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My Yamaha receiver uses separate remote codes for on and off. This has prevented me from using a single remote to control my TV, receiver, and Tivo.

Tivo learning remotes are capable of sending up to 3 codes each time the power button is pressed. I programmed one code to turn my TV on or off, one code to turn my receiver on, and one code to turn my receiver off. All 3 codes are sent with each press of the power button. The codes are sent so quickly that the receiver ignores the irrelevant code and responds as intended.

Tivo learning remote instructions

While on a trip to New Orleans, I accidentally triggered recovery mode for the Microsoft BitLocker full disk encryption on my laptop. Once triggered, recovery mode requires that a recovery key be provided before the machine will boot. Recovery mode is intended to protect against a variety of attacks including bootkits. Unfortunately, accidentally triggering recovery mode renders the machine useless until the recovery key is available.

The recovery key can be either a file stored on a USB drive or a long string of numbers. When I enabled BitLocker, I mistakenly guessed that the recovery key would be rarely needed and could be stored in a manner that provided security but not ready access. This mistake cost me the use of my laptop during a trip.

Those considering enabling BitLocker should ensure that the recovery key can be easily accessed without the use of the computer that it is intended to recover. Specifically, the option to use a file on a USB drive as a recovery key requires the ability to access the file and place it on a USB drive. Storing the recovery key on a USB drive that is carried with the machine significantly reduces the security provided by BitLocker. A numeric recovery key can be easily left with a trusted individual to be read over the phone if needed.

I hope this story saves someone from the predicament in which I found myself. For more information about setting up BitLocker, see my post on how to configure BitLocker.

I called Verizon Wireless and asked for a data only plan for my Droid smartphone. They said no. I told them I was out of contract and considering switching to a low cost prepaid service. They offered me a choice of the voice plans below.

• $20 per month for 50 voice minutes
• $25 per month for 100 voice minutes
• $35 per month for 300 voice minutes

Continue reading Verizon Wireless data only plan »

How much does it cost?

My factory refurbished Tivo HD DVR cost me $179, which was $120 less than the cost of a brand new unit. Service for the lifetime of the unit (not my lifetime) cost me $399. Effectively, the unit cost $578 refurbished or $698 new. As of this post, Tivo was no longer offering refurbished Tivo HDs on its website. At post time, Amazon was offering new Tivo HDs for $249 with free shipping (excluding the required Tivo service).

Continue reading Review of my Tivo HD DVR »

This is the third in a series of posts that explain the need to properly secure your home computer and that provide recommendations to do so. My post on Basic home computer security presents non-technical recommendations that you can follow to enhance the security of your computer. Those recommendations focus on altering behavior that attackers can take advantage of to compromise your computer. This post presents technical recommendations and assumes that you have a moderate level of technical proficiency.

Continue reading Intermediate home computer security »