Technology
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- Connecting some external storage, and using it for
- backups,
- and as a media server. (Jellyfin, perhaps?)
- Maybe use it for some smart home stuff.
- And I’ll also connect it to my TV, via HDMI, for some light big-screen gaming. (Like UFO 50! But also things that I want to play with a controller that’ll run at least as well as on my M1 Pro 16 GB laptop.).
- 3x Thunderbolt 4/5
- HDMI
- Ethernet
- Power
- 2x USB-C
- Mini-jack
- How many ports should the enclosure size account for?
- And then, which ports should those be, and where?
- I always resize with just my left hand
- I’ve made a “grid” that uses Hyperkey (Caps Lock) + a letter:
WandEis Top Left Quarter and Top Right QuarterAis Left Half,Sis Maximise/Fill, andDis Right HalfZandXis Bottom Left Quarter and Bottom Right Quarter
- Pretty fiddly – you can’t even paste text, as it will think you’re trying to set
Command + Vas the hotkey - Doesn’t get backed up – you have to do it again if you reinstall macOS (Pro tip: Take a screenshot to “back up”!)
- Only works on menu bar items
- Works without third-party software
- Will change the displayed hotkey in the menu bar – making it easier to remember
- … you write a lot in Markdown – especially in short to medium lengths,
- … you don't mind (or even prefer) working with files instead of libraries,
- … you value the quality and feel of software, like $1.000 Japanese garden shears.
- If we agree that open social media, free from ad-tech monopolies, is a good thing, everyone deserves the chance to take part in it.
- This includes those who use online platforms to make a living, and those who want to follow them.
- And resources flowing through the ecosystem, makes it more realistic to achieve this goal.
- The name
- The price
- The split
- The privacy
- In general, I like to rely on third-party services.
- I also like the portability of Markdown, and being able to use several apps on the same files.
- I like that, in NotePlan, I can use the same app for notes and tasks.
- Good apps on both Mac, iPad and iPhone, while also being accessible on the web
- Pretty good collaboration features, with shared notes and folders
- More than enough options for formatting
- Collapsible headings
- Embedding of files, photos, and illustrations (especially good with PDFs)
- Audio recordings
- Links between notes (no backlinks, though)
- Tagging and smart folders
- Quick notes (which Apple, selfishly, reserves for itself)
- Math notes.
- Many of the apps are one-time purchases (but often not with unlimited updates), so it’s difficult to compare with a single subscription.
- Many of the apps I use, I wouldn’t pay for if it weren’t included in Setapp. I’d either use a free/cheaper alternative, or just not use something like that at all.
- The left one is a specific one for working with subtitles. It splits the selected line into two, down the middle.
- This wraps text in
<figcaption>, and is used for blog posts. - This wraps the text in a “callout div”, that I use to create callouts like the one about the affiliate link up top.
- If I want to format text in image captions or callouts, I have to use HTML. This creates an HTML hyperlink,
- this is italics,
<em> - and this is bold.
<strong> - The pen is some custom stuff for my band’s website.
- The Last One Will Title Case the Selected Text.
- Farta means “out-and-about” in Norwegian, and is a tag list I use for things I can do if I’m driving around.
- If I add a time, and the task is in a daily note, I’ll get a reminder notification at that time.
- I can add a date at the end, to move it to a daily note (to give me the notification if I’m not in a daily note, or to schedule it for another day).
- You can also create time blocks, by adding an end-time.
- ProMotion display (high/variable refresh-rate)
- Always-On display
- Added Telephoto camera
- Night mode portraits
- Support for Apple ProRAW
- Faster USB-C speeds
- Aluminium → Titanium (With increase weight as well, though.)
- LiDAR Scanner
Alternatives to Forcing Apple to Provide Solutions to Their Competitors
Monitor Resolution Guide for macOS
Seeing as Apple just released a great monitor-less Mac, in the new M4 Mac Mini1, it makes sense that there’s more external display discussions surrounding Macs. After answering a couple of questions on Reddit here, I thought I’d try to write a guide. Because, if you don’t use a screen made by Apple, things get a bit complicated…
To make this as timeless as possible, I won’t discuss specific monitor models. Instead, I’ll do my best to foster understanding, that will help in your research.
Two uses of the term “resolution”
One way of using it, is when discussing the actual number of pixels a screen has. For instance, a regular 4K screen has 3840 ✕ 2160 pixels. This can be called the physical resolution.
However, look at this image, where I went into settings to set my 4K TV to display as 540p:
Changing the setting, luckily, doesn’t delete a bunch of pixels on my TV. So in this context, it can be useful to think of the resolution more like the size of the rendering. This can be called the logical resolution.
The relationship between the physical and logical resolutions matters
The physical and logical resolution can be the same. But for high-resolution screens, this will usually make things too small. And in this context, the resolutions 4K (3840 ✕ 2160) and 1080p (1920 ✕ 1080) have a special relationship: The former is exactly 2x the width and 2x the height of the latter. This is why you’ll see people mention 4K being “2x” that of 1080p. But keep in mind: it technically has 4x the number of pixels (since it’s 2x two times).
Let me try to explain why that’s important
My Setup for the M4 Mini as a Secondary Mac
NAS, Media Server, and Light Gaming
I spent the weekend setting up my little new Mac – and I have to say: it went pretty smoothly! Here’s what I did, and how you can do it yourself if you like.
The hardware
As Apple’s upgrade prices are certified insane, I went for the absolute base model. I did briefly consider getting 10 gig Ethernet – but I had to change too much about my setup to get any benefits from it. And I don’t really need that fast a connection for my use case.
16 GB of ram is enough for me, but the built-in 256 GB of storage is obviously too little. But as it’s a stationary machine, getting external storage works great.
Some drives will use regular USB speeds (for instance USB 3.2 Gen 2). These are cheaper – but if you go for USB 4 or Thunderbolt 3+ you will get about three times the speed. If you, like me, want to run programs (like games) straight from the disk, you’ll probably want the latter.
My Setup for the M4 Mini as a Secondary Mac
NAS, Media Server, and Light Gaming
I spent the weekend setting up my little new Mac – and I have to say: it went pretty smoothly! Here’s what I did, and how you can do it yourself if you like.
The hardware
As Apple’s upgrade prices are certified insane, I went for the absolute base model. I did briefly consider getting 10 gig Ethernet – but I had to change too much about my setup to get any benefits from it. And I don’t really need that fast a connection for my use case.
16 GB of ram is enough for me, but the built-in 256 GB of storage is obviously too little. But as it’s a stationary machine, getting external storage works great.
Some drives will use regular USB speeds (for instance USB 3.2 Gen 2). These are cheaper – but if you go for USB 4 or Thunderbolt 3+ you will get about three times the speed. If you, like me, want to run programs (like games) straight from the disk, you’ll probably want the latter.
Today's Plan: Setting Up My Mac Mini NAS
I just picket up my new Mac Mini, which I intend to use as a server (backups and media) and light gaming machine, connected to my TV.
Upgrade prices are a joke – so I went for the base model + a Thunderbolt enclosure, and a Samsung 990 EVO 2 TB SSD (which speeds might be an overkill – but it was on sale). Wish me luck! (Will report back later.)
This is a blog post to test (and show off) my blog's design
This is a subtitle, made with h6
Today, November 5th 2024, there’s something wrong with the performance on my blog – especially when it comes to Chromium browsers. To help me fix this, I’ve made this blog post, so I more easily can check the features of the design. So if you check out the site this week, the css might be a bit crazy.
I admire sites like The Jolly Teapot, that are super minimalistic and fast. But it’s easier when you don’t have images, videos, etc. on your blog! And I’m a bit too addicted to design details and effects – while also being a total amateur. But I will try to make things work better, while still being a pleasant place to visit when you’re out surfin'!
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Heading 2
Heading 2 with bold and italics
| Heading 1 | Heading 2 | Heading 3 |
|---|---|---|
| Item 1A | Item 2A | Item 3A |
| Item 1B | Item 2B | Item 3B |
| Item 1C | Item 2C | Item 3C |
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Something is off about the performance on my blog… Especially on Chromium! While part of me would enjoy saying “Works best on Firefox”, I still have to do something about it.
Well, I have been looking for an excuse to rewrite and optimise my CSS! I’ll start tomorrow. 💪🏻 (Wouldn’t mind advice!)
Why Spec Bumps and Yearly Device Releases Are Good
This week, Apple released multiple new Macs. And we’re not that far off the yearly iPhone release. And in the after-math of this, I’d like to address some comments I see a lot.
Because, the Mac releases were, in general, very unremarkable. The jump from M3 to M4 isn’t the largest, and they got few other new features.1 So I’ve seen plenty of comments along the lines of this just being an unnecessary and weak spec bump.
And just as predictable as the yearly phone releases, are the comments that this schedule pushes people to upgrade every year.
However, while I’m, in general, pretty sceptical towards the tech giants:
I don’t think these things are big problems
If people have data to prove otherwise, I wouldn’t mind seeing it! But I just don’t think people upgrading yearly is a big problem. Firstly, I don’t think (or at least don’t hope!) many people do it. And I assume most of those who do, will pass their “old” devices on – either to family members and friends, or by selling them on the used-market (through refurb stores, or privately). Personally, I don’t think, at least Apple, really communicates that people should – even though they of course brag about the latest devices.
I reckon most people upgrade their devices something like every 3–7 years. And every day there is someone who will hit this interval – and frequent updates makes it so they will get the best device possible. So this year’s iPhone isn’t for everyone. It’s for those who need, or want, a new iPhone this year.
To anyone willing to listen, I always recommend waiting until a device is newly updated, before purchasing, and to try to plan your purchases in advance. For instance, I knew I wouldn’t buy a new phone this year (regardless of what Apple would release) because I’ve intended to upgrade my iPhone 13 Mini after next year’s releases. And I waited until now to buy a Mac Mini. But I know that this isn’t always possible, for a multitude of reasons!
So the simple reason I don’t mind yearly releases and minor spec bumps, is that it makes this planning easier (as the average overdue time will be shorter), and also makes it less punishing if you can’t wait. And let’s just all help remind each other that most of us don’t need the latest and greatest.
Early Mac Mini Takes From Someone Who’ll Probably Get One
For a while now, I’ve thought that I’ll most likely get a Mac mini when it gets refreshed. My intended use case is pretty specific — and not as my main computer:
Thoughts regarding my use case
I got to say, the update is pretty perfect for me. The new form-factor is great for my TV furniture, and I can probably get by with the absolute cheapest one. The only upgrades I’m considering, are 24 GB RAM and 10 Gigabit Ethernet. Would love input on this!
General thoughts
In general, I think this is a great update at a good price. And at last we’re finally out of the 8 GB hole! 256 GB is pretty rough, though… But it’s OK for me! So, in principle, if Apple had non-criminal upgrade pricing, I wouldn’t mind it starting that low. But they don’t.
They made the right choices regarding the ports
The new Mini has the following ports on the back:
And the following in the front:
There are two questions we need to look at:
Partially I think, in a world where the Mac Studio exists, they went for a sensible size and port number (9 — one more than the M2 Mini, and one less than the M2 Pro). It’s OK to disagree with that — but I think we have to keep that separate from the port types and placement.
I’ve seen some disappointment voiced about the jack being on the front. And while I have zero issues with someone preferring that for their specific setup, I still think it’s wrong to say that Apple made the wrong choice for the majority of people. For those with speakers connected permanently, there are _so _many options for connection. And which port on the back should’ve been moved to the front instead, then?
I also think it would’ve been a travesty if they sacrificed USB-C ports for USB-A ones. Just get over it…
The power button placement is fine
I mean, it uses very little power while in sleeping, so how often do you need to turn it off? And it’ll probably be OK to reach anyway. (Remember that the back of the Mac will be closer to you than with the last one, as the footprint is smaller.)
I’ll have to think about it some more, but I think this will be my next purchase. And I think this will be a great Mac for many people for many years.
Seriously considering getting the new Mac Mini! I’m planning on using it for NAS purposes (media server, backups, etc. External drives.), maybe some smart home stuff, etc. I’ll probably connect it with an HDMI to my TV as well, for some light big-screen gaming.
Does The Internet agree that the base model is enough? Maybe upgrade the Ethernet port?
Homebrew – For Noobs (Like Me)
I do not know what I’m doing when it comes to the terminal on my Mac. But one use-case, I really like, is Homebrew. So I wanted to explain what it is, and how to use it, to other newbies!
How to install it
I get that I haven’t told you why yet, but to install it, you just copy this into your terminal: $1
/bin/bash -c "$(curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Homebrew/install/HEAD/install.sh)"
Then you just follow the quick guide. (I think you only have to copy and paste one set of commands.) For Mac, you can also go here to download the latest .pkg file.
It’s a “package manager”
And this just means that you use it to install, uninstall, and update other apps. These can both be command-line software (called formulae in Homebrew parlance) or what most would recognise as regular apps (called casks).
And here’s how you use it:
Installing something is as easy as typing brew install firefox. That’s it! No going to a website, no downloading of installers, no dragging and dropping, no nothin'! And you uninstall by typing brew uninstall google-chrome. Even though you’d be surprised by how many apps support installation through Homebrew, not every app does. Furthermore, every “app name” has to be only one word – so brew search chrome will help you find out if the app you want is there, and how you should address it.
A Shortcut for Automatic Mac Dock Changes
How to Change macOS Keyboard Shortcuts for Window Management
Or Any Other Keyboard Shortcut, for That Matter (With Extra Added Fun for Multilingual Users)
This year, Apple decided to upgrade the default window management on macOS, from terrible to OK. However, I’ve heard some complaints about the keyboard shortcuts, as they use the Globe key, which can cause some problems if you want to automate the hotkeys somehow.
But I have good news: You can change these, and any* other, keyboard shortcuts!
16/10-24: Now updated to work with weird apps, like Discord!
Here’s (one way) how:
If you go into the System Settings app, hit Keyboard and then the button Keyboard Shortcuts…, you’ll open up a screen. In this, you can then hit App Shortcuts to come here:
This screen is for changing the keyboard shortcuts to the items in your menu bar (or adding to those who don’t have one already), like those shown in this image:
You can either add them only to specific apps (like you can see I’ve done), or to All Applications – and when we’re dealing with this window management, we need to do the latter.
Hitting + gives us this screen:
When writing the menu title, you have to be very specific. Here’s what it could look like: Format->Bulleted List
The spelling and capitalisation has to be exact – and you need to separate levels with a - and > and no spaces.
Here’s what it looks like if I want to set a hotkey for tiling a window top left:
Window->Move & Resize->Top Left
As the option sits two levels deep, I have to add a bit more – but it works!
Yes, the hotkey is Shift + Ctrl + Optn + Cmd + E, heh. But I use Karabiner-Elements to set up Caps Lock as all of those keys at once.1 Doing that creates a separate modifier, not used by any apps. A word for this, is Hyperkey, and it’s sometimes denoted by this symbol: ✦
The easiest way to set it up is probably with this little utility by Ryan Hanson, and I greatly recommend doing it.
I go more into how I manage windows here – but this is the short version:
The grid isn’t perfect, as I couldn’t set Hyper + Q as a hotkey, and I like to keep Hyper + C as OCR Copy. But I still really recommend this setup! For the rare cases I need something else, I use Lasso (launced with Hyper + Space).
Cons of the System Settings method:
Pros of the System Settings method:
An alternative: Keyboard Maestro
App Review: Paper
The Expensive, but Best, Place to Write Markdown
As mentioned previously, I love writing in Markdown – and especially when it’s in normal .md files. I like the clarity of what’s formatted and not, the portability,1 and that I can use different apps on the same document. However, different Markdown editors are far from being created equal.
Paper is an app, for Mac, iPad and iPhone, that “only” opens/creates .md files and edits them. But it does what it does better than anything else.
Paper could be an app for you, if:
Mini-tier list of some editors I’ve tried
To set the stage, I’ve made a little tier list. As I prefer writing about Good Stuff, my list doesn’t include bad editors – but Good, Great and Terrific ones. Here I’m not talking about the features of the app, but the writing experience. (The lists are alphabetical, not ranked.)
There’s been plenty of memes about how long the team over at Shiny Frog spent on Bear 2.0. But holy croak, it shows – the editor is extremely polished. The app does have good export features, so your notes aren’t held hostage.2 But the main reason I, personally, don’t use it, is that the note files aren’t easily accessible to other apps. It also doesn’t have as robust publish features as Ulysses, or task/calendar system as NotePlan. However, as a general note-taker for Apple devices, I highly recommend Bear.3
Panda is the Bear editor as a stand-alone app, to simply open .md files – so it’s closer to Paper in terms of functionality. However, it’s not readily available for mobile, and isn’t technically a proper product at the moment.4
I don’t recommend my favourite pair of boots
I love my pair of Alden Indy Boots. I haven’t found a single boot I like the look of as much, and the last (being rather narrow at the back and wide in the front) fits my weird feet perfectly. However, I don’t generally recommend them – as they’re not technically “worth it”. They’re simply too expensive for what they are, as you can get better made shoes for the same price, or shoes of similar quality for less. But that doesn’t change the fact that I love them, and am happy I bought them!
I could say the same thing about my Filson Journeyman backpack: Is it too expensive? Yes. Do I still love it? Also yes.
Paper is in the same category: I won’t claim that it’s worth it – because it’s very expensive. But if you end up splurging for the app, you’ll get something terrific. Let me try to explain why.
The price for Paper varies from region to region, and the dev keeps experimenting. But it can be as much as €200! Personally I bought it after getting paid extra for a job I did – and at least the money went to a small indie dev. How much money people have to "waste" on nice stuff like this varies. So I'll focus on the good, and the bad, of the app – and then it's up to you to figure out if it could be worth it to you. It also has a 50% educational discount.
How I use Paper
As mentioned when talking about my default apps, I currently store my notes, blog posts, tasks, etc. in NotePlan. The app’s database is stored with CloudKit, but is still accessible by other apps. As I prefer writing in Paper, I will do that as much as possible, while jumping into NotePlan and Ulysses for stuff that those apps do better.5
For instance, I’ve made different shortcuts for creating a new general note or a new blog post. This creates a .md file that gets saved into the NotePlan database, and then opened in Paper.
What makes it great
I'm Anti Anti-Growth and Anti-Commerce on Open Social Media
I don’t like it when people say “People on this platform are like this” – because all platforms contain multitudes. However, one quite prevalent multitude on Mastodon, and other open social media platforms,1 is the idea of being against growth and commercial activity on these platforms. And while I agree with some parts of these notions, in general, I really don’t agree with them.
The reason can be summed up in three points:
Let’s name this abstract “good thing” after something else most people agree is good: Cake
I think everyone deserves cake! But we might have to bake more of it to have enough to go around. And being able to do that, and delivering it in a safe and timely manner, is a big challenge.
Nuances on growth
So, the main reason I think there should be some focus on growth, is that everyone deserves things like good privacy.2 And to achieve this, we need to focus on accessibility, usability, communication, actually being enjoyable, and more. Now, some of those who argue against growth, are really talking about being against “growth at all cost”, “growing past the security measures”3, etc. And with that, I’m 100% aligned.
Nuances on commercialisation
The Idea of Marques Brownlee's App Panels is OK
But I Have Several Problems With It
With the review of the latest iPhones, Marques Brownlee/MKBHD also revealed his latest project: The app Panels.
And I don’t mind the idea:
He’s hinted at expanding it in the future, but currently the app is an app to get wallpapers. You can get some of them for free (and by watching ads), but you can also buy packs of them, or subscribe to the app to get access to everything. The money is split between the app and the artists.
Wallaroo, by Iconfactory, is already a paid app for wallpapers, and Walli is an example of an app with a model where artists can upload their work.
In general, I feel like people’s expectations of stuff being free online is too high, so I don’t mind a new paid option in the market.
But these are my problems:
1) The name
My Biggest Small Gripe With Apple Notes
And (Obviously) Objectively Correct Principles for Paragraph Spacing
I think Apple Notes might be one of the best pieces of software Apple ships. They’ve nailed creating a simple app, with great ease-of-use, that still has more powerful features hidden, for those who want it. There are a couple of reasons why I don’t use it much, though:
However, Notes has numerous nice features, like:
So I’ll gladly recommend it to most people!
However, as most Apple software, Notes is pretty inflexible. If you don’t like their choices, you’re out of luck. And I really don’t like their choices when it comes to paragraph spacing.
My paragraph spacing commandments
The Apps I Use From Setapp
And Why I Think It’s Great Value
Setapp — which apps do you use? Many, us pay for SetApp yet don’t get all the value because we don’t know the full extent of all the shiny toys. This was last asked 4 yrs ago, so it feels relevant againWhat the hidden gems have I missed?
A while ago, someone, on the MPU Forums, asked the question above. And here’s my answer to this question.
I also got around to writing this, as many of My App Defaults are from Setapp, and because I recently read about the Setapp iOS store in the EU (which Norway, sadly, isn’t a part of).
I hope this post can be useful if you’re considering the service, and wonder if it’s worth it, or if you’re new to the service and would like some tips to get started. If you want to give it a try, I’d appreciate you doing so through my affiliate link to Setapp 🖇️. 🫶🏻
I’ve sorted them into the following categories:
I also have a couple of honorable mentions, that are (or seem like) good apps, but that I, personally, don’t use that much.
I’ve added the price outside Setapp as well.1 Setapp is €10-15/month, or €100-150/year. However, some things to keep in mind:
I still find it to be great value – and I like that I can use nice, paid apps like explained in the second point.
Always-running utilities
These are apps I have running in the background all the time.
Bartender (€21)
The grandad of menu bar organisation. Ice is an interesting free alternative, but I’m still pleased with Bartender – especially as I can have it automatically change layout when I connect my Studio Display.
BetterTouchTool (€22)
I mostly use this to set up trackpad shortcuts – which it does amazingly. But it can do much more as well.
Cleanshot X (€26)
Terrific tool for screenshots, annotations, and screen recordings. An alternative for the latter, called IShowU (€80 or €22/year) also just dropped on Setapp.
Default Folder X (€47)
This app powers up the open and save dialogues on your Mac – with things like recent folders and the ability to click on folders you have open in the background to save there.
Hookmark (€63)
This is an app for creating deep links between different documents and parts of apps (like specific emails).
iStat Menus (€13)
Recently updated, with a beautiful coat of paint, this highly customisable app lets you place what you want in the menu bar. I have RAM and CPU usage, and a weather widget.
Mission Control Plus (€10)
I only use this to allow me to close windows from Exposé. Worth it!
Paste (€27/year)
My favourite clipboard manager. Both pretty and powerful.
PixelSnap (€35)
Used for measuring things or your screen. I think xScope might be a more powerful version of this.
PopClip (€23)
App that mimics the menu you get when you select text on iOS – but you fill it with what you want. I’ve turned off mine coming up automatically, but I get this with a hotkey:
From the left:
New defaults
These are tools that do the same thing as built-in tools, but a bit nicer/and more in a more powerful way.
Archiver (€20)
Just a nice zip/unzip tool. The Unarchiver (free) is more or less just as nice!
Elmedia Player (€25)
And this is just a nice video player. But here Iina (free) is also just as nice.
BusyCal (€45)
It lacks some of the most powerful Fantastical features – but I also prefer some things about BusyCal. And seeing as it’s so much cheaper, this is a great alternative if you want something more powerful than Calendar.app, but don’t want to pay €60/year. It also has a nice menu bar widget (as seen in the screenshot above).
Nitro PDF Pro (€200 or €17/month)
I’ve no idea why this is so expensive! I guess it offers features some businesses just got to have. 🤷🏻♂️ But for me, it’s just a nice PDF reader/editor.
Useful tools
🌱 My App Defaults
Extremely late to the party, I finally got around to write about my app defaults. A bunch of these are paid apps I probably wouldn’t prioritise if I didn’t already subscribe to Setapp 🖇️ – so keep that in mind. I’ll also give alternatives places where I remember some.
Click here to see the hardware I use this software on!
Lastly, I know that these posts are “supposed” to be simple lists – but I thought I’d add a bit more info.
Systems and productivity
📓 Notes, tasks, and writing
I want to get this one out-of-the-way first, as it’s the most complicated one. (The other entries are much shorter!)
All my notes, tasks, and writing is in a bunch of Markdown files held within NotePlan. But these are also local files I can access with other apps, write to with automation, etc.1
I prefer to do as much as possible with Paper, which is a super slick Markdown editor. So I use this for writing of blog posts, note-taking, sticky notes, as the default app for random .md files, etc.
I use Ulysses to edit and publish blog posts to Micro.blog.
And occasionally, I’ll use TaskPaper to manage more complicated projects – but as mentioned, all of these apps points at the same NotePlan files!
This is from NotePlan, and I’ve added one extra feature to every task down the list – and as everything is plain-text, I can add it from wherever.
I also really, really like Bike Outliner – but I struggle getting it to fit into my workflow. I also dabble in Tot, when I need stickies that stay on-top.
📖 Journaling
I absolutely fall into this cliché: I wish I journal more than I do. But when I do, I do it in Everlog. I like that it’s Markdown and linkable.
📅 Calendar
I use BusyCal. It’s way cheaper than Fantastical (and included in Setapp), while being almost as good. (There are some things I prefer in BusyCal, as well, actually.) I think this is a nice sweet point if you want something a bit more powerful than Calendar.app, but don’t want to pay Fantastical money.
🌦️ Weather app
Here’s a great tip (that probably mostly Norwegians know about): Here in Norway, we have a publicly funded weather service, called Yr (which means drizzle). It’s good, completely free (and without ads), and has good apps for both Android and iOS. And guess what: It’s available in English as well!
Pronunciation guide: The y is a monophthong, that sounds like the ui sound in “build”.
🛒 Shopping list
My wife and I use Bring, which is a great little uni-tasker!
📮 Mail server
I host through Fastmail 🖇️. I go into why here.
📨 Mail client
My Take-Away From the iPhone Event: This isn't a "Pro year"
A friend of mine had to buy a new iPhone a couple of months ago – and I liked his phrasing while asking me for advice: Is this a “Pro year”? Now, to some, the things you always get with a Pro phone are so important that every year is a Pro year. But I’m discussing how much you get for your money with the upgrade – because this will vary from year to year.
To be clear: I don't think most people should buy new phones more often than every 3-5 years. But as that interval will hit many people every year, it's still always valuable to analyse this year's phones.
However, I'll be holding on to my precious 13 Mini for at least another year! 💪🏻
So, while we haven’t seen any reviews of this year’s models, to me, it seems like last year was a “Pro year”, while this year isn’t. Let’s find out why.
These are things that are the same – things you’d get for the upgrade last year, and still get this one:
Both from 15 to 15 Pro and from 16 to 16 Pro:
Going from 16 to 16 Pro
In addition, the aforementioned stuff, this year you also get: