Bitter Grounds Magazine
espresso fueled ramblingsComputers, apps & software
Be still my geeky heart – digital spirograph!
Someone created a digital Spirograph. Oh, be still my heart! Yes, someone took the effort to convert the old toy from the 60s, into an online version. Nathan Friend created the digital Spirograph in 2014, and it's still running. Check it out here Inspirograph...
It’s time to examine your password insecurities
It's time to look at insecure passwords and unhealthy habits. Every year, about this time, I visit lists of commonly used passwords around the world. It's a tech support horror show of bad practices and lazy behaviour. I drive some customers up the wall with my...
Uninstall Adobe Flash now – a plain language explanation
If your website still relies on Adobe Flash, it's time to update the site. It was time to ditch Flash years ago, but a small percentage of designers still use it. By the end of 2020, Adobe will no longer support or offer the Flash player and it will be removed from...
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Use Skype without an account for meetings
Microsoft has rolled out a few useful updates lately, the best being the ability to use Skype without an account. If you use Microsoft Edge, you can make Skype calls without logging into Microsoft or using the Skype app. No sign up needed for you or anyone joining the...
Microsoft Editor grammar check extension
It's been a while since I looked at browser extensions. In the past, I've been frustrated by the lack of quality and choice. That meant I had little motivation to check the Microsoft store for new or improved extensions. Recently I took another look and found...
What is my IP for beginners?
"What is my IP" is something I'm asked occasionally. When a mildly confused customer emails me with that question, my first response is to ask why they need it. I'm not trying to be a pain, I'm just a little wary about the reasons. Let's start from the beginning. What...
WordPress won’t save drafts
I just spent the past 2 hours trying to figure out why my WordPress site won't save drafts or publish. Arrgh. Not only that, the entire site kept timing out and showing an error loading. Troubleshooting WordPress issues can be a major pain, triggering off all kinds...
Surface Duo now pre-ordering
Be still my beating heart – Surface Duo is now pre-ordering. If you haven’t seen it yet, you've missed out on the best news of the summer. https://youtu.be/CqRKOY4Cgvw Surface Duo is the perfect road warrior - compact, light-weight and innovative. Oh yes, I'm a...
WT:Social – an alternative to Facebook?
I’ve signed onto WT.Social to see if it’s a viable alternative to Facebook. Like many, I’m experiencing a growing distaste for Facebook's uninhibited support of hate groups and trolls. It’s not a matter of it being out of control – there doesn’t seem to be any...
Tech Gifts for Women – not the usual pinkification
I’ve been looking over tech gifts for women lists and keep having the same visceral reaction to many of them. The pinkification is alive and well in the tech industry. Ideas seem to end with “and cute” too often. Many lists are simply insulting and out of touch....
Meet a grammar assassin’s phishing fail
A customer just sent me this phishing attempt they received via email. I've blocked out what they wrote along with the 6 lines of cc: email addresses for obvious reasons: It is eye-wateringly bad. Oh James, James, James! This is what happens when you don't pay...
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