Adobe Flash Player on Microsoft Windows is is configured by a file, mms.cfg, rather than registry entries. For a computing environment using Active Directory, a file is more troublesome to handle than registry entries, which can easily be controlled with a custom GPO. However, a script can be to used to edit configuration files. read more…
Do you love the Sega Saturn control pad? If not, you’ve probably never used it (or maybe you only used the analog version, or the 1st-gen US Saturn version). The Japanese Saturn controller (equivalent to the 2nd-gen US Saturn controller) has stood the test of time and is arguably the best game pad ever. But what if you want to use it on a PC? read more…
I’m currently CompTIA Linux+ certified. I passed the 2004 exam back in 2005, and more recently the 2009 exam while it was in beta. The Linux+ certification has since been updated and essentially merged with the LPIC-1 from the Linux Professional Institute. Recently I’ve been looking into updating my Linux+ certification to the latest version. Here are my findings.
Awareness of two-factor authentication (AKA “2FA”) is growing among the increasingly security-conscious public. Many companies including Google, Facebook, Microsoft, Twitter, and many others have been implementing 2FA support lately. Interestingly, eBay and PayPal were actually on the forefront of this trend and started supporting 2FA in 2007 with the introduction of a physical security token. Today, besides a physical Symantec VIP Security token or card, PayPal supports 2FA using SMS as well as the Symantec VIP Access soft token app available on smart phones (iOS, Android, Windows Phone, BlackBerry), feature phones, and even desktop PCs.
Everyone knows that PowerShell is the new hotness for scripting on Windows. Microsoft is promoting it heavily, and many of their GUI-based administrator tools even use PowerShell. This is all well and good, but most Windows systems administrators will have to deal will legacy scripts as well. read more…
If you haven’t heard, Microsoft recently announced the end of the TechNet Subscription program. If you are a current subscriber you may have received an email with the following:
Microsoft has decided to retire the TechNet Subscriptions service and will discontinue sales on August 31, 2013.
If you’re not familiar with this program, the gist of it is that subscribers get access to normal, non-trial versions of most Microsoft software during the subscription period. It is great for setting up and maintaining a home lab for extended use, which has many benefits. The retirement of this program is a terrible loss. read more…