I’m trying to be positive on this blog but I’m writing this because I’m getting nowhere with Apple.

I use display zoom mode on my iPhone and I’ve been reporting the same bugs for years. Apple does generally do a great job for accessibility settings but display zoom isn’t one of them.

Above is just an example of the type of problems that I encounter when using display zoom.

I’ve no idea what to do next.

One thing I’m not missing about being so close to tech right now and doing some guitar stuff is the need to put others down, be it a platform or a writer.

Especially on the Apple side there seems to be a need for some to defend this trillion dollar company and stoke the flame wars, I don’t see the need. We have enough going on in the world right now so why do some feel this need to incite bad feelings towards others? I just don’t get it.

I do see this on YouTube “why brand X sucks” videos are there for almost any topic but I’m trying to be more positive this year.

Not everything is black or white, most things are shades of grey.

Trading devices with Apple just got a bit worse but it’s not a surprise. Apple used to be ok a few years ago but since this time their value for trade in has been terrible. I’ve recommended using Music Magpie and in all the trades I’ve done their value and process is the most straightforward. (Not a sponsored post, I just like their process 😀).

Looks like the NDA for the M2 Mac mini dropped today and overall they seem positive. It’s a great machine for the money, even if you go for the base 8GB model. I’ve been using 8GB in my M1 Air and it’s been ok for my use case.

Here are a couple of my favourites

• Six Colors
• The Verge

Like a lot of technology enthusiasts over the years I’ve used lots of different PC’s, phones and consoles, settling into the Apple ecosystem in about 2008 and been there ever since. But, I’ve always been of the mindset that you use the technology that works for you, regardless of the company that makes it.

For me I went to macOS mainly because I was doing a lot of creative YouTube stuff back then and iMovie and iPhoto all worked well together. I hated doing video on the PC. I also got an iPhone so I was hooked. I’d also been a long time PlayStation player and only owned one Xbox.

Last year I picked up a Garmin watch, Nothing Phone 1 and an Xbox series X and they have been great for me to see how other companies are doing things.

I can see that Apple needs to up their software game on the Apple Watch, adding the ability to have rest days and be better at figuring out how tired you are (see Garmin body battery).

The iPhone, whilst I love my 13 Mini is a pretty boring design and colour. I loved the design and value for money that the Nothing Phone 1 gave me. I saw no one else with one and using Android was a good refresher of why I prefer iOS, aside from being able to place apps and widgets wherever you want including having gaps between them.

Having the Xbox opened me to game pass and reminded me why I love games like Halo so much. PlayStation offers far less value in my opinion now I’ve been a game pass subscriber.

What I’m trying to say is Apple in particular is very tribal and reading certain sites or subreddits they can do no wrong. Some go out of their way to defend this trillion dollar company or quickly dismiss other products without actually trying them.

If you’re using one ecosystem for everything, try stepping out of it and pick up something else to try, it’s fun and for me at least always invigorates my writing.

A report from Mark Gurman over at Bloomberg (I’m linking to 512Pixels) is indicating that Apple are starting to look at adding touch to the Mac. Initially I wasn’t for this but now I’m using Logic Pro I’m all for it. This would eliminate the need for Pro apps coming to the iPad if done well. Manipulating an app like logic with touch would be amazing.

I loved my ThinkPad back in one of my previous jobs. It looked great, was durable and at the time had the best keyboard I’d used on a laptop. Well, Lenovo have announced a ThinkPhone that to my eyes looks pretty cool. I like the look of it with that red accented button. I doubt it’ll shift much volume though. In my experience the enterprise market is already captured but Samsung and this phone is for the ThinkPad fans, it’s a niche but a dedicated one. I just don’t think there are enough people to make this a viable product, but it looks cool though.

I wanted to do a little post to go through the gear that I used most in 2022, this covers devices I used for productivity, photography and just generally the gear that I used most in 2022.

iPhone 13 Mini

I really enjoy using and carrying a small iPhone. I use it without a case so it’s super slim and light but has good battery life and an amazing camera. I’ve briefly used a 14 Pro this year also but the downsides of carrying it weren’t worth it. The iPhone mini form factor just suits my needs better and doesn’t set off the RSI issues I have.

iPad Mini (6th generation)

Might be my favourite iPad of all time. It’s what I use around the house and even when I’m travelling. With the Smart Cover and Apple Pencil attached it’s the perfect little digital notebook. It’s also great for importing and editing my DSLR images. It is a little pricey but if you go for 256GB it should last you a long time.

MacBook Air M1

I have the first generation M1 MacBook Air and I am still so happy with it. Yes I look at the design of the new version and think it looks cool but this one still works well. The only time I’ve seen it slow down is editing large RAW images but I don’t take that many. I have the base 8GB RAM version and like I say for less than the £800 in 2021 and cheaper than a lot of iPad models it’s one of the best values in computing today.

XBOX Series X

This was a 2021 pickup and I’m still playing it almost daily. It’s well built and silent on all games I’ve played on it. Game Pass has a massive selection of games and ones like Flight Simulator and Halo keep me coming back. Now I’ve also picked up a PS5 however I am starting to see that Microsoft need to up their single player immersive experience a bit more to compete with games like God of War and Uncharted.

Canon 70D

It’s an oldie now, I’ve had it for 7 or 8 years but I can’t justify changing it. It still takes great images and I’ve got the lenses that I enjoy using with it. Mirrorless is tempting for the slight weight relief but with the current economic situation I just don’t see the need to change over just yet.

What have you been using?

Wow, blatantly lying in a statement to The Verge. I’ll be thinking long and hard before buying anything from Anker again (which is a shame).

I still think about my time owning the Nothing Phone 1. It was a completely unique back design that I saw nowhere, it’s not often that happens. It had a good camera and great screen, aluminium body to bring the weight down and a hole punch rather than a notch. But there was one massive downside, it’s fingerprint sensor.

Like the one on my work Samsung, it’s on-screen and slow and unreliable.

I feel that Nothing could have opted for one on the power button and it would have been a much easier sell to being my main device. Instead the inconsistent unlock got me back on my iPhone with it’s almost 100% reliable FaceID.

Have you found a reliable on screen sensor that you like?