Ctrl blog

Feed Delta Updates plugin for WordPress

Reduce the bandwidth cost of your WordPress RSS feeds using Feed Deltas.

Syndication feed delta updates help reduce feed subscription bandwidth costs

Feed delta updates strip away feed entries that the subscriber has already download and only transmits the update delta consisting of new entries.

Brave micro-payments still not a hit with publishers yet

Brave Software has only attracted 120 publishers to join their Rewards program that gets rid of all ads.

When is it necessary to reload the FirewallD configuration?

Why and when do you need to run the ‘firewall-cmd --reload’ command after making changes to your FirewallD configuration?

Thoughts on Bluetooth 5 and the device pairing user experience

How come every Bluetooth device is so different? Do you shake it? unplug batteries? hold a button for two–ten seconds? This needs to change.

Fix the Windows 10 Data usage report when it stops counting data

Plenty of third-party firewalls and similar programs can break Windows 10’s Data usage counting. Here is how to make it count your data again.

Review: Neato D3 Connected robot vacuum

The D3 Connected is the only robotic vacuum cleaner I’ve had that damaged itself the first week and that sees “ghost furniture”.

Linode DNS Manager pitfall: No TXT record normalization

Be wary when entering DNS TXT records in Linode DNS Manager.

Best practices for caching of syndication feeds for feed readers and publishers

Learn five tricks and best practices to reduce bandwidth for feed readers and publishers alike.

How to remove the Adobe Acrobat Update service

Adobe’s Update service persists on your PC after uninstalling Acrobat Reader. Here is how to remove it.

Blog gets a new name: Ctrl blog

Slight Future gets a new name and moves to a shorter .blog domain name.

Tutorial: Configuring zones bound by source IPs in FirewallD

Set up source IP-specific or network-interface-bound firewall zones in FirewallD.

How to enable, login to, or disable Microsoft SSH Server in Windows 10

Learn how to log in to and take control of Windows 10’s new SSH Server.

Reduce the bandwidth requirements for keeping Fedora up to date

Tips on how to tweak Fedora to reduce the bandwidth it needs to keep the system stay up-to-date.

Open links force-opened in Microsoft Edge in your default browser

Stop Windows 10 from opening links in Microsoft Edge and make Windows respect the system-wide default web browser setting instead.

Why I Love Free Software

My contribution to the FSFE’s 2017

Feed your log files to the systemd journal

How to forward logs to systemd journald from legacy programs that insist on writing to their own log files.

Navigate around dead links with the Wayback Machine browser extension

Experimental browser extension from Mozilla and the Internet Archive helps you find archived copies of dead links as you browse with Firefox.

Requirements for eligibility for AdSense Matched content

Google Recommended Content can recommend visitors more things to read on your website.

Keep worthless ads off your website with AdSense Ad Balance

Google AdSense gives publishers new control over what to do with low-value ads without meaningfully impacting revenue.

Take control over AdSense Matched content recommendations

How to exclude pages from and control what pages appear in AdSense Matched content units.

How to add an iCal/webcal calendar to the Calendar app in Windows 10

Learn how to work-around Windows 10 limitations to add iCal and webcal calendars to the Windows Calendar app through Outlook.com.

The interesting thing about Windows 10’s new “Interesting Calendars” feature

New Windows Calendar feature is just standard webcal subscriptions but interestingly you can’t add your own webcals.

How to add CalDAV and CardDAV accounts and sync with Windows 10

Set up syncing with your CalDAV and CardDAV accounts with the built-in Windows 10 Calendar and Contacts apps.

Windows 10 supports CalDAV/CardDAV but limits provider-support

Windows 10 supports syncing email, contacts, and calendars with all major providers. However, Microsoft chooses to close it down to a handful of providers.

Windows 10 decides its a good idea to ask before rebooting to install updates after all

Microsoft finally gives in and gives customers more choice regarding when to reboot their devices to apply software updates.

What’s new in SSHGuard 2.0

New features and services in SSH brute-force protection utility SSHGuard version 2.0.

How to protect SSH remote login in Fedora with SSHGuard and FirewallD

Protect your Fedora/CentOS Linux-system against SSH brute-force credential-guessing with SSHGuard and FirewallD.

The not always Simplenote

Simplenote is a great note-taking service, but the apps and service have some serious issues with syncing.

How to reset and reinstall the OneDrive app in Windows 10

The OneDrive app comes pre-installed in Windows 10. Sometimes it can be useful to reinstall it to fix issues.

The allure of Textpattern: Why I never chose it as my CMS

My review of Textpattern. It has all the traits of a good CMS and WordPress alternative but never quite made the cut.

How to get Firefox to check for extension updates more often

Configure Firefox to check for extension updates more often than once per day.

Fluxfonts 2.0 for Windows 10

Fluxfonts — the open-source anti-font-fingerprinting program — is now available for Windows 10.

Review: Managed GeoDNS on a budget

A comparison review of six GeoDNS service providers. GeoDNS can help reduce latency by directing your website traffic to the nearest datacenter.

Always care for old links after moving domain and reorganizing URLs

Create a URL transition-plan and create redirects for old URLs. Take a few minutes to avoid losing traffic when you move domain names or reorganize your URLs.

Stop CAs from misissuing certificates for your domains with CAA records

Add DNS CAA records for your domains to block unauthorized certificate authorities (CAs) from issuing certificates for your domain names.

Mine yourself some Bitcoin with the Bitcoin Miner app for Windows 10

Windows Store app lets you earn some Bitcoin pocket-change to be part of crypto-currency future.

The standard language codes for “World English” and “European English”

The “en” language for English doesn’t mean World English but English (unspecified region). There’s another language code that does mean World English, however.

How to use the same Host header for origin and proxy server using Apache mod_proxy

How to forward the front-end proxy server’s hostname to your origin server with Apache mod_proxy.

Why are Facebook and Twitter so bad at parsing RDFa metadata?

Social networks are some of the web’s largest consumers of RDFa metadata. Yet, their document parsers really suck at handling it.

How to disable Cortana and restore Windows Search in the Start menu

Get rid of the Cortana digital assistance and reinstate traditional Windows Search in your Windows 10 Start menu.

Workaround for black screen in Unity games under Linux with glibc 2.25

An ABI change in glibc caused games built on the Unity engine to freeze with a black screen. Here’s how to get your games running again.

WordPress’ Jetpack plugin broke IPv6 support

Don’t blindly “cut off ports” after the first colon to “convert” a socket address (<IP>:<PORT>) to an IP address.

Review: ASUSWRT router firmware

A deep look at the ASUSWRT router firmware.

I’ve turned off the comment section

I’ve removed all existing comments and removed the comment section on my blog. Comments were seldom on-topic and had little value.

WordPress plugin adds Google Analytics UTM query parameters to RSS feeds

How to add URL parameters to track click-throughs from your WordPress RSS feeds in Google Analytics.

Internet connected devices should be sold with best before dates

How do you know how long devices will receive software updates? Clearly labeled expiration dates on packaging may be the answer.

Update an RPM from a newer upstream source release – for beginners

Tutorial walking you through the process of updating an RPM source package to the latest upstream software release.

Are you even trying to fight spam bots, Twitter?

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Network speed testing apps on Windows 10: Ookla or Microsoft?

Is Ookla Speed Test or Microsoft Network Speed Test the best for speed testing app for your Windows 10 device?

What I learned after 30 minutes with ReFS

A look at Microsoft’s next-generation Resilient File System (ReFS) in Windows 10: what works, and what doesn’t.

New Save-Data HTTP header tells websites to reduce their data usage

The new HTTP Save-Data request header can help websites determine the bandwidth constraints of their visitors.

Trend Micro router security feature broke Steam

A “security feature” on my network router began blocking all downloads through Steam.

50+ known and unpatched security vulnerabilities in A5-chipset generation iOS devices

Stop using your old iOS devices when they no longer receive security updates. There are over 50 known security issues with iOS 9.3.5 to date!

How to get Fedora to take care of its own updates

Set up unattended auto-updates on Fedora Server or Workstation using dnf-automattic.

Should I trust Fedora to apply automated updates?

Fedora can be configured to take care of its own updates automatically. However, should I trust it to apply updates unattended on Fedora servers and workstations?

Google Contributor resurfaces as a new website subscription management platform

Google just relaunched its internet-wide Google Contributor subscription service as a way for managing “ad removal passes” on behalf of individual websites.

Private bug trackers leak data on security vulnerabilities and other known issues

Many bug tracking software leak information about your organization’s security problems through HTTP referrer headers.

Fedora specific tweaks for Raspberry Pi

Optimize your Fedora installation to run on the Raspberry Pi.

Final stage of Zelda: The Breath of the Wild ruined by my own high expectations

I’m not a Zelda fan. All the hype got me to play Breath of the Wild anyway with way too high expectations.

KMail’s ‘Send Later’ caused PGP encrypted private emails to be sent in plain-text

I discovered a security vulnerability (CVE-2017-9604) in KMail while trying to delay sending of a PGP-encrypted private email.

Embed a JavaScript CDN in your web browser with Decentraleyes

Browser extension mirrors popular JavaScript library content delivery networks locally to improve load-performance and your privacy.

Devices that speak in the night

I really don’t want my Roomba to talk to itself and shout “Press CLEAN to restart!” in the middle of the night but here we are.

Review of IPFire as a home router

So is the Linux firewall distribution IPFire well suited as a home network router?

Use DNF rather than PackageKit on Fedora

Don’t trust your system packages to PackageKit. Stick with the — comparably — tried and tested DNF package manager instead.

New Software Update panel added to Cockpit – the web administration interface for Linux

Cockpit Linux management system adds support for installing system software updates directly from the web administration interface.

Amazon begin redirecting affiliate links to nearest regional Amazon website

Amazon Affiliate Program introduces OneLink: a tool to redirect customers to their nearest regional website.

Search results in the Windows 10 Start menu still limited to exact matches and promotions

Windows Search still doesn’t understand partial matches, favors Microsoft products, and struggles with finding newly installed programs.

How to fix Roomba 900-series configuration Wi-Fi network not being broadcast

Wi-Fi-enabled Roomba vacuums can become unreachable over Wi-Fi. Here is how to get it connected back on to your Wi-Fi network.

How caching affects internet connectivity tests

An intermediary HTTP proxy-cache can interfere with how different devices detect whether they’ve got working internet access or not.

How to prevent Let’s Encrypt from issuing a certificate for your domain

Let’s Encrypt has made it really easy to obtain TLS certificates. Here is how to block the service from issuing certificates for your domains.

EdgeDeflector 1.1.1.0 updated for Windows 10

Update to the latest version of EdgeDeflector for compatibility with Windows 10 build 16241 onwards.

The fabulous USB Type-C Simulator app

An amazingly simple app lets you experience the joy of having a reversible USB Type-C cable.

Mozilla celebrates 1M new non-Gecko users

Firefox Focus browser, built on WebKit, for Android has been downloaded 1 million times in a month. Whatever happen to Mozilla’s commitment to GeckoView?

How to report a false-positive in Microsoft SmartScreen

Report Windows SmartScreen false-positives to Microsoft when the security suite gets your software wrong.

Keep an eye on your certificates with SSLPing

SSLPing can keep an eye on the health of your TLS certificates and email you before they expire.

Restore back language packs after locking an UI-override-language in Windows 10

The Windows Settings app will refuse to download additional language packs if you’ve locked a language in the legacy Control Panel.

SpiderOak ONE review: Okay backup service, clunky software

The SpiderOak ONE backup service is better than their client software. Good security and privacy protections but tough to use.

SpiderOak ONE: not the best treatment after the trial ended

I let my SpiderOak ONE trial expire and customer service didn’t quite know what to do when I wanted to continue with the service.

Reduce the max cookie lifetime from decades to days in Firefox

Improve your privacy by reducing how long Firefox retains cookies. Who needs to store them for decades? Firefox can cap it at a custom interval.

Is remote desktop making a comeback in GNOME on Wayland?

There’s finally some good news with regards to restoring VNC remote desktop capabilities in GNOME on Wayland.

Postmortem re-review of the Sense sleep monitoring system

The Sense sleep monitoring system from Hello Inc. was discontinued and its cloud services put to sleep.

Keep a record when sourcing royalty-free stock phots for your works

Protect your interests when sourcing royalty-free or Creative Commons stock photographs by maintaining a record of where you got them and under which terms they can be used.

Review: Delock USB-C volt-/ammeter

A review of the Delock USB-C volt-/ammeter used to measure the power going through a USB Type-C connector.

Don’t register your domains with Automattic

I’d registered my Ctrl.blog domain with Get.blog. That service no longer exists and my domain was transferred to WordPress.com without notice.

FSFE: Publicly funded software has to be Free

Free-Software Foundation European launches campaign to ensure tax-payer money goes to publicly owned and open-source software rather than proprietary vendors.

Accelerate redirects with HTTP/2 server push

Set up faster HTTP redirects by using HTTP/2 server push to send the new location in the same response informing the client about the redirect.

Charge devices faster with a new USB 3.1 Type-C controller

How upgrading the USB 3.1 PCIe controller on my mainboard let my devices quick-charge over USB 3.1 from my PC.

I regret transferring my domains to Hover

Ads had promised me that Hover.com was a great domain registrar. Trusting them to handle my domains turned out to be a big mistake.

Podcast hosts should distance themselves more from the ads they read to maintain trust

Hosts erode trust when reading advertiser messages on their shows. Programmatic ads may be the only way to maintain trust.

Save-Data aware HTTP/2 server push

Learn how to set up HTTP Save-Data request-hint aware HTTP/2 server push.

Native content blocking in Firefox without installing any extensions

Firefox has a built-in content blocker but you’ll need external tools to make it work.

Microsoft adding Ogg, Theora, and Vorbis open media formats to Windows 10

Windows 10 to add support for open-source multimedia codecs and container formats.

How to test for HTTP stale-while-revalidate support?

Verify that your CDN or caching proxy supports RFC 5861 asynchronous cache revalidation.

Podcasters should embrace programmatic ad insertion

Host-read ads can damage trust. Podcasts should either use different people to read their ads or embrace programmatically inserted ads.

Which CDN providers support stale-while-revalidate?

Review which content delivery networks support RFC 5861’s Stale-While-Revalidate and Stale-If-Error caching directives.

CDNSun, KeyCDN, and BunnyCDN; budget CDNs compared

Compare three budget content delivery networks to find which one gets you the most bang for your bucks.

Automatically contribute to funding the web with the new Flattr extension

Flattr lets people micro-tip creators and websites automatically as they browse the web from a single monthly subscription.

What’s new in SSHGuard 2.1

New features and services in SSH brute-force protection utility SSHGuard version 2.1.

Tutorial: WordPress brute-force login protection with SSHGuard

Protect your WordPress install against brute-force password guessing with SSHGuard.

Why is ‘IPv6 Control Message’ listed high in the Data usage report in Windows 10?

Windows 10 can show a background networking auto-configuration protocol as your device’s number one bandwidth hog.

First impressions of KeyChest – A new TLS certificate expiration tracker

The new cost-free service sends you email notifications before your HTTPS certificates expire.

Firefox 57 with a new and more distracting New Tab experience

The latest Firefox update presents tons of distractions every time you open up a new browser tab.

How to debug a WebExtension background script on Firefox for Android

Firefox for Android supports WebExtensions. However, debugging them can be a little tricky.

What is the difference between TP-Link RE650 and RE500? Firmware limits.

The TP-Link RE650 and RE500 are rated for different network speeds, but they’re really the same device.

TP-Link serves outdated or no firmware at all on 30% of its European websites

Whether you get updated drivers for your TP-Link product or not depends on what country you’re checking from.

Hover.com trouble, continued

I made a mistake in transferring my domain names to Hover. Transferring them out again would prove difficult.

TP-Link repeater firmware squanders 715 MB/month

A design flaw in TP-Link Wi-Fi repeater firmware causes it to waste an excessive amount of bandwidth on NTP timekeeping. DDoS’ed public NTP servers in the process.

Topical leaks users’ email addresses and interests

Twitter-to-email-newsletter service Topical exposes its users’ subscriptions and interests through poor security practices.

Amazon Australia prepares for Affiliate Program launch

Amazon’s coveted Affiliate Program due to launch in Australia.

Flattr vs Brave Rewards, comparing micro-transaction service fees

Compare the transaction fees of creator-tipping services Flattr and Brave Rewards. Which one takes the smallest cut of your subscription fee?

Lenovo Companion app doesn’t notify you about TPM firmware updates

The Lenovo Companion app is supposed to keep your device’s drivers and firmware up-to-date. However, it won’t update your Lenovo PC’s TPM firmware.

New Web Media Extensions adds Ogg, Theora, and Vorbis codecs to Windows

Free Windows extension from Microsoft adds support for more open-source multimedia codecs.

Roomba app notifications are unhelpful and miss the point

The iRobot Home app sends too many app notifications, and they’re not the notifications I’d want to receive from my vacuum cleaner.

Notes on dual-booting Linux with BitLocker Device Encryption and Secure Boot

Take some precautions, have a backup plan, and you can leave your Windows partition encrypted and keep your system using secure boot alongside a Linux distribution.

Recover from HTTP clients that include URL #fragments in their requests

Bots and older clients sometimes request /page#fragment over HTTP without stripping away the URL

The inadequate Windows keyboard layout

I simply don’t get the characters and symbols I use every day with the default Windows keyboard layout.

Explored Bitcoin vanity addresses

Bitcoin vanity addresses can contain branding or secret messages. Here is how you make one.

Latest TP-Link updates resolve NTP data squandering firmware issue

TP-Link has issued firmware updates fixing its data-squandering NTP bug after my investigation. Devices won’t auto-update, however.

Two steps backwards on IPv6 adoption in 2017

Ctrl blog lost IPv6 support after migrating to BunnyCDN. I lost IPv6 at home when migrating to Lynet Internett. I look back on other IPv6 issues in 2017.

About the <å> element

What’s the meaning behind the mysterious <å> element as seen here on Ctrl blog?