2024 Hindsight

It's kind of fun to look back at the year and see how close or far off any predictions were. Foresight is cloudy and hindsight is clear. My aim at the outset of 2024 was No New Tech. Surprise — there was new tech. And as for the upcoming year, there will likely be new tech again — no surprise.

Sailing Away From Sea of Stars

Last week, I finished Sea of Stars, rolling the looooong credits and finally realizing (about half-way through) that you can fast-forward them. It was an overall very good RPG. Now that I’m done, I can focus on enjoying more of Tears of the Kingdom. I might also start my next RPG and juggle between games.

Finishing The Year With Pika

Once in a while, you find something that just clicks; maybe it’s meant to be. That’s what Pika seems like since I started using it March 1st. I’ve really enjoyed the past nine months of blogging on Pika.

Sonic 3 Family Fun

Just before Christmas, I got to treat my wife and kids to a movie at the theater: Sonic the Hedgehog 3. What a fun film! I think it’s one of the best video game cinematic experiences there is. And apparently two Jim Carrey’s are better than one.

The Reason For The Season

“And the angel said to them, ‘Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.’” Luke 2:10-11

“‘She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.’” Matthew 1:21

“For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.” John 3:17

Impressive Curved Gaming Monitor

My wife was out shopping late last week and happened upon a nice sale: a 32” curved gaming monitor for just $150. I wasn’t sure if it would make a good Christmas gift for my teens…turns out, it made a great early Christmas gift from my wife to me!

Much Cash For Little Gain With iPhone Upgrade

At his Bear blog, Herman Martinus wrote about being forced to upgrade his seven year old iPhone to the latest one. He felt the switching cost was unnecessary and expensive for basically the same Apple phone despite the huge jump. I had similar feelings when I recently looked to upgrade my four year old iPhone 12 mini.

Between A Chrome Rock And A Windows Hard Place

Lately I’ve been a hockey puck, getting smacked across the ice towards one goal and then another. On one end, a Chromebook. The other end, a Windows PC. Then I was hit with the possibility of Parallels to run Windows 11 on my MacBook — a franken-laptop! Isn’t it good to have options?

Moto Razr In Dreams Come True Orange

After using my new Razr for over six weeks, it’s still the most awesome colorway ever. When I first saw the 2024 Moto Razr, I was smitten by its eye-catching orange design. In a previous post I said,

Asus TUF Laptop Totally Lives Up To Its Name

A budget gaming laptop bought at Walmart and used daily by several kids has performed excellently for over three years. My family’s Asus TUF Gaming F15 (2021) is holding up well. Coming from an M1 MacBook Air to game on a PC, the Asus TUF is an interesting piece of tech hardware.

Almost A Thousand Windows Weekly

Almost 1,000 weeks ago, I started listening to one of my first podcasts. Circa mid-2006, when Apple’s iPod was rocketing in popularity, I was 100% a Microsoft dude. So when news that Windows XP would be followed by an ambitious new OS — dubbed Longhorn — this tech geek was eager to learn more. Enter: Windows Weekly with Paul Thurrott.

Very Glad In Tiny Glade

Happy to say I bought Tiny Glade and began having fun. It’s a steal at $15 on Steam; I’m ready to buy future DLC that might get released. The cozy diorama builder already absorbed a couple hours of my time, which flew by. The fun spilled onto my wife too. She created a Steam account just to buy the game and has played it longer than I have.

Tiny Glade And A Big Gaming Rig

About a week ago, the YouTube algo seemed to randomly shove a Tiny Glade video into my home feed. I’d never heard of it before. After watching, I had to try it. Demo time! But the Steam game isn’t available on my MacBook Air. So…Windows maybe?

YouTube Music Fails Podcasts

I tried. I really did. But using YouTube Music for podcasts pales in comparison to a dedicated app like PocketCasts. I wanted it to work, but YouTube Music is not called YouTube Casts for a reason.

Retiring A Video Game Or Admitting Defeat

Time: the limited resource. And JRPGs: my favorite video game genre, known for lengthy playtimes. I don’t finish, beat, or complete every game I play, sad to say. Reasons vary. Maybe the game is too long. Or maybe it’s too hard. But it seems that time is a big factor; there’s a whole gaming website called, “HowLongToBeat.”

Bluesky Is A Social Media Thing

Ah, social media, for better or worse. My usage of it waxes and wanes; moderation is good. Since Twitter died, other platforms have stepped in: Mastodon, Threads, and Bluesky. The latter isn’t new, but it recently surged, so I’ve been trying it again.

From MacBook To A Laptop Not By Apple

My MacBook Air M1 is truly an excellent laptop. But lately I’ve been thinking about switching to a non-Apple machine. In fact, I have a post in draft about moving back to a Chromebook, but now I’m thinking I’ll rejoin the Windows PC world. If my Mac works well, then why fuss with a flip-flop to something else?

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.

Xenoblade Chronicles X On Switch

WHOA! Thrilling huge news: Nintendo and Monolith Soft officially announced that the awesome Wii U game, Xenoblade Chronicles X, is porting to the Switch! YASSSSS!!!

RSS Lets Me Actually Read The Web

A few months ago, my brain was overwhelmed by too many feeds. Unlike Johnny 5 in Short Circuit, I couldn’t process all the input. The YouTube homepage, Threads, Mastodon, and my RSS reader all combined to frazzle my 3-pound gray matter. So I cut them off for a break while enjoying long-form book reading. Since then, I resumed social media. And just a few days ago, I rediscovered the bright side of RSS.

Why I Plan To Buy Kindle Colorsoft

When Amazon announced the new Kindle Colorsoft earlier this month, many people said, “Finally!” I’m one of those people. But some folks pointed out they’d stick to the Paperwhite because, you know, text is black-on-white (or white-on-black in Dark Mode). Color is cool but not necessary for long-form reading. I agree. But I plan to buy a Colorsoft anyways. Here’s why.

How Apple Can Reinvent The iPhone

In 2025, Apple can easily reinvent the iPhone. Forget folding screens. Apple doesn’t need to do anything crazy or fancy to catapult iPhone capability. While it’s adding buttons to the once button-eschewing device, it can and should add One More Thing. It’s time for iPhone to get a stylus.

MacBook iPad Kindle Pick Two

Screens. They’re everywhere. On your wrist. In your pocket. You name it. Could we do with maybe a little less? Probably. Let’s entertain Minimalism for a moment. Say you’ve got a laptop, a tablet, and an eReader. Nice. But now, one must go. Which one? For me, the answer is pretty easy.

Kindle Finally Gets Color E-Ink

Folks, they did it! Amazon finally brought color to the Kindle. Not the casing, the display. We will all be able to finally enjoy reading black text on white backgrounds - with a splash of color. It's not necessary but it sure is nice. I for one will pay the premium just to bring book covers to life in living color and to have my highlights colored. I might even start enjoying comics or manga.

iPhone Lacking USB-C Not A Big Deal Maybe

When the iPhone 15 debuted last year, I thought, “Finally, USB-C!” Both my MacBook and iPad charge via USB-C, as do all my other non-Apple gadgets, so the iPhone holdout has been a drag. But there’s no telling when I’ll finally afford an iPhone with the ubiquitous port that isn’t Lightning since I typically buy older iPhones refurbished. That said, I've realized in my day-to-day routine that I almost never-ever use the port to charge, so no USB-C is no big deal really. Maybe.

More WordPress Woes

In the past few weeks, many words have been typed about the controversy that is WordPress versus WP Engine. Up front, let me say I don't fully grasp the issues involved. But I can say it seems bad since many of the vibes I get from various articles and comments cast a grim shadow on the whole thing. It makes me glad to have left WordPress.com for the simpler and apparently more stable blog platform that is Pika.

A Post About Posting Posts

Okay, this is a little, er, meta; hear me out. With my previous post yesterday about Transformers One, I initially started to share the photo with a short blurb directly on Mastodon — you know, a social micro post thing. Simple.

Six Years Of Regular Blogging

Today happens to be a milestone for me. Six years ago today, I restarted my blogging with a main goal: consistent, steady blogging. No more going for a few months and then disappearing for a few months with a defunct blog. Since that recommitment, I’ve stayed the course for six consecutive years.

Transformers One Fun

Today I took my two youngest kids to the movie theater cinema to watch the new Transformers One film. Yeah!

Social Media Musing

I totally unplugged from social media for two months, enjoying a good break from it. Now I’ve resumed — mostly Mastodon, a bit of Threads — for sharing links to my blog posts. I’m also drawn into the social aspect and by the behaviorally addictive mechanics. So moderation should be the name of the game, but that’s easier said than done.

Octoberful

It’s wonderful October! Yes, to me it’s worth being excited for. It’s the month of my birthday and Halloween (which is also the theme I’m using on Pika). Best of all, it’s full-on fall (Autumn), my most bestest-favoritest season of the year.

Return And Refund A Renewed iPhone

After winning the refurbished iPhone lottery several times, this week I lost. Sigh. It was the fourth ever iPhone that I ordered from Amazon Renewed and the first one to have a problem. The return process is already started. It’s disappointing and a bit frustrating, but buying refurbished still seems like a nifty and thrifty idea overall. Otherwise, maybe my “tale of woe” will inform and help others.

Shame Of The Mini iPhone

It’s not just me! That’s what I felt earlier this week while listening to an Upgrade podcast. Veteran Apple journalist, Jason Snell, shared an important fact about a longstanding frustration I have. It was a validating bit of confirmation and affirmation that I really appreciate.

The Power Of An Apple Journal Moment

Since trying out Apple Journal, I’ve embraced its ability to suggest personal activities and Moments. The feature is rich, rewarding, and has made journaling more delightful in a way I wasn’t expecting. Yet while the app is about a year old now, I was missing out.

Apple Journal On My Mac

My private journaling habit came to a screeching stop. Months ago, I had begun switching to Apple Notes (again) and faced a daunting migration from the Day One journal. Then I rethought everything. Now I’ve been trying the Apple Journal app for the first time (finally).

Four Year Old Tech Upgrade Challenge

At the start of this year, I set a goal to avoid upgrading my tech in 2024, or at least the main three computers. So far, I’ve stuck to that. But I’m not gonna lie: I’ve been shopping for an iPhone upgrade (contentment is hard). A blog post hinted at this possibility a few weeks ago. Now with the fresh iPhone 16s out in the wild, I’m trying to wait for prices on older refurbished smart-handsets to drop so I can score a good deal. If I’m gonna upgrade, I’ve gotta at least save some money in the process. And this viewpoint helps: consider a “certified pre-owned” phone purchase like buying a years-old used car.

Thoughts On The Annual iPhone Cycle

With new iPhones being announced last week — again, like last year, and the year before, and… — I was thinking about why this should probably change.

Apple In Ten Years Sounds Daunting

Over at Spyglass this week, M.G. Siegler broke my brain with this paragraph:

HearPods Are Here

Like many tech nerds (or geeks?), I watched Apple’s annual iPhone advernouncement infomercial bonanza this week — it was too long. I’ve also digested opinionated articles and podcasts about the new iPhones 16 and related stuff — it’s been fun. One item is a big deal to me: “Clinical-grade” AirPods Pro hearing aids, or what I call, “HearPods.”

The iPhone 7 In 2024

This week saw Apple announce the new hotness: iPhone 16. But that doesn’t mean an iPhone released way back in 2016 is no good. Matter of fact, I dragged it out from under the bed and put it to good use.

What Does A Post-Apple Future Look Like?

My phone, tablet, and laptop are all made by Apple in California. And I mostly use the default apps. Putting all my tech eggs in one tech basket may be risky. But you know, that whole ecosystem synergy thing is nice — thanks, iCloud. What if...it all didn't just work?

Dumber Smartphones Could Be A Boon

Smartphones are smarter than ever. Maybe too smart. Yet Google and Apple are making them ever-smarter with "Artificial Intelligence." Pure genius? Well, it remains to be seen how practical AI features will be. But as these mature pocket computers grow increasingly capable, I think there's wisdom in simplifying them. A "less is more" approach might be sage advice for future smartphones.

Smarter Smartphones Coming Soon

The Apple iPhone extravaganza is upon us, set for September 9th — only one week away. But anticipation for this year's pending updates seems weak. Rumored new features sound underwhelming. I think the iPhone 16s will be less interesting than any of the previous year models except maybe the iPhone 14s, which were lackluster. We're about to see the 18th version of the iPhone, a glass rectangle. Sometime in the last few years, the iPhone peaked. So what about that?

Blogging Six Months With Pika

Back on March 1st, I started blogging at Pika. Now that it's September 1st, how's it going after six months? The relatively new blog host is rock solid and has been steadily adding thoughtful additions. I enjoy blogging more than ever and don't miss managing a website.

Hooked On Books Lately

I’ve been reading a lot lately — MOAR BOOKS! I’ve found books on sale via Amazon and the Kindle store. It’s been very satisfying and relaxing to enjoy several good reads over the past month or so. And I’m catching up on my annual Reading Goal, having read 7 out of 12 so far this year. Now there’s just four months left for me to read five books; it’s still a challenge.

Update To My Blogging Process

A few months have passed since the last post about my blog workflow. That means it has probably changed since then. Yup. I use more apps and steps than before, yet it's still simple. There are three stages and three apps.

Others Struggle To Juggle Tech Too

 After posting about my struggle to balance the use of my MacBook and iPad, a fellow blogger replied likewise in a blog post and wrote to tell me about it.

A Battle For Tech Balance

My tech setup occasionally gets a refresh. Sometimes it’s upgrading; out with the old device, in with the new. Other times it’s shifting how I use my current gear or apps. Lately, I’ve been juggling my tablet and laptop, preferring one and then the other. But what if I can find the balance between them?

Will The Kindle Be Killed?

About a month ago, I started to draft a post about how, after all these years, nothing has killed the eReader. Despite tablets and huge smartphones, the humble eInk reading device keeps kicking. I still love reading a good book on my simple device, the Paperwhite. But this week I read an article with an arresting, if not foreboding, paragraph. It gave me pause. What if Amazon kills the Kindle, either on purpose or by neglect?

From Mini To Max Phone

If you really want to go minimal and minimize your smartphone, then something like the iPhone 12 mini is literally a great fit. That’s what I did last Summer. I wanted my phone to be hand-holdable and pocketable. It being easily affordable was icing on the cake. So why would I think an upgrade would be to upsize, getting a Plus or Max iPhone?

Thoughts On The Anxious Generation

I recently finished reading a book by Jonathan Haidt, “The Anxious Generation.” It’s a must-read for many, especially those who interact with kids on some level. Or if you’ve ever struggled with smartphone addiction to some degree, you owe it to yourself to read this book. Teachers, parents, and people who sense screen-time is too much will benefit from reading Haidt’s research and well presented findings. He names the cause of anxious Gen Z as The Great Rewiring of Childhood.

The Orange Tech-Style Totally Got Me

Okay, okay, I know I said at the start of this year that I wouldn’t replace any of my devices, maybe. Well, I did. First, it was my Apple Watch SE, swapped out with a “dumb” watch. And yesterday, I finally switched out my small JBL Go 2 wireless speaker.

Apple Watch Traded For Simplicity

My Apple Watch SE (gen 1) served its time; now it’s back in Apple’s hands. I traded it in. That’s one less computing device for me to manage: less charging, less updating, fewer interfaces, fewer apps. It simplifies things for my feeble brain. So while I enjoyed my time with the Apple Watch’s great fitness features, I’m relieved to let it go.

A Social Media Break

My on/off relationship with social media is now cycling off. Again. I was really using only one platform: Mastodon. But about a week ago, I signed out everywhere and deleted the apps and bookmarks. I’ve done this before with other social networks. After spending time on them, I grow weary or disenchanted and try Social Media Distancing. Sometimes I detox and disconnect. Maybe this time, I’ll break the cycle for good. Quitting is easy; not restarting is hard.

No Need For Feeds

Well, I did a thing. I’m trying to free my mind from content feeds and the near incessant pull to check, check, check them. The human brain, though neuromarvelous, is not a computer. An app can aggregate hundreds of websites with new content to feed on, but it always ends up overwhelming and never-ending — infinite scroll. My brain simply can’t keep up. So I’ve ditched feeds.

Put Down The Phone And Read A Book

Like I said in my last post, I’ve been enjoying reading again, especially thanks to my Kindle. Nearing the end of my current book, I’m faced with the common question: which book should I read next? With many good ones on my to-read list, this can be a tough choice. Besides that, with many good games to play — and so little time — things get even tougher. There happens to be, though, a certain non-fiction book that I’m eager to soak into my brain. But there’s also another particular fiction novel that I NEED to read.

Kindle My Love For Reading

Recently, I dusted off my Kindle and resumed enjoying a good book that I had digitally shelved months ago. It’s called, “Pure Invention”. Now I’m reading an eBook called, “The Paradox of Choice.” How have I found time for all this reading? I paused YouTube for 20 days. And thanks to severing my brain from the sticky tendrils of its video vortex, I’ve rediscovered the blessing that is my Kindle Paperwhite — especially in the black of night.

Give Up Social Media?

Thanks to a recent post from Kev, I’m replying by blog. He asked a simple question that may or may not have a simple answer: “Could you give up social media?” As a good blog post can do, it got me thinking.

Back On The Digital Path

After almost a month of experimenting, I’m back from the last millennium. Analog planning with pen and paper was nice. But I can’t overcome the convenience and efficiency of digital planning, note taking, and journaling. Yet it was no waste of time. With renewed first-hand knowledge of handwriting, I now have a refreshed appreciation for the digital lifestyle.

Apple Watch Upgrade To Analog

For the time being, I’m done with smart-watches. Yesterday I bought a “dumb” watch — a traditional analog time piece. It does only two things (okay, three): shows the time, date, and lights up. That’s it. Simple. And that’s the best feature: simplicity.

Lego DeLorean Time Machine Build

One of the most influential icons in cinema helped spark my fascination with technology. And this past Father’s Day, my three teens gifted it to me: DeLorean Time Machine.

A Personal Site Versus Social Media

I enjoyed reading a recent post on Kev Quirk’s blog in which he replied to a question: why bother having a personal site when social media works well enough for presence? Kev had good responses, but I wanted to add one.

Cheers For New Tagging Feature On Pika

I’ve been a happy paying customer on Pika for most of this year. The new blog host platform debuted with minimal features for wonderful simplicity, its greatest strength. Yet my most wanted feature, I think, was tags. And today it’s here! I’m excited, but also cautious, to let the tagging begin.

Planning To Plan With A Planner

Sometimes the simplest solution is best. That's a key point in my analog adventure. Yet most surprising for me is, despite being a tech geek and digital adopter, I recently started using a paper Planner for the first time in my 40+ years of living. This is new territory. There’s a Planner and planning rabbit hole that goes deep, with endless attractive stationery.

Adventures In Analog

Sparked with fresh interest, I began enjoying the Apple Pencil 2 to handwrite and sketch on iPad over the past six weeks. The more I used it, the more I liked it. Digital handwriting instead of typing felt intriguing and satisfying. But then — to my surprise — I shifted to analog. Using the Pencil on iPad led me back to old-school penmanship and stationery.

Many More Things Coming To Apple Devices

Howdy y’all, here are more thoughts after WWDC24. This round, I’m scoping out the overview grab bag of new stuff I’m looking forward to.

Apple Journal Growing Great

As you might guess, I’m into JOURNALING. I mean, you’re reading Jason Journals, yeah? My blog is my public journal on certain subjects. But I also have a private journal on personal topics. It’s a daily lifestyle habit I’ve come to love. I also love Apple tech, so you’d think I’d be all over its new Journal app, which debuted last year. But no. At least, not yet.

Sorting Out Apple’s New Mail And Photos

Hi y’all, WWDC24 has come and gone. I slurped up all the info about it until my brain exploded. Fun times. I have thoughts; here I’m covering the new Photos and Mail features.

Apple Launches Its AI Era

I’ve enjoyed learning about the new stuff Apple plans to release over the next year. There’s just a lot to take in. The biggest thing, of course, is Apple’s use of AI — must follow the tech trend I guess. I’ll share some thoughts on this, but note my stance on AI in general is not favorable.

Apple Platforms Get Custom Makeovers

Leading up to Apple’s WWDC24, rumors suggested iPhone would get its biggest redesign ever. Unfortunately, it’s not as big a redesign as I expected. I thought it would be on par with the iOS 7 redesign, which still stands as The Big One. In fact, the iPhone X / iOS 11 redesign was no less significant than the iOS 18 one. Also, the makeover is coming to iPad.

A Simple Journal Setup

I’ve used various journal apps over the years. For now, I’m settled on a simple one that has served me well before — Apple Notes. Yet I’ve also got Apple’s new-ish Journal app in the back of my mind. Maybe I’ll switch to it; maybe not.

Uppercase NimbleSleeve Is A Noteworthy Upgrade

Last week, I got a new grip on my Apple Pencil. It’s called NimbleSleeve, by UPPERCASE. It’s nice.

Switch To Mac Gaming?

You know, I was thinking more about gaming only on my MacBook and that I’d give the Nintendo Switch a break. It seems to be winding down anyways as the likely debut of Switch 2 approaches.

Blogging With Pika Performance

From March 1st through June 1st, I’ve blogged on new host, Pika. That’s a whole season, a quarter of a year. So how’s it working out? Splendidly. It’s been long enough for the novelty to wear off, the honeymoon phase to settle into routine. Yet it still feels fresh. After three months, jumping onto my dashboard to draft a post keeps scratching my blogging itch.

iPad Plus Pencil A Perfect Pair

Thanks to last month’s news of Apple’s iPad refresh, I’ve been enjoying my own iPad renaissance. First, I decided to simply use iPad as — wait for it — a tablet. Crazy, I know. Next, I pushed it to become a quasi-desktop computer. Yes, yes. Good so far. Now it’s also becoming an art canvas. Oh, also a notebook.

Much Work And Little Play

Happy June, y’all. Feels like Summer time is underway. It’s been a busy season for me already. My brain hasn’t been able to engage hobbies lately; I’ve been super focused on work.

iPad Mouse Trapped

After enjoying the iPad in desktop-mode, I tried to push it even further with Stage Manager on my external display. That was quite nice. But the road of mouse control was a dead end for two reasons: scrolling was painful and cursor control felt janky. Before I explain why, let me recap a bit.

WWDC24 Wishlist

It’s fun to think of potentially cool new features from Apple that we might enjoy on forthcoming devices later this year. There are things I hope to see. But there’s something I hope to NOT see.

iPad In Desktop Mode

To help my iPad Air easily go from tablet-mode to desktop-mode, I recently bought two items from Amazon: a stand and a case. They both turned out great, proving very useful.

More iPad And Less MacBook

For the past week, I’ve been using my M1 iPad Air 5 much more than my MacBook— almost exclusively — but I’m not trying to replace a laptop. I’m simply using it as originally intended: something between a laptop and a smartphone that’s much better at some key tasks. And it’s splendid.

My Blogging Workflow

Howdy, here’s a quick post on how my blog workflow works. My blogflow is simple enough to do straight from my cellular telephone. I want publishing a blog post to be as simple as posting a micropost directly in social media.

Every Tablet I’ve Ever Owned

This past weekend, I peeled my iPad out of its accessory cocoon, revealing its svelte industrial design, a magic pane of glass with aluminum trim. It had been my laptop replacement, but now it’s just my tablet computer — it’s fantastic. With this iPad refreshing, Apple’s recent iPad news, and like some bloggers lately (here, here, here), I’m re-telling my iPad journey.

Refreshing iPad

Apple updated its iPads this week. Tech news and social outlets have shared much food for thought about the new features and overall philosophy of iPad. It’s made me wonder. How might I better utilize my own iPad these days since I prefer my MacBook? Do I like the iPad as much as I once did?

Daring To Take A New Job

Time flies. I’ve been less active online lately because my brain has been very preoccupied offline. A break from social media is usually a good thing, but I don’t like to skip out of blogging. I haven’t even played video games in over a week. My focus has been on work at my day job.

Reminders In Calendar Like Peanut-Butter In Chocolate

Oh yeah, I’ve been wanting this for a long time. Apple Insider reports that time/date-based tasks in the Reminders app will finally appear in the Calendar app alongside events.

Apple Vision Pro Fessional

From M.G. Siegler’s piece about Apple’s recent earnings call, commenting on Apple Vision Pro, quoting Tim Cook, emphasis mine,

Something About Siri

On my way home from work today, I asked Siri on my iPhone to remind me to do something later tonight. It worked, like usual. But then I wondered, “Can Siri take a note?” Seems simple enough. But…

Finishing Star Ocean Second Story R

Thursday night, I finished another JRPG — woo-hoo! Star Ocean: Second Story R kept me entertained for about 38 hours playtime, and nearly every minute was well enjoyed. I liked it so much that, around half-way through the game, I bought Star Ocean: First Departure R for my backlog. Finishing the game almost didn’t happen though.

Gaming On My Mac

You may have heard of the popular game Stardew Valley. I sure have; it was on my wishlist for years — until this week. Now it’s on my backlog since plunking down $14.99 for it on Steam. Wait, am I switching from gaming on my Nintendo Switch? Maybe, kinda, sorta?

On My Way To Stardew Valley

Lately, I’ve had the urge to play Stardew Valley (finally). After being on my wishlist for years, I bought it a few days ago and am half-eager to get into it and half-afraid it will suck all my spare time away (as if zombie scrolling a social algo-feed doesn’t already do that to some degree — side-eyeing Threads).

I’ll Try Your Caramel Macchiato

During lunch today, I wanted a delicious coffee. I’d planned to hit the Dunkin’ Donuts drive-thru but at the lest second turned toward a new-to-me local place: Moose Mountain Coffee.

Expectations For Apple’s WWDC24

Leading up to WWDC24, the tech web is abuzz with new feature expectations. A big one is Apple playing up AI in its ecosystem (yet the company has touted a “Neural engine” for years). But I’m only interested in the potentially biggest change to iPhone since iOS 7, something Android has had for well over a decade.

Eight Gigs Is Enough Gigs

A recent Vergecast and related chatter on Threads has once again raised the question about MacBooks in 2024 starting with 8GB RAM for memory. And me on my M1 MacBook Air with 8GB of RAM is going to chime in.

Trying On Threads Again

This week, maybe all of April, I’m scaling back a bit from Mastodon as I give Threads another try. It has slowly been opening to federation lately, which seems good.

What JRPG Means To Me

In video gaming, I think most people generally know what a JRPG is. But JRPGs may be hard to define, genres can overlap, and distinctions are not necessarily clear as elemental crystals. So in this post, let me share what JRPG means to me.

If Apple Made A Dual Screen Foldable

Some phones bend in half. Some tablets fold. All have a giant crease in the display that you can see and feel. I don’t like that. And I think there’s no way Apple would make such a thing; it’s not elegant. But I do think if Apple made a dual-screen device (like the Microsoft Surface Duo), it would sell more units than the Apple Vision Pro headset. And I’d probably buy it.

Pika Simplicity Makes Blogging A Pleasure

The more I use Pika, the more I like:

Star Ocean - The Second Story R Impression

This game is impressive. If you like JRPGs, it’s a must play. Even if you prefer turn-based, you should still give this action-RPG a few hours chance; you’ll know by then if it’ll be worth a play through. And if you like RPGs from the 90s, Star Ocean: The Second Story R is superb.

Stardew Valley Impression

I’m only 21 game days into it but am having a lot of fun in Stardew Valley. I left my cubicle job for Loblolly Farm, my new home and way of living. Resources abound, there’s lots to do, people to meet, and things to learn.

Celiac Diseased Maniac Has First Colonoscopy

Hi, I’m Jason, and I’m a Celiac. I got the “diseased maniac” line from Superman the movie (1978). I’m closer to 50 than to 30 and have had this gluten problem from birth, hence my first ever colonoscopy today. I survived!

A Good Enough Meeting About Pika

Last week, I was fortunate to meet on a video call with members of the Good Enough team, the company behind blog hosting platform, Pika. They wanted to learn a little bit about some of Pika’s early bloggers and how they’re using it.

Apple AirPods Fight Cool Competition

In this week’s Power On newsletter at Bloomberg, Mark Gurman writes about Apple’s next versions of AirPods:

Pokémon Violet Indefinite Pause

Okay. I say this with a bit of a sigh, but I’ve decided to not finish Pokémon Violet for now. This post is to justify wimping out.

Two 80s Cars Got Me Into Tech

I was asked this week what caused me to get into technology. Part of the answer is that I grew up as a kid in the 80s, and the debut of home video game consoles (Atari, Nintendo) played a huge role in drawing me into the coolness of electronics. They’re interactive and fun! I later realized that, in fact, there were very strong and particular influences that made me, “Wow!” at tech as it was or could be: two 80s cars.

Dune Part Two Is A Must See

If you enjoyed the first Dune movie, you must see part two. If you read the first book but haven’t watched either movie, stop reading this post, buy some overpriced buttery popcorn and a fizzy soda, and watch both movies. Then come back to read this spoiler-free post.

WordPress To Pika Migration

Just a bit of blog status news here. Over the next few months or so, I plan to copy my posts from WordPress to my new host, Pika. The Jason Journals archive will repopulate here as I plan for this to be my new home going forward. It’s a great blogging platform so far!

My Apple Laptop Was A Chromebook Air

I’ve been deep in Apple’s ecosystem for several years. So it might be surprising that my MacBook Air became a Chromebook Air over the past six weeks. Then again, I’m a tech geek, so it’s not too great a shocker.

Happy Mario Day 2024

For Mar10 day, I’m remembering my first Mario experiences, way back in the 8-bit 80s. The last series game I played was Super Mario 3D World on the Wii U. But the first time I ever experienced Mario cost me a few quarters.

Trading WordPress Perks For Pika’s Simplicity

Early this year, I wrote about staying with WordPress, noting that much of the grass was greener there. And I wanted to hold onto certain features: subscribers, comments, readers, and the community.

Apple’s Poor Optics

I’ve been an Apple fan (boy?) for a while. The company’s hardware is excellent. The company itself, though, is less so in my eyes these days, due to its apparently greedy or self-serving business practices of late.

Why Leave WordPress Again?

In January, I wrote about settling into WordPress instead of jumping ship. The manual HTML work, migrating my posts to Neocities, was infeasible. I just wanted to blog. WordPress was the path of least resistance. But now I’m thinking about un-settling from WordPress (again).

More Bloggy And Personal On Pika

Okay, here’s a little observation about blogging on Pika I’ve had. What is kind of hitting me about it is that, thanks to its clean and simple design (how it looks and works), it helps me blog better. Or I should say it helps me write more like a blogger and less like an editorialist or essayist. It helps me feel like I can be less formal, more personal.

My First VR Experience Was Eye Opening

Alright, I finally got to try a VR headset. It wasn’t Apple Vision Pro. It was the Meta Quest 2 that my 17 year old son recently bought. My first taste of VR was the game Beat Saber.

First Impressions Of Blog Host Pika

There’s something about Pika, which I’m loving after a few days of use. It’s more than just simple or minimal; it’s pure and elegant. The typography and layout of text and links are exquisite.

What If Apple Makes A Game Controller?

Recent news suggests Apple Arcade isn’t doing as well as it should. From mobilgamer.biz:

My First Pika Post

It’s March 1, 2024. And this is my first post on Pika.

I just discovered Pika this week after hearing how WordPress.com (my current blog host) would start selling user data to A.I. companies. I opted out…

A.I. Is Messing With WordPress

A.I. is getting into everything, and it’s gotten on my nerves. It’s disruptive, and its promise or potential still seems overhyped to me. Most recently, A.I. is disrupting Tumblr and WorPress.com. I already had much unwelcome upheaval with WordPress a couple years back and am in no mood to repeat such. Yet here I am, contemplating once again migrating to a new blog host. Sigh.

Apple Ring Does Not Need To Be A Thing

There’s talk about Apple making a smart fitness ring, because “wearables.” In Mark Gurman’s latest Power On, he lists reasons for it. But for all of them, a device already exists. It just lacks an Apple logo and an overly high price tag. Yet Apple’s ring would be “magical,” right? Well, Gandalf cautions against magic rings.

New Blogging Themes

WordPress has a few new themes this month that really stand out. One reason is about their aesthetics. The other reason, even better, is about their purpose. The noteworthy themes are: Strand, Bedrock, and Nook.

Not Sure I Need A Magnetic Charger

In January, I said I would buy No New Tech. I meant I should try to keep using my current main devices this year. So far, so good, though tech temptation has occurred. I did buy a small new accessory: a MagSafe charger for my iPhone. While it solves a problem, I kind of feel like a chump for buying it.

Giving Up Device Storage

It’s 2024 and modern computing is of course all about the cloud. It has taken me years to reluctantly adopt and appreciate its convenience. Until recently, I’ve bemoaned that device makers include too little internal drive storage, forcing folks to rely on the cloud, which brings in those perpetual subscription fees. But now I’m finally giving up the need for tons of bytes inside my machine. 256GB inside a $1,000 MacBook? 64GB inside a Chromebook, iPad, or iPhone? Okay, fine, you win, sign me up for more cloud storage.

20 Years Of Feacebook

Somehow I totally missed Facebook’s 20th birthday or anniversary on February 4th, 2024. I need a moment to just let that number sink in…twenty years…since Facebook became a thing. In technology and internet fields, that’s a crazy-long time for anything to not become obsolete. And for Facebook, it’s more surprising due to its countless controversies over the last two decades. Yet it keeps making billions of dollars off the billions of people still using it today. And I’m one of those people.

Good Enough Computing

Have you heard of “good enough computing?” I happened across this term recently and it caught my interest. I haven’t read much about the subject yet, but it sounds akin to both a simple and frugal approach to what computer devices and apps one chooses to rely on. Of course, this ties into the idea of the “Apple Tax” and things like a $3,500 Vision Pro headset versus, for example, a $350 Chromebook. (Yeah, this geek has the audacity to compare a 3D VR headset with a “just a browser” laptop.)

Apple Vision Pro A No Go At Launch

The 3D headset from Apple is now available. Apple’s new platform, and the so-called new paradigm of Spatial Computing, is here. Whether it’s the future of computing or just a big fancy iPad for your face is unclear, though it’s likely somewhere in between. I’ve taken in some reviews and remain unsold. The high price isn’t the only issue. I’m reluctant to have Apple’s ecosystem further lock me in with yet another device. And I’m concerned with people burying their faces in headsets; it seems like total screen capitulation at a time when more people see the need to “touch grass.”

A Groundhog Tradition Again

Well it’s Groundhog Day…again…and I’m enjoying my annual re-watch of one of my all-time favorite movies, Groundhog Day. In the spirit of the film and its repetition, I’m re-blogging my Groundhog Day post from previous years below. Enjoy.

Developing My JRPG Rating System

Playing JRPGs is fun and challenging. Ranking them is a big challenge too. I’ve been engaged with both lately - good times. A few years ago, I ranked my top JRPGs, which was super hard because some were practically tied. Now I’ve decided to make my own rating system, allowing overall scores to rank the games for me. So far, I like the results.

Why I Switched Back To Day One

Day One is a great journaling app, and I’m back to using it. One day I’ll stop switching up my apps, but today is not that day. It’s not surprising that I changed my setup again. And it shouldn’t be surprising that I’ve chosen Day One since it’s so good at what it does.

Back To Playing The Roles

I love a good RPG: fantasy, fun, escapism, engrossing, exploration, combat, magic, characters, plot, strategy, puzzles. There’s a lot to enjoy. These good things take time, and it’s time for me to resume play. My growing backlog is a shame to ignore; I added two new RPGs to it this week. So I’m back in the role-playing game!

Confessions Of A Chronic Switcher

Hello, my name is Jason, and I am a chronic switcher. When it comes to computing workflows, I guess you could say I try to be fluent in many. Flipping back and forth between different devices, apps, platforms, and ecosystems seems to be a habit and hobby of mine. There may be benefits, but it’s not all rosy. I switch things up for various reasons and mostly have fun with it, but the cost of switching can take a toll.

Greener Grass With WordPress

With a sense of relief, I recently aborted my daunting blog migration process. Since it was hand-coding, the time and effort required was impractical for me. Besides, leaving WordPress would mean losing several benefits. So while some grass was greener elsewhere, I’m going to water the grass where I’m already standing; it will grow greener.

WordPress Won Me Over Again

I’ve had a heartfelt change of mind. Instead of migrating to a new blog host this year, I decided it’s best to stay put. Despite its warts, WordPress will remain my blogging home. Why this decision, and what about my HTML site at NeoCities? Good questions.

Neo Blogflow

This post is meta. If you’re curious enough about how I’m currently blogging, read on. Else, fuggedaboudit. I’ve been posting at two sites: WordPress and Neocities. The latter mirrors the former, starting back in August last year. I’ve prioritized Neocities in order to learn HTML+CSS and have direct and total control over my whole blog. I might migrate there this year and leave WP behind. I might not. For now, I post to my HTML site first. Then I post to WordPress.

My 2024 Reading Prospect

With the year refreshed, it’s time again to renew my annual goal for reading 12 books in 12 months. And this time, I’ll try to not repeat my previous failure. So far, I’ve read zero of twelve but am on track. My kindle awaits.

20 Year Career Milestone

Tech is the typical topic on this blog. But today I want to highlight a personal milestone, one I’ve anticipated over the distant horizon for years. Now it’s finally here. I’ve somehow managed to stay working in the same career for 20 years. And there’s no telling how many more I might go.

No New Tech

A new year means a fresh start with new goals. For me in 2024, there’s one resolution: no new tech (well, mostly). I shouldn’t replace, upgrade, or switch out any of my gadgets. So long as my current devices keep working well, I’ll try to be content with what I have. Yet this might be too lofty or noble a twelve-month challenge for me; I’m not totally resolute. It’s a feasible goal, but I’m likely to upgrade something.