All tech notes
- Written by: Dev Ops
My Google payments for Apps using AdMob are on hold. Thats not good! How do you fix it?
Tax residency
Google recently adjusted the settings for Payments to include tax declarations for Taiwan and Ireland. This is something that only the administrator of the account can change, so you'll need to find the original administrator details for when the account was set up. Once you have those you can sign in to the Google AdMob console and edit your payments information. Its the Tax info settings that you'll need.
You probably did this when you set up your Google Payments profile, and provided a tax form for the United States. This is something i covered in Managing U.S. tax info with Google. You need to go through the same rigmarole for Ireland, and Taiwan.
Read more: Google payments are on hold. Action is required - Taiwan
- Written by: Angus Fox
A security policy for macOS Sonoma
This document is an example security policy for the security of Apple Mac computers running macOS Sonoma in a small business setting.
| Version | Significant changes |
|---|---|
| 1.3 | Updated for macOS Sonoma |
| 1.3.1 | Version for LinkedIn |
TL:DR – I was asked if I had a security policy document for macOS that would work for a small business who don't have a device management platform and I did have one, but it was mostly in my head or implemented on my Macs, so I decided to write it up in detail.
It is an example. You might want to change things. It is for smaller businesses who can't use Apple Business Manager or similar device management technologies.
I thought it might be helpful to someone to post it here.
- Written by: Angus Fox
iOS 17
iOS 17 brings big updates to Phone, Messages and FaceTime that give you new ways to express yourself as you communicate. StandBy delivers a new full-screen experience with glanceable information designed to be viewed from a distance when you turn iPhone on its side while charging. AirDrop makes it easier to share and connect with those around you and adds NameDrop for contact sharing. Enhancements to the keyboard make entering text faster and easier than ever before. iOS 17 also includes updates to Widgets, Safari, Music, AirPlay and more.
TL:DR— Install right away if your device is eligible just to get the updates and Security fixes. Consider selling/trading in iPhones older than the iPhone XS as they won't be upgradable to iOS 17 and their value is diminishing. iOS 17 compatible iPhone devices with a lightniing connector are also on borrowed time, but do not need to be immediately replaced. App developers might find it helpful to keep an iPhone 8 or iPhone X around for testing with iOS 16 while it is still supported.
- Written by: Angus Fox
You can select dashboards and reports and publish them as an app, either to a group or to your whole organization, but how do you package up a Power BI app for a third party, as part of an application lifecycle management (ALM) system for good governance? — Let's find out what best practice looks like in September 2023!
Publishing apps in Power BI
Microsoft say "You can publish apps to people outside your organization, too. They can view and interact with the app content, but can't share it with others. Now you can create template apps and deploy them to any Power BI customer." (See: Ways to collaborate and share in Power BI — Microsoft). That is quite hard to unpick.
- Written by: Angus Fox
Heres a little cookbook of utilities that make working with Android devices easier.
TL:DR – Heres how to enable developer mode on your Android device, how to install ADB, how to use ADB to connect using a USB cable, how to use ADB to connect over your local WiFi network, how to use ADB to Sync content such as music or movies to your android device, how to pull videos our of your phone storage onto your computer, how to take a screenshot and save it on your local computer, how to record a movie of the screen of your android device, and how to open a Unix shell on your Android device from your computer.Â
Read more: Using developer tools to transfer files on Android
- Written by: Angus Fox
Scalable Vector Graphics (SVGs) work better for logos, but are not enabled by default in Joomla 4
Scalable Vector Graphics have been around since before the millennium. SVG is an open standard for vector graphics stored in XML text files. SVGs can however also contain code and other artefacts so theres an abundance of caution in Joomla towards them, and they are not enabled by default. That said, in 2023, they are by far the best graphics format for logos and can be useful elsewhere in your Joomla CMS site. Other graphics formats look jagged in comparison.
This article explains how to get SVG enabled in Joomla, what the issues are, and why its worth the effort
TL:DR: SVG is better in so many ways for crisp text on responsive sites and it is worth doing the work to understand how to use SVG with Joomla safely. Takes about 30 minutes.
- Written by: Angus Fox
Joomla 4 has some intricate feature settings you probably want to adjust early on in your creation of a site in order to maximise your eligibility for search engine rankings without penalties. You can look at third party extensions to help address this, but why not start by optimising the system without third party additions first to see if it is enough for your requirements. Joomla is a mature content management system and there are lots of adjustments you can make before you look for more specialised tools.
These settings and changes are by necessity in different components of Joomla. Although this is confusing and you may well wonder why there is not one single configuration page it is because the changes don't universally apply to a given site, group of related sites or their content and their hosting provider.
TL:DR – Configuring your htaccess, site settings and enabling the SEF plugin all help to make Joomla search engine friendly. Read on to find out how. Easy to do. Takes about 15 minutes.
- Written by: Angus Fox
So the đť•Ź logo above is taken from the X Brand toolkit and it looks ok and is a .png graphic. They also provide a .svg so you can create whatever size you need. But thats extra work managing images and who needs that?
The đť•Ź just above here isn't an image, its just a big single text character. <span style="font-size: 128pt;">đť•Ź</span>. This is much easier to deal with and the differences are imperceptible unless you line them up side by side.
Wait, whats this, the đť•Ź is just a font character!
Instead of using an image you can just use a Unicode symbol which has been around since 2001. Its called the Mathematical Double-Struck Capital X. Not exactly catchy but its helpful nonetheless. Because it has been around so long, it has widespread adoption in typefaces you might use. It also has what is known as an html entity, which makes it easy to type. Try 𝕏 on any web page editor and you'll see.
TL:DR — Mathematical Double-Struck Capital X was added to Unicode 3.1 in March 2001. Any difference from the X Corp design is imperceptible to me and it is trivial to add to any html page using and html entity 𝕏 which renders as đť•Ź. Perfect!
Read more: Quick and easy đť•Ź Logo for Twitter for documents and websites
- Written by: Angus Fox
So now that I've deleted the original X / Twitter handle for this site I needed a way to change all the references to it. Sure I could open each article one by one and search and replace but thats the definition of tedious. There must be a better way. Actually there is. A free extension called DB Replaces. You can use it to update an incorrect phrase in your whole Joomla site.
TL:DR DB Replacer finds and replaces a piece of text (commonly known as a string) on multiple pages on your Joomla site. Perfect and your'e welcome. Thank you Regular Labs for a helpful extension!
- Written by: Angus Fox
Introduction – The X / Twitter landscape has changed
You know when you think a baby has finally exhausted their ability to tantrum by throwing their rattle our of their pram. And at that point they become more even more destructive including of themselves and end up uncontrollably screaming. Well, thats where we are with X, the site formerly known as Twitter and I've had it. I'm out.
There is no tinge of sadness really because the site I've known since 2009 and the development community there that I loved and helped to nurture has been eviscerated. Theres nobody left there of the old place. The new place is a strange new land where I don't want to participate anymore.
So with that, I'm deleting all my X / Twitter accounts except for my original one, which is going to be left to auto tweet this blog and that's it. No more DM's, no more interaction. Just pushing content out for clicks. Their loss.
TL:DR – "I believe X / Twitter is finished. Its MySpace, Bebo, Friends Reunited, Geocities, msn, Aim, and Icq moment has come. I've had it. I'm out."
Read more: How to download tweets & delete your twitter account
- Written by: Angus Fox
Dramatically improve your Joomla site security using SSH keys
Secure shell protocol (SSH) exists to keep your connections secure. SSH can be difficult to grasp as it involves a complex set of security tools which can be a challenge to understand. But don't give up. You are dramatically less likely to be hacked if you use SSH connections with keys properly.
Passwords are bad, keys are good
Passwordless secure connectivity between trusted computer accounts and your Joomla CMS is well worth getting going. If there's no password, theres no opportunity for that password to be brute forced, weak, or blank, and you know that the only computer account that can connect that way is the one with the right key so your security is massively improved from attackers immediately! This article shows you how to do it and explains the parts of the technologies needed and no more.
What you'll find out
- Just enough about SSH to make your command line access secure
- Joomla CMS access via the terminal and why it needs SSH
- Implement SSH keys for your Joomla site to enable command line access without passwords
- Use the Joomla API from the command line to get stuff done
- Recap of the benefits of key based SSH authentication
- Written by: Angus Fox
Chromebooks have evolved. Their initial limitations have been overcome. Some models have emerged as contenders for development machines and theres probably no better place to look than at the Google branded Chromebooks.
Once relegated to lightweight note-taking, these devices now have prowess, thanks to Google Play compatibility and the ability to run Android apps. The discerning developer audience, particularly those creating and testing Android apps, find a sweet spot here. This where Chromebooks flourish, enabling app development without the sluggishness of emulators—offering the real deal with an authentic Android experience. But beware, not all Chromebooks have this capacity. Crucially Chromebooks must support of Google Play apps and Linux, a feature not universally available on all models.
Read more: The Google Pixelbook chromebook choices conundrum for developers
- Written by: Angus Fox
Kali Linux – The most advanced penetration distribution. Ever. On Windows 11, via Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL)
WSL enables you to run Linux on your Windows computer in a container. Kali provide this configuration via the Microsoft Store and its an easy way to get started if you already have Windows 11 and permission to install WSL and Kali Linux in your environment.
TL:DR – On Windows 11 with WSL 2.0 it "just works".
- Written by: Angus Fox
Wait for a deal - 36% off, as low as ÂŁ159 and just a little more to remove ads.
The fire max is amazing value when its on offer from Amazon.The new Amazon Fire Max 11 (launched in May 2023) is a formidable contender for the best budget tablet available. It represents the 13th generation of innovation from Amazon with Fire OS which underneath the Amazon launcher is based on Android 11 with API level 30. Fire Max 11 promises to redefine your digital media consumption experience and it delivers. You can also turn it into a pro level editing and communication tablet if you want to add android apps to make it better at everything but there's a catch, and that is that you must take some time to learn just enough about Android tools, side loading and the free and open source app stores and their apps to make it into your perfect tablet. This is not difficult, does not require any firmware hacks or rooting the device and it is well worth the effort.
I bought an Amazon Fire Max 11 tablet, vivid 11in display, octa-core processor, 4 GB RAM, 14-hr battery life, 128 GB, Grey, without Ads on Prime day (for £189.99 - it went back to regular pricing of £299 after so wait for an offer to come along. On 25th August it was on offer at £209.99 and the deal was back as of 10th October 2023, you can expect it to return for Amazon sales events. I have been using it for a few months now, so this article is based on my real world lived experience of this device not just a freebie reviewers passing inspection. I'm using it more than my iPad Pro 11 (4th Gen) which is around 5-6 times the price. I didn't buy the Amazon case, keyboard or stylus instead i opted for an Amazon Basics 1TB microSD card (£100 from Amazon, £62 from CeX), a Black, soft back, anti-vibration and anti-slip case (£12) and a Matte anti glare screen protector (£7.95 for two). The total cost of the tablet and all these accessories was £271.91. At under £20 to protect your tablet from scratches, I'll never understand why people don't bother with cases and screen protectors!
Anyway, lets transform this tablet from Amazon consumption only to wow it can do everything I need. Read on.
Contents
- What is the Amazon Fire Max 11?
- Downloaded music and movies
- Making the tablet perfect
- Critical and useful apps including free and open source apps from f-droid
- For me its for consumption not creation
- Downsides
- Technical Specification
- See Also
TL:DR — It's a keeper.
- Written by: Angus Fox
mdls – lists the metadata attributes for the specified file
This command has been around for twenty years and Im slightly surprised I haven't come across it before. Every day is a learning point.
Using mdls to find lat long data in an image file
- Metadata List –
% mdls filenameand look at the man pages% man mdlsto find out more.
Seems like it would be very handy in a script. I cant find any more information about it or its origins. Drop me a note if you know more about where this command originated.
Leakage of your personal information via metadata
The trouble with images, is that they can contain a lot of personally identifiable data. You shoud be very careful indeed about where you share images without sanitising or removing the metatada.
Image file can contain the precise location of the picture, and the name and even the email address of the recipient, as well as the date and time and direction that the picture was taken in. These are potentially very personal items of data that you might not wish to share. Most social media photo uploads strip meta data but you cannot be absolutely sure and should be very careful about exposing this data randomly on the Internet!
Read more: Worried about metadata leakage - macOS has a command for that! - mdls
- Written by: Angus Fox
You don't have to switch to macOS just to enjoy the quality feel, precision and capabilities of the Apple magic mouse, especially the current rechargeable version. I have a dedicated Windows 11 computer for a client and, I like my accessories to be the same so I set about making the Apple Magic mouse work. In this guide, I will walk you through the process of setting up and using the Magic Mouse fully on your Windows 11 PC. So, buy yourself an Apple Magic mouse 2 in Black or an Apple Magic Mouse 2 in White from Amazon UK, and let's dive in!
Read more: Set up Apple Magic Mouse on Windows 11 with working scrolling
- Written by: Angus Fox
Use GitHub to build and deploy your Power Platform app into production
This article is Publishing Power Apps to clients production environments securely using GitHub with Power Platform (part 3) (2) . You'll need to have completed part 1, part 2Â and part 3 before continuing. This article deals with the GitHub workflow required to deploy a Power Platform app into a production environment via GitHub thus providing a recognisable governance and software assurance methodology for your Power Platform apps.
- Written by: Angus Fox
Automate the publication of your Power Platform solution via GitHub
This article is Publish Power Apps securely via GitHub part 3. You'll need to have completed Publish Power Apps securely via GitHub (part 1) and Publish Power Apps securely via GitHub (part 2) and before continuing. This article deals with the GitHub setup and workflow required to deploy a Power Platform app via GitHub thus providing a recognisable governance and software assurance methodology for your Power Platform apps.
- Written by: Angus Fox
Building a model-driven Power App to deploy using GitHub Actions for Power Platform
This is part 2 of Publish Power Apps securely via GitHub. You'll need to have completed Publish Power Apps securely via GitHub (part 1) before continuing.
What follows is the second part of a step by step implementation of strategy for publishing Power Apps via GitHub a simple Power App, This requires the creation of a simple Power App to deploy via GitHub.
- Written by: Angus Fox
Settings in Azure Active directory (AAD) and Power Platform Admin Centre for GitHub
This article is Publish Power Apps securely via GitHub (part 1). You'll need to have completed it before setting up your Power App and GitHub repositories. This article deals with the rather tortuous path of settings in what used to be called Azure Active directory and Power Platform Admin Centre.
Why have Power Apps been extended to support GitHub? (a theory)
When it comes to publishing Power Apps for client environments things can get tricky quickly. To a devops oriented person, the idea of modifying unmanaged code in production and risking duplication of effort, mistakes and losing track of those modifications should be abhorrent. Although it might have seemed justifiable under pressure and while cutting teeth on one or two apps, it would quickly get out of hand and start a journey along a path to madness! Nevertheless anecdotally it seems that many enterprise Power Apps deployment environments are based on exactly these kinds of shaky foundations. What should be done about it?
Fortunately, Microsoft have started to think about Application Lifecycle Management (ALM) for Power Apps. Although I have no knowledge of the inner working of the company, it is as if a grown up Microsoft Corporate Vice President (CVP) has got the Microsoft Power Platform division executives in a room together and explained to them gently, so as not to dent their enthusiasm, that their dream of allowing apps to just sprout out of the minds of digital citizen makers and into production, ends up suffering from a lack of governance, which itself could easily result in criticism of the Power App due to weaknesses, bad design, or lack of scale. The Microsoft CVP might go on to explain with evidence and anecdotes dating back decades, that without successful reference deployments of brilliant apps, Power Platform and Power Apps won't achieve widespread adoption and thus are likely ultimately to fail or get bogged down in an organisation perhaps even tarnishing the overall Microsoft Power Platform brand.
And after a pause, the CVP might have gently reminded the audience that Microsoft bought GitHub for a reason, and that the Power Apps team ought to integrate with deeply so as to connect apps built by digital citizens from the maker community with the professional in-house IT Departments and their developers and partners worldwide so that they can be properly managed, audited, and subject to rigour about releases to the point at which they are happy to help with the management of Power Platform and of bringing Power Apps to the mainstream.
So how nice it is then to find that my mythical CVP doesn't have to bang heads together because you can now use GitHub for Application Lifecycle Management (ALM) with Power Apps and though it is late to the party and quickly evolving this is very welcome and necessary to drive successful adoption.
What follows is the first part of a step by step implementation of strategy for publishing Power Apps via GitHub a simple Power App, This requires the creation of several Microsoft Dataverse environments in Power Apps Admin and the creation of a service principal with appropriate permissions in Azure Active Directory (AAD). This will allow for the creation of much better quality assured Power Apps because the deployment process will be managed automatically, securely, and with less room for human error.
- Written by: Angus Fox
Updating Joomla 4
Joomla 4.3.3 is now the latest release of the popular open-source content management system (CMS) that powers millions of websites around the world. With its advanced features and enhanced security, it is important to keep Joomla up-to-date to ensure the best user experience and prevent potential security vulnerabilities.
Here is a comprehensive guide on updating Joomla 4 to the latest version, covering everything from preparing for the update, methods of updating, common issues and troubleshooting, and verifying the update was successful.
TL:DR Joomla updates can get messy. To avoid problems you should back up your website to ensure that you can restore it in case of an issue. Then before you update you should check that your web service providers system meets the system requirements for the update, and that all extensions and templates you use are updated to the latest version, as older versions of these may not be compatible with the latest Joomla release. Once you have done that a Joomla update should be a painless experience!
- Written by: Angus Fox
macOS Ventura 13.2
I posted on twitter "What could possibly go wrong?" And for my Mac computers with Apple silicon nothing went wrong, and a fellow mac user (@scarychildren on twitter) chided me a little saying "Literally never had an issue with a macOS update in over 20 years". But my new (to me) i7 based Mac Mini 8,1 - the last Intel Mac Mini - which is supported by macOS Ventura the update needed me to get into the depths of macOS like it was 2009.
TL:DR macOS updates are usually fine these days but they can get messy and if they do theres a set of steps you can take to cleanly install.
Read more: Difficult Intel based Mac Ventura update needed EFI firmware update
- Written by: Angus Fox
What is Quick Look?
I expect most Mac users rely on Quick Look even though they may not know much about it. Quick Look is a technology that lets you view the contents of most documents in the finder on a Mac by pressing the spacebar. Once understood it becomes indispensable. So much so that in recent work where I need to use Windows 11 I find myself unable to be as productive when doing the exact same task just because this feature isn't part of Windows. So lets look at how to make that better.
TL:DR There is a somewhat clunky preview pane in Windows Explorer. But there is an app which provides equivalent or even better functionality, and it is free too!
Read more: Is there an equivalent to Quick Look for macOS on Windows?
- Written by: Angus Fox
Multiple projects, one set of consistent tools, one roadmap?
A client wants to consider standardising on Jira and Confluence across their entire portfolio so I thought I'd implement these tools from Atlassian for all my projects first as a proving exercise. Previously I've used Assembla (really great tools but clunky and unloved) and GitHub (really great tools and community but questions over ownership intentions amplified by copilot) so I'm no stranger to these kinds of tools. I thought my write up might be interesting even though Atlassian was crowned "a very boring software company" in The New York Times for its focus on development and management software.
Atlassian has around 7,000 employees, almost a quarter of a million customers and around 10 million monthly active users. It is famous for Jira and Confluence and acquired Trello, Bitbucket and a host of other organisations. So its a pretty safe bet. Jira has a generous free tier too, which is welcome.
TL:DR If you like ticket tools, feature prioritisation, software product roadmaps, software assurance and devops tools you might find this interesting.