I rode as a passenger on a motorcycle today. I’m on a sunny, tropical island where the temperature soared to 32C. To shield myself from dust, I wore a mask. Later, I switched to a bus, keeping my mask on due to the low COVID vaccination rates in this part of the island.

You can purposely mess up government surveillance by tampering with their collected logs. First, log into two devices using the same iCloud account. Then, leave your old iPhone, with your registered SIM, at a different location. After that, connect your other device to WiFi. Messages from your iPhone will be forwarded to this other device, even though you’re in a different location.

Apple’s quality control has been questionable since I purchased the first-generation MacBook, the white polycarbonate one, long before they switched to aluminum. I saved up to buy this laptop, but the palmrest deteriorated quickly. It turned yellow after a year and eventually cracked and disintegrated. Years later, I assumed their quality control would have improved, but the MacBook M1 still had questionable quality in its palmrest. After a few months of use, the anodized aluminum faded, and the areas where you rest your wrists became extremely noticeable! Apple’s quality control is crap.

I’ve purchased several Apple devices over the years, yet each time I buy one, there’s always something that seems like it should have failed their quality control. For instance, there was even a speck of dust inside the screen of my iPad Mini 3!

ps: I don’t complain as much with Android devices because due to their reasonable price, my expectations are set accordingly.

We have the same issues regarding the keyboard. I’m a tech guy, so I need to regularly type symbols in the chat. I also need to SSH into a machine to fix stuff and the lack of a keyboard that’s geared towards tech persons is a pain. AFAIK, there’s no good alternative for the Hacker’s Keyboard in iOS.

I previously ranted about how my screen was so yellow compared to other (non-OLED) Apple devices. The yellowish tint seemed to improve over a couple of weeks, and my eyes are now accustomed to the remaining yellowish tint. When I view the screen outside (i.e., in natural light), the colors are incredibly accurate. I’m still annoyed by small things, like the lack of palm gestures in the camera app, the unreliable back tap, and the subpar spellcheck suggestions in its keyboard, but I’m getting used to it.

I really don’t like the iPhone, but I got tired of my Android sending telemetry to a hostile country. I also can’t choose what photos an app can access. If I need to grant access to a photo, I’m forced to grant access to all photos, whereas in iOS I can restrict it to specific photos only.

Sure, Apple also sends telemetry, but they’re pretty upfront about it, and I can turn it off.

I’m currently using a Spigen Thin Case but it’s not thin enough. I’m a fan of slim cases that don’t cover the buttons. I’m waiting for my Pitaka case to arrive.