Category Archives: Blog

The New Keyboard

imageThis is my new keyboard.

You may notice that it is black and shiny.

Oh, and the keys are unmarked. Which means that I have to trust myself to know where the special characters are. It’s replacing an older keyboard that I wasn’t really keen on using, and honestly, had neglected to the point of being a little gross. That’s now sitting on a loading dock in my building. It’s up for grabs if you want it. I noticed my wear patterns on the older keyboard, and I was thinking about how I never used any of the special buttons, like back in the web browser, or launching the calculator.

Those keys were completely unnecessary. They weren’t needed, they were useless. So right now, I’m typing this, listening to the clackety clack of blue switches. Which is apparently a thing I didn’t realize. All the different variants of the switch types for mechanical keyboards. I went with blue for two reasons:

  1. It’s loud, and I like the feedback of the keys. There is a definite resistance to the keys, and a completely tactile feel of the key being depressed.
  2. I live alone.

Two is important because this is a really clicky keyboard. I’m not sure how I can drive home how clicky it is. There is a tactile feel to it, a physicality that I can’t really compare to membrane keyboards.

Oh, and you may notice is has no letters or symbols on it. I figure I live the rest of my life on hard mode, I might as well start doing it here. I also am somewhat amazed at physical memory. We’ll see how well it does when the time comes and I have to enter some new passwords.

Iron Man 3

I just want to say that the Mandarin is amazing in Iron Man 3.

Dad | Coffee

I sit and sip at the vanilla soy classic I have in front of me. I’ve grown accustomed to soy, ever since I found that it was the dairy that was making my stomach upset. It’s a good drink, strong, but drinkable here. The in house vanilla syrup is giving this a bit of a marshmallow aftertaste which is delicious, but getting a bit strong at the bottom of the cup.

I’ve admittedly let it get a bit too cold since I’ve been writing in my journal.

Coffee, for me, at least, was a late addition to my list of indulgences. Much like alcohol (started drinking at 25) I feel like I can appreciate it better now that I’m older and only started drinking it the last couple of years. My guess is that I was around 33 or so.

I don’t remember too much personally about Dad. We were never that close, in that we talked a lot. He did love cappuccinos though, this much I know. I recall many a time watching my father sip at a cappuccino while he read the paper. Sometimes it was after he picked me up from grade school. Every weekday between shifts at his retail job, he’d come and pick me up. Maybe it was a late lunch, I never knew. But I would remember the cappuccino, and how he’d put in two sugars. Then drink it slowly and finish the paper before bringing me back to work so I could finish my homework in the back.

Never tried them then. For me, coffee was mainly a flavor. Not a beverage to appreciate on its own.

Times have changed. Now Dad’s gone and here I sit at my weekend ritual.

Having a cappuccino.

I miss you Dad. Happy Father’s Day!

Tagged

Technolust

So based on my current readings, there are a couple of things to watch out for.

The FitBit Flex

I’m loving my FitBit One and all of the tracking it does. I was never one to actually go out just to take a walk, but the FitBit One has me going home to pad my step counts for the day and earn achievements. That, plus Ingress means I’m walking seven to ten miles a day. The Flex just seems like a natural progression, and I would not have to take it off for sleep. I’d just be wearing it. The only downside so far is that the current version of Android installed on the Nexus 4 still doesn’t support the Low Power standards, so I’m stuck with a PC dongle for synch data.

And that is unacceptable because I want up to the minute metrics.

The Google Smartwatch

I’ve wanted a smartwatch for years now. I just want something to show me IM and text messages so that I don’t have to take out my phone. I kind of feel that we’re at that point. What I’d go for is probably somewhere more of a luxe, subtle sort of look. Would love an analog watch with an Omega look and feel that also happens to have a screen overlay over the watch face. I know I’m dreaming, but that’s what I want.

The Nexus 7 Revamp

I love my Nexus 7. It is a great every day carry device. It’s the right size, weight, and form factor to keep in a bag and carry on a daily basis and use on a daily basis. Current scuttlebutt forecasts a July announcement of some sort.

So those are the three things I’m looking out for in the near future.

Some nights, and sometimes well into the early morning, you just have to spend time with the ones you love.