Today’s coffee is the last dose of an experimental lot from Colombia. It’s co-fermented with peach and smells amazing. ☕️

I really hate Outlook. It’s such a cludgy application, nothing quite works properly and what should be easy (adding a calendar of UK holiday dates) is down right impossible to find.

My data, any app

Interesting post from Jim Nielsen about interoperable apps, although I’m not sure that’s the right term. When I first saw the title and screenshot I thought it would be a post about apps which work together well. Instead it’s more a post about flexible standards allowing for flexible user choices when interacting with that data.

I love RSS for this reason. I use Feedbin to hold my data and then I can choose any RSS app I want so long as it allows me to sign in to Feedbin. It’s why I’m still using Reeder Classic. Likewise with email, I use Fastmail as my data store and then I can use any app that supports IMAP or JMAP to interact with it. I’ve recently switched back to Obsidian again for this reason. The app sits on top of a structure made up of markdown files and folders. I can open the same structure in another markdown app like iA Writer and it will work (mostly) with all my data.

When you take the time to sit down and think about it, there are other systems like this. calendaring (via CalDAV) and contacts (via CardDAV) work this way as well. It would be so great to see this approach adopted for things like tasks, time tracking, and read it later apps. I’d just like a bit more flexibility on how I interact with that kind of data as well.

This article about The design game has changed and I don’t know where I fit anymore has resonated with me more than I expected it too.

Design isn’t just about designing anymore. It’s about playing the online game, building an audience, and becoming a content machine. It feels less about the work and more about marketing yourself.

This is the aspect I’ve always struggled with. There’s always been an element of this, but in recent years it seems to have grown more and more important. Ultimately I want to create things that help people, don’t have loads of corporate tape around them, and are fun to use.

My hay fever seems to be hitting particularly hard this year. My eyes are so gritty and heavy, it’s been a long time since it’s had this effect on me.

I’ve been reading Getting Things Done recently, considering that I’ve been aware of the system for 20 years this is the first time I’ve read the book. I wish I’d read it sooner rather than just relying on acquired knowledge from various blogs.

I’m starting to come to the conclusion that what I really want is a Mac in an iPad form factor. Or smush the two together so I have the best of both worlds.

Local coffee shop has added a 90 minute limit on their WiFi and I don’t blame them. I rarely work in a coffee shop for longer, but I’ve seen people there all day and only buying one coffee. These small businesses can’t afford such behaviour.

Jamie calls it Shower Brain, for me it’s driving brain.

people’s tendency toward insightful or analytical thinking is evident during “resting-state” brain activity–while a person relaxes with no task to perform or expectation about what is to come.

When I had an hour long commute either end of the day, I would find breakthroughs in projects would come more readily. Now I no longer have a commute I find motorway or “big road” drives have the same effect. The task requires concentration but on a level that has become second nature to me, my mind can then work on things without my realising it.