tech

  • I started running again. Well, more accurately, I ran this morning. I’m trying to reform the habit.

    This was the first time I ran outside since I ran a 10K in November 2016, IIRC. I decided to start again because I need to do something, and running requires the least amount of setup.

    Something that excites me is running without my phone on me, which I may have done on occasion in the past. But now that I have an Apple Watch Ultra + AirPods Pro 2, it’s much more plausible for me to run, listen to music, and still have enough battery life to get me through the day.

    It was really nice not having a monstrous phone swinging back and forth in my pocket.

    March 27, 2023

  • March 10, 2023

    One Week with the Apple Watch Ultra

    It’s been a week with the Apple Watch Ultra and I love it.

    I like big watches in general, so the extra screen real estate is clutch. I have a few faces I’ve been using with it, depending on Focus Mode and Context:

    Main Face with lots of complications
    Weekend face with weather, sports, pedometer
    Personal focus mode in evenings
    Sleep/wind down face

    There are a few things I really love about this watch, outside of the bigger face:

    • The incredible battery life. I can get about 2 days without charging it at all. Which means I get to use another new-to-me feature
    • Sleep tracking. I’ve never been much of a sleep tracker, but at the end of this month, I’m doing a sleep study where I’ll certainly be diagnosed with sleep apnea. I’m excited to compare the data on the watch to data from a proper study.
    • The Action Button. Right now I have it executing my “idea” shortcut, but I might change that (see below).
    • The Swipe Keyboard. I like that I don’t always have to talk to my watch.

    There are a few quibbles I have, which might have less to do with the hardware, and more to do with the software:

    • Forced keyboard usage for input. I’d much rather the watch default to talking (or at least make it a setting). Because of that, I might change the Action Button, since that forces the keyboard and using voice to execute the shortcut does not.
    • No Battery Tracking. This was an issue I had on the Series 5 too. I like that I can see battery stats on my iPhone. I wish I could see it on the watch too. Some app (I think Overcast) went haywire and crushed my battery at one point.

    Those are it though! Since the battery life is so good, I’ve decided I’m also going to experiment with leaving my phone at home more and rely on the watch for communication and notes. We’ll see how long it lasts.

  • December 30, 2022

    Favorites of 2022

    The end of the year is always a fun time for me to reflect on many things and look forward to what’s coming. 2022 is even more special because it’s the year I left web development to focus on podcasting full-time.

    As part of that, I like to review my favorite tech and media from the past year. I’ve been doing it for 14 years! The only change this year: I’m no longer labeling the tech and media section. It used to be only tech, then half and half. Now it’s mostly non-tech.

    Let’s get into it.

  • January 13, 2022

    What’s in my Backpack (Winter 2022)

    It’s 2022 and God-willing, many people will be back to traveling again! I already have 2 conferences planned1and at least 1 family vacation.

    As a result I’ve reassessed by bag situation and, as an end of the year bonus, picked up a new bag. So here’s a look at everything in my travel back for 2022.

  • December 28, 2020

    Favorites of 2020

    This is my 7th Annual Favorites Post. At some point I guess I should starting the posts like that! If you’re new here, I like to recap my favorite tech and media picks for the past year. I try to have them come out close to the year they’re picked, but that’s not always the case. It might just be the year I consumed them, or the year they got popular, as you’ll see with my gadget pick! Let’s get to it.

    (more…)

  • August 4, 2020

    Find the Right Podcast Membership Benefits with Stephen Hackett

    Stephen Hackett is one of my favorite podcasters, and cofounded my favorite podcast network, Relay.fm. Back in 2018, I spoke to his co-founder Myke Hurley about starting podcasts. Since then, Relay has really ramped up their membership program and I though Stephen would be the perfect guy to talk to about putting out tons of content and deciding what to make free, and what to make paid. Sponsored by Yes Plz, iThemes Security Pro, and TextExpander.

    (more…)

    Read at Source

  • January 16, 2019

    iPad Pro Gear That Helps Me Work

    A couple of weeks ago I wrote about making my iPad Pro my travel laptop. In an effort to get comfortable with using the iPad regularly, I also try to spend some quality time on at when I’m at my desk. You’ve likely seen some photos of my desk set up with the iPad on it, and today I want to go through some of the gear I’m using to make the iPad feel more like a desktop.

    (more…)

  • September 21, 2018

    My Tech Travel Grid

    One of the best speaker gifts I got from was from WordCamp Grand Rapids. It’s this nifty zip up pouch for wires and small chargers. It’s super useful, compact, and great for organizing all the things I bring with me when I travel. In this post, I’m going to outline everything I carry with me. Let’s get started!

    (more…)