Looking at cameras online this evening, I think wistful nostalgia took hold. What happened to the good ol’ days of going to a physical store and having no shortage of cameras to choose from? Pocket-sized, point-n-shoots, bridge cameras, DSLRs… Why can’t I easily pick a pocket camera at my local Best Buy that’s reliable and affordable…and just...
8 gigs is not enough gigs. But 40 is. Last year, I wrote about my M1 MacBook Air running great with 8GB of RAM. But let’s get real. It’s 2025, and Apple’s raised its base specs to 16 gigs for new laptops, even the entry-level model. But since switching to a Windows laptop, now my RAM is at 40 GB, plus 4 GB for VRAM. Is that enough? Sure does seem...
Ah, the “Cloud.” That nebulous data storage in the ether. All my files…on someone's else's hard drive, far away. What could go wrong? I’ve relied on cloud storage for years, but now that I’ve got plenty of local storage in my new tech setup, I’m starting to revert to the simplicity of my files on my hard drive.
Skyrim is lauded by most as one of the best role-playing games of all-time. And I’ve never played it. Yet thanks to another awesome Steam sale, I now own The Elder Scrolls V, costing just $3.99 (it was 90% off). How could I pass up a golden opportunity to at least try one the greatest open-world adventure games ever?
Since getting an HP Victus, I’ve been enjoying Steam PC gaming more than expected. I haven’t yet put my finger on what, exactly, is different and attractive about it compared to Switch console gaming; maybe it’s more accessible somehow. But there are a few specific nice surprises I’ve discovered or realized more than before.
The new Nintendo Switch is coming out soon but the specs have not yet been revealed. How cool would it be if we learn there’s a cellular version? I want a Nintendophone running nintendOS or mariOS. Seriously, give me a Switch that has a cell chip, a phone app, and a messaging app (with Zelda stickers of course). I don’t want a smartphone that...
Nintendo officially confirmed the leaks revealed the Switch 2 today, announcing it in a video trailer. Good news, the successor to the Switch is a Switch! It’s basically the same but bigger and better. The Mario company played it safe and kept it simple, all of which is smart. I predict the Switch successor will be a success.
Switching from Mac to Windows wasn’t hard. I had already mostly migrated to Google’s ecosystem from Apple’s. In doing so, I discovered that most of my iTunes movie purchases are also available on YouTube1. But unfortunately, not all are; I don’t know why. Yet no worries because I also discovered that the Apple TV app I enjoyed on the MacBook is —...
Nintendo gaming is good. I have a Switch, and there’s a Switch successor coming soon. But for PC and some PlayStation and Xbox titles, I recently bought a gaming laptop, which doubles as a productivity powerhouse. Yes, I switched from Mac to Windows. It’s time to say, “Goodbye,” to my MacBook Air (M1) and, “Hello,” to my new HP Victus 15 as my...
Since getting a big ol’ gaming monitor and gaming laptop, I’ve been in desktop mode far more than laptop mode. But my external keyboard lacked backlighting and my mouse was too low-profile to use for long stretches — the kind where you’re immersed in a time-flying play session. Problems: No backlit keys strained my eyes; the slim mobile mouse...
Here are images of a hillside manor I’ve been building in Tiny Glade. I’ve always liked split-level homes, so I wanted to try one. Stepped windows on the outside suggest a staircase inside. It’s a small cozy place that’d be great to have in real life.
After using the 2024 Moto Razr for two months, here are some of my thoughts on its camera system. Overall, I’m very happy with it. My most recent camera phone experience is with iPhone 12 mini and 12 Pro. The Razr’s cameras are more than good enough and are a reliable replacement.
What’s it like to use a modern smartphone that flips like an old-school one? Different. And it’s kind of weird at first. Coming from an iPhone to the Moto Razr, I’ll share some of my experience over the past two months. Overall, it really is like having two phones in one.
After using the 2024 Moto Razr for over two months, I’m happy to say it’s been solid, reliable, and fun. This is my first smart-flip-phone, and it’s the first Android phone I’ve used in the last four years. I was all-Apple for a long while1. But my main daily gadget has become the dazzling orange Razr. If the flip feature leads to a premature...
Alright, with 2024 in the rear view, it’s time to start fresh and new — Happy New Year 2025! There are a few things I’m looking forward to. Some involve gaming and tech. There’s also a huge DIY project I’m eager to complete. Most upcoming changes, especially one for my health, should be pretty good.
It's kind of fun to look back at the year and see how close or far off any predictions were. Foresight is cloudy and hindsight is clear. My aim at the outset of 2024 was No New Tech. Surprise — there was new tech. And as for the upcoming year, there will likely be new tech again — no surprise.
Last week, I finished Sea of Stars, rolling the looooong credits and finally realizing (about half-way through) that you can fast-forward them. It was an overall very good RPG. Now that I’m done, I can focus on enjoying more of Tears of the Kingdom. I might also start my next RPG and juggle between games.
Once in a while, you find something that just clicks; maybe it’s meant to be. That’s what Pika seems like since I started using it March 1st. I’ve really enjoyed the past nine months of blogging on Pika.
Just before Christmas, I got to treat my wife and kids to a movie at the theater: Sonic the Hedgehog 3. What a fun film! I think it’s one of the best video game cinematic experiences there is. And apparently two Jim Carrey’s are better than one.
““And the angel said to them, ‘Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born...
My wife was out shopping late last week and happened upon a nice sale: a 32” curved gaming monitor for just $150. I wasn’t sure if it would make a good Christmas gift for my teens…turns out, it made a great early Christmas gift from my wife to me!
At his Bear blog, Herman Martinus wrote about being forced to upgrade his seven year old iPhone to the latest one. He felt the switching cost was unnecessary and expensive for basically the same Apple phone despite the huge jump. I had similar feelings when I recently looked to upgrade my four year old iPhone 12 mini.
Lately I’ve been a hockey puck, getting smacked across the ice towards one goal and then another. On one end, a Chromebook. The other end, a Windows PC. Then I was hit with the possibility of Parallels to run Windows 11 on my MacBook — a franken-laptop! Isn’t it good to have options?
After using my new Razr for over six weeks, it’s still the most awesome colorway ever. When I first saw the 2024 Moto Razr, I was smitten by its eye-catching orange design. In a previous post I said,
A budget gaming laptop bought at Walmart and used daily by several kids has performed excellently for over three years. My family’s Asus TUF Gaming F15 (2021) is holding up well. Coming from an M1 MacBook Air to game on a PC, the Asus TUF is an interesting piece of tech hardware.
Almost 1,000 weeks ago, I started listening to one of my first podcasts. Circa mid-2006, when Apple’s iPod was rocketing in popularity, I was 100% a Microsoft dude. So when news that Windows XP would be followed by an ambitious new OS — dubbed Longhorn — this tech geek was eager to learn more. Enter: Windows Weekly with Paul Thurrott.