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Android File Transfer – Magic Begone!

I had installed the Android File Transfer app in order to make it easy to load music onto my Android phone. I didn’t realize that this app doesn’t behave like a typical Mac app. It includes an agent helper app, a daemon really, that gets started at login and monitors for Android USB connected devices. I was unaware of this for some time and generally it does not cause problems. However when I wanted to reflash my Nexus 7 tablet I ran into problems with the File Transfer Agent competing with the Android Platform Tools ADB program for control of the device.

My preference for utilities on my Mac is for them to not run until I activate them explicitly. Yes it looks swell to have a program pop up when I plug in the USB device, but I would prefer to manually launch it. I don’t like magic… Continue reading “Android File Transfer – Magic Begone!” →

Gems from the error logs…

Periodically I check out the Apache error and access logs in order to find things that I can fix or improve with a little work. Today I noticed a few errors for bad URLs coming from unfamiliar IP addresses. The error I got is:

(36)File name too long: [client xx.xx.xx.xx:xxxxx] AH00036: access to ….

Looking at the filename, it is way too long but it is also very peculiar. It starts off with a valid WordPress folder name but appends a long string of folder names where the folder names are prefixed with an underscore and suffixed with a comma. I checked this against the actual folders and it matches existing paths in my WordPress instance. The garbled path ends in an actual file name. To make it even weirder, this garbled path name has a plus sign followed by another garbled path name, multiple times. All together it’s about 800 characters long. WTF?… Continue reading “Gems from the error logs…” →

Double Dongle Saga

Got a new MBP. You know, the one with USB-C only. Also, bought the USB-C to USB-A dongle (added charge) just to be safe.

Then I got a Samsung T3 SSD which included a USB-C to USB-A connector. It turns out that the T3 is a USB 2.0 device that uses a USB-C connector, probably because it’s smaller and also because it means you’re hip.

But there is no way to directly connect the new SSD to the new MBP with either of the cables I have… Continue reading “Double Dongle Saga” →

Starting Out

I am starting out writing about my recent experiences with Apple’s Logic Pro. Logic is one of many Digital Audio Workstation (DAW) products. A DAW is a software re-creation of a musician’s recording studio. It is a technical product aimed at artists and recording engineers. The modern DAW combines two forms of computer based recording techniques: MIDI sequencing and digital audio recording. A proper DAW supports a complete workflow of composing, recording, arranging and mixing to produce a professional level DVD quality (or better) recording. Continue reading “Starting Out” →

When I started coding…

I started coding back when the mainframes were all steam powered. To maintain productivity, we took turns shoveling coal into the furnace. This worked well enough in the mornings but afternoons there was always someone who had one drink too many for lunch and wound up shoveling the coal into the ash bucket. We’d be down for a half hour or so. We all learned to juggle (seriously) in order to preserve sanity in the down times. At one point a bunch of us group-ordered a set of custom made 2 pound juggling bags using lead shot for weight. They were awesome for blowing off steam. But these days, nothing ever goes down (lol). My how technology has changed! Do you know any programmers these days who juggle?