Quick Tip: Don't Put Your PC on the Floor

That goes double if your desk is in a carpeted room. Allow me to briefly explain. The circulation fans are what make the “whir” noise when your box turns on. Blocking intake or exhaust will mean your gear runs hotter, and therefore, with less efficiency. An intake fan on a desktop PC. Don’t block these. This tool hides your big desktop PC underneath your desk, so it’s off the floor but out of the way....

June 1, 2020 · 1 min · 95 words · Kimberly Stuart

Everything You Need to Know About Nintendo Switch Modding

Some people mod and install custom firmware on their Switch consoles to install homebrew software. We don’t recommend it, but we’ll explain the process. Why We Recommend Against Modding Again, we recommend against modding your Nintendo Switch console. Why Would You Hack Your Switch? The ultimate goal is to install custom firmware on the unit that removes the original manufacturer’s restrictions. The same is true with Nintendo Switch. You’re running a custom version of Nintendo’s firmware....

May 31, 2020 · 4 min · 644 words · Cristina Ramirez

Peak Design's Updated Everyday Messenger Is an Alternative, Not an Upgrade

Related Quick Links The movie Alien (1979) is great. So is Aliens (1986). They’re very different films: the former decidedly horror, the latter firmly action. Which one’s better? It depends on who you ask, or even what mood you’re in. So it goes with Peak Design’s redesigned Everyday Messenger. The original was excellent, and so is the new one, but in different ways. On a technical level, I’d have to give the edge to the new design....

May 25, 2020 · 2 min · 415 words · Juan Ford DDS

Dell XPS 13 (2020) Review: Hail to the Tiny King

After that high praise, I admit I went into this review with a degree of skepticism. But you know what? That praise is justified. Every inch of the XPS 13 bleeds thoughtful design and engineering, backed up by excellent hardware and materials. The laptop isn’t perfect, but it’s damn close. And in fact, it would be hard to do better. Design The XPS 13 is an aluminum-and-carbon fiber-sandwich. Aside from its crazy-thin frame, the aesthetics of this laptop are actually pretty understated....

May 19, 2020 · 3 min · 588 words · Sherri Arnold

How to Use Amazon SES to Send Email

We need to first verify that we, in fact, own the email address that we’re using. Let’s go ahead and select Email Addresses on the left. We currently don’t have any verified email addresses, so punch Verify a New Email Address. A dialog will appear telling us that the verification email has been sent to that address. Let’s switch over to the email client. Once that verification is complete, go back to the SES console....

May 18, 2020 · 2 min · 342 words · Bradley Sherman

5 Fun and Basic Electronics Projects for Beginners

But you’re not about to assemble your own particle accelerator without tackling some simpler projects first. UPDATE: 9/8/21 Checked content for accuracy. The Tools To open most electronics, all you need is a decent set of screwdrivers. You’ll also want a soldering iron and various related accessories. Add on some solder, and you’re ready to go. But keep in mind that you’re going to make some mistakes. This tool will help you get that precise slice on any internal wires you’ll be using....

May 13, 2020 · 2 min · 290 words · Dr. Terry Guerra

Michael's Work-From-Home Setup: Triple-Monitor Desk Excess

I know I’ve had at least one component (the DVD drive in the computer) since 2008. When you have less than one major upgrade a year, it adds up. The motorized lifting legs and position memory (activated via the controller on the left) are wonderful. That’s enabled by trays running along the back of the desk. The only other cable I have to wrangle is Ethernet. The underside isn’t quite as tidy....

May 7, 2020 · 3 min · 446 words · Javier Nunez

Getting Started with Azure Storage Explorer

Additionally, it is possible to manage Azure Cosmos DB and Azure Data Lake Storage entities. In this article, we explore how to use the Azure Storage Explorer! Azure Storage Explorer Installation Download the installation file from the Microsoft download site and initiate the installer. After accepting the license agreement, destination location, and start menu location you will be able to launch. This makes it a very quick and easy to install....

May 6, 2020 · 3 min · 482 words · Matthew Richardson

Desired State Configuration (DSC): It's Easier Than You Think

Or perhaps you never saw yourself ever using it in production, so you didn’t bother? What Is DSC? The configuration that’s created and ran uses different DSCresourcesfromDSC Modules. DSC Modules are like a regular PowerShell Module, and the resources are its functions. What Can I Use DSC for? The hardest part about DSC for many is to find use cases for it. A DSC configuration consists mainly of 2 parts: The DSC configuration and the configuration data....

May 4, 2020 · 1 min · 160 words · Aaron Brown

What Is Infrastructure Testing and How to Do It with PowerShell

We can notice that there wasn’t an error thrown and also spot-check things afterward. But if the script is covering 1,000 users, there’s no way that’s going to be feasible. We need to use test automation, too! What Is Infrastructure Testing? One way to automate this kind of testing is with what is loosely called infrastructure testing. What is infrastructure testing? Testing a internet Port One typical example of an infrastructure test is testing a internet port....

April 30, 2020 · 1 min · 200 words · Eric Smith

How to Transfer File Permissions with PowerShell

Depending on how many files you’re migrating, this can be a lot. When moving files to a new location, the permissions don’t always come with them. There are a few ways to do this. One favorite tool to perform file migrations isrobocopy. When this happens, I’ll usually look into a tool calledicacls. First, we’ll need to download an existing tool that’s already created for us. In this case, we’re going to need a PowerShell module....

April 28, 2020 · 1 min · 120 words · Sarah Rodriguez

Delegating PowerShell Scripts with Just Enough Administration (JEA)

JEA can help you with just that and a lot more. What Is JEA? In addition, it’s possible for you to be extremely specific. It’s a tool that can save you a tremendous amount of time and secure your environment. Let’s get started by wrapping our script into a function. This is quite easy, assuming that you already have your set up. While RoleCapabilities can be created manually, it’s recommended to use theNew-PSRoleCapabilityFilecommand built into PowerShell 5....

April 24, 2020 · 1 min · 205 words · Maxwell Harmon

Tribit StormBox Review: Pint-Sized Powerful Sound

Related Quick Links Tribit’sStormBox speakeris the latest unit to be released by the company. I wasn’t disappointed. There is also a multi-function button between the two. Each button makes a satisfying click so you know you’ve activated it. The multifunction button has a number of operations depending on the gesture you use. Play and pause is controlled by a single click of the button. it’s possible for you to also answer calls with the multi-function button....

April 23, 2020 · 2 min · 376 words · Terry Johnson