Exploration of Thought

VS Code started reporting this error recently any time I pressed CMD+N (New File): command '-workbench.action.files.newUntitledFile' not found The root cause of this issue was that the Dart language plugin needed to be reloaded. I assume this might also be the case for any other language plugin that is installed. If shortcut keys stop working,…

🔎 Looking for an Android Job? I just wanted to give everyone a quick heads up - Caster.IO is now managing AndroidJobs.IO 🎉 - the #1 independent Android Job board. With Caster.IO's adoption of the site, we’ve redesigned it and made it super easy for you to find and post jobs to our job board.…

TLDR; The Fix: Plug your Pixel 2 into a USB 2.0 port, not a USB 3.0 port. If your Pixel 2 device will not connect to ADB (Android Debug Bridge) with a USB cord then you might want to check the port that it is plugged into. I'm using a USB-C to USB-A cable, in…

Writing in Markdown is probably one of the best experiences you can have for a technical writer for a few simple reasons - Its easy to write with The limitations of Markdown are actually a benefit (less is more) Theming can be applied If you’re using markdown to write your blog posts, you can post…

I get it. Your application (mobile app or web app) doesn’t have tests and … well … you’re scared anytime you make changes. Why? … well … because you’re not sure if you broke anything when you commit that code. I encounter this a lot in the realm of software consulting. There’s one simple way…

“I don’t have time” is a myth. The statement, “I don’t have time”, really gets under my skin. Why? Because you do have the time. Get up early. Cant? Go to bed earlier. Stop watching TV shows and YouTube channels that do nothing to help you progress in your dreams. Stop playing video games. Stop…

One of the things that's great about MVVM (I’m using data binding in my implementation) is the lack of the boilerplate that you have to deal with. When working with the MVP pattern you are forced to deal with an obscene amount of get/set boilerplate code. Sure, this does make your UI logic more testable…

Photo: Uroš Jovičić Recently, a  friend of mine asked if I wanted to partake in a small side project with him. Unfortunately, I didn't have the time to commit to the project so I politely declined. He responded with: Dude I totally understand. I'm single at the moment and pretty much have my ass alone…

A recent conversation developed on twitter when I posted a link to a Caster.IO lesson where I talk about using TDD to drive your UI development. The problem? Some folks feel that you cannot TDD your UI layer with a functional testing framework like Espresso. I disagree. Why? Well, before I dive into details, I…

I’ve worked on some fairly large internationalized apps (50MM+ installs on each app) and on each app I've always had a problem with internationalization. It presents its own set of challenges. If you have not internationalized an app before you'll quickly realize that your app design may not fit various locales - especially when text widgets…

Photo by Aaron Escobar via Creative Commons I learned one simple thing years ago that helped me more than I think anything else I’ve learned in awhile. What is it? You can’t make everyone happy.   I’ve tried. It just doesn’t work. When you do try to make everyone happy you eventually end up feeling…

The way we consume video content is changing. Netflix. Hulu. You Tube. HBO Now. Amazon Instant Video. DVR.The way we communicate is changing. Email (always is popular). SMS/Text. WhatsApp. Facebook Messenger. Voxer. Telegram. The way we physically get around is changing. Uber. Lyft. Sidecar. Curb. The way we listen to audio is changing. iTunes. Google…