Good Enough Decals

 This one goes out to the good folks at Good Enough. Why? Because they were good enough to send me swag! Big thanks to the ones behind Pika, my blog host, as well as Quack and Yay Boo.

Calories And Construction

Howdy, y’all. A general update here. I’ve been a busy-bee lately. In the past week, I worked hard on a couple of home DIY projects. In the middle of that, I was blessed to enjoy not one but two family Thanksgivings. Oh, and as it turned out, three turkeys. Yeah, we ended up with an extra.

I Lost The Refurbished Phone Lottery Again

This is weird. It’s hard to believe it happened again. I had to return another iPhone to Amazon for a refund because of a problem with it. It’s the second iPhone 13-series phone I ordered and had to send back. This past September, it was a 13 mini; now it’s a 13 Pro. Of all the many great refurbished iPhones I’ve bought from Amazon before, maybe I’ve just been unlucky with the number 13.

Ending The App Store Era

Over at MacWorld, Jason Snell wrote an article, declaring that the future of apps is outside of locked-down app stores; it’s the best way forward. I agree. He makes a good distinction between the classic app model of the Mac with the modern one of the iPhone. But of course, Apple isn’t the only example.

Giving Up On Fancy Journaling Apps

I’m giving up on specialized journaling apps. They entice with nice layouts and fancy features, but they’re proprietary systems. While most have an export function, journal entries are still somewhat locked-in. I switch my set-up too often to be stuck in a special app, so now I’m just using Google Docs. Simplicity and flexibility rule.

Eight Surprises About The Moto Razr

Flipping from an iPhone to Razr was a mind warp. Going from a flat to a flip phone is one thing; relearning Android after living with iOS is another. But certain things about the Razr’s hardware unexpectedly carpet-bombed my brain, and they underscore a huge reason why I’ve always liked Android phones.

Clarity To Kindle Lineup

Right after taking a wait-and-see approach to the Kindle Colorosoft – colorful yet discolored – Jason Snell at Six Colors published his review of Amazon’s new eBook devices. It’s timely, confirming, and helpful. Now I’m leaning away from waiting for the Colorsoft issues to be fixed and towards preferring the cheaper and crisper Paperwhite Signature Edition. That said, it sure is hard to say no to a color Kindle. But I have an idea that helps.

Finally All The Things Are USB-C

A few years back, I wrote about wanting to have all my tech gear use the popular USB-C port. Why? Two vital reasons: simplicity and convenience. Now in 2024, I can finally say, “I have USB-C’d all the things.”

Kindle Color Me Cautious

Well, October was exciting. After waiting for years, Amazon announced and released its first color Kindle. I was ready to plunk down some money, expecting a superb eReader. But I also knew that at a high $280, I should wait for the initial reviews. Glad I did. Because oh boy, the Kindle Colorsoft launched with a discoloration issue and lack of a true Dark Mode. And even if I wanted one now I couldn’t buy one because Amazon paused orders until the issues are resolved. Yikes.

Apple Mail Is Not Half Bad

Everyone rushing to sign-up for Apple Mail is not a thing that happens. In the aughts, people flocked to Gmail. A few years ago, Hey mail was the buzz. I see Proton Mail making some waves these days. And believe it or not, my wife still rocks a hotmail (HTML, get it?) account that she started in the 90s! But Apple Mail? Well, I know a guy who uses it: me. I’ve been using both the Apple Mail app(s) and iCloud mail service for years – until this month.

Learning To Practice Japanese

You know there’s an app for that, which can be just about anything, like learning a language. Well, I got back into learning Japanese in October. It’s not like I have so much free time on my hands that I can master the hardest written language there is. But Japanese lingo and culture have always intrigued me. And my wife and kids use Duolingo everyday. So I jumped in; now I feel like that green owl is following me everywhere.

Time For Xenoblade Chronicles X

Xenoblade Chronicles X is coming to the Switch in just a few months. That news is still exciting me a week after I first heard it. I’m so ready to play it again. And it’s causing me to rethink my gaming pastime. With so many good games and so little time, how can I make the most of it?

A Fun Flip Phone You Can Afford

At Android Central, Jerry Hildenbrand recently wrote about Samsung ceding the flip-phone market to good competitors like Motorola. Why? Because Motorola knows how to make good phones for less money. Or like MKBHD has said, cheap phones got good; good phones got cheap.

Flipping Phones

Since I got a Moto Razr flip-phone for my birthday last week, I’ve wondered how to use it alongside my iPhone 12 Pro. I’m not supposed to switch away from Apple to Google or from iPhone to Android. I don’t have to choose a side; I get to use both.

From Apple To Orange Phone

I just bought a refurbished Apple iPhone 12 Pro a few days ago. And then three days after I started using it, my family mega-surprised me for my birthday. They all chipped in for a new smartphone — talk about unexpected. But the part that truly broke my brain about this gift are its three mind-blowing distinctions from any Apple phone: it’s an Android, a flip phone, and it’s orange!

From Mini To Pro Phone

I broke my one rule. I wasn’t supposed to upgrade any of my three main gadgets this year. But I got a new glass rectangle from Apple. I went from the iPhone 12 mini all the way up to the…12 Pro. Yes, I bought another 12-series; it’s four years old. No, I didn’t swing the pendulum from the mini to the Pro Max like I thought I would.