2024-03-01 00:46
Over the years I’ve tracked how to properly configure a MacBook Pro for software development. Here I am with a new machine and I will document configuring macOS Sonoma for software eng… Read More
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Tarn Aeluin - Technology, Soapbox, And Crap... Blog
tarnaeluin.houseofbeor.net
This blog is an outlet for creativity, to share computer science projects, technology evaluations, programming ideas, and a few personal things. A place to vent about the stuff that drives me nuts occasionally. I hope you enjoy it or find it useful.
2023-07-03 21:04
The Google Pixel Watch arrived at Tarn Aeluin for my birthday this past June. A smart watch has not been high on my list of technology gadgets. I don’t have anything against smart watc… Read More
2023-02-11 22:29
For longtime readers here at House of Beor, you will know that back in the early 2000’s I was working with Plone and Python quite a bit. For a variety of reasons I stopped and got into… Read More
2022-12-19 21:14
This article will focus on development with Ethereum and Solidity to create and execute smart contracts. The content in this post focuses on getting development tools installed and configure… Read More
2022-07-10 21:33
As with my prior post on graph databases, I have not had a chance to work with blockchain systems. Unblocking the blockchain is what we are up to at House of Beor! Ethereum is interesting vs… Read More
2022-06-12 22:00
Although not something new to many folks, working with graph databases and Neo4J is something I have not done. I finally have a decent use case! So starting out with training sources and ins… Read More
2022-05-15 21:34
It has been a while since House of Beor’s Gardens have been featured. It has been a very nice spring so let’s get right to it! One thing you will not see here yet is all my work… Read More
2022-04-10 15:05
It has been about 5 years since I took a look at Ruby on Rails. I have a project at work that will require it, so it is a good time to look at Ruby on Rails in 2022, see what has changed, de… Read More
2021-10-16 21:49
Configuring macOS Big Sur for development can be accomplished in many ways and certainly varies based on the kind of development work that you want to do. Building on my earlier post for pri… Read More
2021-10-06 21:03
I started working with Flutter over a year ago, but have yet to work with it in combination with a back-end as a service. Firebase is Google’s back-end as a service so it seems to make… Read More
2020-11-15 23:12
This is round two with Flutter. I looked at Flutter last year, but it seemed still a little early to put it to serious work. A lot has changed in the past 18 months. Has Flutter matured to t… Read More
2019-12-31 02:20
Ok – so you went for it and bought an incredibly expensive Christmas roast. Now what? Need some help with how to properly cook a Christmas Roast? You have come to the right place, but… Read More
2019-12-27 23:07
I have the original Pixel, which I’ve enjoyed quite a bit, however at last the time has come. So the question is: Pixel 4 – Is it Really That Bad? Got the new phone the other day… Read More
2019-12-15 22:37
I’ve been preparing for the Kubernetes CKAD certification exam from the Linux Foundation. It has been a fun learning process. I’ve learned a lot about k8s and quite a bit about… Read More
2019-10-23 00:40
How do you say goodbye to Dad? It is not easy to summarize your relationship with a parent on a website in 2-3 paragraphs.
I was a Cub Scout in 1977. My Mom was our excellent Den Mother… Read More
2019-07-23 21:28
Developing with Flutter looks like an interesting alternative to Kotlin, Swift, and React. Last year I worked thru my React Nanodegree so I didn’t feel like changing up directions yet… Read More
2019-03-17 20:03
Technology counts, even in a vacuum. Simply vacuuming with the Simplicity Synergy Plus vacuum is not only a great way to clean your home, but is also an essential healthy living requirement!… Read More
2019-01-13 03:42
Yes – there is an “E” in CES and this is where you will find it. TV’s lead the way, but there is more here than just the toob. Admittedly this is my 5th post on CES 2… Read More
2019-01-13 03:42
CES 2019 just wrapped up a couple of days ago. I spent 4 days at this monster of an event and have organized pics and technologies into robotics, health tech, electronics, and transportation… Read More
2019-01-13 03:41
As technology works its way into all forms of transportation, it is becoming difficult to distinguish between vehicle and electronics and tech. You saw this very much in 2019 with a splatter… Read More
2019-01-13 03:40
Medical and Health Tech has exploded over the last 3 years. This year we are starting to see serious medical applications like clinical grade ECG and EEG analysis as well as surgical simula… Read More
2019-01-13 03:39
Robots at CES continue the trend of increasing presence in many venues. This is a trend that started 3 years ago with seemingly silly robots. This year’s are not that much better, but… Read More
2019-01-06 22:08
Recently I needed to do some linux development on macOS with Parallels so that I could debug some issues in a C++ project. macOS C++ is still a bit wonky for working with a C++ project writt… Read More
2018-11-21 21:36
Building a new website with Gatsby will take advantage of new React skills. I will be replacing the current Foundation based site with Gatsby and also integrating some API calls to this blog… Read More
2018-09-03 21:23
Cloud native is the hype phrase of the day so spending time with Docker and Kubernetes on macOS is a good time investment. I’ve been working with Docker for at least 4 years. I origina… Read More
2018-06-05 22:37
Getting around with React-Navigation V2 is quite a bit different from V1. Well – ok its totally different. That’s a good thing – there were some pretty limiting factors wit… Read More
2018-05-13 19:49
As a follow on to my post about building web applications with React.JS, this post will be about building mobile native mobile apps with React-Native. I’m not a JavaScript guru so as w… Read More
2018-02-22 23:20
React.JS is making a splash on both the web application and mobile (with React Native) software development scenes. I’ve used many JavaScript frameworks, but because I’m a snotty… Read More
2018-02-04 20:24
The holy grail of app development is write once and run everywhere. Is Kony Visualizer a better way to build apps? its got competition from Xamarin, Kinvey, Google/Apigee, and more. There&rs&hell…Read More
2018-01-02 23:21
What’s in a theme? These days there’s a lot at stake. How to safely change your WordPress theme without damaging your SEO, messing up your analytics, and causing chaos for that o… Read More
2017-12-27 22:02
Santa came to Tarn Aeluin with a PicoBrew Pro brewing appliance. I’ve brewed beer the old fashioned way (pots, pans, carbuoy’s, etc), but let’s try it with the latest and g… Read More
2017-11-16 02:18
So it has been about 10 months since I got my daily commuter – a 2016 Porsche Boxster Black Edition. It is time to report out on 10,00 miles on a Porsche Boxster Black Edition. Winter… Read More
2017-09-24 21:49
My son and I recently traveled to Benin Africa with CodeToHope.org to do our part in breaking the cycle of poverty thru education with a focus on computer technology and programming. It was… Read More
2017-07-30 20:57
I can hear the sound now…AC/DC…something about a highway (railway) to hell. Yes its true I’m taking a look at Ruby on Rails, not entirely by choice, but you know what? Le… Read More
2017-06-25 20:57
It was a very difficult spring at House of Beor’s 2017 Gardens here in Eastern Pennsylvania. A fairly warm winter, when many plants started to bud, was followed by a very cold spring (… Read More
2017-06-18 01:59
Code Management with git on OS-X is a pleasure most of the time. Git is a huge improvement over subversion. Its faster when working over a network connection and once you get used to how it… Read More
2017-05-21 21:55
Exploring Mint with Virtualbox on macOS is important because my son and I will be traveling to Benin in West Africa later this year with the codetohope project. We’ll be teaching compu… Read More
2017-04-16 19:39
So you got yourself a new machine and configuring macOS for software development is presenting a bit of a challenge? Perhaps looking back at your old machine you wish it had been a bit clean… Read More
2017-03-04 23:37
Breaking my long-standing tradition of requirements, logic, and planing, a 2016 Porsche Boxster Black Edition has replaced my Mazda3 5-Door. What has happened! OMG! Yes – sometimes som… Read More
2017-01-30 00:33
Ok – so you got a new MacBook Pro and you need to get WordPress 4.7.x working on Mac OS. There are a surprising number of things do in order to get it right. You’ll need a number… Read More
2017-01-12 01:46
My MacBook Pro 2016 reaction and setup for development is a key milestone. A new machine, lighter, refined, with a very slim set of ports and connections. This is my fourth MacBook Pro, star… Read More
2017-01-09 01:47
CES 2017 took place from Jan 3-8th in Las Vegas at a number of venues (Las Vegas Convention Center, Sands, Venetian, Mandalay Bay, and Aria) and was even bigger than the show in 2016. This y… Read More
2016-12-31 18:47
So you decided to host your own WordPress blog and you thought it would be easy. Ha! Not so much. Not only are you the small fry, with major companies crowding you out of the SEO space, but… Read More
2016-12-28 22:33
The older you get the more help you need staying in shape. In addition to my new Fitbit Charge 2, I got a Yunmai Premium Smart Scale to help me set goals and track changes as I work out (or… Read More
2016-12-28 01:14
After many great years with my Nexus 5, finally it was time to upgrade to the Google Pixel 5-Inch Smartphone. This is a pretty major upgrade, and price tag, given I upgraded my entire family… Read More
2016-12-27 20:41
Fitbit wearables have been used and reviewed here at Tarn Aeluin for a number of years. Last year I got the big Surge HR to replace my original Charge. After a year with the Surge HR, I&rsqu&hell…Read More
2016-12-22 23:13
Wishing all my readers a Happy Holidays and New Year from Tarn Aeluin. Update is a big word at Tarn Aeluin!. After nearly 2 years, I’ve re-enabled comments. I’m hoping that Akism… Read More
2016-10-15 02:24
Its been somewhat embarrassing for quite some time that my main website www.houseofbeor.net has a less than ideal responsive layout – ok fine its not responsive at all. Building a new… Read More
2016-08-01 22:12
Its been quite a while since I did serious Android development. Now that I’m getting back into it, there are a bunch of Android tips and tricks I’ve forgotten and then new tricks… Read More
2016-05-28 22:57
I love growing things and flowers are at the top of the list. This year the 2016 Gardens of House of Beor are especially prolific. The spring was certainly challenging with an early start an… Read More
2016-05-12 22:39
Its been a pretty crappy spring here in the Northeastern USA – rainy and cold. Little or no chance for driving my Porsche 911. I got up this morning and was met with bright rays of sun… Read More
2016-04-10 18:53
Working with PHP on OS-X requires tips and tricks if you want to maintain your sanity. I have a similar post for the world of Java on OS-X. I was recently playing around with Magento 2, an o… Read More
2016-01-23 19:18
Its that “oh crap” moment. You open up your MBP and nothing happens. You reboot and your Macbook Pro boots to a dark screen. Everything was fine yesterday, but now just nothing… Read More
2016-01-09 15:31
CES Day 3 will be the last day for me. I’ve had to move up my flight home so that I can go on another business trip on Monday. My feet are sore, but I’m ready to hit the pavement… Read More
2016-01-08 05:58
CES Day 2, the BIG day, is here, but before we get to that it is also Eureka day! Eureka is the startup and venture funding area where ultra-small companies are showing what is coming 5 year… Read More
2016-01-05 19:35
I’m headed out to the CES 2016 Las Vegas conference this year. We have a few things being shown at the event. I’ve never been to CES before. It is a huge event with about 200,000… Read More
2016-01-01 20:34
I got myself a Mazda 3 5 Door (hatchback) last spring. I spent a lot of time looking and described my hunt for a new car here. 10,000 miles later I’m a happy guy and my BMW 328i… Read More
2016-01-01 20:34
I got myself a Mazda3 5 Door (hatchback) last spring. I spent a lot of time looking and described my hunt for a new car here. 10,000 miles later I’m a happy guy here at Tarn Aelu… Read More
2015-12-30 23:09
Luthien got me an “upgrade” this holiday to a Fitbit Surge HR, replacing my Fitbit Charge device that I’ve had since July. While the Charge is a fine stepper, it fails to a… Read More
2015-12-13 22:59
It is really important to keep your WordPress site upgraded – those dang hackers and all. The most recent upgrades are very important as WordPress is starting to pivot from being a blo… Read More
2015-11-24 21:34
It has been a while since I originally posted about node.js. We’re getting into API platforms at work so it is time for me to update my node.js skills and see what is new in the past y… Read More
2015-09-12 22:18
Last weekend I slaved away for about 7 hours trying to get the shine back on my 2011 BMW X5. Results? Mediocre. Time to kick it up a notch with a set of Pinnacle products and a Porter Cable… Read More
2015-06-28 13:34
I’ve been working with Titanium quite a bit lately. Its ok for getting apps to work, but no doubt the learning curve is pretty steep. There are just enough quirks in the JS, CSS (I mea… Read More
2015-05-31 18:35
The Gardens of House of Beor are my method for getting a break, some exercise, and creating a nice place to live. All coding and no play makes Beren a grumpy and unimaginative fellow. At our… Read More
2015-04-08 22:32
I picked up my new 2015 Mazda 3 SGT in March and have been zooming all over the Northeast with gusto. This is my first car from Asia, Japan of course, so it was definitely a bit of a gamble… Read More
2015-03-07 23:59
After 37 months it is time to say good bye to my 2012 BWM 328i and say hello to a Mazda3 hatch. Although I found the BMW 2012 328i a reliable and steady commuter throughout my lease, there w… Read More
2015-01-03 20:43
hAtom and author tags are becoming an increasingly important part of SEO for a site. I’ve known for quite some time that I’ve been getting errors in places on my blog due to miss… Read More
2015-01-01 23:08
I’ve experimented with Appcelerator Titanium in the past, but did not find a place for the tool with the work I do. For the mobile development work I’ve been doing for a few year… Read More
2014-09-23 01:43
Many thanks to Tarn’s hosting provider Mochahost for a mega-upgrade! Things were slow – really slow. I complained and Mochahost upgraded me to a new box, PHP 5.6 and a bunch of o… Read More
2014-08-17 22:55
The use of visual simulation and prototyping tools are critical for today’s web and mobile software developer. These tools allow users and developers to collaborate on user experience… Read More
2014-08-05 15:14
Working with Java on OS-X Mavericks can have its pit falls…well working with Java on anything has pit falls, but OS-X has its own quirks. I’ve been working with Java for longer… Read More
2014-07-27 17:29
Google on OS-X, nginx, and Symfony2 and you’ll pull up a ton of posts. However I find them all confusing or missing pieces. Maybe I’m getting slow…maybe I’m not the… Read More
2014-05-07 16:37
Powerpoint is killing good writing skills in the business world. This is a terrible problem afflicting enterprises…and my personal sanity is suffering too. While Powerpoint slides can… Read More
2014-04-26 02:05
TDD sucks – its kinda true. Rarely – ok this is the first time – do I just re-post something another author wrote. So here it is – nice post to David. I guess no meth… Read More
2014-04-20 00:34
I spent the day at the New York International Auto Show 2014 with my son. The weather was great for a drive to Hamilton, NJ where we could grab an hour train on up to Manhattan and see what… Read More
2014-04-04 02:04
I’ve been adding quite a bit of media and hi-res graphics. Even my own performance kinda was sucky. To fix this I’ve added a new CDN and caching service. From my benchmarks perfo… Read More
2014-03-23 22:06
Drupal 8 content types and views are a core capability in the CMS. With D8 getting pretty close to ready for betas it is a good time to play around with these. We’ll take a look at all… Read More
2014-02-05 03:03
If you are in the Philly area – Coaches vs. Cancer is a great event to help raise money for cancer research.Over the six years the event has existed, the kids at Central Bucks East hav… Read More
2014-01-03 23:14
I’ve been following Drupal 8 for over a year. I noticed today that in the current trunk is included an out of the box image upload capability. Very cool – finally…after al… Read More
2013-12-29 22:48
Summer’s over so its time to winterize Tarn Aeluin’s theme. In addition to this there’s just a bunch of messy stuff going on. The last time I worked on the theme, I ran out… Read More
2013-12-14 23:42
I’ve used tools from IntelliJ for years, however for Android I’ve always used Eclipse. When Google announced Android Studio, a collaboration between Google and IntelliJ makers Je… Read More
2013-12-01 23:23
When you get a Porsche 911 Targa you quickly learn that the Targa top is both the best and perhaps the worst thing about the car. Its great to take the top off, throw it in the boot or back… Read More
2013-11-30 22:42
Yeah ok – I’m Beren and Huan is my traveling comapnion…or at least he’s willing while Luthien is involved. SinceTopless! Love that rear window.this car thing was her… Read More
2013-11-17 21:32
If you’re a long time reader you know that about 2 years ago I lost my Saab Turbo-X. I’ve been on the lookout for what I would get to replace her. Today I took the first drive in… Read More
2013-09-17 01:52
Sadly – had to disable user registration due to the large flood of bot registrations. I’ll have to get a captcha or something to prevent this crap. Until then user registration w… Read More
2013-09-01 20:44
Recently I passed 20,000 miles on my 2012 BMW 328i – so how do I like the car? What’s the good, the bad, and the ugly of this Bavarian car? I’ve been a BMW fan since I owne… Read More
2013-08-01 13:59
Now that the Facebook SDK for iOS is in the bag here at House of Beor, the next social framework up is Google+ with iOS. I’m not really sure how popular G+ is, but I use it and general… Read More
2013-07-28 22:21
Well – hey its a decent tournament! The USA wins 1-0 over Panama. Ok – well hey I’ll take what I can get. Great stuff for the team that actually showed some quality play an… Read More
2013-07-14 21:47
The Facebook SDK for iOS is pretty nice for building social integrations into your apps. In my first post I ran thru the basics of working with the SDK. In this post I will be working with a… Read More
2013-07-02 20:57
A few weeks back I started looking at the upcoming bold and daring release of Drupal 8 – a very exciting project for those of us in the software engineering field because of its size… Read More
2013-07-02 04:05
Recently I decided to mess around with the Facebook iOS SDK. I’m not really sure what I want to do with it yet, but when I started running thru the instructions and hopping back and fo… Read More
2013-06-30 21:55
Been scratching my head for months about a problem in WordPress 3.5 with image uploads and thumbnail generation on my blog. When I would try to upload an image using the media manager, the i… Read More
2013-06-22 21:46
Who doesn’t like to mess around with frameworks? If ur a regular reader here then you know I do I need a web framework for an app and Drupal probably isn’t the right fit this ti… Read More
2013-06-21 20:08
I’m continuing to tweak and stabilize things here at the lake.What’s been doneremoved the HighSlide gallery tool and replaced it with Image Gallery Re-Loadedadded in wp-jquery-li… Read More
2013-06-19 03:03
Finally made the call to replace Highslide with new image and gallery plugins. I poked around quite a bit and finally determined that the best tools are Image Gallery Reloaded for galleries… Read More
2013-06-08 16:32
I’ll start off this way: Sorry I’m late I’ve gotten several misty eyed queries about where my annual car detailing post is. Well this year I had to work on my birthday for… Read More
2013-06-02 15:46
Now that I’ve been messing around with Symfony2 for a few weeks, exploring Drupal 8 sounds like a lot of fun. For all the success the Drupal team has had, they are not sitting back and… Read More
2013-06-01 13:58
Tarn Aeluin did not go down, but was running pretty slow for last 8 hours. Not sure why – but I continue to see an amazing amount of DOS attacks. This is on-going across many WP sites… Read More
2013-05-30 00:58
I’ve been using Symfony2 for a few weeks now. Symfony2 is a robust web framework for web applications and will become a central tool for Drupal-ists like myself. This is the first in a… Read More
2013-04-11 22:23
I recently installed the SEO for WordPress module by Yoast. Wow!!!! It took about two weeks to see a difference, but since then my hits are up about 300%. That’s pretty darn cool!At th… Read More
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