Numeric Citizen Blog

It’s 2025 and I’m still fascinated by the lack of efficiency of barcode or QRcode reading equipments at airports or train stations which greatly reduce the flow of people trying to catch their flight or train.

I love those courtyards which are everywhere in Europe, especially in bigger and denser cities like Rome. Always something interesting or intriguing to see and catch.

Back on the train after a day in Pompeii, Italy 🇮🇹 . We can see the Vesuvius volcano in the backdrop. What a beautiful and fascinating place. If you go there, spend the whole day. Don’t miss a pizza at the Pizzeria de la gare. 😋

Finally made it to Rome Italy 🇮🇹 . The first day is always the hardest one, thanks to the jet lag 😵😵‍💫🥱. But I always try to keep my photography eye on alert.

I simply don’t understand the value proposition of the rumoured Apple homeOS. I mean, most people got a smartphone in their hands which is always connected. If you happen to have HomeKit devices in your home, everything is close at hand with the Home app. We don’t need a specialized tablet to change lights and look at the doorbell camera, right? Are we?

Last day of work before a two-weeks vacation where I’ll spend some time visiting Rome, Pompeii, Ibiza, Valencia, Naples, Amalfi Coast, Taormina, Valletta and Palma; places that I’m eagerly waiting to visit! 😀

Apparently, Microsoft released updated Surface devices. Not much buzz about them, even with this questionable CoPilot+ moniker and branding. I don’t see them a lot in my professional life either.

Here’s an interesting idea from Parker Ortolani: portable memory format so that we can move our ChatGPT memory across generative AI service providers. THAT would be innovative. I think generative AI is so profound that preventing lock in would be seen as a positive sign of good will from the tech world, something we are missing these days.

Ten Years of... Bad Watch Faces?

David Sparks from MacSparky expresses his disappointment with the usability of Apple Watch faces since the original model was released in 2015. This resonates with me a lot. Using the Series 10 and I use essentially the same watch face, all the time: utility, because it’s the most readable. A possible solution to this conundrum? David Sparks’ suggestion:

Even better would be an Apple Watch Face Store, where classic watch makers and indie designers can sell digital versions of their iconic dials. Apple could take a cut, we’d get endless variety, and everyone would win.

I think this could help move the needle with sales of the Apple Watch while taking a cut, something Apple is well-known for… 😒

On Managing Digital Good Purchases

I just spent some time trying to find the payment provider for a specific app that charged me the wrong amount (paddle.net, which I won’t name). I realized I used different emails for different apps, so my purchases are scattered across those addresses. It’s a mess and hard to manage. The Apple App Store has many questionable rules, but having one place to manage purchases and subscriptions is invaluable.