Tech
Software engineering, web development, cool new tech, and anything else that tends to get developers excited.
Point of Review
I’m not sure what to make of Google’s Pixel 10 Pro
The Pixel 10 Pro is supposed to be Google’s flagship phone, but it certainly doesn’t feel like one.
“Heap, Heap, Array!”
Access your Docker Compose services via easy-to-remember names
Did you know you can make your Docker web app containers available via simple names instead of hard-to-remember port numbers?
One More Thing I (Don’t) Want to Buy
My thoughts on Apple’s Magic Keyboard with Touch ID and numeric keypad
The Apple Magic Keyboard is an outrageously expensive wireless Mac keyboard with just one redeeming feature.
Drinking the Kubernetes Kool-Aid
Generating and using Let’s Encrypt wildcard certificates with cert‑manager
Wildcard certificates are amazingly easy to set up and manage with cert-manager. I don’t know how I managed without them for so long.
“Heap, Heap, Array!”
Setting up a new Laravel project with Sail – without installing PHP
It’s surprisingly hard to figure out how you can create and run a new Laravel app via Docker without installing PHP first.
The Project Aisle
xx execs commands for you in your Docker Compose projects
This is a short blog post about a short Perl script that I wrote to execute commands in running Docker Compose containers.
“Heap, Heap, Array!”
Frameworks for developing browser extensions
You probably wouldn’t build a modern web application without a framework, so why use vanilla JavaScript for your browser extension?
One More Thing I (Don’t) Want to Buy
Should your next laptop be a Mac or a PC?
There is no right answer to that question, but having used both for quite some years, I can share what I like and dislike about each.
“Heap, Heap, Array!”
Facilitating ROS communication between two different networks
For my first robotics project, I needed to find a way for students in Germany to control a robotic arm in the Netherlands using ROS.
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What to do if you accidentally committed secrets to a repository
Have you ever accidentally committed a secret to a Git repository? It’s a simple mistake that can be hard to fix, but it’s also easy to prevent.
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Add autolink references to GitHub pull request titles
Alright is a browser extension that automatically turns JIRA (and other) references in GitHub pull request titles into hyperlinks.
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Five things in Python that I only learned this year
Many people learn Python as their first or second programming language, but only few people bother to master it.
Living the Pipe Dream
Rendering text on a pixel grid
Fonts in macOS look different from text that’s been rendered in Windows, mostly due to different philosophies about font rendering.
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PHP developers hate him! Find out these weird tricks they don’t want you to know!
Three “fun” ways to throw off fellow PHP developers (and the “fractal of bad design” article isn’t one of them).
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Level up your Dockerfiles with these tips and tricks
It’s easy to write Dockerfiles that work, but also to write Dockerfiles that suck. Here are some tips and tricks for writing better Dockerfiles.
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Improving search results using query expansion
Make your custom-built search engine return more relevant results by automatically adding similar or related words to search queries.
Living the Pipe Dream
Fundamental principles of InfoSec explained using two three-letter acronyms
Next time cyber security comes up in a meeting, consider throwing in “CIA” and “DIE” so people think you know things.
Living the Pipe Dream
A gentle (re-)introduction to Scrum, a framework for project teams
This blog provides a concise summary of the Scrum framework for anyone who needs a refresher or is just getting started.
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Let’s build a simple journey planner using SQL (part 3, that you can run yourself)
What’s better than a crappy train travel planner that runs on my machine? A crappy train travel planner that runs on YOUR machine!
“Heap, Heap, Array!”
New PHP 8 language features that you may have missed
PHP has gained a lot of new language features over the years. Some of them are frankly a bit insane – but in a good way.
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Let’s build a simple journey planner using SQL (part 2 of probably more than 2)
Yet another blog post where I create an unmaintainable mess using our favourite yet very inadequate programming language, SQL.
Point of Review
Upgrading to a Google Pixel 7 Pro from a Huawei P30 Pro
I replaced my Huawei P30 Pro with a Google Pixel 7 Pro. Should you do the same with your smartphone? As usual, it depends.
“Heap, Heap, Array!”
Let’s build a simple journey planner using SQL (part 1 of definitely more than 1)
When all you have is a relational database, everything looks like a table. And you know what? It works! Sort of.
Point of Review
A review of the Logitech MK295 silent wireless keyboard and mouse set
Logitech’s MK295 reportedly produces 90% less clicking and typing noise. I haven’t put that claim to test, but it does sound pretty quiet.