04/12/2020

The archive contains older posts which may no longer reflect my current views.

# I'm up early because the supermarket changed our delivery slot and "on this day" reminds me that it's now been over four years since I last posted to Twitter; almost three since I finally deleted my account.

I've hemmed and hawed over the years about whether I'd want to go back but that I haven't tells me all I need to know: I don't miss it.

# I updated my phone to Samsung's One UI 3.0 running on Android 11 last night. My carrier is notoriously slow at approving updates so, as I have done numerous times, I downloaded the base UK firmware.

Because I'm impatient.

My overall impression is... meh!

Yes, there have been tweaks across the board but nothing that makes you think "wow!" It is very much evolutionary (slow at that) rather than revolutionary.

I know iOS and Android are in very different places in their development but you look at the changes in iOS 14 and wish for something to shake up Android. What? I don't know what could give such a wow factor although widgets could definitely use some work. Apple may have been late to the game on that front but definitely showed how to play.

# Jay recently wrote about spending/wasting too much time on his phone and "shaming yourself" into better behaviour. It's an ongoing debate but one that doesn't take all factors into account.

I used to go to great lengths to reduce my phone usage (greyscale, a minimal launcher, hiding icons, etc.) but the reality is that a lot of my good ideas happen there.

The fact is that I'm more of an edge case: I don't play mobile games and, obviously, don't have any social apps installed. I do relatively little web browsing and spend most of my time reading RSS feeds, some ebooks, blogging or coding - with the right app a phone can be a very capable environment.

The debate focuses on the unhealthy use of phones but, by removing the distractions and bad actors, they can become creative outlets. Without my phone I'd be using my MacBook more but the phone is more immediate and accessible.

I gave up worrying about all this a while back.

# Every two weeks or so during Covid we have had a video call with our departmental head so that he can fill us in on what's happening, get presentations from his leadership team (and others) and have a Q&A.

This week's meeting (Wednesday) was a bit different. In order to promote colleague wellbeing we were all given the hour back to step away and do something relaxing, something for us.

Unfortunately, due to the nature of our role, my team can't all just up and leave for an hour. We thought we would miss out but our manager decided to move it to today so everyone's shift is reduced by an hour.

As I'm on the late shift I now don't start until 11:30 so am taking the opportunity to have a long soak in a hot bath, something I've only done once in the five months since we moved.

Good for the mind, body and soul.

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