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LG StanbyME Rollable Smart Touch Screen with 3hr Battery (27ART10AKPL) - I received this from Best Buy's Tech Insider network to review This is almost like answering a question that no one asked. Are people really clamoring for a smallish TV that has a battery and a weighted stand that can be wheeled around (and rotated) so they can watch in every room? I was skeptical, too - but depending on your home's layout and your use-cases, it could be a pretty unique solution. Installation This is a big, heavy box for a 27" screen, but there's a large, weighty base (with a battery) and a pole to elevate the display with an articulating mount that lets you flip it to portrait if you so desire (we didn't). It's a simple process requiring a Phillips screwdriver, but two people make it even easier when you need to "hang" the display on the stand, screw in the cable retainer, and snap in the cable cover.  Overall, it's easy and shouldn't take you more than...

HP M27h FHD 27" monitor with AMD Freesync - I received this from Best Buy's Tech Insider network to test and review. If you're in the market for a thin, adjustable FHD monitor with some eye care features, take a look at this HP M27h. Setup Unboxing and setup is easy. The box is well protected on all sides, so the monitor was perfect when it arrived.  If you're like me, sometimes you toss the Quick Start/Instructions aside so you can just get to it. Well, that still works for this, but the setup is a bit different than other VESA mount monitors ( so if you need a VESA-mount compatible monitor, this isn't it! ), so it might be worth checking out the 2-3 steps in the Quick Start. First, you'll want to find the short adjustable arm and slide that into the groove into the back of the monitor. Tighten the thumscrew, then attach the base to the arm and tighten two more thumbscrews. Once that's done, stand up the monitor!  The monitor is impressively thin and ligh...

In my last post professing my love for Minidiscs, I mentioned Buyee - a shopping service in Japan that will help you get unique goods from Japan, even if you can't read Japanese! I've traveled to Japan often and every time I go, I make sure to stock on some interesting and unique items for myself and sometimes, to resell. There are always some unique things that are hard (or impossible) to get overseas! Even though I can read enough Japanese to navigate websites and place orders, often I needed a Japanese address... Well, that's where Buyee comes into play! Registering for an account (free) gets you an address in their warehouse where they can receive packages for you (and more!). Why would you want to use Buyee if you can find some stuff on eBay? Look, eBay is good, but since many people are reselling (for a profit, of course) they are going to pass these costs onto you. So the exact same model MD player could be 2x to 4x more on eBay. Note, recently there are more Japanes...

As an *ahem* older audiophile (to clarify, not an elitist one with summit-fi budget, but a lover of sound-producing equipment) I grew up with music since the late 70s and consumed it in all ways that were available throughout the years. Photo by Sandy Kawadkar on Unsplash Besides the ever-present crackle of an AM/FM radio, the earliest physical format I can remember toying with is 8-track. We had an old 8-track deck and our old (wood paneled?) station wagon even had one in the dashboard! Amazing! Even when proper cassettes became popular, we had an adapter that would fit into the 8-track deck and allow us to play our new-fangled cassette tapes! I vividly remember buying, reading the inserts, and of course making custom mixes, with cassettes for years. I also was familiar with the winding of cassettes with pencils if things ever went awry. In high school I was lucky enough to have a Walkman that I could blast my music on while riding the bus. Digital And then, one day in the early 90s,...

OK so Day 1 wasn't bad, and I think I'm getting used to the structure/content. Hopefully we can be more efficient with the next few since there are a total of 32 sections in this course! I know, I do have 180 days from the date of purchase, but I'd like to get this done and line up the next course before my expiration in August 2023.  It seems like a long time, but work and "life in general" can get in the way so try not to procrastinate too much! Section 4 - Describing Common Endpoint Attacks This section covers the most common types of attacks on endpoints (PCs, smartphones) including: Buffer Overflow, Malware, Social Engineering, Web-based attacks, Rootkits, Privilege Escalation, etc. 4.1 - Intro - two videos, 24 minutes 4.2 - 4.5 4.6 - Social Engineering, short video,  4.12 - Summary Challenge - 12 questions 30-60 minutes Section 5 - Describing Network Security Technologies If you've been keeping up with security, even from a networking perspective, much o...

As I start this class for my recertification, I want to keep a log going to better understand the time investment and difficulty associated with it. Hopefully this can help you decide if this is the right class for you and how best to fit it into your own busy schedule (work/life/play). This course (SCOR 1.0) is designed to help you prepare for CCNP/CCIE-level security certifications and will cover a variety of security-related topics. Purchasing this course from the Cisco Learning Network Store will give you 180 days to access it and complete it. There are a whopping 32 sections in the table of contents with a "Summary Challenge" at the end of each section to test your retention. Doing well on these will surely affect your overall score which is important if you want to earn your CE credits for it. At a high-level, the course says it will teach you: Describe information security concepts and strategies within the network Describe how various network security technologies wo...

This is a 2023 update to my previous post about using Cisco Continuing Education (CE) credits to recertify your CCIE. Let's cut to the chase: You need/want to recertify your CCIE without taking an exam and you need to do it as quickly and cost-effectively as possible. Thanks to Cisco's Continuing Education program, you've had the option earn CE credits for years, but sorting through courses to find the best use of your time and money wasn't the easiest. Since it's time for me to recertify, I've had to dig into it a bit more and I hope this updated information helps you, too! Can I expense this? Probably! If you're working at a company that requires/benefits from your certifications and ongoing training, you should be able to expense your training courses! Step 1 - Determine your status Go to https://ce.cisco.com and login with your credentials to view your Dashboard of current certifications and training items you have taken in the past.  Mine looks like th...

Many of you "old school" CCIEs (4-digit ones for sure, and lower 5-digit ones) may be thinking about the need to stay active or go Emeritus . Emeritus There used to not be a choice! You were either active or inactive, but after your 10-year CCIE anniversary, Cisco now allows you to opt for an Emeritus status that still allows you to claim/show your CCIE status , albeit one that doesn't have the same benefits as an active one. Still, it is an option for those that no longer need to maintain an active status (for example, you're not at a Cisco partner that needs your CCIE for a partner role). Note the caveats for CCIE Emeritus status: CCIE/CCDE Emeritus is a non-active status. As such the following rules apply: DOES NOT recertify lower-level certifications DOES NOT provide TAC support privileges or preference DOES NOT count towards Channel/Partner requirements DOES NOT apply towards maintaining status levels for Channel Partners DOES NOT recognize/qualify for CCIE/CCDE...