PDF Printing In Linux

Installing a PDF printer in Mint is very easy.

sudo apt-get install cups-pdf

Now the printer is available and files go to a PDF folder in your Home folder. 

BitTorrent Sync

2019-01-21 I don't like any of these . . .

2017-06-22 Now Called Resilio (BTsync) seems easier to use this time I tried it but I think Syncthing is better for me.
(I have found this a pain in the butt to use)
Linking your personal computers and their selected folders is easy with Dropbox. Sometimes it is uncomfortable leaving your files accessible to a third party like Dropbox or those who hack Dropbox. BitTorrent Sync may be a viable solution. This will set up private BitTorrent between computers. I think this is outstanding and much faster than other methods.

It would even be great for sharing large files with others. They will need to be able and willing to use BTSync. If they are not then maybe they don't need the file :)

I installed it on two computers. Let the program install a default folder in the user account and dropped a test file into one folder. I copied the "secret" code into the second install.The file magically appeared in the second computer's default folder. New sync folders can easily be added or deleted.

Under "show folder preferences" a one time code can be created with a 24 hour time limit with full or read only access. This could work for large file transfer to people. It would be easy to drop a new folder containing the file into your Bittorrent Sync and send the code to someone.

No third party server is involved and transfers are stated as being secure. Steve Gibson says it is secure. (go in to about 1 hr 7 min)

Setup is mindlessly easy but I have only done this on a local network as yet and not off site.

Here is a good little YouTube explanation.

Setting up mobile is completely crazy. Install BTSync on the mobile and create a folder. Then create a folder on a PC that is only for things you want synchronized to the phone. When you go to preferences on the PC and select "connect to mobile device" a QR code will pop up. Scan it with the mobile BTSync and the "secret" will be read into the mobile app. I believe you would want a special limited folder for mobile because of the mobile's limited storage.

It would take some planning to handle the storage with BTSync. Unlike Dropbox there is no cloud storage to hold the data and folders can not exist inside of folders. This is a completely cool and effective method of syncing and sharing data.

But honestly, the cloud is very handy and day to day I will still use Dropbox on a regular basis. And BTS for more specialty transfers.

Spinrite Not Booting

On the refurbished Dell at one station I am getting some lagging and can't isolate the cause. Spinrite won't boot. I need to see if RAID is turned on in BIOS or flip the AHCI mode and see it that is the cause.

My New Das Cherry Blue Keyboard

I now have a new Das mechanical blue keyboard (on sale). First off the click is not nearly as loud as I expected. I like the lighter touch and the audible feedback is great. I can see why people prefer a mechanical keyboard. The bad news is using a normal keyboard feels much worse now. Ignorance was bliss.

The experience is hard to describe but definitely better with mechanical. I can't say the world is changed forever but I'm please to have it. It feels like I need to use better typing posture than the sloppy hand movements I have become accustomed to using. Maybe I should say it benefits from a better key strike or encourages better key strikes. Or maybe it is all part of acclimating to the mechanical keyboard. This one does not have the wrist wrest that my old one had so is actually more tiring. I may need to find some way to incorporate a wrest but don't know what that would be yet.

Ebay Sniping

Why would I call attention and encourage bidding competition I don't know? But this is a great sniping site. http://www.gixen.com I just grabbed a Samson Go Mic for $4.84 with $10 shipping. That puts it a little under half of the new cost and where it should be. I don't know why it went so low when all the others go for higher. I can only guess that the lack of bidding and high shipping caused it to slip through. I credit Gixen for placing the bid at the last moment and my not having to bid it up along the way and call attention to it.

A great feature of Gixen is grouping. You can bid on several of the same item and place them in a group. Once one item of the group is won, the others in the group are cancelled.

I appreciate the simplicity of the bidding. Just set your top price and let it go. Yes eBay does this but it shows that you have bid and calls attention to the activity. With Gixen, no one knows you have set the price.

I've tried Jbidwatcher a few times but needing to keep the computer running diminishes the value.

Gixen has been around for some time but I never tried it. I don't say you are going to win often or steal anything. You do stand the chance of getting a deal but the ease and organization of bidding is where the value lies for me.

Currently I am determined to buy a Blue Yeti for under $60 including shipping and it just isn't happening. Gixen just may get it for me.

Email Encryption

I went to Reagan dot com to keep the NSA at bay, someone said to me a few days ago. Sorry, but that ain't going to do it. NSA is grabbing your email (probably) before it ever gets to the Reagan servers. The only way to keep your nuclear codes safe is to use encryption. I don't have any nuclear codes but here is a simple way to send encrypted Gmail with a Chrome extension.

Secure Gmail is simple and two people simply need a password. I don't see where it even takes any resources but maybe I am missing something. Here is a LifeHacker link discussing it.

Here is a link for http://www.mailvelope.com/ which has a Chrome extension. Here is Mailvelope's resource usage:

But Mailvelope is much more complex to set up than Secure Gmail.

Get Dropbox

Use this link to sign up for Dropbox THIS LINK. When you use this link, I get 500 Mbps credit for a larger box. Then use your own link to invite your friends to increase the size of your drop box. Don't let the length of this post intimidate you. Dropbox is dead simple. Just do it.

Dropbox will give you the opportunity to invite everyone in your Gmail. I chose not to do this as with any time some service offers this method. It just feels wrong :) I prefer to send selected people my link.

If you tell Dropbox to automatically upload photos from your phone, Dropbox may give you more space if that deal is still valid. You can turn that off later if you wish and still keep the free space. I let my phone pictures sync with Google Drive because it works better for me.

Dropbox has been around forever and is not new but I am using it more and more. My box size is now 50+ GB and all free. I use Google Drive extensively also but for different reasons.

Be sure to install Dropbox on all the computers you use regularly. Dropbox becomes a folder on those computers. Then Dropbox keeps the information in that folder synchronized as well as available in the cloud and available online.

Dropbox is somewhat secure from casual prying eyes but has been hacked in the past. You can add more security in different ways. On thing I use to keep certain numbers that I would not want public is a little encrypted and password protected file called Steganos Locknote.exe. LOCKNOTE LINK  It is not only a program but the file itself. When you open Locknote, simply add test like any notepad. When you "save as" you then set the password. You can rename to "mycrazyname.exe" just like any file. If you close the file with the upper right x it will keep the established password with no hassle. If you choose "save as" you can change the password.

This is what LockNote looks like the first time you open it:

I use Locknote in other ways on my PC and on Flash drives.

Ammyy Remote Desktop

Ammyy is a slick and free remote desktop tool. File transfer works fine. Ammyy says all traffic is encrypted but I would use some caution as to what I was transferring.

Ammyy does not install so deleting the program removes it. Ammyy does place a "data" folder in C:\ProgramData that should be deleted separately if Ammyy is deleted. Also if you have instructed Ammyy to install the Ammyy service, you should tell Ammyy to Ammyy>service>remove that service before you delete the program. The service can easily be removed later but that is a different issue and instruction.

When Ammyy is started it provides an id number. That number will be remembered on the system and is used to connect by either providing that number to another party or using it yourself to access the PC from another location. If you have installed Ammyy as a service (and have that service started), Ammyy does not need to be running on the host computer in order to access the host from a remote computer.

When leaving Ammyy service running it is a good idea to set up permissions and password.

Download speed varies I'm sure but here is an example: No speed demon but gets the job done.

I have not yet been able to connect using an IP address for some reason and have only had success with client id numbers. This is while using the Ammyy service. Maybe IP would work with Ammyy program running on both.

I see a lot of warnings on Google about Ammyy scams and dangers. As far as I can tell this amounts to someone with a heavy accent calling and saying, "I'm from Microsoft and I'm here to help you". If you are stupid enough to listen then you have more problems than Ammyy.

I like it for the following:
No install
Easy (once you realize the service must be started if Ammyy is not running) (the service will start with reboot if set to automatic or you must start it manually if no reboot).
File transfer works
Fairly fast
No need to forward ports
Free with no limitations or nagging about upgrading.

I was not able to connect with someone in a hotel with a high speed internet access provider and splash page. I assume the HSIAP's router was blocking the ports somehow and I am trying to figure that out.

Host File Editor

http://hostsfileeditor.codeplex.com/
Editing the host file is more complicated in Windows 7 and using this little program is a much easier was of doing it.