The usb security key looks cool.. I'd like to look into coding apps that use these.

Can you link us to your old fryer so we can avoid it?

The usb security key looks cool.. I'd like to look into coding apps that use these.

You probably should look at the more expensive versions that do OTP and are programmable, I think the U2F only keys (eg. YubiKey Fido) are really only useful for websites but I haven't had a good look at the documentation at Yubico yet.

The programmable nature of the OTP versions would have let me program them for use with PayPal for example.

Documentation

Yes I did actually..  I just didn't have any memory of mentioning that..

I guess I told the donationcoder irc chat channel about it 

So yeah my prior model was this one for $16: https://www.amazon.com/Presto-05420-FryDaddy-Electric-Fryer/dp/B00005KB37

I put the plastic lid on while still hot and it just melted right into the oil.

In truth though, after it cooled the melted plastic peeled right off and i could use the fryer with a glass pot lid fine.  The real reason I upgraded from the $16 to the $25 fryer was because the new one gets a bit higher in temperature which is better for frying.

During Amazon's recent Prime Day they had the Yubikey 4 and Yubikey 4 Nano for 1/2 price, ($20 & $25 respectively).

So I picked up a Nano version.

I actually got such Yubikey 4 from a colleague who won a dozen or so at a security conference a while back, with the intent of doing something useful with it and reporting that back to him. I'm still thinking about what to use it for

Haven't actually got mine yet since I'm overseas for another 2 weeks, won't collect it until I get back

I'm leaving my current job after 16+ years to pursue a new challenge...and then a fresh start

Congratulations, Ath!!! Go get 'em!!

A Tale of Three Clocks



I have had this Braun travel alarm (#1 in the photo - Type 4 768 AB30sl) for 30 years, and it has always worked great. The back falls off and battery rolls out if it falls - which it has done many times - but it hasn't broken yet, and I started putting a rubber band around it to keep the back on better. It has a quiet tick-per-second movement like most of the electric analog clocks of its era. There's snooze bar/light at the top front and the alarm on/off bar across the top back. Alarm starts out on the quiet side and gets louder ("crescendo alarm") which is what I need because I always wake up at the first cheep and don't want it to screech at me. Not too big, not too small. Classic design, works great, and the only time it failed me was when it went missing for a few months (thanks, daughter who shall not be named). During the Dark Time when it was missing, I went on a search for its replacement.

The first thing I found is that this clock is no longer being manufactured. Braun has a number of clocks listed on Amazon, but none of them have the same feature set. And after reading far too many reviews, it sure seems like the current crop of Brauns don't have the same build quality as the old ones. Bummer.

So I kept looking and determined that I likely couldn't get a perfect match for the Braun, but I could get a clock that would satisfy my needs. First candidate that I bought was the Marathon CL030053BK (center clock in the pic). This is an awesome clock and I really like it a lot! Smooth movement that is completely quiet, not too bright light that comes on when the sensor says it is dark enough. It also has enough mass that it feels extremely sturdy and won't move around due to non slip bars on the bottom. It doesn't have a crescendo alarm, but the volume is fine - not too loud. (Might not work well for heavy sleepers, but then nothing does.) It has the perfect time/alarm set mechanism - a recessed area in back with one stem, normally it changes the alarm time but you can pull it out to reset the time. The only problem with this clock is its size - it's just a bit too big to be really portable. (I am keeping it because it's a great clock - in fact I bought one for my daughter to replace the clock I took back.  )

I tested a few other clocks on my journey as well, none memorable or satisfactory, but I eventually ended up settling on the silver clock - the LaCrosse 60.1013.54. It is much closer to the Braun's size and weight, it's easy to turn on the light when desired and easy to turn the alarm on or off or visibly see or feel its current state. The movement is smooth and silent. Again, not a crescendo alarm, but it's still ok. Its one down side would the alarm and time set mechanism - this clock uses small dials on the back of the clock, not an unusual arrangement, but the dials actually stick out past the flat back of the clock, so if I pop it in my pocket or suitcase, I can't guarantee that action won't reset the time! I tested taping the dials, but that prevents the time from keeping up.  If they had just recessed the dials a little...

Anyway, still looking for the perfect replacement. I would really like to see Marathon put out a 2/3 size replica of their clock, that would be awesome!

I have had this Braun travel alarm (#1 in the photo - Type 4 768 AB30sl) for 30 years, and it has always worked great. The back falls off and battery rolls out if it falls - which it has done many times - but it hasn't broken yet, and I started putting a rubber band around it to keep the back on better.

I'm still using neat little one that's about twenty years old -- the back has fallen off it, so the battery is held in with a hair elastic. I cant see any brand name on it, but it says 'Made in Germany'. I had given up using it until I realised smartphones are not so smart as I thought, and cannot be depended on (mine anyways).

Good to get a couple of possible replacement recommendations 

I'll carefully toss in the 'gadget' I bought yesterday: A VW Golf

Golf and a new job… clearly this will be a management role.

Good luck!

It'll be the weekend sometime so anyway a new phone: Moto G5+ (XT1685 APAC version) 4GB/32GB, NFC, Dual SIM and μSD, 4k UHD and Slo-mo video, etc.



Loses the compass and BeiDou GPS receiver that the Redmi Note 2 had but at least it's not a f'n MTK chipset.

Now to unlock the bootloader 

Got myself a 15-degree knife sharpener:
[attach]

Oh it works.
If you have some skill, lots of people enjoy manually sharpening their knives.  I just don't have the aptitude for it.