Hyper-Text Transfer Protocol is, by some measure, the most popular way for computers to talk to each other on the Internet. Generally speaking, clients (like browsers) talk to servers using a set number of HTTP "verbs". This tells the server what sort of thing the client is trying to do. The two most popular verbs are probably POST - which lets you send data to a server - and GET - which lets…
Continue reading →
You've been on the Internet a long time, right? Of course you know what BIMI is. All the cool kids do. But, for those of you who aren't hip to the jive of the Infobahn... BIMI (Brand Indicators for Message Identification) is a new standard that can curb the issue of online impersonators. ... BIMI is a new standard that enables you to include your company’s logo alongside the emails you send. T…
Continue reading →
As part of my new job, I'm learning a lot more about the mysteries of the Domain Name System than any mortal should know I thought possible. The humble unix dig command allows you to query all sort of DNS information. For example, to see name server records for the BBC website, you can run: dig bbc.co.uk NS Which will get you: ;; Got answer: ;; ->>HEADER<<- opcode: QUERY, status: NOERROR, id: …
Continue reading →
There is a thoroughly modern story coming out of Ireland: Drones are being used routinely around Irish racecourses to take advantage of a short time lag between broadcast footage of events and the action on the ground. Even this small delay allows gamblers take advantage of changes to so-called “in-running” betting odds, if say a horse begins to struggle, jumps awkwardly, o…
Continue reading →
Five years ago, I wrote that I had 30 connected devices at home. How has that changed over the last half-decade? Some of my devices have consolidated. My Eufy security cameras have a hub - so despite having more cameras, They're using fewer IP addresses. Similarly, I've replaced most of my LIFX bulbs with Zigbee which also use a hub-and-spoke model. So these are the devices I currently have…
Continue reading →
How well does SIP work on a modern Android phone, with no 3rd party apps? I'm trying to give up my mobile phone contract. As part of that, I'm switching my voice calls to VoIP providers. For family and friends, that usually means WhatsApp, Skype, Signal and other consumer apps. For work, Hangouts, Zoom, and Skype. But what about "normal" people who just want to dial a PSTN number? And what…
Continue reading →
Previously, on the Terence Eden Adventures: I accidentally won a load of vinyl on eBay, and I bought the cheapest record player I could find. The record player has USB output. So I shoved it into a Rock Pi S - an SBC similar to a Raspberry Pi - to broadcast vinyl all over my house via ChromeCast! Here's how. Detect the audio Install alsa-utils if they're not already present. Find your…
Continue reading →
ISPs suck. They're designed to. The A in ADSL stands for "Asymmetric". That is, your download speed is faster than your upload speed. This makes sense for most domestic purposes. Most people suck down a lot more than they push up. But we've now entered the (permanent?) work-from-home era. If you're anything like me, you're spending more time broadcasting video than you ever did before. It's…
Continue reading →
Way back in the 1990s, the word "Netizen" was coined. I always took it to mean "someone who lives on the Internet". In modern times, the neologism has been superseded with "webizen". I find this an interesting development. It is well known that people often confused the Net with the Web. Hence the need for these "explanatory" t-shirts: Of course, the original meaning of Netizen was…
Continue reading →
I rediscovered an curious Tweet from 2012: adam kinsley@adamkinsleyInteresting that Arqiva point out that fastest legal use of Internet probably only requires 2.5MBPs. Reliability key #commsreview❤️ 2💬 3🔁 009:34 - Wed 04 July 2012 That was a reasonable - if incorrect - assumption at the start of the decade. Streaming TV was in its infancy, and it was ridiculous to suggest that people might want …
Continue reading →
I, unironically, love Reddit. But it's just USENET with a better UI, and a few moderation improvements. Most days I use DropBox. But it's just FTP, but a bit easier to use and automate. I waste a lot of time on Slack. When I explain it to old-school nerds, I say it's IRC - but developed by someone who gives a damn about user experience. Most people in the world don't have access to WWW.…
Continue reading →
The ridiculous proliferation of TLDs (Top Level Domains) continues unabated. I wondered how much you'd have to spend to secure your name on every TLD. tl;dr;tld Over $300,000! (Roughly €280.000 / £245,000.) But... This estimate is pretty rough. A few caveats: This only covers one version of your domain name - it doesn't cover misspellings. I've assumed a single year of registration. Some d…
Continue reading →
