Quick Time March

 

P is for productivity...

As I mentioned in my last post, I wanted to write something about how to use a second instance of Quicktime to do multicam recording easily with the new Continuity Cam setup.  Here's some brief instructions on how to achieve that.  Typed commands are in italics.  

1. Open Terminal.   Press return at the end of each line:

    cd ~/Desktop

    nano SecondQuicktime  

    This will open up the Nano editor with a file named SecondQuicktime.  

2. At the top type the following: #!/bin/bash

    Press enter twice.  

    Then, type the following:  -n -a /System/Applications/QuickTime\ Player.app

    Press ctrl+X and then Y and then return to exit.  

3. Back at the terminal type: chmod u+x SecondQuicktime

4. Exit Terminal

You will now have a black square with the word “EXEC” in it that says SecondQuicktime below it.  To use it, launch Quicktime as you normally do, then click the shortcut for SecondQuicktime to launch a second instance.  This is very handy for multicam recording.  

Sources:https://discussions.apple.com/thread/254453078, https://siytek.com/macos-terminal-command-as-a-shortcut/

I, Phone

 

Raffi does not approve

We all remember the days of the pandemic where no one could find a webcam to buy, or really buy much of anything.  With that in mind, Apple set up something special in the latest versions of its device operating systems to make use of the robust rear facing cameras on an iPhone as a very good external camera setup.  Even better, you can use it in conjunction with the web cam on your Macbook to have an easy multi-camera rig that will make all the Twitch streamers jealous (Ok, maybe not).  

1. First things first, ensure you have a good USB to Lightning cable.  It is possible to use Wi-Fi for this, but you may wonder why you even bothered if your Wi-Fi is shoddy.  A good cable will allow you to have the best connection possible to your phone’s camera as well as charge the device at the same time.  And as the screen will be active, you will be counting down to the dreaded 0% battery point if you aren’t charging simultaneously.  The contacts for the phone end of the cable (the metal bits), should be shiny.  If they are not, use a vinyl eraser to clean them.  Or, if your cable is worn, consider a new cable.  Anker makes a nice long cable that seems to be reasonably priced and well made.  Avoid using an adapter (USB A to C) if possible and go right into the computer.  It just adds another layer of complexity/failure and point of troubleshooting. 

2. Make sure you’re updated to the latest versions of IOS (currently 16.4) on your iPhone and MacOS Ventura (or at least Monterey).  You’ll need an iPhone XR or newer.  If your phone has a dial, it won't work for this.  

3. Make sure both Airplay and Handoff are on with both your Mac and your phone.  You can find both in Settings > General > Airplay & Handoff.  On your phone, in that same menu, make sure the slider for “Continuity Camera” is turned on.   

3. You’ll be prompted on your phone to “Trust this computer”.  You’ll want to do that.  Otherwise, there’s no point and you need to evaluate your life for trust issues.  Note: you will be prompted for this every time you connect your phone to your Macbook.

4. Open an application on your Mac that will use the camera, like Facetime or Photo Booth.  Check your mic settings at this time; it is possible your Mac may also try to use your phone’s mic. If you have a fancy external microphone, you’ll need to ensure it’s not switched over.  Your phone should full screen to “Connected to xxxxx” and give you the option to “Pause” or “Disconnect”.  Don't press those (unless you're a thrill seeker) or you'll lose your picture from your phone. 

And that's really all there is to it.  Apple has a good list of steps for both setting this up or troubleshooting issues should they arise.  You can find that here (the link awfulness is on Apple, not me): https://support.apple.com/guide/mac-help/use-iphone-as-a-webcam-mchl77879b8a/mac#:~:text=On%20your%20Mac%2C%20open%20any,video%20from%20the%20rear%20camera.

As a bonus, if you’re doing multi-camera work on Zoom, there is a built in shortcut to switch between cameras.  Command+Shift+N will change your active camera if you have camera turned on in Zoom.  But, be warned, there are three camera modes if you’re using a Macbook and an iPhone continuity camera: Laptop Webcam, phone camera, and Desk View Camera.  Desk View uses a computation engine to try to approximate what your desk looks like if the camera is looking straight on.  It can be a bit weird to look at if you’re using your phone as a document cam.  Best toggle past it as quickly as possible.  

If you find that nothing has worked after following these steps and looking at Apple's article, unplug everything and start over. Switch out your cable and try it again; it is possible that you have a cable that an only be used for charging and not data.    Happy streaming!

That's great...but what's a pimento?

 

James Lee - https://www.flickr.com/photos/jronaldlee/4304893286/

Pimentos are a fun pepper.  Usually known as "that weird red thing you dig out of an olive", they have good flavor and stunning color.  Per Wikipedia, "A pimiento or pimento (or cherry pepper) is a variety of large, red, heart-shaped chili pepper (Capsicum annuum) that measures 3 to 4 in (7 to 10 cm) long and 2 to 3 in (5 to 7 cm) wide (medium, elongate).

Pimientos can have various colours including yellow, green, red, and maroon. Some are green when immature and turn red when they reach maturity.

The flesh of the pimiento is sweet, succulent, and more aromatic than that of the red bell pepper. Some varieties of the pimiento type are hot, including the Floral Gem and Santa Fe Grande varieties. The fruits are typically used fresh or pickled." (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pimiento).  

What it doesn't tell you is that its inclusion makes a pretty darn good grilled cheese sandwich. Here's what you need:

Ingredients

Pimento Cheese - You can make your own, but the store bought stuff is pretty decent.  One small tub is good for this application unless you are making a lot of sandwiches.  

Mayo - Hear me out.  Using mayo as the crisping agent for your grilled cheese sandwich makes a beautifully crispy and delicious grilled cheese.  It doesn't burn as readily as butter and gives you a lovely background flavor.  However, if you use sandwich spread for this, I will pretend I don't know you.  I find a good name brand works best as the store brands can tend to be pretty greasy. 

Bread - I don't know how you'd pull this off with a lettuce wrap.  Use a good bread if possible. Generic white bread will work, but it's less of an experience.  

Directions

1. Heat your pan to medium heat.  On your bread, spread a thin coat of mayo.  We're not going to drown it.  This is our browning agent.  Get into the corners like you're a hockey defensive lineman chasing down the puck.  Then flip your bread over on the plate.  This is counterintuitive from sandwich making, but trust me on this.  

2. Spread a generous portion of your pimento cheese  on each slice of bread.  You want it thin enough to be melty, but thick enough so you know it's there.  

3. Place in pan with cheese side up.  Your sandwich should give off a sizzle, just like my wife.  Leave in pan like this for a few minutes to give the bread a chance to brown and the cheese begin to melt.  

4. After a couple minutes, using a spatula, flip one half onto the other.  You may need to move the sandwich in the pan to ensure proper browning.  

5. Flip a couple more times to make sure you're getting a good brown on your sandwich and ensuring even melting of the cheese.  

6. Enjoy your sandwich, preferably on a cold day with a good tomato bisque and a cat who regards you suspiciously.  

Virtual IT Dad

Image by pressfoto on Freepik.

Computers, and computer adjacent devices like smartphones and tablets, can be very confusing and a bit scary for the uninitiated.  Here's the best advice I can muster while being sleep deprived.  I hope you find it useful.  

1. Back up your computer regularly. Apple’s iCloud and Microsoft’s Onedrive clients make this easy to do.  But you have to be on top of it. This shouldn’t be your only backup. External USB hard drives are cheap and can be backed up too regularly. Cloud services are lovely but if you lose access to them (payment or forgotten password) you lose access to your files. Back up often to two locations. 
2. Use a password manager and a new password for each website or service. I know it’s hard to come up with new ones, but a password manager can generate complex ones easily. And then you just have to remember one password for your manager. Just make sure that’s complex too. 
3. Encrypt your devices; phone, laptop, and any storage devices. Losing these without encryption means anyone with a 6th grade IT experience can read your files. You don’t want that. Encryption is easy. Microsoft Bitlocker for PC and apple FileVault for Mac. 
4. Don’t send nude pictures. The very nature of digital means that a copy can be made infinitely and you’ll never know. Trust the guy?  I’m sure he’s great, but what happens if he gets mad?  Sounds like a risk to me. It’s not worth it. Even apps that purport to avoid screenshots or sharing can be circumvented. There’s no way to ensure your digital safety. 
5. Online, anyone can be anyone. Scams are infinite. Trust no one. Validate everything. Get a text about a problem with a business or financial institution? Look up their number outside of the text and call them. 
6. The padlock next to a site only means that it is using a certificate to validate the site name is what it claims to be. It does not mean it’s not a bad site. Be careful. Make sure you know what you’re clicking. 
7. Macs take a lot of grief for how expensive they are, but their longevity, lack of bloat, resell value, and ease of service make up for a lot of that.  Consider that when buying a computer. 
8. Try to avoid disreputable sites.  Poorly secured sites can mean problems down the road due to viruses or unwanted programs.  Use a good antivirus. 
9. Don't let other people use a computer out of your sight.  Could mean they're rifling your files, installing spyware, or stealing data.  
10. Microsoft and Apple will never call you to tell you that you have a virus.  Despite their huge sizes as organization, they don't have the resources to do that.  If you get a call, it's a scam.  
11. Run Windows Updates when prompted.  There's usually a good set of security related fixes and postponing these could mean that your computer is vulnerable to a virus attack. 
12. Buying computers from a club like Costco or Sams club can pay off big if you have a warranty issue, or just decide you want to return.  Understand your options before you make a big purchase. 

Napoleons

 ...gosh!

For a while when the Food Network show "Chopped" was in its infancy, it seemed like whenever the contestants were confronted with the dessert round they would make either French toast (while delicious, I would argue it is not a dessert) or a Napoleon (with things like matzo, pate, and ice cream).  

Today, I'm going to make a Napoleon with tasty things, including that lemon curd I posted earlier.  I'm still tweaking this, so don't be surprised if this gets revised in the future.  

Ingredients

Blueberries. About a pound.  Frozen is fine.  I use wild blueberries as they tend to be sweeter.  

Sugar. I used 1 1/4 cup of sugar.  Probably could use less. Don't judge me. 

Lemon. The lemon adds a nice dimension to the blueberry reduction.  

Puff Pastry. From everything I have heard, there's no point in making your own unless you've got Paul Hollywood breathing down your neck.  

Lemon curd.  Does anyone have a good recipe for it?

Whipped cream. Fresh is better, though the can is fine here.  

Corn starch. If needed to thicken your mixture.  About 1Tbsp.  Mix with approximately 4Tbsp of hot water.  I neglected to get pics of this step, so you'll just have to imagine.  

Directions

1. Put your blueberries in a high wall pot.  Add sugar and the juice of one lemon.  Stir to combine and set to medium heat.  The blueberries will release a lot of liquid.  Bring to a simmer and reduce temperature if needed.  This is going to take a bit, perhaps 30-40 minutes.  

2. Once the blueberries have cooled somewhat, run them through a fine mesh strainer.  This is so that the reduction is smooth when we add to the Napoleon.  

3. Place back in the saucepan.  Bring to a simmer and add your corn starch to bring to a desired thickness.  I wanted it thick enough to leave a distinct trail if a spoon was run through it.  Sadly, I thought I had pictures of this step, but I failed.  Feel free to ask for a refund.  Let the finished sauce sit on the counter until room temperature, and then place in the fridge until chilled.  

4. While you wait for the sauces to chill, thaw your puff pastry.  You can either have done this by placing in the fridge overnight or thawing on your counter for 40 minutes.  Unfold the sheets and then cut into 12 equal rectangles.  Place on a parchment lined baking sheet and run a fork over it.  You want it to puff, but not uncontrollably so.  Bake following your package directions for temperature and time. 

5. Once lightly browned, remove and place on a cooling rack. I inverted mine.  You want these to be completely cool before filling, otherwise you will have a sloppy mess.  If that's your thing, get down with your bad self.  

6. Take two pieces of pastry that are the same size and split them open.  You will want to use the three flattest pieces for this step.  You can eat the fourth.  Spread blueberry reduction on one piece and lemon curd on the other.  Stack them up.  

7. Top with whipped cream. I went for a traditional star pattern, but you can go nuts.  

8.  And, as Napoleon Dynamite would say, "eat the food, Tina!"

When Life Gives You Lemons...

...Train them up to be an army and then rule the world!

 

Lemons: we love them even though they hurt us.  That sharp tang.  A bit of sweetness.  The bright yellow color.  When life gives you lemons, you're supposed to make lemonade according to the saying.   I'll do you one better.  

Like many 'Muricans, I was exposed to the beauty that is lemon curd by The Great British Baking Show.  I love lemon curd.  You can use it as a filling in a pastry, a topping, or even part of a pie or cake.  But as much as I love lemon curd (thank you, diabetes), my wife loves it even more.  She hasn't been feeling well, so I decided to get up early today and make some for her and then use it as part of a dessert later (more to come there).  However, there should be plenty left for a breakfast toast accompaniment.  I've adapted the venerable Mary Berry's recipe, located here.  Please note that I'm not using lemon zest in this adaptation.  I've tried in multiple times and I don't care for what it does to the texture. 

Ingredients

Lemons. You'll need four.  If you buy a bag of them, save the rest for another batch or throw at your children.  Good fun for all involved.  

Sugar. Roughly 1/3 cup.  As you make your curd, you might decide you need more if you're not sweet enough.  My wife says I'm sweet as is.  

Eggs.  Four large eggs.  Brown or white are fine.  Don't discriminate.  

Butter.  One stick of unsalted butter.  Cut into cubes.  It does not need to be softened, unless that's the effect you have on it with your charm.  

 

Directions 

1. Cut your butter into cubes.  You can use the wrapper as an easy transport vessel to the pot, so don't cut through it.  

 

2. In a high sided sauce pan, break four eggs.  You do not need to scramble them ahead of time.  

3. Add the sugar and butter.  

 

4. Roll your lemons against the counter top.  This breaks down the cell structure where the juice is held within the lemon.  It will allow you to get more juice from the lemon.  In this instance, the juice is very worth the squeeze.  

 

5.  Cut each lemon in half and squeeze the juice into a medium size bowl.  Lemons have a lot of seeds and they are not good to eat or friendly on your teeth.   This step will make sure you don't have a sneaky infiltrator into your lovely soft curd.  

 

6.  Place a wire strainer over the pot and pour the juice from the bowl through it.  Throw the seeds away and wear the bowl as a hat. Or not.  You do you.  

 

7.  Using a wire whisk, gently whisk the mixture together over medium low heat.  The goal is not to blend but to keep things moving so nothing burns.  The heat is going to do the heavy lifting here.  

 

When you see the butter is completely melted, things are getting close.  You need to keep whisking.  

 

Once the mixture begins to thicken, turn the heat off and transfer immediately to a heat proof container.  I like to use a pyrex cup.  Let sit on the counter until it cools to room temperature.  Then refrigerate immediately.  This will keep in the fridge for up to a week, though we've never had to ask ourselves with this, "Is this curd still good?"  It's always "Who ate all of the lemon curd?!"

 

 

Gimme Steam

 ...and how you feel to make it real

Image by Valve Corporation

One of the most anticipated tech related releases is Valve's Steam Deck .  It is essentially a battery powered small form factor PC with controls, a touch screen, and a combination GPU/CPU that allows you to run a great deal of PC related content.  This is not a Microsoft Windows device; rather, it is powered by Valve's Linux variant called SteamOS that uses a translation layer called Proton to allow compatibility with Windows games.  This is not a new concept; other organizations have developed similar devices for some time.  The Nintendo Switch was a big hit with a similar form factor.  The Steam Deck gives you the form factor of a gaming handheld, the performance of a PC, and yet does it for less than $700.  My personal build was the 64GB model at $400.  I'm extremely satisfied with it.  Pair it up with a mouse, keyboard, and portable display, and you have a mobile workstation.  

In the coming days, I'll show what I've done with it and why I feel that this technology is only the beginning of a very exciting journey.