Desert Musings: March 2026

Sunday, March 22, 2026

New features in Win-11

https://www.windowscentral.com/microsoft/windows-11/windows-11-pro-tips-every-modern-worker-should-know-in-2026

Thursday, March 19, 2026

Can Skin Cancer be Prevented by a $0.50 Soap? Meet TIME’s Kid of the Year and His Invention - OncoDaily

https://oncodaily.com/stories/skin-cancer-soap-kid

Tuesday, March 17, 2026

If We Needed A $15,000 Car…

There are some good choices here:

https://www.hagerty.com/media/hagerty-community/our-two-cents-if-we-needed-a-15000-car/

I was pleasantly surprised to find the used Toyota GR86 / Subaru BRZ on this list.
A newer Honda Civic SI coupe approaches $20,000, but seems like a viable choice also.
There a few of the Lincoln MKZ 3.0 T available at this price - it might be worth a test drive. Mechanically, these are essentially the Ford Fusion.

Monday, March 16, 2026

Glock long barrel Target Pistols

https://us.glock.com/en/search?query=Long+barrel+

Best Small Cars for 2025 and 2026

Best Small Cars for 2025 and 2026:
https://www.roadandtrack.com/rankings/g61689890/best-small-compact-cars/

The 2025 Honda Civic Brings New Style, Hybrid Option:
https://www.roadandtrack.com/news/a46440980/2025-honda-civic-brings-new-style-hybrid-option/
"Honda announced ... that for the first time since 2015, a Civic Hybrid model is destined for U.S. shores, in both hatchback and sedan configurations."

The U.S.-Bound 2023 Toyota Prius Has Up to 196 HP, 57 MPG, And All-Wheel Drive (2023):
https://www.roadandtrack.com/news/a41978983/2023-toyota-prius-u-s/
"Like all Prius models, the new one is a hybrid-only affair. This time, though, Toyota has dropped the trust nickel-metal battery pack in favor of an all-new, more efficient lithium-ion battery setup. That pays dividends in both weight and power, with a maximum output of 196 hp. That's if you opt for the optional all-wheel-drive system, loading up an electric motor on the rear axle. Front-wheel-drive models get 194 hp. Either is a massive improvement over the outgoing model ..."
"All Priuses get adaptive cruise control with stop and go, lane tracing assist, automatic high beams, a pre-collision system with pedestrian braking, and the new "Proactive Driving Assist" system ..."

2025 VW GTI - The GTI's user interface gets a big upgrade alongside some visual tweaks:
https://www.roadandtrack.com/photos/g64609842/see-every-angle-of-the-2025-vw-gti/
https://www.roadandtrack.com/reviews/a64606303/tested-2025-volkswagen-gti/

The 2022 VW Jetta GLI Packs More Equipment, Same Engine:
https://www.roadandtrack.com/news/a37397763/2022-vw-jetta-gli/
"Buyers will have a choice between a standard six-speed manual gearbox and VW's seven-speed dual-clutch automatic. Other performance hardware includes VW's electronic limited-slip differential, their XDS Cross Differential System, upgraded brakes from the outgoing Golf R, as well as adaptive dampers. The new GLI receives a multi-link rear suspension, whereas the standard Jetta gets a torsion beam set-up. A set of 18-inch wheels are also part of the GLI's equipment package. ...
VW's IQ.Drive driver assistance suite is standard on GLI as well, as are automatic climate control, push-button start, and keyless entry."

The 2024 Subaru Impreza Brings Back the RS Trim, Ditches Sedan:
https://www.roadandtrack.com/news/a41992553/2024-subaru-impreza/
"The hatch-only model will now be offered with the standard 2.0-liter flat-four, making 152 hp and 145 lb-ft, and an optional 2.5-liter flat-four that makes 182 hp and 178 lb-ft of torque. That engine—which is also available in the Crosstrek, Forester, Legacy, and Outback—comes exclusively on the Impreza RS, a trim level Subaru fans will recognize from the iconic Impreza 2.5RS of the Nineties. Unlike that old model, however, the new enthusiast-oriented trim comes exclusively with a continuously variable transmission. We'd prefer the 2.4-liter from the BR-Z mated to a manual, but at least self-shifting enthusiasts can still get a WRX with a stick."
"Subaru's EyeSight suite of driver assistance tech is also standard, as is all-wheel drive, of course. The AWD system also gets active torque vectoring, which should help in slippery conditions."

The Toyota GR Corolla Fulfills the Hot-Hatch Prophecy - Affordable performance cars don't get much better than this (2022): https://www.roadandtrack.com/reviews/a41198882/toyota-gr-corolla-review/

Best Cheap Sports Cars for 2025: https://www.roadandtrack.com/rankings/g6710/cheapest-sports-cars/
From $30K - 2025 Mazda MX-5 Miata up through a few in the mid-$40s.

Sunday, March 15, 2026

What is Arch User Repository (AUR)? How to Use AUR on Arch and Manjaro Linux?

https://itsfoss.com/aur-arch-linux/

"AUR stands for Arch User Repository. It is a community-driven repository for Arch-based Linux distribution users. It contains package descriptions named PKGBUILDs that allow you to compile a package from source with makepkg and install it via pacman, the package manager in Arch Linux."

"Many new packages that enter the official repositories start in the AUR. In the AUR, users are able to contribute their own package builds (PKGBUILD and related files).The AUR community can vote for packages in the AUR. If a package becomes popular enough — provided it has a compatible license and good packaging technique — it may be entered into the community repository directly accessible by pacman."

"The simplest way to use AUR is through an AUR helper. An AUR helper is a command line tool (some have GUI as well) that lets you search for packages published on the AUR and install them."

Foods to Avoid If You Have Anxiety or Depression

Try to avoid sugar, caffeine, and more:
https://www.webmd.com/depression/ss/slideshow-avoid-foods-anxiety-depression

DIY Storage Benches

21 DIY Storage Bench Plans You Can Build: https://homegrail.com/diy-storage-bench-plans/
Benches can be used to hold large storage tubs or coolers ... others can hold crates full of shoes or other stuff.
You can install front-facing shelves under the seat area of a bench.

How to Build a Wooden Storage Bench:
https://www.homedepot.com/c/ah/how-to-build-a-wooden-storage-bench/9ba683603be9fa5395fab9040810f55
Detailed instructions ...

How to Build a Built in Storage Bench Step By Step Tutorial:
https://makingitwithabby.com/871/how-to-build-a-built-in-storage-bench-step-by-step-tutorial/

30 Easy DIY Bench Ideas: https://www.anikasdiylife.com/easy-diy-bench-ideas/

Saturday, March 14, 2026

virt-manager (Virtual Machine Manager) for modern Linux installs

virt-manager: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virt-manager

"virt-manager is a desktop virtual machine monitor primarily developed by Red Hat."

"Virt-manager allows users to:

create, edit, start and stop VMs
view and control each VM's console
see performance and utilization statistics for each VM
view all running VMs and hosts, and their live performance or resource utilization statistics.
use KVM, Xen or QEMU virtual machines, running either locally or remotely.
use LXC containers

Support for FreeBSD's bhyve hypervisor has been included since 2014, though it remains disabled by default."

Manage virtual machines with virt-manager: https://virt-manager.org/
"The virt-manager application is a desktop user interface for managing virtual machines through libvirt. It primarily targets KVM VMs, but also manages Xen and LXC (linux containers). It presents a summary view of running domains, their live performance & resource utilization statistics. Wizards enable the creation of new domains, and configuration & adjustment of a domain's resource allocation & virtual hardware. An embedded VNC and SPICE client viewer presents a full graphical console to the guest domain."

"About virt-manager's supporting tools -

virt-install is a command line tool which provides an easy way to provision operating systems into virtual machines.
virt-viewer is a lightweight UI interface for interacting with the graphical display of virtualized guest OS. It can display VNC or SPICE, and uses libvirt to lookup the graphical connection details.
virt-clone is a command line tool for cloning existing inactive guests. It copies the disk images, and defines a config with new name, UUID and MAC address pointing to the copied disks.
virt-xml is a command line tool for easily editing libvirt domain XML using virt-install's command line options.
virt-bootstrap is a command line tool providing an easy way to setup the root file system for libvirt-based containers."

virt-manager / virt-manager: https://github.com/virt-manager/virt-manager

Install virt-manager (Ubuntu): https://ubuntu.com/server/docs/how-to/virtualisation/virtual-machine-manager/
Includes instructions for the tools mentioned above, along with some usage tips.

Installing Virt-Manager on Ubuntu: A Comprehensive Guide: https://linuxvox.com/blog/install-virt-manager-ubuntu/

"This blog post will guide you through the process of installing Virt-Manager on an Ubuntu system, explain its usage, common practices, and best practices" (including adding your user to the relevant groups).

"Why Use Virt-Manager?

Graphical Interface: It offers an intuitive graphical interface, which is easier to use compared to command-line tools for those new to virtualization.
Multi-Hypervisor Support: Supports multiple hypervisors, allowing you to manage different types of virtual machines from a single interface.
Full-Featured Management: You can perform a wide range of tasks, including creating new VMs, configuring hardware, and monitoring performance."

Kernel Virtual Machine (KVM) is part of most modern Linux installations (it's dormant until needed): https://linux-kvm.org/page/Main_Page
" KVM (for Kernel-based Virtual Machine) is a full virtualization solution for Linux on x86 hardware containing virtualization extensions (Intel VT or AMD-V). It consists of a loadable kernel module, kvm.ko, that provides the core virtualization infrastructure and a processor specific module, kvm-intel.ko or kvm-amd.ko.
Using KVM, one can run multiple virtual machines running unmodified Linux or Windows images. Each virtual machine has private virtualized hardware: a network card, disk, graphics adapter, etc. "
Virt Tools - Blogging about open source virtualization: https://planet.virt-tools.org/

Thursday, March 12, 2026

QB64.com | QB64 BASIC for Windows, Linux, and macOS.

https://qb64.com/

See also: QB64-PE, SmallBASIC, FreeBASIC, PureBasic, Xojo, Gambas 3, ByWater Basic, BlitzMax …

Fwd: Secure Email Providers

7 Most Secure Email Providers 2025:
https://signalvaultprivacy.com/secure-email/best-secure-email-providers-2025/
"ProtonMail ($4.99/mo) wins privacy, Fastmail ($3/mo) wins features."
"... if you use a regular email provider (Gmail, Yahoo, etc.), your emails could be scanned for ad targeting or handed over if requested. Privacy-focused email providers put security and encryption first, ensuring that even the provider can't read your mails."

"Transport-level encryption is powered by TLS – SSL's successor- to encrypt emails during transit. Yes, this is the same TLS you frequently encounter while browsing websites.
In the case of emails, TLS applies on top of TCP (Transmission Control Protocol) to protect SMTP (sending email to server) and IMAP (retrieving email from the server) protocols. That's how it protects messages from the sender to the receiving end, given that the server at both ends supports encrypted communication.
Transport-level encryption basically secures your plaintext emails from hackers and snoopers.
...
In the case of transport-level encryption, the email provider's servers control the transmission of secure messages. The servers can store and even read your emails; hence, anyone intercepting or hacking the server can access your messages."
"End-to-end encryption - in the case of high-level encryption, the encryption begins right at the user's device – the endpoint. It remains encrypted during the entire transmission to the receiving end (the recipient's device), with no chance for the server to intercept or read the email. Also, the servers (and the service provider) cannot decrypt your message since the decryption keys only remain private to the sources.
Some common end-to-end encryption protocols include the following.
S/MIME: The Secure/Multipurpose Internet Mail Extensions (S/MIME) is an asymmetric end-to-end encryption protocol that works by verifying senders' identity via signed certificates from a Certificate Authority.
PGP: Pretty Good Privacy (PGP) is a safer decentralized encryption system that utilizes symmetric and asymmetric protocols. It's easy to use the services as it doesn't require the parties to exchange private keys. However, users must rely on third-party services (such as privacy-friendly email clients) for encryption."

("Complete Your Privacy Setup: Secure email protects your messages, but a VPN encrypts your entire internet connection. Get NordVPN Now {https://go.nordvpn.net/aff_c?offer_id=15&aff_id=131444&url_id=902} → Hide your IP address and encrypt all internet traffic - $3.39/month with 30-day money-back guarantee. Combine secure email with NordVPN for complete privacy protection.")

1. ProtonMail – Best Overall Secure Email (lots of recommendations on FB):
https://www.tkqlhce.com/click-101537733-17089345
"Pricing: Free (500MB, 1 address), $4.99/month (5GB, 5 addresses)"
"IMAP only on paid plans
Subject lines not encrypted"

3. Fastmail – Best for Business Users
https://join.fastmail.com/59135b8224db
"Pricing: $3/month (2GB), $5/month (25GB), $9/month (100GB)"
"Not all businesses can jump to end-to-end encrypted mail, especially if they rely on integrations, but Fastmail is a good middle-ground (it provides TLS in transit and encryption at rest). Based in Australia (with mirror servers in the US), Fastmail is a privacy-respecting email provider that doesn't mine your data and offers lots of productivity features."

"Privacy-Respecting: No data mining or ad targeting
IMAP Support: Full email client compatibility
Custom Domains: Professional email addresses
Calendar & Contacts: Integrated productivity tools"

The 20 Most Secure Email Providers to Use in 2026:
https://privacysavvy.com/email/best/secure-email-providers/
Top 5 secure email providers – Quick list:

"ProtonMail – An open-source, end-to-end encrypted, freemium platform with zero-knowledge and zero access technology.
Tuta – Top-notch encryption standards with a user-friendly interface. However, lacks inclusive search features.
Mailfence – End-to-end encrypted email service supporting encrypted email messages to non-PGP recipients too.
CounterMail – Stores emails on temporary servers in encrypted form; supports additional protection with USB key. Paid service only.
Hushmail – Easy-to-use encrypted email service with a premium model and free trial; supports personal and business uses alike."

Mailfence: https://mailfence.com/
"Mailfence, headquartered in Belgium, is a security-focused email provider that has strong security features. Like other providers featured in this article, it offers end-to-end encryption to ensure your email messages remain secure from snoopers.
It is an excellent private email client offering 500 MB file storage for free alongside added features.
On top of standard features, this private email service offers a built-in Keystore, which helps manage your OpenPGP encryption keys. You also get to send encrypted messages to anyone who doesn't use PGP."

Hushmail Review 2026: Secure But not a Privacy-friendly Option:
https://privacysavvy.com/reviews/email/hushmail/
"Pricing: $11.99/month (Starter plan) - $49.98/year and $119 for 3 years with a 60-day money-back guarantee."
"Hushmail is a Canadian-based email service that has been in the industry for more than twenty years. It uses standard encryption algorithms such as TLA/SSL and OpenPGP to secure email messages."
"The company guarantees the protection of your email messages. However, the privacy policy complies with warrants requesting user data from the US and Canadian governments."
"Hushmail uses a secure SSL/TSL tunnel to encrypt your mail in transit, and OpenPGP encrypts it at rest. In addition to encryption, the service employs other advanced security features like certificate pinning and forward secrecy. Also, it uses HTTP Strict Transport Security (HSTS) to protect you against Man-in-the-middle attacks."
"... when sending an email to a third-party email service, the email is not sent directly. First, it is sent to the Hushmail servers, and then Hushmail takes charge of the authentication process.
The recipients will then receive an email bearing a link. The link leads to Hushmail servers; they must set a password. Upon clicking the link and setting the password, users can decrypt the message sent. This means the message never leaves the Hushmail servers and is always protected by OpenPGP encryption, whether sent to Hushmail servers or an external email account."

Mailbox: https://mailbox.org/en/
"Pricing: $1/month ..."
"Mailbox is one of the classics of the sector based in Berlin, Germany. This is another sustainable service powered by green energy. It boasts a native web client that users can access from anywhere. The email client also offers useful add-ons such as a calendar and task manager."

"Simple and easy user interface
30-day no-risk free trial
Anonymous, ad-free, and secure"

Posteo: https://posteo.de/en
"Pricing: $1/month ... the provider allows you to pay for your email account through multiple channels, such as via a bank card, PayPal, or courier. That guarantees an account owner leaves no digital traces when making payments."
"Posteo has no free account, but its entry-level plan offers 2 GB of email storage for €1 per month. If you need more email storage, add an extra gigabyte for €0.25 per month, up to a limit of 20 GB."

"Although Posteo offers strong built-in encryption options, they also support IMAP. That allows you to use it with different email clients on any device you want.
Posteo goes beyond most email services to protect its users' privacy by automatically removing IP addresses from emails. So, anyone monitoring your email traffic can neither see the location from which you sent an email nor the sender's location when you receive one."
"No spam folder (spam is either rejected or sent to a normal inbox)

Everything is encrypted in the subject, headers, body, metadata, and attachments
Mail, attachments, calendar, and contacts are encrypted with OpenPGP on secure servers in Germany
Supports anonymous payment (in cash)
Strong commitment to protecting privacy, sustainable energy, and other social initiatives
Self-funded; good results
Maximum confidentiality: no logs, deletion of the IP address, secure storage with daily backups"

StartMail: https://www.startmail.com/
"Pricing: $57/month ... StartMail doesn't have a free account but allows you to test its service for free for 30 days."

"It is completely interoperable with other PGP clients due to its integrated use of PGP. That enables the users to send encrypted emails to a non-PGP user who knows a secret question to decrypt the email.
StartMail allows you to create unlimited disposable email addresses (aliases).
It has no dedicated mobile applications. But complete SMTP and IMAP support allow you to use any third-party email application with the service on almost all operating systems, including Windows, Android, iOS, Linux, and macOS."

Best Private and Secure Email Providers 2026 -
StartMail: https://cyberguy.com/StartMail
Create a private email account to safeguard your privacy and security:
https://cyberguy.com/privacy/best-private-and-secure-email-providers/
"EXCLUSIVE CYBERGUY DEAL – 50% OFF: $29.94 for first year ($2.50 per month, billed annually). Includes a free 7-day trial. https://cyberguy.com/StartMail"
"StartMail may sound familiar, and there's a good reason for that. It was created by the same founders who originally launched StartPage, the privacy-focused search engine known for delivering Google results while protecting people under strict EU privacy standards."

StartMail email address
20 GB of email
Unlimited custom email aliases with every account at no extra cost
Unlimited burner/ disposable email addresses with every account at no extra cost
Access email on any device
BTC payment (user only creates a username and thus stays completely anonymous when paying with Bitcoin)
End-to-end encryption via IMAP/ OpenPGP
Password-protected emails
Easy email migration without technical expertise
No ads, no tracking
Advanced spam filter

12 Best Secure Email Providers for Privacy in 2025:
https://typewire.com/blog/read/2025-08-05-12-best-secure-email-providers-for-privacy-in-2025

Best email services for security and privacy:
https://www.consumeraffairs.com/news/best-email-services-for-security-and-privacy-052725.html
" ProtonMail, Outlook, and Gmail (!?) are the three top scoring emails for security and privacy.
Mail.com, AOL and Yahoo are the three lowest scoring."

Best secure email provider of 2025: https://www.techradar.com/best/best-secure-email-providers

10 Most Secure Email Service Providers for Personal Use:
https://computer.howstuffworks.com/e-mail-messaging/most-secure-email-service.htm

The 18 Best Private Email Providers in 2026:
https://vpnoverview.com/privacy/anonymous-browsing/secure-email-providers/

"Proton Mail: The best private email service for ordinary users and top-level executives
Mailfence: Excellent private email service with strong encryption and aliases
StartMail: Secure email service with unlimited aliases
Tutanota: Green private email service with a generous free plan
Librem Mail: Useful private email if you want a security suite
Thexyz: Secure email service with a robust spam filter
CounterMail: Private email to prevent man-in-the-middle attacks
Soverin: An easy-to-use and secure mailbox
Zoho Mail: Secure email provider for businesses
Hushmail: A secure email service for healthcare and law professionals
Kolab Now: Useful private email for teams and families
Posteo: Green private email service at an affordable price
Mailbox.org: Browser-based email service with extra productivity tools
ServerMX: Reliable encrypted mail hosting with multiple custom domains
Private-Mail: Excellent mail and file synchronization options
Runbox: Sustainable email service from Norway
Disroot: Private email provider for different languages
Neo: Good cloud storage for entrepreneurs and growing businesses"

"In addition to using any of the private email services listed above, you should always use a VPN when dealing with sensitive information. A VPN encrypts your activity and keeps your identity and personal data away from prying eyes."

What are passkeys? Hint: They're faster and safer than passwords:
https://www.consumeraffairs.com/news/what-are-passkeys-hint-theyre-faster-and-safer-than-passwords-050925.html

CSMWrap: Enable Legacy BIOS Support on Modern UEFI PCs

"Do you yearn to run Windows XP, play vintage games, or utilize specialized software designed for older systems on your modern PC?

The transition from Legacy BIOS to UEFI has created a compatibility chasm, leaving many of us stranded.

But fear not, because a brilliant solution has emerged: CSMWrap."

https://www.tech2geek.net/csmwrap-how-to-enable-legacy-bios-support-on-modern-uefi-pcs/

"CSMWrap is an EFI application designed to be a drop-in solution to enable legacy BIOS booting on modern UEFI-only (class 3) systems. It achieves this by wrapping a Compatibility Support Module (CSM) build of the SeaBIOS project as an out-of-firmware EFI application, effectively creating a compatibility layer for traditional PC BIOS operation."

https://github.com/CSMWrap/CSMWrap

"That means you can boot classic operating like FreeDOS directly on newer EFI-only laptops and

PCs. The developers "highly recommended that the partition table used is MBR" for compatibility."

https://sourceforge.net/p/freedos/news/2026/03/csmwrap-200/

Bring Back The BIOS! (To UEFI Systems, That Is):

https://hackaday.com/2025/05/29/bring-back-the-bios-to-uefi-systems-that-is/

"At the dawn of the PC, IBM provided the Basic Input Output System (BIOS). It took care of bringing the machine up, and exposed a series of software hooks for the hardware. Over the years the BIOS and its updated descendants served us well, but as we entered a 64-bit world its limitations began to show.

The replacement was the Unified Extensible Firmware Interface or UEFI, and the chances are you're viewing this on a machine which uses it in some capacity. But what if you only have UEFI and need BIOS to run a piece of older software? Never fear, because here's CSMWrap, which brings it back, just for you.

Under the hood it's a wrapper for the SeaBIOS compatibility support module, doing the work of setting up the memory mapping such that it will load, and ensuring that other services such as the VGA BIOS are loaded. As it stands it can boot FreeDOS and some older Windows versions under UEFI in QEMU, and it's claimed also run on real hardware. We don't often need to run DOS on our 2025 machine, but it's neat to know we can.

Meanwhile if the BIOS interests you, know that there's also an open source BIOS for the earliest of PCs."

CSM wrap 2.0.0: https://www.bttr-software.de/forum/forum_entry.php?id=23205

" PCI BAR Relocation - Automatically relocate PCI BARs from >4GB to <4GB, eliminating the need to disable "Above 4G Decoding" in UEFI settings.
PCIe Resizable BAR Support - Shrink large BARs (e.g., 4GB GPU VRAM) to 256MB using PCIe ReBAR capability, eliminating the need to disable "Resizable Bar/Smart Access Memory" in UEFI settings.
BIOS Proxy Helper Core - Dedicate an AP for BIOS calls from the BSP. This allows usage of CSMWrap with legacy OSes calling BIOS routines from Virtual 8086 Mode and other improvements.
MP Table Generation - Generate Intel MPS 1.4 tables from ACPI MADT for legacy OSes that don't support ACPI.
SMBIOS 3.0 → 2.x Synthesis - Generate SMBIOS 2.x entry point when only 3.0 is available.
Boot Device Detection - Auto-detect boot drive and build BBS table with correct priority."

Tuesday, March 10, 2026

FreeNAS vs. OpenMediaVault vs. Amahi: Which Is Best for a DIY NAS?

(2023) https://www.thetechedvocate.org/freenas-vs-openmediavault-vs-amahi-which-is-best-for-a-diy-nas/

Also see:

(2021) https://www.reddit.com/r/HomeServer/comments/nv34oi/why_is_amahi_not_a_popular_home_server_solution/

(2015) https://www.simplehomelab.com/amahi-home-server-easy-home-server-solution/

https://www.amahi.org/ & https://wiki.amahi.org/index.php/Main_Page

" Virtual Private Networking, right out of the box! No hardware to install, no cables to wire, no hassle! Amahi includes a pre-configured, customized OpenVPN server and a one-click install IPsec VPN. All you need is a VPN client program for your OS..."

https://github.com/amahi & https://github.com/amahi/platform?tab=readme-ov-file#readme

Amahi iOS App - check Apple app store.

Amahi default is Fedora, but it could be installed on Ubuntu instead ( (Amahi 6) in 2013 - no longer being updated:

https://wiki.amahi.org/index.php/Ubuntu_Tutorials

"As of Amahi 8 we only support 64bit platforms. this included most if not all INTEL or AMD processors.

Support for 32bits, marvell and other platforms have been dropped."

winevdm - A 16-bit Windows emulator, ported to 64-bit Windows, for running OLD programs

"16-bit Windows (Windows 1.x, 2.x, 3.0, 3.1, etc.) on 64-bit Windows."

An alternative to DOSBox or vDosPlus that may work better in some situations:

https://github.com/otya128/winevdm

"It can also run DOS executables (DOS emulator-like). You can set the DOS version with the VDMDOSVER environment variable.

DOS emulation is incomplete and it is recommended to use DOSBox or MS-DOS Player."

Friday, March 6, 2026

Best Car History Report Services in 2026 (Zilocar, Carfax, AutoCheck, etc.)

This seems like a legitimate comparison of Carfax and it's alternatives. They picked Zilocar as #1 ...

https://bestvehiclehistoryreport.com/

"Zilocar was the only report that felt clear, complete, and actually useful without all the marketing fluff."

"Zilocar was the only report provider I tested that nailed every category I care about. It pulls from over 70 trusted sources, including the big names: NICB, NHTSA, insurance carriers, auction houses, and lien databases with a detailed timeline of ownership, mileage verification, and title issues."

"If you're serious about doing your homework before buying, Zilocar is the report worth paying for."

"Carfax has the brand recognition for a reason — their reports are comprehensive and well-formatted. However, pricing can get expensive quickly if you need multiple reports. The service record section is particularly strong, showing detailed maintenance history when available. The mobile app is also well-designed for checking VINs on the go."

"AutoCheck (owned by Experian) offers solid value for money with their unlimited report packages. The scoring system is helpful for quickly assessing vehicle condition. While not as detailed as premium services, it covers the essentials well and is particularly strong on auction data..."

"GoodCar focuses on simplicity and user experience, providing clean, easy-to-read reports. Their mobile-first approach makes checking vehicles on the go seamless. While the data coverage is decent, it lacks some of the deeper insights found in premium services. The pricing is competitive, making it a good option for casual buyers."

"ClearVIN provides comprehensive reports with a focus on transparency and data accuracy. Their reports include detailed sections on title history, accident records, and market analysis. The interface is professional, though sometimes feels cluttered with information. They offer good customer support and stand behind their data accuracy."

"carVertical brings blockchain technology to vehicle history reports, promising more secure and tamper-proof data. While the concept is innovative, the execution still feels early-stage. The reports cover international vehicles well, which is a major advantage for imported cars. However, the interface can be confusing and the blockchain features don't always add clear value for typical buyers."

"How do I interpret each section of a VIN?
Each part of the VIN encodes specific information such as manufacturer, model details, year, plant, and serial number.

1–3 (WMI): Manufacturer & region
4–8 (VDS): Vehicle descriptor (engine, body, trim)
9: Check digit (validates VIN authenticity)
10: Model year
11: Assembly plant
12–17 (VIS): Serial/production number

Which official or free VIN decoding sources are reliable?
The NHTSA offers a free VIN decoder using manufacturer-reported data, but coverage may be incomplete for some models. https://www.nhtsa.gov/vin-decoder

Download and run Hornady Reloading Guide on PC & Mac (Emulator)

Use Bluestacks emulator to run the smartphone app:
https://www.bluestacks.com/apps/tools/hornady-reloading-guide-on-pc.html

Wednesday, March 4, 2026

Microsoft Planner Alternatives

Most home projects don't need more than a ToDo list, but if things get more complicated, one of these might help:

Best Microsoft Planner Alternatives of 2026:
https://www.projectmanager.com/blog/best-microsoft-planner-alternatives
"Microsoft Planner ... organizes teamwork and tasks for project management. It's a hub for teams to work together, make plans, assign tasks and check progress with dashboards.
The tool acts as a hub for project documentation, file sharing, and team visibility.
...
However, it isn't fully compatible with Microsoft Project—Microsoft's most advanced project management software—because it can't open or edit Microsoft Project files (MPP files). "

11 Best Microsoft Office 365 Planner Alternatives in 2026:
https://clickup.com/blog/microsoft-planner-alternatives/

Tool name	Use case	Best for
ClickUp	All-in-one project and task management app	Teams needing deep customization, AI-powered features, and seamless collaboration
Todoist	Minimalist task management	Individuals and small teams looking for simple yet effective task organization
Asana	Workflow automation for teams	Mid-sized teams requiring structured workflows, automation, and goal tracking
Trello	Simple Kanban organization	Visual organization enthusiasts who prefer a drag-and-drop Kanban system
Wrike	Enterprise-grade project portfolio management	Enterprises managing multiple complex projects with detailed resource planning
Monday.com	Visual workflow customization	Teams wanting a highly customizable, visually-driven project management system
Smartsheet	Spreadsheet-style project tracking	Teams comfortable with spreadsheets but needing advanced project-tracking tools
MeisterTask	Intuitive task transitions	Users seeking a clean, modern interface with automation for task movement
Jira	Agile development cycle management	Software development teams tracking sprints, bugs, and technical workflows
Notion	Flexible all-in-one workspace	Teams requiring a hybrid solution combining notes, databases, and task management
Basecamp	Straightforward team communication	Small teams and freelancers looking for an easy-to-use, communication-focused tool

Best Free and Open Source Alternatives to Microsoft Planner (2022):
https://www.linuxlinks.com/best-free-open-source-alternatives-microsoft-planner/
"Taiga is an open source project management platform for startups and agile developers and designers who want a simple, beautiful tool that makes work truly enjoyable.
Taiga can handle both simple and complex projects."
https://taiga.io/ - https://github.com/taigaio - https://github.com/taigaio/taiga-docker
https://docs.taiga.io/ - https://community.taiga.io/

"Focalboard is a self-hosted project management tool that helps define, organize, track and manage work across individuals and teams. The software is available in two editions: Personal Desktop, a desktop app for todos and personal projects. The other edition is Mattermost Boards which is a self-hosted or cloud server for team planning and collaboration."
https://www.focalboard.com/ - https://www.focalboard.com/download/

Best open source Microsoft Planner alternative:
https://www.openproject.org/project-management-software-alternatives/best-ms-planner-alternative/
"OpenProject provides greater flexibility as an open source project management tool with both cloud and self-hosted options. It offers a wide range of features, including Gantt charts, work package planning, task boards, and time tracking. ... it supports both Agile and Waterfall methodologies, making it ideal for tracking dependencies, timelines, and resources. Whether cloud-based or self-hosted, OpenProject users enjoy the same high level of customization, including the ability to create custom workflows, fields, and roles to meet specific project needs."
https://www.openproject.org/download-and-installation/
https://www.openproject.org/docs/installation-and-operations/installation/packaged/
OpenProject on Docker all-in-one container:
https://www.openproject.org/docs/installation-and-operations/installation/docker/
"Kubernetes is a container orchestration tool. As such it can use the OpenProject docker container in the same manner as shown in the docker section.
If you'd like to run OpenProject on Kubernetes, please take a look at the OpenProject helm chart."
Helm chart for OpenProject:
https://www.openproject.org/docs/installation-and-operations/installation/helm-chart/
"This is the chart for OpenProject itself. It bootstraps an OpenProject instance, optionally with a PostgreSQL database and Memcached.
Prerequisites -
Kubernetes 1.16+
Helm 3.0.0+
PV provisioner support in the underlying infrastructure"

Open Source Microsoft Planner Alternatives:
https://alternativeto.net/software/microsoft-planner/?license=opensource

"AFFiNE - Open-source, privacy-focused workspace combining note-taking, project and task management, Kanban board, interactive whiteboard, Pomodoro timer, Markdown support, offline access, real-time team collaboration with @mentions, goal tracking, subtasks, and customizable features."
https://affine.pro/ - https://affine.pro/download

"ToDoList - Organize projects with deeply nested tasks, multi-language support, and flexible XML storage. Streamline scheduling, customize printing with stylesheets, and collaborate efficiently on multiple projects ..."
https://www.abstractspoon.com/

"Org Mode - Your life in plain text -
A GNU Emacs major mode for keeping notes, authoring documents, computational notebooks, literate programming, maintaining to-do lists, planning projects, and more — in a fast and effective plain text system. (Mac. Windows, Linux)"
https://orgmode.org/ - https://orgmode.org/org.html#Installation
"Org mode is an authoring tool and a TODO list manager for GNU Emacs. It relies on a lightweight plain-text markup language used in files with the '.org' extension."
"Org mode is implemented on top of Outline mode, which makes it possible to keep the content of large files well-structured. Visibility cycling and structure editing help you work with the tree. Tables are easily created with a built-in table editor. Plain text URL-like links connect to websites, emails, Usenet messages, BBDB entries, and any files related to the projects."