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On December 18th of 2019, Here’s what I wrote on Micro.blog:
Now that Iām closing my account here on micro.blog Iām starting to get more interactions š¤·š»āāļø.
The responses I got were so enlightening, I changed my mind. What a great community. š
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From Appleās AirPort Exterme to Ubiquitiās Amplify HD
As reported in my previous blog post, I had a chance to perform a ātech refreshā of my sisterās WiFi installation at her house. As a satisfied user of Ubiquiti product, the Dream Machine, I suggested to go with a lower end model, the Amplify HD. She has a big two levels home, with numerous rooms that poses a challenge for good wireless connectivity. It was a delightful experience, from the unpacking to final configuration. Continue reading ā
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Replacing (Another) Aging AirPort Extreme Withā¦
In mid-2020, I wrote about my experience of replacing an aging Apple AirPort Extreme with an Ubiquitiās Dream Machine. Today, Iām kind of repeating the experience, but this time with the Amplify HD router, also from Ubiquiti, for my sister. Donāt expect a complete review, but expect a post with a few observations. My sister is having weak WiFi issues in her house and I suggested her to get the kit to form a mesh network. Continue reading ā
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Universal Control ā Finally!
Iām a big fan of Appleās Sidecar. I frequently use it for work. When Apple announced Universal Control at the 2021 WWDC keynote, I was blown away by the technical challenge it might have represented for Appleās engineers. It really makes for great demos. Then, I started to wonder if this feature would enable new workflows, and I failed to find meaningful ones. With Sidecar, the iPad acts like a passive device most of the time, and Iām happy with this configuration. Continue reading ā
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On HomePod mini with a screen - STOP!
Consider this recent article from 9to5Mac: Concept: How Apple could turn HomePod mini into a delightful and adorable smart display - 9to5Mac. Please, stop thinking that a screen on the HomePod mini makes sense because it just doesn’t. Why? Well, by looking at where we put these devices in our house, most of the time, you wouldn’t be able to see the screen from a distance. What Apple really wishes is that you buy an iPad mini with a Smart Folio cover for that purpose. Continue reading ā
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MP3 Files and the iPhone ā Harder Than Necessary
I find it surprisingly hard to find a simple MP3 player for an iPhone these days. I mean, just a simple application capable of downloading an MP3 file locally on the device with good playback controls, simple library management, nothing fancy. Readdle’s Documents (which I know very well) and EverMusic seem to be popular options. Documents offers a good user experience, albeit its multipurpose mission with documents management. (Iām a moderate consumer of Soundcloud (paid subscription) and use Downie to download files from the service. Continue reading ā
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Itās the Time of the Month to Start Crafting the Next Edition of My Monthly Newsletter
Well, itās the time of the month where I start to work on the next edition of my monthly newsletter (itās free BTW). I spend about ten to fifteen hours each month to put this together using my past readings and discoveries, Craft and Ulysses. Each time, itās a pleasure to create. I think I should put together an article about the workflow I use to create each newsletter. Would you find this interesting? Continue reading ā
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Yep, Notion is Bad
I’m nearly done with my Notion to Craft migration. I know I’ve been lazy; I’ve been using Craft for many months while my old content was still sitting there in Notion. While doing the migration, I realized, again, that I don’t really like Notion’s handling of a document. It just feels unnatural and quirky. Export options are very limited, which makes my job much harder. I’m also losing some metadata along the way (and database content too). Continue reading ā
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Give Me Some Time...
…and Iāll move out of 1Password. Itās on my to-do list for 2022. Gruberās article is a reminder that time is ticking. Iām just being too lazy to move my stuff out of 1Password and put that in Appleās Keychain. It takes time, which is a rare resource for me. I donāt like 1Passwordās direction. It seems to me that going the enterprise way is counterproductive for the average users. Continue reading ā
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Dear Apple: Bring Back the Dashboard
I want this so much. We have to voice our desire to get back the Dashboard on macOS. As explained by 512px a long time ago: Jobs pitched widgets as mini-apps that let you look up a quick bit of information without ruining your workflow or train of thought. They allowed for quick interactions. They were present when you needed them, and disappeared when you didnāt. Why try to imagine new solutions to fix the widgets conundrum on macOS? Continue reading ā
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Taking Advantage of the iPad Screen
Consider the previous annotated screenshot from Matter. Way too many applications have the same design issue. Why, in 2022, developers cannot fix these wasted space? I see that the content is of the same width if the iPad is used in portrait or landscape orientation. Why not adjust width dynamically? Is it that hard? Continue reading ā
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About iMessage - Again
Appleās Messages app, why does it only support iMessage and SMS? iChat had support for AIM, Yahoo Messanger, ICQ, and XMPP. Why hasnāt Apple gone beyond the blue and green bubbles, introducing support for additional protocols with more message bubble colors? Apple likes control. They didn’t have it with those protocols. How could they implement things like CSAM? Source: The Green Bubble Myth - Initial Charge Continue reading ā
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Iām a Big Fan of Craft Butā¦
As you probably know, Iām a big fan of Craft. This application is really at the center of everything I do online, as thoroughly documented in my blogger workflow. That being said, I always keep an eye open for competing services, thanks to my Twitter list āApps & Servicesā. Notion is one of them. Before Craft, there was Notion, which I loved too. But it felt too complicated or overkill for my needs. Continue reading ā
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Exploring the World of DJing
I always liked electronic music, but Iām not a musician. In recent moths, Iāve been exploring the world of DJing. Itās a way for me to feel that I can do music without deep knowledge of musical theory. Itās a fascinating world. Last year I bought a Pioneer DDJ-400 controller for use with my Mac mini. There is two major roadblocks in my experience so far: finding good quality tracks to mix and selecting the best DJ app. Continue reading ā
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Green vs Blue Bubbles: The Definitive And Honest Point of View
A few days ago, I wrote a small commentary post regarding the WSJ article on Appleās iMessage, its effects on the crowd of young iPhone users, and how Apple is being evil. Man, itās a pale and superficial perspective compared to Gruberās view of the article, and the controversy that followed. Must read, if this short-lived controversy is picking up your curiosity. Continue reading ā
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On iOS 15 Update Conundrum ā Why Apple Is Changing is Mind
Apple finally published the numbers of people who upgraded to iOS 15 and iPadOS 15. While the percentages show the vast majority of users upgraded their devices, there are more people than with previous years who didnāt. Itās probably Appleās fault. With iOS 15, Apple is no longer forcing users to adopt the latest release to get the latest security updates. A user running iOS 14.7 can stay there as long as he can apply the security patches made available for that version. Continue reading ā
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Bye Bye 500px
It was written on the walls: my subscription to 500px is coming to an end next week, and I won’t renew. It was a nice ride for sure, but Smugmug + Glass took over. Sure, comparing those services isn’t fair. For my needs, 500px doesn’t fit anymore. Another reason is the fact that I’m not taking as many photos as I used to, thanks to the pandemic. I’ll keep my 500px account but in “read-only” mode for the year to come. Continue reading ā
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Carriers vs Apple
Om Malik writing on the iPhone fifteen anniversary and the carrier companies at the time (emphasis is mine): These were wireless walled gardens crammed with absolutely rotten apps, games, and everything from mobile backgrounds to ringtones. They were an opportunity for carriers to nickel-and-dime their customers and extracted mafia-like fees from startups. Source: Looking back: iPhone & its impact on mobile industry & us. ā On my Om I have great admiration for Mr. Continue reading ā
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Working from home since March 2020. Over the months, I made quite a few tweaks to my home office. I’m so much more at ease at home than at the office with a desk, a chair, a lamp, and devices that I chose, instead of being imposed on me.
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"Itās not just how things look, itās about how things work."
Somehow, I missed David Sparks’ observations regarding the Wallpaper feature of Apple’s Design Team (emphasis is mine): Instead of quoting Steve Jobs, I would have preferred an explanation from Alan Dye about his philosophy of user interface design and what his north star is when he does his work. Iād like him to make his case. If he explained the thinking behind this minimal approach, it might make more sense. Maybe this article was never meant to be that kind of deep dive on design philosophy, but it feels like a missed opportunity. Continue reading ā
