2025-06-20 21:02:04
This morning, whilst catching up with my RSS feed subscriptions, I noticed that both Manu and Kevin have posted some updates on experiments I am also currently doing. Also, before we get too far, please excuse the weird title. I’ve been rewatching Silicon Valley this week, and it’s as relevant today as it was in 2019. In that show, everything had to be social and appealing to the masses. Whereas at the minute, I am continuing to still not appeal to the masses and be even less social.
Not because I’m some kind of hermit and want to draw away from the world, more that I have realised that all the time I’ve spent reading about other people’s lives in social feeds is wasted. To be clear, I’m talking about my own personal experiences, so if yours differ, that’s great. I am just of the opinion that it’s time for me to move away from dominating my life with things that I don’t need to give space in my day.
I have spent a long time online, with Yahoo forums, IRC channels, Facebook and Twitter timelines, and now the Fediverse. I met some amazing people and forged some great relationships, but I’m old now, and things change. There’s no grand ’I’m quitting’ post here or self-congratulatory words to evangelise for others to do the same. It’s just my words, which have struggled to come out until I took a step back. With a big realisation, that, in reality, those that really care find a way.
The biggest thing I have found is the space to do more things. To play some games, read more books, learn some new skills, and write more. So many positive things with no real downside. My passive consumption of other people’s lives makes no difference to them but makes all the difference to me.
That’s really the discovery here. The space and time that I have made because of my own addictive tendencies to spend too much time online have been tremendous. When you want to do as many things as I do and still need eight hours to sleep and another eight to sleep, there’s no time to waste. As I wrote about earlier, getting comfortable with boredom has meant that I am more selective of the activities that I let spoil it.
There’s also a realisation here of the limits of connections I’ve made. Of course, I don’t do anything that I do online for attention or feedback, but the relationships that I have made online are dwindling. As bad as Twitter was, it was much easier to connect with other like-minded people. When that is spread over several networks, the work required is much harder. Many of the people I forged friendships with have moved to message threads or in-person gatherings rather than tweets and posts. Which I value much more.
Moreover, only occasionally posting online has led to so little repose that it is barely worth it. Yet, on the other hand, I miss being online. Interacting with people online, in even a small way, is all I’ve ever known. Sharing things about my life and journey through it in the hope that others take something from my posts. In no small part, these interactions have meant that I have overcome some of the hardest things in my life. I have no ‘real’ in person friends anyway.
Sharing my journey with Lucie, her diagnosis, and all the things we get up to gave me the motivation to overcome my mental health issues. As well as get back to fitness following heart problems. Pushing me to raise money for charity and run a marathon for the first time in years. Purely down to the fact that people have taken an interest in my dull little life.
There have also been a few times over the last week that I have needed to ask questions of the internet’s hive mind. To solve a code issue that perhaps my followers would know. Maybe to try to find extra resources to learn about a topic. Whatever the motivation, the posts have been left published and instead replaced by in-depth research or nothing at all. Sometimes it’s too easy to post.
Ultimately, I am constantly looking for answers. Most of which I cannot find, and all of which I have no idea where to even start. In many people’s eyes, I have a strange way of examining my life, which, I think, is fair. I am more sure than ever that none of the things I am forever searching for can be found on a timeline.
2025-06-20 15:43:01
There’s a tendency for me to start off a post like this with a bit of backstory. Perhaps some very surface level reasoning and almost explain myself before starting off the real post. Writing a few words that gets people interested in an age of reducing attention spans and constant need for entertainment. This dear reader is the issue at hand, and it’s time we got uncomfortable.
Without going into too much detail, for the past few weeks I have been both intentionally, and non intentionally, making myself uncomfortable. Since my hellish run in the Manchester marathon, and the few days afterwards, I have felt something missing. Nothing to work towards and my day-to-day life being, well, a bit meh!
Leading in no small part to using my phone too much, eating too much, and procrastinating lots about the things that I do have to do. Every influencer on social media would call this a dopamine issue (while selling you something to ‘cure’ it) so I decided enough was enough and proceeded to have a bit of a detox.
At first, it felt like I was cutting out everything that I enjoyed. That I was punishing myself in a moment of self sabotage because I felt a bit down. There were times when I could have given in. Easily sneaked a look at my phone instead of reading a book. Perhaps grabbed some junk food to fill the hole that I felt in myself. It certainly would have been easier.
As time went on, I filled this void myself. By making myself uncomfortable, and coupling this with making my workouts tougher, everything else felt easy. In fact, the spaces in my life were filled, but with more meaningful things than instant hits of gratification, and even the empty space became much more comfortable. The emptiness became a period to think about the things that I wanted to achieve and not something I wanted to fill with rubbish.
With this came the understanding that many of the things that I thought I enjoyed. Those that I was worried I was ‘missing out’ on but actually matter all that much. The online people that I enjoyed talking to still go in contact by other means, and my life continued just as it did. However, I am much more content, much more fulfilled. Yes, I am much lonelier than I was before, but my determination to be uncomfortable for a while made me perfectly ok with that.
2025-06-09 18:35:42
Yes another Switch 2 post. I am sure you are sick of reading them by now. The new generation of Nintendo consoles hit this week and I really wasn’t going to buy one. But I did on a whim and for once no buyer remorse — all of us have been playing it all weekend.
There’s no review here. You can find specs and professional opinions everywhere on the web by now. My good friend Daryl posted his on his newsletter Springboard if you want to read some early thoughts but I digress. The best thing about Nintendo consoles has always been the playability for all of our family and the Switch 2 improves on that.
Of course my teenage son has an Xbox and a Playstation, because like streaming services god forbid you couldn’t play all the games. Whilst they are both excellent, and have unimaginably great graphics etc (don’t @ me PC gamers), for me they lack the approachability suitable for family gaming. Stadia got close, and then Xbox tried (don’t forget a Steamdeck too) but it never stuck like Nintendo does.
Some of this no doubt nostalgia. Mario and Luigi filled much of my childhood, so the cartoon plumbers and assorted friends will always have a special place in my heart. However I think it is more to do with approachability. Nintendo position themselves as a family friendly gaming company, providing wholesome games that are easy to pick up and put down.
Whereas, purely from my perspective, if I had a PlayStation 5 or Xbox Series X (I think thats the current one?) I’d be more include to buy and play a raft of games that ‘real gamers’ play and struggle to fit them in to my life. I can pick up and put down Zelda and Mario Kart in a much easier way than I could Horizon Zero Dawn or red Dead Redemption without loosing the muscle memory of playing.
Combine this with the fact that I can play it on the couch and not tucked away in a different room due to the Switches portability makes it an ideal console for me. What it has lacked is the occasional full features game that I wanted to also play. Hopefully with the Switch 2 there will be a ‘proper’ EA FC, not the stripped down version that plagued the first version. I have my fingers crossed for September. Until then I am enjoying smashing my family on Mario Kart in the front room with the occasional trip to Hyrule in between.
2025-05-23 01:21:00
So, the worst kept tech newe in history after what the next Pixel phone looks like, is out: Sam Altman’s OpenAI and Jony Ive’s design firm, LoveFrom are formally combining efforts with a hardware group called “io.” Their stated aim? To “completely reimagine what it means to use a computer”.It’s a bold claim, the kind the tech industry loves to make. We’ve heard variations of it before. And yet, the names involved already gives me reason to believe. OpenAI is undeniably at the forefront of AI development. Jony Ive’s design influence, particularly from his Apple tenure, is significant.
The core premise, according to the announcement, is that our current interfaces – laptops, phones, the whole tap-and-type dance – are inadequate for the powerful AI now at our disposal. Sam Altman described the current process of querying ChatGPT as cumbersome, ending with, “I think this technology deserves something much better.”
On that specific point, I find myself nodding. There’s often a real friction in trying to bridge the gap between what these AI models can theoretically do and the practicalities of interacting with them through existing hardware and software paradigms. The experience can feel disjointed.
The question, then, is what this “something much better” will look like. They speak of a “family of devices,” with the first prototype apparently eliciting high praise internally – Jony Ive reportedly calling it “the best work our team has ever done.”
Naturally, specifics are scarce. The direction seems to be away from traditional screens, perhaps towards something more ambient or integrated into one’s environment. This is where my skepticism usually kicks in. We’ve seen other ventures attempt to create dedicated AI hardware, promising a new era of interaction. The track record isn’t exactly stellar — Humane pin anyone? Devices often end up feeling like solutions in search of a problem, or they simply don’t offer enough utility to justify their existence alongside the already capable (if imperfect) devices we own.
What might make this different? Ive’s involvement is key here. If his design philosophy genuinely permeates the product, it won’t just be about the technology; it will be about the holistic user experience. He spoke about his desire to push humanity forward recently and it did feel like he meant it.
It would need to be intuitive, perhaps even beautiful, but above all, it would need to be useful and respectful of the user’s attention and privacy. These are aspects where new hardware, especially “always-aware” AI devices, often stumbles.
They also talk about shared values and the responsibility that comes with this kind of technological advancement. The desire to “democratize” these tools is a laudable goal. The announcement mentions enabling “anybody to say, hey, I have this idea. Make it happen.” That resonates with the indie spirit, the idea of empowering individuals.
But the gap between such pronouncements and the reality of product development, market pressures, and the complexities of human behaviour is vast.
For me, any new device in this space has to answer some hard questions. I’m not holding my breath for a revolution, but I am curious to see what tangible product, if any, emerges from this. More importantly, whether it will be something that everyday users actually find enhances their lives, rather than just serving the grand visions of its creators. The proof, as they say, will be in the using.
2025-05-14 00:48:11
A mere three weeks ago, I ran the Manchester Marathon. Thank you to all those that supported me aging the way, but I crossed the line very disappointed. The conditions were torturously hot and humid, meaning I was 30+minutes slower than what I wanted. So here I am training again, this time on a structured plan for a half-marathon in September and then another full one in April 2026, but I’m struggling to slow down.
I don’t run fast anyway. There’s no way that either of the marathons I have run can be considered anywhere near ’racing’ but I know I can do better. To run faster, my new plan contains countless sessions where I run much slower than usual, and I’m struggling with these the most.
I think there are two reasons for this. The first being that I always like to push myself as hard as possible. Being as hard on myself as possible in the process too. Doing hard things is my enjoyment in life, so going out and purposely running slow isn’t in my vocabulary or my mind set.
The second of which is appearances. I might one day train my monkey brain to slow down and plod the streets at the recommended ‘recovery, pace, but I feel like a fool. Even more so packed up with water bottles and energy gels for a long run, I must look to others like a meme of a real runner at essentially brisk walking pace.
I do understand that running slow to run fast will help me in the long run, but it’s a struggle. Forget the progressive overload and the drop sets of pace setting, the slow run is much harder on my mind. I told my wife never again, and she promised to stop me from doing this! Yet here I am trying desperately to slow myself down and it’s torture.
2025-04-14 23:20:06
It’s been a while. In fact, it’s been about four years since I last made a video. For ages, I told myself I’d get back to it, but I kept putting it off. The excuse? My life wasn’t interesting enough. I wasn’t jetting off to far-flung places or capturing glamorous moments — just regular life, with the odd photo when I remembered.
But I’ve started thinking differently.
Rather than waiting for something “exciting” to happen, I thought: why not treat this like a kind of video gratitude journal? A way to capture and appreciate the things I do get to do — because there’s actually quite a bit that I enjoy, even if it’s not flashy.
So, this weekend, I decided to take a trip to London. Just me and my son. We packed our cameras and headed off in search of a good coffee, a few interesting photos, and maybe even an adventure or two.
If you know anything about street photography in London, you’ll know the Barbican is a bit of a classic. Brutalist architecture, light and shadows playing all over the place — it’s almost impossible not to get a good shot there, especially on a bright spring day like this one.
We wandered around, snapped some frames, and soaked up the quiet buzz that the place always seems to have. There’s something about it that makes you slow down a bit.
Next, we made our way to the Bank of England. Another hotspot for London photographers, though we may have mistimed it a little. The light was harsh, and — as is tradition — every nearby building decided it was the perfect moment to set off alarms, start beeping, or power up loud machinery. Great for atmosphere. Not so great for audio.
To top it off, my Osmo Pocket 3 decided it didn’t like my face with sunglasses on. Still, we managed a few interesting shots, and I even had a classic photographer moment: stood patiently framing the perfect scene, when James — my son — walks up, taps his phone, and nails the shot instantly.
You can’t come to London with a camera and not head to One New Change. The view of St Paul’s from that walkway is iconic — and for good reason. We made the walk, snapped the shots, and swapped roles with James for a moment: I was now the one waiting for him to get the photo he wanted. Let’s just say I have a new-found respect for how patient my wife has been over the years.
We finished our photo walk with a bit of a detour — a ride on the cable cars over the Thames. It took a little effort to get there (and the trains were absolutely packed), but it was worth it.
If you’ve never done the cable cars before, they’re definitely worth the trip. You don’t get to use your usual TfL contactless passes anymore, which is a shame, but the views on a day like this? Incredible.
And for anyone wondering about accessibility — it’s spot on. Lifts, level platforms, smooth boarding. If you’ve got mobility needs or travel with someone who does, you’ll be just fine.
Hello everybody — this is something a bit different, isn't it?
I suddenly realised that I hadn't made a video for about four years. I'd been putting it off and putting it off. My excuse was always that I didn’t have a life interesting enough. I didn’t go to exciting places, I didn’t travel the world taking loads of photos… and I told myself my life just wasn’t interesting enough to make videos.
So instead, I’ve decided to make something like a gratitude journal, I guess — but in video form. A way for me to look at the things I do do. And I do do some vaguely interesting things!
Today we’ve come to London. I’ve brought my son with me, and we’re currently at the Barbican — which is, in my opinion, the street photography Mecca of London. We’re trying to get some nice shots, and later on, we’re also (weirdly) going to ride some cable cars. The family were meant to come too, but my wife's not well, so instead we’re filling the day with some street photography. I figured I’d just make a video along the way.
Second stop of the day is, of course, a short walk down to another street photography favourite — the Bank of England. I’ve just discovered that my Osmo Pocket 3 doesn’t like my face with sunglasses on, but honestly, it’s almost impossible not to wear them today. Which is weird… in April. But we’re savouring the sun, because it’s going to rain for the next week or so.
Got some good shots at the Barbican, which is almost impossible not to do on a day like today. Hopefully we’ll manage a few more.
Unfortunately, we’ve caught Bank at completely the wrong time — the light’s a bit harsh. So we’re going to circle back and return later in the day.
And everyone seems determined to turn on all their equipment and beeping noises just when I start recording. Typical. One annoying thing — I was framing up a shot and said to James, "I like the shadow there with the security camera — what you need is the perfect person." And he just clicked it — got the perfect subject straight away, whereas I sat there for ten minutes and didn’t find anyone close.
Such is the life of a street photographer. Whether you camp out and wait for the perfect person, or you’re just jammy like James.
I’ll pop his shot up in the video — he’s shooting with his phone at the moment, but he’s really got an eye for detail right now. It’s great to see him sharing the passion.
We’re heading down to St Paul’s now — can’t visit London without popping to One New Change. It’s basically a rule.
I’ve now become that long-suffering photography partner — waiting around while James gets the shot he wants. I have a new-found appreciation for what my wife goes through while I’m doing exactly the same thing!
So, we made it all the way across London — it was a bit of a mess getting from Bank. The train at Stratford was ridiculously packed. But we made it — we’re on the cable cars!
If you’re in London doing all the touristy things like we are, it’s definitely worth a ride. Unfortunately, it's not included on your tap-on, tap-off TfL stuff anymore, but the views — especially on a day like today — are spectacular.
Insert proper vlog music here for the slow-mo section or whatever you’re supposed to do.
The good thing is, it’s really accessible — lifts, flat platforms, and easy to get on and off. Well worth checking out, even if — like me — you’ve got a little girl in a wheelchair. If you’ve got mobility aids, it’s still definitely accessible.
I forgot to film an outro. That’s the reality of it.
It’s now like three days later. I was editing the video and, by the time we’d been on the cable cars, grabbed something to eat, and made the trek back across London to get to the car for the two-hour drive home… I just completely forgot.
But it’s edited together quite well. I’m actually quite proud of it, to be fair. I’m hoping this’ll be a thing — but who knows?
You can subscribe, like, and do all the “YouTubey” things if you want — but honestly, I’m just making these for me.
Got some great shots — as did James — so we’re both happy. And that’s the aim of the game, isn’t it?
Hopefully see you all again.
