Blog

I've been writing online at various sites since 2003, mostly about a wide variety of topics including web development, tech, food and whatever else I feel like writing and sharing.

WordPress Turns 20

Today is the 20th anniversary of the first release of WordPress. None of us knew what we were getting into when it started, but we had a shared conviction that the four freedoms of the GPL combined with a mission to democratize publishing was something worth spending our time on.

Skillet Bibimbap

While traditionally made in a stone pot, this is a take on Bibimbap that is cooked in a skillet.

Jack Dorsey-backed Bluesky is having a moment

Bluesky, the Jack Dorsey-backed decentralized social network, isn’t publicly available yet but it’s already become one of the buzziest Twitter alternatives. Scoring an invite to the service, which has been in a closed beta for barely two months, has become a sought-after status symbol with invite codes selling for hundreds of dollars on eBay.

The Downfall of Brydge

Brydge, a once thriving startup making popular keyboard accessories for iPad, Mac, and Microsoft Surface products, is ceasing operations.

The End of Computer Magazines in America

The April issues of Maximum PC and MacLife are currently on sale at a newsstand near you—assuming there is a newsstand near you. They’re the last print issues of these two venerable computer magazines, both of which date to 1996 (and were originally known, respectively, as Boot and MacAddict). Starting with their next editions, both publications will be available in digital form only.

Apple’s Tim Cook says AR and VR are for "connection" and "communication"

At some point in the near future, Apple’s going to launch a mixed reality headset. That seems all but certain. The exact when and what and how much? All very up in the air. But one thing hasn’t changed: Tim Cook’s vision for AR and VR. For almost a decade, Apple’s CEO has been banging the drum that AR is more important than VR and that AR is fundamentally about bringing people together. And he’s still at it.

GM plans to phase out Apple CarPlay in EVs, with Google's help

General Motors plans to phase out widely-used Apple CarPlay and Android Auto technologies that allow drivers to bypass a vehicle’s infotainment systems, shifting instead to built-in infotainment systems developed with Google for future electric vehicles.

Some Apple Employees Seriously Concerned About Mixed-Reality Headset as Announcement Draws Closer

The first-generation headset is purportedly seen as a bridge to future products that require technological breakthroughs, but many employees are said to have worries about the device's $3,000 price point, utility, and unproven market. Skeptics have questioned if the device is "a solution in search of a problem," unlike the iPod and iPhone. The headset has apparently not been "driven by the same clarity" as Apple's other products.

Playing with AI models

AI models are fascinating, I've been building a few sites as well as extensions, etc that use chatGPT, Dall-e, and others to accomplish various tasks.

Etsy is delaying seller payouts following Silicon Valley Bank’s collapse

Etsy says some sellers won’t receive their payments on time due to the sudden collapse of Silicon Valley Bank. In an email sent out to impacted shop owners, the company says it used the shuttered institution to send out deposits to “some sellers” and that they may not get their scheduled payments as a result, leaving shop owners worried about the future of their stores.

Cowboy Butter

At It's heart, CowBoy Butter is garlic butter, but it's garlic butter at warp speed, the flavors all come together to make a quick dish to is great for dipping, spreading, and eating.

The definition of overwhelm

“ The definition of “overwhelm” is pretty intense”

New cracks emerge in Elon Musk's Twitter

On Wednesday, Twitter employees had the tech equivalent of a snow day: the company’s Slack instance was down for “routine maintenance,” they were told, and the company was implementing a deployment freeze as a result.

What is going on with Fitbit?

These days, Fitbit users seem to be asking each other the same question: is it me, or is the app down for everybody else, too? Between frequent server outages and a recent decision to shutter popular social features, frustrated Fitbit customers say they’re weighing their options.

BOBOVR M2 Plus Head Strap For Meta Quest 2

You want to be comfortable if you wear a VR headset for long, and also having a backup battery or two doesn't hurt. This strap provides both of those features.

Instant Pot Tuscan Chicken

Make this Italian-inspired Creamy Instant Pot Tuscan Chicken. Tender chicken immersed in simple yet richly balanced creamy garlic sauce with caramelized mushrooms and sweet sun-dried tomatoes. Crazy satisfying easy weeknight meal!

Microsoft Announces New AI-Powered Bing Search and Edge Web Browser

“ To empower people to unlock the joy of discovery, feel the wonder of creation and better harness the world’s knowledge, today we’re improving how the world benefits from the web by reinventing the tools billions of people use every day, the search engine and the browser.”

Marry Me Chicken

This creamy chicken dish is amily-friendly, and always a crowd-pleaser! All you need to make this wonderful dish are just a few ingredients and half an hour from your time.

Bard: Google’s Conversational AI Chat

“We’ve been working on an experimental conversational AI service, powered by LaMDA, that we’re calling Bard”

Back to the SSR

When servers were in Swiss basements, all they had to serve was static HTML. Maybe, if you were lucky, you got an image.

Picking a self-hosted Feed Reader

I used to use Google Reader back in the day then from Google Reader I moved to Feedly like a lot of other people did, but I decided a few months back to look into a self-hosted solution and Miniflux won out.

Craig Hockenberry on “ The Shit Show” that is Twitter

What bothers me about Twitterrific’s final day is that it was not dignified. There was no advance notice for its creators, customers just got a weird error, and no one is explaining what’s going on. We had no chance to thank customers who have been with us for over a decade. Instead, it’s just another scene in their ongoing shit show.

Watch out for these Fake 16 Terabyte Portable SSD Drives on Amazon

If you see a 16 terabyte portable SSD on Amazon for $100 or less, don't buy it. Such a drive would cost thousands of dollars. These are nothing more than a scam, and don't work well at all. We bought one and got a glorified 64GB hard drive.

Twitter Intentionally Ends Third-Party App Developer Access to Its APIs

Late yesterday, The Information reported that it had seen internal Twitter Slack communications confirming that the company had intentionally cut off third-party Twitter app access to its APIs. The shut-down, which happened Thursday night US time, hasn’t affected all apps and services that use the API but instead appears targeted at the most popular third-party Twitter clients.

Google’s Stadia Controller is getting Bluetooth support

Google is launching its final Stadia game today and is promising to release a tool next week to enable Bluetooth connections on its Stadia Controller. The last Stadia game to launch on the service is Worm Game, a test game that was technically available on Stadia before Stadia launched publicly in November 2019. Developers at Google have decided to release the game just before the streaming service disappears next week.

Eddie Cue on Apple's year of original content

“2022 was a groundbreaking year for entertainment. At some point over the past year, you probably discovered a new app, a new song, a new TV show or movie, or game. An experience that made you laugh, taught you something new, or helped you see the world in a new way — and moved you to share it with others.”

Pommes Aligot (Cheesy Mashed Potatoes)

Pommes Aligot is a slightly different take on mashed potatoes, this thick, stretchy, unbelievably rich dish from Aubrac, a once-volcanic region in south-central France. If you've never seen aligot before, imagine the perfect fusion of mashed potatoes with fondue, and you'll have just the right idea

Apple Shuts Down Popular Weather App 'Dark Sky'

The calendar has turned to January 1 and Apple has shut down popular weather app Dark Sky. The popular weather app had already been removed from the App Store in September and it stopped functioning for existing users starting today.