David L. Farquhar on technology old and new, computer security, and more
Microsoft’s monthly Windows updates include a binary copy of the open source utility curl. Microsoft is not especially diligent about keeping the utility up to date, and they take measures to stop you from updating it yourself. In this blog post, I’ll talk about how to go about mitigating the vulnerabilities when you can’t update with a patch.
The February 1990 cover of Compute magazine screamed, “build an AT for $1,000!” It was a clone, of course. And a soon-to-be outmoded clone at that. At that time the idea of building a true blue IBM was laughable. Today, it may be the easiest way to get your hands on a 5170 if you want one. Here’s how to build an IBM 5170.
The official fix for CVE-2023-23378 is to install 3D Builder from the Microsoft App Store, as Microsoft deprecated Print3D. A better, more scalable fix is to uninstall the vulnerable component with a Powershell command.
I get a fair number of questions about vulnerabilities in Microsoft Store apps in my day job, so I share my notes and observations in case they’ll help other people as well.
I recently gave a Marx 591 clockwork locomotive a low key restoration. I thought I would document the process I followed in case it might be helpful to anyone.
What is a netbook? Maybe it would be a more appropriate to ask what was a netbook, because the product category is pretty much extinct at this point. But for a few years, it was a fast-growing product category.
If you’re dealing with CVE-2023-36739, CVE-2023-36740, and CVE-2023-36760 Microsoft 3D Viewer Code Execution remediation, the best way to do it, assuming you’re not using the app, is to uninstall it. Here’s why this is OK to do, and how to do it. Fixing Windows Store vulnerabilities is hard. And Microsoft 3D Viewer has a history of high severity vulnerabilities dating back to October 2020, so uninstalling it can save you future remediation work.
I get a fair number of questions about vulnerabilities in Microsoft Store apps in my day job, so I share my notes and observations in case they’ll help other people as well.
Steve Garvey was one of the highest profile baseball stars of the 1970s and early 1980s. He was a smooth fielding first baseman with moderate power who hit for good batting average, and had a likable personality. But even though he was one of the biggest stars of his time, he didn’t make the Hall of Fame. Here’s why.
We all have a supply of cables that we aren’t using at the moment, but don’t want to discard because we might have a use for them again at some point. And some people will tell you you shouldn’t do that, because the cables will just turn into a tangled mess and you won’t be able to find what you need anyway. Here is a life hack to help you keep those cables organized and keep them from becoming a tangled mess–using something that you would otherwise throw in the trash.
Electrical outlets and light switches are designed to take no fewer than three different types of screws, and a pinch, any screwdriver that fits can work. But there are specific sizes you can use that minimize your chances problems. In this blog post, I will cover what size screwdriver for electrical work, as well as the three types.
Marx train set 9635 was an electric train set Marx that Sears sold in 1952. You may also hear collectors refer to it as Happi-Time train set 9635, because that’s what Marx printed on the box. It featured Marx’s best locomotive pulling 3/16 scale metal cars.