I guess my expectations are a bit high that when I install Visual Studio 2019 to include cross-platform mobile development (Xamarin.Forms) it would properly configure itself. It turns out that when you try and get UI Test Automation working with Xamarin.Forms that is just not the case. Let’s peel this onion. Missing ANDROID_HOME environment variable. … Continue reading Xamarin UI Test Automation Android Setup
Plex Server Setup – Part II: Making a Filesystem
After the clean install of ubuntu, I only had a 4GB OS partition setup for me. This partition lived on a single physical volume (PV), volume group (VG) and logical volume (LV). These are important concepts to understand Linux filesystem structures. The first step in expanding my storage is to create a separate logical volume … Continue reading Plex Server Setup – Part II: Making a Filesystem
Plex Server Setup – Part I: Resizing OS Volume
Full disclosure, as someone who’s spent most of his career designing and building software, I don’t often get the opportunity to tackle good old fashioned system administration tasks, especially on Linux. However, since my introduction to PLEX –an open source home media server—I’ve had more opportunities. I’ve recently acquired a new server that I plan … Continue reading Plex Server Setup – Part I: Resizing OS Volume
Building a SmartThings Automation
I’ve been digging into the SmartThings Automation platform a bit. Admittedly, I’m fumbling around a bit. 😊 According to the definitions in the documentation, I think I want to build a WebHook automation. As per the documentation, one should consider an “when the end-user configures the Automation to monitor an open/close sensor, the Automation subscribes … Continue reading Building a SmartThings Automation
Ready to Re:Invent 2018
I traversed the barren landscape and followed the AWS neck chains to the Venetian Sands Showroom to register for AWS Re:Invent 2018 last night. The Ping Pong tables and heavy beats were in full force. Love the geometric furniture this year! The registration was seamless but albeit on clunky HP laptops. Took my picture and … Continue reading Ready to Re:Invent 2018
Mocking Service Fabric & Azure Services with Dependency Injection vs. Inversion of Control (IoC)
In retrospect, in my youth as a software designer I recognize that I often had a preference for the technically elegant. This would sometimes override what was practical from a maintainability standpoint. I was recently asked about the Dependency Injection approach on a project and why we weren’t using an Inversion-of-Control (IoC) Container such as … Continue reading Mocking Service Fabric & Azure Services with Dependency Injection vs. Inversion of Control (IoC)
SmartThings Battery Replacement Cheat Sheet
I’m a heavy SmartThings user. Sometimes it can be pretty tricky knowing what batteries I need when I get notifications from different sensors telling me that they are running low and need a replacement. Battery Cheat Sheet: SmartThings Multi-Purpose Sensor Doors / Windows / Garage Doors 2450 SmartThings Water Leak Sensor Sinks / Appliances / … Continue reading SmartThings Battery Replacement Cheat Sheet
Planning a Home Automation System using SmartThings
I recently helped my Aunt and Uncle in California to plan a home automation / home security system using SmartThings and Arlo. In order to get the system setup they needed to make some upgrades to their home network. Their objectives were the following: Add better security to their detached garage Prevent packages from being … Continue reading Planning a Home Automation System using SmartThings
AKG N5005 Unboxing
I finally got my long awaited pair of AKG N5005 in the mail today and WOW are they amazing. The packaging was impeccable. Inside the sliding box trays there is an actual box with a lid. Once you pull the lid you are met with the traveling case, the buds themselves (I removed them so … Continue reading AKG N5005 Unboxing
New Office Gear: Headphones Wall Mount
Being a frequent traveler and somebody who spends a lot of time in his home office, I own a lot of head phones. When I’m on the road, I usually sport a pair of ear buds to take calls, a pair for running on the treadmill, and a pair of noise cancelling for on the … Continue reading New Office Gear: Headphones Wall Mount