David Hughes

Notes From Afar

Tag: Technology (page 1 of 9)

26 November 2023

Weeknote 26 November 2023

A week like this week makes writing a weeknote a little challenging as it has been really rather quiet.

I forgot to mention that I managed to catch an Apple Studio Display on the refurb store and it arrived last week.

This week’s nerd action has therefore been planning and executing a cable free desk setup which was completed mere hours ago.

I’m now living the single cable lifestyle and can easily swap between my personal and work MacBook Pro’s simply by plugging in the Thunderbolt cable and choosing the right device on my Logitech keyboard and mouse.

I keep forgetting that I have the flexibility of the MacBook as the Studio Display feels so similar to my old iMac, although it is much slimmer and being the height adjustable model has more space beneath making the desk space feel more open.

On Thursday I had to visit my employers offices in Birmingham. I don’t think I’ve been there since September and I can’t say any part of the experience made me want to rush back. The train was heaving, the office is not designed for tall Mac users and Birmingham is most definitely not London.

I do miss working in London at this time of the year, seeing a dark and cold London brought to life by Christmas lights, popping into a warm pub for quick pint on the way home and meeting friends and colleagues for dinner and drinks.

Despite us having a quiet weekend at home, I woke this morning thinking I needed to drive home, it was a relief to realise that I didn’t in fact have to.

19 June 2019

35 Years Of Progress?

Ian Bogost’s Atlantic article I Wrote This on a 30-Year-Old Computer was written entirely on an 30 year old Macintosh SE and makes for a fascinating trip down memory lane and back to the future.

There’s much to think about in the article, but one line really stood out to me:

Computing was an accompaniment to life, rather than the sieve through which all ideas and activities must filter.

‘The sieve through which all ideas and activities must filter’ – what a phrase and what a thought.

Within my online ‘bubble’ there seems to be a growing movement away from social media and being ‘always on’ and towards Digital Minimalism – a phrase coined by Cal Newport in his latest book.

I wonder if we’ve made as much progress as we think we have over the last 35 years, or have we become shackled and beholden to the devices and services we’ve created?

19 January 2018

Twelvesouth PencilSnap Review

Where and how to store your Apple Pencil is an ongoing first world problem for iPad Pro users. Apple’s cases and covers don’t include a home for your pencil; except for the eye wateringly expensive Leather Sleeve.

Apple make a very nice looking Pencil Case, but I could never understand why it wasn’t magnetic allowing it to stick to your Smart Cover or Keyboard.

I guess Twelvesouth had the same thought and thus created the PencilSnap – a leather sleeve for your Apple Pencil that sticks to your Smart Cover through the wonder of magnetism.

When I saw the PencilSnap I ordered one immediately. Now, the PencilSnap isn’t cheap; it cost me £35 including shipping, and then there was a further £5 in customs charges, so £40 in all. Suddenly Apple accessories seem almost reasonably priced.

When I removed the PencilSnap from it’s rather nice box I had to check the box for details of the case as I was confused over the PencilSnap’s construction. The PencilSnap is made from leather, apparently, but it looks and feels like pleather or dare I say it vinyl. It certainly isn’t the same quality or feel as Apple’s Smart Cover, and so doesn’t match well visually.

The PencilSnap holds the Apple Pencil securely, very securely. I hope that as the PencilSnap wears in the leather will soften making it easier to remove the Pencil and a better visual match for my Smart Cover.

And speaking of holding securely – the PencilSnap’s magnets are excellent, adhering to the Smart Cover very strongly indeed, there’s no risk of the case falling or slipping off.

The magnets hold the PencilSnap in one location, which causes another issue with the case – it sits proud of the edge of the Smart Cover when I had expected it to sit flush and parallel with the edge. It’s not a deal breaker as I tend to hold the iPad by the side where the Smart cover attachs, but it’s a little annoying. Again I’m hoping that as the PencilSnap wears in it will be less noticeable.

The PencilSnap is a great idea and functions well, but is perhaps a little let down by the materials and final design, which given the cost is a little disappointing.

Should it improve with wear I’ll update this review.

28 June 2017

On Siri, Privacy and Consistency

Apple talks often and proudly about respecting its users privacy, about not sharing or storing information ‘in the cloud and about using machine learning and algorithms on the users device. About not sharing or storing information ‘in the cloud. About using machine learning and algorithms on the users device.

Yet despite all talk of privacy and machine learning, Siri is dependent upon Apple’s servers to decipher spoken instructions.

This dependency on server based processing has a negative impact Siri’s effectiveness. On anything less than wifi or a 4G connection Siri is often unable to recognise speech.

I now drive to and from the office and I thought Siri would be a great tool for capturing thoughts and tasks as I drive. Much of my route takes me through the English countryside, where connections range from 4G to GPRS and everything in-between. At least 50% of the times I attempt to use Siri it fails, or I receive the message that my watch will tap me on the wrist when it is ready – it never does.

So why if Apple is so keen to process information on devices is Siri completely dependent upon ‘the cloud’? Having Siri process speech on the device would improve it’s effectiveness and usefulness.

Hell, it might “just work”.

« Older posts