Excursions

I didn’t follow the Apple event live – I was sleeping peacefully, unaware of what Apple was announcing. I’d also skipped the WWDC and Google I/O keynotes. Knowing that the improvements will only be incremental, my excitement for these tech events has dwindled in recent years.

I have been using a MacBook with Touch Bar for the past couple of weeks. I used this panel regularly for the first time. I can see why Apple wanted this to stick – when it works, it works well. For example, Zoom puts the buttons for full screen, mute, and video on/off front and centre. It, no doubt, speeds up the flow. But searching for the escape button is an absolute pain!

Apple screwed up the execution. Instead of replacing the row of function keys, this should have been an additional panel above the keyboard. It was ok even if this was available on the larger MacBooks only. But, alas. Apple knows better.

At a time, visiting Techmeme homepage was a respite from the typical downer news on the front page of mainstream news portals. They debated the political & legal mess we are in and advertised false promises. Instead, I would be excited by all the updates from the tech space – new hardware devices, new software updates.

Sigh! That time is no more. When I visited the Techmeme homepage, it was full of just what I was running from earlier – legal and political mess. And advertisements for stuff that isn’t available yet, something we call rumours.

While I was writing the post yesterday about my dependence on smartphones, I realized how misunderstood the term “dependence” has become in the context of this device. Most articles I read about this assume it is the indulgence or addiction one talks about. I was talking about neither of these – I depend on this device to carry out many of the tasks I regularly do. Unfortunately, this factor gets lost in all the hullabaloo about the addictive nature of smartphones.

It was 10 years ago today that I began a seven-day challenge not to log in to Facebook. I haven’t seen that timeline since then. It was a good, eye-opening challenge in that sense. Nice!

I have been a PC guy since I was 10 years old. The first version that I used was Windows 95. I stayed the longest with Windows 98. I fell in love with Windows XP even on my PC hardware that didn’t support the OS well then.

However, what I had for this platform wasn’t love. For the small town I am from, Windows was the default platform. At home, in school and at work. Mac OS wasn’t a name anyone had heard. Linux was limited to textbooks.

I dabbled with the latter during my bachelor’s and the developer in me was instantly captivated. It wasn’t ready to replace the default OS on my desktop though. There was still some time to go before it could go mainstream. So like most folks around me, I dual-booted Windows and Linux.

However, I believe things have improved since then. There are many “flavours” of Linux today that target users beyond developers. Why not then should I give them a try again?

So I have been running Linux as my primary OS for more than a few months now. I haven’t missed my default platform yet. It may not still be ready for all the people that Microsoft targets with Windows. But it is ready to be the default platform for many tech-minded folks out there.

I am not going back to Windows anymore. I don’t have any incentive,

PS: I am trying Chrome OS Flex currently. I am pretty impressed with this flavour of an operating system. It’s light and fast. Plus it also runs Linux now. Except for the fear of Google, this platform has a lot going for it.

My daughter regularly uses the assistants at home – for timers, for reminders. To play songs that she loves. She even asks questions about things she gets curious about. She loves Alexa and talks to her as if talking to a friend. She can work with Google Assistant – it always gets the job done.

However, she doesn’t like Siri. I set a timer for her with Siri today – it didn’t take her long to move it to Echo. Well, I can’t blame her. She asked Siri how much time was remaining on her timer. Siri replied, “I am sorry, I can’t do that here.” How can you not do something so basic?

Once my daughter was done, I asked Siri to cancel the timer. Well, she repeated that she can’t do that. Sigh!

Did anyone think the drama around Elon Musk’s acquisition of Twitter will play out any differently? Normally, that is? Is anything that this guy does conventional?

I remember I had tried Typora once as a Markdown editor, and I was impressed even then. I got to know today that it’s available on Linux too. The feature set looks promising. I will give it a try, with Atom no longer an option.

I liked Atom on Ubuntu, it was a nice markdown editor. So, it was sad to read Github is archiving this project. Now, I need to start searching for another one.

I am tired of even the simple utility apps going for subscription model instead of right out one-time purchases. Make the app a paid app – sure make it costlier than the subscription cost. Don’t say it’s free and present “Subscribe” button first thing when your user opens the app.

I understand, as a developer subscriptions are tempting. But please, respect your users. Or else you lose them.

I want to support the developers, but am fatigued. Subscriptions are costly. Now, I subscribe for service. And I pay for app. I am doing nothing else any more.

I let my subscription to the Freedom service expire today. I intend to do the same for Pocket soon. I don’t get enough benefit from either of these services. Plus I am at the peak of subscription fatigue now. Am done with annual subscriptions, doesn’t matter how cheap they are.

A smartphone with a case is just not the same device. I have never used a device without a case ever. A slippery slab of fragile glass just doesn’t feel comfortable sitting in my hand. So, I just wrap it in a case and carry it along. It gives the device a physical and me a psychological cushion against any accidental falls. But every time I take the device out of the case for cleaning, putting it back in the case feels like a crime. It loses all its charm. Every device looks the same with a case on — the camera bump, the notch, the punch-hole fail to help.

As I hold this device in my hand again, about to commit a crime against it, I am seriously considering not going through with it. Will the worst happen? By writing about it, have I already jinxed it?

Did you know you can import data directly from a webpage with MS Excel, as table? I didn’t. Just go to Data -> Get Data From Web -> Enter URL with table and boom! I used to copy the table and paste it in when I needed to. Just like they did in.. uhmm.. stone-age, I guess? 🤯

I can never wear my watch while sleeping. I want my sleep to be comfortable – one with a watch hugging my wrist isn’t. However, I am interested in recording my sleep pattern. It was possible with fitness bands, no longer is with a smartwatch.

Intel has a new AI that can detect if a student is bored or distracted - their claim is it helps to improve student engagement. Sigh! Let students learn in natural way. If they want to get bored, let them get bored 🤦🏽‍♂️

I had no idea Pebble (or at least part of it) was purchased by Fitbit. Almost 6 years back. So unfortunate we didn’t see any launches of inspired products from Fitbit. One with an e-paper display and good battery life. I would have loved such a device.

HT: I was reminded of this fact by this wonderful essay by Pebble founder Eric Migicovsky on the importance of learning from failures. Mainly why Pebble failed.

I am tired of websites with pop downs asking for permission to show notifications. Why would I enable that? Notifications are already a headache to manage, even the ones just from the apps. Why would I let websites also bug me incessantly?

Apple needs to launch a TV+ app for Android. They have one for music. So I can’t understand why they won’t launch one for their TV offerings too. It’s such a pain to watch their shows and movies on a non-Apple mobile device. And I won’t buy an Apple device just for TV.

iPhone SE is a lazy upgrade — Apple is a boring company. If there is one thing that will dent the juggernaut that is Apple, it is their tendency to play safe to cater to the majority. We need to sell in millions, so we can’t experiment too much on design. I understand the why. Consumer aren’t supposed to care.

The strategy might work in US. Apple might throw numbers to prove that SE sells well worldwide. But all they are doing is to keep a manufacturing unit running since last 2014.

India is an extremely competitive market on price and I am tired of waiting for Apple to price their low end devices well.

SE needs a better, modern design. Be bold and make one custom for smaller devices. Or stay lazy and make iPhone 12 mini your new SE. Or if that’s too premium, make iPhone 11 the new SE. But kill those bezels already.

And 64GB? Still. Seriously?

Seriously Samsung, do you want me to still “pre-book” S22 — one you launched on 9th February — for a delivery in April first week? How do you always find new ways to botch up launches?

Google is shutting down FLoC. Or so we are made to believe. Not surprising at all. This reminds me of the short story that I had posted when Google was trying to make FLoC happen.

After a welcome phase of independence from my smartphone, I am back to fidgeting unnecessarily with the device. I keep it close to me when I shouldn’t. Notifications have started pestering me again. They hack my focus away. I know the reason, I have given up on my resolve to not hand over the control. It didn’t happen instantaneously. It happened gradually, over time. Now I feel the burning sensation like a slowly boiling frog.

There was a time when I used to go to any extends to stay away from the device. Keep it in the next room. No apps. No notifications. Never next to the bed. YouTube disabled. And on and on. Eventually, every time I picked it, a bulb lighted in my brain reminding me to not surrender.

And the pesky device conquered those defences one by one, without me realising. It started with a few apps. Then their notifications. Then a need to watch and share a YouTube video from the device. Before I realised, I was wishing good night to my phone lying in the bed.

Today, I was on my computer, the powerful personal computer which can cater to all my commands. But I reached out, as if out of habit, to the smartphone just to peek at those apps, the web versions of which I had just visited. I knew I was sick again.

My smartphone has become the most personal thing I own, but also the one I need to frequently stay away the farthest from.

I use Google Photos as the store and thought that’s the only cross-platform option. I realized today that SmugMug can import the photos from Google Photos. Nice! Chances of me considering the service increases many fold. Now to evaluate the other parameters, mainly the privacy.

I call things that I can’t put any name to as “meta”. I already have too many posts that are categorised as #meta. They have nothing to do with Facebook.

Here’s how Meta is defined – all so apt for what Facebook is going for in varying degree.

“showing or suggesting an explicit awareness of itself or oneself as a member of its category” - Lol! A good joke

“cleverly self-referential” - a lot less clever, a lot more self-referential

“concerning or providing information about members of its own category” - Information-shinformation, bruhh!

So, what is it. Facebook has gone Meta? Meta has engulfed Facebook? Or Facebook is Meta now?

The new name for Facebook is as vague as the future they plan with it.