Surfshark VPN No Longer Recommended

No to Surfshark VPN

The Problem 

Surfshark was formerly a recommended VPN service, but no longer:

1. Payment Card Abuse. A payment card is a required part of an account, making you vulnerable to unauthorized charges. 
2. Aggressive Upselling. Not content to just provide good service, Surfshark aggressively pushes services you do not need or want, going so far as to create subscriptions with automatic renewals that you never ordered.  
3. Blocked IPs. Abuse by customers of a limited IP pool means that Surfshark connections are increasingly blocked by network providers.  

The Solution

It's surprisingly hard to find a good, low-cost VPN, with ample IP pools, high performance, and solid privacy policies. It's not perfect, but my current top pick is Private Internet Access (PIA).

• No logs
• Open Source 
• Reliable access 
• 10 Gbps servers optimized for speed
• Unlimited devices on one plan from $2.03/mo 
• Every setting can be customized 

Starbucks Tipping Goes Rogue

New Starbucks Tipping

The Problem

Tipping is supposed to be a reward for good service, but Starbucks does not actually provide table service, just counter service, and the brewing of coffee is now fully automated (and mediocre). So the 'barista' (using the term loosely) now just takes your order and pushes a brew button. Is that service worthy of a tip?

If you pay with the app on a smartphone, you already have a tipping option (and notification) should you choose to tip, but now Starbucks hits you again on the new Verifone tipping terminal. 

Worse, if you walk away without touching the terminal, it stays wide open to abuse, like a barista reaching over to apply a tip without your consent (which has actually happened, perhaps inadvertently, but still fraudulent).

And the most outrageous thing of all is that the fixed tip amounts—not percentages like at more responsible restaurants—are egregiously high for a lower-cost item like a brewed coffee (as in the picture):

• 30% at $1 tip
• 60% at $2 tip
• 149% at $5 tip

The Solution

Until Starbucks changes course, putting customers back ahead of greed, the solution is to mobile order ahead, thereby avoiding the tipping terminal entirely. You can even select personal cup for the discount and extra stars!

Dump the Un-Carrier!

The Bad News: All 3 major carriers now suck!

Under President John Legere, T-Mobile USA was the customer-focused "un-carrier" that offered great pricing, service and performance. That all changed when he left, and now T-Mobile is just another big evil carrier. 

It was bad enough when T-Mobile first broke Legere's promise to 'never raise your price' but now it has gone full evil by forcing subscribers from great legacy plans to new more expensive plans, along with unbundling taxes and fees for new customers. Worse, it slip-streamed it into the Terms of Service, leaving unhappy customers with little recourse. It's now entirely money-focused.

The Good News 

You can switch to a much better carrier and save a great deal of money without losing great network performance, with much better customer service in the bargain. That escape path leads to US Mobile, an MVNO (Mobile Virtual Network Operator) with access to all three major carrier networks. (It's even possible to switch networks as desired!)

The best part is that you may be able to at least take advantage of the 'Un-Carrier Guarantee' to get your last month of service free when leaving T-Mobile after a price increase. You may have to fight for it, because not all T-Mobile service reps even know it exists, and resist pressure to get you to stay, but you can get it if you persist and act promptly.

One of the best deals that's frequently offered by US Mobile is a full year of Unlimited Starter for only $199 (just $17 per month) all in (no added taxes and fees): Unlimited Talk & Text, 70 GB of High-Speed Data and 10 GB of Hotspot Data on the T-Mobile network, and more. Plus it often has great deals on devices!

Do it, now, and if you use my referral code, you will get a $25 credit! (I get one too.) 

Subscription Creep

Stop Subscription Creep

How to stop subscription charges for good

Vendors love subscriptions because people forget to cancel them (so charges keep going). They can even make it hard to cancel. Part of the problem is that it can be a big hassle to regularly audit all your payment card statements to find the ones you no longer need or want. Another part of the problem is that it can be hard to jump through the necessary hoops to cancel. Fortunately, there is a simple, effective solution.

A related problem is that vendors can record and keep your card numbers for future transactions that you may not actually authorize. 

The "Nuclear" Option 

The simplest, most reliable solution is to force‑expire every payment card once a year. Ask your card issuers to replace your cards with new numbers but without Card Updater Service.*

When that happens, every subscription dies automatically and all saved card numbers are invalidated. You then just need to give your new card numbers to those subscriptions and vendors you want to keep.

The PayPal Option 

A big advantage of PayPal over a payment card is that vendors cannot keep a card on file and make charges without authorization.

• Individual payments must always be expressly authorized by you.
• Recurring (or subscription) payments must be expressly authorized in advance by you, and can be easily managed (e.g., canceled) in your PayPal account.

No need for spreadsheets, audits, “subscription manager” apps.

* Card Updater Service means that your issuers will cheerfully switch your zombie subscriptions to your new card numbers, defeating the Nuclear Option.

ThinkPad Lock on Leave can work

Lock on Leave for the ThinkPad P14s Gen 4 is well hidden!

• Windows Presence Sensing is not supported.
• Instead, Lenovo provides its own Lock on Leave feature.
• Locking may not be reliable in some environments, like noisy cafes!
• Lenovo documentation is not correct! 
• Expanded How To in Lenovo Community.
• Likely applies to T14 Gen 4, P14s Gen 4, T16 Gen 2, P16s Gen 2.
• It may also apply to P14s Gen 5 and P16s Gen 3.

How to enable Lenovo Lock on Leave

1. In BIOS Settings → Security → Intelligent Security → enable User Presence Sensing.
2. In Commercial Vantage (from Microsoft Store) → Device Settings → Smart Assist → enable Zero touch lock.

Windows Settings 

1. Use Default settings in Windows Balanced Power Plan.
2. Set Screen Saver to (None) because it is redundant and possibly counterproductive.

What actually happens

• ~20 seconds of no presence → screen dims
• ~10 seconds later → screen blanks & locks
• No wake‑on‑return, but Windows Hello can activate and unlock on a keypress
• Invisible: no tray icon, no indicator, no tuning

How it works

• Uses speakers to emit ultrasonic pulses
• Uses microphones to read reflections
• Elliptic’s AI model decides “present” vs “absent”
• No dedicated hardware sensor, no FRU

Side effect
Some users can hear the ultrasonic chirps due to:

• speaker distortion
• harmonics
• individual high‑frequency sensitivity

If you hear it, you’re not imagining it.

Guest Network Isolation

Guest Network Isolation

Guest Network Segregation May Be Just Theater

• Guest Network matters.
• Never give your local network credentials (password) to guests. 
• Guest Network must be true isolation,
  not just a 2nd network name (SSID).
• Without isolation:
• The very real threat is credential sharing (which often happens casually).
• Guest network can give the world access to all your networked devices.
• That can facilitate identity theft, accidental or deliberate.
• ASUS gets this right:
• Guests cannot access your local networked devices.
• Guests cannot see each other.
• Guests cannot cross sub-networks.
• If your router does not enforce that, then it does not have a real guest network.

How To Safely Share a Wireless Printer

• Tell your guest to use AirPrint or Wi-Fi Direct.

How to Safely Share a Wireless TV

• Tell your guest to use AirPlay or Miracast. 

How To Test Guest Network Isolation

1. Power on all devices (computers, printers, phones, smart home) on your local network (wired and wireless).
2. Connect to your Guest Network with an Apple or Android smartphone.
3. Install and Run Fing from the appropriate app store (Apple, Google, Microsoft).
4. If you see more than 1 device (your phone) in the Devices tab, the Guest Network is not isolated.

 

Powered Toothbrush Bargain

Li-ion Rechargeable AA Batteries

Li-ion rechargeable AA battery is the secret!

There are many different powered toothbrushes on the market, ranging from inexpensive battery powered to expensive rechargeable models.

In truth, there is no meaningful difference in cleaning action between the best inexpensive battery powered models with fresh batteries and the expensive rechargeable models. The principal difference is the power source.

Inexpensive battery powered toothbrushes typically use disposable AA or AAA batteries, an ongoing cost and waste issue. Worse, as the disposable battery discharges, the voltage drops and the toothbrush slows down.

Oral-B 3D Battery Toothbrush

The solution is to use the latest Li-ion technology in standard AA format, ideally with USB-C recharging!

• Constant battery voltage = constant brushing power 
• High battery power capacity
• Long battery life (1,000 recharges)
• Quick, convenient battery recharging 
• Li-ion tech is superior to older NiMH (and NiCd) tech

Recommended Products

1. Oral-B 3D White Battery Toothbrush 
2. CARDIENS AA USB rechargeable batteries 
3. Toothpaste Worth the Money 

Moral: Why spend $100-$200 instead of only $10-$20?!

Toothpaste Worth the Money

Colgate Optic White

The Toothpaste Gimmick

Most "whitening" toothpastes on the market are a marketing illusion. They don't bleach away stains—they just clean with mild abrasives.

Colgate Optic White (Advanced & Pro Series) is what actually works:

• Real Whitening: Uses hydrogen peroxide to safely bleach away stains.
• 5% Pro: Powerful starter. One tube is all you need.
• 2% Advanced: Perfect for ongoing use.
• No Oral Health Compromise: Includes cleaning agents and cavity protection.
• Smart Tube Design: Engineered to keep out air for better product and less waste.

Moral: Pay for actual chemistry and tube design, not marketing fluff.

p.s. Don't fall for the Colgate Optic White Pro Series Powered Toothbrush—
it's not as good as the Oral-B 3D White Battery Toothbrush.

Amazon Pricing Alert

Amazon Pricing

Amazon pricing is increasingly a ripoff

Real example: Mann engine air filter for 2008 Volvo S60 2.5T:

• FCP Euro: $18.43
• Amazon:*  $24.95 (35% more)

 * Sold and shipped by Amazon, not a 3rd party. 

Amazon's Dynamic Pricing 

• Demand pricing: Boosts prices for return buyers or strong demand
• Location pricing: Charges more if you are in an affluent area.
• Prime premium: Folds shipping cost into prices. 
• Project Nessie: Secret testing of how much it could charge. 

Moral: Always price check!

 

USB-C Cable Conundrum

USB-IF logo

USB-IF Certification is Important

You need a new USB-C to USB-C cable, but you don't want just any old cable. You want:

1. Soft and flexible
2. Solid and reliable 
3. 60W fast charging

And you don't want it to crap out quickly. 

The problem is that so many reasonably priced USB-C cables not only fail to measure up to those criteria, but also that so few (even top brands) are certified USB-IF (USB Implementers Forum), important because it ensures that cables meet strict performance and safety standards.  If a cable doesn't have the official USB-IF logo on it, it's not certified.

The good news is that you can easily find certified USB-C cables on Amazon under Amazon Basics branding, e.g., Amazon Basics USB-C to USB-C 2.0 Fast Charging Cable, 60W, 480Mbps Speed, USB-IF Certified

• USB-IF Certifed 
• Various lengths 
• High quality 
• Low cost
• Black or white

Important Notes:

1. Watch out for counterfeits, especially no name cables. You can check here.
2. Watch out for "fast charging" cables that are only 15W.
3. 60W cables are powerful enough for most purposes and tend to be more flexible than 100W.
4. Faster cables (> USB 2.0) tend to be less flexible and may not be needed.