Quick Tips Tutorials

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    JavaScript Detect Async Function

    JavaScript async/await has changed the landscape of how we code. We're no longer stuck in callback or then hell, and our code can feel more "top down" again.Async functions require the following syntax:To use await with a function, the function needs to be declared with...

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    Remove Recent Applications from Dock

    A Mac user's dock is a sacred place. We customize our dock to no end, and if you're ultra organized like me, you even use dock separators to group your app icons.Apple recently implemented a feature which displays three recently used apps in the...

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    Open FaceTime Call from Command Line

    Communication tools are always associated with UIs, and for good reason -- if you want communication to be easy and intuitive, you need easy and intuitive interfaces. We need communication tools to provide the lowest barrier of entry, since not all users will be tech...

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    How to Reverse a Video

    One of my favorite media utilities is ffmpeg. This command line utility allows us to do some pretty amazing stuff like;Slice videosConvert video formatsModify video speedCombine audio and videoEvery once in a while I see a meme or funny video that...

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    Get File MIME Type from Command Line

    I've gotten skilled at shell scripting over the years. I love a good GUI but knowing how to automate makes you a much more powerful engineer. Much of my scripting requires recursing over directories and processing a file if it meets a given criteria, which...

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    List USB Devices from Command Line

    I was recently creating a Recalbox with my 5 year old son and it was an awesome experience; I saw the excitement and curiosity in his eyes while helping him put together a video game machine. We added NES, SNES, and Nintendo 64 games to...

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    CSS :placeholder-shown

    One of the first plugins that would hit a new framework in the early days of JavaScript frameworks was a placeholder plugin, which is why we were so excited when HTML5 brought us the placeholder attribute. Then CSS lovers like me were thrilled when the

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    Set Desktop Wallpaper from Command Line on Mac

    Whenever I need to accomplish a basic task that typically calls for interacting with a UI, I challenge myself to complete the task from command line. After all, most UIs are simply a mask over basic commands, especially when it comes to the operating system.

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    Mac Dark Mode from Command Line

    One of the best professional decisions I ever made was switching to a dark text editor theme. I suffered from horrible headaches for years, partially caused by late night coding sessions with blindingly bright computer screens. Recently Apple implemented a dark OS theme which helps...

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    React indeterminate

    I've fallen in love with React.js and JSX over the years; state-based rendering and a logical workflow have made me see the light of this modern framework. That doesn't mean I don't sometimes get a bit frustrated that the "simple" things seem harder than they should...