It took a year and a half of various efforts and dead ends, but by now I have actually figured out a way to force the fireplace in the photograph to make nice with a home automation ecosystem. It is a built-in gas-fired fireplace. This article describes the dead ends and the eventual success. Continue reading “Forcing your fireplace to make nice with home automation”
Lightning protection around the house
Of course it is smart to install whole-house surge protection as it relates to the electrical power wires in the house. See blog article. Having installed a nice Seimens FS140 whole-house surge protector, do you get to relax? Of course not! If a person is going to be thorough about this, one needs to think about the other wires and cables that enter the house from outside. Continue reading “Lightning protection around the house”
The “where you sleep at night” Federal Circuit appeal – amicus brief
Readers will recall that a few days ago I wrote:
This would be a perfect time for amici to file amicus briefs.
An amicus brief has now been filed in the case about the Trademark Office demanding to know where the trademark applicant sleeps at night (blog article). You can see the amicus brief here.
The “where you sleep at night” Federal Circuit appeal – first brief
(update: an amicus brief has been filed.)
Many readers are aware of the keen obsession that the Trademark Office at the USPTO has in knowing where trademark applicants sleep at night. Readers who are familiar with the statutes and rules and accumulated court cases relating to the right and wrong ways to do “rulemaking” may also have gone to the trouble of looking at the steps that the Trademark Office followed in promulgating its rules that, since a couple of years ago, have required applicants to reveal to the Trademark Office where they sleep at night. But perhaps not so many readers are aware that right now there is pending in the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit a case that asks the Court to consider striking down those rules.
There is now an important development in that Court of Appeals case. Continue reading “The “where you sleep at night” Federal Circuit appeal – first brief”
Dummy loads
Readers will recall that I am slowly creeping in the direction of doing some ham radio transmitting.
It turns out that anybody who creeps in this direction sooner or later realizes that he or she is going to need a “dummy load” (Wikipedia article). Continue reading “Dummy loads”
How often do you check the Systems Status page?
If you regularly make use of TEAS or PAIR or Patentcenter or EFS-Web, you probably find yourself checking the USPTO Systems Status and Availability web page (screen shot at right) from time to time.
Wouldn’t it be nice if somehow you could be notified automatically when that web page changes? Well, now you can be notified automatically, if you choose to participate in a beta test of my new change-detection system. Continue reading “How often do you check the Systems Status page?”
Today is the day for the Polish patent office
Yes, you heard it here first (blog article). On August 5, 2022, I was the first to tell you this very exciting news about the Polish patent office becoming trendy, modern, and up-to-date. Continue reading “Today is the day for the Polish patent office”
With ePCT, always have at least two kinds of 2FA
There are quite a few ways to set up two-factor authentication in ePCT. Last week there was a problem with the SMS-type 2FA in ePCT, and users who had failed to set up a second type of 2FA found themselves unable to log in. This offers a reminder that you should always have at least two types of 2FA set up with your WIPO user ID. I am delighted to report that I have successfully gotten it set up so that I can use my EPO smart card as a form of 2FA in ePCT. Continue reading “With ePCT, always have at least two kinds of 2FA”
YANTAePCT (Yet Another Nice Thing About ePCT)
From time to time I have commented upon nice things about ePCT. Here is one more. Continue reading “YANTAePCT (Yet Another Nice Thing About ePCT)”
Starting an HF ham radio station
Hello readers. For some twenty years now I have had the highest level of amateur radio license that it is possible to have (“extra class”), but until now I have not really made full use of the license (call sign AA2KW). Until now I had only made use of the license for communications in the two-meter (VHF) and 70-centimeter (UHF) bands. Those bands are only useful for local communications (with others who are no more than a few miles away). Recently, however, some neighbors who are good friends asked if I might introduce their grandchildren to the world of HF (high frequency) amateur radio, which can reach thousands of miles. So I have put my toe in the water and maybe soon I will successfully do some two-way communications in the 40-meter HF band. Continue reading “Starting an HF ham radio station”