General
9 most important questions to determine if a project is worthwhile
George H Heilmeier was a DARPA director and developed 9 questions to help the agency determine the worthiness of project being submitted to it for funding. These 9 powerful questions as referred to as the "Heilmeier Catechism" and have become a core operating paradigm for DARPA [Defense Advance Research Projects Activity] And IARPA [Intelligence Advance Research Project Activity]. These questions are so powerful, they are used in the business world day in and day out. I first learned about these questions while having lunch with a VC in San Francisco.
Plazmatic USB Rechargeable ARC lighter without butane
SEE UPDATE BELOW ABOUT WARRANTY CLAIM As a frequent traveler, I had always been looking for a lighter alternative that is safe to fly (as long is it is in your carry-on) so I decided to test the Plazmatic X lighter. This is also convenient to users wanted alternatives to disposable lighters or ones that require constant refueling. The Plazmatic X is a well built product made from metal.It is light to carry every day (as part of your EDC) but feels solid and reliable in the hand.
A free anonymous (TOR) Web browser for IOS
I have written plenty of articles about TOR over the years: What is Tor and should I use it Why use Facebook over the TOR secure network What is the dark web Is TOR really anonymous We know that large scale government actors that control many of the TOR exit nodes have techniques to deanonymize TOR traffic, but this is still difficult to do and TOR is still the most reliable web anonymization technique available.
IOS 10.2 brings WI-FI Calling for Telus Customers
Without much fanfare or pre-announcement, the IOS 10.2 update released earlier today finally enabled WI-FI calling for Telus customers. After installing the update, the device rebooted. I then enabled WI-FI calling by: Settings > Phone > WiFi Calling > Toggle ON WI-FI calling means cellular calls could be routed via a WIFI network in areas with poor cellular coverage. When the phone detect low cellular connectivity (aka reception dots in the upper left hand corner), it will route inbound and outbound calls with WIFI.
Free unlimited video calling when you travel
In November, I wrote an article that explained the new free unlimited Whatsapp offer from KnowRoaming for travellers. “TL;DR: All KnowRoaming customers get free unlimited Whatsapp text, picture and voice messaging in any of the countries KR supports.” When you consider Whatsapp is the primary communication tool for most users and that KnowRoaming has an extensive global roaming partnership network, it was a great win for their customers. The only thing that was not free was video messaging.
The dangers of using that Facebook personality game
[caption id="" align=“alignnone” width=“2500”]Image by Ludovic Bertron used under Creative Commons License [/caption] Tends to find fault with others o these questions look familiar? Tends to find fault with others Is relaxed, handles stress well Is emotionally stable, not easily upset Is easily distracted etc A large percentage of Facebook users have played with these "personality analysis" games at least once in their life (some do them regularly). Why not? It's a fun way of finding out if a "
First look at the Bose QC-30 Bluetooth noise-cancelling earphones
Apple hates ports and will kill each and every one of them come hell or high water. The iPhone 7 / 7 Plus pushed the market away from wired headphones into the loving arms of Bluetooth. Audiophiles will explain that Bluetooth has limited bandwidth which means audio fidelity is severely compromised and they are right. Bluetooth can't match the quality of a good set of wired headphones, but let's be honest, most people aren't listening to high quality audio tracks fed through a good headphone amp and $1000 headphones.
Best wired in-ear noise cancelling headphones
A question I receive regularly is "What in-ear noise cancelling headphone do you recommend for travel?" In 2013 my recommendation was the QC20/20i and that recommendation is still valid. The QC20/20i offers the best wired noise cancellation when comparing it to others in the same price category (and of course being wired). From a pure noise cancellation perspective, the QC20/20i does a better noise cancellation job than my QC25 but the QC25 does an overall better job because it benefits from over-ear noise isolation.
Free Google app to scan all your physical pictures powered by magic
The title may have been just a little exaggerated but most people, computational photography does feel like magic. Google knows you have boxes of photos just collecting dust and deteriorating. Our unofficial benevolent leader (aka Google) has decided to use its computer science chops to help Joe Regular digitize those boxes of old photos without having to fork over $500 for a flatbed scanner or spend hours retouching pictures. The app takes multiple pictures of each photo and completely get's rid of glare.
The hidden danger of using the SkyRoam global WIFI Hotspot
November 25 2016 update at the end of the article. TL;DR the service is still vulnerable. <img src="https://ekiledjian2.micro.blog/uploads/2025/1f84a083ca.jpg" alt=""> Since I traveled a lot in the past, I am always looking for new tech to make travel simpler,. easier or more enjoyable. Since smartphones are indispensable travel tools, I was very excited when SkyRoam was released and wrote several articles about it. But as a security guy, there is a hidden danger that I wanted to share with my audience.
Public Mobile to launch US Roaming Add-on
Public Mobile is a low-cost limited network Canadian mobile service provider. It has recently announced in its forums that it will be adding a new US Roaming add-on (option) through new deals struck with T-Mobile and AT&T. The carrier has said this is in response to comments made in its forums and will come in 10-day chunks of phone only, text only, data only or a combo plan. Limited data is available but we expect the options to look like this:
Will your Android phone allow someone to hack you?
[caption id="" align=“alignnone” width=“2400”]Image by Jared Tarbell used under creative commons license [/caption] When a new undisclosed (0 day) vulnerability is used to hack a target's device, the media jumps all over it and create a small panic. Government intelligence and organized crime are always looking for new creative ways to break into target devices and are willing to pay top dollar for new unknown hacks. Vulnerability brokers (companies that are willing to sell 0-day vulnerabilities) are paying to dollar for these rare and very in demand weaknesses.
What is Tor and should I use it
[caption id="" align=“alignnone” width=“2500”]Image by Justin Mathews used under Creative Commons License [/caption] Ive written about TOR a few times but I regularly receive emails from "newbies" asking me to describe what it is in general terms. That's what this article is about. To get things kicked off, let me share an important quote from everyone's favorite whistle blower, Edward Snowden: “I think Tor is the most important privacy-enhancing technology project being used today. I use Tor personally all the time.
Use Whatsapp for free next time you travel
Since Apple has decided to keep Apple Messages (iMessage) locked up to its platform, users the world over have chosen Whatsapp as the most common cross platform instant messaging platform. It allows you to send files and pictures. IT allows you to make Voice Over IP calls and is just an overall well designed easy to use tool. Whatsapp requires a data connection (3G/LTE) to work. This means using Whatsapp while travelling requires you to buy a local SIM Card (when you travel) or buy an expensive data pack from your home carrier.
Hill People Gear Mountain Serape Review
[caption id="" align=“alignnone” width=“1000”]Image by Hill People Gear [/caption] As the weather cools down and we prepare for Winter, one of the most important pieces of survival or emergency gear is related to body temperature. Whether you are a prepper or someone that spends a lot of time in a car, you should plan to have backup mechanism to keep warm in the event the unthinkable happens. Deployed soldiers have been modifying poncho liners for years during deployments. These modifications involve cutting holes, adding zippers and padding, etc.
Stove In A Can - Be ready for the next emergency
Anyone preparing for disaster / emergency knows that in addition to having easy to prepare food on hand, fire is an indispensable tool. Fire allows you to disinfect a tool, boil water (to sanitize it) or prepare different types of food. Fire is critical but difficult to make without preparation during an emergency. This is where Stove In A Can comes in. What is Stove In A Can? The Stove In a Can is a simple self contained stove with everything you need from the support frame, fuel and even matches.
Facebook knows more about you than you realize and what to do about it
Everyone knows what Facebook is and that it is built on the concept of connecting people together to create virtual communities. What people often don't realize is how much data these sites have about you. A good example was exposed by Huffington Post in an article entitled "Facebook Can Predict With Scary Accuracy If Your Relationship Will Last". If you doubt the power of data mining, read this Forbes article entitled "How Target Figured Out A Teen Girl Was Pregnant Before Her Father Did"
Cover your laptop's webcam now
We learned a couple of month's ago that Mark Zuckerberg covers his webcam with black tape (via a NY Times article) . Then FBI director James Comey made the same recommendation: "There's some sensible things you should be doing, and that's one of them," Director James Comey said during a conference at the Center for Strategic and International Studies." The truth is bad actors can easily hack into a laptop equipped with a camera without the user knowing it. Travellers are at an even higher risk because airports and hotels are used by intelligence agencies around the world to collect information (especially when you use a WIFI hotspot without first setting up a VPN - read this article).
Free WIFI next time you're in an Airport
If you are lucky enough to travel business class then you know how how wonderful free airport WIFI is. It is a chance to download content and update social media before your flight. What if you are not travelling business? You can spend between $9.99 - $59.99 for a daypass. Anil Polat, traveller and Computer engineer, created a simple website and smartphone app that shows an interactive map with passwords for hundreds of different airport lounges around the world. You click on an airport and are presented with the important information (WIFI password, location to use it, etc)
Best collapsible water bottle
The right gear makes travelling so much better.In 2014, I wrote an article about (my then) favourite foldable water bottle. At the time, it was the best foldable (small form factor) bottle money could buy but recently I discovered a new collapsible water bottle that puts the Vapur to shame. Why? With tighter and tighter airport security screenings, bringing your own water became a taboo. Most people just fork over the $5-7 a bottle and buy it at the airport convenience store but no more.