands for Distributed Denial of Service. A DDoS attack is just the process of overwhelming a computer system with more traffic than it can handle, so that it can’t serve its intended purpose.

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Reverse polarity outlet danger

Dave Farquhar DIY
Reverse polarity outlet danger

Building inspectors get cranky when they find reverse polarity outlets, because it causes a dangerous situation. Let’s look at the danger of a reverse polarity outlet and how to fix it.

Reverse polarity on AC outlets is a code violation. It poses a danger because it can cause wiring to always be electrically live, even when the device is turned off.

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Add a case fan to a Dell Optiplex

Dave Farquhar Hardware
Add a case fan to a Dell Optiplex

Dell Optiplex minitowers aren’t really designed with adding case fans in mind. But with a little creativity, you can install one inexpensively, and without making it too terribly much louder either. Here’s how.

With a power adapter, an 80mm fan, and some zip ties, it’s possible to add a case fan to a Dell Optiplex. The opening in the side panel is in just the right place for even a small fan to make a difference.

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Drill vs impact driver

Dave Farquhar DIY
Drill vs impact driver

Drills and impact drivers look a lot alike, but they’re really different tools for different purposes. One of them is an absolute must-have, while the other is, for most people, a nice-to-have. Let’s take a look at a drill vs impact driver.

Drills are for drilling holes and driving in small fasteners. Impact drivers, which are more powerful and tend to cost more, are for driving in large fasteners.

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Why should I learn Python?

Dave Farquhar Careers
Why should I learn Python?

I’ve found Python is a useful skill in the workplace. It took me a little while to learn it, but it turned out to be easier than I thought it would be. Here’s why I learned Python, and I think anyone who works in IT should at least consider learning it.

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How to unschedule a WordPress post

Dave Farquhar Wordpress
How to unschedule a WordPress post

I tend to schedule a lot of posts in advance. At least when I get on a roll, that is. But sometimes you schedule a post, then have second thoughts about it being ready to run. I’ve certainly run more than a few posts before I intended to. Here’s how to unschedule a WordPress post.

It doesn’t look like setting the post status to draft actually unschedules it. Looks can be deceiving, so here’s how to be sure.

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Laser 128 computer

Dave Farquhar Retro Computing
Laser 128 computer

The Laser 128 computer was an Apple II-compatible home computer manufactured by Video Technologies Ltd in Hong Kong and sold in the 1980s. It was available via mail order and in some retail stores like Sears. In spite of the name, there wasn’t anything optical about it. The name “laser” just sounded like high technology in the 1980s.

The Laser 128 was an Apple II clone most noteworthy for not violating any of Apple’s copyrights. It blended some of the features of both the Apple IIe and IIc computers, improving significantly on the IIc in the process.

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How does a Lionel e-unit work?

Dave Farquhar Toy trains , , , , ,
How does a Lionel e-unit work?

The Lionel e-unit was a wonder of ingenuity in the 1930s. But how does a Lionel e-unit work?

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Is the Linksys WRT54G obsolete?

Dave Farquhar DD-WRT , , ,
Is the Linksys WRT54G obsolete?

Is the Linksys WRT54G obsolete? Depending on how many devices you have and how fast your upstream connection is, it probably is. And it’s difficult, though not impossible, to secure.

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