I've been a long time user of LastPass - but over the last year, they've abandoned their Linux customers and insisted that users pay to access enhanced security. Forget that noise! I started looking for a new password manager and, on the recommendation of several friends, started using BitWarden. Pros Open Source! Works in the […] Read More
People who live in smart-houses, shouldn't throw parties
I have friends. More than one! I also have a home full of smart-gadgets which are controlled by apps. The two don't mix. This is yet another complaint about solipsistic app design. Let's take my Lifx bulbs. I have a friend staying for a few days, and he needs to be able to turn lights […] Read More
"Please interrupt me if I use an acronym or term you don't understand"
This isn't a new speaking tip - and it is one I've stolen from several other speakers on the conference circuit - but I want to explain how it made me feel to use it. I started my talk at Hackference Birmingham with an impassioned plea to the audience. If you don't understand something I've […] Read More
Annoyed by Android's circular icons? Here's how to fix them
One of Android's mottos is "Be Together; Not The Same". What does that mean to you? To me, it means that you don't need to conform to a single way of doing things. Sadly, Google seems to be moving far away from that ideal. The latest change - adaptive icons. All "adaptive icons" means is […] Read More
A love-letter to OpenDataCamp #odcamp
Last week I took an all-too-short visit to Aberdeen for Open Data Camp 6. A two-day unconference looking at Open Data from an international perspective. What works, what doesn't, how we can do better, and what exciting things are coming up. I was mostly there for work - but managed to spend some time talking […] Read More
Telnet control of Toshiba Smart TVs
Here's how to control the Toshiba 49U6863 - and other similar models - using Telnet. Quickstart At the command prompt, type telnet 192.168.0.123 4660 then type 1012 and your TV will turn on. MAGIC! Background After six years of use, I decided to upgrade my old 37 inch Panasonic TV. I know Toshiba aren't the […] Read More
Anything Goes Should Get Gone
For a musical that's over 90 years old, Anything Goes is pretty funny, lightly charming, and wildly racist. A few weeks ago we saw a youth-theatre production of the classic Cole Porter show. The cast were enthusiastic, the band in fine form, the voices loud, and - apparently - at no point did anyone there […] Read More
Review: MoneyDashboard
Quick review of https://www.moneydashboard.com/ - sorry for the lack of screenshots, but I don't need you seeing the state of my bank balance! Open Banking is here! For the technical among you, it means I can use OAuth to give a read-only token to an authorised financial institution. Updates are streamed in real-time. They can […] Read More
YoreComputer - examining 1980s popular computer culture
There's a lovely Twitter feed called Yore Computer - run by Rob Manuel, it randomly tweets out scans of 1980s computer magazines. A wonderful mix of nostalgia, dated references, primitive graphics, incompatible file formats, and unrealistic promises by advertisers. Here are a few of my favourites that I've spotted. Behold! The comment section - hasn't […] Read More
Who owns the copyright to my medical images?
I popped round to an NHS dentist a few months ago - and they stuck my head on one of these contraptions. The Kodak 8000C takes a panoramic X-ray, giving a superior view of your teeth. Nifty. The dentist showed me where my wisdom teeth were and I was impressed with how high resolution the […] Read More