The SmushBox Kickstarter promised unlimited 2-way SMS from a $250 box. Mine shipped untested and its microSD card died. My mixed review.
4 min read
An executive's home PC got hit by CryptoLocker ransomware. How the infection works, what paying the ransom involves, and defense lessons.
8 min read
How to detect when a phone joins or leaves your home network using arp, a Python script, Lingon, and Hazel on OS X. Know when the kids get home.
5 min read
Bluetooth audio on OS X crackles and skips because Apple sets the bitpool quality low. One defaults write command fixes the sound.
1 min read
A workflow for turning Kindle highlights into lasting book notes, driven by an OmniFocus project and archived in VoodooPad for review.
3 min read
How to flash a Google Nexus 7 back to the stock Android ROM from OS X using the Android SDK, fastboot, and Google's factory images.
3 min read
How to root the Google Nexus 7 from OS X after the Jelly Bean 4.2.2 update, using the Android SDK, ClockworkMod Recovery, and SuperSU.
3 min read
Evernote and Dropbox compared on security, data integrity, search, and extras. Which service protects your data and when to use each.
5 min read
How to auto-file PNC Virtual Wallet statements into Evernote with a Hazel rule and a shell script, since PNC blocks most fetch services.
6 min read
How to enable unattended upgrades on Ubuntu so security patches install themselves, with the apt config files and options explained.
3 min read
How to publish an internal web server through the Astaro Security Gateway (Sophos UTM) Web Application Firewall instead of a plain DNAT.
4 min read
How to write an LSB-compliant init script on Ubuntu, with the required header, start and stop actions, and install steps to run at boot.
2 min read
How to make WordPress updates run over SSH2 instead of FTP on Ubuntu, with a dedicated user, SSH key pair, and the php libssh2 extension.
2 min read
How to set up iCloud on iOS 5 when your iTunes and MobileMe Apple IDs differ. Sign in with MobileMe, keep the shared iTunes ID for purchases.
3 min read