Doorbell

I have few blink cameras at home. And, to be honest, I’m really happy how they are working. So when I was looking for a doorbell, a one from blink was the obvious choice for me.

Company which I already know, application which I already have, integrated into my home assistant instance. Should be perfect.

Should be. After less than a month I’m sending it back. Blink is using a pair of lithium batteries. In all other cameras they are working few months. In the doorbell max is a week. It’s not a joke – one week. And this is when I set up a maximum energy saving options. No movement detection. No recording when system is armed. Nothing. Only recording when someone press the button.

I already have an alternative. Ring doorbell (2nd generation). It’s more expensive, but it’s working.

Ok. I had to install the application to set it up first time. And to integrate it with my Amazon account. But then I may not use it anymore. Not, if I want to use it as a doorbell only. And, to be honest, ring has a better integration with Alexa.

So at the end, I have few ring outdoor cameras, but ring doorbell 😂

Whiteboard from Atlassian

Atlassian will release their own whiteboard. It will be a part of the confluence. So you will not have to use miro or mural (or similar online services). You will not need apps like Microsoft whiteboard or Apple freeform. Confluence will be everything what you need.

You want to more know? Or maybe even join the beta tests? Check https://www.atlassian.com/software/confluence/whiteboards

My blog in Fediverse

Thanks to a plugin called “ActivityPub” my blog is now part of the Fediverse.

This means it may  share and talk to everyone using the ActivityPub protocol, including users of Friendica, Pleroma and Mastodon.

People can follow  this blog using the username marcin@marcin-lis.pl or the URL https://marcin-lis.pl/author/marcin/.

 

Update :

If you’re using plugin “Jetpack Boost” you have to disable option “Defer Non-Essential JavaScript”

OKR – what is is (in short summary)

OKR stands for Objectives Key Results.

It is a management method that uses objectives. It describes how to set and record priorities and what to do to improve the effectiveness of their implementation.

The most familiar element of OKRs is the format for writing down the goal. O from the abbreviation OKR is goal. Key Results or Key Results are measures of success.

The Objective in an OKR should be qualitative (so it is not measurable). It is a buzzword that names a change or state that the company or team intends to achieve. It is meant to define an exciting, specific challenge. It is used to communicate priorities precisely, the recipient should be able to remember it easily and understand its value.

The key results are 3 to 5 points, the evaluation of which will show whether the goal has been achieved. Each is an independent measure that can be regularly and explicitly verified.

The OKR target is for one thing, for a given period a company can adopt several. The fewer the better. At the team level, it is best to limit yourself to one OKR per quarter. One chooses the most important things, the priorities on which the team should focus. The teams’ OKRs are updated quarterly and their progress is monitored every week, at least two. Creating individual OKRs is not recommended.

OKRs are not just goals – they are also a process for setting and orchestrating priorities within a company and a set of practices to increase the effectiveness of implementation.

OKRs are not the only approach to goal management. However, they are transparent, understandable, relatively simple and currently the most popular. They were introduced by Intel in the 1970s.

Bring your own key

What is bring your own key (BYOK)?

Bring your own key (BYOK) is an innovative concept to allow public cloud users to keep control of the cryptographic keys used in the cloud to secure their data. With public cloud services exploding, BYOK is now supported by all major cloud services. BYOK enables public cloud users to generate their own high-quality master key locally and securely transmit the key to a cloud service provider (CSP) to protect data in multi-cloud environments. To generate and manage high-quality keys, BYOK uses FIPS and Common Criteria Certified Hardware Security Modules (HSMs) that the cloud user maintains locally or leases as a service.

BYOK enables organizations that migrate to the cloud to achieve:

  • Flexibility, convenience and cost effectiveness
  • Strong control of sensitive data and applications
  • Full visibility into the use of keys in the cloud
  • The highest level of data security, integrity and trust

What is the role of BYOK?

BYOK provides users of public cloud services with the ability to generate cryptographic keys in their own environment and maintain control of these keys, while making them available for use in the cloud of their choice when needed.

How does BYOK work?

CSPs protect their customers’ data in the cloud with robust encryption. The cryptographic key that encrypts the data (tenant key) forms the basis of cloud storage security. Cloud user generated master key using BYOK essentially creates a closed box to protect tenant keys in CSP data centers. This gives the cloud user control over the tenant key, ensuring it is only used for an authorized purpose, and ultimately protects the security of the data in the cloud.

What are some examples of CSPs supporting BYOK?

Leading CSPs including Amazon Web Services (AWS), Google Compute Engine, Microsoft Azure, and Salesforce.

How is BYOK different from Hold Your Own Key (HYOK)?

Hold Your Own Key (HYOK) is an option offered by Microsoft to manage the most confidential data of cloud users within their own security perimeter. Microsoft is replacing HYOK with Double Key Encryption (DKE), which enables cloud users to take advantage of hybrid environments with additional levels of protection, control and confidence.

Why do we need a BYOK?

The security of your encrypted data is as good as the protection provided by the encryption keys. BYOK gives cloud users the control and confidence they need, whether they are deploying a single cloud provider, hybrid or multi-cloud strategy. BYOK and the use of HSM allow cloud users to avoid the difficulties of vendor dependency, which can make it difficult to migrate from one CSP to another. HSM modules are specifically designed to prevent a hacker from finding critical cryptographic keys by placing them in a tamper-proof location rather than in software.

Metaverse

What is Metaverse?

Metaverse is augmented virtual reality. A digital world that we will be able to connect to through VR goggles and spend time in. Right now, using the Internet is primarily a two-dimensional experience mediated by a screen. The Metaverse could make it possible for us to literally immerse ourselves in it and perform activities there, previously reserved only for the real world. This is one of the fastest growing technologies of the future.

Metaverse is a compound of the words meta and verse. The term was invented by American science fiction writer Neal Stephenson and first appears in his 1992 book. The novel is set in a dystopian world ruled by greedy corporations. Its inhabitants escape from everyday problems into cyberspace, the metaverse, where they can move around as their avatars. Of course, it costs money to beautify one’s character, and the poorer ones have to settle for gray images.

Read more Metaverse

Steam Deck

Is the Steam Deck a game console or a computer?

Actually, the answer to this question is up to you. If you just want a working game console from the steam catalog, then Steam Deck out of the box is the solution for you. You just turn it on and use it, the same level of difficulty as a PlayStation or Xbox.

If you want to take advantage of the PC potential that’s hiding in that little box, you can use Steam OS, which is simply Linux or install Windows 10 or Windows 11 (both are officially supported, and there are official drivers for both).
In that case, you can use Deck to play games not only from Steam but also Epic, GOG, Ubisoft, Blizzard, etc.

But you can also use it as a portable computer. And if you connect it to a docking station, monitor, keyboard, and mouse, you have a desktop computer, perfect for work (as long as you’re not someone who puts up a million virtual machines and needs a herd of cores and terabytes of RAM).

And what is it for me? At first, it was a console for playing Steam games, but it became clear pretty quickly that I wanted more. I simply have too many games bought elsewhere and can’t use them. In addition, the service software for my car is only on Windows, so I have a service computer right away, ideal because it’s small, convenient, with a long-lasting battery 🙂

But as I wrote – it all depends on the owner.

Is Mastodon a new Twitter?

What is Mastodon

Mastodon is a microblogging network, it is not controlled by a company or a server, it works through a decentralized federation of servers. The network is open source and we can access it on GitHub, where it is hosted so that anyone can access it.

Mastodon does not use a single server, it consists of several, and it is fast in terms of loading both the network and the application. The user has the option to create a community or instance. In addition, if you don’t want to do that, you can join one of the many available.

The first thing to start using Mastodon is to register with a short registration, when we say concise, that is, it won’t ask for much information about us. There will be four fields you must fill out to register with the site/app, including your username.

Read more Is Mastodon a new Twitter?