LANGUAGE SERVER PROTOCOL LAUNCHED A GOLDEN AGE OF EDITORS
Microsoft developed Language Server Protocol ("LSP") a few years ago to make it easier to add support for new languages to VS Code. Lots of smart people have written interesting things about LSP and I don't want to rehash all that, but in summary: it gives people who like using a computer language a standard way to tell VS Code how to work with it. Thing is, I don't like VS Code at all.
Read moreI USE THINGS WITHOUT ENCRYPTION
I tell people not to use Readdle's Spark email app. Then I turn around and use the Things task manager, which lacks end-to-end encryption (E2EE). That concerns me. I have a PKM note called "Task managers", and under "Things" my first bullet point is: Lacks end-to-end encryption I realize I'm being hypocritical here, but perhaps only a little bit. There's a difference in exposure between Things and, say, my PKM notes, archive of scanned documents, email, etc.
Read moreIA PRESENTER PUBLIC LAUNCH
I've used iA Writer on Mac and iPad for years as my main writing environment. I'm typing this in it now. It's strongly opinionated in the right ways: iA made a lot of design decisions on my behalf so that I'm not distracted by the temptation to fiddle with a thousand configuration knobs instead of, well, writing. I leaped at the chance to try an early beta of their new iA Presenter app last year.
Read moreACCIDENTALLY HACKING THE PLANET
Last summer I tried to hack the Wall of Sheep at DEF CON. It didn't work. The short version is that I tried to make a Cross Site Scripting (XSS) attack against the Wall by crafting a username: <script type="text/javascript">alert("I was here.");</script> Because I'm kind of a smartass, I later changed my Mastodon username to something similar: <script>alert("Tek");</script> Then I laughed about it with my geeky friends and promptly forgot all about the joke.
Read moreFAVORITE APPS: PASTEPAL
I used to think the Copied clipboard manager for Apple devices was spiffy. I don't know how or why, but that app disappeared from the Internet and the App Stores. PastePal seems to be its spiritual successor. It works perfectly, it syncs across devices, and the pro version is a one-time, reasonable $15 purchase. It's the only clipboard manager I've found that checks all those boxes.
PIANOS.
I worked as a software developer with a strongly opinionated manager. He believed that we'd achieve Peak Programmer Productivity™️ by standardizing on one common desktop setup. Of course, that meant we'd all be writing Python code in Eclipse or some other similar abomination that he liked that month. This is for him. From now on, we'll all play the piano. This nonsense of everyone knowing a different instrument is costing us time and money.
Read moreEERO + FIREWALLA = PERFECTION
I built our home Wi-Fi network on eero Pro 6 mesh routers. It's great. I love it. It works as advertised. If your household is like most others, where no one has specific highly technical needs, stop reading this and buy an eero system. I've recommended them to my friends and family with lots of happy feedback. However, our needs are specific and highly technical. Making and fixing computer networks is a significant chunk of my job.
Read moreWAKE UP, LITTLE SUNSHINE
I prompted ChatGPT with: "Write a song I can sing to my son to get him awake and moving to get ready for school." It replied with: Verse 1 Wake up, little sunshine There’s a new day dawning You’ve got a big adventure It’s time to get moving Chorus Rise and shine, let’s go to school Time to learn, time to grow Put on your shoes, grab your bag
Read moreTHE INTERNET IS A ROUGH NEIGHBORHOOD
This week I stood up a new firewall in front of my home network. This one has much better logging than the old one, and I've been watching the block reports. A screenshot of blocked inbound connection attempts, originating from all over the world. Real talk, friends: DO. NOT. expose a machine to the open Internet unless you're 100% confident it's bulletproof. "I run my service on a custom port!
Read moreFOX NEWS FIRED TUCKER CARLSON
However it's spun, Fox News fired Tucker Carlson. Carlson had the most popular cable news show by a wide margin, and it's inconceivable that Fox would simply "part ways" with their highest earner, with zero notice, without cause. Hint: it's never good to cost your employer a billion dollars — not that Carlson is the only miscreant at Fox.