Being more social online

After time away from social media, I decided to get myself out there... • Reddit - https://www.reddit.com/user/TheCodeMacLife/ • X (Twitter) - https://x.com/theCodeMacLife

Big clear out of third-party software and files

After years of file chaos and third-party software junk, I decided to have a big clear out. I've managed to get my disk use down to 80GB. I'm now using mostly Apple software. The only three third-party apps installed are: Sidenotes, Textastic and Wipr 2. Has anyone else decided to go down the Apple only app route?

Liking the new iOS 27 wallpaper

I like the iOS 27 wallpaper pack. Although I am currently on iOS 26, I thought I would try one version of the wallpaper out. It is clean and fits well with my minimal layout. I mostly use my iPhone 15 for calls, texts, notes, calendar and tasks. Everything else is operated through my MacBook Air M1. This simple setup helps me keep focus. The new wallpaper and glass icons give it an elegant look. The latest iOS 27 wallpapers can be found on techpp.com

Not the most successful Apple Store visit

Yesterday, I went on a trip to the nearest Apple Store. My wife’s iPhone 14 was on 73% battery health. She had told me multiple times that her phone did not hold charge like it used to. It’s true. Her iPhone appears to be plugged into the wall more than in use these days. The plethora of apps she runs daily is enough to make any phone stress under the pressure. To replace the iPhone’s battery, it would cost me £95, which is much cheaper than my wife’s suggestion - buy a new iPhone. I am hoping the new battery...

Writer's Block

Every time I sit down to write a blog, I have no idea what to write about. At one point in my life, I was having to reduce my weekly blog post to make it as concise as possible. I'm now struggling to write a paragraph. Maybe I should focus on writing five hundred words on any topic that comes to mind?

Completing the Kindle Spring reading challenge

Amazon’s reading challenges inspired me to read again (by coincidence). Seventy-five days ago, I picked up my abandoned Amazon Kindle Paperwhite (11th gen.) and ruminated over all the unread books. I was shocked by the number of books I wanted to read but never got around to doing so. I had seventeen unread books in my collection. It just so happened at the time of the discovery, I was looking at reducing my YouTube consumption and reviewing what hobbies I wanted to pursue.  Starting the reading adventure I browsed at what I had read in the past two years. There...

It's been sometime since I last posted. I should have my post on out by the beginning of July.

Time to pause

I’m taking a real break from social media. Not a “see you next week” kind of break but a longer pause (maybe even up to a year). I’ve been thinking about it for a while and I’m finally choosing to step back and give myself space to breathe. The division and politics doesn’t help with the matter. Social media can be useful. For me, it is pulling my attention in too many directions. Even when I’m not posting, it’s easy to stay mentally plugged in — scrolling, checking and reacting to things not relevant. I don’t want to live in...

The Weekly Review 09-2026

The Weekly Scribble“"When you doubt, abstain." - Ambrose Bierce” Moving to iA Writer for bloggingIt wasn’t too long ago I said I was using the Bear notes app for blogging. It’s true - I was. Since then, I have looked closely at what I want and the simplicity that goes with it. iA Writer has the minimalist writing experience I appreciate greatly.  All the additional writing tools that go with the writing tool as well as wikilinks make the app perfect for what I want. It is a fabulous tool to use, especially the focus mode.  Not only is iA Writer...

The Weekly Review 08-26

The Weekly Scribble  “If you focus on the hurt, you will continue to suffer. If you focus on the lesson, you will continue to grow.” My Apple Store experience  Finally! I got my iPhone 15 back after many months without. The unpleasant part was the £289.00 charge on collection. The screen needed replacing after I had smashed it. In my last weekly review, I mentioned I had an unfortunate accident with my phone. Well, now I have the phone back and it feels like getting a new phone altogether. I knew the iPhone 11 wasn’t the fastest phone but I...

Maybe I should create a book list?

I was thinking the other day - maybe I should create a list of books I have read with links to notes I have made on them? A review of the books wouldn't be necessary because reviews can be subjective.  I once had the notes in an expensive note-taking software. The problem I have is the feeling of being stuck with an app (and subscription) I am not getting the most out of. Surely, a publicly accessible page is better suited for my needs. Also, anyone else can read the notes. Share is caring, after all. 

Apple TV shows so far

Loot and Severance are my favourite series on Apple TV. The Morning Show is up there, too. However, the latest season has lost its shine. Ted Lasso is truly amazing. The Studio surprised me - I didn't know if I liked it at first but then I became obsessed with it. Murder Bot is truly a diamond in the rough. I would definitely recommend watching it. I loved the first season of Plur1bus and I am curious to where it is going to go. I have a dedicated list of what I am have watched, watching and want to watch...

Will I ever set up self-hosting?

Still on my SOMEDAY list within Apple Reminders is ‘Learn how to self-host’. I think the original idea was to keep my data self-hosted, so I wasn’t relying on others, especially Big Tech, but I never got round to it.  I read a few articles and a handful of videos, which put me off the process. I’m not interested in self-hosting email. 

Update - Tools page

I've updated my list of digital tools I use on a daily basis. It should come as no surprise that most of them are made by Apple. Apart from NordPass, all other third-party tools were one-off payments. I wanted to curate a list of tools that did not incur repeated costs. View the tools page here or click on the tools tab at the top of my blog.