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techbubble

432 karma · joined October 27, 2009

Entrepreneur, co-founder/cto Decentology (was TryCrypto); former founder WhenHub, DotNetNuke, iWidgets; blockchain tinkerer; STEAM educator; Microsoft MVP; maker; geek; creative thinker; husband; dad

https://www.trycrypto.com

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techbubble··on Use console.log() like a pro (2020)
You can get the same behavior as console.log() without cluttering up your code by using LogPoints.

https://developer.chrome.com/blog/new-in-devtools-73/

https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Tools/Debugger/Set_...

techbubble··on Why do so many companies incorporate in Delaware?
Well, there's also the bit about not having to deal with a long list of fees and onerous requirements like many states have, when all you're trying to do is start a business, build a product and hopefully find some paying customers.
techbubble··on Zero click vulnerability in Apple’s macOS Mail
I find it works very well, so basically everything seems right. Use it for nine accounts concurrently. Rarely have any issues.
techbubble··on I made an eInk newspaper
I really like the concept of eInk, but for that price a regular wall-mounted display plus DAKboard[1] plus electricity will have to suffice.

[1] https://dakboard.com/site

techbubble··on Cryptocurrency and NFTs Are Evil
tl;dr Uninformed rant about the evils of blockchain and crypto-related endeavors

No nuanced analysis of an emergent technology and its growing pains and no mention at all of the benefits of decentralization.

Oh, and the author also fails to point out that there are NFTs which go beyond simply representing ownership. They are used for unlocking premium content, making game assets portable across games, acting as a proxy for real-world assets and many other use cases not yet as high profile as art and sports NFTs.

techbubble··on A Beginner's Guide to NFTs
One oft-overlooked aspect of NFTs is their scarcity and authenticity by virtue of license rights. For instance, NBATopShot moments are desirable because they are licensed by the NBA. So if you were to clone great basketball moments and create an alternate, it would neither be authentic nor legal.
techbubble··on Diagram Maker: Open sourcing IoT visualization
Looks promising, but it's hard to tell without a more full-featured demo.

I'm comparing this to Node-RED [0] which is pretty robust and has a large ecosystem. Ultimately, I think the value in diagramming platforms is not just in the software, but the community around it that creates plugins/extensions for different use-cases.

[0] https://nodered.org/

techbubble··on Hal Finney’s proposal for optimizing Bitcoin to be enabled in Bitcoin Core
Hal's post was so inspiring – thank you for sharing.

The bit about having to finish the documentation was particularly noteworthy. Even when writing code laboriously through eye moment, Hal didn't lose focus of the importance of documentation.

techbubble··on Things I wish I’d known about CSS
"div soup" – I like that.

The present-day CSS frameworks use "class soup."

For example, tailwind (which I like):

  <button class="bg-teal-500 hover:bg-teal-600 focus:outline-none focus:shadow-outline">
techbubble··on Things I wish I’d known about CSS
I like what you have done with the site — very simple and easy to check out the tips. I subscribed.
techbubble··on Things I wish I’d known about CSS
I agree with that 100% — if it isn't fun, it's work. And if you build enough knowledge about how CSS works in general, when it comes to implementing specific layout or responsive design techniques you have a good understanding of the basics to build upon.
techbubble··on Things I wish I’d known about CSS
This was a great article and I learned a few new tricks.

I learned CSS over the years by gradually solving problems I encountered building apps. Compare this to people learning CSS now as evidenced by the #100DaysOfCode tag on Twitter. The learning technique is comprised primarily of using gradient-heavy, absolutely positioned HTML elements to create a photo-realistic, 3D rendering of objects.

The results are pretty amazing, but I have my doubts about whether these skills are easily translatable for building an interactive, responsive UI. Some examples:

https://twitter.com/bauervadim/status/1282264611912327169

https://twitter.com/mercyoncode/status/1282449080132804609

https://twitter.com/ellie_html/status/1276177277315932161

https://twitter.com/thecoffeejesus/status/128204582508278169...

https://twitter.com/alyd789/status/1271200537988431873

techbubble··on Apple Mail randomly becomes the frontmost application in macOS
I have 16 GSuite accounts setup and have never had this issue in Mail. Even if my account login fails or the server is unreachable, the app does not automatically come to the foreground. I don't use full screen or spaces though (I prefer Moom) so maybe that's why I have never seen the issue.
techbubble··on Ask HN: Looking for side project ideas
Many innovations are two existing things combined in a novel way (phone+computer=smartphone, home+hotel=AirBnB, carriage+motor=car)

You could list things you are familiar with or use regularly and see if combining them in a novel way sparks the idea for an innovative product.

techbubble··on Unable to deal with Chrome Extension Team, Kozmos is shutting down
I like the Unlisted app https://www.unlistedapp.com I got it a few years ago and haven't had any problems. I think it might be iOS only. There are plenty of other burner phone number apps which work on both Android and iOS.
techbubble··on Stranded after driving out of cellphone range in app-powered smart car
I'm just surprised they have to tow the vehicle. A better design would be to have a hardwired or bluetooth number pad in the car. The app can generate emergency start codes 2-3 times which can be entered in the number pad. Lots of ways to prevent abuse including working only when there isn't a signal present.
techbubble··on Ask HN: What blockchain projects are you or your company working on?
Would it be fair to say this is the permissioned equivalent of Polkadot?

Looks really interesting. I'll follow the project as I am getting started with Hyperledger myself (more specifically Seth).

techbubble··on Ask HN: What blockchain projects are you or your company working on?
More than a thing...it's big and growing fast if the investments made by these companies (to name a few) is any indication:

* https://www.ibm.com/blockchain * https://www.salesforce.com/products/platform/products/blockc... * https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/solutions/blockchain/ * https://aws.amazon.com/blockchain/

techbubble··on Coding Stories: Me vs. the VNC Guy
The Daily WTF has some good ones. https://thedailywtf.com
techbubble··on iPhone 11 Pro and iPhone 11 Pro Max
I have never used a case and never will (just don’t like the bulk they add). I do use an edge-to-edge screen protector on my XS max and keep the phone face down so the camera lenses don’t get scratched or smudged.
techbubble··on Penn Jillette fasts 23 hours a day to maintain his 100lb weight loss
I started 16-8 intermittent fasting three months ago. The mornings were difficult the first 3-4 days because I really used to enjoy a good breakfast. I also missed my morning chai.

What fixed it was my discovery of Zestea, a high caffeine tea. One cup in the morning did the trick. I also ate my breakfast at noon (my scheduled break fast time) for a week. Now, I don’t feel hunger in the AM and sometimes it is 1:30 pm when I have to remind myself to break the fast so I can stay on schedule.

techbubble··on Crypto Market Roiled by New Allegations Against Tether, Bitfinex
The only way anyone could assume control of the account as collateral is by knowing the private key. If the funds are not transferred to another wallet, then both parties now have knowledge of the private key. As such, the entity providing the loan has to trust that Satoshi will not move the funds. That would be an insane risk to take.
techbubble··on AI is not coming for you
My Open Source project focuses on educating mainstream users about blockchain and cryptocurrency with simple videos and content https://www.trycrypto.com
techbubble··on Sinclair ZX Spectrum Prototype
All the Spectrum computers were awesome computers that somehow crammed a lot into a very compact package. The Sinclair ZX Spectrum+ was my first computer and I recently snagged one on eBay. With the right transformer and HDMI converter, I had it hooked to the living room TV in no time.

It took less than 30 mins for my 11-year-old daughter to figure out how to draw basic rectangles and circles in various colors on the screen. She was hooked. And I was transported back to my childhood. I saw the same joy I experienced as she discovered new ways to have the computer do her bidding.

Today’s computers can do amazing things, but they sort of miss out on the whole human user experience bit. Maybe they need to go back to basic ;-)

techbubble··on U.S. Freelance Workforce, Now 56.7M People, Grew 3.7M Since 2014
I agree. I have been independent for almost two decades and paid for my family’s health insurance all that time. If you factor in the cost in your planning, there isn’t any reason for it to be a big deal. At least no more than housing, or car insurance or any of the basic, predictable expenses.
techbubble··on 30 years later, QBasic is still the best
I think Glitch with Javascript+HTML is great for kids. The trick is to not get into the how and why, but instead let them modify things and work up to writing their own code. I just wrapped-up a project with 5th graders where the kids designed a pixel animation in Google Slides, coded it in Javascript, converted it to C, uploaded it to an Arduino to control WS2812B LEDs. The result is animated digital art. We put a blank canvas in front of the LEDs and the effect is cool.

Here’s the code on Glitch: https://led-picture-frame.glitch.me

And here is the finished project: https://www.dropbox.com/s/7p20dvbhtsp83yw/IMG_2125.JPG?dl=0

techbubble··on Proton Native – React Native for the desktop
I just declared Chrome bankruptcy and switched to Firefox a few weeks ago. CPU rarely goes over 10% on my 2017 MBP. With Chrome it was almost always above 50%.
techbubble··on Ask HN: What does HN think about adding “A” to STEM?
It has been in common use for a few years. At my kid’s school in Mountain View we have had STEAM night for the past four years.
techbubble··on Bitcoin forks and airdrops
Any change in the network requires consensus among miners, wallet providers and exchanges. The consensus occurs through debate in online forums primarily. When there isn’t consensus, groups go their own way with a fork. If they can garner enough support the fork thrives as an alt coin, otherwise it dies out.
techbubble··on Bitcoin forks and airdrops
When you have coins at an exchange, all you really have is an IOU from the exchange. This (and every other solution) for getting coins from forks requires you to prove ownership of an address with a private key. This is by design and is never intended to work with exchanges such as Coinbase.
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