The Complete Apple Watch Icons & Symbols Guide (2023)
Thoughts on current events, including but not limited to, the computer & automotive industries; British, American, & World politics; Space Exploration; and the military. I don't claim to be an expert on anything, and I'm not receiving any revenue from this blog. Comments are welcomed but I'll delete any I find offensive or any I determine to be off-topic or some form of advertising.
Sunday, August 27, 2023
LEFT HANDED AR-15 Uppers
Left-Handed AR-15 Uppers - a left-handed rifle can be useful to a right-handed shooter in some competitions (you don't have to move your right hand from the pistol grip, and you can maintain stock weld - while single loading for example).
Lefty AR Upper — Not Just for Southpaws:
Best Left-Handed ARs: Parts & Complete Rifles:
https://www.pewpewtactical.com/best-left-handed-ar-15-rifles-parts/
"Most lowers are ambidextrous these days, so the upper receiver is where most people will really start their build."
5 Best Left-Handed AR-15 Uppers (2023) A Complete Guide:
https://lundestudio.com/left-handed-ar-15-uppers/
Pro2A Tactical - rifle & pistol lengths - several calibers:
https://pro2a-tactical.com/left-hand-ar-15-upper-assemblies.html?product_list_order=price
Davidson Defense 16.5" AR-15 5.56 NATO Left Handed Rifle Complete Upper Build Kit:
https://www.deltateamtactical.com/strigoi-556-nato-complete-upper-build-kit.html
Stag Arms Left Handed AR-15 Upper Receiver + BCG Combo:
https://ar15discounts.com/products/left-handed-ar-15-upper-receiver-bcg-combo/
Friday, August 25, 2023
Adding Wi-Fi to the Macintosh Portable - joshua stein
Info on updating several older computers, not jus Macs:
https://jcs.org/2023/08/23/scsiwifi
https://jcs.org/2023/08/23/scsiwifi
Monday, August 21, 2023
People are using AI to create imposter books on Amazon & Goodreads
"With the flood of AI content now published at Amazon, sometimes attributed to authors in a misleading or fraudulent manner, how can anyone reasonably expect working authors to spend every week for the rest of their lives policing this?
...
We desperately need guardrails on this landslide of misattribution and misinformation. Amazon and Goodreads, I beg you to create a way to verify authorship, or for authors to easily block fraudulent books credited to them. Do it now, do it quickly."
Monday, August 14, 2023
5 tips for YouTube TV to flip live streaming channels like a pro - CNET
An article from 3 years ago - improvements may have been made …
https://www.cnet.com/tech/services-and-software/5-tips-for-youtube-tv-to-flip-live-streaming-channels-like-a-pro/
https://www.cnet.com/tech/services-and-software/5-tips-for-youtube-tv-to-flip-live-streaming-channels-like-a-pro/
TV vs. Projector: Which Big Screen Should You Buy in 2023 - CNET
TVs are brighter and perform better at very high resolutions. Projectors work very well in dark rooms and can provide very large images.
https://www.cnet.com/tech/home-entertainment/tv-vs-projector/
https://www.cnet.com/tech/home-entertainment/tv-vs-projector/
Friday, August 11, 2023
The best Windows volume mixer just got better
EarTrumpet received options and shortcuts with its latest update.
"EarTrumpet | Free at Microsoft Store
This third-party volume mixer gives you granular controls over your computer's audio. It's one of the first apps I recommend to anyone setting up a PC."
Fwd: Easily jump between Windows 11 and Windows 365 (& Win-365 reviews)
Microsoft will let you jump between Windows 11 and Windows 365 with the flip of a switch (Aug 2023):
https://www.windowscentral.com/software-apps/streaming-video/disney-plus-subscription-plans-spike-in-price-ad-supported-plans-are-unaffected
Please read this blog post for all the details on how to participate: https://go.redirectingat.com/?id=23432X820454&xcust=wp_us_9173243372859942000&xs=1&url=https%3A%2F%2Ftechcommunity.microsoft.com%2Ft5%2Fwindows-it-pro-blog%2Fwindows-365-switch-now-available-in-public-preview%2Fba-p%2F3891857&sref=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.windowscentral.com%2Fsoftware-apps%2Fwindows-11%2Fmicrosoft-will-let-you-jump-between-windows-11-and-windows-365-with-the-flip-of-a-switch
Windows 365 review: Can Windows in the cloud replace your PC (Sept 2021)?
A solid start for cloud-based Windows, although not without performance problems
https://www.itpro.com/cloud/cloud-computing/360760/windows-365-review-can-windows-in-the-cloud-replace-your-pc
"Pros:
+ Easy deployment
+ Works well across a variety of devices
+ Perfect for the new homeworking era
Cons:
- A bewildering number of configurations
- No graphics performance to speak of
- Not ideal for videoconferencing"
"Windows 365 is designed to let employees stream a full Windows desktop from whatever hardware they have to hand – an old desktop PC, a MacBook, even an iPad."
"Running Windows 365 in the Vivaldi browser on our MacBook Pro, for instance, worked okay, with the Windows desktop automatically resizing to the shape and size of the browser window. But the MacBook's webcam wasn't recognised when we attempted a Google Meet, and pressing print on a Word document resulted in nothing more than a PDF being made available to download.
Running that same instance using the Microsoft Remote Desktop app made all those problems melt away: the printer connected to our home-office Wi-Fi network was automatically recognised, the webcam kicked in, and as an added bonus the Windows desktop was now spread across both our external monitor and attached laptop, rather than merely being confined to a browser window."
"If an employee's job involves lots of big file transfers, this set-up could prove much more efficient than a local machine, where the bottleneck is the speed of their broadband connection."
Microsoft 365 Personal Review (Mar 2023) - Microsoft's Office apps are still the best:
https://www.pcmag.com/reviews/microsoft-365-personal
"Microsoft 365—the current name for the apps and services formerly known as Office 365—is the behemoth of office suites and the one every competitor tries to match. It runs almost everywhere, with full-featured editions for Windows and macOS, surprisingly powerful apps for iOS and Android, and slick web-based versions. Microsoft 365 has all the collaborative features found in cloud-only suites like Google Workspace, plus all the benefits of disk-based apps: speed, security, and the ability to work offline."
"Pros:
* Most powerful office apps of any competitor
* Available on almost all platforms
* Smooth collaboration features
* Elegant, user-friendly interface with extensive help features
* All-in-one app for mail, contacts, and calendar
Cons:
* Problems accessing documents through web browsers during testing
* Automated features in Word produce some unpredictable results
* Some advanced features can be hard to access"
"A Microsoft 365 Personal subscription costs $69.99 per year and includes access to Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneNote, Outlook, and Skype apps for one user on up to five devices. It also gets you 1TB of OneDrive online storage. You also get Sway for interactive online reports and presentations, forms for creating surveys and quizzes, and Microsoft's to-do list app, To Do."
"Early in 2023, Microsoft announced an even cheaper option, Microsoft 365 Basic, which gets you 100GB of OneDrive storage and includes only the web and mobile versions of the apps, but it costs just $1.99 per month or $19.99 per year.
...
These prices are roughly comparable to Google Workspace, which changes $6 and $12 per month, respectively, for its Business Starter and Business Standard plans."
Windows 365: Hands on with Microsoft's pricey new Cloud PC subscriptions (Aug 2021):
https://www.zdnet.com/article/windows-365-hands-on-with-microsofts-pricey-new-cloud-pc-subscriptions/
"What if you could replace your physical PC with a virtual alternative that lived permanently in the cloud? What if you could sign in to that PC on any desktop PC, Mac, or mobile device and pick up exactly where you left off last time, with all your apps and data files ready to go?
That's the promise of Microsoft's new Windows 365 service, which offers subscribers a Cloud PC running Windows 11..."
"After I assigned the Windows 365 license to a user account, I needed to choose a virtual hardware configuration, which involves a combination of virtual CPUs (up to 8), RAM (up to 32GB), and storage (up to 512GB). The more resources you assign to the Cloud PC, the higher the monthly subscription price."
"The browser is fine for casual connections, but you'll have a better experience using Microsoft's Remote Desktop client ...
On a Windows 10 PC, you can configure the Cloud PC to run in a window or to use the full screen (and even use all displays in a multi-monitor configuration). That experience is virtually indistinguishable from how you'd work with a local PC."
"If a Cloud PC can allow a remote employee to work from home on a personal PC without the company having to buy, ship, and support a fully managed, company-issued PC, the cost might even result in net savings. Those remote employees can have secure access to a managed Cloud PC on any personal device, such as a home PC, an iPad, or even a mobile phone."
Microsoft Office 365 Review (Jun 2022): https://www.crazyegg.com/blog/microsoft-office-365-review/
"While Microsoft Office 365 offers a wide range of amazing features, it isn't the only option in the market. We've compiled a list of a few other office suite software that take productivity to the next level to help you pick a solution that's most suitable based on your requirements and budget.
Google Workspace — The Best for Most
Microsoft 365 — The Best for Online And Offline Use
Zoho Workplace — The Best Bare-Bones Basic Suite
iWork — The Best for Apple Devices
WPS Office — The Best Microsoft Clone for Non-Microsoft Users"
https://www.windowscentral.com/software-apps/streaming-video/disney-plus-subscription-plans-spike-in-price-ad-supported-plans-are-unaffected
Please read this blog post for all the details on how to participate: https://go.redirectingat.com/?id=23432X820454&xcust=wp_us_9173243372859942000&xs=1&url=https%3A%2F%2Ftechcommunity.microsoft.com%2Ft5%2Fwindows-it-pro-blog%2Fwindows-365-switch-now-available-in-public-preview%2Fba-p%2F3891857&sref=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.windowscentral.com%2Fsoftware-apps%2Fwindows-11%2Fmicrosoft-will-let-you-jump-between-windows-11-and-windows-365-with-the-flip-of-a-switch
Windows 365 review: Can Windows in the cloud replace your PC (Sept 2021)?
A solid start for cloud-based Windows, although not without performance problems
https://www.itpro.com/cloud/cloud-computing/360760/windows-365-review-can-windows-in-the-cloud-replace-your-pc
"Pros:
+ Easy deployment
+ Works well across a variety of devices
+ Perfect for the new homeworking era
Cons:
- A bewildering number of configurations
- No graphics performance to speak of
- Not ideal for videoconferencing"
"Windows 365 is designed to let employees stream a full Windows desktop from whatever hardware they have to hand – an old desktop PC, a MacBook, even an iPad."
"Running Windows 365 in the Vivaldi browser on our MacBook Pro, for instance, worked okay, with the Windows desktop automatically resizing to the shape and size of the browser window. But the MacBook's webcam wasn't recognised when we attempted a Google Meet, and pressing print on a Word document resulted in nothing more than a PDF being made available to download.
Running that same instance using the Microsoft Remote Desktop app made all those problems melt away: the printer connected to our home-office Wi-Fi network was automatically recognised, the webcam kicked in, and as an added bonus the Windows desktop was now spread across both our external monitor and attached laptop, rather than merely being confined to a browser window."
"If an employee's job involves lots of big file transfers, this set-up could prove much more efficient than a local machine, where the bottleneck is the speed of their broadband connection."
Microsoft 365 Personal Review (Mar 2023) - Microsoft's Office apps are still the best:
https://www.pcmag.com/reviews/microsoft-365-personal
"Microsoft 365—the current name for the apps and services formerly known as Office 365—is the behemoth of office suites and the one every competitor tries to match. It runs almost everywhere, with full-featured editions for Windows and macOS, surprisingly powerful apps for iOS and Android, and slick web-based versions. Microsoft 365 has all the collaborative features found in cloud-only suites like Google Workspace, plus all the benefits of disk-based apps: speed, security, and the ability to work offline."
"Pros:
* Most powerful office apps of any competitor
* Available on almost all platforms
* Smooth collaboration features
* Elegant, user-friendly interface with extensive help features
* All-in-one app for mail, contacts, and calendar
Cons:
* Problems accessing documents through web browsers during testing
* Automated features in Word produce some unpredictable results
* Some advanced features can be hard to access"
"A Microsoft 365 Personal subscription costs $69.99 per year and includes access to Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneNote, Outlook, and Skype apps for one user on up to five devices. It also gets you 1TB of OneDrive online storage. You also get Sway for interactive online reports and presentations, forms for creating surveys and quizzes, and Microsoft's to-do list app, To Do."
"Early in 2023, Microsoft announced an even cheaper option, Microsoft 365 Basic, which gets you 100GB of OneDrive storage and includes only the web and mobile versions of the apps, but it costs just $1.99 per month or $19.99 per year.
...
These prices are roughly comparable to Google Workspace, which changes $6 and $12 per month, respectively, for its Business Starter and Business Standard plans."
Windows 365: Hands on with Microsoft's pricey new Cloud PC subscriptions (Aug 2021):
https://www.zdnet.com/article/windows-365-hands-on-with-microsofts-pricey-new-cloud-pc-subscriptions/
"What if you could replace your physical PC with a virtual alternative that lived permanently in the cloud? What if you could sign in to that PC on any desktop PC, Mac, or mobile device and pick up exactly where you left off last time, with all your apps and data files ready to go?
That's the promise of Microsoft's new Windows 365 service, which offers subscribers a Cloud PC running Windows 11..."
"After I assigned the Windows 365 license to a user account, I needed to choose a virtual hardware configuration, which involves a combination of virtual CPUs (up to 8), RAM (up to 32GB), and storage (up to 512GB). The more resources you assign to the Cloud PC, the higher the monthly subscription price."
"The browser is fine for casual connections, but you'll have a better experience using Microsoft's Remote Desktop client ...
On a Windows 10 PC, you can configure the Cloud PC to run in a window or to use the full screen (and even use all displays in a multi-monitor configuration). That experience is virtually indistinguishable from how you'd work with a local PC."
"If a Cloud PC can allow a remote employee to work from home on a personal PC without the company having to buy, ship, and support a fully managed, company-issued PC, the cost might even result in net savings. Those remote employees can have secure access to a managed Cloud PC on any personal device, such as a home PC, an iPad, or even a mobile phone."
Microsoft Office 365 Review (Jun 2022): https://www.crazyegg.com/blog/microsoft-office-365-review/
"While Microsoft Office 365 offers a wide range of amazing features, it isn't the only option in the market. We've compiled a list of a few other office suite software that take productivity to the next level to help you pick a solution that's most suitable based on your requirements and budget.
Google Workspace — The Best for Most
Microsoft 365 — The Best for Online And Offline Use
Zoho Workplace — The Best Bare-Bones Basic Suite
iWork — The Best for Apple Devices
WPS Office — The Best Microsoft Clone for Non-Microsoft Users"
Wednesday, August 9, 2023
GM 4L60E Vs. 4L80E Transmission Differences And How To Swap It
Check the gear ratios (best mileage?) as well as other points of comparison:
https://mechanicbase.com/transmission/4l60e-vs-4l80e-differences/
https://mechanicbase.com/transmission/4l60e-vs-4l80e-differences/
Monday, August 7, 2023
Variations on Power Steering
What Is Power Steering and How Does It Work?
How Electric Power Assisted Steering (EPAS) Works, And Why It's Better Than Hydraulic:
Electric power steering (EPS) - Overview electric power steering system (for assisted & highly automated driving):
A Comprehensive Comparison Test of Electric and Hydraulic Steering Assist:
Thursday, August 3, 2023
Low-cost additive turns concrete slabs into super-fast energy storage
The slab under your home can be the backup battery needed to store energy from your solar panels.
https://newatlas.com/architecture/mit-concrete-supercapacitor/
https://newatlas.com/architecture/mit-concrete-supercapacitor/
Wednesday, August 2, 2023
(Actos) Pioglitazone - the Forgotten Diabetes Drug
Some flawed testing has given it a bad reputation it doesn't deserve:
"Pioglitazone is a member of the thiazolidinedione (TZD) family of medications that is approved for type 2 diabetes. It is sometimes sold under the brand name Actos, though it is also available as a generic. It is a once-daily pill.
The American Diabetes Association explains that pioglitazone can "help insulin work better in the muscle and fat and reduce glucose production in the liver."
The American Diabetes Association explains that pioglitazone can "help insulin work better in the muscle and fat and reduce glucose production in the liver."
Why Pioglitazone Is Unique Among Diabetes Drugs:
DeFronzo states that pioglitazone is "the only true drug which improves the insulin resistance in people with type 2 diabetes.""
DeFronzo states that pioglitazone is "the only true drug which improves the insulin resistance in people with type 2 diabetes.""