The Tinkering Tech

The Tinkering Tech Since picking up a screwdriver in 2004, I've racked up over 20 years of professional IT experience.

From single-PC families to supporting small businesses, larger enterprises, government and education, as a rule, I've tinkered with just about it all.

The Tinkering Tech is about to become The Tinkering Tow Truck.For the next couple of weeks I’m swapping laptops for lug ...
03/07/2026

The Tinkering Tech is about to become The Tinkering Tow Truck.

For the next couple of weeks I’m swapping laptops for lug nuts.

A mate and I are taking a sub-$1,500 car from Port Douglas to Melbourne as part of the Sh*tbox Rally, raising money for Cancer Council. By the time we get there (and eventually get ourselves home), we’ll have covered about 6,000km.

Best case: the car survives, we have a relaxing drive and all goes well

Worst case: more likely you’ll get some excellent roadside troubleshooting content.

Either way, the usual tech stuff will be on hold until around 18 July.

If you want to follow the adventure, we’ll be sharing bits and pieces over on the Ghostbogans page

As an added bonus, if you’d like to help us support the Cancer Council, we’d really appreciate it:

https://autumn2026.sh*tboxrally.com.au/ghostbogans-of-bendigo

You know it’s pretty rare an IT guy will recommend the cheapest product you can possibly get… over the last few years, A...
21/05/2026

You know it’s pretty rare an IT guy will recommend the cheapest product you can possibly get… over the last few years, Apple of all companies has made that a thing.

Not that it’s really suitable for me personally, but for a bit of study and general email/internet work.. the MacBook Neo is an absolute winner and well worth the consideration. As such, we have one in our household.

By the way, if you’re wondering if 8gb of RAM is enough, this probably isn’t for you. If you have no idea how much RAM you need or what sheep have to do with computers, it just might be…

🔥🌩️💨 Heads up Central Vic — rough weather generally means rough powerWith some pretty ordinary weather forecast over the...
07/01/2026

🔥🌩️💨 Heads up Central Vic — rough weather generally means rough power

With some pretty ordinary weather forecast over the next few days, we’re likely to see brownouts, flickers, and the odd blackout around the place with increased load on infrastructure.

That’s where a UPS (battery backup) earns its keep.

🔌 What it’s for
A UPS keeps sensitive gear alive for a short time when the power drops out or goes ugly.
Modems, routers, NBN boxes, PCs, NAS devices, EFTPOS, security systems — that sort of stuff.

Best thing is, you can generally get a reasonable sized one off the shelf in town!

🤔 Why it’s a good idea right now
• Power flickers are often worse than full blackouts
• Sudden drops and spikes can damage electronics
• Gives you time to save work and shut things down cleanly
• Keeps internet up during short outages (WFH lifesaver)

🚫 What a UPS is NOT for
• Running heaters, kettles, fridges or aircons
• Powering your whole house
• Riding out an all-day blackout
It’s protection, not magic.

📏 Picking the right size
• List what you actually want protected
• Check watts, not just VA
• Expect 5–15 minutes of runtime
• Internet only? Small unit
• PC / NAS / business gear? Size up

If you’re not sure what you need, ask before buying — the wrong UPS is just a fancy power board.

Stay cool, stay safe, protect your hard work, and expensive gear.

If you don’t have a backup… you’re gambling with your memories.One coffee spill.One stolen phone.One dodgy update.One “o...
06/01/2026

If you don’t have a backup… you’re gambling with your memories.

One coffee spill.
One stolen phone.
One dodgy update.
One “oh sh*t” moment.

That’s all it takes.

If it would hurt to lose it — back it up:
📸 Photos
📄 Important files
💼 Business stuff

Not “I think it’s in the cloud”.
A proper backup.
Automatic. Reliable. Boring… and life-saving.

If you’re not sure whether you’re actually safe or just hoping for the best, I can help you sort it.

Scams aren’t “rare internet things” anymore — they’re constant, clever, and designed to trick normal people.I talk to a ...
05/01/2026

Scams aren’t “rare internet things” anymore — they’re constant, clever, and designed to trick normal people.

I talk to a lot of people who’ve had close calls… and sadly, some who’ve been caught.

If something ever feels off, dodgy, suspicious, emotional or “urgent” — don’t ignore that gut feeling.

Here are two really useful, legit Australian resources:

🔎 Scamwatch
Shows current scams, what to look for, and how to report:
https://www.scamwatch.gov.au

🆘 IDCARE
If you think your identity, data or accounts may be compromised, these folks provide real support and guidance:
https://www.idcare.org

If something weird pops up and you’re not sure what to do — don’t panic, and don’t be embarrassed. Just ask for help.

And if you’d rather talk to a real human locally, I’m always happy to help you sanity-check things before clicking, paying, or sharing info.

You’re not alone ❤️

Still using the same password everywhere?Cool.Until one website gets breached… and suddenly everything you own is up for...
05/01/2026

Still using the same password everywhere?

Cool.
Until one website gets breached… and suddenly everything you own is up for grabs.

A password manager = boring, grown-up, absolutely worth it.
✔ unique passwords
✔ auto-fill options
✔ no brain strain

And before anyone says it —
📓 password books and sticky notes are not “security”.
They’re just a neat little list of everything a thief needs, all in one place.

Future-you will thank you for fixing it now.

If you want help getting set up properly (without stressing about losing everything), I’ve got you.

“MFA is annoying.”Cool. Hackers are worse.Yeah, it’s an extra step. Yeah, sometimes it makes you swear.But that tiny inc...
04/01/2026

“MFA is annoying.”
Cool. Hackers are worse.

Yeah, it’s an extra step. Yeah, sometimes it makes you swear.
But that tiny inconvenience is the difference between:

❌ “someone tried to break in”
and
💥 “someone actually did and now your life sucks”

MFA helps protect:
✔️ Your bank
✔️ Your email
✔️ Your socials
✔️ Your identity
✔️ Your business

In 2026, passwords aren’t enough anymore.
If you only do one security thing this year:
👉 Turn. MFA. On.

💡 Pro tip:
Start with the important stuff first —
📧 Email
🏦 Banking
📱 Apple / Google account
💼 Anything business-related
They’re the “keys to the kingdom”.

And if you’re thinking:
“Hardware key? Passkeys? OTP? What’s the difference?”
That’s literally what I’m here for. I can help you pick the right option and set it up properly — without it ruining your day.

Did you know your email and passwords may have been leaked in a data breach — even if you’ve never been hacked yourself?...
03/01/2026

Did you know your email and passwords may have been leaked in a data breach — even if you’ve never been hacked yourself?

It happens when websites get compromised and user databases are stolen.
Your details then get traded around online, and criminals try those same logins everywhere else.

That’s how a lot of account break-ins happen.

There’s a brilliant free, trustworthy tool called
👉 Have I Been Pwned
where you can safely check whether your email has appeared in any known breaches.

🔍 https://haveibeenpwned.com

- It doesn’t show passwords.
- It doesn’t “hack” anything.
- It simply tells you whether your details were involved.

If it comes back with results — don’t panic. It just means now’s a good time to:
✔ change old passwords
✔ stop reusing the same password everywhere
✔ turn on Multi-Factor Authentication

If you’re not sure what to do or the results feel overwhelming, I’m more than happy to help you work through it, judgement-free.

There is help out there, and you don’t have to tackle it alone.

PSA: Good chance your brand-new device is already out of dateIf you unboxed a shiny new phone/tablet/computer recently… ...
02/01/2026

PSA: Good chance your brand-new device is already out of date

If you unboxed a shiny new phone/tablet/computer recently… bad news:
It’s probably months behind on security updates.

Before you do anything else:
☕ Grab a coffee
⚙️ Turn on automatic updates
🔐 Let it catch up on security patches

It’s one of the easiest “tech resolution” you can make this year that actually makes a difference.

If you need help, or your tech is already yelling at you with warnings — that’s what I’m here for.

Address

Marong, VIC

Telephone

0428446112

Website

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