😴 I'm taking a break from February 1, 2024 until May 1, 2024, so I will be less active here and on social media.

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PHP Monitor 7.0 now available

February 12, 2024

PHP Monitor 7 is now available with a bunch of new features, most notably improved extension management and administration features. Read more below for details.

💁🏻‍♂️ If you have no need for additional extensions or would like to ditch your Homebrew-based PHP installation(s), you may want to check out an excellent alternative to PHP Monitor, Laravel Herd.

Okay, with that disclaimer out of the way: if you are still using PHP Monitor and Homebrew for your local PHP development needs, you’ve come to the right place. Allow me to explain…

I’ve personally found that I always need one or two additional extensions for my projects that weren’t previously included with Herd, and using pecl in the past has been a bit frustrating, especially when juggling multiple versions of PHP.

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Taking a Break

February 06, 2024

If you are reading this, my sabbatical has begun. It started a few days ago. During this time, I will be less active on social media and I will be scaling down my coding efforts over the next couple of weeks.

You can still expect PHP Monitor 7 to release later this month, but besides that, I will be less active in my open source efforts until at least May.

I will be using this period to unwind and recharge my internal battery so that I can return to work and social life in ways reinvigorated. And who knows, maybe I will end up tinkering with things and build something new.

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My 2023 Video Game List

December 26, 2023

Like last year, I’ve been actively healthy and sporty, but that still hasn’t stopped me from playing video games. I suspect that next year will be a bit busier after my sabbatical, so I may not be able to dedicate this much free time to gaming then.

This year was a really impressive year with some truly incredible games. As always, I was unable to play many of the big hitters, but then again, this is a list of the best games I completed this year. That means that various games from previous years can be found on this list, including really old ones.

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Handheld Gaming in 2023

December 24, 2023

I last wrote about handheld gaming in 2016 right before the Nintendo Switch was announced. It was an interesting time for handhelds: the 3DS was on its way out and the PlayStation Vita was also waning in popularity. We’re almost 8 years later and the situation has changed.

There are many handhelds out today, of many different varieties. The good ol’ Nintendo Switch is probably the most prevalent one, but it is not the only available option if you’re looking to game on the go.

Portable PCs are on the rise as well, with the coming of the Steam Deck and its competitors like the ROG Ally. There’s also various other retro handhelds that are becoming more popular, with various options at various price points.

The new Steam Deck OLED is certainly a contender for best handheld console of 2023. It sports a beautiful OLED screen at a high refresh rate, and supports HDR. With the hardware sporting a x86 processor and integrated GPU running at a maximum of 15W, this gives you the best possible performance with great battery life in this category.
The new Steam Deck OLED is certainly a contender for best handheld console of 2023. It sports a beautiful OLED screen at a high refresh rate, and supports HDR. With the hardware sporting a x86 processor and integrated GPU running at a maximum of 15W, this gives you the best possible performance with great battery life in this category.
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