Do not underestimate the power of etymology to guide your search, you seekers.
Recent Posts
iPad Thoughts No One Asked For:
For my purposes, I think the 11-inch screen is the superior size. The 13-inch seems like it would be a good idea, but the bulk: the space it needs and the additional weight make it seem more like a traditional laptop. And just that little bit of difference is notable in every day usage.
The iPad with a keyboard and mouse is way more fun than you might at first think. There are pleasant surprises waiting when you do. At the same time, it draws clear distinctions in functionality. It’s more like a Mac, except where it definitely isn’t. There are a lot of opportunities for a more MacOS-like experience without detracting from a mobile-first OS. I really feel that iPad OS should not just be iOS with a bigger screen. And iPad apps, likewise. I am not original in my thinking, here, I know.
Breakfast Sandwich Epiphany: Don’t Cook the Cheese
Before you microwave, pull the frozen stack apart and remove the slice of cheese. Set the cheese aside. Reassemble the sandwich sans cheese and cook normally. When your sandwich is fresh out of the microwave, put the cheese slice back into place in your sandwich. It will melt fully while the sandwich cools to an edible temperature.
I guarantee you’ll lose less cheese to the dish, packaging, or wrapping if you do it this way.
I don’t know if it’s an oversight, but in my current research I cannot find a way in iPadOS to center text in the Notes app. The keyboard command that works in MacOS doesn’t work. Not from the Keyboard case and not from a connected Apple Keyboard. One suggestion I found online was to use a table. Alternately, I can copy centered text from another note in a specific way to capture the formatting in iPad Notes.
I really like what Notes can do so far, but there are still things that can get better. At the same time I’m looking at other options that might not have the same concerns, but would require a good amount of re-work.
Was going to keep an old MacBook Air around as a potential additional way to work on my Forever✱Notes scheme. But I forgot that note linking as currently implemented doesn’t work in Monterrey. Clicking links to other notes kept making the Notes app ask for the correct external application. The Web UI for notes behaves better, and if I’m going to have to authenticate to the web site anyway, I can do that without keeping a 9-year-old device alive, as much as it pains me. I will release it to an upcycling program and someone who needs it more than me can take it from here.
"Lonely Avenue (Live)" by Merl Saunders
This was the last song Shuffle Play hit me with as I closed the last few minutes of my drive to work. It’s a different feel than the usual anxiety and low-key terror that I start my day with.
I checked out a book yesterday, from my local library branch. Dan Brown’s The Secret of Secrets was up front on the “Lucky Day” display. It was on my short list and I figured that beat the price of a Kindle ebook new-release. Also, I read it cover to cover.
The author is reminding me of Alan Moore, in the sense that there is a significant of discussion of a topic, in addition to the language that moves the plot forward. This works well for me, as the Robert Langdon books dovetail with my own interests, but I can see how this could get tedious if you’re waiting around for what happens next.
I was entertained. — Finished reading: The Secret of Secrets (Robert Langdon, #6) by Dan Brown 📚
I look forward to Explorator News every week.
Among other special interests, I also am interested in archeology and anthropology
Thinking a lot about data portability again.
Worried about the future.
Worried about businesses deciding I don’t need affordable electronics any longer.
Worried I may not be able to keep using the brand of my choice.
I have an old MacBook Pro that has a failing battery. Or something. It’s failing in such a way that the battery discharges while operating and connected to power. No matter which charger, no matter which port the charger is connected to. When the battery goes to 2% it shuts down—again while connected to mains power and the OS indicating the charger is connected.
I had hoped I might be able to repurpose this machine as an “iTunes” server, replacing a MacBook Air that ended a few OS versions sooner. That one is still chugging.
Battery replacement on one of these has about 38 steps to get the battery out. The battery itself is in six parts. And there is a lot of heating and prying because of adhesive—which has to be replaced on the return journey. I saw a video on YouTube with the process that was an hour and 15 minutes long.
I’m not doing that. My suspicion is that the battery might be failing, but something else has failed, too. If it was a matter of a few different screw types after pulling of the bottom cover, and a knock-off battery from Amazon for 40 bucks, I’d have placed the order already.
Because of the way this is designed, I’m not going to chance it. It breaks my heart. But this one will probably be handed back to Apple for recycling.
I would estimate the amount of money it would cost to have it repaired by Apple would put me pretty close to the price of a NEO.