I was wandering around the contents of my head recently, trying to find some intellectual granite block with which to chip out the shape of another blog post that would be interesting and engaging. It took a little bit longer than expected, but here we are; Can the internet really provide you with suitable companionship, and how transferrable are the qualities of in-person friendships versus those that you germinate online? The definition of the question is key here, and …
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Fear of missing out on work I am invested in outcomes. In the beginning, the sense of a job well done could be measured in days. I would rock up, hack out some code and by close of business, be able to test it. Daily outcome complete. Now, my outcomes seldom manage to be less than three months from one side to the other, often half years or even years; by way of example, having a complete feature built, …
I have spent a long time playing computer games; quite how long is probably not worth documenting here, largely because my significant other might finally have an answer to the question of why a large number of home improvement projects remain un-started. It seems obvious, but it’s worth mentioning that at the heart of computer games are systems. Players begin with little knowledge of the system. Equally, players are ill-equipped to beat the system, and hence progression is required. Progression …
The Over Burger Syndrome of Recommendations Algorithms Recommendations save both time and mistakes. This, for me, is practically important when choosing a restaurant; you really don’t want to meet me after poor service, mediocre food, and an expensive bill have skidded to a halt. Much better to avoid this blustering version of Phil and see a slightly larger dimensioned version after a satisfying eating experience recommended by a friend. As many of you will note, the internet is not your …
Getting stuck in the process of getting stuck in. It seems like I’ve managed to go off-piste with my writing recently, skimming down the imaginary snowy slopes on fresh powder unincumbered by the need to stay in my figurative writing lane. It’s been quite refreshing, if I’m honest with you. In a burst of hubris, I’ve decided to go even further out on a limb which brings me nicely to the topic of this post, routine. As an ardent user …
I have read what would probably amount to a reasonably embarrassing number of books on how to write fiction. There are two fundamentals I have taken from this corpus of writing on writing which are relevant not only to an ardent scribe but also to what I think of as broader life lessons. The first one, which is subject to every motivational YouTube video ever, is “do the work”. You cannot become slimmer, happier, more engaged in life, a better …
One of the key tenants of being productive which might have passed you by. …
It would feel a lot like going outside without trousers and underpants if you were to beam yourself back to the start of the personal computing “revolution” which I hail from. Leaving the house without your mobile phone, you feel vulnerable and a little a bit obviously “without phone”. Powerful, portable and highly connected, phones are the ultimate in personal computing, but there’s a fleet of other things, your laptop, desktop, tablet, headphones, and other widgets, which build out to …
For those of you who have not yet come across Becky Chambers, let me begin by introducing the concept which has made her writing so popular. All of Becky’s books are wholeheartedly character-driven; the story forms the loose stitching, which sows together the evolution of the characters. Becky writes in the genre of Sci-Fi, enabling the introduction of new types of character traits not shared by humans and allowing for a richer canvas onto which the environments are so lovely …
Following on from my various reviews of portable headphones from Apple, I’m proud to bring you another outing; this time centred on the AirPods Pro 2. As keen readers of this blog will note, I didn’t really get on with the AirPods 3. They just didn’t fit, but also the depth of sound lacked a little bass (have a look here for more details) Largely unknown to my partner, I ditched the AirPods 3 via the trusted recycling site eBay, …
There are two essential points to start this article out with, firstly, a lot of what I describe here will seem obvious, but that does not mean you should overlook it. I’ve seen many failures and successes; this is hard-won wisdom based on expensive errors or profitable success of b2b marketplaces I’ve worked on, with and for. Secondly, let’s be specific about whom this article is aimed at because, despite the veracity of my thoughts, they still have a target …
Every year just after Christmas I feel refreshed and ready to face the world and a blank monitor with a flashing cursor. I like to write; also, I love to read about writing. Overall, I’d probably say I read more about the process of writing than I do plopping words down onto the page. I’m not sure what this says about me other than perhaps, I’m not a writer. Getting back to it, at least for now, Christmas passes, and …
A case malfunction in my AirPods Pro drove me to purchase the AirPods 3. I was very happy with the Pro’s, a subject not yet documented on this blog in the form of a review but experienced by my ears on a daily basis. Just so we can get it out of the way, one of the little metal contacts in the AirPod Pro’s case stopped making contact with the left-hand side earbud, and that was that. RIP AirPod Pro …
A sort of halfway house between living and death. …
Data drives everything these days, including cars. The message that the consumer is being mined for Data, giving up privacy in order to enjoy a service, is a well-trodden path. Data starts with the individual and fans out from there, covering our social fabric, our experiences and delivering structural, actionable signals for businesses to fuel their growth. Data is to businesses what eggs and bacon are to breakfast. Not only a great way to start the day but providing fuel …