Airport Express - best WIFI base station yet.

I was looking for a good and inexpensive "simultaneous dual band" 802.11n router on the market that I could upgrade to DD-WRT or Tomato firmware.  The short story is that there isn't one that I could find - all of them are either "single band" or not DD-WRT capable.  At least not for cheap money.

So I went in the opposite direction last month and bought myself an Apple Airport Express.  No, it doesn't support DD-WRT, but it is a simultaneous dual band device, and the price is $99 - which isn't bad at all compared to the other "non-lousy"WIFI access points on the market.

I've been using DD-WRT for years, and I've refused to buy a router that didn't support it.  DD-WRT gives me a lot of flexibility and power that you can't get with stock firmware.  So going in the opposite direction with the Express was certainly a change of behavior.

In contrast to my DD-WRT devices, the Express is much easier to configure and use. It is actually a near-zero brain power operation to get an entire network on it.   And it is extremely reliable and very fast.  It covers my three level, 4000 square foot home perfectly well... and my 23 WIFI devices work perfectly with it.

The DD-WRT things I miss is short but significant: I miss the traffic utilization charts.  I miss SSH access, and DynDNS capabilities.  But I love the fact that I don't have to waste my time configuring my router.

In the end, I love the Airport Express.  It isn't a replacement for DD-WRT, which I often use as an "always-on Linux host".   But it is simple, rock-solid device, and is the best WIFI router I've used.

On Accounts and Passwords

I have some pretty well-formed opinions on account security.  They have evolved over time as I have better understood the risks.  Unfortunately, I think the following list is good for all users everywhere.

The basic principle is to assume that nothing is secure.  Even if you keep your username and passwords secure doesn't mean that your bank, ISP, or Email provider keeps its systems secure.

Login Practices

• Always check for proper HTTPS/SSL security.
• Never use a link published in an email.
• Use disposable accounts whenever possible.  Your account for your knitting forum shouldn't have any relationship to your account for your bank.
• Only access sites with a good reputation, and a reputation that they need to uphold.

Password Practices

• Never use the same password more than once.   If a hacker steals your password from DumbCo, you don't want that hacker to try that password at BigBucksBank.
• Change your passwords.  People steal encrypted passwords.  Over time, they could crack those encrypted passwords.  By changing your passwords occasionally, you diminish that attack vector.
• Use two-factor authentication whenever possible.
• Never let anyone know your passwords.
• Long and complicated passwords are better.
• Avoid on-line account managers that result in a large store of passwords.

Email Practices

• Keep your email accounts very secure.  If you can reset your passwords over email, then so can a bad person.
• Use more than one email account.  Don't use the same email account for your knitting forum or Facebook that you use for your bank.
• Never open or read junk mail.  Assume that it will infect your computer.
• Never trust email from your friends.  Their accounts could have been compromised.
• Avoid webmail services

Computer Practices

• Minimize the number of devices you use.  The more devices you use, the more work is required to keep them secure and the higher the odds are that one of them is compromised.
• Trust less trustworthy computers less.  Your home Windows XP machine is more vulnerable than your iPad.  Be more skeptical of less secure environments.
• Never log in from an unknown machine.  That means you should never trust the computer in the hotel lobby, the computer at school, or even the computer at work.  Assume that there are keyloggers and screen-sharing technologies on each device you use.
• Do not let others use or maintain your computer without strict oversight.
• Use a quality browser that has anti-phishing capabilities.  Keep that browser up-to-date.  Avoid browser plugins.
• Encrypt your computer's hard drive, and use a long and complicated password.
• Put a password on your computer's login screen.  Do not let users share accounts.
• Do not give day-to-day user accounts administrative privileges.
• Shutdown your devices when not in use.
• Scan for malware on all of your devices often.
• Keep your software and OS up-to-date.
• Do not install any software that hasn't been fully validated by a reputable party.
• Be very hesitant in giving administrative rights to any software.
• Back up your devices often, and keep control of your backups.  Keep your backups elsewhere (assume your neighborhood will burn down).
• For encrypted files, use very long and complex passwords in order to minimize the odds that someone will be able to crack the file in years to come.
• Use WPA2/AES security on your home WIFI network.  If your devices don't support WPA2/AES, upgrade your devices.

General Practices

• Keep an off-line list of your accounts so you can easily take action if one account is compromised.
• Watch over your account activity.
• Be very concerned about account access issues or "odd behavior".
• Remember that your network is compromised - your ISP, in combination with web site providers can access nearly all your network communications.
• Do not trust the manufacturer of your home wireless router, handset, operating system, or third party software.  Again, all your data runs through these devices.
• Never trust a 3rd party that can send you an email with your password within it.
• Keep in tune with security vulnerabilities and compromises.

On CFLs and Lumens

In my building I have a eight light fixtures that need to be lit 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Some of these fixtures have a single socket, others have a dual socket.

Original Plan: Twelve 60 watt bulbs, $756 in electricity per year

Originally, we were running 60 watt incandescent bulbs.  They provided more than enough light, but cost us a ton of money in electricity.  Further, they had a lousy life, needing replacement several times per year - a lot of labor when you are paying a maintenance company.

More Efficient Plan: Twelve 13 watt CFL bulbs, $163 in electricity per year

About 5 years ago, we switched to 13 watt CFLs.  These bulbs, on average, lasted nearly 3 years and saved us about 70%.    We still had way more than enough light.

Current Plan: Eight 7 watt CFL bulbs, $60 in electricity per year

Two years ago we stepped up our game.   We realized that we would get adequate light from 7 watt CFLs, and that multi-bulb fixtures only required a single bulb.  That means four sockets went to zero watt bulbs!   We used to pay 12 times more for lighting this space.

Other options and concerns:

Q. What about the quality of the light?  Are 7 watt CFLs really bright enough?  Don't they dim?
A. The quality of the light and the lumens produced is great for the space, even after years of service.

Q. What about CFL "start up" time?
A. Irrelevant in this case - the bulbs are almost never switched off.

Q. Why can you switch the bulbs off?
A. Given the use of the space, our insurance company requires 24 hour lighting.

Q. Why not go LED?
A. Perhaps someday, but the price point of LEDs wasn't good enough when we made the most recent change.

Q. Do your CFLs really last for so many years?
A. Absolutely, perhaps due to the lack of switching.

Q. Isn't it a waste to throw out otherwise working bulbs?
A. Yes, and we didn't.  We use them in other locations where they aren't in use 24 x 365.

Q. How do you know how long your bulbs last?
A. We date them with a Sharpie when we install them.

Repairing your own Smartphone to Save Money

Here is my story and advice regarding fixing your own smartphone.

Last week, I stupidly left my phone on the roof of my car and drove off, resulting in the phone flying to the pavement at about 30 MPH.  Happily I recognized the situation immediately, and found the phone... with a shattered LCD.

My phone still worked, but the front glass was shattered, resulting in (at least) a painfully embarrassing   handset.

At first, I thought I'd take it to a local shop to fix it.  They charge about $90, which I thought was a pretty good deal.  But then I saw that I could by the LCD part and fix it myself for a mere $30!  That was a $60 savings!  So why not?

So I went to my favorite on-line shop and bought a kit which included the LCD touchscreen and a specialty toolkit for $30.  A few days later it arrived in the mail, exactly as I expected.

Then I went to iFixIt.com and checked out the instructions.  There were about 27 steps to get at the screen... but none of the steps seemed to hard.  So I cleared off my desk and started to go at it.

I have the patience of a saint, so I methodically followed all 27 steps to get to the LCD.  I swapped in the new panel, and then followed those 27 steps backwards until my iPhone looked whole again.  In all, it took me about 2.5 hours, with no lost screws or parts, and no "oh no" moments.

At the end, it all worked!  I had a new screen, and I am totally happy with my repaired iPhone.

But was it worth it?

I saved $60 by repairing my phone myself.  Was it worth it?  Would I do it again?

No.

I conclude that it would have been better to spend $60 more in order to get the job done professionally.

First, most people do not have the patience or the mechanical fortitude to deal with dozens of screws, connectors, and contacts, each which must be cared for perfectly.

Secondly, even for me, there is a lot of comfort in someone else taking responsibility - if I screwed up, I'd have 10 ounces of electronic waste.  If they screw up, they are responsible for getting it right.

So in conclusion: unless you can afford your own failings, I suggest taking it to a quality shop and forking over an additional $60.   That $60 buys you several hours and a valuable warranty.

Other facts of note

I did notice that the vast majority of the screws are there to hold down electrical connectors.  It is amazing how much additional cost and effort goes into each connector on a phone.  The connectors have to be screwed down, because no one wants them coming loose during a simple drop.

I can see the beauty of having as few connectors as possible.  A higher level of integration results in fewer connectors, which results in higher reliability and lower cost.  That means that phones are going to become much more highly integrated than they already are today.

Getting Paid for Being Wrong

I have been using iOS6 Maps since the day it was formally released, and I think the new Maps app is great.  To me, it is a real step up in quality and UI over the old Google-based map solution.  I have zero complaints.

But some in the press seem to be "creating controversy" in order to "create revenue".

Considering the things I've heard and read (like "Maps claimed I was traveling North in the city, while I was actually traveling South"), I conclude that some in the press, including many bloggers, don't have the experience or expertise to publish on technology topics.  At least I hope so.  The more cynical side of me thinks that it could be that "controversy sells ads".

When one writes about technology for the public, the public expects that the author is coming from a place of expertise.  Someone who has done research, and who can appropriately and comprehensively explain things.

The public deserves more than personal opinion and personal experience - they deserve more than speculation.  They deserve more than a quote from someone with an axe to grind, or a retailer that has a product to sell.

All this Map nonsense is reminiscent of the "authentication chip" that iLounge claimed was part of the Apple Earbuds.  Of course, any well-experienced electronics expert could have informed iLounge that a chip is required for sending digital pushbutton signals over a standard analog headphone cable.  But instead, iLounge published the ridiculous "authentication chip" claim, which undoubtably upped their ad revenues and which did a disservice to their reader community.

The iPhone dock connector was bad, and Lightning is awesome

Numerous people in the press are mourning the loss of the iPhone's 30-pin dock connector.  A separate vocal group has often complained about the lack of a Micro-USB connector port on the iPhone.

Both these groups are complaining about Apple's new Lightning dock connector.

But at the end of the day, the Lightning connector is a great move for Apple customers.  Here's why

Limitations of the Micro-USB standard

The 2007 MicroUSB-B connector became a European standard for cell phones in 2010.   Although USB is a good standard, it is far from adequate for modern smartphone use in terms of power, data, or flexibility.

In terms of data, the 2000-vintage USB2 standard provides a practical maximum data rate of roughly 35 MB/second.  However, most smartphones need to deliver faster I/O.  HDMI, for example, requires a consistent 500 MB/second data stream with very low latency rate.  USB2 to HDMI conversion is therefore impossible without a loss in quality.

In terms of power, the USB2 standard stipulates a maximum of 500 milliamps per device, unless its a device on a bus used to charge devices.  But most modern smartphones require much more than 500 milliamps for charging, and so that means either fast charging OR data, not both simultaneously.

In terms of flexibility, USB as implemented on smartphones is as an endpoint device  - not as the USB bus master.  And therefore, the smartphone cannot control other devices on the bus.  The smartphone has as much control of the USB bus as a mouse has on your computer's USB bus.

What about USB 3.0?  Forget it. First of all, it still isn't fast or latency free enough to driver modern HMDI without loss of quality.   Secondly, the MicroUSB 3.0 connector is large and unwieldy, and therefore is not seen on smartphones.

Failings of the classic 30-Pin Dock connector

The dock connector has numerous advantages over the MicroUSB standard.  First of all, it isn't limited to USB - it can carry analog audio and video, as well as HDMI, VGA, and a host of other signals.  It's 30 pins gives it a ton a flexibility you just can't get with a 5-pin USB2 interface.

Secondly, the 30-pin dock connector is expert at zero-insersion force.  What this means is that one can build a standard cradle or dock, and the 30-pin connector can slide home with near-zero crankiness, and be removed with near-zero stick-to-it-ness.  If desirable, cables can add a catch/release mechanism to add connector security, if so desired.

But the dock connector's advantages have led to some disadvantages.  The connector's pins have changed substantially over the years, so few devices are actually universal - old chargers don't work with new docks, new cables don't fit old cases, yesterday's video cables don't work with today's devices.  In all, it has become a hodgepodge, a solution that covers a lot of ground, but which is far from universally compatible.

Which one is a new, official Apple product? [A: both]

Which one works with your iPod? [A: maybe the left one]

Which one fits your case? [A: maybe none]

The next time you're in a hotel, try your old iPod or your newer iPhone in that clock radio with a dock. Does it work as you'd like?  If so, congratulations - your device is of the same vintage as the hotel's clock radio.  Evolution is a bitch.

Glories of Lightning

Lightning introduces a standard very high-speed bus for the iOS platform, much like Thunderbolt for the Intel platform.  It uses active cabling to eliminate all the old-school signaling, and replaces it with a single high-speed bus that can be converted into anything that peripheral manufacturers want to produce.

Lightning is all digital, and so media conversions have to happen within active cables.  This makes it possible to add unlimited new features over time without adding or redefining the interface.  It's bus master is exclusively the iPhone, so the iPhone can control a host of devices (unlike the USB2-B standard crowd).

Lightning is not USB, and therefore isn't subject to USB's limitations.  An active cable along with OS software is used to convert Lightning signaling to USB signaling.

Lightning is as fast as the CPUs on the iPhone, so the practical speed limit is simply what's attached to the other end of the connector, not the connector itself.  HDMI's multi-gigabit speeds?  No problem.  Analog audio/video?  Easy.  USB3?  Absolutely possible.  And as the technology beat moves on, Lighting will be able to deliver.

But wait, how, with only 8 pins, can it be faster than USB3?  Easy.  USB3 is a specific bus arbitration communication standard that travels for meters.  In contrast, Lightning is a direct I/O bus for very short hauls.  What something else?  Make it true with the right converter chip built into the cable. Ethernet. SCSI.  RS-232.  Even 1-wire is within the realm of reason.

Stuff to Buy for my iPhone 5!

I have my new iPhone 5 on order, but before I actually get it I want to make sure I have all the stuff I need to keep it healthy and happy.  Here are the items I have on order.

CaseCrown Case for the iPhone5

I want to keep my new iPhone5 looking like new.  But how?

I love my CaseCrown Slide-on case for my iPhone4.  It looks great, is slim, but is very strong.  It has kept my iPhone4 looking like new.  And so it only makes sense for me to get another CaseCrown for my iPhone5.  Happily, there is a CaseCrown for the iPhone5!  Find the CaseCrown Case Here.

CaseCrown Case for iPhone 5

A Lightning to Dock cable

Some are complaining that the Dock Connector is going away.  I say good riddance - the Dock connector was always an unwieldy hodgepodge, supporting about 20 analog and digital standards.  A standard very high speed connector will do much more in a compact and reliable package.

That said, I do have one key dock connector item that I love - my car FM transmitter.  My 12+ year old car doesn't have bluetooth or line-in, so my FM transmitter is a useful auto accessory.  With an inexpensive aftermarket Lightning to Dock cable, supporting power and analog audio, I'll be able to continue to use this old workhorse.  Aftermarket Apple Lightning to Dock Connector cables can be found at Amazon.

A two-port USB car charger

This just seems useful - when we're driving in our old cars, sometimes we want to plug in and charge more than one item.

A USB car charger that supports two devices simultaneously just seems like a good thing to keep in the glove box. This Griffin Powerjolt Dual USB item should do the trick!