Disqus - Latest Comments for brettg

Re: How I Finally Fixed My Parents Dodgy Wifi With AmpliFi

Brett Gilbertson — Fri, 14 Jun 2019 18:27:37 -0000

And BTW, in the end I just sent back the mesh point not the whole WiFi system They replaced it, no problems and returned it fast enough.

Re: How I Finally Fixed My Parents Dodgy Wifi With AmpliFi

Brett Gilbertson — Fri, 14 Jun 2019 17:55:24 -0000

Conor, think you might have just missed the point. Troy and I live in Australia.
Companies like Netgear and Linksys have local operations in Australia with service and parts on shore. So no extra cost and wait for ocean freight across the pacific Ocean. Also, Australian law provides far better consumer protection than the US does, highlighting the difficulty of buying products that are not supported on shore. That's the point. Ubiquiti gear is great (no regrets), but that support model is not great for Australians.

Re: OneNote

Brett Gilbertson — Fri, 08 Feb 2019 01:29:03 -0000

Yes, OneNote is not really a PDF app since it is a digital canvas, not a document system. So I'm not sure you'll ever see native PDFs well supported in OneNote. Like all of the solutions, there are compromises where you need to change your workflow. Like with paper, we make the changes because of the benefits that we can gain...

Re: OneNote

Brett Gilbertson — Thu, 07 Feb 2019 21:37:23 -0000

Your details on OneNote are very out of date and I suspect very iPad centric. OneNote does not require an Outlook account at all (There really isn't such a thing anyway). You need a Microsoft Account (at least on an iPad). However, the Microsoft Account does not equate to another email address. You can just use your existing email address and create a Microsoft Account as a login (unlike Gmail and others).

Most of the things marked as not available in your details have been there for quite a while now. As a digital note-taker since 2002 (I still have my handwritten notes from 2002) I can advise that OneNote is the best work and school based multi-platform tool for notetakers. Mainly because it does far more than enable digital ink - although it does that very well.

If you want to get away from the "Shiny App Syndrome" that you talk about, OneNote is where you want to go.

Re: How I Finally Fixed My Parents Dodgy Wifi With AmpliFi

Brett Gilbertson — Mon, 20 Nov 2017 00:07:55 -0000

Thanks for the quick response. All tech devices are prone to manufacturing and software faults, even the very best. Shame I'm the unlucky one today. I will push back on the return of the whole kit. I can do without a mesh point, but I'd hate to go back to old wifi!

Re: How I Finally Fixed My Parents Dodgy Wifi With AmpliFi

Brett Gilbertson — Sun, 19 Nov 2017 23:28:57 -0000

Hey Troy, I bought one of these to fix my own dodgy wifi at home. And I really love the system. So easy and simple, wifi just works! But... I ran into a little issue where one of the mesh points practically fell off the wall leaving behind the circular power prong plate with 2 exposed metal pins and 240V of power. A tad dangerous to say the least. It looks like the part was not glued in place on the production line, as there is no sign at all of a break or fault.

So the online support / chat people were helpful and recommended an RA straight away. I fill in the RA form and get a directive to send the whole kit (not just the faulty mesh point) to

Ubiquiti Networks
427 West 12800 South
Draper, UT 84020
United States

Oh crap! So not only do they expect me to have no wifi for at least 4 weeks, they expect me to pay to send it halfway around the world for eval.

This is why one of my usual criteria when buying computer hardware is local support. I skipped it in this case.

Have I missed something? Do you know if they have local support?

Re: Face ID, Touch ID, No ID, PINs and Pragmatic Security

Brett Gilbertson — Thu, 14 Sep 2017 19:38:17 -0000

Yes, true. But the competition only do 20,000 dots (I made that up) and still get the same accuracy. Are they more efficient?

i.e. All biometric face systems look at points on the face. But the genius of Apple is that they marketed it.

Re: Face ID, Touch ID, No ID, PINs and Pragmatic Security

Brett Gilbertson — Thu, 14 Sep 2017 19:35:00 -0000

BTW Troy, I do mean that with the utmost respect! I defer to you for all things security. ;-)

Hardware is my patch as a Windows and Devices MVP, although I'm user focused, not deployment or technical per se. I've presented on Hello before for MS so I've read some of the behind the scenes technical docs on it.

Webcams do not work with Windows Hello authentication. Windows Hello is only available with a Face Recognition Biometric module that has been certified. Basically the module provides a "Face ID" via an algorithm that is securely stored on the device and cannot be copied or replicated. It must be configured on each device and is not able to be backed up in the cloud or anywhere else.

We've been happily using it on Windows devices for 2+ years now and it works seamlessly and brilliantly. So as usual Apple are late to the party but using their marketing power to bring it to the masses. But as I said, on a phone, as the only biometric option it's going to be complete pain as you have a limited field of view (1m to 50cm, angle of lens). So no matter how good the module is with mixed lighting conditions you'll be holding up to your face when you normally wouldn't. Fingerprint on a phone is much more flexible because you're hand is always on it (unless you got an S8 with that stupid fingerprint reader placement like I have).

Re: Face ID, Touch ID, No ID, PINs and Pragmatic Security

Brett Gilbertson — Thu, 14 Sep 2017 09:33:00 -0000

So funny how Apple spin the mundane. Engineer: We got some dots... Marketing: How many? Engineer: I dunno, like 30,000? Marketing: We've got a 30,000 dot array projector. More magical dots than ever before!

Re: Face ID, Touch ID, No ID, PINs and Pragmatic Security

Brett Gilbertson — Thu, 14 Sep 2017 09:22:49 -0000

Wow Troy, as a fellow Microsoft MVP and security guy I can't believe you're not up with this! Windows 10 devices like the Surface Pro and others (windows Hello) use a very similar technology to the new apple one. In fact, Apple bought the company that made the Kinect sensor in the first place.

Windows 10's Windows Hello Face Authentication modules (like Intel's RealSense) use both an RGB webcam and an IR sensor and illuminator with a 3D biometric processor for face recognition. Exactly like the Apple Face ID. It's fast, and it can distinguish between identical twins... as demonstrated here: http://www.theaustralian.co...

It also works in the dark, and can distinguish between a live face and a picture for example.

Face recognition works brilliantly on a laptop which is usually facing you when you unlock it. It also works well when my Surface is in tablet mode on the table or lectern while I'm presenting. However, it will be a complete PITA as the sole biometric option on a phone. That's about to become a major inconvenience for a lot of people who try to roll out of bed and unlock their phone with bleary eyes. The best option (for convenience) is to have both face and touch. But Apple couldn't get the manufacturing right on that this time apparently.

If you're interested in some behind the scenes detail on the tech let me know and I can share some with you.

Re: Developers on ThinkPad Tablet 2: User Experience/Hardware

Brett Gilbertson — Mon, 15 Apr 2013 08:06:10 -0000

Commenting from the Tablet 2 and I am extremely pleased! Well done with your hard work on the design!

Re: Sony announces 20-inch, 11-pound VAIO tablet PC with Windows 8

Brett Gilbertson — Wed, 19 Dec 2012 01:06:55 -0000

LOL

Re: N-trig release teases that Fujitsu's Stylistic Q702 will come with active pen support

Brett Gilbertson — Thu, 27 Sep 2012 21:14:15 -0000

I've tried the new pen on the Q702 and it is excellent. The click action is far shorter than the previous pen and the click is gone too. The edges of the pen are rounded and there are two buttons on the pen. It's much closer to the Wacom pen in use. In fact, the N-Trig pen is far less problematic than the Wacom on calibration . So, if it wasn't for the battery (which goes flat every couple of months) I'd say that it's better than the Wacom!

Re: Samsung Unveils Galaxy Tab 8.9 Tablet, Pair of Media Players

Brett Gilbertson — Tue, 27 Sep 2011 03:17:29 -0000

Last time I looked they don't appear to be going out of business, so I wouldn't presume to comment on their business strategy.

What is awesome though is that companies like Samsung are coming out with a range of tablet devices to suit people different needs. Unlike Apple who "slavishly" insist that one device fits all and attempt to litigate any company that does not agree out of the market.

So many Samsung and others prove that the market is well and truly big enough for choice! Unbelievable isn't it!?

Re: Report: Apple Halts Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 Launch in Australia

Brett Gilbertson — Tue, 02 Aug 2011 03:44:41 -0000

I desperately want this Samsung tablet more than any other electronic device in the world now... thanks Apple! 10 minutes ago I never knew it existed!!!

Re: N-Trig teaches DuoSense to write on Android screens, tablet to come in the first half of 2011

Brett Gilbertson — Thu, 06 Jan 2011 02:20:22 -0000

It's gr8 to see someone cop a flaming for dredging up Steve Job's drivel! Tablets are growing up and being taken seriously, good to see.

If Android embraces the digital Pen, tablets will truly change computing forever! Pen + Touch FTW.

Re: Motion Computing's rugged, Oak Trail-powered CL900 could be the Win 7 tablet to beat 'em all

Brett Gilbertson — Thu, 06 Jan 2011 01:37:24 -0000

Motion have a better technology called Hydis AFFS+ (Advanced Fringe Field Switching), but l don't think it's on this device... yet...

Re: Flight Control - Chatter

Brett Gilbertson — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 07:24:14 -0000

How awesome would this game be on a tablet pc!! Fantastic game! By far the best iPhone app so far!