Creating a Windows 7 System Repair Disk on a USB Flash Drive

Stop Phubbing

Phubbing: the act of snubbing someone is a social setting by looking at your phone instead of paying attention.

Do Your Students Know How to Evaluate a Website?

How Addiction To Technology Is Taking Over Our Lives In Illustrations By Jean Jullien

"French illustrator Jean Jullien draws witty illustrations that point out our absurd addictions to technology, social media and our smartphones. The artist is famous for mocking our obsession, which cuts us off from the real life, leaving us alienated and lonely."

What Is "the Cloud" — and Where Is It?

Speak Up & Stay Safe(r): | A Guide to Protecting Yourself From Online Harassment

"This guide is for anyone who fears they might be targeted, or who is already under attack, for speaking their mind online, but is especially designed for women, people of color, trans and genderqueer people, and everyone else whose existing oppressions are made worse by digital violence. It details best security practices for social media, email, online gaming, website platforms, and ensuring privacy of personal information online, as well as the documentation and reporting of harassment, and caring for yourself emotionally during an online attack. You don’t need any specialized knowledge to use this guide – just basic computer and internet skills."

The Observers’ guide to verifying photos and videos on social media networks

The Best Factual Podcasts

"Top 50 most popular non-fiction podcasts in 2015"

How to Troubleshoot Your Internet Connection Layer-By-Layer

Backscatter or misdirected bounces

 "In this post we will try to explain how it is possible that you receive notifications of bounced emails when you are unaware of sending them in the first place."

How to Troubleshoot Your Internet Connection Layer-By-Layer

Adaptive learning software is replacing textbooks and upending American education. Should we welcome it?

"At first glance, each student appears to be at a different point in the course. And that’s true, in one sense. But it’s more accurate to say that the course is literally different for each student."

A Beginner's Guide to the Synth

The 11 Worst Internet Scams We’re Still Falling For

Polls, Surveys, Meeting Arrangements. All Sorted.

"Xoyondo does just a few things, but it does them simply and it does them well. It can help you with the arrangements for a meeting or other event, for example. Each person can enter their name into a grid, and select which time and/or day suits them best. Xoyondo will then tell you which is the best time to hold the event. Similarly, you can allow people to vote on a particular decision that needs to be taken. Where the next family picnic should be held, say, or what we should buy Aunt Edith for her upcoming birthday. There's also a discussion board for free-text discussion about a particular topic among a group of invited people."

Stop Googling. Let’s Talk.

"Friendships become things to manage; you have a lot of them, and you come to them with tools. So here is a first step: To reclaim conversation for yourself, your friendships and society, push back against viewing the world as one giant app."

Trace Email Address Source

"Would you like to track down (or trace) where an email that you received came from? This Trace Email tool can help you do precisely that. It works by examining the header that is a part of the emails you receive to find the IP address."

The rising revolt against customer surveys

Click the headline above for the full article.
I too have stopped taking most surveys, because there's so many, and I often don't believe the data is being used to improve the service or product. And as I've said before: make those surveys short and easy; if you try to take advantage of me because you have my attention, you'll no longer have my attention.

6 Ways to Tell If a Viral Story Is a Hoax

New Crypto Tool Makes Anonymous Surveys Truly Anonymous

Top 10 websites for free, non-cheesy stock photography

Tips and Tricks for Linux Mint after Installation [Mint 17 to 17.2 - Cinnamon Edition]

The ten immutable laws of security administration revisited

"There is nothing (nothing!), more important to information security than the people who use the systems and administer the systems. There is no technology you can deploy that cannot be circumvented by either a user making a mistake, or an admin taking a shortcut. "

What is RSS all about?

I use RSS all day. I monitor around 200 web sites and news feeds with Feedly.

HomePlug AV2 Powerline Networking Adapter Round-Up

"Choosing the best powerline networking adapter is no easy task. They have many optional capabilities, including outlet pass-through, antennas to repeat or extend Wi-Fi signals and multiple Ethernet ports, with more on the way. How can you find the one that performs the best?"

Speak and Spell: How Dictation Software Makes Us Rethink Writing

How to Check and Edit the Privacy Settings for Accounts at Microsoft and Google

Why Uber Is Terrible

Using GWX Stopper to Temporarily or Permanently Remove the 'Get Windows 10' Icon

"GWX Stopper is a free program that you can use to configure and exit the “Get Windows 10” system tray application which continually pops up on PCs that are still running Windows 7 and Windows 8. GWX Stopper really works, is safe and easy to use, and gives you the option to re-enable the icon and upgrade notifications if you're ever ready to move forward with Windows 10."

How to make a portable battery-powered keyboard station

My son is a percussionist in his high school band, and this year the band's halftime show needed some keyboard work. He was asked to help out with that. But, the band director said, the whole setup would need to be very portable, and completely self-contained power-wise, because extension cords would not be possible in most of the places they play.
The below is what we came up with, with much starting advice from the band director. I'm documenting it here in case some other band needs something similar, or some street performer or busker can use some help with how to do this.

Here's what it looks like:

It is essentially a hand truck with an amp strapped to it, and the thing above that is the battery unit. The keyboard rests on 4 magnets that are attached to two shelf brackets.

We started with a hand truck. This is one of the cheaper ones we could find, and it is definitely strong enough for all we're doing. It is a bit short, though, for a 6' person standing and playing, so if you are a taller person who will also be standing, you may want to find a slightly taller hand truck, or use some different way to mount the brackets/magnets up higher (which is difficult on this one because the handle bends backward at the bottom of the keyboard here).

We initially spray-painted the hand truck black, but it turns out that doing that, over nice shiny new painted tubes, doesn't work very well, it tends to rub off on hands. So we ended up wrapping everything we could with black electrical tape.

The battery unit we used is a computer UPS (Uninterruptable Power Supply), for the following reasons:

• self-contained: one box that contains the battery, the inverter, and the charging system.
• The UPS we chose (a CyberPower CP1000PFCLCD PFC Sinewave UPS) was chosen especially because it has pure sine wave output, which is important for more sensitive electronics (such as a synthesizer, and the other amp we have that has effects built in). Using these devices with a regular "stepped approximation" inverter can result in poor performance, lots of noise on the audio output, things heating up, and reduction in lifespan of the device, if not outright breakage. 
• UPSes have intelligent charging systems: just leave them plugged in when not out in the field, and they'll stay perfectly topped up, and will never overcharge.
• This UPS has a discharge gauge and other displays that help you know how it's doing.

Notes on this particular UPS:

• It is light and small, I still can't believe how much play time we get out of it. (The amp you use and how loud you play it will have everything to do with how long it lasts, so I can't even begin to guess what success you'll have, but we are using here a 50-watt Crate bass amp, turned up mighty far, and at band camp it was used several times a day without issue... at home we tested it about 50% loud, playing demo drum tracks from the synth, and it played continuously for 40 minutes until we couldn't take any more dancing, and it was still at about 80%.) 
• This use is definitely means the warranty doesn't apply, so please don't expect (or try to get) any help from that direction if it fails.
• It ships in a fault state (for shipping safety), and must be plugged in before it can be turned on. This is important to know because if it ever faults out in the field, you'll need to plug it in somewhere in order to turn it back on.
• It did fault out a few times when we first started using it, and we found out that it really doesn't like to be laid on its side. Once we turned it upright as you see here, all was well and it had no further problems. No idea why, it doesn't have any moving parts except maybe a relay. We did put feet on it, as you'll see in other pictures, to keep the vents clear on the then-bottom. Hmmm.
• In its default state it beeps every x seconds when it's on battery power... but using the software that comes with it loaded on a computer one time lets you disable that. It does still beep when it's turned on and off, but that's not too bad. You can also disable the beep from the onboard control panel each time you start it up if you wish.
• It will charge when it's plugged in whether it's on or off, so it will spend most of its life off and plugged in in the high school band equipment room.

The Korg Microstation uses just teeny little sips of power compared to the amp.

The straps we used to hold everything together were possibly the hardest part of the whole thing to get right. The system was supposed to be all black, so that immediately limited things. I ended up using:

• lashing straps to keep the amp on the hand truck
• ladderlock straps to keep the UPS on the hand truck

But I don't like them: in this installation (possible because of the small lengths involved) they don't stay tight (especially as this whole thing rattles over bumpy fields and into equipment trailers and over door thresholds, etc.), and I can't even get them as tight as I want in the first place. In one of the first versions of this system we used a ratcheting tie-down, and it worked great, they can get very snug, and stay that way, but it was not black. (I only just now found that one, and may get a couple of those... that one is especially nice because it doesn't have hooks, it's an "endless loop" tie-down, which is better for this short-length use. I will use two for the amp, and one for the UPS.) 

Yes, the keyboard is a bit crooked, but you probably would't have noticed it if I hadn't said anything. :-) It's because either the handle is uneven, or the top cross-support (behind the UPS) is crooked, and that's what I used as the guide for where the shelf brackets were installed.

The coil cord in the instrument cord that connects the keyboard to the amp. All the other cords are behind the foam. The foam is there to keep all the cords in, and it seems to work very well even on bumpy ground (and when in motion, the hand truck is tilted back and everything really wants to fall out and throw itself under the wheels). In this image you can also see that I cut the extra length off of the straps, and used a flame to seal the ends of the straps (as per instructions). Then a simple knot was applied to keep the ends from dangling. 

The keyboard is held onto the hand truck by two shelf brackets that are screwed to the upright tubes of the hand truck (a screw each in the top and bottom of each side). This was easily done with a standard drill, although drilling holes into 1" diameter tube can be a bit of fun. Then the magnets were bolted to the horizontal section of the brackets. The small ones at the back used the existing holes in the brackets; I had to drill hols for the magnets closest to the hand truck, but it is thin metal and easily done. I used bolts with lock nuts to keep them from shaking loose.

We started with 16# magnets in all four spots, but we bumped up the ones closest to the handle to 25# to provide better grip (one of the things my son must do is pull this on to and off of the field while he's also wearing his quints, so having the keyboard stay on for sure while he pulls it one-handed is important. 

Keyboard leaning against amp with back facing this way

To give the magnets something to hold on to, we taped big washers to the bottom of the keyboard. I used Gorilla Tape, which is very strong and the right color.The bigger washers for the bigger magnets on the back side of the keyboard needed some extra tape on the left there... if I need to redo anything I'll move the magnets away from the handles a little bit more so the washer fits on the bottom without the tape crawling up the back. Magnets are very much affected by distance... even just putting a layer of tape between the magnets and the washers decreased their strength quite a bit. For example: the 25# magnets held the washers so strongly, when directly applied, that you can't pull them off, you have to slide them until enough of them are sticking out that you can leverage them off. With the tape holding the washers in place, the keyboard can be removed from the mount (with all four magnets in play) easily enough. You've probably noticed this yourself: holding one sheet of paper to the fridge is easy for a given magnet, but add a few more sheets, and gravity wins the battle.

That little strip of tape on the top (back) of the keyboard is to let me son know where to put down the keyboard: when you have that tape right at the upright tube of the hand truck, the washers are directly over the magnets, for maximum strength.

We found that the whole thing was initially a little wobbly when played, so we screwed a piece of wood (painted black) on the very front bottom of the amp, and it props things up enough that it's stable now.

Understanding and Dealing with the Windows 10 Privacy Issue

How Portability Ruined the Telephone

 "That’s not just because our phones have also become fancy two-way pagers with keyboards, but also because they’ve become much crappier phones."

Review: Windows 10

"For a while there, Windows [8] wanted to be a mobile operating system, used with your fingers and hands; now it exists in the keyboard-and-mouse-driven, multi-tasking, I-have-work-to-do universe we all actually live in."

'via Blog this'

Everything Science Knows About Reading On Screens

"But as we jam more and more words into our heads, how we read those words has changed in a fundamental way: we’ve moved from paper to screens. It’s left many wondering what we’ve lost (or gained) in the shift, and a handful of scientists are trying to figure out the answer."

Here’s What’s Different About Windows 10 for Windows 7 Users

"Unlike Windows 8, Windows 10 actually feels designed for a PC with a keyboard and mouse. Windows 7 users will be much more at home with Windows 10, but there are still some big changes."

Windows DVD Maker Aspect Ratio problems

Many thanks to the discussion thread above, where on page 5 the following instructions are given:

1. Download and extract wmv-aspect-ratio-changer
2. Run WMVARChanger.exe
3. Load each WMV file you want to remove the par and dar values from. It will load up and display "Current Aspect Ratio" X and Y values
4. Click "Remove"

That's it! The change is immediately applied to the file and you can verify that par and dar values have been removed while sar remains intact by using gspot.

I then tried burning my now-altered WMVs using WDM (Windows DVD Maker) and widescreen functions correctly on the final DVD at last.

Why Grandma's Sad - The Awl

"In any case, grandma is sad for a reason. A new technology can be enriching and exciting for one group of people and create alienation for another; you don’t have to think the world is doomed to recognize that the present can be a little cruel."

7 of the Biggest PC Hardware Myths That Just Won’t Die

"Don’t buy into all the myths out there. They could lead you astray when you’re buying a new PC, building one, or just upgrading the hardware you have right now."

The definition of “opting in” has become strained

"We have become more or less used to the idea that we’ll check on agreement boxes, written in inscrutable legalese, in order to get free stuff. We will do that without ever reading the box or understanding what we’ve gotten ourselves into. That’s a form of passive opting in, which depends on us barely noticing things."

How to Disable Chrome's New 'Stars' Bookmark Manager

"The latest Chrome release is enrolling more users in Google’s new ‘enhanced bookmarking’ feature, no extension required. But the new bookmarks manager is not pleasing everyone. "

When Trolls Come in a Three-Piece Suit

"On the Internet, anonymity and being with a faceless crowd can make people do and say things that they normally wouldn’t do or say under the watchful eye of polite society. Being able to act out, thanks to these, is what psychologists call deindividuation."

Do You Really Need a Touchscreen on Your Windows PC?

What To Do When Your iPhone or iPad Runs Out of Space

How to Record the Sound Coming From Your PC (Even Without Stereo Mix)

Chip Credit Cards Are Coming to the USA: Here’s What You Need to Know

Best Free Software for Linux

How to remove the rubberized coating on your mouse

I have a Microsoft Wireless 2000 keyboard/mouse combo, and while I like it a lot, I find that the rubberized coating on the mouse tends to wear away and/or get sticky feeling within a few months of heavy use.
I initially tried using Armor-All on it, and that helped a bit but not for long. So after reading about the issue elsewhere, I decided to remove the coating and just get down to the plain smooth plastic.
I used a Magic Eraser, lightly dampened at the corner with some 91% isopropyl alcohol I keep around for electronics cleaning. I had initially tried just a paper towel, but it was slow going; the Magic Eraser really moved things along.
Note: rubbing alcohol, especially in the stronger percentages, can harm wood finishes and other surfaces. I did all of my work on a dark hand towel folded so there were 4 layers of it between my work and the table.
Melamine foam, which is what Magic Erasers and other similar items are made of, is pretty cool stuff, and is deceptively spongy, but shouldn't be used on skin or other sensitive surfaces.

How to Save Your Smartphone From the Brink of Watery Death

How to Save Your Smartphone From the Brink of Watery Death:

What Bias Lighting Is and Why You Should Be Using It

"There’s a good chance you've been watching television and working at your computer for years in a way that fatigues your eyes, increases your chance of headaches, and overall decreases your enjoyment and comfort. Read on as we show you how to create a comfortable and high contrast viewing experience with bias lighting."

How to Avoid Problems Activating Windows After a Clean Install

Let's Have More Psych-Positive Technology

"Secondly there appear to be multiple negative psychological consequences to the use of successful tech products. We've seen studies showing reduced attention spans, memory problems, increases in distractibility, feelings of social isolation and mood swings. "

Free Browser Extension that Efficiently Blocks Ads Using Less Memory

I'm now using µBlock instead of AdBlock Plus.

Surge Dread - Uber

"The problem that these people have with surge pricing is rooted in the certainty that one day Uber, which is undercharging for its services in a drastically unsustainable way in order to fuel outrageous levels of growth, is going to win. And, when it does, after eliminating taxis and other car services—and maybe some forms of public transit in some cities!—it will extract a terrible toll for the convenience, probably when people need it most. Not because Uber is evil or attempting to punish its users, but just because it’s good business; Uber is, after all, the most publicly pitiless company of our time. (This is the same basic reason that people are afraid of—and investors still love—Amazon: Prices are unbelievably low right now, but one day, when everybody else is out of business, it will finally screw everyone in a monumental way.)"

What happened when I confronted my cruellest troll

"I’m often deluged with hate online – and I’m used to being told not to feed the trolls. But after one of them stole my dead dad’s identity to abuse me, I decided to ask him why"

How to Get a Strong Wi-Fi Signal in Every Room of Your House

A Link is a Promise

"Summary: Any broken promise, large or small, chips away at trust and credibility. The words in a link label make a strong suggestion about the page that is being linked to. The destination page should fulfill what the anchor text promises"

A Comparison of 5 Tools for Building Classroom Websites

"In the chart below I compare five popular tools for building classroom websites."

Be My Eyes Lets You Help A Visually-Impaired Person See Via Their Phone’s Video Camera

"Be My Eyes, a new Danish non-profit ‘startup’, has taken a commodity technology, the humble video call, and, by combining it with a community of sighted volunteers, used it as the basis for an iOS app that lets you help a visually-impaired person ‘see’ through their phone’s video camera."

They do have a waiting list for those wishing an Android version.

The 7 biggest lies you've been told about hacking

Researchers work to counter a new class of coffee shop hackers

"If you’re sitting in a coffee shop, tapping away on your laptop, feeling safe from hackers because you didn’t connect to the shop’s wifi, think again."

Best Free Spyware and Malware Removal Software

How to Automatically Remove Unwanted Pre-Installed Software from Your Computer

How to Backup and Restore Your Apps and PPAs in Ubuntu Using Aptik

"If you need to reinstall Ubuntu or if you just want to install a new version from scratch, wouldn’t it be useful to have an easy way to reinstall all your apps and settings? You can easily accomplish this using a free tool called Aptik."

10 Best Websites to Find Free Sound Effects

How to Move or Transfer Email Accounts from One ISP to Another

"You can try to perform a migration yourself and there are tons of tutorials on the Net, but if you’re not familiar with the technical details or don’t have the time, it might be better to use a third-party solution. So if you need to transfer your account info, emails, tasks, calendar items, address book and contacts, etc to a new email provider, there’s a paid service that can do it for you."