Blog
How to change the Java version on the Mac terminal
So I've been learning Java and needed to change the version from 19 to 17. Well it's super easy. First open up your terminal and type in /usr/libexec/java_home -V and you should see the Java versions installed on your machine....
2023 is the year that I learn Java
Every year I focus on a programming language/framework that I don't usually work with. The reason why I do this is because I learn new things and different ways of doing things. I also love learning. So, there's that. I...
I Got A Steam Deck
If you haven't heard of the Steam Deck. It's basically a gaming PC that runs Linux and the SteamOS. Steam is a PC gaming store that I've used for over 11 years. You can check out my gamer tag if...
WSL2 Ruby Interpreter path for Rubymine if You’re Using RVM
If you want to include the Ruby Interpreter path in Rubymine on Windows 11 and you're using WSL2 and RVM to manage Ruby versions you might search for $ which ruby You will get the path (linux_user_name == Your Linux...
Why I Deleted Google Analytics From This Blog
Back in 2007... Just kidding. I won't bore you with 2 paragraphs of non-sense for SEO. The truth is I don't care how many people visit this website. I have iterated this website since 2007 and I'm super happy with...
I Am No Longer Accepting Side Work
Update 2022 It's 2022 and you know what that means? Yes, Bryan is focusing on a new framework (a couple of frameworks to be exact). My first love which is Ruby on Rails and my close second Asp.net Core. Both...
Why I Moved To Las Vegas From California
I get asked why Las Vegas? When most non-Vegas locals think about Las Vegas they think about the strip and automatically think all of Las Vegas is like that, but in truth it's not. We first learned about this years...
2020 Sucked
2020 was a rough year. It’s not like 2021 is some magical wand to fix everything but 2021 is a milestone, because in a sense whoever is left behind made it. For those that made it to a new year...
I Lost My Job 2 Days Before Thanksgiving
Yes you heard it right. I lost my job 2 days before Thanksgiving. The company shut down and told me yesterday was my last day. No warning. They just closed their doors. I'm at a loss of words for how...
Long Time No Write
It's been a long time since I posted, but a ton has been going on. First we finally got a house. The first one fell through for reasons I won't explain here but after that 2 month delay that cost...
My IOS 14 Wishlist
WWDC 2020 starts June 22nd. And you know what that means! IOS 14, iPadOs 14, WatchOS 14, MacOs whatever they're going to call it. Instead of doing a drawn out article on what I'd like to see I've decided to...
Getting Out of My Self Isolation Funk
I've been laid off since March 22nd. In order to keep myself busy I've learned Python, Django, did a few Rails projects, and some Laravel stuff, while getting a developer environment setup on my iPad . I've accomplished a ton and...
How to fix 502 Bad Gateway with Laravel Valet
Laravel Valet is awesome. Once installed you can navigation to an application folder and access it with .test in the browser. Unfortunately, it only works on the Mac for the moment. It's an easy way to quickly start up a...
Back To The Real World
It’s been a very interesting month. I was laid off and the family moved to Oregon with my in-laws during the Clovid-19 pandemic. Luckily my wife still had her job during all of this. Instead of playing video games or...
Fix gem install msyql2 error on Mac
So I ran into an error while trying to install the mysql2 gem. It was giving me a "ld: library not found for -lssl" error. To fix this I had to add the following to my paths so that MacOS...
My 2 Weeks With Python And Django
Well it's been 2 weeks since I've been learning Django. I've built 2 Django projects and a ton of Python projects so far. The one thing I love about Django is the admin interface and Python. Me and Python just...
How to Fix Visual Studio Code’s Run Python in File Directory for Opening Files
So I was going through Lynda's Python Essentials training and ran into a snag. While manipulating files I noticed I kept getting an error FileNotFoundError: [Errno 2] No such file or directory: 'lines.txt' I was like no way. I know...
Learning Python On My iPad
Well I am officially laid off. Since we are at the peak of the Corona virus epidemic I’ve decided to wait a couple of more weeks until I start looking for another job. To keep my mind off the situation...
Getting Started With Django
My new framework for today was Django which is a Python based web framework. I haven't written any Python for at least 3-4 years and decided to give Django a try again. What turned me off of Django was using...
Fix Missing Activity Monitor Columns in MacOs
Well my Activity Monitor columns disappeared. The fix for this is super simple. In Finder hit Go and select "Go To Folder" And Paste ~/Library/Preferences/com.apple.ActivityMonitor.plist Delete the com.apple.ActivityMonitor.plist file and then restart Activity Monitor and you're done.
A New Framework A Day
Things tend to never go as planned. This year was my Asp.net year. But since the Corona Virus hit and I'm on work furlough I'm doing a framework a day tutorial to keep things fun. The thing is it's really...
I’m 40!
Well I have reached the big 4-0. About a week ago my wife and I decided to go to Oregon to be with my in-laws to wait out the Corona Virus. My in-laws are devout Mormons and within the Mormon...
Use Laravel Valet For Local WordPress Development on MacOS
If you're looking for a dead simple local development environment that works I highly recommend using Laravel Valet (if you're using a Mac). My workflow consisted of using Mamp for Wordpress while using Vagrant for everything else. Larvel 7 just...
Moving to Github
I've been using Bitbucket since day 1 of using Git because they supplied unlimited private repos for free. While I've had zero issues with Bitbucket I have over 100 repos in there from tutorials to old code that I don't...
Fix ssh agent not working after macOS Catalina Reboot
This is going to be a short post incase I need to configure the ssh agent to work after rebooting my Mac. I use two git accounts. One for work and a personal one. In order to make sure I'm...
Working with Asp.net and Asp.net Core Again
I’ve decide this year I’m getting back into Asp.net Development. Every year I focus on one technology (web stack) to focus on to improve my skills. I chose Asp.net primarily because of Blazor which is basically using C# instead of...
Hello 2020
Well it's official. I have been a web developer for 16 years. I started with HTML and CSS like everyone else and moved into PHP, .Net and Rails. The last year I've focused primarily on Wordpress development. I've worked in...
Goodbye 2019
Goodbye Social I’m not going to apologize for not posting in almost 6 months like I usually do. I’ve taken one of my largest social network sabbaticals ever. I’ve been off Facebook and Instagram for years which isn’t new. The...
878 Lines of Code in one method Month
I'm working on my career nightmare application. It's MVC but all the routes are in the controllers and the controllers has logic that calls on other routes or partials with zero comments to help guide you. It's running PHP 5.3.something....
WWDC 2019 Is Almost Here!
I'm a huge Apple fan. You can call me an Apple Sheep if you want. Every year Apple holds WWDC (World Wide Developers Conference) where they show us what we'll expect from the next version of their OS's (iPhone, iPad,...
Apple AirPods Review
I'm no stranger to wireless headphones. In fact I owned 2 pairs of bluetooth headphones before I decided to get the Apple AirPods. It's been 5 months since I bought my AirPods and thought it was time to give my...
Still A Work In Progress
Don't you just hate it when life gets in the way? Well for me it did. bryansiegel.com is still a work in progress. I planned on having everything done by now, but it's not. I'll be working on it as...
Scaling Back
Life feels as though it's moving faster. In our new always-connected world we have the worlds content literally in the palm of our hands. For the last several months my offline conversations generally consist of things are moving into a...
Speed Up WordPress in 2019
I'm working on a project that involves speeding up a Wordpress site. When I build a custom template I build the Wordpress website for speed from the get go. Go ahead test this very blog. Right now here is my...
My Stack Fatigue Problem
I have an issue with learning stacks, frameworks and languages because of what the job market looks like. I've had this issue for years. There's not a ton of high paying development jobs where I live. When I started to...
Fixing My Digital Life
My digital life was a mess. There's literally no excuse for my digital life being such as mess.From my too-lazy-to-post blog to my empty-bitbucket-public-repo-fear; I'm a Web Developer for Jedi's sake. I should have a dope online portfolio of dope...
Living in Appleland in 2018
This is going to be a very short post. This is a littl mini update on a series of articles (more…)
Two Years With The Apple Watch
I wanted to write this post for a long time but never got to it until now. The Apple Watch is a very special gadget for me. I’ve heard tech pundits try to categorize the Apple Watch from day one....
Switching to Apple Music
Even though I’ve been an all Apple guy for awhile I primarily used Google Play Music as my streaming service of choice. The main reason was because I got ad free YouTube plus a music streaming service. It was a...
My Nintendo Switch Review
I've had my Nintendo Switch for about six months now. By now you've read professional reviews. Or have seen a Youtube video or two. You may or not be on the fence about buying one. This is my take. If...
Work, Life and Priorities
So I haven't blogged in awhile. I used to feel guilty for not posting but honestly I don't. I have 3 kids. 2 are in sports and one is old enough to drive. I can honestly say that right now is...
I Made A Huge Mistake
So after all of my soap boxing about Apple I got another Android Phone. I didn't get any Android Phone. I got a skinned Android Phone that beat out the iPhone in sales this quarter. Even though I said I would...
Removing Google From My Life Part 3
It's been 9 months since I wrote my original removing Google from my life article. So where am I now? I'm still using Google as my main search engine, I'm still using Gmail, and last but not least I have...
Apple’s Next Big Thing
If this is your first time here check out my post for living in Appleland. It highlights my personal decisions for choosing Apple products for my personal life. But what about Apple in the Enterprise? Or Apple in the small...
Will Google’s Shiny New Things Last
The first day of Google I/O 2016 happened. They announced Google Daydream, two new chat apps Allo and Duo, Android Wear 2.0 and Google home. Oh yeah don't forget Android N. I'm not going to get into what these are...
Youtube Tech Reviewers Don’t Get the Macbook 2016 Retina
I'm extremely interested in the new Macbook. While my 2010 Macbook pro 17 inch is still going strong with 4-5 hours of battery life I'm considering a new Macbook. Basically I want an iPad that I can code on. I...
My Wishlist For WWDC 2016
WWDC is Apple's developer conference. They tend to release new hardware along with a new operating system version for IOS, OSX (or MacOs if you believe the rumors), TVOs and WatchOs. WWDC is my super bowl. I get all hyped...
My Dream of Having An Apple TV Cable Box
The FCC proposed a few weeks ago that cable providers open up set top boxes with third parties. Now Obama is getting in on the bandwagon. What this basically means is that you can watch Cable TV on whatever device supports...
Removing Google From My Life Part 2
Last November I decided to remove Google from my life. It's been 5 months since I wrote that post. Where am I now? Well... Things aren't going as planned. It took me 5 months to clean up my photo library. I...
Why I Will Never Buy Another Windows Computer
It's been awhile since I've posted anything. Work and the holidays got in the way. Speaking of the holidays, I sold my Surface Pro 3. I loved that computer but the problem with it was it ran Windows. Don't get...
My First Week With Duck Duck Go
In a previous post I had mentioned that I'm beginning to remove Google from life. The first step of that plan was to change my search engine. I've always used Google as my primary search engine because it just worked and...
Removing Google From My Life
So by the title of this post you must be wondering what Google has done to me. The answer is nothing bad. They've removed services I've used such as Google Reader, which is not really a big deal. So why...
Windows Phone 10 Rant
Let me get this out of the way. My Giving up on Windows post was pre mature and more of a rant than a fact. There's no way that I would really give up on Windows but at the time...
Wow what a journey
I'm sitting here in my back yard looking back at past posts about tech and can't help but wonder how far tech and even my life has come. This blog has been apart of that. I've never been a chronic...
Giving Up on Windows
I loved my Surface Pro 3. I like Windows 10 but developers have moved on. The Windows store is sad. It's the same apps and games that the Windows 8.1 store had. I've been apart of the Insiders Preview of...
Still Around And Kickin’
[video width="1280" height="720" mp4="https://bryansiegel.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/VID_-1259651756.mp4"][/video] So it's been awhile internet. Ahhh yeah. So I got a new job. I'm rockin a new Nexus 6 and Moto 360 and I haven't written on this blog in awhile. I'm still developing my skills...
My Surface Pro 3 Review
I have owned the Surface Pro 3 for 2 months. It's my tablet, laptop and desktop machine. I've used it as my "everything" device. Before I get into my review keep in mind I'm a heavy user. I need a...
My Surface Pro 3 Initial Impressions
Yes I bought a Surface Pro 3. Even though I stated that I'm going all Apple. The main reason that I bought this machine is because of laziness. I can't tell you how many times that I've sat there with...
2014 Kicked Ass
I've accomplished allot in 2014. New home, new car, new platform, more sports (for the kids), more frameworks and a new outlook on life. I've cross the t's and dotted all the i's with the tech that I wanted and career...
Living in Appleland
A few months ago I was torn between the new Nexii and Appleland. On paper it appeared that Google won. Then the reviews came out and I chose Apple. In order to fully understand my choice let me get a...
It’s been awhile
Since 2007 2014 was the only year that I consistently posted monthly on this blog until November. October and November was particularly busy for me because all three of my kids were in soccer. I didn't feel the urge to...
Nexi vs. Appleland
Fucking tech. I have a shiny new thing syndrome. Yes my dear readers I'm addicted to gadgets. Now that you've heard my confession I have another confession. The Nexi just one upped the Appleverse. Nexus 6 Big 5.9 something Quad...
Switching Back To Appleland
For months I've been in the Microsoft camp. I've written a few posts about not only using Windows Phone but by initial reactions along with using the OS as my daily driver. Let me get one thing out of the way. I...
Saving Windows Phone
It's no secret that I've been loving Windows Phone and using it as my daily driver. The OS just feels right to me. The apps that I use work better on Windows Phone than Android and IOS. While there are a...
Microsoft the 90% Company
I've been on a Microsoft kick lately. Since Ballmer left (my perception) of the company has changed. Microsoft seemed to be "dead man walking". Holding onto their enterprise/business customers for growth while they lost out on the consumer. Since Nadella took...
One Windows
Let me tell you a secret. I love Windows. I love Windows 8.1. I love Windows phone 8.1. I love Windows 8.1 tablet. But I hate the Windows ecosystem. So Microsoft decided to open a store. They didn't open a...
Using Windows Phone 8.1 as a daily driver
In my previous post the one glaring issue that I had regarding Facebook uploads has been resolved. Since that review minus a few weeks I have been using Windows Phone as my daily driver on my Lumnia 925 and have...
My LG G3 Review Update
This is a quick post updating my LG G3. My previous post was more informative than personal IMHO and I felt as though it was time to update my review. I'm not using the LG G3. If it wasn't for...
My Lg G3 Review
I've had the Lg G3 since it's launch on T-mobile. Thanks to T-Mobile's jump program I can upgrade my device every 6 months for the cost of tax (in my case 40 bucks). I've been waiting for another Android Flagship...
Catching Up
June was a rough month for me both professionally and personally. I moved and I had allot going on at work. Work pretty much tired me out. But things have sorta calmed down and I'm sorta back but not in...
Google TV Is a Piece Of Shit
The picture says it all. I will never ever buy another fucking Google TV or Android TV. I'm on the brink of never buying another Android device. Google's mission isn't to give us great devices it's to spread their damn...
WWDC 2014 Guess Who’s Back?
Apple. Not that they left or sales where hurting but back at being the Apple that I haven't seen in a long time. When IOS 7 came out I hated it. When T-Mobile got the iPhone I got it 2...
Just Works Is Boring
I switch my OS's as often as I change clothes. I love technology. I really love shiny new gadgets. I'm also back on the Mac. While I love Windows 8.1 and had a great machine to run it on there are too...
What In The Hell Is My Job Title?
I'm unique. No I'm not full of myself (or am I jk). This question has plagued me for my whole career. What is my job title? I don't focus on one discipline or technology. Nor do I try to preach...
Why Should I Go With Microsoft Services?
This is the question that I keep asking myself. I've had gmail since day one. I use hangouts, keep, books, android, chrome, calender, google+ (if Google makes it I use it). You might be asking why do I want to...
The Surface Pro 3 Was Announced
I'll admit that I've been on a Microsoft kick lately. From Windows Phone 8.1 to the new Microsoft. It's an exciting time because it feels as though Microsoft got it's groove back. Here is the Surface Pro 3.
I’m A Web Developer Hear Me Roar
I'm laying in bed sick from an attack of bad Chinese food. My mind half fuzzy from the combination of medicine to prevent my stomach from going full alien on me. Instead of playing a game or reading a book...
4 Days With Windows Phone 8.1
This isn't my first time with Windows Phone. I lasted less than 24 hours with the HTC HD2. Secretly, I've been waiting for Windows Phone because I feel (still feel) as though it's the Mobile OS that is right for...
The Turning Point of Microsoft
I love technology. I don't pick sides because of "what's in" or the latest trend. I tend to stick with what works for me. Being a fan of Microsoft products is not the hip thing to do. From the anti...
I’m Sick of Tech Reviewers Narrow Minded Shitty Self Serving Reviews, Posts and Stupid Comments About Tech Gear
Major rant in 3,2,1 When the original iPhone came out tech sites were little man in the online space. I remember monthly leaks and general excitement around tech. But for the last few years it turned into a commercial can't...
My Lenovo Yoga 2 Pro Review
I've had my Yoga 2 Pro now for about a couple of weeks now and decided to put up a review. Before I got this thing I read a bazillion articles and watched hours of Youtube videos. So I was...
Super Busy
I doubt that I will write allot this month. I've got a couple of side projects that are taking allot of my time while tackling .Net again. My wife is working again and we're getting ready for another move in...
Loving Windows 8.1
I was wrong. I had a general saying about windows and that was every other version was good. While I had played extensively with Windows 8 when it RTM'd I wasn't impressed and I joined the general bashing campaign of...
Ubuntu’s Priorities Are Messed Up
Try searching for a 14 inch ultrabook for Ubuntu. Yeah good luck. There's Dell and System76. I'm sorry but the System76 machines look like shit. The Dell would seem to be a good choice but the thing is it's the...
Screw The Cloud For Development
This post comes out of utter frustration. I feel as though I've wasted 2 weeks with the different platforms out there to only settle on the wrong one. I should have known the cloud is going to fuck me. It...
I Want A Midrange Pixel Chromebook
Google... Are you paying attention? Hello. Anyway. I was all gunho on purchasing the Samsung Chromebook 2 until some benchmarks came out that said the new Exynos chip is slightly faster that the first gen that they put in the...
Unplugged Almost A Year Later
I wrote a couple of articles almost a year ago addressing a problem that I was having. My loss of focus. I was having problems focusing on complex problems in code and noticed that little things such as the TV...
Tech Debt & The Cloud
I'm at war with myself. I'm not a fan of Mac OSX, I threw in the towel on Linux (primarily Ubuntu and Mint)(and yes I know that Chrome OS runs on Linux) and Windows is a nightmare because of the...
PHP Town Hall Episode 19
I'm a podcast addict. My favorite podcast is still PHP Town Hall. Episode 19 is great because one of my favorite dev's Jeffrey Way currently of Laracasts made a guest appearance on the show and blew it out of the...
Updated: The Samsung Chromebook 2 was Announced
Update: It looks like I'm going to wait for the reviews to come out before I buy this laptop. Some initial benchmarks were released and it appears the Exynos chip is not close to the new haswell chips some of...
Chrome OS is Almost There
I've given up on Ubuntu (Linux). Windows 8 is a no go and I can't stand Mac OSX. While I've written about how my trucks are turning into hybrids but maybe I don't need a truck anymore. Chrome OS has...
My Galaxy Gear and Note 3
I knew the Gear 2 was coming, but through some friend trades I was able to get ahold of a galaxy gear (first gen). Now you might say well why didn't you just wait for the Gear 2 stupid? Truth...
Update: Come on Samsung Hurry Up With the Galaxy Gear 2
Update: So it looks like Samsung has knocked it out of the park. They have released not one but 3 new gear devices while dropping the Galaxy name. The Gear 2, Gear Neo and the Gear fit. The Gear 2...
I Feel Better About Using PHP Frameworks
Fast Forward To about 31:00 Rasmus Lerdorf creator of PHP goes into why PHP Frameworks suck. Why This Is Important For Me For some insane reason I've felt guilty for using PHP frameworks, but almost 90% of the time they...
Hello Satya Nadella Please Make Microsoft Better
Microsoft gets a bad wrap. Rightfully so, anyone remember Vista? But when they get it right man do they get it right. Windows 7 for instance was so good it blurred the lines (at least for me) of what the...
My New Love The Note 3
I got the Note 3 in December. This is by far the best phone I've ever used. From the big screen, camera and IR blaster (yes IR blaster), this phone kicks ass. I won a Nexus 5 last month too...
Revisiting .Net
My entry into programming was .Net. Particularly C# and .Net. Weforms was a great way to program. Then came SEO. Weforms and SEO weren't a good mix. So I moved on to PHP. After years of PHP, Ruby on Rails...
The Nansy Pamsy Unicorn & Rainbow Community Phenomena
This blog is for me. It's something else to do. It's not really a hobby, sometimes I feel the urge to write about shit that I like. I'm more active on social networks such as Google+ but I keep this...
Getting Your Feet Wet with Web Development
Over the last few months I've been asked on where to start with web development and what tools do you need. So here's a post that addresses the general landscape and some tools to get you started. The Landscape There...
Winding Down 2013
In January I got a fantastic job. My boys played multiple sports and my daughter did her first solo with competition dance. I gained my first gray hair a Nexus 7 2013, a Nexus 4 a few Macbooks and X1...
The PHP Town Hall Podcast Is The Shit
My new favorite podcast is PHP Town Hall. The last one I started listening to didn't work out so well. There's a few other podcasts about PHP out there but these guys kick ass. It a podcast about more than...
The SEO Post That Took Years To Post
I've been doing SEO professionally for 11 years. I never write about it. I went to one conference in 2005 (didn't learn shit). I'm really good at it, so good in fact within seconds I can decipher the top keywords...
My Trucks Are Turning Into Hybrids
The iPhone changed things. The smartphone has been done before. Badly. The iPhone gave us a window into the future, a future where a computer and touch combine into the Star Trek like future I've only imagined. The iPhone did...
Ubuntu is my Main OS
I'm not a one OS type of guy. Just like my mobile phone OS's I change my desktop OS's pretty much weekly. I was rocking Windows only for awhile, but running Windows makes me feel dirty and feel like there's...
The Nexus 5 is Here!
I trade phones as often as I change clothes. I remember in 2008 when the iPhone was it as far as the best smart phone out there. Well, that's not the case anymore. I've owned every major model of iPhone...
Almost 4 months of no posts on bryansiegel.com
One of my new years resolutions was to post more often. Which started out fine, 2-3 and sometimes even more posts per month but in July everything stopped. In an effort to be a cheap ass I decided to get...
I Couldn’t Hang with IOS7
I loved my iPhone 5 on T-mobile it was so good I switched from Android to IOS even though I felt as though it was rushed on T-mobile. But I couldn't use IOS 7. It gave me a headache. I hated the white...
Busy Few Months and My Mobile Platform Decision
I haven't posted in awhile. June/July have been really bad months professionally for me. I've gone through a server crash and numerous issues with things not working at my day job and I've been super busy with my kids activities....
The iPhone on T-Mobile Was Rushed
I've been waiting for the iPhone on T-mobile since its launch in 2007. When the iPhone was finally announced on T-Mobile I felt as though a long awaited dream had come true. That along with my new found desire to cut my internet...
Fix the crappy touchpad behavior when using Ubuntu 13.04 on a Macbook Pro
Ubuntu is my favorite OS. When I run Ubuntu I tend to run it on a Macbook Pro. What drove me completely mad with this setup was how crappy the touchpad worked. Most of the time out of no where...
Unplugged and my lessons learned
I wanted to do a follow up post of my experience from unplugging from the internet. While I decided to take a day vs a longer period of time I felt as though my mini experiment was a success, but...
Why I switched from Android To IOS
I've been a happy T-Mobile customer for over 6 years. While your mileage may vary, I've only had 2 issues with data dead zones in the last 6 years. I'm sure there are plenty of other reviews out there, which...
Trying Something New
I read a fantastic article today on Lifehacker on how a guy unplugged completely for 10 days. The moral to his story and my true takeaway was how he gained focus. This is not the first story I've read about someone...
The iPhone is Finally on T-Mobile
I've been a happy T-Mobile customer since 2005. I tend to have coverage everywhere I go and I'm happy with the customer service and how they handle data caps. There's one thing that T-Mobile has been missing and that was...
My Gripe With Microsoft
I know I may sound uncool by saying this but I like Windows. I should actually say Windows 7. Why might you ask? It's fast, very hackable and you can customize the system to work for your needs; not to...
There’s a new PHP podcast on the block
I'll be honest. PHP is all over the place. Communities tend to fall into which framework that you're using instead of as a whole. I have a hard time locating good php dev news and podcasts. The reason why I'm...
Text Editors Are Cool But I Use an IDE To Get Shit Done
My first entrance into IDE's was Visual Studio 2005. While I started out with PHP my entrance into Web Development was Asp/Asp.net. The reason was drag and drop. While I love to code (I should say addicted) I love getting...
R.I.P Google Reader
July 1st of 2013 is when Google is getting rid of Google Reader. Since 2005 I've used Google reader daily to get my news fix. While many say that it's no surprise the service is going away, I have...
Back on Windows from Mac
So I've been holding off this post for awhile because I wasn't too sure if I was going to post it or not because it's about Windows. Not that I'm some Windows hater but I don't find writing about it...
Getting Started with Composer for PHP
Looks like PHP is taking some notes from Ruby on Rails with their gem system with Composer. One thing I loved about Rails was how modular it felt. If you need an admin use Active Admin, which is simply including...
Run Sublime Text 2 and login to mysql with git bash on Windows 7
How about that for a title:-) Anyway I'm back on Windows and needed the git bash to open Sublime Text 2 and login to mysql (under Xampp) from the git bash. Since I couldn't find any info online on how...
What’s in store for 2013
Update: With the advancements that PHP has made such as the wonderful Laravel framework, Composer and the new built in webserver I've decided to focus on PHP instead of Python for my language of the year while focusing more on...
ITerm2 is Terminal on Crack for OSX
I'm a terminal junkie. I create, manage update databases, upload websites, edit server docs and build Ruby on Rails apps among other cool things. I came across Iterm2 (Mac only) a few weeks back and have to say I haven't looked back. You...
Where’s my Google Nexus TV
If you're unfamiliar with the Nexus program it's un skinned Android. Google works with a device manufacture to release a device (tablets, phones) that showcase the platform without carrier customizations. Most Android phones that you buy today have some sort of customization....
Back in the Saddle with Asp.net
Update It's May 2012 and the projects keep coming in. While I had a few months of heavy Asp.net web development I've been focused on more PHP projects and a few Ruby on Rails projects. My Twitter account has been...
My Initial Thoughts on Google Currents for Android and IOS
Google release Currents today on Android and IOS only. Google Currents has been long been rumored as the Flipboard, Pulse competitor. I like the idea but there's a few things that are off. While Google Currents is new I'll give them...
T-Mobile USA Carier IQ Phone List
I'm not going to attempt to discuss the privacy mess that happened with Carrier IQ if you want to read an interview with the head of marketing from Carier IQ . I'm not really that bothered because I root my...
Galaxy Nexus. Is it really one of the best phones out there?
Since HTC didn't the release the Titan on T-mobile my last choice for a smartphone has been the Galaxy Nexus. I'm reluctant to get another Android phone. I've been burned by Android updates before and for some reason my...
Switching from a Rails VPS to Shared Hosting
Update: June 27th 2012 Hosting Rails is part of Jumpline now. I just contact customer support and they no longer offer Ruby on Rails hosting. For the last year or two (I'm getting old I can't remember crap) I've been...
Galaxy Nexus initial thoughts
Tonight Google and Samsung unveiled their newest creation the Galaxy Nexus. While impressed with the offering there's a few questions that I have regarding the device such as where is the menu button and the battery life. According to This...
Is a Windows Phone Right For Me
When Windows phone 7 came out I immediately bought the HTC HD7 on T-Mobile. The reason was simple really, I feel as though Windows Phone 7 brought the best of both worlds that I lacked in Android and IOS. Unique...
BryanSiegel.com’s New Design
I started my blog in 2007. Fast forward to 2011 and I've posted irregularly and about different crap that I find amusing but for some reason people keep reading this crap. I've topped 5,000 daily unique visitor's and decided it's...
Cutie Pie Hair Ties
Update: This website is no more. While it was fun to work with my wife on a website project. It was also not fun working with my wife on a website project. I really hope that I have learned my...
Why I returned my Macbook air 11 inch
Oh Macbook air you were great while you lasted. We had allot of fun together but I've realized it's me, not you. You see I have this CR-48 that runs Ubuntu. My battery lasts atleast 8 hours and it's really...
Sublime Text 2
I have been a heavy Textmate user for over a year now. I use Textmate for everything and have looked for a comparable editor and have been disappointed over and over again. First off, I'm not always on the Mac...
How to make a HTML Skeleton Snippet in Textmate
I reformatted my Mac in anticipation for Lion on my Mac and forgot to backup my snippets. One of my favorites and most often used is my html skeleton (beginhtml) snippet (I took the name from Jeremy Wray of Nettus...
My first 48 hours with the Macbook air 11'
In a previous post I stated that my cr-48 running Ubuntu 11.04 ruined my Macbook 17 inches life. The pursuit for the perfect ultra portable is finally here. I have been using a Macbook air 11' inch for the last...
How to enable ssl with Apache and Ubuntu 10.04
I'm working on my wife's eCommerce site and had to enable ssl for the admin and shopping cart. I've put together a quick guide on how you can enable ssl with Apache on Ubuntu 10.04. These instructions were used with...
Google Music Beta, Fuck Yeah!
It's hard to ignore Apple's Itunes and Microsoft's Zune software but I'm sick and tired of plugging my phone into a computer. I carry a Mytouch 4g & Iphone 4 (provided by work) and tend to use the Mytouch 4g...
Windows Phone 7 "Mango" Update Video
Windows Phone 7's soon to be released Mango update is expected to hit current and upcoming Windows Phone 7 devices this fall. I'm impressed with Mango so far. Catch the video below for a live demo of Windows Phone 7...
How my Cr-48 running Ubuntu 11.04 ruined my Macbook's life
If this is your first time reading one of my posts you should understand that I switch between OS's, laptops and phones like clothes. One day I'm in love with Snow Leopard -- the other I'm a full blown Windows...
WTF Ubuntu
If you're unfamiliar with Ubuntu it's a flavor of Linux that's free. It's fast easy to use (for the most part) and has everything the basic computer user needs. Ubuntu is my preferred OS of choice but the issues I've...
Google Reader
Update Dec 8th, 2011 My current Reader Stats are From your 245 subscriptions, over the last 30 days you read 19,562 items, clicked 13 items, starred 23 items, and emailed 0 items. Since May 23, 2007 you have read a...
Why I passed on Windows phone 7 but I still have hope
Back in Decemeber I purchased a MyTouch 4g and loved it. What I forgot to mention was that I had an HTC HD7 for 24 hours and traded it for the MyTouch. My gripe with Windows Phone 7 was the...
Final Thoughts on the cr-48 & Chrome OS
I've had my cr-48 for over a month. The day I got it I fell in love. The thing looked just like the many Youtube unboxing videos I've seen. The laptop looks like a laptop version of the stealth bomber--it...
Migrate MySQL to MSSQL
I had a project written in Ruby on Rails that needed to be converted to Asp.net because the requirements of the job had changed from simple to more complex and I feel Asp.net is the way to go when you...
The 3 Must Have's in Chrome OS
Google's new Chrome OS is only in the hands of the lucky few to get their hands on the CR-48 (netbook). Unfortunately, I'm not one of those lucky few (yet, hint hint Google). Chrome OS is by all means just...
Please Send me a CR-48 Google
While on Twitter I came accross a Tweet from a guy who built this website and hope that maybe asking directly through a blog post might help. Even though this blog post will not come close to a website, I...
Lovin the Mytouch 4g
After months of pain with a jail broken iphone on T-mobile, I got my early Christmas present -- a Mytouch 4g. I was too early to the game when I purchased the G1. It was slow, heavy but the OS...
4 months with the g1 phone
Before i got my g1 I owned a T-Mobile wing which was a windows mobile phone. I hated the frequent crashes, horrible interface and crappy touchscreen. The g1 came out and my wife bought the phone first. The g1 did...
Great Google Documentary
I thought that I should share this documentary of Google. The culture of Google seems like a dream for a developer.
Google, Google, Google Android needs to cut out the middleman
I remember my first search. I was 15 and found Altavista. I remember the magic I felt when I searched for porn on Altavista and I suddenly realized how large the world really was. The year is 2009 and there...
Why i can't give up my Blog
I haven't posted in 8 months. In that time I've tested windows 7, switched to Ubuntu full-time, switched my primary programming language from .NET to Ruby on Rails, I got an Android phone (G1) and my wife is addicted to...
Beware of Renting homes on Craigslist
Be Careful of Craigslist home rental ScamsRecently, my wife and I discovered mold in our home. Since we had kids (and the fact the landlord only wanted to fork out money to put bleach on it) we decided to find...
Finally a Terminator Movie to be proud of
Back in 1991 I was about 11. Never before had I experience something as awe inspiring as the Terminator 2 film. The survival of human kind, to the rebelious nature of John Connor to unbelievable CGI. I even waited...
Funny Underwear gadgets
Have you ever had a million dollar idea you swear no one has come up with. Like other dream filled days of my life I had one such idea today. Half-jokingly I suggested skid mark proof underwear. While the idea...
SkyFire Mobile Web Browser Review
When I bought my T-Mobile Wing a month ago I was disappointed when I launched the IE mobile web browser for the first time (honestly I almost took the phone back). I couldn't see flash, silverlight and it had a...
YouTube watch out
As the Internet gets smarter and Internet speeds get faster my web experience is getting a whole lot better. I remember dial up speeds and the bright colors of Internets past. I remember the first time I saw YouTube and...
Yahoo Ambassador Program CANCELLED
What this means is PPC Marketing Agencies will no longer have Ambassador accounts. Existing Ambassador account holders can keep what they have and use the logo. Bad news for advertisers. Here is the official letter; "Dear Current or Prospective Yahoo!...
Tis the day I uninstall Dreamweaver
Oh Dreamweaver how you served me well. You were there when I built my first website, stayed there with me those long hours while I designed websites, and eventually SEO. It's hard to say goodbye, well.... not really. You were...
How to improve memory
Memory has never been my strong point. It's something I've struggled with all of my life. That problem slowly crept up again my first month of learning asp.net in C#(web development). I listed to .net podcasts in the morning, read...
Sheriffs got my neighbors TWICE!!!
It all began when I left for work and saw an arrangement of sheriffs, animal control and K-9 units squished together in front of my neighbors home. unfortunately, I didn't get that video but, I did however get one of...
So little time, very little blogging?
I remember a time I could play video games for hours. I had a weekly line-up of regular t.v. shows. I even had time to have hobbies. Well..... I don't have time for that anymore. As the rain poors in...
Free Web developer ipod downloads
In order for me to understand the terminology .net developers use and wrap my head around Microsoft's confusing naming schemes I decided to subscribe to a few podcasts. Microsoft doesn't make the learning development easy (even though they have thousands...
My New Home
As of yesterday my wife and I got a new home. I've uploaded a video of my first walk through which I decided to share. There are two advantages to our new home and they are, 1. it only costs...
A windy day in California
I'm testing out my new camera and decided to capture a video of California on a windy day.
Rules of the underground Geek Order
I've never denied the fact I'm a Geek. Even my friend who has a hypnotizing Smile admits it (sorta) in his post about me. I've include a pic of my desktop to show the world that "I'm geek and damb...
FREE iTunes downloads for your iPod
Ever since my Ipod came in my life it has become an essential part of my everyday life. It helps with when I'm stuck in California traffic, sitting for hours at the DMV or taking a dump (you know that...
Pay Yahoo to get into organic results?
I've never been a fan of Yahoo. I've tried using their search engine many times but their results suck. They are great if you're looking for old websites that have little or nothing to do with your topic, but none...
California Traffic
Those native to California are accustomed to traffic. Millions of Californians commute on a daily basis. Most travel 60 miles to and from work and spend 5% (if they are lucky) on gas. The average travel time is 30 minutes.I...
Zak’s Nice, Smile
Instead of placing a blogroll of names and letting their sites speak for themselves, I thought I should include why I've added those people who are crazy enough to know me. My first victim on the list is Zak. Fellow...
Watch out Google, Live.com tried real hard to copy you and FAILED-Part 2
Day2 of my review on Live.com's Webmaster Tools returned a different error result I thought that I should share. On a more positive note Live.com reported on their Webmaster blog that a serious issue with cloaking has been fixed. Anyone...
Watch out Google, Live.com tried real hard to copy you and FAILED-Part 1
I noticed today the Live search team announced (I was shocked they had a blog) that live now has webmaster tools much like Google's Webmaster Tools (same name different search engine). I have been a fan of Google's webmaster tools...
Gmail adds Color to Labels: Why?
It looks like Google has done it again. They added color squares next to labels. Ya know I allways wanted to have colored little squares next to my labels, it looks so perty.If you thought that was it, when you...
My Saturday with Tank
It's not everyday I get to hang out exclusively with my youngest son Logun (my wife is weird and has a thing for weird name spellings). My oldest son Dillyn (another weird spelling) was at his aunt and uncle's house...
My First go at Photography
I've been a fan of Photoshop but lacked intersting pics (there's only so much you can do with family photo's). So I picked up my hp photosmart 435 piece of crap and decided to go outside and take some pics....
Where Google Failed….
The other day my wife asked me if a brother and sister beagle can mate. After calling my wife sick and getting into a big debate over just because it's a dog doesn't mean it's okay for a brother and...
Answers from Someone who doesn't know SEO
I got this email for my co-worker Brett (who is blogless, sorry no link love man). I about crapped my pants and thought that I should share.1.What is the #1 most important Search Engine in the United States?DMV Database2. Should...