I'm a fan of home automation but not of proprietary platforms. It seems like every few months we hear about another automation platform shutting down just as a new one pops up. My rule for IoT and Home Automation is that it must be a well-supported platform with good open source support or I'm not interested. So the first thing I did when cracking open a package of smart … [Read more...] about Liberate Wi-Fi Smart Bulbs and Switches with Tasmota!
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What You See and What You Get When You Follow Me
Social media ought to be social, not just a broadcast platform. That's my feeling at least. It's been a while since I've ranted about "write-only" social media accounts, so I thought I might as well do it again. And at the same time, I thought I would update you on my promise to the people who read, follow, and interact with me online. I guess I'm an organized Pack Rat. I … [Read more...] about What You See and What You Get When You Follow Me
GPS Time Rollover Failures Keep Happening (But They’re Almost Done)
On Sunday, April 7, every GPS device on the planet will "roll over" the date. This shouldn't affect most devices, but it's likely that quite a few will no longer show the correct date. We know this because it already happened back in 1999 and similar GPS date issues have been cropping up for the last few years. The good news is that all this trouble will soon be at an end, with … [Read more...] about GPS Time Rollover Failures Keep Happening (But They’re Almost Done)
Ranting and Raving About the 2018 iPad Pro
Now that I've used the new 2018 iPad Pro a bit longer, I thought I would share some more in-depth observations about Apple's latest pro tablet. There are some concerns about durability, curious design issues, and really nice aspects in practice. Let's dive in! Handle With Care The 2018 iPad Pro has a slab-sided design reminiscent of the iPhone 4 and 5, but its durability … [Read more...] about Ranting and Raving About the 2018 iPad Pro
The 2018 iPad Pro is a Beast!
I'm loving the new 2018 iPad Pro. It's amazingly fast, showing off Apple's chops in hardware design like no Macintosh can do. Frankly, it's as important an advance as the iPhone X! Amazing Progress from Apple When the first iPad Pro came out in 2015, I was astonished to see that Apple's in-house A9X CPU had passed the Intel Core 2 Duo CPUs in my old Mac Mini and 2007 MacBook … [Read more...] about The 2018 iPad Pro is a Beast!