• Tech

    No sound from Macbook Pro built-in speakers except for Siri

    November 14, 2020 /

    and… How to unstick software audio using Audio MIDI Setup

    This has been a recurring problem with Macbook and Macbook Pros ever since Apple added the digital audio output to these portable Macs. The D/A converter is software controlled and occasionally will not bring audio back to the built-in speakers after a) headphones are unplugged from the computer, or b) an app takes over audio output and does not relinquish control after quitting.

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  • Confusion

    If you got a SPAM text from me, it wasn’t me.

    November 13, 2020 /

    If you’ve received a SPAM text message from me today, it wasn’t me. Somebody is spoofing my e-mail address and has found a security hole in a device in Italy. That Italian device is sending out messages via a SMTP server in Singapore to the text messaging servers at AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon in the United States.

    Currently 50% of those messages are failing and are being bounced back to me instead of the machine in Italy! This is because the SMTP server in Singapore does not know that mail for celiamania.com should not originate from fastwebnet.it.

    I’ve sent a quick e-mail to the admins at fastwebnet.it, but I don’t know if they have the ability to block the offending machine without taking down a whole bunch of other customers.

    In the meantime, just ignore the SPAM message. Thanks.

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  • Tech

    How to replace PHP on OS X Server 5.x with PHP via Homebrew

    November 2, 2020 /

    The version of  PHP on OS X Server 5.x is v.5.3.x. As of this writing, the current distro of PHP on Homebrew is v.7.4.12. You will lose the ability to control PHP loading from the GUI.

    To prep, you should have prepared a phpinfo.php file on your website in an orphan directory so you can check all the modules that load with PHP. It is simply a text file with the name phpinfo.php and the content is:

    phpinfo();

    Don’t worry if PHP is currently running.

    Install PHP via Homebrew:

    brew install php
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  • Automotive

    2019~ Porsche Cayenne Turbo Oil Change

    September 28, 2020 /

    This tutorial applies to Porsche Cayenne Turbo models 9Y0/9YA/9YB/9Y3.

    What’s so special about the Turbo?

    • There are two extra steps to the process compared to the base model Cayenne.
    • Takes an extra quart of oil compared to base model.
    • The oil drain plug is under the first under carriage plate.
    • The oil filter housing is under the front torsion bar.
    • The drain plug and filters have been standardized with the Panamera.

    Time and Difficulty

    Easy but dirty

    • Beginner: About 8 hrs
    • DIY-er: About 4 hrs
    • Pro: About 1.5 hours
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