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Are police scanners illegal?

Dave Farquhar security August 19, 2020March 13, 2021

I don’t think it’s news to anybody that there’s been some civil unrest in 2020. And in many cases, when protestors have been detained, cops and feds have cited possession of police scanners as proof that they were up to no good. But are police scanners illegal?

Police scanners are not illegal. A police scanner is just a radio, picking up broadcasts on radio waves, which belong to anybody, some of which happen to be used by police. So-called police scanners have uses other than listening to police broadcasts, and listening to police broadcasts is not illegal.

Buying computer gear in the 80s and 90s

Dave Farquhar Retro Computing August 18, 2020November 30, 2024

Today we take buying online for granted. You pull up a web site, find what you want, and in a couple of clicks, you put it in your virtual cart and pay for it. It’s fast and convenient. It was very different in the 80s and 90s. Better? Maybe. Maybe not. But definitely different.

The difference between CVE and CVSS

Dave Farquhar security August 17, 2020August 9, 2020

What is the difference between CVE and CVSS? It can be confusing, especially if you’re not a security professional. Here’s how to make sense of the alphabet soup you hear from security analysts like me.

Both CVE and CVSS are industry standards that refer to vulnerabilities in computer software. Think of CVSS as the tracking number, and CVE as a measure of severity.

TRS-80 MC-10: Radio Shack’s cheapest computer

Dave Farquhar Retro Computing August 13, 2020September 27, 2024

The TRS-80 MC-10 Micro Color Computer was a really cheap beginner’s home computer from 1983, designed to compete with cheap computers from Timex. It was a little bit too limited and perhaps not quite cheap enough, so it only lasted a year on the market. But it has a devoted following today.

Initially priced at $119 and eventually discounted to as little as $49.95, the TRS-80 MC-10 Micro Color Computer was Radio Shack’s entry-level computer in 1983 and 1984. Like much of the computer industry, Tandy overestimated the demand for cheap, limited computers and the MC-10 flopped.

1983 video game crash

Dave Farquhar Retro Gaming August 12, 2020January 20, 2025

The 1983 video game crash is something most retro gaming enthusiasts are familiar with. But it didn’t necessarily happen exactly the way people remember it today. To Atari, it certainly felt like a crash. But to its consumers, it was much less sudden than that.

The video game crash was a swift and dramatic loss of interest in video game consoles, as consumer mindshare shifted to home computers. But it wasn’t an overnight event.

x16 GPU in PCIe x1 slot: The caveats

Dave Farquhar Hardware August 11, 2020September 19, 2023

Can you put a x16 GPU in a PCIe x1 slot, and will it work? It depends. There are several reasons you may want to do this, but you may run into some issues.

A x16 GPU functions just fine in a PCIe x1 slot. However, in most motherboards it doesn’t fit unless you modify the card or the slot.

How to use Excel VLOOKUP

Dave Farquhar Office August 10, 2020August 11, 2022

VLOOKUP is a very useful tool in Excel but can be difficult to get right. Here’s how to use Excel VLOOKUP, including an example and what to do when it doesn’t work right.

VLOOKUP is a useful tool for data analysis in Excel, especially merging data from multiple sources. It’s a frequent question in job interviews for business analysts and other jobs that handle data.

What does CVE stand for? How do you fix one?

Dave Farquhar security August 6, 2020August 2, 2020

What In Information Security and Information Technology, CVE stands for Common Vulnerabilities and Exposure. It is a standard identifier for tracking vulnerabilities in computer software. I’ve only deployed updates to fix about 800,000 of them, but that experience taught me a little bit about working with them.

The CVE database is maintained by MITRE, and there are about 100 CVE Numbering Authorities (CNAs) who assign them. The CVEs themselves don’t include a lot of detail, but they serve the purpose of providing a common identifier that vendors and security professionals can use to track each unique security flaw.

Make a picture ledge for your vintage computer

Dave Farquhar DIY, Retro Computing August 5, 2020January 20, 2024

Some Youtubers, including Casual Retro Gamer, use picture ledges to keep their vintage computer systems on the wall when they’re not using them. You can buy a picture ledge, but they’re easy to make, too. And if you make them, you can make them whatever length you want.

A picture ledge is a small, J-shaped shelf that mounts on the wall, normally used for displaying art without having to use a bunch of hangers. But their size works well for vintage home computers and game consoles too, allowing you to store and display them.

Windows 10 audio not working? Try this.

Dave Farquhar Windows August 3, 2020August 2, 2020

My power flickered and my computer restarted. Everything seemed OK, but then I noticed my audio wasn’t working. If your experience Windows 10 audio not working suddenly, especially when you haven’t changed anything, here are some things to try.

Sure, the problem could be a driver, or your volume knob, or a cable problem. But if your audio stopped working suddenly, it’s more likely that Windows just decided to change outputs on you, and that takes about 10 seconds to fix.