David L. Farquhar on technology old and new, computer security, and more
Every 15-20 years or so, Lionel ventures into HO scale again. Lionel is generally associated with bigger trains. But the HO scale market is so large, Lionel wants part of it. HO scale trains are, in terms of both scale and gauge, the smallest trains Lionel makes.
Recently I’ve heard a few people singing the virtues of the ESS Audiodrive, a budget sound card from the 1990s. It turns out that in several regards, especially if you want to run older software, the ESS Audiodrive is a better Sound Blaster than the Sound Blaster 16.
The ESS Audiodrive is a 16-bit ISA sound card that can emulate older Sound Blasters. Some late 90s software supports it natively, but older DOS games use it as a Sound Blaster, Sound Blaster Pro, or Ad Lib.
Why would an inspector fail an outlet not wrapped in tape? It sounds overly picky, but there are some reasons why taping your outlets is a good idea, at least. And I can think of one case where it’s required.
I have what appears to be an IBM 5170 in my collection. I’ve owned it since the mid 1990s. There’s not much original about it. Part of that is due to the ravages of time. But it’s mine. And since I did some fairly major repairs to it myself, I’m pretty attached to my Frankenstein PC/AT.
It’s a Frankenstein because it has parts from at least six different computers in it.
We have a cybersecurity talent shortage. You know it, and I know it. But part of the problem is self-inflicted. We don’t know how to interview.
A common complaint about security professionals is that we’re all smug know-it-alls. We have that reputation because that’s precisely the kind of person our interview process is designed to find. We won’t solve the cybersecurity talent shortage and our people skills problem until we get beyond looking for people who can pass CISSP in a suit.
The fiberboard insulators in prewar electric train motors can break or warp over time. If that happens, you have options besides plundering one from another motor. Here’s how to replace or repair the fiberboard insulator in a train motor.
What is fuzzing? Fuzz testing, or fuzzing, is a concept in computer security. Like the name suggests, it’s the practice of sending messed-up data to a system to see how it behaves. A good computer system should handle fuzzing gracefully. As you might guess, not all do.
When a computer receives data it doesn’t expect, it may malfunction in unpredictable ways. Fuzzing attempts to find those malfunctions.
I wanted to play 1990-era games on my 286 that don’t run right on my 486, but that meant I needed a sound card. Early PC sound cards are very expensive, so I wanted a cheaper alternative. Here’s how I got a Sound Blaster 16 to work on a 286.
Creative’s DOS drivers for the Sound Blaster 16 require a 386. But the hardware functions properly on earlier PCs, so you can use them on a 286 or even an XT-class PC with a third-party driver.
If you feel unappreciated or underappreciated at work, you’re certainly not alone. It’s happened to me, and it happens to a lot of other people. Here are some examples, what you can do about it, and why you should do something about it before it’s too late.
I generally prefer LCD monitors with vintage PCs, but if you want a true retro experience, you need a CRT. The problem is finding one. Here’s where to buy CRT monitors.