Safari macOS Bug

Ladies and gentlemen this is truly a strange one. Recently Safari.app for macOS stopped streaming video from any site including YouTube.

Immediately I looked at the usual suspects. Browser cache, extensions, nvram, OS integrity. None could explain it but curiously everything worked in private browsing.

At the same time I realized I had run out of iCloud Storage. Remediating this issue resolved the Safari issue. No idea why but that’s technology, baby.

Backing Up Time Machine to a Network-Attached Storage Device

If you’ve ever tried using Time Machine with a NAS pre-APFS days you’ll know the experience left a lot to be desired. I was encouraged by a colleague to give this another shot and am happy to report a huge improvement in speed and performance.

The initial backup of my machine, which was roughly 80GB of data took about 70 minutes to complete. I am also happy to report that Time Machine remembers the location of the NAS and will auto-mount it as needed.

If you’re using an UnRAID NAS, you will find this guide helpful:

https://wiki.unraid.net/UnRAID_6/Configuring_Apple_Time_Machine

Paying Off Apple Card Financing

Yesterday a friend shared an interesting story. They decided to take advantage of Apple’s zero percent financing option for a new MacBook. To their dismay, having an Apple Card that was half utilized caused (in their opinion) a THIRTY point drop in their credit score.

Upon trying to pay it off entirely he informed me that there was no way to do so. While there is a “Make Additional Payment” option, it only allows you to pay off a finite amount, which seemed really strange.

It turns out there isn’t a way to do this through the Wallet app, but if you use the online portal (https://card.apple.com) you can pay off as much as you’d like.

Missing Sudo

If you have the pleasure of binding your macOS fleet to Active Directory some of you may have noticed issues using the sudo command for administrative users.

Chatter on the MacAdmins slack channel suggests that Apple has acknowledged the issue and will resolve it in a future update. Here’s how we’re temporarily working around this:

#!/bin/bash

# Collects the logged in user
loggedInUser="$(stat -f%Su /dev/console)"

# Checks to ensure logged in user isn't already in sudoers
if grep -Rq "$loggedInUser" /etc/sudoers
then
    echo "User ID already exists in sudoers file...Exiting"
else
    echo "$loggedInUser        ALL = (ALL) ALL" >>  /etc/sudoers
fi

Short and sweet. Run as root.

iCloud Keychain Now Provides MFA

iCloud Keychain got a nice update with iOS15 that enables you use it as your MFA provider. Not only does it make the likes of Google Authenticator/Authy unnecessary, it also makes for a much more seamless experience for the end user in Safari. If you have MFA enable for a service (Gmail, Reddit, etc.) you will first need to disable it. Next, locate the entry for that service in iCloud Keychain and select Setup Verification Code.

Setup:

Execution:

Bravo, Apple.

Today’s Adventure with AppleCare

I ran into an interesting issue attempting to purchase AppleCare for a set of headphones I picked up at Best Buy. I was within the sixty day window but when I tried making the purchase online I was presented an ominous message:

“It looks like your device isn’t eligible for an AppleCare agreement.”

The AppleCare rep was stumped. After a bit of googling I discovered the headphones didn’t have a purchase date associated with them—presumably because they came from a third party retailer.

The fix is to visit https://checkcoverage.apple.com, enter your details, and you’ll more than likely be prompted to provide a purchase date. I was then able to complete my purchase.

Books of 2021

These are some great books I’ve read this year ranked accordingly.

1. Educated by Tara Westover. This may be my favorite book of all time. Growing up in a strict evangelical home I found so many parallels between Tara’s upbringing and my own. Tara overcame serious levels of adversity and I did not want this book to end.

2. Evicted by Matthew Desmond. This takes a look at an issue that on the surface I knew existed, but I had no idea the complexities and downward spiral which can occur as a result of being evicted. Truly a humbling read.

3. Going Clear by Lawrence Wright. Going Clear paints a full portrait of the origins of Scientology and the history of L. Ron Hubbard. While originally being dismissive of Scientology as another cult or religious movement, I found it fascinating how high functioning LRH seemed to be, for better or worse.

4. Cultish by Amanda Montell. Jonestown to Soul Cycle and everything in between.

5. Hit Reply by Satya Nadella. A fascinating look at the history of Microsoft and the tremendous strides made to reinvent itself.

6. Many Lives Many Masters by Brian L. Weiss. I’m not sure where I stand on the idea of reincarnation, but if this book is accurate, it provides a incredible account of a patient having detailed recollections of past lives.

7. The 10X Rule by Grant Cardone. What can I say I’m a sucker for a good self help book every now and then.

Currently reading:
Hell’s Angels by Hunter S. Thompson
The Body Keeps Score by Bessel A van der Kolk

Moving Time

Florida was a great move for us in 2016. Affordable cost of living, beautiful beaches, lack of the winter season, and no state income tax. The politics of the area were well known but we chose what may be the most progressive city in the state and it was a great fit at the time.

Fast forward to 2019. We welcomed a child into the world and everything changed. We have chosen North Carolina as our next destination. Good schools, hours away from our child’s grandparents and lots of technical job opportunities should we need a backup plan for our careers.

Excited to start a new chapter.