This is really outside my wheelhouse, but my old friend @vgr wants me to tweet a bunch of different things about new technology & gadgets. I might say something useful or I might end up seeming like an idiot. Probably both. Will tweet once for every like of this tweet, up to 50.
@vgr 1) Never, ever give up your biometrics if you have any ability to refuse. That includes 21 & Me, and allowing your bank to capture your voice.
@vgr 2) It's absolutely baffling to me that sheeple will offer up their biometrics to any corporate or government entity. One day your iris scans will be downloadable by some eighth grader in Mordovia.
@vgr 3) The bigger the government the more corrupt, incompetent, and dangerous it gets. Everybody should encrypt everything. All of my friends use the Signal app and you should get it too.
@vgr 4) As much as I value privacy, I can't make any compromises when it comes to productivity. Google's suite of tools is SO much better than Apple's. Especially Google Assistant, which makes Siri look either brain damaged or deliberately unhelpful.
@vgr 5) That said, iOS is so damned elegant even if I could never use it on my phone. It does have by far the best independent software. To keep one foot in the iOS ecosystem, I have an iPad Air 2. It's 4-5 years old and I use it AT LEAST two hours a day.
@vgr 6) Mandatory life-changing iOS apps: Overcast by @marcoarment. Mr. Reader RSS reader (long discontinued, and I'll soon replace it with NetNewswire when it hits iOS.) Instapaper, also originally written by Marco—maybe the world's top genius app developer.
@vgr @marcoarment 7) Everybody should know about RSS, which is the forerunner of podcasts. Podcasts are merely RSS with an attached audio file. RSS is THE best way to follow the writers you like on the open web. Both RSS & podcasting were invented by @davewiner, another genius.
@vgr @marcoarment @davewiner 8) An RSS reader, a podcast catcher, and Instapaper are the holy trinity of the open web. Together they're the ultimate way to automate all your article reading and podcast listening.
@vgr @marcoarment @davewiner 9) I don't really listen to podcasts, for the same reason I don't play many video games. The opportunity cost is too damned high. But podcasts are great for when you're cooking or cleaning house. You can absorb smart info while you're chopping onions.
@vgr @marcoarment @davewiner 10) The one podcast I highly recommend is
@TFTC21 by @MartyBent & @matt_odell. Money is too important to entrust to government. And bitcoin is an endlessly deep and interesting topic. Oh, and pretty much every altcoin is a scam. Trust nobody.
@TFTC21 by @MartyBent & @matt_odell. Money is too important to entrust to government. And bitcoin is an endlessly deep and interesting topic. Oh, and pretty much every altcoin is a scam. Trust nobody.
@vgr @marcoarment @davewiner @TFTC21 @MartyBent @matt_odell 11) Let's get back to video games, another thing I don't really have time for. I think I like the idea of playing video games more than I actually like gaming. I'm convinced that some video games make you smarter. So I probably play 80 hours of video games a year.
@vgr @marcoarment @davewiner @TFTC21 @MartyBent @matt_odell 12) The best video games are works of genius, and leave you forever changed. These have changed my life: Marble Madness, Katamari Damacy, Ratchet & Clank 3, NHL '94, Unreal Tournament (GOTY). Shooting someone with the redeemer on Deck 16 is the best thing ever.
@vgr @marcoarment @davewiner @TFTC21 @MartyBent @matt_odell 13) Here I am again talking about geniuses in tech. Mark Cerny, the creator of Marble Madness, is way, way up there. He's now in charge of building the PS5. This presentation about his building Marble Madness as a teenager is riveting.
@vgr @marcoarment @davewiner @TFTC21 @MartyBent @matt_odell 14) It's amazing how slick and perfect the Xbox-One's operating system is, given that Microsoft has never made an elegant PC operating system. I finally gave up on Windows around 2015 and vowed to never use it again. I've kept that vow.
@vgr @marcoarment @davewiner @TFTC21 @MartyBent @matt_odell 15) I don't use Macs anymore either. I used to be very into DIY. Did my shitty graphic design, recorded one of the first podcasts, even typeset my own books in LaTeX. I *love* to oversee an entire project from soup to nuts, and a Mac is the best platform for doing that.
@vgr @marcoarment @davewiner @TFTC21 @MartyBent @matt_odell 16) Now I use a Pixelbook. I realized that I'm really only super competent at a few things. I write. I'm good at analysis. And of course I have a deep knowledge on all things vegan (except nutrition!)
@vgr @marcoarment @davewiner @TFTC21 @MartyBent @matt_odell 17) Given what I'm good at, if I need to use a Mac or PC to get something done, it's a clear sign that I'm doing something that I'm not particularly good at. Which means that ultimately I'm just dicking around and not utilizing my abilities to maximize animal protection.
@vgr @marcoarment @davewiner @TFTC21 @MartyBent @matt_odell 18) Fiverr.com is a fantastic platform for hiring people on the cheap to do the things you are terrible at. Converting a short ebook to an ePub might cost $20 and take a gal who specializes in it 90 minutes, but it would take me two days to relearn how to do it.
@vgr @marcoarment @davewiner @TFTC21 @MartyBent @matt_odell 19) I've already said I use a Pixelbook and an iPad Air 2. IOW: Pixelbook for my output, iPad for my input. Both have superb screens, and that's something I'd never compromise on. And the Pixelbook's keyboard is delicious. I admit to having a keyboard fetish.
@vgr @marcoarment @davewiner @TFTC21 @MartyBent @matt_odell 20) My Pixelbook makes every computer I've ever owned seem like junk. Ditto for my newish $300 Pixel 3A XL. Great camera. Fantastic screen. Quick enough. I don't see why anybody would need anything fancier.
@vgr @marcoarment @davewiner @TFTC21 @MartyBent @matt_odell 21) So I'm the antithesis of a fanboi, since I use both Android for my phone and iOS for my tablet. Android is improving *much* quicker than iOS. It's like the kid skipping grades vs the kid who skips school. I expect the divergence to accelerate. Love Apple but wouldn't buy AAPL
@vgr @marcoarment @davewiner @TFTC21 @MartyBent @matt_odell 22) At the end of the day, though, tech is just shiny doodads unless you put equal time into LEARNING HOW to use that brain of yours. The education system does a pretty awful job of teaching you even the basics.
@vgr @marcoarment @davewiner @TFTC21 @MartyBent @matt_odell 23) So now that we've looked at OS's and Hardware, let's look at the wetware: your brain. Here are some of the main things that work for me. Eat loads of vegetables. I usually only eat twice a day (I'm into intermittent fasting w/15 hours between dinner & breakfast).
@vgr @marcoarment @davewiner @TFTC21 @MartyBent @matt_odell 24) Note that the above is NOT nutrition advice for you. It works for me since I don't have an eating disorder and maintain a healthy body weight. When you're way healthier in your 50s than your 20s, you get to tell others to take a flying leap.
@vgr @marcoarment @davewiner @TFTC21 @MartyBent @matt_odell 25) Writing sucks and coffee and booze can increase your output. Figure 2-3 shots of espresso over the morning, and then 1-2 drinks around noon to take the edge off and relax enough to belt out another few hundred words. I'd say these substances increase my daily output 30%.
@vgr @marcoarment @davewiner @TFTC21 @MartyBent @matt_odell 26) But alcohol's a terrible substance that wrecks countless lives, so please read: vegan.com/alcohol/
@vgr @marcoarment @davewiner @TFTC21 @MartyBent @matt_odell 27) Rounding out wetware maintenance: I like to walk at least an hour a day. I do around 30 pushups most days. I often sleep 8-10 hours, plus a 30 minute nap around 4:00 PM.
@vgr @marcoarment @davewiner @TFTC21 @MartyBent @matt_odell 28) Like most people, I've been doing the same work for years since I'm in the habit and not imaginative enough to drop it for something new & more fulfilling. I probably should end my career as a writer soon.
@vgr @marcoarment @davewiner @TFTC21 @MartyBent @matt_odell 29) Two final things on keeping your mind sharp enough to use tech to maximum effect: ice baths and stillness. You can call it meditation if you must but it all boils down to slowing your breath and asking "who am I." See Maharshi's "Who Am I?"
@vgr @marcoarment @davewiner @TFTC21 @MartyBent @matt_odell 30) My two main regrets in life are I didn't start traveling sooner and I didn't get into ice baths until a few years ago. Ice baths bring a calmness I've never experienced elsewhere. Again, this is not medical advice. I'm just someone into ahimsa who likes being calm.
@vgr @marcoarment @davewiner @TFTC21 @MartyBent @matt_odell 31) Venkat might say I've cheated with this nine-tweet wetware digression, but unless you attend to the wetware you're just going to be drooling over Instagram with your $900 phone made by economically trapped quasi-slaves.
@vgr @marcoarment @davewiner @TFTC21 @MartyBent @matt_odell 32) OK, so back to tech. See, Musk is certainly right to worry about the singularity. And any compassionate person can see that much tech is made by people almost as exploited as slaughterhouse workers. So my interest in tech is NOT to own a shiny new toy—hence my iPad Air 2.
@vgr @marcoarment @davewiner @TFTC21 @MartyBent @matt_odell 33) If producing tech entails exploitation akin to a thorn in humanity, maybe we can consciously use that thorn to pull out other thorns: government malfeasance, factory farming, erosion of civil liberties, and other sources of systematic unkindness.
@vgr @marcoarment @davewiner @TFTC21 @MartyBent @matt_odell 34) I've become obsessed by opportunity cost. I think most people are interested in tech as a Veblen leisure class status symbol, or as a way to entertain themselves w/movies & games. None of that brings me much joy.
35) I ended up saying much more consequential things than I intended when I began. And I am kind of out of gas, but I promised 50 tweets if I got 50 likes, so I now have 15 to go. I will focus on more tech I love with some comments. Easy stuff!
36) Todoist.com is the best site/web app you've never heard of. The site & apps are equally polished. You can write out your ToDos on a laptop, and then cross them off on your phone. Can be used for hardcore biz projects but also perfect for grocery shopping.
37) Screens are crucial since we spend so much time staring at them. Get matte rather than glossy whenever possible (it's the only thing I'd change about my Pixelbook). Even though the cheapest iPad is a helluva bargain, it lacks a laminated screen. Dealbreaker!
38) If you've never used e-ink, it's as gentle on the eyes as paper. Amazon's Kindle Paperwhite is the just-right mid-priced model. Great resolution & contrast at an affordable price. Especially great if you travel. Buy Amazon's yellow cover for it.
39) The Paperwhite is so perfect I've purchased it even though it has outdated awful micro-usb. Henceforth all new tech I buy must have USB-C. That goes for my next iPad. If a device doesn't have USB-C, think twice about buying it. It's nice to carry only one charger!
40) Touchpads are awful. Thinkpad nipples are awful. Just get an optical 3 button scroller mouse, one the right size for your hand. Steren, a Mexican brand, makes the best mouse PADS. Super thin & great grippy texture. Hard to find but worth hunting down!
41) If you travel a lot, I *highly* recommend the
ECBC 18.4 Inch Hercules Laptop Backpack. Super well made, and you can just unzip the laptop compartment and not have to remove your laptop when going through US airport security.
ECBC 18.4 Inch Hercules Laptop Backpack. Super well made, and you can just unzip the laptop compartment and not have to remove your laptop when going through US airport security.
42) Google doesn't get nearly enough credit. Their core suite of software—docs, sheets, and especially maps,—are some of the most polished tech ever released. And like I said earlier, Google Assistant is just astonishing.
43) Google assistant combined with Google Maps makes visiting new cities a breeze. While I'm uneasy with the FAANG panopticon, I enthusiastically and regularly write Google Business/Maps reviews and take photos for businesses I like. Huge numbers of people see this and benefit.
44) A common theme of this tweet storm is I think life is all about helping people and animals. You can use tech to dramatically scale up this sort of help. A great question to ask is, "What technologies/devices do I know or can I learn to make the world a better place?"
45) When possible, try to focus on the open web rather than walled gardens. Facebook is especially not to be trusted. As much as possible, stick to the open web and to companies TRYING to be less centralized. WordPress is a pain to learn but it is THE open source pub solution.
46) Did you know you can buy 3 years of unlimited hosting capacity (for as many domains as you want to register) for $5.95 a month from Dreamhost? And you can build your site using free software like WordPress (and many other solutions) that come pre-bundled w/Dreamhost.
47) We live in extraordinary times. You can learn the basics of WordPress in a weekend, and for six months a month for hosting plus 13 bucks a year for a domain, you've got a platform to share all the content you can ever create with whoever wants to see it.
48) Alternately, if WordPress is too much horse, go with Tumblr.com. It was recently purchased by the WordPress people so it'll bring an increasingly open source mentality to content creators who lack tech aptitude. And using Tumblr is free!
49) Here's one most web-savvy people already know, but if you're a desktop user, master your web browser's bookmark bar, including learning how to create nested folders. There are about 30-40 sites I commonly visit, and my bookmark bar gets me there in moments.
50) Every once in a while you've gotta use an emoji whether you like it or not. Here's the easiest site to find the one you need. Use the text search box! getemoji.com
51) Finally, think about getting a Raspberry Pi 4 model B with 4 gigs RAM. That and a case and power supply will set you back under $100 and it's the ultimate hobbyist platform. Some fun things you can do with it: makeuseof.com/tag/different-…
52) So that's it. Thanks, @vgr, for the inspiration. My main gig is writing Vegan.com and my most important page is below. Also please join my email list if you think you'd like hearing form me. vegan.com/why/
