Clientless Skype Conference Call

In this time of "Shelter in Place" video conferencing has become a hot commodity. FaceTime is always an easy solution but for PC users that's not always available.

I came across this article that covers clientless Skype and have exercised it successfully.

Here's how it works.

Go to https://www.skype.com/en/free-conference-call/ and click on "Create a free meeting".

Keep clicking until you get a response.

Then click on the little "copy" icon at the end of the URL.

Save that URL. It can be used over and over.

Share it with the people you want to participate.

It works on Windows 10 with Chrome and Edge (not Firefox) and on a smartphone with an installed Skype app.

The following is for Windows 10 with Chrome.

Click on the link you just created.

Click on "Cancel" and then "Join as guest".

Enter your name and click on "Join".

If you're the first in the meeting you may have to click on "Start call".

And then click on "Start call" to start the call.

This supports up to 50 concurrent users.

You shouldn't have to install anything or create an account.

You may get some prompts requesting permission to use the camera and microphone. Respond appropriately.

However, if you want to run your Windows Skype app, on the first screen click on "Open Skype". and login to your Windows Skype app.

Alternatively, if don't click on "Open Skype", you can click on "Sign in" and log into Skype with your Microsoft account using the web interface without an installed Skype app.

If you do this on a smartphone, it will try to launch a Skype app.

And it's free!

iPhone X - Essential PH-1 Comparison

Here's how the iPhone X compares to my Essential PH-1.

	Apple iPhone X	Essential PH-1
DESIGN
Device type	Smart phone	Smart phone
OS	iOS (13.x, 12.x, 11.x)	Android (10, 9.0 Pie, 8.1 Oreo, 7.1 Nougat)
Dimensions	5.65 x 2.79 x 0.30 inches (143.6 x 70.9 x 7.7 mm)	5.57 x 2.80 x 0.31 inches (141.5 x 71.1 x 7.8 mm)
Weight	6.14 oz (174 g)	6.53 oz (185 g)
Materials	Back: Glass; Frame: Stainless steel	Back: Ceramic; Frame: Titanium
Biometrics	3D Face unlock	Fingerprint (touch)
DISPLAY
Physical size	5.8 inches	5.7 inches
Resolution	2436 x 1125 pixels, 19.5:9 ratio	1312 x 2560 pixels
Pixel density	459 ppi	504 ppi
Technology	OLED	IPS LCD
Screen-to-body ratio	82.35 %	84.85 %
Colors	16 777 216	16 777 216
Touchscreen	Multi-touch	Multi-touch
Features	HDR video support, Pressure-sensitive, Oleophobic coating, Scratch-resistant glass, Ambient light sensor, Proximity sensor	Scratch-resistant glass (Corning Gorilla Glass 5), Ambient light sensor, Proximity sensor
CAMERA
Rear	Dual camera	Dual camera
Main camera	12 MP	13 MP
Features	Sapphire crystal lens cover, OIS, PDAF, CMOS image sensor, BSI sensor	Black and White, Laser and PDAF
Second camera	12 MP	13 MP
Features	Telephoto, Sapphire crystal lens cover, OIS, PDAF, CMOS image sensor, BSI sensor	Black and White, Laser and PDAF
Video recording	3840x2160 (4K UHD) (60 fps), 1920x1080 (Full HD) (240 fps), 1280x720 (HD) (30 fps)	3840x2160 (4K UHD) (30 fps), 1920x1080 (Full HD) (60 fps), 1280x720 (HD) (120 fps)
Features	OIS, Time-lapse video, Continuous autofocus, Video light, Video calling, Video sharing	Video calling, Video sharing
Front-facing camera	7 MP	8 MP
Features	HDR
HARDWARE
System chip	Apple A11 Bionic APL1W72	Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 MSM8998
Processor	Hexa-core, 2390 MHz, Monsoon and Mistral, 64-bit, 10 nm	Octa-core, 2450 MHz, Kryo 280, 64-bit, 10 nm
GPU	Apple 3-core GPU	Adreno 540
RAM	3GB	4GB
Built-in storage	64 GB	128 GB
BATTERY
Capacity	2716 mAh	3040 mAh
Type	Li - Ion, Not user replaceable	Li - Ion, Not user replaceable
Charging	USB Power Delivery, Qi wireless charging	USB Power Delivery
CELLULAR
LTE (FDD)	Bands 1(2100), 2(1900), 3(1800), 4(AWS-1), 5(850), 7(2600), 8(900), 12(700 a), 13(700 c), 17(700 b), 18(800 Lower), 19(800 Upper), 20(800 DD), 25(1900+), 26(850+), 28(700 APT), 29(700 d), 30(2300 WCS), 66(AWS-3)	Bands 1(2100), 2(1900), 3(1800), 4(AWS-1), 5(850), 7(2600), 8(900), 12(700 a), 13(700 c), 17(700 b), 20(800 DD), 21(1500 Upper), 25(1900+), 26(850+), 28(700 APT), 29(700 d), 30(2300 WCS)
LTE (TDD)	Bands 38(2600), 39(1900+), 40(2300), 41(2600+)	Bands 38(2600), 39(1900+), 40(2300), 41(2600+)
UMTS	850, 900, 1700/2100, 1900, 2100 MHz	850, 900, 1700/2100, 1900, 2100 MHz
Data Speed	LTE-A Cat 12/13 (600/150 Mbit/s), HSDPA+ (4G) 42.2 Mbit/s, HSUPA 5.76 Mbit/s, UMTS	LTE-A Pro Cat 16 (1000/150 Mbit/s)
SIM type	nano-SIM	nano-SIM
CONNECTIVITY
Bluetooth	5.0	5.0
Wi-Fi	802.11 a, b, g, n, ac, dual-band; MIMO, Wi-Fi Direct, Hotspot	802.11 a, b, g, n, ac, dual-band; MIMO, Wi-Fi Direct, Hotspot
USB	Lightning	USB Type-C (reversible)
Features	Charging, Headphones port	Mass storage device, Video out, Charging, Headphones port
HDMI
Other	NFC, Tethering, Computer sync, OTA sync	NFC, Tethering, Computer sync, OTA sync
OTHER FEATURES
Sensors	Accelerometer, Gyroscope, Compass, Barometer	Accelerometer, Gyroscope, Compass, Barometer

Source: phoneArena.com

Kr00k

Every now and then my propeller beanie comes out.

Here I go again.

Recently ESET was researching KRACK (archive.is) vulnerabilities in Amazon's Echo. This has been fixed by Amazon (archive.is).

But ESET's research turned up another broader vulnerability they call Kr00k.

The deep dive presentation by ESET is on YouTube. Watch it when you're not sleepy.

An explanation for mere mortals is here (archive.is). Steve Gibson covers it here. Some of the coverage has lists of vulnerable devices. Your Wi-Fi device not being on this list does NOT mean you're safe. It just means that they didn't test your device.

The short explanation is to update your devices if/when you can. Phones and tablets that are being updated will probably be updated automatically. The device you need to look into is your home router.

Login into the administrator page and see if it offers you a firmware update. If not, go to the manufacturer's support page and look for firmware updates.

This isn't a "The sky is falling" problem as the hacker has to be within Wi-Fi range of your router. And using https defeats the exploit. But updating your firmware is always a good idea.

The Wired article concludes with:

Despite the limited threat posed, readers should ensure their devices have received updates issued by the manufacturers. This advice is most important for users of vulnerable Wi-Fi routers, since routers are often hard to patch and because vulnerable routers leave communications open to interception even when client devices are unaffected or are already patched.

Windows 10 Updates

This is a real quandary. On one hand you want to keep your Windows 10 system up to date for protection from exploited vulnerabilities. On the other hand, remember the old adage "If it ain't broke, don't fix it."

But then you have to wonder about the quality of the Microsoft updates.

Some people have made a career out of pointing out all of the foibles, I think Woody Leonhard does thorough research and has a capable staff but I never run into the problems he reports on. I guess I'm just lucky.

Clearly there are many Windows users impacted by problematic updates. And Microsoft struggles with explaining what causes them.

And here's an example of just how confusing this problem is.

Yep, 2 articles on KB4535996. The first one (archive.is) saying that it fixes "search and printing problems" and the second one (archive.is) saying that it "causes freezes, installation issues." Admittedly, for now, this is an "optional" update but it demonstrates the underlying issues with Windows updates.

What to do?

Take a system image backup. Cross your fingers. Apply them.

Steve Jobs Sent Me a Message

I change phones like most people change underwear. I've stuck with the Essential PH-1 longer than usual - 2 years.

But the good ride had to come to an end. Essential announced it was shutting down February 12, 2020.

I started considering what was going to be my next phone.

I've liked the face unlock of the Lenovo Tab M8. I started watching for iPhone Xs on Gazelle. After Valentine's Day, Gazelle had a 20% off sale on iPhone Xs and I went for it.

But even when I had it in hand, I was still reticent to switch. Then on one of my morning walks, I dropped the Essential and cracked the screen around the edge in 2 places.

I tried to convince myself that it wasn't too bad. I took my thumb and rubbed the cracked screen.

That's when I got the message from Steve.

So I moved my SIM to the iPhone X.