A place to Learn a Lot About a Lot!
If you have some spare brain cycles for the weekend, here's a tutorial on how to upscale low-resolution videos to HD quality using the ffmpeg media processing tool, including practical limitations, upscaling with different aspect ratios, video padding, use of motion filters and unsharpen mask, results with 720p and 1080p output, transcoding performance, use of CPU and GPU codecs, smart TV…
Today's piece shalt be nerdy, nerdy shalt be today's piece. This is a somewhat niche but hopefully useful tutorial on how to troubleshoot Event Log messages related to RestartManager and seemingly inexplicable Application and Conductor SID warnings for random programs in Windows 10, including deeper overview of the problem, custom event filtering and comparison to other Windows machines, MSI…
Life in the avantgarde lane. Behold, an article about the ongoing, everyday use of the /e/OS de-Googled Android operating system, using Fairphone 6 as the test device, including significant complications related to app management due to mixed proprietary and open-source backend stores and software authenticity opaqueness, examples with VLC and Proton Authenticator, issues with a first-use SIM…
Today's piece is going to make you laugh. Or cry. Or both. Here's an article demonstrating possible and likely imposition of morality with public link preview thumbnail labeling for content shared via WhatsApp in a private chat, including specific scenario, additional testing with link previews on and off and other chat clients, morality connotations and social conditioning, implications of…
Something fun for the weekend. A tutorial on how to stream multi-audio multi-subtitles media like DVD to a local file using the VLC cross-platform media player, including differences between conversion and streaming methods, transcoding options and tweaks, syntax differences between GUI and command-line settings, scripting, and more. Take a look.
Here's my long-term usage review and report 14 of the Slimbook Executive laptop running Kubuntu 24.04 LTS, including UEFI and Secure Boot keys update nonsense, still present intermittent random suspend and wake problem, bugs and problems with various programs - GwenView, IrfanView, MPV, and lxd, improved virtualization with VirtualBox 7.2, issues with update repos and mirrors, everyday use, good…
Hello there! Behold, a detailed, thorough review of Murena Workspace cloud-based collaboration office suite, tested on the desktop and on the Fairphone 6 smartphone with /e/OS installed, including free tier options and apps, signup and logic process, various problems with data sync and backup to the cloud, usability, ergonomics, maturity of various suite components, mail and calendar options,…
I've written a somewhat shorter review of /e/OS 4.0 de-Googled Android operating system, using Fairphone 6 as the test device, including upgrade process, privacy and security baseline post upgrade, system improvements, weather application, Murena cloud suite, wallpapers, performance, ergonomics, new and old bugs, and more. Take a look.
Blimey am I happy! Two in a row! Here's a most fantastic, highly enthusiastic, follow-up review of Upscayl, a cross-platform offline local AI image enhancer software, tested on a Linux system with hybrid Nvidia graphics, including new features and models since the last report, improved rendering times and results, differences in output quality and suitability among various models, optimal settings…
Dedo happy, yay! I present thee with a short, blissful article about the latest state of Kubuntu 24.04 LTS following a series of updates on a 12-year-old laptop with hybrid Nvidia graphics, 4K display and SSD, including new video drivers, new kernel, improved performance and responsiveness, streamlined user experience, no errors or issues, and then some. Goodness abides.
Merry weekend. Here's a not-so-merry article discussing the upcoming implementation of the Android Developer Verification framework by Google, including practicality and scope of the idea, sideloading and potential conflict of interest, gatekeeping and competition, technology overload, Internet design and question of trust, a safer security model for Android, future implications of the proposed…
Upside down, Tux you turn me. Behold, a semi-philosophical article and rant about various recent developments in the Linux desktop space, focusing mostly on misguided approach to everyday usage, with some missed opportunities, lax application security, trends and statistics, backward compatibility, overall design model and usability, and more. Have fun.
I believe you will find today's piece most invigorating. Here's a rather long, detailed review of the /e/OS de-Googled Android operating system, tested on Fairphone 6, including usage model and differences from stock Android, MicroG service and potential security implications and considerations, first run and setup, look and feel, default applications and permissions, network and location…
'Tis the season to be jolly. Or grumpy? I can't remember. So, behold a review and report 12 of my Samsung A54 mid-range smartphone long-term usage, including major One UI 8.5 update, some useful new features, various annoyances and bugs before and after, ergonomic regressions due to transparency and additional taps for certain functions, everyday use, performance and battery life, and more. Enjoy.
Here's a nice way to commemorate the twentieth anniversary of Dedoimedo. I'm doing it the Hobbit way, I give away presents, so to speak. Throughout the entire month of July, for 31 days, you can buy my entire Smashwords catalog at half the price. All of these books are DRM-free, and one of the titles is available at no cost. What a fantastic treat, eh. Also, let's call it a Winter Sale for those…
Celebrate good times, come on! Here's a milestone article announcing the twentieth anniversary of Dedoimedo, including early work, rise and growth in popularity, usefulness of the site as a career booster, the slow deterioration of the Internet, overall take on the technological landscape, future work and plans, and more. Happy birthday, Dedo. Twenty years! Party on!
Mr. Optimism reporting for duty! Here's another largely negative review. Now, we have a periodic take on Windows 11, including slow and buggy upgrade to 25H2 with numerous problems and errors, pointless modern Storage management, intrusive Web search functionality, improved speed and responsiveness in the updated desktop, various other annoyances, and more. Take a look.
I've written a largely negative review of Fedora Workstation 44 Gnome edition, covering installation in a dual-boot setup and some post-install usage, including dangerous software management that offers unofficial packages for popular programs while simultaneously ignoring official versions, unnecessarily alarmist device security report, appearance and customization with extensions, applications,…
Time flies, especially when you're flying. Today, we have a lovely, nostalgic review of the DOS-era 1942: The Pacific Air War WW2 combat flight simulator, including modern setup, performance and sound tweaks, overview, army and navy pilot career options, dazzling array of missions, various planes with different handling characteristics and weaponry, game difficulty setting, clever dynamics and…
Brief, but not short. I've written a detailed if not overly extensive review of one Google Pixel 8 Pro high-end smartphone, including specification, clean account setup, upgrade from Android 14 to 16, security and privacy settings, lots of unwanted apps, various ergonomic and usability issues, average audio and display, phenomenal camera, performance, everyday use, some other observations, and…
Here's some solid reading for the weekend. I present you with an extremely long, detailed, thorough guide on modern Internet security, including precaution and caveats, browser security, primary and secondary browser choice, adblocking extensions, mail security, day-to-day mail practices like plain-text mail and punycode handling, mail urgency and legitimacy, how to inspect links, how to treat…
I am extra cheerful today, as opposed to my normaly mega-grumpy. To wit, I give thee this rather lovely article and rant on why scanning QR codes is wrong, including the irony of humans verifying themselves to machines, illiteracy and opaqueness factors, normalization of smartphone-based rituals, increased dependency on so-called approved hardware, intellectual, moral and societal implications for…
A sustainable, clean mobile experience. Let's have it. Maybe. This be my long-term report 1 of the Fairphone 6 midrange smartphone running Android, including multiple rounds of patches and upgrades in versions 15 and 16, numerous visual and ergonomic regressions in the new edition, security features, privacy annoyances, everyday use and functionality, and more. Take a look.
Fighting anti-ergonomic pseudo-modern minimalism one CSS tweak at a time, yet again. Here's a tutorial showing how to adjust the newly changed address bar background color in Firefox 151, with new urlbar-related class declarations in the userChrome CSS file. Enjoy.
Will someone think of the economy? Not me. I give thee a short, happy article extolling the value and capabilities of an 11-year-old Lenovo G50 laptop in the modern and up-to-date software environment, including modest build spec of two-core four-thread i3 CPU, 8 GB of RAM and integrated graphics, custom-added SSD for improved performance, use of Kubuntu 24.04 LTS as operating system, use of Linux…
Windows baddies? In my non-Windows? Here's a short tutorial on how to increase security for Windows programs installed through the CrossOver compatibility layer software in Linux and macOS, including host-level security features, use of network proxy, removal and edit of drive paths, manual deletion of specific executables, and more. Have fun.
Your newly elected Patrician saying hello. This is my long-term use report 2 of the Macbook Pro and macOS, including Tahoe 26.4 upgrade and various system improvements, Samba share shortcut fix, Liquid Glass tweaks, small problems and niggles with Windows programs running in CrossOver, TextEdit right-click Translate and Look Up options, Finder folder settings and image viewing, everyday usability…
I've written a short tutorial on how to configure application windows with absolute position when started up in the Plasma desktop environment, with extensive built-in window management capabilities, some notes on X11 versus Wayland, additional tips and tricks, and more. Take a look.
Good news until 2036! Here's my detailed review of the Kubuntu 26.04 Resolute Raccoon LTS release, tested in a dual-boot configuration on a laptop with AMD Ryzen 5 processor and integrated graphics, including live session, installation, post-install use, Wayland and X11 sessions, major differences between the two with still favorable functionality and performance in the X11 desktop, package…
Today's article ought to be very interesting. It's my long-term usage review and report 9 of the Slimbook Titan laptop, with Nvidia RTX 3070 graphics and pro-enabled Kubuntu 22.04 LTS as the operating system, including an extensive set of news and findings like Steam Proton compatibility, ArmA 3 game fixes and online gaming, performance problems when charging due to a broken charger and subsequent…
I have a need, a need for slower speed. Here's a short tutorial on how to resolve system freezes, potential disk corruption and other reliability issues when copying data to and from NTFS-formatted devices in Linux by using the slower ntfs-3g utility rather than built-in ntfs3 kernel driver, manifestation of the problems, module blacklist, large data volume testing, performance, consistency, and…
New is always better, or is it? Here's a handy and timely guide on how to use firejail and Xpra to securely sandbox Linux applications, including no-network trivial example, more complicated example of an AppImage-based chat program setup with no root, private namespaces and X11 session, convenient use of ready profiles, client-server sandboxing for local and remote X11 desktops, other tips and…
Let my programs run! Behold, a detailed, thorough review of CrossOver, a WINE-based Microsoft compatibility layer software, tested in macOS 26 Tahoe, including installation and additional setup of Rosetta x86 emulation, usage testing with Office 2010, IrfanView, KompoZer, Notepad++, Kerkyhtea rendering program, and multiple versions of SketchUp with associated OpenGL graphics acceleration issues…
I've written my review slash report 11 of my Samsung A54 mid-range smartphone long-term usage, including day-to-day stuff and changes after several rounds of updates, camera permissions, overzealous photo editing AI and similar nonsense, deteriorating battery life, VPN as battery saver, USB port moisture, some other observations, and more. Enjoy.
May you enjoy my long-term usage review and report 13 of the Slimbook Executive laptop running Kubuntu 24.04 LTS, including major performance boost with new HWE kernel 6.17, reduced heating and extended battery life, corrupt filesystem on external USB disk when using ntfs3 kernel module, brief problem with image viewing, outstanding problem with random suspend and resume, good package management,…
Words do come easy to me, but is there a program that will accept them all nice like? Here's a review of the Pages word processor in macOS, including basic look and feel, counterintuitive toolbar ans sidebar functionality, average styles management, average Microsoft Word compatibility with font replacements and elements removal, missing support for LibreOffice file format, media management,…
Some light reading ere the weekend. A tutorial showing how to work around the VirtualBox Guest Additions compilation problems in Ubuntu guest operating systems running newer kernels by removing stock ISO-provided additions and installing repo-available version. Enjoy.
This ain't no April's Fool joke. I give thee a tutorial on how to work around the playback issue and security warning when trying to open media files in non-Apple default program like VLC in macOS, including differences between double click and right click, Gatekeeper exception, some other observations, and more. Take a look.
Today, on Friday Obscure! A short article explaining the supposedly alarming problem of failed logon audit in Windows triggered by disabled Guest account access over the network check when viewing sharing properties for folders in Windows Explorer, detailed audit information, how to interpret and test the failure, and a bit more. Have fun, or something.
Today, we have a second tutorial on how to improve performance in DOS games running in DOSBox emulator with the use of JEMM memory manager, including required DOSBox configuration changes, JEMMEX loading and memory range, added bonus of sound improvements, a few other tricks, and more. Enjoy.
Here's a long-term review and usability report of the iPhone 11 with iOS 26 Liquid Glass, including new impressions and findings, performance and responsiveness with latest patches, Lockdown mode functionality, iCloud and data popups, on-idle reboots, everyday use, and more. Take a look.
This is my second tutorial on how to improve sound and music compatibility in old DOS games played in the DOSBox emulator, including Sound Blaster tweaks, AdLib Gold tweaks, digital effects, separate configurations, other tips and tricks, and more. Have fun.
I don't worry, worry don't agree. Here's a happy article showcasing a macOS operating system upgrade from Sequoia to Tahoe on a Macbook Pro, including quick and simple setup, excellent results, minimal changes and post-ugrade tweaking needed with one small regression, Liquid Glass ergonomics, overall desktop usability, comparison to Windows and Linux, other observations, and more. There you go.
The software quality deteriorating bingo card. We're slowly getting there. In this article, I want to talk to you about a sudden manifestation of system instability and multiple BSOD events on a Windows 10 system following the July 2025 patches, including sequence of recurring problems spread over several months, potential software and hardware faults, image restore to pre-July state and results…
Last time we had nerdy and neat, now we have super nerdy and super neat. Behold, a complex yet awesome tutorial explaining how to open NTFS-formatted TrueCrypt and VeraCrypt containers with write access in macOS, including potential processor architecture and software limitations, combination of Linux virtualization, device passthrough and dmcrypt utility as workaround method to mount and use said…
Here's something rather nerdy and neat. A tutorial on how to gain read and write functionality for NTFS-formatted devices in macOS by utilizing virtualization and Linux guest operating system, including device passthrough option, ntfs and ntfs-3g drivers, shared folder functionality, and more. Have fun.
Happy happy Dedo. We have an article and rant about the lack of product-focused approach in Linux desktop development, concepts of philosophy and essence of product, Wayland and systemd examples over the years, growing and alarming fragmentation, the choice fallacy of open source, and more. Enjoy.
Some wee debugging ere the weekend. A tutorial on how to resolve intermittent networking problems in Ubuntu with the kernel 6.8.0-100-generic, including overview of the issue with Web pages not loading, apt repositories not reachable or ping command failing, workaround by booting into an older kernel, how to edit and update the GRUB menu style and timeout, and more. Take a look.
Here's something handy. A tutorial on how to use TrueCrypt and VeraCrypt containers natively in Linux without relying on either program by utilizing built-in kernel dmcrypt functionality, including flexibility of use on multiple platforms and processor architectures, legacy format, data ownership and mount point permissions, optional use of tcplay, some other tips and tricks, and more. I believe…
Your favorite peasant reporting on what it's like to live like nobility! Behold, long-term use report 1 and productivity guide on using the Macbook and macOS for everyday tasks, including Time Machine backups, Finder search and data management, printing, media playback, performance, battery life, some small problems and annoyances, and more. And there was much rejoicing.