It seems age has finally caught up with me and the squinting at my iPhone screen has become a problem.
I’m going to trial an iPhone 15 Pro Max as an alternative for the next week. (Or, failing that, just give up reading text on screens smaller than 12 inches).
And yes, I’ll remember to return it to Apple before the generous returns window passes.
Saturday, February 3, 2024
I’ve had a super productive morning I went into the office as soon as I was showered and dressed this morning. Yes, on a Saturday morning! I wanted to take advantage of an empty building to record some content for my podcast and YouTube channel. And what do you know, as long as nobody is slamming doors or making loud phone calls in the corridor outside, I can get a lot of recording done.Packing up in the office, to head home and go to the gym.
I slacked off yesterday as I had to meet a deadline once I got back from Japanese class. But no excuses this evening!
Plus, I have a metric ton of Apple Vision Pro review videos to watch as I pump away on the elliptical.
I finally realised this week that not every domain I own requires its own project!
I’ve put a couple of them to good use with carrd, as one page profile sites. These point to all my other accounts and sites. For example, richardmackinnon.me.
I’m going to let most other domains expire this year. I was metaphorically hoarding domains and all the time feeling bad I wasn’t doing much with them. And I’ve lot account of the number of blogs I’ve started over the years, all because I owned a snappy URL. No more. A bit of digital housekeeping this week has resulted in the cancellation of several services, and deletion of sites.
I’m a lot happier as a result.
Finally realised my online presence is a mess and I have too many accounts and too much duplication. And therefore, too much time spent online. Time to strip things back to something sensible. Each account or platform needs to have a purpose.
Snip snip.
Sunday, January 7, 2024
Welcome to the first in a (hopefully) ongoing series of posts reviewing the week that was. Two big themes spring to mind as I write this: Wellbeing One week into the new year and I’m attempting to undo some of the damage of a very lazy and overindulgent last few months of 2023. I’m really happy with the amount of exercise I was able to do this week, whether it was running, walking or using our much-neglected gym downstairs.Sunday, January 7, 2024
I had a friend over for dinner and Nintendo last night, and we had the most fun. I haven’t connected my Nintendo Switch to the TV in months and months, so had to charge everything and download some updates first. But it was worth the minor hassle. I cracked open ‘Super Mario Bros. Wonder’ for the first time - it was a Christmas gift from my other half - and we played it for a solid ninety minutes before eating, laughing constantly.Saturday, December 23, 2023
Inspired by the ‘Defaults’ post by Robb Knight, here are my default apps for a whole host of things: Mail client: Mail.app for personal, Spark for work Calendar: Fantastical Cloud file storage: iCloud for personal, Google Drive for work Contact management: Contacts.app Browser: Safari Chat: Messages.app, WhatsApp Notes: Notes.app for personal, NotePlan for work To-do: Things 3 Photography: Camera.app Photo management: Photos.app Spreadsheets: Google Sheets Word processing: Google Docs Presentations: KeynoteWednesday, November 22, 2023
One of the things that made this month’s trip to Japan even more enjoyable was the weak Yen. Everything was significantly cheaper than on our last visit, back in March. It made food and drink laughably cheap and meant I could pick up a few gifts for family, as well as some clothes, without any guilt. And even though I wasn’t planning on it at all (honest), I also ended up upgrading my laptop while I was in Tokyo.I recorded another time lapse of the river with my DJI Pocket 3 this afternoon. It compresses 30mins of footage into just 2mins of video. You can check it out on YouTube:
I’m already planning the similar videos I’m going to take once I get to Tokyo!
Tuesday, October 31, 2023
My new camera has just arrived! The DJI Osmo Pocket 3. And it’s a beauty. I opted for the ‘Creator Combo’, as I’m just going to end up buying all these accessories separately later anyway. I have just over a week to figure it all out, then I’m off to Japan for ten days. Expect plenty of footage from Okinawa and Tokyo upon my return. I’ve never owned anything like this, so I have a lot to learn.Tuesday, October 31, 2023
While yesterday’s Apple event was super slick, there was nothing in it to get me reaching for my wallet. Which is a very positive thing! Don’t worry, I didn’t watch it live. I’m not that dedicated to the cult of Apple. I caught up on the news this morning. The new Macbook Pro models look lovely, but it’ll be quite some time before I have a definite need to upgrade. A ‘want’ yes, but no objective need.Tuesday, October 24, 2023
Given the timing, I won’t be staying up for next week’s Apple product announcement. After recent spends with Apple, that’s just as well. I don’t need any more technology temptation in my life. I’ll just enjoy reading the coverage the next morning with my coffee. I have an office set-up I’m really, really happy with. My Mac Mini and Studio display are the perfect combo for my webinars, meetings and video production workflows.Saturday, October 21, 2023
My Bellroy Tokyo Folio arrived yesterday afternoon. It’s everything I’d hoped for. Tough, splash-proof exterior with a well-designed interior. It fits my iPad Mini, an A5 notebook and a pen. There’s also a separate external pocket for my iPhone 15 Pro. Inside, the remaining pockets are big enough for an external iPhone battery, my AirPods Pro, a charging cable, a wallet and even my house keys. When traveling, there’s definitely room for my passport.Another day, another beautiful product from Bellroy.
I have to admit, I’ve been waiting for this to launch and bought it as soon as it was live on the Bellroy site. A new home for my iPad Mini and notebook.
I’ll share some pics and a review once it arrives.
Some initial thoughts after 48 hours with the new iPhone 15 Pro:
“After about 48 hours of use, I thought I’d note my initial impressions and spoiler: they’re all positive. Really.”
Sunday, September 24, 2023
One of the first photos I took outdoors with my new iPhone 15 Pro. We were blessed with unseasonal blue skies and sunshine here in London, so I made sure to look up for some good angles. I took this just down the street from my apartment, here in Canary Wharf, where’s there no shortage of interesting buildings reaching for the sky. So far, I’m loving the new phone and the camera is just one of the outstanding upgrades from my iPhone 13 Pro.Friday, September 22, 2023
It just so happens I’m working from home on the day my new iPhone 15 Pro is set to be delivered. What a coincidence! Though I may have to temper my excitement if it arrives later in the afternoon. I have a friend coming over for dinner and a film later on, and it would be quite anti-social to sit in the corner and set up my new phone with him here.Thursday, September 21, 2023
The second highlight of my day so far: Figuring our how to use the Dataview plug-in in Obsidian to search for client projects across disparates notes and provide me with a nicely-formatted list. I then created a ‘client’ template for pages, to bring together lists of client-specific projects and the people involved. So each client organisation gets a note, and each note lists what projects I’ve done for them and who I’ve worked with there.Thursday, September 21, 2023 →
The highlight of my day (so far):
Getting my dispatch notification email from Apple. My iPhone 15 Pro is on the way, in all its blue titanium glory. And now the waiting game ramps up a notch.
The next 24hrs is going to feel so long.
I’m watching endless iPhone 15 Pro review videos on YouTube, as if it will somehow speed up delivery of my new handset.
I’m still very happy I upgraded. No buyer’s remorse here. I just want to get my hands on it!
Roll on Friday.
Tuesday, September 19, 2023
Today’s the first time in a while that I’m really jiving with Obsidian. From my daily note, through to capturing new ideas and writing new content for the business blog. On reflection, I think it’s because I’m using templates intentionally and with more forethought. As in, what does future me want to do with this information? I’m also using the new properties functionality to include some very useful front matter to notes.I’m very tired and really need some sleep, but… I’m loving iOS17 so far. Seems like lots and lots of very small changes which combine for a great new experience.
Time to put the phone down and get ready for bed.
It’s time to update all the things…
Sunday, September 17, 2023
I’ve been tinkering with Drafts, a super-popular app that never quite stuck with me. And I’m not sure why. But after stumbling across a few enthusiastic YouTube videos and blog posts, I thought I’d give it another go. Over the last couple of days, something seems to have clicked. I realise I can take anything that pops into my mind and get it into Drafts in seconds - via my Macbook, iPad, iPhone or even Apple Watch.Saturday, September 16, 2023 →
Exploring ‘Dataview’ and how it can bring some structure to my notes in Obsidian.
Talk about trial and error! But I’m getting there. It looks super useful. I’d never make it as a developer, but I’m willing to persist with this.
Boom.
That sound you heard was my Amex card groaning under the strain of a new iPhone 15 Pro.
In Blue Titanium, obviously. I’m not a monster.
I didn’t opt for Pro Max in the end. After holding a max-sized case for a while, I simply realised my hands weren’t up to the task! Roll on Fri next week.
Tuesday, September 12, 2023
So just a couple of hours to go until Apple’s next event, where we are supposed to be seeing the launch of the iPhone 15 range. I’m sitting at my desk looking at my iPhone 13 pro with slightly sad eyes. I think having resisted the lure of the iPhone 14 pro, this may be the year that I upgrade. I’m not sure. USB-C sounds like a great idea. But is it enough to upgrade from a perfectly good handset?Friday, September 1, 2023
We popped into the Apple Store on Orchard Road to pick up some AirTags yesterday evening. They’re a lot cheaper here in Singapore than in London - plus, tax back! Anyway, I ended up fondling (there is no other word) the iPhone 14 Pro Max. I think my next iPhone is going to be a 15 Pro Max. 🤓 That’s quite a change from the iPhone 13 Pro I’m using now.Yay! My Micro.blog stickers arrived in the post.
Thanks @jean! The first one went on my bullet journal immediately. 📔
