Author: Dave Farquhar

My Toyota says key battery low

Dave Farquhar Saving money , ,
My Toyota says key battery low

I got a scary message from my 2011 Toyota Camry. “Key battery low,” the message on the dashboard read. You can read that two ways. “Key” could mean they key fob that unlocks and starts the car. Or “key” could mean “critical.” Fortunately, when a Toyota says key battery low, it means the key that unlocks and starts the car. Or the key fob, if that’s what your car uses.

You can fix this yourself and you don’t have to find a Toyota dealer.

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Health insurance grace period between jobs

Dave Farquhar Health
Health insurance grace period between jobs

Is there a health insurance grace period between jobs? Yes there is. Actually, there are, in effect, two of them. That’s actually good news to you as a job seeker.

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Common AmigaDOS commands

Dave Farquhar Retro Computing , , , , , , , ,
Common AmigaDOS commands

The Amiga had a command line, or CLI. It was a rather powerful CLI, especially for its time. But there are a number of differences between AmigaDOS and other operating systems you may be familiar with. These are the common AmigaDOS commands and their equivalents from other operating systems like DOS, Windows, Unix or Linux.

I’ve never seen a primer that relates or cross-references Amiga commands to Windows and Unix. So I wrote one. I hope it helps you understand your Amiga better. Because Amiga is sometimes like Windows and sometimes it’s like Unix, I think it might. And maybe, just maybe, you’ll learn something you didn’t know about Windows or Unix too.

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How to sell baseball cards

Dave Farquhar Baseball , , , , , ,
How to sell baseball cards

If you want to know how to sell baseball cards, chances are you want maximum value for them. Here are some tips on how to sell baseball cards without getting ripped off.

Selling cards starts with knowing how to value baseball cards. So I recommend you read that first, or at least skim it. Then, come back here to read about your options.

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How to value baseball cards

Dave Farquhar Baseball , , , , , , , , , ,
How to value baseball cards

If you have a collection, knowing how to value baseball cards is helpful. That way, if you need to insure or liquidate the collection, you’ll receive a fair price.

But fair also means realistic. A lot of factors go into value. It’s not too different from valuing other vintage collectibles, so if you already know about those, you have a head start.

Also, even though my focus here is on baseball cards, more or less the same principles hold true for any vintage trading cards: football, basketball, hockey, or non-sports cards.

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Patch screw holes in wood fast

Dave Farquhar DIY, Landlording
Patch screw holes in wood fast

I was working with a construction professional to fix some doors in a rental house. We had some holes that didn’t line up, which meant we needed to patch them before we could drill new ones. He asked me for some toothpicks. It turns out toothpicks are a fast way to patch screw holes in wood.

Insert a toothpick in the old hole, along with a drop of glue, then break it off flush with the surface. Insert additional toothpicks as necessary.

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Find words in all caps in Word

Dave Farquhar Office, Software ,
Find words in all caps in Word

Sometimes it’s helpful to be able to find words in all caps in Word. Microsoft Word, that is. This helps you find all the acronyms so you can make sure you spelled them out or explained them properly.

Double-checking acronyms is especially important when writing government proposals, which require you to spell out acronyms on first usage. If you’ve never written a proposal, be glad, smile, and nod. Many acronyms make good index material, so this trick helps when you’re writing an index. Also, acronyms are frequently jargon, so making sure you explain them adequately is just part of good writing. Or, if you’re a fan of high quality typography, you might want to find them all so you can set them in small caps for improved aesthetics and readability.

Here’s how you do it.

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Self stick vinyl tile in a basement

Dave Farquhar DIY, Landlording
Self stick vinyl tile in a basement

Someone asked me if you can use self stick vinyl tile in a basement. The answer, usually, is yes.

Vinyl can be ideal for basements because it is inexpensive and water resistant.

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Did Microsoft steal DOS from CP/M?

Dave Farquhar Retro Computing , , , , , , ,
Did Microsoft steal DOS from CP/M?

Did Microsoft steal DOS from CP/M? There’s $100,000 in it for you if you can prove they did.

Digital forensics consultant Bob Zeidman still says no. I’ve written about him before. But the rumors persist, hence the reward. So how would one go about claiming it?

Start with what we know.

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Clean malware from a router

Dave Farquhar security ,
Clean malware from a router

I see a few misleading articles out there promising to tell you how to scan your router for malware or viruses. Unfortunately they don’t really explain the problem. They also don’t explain the alternative way to solve the problem you want to solve. What you really want to do is clean malware from a router–and viruses too. And that’s something you can do pretty easily. For free.

Yes, that’s right. You won’t have to pay 50 bucks a year for a subscription to keep your router clean.

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