Quitting YouTube challenge - Day 3

Back in the office today, so there were no opportunities to get bored or be distracted. My only concern is I have to watch a video hosted on YouTube for work. It's a guidance video for a course exam I am going to be taking part in during the week. Technically, it is for work and not endlessly bingeing on mindless content. Maybe this can be the exception? I noticed last night I achieved a lot more than I would usually do because I was not stuck at a computer. This could be the future! Instead, I started reading a...

Quitting YouTube challenge - Day 2

I’m on day two of my quitting YouTube challenge and I’ve already learned something I didn’t expect: weekends are harder than weekdays. During the week, my day has a natural structure. Work, routines, and responsibilities fill the hours, so there’s less space to “just quickly check” YouTube. But the weekend is different. I’ve got more free time, and with that comes more temptation. It’s not that I suddenly want YouTube more—it’s that I’ve got more empty gaps where it can slide in without me noticing. Sunday was the real test, and I’m proud of how I handled it. Instead of...

Quitting YouTube challenge - Day 1

Day 1: Choosing to be more intentional about my evenings I am starting a 30-day challenge to stop using YouTube for entertainment. It has become too easy to lose an evening to one video after another, leaving less time for sleep, reading, family, and the small things that keep life running well. This is not about declaring YouTube the enemy. I can still use it when I genuinely need it for work or a household task (on the rare occasion)—but only with a clear purpose and a timer. The challenge is to break the habit of reaching for it whenever...

Apple CarPlay bug UPDATE

Crossing my fingers must have worked. The release of iOS 27.0.1 fixed the strange Apple Calendar bug I was experiencing in my last post. I also discovered where to change the CarPlay widgets, so I now have all the information at a glance. Happy days 🙂

Annoying Apple CarPlay bug

Since installing Apple’s iOS 27 update, I have experienced an unusual, annoying bug when using Apple CarPlay in my car. The Apple Calendar app would usually display today’s date, which was useful to quickly glance at what the date was on my way to work. However, since the update, it appears to be sporadically frozen in time. I first noticed it on 19th of September when I saw the 15th displayed. By 22nd, I thought the issue had resolved itself. I was mistaken. I am still stuck on the 22nd. If my theory is right, I expected the date to...

Monthly Review?

I'm thinking of starting a monthly review in 2027. The Weekly Review was great but I don't think I could have the same amount of dedication to complete a post each week. Monthly seems more achievable.

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...