I don’t know what all that is, but it looks like a nice job.
I tried adding a simple fan-lighting kit to my PC this weekend and now it looks like an abandoned Radio Shack inside the case. I got the fans all spinning, but I can’t get them to light up because I didn’t have TWO free connectors from the power supply.
But as soon as I start up Diablo IV now, fans crank up and hot air starts blowing out the top, so that’s the important thing.
It’s just occurred to me that cable management and fashion shows share the same, absolutely vital tool: double-stick tape. Because, in both pursuits, the tape stops things that you don’t want people to see from flopping out.
That company makes good products, their ductape is the only kind to buy.
For some of us, one roll is not enough.
The Mac mini is a tiny desktop computer, and my desktop is pretty big. Still, it’s shocking how much less cluttered my desk looks now that I have slung the mini underneath.
This message is brought to you by Lady Luck, who decided that the under-desk mount I bought would be exactly the right size for a Mac mini with a matching expansion dock.
Monday morning confessional:
My location-based automations - e.g. lights on at sunset - have not been working consistently for a while now. I was stewing on it this weekend, so I decided to go over the same tracks as I had done numerous times before, and check that location services were turned on for all my iDevices.
This is the consistent solution I had seen online for this problem, and I have checked and re-checked this a number of times before. But, fuck it, once more into the menus dear friends. iPhone, iPad…check. HomePods…check. Apple TVs…che…wait a minute!
On the Apple TVs, locations services were “On”. In the past I have never gone beyond that screen into that specific menu to see if there were any additional settings under the hood. Well, there are. And one controls HomeKit’s access to location services, and that was set to “Never”.
A recent update - I believe it was when I converted to the new architecture (before it was pulled for being broken) - must’ve switched this to “Never” which is why location services have worked only sporadically since. I guess they would work occasionally when HomeKit was using a HomePod as the hub, but most of the time it uses an Apple TV (which I prefer) and thus the problem.
It works fine now. I feel equal parts stupid and angry. Stupid for not looking more thoroughly in the past; and angry because why the fuck is that setting even there and why would Apple reset it with an update?
My iPhone recently forgot the passwords to the wi-fi networks I have and I had to re-enter them. Yep, those are the kinds of fires I have to put out around here.
This is an aggravating, long standing problem with updates across the Apple ecosystem. Sure, it’s easier for them to send a 3gb entire OS replacement file as a “patch” but it so often kills the configuration management layer on the system. This is where the Microsoft model of updating only the necessary components is far superior. When it works…
The above is from 30 days ago. Credit where credit’s due: it’s been hot enough to melt the roads in Houston, but the WeMo doorbell has gone dropout-free in the intervening time.
Cue LOS in 3…2…
Switchbot has a lot of its smart home accessories 30% off for Prime Day, but the discus available now. This includes their highly-rated Blind Tilt motors which - notably for some of you - keep the existing tilt wand for manual operation. Their hubs are included in the sale too, and some are Matter-enabled for future-proofing.
Also on sale is the Roborock S7 Max V, which it what I have. I cannot speak highly enough of this thing - mine is called “Edgar” - for both its performance and the sophistication of its app. Maintenance is easy and minimal. If you have the means, I highly recommend picking one up.
What language is this man speaking?
C++
Something like this:
For a number of years now, work has been proceeding in order to bring perfection to the crudely conceived idea of a transmission that would not only supply inverse reactive current for use in unilateral phase detractors, but would also be capable of automatically synchronizing cardinal grammeters. Such an instrument is the turbo encabulator.
Now basically the only new principle involved is that instead of power being generated by the relative motion of conductors and fluxes, it is produced by the modial interaction of magneto-reluctance and capacitive diractance.
The original machine had a base plate of pre-famulated amulite surmounted by a malleable logarithmic casing in such a way that the two spurving bearings were in a direct line with the panametric fan. The latter consisted simply of six hydrocoptic marzlevanes, so fitted to the ambifacient lunar waneshaft that side fumbling was effectively prevented.
The main winding was of the normal lotus-o-delta type placed in panendermic semi-boloid slots of the stator, every seventh conductor being connected by a non-reversible tremie pipe to the differential girdle spring on the “up” end of the grammeters.
The turbo-encabulator has now reached a high level of development, and it’s being successfully used in the operation of novertrunnions. Moreover, whenever a forescent skor motion is required, it may also be employed in conjunction with a drawn reciprocation dingle arm, to reduce sinusoidal repleneration.”
Holy Moly
Thank you.
Sinusoidal repleneration has been driving me crazy.
You can’t get that sort of repleneration without a co-siner.
The market for it is so up and down.
But who is Mr Brown?
Smart home vs. dumb owner.
I was pleased with myself for replacing the ugly and low-hanging light in the living room with a low profile ceiling fan. Attached to a smart fan switch, of course. It made an awful scraping noise, though, which I was told by the interwebs meant it needed balancing.
Well, after a while spent balancing the fan today, nothing I tried would improve the situation. There was a clicking noise in addition to the scraping, for which the likely cause - this being a low-profile unit - was a wire being clipped by the motor as it turned. So off came the blades and the housing so I could see what the fuck was going on.
It was then that I found out that I had two of the wire nuts rubbing against the motor. I moved them up out of the way and now the motor is whisper quiet. That was my first ever ceiling fan install, so I’m not too mad at myself. Lesson learned.
With the next round of Apple OSs due out tomorrow, I am bracing my for Tim Apple to take a ball-peen hammer to my smart home. I hope this is unfounded, but, Homey Pro is waiting in the wings.
It has all the radios and all the voice assistants. It has apps to replace your brand-specific hubs - it can replace all of mine. It is reported as having a great interface and, notably over Apple HomeKit, the apps bring full sets of controls into the single interface (Apple’s Home often has limited controls forcing you to use the individual apps for some actions).
The automation interface looks incredible. Everything happens locally, so no cloud cost or exposure.
It’s pricey at $400, and some of its capabilities are still in Beta (like Thread), so it’s not something I plan on jumping on straight away, but it’s casting a big shadow over HomeKit.
