Colin Cogle's Blog

Plain Text in Plain Sight: Smaller Alternatives to the World Wide Web

February 5, 2023 — The Web is growing more bloated and invasive every day, but it's not the only way to share information online. (As featured in 2600: The Hacker Quarterly!)
So You Changed Your Callsign. Now What?

December 7, 2022 — Changing your amateur radio callsign requires you to file one simple form with the FCC… right?
Rescuing a UniFi Cloud Key Gen2 Plus

October 17, 2022 — A non-working eBay item gets saved from the scrap heap, and I get a cheap upgrade.
SSHFP Records on Windows Server

September 24, 2022 — SSHFP records are a vital part of securing SSH. However, Microsoft's DNS Server doesn't give us an easy way to add them. Here's how.
A File Format to Aid in Security Vulnerability Disclosure

May 19, 2022 — When security vulnerabilities are discovered by researchers, proper reporting channels are often lacking. As a result, bugs may be left unreported. Fortunately, there is a standard to help researchers to report vulnerabilities. (As featured in 2600: The Hacker Quarterly!)
Hacking Haswell ThinkPads' Firmware

January 2, 2022 — A cheap Craigslist laptop gets its BIOS hacked and Intel Management Engine neutered.
PowerShell 7 for Programmers

December 22, 2019 — A quick look at the new features in PowerShell 7 as they pertain to programmers.
Replacing OpenDKIM with dkimpy-milter

August 29, 2019 — OpenDKIM might be the gold standard, but the DKIM standard is evolving without it, so it's time to retire it.
Much Ado about Electrons

May 2, 2019 — Can building-scale batteries bolster Connecticut's fledgling solar industry?
APRS Weather Reporting By Hand

April 2, 2019 — You can use aprs-weather-submit to share weather data without a smart weather station.
A Kick in the Glass

November 5, 2018 — Connecticut uses single-stream recycling because it allows all recyclable material to be mixed together. There are some downsides, though, but there are steps you can take to help.
Sunburned: The Unintended Effect of Senate Bill 9

May 11, 2018 — While Connecticut Senate Bill 9 is a step forward for renewable energy, it includes a knife in the back for homeowners and small businesses.
In Defense of the Great Indoors

May 7, 2018 — The Sierra Club, the nation's most prominent outdoors and environmental group, has a staunch opinion about net neutrality. Maybe you should, too.
New Milford Town Council Enacts Citizen-Led Fracking Waste Ban

July 10, 2017 — Town becomes the twenty-first in Connecticut to ban the sale, use, and import of fracking waste by-products.
An Interim Fix for GPGMail on Snow Leopard

October 12, 2009 — GPGMail has been an invaluable tool for users of both GPG and Apple's Mail application. Unfortunately, the marriage of GPG to Mail has been a bittersweet relationship.