Google Chrome and Firefox will distrust websites with SSL/TLS certificate issued by Symantec / Verisign / Thawte / GeoTrust / RapidSSL

Web browsers Google Chrome (with 57.69% global market share as of March 2018) and Firebox (with 5.4% global market share as of March 2018) will start to distrust all the websites with SSL/TLS certificate issued by Symantec, Verisign, Thawte, GeoTrust and RapidSSL.

This means that soon in the near future, every time when you visit such websites using HTTPS protocol with Google Chrome, Firebox and possibly other web browsers which follow suit, the browser will give you a security warning before you can read their webpage.

Some of the affected popular websites including (but not limited to)...

 

In late 2017, DigiCert has acquired Symantec's Website Security and related PKI solutions which was the Certificate Authority for those affected Symantec, Verisign, Thawte, GeoTrust and RapidSSL SSL/TLS certificates.

Webmasters of all the affected websites can make arrangement with DigiCert to replace their SSL/TLS certificates with a new one issued by DigiCert, which is still trusted by Google Chrome and Firefox.

You can click here to read for more information about this issue.

How to enable using F8 during boot up to enter safe mode in Windows 10

Seasoned MS Windows users are very likely to have experience using F8 during computer boot up to enter into "safe mode" of the Windows operating system.

In many occasions, "safe mode" can save your day to enable you to fix something that is broken in the Windows system. Such occasions including but not limited to:

• Windows update has caused problem and instability to the system. 
• Problematic hardware device driver (normally arises after new driver update). 
• Incompatible screen resolution with the monitor causing blank screen or distorted display.
• Windows is infected by virus or malware that unable to be removed in "normal" mode.
• Problematic software/application that causes system crash (and unfortunately it autorun during Windows start up)
• Minor damage to Windows registry or system file due to improper power off.

You can keep on pressing the F8 key on your keyboard during boot up of Windows 7 to enter a boot up menu that include the "safe mode" boot up option. However, this F8 function is disabled by default in Windows 8 and Windows 10.

You can still reboot Windows into "safe mode" if you are able to boot into the login screen of Windows 8/10 and the login screen is still functioning properly. You just need to hold down the Shift key on your keyboard while clicking on the Power icon in the login screen and select the Restart option to reboot your computer.

You can also create a bootable Windows recovery USB drive that can be used to fix Windows problem.

If you want to enable using F8 during boot up to enter safe mode in Windows 8/10 as another rescue resort, here are the steps.

Step 1: Enter Command Prompt with Administrator's right

Click on the Magnifying Glass in Windows Quick Launch bar and search for "cmd".

You should be able to find "Command Prompt". Right click on it, and select "Run as administrator". This will open the Command Prompt window with Administrator's right.


Step 2: Change the Boot Menu Policy to Legacy

In the Command Prompt, type the following command and press .

bcdedit /set {default} bootmenupolicy legacy

This command edits the boot configuration data (BCD) to bring back the F8 safe mode function.

Upon successful execution, you will see the message "The operation completed successfully". You are done!


Step 3: Testing

Now, restart your Windows and test your F8 key. It should be able to call out the following Advanced Boot Options menu.

If for any reason you want to roll back and disable F8 during boot up, you can use the instruction in Step 1 to enter Command Prompt with Administrator's right again, and issue the following command instead:

bcdedit /set {default} bootmenupolicy standard

A family visit to Sewing World Gallery @ Sky Park One City Mall

In the older generation not too long ago, sewing machine had been a common item found in many household. At that time, sewing (and perhaps knitting, too) was an essential skill learnt by most housewives.

Then, sewing machine had been unconsciously become lesser and lesser seen in household nowadays. It prone to become industrial item found in clothes and fashion factories.

Meanwhile, the Mostwell Group which is the sole distributor of Janome sewing machines in Malaysia has been endeavoring to bring back the continuation of sewing arts and crafts into today's households by organizing numerous events, trainings and programmes to teach everybody from age 7 onwards who are interested to learn about sewing to master the skill.

The Sewing World Gallery located at 1st floor of Sky Park @ One City Mall with close proximity to the LDP USJ toll (accessible via a junction near to Shell petrol station) is an over 10,000 square feet gallery showcasing many sewing products made by their students. There, you will open your eye to realize that sewing is indeed a kind of arts and crafts similar to drawing, calligraphy, pottery, painting, etc.

 

Entrance to the Sewing World Gallery is free of charge. Inside the gallery there is also a small museum of sewing machines and tools, a small auditorium, and a classroom for interested parties to sign up for their sewing classes.

Sewing inspires creativity. They show you how old jeans can be transformed into new life as cushions, handbags, and other creative items.

There are also interested stuffed toys, some of which are as big in size as a human.

Inside the gallery, you can also find the largest bag in the world recorded in Guinness World Records which is as large as a garage.

There is also the largest display of handmade fabric flowers recorded in Guinness World Records, showcasing 99 names of Allah (known as Asma'ul Husna).

The Sewing World Gallery is really a nice educational place to spend your leisure time with your family and friend. If I am not mistaken, it is the first and only gallery of its kind in Asia.

My Ooree 8 inch USB table fan (UF108)

If you need a small table fan at your workplace or study desk, or you tend to work with your laptop at outdoor café and nice to have some cooling breeze, perhaps you can consider this Ooree UF108 8 inch USB table fan.

This USB table fan is good enough to generate breezing wind that you can feel within 1 meter in front of it, yet its size (8 inch diameter end-to-end) and weight (416 gram) are also good enough for it to be portable.

It is powered by USB source, which can be the USB port of your laptop / desktop / monitor, or the USB charging port of your power bank / charging adapter. By powering it with a mobile electricity source such as  power bank, you can use it anytime and anywhere, such as during camping, during electricity blackout, etc. The fan has a low power consumption of around 2.5W only.

Its 1.2 meter USB cable is detachable. It has an on/off switch behind too.

It will have some noise of fan rotating during operation, but overall still considered pretty quiet.

Note that the 8 inch as advertised is the diameter of its metal frame. The diameter of its fan blade is around 5.5 inch only. Its build is pretty solid, despite its packaging box is hollow inside (without any foam or paper support) which does not provide much protection to the fan during delivery.

As you can see, its packaging box deformed during the courier process, which is the main complaint I have with this product. Luckily the fan is not too fragile and still in good condition during unboxing.

Its price is quite reasonable. If you search around carefully, you can find online seller selling it at less than RM20, despite most of the sellers are putting a price tag of RM30-RM40 to it.

There is another model UF110 which is 10 inch and with double speed control, selling at a higher price. If you need stronger wind, you can probably look into the UF110 model.