Nextcloud VM, and Open Source Software in general

I have been using Nextcloud (specifically Nextcloud VM) for a couple of years now, and it worked great for some time. I had switched from Nextcloudpi, as I wanted something more robust for my storage needs. The problems started this past weekend, where I realized that I wasn't running the latest version. I took a look at what I was running, and saw that there was a recent, highly concerning CVE … [Read more...]

Ideal Window Manufacturing Review

This is a review about Ideal Window Manufacturing Company Info: Ideal Window Mfg. Inc.100 West 7th StreetBayonne NJ 07002 For most of the windows in my house, I would probably leave a very favorable review. The problem is the two windows that have had their seal break. The windows were bought in 2005. We noticed the seal broken, and it's been on the list of forever to try and … [Read more...]

Wink Hub 2 versus Wink Hub 1

I have been working on getting into the Home Automation game, after finally buying a house of my own. I started out with a Wink Hub 1, that I had bought with the GE-Link bulbs a couple of years ago, on a deal around Christmas time. I was then part of the large Wink outage, in which the wrong certificate was pushed to the device. I was playing around, because I knew that any automation devices … [Read more...]

Bitdefender Box Review- Not Ready for Primetime

From my Amazon.com review of the Bitdefender Box. "I received a Bitdefender Box test unit, and can't imagine anyone ever purchasing this device. The first major flaw- It give its own DHCP connections. I have a pfsense box behind my modem, and was thinking I could use this in line before my guest wifi/Internet of Things network. It doesn't work that way. The second flaw- 100mbps ports. Why … [Read more...]

Neiko 51031A 1-Inch by 15-Feet Ratcheting Tie-Down with Soft-Grip Levers and PVC-Coated Hooks , 4-Set Review

From my Amazon.com review of  Neiko 51031A 1-Inch by 15-Feet Ratcheting Tie-Down with Soft-Grip Levers and PVC-Coated Hooks , 4-Set I bought these for a recent move, using a Budget truck. They were great- I purchased the 15-feet so that I could wrap the tie-downs around furniture so that it would stay put in the truck. The color was easy to spot when we were unloading, and no marks were left on … [Read more...]

Samsung Electronics 840 EVO-Series 120GB 2.5-Inch SATA III Single Unit Version Internal Solid State Drive MZ-7TE120BW Review

Samsung Electronics 840 EVO-Series 120GB 2.5-Inch SATA III Single Unit Version Internal Solid State Drive MZ-7TE120BW, as per my Amazon Review: I own several of the 840 series drives, and have not been disappointed by one of them. All of the drives have been reliable, and have greatly sped up the systems that I placed them in.I used one of drives in a laptop- it has slightly extended battery … [Read more...]

iOttie Easy Smart Tap Dashboard Car Desk Mount Holder Cradle for iPad mini Review

iOttie Easy Smart Tap Dashboard Car Desk Mount Holder Cradle for iPad mini (HLCRIO106) based on my Amazon Review: I bought this so I could use Waze on my iPad mini as a navigation device for my car. I checked the laws of most states, and in the United States, and iPad mini is about the maximum size you can use for navigation within the drivers view.This stand is great, and I can attach it both … [Read more...]

TP-LINK TL-WA850RE 300Mbps Universal Wi-Fi Range Extender Review

TP-LINK TL-WA850RE 300Mbps Universal Wi-Fi Range Extender, Repeater, Wall Plug design, One-button Setup, Smart Signal Indicator review from my Amazon.com account: As others have pointed out, this product disconnects frequently and leaves the internet unusable until you reset it. I've updated the firmware and worked with support, but there are just issues with this device. TP-Link support was … [Read more...]

SpiderOak, a superior alternative to Dropbox

I've been using Dropbox for a couple of years, and had generally liked the experience.  In fact, I started using Dropbox as an undergraduate at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst when writing my thesis, because of the ability to keep the document synced and work on it wherever I was.  Recently (as in a couple months ago), I haven't been as pleased with Dropbox, and decided to look at … [Read more...]

Logging Life on Android

It is interesting to me how much feedback that you can get from your smartphone. I have a Samsung Galaxy Nexus, and I like to keep track of many aspects of my life.  Specifically, I track my calorie intake as well as my sleep schedule.  I am going to review the apps that I use to keep track of this information. One of the apps that I use to track my calorie intake is Noom Weight Loss … [Read more...]