I’ve written in the past about Time Machine errors with the same error messages, and this is yet another one of the troubleshoots. I didn’t realize hibernation managed by Synology DSM could have an effect on the client side’s Time Machine.
App to Replace Subscription-Based Photoshop License
Adobe Photoshop is not for all consumers. This might come as a surprise for some, but there are other less known alternatives that provide more economical (i.e. less tools and options) options for average home users. I, for one, don’t do any illustrative works nor photography works; all my astrophotography hobbies often rely on open source softwares too.
App to Save Variable in iOS Shortcuts
My old iOS shortcuts usually walked the path of tedious madness for the pure purpose of compatibility. I needed a shortcut that would work equally well on all platforms, iOS, iPadOS, macOS, and even on HomePod, and that meant several things: one. I can’t have shortcuts relying on apps that do not exist universally, two. there has to be a way to save data shortcuts have treated, three. any save datas from apps had to be exported and imported from iCloud. With the sandboxing Shortcuts follow, creating a seamless shortcut was rather painful.
USB-C, USB-PD, and Travel Chargers
When Apple introduced all USB-C MacBooks with its infamous Touch Bar keyboard, it was not well received to put it lightly. USB-C chargers, in its infancy, were still one big brick with one port — one 100w brick to charge one device. It is only when USB-C and USB-PD became more prevalent, GaN chargers became ‘one charger to power them all’ device with its smaller footprint and more efficient materials overall. And this is when the crowdfunding for the new GaN chargers began.
How to Troubleshoot HomePod not Answering to Some Shortcuts
iOS Shortcuts is one of the main reason why I recommend iOS as a platform. Not only you can pull different apps together to automate ‘smart’ behaviors, it brings GUI accessibility for BASIC-like programming experience to iOS devices. I often find apps without a proper implementation are usually the one with makeshift ideas and scripts, overhauling annually, can technically do anything but just a bit worse.
Callisto Protocol Spiel
There is some irony in that a remake of original Dead Space and the alleged spiritual successor Callisto Protocol came out in the same year. Unfortunately, neither games have performed well to carry on the torch that is the horror sci-fi. The latest news I could find on either of the IPs were that neither developers are currently working on the sequel or remake of a sequel. There are still more contents than the original game such as comics, short videos, novels, and DLCs; I don’t know if publications of all manners have stopped. Instead I will keep my focus…
New Category, App-to, and SEO
Some of you may have noticed there is a new category called “App-to”. I wanted to use the phrase “there is an app for that”, but that’s trademarked. Instead, I decided to roll with ‘app to [do something]’. I’ve been recommending some apps not for the sake of reviews, but the apps that can do the jobs are just uncommon and weird. Some of them have already gone to mainstream enough to call the post a “review”, while the others were still stuck as “how-to”. This gave me some headache for sometime, because I do need to worry about SEO.
App to Add Custom Fonts on iOS
Both macOS and iOS have similar font book system, where the fonts a user installs are all stored and managed from one place. The big asterisk for iOS version of font book is that it lacks the feature to import custom fonts from external sources. The only way to do so on mobile devices is to download a font from the App Store; but as far as I’m concerned, most fonts aren’t sold separately on the Apple App Store.
ChatGPT, App Spamming, and App Store
iOS App Store has problems. I’m not talking about new EU regulations, or the lawsuits against Epic, or even 30% Apple tax on all apps. I’m talking about ChatGPT. With all the media attention to the new AI tech, both major app stores, Apple’s and Google’s, are plagued with unofficial ChatGPT apps. Have you checked the App Store recently? There is no way of telling which supposed ChatGPT app is from OpenAI.
No Umbrellas Allowed Spiel
I found out No Umbrellas Allowed after I had short, yet fun, experience with Good Pizza, Great Pizza. I was ready to see more difficult customers in different context, and this being the pawn shop, —or secondhand shop— I was expecting to see some real actions. Not the gun blazing kind, of course.
App to Track Price Changes on Amazon
If you are shopping NAS drives on Amazon, one of the things to look out for is occasional discounts manufacturers or Amazon might have. This is especially handy for anyone who is living abroad with weird customs code. As I happen to be living in South Korea, hard drives that costs (including shipping, local taxes, and etc.) more than $150 incurs additional taxes, namely 10% sales tax; one of the reason why I am always looking for discounts on NAS drives.
iPad, Stylus, and Keyboard
I had an iPad Pro from 2018. It was a 12.9 inch model running on A12X chip, so supposedly my iPad’s days were numbered. Except I never felt it. Until the day I sold it, I didn’t see an app that took advantage of iPad’s unique hardware; most apps were either upsized iOS apps from iPhones or downsized macOS apps from Macs. The only exception I could think of were the apps that needed a stylus or a keyboard.
The Wandering Earth Spiel
The Wandering Earth is a trilogy loosely based on a sci-fi novella by the same name, and this is the first installment of the franchise. I won’t be talking about the novella or the author in depth. But I can add a bit of context for anyone who is wondering what it is in the first place. Quite literally, in the movie, the humanity has decided to literally “move” the Earth out of the solar system as the Sun is about to engulf the planet.
The Entropy Centre Spiel
Portal is a master piece. Allow me to rephrase that: Portal 2 is the master piece. The influential puzzle platformer only became independent from Half-Life since its sequel, and it set some ground rules for FPS puzzle genre in its age. And the rules still stand firm, as many games since have tried to overthrow or succeed unsuccessfully, yet again proving why Portal was such a pivotal piece of our time.
Streaming, Non-Latin Alphabets, and Subtitles
I was trying to watch Wandering Earth on Netflix the other day. I was trying to watch a sci-fi movie where majority of the dialogues are in Chinese. Which Chinese, I have no clue —and yes, your favorite martial arts film may not be in Mandarin. So the subtitles were needed. This is where it gets all hazy and confusing. Korean Subtitles on Netflix app, either on Apple TV or LG Smart TV were largely illegible.