By Rian

Gray, a writer.

How to Generate Type-Friendly Password

For the life of me, I do not see why this is a thing for Korean websites and apps, but Korean apps often require “virtual keyboard” on a smartphone. Yes, you heard me correctly. On a smartphone’s virtual touchscreen keyboard, they insist to put in a new randomized keyboard for security sake, while banning the…

App to Replace Subscription-Based Photoshop License

Adobe Photoshop is not for all consumers. This might come as a surprise for some, but there are other less known alternatives that provide more economical (i.e. less tools and options) options for average home users. I, for one, don’t do any illustrative works nor photography works; all my astrophotography hobbies often rely on open…

App to Save Variable in iOS Shortcuts

My old iOS shortcuts usually walked the path of tedious madness for the pure purpose of compatibility. I needed a shortcut that would work equally well on all platforms, iOS, iPadOS, macOS, and even on HomePod, and that meant several things: one. I can’t have shortcuts relying on apps that do not exist universally, two.…

USB-C, USB-PD, and Travel Chargers

When Apple introduced all USB-C MacBooks with its infamous Touch Bar keyboard, it was not well received to put it lightly. USB-C chargers, in its infancy, were still one big brick with one port — one 100w brick to charge one device. It is only when USB-C and USB-PD became more prevalent, GaN chargers became…

How to Troubleshoot HomePod not Answering to Some Shortcuts

iOS Shortcuts is one of the main reason why I recommend iOS as a platform. Not only you can pull different apps together to automate ‘smart’ behaviors, it brings GUI accessibility for BASIC-like programming experience to iOS devices. I often find apps without a proper implementation are usually the one with makeshift ideas and scripts,…

Callisto Protocol Spiel

There is some irony in that a remake of original Dead Space and the alleged spiritual successor Callisto Protocol came out in the same year. Unfortunately, neither games have performed well to carry on the torch that is the horror sci-fi. The latest news I could find on either of the IPs were that neither…

New Category, App-to, and SEO

Some of you may have noticed there is a new category called “App-to”. I wanted to use the phrase “there is an app for that”, but that’s trademarked. Instead, I decided to roll with ‘app to [do something]’. I’ve been recommending some apps not for the sake of reviews, but the apps that can do…

App to Add Custom Fonts on iOS

Both macOS and iOS have similar font book system, where the fonts a user installs are all stored and managed from one place. The big asterisk for iOS version of font book is that it lacks the feature to import custom fonts from external sources. The only way to do so on mobile devices is…

ChatGPT, App Spamming, and App Store

iOS App Store has problems. I’m not talking about new EU regulations, or the lawsuits against Epic, or even 30% Apple tax on all apps. I’m talking about ChatGPT. With all the media attention to the new AI tech, both major app stores, Apple’s and Google’s, are plagued with unofficial ChatGPT apps. Have you checked…

No Umbrellas Allowed Spiel

I found out No Umbrellas Allowed after I had short, yet fun, experience with Good Pizza, Great Pizza. I was ready to see more difficult customers in different context, and this being the pawn shop, —or secondhand shop— I was expecting to see some real actions. Not the gun blazing kind, of course. I played…

App to Track Price Changes on Amazon

If you are shopping NAS drives on Amazon, one of the things to look out for is occasional discounts manufacturers or Amazon might have. This is especially handy for anyone who is living abroad with weird customs code. As I happen to be living in South Korea, hard drives that costs (including shipping, local taxes,…

iPad, Stylus, and Keyboard

I had an iPad Pro from 2018. It was a 12.9 inch model running on A12X chip, so supposedly my iPad’s days were numbered. Except I never felt it. Until the day I sold it, I didn’t see an app that took advantage of iPad’s unique hardware; most apps were either upsized iOS apps from…

The Wandering Earth Spiel

The Wandering Earth is a trilogy loosely based on a sci-fi novella by the same name, and this is the first installment of the franchise. I won’t be talking about the novella or the author in depth. But I can add a bit of context for anyone who is wondering what it is in the…

The Entropy Centre Spiel

Portal is a master piece. Allow me to rephrase that: Portal 2 is the master piece. The influential puzzle platformer only became independent from Half-Life since its sequel, and it set some ground rules for FPS puzzle genre in its age. And the rules still stand firm, as many games since have tried to overthrow…