I’m not going to go into spoilers but having reflected on the series now it’s done I think it was wrapped up well and gave me pretty much everything I could want. I don’t feel like a second season is needed but I wouldn’t be against it. I’d like more of a focus on Vader though if we got one, his turmoil and constantly in his own head looking at everything that went wrong or was against him. I feel we got the right amount of him in Obi-Wan but I’d love some Clone Wars era flash backs and the inner workings of his mind.
As someone with my own mental health struggles I’ve always related to Anakin in a way and I’d love to see more of this Anakin/Vader story on screen.
I’ve loved The Mandalorian, all of the animated series and most of Boba Fett but for me Obi-Wan is the best Star Wars on TV yet.
I’ve been working through some RSI issues that have resulted in me switching devices a bit lately. I’ve had to stop playing guitar and video games and also rethink how I’m using my device. The iPhone mini size (13 in my case) seems to be the best compromise of form factor for me right now, I’m getting used to the screen size but I love everything else about it. In fact I’ve just sold my iPhone 11 and iPhone 13 to fund it so I’m all in.
I’m using the 256GB 13 mini in starlight (or silver, no idea why it’s called starlight to be honest) along with the golden brown Apple leather case. I’ve been using the case just to add some grip but on the mini it’s not necessary if you have Apple Care +. It’ll most probably come off all of the time soon but even with it on the phone feels a nice size to hold and put in your pocket.
Don’t worry about battery, it’s got plenty to get you through the day with normal usage. If you’re a heavy gamer though you might want to invest in a battery pack if you’re out and about. I find that with my usage it gets me through a day and a half fine.
When you pick storage consider this being the last mini sized iPhone for a while, we may never see another. I don’t think that this form factor will be the future SE, if you want a mini sized iPhone get one now. With that in mind pick as much storage as you can afford, I went middle of the ground with 256GB. My other phones were 128GB so I thought to figure proof it I’d go with more storage. I use iCloud photo storage so this extra space is for future iOS updates and storing my music locally.
Home Screen
I’ve got zoom mode enabled and the font is bumped up a couple of clicks so the icons may seem larger than yours.
I’m only using the apps that come with my iPhone for productivity, that’s mail, calendar, notes and reminders. They all suit my needs and it’s nice not switching or thinking about switching apps all of the time.
I’m still using Glass for my photo sharing, Tweetbot is my twitter client of choice, reeder for RSS and WordPress for blogging.
I don’t listen to a lot of podcasts anymore so overcast is now in the App Library. It’s been nice not always having something in my ear to listen to for a change.
Now I’ve got my own car again maps has worked it’s way back to my Home Screen.
Here’s my wallpaper.
Overall right now I’m happy with this setup. I’m trying to use it less and when I do be intentional about it.
The iPhone 13 mini seems to have a small but dedicated fan base and I can see why now I’m using one.
Both Jonathan and Garrett seem to feel the same way, it’s nice to use a smaller device that’s not uncomfortable and (for me) gets out of the way.
Also, remember that Apple isn’t going to take your existing mini from you when the 14 comes out, if you’re happy using it then don’t upgrade.
I’ve been using the M1 MacBook Air for just over a year now and wanted to share some longer term thoughts on using this laptop almost daily.
I picked up the MacBook Air primarily to help me with my freelance work and job hunting back in June 2021 and I went for the basic 8GB Ram model, which at £799 was an absolute bargain. It’s cheaper than most iPhone models and is the computer for most people.
The 8GB of ram has been fine all of this time and the M1 is so fast it doesn’t matter that I went with the base spec.
I’ve used it for basic video editing, podcasting, photo editing and all of the usual daily tasks like email and browsing. In the time I’ve had it I haven’t noticed any slow down.
The battery life has been epic compared to anything I’ve used before.
The build is superb and has held up well. It still looks brand new.
I’ve been thinking about any negatives and I can’t think of any. I’m in no rush to even think about replacing it, even with a new MacBook Air on the horizon it’s still a great buy.
Blogging consistently is hard, especially now I’m simplifying my setup. I’ve downsized my mobile setup with the intention of cutting back on screen time and working on my RSI. What I’ve found is my blogging has almost completely stopped, it’s reinforcing that 80% of what I do here is done from my phone.
As I adjust to using the iPhone Mini I’ll blog more I think, I just didn’t realise how much I did actually do from my mobile.
I’ve been thinking about distraction apps and things that sometimes have a drain on me and the idea of going back to using my phone as a tool is an attractive one. What I mean by this is taking it back a bit and using it for the basics of what I need day to day when I’m on the go.
My setup would be using the iPhone 13 Mini so that it’s light and portable then leaving social media and distracting apps off it. I’d use my iPad at home or MacBook Air for social media or creative projects.
My iPhone would then be used for calls, messages, maps, photos, music and podcasts.
I’m hoping this would reduce my screen time, giving my RSI a bit of a break and giving me more time to focus on the creative projects I never seem to get time or energy for.
I’ll report back and let you know how I’m getting on.
I’ve been dealing with RSI in my left hand and whilst I’ve been testing multiple different iPhone models I’m rapidly coming to the conclusion they are all compromised (for me) in some way.
The iPhone 11 too heavy, the iPhone 13 too sharp on the edges, the iPhone Mini screen needs zoomed mode to be comfortable on the eyes and the iPhone SE bezels make it hard to type on.
It’s all a compromise for me and it’s very frustrating.
Looking over at Android the only device that feels comfortable is the Google Pixel 3a but it doesn’t get security updates.
Is it just me or is it really hard to get a device that’s comfortable to use on a daily basis?
I think what I’ll end up doing is using a case on a 13 and deal with RSI or use a Mini in zoomed mode and use my iPad more. Using my iPhone just when I’m out but that’s going to be a hard habit to build. but I change my mind daily so who knows what I’ll do, hey I might even get an old school Nokia and leave the smart phone behind for a while.
What are you using and is it comfortable or a compromise?
Having used an iPhone 13 mini I really have a soft spot for it. It’s comfortable without sacrificing the performance, camera or battery. I came across this open letter from Mark Ellis and the bit that got me thinking was his comments on the lack of a marketing campaign for the Mini.
In my own experience I’ve had to explain what the iPhone 13 mini is when it’s been spotted and I’m generally receiving positive comments about it. Especially from people that are hanging onto their iPhone 7 sized devices because they don’t want to move to a larger iPhone.
I had a think about all of the marketing campaigns I’ve seen here in the UK and it’s either the Pro or the regular 13, I can’t remember a single one showing the iPhone 13 mini.
Rumours are that there will be no iPhone 14 Mini. Just like Apple still sell the 12 Mini I’d imagine that when the 14 launches we’ll see a £100 price drop on the 13 Mini and it’ll stick around discontinuing the 12 Mini.
It’s a shame that the Mini never got the full weight of Apple behind it, I wonder how well it would have done if it was actually marketed.
As soon as iOS 16 beta 1 dropped I installed it onto my iPhone 13, it’s my only one so it’s my main device I use day to day. After a day and a half and running into a few issues that I rely on I’ve been back on iOS 15.5 and it’s made me realise how incremental iOS 16 is.
The Lock Screen changes are big but without third party support in my opinion it’s not worth the battery hit. In my testing I was about 40% down on what I would normally have, this gave me some battery anxiety I didn’t need.
If you’re anxious to try out the beta I’d hold off until the public beta is available and then you can be confident the main kinks have been worked out.
I have to admit at the moment it feels like I’m swimming upstream with my blogging efforts. I feel that the market has now totally moved away to podcasts and video leaving writers like me in the past. I’ve got (or had goals) of getting reviews units or being invited to events but the likes of Apple and Google seem to focus on video producers and podcasters. This isn’t sour grapes from my part, it’s where the audience has gravitated to.
To keep doing what I’ve always done and expect growth isn’t realistic, it feels like I’m walking down a path with no direction. I enjoy writing here mostly but it’s not fulfilling my goals of making something of this creative endeavour, the time of the blogger has gone. As much as I don’t want to believe it I’m starting to lift my head up and realise to grow my audience I have to change.
I’m still figuring this out along with a lot of other stuff right now but just wanted to share my thoughts on how I’m feeling about blogging right now.
LJPUK 