Useful macOS defaults: System UI Server
Handy defaults write commands for com.apple.systemuiserver, controlling the menu bar and system UI elements.
Mac
Blog
What is ctkd?
If you see ctkd running on your Mac, here is what this smart card and security key process does.
Mac
Monthly update #0342 • October 2018
Monthly update 342 • October 2018 • 2018-10-01 - 2018-10-31
Monthly Updates
Only Jesus by Casting Crowns
Casting Crowns' 2018 record about laying down our own name and wanting only the name of Jesus to remain.
Music
Cowboy in Paris by Jul
Lucky Luke escorts the sculptor Bartholdi and the torch of the Statue of Liberty across America, then sails to Paris to bring the great lady home.
Books
It is time to leave the Facebook universe!
I left Facebook on 1 January 2012. I never used Instagram and stopped using WhatsApp on 30 April 2017. I have not missed them for a second. People often ask why I abandoned these platforms.
Essays
FileManager
On Apple platforms, the FileManager class in the Foundation framework provides a robust abstraction for file system operations like creating, reading, moving, copying, and deleting files and directories, using paths or file URLs.
Development
Holy Roar by Chris Tomlin
Chris Tomlin's 2018 worship album built around the many old words the Bible uses for praise.
Music
What is touristd?
If you see touristd in Activity Monitor or in a firewall log, here is what this macOS process does.
Mac
The Elements by TobyMac
TobyMac's 2018 record blends Christian hip hop and pop rock into a steady set about faith under pressure.
Music
DateComponents
The article introduces DateComponents, a versatile Foundation type in Swift for representing either a specific calendar date or a duration of time, emphasising its use over hardcoded time intervals like 60 * 60 * 24 for a day.
Development
REPL Support for Swift Packages
The swift run command now includes a --repl option. This lets you start the Swift REPL and import library targets from a package.
Development
The Fox by Frederick Forsyth
In Frederick Forsyth’s thrilling modern espionage novel, The Fox, a British teen with Asperger’s, Luke Jennings, turns out to be a cyber-genius who can hack into the world’s most secure systems, like the Pentagon, NSA, and CIA.
Books
Monthly update #0341 • September 2018
Monthly update 341 • September 2018 • 2018-09-01 - 2018-09-30
Monthly Updates
Johnny English Strikes Again
Johnny English Strikes Again (2018), directed by David Kerr, follows Johnny English as he comes out of retirement to stop a cyber attack that has exposed every active spy in Britain. Rowan Atkinson plays Johnny, now a geography teacher who longs for the old days.
Movies
Burn the Ships by for KING & COUNTRY
for KING & COUNTRY's 2018 pop rock record about leaving the past behind and pressing forward with hope.
Music
How Mirror Works
Swift provides runtime type inspection through the Mirror API. This allows developers to examine arbitrary values and traverse object graphs without prior knowledge of types at compile time.
Development
Swift 5.0 Release Process
Swift 5.0 aims to achieve ABI stability to enable a stable runtime for operating systems, with module stability as a key focus that may land in this release or a later 5.x update.
Development
Hallelujah Here Below by Elevation Worship
Elevation Worship's 2018 live album about lifting praise from the ordinary ground of everyday life.
Music
Swift 4.2 Released!
Swift 4.2 is a major update that enhances compile times, debugging, the standard library, and moves closer to binary compatibility, while maintaining source compatibility with Swift 4 and 4.1 but marking the last release to support Swift 3 compatibility.
Development
What is nesessionmanager?
If you see nesessionmanager running on your Mac, here is what this VPN and network extension process does.
Mac
Remembering Opi
Opi, the father of my father, died today. He was born in March 1936 and lived to the age of 82 years. He worked as a pastor for many years.
Remembering
CMDeviceMotion
The Core Motion framework in Swift simplifies access to iOS and watchOS device sensors, enabling innovative user interactions beyond touch by leveraging a dedicated motion coprocessor for efficient accelerometer, gyroscope, and magnetometer data processing.
Development
CMMotionActivity
The Core Motion framework’s CMMotionActivityManager on iOS and watchOS uses a device’s motion coprocessor to process sensor data from accelerometers, gyroscopes, and magnetometers, determining user activities like walking, running, cycling, automotive travel, or being stationary with varying confidence levels.
Development
Look Up Child by Lauren Daigle
Lauren Daigle's 2018 album, a soulful Christian pop record about lifting your eyes when life feels low.
Music