Brandon Horn » Technology

Single button power on off Yamaha receiver with Tivo learning remote

Brandon Horn — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 02:04:02 +0000

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 [...]

Windows Media Center with Ceton infiniTV4 CableCard tuner

Brandon Horn — Fri, 25 Nov 2011 02:42:51 +0000

My experiment using a Windows Media Center PC with a Ceton CableCard tuner as my settop boxed failed. I switched back to a Tivo. This description of the issues I experienced is intended to benefit anyone considering a similar setup.

Issues with Ceton CableCard tuners

I first bought a Ceton infiniTV4 PCI-E tuner. Although [...]

Accidentally triggered BitLocker recovery mode

Brandon Horn — Fri, 25 Nov 2011 02:30:00 +0000

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 [...]

How to configure BitLocker with TPM, PIN, and USB StartupKey

Brandon Horn — Tue, 23 Aug 2011 17:46:41 +0000

The BitLocker GUI in the Windows 7 Control Panel supports TPM + PIN and TPM + USB StartupKey but not TPM + PIN + USB StartupKey. This configuration requires editing Group Policy and using the command line tool manage-bde.

This guide is intended for a sophisticated audience. The consequences of following the procedure are [...]

Verizon Wireless data only plan

Brandon Horn — Sun, 10 Apr 2011 20:52:42 +0000

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 [...]

Stop getting viruses on your computer

Brandon Horn — Thu, 24 Feb 2011 15:38:45 +0000

This guide is intended for home computer users who have little or no experience with computer security.

Virus infections can be prevented by taking specific steps during setup and by avoiding specific actions during use.

Start with a minimal amount of software from reputable companies Microsoft Windows 7 Microsoft Security Essentials Google Chrome

Windows [...]

Review of my Tivo HD DVR

Brandon Horn — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 02:17:34 +0000

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 [...]

What makes a fast internet connection?

Brandon Horn — Sun, 04 Jan 2009 21:00:56 +0000

I visited a Verizon Wireless store recently. While my girlfriend worked with tech support to repair an issue with her phone, I spoke with a Verizon salesperson who tried to sell me Verizon FIOS internet service. I told the salesperson that I would switch from Comcast, my current provider, if and only if Verizon offered [...]

Intermediate home computer security

Brandon Horn — Tue, 23 Dec 2008 04:04:01 +0000

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 [...]

Basic home computer security

Brandon Horn — Sun, 21 Dec 2008 18:07:15 +0000

This is the second in a series of posts that explain the need to properly secure your home computer and that provide recommendations to do so. This post does not assume that you have a technical background. Each recommendation presented can be followed without learning any new technical skills. My post on Intermediate home computer [...]