2025-06-07 15:19:59
It is no secret that Apple made products work best with other Apple made products. It is also no secret that Apple products are 2nd class citizens on Windows and Android.
However, where Apple falls short, developers step in fill in the void. MagicPods attempts to bring most Apple exclusive features to Windows with UI and design to match.
MagicPods
MagicPods also happens to be on sale right now for AUD1.47. Go grab it now. Even at full price of AUD3, it still is a bargain 💰. It is the first app I purchased from the Windows App Store.
Note, some features require installation of an unsigned driver, which I have not done. I have not found a need to do so for my use case. For details, click here. My use case is rather basic for that. It works well. For example, ear detection works well as it is for me, but if I had installed this driver, I would get enhanced ear detection.
2025-06-06 20:24:59
I remember when the first Nintendo Switch was released in March 2017. By that time, I had a decent job and was happily married. Thankfully, both things are still true. Although, depending on the day, my wife would say otherwise. In 2020, I sold my Nintendo Switch for a handsome profit. Because of COVID, demand was off the roof and since my Switch was the first batch, it can be modded. This. This made it even more desirable.
Anyway, in April 2025, when the Switch 2 was launched, I desperately wanted to relive the excitement and joy the original switch brought me. However, my inside voice kept saying otherwise. Disregarding my inner voice, I preordered the Switch 2, justifying this decision by using a gift card reducing the cost of the Switch 2 to under AUD400.
Days before Nintendo Switch 2 delivery, I had my doubts:
Post by @[email protected]View on Mastodon
I have always been a huge fan of Mario and Mario Odessey remains my favourite game on the Nintendo Switch. There is something so adorable about Mario that even in my late thirties, I cannot get enough Mario.
Anyway, yesterday afternoon, the Nintendo Switch was delivered around 3:45PM and I finished work early, fully intending to dig into Mario Kart World. Moments before even opening the package, my wife asked if I could do some shopping and pickup my son from childcare. I put my Nintendo plans on hold and did exactly that.
Anyway, like any other day, once my son was home, he wants me to play with him and I also enjoy these moments (most of the time, not all though). I figured, once he falls asleep (between 8pm and 9pm), it will be Mario time.
Time flies when you are having fun
Before I knew it and by the time my son was asleep, it was past 9pm and without even thinking about it, I started watching Andor. It was almost as if, I had forgotten that an unopened Nintendo Switch 2 was still waiting for me 😔.
The next morning, I woke up and went downstairs to make coffee for myself. It was during this time that I noticed the Nintendo Switch 2 box sitting by the stairs.
I realised something. I am a lot older now with more responsibilities and more things I want to do. If you think about it, like every other human, I only have 24 hours in the day:
Thats just leaves 8 hours for:
You get the point. After a full day, I am tired and prefer to do things that require the least energy, watching tv is probably the least energy intensive task one can undertake. Playing games requires energy and focus. Not to mention, it requires patience because there will definitely be a day one update waiting for you when you really want to play a game. There is a reason why it takes mere seconds for the Netflix app to launch because the developers at Netflix know that any delay results in attention swinging to something else.
Anyway, I was done fooling myself. More importantly, I didnt want to be reminded that I want to play the Switch but my priorities are elsewhere.
Therefore, this afternoon, I returned the Nintendo Switch. To my surprise, the person also refunded the entire amount to my credit card, meaning the gift card I used was also converted to cash now 😸
There is a Nintendo Switch 2 in my future and when I am good and ready, I will go buy one. Until then, I am not prioritizing gaming over other important aspects of my life.
There was a time in my life where I used to play games on launch days. I used to work according to Nintendo's and Playstation's schedule. Those days a long gone. Today, I work according to my son's and my wife's schedule and that makes me happy.
3 hours ago, my son and I were watching Mario Kart World gameplays on YouTube. He loves it, which makes me happy. In the near future, we both will play this game together. I look forward to that.
Blog written entirely on Surface Pro, using Ghost Editor on Arc browser.
2025-06-01 13:47:52
Readers of my blog will recall that I live in a multi-platform ecosystem and believe that my various devices complement each other and work in symphony.
More importantly, as a tech enthusiast, it is just more fun. Apple has been boring lately, or the other tech companies have been doing more interesting things.
My ecosystem comprises:
From today, as we speak, I will be remove Apple devices from my ecosystem. For almost 2 years, I have lived a mixed hardware and multi-platform software lifestyle.
Lately, I have been wondering what it would be like if my ecosystem didn't have Apple products. Instead of wondering, I figured, I may as well give it a go. I am in a lucky position to undertake this experiment without buying additional hardware, etc.
I am genuinely curious and excited to embark on this journey. I am prepared to cut my ties (at least for sometime) from Apple. This started almost 2 years ago when I moved away from Things 3 to Todoist and the main reason for that was that for me, Things 3 was the sticky glue that kept within me within Apple's walled garden. Todoist is just better and even if I am back in the Apple ecosystem, I would not switch to Things 3 because of the lack of features. Admittedly, even today, Things 3 is one of the most beautiful and joyful apps I have ever used.
Post by @[email protected]View on Mastodon
Post by @[email protected]View on Mastodon
Coming back to the topic, curiosity may have motivated me, but it was my recent feelings towards Apple that has pushed me towards this direction. However, I still believe I prefer Apple devices in my mixed ecosystem, but this experiment might prove me wrong. After all, I prefer macOS over windows.
Having previously done a week with Surface Pro, I know, 6 weeks is enough time to overtime early issues and give this non-Apple ecosytem a real go. Most people will struggle early on and give up easily. I giving myself time to find new solutions to the friction that likely will present itself in the coming weeks.
MereCivilian
Obviously, there are some conditions in place because each device in my multi-platform ecosystem has a purpose. This includes Apple devices. There are things that Apple devices do that I rely on them for that purpose. It is my genuine intention to switch those tasks to their non-Apple counterparts, but there are times that have no real alternative or other workflow issues.
I am documenting these here:
I have moved my personal sim from my iPhone to the Pixel Fold. The ease of this process stemmed from the fact that Australian iPhones still include physical SIM card slots. However, when transferring my Apple Watch cellular plan to my Pixel Watch, my phone provider, Optus, kindly told me I can only switch to another Apple Watch or a Samsung Galaxy watch. The Pixel Watch 3 is not supported. Ironically, Optus sells the Pixel Watch 3 but cannot add a data plan on it. Go figure 🤷
A second issue involved Whatsapp, where iOS to Android data transfer requires initial Android phone setup.
When you setting up your Android phone, it will prompt you to transfer your WhatsApp data from iOS, but since I set up my Pixel Fold months ago, I can no longer go back in time. There are obviously third party apps that appear to do this, but for now, WhatsApp has become a sticky glue that forces me to keep my iPhone turned on. Essentially, I have linked my Pixel Fold and Surface Pro to the Whatsapp account on my iPhone.
According to WhatsApp:
You’ll need to log in to WhatsApp on your primary phone every 14 days to keep linked devices connected to your WhatsApp account.
The issue with the Pixel Watch and WhatsApp is the reason my iPhone and my Apple Watch are switched on. Both devices are in the guest room, which I rarely go into. I will use the Apple Watch for my runs because I want to be reachable to my family and also don't want to run with my Pixel Fold. Since it's winter in Melbourne, my outdoor runs will be limited, anyway. I am not intending to use my iPhone at all. From my perspective, it will be just a WhatsApp hub that keeps WhatsApp running on my other devices.
Obviously, iMessage is gone, but most if not all my communication is on WhatsApp, so that is more important for me.
Things I will miss on iPhone:
I have 4 AirPods. Yes, four 🤯.
Instead of selling them when I upgrade, I just keep them around the house and they are unbelievably useful. For example, I use the oldest ones, the original AirPods (from 2016), for meditation, and they're always in my bedside drawer. The AirPods Max are always in the study. etc, etc. Because they are all Bluetooth devices, I can pair them with my Pixel Fold, and I plan to continue using them. Having said that, I also own the Google Pixel Buds 2 and they will be the primary set of earbuds.
I have three Apple TVs in my home and I am not about to find replacements for them. After all, my family also uses them. Importantly, Apple TV remains the best smart box for your TV. I also have one of my older AirPods Pros that I use with the living room Apple TV while I am using the treadmill or when doing Apple fitness workouts. Therefore, that workflow will remain.
I have two Apple Watches because of course I do.
I use the Apple Watch Ultra when I go outdoors for runs/walks or grocery shopping. My family uses a shared shopping list on Apple Reminders which thankfully I can access via the web app on my Pixel Fold but not on my Pixel Watch. None the less, because I cannot utilise my personal phone number on my Pixel Watch, the Apple Watch Ultra remains in my rotation but only when I need to and that will be limited because I do not see myself going for runs during winter.
The 2nd Apple Watch is for sleep tracking. The Pixel Watch can sleep track as well, but I have decided not to use any wearables for sleep tracking. I am kinda leaning towards the realisation that the sleeping data is not very useful for me.
After tracking my sleep for years, I know what my sleep habits are and as such; I have stopped tracking that from today. If I change my mind, I will use the Pixel Watch instead. My son now wakes me up whenever he wants, eliminating my need for a wake-up alarm; he usually wakes me before my Apple Watch alarm would have gone off anyway.
About two months, I moved my iPhone and Pixel Fold charging stand from my bedroom to another room in the house. That has been great for me. I recommend doing this. Since I slept with the Apple Watch, I knew if anyone wanted to reach me, the Apple Watch will let me know. In addition, thanks to exceptional third party SONOS apps on the Apple Watch, I can control sleep music, etc. In addition, I used the Apple watch to turn off lights, etc. All that I will have to forgo because I am choosing not to wear any smartwatches in bed.
Even though nobody calls me at night, I moved my Pixel Fold back to my bedroom, but it isn't near me. I have placed it in the far corner. Let's see how that works.
Over the years, I have added many HomeKit devices and recently I have spent some time moving these devices to Home Assistant which now means almost all of them are available to me on Android and Windows. My automations on HomeKit will continue to run thanks to the Apple TVs in my home.
Post by @[email protected]View on Mastodon
Let's see how well Home Assistant operates when it is doing most of the heavy lifting.
I took this opportunity to add devices that support Google Home natively or via Matter to my Google Home account as well.
Thus far, I have only focused on the mobile devices and notice the complete lack of iPads in my discussion. They serve a purpose but not a significant one. Anyway, the major discussion here will be the move from macOS to Windows.
It is no secret that I prefer macOS over Windows. Perhaps, because I have been using it for over 14 years and I have well-developed workflows and apps that I use. As humans, we get used to what we know and we have used in the past.
Therefore, I am curious how this experiment will go. Despite both operating systems largely doing the same things, both have nuance that are difficult to explain and its impact is difficult to document without living without one for sometime.
Windows over the years has improved and the Surface Pro provides versatility that macOS can only dream off.
Remember, there is a lot this Surface Pro will do in this experiment. It is replacing my 16 inch M1 MacBook, my 12.9 inch iPad Pro and my 11 inch iPad Pro.
The following macOS software (not an exhaustive list) I am likely to miss:
This was my desktop setup before this experiment:
I move the MacBook frequently so I figured posting two recent setups.
This is what it looks like now:
Last, as it is clear, I will not replace my Apple Studio Display. Buying another monitor for this experiment does not make financial sense to me. I have used Windows in the past with the Apple Studio Display with some success:
MereCivilian
I am excited. It feels like going on a trip, a vacation. I am a bit nervous 😟, a bit uneasy 😨 and looking forward 😺 to living the same life, but with a different tech stack.
May the force be with me and you, my dear friend.
Blog entirely written on:
2025-05-25 06:58:06
Lately, I have been coming across a few blog posts sharing their experiences and thoughts on moving away from the Apple ecosystem:
First up is Kev Quirk, titled Putting your eggs in one basket where he prefers control:
I can't remember when it dawned on me exactly, but at some point I realised that I was neck deep in the Apple ecosystem, and it wasn't a good idea. Especially when you read horror stories about people being all in on 1 provider, then being completely locked out. I prefer to have more control than that.
Referring to Kev's posts, Idstephens wrote:
Where are you going to go? Google? Microsoft? Samsung? These companies aren’t any better. In some ways, they’re worse. From Tim Cook down, Apple’s execs have shown they’re not worthy of our trust. As stewards of the company, they’ve revealed who they are. I love my Apple products. But the company? Not so much anymore.
I’ve been on both sides of the fence. Still, for all its flaws, Apple’s products are superior. The integration, the hardware, and the privacy are unmatched. Sometimes the devil you know really is better than the one you don’t.
Both make excellent points. Unintentionally, we have created two groups of people, one who are in the Apple ecosystem and the other who are not.
Segregation of this kind is not something I am comfortable with. However, this is very much an intentional design by Apple. They create an atmosphere where you are all in or all out. It is, after all, their business model and it has served them well. Google's model is different where all their services are available everywhere and that has served them as well. Both companies have created incredible value for their shareholders.
I belong to neither camp. I use Apple hardware and software but I also use Microsoft Surface, Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold and Google Pixel watch. I choose this path not because Apple has disappointed me with its recent decisions (which it has),I choose this path because the Apple ecosystem was so freaking boring. Apple is too scared to take any risks. There was a time when everything just worked if you were in the Apple Ecosystem. That time was a long time ago.
I like technology and on this big beautiful planet of ours, Apple isn't the only one that is making cool products, so why should I limit myself and my experiences to one company?
Of course, it's not all roses. But having all roses all the time is also so boring.
2025-04-06 19:51:33
Book 4: The Mistletoe Mystery by Nita Prose
Link: https://www.nitaprose.com/the-mistletoe-mystery.html
I read and enjoyed the first two books. I was excited for the third one. But I didn't research what it was about this time. It's not a murder mystery, it's a short story.
The three books contain life lessons from the protagonist's grandmother. Here are some highlights from this book:
Stand up for what’s right or you’ll sit on the sidelines all your life.
Be careful what you assume. Nothing is as it seems.
Some things can’t be explained. And some people are a mystery that can never be solved.
Pick your enemies and battles wisely.
“My gran used to say that a successful marriage requires falling in love many times. But the trick is that it’s always with the same person.”
When you assume, you make an A-S-S out of U and ME.
Think the best, not the worst.
Keep calm and carry on.
it’s dangerous to have expensive taste without a wallet to complement it.”
“The good thing about bad times is that they pass,”
Accentuate the positive, eliminate the negative.
I am also attempting to track my read books on literal.club
2025-04-05 18:40:46
Apple’s returns policy stands out as one of the best, if not the best, in the world. It empowers users like me to discover which Apple products best suit my specific needs and preferences.
Specs:
It was my intention to replace my 16 inch M1 Pro Max with the 14 inch. The M1 Max was way too much power for my needs, but I wanted the greatest ever and for future proof purposes. I am also downsizing the amount of RAM I need from 32GB to 24GB, thanks to my exploration:
Perhaps, it is also a good time to recap what has not changed between the 2021 M1 MacBook Pro and 2024 variant:
If I don't need the extra processing power of the M4 chip, here are the differences between my current M1 and the M4 variant:
Not much of an upgrade.. is it? Credit to the greatness of the M1 chip (assuming it is sufficient for your needs).
This is hardly a secret so why did I buy one in the first place?
Well, for the size. I thought, it would be nicer to have a smaller MacBook which will allow me to replace the MacBook 16 and also my Surface Pro which I use in my bedroom. In my mind, these were good reasons for the upgrade.
In practice, things didn't work out well. I didn't like disconnecting my MacBook daily to move it between rooms. Remembering to take it back to my study the next day was inconvenient. The luxury of just starting work in my study was missed.
The notch on the 14 inch felt larger which it is not. It actually is the same size but feels bigger because it occupies more of the screen real-estate compared to the 14inch model.
Rewritten text: When I worked from the kitchen or took my MacBook to the office, I preferred a larger screen than the 14-inch one. Despite owning an M1 MacBook for over 3 years, I've only traveled with it about 30 times. Each time, I found a bigger screen to be more useful. While the 14-inch variant is 500 grams lighter, it's not a deal breaker for me since I don't carry it every day.
Ultimately, I returned the 14inch MacBook and bought an extra year of Apple care on my M1 16ich MacBook Pro. Going forwarding, I think, the ideal setup would be just having a MacBook Air but currently, that job is done by the Surface Pro. It does that job well enough (I wrote this blog on the Surface with a smile on my face). Plus, it has an OLED display which no MacBooks do. I like that 😍.
I saved my AUD3000 and if Apple wants it; it has to work for it, because why not.
Specs:
I didn’t just buy the Mac Mini because it’s super cute. Sure, it is, but that’s not the main reason. Oh, come on, that was just the excuse for the impulse buy, and also for all the cool new 3D printing designs!
MereCivilian
Regardless, there is some logic to my madness. The thinking here was that the mac mini will become my desktop computer, which means the 16 M1 MacBook does not always have to be plugged and I can use it more around the house.
I was amazed by the base model M4 Mac mini after using it for a week. It met all my needs, making me realize I had overestimated my computing requirements. I fixed the storage issue by adding an external SSD for my Apple Photos library. This quickly resolved the biggest storage problem. The internal 256GB storage sufficed for running macOS. Surprisingly, 16GB of RAM was also more than enough for me. I had multiple tabs open in Arc and ran virtual windows through Citrix Workspace all day with no issues.
By week 2, the Mac Mini replaced my desktop computer. I put it under my desk, making my study look neater. This showed that the Mac Mini has a place in my home.
But, the elephant in the room, or may I say, the 16 M1 MacBook Pro had other plans. It was not only left on the side doing nothing, it was also not that great as a laptop that I can use around the house or in my bedroom write blogs etc. Obviously, a 16inch MacBook is not a portable device. Therefore, for my portable computing needs, I continued to use the Surface Pro. It is a wonderful device with its only downside is that it does not run macOS. Thankfully, Windows has come a long way, but that is for another blog post. This is not the time for a tangent.
The M4 Mac Mini is a great device. However, it has two major downsides compared to the MacBook Pro - it does not have a display or Touch ID. DUH.
I get bored pretty easily and one way I try to keep things interesting in my study is by changing my setups.
MereCivilian
I would say 50% of the 16inch MacBook Pro’s life was spent in clamshell mode. However, when required, it serves as a fantastic, high quality secondary display. On those occasions, I am thrilled to have a 16inch over 14inch MacBook. In addition, it has a Touch ID. Yes; it cost 3 times more than the Mac Mini but keep in mind, I already have the MacBook Pro. Even if I didn’t, I doubt I would have made any other choice. I would have picked up the 16inch MacBook because clearly it serves my needs so freaking well. Like a well-oiled machine. Like a Toyota Landcruiser (which I cannot afford).
This led me back to the setup I was previously using and loving it. The MacBook is always docked and connected. The Mac Mini is sitting on the side, looking pretty. I tried to find other uses cases because I really wanted to keep the Mac Mini. Sadly, that was not meant to be and the Mac Mini was returned for a full refund (special thanks to Apple’s holiday extended returns policy).
The portion relating to the M4 Mac Mini was written on the M2 13 inch iPad Pro and its battery is 3%. Time to switch to the Surface Pro. Be Right Back 🔜
Now that I have the experience of buying and returning a few Apple computers, I am well placed to answer this question.
If I was starting from scratch, I would probably buy a 16 inch MacBook Pro for my study and for times when I need a bigger screen on the go.
In addition, I would grab a MacBook Air for a portable around the house computer. At least until the iPad Pro gets a real desktop class browser or when pigs fly.
Where does the Surface Pro fit in all this?
I regret not buying a 5G variant of my Surface. I took bring my 13-inch iPad Pro with cellular when I went to Asia in January because I could add a travel esim plant on it. I think a Surface Pro 5G would be better than a MacBook Air, but it's too expensive. So, for my use case, 5G Surface Pro will easily replace a MacBook Air and an iPad Pro. But I am not looking to replace them because I enjoy using an iPad, a MacBook and a Surface. I know, I am a weird one.
Fortunately, I don't have to decide on that now.
The Surface Pro is flexible and versatile. For instance, I am currently reviewing this very blog post in portrait mode for better readability. Documents and PDFs are easier to read in portrait mode. I can also do this on the iPad but not on a MacBook.
About a week ago, this happened:
Last June/July, my wife upgraded her 2016 MacBook Pro to a Apple Silicon MacBook Air. Anyway, she gave me her MacBook Pro (which in all honesty was mine in the first place because I gave it to her when I upgraded to the M1 MacBook Pro that I currently have).
I installed macOS Sonoma on it because it had stopped receiving updates from Apple but that is when the open source community stepped in (like they always do... bless them).
Well, when the screen died and I couldn't get it to boot, I figured, it was time to replace the home server. My first instinct was getting the adorable M4 Mac Mini.
However, these days, I am finding joy in buying used rather than brand new. It gave me so much joy when I found a used base model M1 Mini for less AUD330. This is a bargain. It felt so good. Heaps better than buying brand new.
Specs:
For comparison, had I picked up the base model M4 Mac Mini, it would have cost be AUD999. For my home server needs (note, I also have a Synology), the M1 Mac Mini is FAN FREAKING TASTIC.
The person who sold it to me found a new home for this workhorse, I found a gem of a product at an amazing price and my wallet was overjoyed. Everybody wins.
If you have read this far, firstly thank you and second, please reach to me, even to say Hi👋
You can reach me on mastodon [email protected] or @MereCivilian on Twitter or by emailing me via the form in the following site:
