This is a very specific, technical post. However, I can’t be the only person that has struggled with calculating New York sales tax on clothing with Woocommerce Shipping & Tax. So, I’m going to post the solution that worked for me.
If you’re not working on a Woocommerce store selling clothing in New York and having trouble accurately calculating sales tax, you’ll probably want to move on. If you are, keep reading…
Continue readingThis video showcases a US Postal Service system that was developed in the 90s; it’s still going strong:
It’s easy to find all sorts of problems with this system. Users need to undergo weeks of training (many of which won’t make the cut). It’s also not the most delightful UI to look at all day. However, one of the top comments on the video from a former user provides a different view:
…once you learn the rules, applying them becomes automatic and extremely fast. It’s a fun job for the right person.
Farrah Upson
So, while there’s plenty of room for improvement here, but it works pretty well. Something to remember for those of us charged with replacing and improving on these types of systems that were developed 20 or 30 years ago. Don’t assume it’s all terrible by judging the UI based on today’s standards, make sure the good parts aren’t missing from the new and improved system.
via Core77
This motorized weather display is amazing. He includes instructions for creating your own.
via Hackaday
Alex Shakespeare’s Window to the World is a neat project. I really like the map based control panel where one can use a little air plane to select what location they want to visit. Check it out in the video below.
via Hack a Day
I’m a firm believer in one’s right to repair the stuff they’ve bought. That isn’t always easy when it comes to consumer electronics. Devices are designed with mass production in mind–not repair. Plus, most manufacturers would rather you toss a broken or dated device in favor of a new one.
So, I wanted to give a shout out to IFixit. I bought a replacement iPhone screen from them recently and the whole experience was great. It’s easy to figure out what you need based on your devices model, and they sell kits that contain all the tools you need since most of us don’t have tiny, Phillips-head screwdrivers. Their site has videos and step-by-step instructions with ample photos and comments from other repairers. Really top-notch, I highly recommend.
In a similar vein, but not electronic, Fix My Blinds has an excellent repair site–for window blinds. They have exploded diagrams of popular blind makes and models so you can buy just what you need, even if you don’t know the name of the thing. They also have great step-by-step instructions and videos. For the price of return shipping one set of blinds to the manufacturer, I have enough parts to do several re-stringing jobs. Nice!
