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19 Feb 2021 - Podcast #731 - (21:40)
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Strong passwords are essential to the safety of your data, and there are lots of techniques for creating good ones. Let's look at some ways to create and secure good passwords.
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First, use a password manager such as LastPass, 1Pass, RoboForm, or Dashlane. Some people recommend against password managers, but they use faulty logic when doing so. What if someone breaks in to the password manager's server? Probably nothing happens. A good password manager will, first of all, create a secure website and will create virtually unbreakable security.
These services encrypt your passwords on their servers, during the time they're moving between their server and your computer, and when they're stored on your computer. To exploit your passwords, a crook would need to get past the password manager's security, know your user name, and break the strong encryption that's linked to your master password. Given the advantages password managers offer, fearing a threat with a minuscule (but still non-zero) possibility isn't a good use of your time.
So the first step is to choose a password manager.
Websites, especially those that involve finance in any form, often include a third item in addition to a user name and password. One bank requests my user name and then the site shows me an image. If it's not the image I expected, it's an indication that I mistyped the user name. The next step is entering the password and, if it's right, the site asks a security question. Although I'm comfortable with the security offered by this arrangement, it could be improved by substituting two-factor authentication for the picture and the security question.
Authy is a free service that provides a six-digit security key for the sites you set up. The key changes every 30 seconds, so the user must have the correct user name, password, and security key to log on to a site. Even if someone manages to capture the user name and password, the security key is likely to change before they can use it and guessing the key is unlikely because 6 numerals gives 106 — 1,000,000 — possibilities.
Most password managers have functions that generate secure passwords, but you might also want to consider a separate service such as Passwords Generator, which is a free online service.
The user specifies the length of the password, whether it will contain uppercase letters, lowercase letters, numbers, and symbols. Password Generator allows the user to specify which symbols will be used (the default is !"#$%&'()*+,-./:;<=>?@[]^_`{|}~), and whether the password can start with a symbol. Strong passwords should be long (16 characters or more), contain uppercase and lowercase letters, numbers, and symbols. It's wise to eliminate look-alike characters such as the number 1 and a lowercase l, and the number 0 and an uppercase O.
Why not just type your own random characters? As it turns out, when humans try to type random characters, they don't do a very good job. The password generator will do a better job.
If you use a password manager, a password such as X#yb_{J?6/w~YpAd isn't a problem because the password manager will supply it as needed. But if you have to remember the password so that you can type it, you'll quickly find that such a password isn't even slightly memorable.
When I worked in an office where password changes were required every 45 days and password managers were prohibited, I created a system that allowed me to leave my password hint written in plain sight. First, I set a calendar reminder to change passwords every 42 days. That's every 6 weeks so the reminder would always fall on Wednesday. That eliminated having it fall on a Monday holiday or a Friday because I took a lot of Fridays off. Also, if I had set the reminders to every 45 days, some would occur on Saturdays and Sundays, then I would be locked out of some systems on the next Monday. The password requirements for the systems varied. Most of the systems required at least eight characters, but one was limited to eight characters. That meant my password would need to be exactly eight characters. Most systems required uppercase and lowercase letters, and some required numbers. The one that didn't require numbers would accept them. Some systems required symbols, but one allowed only three symbols (!?#). So I needed an eight-character password with a mix of uppercase and lowercase letters, at least one number, and one of three symbols. And it needed to be memorable.
Good password procedures limit passwords to use on a single system, but reusing the password for multiple internal systems seemed reasonable. So I started thinking about how to create a system.
This was several years ago, and I hope the company has improved password requirements since then. My system was easy to use and depended on references that none of my co-workers knew. When I used this system, I could put a PostIt note on my desk with the clues: "Dot1 Oct Ft Wayne". None of that would have made any sense to anyone but me. Today, for the first time, I'll explain how to get from "Dot1 Oct Ft Wayne" to password: ElB#1450.
Using various family members, symbols, and references to frequencies, I had more than 40 possible passwords that I didn't have to remember. I can explain this system now because I haven't used it for several years and will never use it again. Although I don't recommend a system like this if it can be avoided, it's a workable option for anyone who refuses or is not allowed to use a password manager.
Some people create long passwords by concatenating a song title like WeAllLiveInAYellowSubmarine. That has upper and lower case letters, but no numbers or symbols. WeAllLiveInAYell0wSubmar1ne would be better and WeAllLiveIn@Yell0wSubmar1ne would be even better, but then you need to remember which letters you've chosen to replace with numbers or symbols.
Seriously, if you can just use a password manager, use a password manager, and set up two-factor authentication for any site that allows it.
Microsoft's web browsers haven't exactly been the most loved applications. Many people used Internet Explorer, even though it was a lousy browser, because they didn't know how to install another browser and set it as the default, they didn't care, or Internet Explorer wasn't bad enough to spur action. At last, Microsoft may have gotten it right.
Regardless of which browser you prefer, the browser on your computer uses one of four rendering engines, and that's about to shrink to three. Or, for Windows users, two. Google Chrome and most other browsers use Blink, Firefox uses Gecko, and Microsoft has used its own proprietary Trident rendering engine, followed by EdgeHTML. Trident has been discontinued and EdgeHTML is currently in maintenance mode because the new Edge browser uses Blink. So Windows computer users have a choice of a Blink browser or a Gecko browser. If you have an Apple computer and use Safari, it runs the WebKit engine.
So that's one mainline browser using WebKit, one mainline browser running Gecko, and everybody else using Blink. I've been trying the Development channel for Microsoft Edge and there are some features to like. Until now I've used a Microsoft browser only when I needed to confirm that a website I'm working on functions properly. Edge may change that.
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For the past few years, Firefox has been my preferred default browser. I like its ability to synchronize settings between computers. Consistency is helpful so that expected websites are available in bookmarks on all the computers I use. That feature is also available in Edge.
I synchronize everything but passwords and history. History because I rarely need to use it, and when I do, it's almost always to visit I site that I recently left. Syncing that data would not be useful. Passwords because I to not allow browsers to store passwords, no matter how secure the developers say they are. Instead, I use a password manager.
The feature that I find most compelling is one that will doubtless be duplicated by other browsers, but Edge is the only browser that currently offers vertical tabs. Why? If you have only one or two tabs open simultaneously, prepare to be unimpressed. But if you're like me and have 15 tabs open most of the time, you may love this feature at first sight.
Even with a wide screen and the browser running nearly full screen, the text on the tabs is truncated when they run across the top of the screen. When the tabs are listed on the left side of the screen, the main part of the browser window may be slightly smaller, but the title of each window is longer and easier to read. This feature is most useful on computers with wide screens.
With wider tabs on the left side instead of narrow tabs at the top of the screen, I no longer accidentally close tabs by clicking the X instead of selecting the tab.
Late last year, Microsoft introduced "sleeping tabs". By default, any tab you haven't visited in two hours will go dormant. Users can adjust the time from five minutes to 12 hours as well as specify that some tabs are exempt. This feature is intended to allow the browser to release memory consumed by tabs and to reduce the ongoing CPU load. When a tab is sleeping, the tab is dimmed. Selecting the tab wakes it and refreshes the page.
Memory load has been an ongoing problem with both Chrome and Firefox. I've been experimenting with the option to put tabs to sleep when I haven't used them in five minutes. This is the most aggressive setting, and the one most likely to cause problems. Microsoft says sleeping tabs use about 32% less memory and 37% less CPU on average.
The potential disadvantage is that a sleeping tab won't display new information until you open it again. Facebook, for example, won't show new private messages until you wake the tab. This could also be an advantage in that it can reduce distractions.
If your computer is running the October 2020 version of Windows (20H2), the Alt-Tab key has a new feature for Edge (and also for Chrome): To use it, open Settings > System > Multitasking and choose one of the Alt-Tab functions that mentions Edge. Now pressing Alt-Tab will display all open applications and three, five, or all tabs in the browser.
But wait! See "Vertical Tabs For Firefox, Chrome, And Other Browsers" in Short Circuits next week!
Because browsers, with only one or two exceptions, are free, I like to test drive new versions. I've switched between Firefox and Chrome as the default browser several times. As Edge matures, it's likely to join the mix.
You have choices. Windows 10 computers will already have Edge installed, but there are three development channel options: Beta, Dev, and Canary. The most cautious approach would be to just give the (B) installed version a try, but it won't have all of the latest features, including the one that I find compelling. The safest of the Edge Insider channels is Beta. It's updated every six weeks. Next is the (A) Dev channel, which is what I use because it has survived some internal quality tests. Updates arrive once a week. For those who are seriously interested in the latest features and are willing to put up with a few surprises, there's the Canary channel, which is updated daily.
If you decide to try one of the preview versions of Edge, you'll be reminded when an updated version has been installed and you'll see a list of the new features. Being part of the Edge Insider program opens a communications channel that you can use to provide feedback about what you like and what you don't, what works and what doesn't, and describe features you'd like to see.
But always remember that this is beta software. You may experience surprising features. You may experience crashes. The safer option would be to try Edge as it came with Windows 10. But where's the fun in missing the excitement of using unproven software?
Chromebook users who have wished that Wacom would make a pen for use with their computers have had their wish granted, and the One by Wacom tablet that works with Windows and MacOS computers has now been upgraded to also work with Chromebooks.
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The One by Wacom pen tablet is the first Wacom device to be fully compatible with Chromebooks, and Wacom is building a library of content for educators in a new teachers support network. The tablet is available in two sizes, 8 inches by 6 and 11 inches by 7. It's a basic device that lacks features that are found in Wacom's more expensive tablets. No "express keys" are included on the tablet and it is not enabled for multi-touch.
To use the tablet, Chromebook computers must be running Chrome OS 87 or later and Kernel 4.4 or higher is required. It works with any version of Windows from Windows 7 and later, and with MacOS version 10.10 and later.
The small tablet is priced at $60 and the medium sells for $175.
A stylus is better than a mouse for drawing and writing. Because the One by Wacom doesn't have the ability to display what's on the screen as the much more expensive Wacom One, Cintiq, and Cintiq Pro models do,, the user needs to master the process of looking at the screen while drawing on the tablet. This is not as difficult to do as you might think.
Note that Wacom has created no small amount of confusion by naming two very different tablets with virtually the same name: The "One by Wacom" is an inexpensive tablet with limited functionality and no display. The "Wacom One" is an entry-level tablet with a display and significantly advanced features. The Wacom One is about the same size as the medium One by Wacom, but it's not compatible with Chromebooks and it costs $400.
Why Wacom chose to give two dissimilar tablets such similar names is a mystery.
The pen with the One by Wacom doesn't need a battery and the tablet is powered via a USB port on the computer. Some users will need an adapter to convert the small USB connector to USB-C connector.
To become a better photographer, take more pictures. That's the best advice anyone who has a camera and wants to use it better should accept.
San Francisco photographer and teacher Ben Long makes it clear that this is the best way to improve. It's much easier on the budget now than it was when we had film cameras because every click of the shutter used to be the equivalent of spending 50 cents or a dollar. It depended on the type of film used and the lab that did the processing. Digital cameras make every shot free. Yes, you have to buy the camera and dividing the cost of the camera by the number of pictures you'll take with it will yield a "cost per shot" value. But even then, more pictures lowers the per-photo cost.
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And it doesn't matter what camera you use. I'm remiss in getting out to take photos regularly, but I've internalized one truth: The best camera in the world is the one in your hand. So sometimes I shoot with a large digital SLR, sometimes with the camera in my phone, and probably most frequently with an advanced point-and-shoot camera.
One of the best examples of shooting every day is provided by Phil Adams. He posts five images every single day in Facebook's The Art and Artists of 614. He's also on Instagram as phil64justlooking. Phil uses a variety of cameras (Canon EOS 6D Mark II, Sony α6000, iPhone Xs) and says that he documents "ordinary stuff in 614 (mostly)."
I'm sure he takes more than five photos every day, and then selects five of them to share. It's a daily exercise that goes beyond looking to seeing. Finding patterns. Examining the way light plays on certain surfaces. Concentrating on seeing what's really there and then using a camera to capture it.
If, after viewing a photo of flaking paint, you say What's so special? I could do that! Well, yes, perhaps you could. But did you? Phil Adams actually did it. He saw the pattern, captured the image, and took the time to process it to get the appearance he wanted. If you want to improve your photography skills, this is how to do it.
I haven't been able to find statistics on the market penetration of Wi-Fi routers for home use, but it's probably safe to presume virtually all homes with high-speed internet connections have Wi-Fi routers. According to Statista, 87% of US homes have internet access. High-speed access is in the 60% range. So a lot of homes have high-speed internet access.
Wi-Fi routers typically operate in two frequency bands, 2.4GHz (slower) and 5GHz, so you should connect to the 5GHz signal if your router offers it and the equipment you're using supports it. Older computers and older routers operate only on the 2.4GHz band. But if your computer is connected to the 5GHz band, it may occasionally reconnect to the slower signal. There's one other reason to use the slower band: In a large house, areas that are far from the router may not get a good 5GHz signal.
If the computer has an Ethernet port and you're close enough to the router to use a wired connection, that will give you the best results. In that case, you can simply turn off the computer's Wi-Fi adapter. But if you need to use Wi-Fi and you're close enough to use the 5GHz signal, and you don't want the computer to be switched away from the higher-speed connection, click the network adapter link in the tray. This will be either the Wi-Fi symbol or (as shown here) the Ethernet symbol. You'll see a list of wired and wireless options.
I have a wired connection and prefer to use that at all times, but if something happens to the wired connection, I'd like to fall back to the 5GHz Wi-Fi signal. I don't ever want to use the 2.4GHz signal, though. After clicking the 2.4GHz connection, I can clear the check mark from Connect automatically. After changing that setting, you can still connect to the network manually by opening the list and clicking the Connect button, but Windows will never switch accidentally to the slower network.
In February 2001, I was talking about Windows XP, Microsoft's forthcoming operating system. One that some people are still using today. "To hear Microsoft tell it," I wrote, "the new operating system (Windows XP) will cure the common cold, allow NASA to establish colonies on Mars, improve your complexion, and grow hair on my balding head."
It was expected to be the most significant version of Windows since Windows 95, and that's exactly what it turned out to be. It was released near the end of October 2001, and offered home users an easier interface with more capabilities for multiple users to coexist on one computer, like Windows 2000. Windows XP was the first consumer version of Windows that was based on the Windows 2000 (which is to say "NT") core.
Some people still consider Windows XP to be the best version of Windows.
Edited 19 February 2021 at 8:05:05 to correct an error with the Windows XP release date.