General
Ed’ favourite things - Meet the Ti Arto EDC Pen
*** This is not a sponsored post *** I love Titanium EDC gear. Now that my obsession with Ti is out of the way, let’s talk about pens. Most people buy the cheapest pen they can find or that their company will provide. I would like to submit that a well-designed pen is as much a tool as it is a work of art. I bought my Ti Arto EDC pen in 2016 and it has been with me every day ever since.
Your smartphone security guide (iphone and android)
There are companies out there that will pay top dollar for working full chain smartphone vulnerabilities that will lead to a complete compromise (check out Zerodium as an example ). A full zero-click compromise for a patched android phone can net you a cool 2.5M$ (Wired). Considering how we use smartphones and the information they contain (or can leak), these aren’t just simple electronic tools. Smartphones can be considered a bionic extension of your mind—anyone who can access your phone gains unprecedented access to your mind, life and psyche.
Exodus Privacy will help you identify the trackers embedded in your favorite android apps
Companies large and small are always looking for new and creative ways to violate your privacy. One popular tool of the trade is to embed trackers and ask for more permissions than necessary to "steal" user data. The question is, how do you know what trackers are embedded in your installed Android apps? This is were The Exodus Privacy Report tool comes in. Here is a sample report for the Adobe Acrobat app <img src="https://ekiledjian2.micro.blog/uploads/2025/caba742274.jpg" alt=""> When you click on one of the trackers, it gives you interesting information
My view of the TikTok risk
This is an opinion piece. TikTok is a Chinese social media network that allows creators to publish short videos. It started with a ton of slapstick comedy and karaoke but has since matured with much more diverse content. It has become one of the most popular social media platforms because of its powerful video pairing algorithm. It has an incredible ability to show you a continuous stream of content you will find interesting, and it is usually correct. You can see samples on their trending webpage without needing an account.
Ed’ favourite things - Meet the Supply Co Single-Edge razor
*** Let me state at the top, that this is not a sponsored post. *** Look at my picture on my blog, and you will notice I have a shaved head. I have been shaving it since I was 18 years old using the standard Gillette cartridge razor and shaving cream method. Earlier this year, I started investigating alternative shaving techniques and tested over a dozen injector razors and double-edge razors. Cartridge style razors (Gillette, Harry's, Schick, etc.) are the type of blade most of us grew up using.
Microsoft has launched an initiative to help individuals acquire new digital skills
Microsoft has launched an incredible new initiative powered by free learning content, low-cost certifications and job seeker tools to help 25 million individuals re-enter the workforce. Microsoft has launched a new initiative that combines content from it's LinkedIn learning and Github entities, mixed with other content previously only available internally to Microsoft employees. The purpose of this initiative is to help upskill or retool individuals that may have lost their jobs due to COVID. Microsoft is forecasting up to a quarter-billion unemployed individuals (globally) in 2020 due to COVID.
A Canadian company breaking Internet censorship
Controlling the flow of information is a critical tool in the arsenal of despots, dictators and authoritarian regimes. Some countries want to block a handful of internet sites (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, etc.) while others exert an almost inconceivable stranglehold on the internet (think Iran). When we think of censorship, the typical list that comes to mind is North Korea, Iran, China and Cuba. The list is much more worrisome than that and includes countries such as Bahrain, Ethiopia, India, Pakistan, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Syria, United Arab Emirates and more.
Ed's favourite things - Best Qi wireless charger
This is not a sponsored post, and links are not affiliated links. Most moderately priced (or higher) smartphones now come with wireless charging, which means it is a little luxury you can easily add to your everyday experience. When evaluating wireless Qi chargers, I only looked at the stand models because it allows you to use the device while it charges, and it makes finding the charging zone effortless. Over the years, I have tested hundreds of cables, chargers and wireless chargers and have concluded that Anker and Ravpower manufacture the most reliable units.
Ed's favourite things - Best Password Manager
There is no shortage of password managers. Anytime you listen to a podcast or read an online blog post, you will probably be bombarded with ads for tools like Lastpass, Dashlane or 1Password. Add to that list the neverending supply of free password managers (Keepass, BitWarden, RoboForm, etc.) Free isn’t bad The truth is there are a lot of very good free password managers. These are great options for users that can't or don't want to spend money. I'll mention my favourite free pic later in the article.
Quickly uninstall apps from windows, even the sneaky ones
When you first started using your computer, it was silky smooth and fast. Now it is a sluggish mess. Especially now that many of you are stuck at home, you may be trying new apps that turn out to be a disappointment. How do you make sure you remove all the files when you uninstall that application? Why doesn't the app you just installed have an uninstall option in add/remove applications? The free app I am going to talk about will help with all of the above and more.
Use Google Chrome's built-in antivirus to scan windows
As millions around the world work from home, corporate security teams have ramped up their protection protocols because the threat actors are very active. Many threat actors have also lost their “day jobs” and are relying on their nefarious cyber activities to pay the bills/ From an antivirus perspective, most users will be properly protected by the free Windows Defender included with all versions of Windows 10 . You may have clicked on a questionable link or opened a questionable attachment and you scan your computer using Windows Defender.
A very short summary about computational photography
Computational photography is a field of image processing that uses computer algorithms to improve the quality of digital images. It was coined by Michael Abrash in 1999, and has seen a number of innovations since then. Smartphones use computational photography to improve the quality of their images, and this has had a major impact on traditional mirrorless camera vendors. By incorporating techniques such as deep fusion, which combines multiple images to reduce noise and increase resolution, smartphones are able to produce high-quality images even in challenging lighting conditions.
How to secure a smartphone
Smartphone hacking is a very lucrative business “threat actors”. Vulnerability broker Zerodium is now paying as much as $2,500,000.00 for an Android full chain (Zero-Click) with persistence. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="2496"]<img src="https://ekiledjian2.micro.blog/uploads/2025/4034d23fdb.jpg" alt=" https://zerodium.com/program.html "> https://zerodium.com/program.html [/caption] The increased payouts and interest in smartphone hacking isn’t because they are easy targets but because they are valuable. For most users, the smartphone is like a second brain. It contains personal data and insights like nothing ever has in the past.
The Google Pixel 4 isn't a good deal
Many friends and colleagues asked why I am not buying the Pixel 4, here is my diatribe. I am a big gadget geek. I love everything new and shiny, I have been an early adopter of every single Nexus, and Pixel phone Google has ever made. The Pixel 4 is their first device I will not acquire and here is why. Why I buy Google-branded devices? I am a big fan of Google-branded devices because they show what Google believes their software can do running on optimized hardware.
How to search the web while protecting your privacy
They want to know everything about you It is no secret that every advertising-funded site (Facebook, Yahoo, Google, Bing, etc) works very hard to build a complete profile about you. They want to know as much as possible so they can sell expensive highly targeted advertisements. Every search you perform, every site you visit, every link you click is recorded and analyzed. You live in a filter bubble The profile we talked about above is also used to return information the site believes you will like most (therefore making themselves more sticky).
Don't buy the Zendure SuperPort or SuperTank
The Zendure SuperPort and SuperTank are positively talked about on hundreds of blogs throughout the internet. I ordered (I paid for it) 2 SuperPort USBC chargers and a SuperTank 27,000 mAh battery. Both devices have the same design defect. When you have something plugged into the 100-watt port and then plug/unplug another device in the 60-watt port, it resets the 100-watt port every time. My first 2 SuperPorts were sent back to Zendure for engineering review and the 2 replacements also exhibit the same behaviour.
How to install Firefox on a Chromebook
There are many reasons why you may want to install Firefox on a Chromebook (could be for security, privacy or just as a technical challenge). You could install the Android app but that isn’t a full featured browser. Here are the instructions on how to install it in the Linux container. Go to Settings <img src="https://ekiledjian2.micro.blog/uploads/2025/44e5e1a112.jpg" alt=""> Search for Linux and Turn it On. <img src="https://ekiledjian2.micro.blog/uploads/2025/0405fafba9.jpg" alt=""> You will get the installation window.
It's time to evaluate your company
As we pass to the second half of the year, many companies start their annual merit review cycle. It is an opportunity for your leaders to evaluate the corpus of your work and determine how much value you delivered to the company (thus deserving a salary adjustment). What employees often forget is that they too should use this period as an opportunity to determine if they are doing the right job, in the right company & at the right compensation level.
The Phoozy spacesuit for your smartphone
What is a Phoozy? The Phoozy is a NASA space-suit inspired jacket for your phone that protects it from the searing rays of the sun or the frigid battery killing cold of winter. Have you ever gone to the beach and noticed your phone refusing to start with a temperature warning message (even though it was "protected" from the sun by a sun-umbrella?) The same happens at the other temperature extreme where the phone refuses to start because the components are too cold and the phone tries to protect itself.
Watch Netflix safely in the office
A new Chrome extension (called Netflix Hangouts) will make your Netflix stream look like a 4 person video conference by adding 3 additional video boxes onscreen. The Netflix show is housed in the bottom right hand box. You engage the extension by clicking on it and you stop it by clicking on it again (or closing the Netflix tab). <img src="https://ekiledjian2.micro.blog/uploads/2025/0a5a30e66c.jpg" alt=""> This will not trick network based traffic inspection devices. It just makes the screen look more business like.