Tech | Tools – Highlighting, promoting and sharing the technology and tools (both digital and physical) used through the problem solving process. In some cases, learn from our testing efforts, as there might be items in this category you may want to avoid. So, treat this as an experience, an experience when using such tools or technology.

iPhone Dual Sim

Run Dual SIMs, New iPhone

iPhone Dual Sim cards, Utilizing Physical and eSim Cards

Dual Sim Cards, Physical and eSim Cards

Tech | Tools – Dual SIMs

Running dual sim cards(eSim) on a iPhone

Let’s check in on the latest mobile news, next month look for a new iPhone 12 testing series utilizing dual sims (one phone, two numbers). One onboard (physical) sim card and a new eSim (digital). So far, so good. It’s not as burdensome per se to juggle two numbers on one phone versus, two phones with separate operating systems. Nor is it exhausting to switch between the two mobile signals, wifi etc…

Dual SIMs
Cellular

Cellular

Setup

Setup

QR Code

QR Code

Initiate Transfer

Initiate Transfer

Transfer

Transfer

Plans

Plans

Transfer Complete

Transfer Complete

Dual SIMs

Dual SIMs

Next, I want to try out the automatic switch and manual switches between the two numbers, volume of calls and call clarity had some trouble with the Samsung G series signal moving between cities or town-to-towns. Regardless, here are a few tips on utilizing dual SIM cards – updates required iOS (15+ or higher). It states iOS 16 or + higher, or a combination of newer device and iOS.

Finally, I can confirm the switch from the Samsung to an iPhone 8, updated to iOS 15. The latest updates and patches are now available for the iPhone 8 build. Installation was uneventful. Let’s wrap up the last installation steps: 1. a simple switch of the Bluetooth, 2. agreement of transfer and 3. confirmation. 4. Activation is required, when moving from a physical SIM to an eSIM.

Once you’ve made the choice to convert, the SIM will move accordingly. Don’t quote me on the ‘when’, as a new series will cover the move, tweaks and behavioral changes for the switch. More information on the iPhone 12 can be found here. Or, if you’re interested in the path we took moving from the Samsung Galaxy S20G or S21 5g to the Dual sim iPhone, that can be found here. The Samsung Galaxy was the precursor and foundational experience running dual SIMs. In case you have to reset your Samsung Galaxy, check out this article as well. The same goes for the exploration and research of other smartphones on the market and the experience we were looking for.

Before we continue,  here are a few other articles on Apple iOS, other devices and updates that you might be interested in. For example, the MagSafe Battery Pack, for finding more power on the go, using Dual SIMs and eSIMs. Alternatively,  you may want to explore a more minimalist approach with LightPhone products.

As usual leave a comment below, let us know what you’re thinking?

Galaxy Series Reset

Samsung Galaxy S215G Reset

Galaxy Reset or New – Privacy, Backups, Access and More

Samsung Galaxy Reboot, Reset, and Unplug

Tech | Tools – Samsung Updates

Before we delve into our dual-SIM experiments, let’s address the Galaxy Series Reset. I wanted to share some Samsung Tips and Tricks that could help you remove unnecessary apps from your Galaxy series devices.

Let’s take a quick look at the world of ‘debloating’. We’ve seen an abundance of pre-installed native apps on various platforms, OS, iOS etc. It feels like were back in the 90’s with PC sales. This trend applies to both Android and iOS devices. Until we have a user-friendly Linux based mobile OS or an open-source mobile kernel that allows us to customize our devices based on our needs, we’re stuck with what we have. 

Mobile phones come loaded with Google bloatware and the same goes for iOS. When did Homekit, Health, Health Sensors and Siri start coming preinstalled and running constantly, making it difficult to disable them? It’s a challenge that won’t disappear with this Galaxy Series Reset. However, a I’ve been exploring new settings, OS-specific adjustments, and techniques to reduce bloat, limit Google access. Whether you have a new Galaxy S22, 215g or 10, or a later model, we have some fresh methods to help you regain control of your device.

Diving right into it, whether you’ve got a new phone or not, a hard reset is required… Backup what you need and store it in a safe place. Most of the time it’s automatically saved somewhere, but we plan to take back that control and manually take steps to move the process forward. The time to de-bloat or de-bloat your device is right now.

Short Tutorial

Fresh Hard Reset on your existing phone or set up your new phone from scratch to begin the Galaxy Series reset. First, do not add or allow any Samsung, Google, or non-platform services that you do not want running regardless of their power status. A prominent red warning sign advises against signing in or allowing data transfer to any external services that are not native to the system or necessary. 

NEXT, let’s disable all permissions for apps, stop and remove permissions and alerts for any unwanted apps. This is crucial as we do not endore the input/outpu of such apps. Particularly those that are third-party, external, and considered bloat that may track and access your data without your permission. Turn off all unnecessary apps or system apps. Additionally, rearrange your apps as you see fit, grouping Samsung native apps that are essential together in a separate folder with other Samsung or Google apps. Do NOT enable cloud services, sign in, or log into any systems that you may want to use later on, at least not yet.turn on cloud services, sign in or log in to those (any) systems you will want later.. so not just yet.

Wrap Up – Debloat Your Android Device

Finally, it’s time to reintroduce existing settings. We want to re-import contacts and any bookmarks or Same for any bookmarks or saved ‘behavioral’ help settings. Must Have’s  must go for the Google/Samsung requests to access the phone. These actions remain out of touch and are not allowed. Let’s clean up the home screen to your liking and add email accounts as well.  Browser settings when your ready, no go on Chrome, Google or Samsung Internet, we use brave with all turned off…

DON’T FORGET THIS, don’t forget to make sure privacy settings meet your needs. As usual, leave a comment below and let us know what you’re thinking?

FUZZ

FUZZER, THE FUZZ

Who Called The Fuzz

URL Fuzzer - Pentest

Tech | Tools – FUZZ

“WHOOP WHOOP That’s the sound of the” FUZZ

As always, we continue our testing efforts testing apps, websites and consoles We begin with the The URL Fuzzer, GTMetrix, JMeter, LoadRunner, Selenium, validation tools, and Google Admin Console. Testing is currently in progress. As you read this (or when I wrote this post, and hopefully when you read it), testing is ongoing. We hope it’s within the same year (or at least not to far off).

Furthermore, it’s important to ensure that solutions protect our online investments. Pentest and vulnerability scanning tools could be the key to achieving this goal. For storytelling purposes, two test are currently running: one for Pentest-Tols and the other from Scantrics.io. It’s been a few minutes, and so far, there haven’t been any results. This may or may not be a good sign or an indicator of the final outcome.  Let’s also cover Selenium, LoadRunner, JMeter, QTP, HTML/JS ( https://codebeautify.org/jsvalidate) /PHP Validators, Guru99 and a few others… but let’s start here.

Keep in mind that the tools mentioned are free, so consider this when reviewing the compiled and reported results form the services provider. Free tools may not always provide the complete pictures (meaning you have to pay the premium prior for the full picture), so take them with a grain of salt. It’s advisable  to use multiple tools or consider paying for premium services. Testing with a variety of tools, both free and premium, is essential.

URLFuzzer, good to test the lite version… Scantrics, good to test lite version… Don’t forget to run your web entities through the toolbox, Toolbox – Google Admin

As usual leave a comment below, let us know what you’re thinking?

Apple Mouse

The So, So-Magical Mouse

Apple Magic Mouse to Logitech M525

Gear – Apple & Logitech Mice

Work mouse; and more on it’s back up/EDC Logitech M525, cause the Apple Mouse has been all but useless at times

Now, let’s talk about the Apple Magic Mouse

First and foremost, I appreciate the design always a life-long Apple user. I tend to favor their aesthetics, its slimline shape, and gestures. Secondly,  it has a nice weight to it, not too light or heavy. The issue arises after after a few hours of work when we have to stop everything to charge the device and latest, it needs charging more frequently. As someone who has always used Apple products, this mouse seems to be less useful than an 80’s mouse. I’m not sure if there are bugs or battery issues, but it’s a hassle to charge. A BIG HASSLE.

The problem here is that the mouse has become unusable.

Apple & Logitech Mice
Apple Charge

Apple Charge

Logi Mouse

Logi Mouse

SO, while we are currently charging the Apple Mouse (seriously, I’ve got the Logitech mouse on), clicking away… Thirdly, we got the Magic Mouse – Multi-Touch Surface a few months back and are increasingly learning to find something else to use. Love the gestures, but can’t use the mouse. Makes no sense. Again, love the gesturing, touch surface options, but every 8 hours I’ve got to plug this thing in. What about the next 4 to 6 hours? We are left with a paperweight for a good 1.5 hours while the device charges up.

Moving on to the M525, no gestures, just a Plain-Jane type of mouse… Bluetooth/USB if need be, heavier I’m assuming because of the batteries and a handy little internal storage area for the USB dongle when not in use. It has a a wheel, laser for tracking and it works. It’s a reliable mouse and remains in my everyday carry bag/desk for work.

Final Thought, in conclusion, if you want to over spend on an Apple mouse, get the trackpad, skip the mouse… always carry a secondary pointer device in case of emergencies. We do, and that is the Logitech M525. Buy one today…

Now Dec. 2022 – We traded up to the Logitech M720, check one out… we will post an update shortly

S205G

BWSamsung Galaxy S205G

Samsung S20

Gear – Samsung Galaxy Series

Time to switch? iPhone-to-Galaxy? Or LinuxOS? We think so. We test and make our decision., then we share why we made the decision we did. The decision is in. S205G over iPhone11/, Phone12, S21, or S22 the latest models. We are not talking about the latest Galaxy Series or the Z-Fold, or the iPhone 13.

It’s has taken many months, even years of practice to make the change. I encourage you to consider making a similar decision to switch. Practice makes perfect. Let’s stick with practice, practice and more practice! Nothing compares to MacOS and iOS. Yes, everything MacOS, iOS. So, what comes with the decision? UI familiarity, yes. Did I mention all the machines we use on a day-to-day basis are MacOS? Certified to service these machines? Most certainly. Comfortable fixing what we’ve always done. Safety, security, battery life, ease of use, and more. All true, including the use of iPhone and iOS products and services since 2006.

Blackberry Experience and Switch

Practice makes perfect. That’s a lot of practice in my opinion. Historically speaking, and assuming my memory is correct, we made the initial jump from Blackberry and Blackberry products specifically the Blackberry 8100 (’06) series and the 8300 (’07) series, to the iPhone. And the main reason for this switch? Touchscreen keys. At the time, the main issue was the incompatibility or lack of practice with onscreen-typing or touchscreen services couldn’t get on board with the Blackberry touch model (whatever it was called). Let me share a quick story…

Many years ago, I remember sitting in a multi-million dollar test lab (usability lab), testing the latest UI designs and services and a user was ‘testing’ via the Blackberry Storm… I’ll spare you the pain, but let’s just say that during that specific test, the Blackberry touch devices were out, and the iPhone was in. Specifically, the iPhone 3G. Early being an early adopter of technology, the Blackberry (the workhorse of many business years) failed the two tests performed in a controlled lab experiment. Fast forward to the present, specifically in relation to iOS/iPhones, it has been many, many years of practice, perhaps too many. I have included a link above comparing the iPhone 13, 11, and iPhone 6s for those who want a quick glimpse into how the iOS device ecosystem has evolved over the years… However, this is where those years of experience have come to an interesting fork in the road.

A Switch to the S20 5G

Sometime in the second or third quarter of 2017, the Samsung Galaxy lineup started to make sense. I road-tested the S9, S10 and quickly moved on to the 2002 model, the 205G. I carried a work phone with iOS, the Galaxy and a few laptops with various operating systems. Yes, it was a pain, but I’ll spare you the details. After enduring 100% travel, juggling multi-devices and staying in the same hotels, it was time for a change. A few months behind schedule, I finally made the switch to the S20.

Living life on the road, traveling for clients, nearly broke the iPhone spell. I had spent years and years dealing with expensive iPhones, constant turnover, and damage control. As mentioned before, I also spent a significant amount of money and time on testing, studying, and certifying myself in iOS products and service as well as fixing iOS devices. Before moving on, I want to emphasize that we didn’t buy new or directly from Apple, and saving $1,000 made a difference in this experiment.

Buying new may be your preference, but today it wasn’t ours and it won’t be moving forward. In fact, you can find many of our favorite devices second-hand or ‘renewed’ today. So to put it simply, you might be wondering how did we end up purchasing the S205G? ((Panic)) The process was lengthy and challenging. We felt the need to explore all available options. We wanted to make sure we were investing in the right product, choosing the best option for us. What better way to do that by testing everything on the market? We tried almost all of them. From basic, stripped-down Android/iOS and Linux and older phones like the iPhone 6s and 8s, Galaxy S9/S10, S20, vintage Nokia 3300, the LightPhone2, and ultimately settled on the S20 model.

Open Source or Linux Options

Honestly, let’s start with the Linux OS option first. Until we have a Linux – //liliputing.com/ based phone that can cater to the masses, consider Ubuntu Touch, Sailfsh or Pure. In terms of device options, the selection is quite limited – OnePlus, Fairphone, Google Pixel 3 (3a), Pine, and Librem. So, there are limitations.

Another important point is to do your research before making a purchase. Buyer beware, exercise caution, learn how to use command line code, service your own device, install different OS versions. Until Linux devices are suitable as ‘EDC’ (Everyday Carry) and not just for developers, the 20+, Ultra or the S21 series.

In conclusion, the main takeaway is this: we made the switch, but it may not be right or wrong. Choose what make sense for your budget, lifestyle and security needs. This switch was motivated by the desire for control, better battery life, screen, performance, and the dislike for SIRI. Samsung has shown consistent growth, while IOS tends to make frequent changes to buttons, connections, cases, and materials, along with automatic data collection features. This may be a  matter of preference, which applies to all devices. It’s remarkable how iOS has become so prevalent in just over 17 years. Lastly, I must emphasize that this is not a promotion for any specific devices or brand. It’s a reminder to thoroughly test products before making a purchase. I hope this article encourages you to take necessary steps to evaluate what’s available in the market.

MIG/TIG and Power

More Power, Mig And Tig

MIG/TIG and Power

Lincoln Pro MIG 140

Tech | Tools – Lighting Sticks

MIGs, TIGs, Power, Power Supply… MIG/TIG and Power. Lighting axe? Lighting weld? Choose Lincoln Electric

Are we endorsing the the Lincoln Electric Pro 140? Yes, we are. Specs are provided below. It is 120volt, 140amp MIG Welder. Pricing may have changed, market availability as well, but we are sticking to our recommendation. We consider our selves ‘large stock newbies’ in the welding, tackling any project, big or small. MIG/TIG and Power? So, the question arises, when trying something new, what is the best product for a wide range of steel product for a wide range of steel, what is the cost, and what is the warranty? The possibilities are endless. What do you suggest? We are open to your feedback. What are your thoughts?

The Ask: Can we weld both MIG and TIG with a  complimentary plasma cutter? (Mitre Saw review coming soon). Which is easier to use, stick welding or auto feed welders? We need all the information! We are considering starting a new series on welding, mitre saws, and power supplies, focusing on more challenging jobs and scaling up from electronics to heavy stock steel possibly in the third quarter of ’22. Stay tuned.

As always, please leave a comment below and let us know you’re thoughts!

Lincoln Electric
Lincoln Mig Tig

Lincoln

Curbside Mig Tig

Curbside

Instek Power

Instek Power

GPS-3030DD

GPS-3030DD

UST BlastMatch

Emergency? Get Your UST BlastMatch

Who needs matches or a lighter, when you got a UST BLASTMATCH

UST Blast Match

Tech | Tools – Camp Gadgets

EDC Camping Accessories – (UST) Ultimate Survival Technologies BlastMatch Fire Starter – Take a look and choose your favorite; we certainly recommend the – UST BLASTMATCH. Need a last-minute gift idea? We have used the Blastmatch for time to time, even while sharing a beverage around the campfire. Although campfires have been on hold during a winter hiatus, these blast matches are fantastic to have on hand for emergencies or leisurely use. There are plenty of videos and product reviews, available, so we won’t bore you with another product plug, but we strongly encourage you to have one handy. There’s nothing like promoting a product that actually works.

Get your EDC – UST BlastMatch today. Take your time with the device; the rod may shift side-to-side when striking the intended surface, causing a shower of sparks. Sticks with it as it is certainly more practical than a fire bow or an empty lighter. For the records,  we always carry a few Bic lighters in various pockets of our camping pack and clothing. Typically, there is a lighter on my person as part of my everyday carry. Some people carry a lighter, cotton balls, an EDC knife, or a camp knife. The key is to be prepared if you are camping, trekking, on-the-trail, or stuck in a situation where you might need a light. Good luck.

Feel free to leave a comment below and let us know what you’re thinking!

Light Phone2

Buy The Light Phone2 For Yourself

We Test, We Analyze and Use The Light Phone 2

Light Phone 2 - LP2

Gear – Light Phone 2

Light Phone2 – Barebones Smart Phone, Simplified, Refined; No nonsense

Here’s a sneak peek,  the Light Phone2 unboxing. Check out the new Light Phone 2 – ready to help you de-sanitize your digital life? It may take several weeks, or even months, before you receive your very own via the parent site.

Light Phone Unboxing
Unboxing

Unboxing

Phone

Phone

Case

Case

Power On

Power On

Packaging

Packaging

There are other sites of course, like secondhand via eBay, or specialty shops like Huckberry which might have an extremely limited quantity and we haven’t seen it for awhile on the site. Upgrade your life, by limiting connectivity; what a concept? TT (Tiny Tech) Certified technology, running Android in a small, easy-to-use case, with a clear text screen. Logic boards are out of stock for this particular model, battery… second go-around.

Received this back (LightPhone2 below) in Nov ’21, just unboxing it here in mid Dec ’21. Service is going to be an issue, but all the pieces work, turns on/off etc. Simple UI, simplified Android OS. Once we get ‘service’ for this thing, look for an update. Update coming mid 1st quarter ’22.

As usual leave a comment below, let us know what you’re thinking?

Projects Forthcoming

Projects In Flight, On The Way

We are on it, see our output

RPI Touch

Tech | Tools – Projects Forthcoming

Output Updates, more Projects Forthcoming. You’ll find new Gear, Gadgets, Games, Lessons and more… We produce more content!

Many moons later, after months of hard work, revisions, and a touch of magic, voila! Projects Forthcoming! More content, ready to be read, viewed, and enjoyed on the interwebs. Coming your way in mid ’21. We’ve got some exciting Star Wars content, including cartoons, one-offs, action figures, toys collectables and comic books. And if you love Star Wars, remember to check out the source code or as they say  “Use the Source!” Great holiday gifts include the Seinfeld series, power tools, hosting issues (Hostgator, BlueHost and NewFold/Endurance experiment). Speaking of fun things, Dogeminer2, the second greatest – mouse click game. First, being Dogeminer in my opinion, IMO.

Other Projects On The Horizon

How about tinkering with the Raspberry Pi – RPI4 Touch (featured image for this post)? Maybe dive into GA(Google Analytics, WordPress features, or explore some fire videos on 1Fyr.com | mbemo.com. Oh and by the way, MBEMO fell to some hackery, so I’m moving it forward and repurposing it as a PHP reference guide. Future updates will include moving old topics.

MBEMO has been moved and repurposed; now a PHP reference guide or resource. Anyway, It’s back up, running… Favorite part of Projects Forthcoming or ‘keeping up with the new’. Likewise, BurmPy is in build, as I’m able to focus on the old and retro! Some new stuff coming this year. Anything from iPhone | Android game apps, tools and ‘hackery’. Some might be good, some bad, but most will be interesting. Stay tuned for more updates!

This is a good time to share other articles on the way and by the time you read this article, we’ve posted updates and more than a few articles on similar topics. Legos – Board Housing and Tablet support.

As usual leave a comment below, let us know what you’re thinking?

Oracle VBox – Virtual Appliances

Virtual Appliances, VImages, VDI’s, ISO’s

Oracle Virtual box

Tech | Tools – Virtual Appliances

Virtual Box Oracle VBox – Virtual Appliance(s), get it now… assuming you haven’t encountered a situation where you needed a different system than the one you are using, are stuck with, or are having trouble running native apps. 

Oracle Virtual Box – https://www.virtualbox.org is a great starting point. Be sure to explore the latest and best virtualized products. Ideally, it’s a useful ‘virtual’ appliance to have on hand in the shop, to run VDI’s – Virtual Desktop Infrastructure or ISO – Copy (of the) Optical Disc Image. I came across an article about this previously, as I have written about it before, while testing other OS, OS Variants, Solutions, Drone Flight sims, Flight Configs, etc. Trust me, the Virtual Box tool is very useful of testing almost any compute/browser combinations. In our case, we prefer the Oracle product for non Windows needs, while Boot Camp works well for  Windows environments pretty well. We will cover those another time, but for now check out this handy post (https://www.virtualbox.org) to paste into your browser… Your choice – BSD, Fedora, Linux Varietals and more. Other image offering can be found here:These OS Boxes Linux Images.

Virtual Environments – VBOX or Parallels for mAC

REMEMBER TO DO YOUR HOMEWORK. Check what’s there. It may take many, many, many tries) to get this stuff to work in an optimal fashion, but you’ll get it soon enough. Testing is key. Donate where you can!

A few other notes, I’m sure you have your own process, but we use Virtual Box for lots of stuff*… testing, games, browser ‘wars’, IoT stuff* and more*. Below you will find a few screenshots of Virtual Box and MS Remote Desktop. The goal was to cover as many systems, device varieties, OS images and tools as possible Always remember, just have fun.

Good time to highlight premade, premier machines. Before we wrap up, have a look at Puget Systems, these machines are top of the line, premier computers, bar none; this one setup for Adobe software.

One last point, these virtual environments can be used for IoT testing. Note, that since the screenshots were taken/shared, we’ve added Virtual Box to MacOS, running a litany of ISOs. Those can be found here, included for your convenience! We certainly enjoy using this method for just about anything. Please see the posting on Debian Buster starting with the Ubuntu IoT ISOs.

As usual leave a comment below, let us know what you’re thinking?

VM's - Download VB Boot Starting VB Image VB Android Launch