@#$% DO NOT BUY HP LAPTOP

 @#$% ...

Do not buy any HP laptop!

Back in 2017, HP laptop was using wedge lock that is not compatible with standard laptop lock.

Now in 2025, HP EliteBook 856 G11, it is using some HP specific lock.

@#$%

DO NOT BUY HP LAPTOP ...

HP security lock for laptop does not specify what kind of spec/requirement and just stated secure lock.

@#$%

Any HP specific lock is OUT OF STOCK

@#$$%

If you need to lock your laptop, skip HP laptops!

Hisense 65QD6N 2024 TV Setup

 Hisense 65QD6N is a 65" 4K QLED Smart Google TV.

There were a few setup complications.

1) Remote control cover

The remote back piece has a down arrow; and yes the entire back cover is one piece and hard to open.

Try to use finger nail to poke into the IR spot so the cover will slide down a bit so easer to slide open.

2) Apple TV 4K

Plugged in to HDMI 1 initially and black screen.  

Changed cable and switched to HDMI 3 (eARC/ARC) still didn't work.

But after a few more plug/unplug and power ON/OFF, eventually Apple TV 4K showed video configuration option and suddenly all workings.

Then changing back to the previous cable and HDMI 1 worked.

(Second time having some difficulty when switching Apple TV to a different TV.  Maybe the problem is Apple TV and not TV itself.)

3) Vizio Soundbar with optical cable connection

Setup > Sound > Digital Audio Output is greyed out but the soundbar audio level light is ON and based off TV level, yet the entire soundbar system is not work.

Changing the sequence to turn on TV or soundbar first didn't help.

To enable soundbar, Setup > All Settings > Display & Sound > Audio Output, then switch from TV Speaker to OPTICAL (S/PDIF) then the soundbar will be working.  And Setup > Sound > Digital Audio Output with additional options are enabled.

Unfortunately, there can be only 1 audio output so need to go into the menu to make the switch if not using the soundbar all the times.

4) Ethernet

If using RJ-45, it would be good to turn off WIFI and "Scanning always available" option.

5) Device Power Off

Setup > All Settings > Channels & Inputs > External Inputs, there are options:

Device auto power off
TV auto power on
TV auto power off

Some devices might still power on when turning on the TV., pressing YouTube button to turn on TV as a workaround.

AeroGarden Harvest Elite Slim Notes

Light length

15.5 hrs Flowesrs

16.0 hrs Veggies

16.5 hrs Salads

17.0 hrs Herbs

Light height

4 ~ 6" over the plants

Water

Rinse and Reilly water bowl monthly

The shared Google Calendar is not visible in the iOS Calendar app

When another user shared a Google Calendar, it is not visible in the iOS Calendar app. Upon checking the Google Calendar web UI, the shared calendar is listed under 'Other Calendars' and not 'My Calendars'.

The visibility of the shared Google Calendar in the iOS Calendar app depends on whether it is categorized under 'My Calendars' or 'Other Calendars'.

The visibility of the shared Google Calendar in the iOS Calendar app depends on whether it is categorized under 'My Calendars' or 'Other Calendars.' When sharing the calendar, choose 'Make changes and manage sharing' to include it under 'My Calendars' for the specific user. If you choose 'Make changes to events,' it will be listed under 'Other Calendars'.

(MS Copilot assisted)

Windows 11 Setup without Network

To setup Windows 10 or Windows 11 without network logon:

1) at networking screen, press Shift + F10, 

2) at command line, then type OOBE\BYPASSNRO

3) reboot and network screen should have additional option no Internet.

Factorio Shortcuts

Keyboard/Mouose Shortcuts

• Dispaly
• Alt -- Toggle container item icon
• Control
• Ctrl + Left click -- Quick pick and drop items to slot
• Ctrl + Right click -- Pickup items
• Q -- Cancel item holding
• Z -- (Pickup items and hold on hand) drop one item at a time to building
• Building
• Right click -- Pickup building
• R -- Rotate

Ubuntu 20.04 Change Default Login Screen to Primary Monitor

With a multi-monitor Ubuntu setup, Login screen may not display on the primary monitor as defined under Settings > Screen Display.

In order to make the necessary change in Ubuntu 20.04 LTS, make sure ~/.config/monitors.xml file exists.  If not, go to Settings > Screen Display, make some dummy changes then change back to the desire settings.  For example, adjusting one of screen orientation.  This action would generate montors.xml file.

In the console, execute the following command.

sudo cp ~/.config/monitors.xml /var/lib/gdm3/.config/

This would copy the file into gdm3 configuration folder.

Restart the machine and login screen would display on the primary monitor.

Ubuntu Chinese Input Method

Chinese input is non-existence out-of-box from Ubuntu (and up to 20.04 so far). More work is required to setup Chinese input support. While there are multiple variances out there, Chinese Intelligent Pinyin works best for me.

To install Chinese Intelligent Pinyin, search "ibus-libpinyin" online. Basically, update ibus then install ibus-pibpinyin.

sudo apt-get install -y ibus-libpinyin

Perform a reboot. Note, there is a way to refresh without a reboot but reboot is easier.

Then go to Settings > Language and Region, under Input Sources, click + then Other. Select "Chinese (Intelligent Pinyin)" from the list. Note, it is not "Chinese" in the list as it basically does nothing.

Switch Languages for iOS External Bluetooth Keyboard

Use the following steps to change languages with physical keyboard on iOS:

For Logitech K480, press the Language Switch key (F12).

For other Bluetooth keyboard, press Ctrl + Space.

Other notes:

For some messaging apps, press Command + Enter to send the message.

Microsoft All-in-One Media Keyboard Notes

The keyboard has new Fn keys enabled by default and missing a few physical keys compared to a regular keyboard.  The following note on how to access the missing keys.

Home key: Fn + Left arrow

End key: Fn + Right arrow

Page Up: Fn + Up arrow

Page Down: Fn + Down arrow

F1 ~ F12: Fn + selected key

Fn Lock Mode: Fn + Capital Lock

(Fn Lock does not affect Home/End keys)

FAT32 Format for Size Over 32GB

FAT32 can search up to 32GB.  In order to format a disk larger than 32GB, it would be exFAT format.

Windows does not have a default utility to perform this task.  Instead, search for guiformat.exe online.  Ridgecrop Consultants Ltd has a good alternative.

Motorcycle Notes

TCLOCK

• Tires,
• Control,
• Lights,
• Oil,
• Chassis,
• Kickstand.

KNIFEBC

• Kickstand,
• Neutral,
• Ignition,
• Fuel,
• Engine,
• Brake,
• Control.

Reference to Install Google Store on Fire Tablet 8

Fire Tablet 8 is an inexpensive tablet for media consumption.  However, Amazon App Store lacks typical Google first-party apps and Fire OS also lacks good input apps.

https://www.laptopmag.com/articles/get-google-play-on-fire-tablet

Visit above link and their instruction is the most simple to follow.

Fake Windows AntiVirus Example

Never click on "fake" OK or "fake" Cancel.

Backup Minecraft with OneDrive

Microsoft OneDrive does not backup folders outside of OneDrive folder.  In order to backup Minecraft game folders, try to create a symbolic link.

mklink /j C:\Users\<userName>\OneDrive\com.mojing C:\Users\<userName>\AppData\Local\Packages\Microsoft.MinecraftUWP_8wekyb3d8bbwe\LocalState\games\com.mojang

/J will create a directory junction.

If there is an error, "Cannot create a file when that file already exists" then it means the first folder parameter/reference already existed.  Try to change to a different name.

Notes on Ileostomy Reversal

Personal Notes:

Penaten cream can help on the sore bottom.

Fibre in diet can absorb water and make the stool firm.  Try to eat with different amount of All Bran and check the changes.

Fruit, coffee and tea can cause the stool to loose.

Calcium can bind the stool.  Try to take Tums and check the changes; too much may cause a constipation.

Take Imodium for a day or two if stool is too loose and watery for a long period of time.

Thoughts on Asus Zenfone Max Plus M1 ZB570TL

Asus Zenfone Max Plus M1 came out in 2017 December.  It costs less than 23% to Apple iPhone X.  Generally speaking, it is a good smartphone given its inexpensive price.

Compared to Google Nexus phones in the past, apps seem less stable compared to running on Nexus.

The wide angle camera is very useful.  But auto-focus and lighting detection for both lens are sometimes less than perfect and would require multiple shoots to get it right.

Between March 2018 to July 2018, the phone received three OS updates.

The idea of having a larger battery is to prolong the time between charges.  While the phone does last longer than the previous phones, but its battery is less than 50% for a similar usage pattern.  In the end, it still needs to be charged daily.

Must-Nice-Divided-Alternative-Avoid: Nice+

Utilize Hidden Drive Bay on Asus L402WA-EH21 by Reinstall Windows 10

Asus L402WA-EH21 14" laptop has an unused hidden 2.5" hard drive bay as drive 0 while its 32GB eMMC is drive 1.  After inserting a 2.5" drive to the laptop, it would add a D drive to Windows.  While it is possible to install new apps and store new file to D drive automatically, users' program data and cache still default to C drive and leads to ever decreasing space in C drive.  It seems the only way further reduce C drive usage is by hacking registry keys.

As such, reinstall Windows 10 on the added hard drive seems like a better and more stable solution to address the space issue.  

Windows license key is stored in BIOS so reinstalling Windows 10 is a relatively straight-forward process after creating the USB media through Microsoft download site.

After this, existing 32GB eMMC drive becomes D drive and just ignore it afterward.

Minecraft Save File

Minecraft save file location for Windows 10:

C:\Users\<userid>\AppData\Local\Packages\Microsoft.MinecraftUWP_8wekyb3d8bbwe\LocalState\games\com.mojang\

Change Android Auto Temperature Display to Celcius

To change Android Auto temperature unit in widget, some posts suggested to talk to OK Google directly by saying "Change temperature to Celcius."  However, that does not work all the times and most likely will perform a Google search on the "Celcius" topic instead.

To change the temperatue unit in Android Auto:
1) Start Android Auto,
2) Settting,
3) Google Assistant,
4) Perferences,
5) Weather,
6) Then set the desire temperature units.