Internet is necessary evil. How do you keep track of passwords?

The default passwords used have already been hacked.

Most average users who buy a router just push all the buttons and accept default password I think. 

One option is totally free. I used it for at least 10 years.
 I recommend using the free gorilla on PC, Mac, Linux and passwdsafe on Android, pwsafe on IOS. In all the cases, the password file can be saved on dropbox which is also available on PC, Mac, Linux, Android, IOS. You have to remember 1 password as a minimum. I have used PC, Linux, Android platforms myself.

If you want to get commercial password manager, the cheapest one is Lastpass. Lastpass also has a free version you can try. I know people using Lastpass for a long time. I don't have first hand experience with it.

I understand that there is more sophisticated one called Dashlane and bunch of others. Take your pick but you do need a password manager.

Average user has 2 email accounts, Netflix, 1 or 2 banks, 1 or 2 retirement accounts, cell phone, Wirelss router, Home automation and security, Travel sites, Credit cards, Brokerage, internet service provider, atm pin numbers, security locks pin numbers, Utility, AAA or AARP, Auto Insurance, Health Insurance, Airline freq flyer, Car toll payment, . Home owners need accounts for Water company, Trash company.

You get the idea?


 

GoControl $100 kit and others from Home Depot, Lowes compatible with Smarthings

The 3 door contact sensors are pretty much the same as the  monoprice one which sells for about $25 each or ecolink for $27 each or Aeon labs contact sensor for $25. I ordered one from monoprice too. Also works with smartthings. Save yourself money buy not buying the multipurpose sensor from smartthings for $40 each unless you need the other functions like vibration, orientation and angle (tilt), temperature which are required to sense door open/close status of garage, end of cycle of laundry washer, dryer.

Note that you have other choices to sense the status of garage door such as
monoprice Z-Wave Garage Door Sensor
It is currently listed at $22. Same is sold by ecolink for $27.

Note that the same motion sensor in the GoControl kit is sold by Monoprice for $22 and by ecolink for $32. For the price of buying 2 contact sensors, 1 motion sensor at Monoprice you get the GoControl kit which includes the siren as well.

Note that the SmartThings smarthome monitor kit includes just 1 motion sensor and 2 multipurpose sensors and 1 controlled plug for $150 more than the hub. Not a good value at average cost of $37.50 each.

You can buy controlled electrical outlet from monoprice for $27 or from Aeon Labs for $30.

So, this kit is good value. For add-on consider monoprice, Aeon labs or even many iris brand devices sold at Lowe's compatible with SmartThings.

Finally, note that most wink enabled devices are likely to work with SmartThings and some of the Lowes Iris devices may work with smartthings. You can always return if they don't work.

The following are known to work with SmartThings and cheaper than SmartThings devices.

Ex: Lowes Iris Utilitech 85-Decibels Indoor Siren for $35.
                  Iris Contact Sensor (Works with Iris) for $23
                  Iris Motion Sensor (Works with Iris) for $30

Home Depot Essentials DIY Home Security Kit, Z-Wave and Wink Enabled $50
                     1 motion sensor, 2 contact sensors.

That is the beauty of open hubs like SmartThings and Wink.

 


 





 
 

Open letter to Garmin.

You were the market leader in GPS long before cell phones became popular. Just saw you 2014 earnings report and noted that 20% of your revenue is from fitness devices but automotive was still 60%. You have a narrow window of opportunity to stay relevant in Auto and avoid the fate of one trick ponies like GoPro and fitbit.

1. Connect to obd2 port in the car and use the smartphone as display. You can enter new markets.

2. Get rid of dependence on connecting to a computer to update maps or firmware. Go direct with wifi.

3. Make all Garmin devices under the same account talk to each other. If user adds a new road or trail on one, all other devices must see it. Users have the option to share the maps with others as in crowd sourcing. "MyGarmin everywhere"

4. Seamlessly connect with Google and waze to get traffic info and other info in real time. People love the Garmin GUI but hate to connect to computer to update maps and hate to subscribe to traffic services.

5. Sell lifetime maps update for Android and IOS for 2x cost of adding that to your garmin units. Eg. difference in price between LM and non LM. You make money without investing in hardware.

6. Price your fitness device less than Apple or Android devices but a superset of the functionality with the plus of "MyGarmin everywhere".

7. On all your hardware devices, add SIM cards and offer lifetime data updates when on the road but wifi to do big updates.

8. Let the garmin auto unit be a hotspot if users insert their own SIM card.

Well. That is food for thought for now...

End of Dual boot Linux, Windows and on to Windows in a virtual PC in linux for me.

What? Me? Linux? What is Linux? These are your questions. I know.

What is Linux?

In simple language, Linux is really the free version of Mac OS which is also a flavor of Unix operation system. Apple convinced everyone in mid 1980 that its innovation was its Graphical User Interface and their OS. Actually it was Xerox Star the precursor to the first Macintosh.

Xerox failed to commercialize the personal computer with GUI. Apple did for the high end and Microsoft did for the low end. I believe that Apple did the right thing by adopting Unix.

I applaud Microsoft for not getting into the hardware business for years and allowing the masses who could not afford Apple machines. However, MSDOS which made it possible to use very low cost hardware without GUI became too popular for its own good and under the hood or Windows is MSDOS even today. Windows NT 4.0 and later Windows 95 was much better but the legacy support is what makes it ancient.

The corporations have been using Linux on cheap hardware and pretty much the same GUI as Mac and Windows on those machines. So, why not the rest of us?
Problem is support. Linux is open source. There is not one company supporting it for the consumer market in a practical way. That is why an average consumer may not know what Linux is. Also, there is some software which is not available on Unix. Lucky me. It is down to just tax software and will maker for now.

I have been using Linux at home since 2006. However just to use 2 or 3 programs available on Windows, I was dual booting the same computer to run either Windows or Linux. Only about one week of the year I used the Windows. Unfortunately, that is when all hell breaks lose. Most recently, after I installed will maker, windows 10 decided to update itself without asking me but will not boot again. I got the more stable Windows 8.1 original licensed disk and installed it inside a "virtual" PC inside the Linux. It took just 15GB. Nice thing is I drag and drop the virtual PC folder onto an external drive and I can run it on any Linux machine.

What do I use Linux for? Firefox browser for everything you do on PC or Mac, read write Microsoft documents, Adobe PDF, ebooks, read write CD, DVD, Bluray disks, Skype, stock trading, etc. That is probably what you do anyway.

See screenshot of Windows 8.1 inside Xubuntu 15.10 Linux in virtualbox:

If you are looking for excitement and you know how to down load what is known as ISO image, write a DVD you are ready to try Linux. Otherwise, buy the expensive Mac or put up with Windows.

If you want to try, get your really old PC which you think is not fast enough to run windows, firefox, MS office. Try this.

Download the ISO and write a DVD using a PC or Mac.
http://cdimage.ubuntu.com/xubuntu/releases/15.10/release/
If you have a 64bit pc get

xubuntu-15.10-desktop-amd64.iso 

else get xubuntu-15.10-desktop-i386.iso 

Now you are ready to install.

There are plenty of videos on youtube to help you.

Have fun.