Top macOS App picks (mid-2023)
I've recently run across a few (new to me) great macOS apps that really enhanced my productivity. This post covers ALL of my top macOS apps, including new additions such as BetterDisplay, Warp, Raycast, Dropover, Rectangle, and more. Each of these apps are amazing in their own way.One aspect of the macOS ecosystem is the quality of the apps. Now there are certainly some crappy apps out there, but there's also a plethora of apps with beautiful UIs, great user...
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Stecker: Trigger macOS Shortcuts with USB Devices (FREE)
Do you want to trigger a macOS shortcut when you connect or disconnect a USB device? Look no further than the FREE app Stecker. There can be occasions when you would like to trigger a macOS Shortcut when you connect or disconnect a specific USB device. For example, maybe you have a KVM switch between two Macs and want to run a Shortcut when you switch between active devices. Or maybe you want to run a Shortcut when you connect or...
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Home Assistant: Tracking Apple’s Sleep Focus Mode
If you are using Home Assistant and want to determine if the Apple Sleep focus mode is on or off so you can use it in automations, this post is for you. While on the surface this may seem like a trivial task, due to Apple's limited Focus APIs and personal iOS automations, one has to get very creative to solve this riddle. Literally all other Focus modes are easy to track via iOS Personal Automations. Sleep is "special". ...
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How-to: Proxmox Backup Server 2.4 to 3.0 Upgrade Guide
Today, on June 28, 2023, Proxmox Virtual Backup Server 3.0 has been released to the public. This post will walk you through an in-place upgrade of Proxmox Backup Server 2.4 to 3.0. Proxmox is a very popular virtualization platform for home enthusiasts to run their servers on. It's a great platform for Home Assistant, Plex, Docker containers, and a lot more. This guide is aimed at home labs and NOT an enterprise that uses Proxmox Backup Server in production. You...
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Proxmox VE 8: Windows 11 vGPU (VT-d) Passthrough with Intel Alder Lake
This post covers using an Intel 12th Gen (Alder Lake) CPU with Proxmox VE 8 to do VT-d vGPU passthrough to a Windows 11 Pro VM. This enables multiple VMs on the same Proxmox host share the GPU via virtual functions (VFs). What is VT-d vGPU and how is it different from 'legacy' GPU passthrough? "Legacy" GPU passthrough requires that the entire GPU be dedicated to a single VM. Other VMs on the Proxmox host can NOT share the GPU....
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Home Assistant: Auto-renewing Let’s Encrypt SSL
If you are running Home Assistant and wish to increase its security by using a FREE trusted SSL certificate from Let's Encrypt, then you are in luck! This post will walk you through the entire process. The process is quick and easy, assuming you already have a public domain via a registrar and a supported public DNS server. You might think that installing the HA Let's Encrypt add-on also handles automatic certificate renewal. THIS IS FALSE. There is extra work to...
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Designing your own Custom Under Desk Mounting Bracket
For the last couple of years I've done a yearly My Dream Desk Setup post, where I go into great detail about my home office setup. One way that I've kept the desktop so clean is by mounting key peripherals under my desk using custom offset mounting brackets. This post is NOT sponsored in any way, and the company I used didn't ask me to write a post or promote them in any way. I'm just an exceptionally happy customer.To...
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Home Assistant: Proxmox VE 8.0 Quick Start Guide
Hot off the press is Proxmox VE 8.0, which GA'd on June 22, 2023. It is based on Debian Bookworm, and has a number of new features like defaulting to Linux Kernel 6.2. This post is a completely refreshed version of my popular Home Assistant: Proxmox VE 7.4 Quick Start Guide, but all new for Proxmox VE 8.0. Just like my 7.4 guide, this posts covers installing Home Assistant OS (HAOS). HAOS is, IMHO, the preferred method to run Home Assistant...
Read moreHow-to: Proxmox VE 7.4 to 8.0 Upgrade
Today, on June 22, 2023, Proxmox Virtual Environment 8.0 is now out of beta and has been released to the public. This post will walk you through an in-place upgrade of Proxmox VE 7.4 to 8.0. Proxmox is a very popular virtualization platform for home enthusiasts to run their servers on. It's a great platform for Home Assistant, Plex, Docker containers, and a lot more. This guide is aimed at home labs and NOT an enterprise that uses Proxmox in production. ...
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Home Assistant: Ultimate Backup Guide
One the most important aspects of maintaining Home Assistant is regular backups. Implementing the 3-2-1 backup rule with Home Assistant is now easier than ever, with the 2023.6 release. The 3-2-1 rule states you should have (at least) 3 copies of your data (production + 2 backups), on two different media types, and a copy off-site. This post will walk you through how to just this with Home Assistant OS (HAOS), using your local NAS and a Google Drive account. ...
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