Author: Dave Farquhar

What you should know about your first credit card

Dave Farquhar Saving money ,

Lifehacker asked what a first-time credit card owner needs to know. As someone who first got a credit card at the age of 20 and is still reaping the benefits of using one correctly from the start, I have some advice to give on that.

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Reports of the Droidpocalypse have been greatly exaggerated

Dave Farquhar Android, security , , , ,

I was listening to the excellent Risky Business analysis of the Droidpocalypse  this week, and I’m happy to report that the vulnerability that affects 90% of Android devices ever made, while serious, is vastly overstated. Read more

Now that Microsoft is IBM, it needs to avoid IBM’s big mistake

Dave Farquhar Windows , , , , , , , , ,

Whether Microsoft likes it or not, it’s turned into IBM. The biggest difference I see is that when Microsoft makes a mistake, it catches up with them much faster than the same mistake did to IBM.

But IBM’s biggest mistake was its adamant refusal to compete with itself. And that’s what Microsoft is going to have to avoid. Like Computerworld says, Apple says if you don’t compete with yourself, someone else will. Read more

Lionel in the non-hobby media

Dave Farquhar Toy trains , , , , , , , , ,

Cnet took a field trip to the official Lionel repair facility and wrote a feature story about it. It’s nice to see the attention outside of the hobby press, since it’s frequently news to people that Lionel is still around in any form. Read more

Lawn mower blade bolt stuck? Try this

Dave Farquhar DIY, Saving money
Lawn mower blade bolt stuck? Try this

I needed to change a stubborn mower blade this weekend. The lawnmower blade bolt was stuck and wouldn’t budge. That proved to be a challenge, but not an insurmountable one. If your lawn mower blade bolt is stuck, it’s possible to fix with simple tools you probably already have.

To remove and replace a lawn mower blade safely and easily, you need a length of 2×4 board long enough to stand on, a small plastic pan, the biggest socket wrench you can find, and a socket that matches the stuck bolt on your mower. If you don’t have a socket wrench or torque wrench, you can use a regular crescent wrench, but you want the biggest one you can find. Longer wrenches give more leverage, and you need lots of leverage to free a stuck bolt. Read more

Mimi rescue mission

Dave Farquhar Parenting

My youngest is still mostly inseparable from his blanket, which he now calls “blanket” or sometimes “blankie.” It used to be “mimi.”

When the two get separated, which happens from time to time, it’s a problem. Sometimes a much bigger problem than it used to be. Read more

What I miss about the old days of computing

Dave Farquhar Retro Computing , , , , , , ,

Lifehacker asked this week what graybeards like me (mine gets longer every week) miss about the old days of computing.

I don’t think it’s any single thing. Read more

Computer burn in explained

Dave Farquhar Hardware , ,
Computer burn in explained

I’ve worked several different shops now that seem to have a misconception about computer burn in. So I’m going to explain it.

I think there’s a misconception that if you let a computer run with a light load for a while, it somehow gets stronger, and ready to handle a big workday load.

I’m 5’9″ and weigh about a buck-fifty, so trust me, I know a non-bodybuilder when I see one. And computers aren’t bodybuilders. Read more

Rest in peace, PC World

Dave Farquhar Retro Computing , , , , , ,

The print edition of PC World is no more, and its demise marks the end of the general-interest computer magazine. Former editor Harry McCracken wrote this tribute. Read more

Getting started in compliance: Start by doing the right thing

Dave Farquhar security ,

I had a couple of discussions this week about compliance, and the traps of plain old check-the-box compliance, and how to get started in it when regulatory compliance suddenly gets sprung on you.

The key is working backwards. Start with the very reason regulatory compliance exists.

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