Ultimate Multiboot USD Drive

In my quest to make the ultimate bootable USB Drive, to boot multiple ISO's from a single USB device and that can boot both Linux and Windows 7/Window 10 ISO for installation. I found a number of issues getting it to work with all my desired ISO's. I tried tools Like Yumi, MultiBootUSB, SARDU and even manually creating a GRUB2EUFI USB.

Then I found out about some hardware devices that emulate a DVD/CD drive on PC's, including during boot. Such as the IODD 2531 and the Zalman ZM-VE350. You copy all your ISO's to the HDD, select which ISO you want to mount using the buttons and screen on the device and your done!

However some of these devices have been difficult to track down. So I thought if there was a smaller or DIY option, turns out there is! You can use a RaspberryPi Zero to do the same thing. All thanks this person on GitHub: https://github.com/tjmnmk/gadget_cdrom

Video Demo Here: https://video.ploud.fr/videos/watch/6d0b1014-bb39-4714-a984-15a24a9ac58e

Now, I have not tested this yet, but the video looks promising and I will be doing a project on it. I will take notes and pictures and be sure to post about it on here. If you end up doing the project before me, post in the comments and let me know how it went.
 

Free Windows Office 2016/2019

We all need it at some point, whether it's Microsoft Office 2007, 2010, 2016, 2019 or even Office O365. The fact is, it is too expensive to some and Microsoft's move to a subscription based model where you pay a yearly fee is not helping. That is why I switched to LibreOffice, permanently. LibreOffice is a free and open-source application available on Windows, Mac & Linux! There is even a portable version that you do not need to install.

You see, the more of us that use LibreOffice, the more standard it becomes and the minor incompatibilities diminish. Even Businesses can use it for free, and I hope more do. You can open and edit Microsoft Office created files (Excel, Word, PowerPoint, etc.) in LibreOffice without issues from my experience and even save in the same format.

So give it a try! Save some money and let's help Microsoft reverse their decision to move to a subscription based model.

Download Android Apps

Here is how to download android applications in apk format without a google account. This is useful if you have and android tablet/phone that you don’t want linked to a google account. Just download the .apk file and open it on the tablet to install. You may need to enable "untrusted sources" in the setting of your android device for the apk to install.

Visit https://apps.evozi.com/apk-downloader/  and paste the link to the app from the google store, then click download.

For example when you go to the site above, say you want to download Cisco AnyConnect for android in apk format you can paste either of the link or package name and click download:

1) https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.cisco.anyconnect.vpn.android.avf

or

2) com.cisco.anyconnect.vpn.android.avf

Home Automation

Say No to WiFi Home Automation

The best option is to use something that communicates over RF such as:

• Zigbee
• Z-Wave
• Insteon
• X10
• etc

I recommend these because they only send data when it is required and is not always communicating with the base station. Unlike the following, which I do not recommend:

• WiFi
• Bluetooth
• Bluetooth LE

 WiFi and Bluetooth will clutter your home with radio waves, slow down bandwidth and waste energy. Not to mention I still believe that too much radio waves is not healthy. At the very least do not get any WiFi home automation products such as Wall Sockets, Light Switches, etc. They are made by manufacturers because they are easier to setup, however the cost both financially, health wise and bandwidth wise, is not worth it.

Vera Controller is an example of a simple setup Z-Wave system, easier than WiFi. I have tried this system and while they advertise you do not need the cloud, you actually do. Without the cloud the Vera system is severely limited, you can barely make any configuration changes and most of the feature are in the cloud. Without the cloud you have basic control.

In the end I used HomeAssistant with a USB Z-Wave controller and I absolutely love it. I even have my Hikvision NVR and standalone IP cameras displayed in the same interface as my Z-Wave devices.

Password Manager

While there are many password manager applications out there, some I have tried such as KeePass and LastPass. Others, that I have not tried include and cannot comment on:

• 1Password
• Bitser
• Dashlane
• Enpass
• Intuitive Password
• Keeper
• Mitto

However I wanted a hardware password manager, so I found Mooltipass Mini.

https://www.themooltipass.com/

Mooltipass is a great little piece of hardware that encrypts your credentials with AES256 and requires two factor authentication (PIN + Smart Card). This device supports Windows, Linux, Mac and even Apple and Android devices (most). It only requires the APP and or Web Plugin to load your passwords, once that is completed you can use it in manual mode and not require any additional software/plugin. Best of all its OpenSource and fairly cheap!!!

DJI Mavic Pro

Pro's and Con's of the DJI Mavic Pro

Pro:

• Portable
• High Quality Build
• 4K Camera
• Video Stabilization using Gimbal
• Flight stability
• Ease of use

Con:

• Firmware upgrade can stop you from flying or restrict your usage
• Data collected about the user and usage is insane

Network Attached Storage

Best NAS (Network Attached Storage) Solution (For Me)

I recently found myself looking for a NAS solution for my backups and put a lot of time into the research before making a decision. I decided to go with FreeNAS and I will tell you why.

I looked at Western Digital(WD), ASUSTOR, D-Link, Buffalo, QNAP and Synology. However they all had the following flaws in my mind:

• Underpowered (Low RAM and CPU spec's)
• Limited upgrade-ability
• Disaster recovery nightmare (Need to buy the same unit to recover data in case the hardware fails)

So I decided to go with FreeNAS on custom build hardware or HP Proliant MicroServer G8 for the following reasons:

• Xeon CPU (High powered & ECC (Error Correcting Code)
• ECC RAM + More GB of RAM
• Protection of Bit Rot or Data Degradation (ZFS will compare the checksum of each data block on the mirrored drive pairs and fix the corrupt data.)
• Disaster Recover (DR) (In the event of a hardware failure I can boot into FreeNAS on ANY computer and get my data back. As long I as my RAID is mirrored or I have the config file).

The price actually works out to be about the same for the custom build or server grade hardware as with the off the shelf consumer ones, however you will have a more powerful machine and peace of mind. You can purchase all the parts individually such as case, Motherboard that supports ECC RAM, Xeon CPU and that has built in web management interface similar to iLo, DRAC or CIMC (Cisco). The remote management is quite useful as you can remote power on/off your device from a web browser, remote KVM (Keyboard Video Mouse), remote diagnostic, etc. Or go with an off the shelf product like the HP Proliant MicroServer G8 or Dell PowerEdge T130.