What qualifies as media mail? What is considered media mail by the USPS?

Dave Farquhar Saving money
What qualifies as media mail? What is considered media mail by the USPS?

Media mail is just about the least expensive shipping method the US Postal Service offers. But many people abuse it, sometimes intentionally, and sometimes unintentionally. So how do you get media mail rates, and more importantly, what qualifies as media mail? What is considered media mail by the USPS?

Generally speaking, for things to qualify as media mail, remember two rules. If you wouldn’t find it in a public library or university library, it probably doesn’t qualify. And if it contains advertising, even very old ads that are no longer valid, it almost certainly doesn’t qualify. If it’s a book or a sound recording with only incidental announcements, it’s OK. Anything beyond that is only OK if it meets very specific criteria.

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Does oven cleaner damage car paint?

Dave Farquhar DIY
Does oven cleaner damage car paint?

If you poke around a bit, you’ll frequently find people mentioning oven cleaner as a cheap and easy way to remove unwanted logos, pinstripes, stickers, or other things from car paint. But does oven cleaner damage car paint? And what can you do to make it safe to use to remove unwanted paint and decals?

The answer is yes it can, and to minimize the damage, work slowly and maintain your patience. Here are some tricks for that.

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Mechanical keyboard key stopped working? Here’s a fix.

Dave Farquhar Hardware
Mechanical keyboard key stopped working? Here’s a fix.

Cheap mechanical keyboards are all the rage these days. People will brag on Youtube or on forums about the cheap (probably tenkeyless) mechanical keyboard they found and how great it is. Read the reviews and most people are thrilled. But there’s always someone complaining that a key quit working. In this blog post, I’ll tell you what I do when a mechanical keyboard key stopped working. I’ve fixed several, and you can too.

Mechanical keyboard keys typically stop working either due to the switch getting dirty or an intermittent electrical problem. Of the two, a dirty switch is more common, and it’s easy to fix.

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Authenticated scan vs unauthenticated

Dave Farquhar security
Authenticated scan vs unauthenticated

In vulnerability scanning, there’s a big difference in an authenticated scan vs unauthenticated. Here’s why it matters, and why you should almost always go for an authenticated scan. Using authenticated scans is a vulnerability management best practice.

Lots of people misunderstand this. To quote myself circa 2005: “Let me get this straight. I give you an admin account, and then you tell me you were able to log in?” It’s about logging in and assessing what’s wrong, not telling you we got in. Regardless of the tool you use, authenticated scans let the vulnerability scanner do its job better.

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Certificate of creditable coverage: Why you may need it

Dave Farquhar Health
Certificate of creditable coverage: Why you may need it

What is a health insurance certificate of creditable coverage, and why does your new insurance plan want one? The certificate of creditable coverage was a way to prevent people from abusing health insurance. Changes to health care laws after the Affordable Care Act made certificates of creditable coverage less common. But here’s how to get one if your new insurer wants one.

If you’re trying to get health insurance in between jobs, you’re more likely to need the certificate.

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