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Take your pick on this one, because I talk a lot about iPad apps, but also about emergency kits for your home. Huge value in this edition.
It is almost July, how is that possible?
This week: arm on Mac; iPadOS 14 feels; Scribble thoughts; new sidebar design paradigm; VESA stand follow ups; Emergency kits; Alone; Best Coffee; masks; and life indoors is wearing me down.
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That time when a reader saves me from neck strain.
Apple sides with users, and Hey, that didn’t work out for a new app.
As you have all likely seen this week, there has been some App Store drama over Apple’s rejection of the Hey.com email client. This is a story that has two important parts:
But first, the drama.
Pause here for a moment, because there are two things to be outraged by: that the app was initially allowed, and then rejected; and that surely you can name other apps which require a subscription, but which you cannot subscribe in the app. Others are just mad this rule exists.
The evolution of what I am carrying, why, and some stuff to buy.
Seeing kits posted online of what people are carrying as businesses reopen, and of what people are carrying to participate in protests, had me thinking about the gear I have carried over the years. The most helpful thing is typically not telling people what you carry, but rather why you chose to carry those things. And luckily for all of you, I have been thinking about this stuff for a long time. So let’s dive in, maybe it will spur you to carry something helpful in your life. (And don’t worry, I do have recommendations at the end.)
I go deep on LEDs.
Advil and whiskey kind of week.
This week: unrest.
## Small and Big
Last week was rough for the country(and it hasn’t let up), and when you toss in the fact that I began moving Wednesday and am still unpacking — well Advil and Whiskey is my new life slogan.
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I have nostalgia for ‘getting’ bored, instead of just ‘being’ bored.
*Holy shit, it’s June…*
This week: tech downturns; remote work scam; what runs your lock down life, and a couple notes…
## Silver Linings and All
[Om Malik, writing about tech downturns and silver linings:](https://om.co/2020/05/24/why-every-tech-downturn-has-a-silver-lining/)
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This is more or less a perfect knife.
When Benchmade launched this knife it was everywhere — the distinctive bright blue handle and silver blade. It was loud, and those buying it were even louder. Everyone loves it, the only complaint seemed to be that maybe the handle couldn’t survive (insert contrived extreme example not likely to occur). But the thing is, I resisted getting this knife because it was large, and despite people talking about the low weight, I was unconvinced I needed it.
I found an app everyone needs, and also a bit of a rant on the short sighted work from home decision making going on.
It started as something to make my life easier, but then the pandemic hit and now it seems more prudent than ever.
Simon Crompton writing for the style journal Financial Times:
The vogue for men’s bags has now hit full stride,” says Alessandro Sartori, creative director of menswear brand Berluti. “It has taken a decade to get here but bags are now an essential part of every menswear collection. Men carry them; we design them. They are everywhere.
Oh, hell to the yes.
This article has not been written for most people.
This week: Comparison tables; changes I think will stick; face masks; Magic Keyboard battery issues; GIPHY; a sweet duffle bag; and a knife review preview.
## Reviews at The Wirecutter
It has been a while since I wrote about The Wirecutter, but they posted something interesting: how they make their selections for what they recommend. They use [comparison tables](https://thewirecutter.com/blog/comparison-tables/) to track everything and clearly see what product should be the winner.
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Could these be the best jeans money can buy?
Note: These pants were sent to me at no charge for review.
One of the most popular items out there is to make performance denim — to take your standard blue jeans and tweak them somehow to make them better than denim. Ministry of Supply seems to have went for all of that, and then some with the Chroma denim. They claim: no color fade, ‘smart stretch’, and durable construction.
And, in my testing, I think they are on to something here.
Yeah I get it, we all want to stay working from home, but it ain’t gonna happen.
This week: retired Mac mini; Instacart thoughts; Shemaghs, buy some; long term remote work; copper touch tools.
## Retired Mac mini
Back in 2012 I spun up a remote Mac Mini with Mac Stadium, and over the years I used the hell out of it. It was, for a very long time, the web server and email server for this website. At the time, it was so much faster than any hosting I could get.
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Ohhh, it’s not really a bag, but it is cool.
The new Ruck Plate carrier is sweet looking, I snagged one. The founder of GORUCK mentioned on Reddit that this is more of a conditioning tool for people and not really something to look at as a means for replacing the more expensive rucks. In other words, for most rucking activities a Ruck is better, but I am going to give this a go for my rucks.
Finally, a ‘smart’ watch I love and really think you will love too.
The Garmin Instinct Tactical is the first “smart” watch I like. Actually, I like it a lot. Because this isn’t really what you would expect of a smart watch, this is more like a modern incarnation of what G-SHOCK should be building. This is worth talking about.
I want to tell you about my revolutionary idea I have for the iPad, and other things of note.
This week: Magic Keyboard part two; Trackpad is the real story; give me a Magic KVM; Kondo; restaurants are really wanting to go out of business; and let’s not forget what it was like to be alone.
## Magic Keyboard, Week 2
I spent the last week only using my Magic Keyboard to do all my work, and all my personal writing (which there wasn’t any of until the weekend this go around). A simple desk, with just a powerful tablet, *Magic* Keyboard — and then you know another iPad and a trackpad next to it so I could monitor the rapidness with which the world around me is changing.
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The Magic Keyboard arrived for my iPad Pro and if only for that moment, this pandemic slipped away from my thoughts.
This Week: magic keyboard is here; pandemic gadget; Zoom; the end of life hacking; bad bosses take two.
## iPad Magic Keyboard, Let’s Talk About It
Like many of you, I have spent the past few days reading hot takes from around the web about the iPad Magic Keyboard — is it good, is it worth nearly $400 for the 12.9” version (after you account for taxes)? Will I like it?
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We all want a better home office, let me talk about what I would change.
This week: dreaming about a new home office; how to draw a line between personal and work at home; COVID is destroying things I hate; I love the trackpad; Magic Keyboard lust; changes to travel; bags for home?; Vanlife; shitty managers; go for a walk; and DNS stuff.
## Dreaming About a New Home Office
As with most people right now, I spend a decent amount of time dreaming about a better home office. To be fair, I have a pretty nice home office as it is, it looks like this:
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For the broad strokes.
Like many pen nerds, I used to reach for a nice thin ink cartridge. Rollerballs have always been my go to type, as they write smooth and dry fast enough that I can usually not destroy my hand with ink (I am left handed, you either get this or you don’t). A lot of people like ink that is 0.38mm, and most people find around 0.7mm to feel pretty good.
You are ruining work from home for everyone, and more thoughts on quarantine miscellany.
This week: post pandemic work from home thoughts; two iPad challenges for you; my WiFi 6 travails; Amazon or Walmart; Airbnb thoughts; and new Mac stuff.
## Future of WFH, Post Pandemic
Those of us lucky enough to still have a job, are also likely those of us with a job where you can work remotely. We are certainly in the midst of a large scale work from home experiment, my company too. And the rhetoric is exhausting.
I am in a unique position to comment on this. I likely know exactly what your situation is like. I’ve run a small business with limited financial and human resources. I’ve been at a fully remote company working with decidedly not remote companies. I am at a Fortune 500 where I have worked remotely with them, and recently in the office with them. I have likely seen, and won’t be surprised by, anything you are seeing.
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