My Running Year in Review

I ran just under 1,400 miles for the year.

I had two months with over 150 miles.

I ran three 5k, two 10k, one 15k, one 10 miler, four half marathons, one 30k, one trail race, one 200 mile team relay, and a marathon. I had a personal best in all of those distances this year.

It was a good year.

2015 Brickolore Top 10 Links

Looking at my Google Analytics data, the top 10 visited links in 2015 were:

10. QYT KT8900: Software

Both this post and number four on the list suggest a real desire for a good quality, but inexpensive mobile. They made the list despite only getting posted in May of 2015.

9. Baofeng UV-5R: Schematics

The UV-5R remains popular and hams like to tinker/fix things.

8. Brick O'Lore: Ham Radio Page

I'm surprised that this got so many hits as I don't maintain it - looks like I should do some updates.

7. Baofeng UV-5R: Software v2

Again, software posts seem to be popular. And everyone that got a UV-5R wanted to check out the the new version of the software.

6. Brick O'Lore: The Radios Page

I'm glad this gets some hits as I try to keep it updated as a quick reference - I would like to expand it by keeping track of lowest prices and other miscellaneous data.

5. Baofeng UV-B5: Best Kept Secret

The UV-B5 still seems to be a sleeper.

4. QYT KT8900: Dual Band Mobile

I think the Baofeng Tech UV-5001 and Baofeng Tech UV-2501 mobile radios would have been more popular posts than the KT8900 - except they weren't released until November.

3. Brick O'Lore: Baofeng (UV-3R) Page

The little clone of the Yaesu VX-3R, the UV-3R, really got folks interested in the Chinese radios. I can't believe it still gets so many hits.

2. Baofeng UV-5R: Extreme Receive Modification

And hams would love to get something for nothing!

1. Brick O'Lore (main web page)

This tells me that lots of people visit my blog the old fashioned way - by going straight to the root domain.

Here's to an interesting 2016. May it be everyone's best year yet!

Cosplay

Star Wars meets Big Hero 6

http://lordmesa-art.tumblr.com/post/136208835315/cosplay-starwars

FORWARDS?

Worst Wi-Fi password ever? I think they are taking their clues from the Slashdot.org guys.


Via Dustbury

409Shop Coupons

The 409Shop has a couple of coupons that will be good until 5 January 2016.

I'm translating a bit here:

Spend $50 and get $2 off with code a285cddee597.

Spend $100 and get $5 off with code a41c8c479a94.

They even have a video tutorial on using the coupons.

Baofeng Tech: BTECH UV-5001 & UV-2501 Software

One of my favorite ways to check-out the features of a radio (without actually having my hands on it) is to look at the software. Here are some screenshots for the software for the Baofeng Tech UV-5001 and Baofeng Tech UV-2501 mobile radios.

Menu options:

FM Radio:

Channel memory:

Optional features/settings:

DTMF and tones:

Other/squelch:

OneDrive for Business

So Microsoft is releasing the new and improved OneDrive for Business Next Generation Sync Client (OneDrive.exe), but you have to transition from the old client (groove.exe):

"There currently is no automated, in-place takeover or migration of content from the existing OneDrive for Business sync client to the new OneDrive for Business sync client. So we recommend the following steps for users to complete this transition:

• Stop OneDrive site sync on the existing OneDrive for Business sync client
• Rename the local folder previously created by the existing OneDrive for Business sync client
• Set up the new OneDrive for Business sync client to sync to a new local folder"

And, as OneDrive for Business is for the enterprise, you don't so much install the new client as deploy it:

"There are three steps in this process that an IT administrator needs to understand:

1. Add the configuration registry keys to each computer.
2. Deploy OneDrive.exe by running the installer (OneDriveSetup.exe) with the /silent command line parameter.
3. Run OneDrive.exe with desired command line parameters to launch the process."

It is a quiet week at work. Maybe I should give it a whirl.

Schneier on the DMCA and IoT

"For the Internet of Things to provide any value, what we need is a world that looks like the automotive industry, where you can go to a store and buy replacement parts made by a wide variety of different manufacturers. Instead, the Internet of Things is on track to become a battleground of competing standards, as companies try to build monopolies by locking each other out."

Amazon Cloud Drive

Unlimited storage for 1 year for $10 using Amazon's Cloud Drive. I've not used the Amazon cloud. Does anyone have any experience with it? OneDrive/Office365 and Dropbox are $70 and $80 respectively for 1 year and 1 TB. (With Office 365, you do get to use Office during that same time frame, so not exactly apples to apples.)

Comcast DOCSIS 3.1 Gigabit Class Modem

Comcast announces DOCSIS 3.1 Gigabit go-live:

"The next-generation technology that will deliver gigabit Internet speeds moved from the laboratory to the living room late last month when we installed what we believe to be the world’s first DOCSIS 3.1 modem on a customer-facing network." 

"The next-generation technology that will deliver gigabit Internet speeds moved from the laboratory to the living room late last month when we installed what we believe to be the world’s first DOCSIS 3.1 modem on a customer-facing network." 

"The beauty of DOCSIS 3.1 is that it is backwards compatible, so no digging up streets or backyards. This technology, when combined with the extensive upgrades we have already completed on our advanced Hybrid Fiber-Coaxial network, will provide more gigabit choices for our customers."

While I'd love to have more bandwidth, I don't really need it. If this helps them hold down their costs AND they pass the savings on to me, then I'd be really excited. (And savings could mean no rate increases.)

Via Business Insider