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Sep 14, 2026
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  1. The Smoking Room
    Sep 14, 2026 · original
    The Smoking Room is one of my favourite sitcoms, top 3 for sure. The cast is brilliant and it captures smoking culture at work in Britain just as the smoking ban was coming in to force. I've never been a smoker but I full appreciated the dynamic of the characters. I bought the DVD and have watched the whole collection twice, but I was so pleased to see that it's now back on iPlayer for everyone to watch. I'll be giving it a third viewing for sure. I couldn't find a trailer for the first series and the trailer for the second series doesn't really sell it. The clips on YouTube from BBC Studios are unfortunately capped at 144p, but here's a taste of the show: What would I put in the top 3 with The Smoking Room? Arrested Development for sure and Scrubs .
  2. Apple's iPhone 18, iPhone 18 Pro and Apple Watch Event
    Sep 9, 2026 · original
    So, how did I do? I didn't ask for much in my wish list post last week. Just for the iPhone mini to return, a smaller Dynamic Island and cheaper phones. That last one is unrealistic given the current RAM pricing crisis we're in the middle of, but had they kept the prices stayed the same, I'd have called success. Apple iPhone 18 Pro & 18 Pro Max Apple's flagship iPhones were up first. They continue to be a photographer's best friend. Siri AI Lots of promises have been made this year, but grounded in reality. I'm sure intents will take time to come through, but it's what Siri should have been years ago. New thermal design Just a year on after the introduction of the vapour chamber, there's already been an update that introduces 3 times the surface area for heat dissipation. Paired with graphite and copper layers it proves to help keep the iPhone cooler. The iPhone 18 Pro now achieves 17 Pr
  3. My iPhone 18 Pro wish list
    Sep 2, 2026 · original
    I last put an iPhone wish list together for the iPhone 14 Pro back in 2022. It was the last time I bought a new iPhone and while I don't intend to upgrade this year, I thought it would be worth a revisit to see what Apple has ticked off and what my wish list for the next generation of iPhones is. iPhone 14 Pro – iPhone 17 Pro Over the last 4 generations, Apple delivered fully on 3 of my 4 wishes. The may or may not be smaller, but it's now a dynamic island becoming a feature rather than a obstruction. I missed out on USB-C by one year. From the iPhone 15 onwards, the iPhone now has USB-C in various flavours depending on how Pro you go. The telephoto lenses now have periscope lenses, and they did eventually move to a 5x periscope lens for the iPhone 15 Pro Max only (then both Pros for the 16). The iPhone 17 Pro now gets 4x and 8x zoom! So not bad at all, I'm not desperate to get a USB-C d
  4. The Odyssey: More on the myths
    Aug 30, 2026 · original
    I saw finally saw The Odyssey this weekend. I thought I'd missed the chance, especially to see it in the intended IMAX format, but things worked out well as it's run in UK cinemas was extended by at least a week. This movie came out the same year in which I stumbled across Natalie Haynes Stands Up for the Classics . Natalie was a guest on The Full Disclosure podcast and I had been watching Alice Robert's Roman Empire by Train . Once I got home, I dived straight into readying about about Odyssey to connect some of the dots. Christopher Nolan had said already that the movie is not a direct telling. The wikipedia entry varies a fair bit from the movie, but I have no issue with that. Here are some videos on The Odyssey (movie and myth) that you might find interesting: Everything you need to know to read Homer's "Odyssey" - Jill Dash Homer Simpson's Odyssey (from 1990!) A BREAKDOWN of ALL Sym
  5. Phones should do less
    Aug 21, 2026 · original
    Every holiday we take, I take my DSLR and use it sparingly. It goes nearly everywhere with us, but comes out as a compliment to our phones. My DSLR is over a decade old, a Canon 700D that I usually pair with a prime lens. Either my 50mm f/1.8 or 24mm f/2.8 lens. Sometimes with a telephoto lens. I never use the 18-55mm kit lens. The photos always have more character than those taken on my phone. So maybe out phones should do less. Or I need to take more advantage of the tools at my disposal. Especially given I spend time and energy lugging them around.
  6. Holiday round ups on social media
    Aug 16, 2026 · original
    I don't post often on Instagram, but I've made a habit of posting a gallery of photos from our holidays . I'm trying to get a specific hashtag going but Instagram are making their platform worse by the day so it's hard to bring them together in a meaningful way. If I find one, I'll update with a direct link. We just got back from Barcelona , it wasn't exactly relaxing but it was a great time away with the family exploring yet another great European city. I also post a small selection of non-family photos to Flickr and have started to occasionally use Grain , although it's been rejecting my uploads the last few days for some reason.
  7. Beyond Couch to 5K
    Aug 3, 2026 · original
    I found Couch to 5K an unbelievably good way to start pushing myself when it comes to exercise. I've used an exercise bike and often gone for long walks, but they're all very comfortable in comparison to running. The program is really good and I'm now a massive advocate of the whole thing. I did try continuing with the graduation programs but found that the app would crash meaning I lost audio feedback and couldn't log the runs in the C25K app. Custom workout I found the custom workout feature for workouts on the Apple Watch to be really useful. I've set one up to start and end with 500m of walking around 4x 1km intervals. This gives me audio feedback and a clear goal to aim for rather than just running for a certain amount of time as the C25K doesn't actually use any of my Apple Watch or GPS data to determine speed and distance. It's all about endurance. Tracking my progress I don't hav
  8. Waylist and Tixato will be going on sale
    Jul 27, 2026 · original
    Waylist has been priced at $1.99 since launch but will be going on sale on the 28th–31st July as part of Indie App Sales . Tixato also joins the sale by going free for the duration of the Indie App Sales promotion. You'll be able to get Waylist for 99¢ (50% off) during that time and it will return to it's normal price afterwards. Tixato has just become a paid game, but will be on sale and be free to download, returning to it's normal price from August. Waylist does not require a subscription, it's a one time fee to get your hands on the app. Tixato is also a one time purchase, but you can get it for free during the sale. If you'd like to know more about Waylist, a fully-featured travel planning app, you can check out some videos on it's website or you can get Waylist in the App Store . Waylist and Tixato in the App Store You can visit the Indie App Sales page using the link earlier in th
  9. Spain win the 2026 World Cup
    Jul 20, 2026 · original
    What I don't understand about the World Cup final yesterday is the Argentina have, probably, the best player to play the game and their entire approach in the last two games at least has been to bully the opposition. Against England, they were awful. Against Spain they were even worse. There was sweet justice in Enzo Fernandes being sent off and the Spain goal arriving of the back of a tiny lapse in concentration from Simeone. We did not need 120 minutes of their nonsense. 90 minutes was too much. But Spain stuck to their plan, were disciplined and didn't fall for their tricks. They're world champions for a second time and deservedly so. My highlight Top of the list for me is knowing that my son will remember this World Cup. He has recollections of the last final in Qatar as it was at a reasonable hour and he has read a lot about football so has almost encyclopaedic knowledge. He watched
  10. Courting App Store feedback
    Jul 18, 2026 · original
    If you've tried any of my apps that are currently in the App Store, it would be great to get some feedback. You can always send me a message on Bluesky or leave a review with some comments which I'll be able to see and reply too. If you haven't tried any yet, then please do give them a go and let me know your thoughts. Waylist is a paid app, so if you'd like to get it for free I do have a very small number of promo codes I can share. Waylist and Team Sheets both currently have 5 star ratings but with limited reviews so I'm looking to learn more about App Store distribution from that angle.
  11. Introducing Tixato, a twist on tic-tac-toe
    Jul 8, 2026 · original
    About a year ago I came up with an idea for a game, it was a simple strategy game where you needed to take control of a board. I prototyped it and had it ready in a matter of hours. But the game play was became repetitive and predictably you would just fall into the pattern of either avoiding your appointment or you'd both counteract each other continuously. Playing noughts and crosses (tic-tac-toe) with my son, I realised I could re-use the same mechanism to combine the two concepts and create a new strategy game based on tic-tac-toe and so Tixato was born. Currently free, you'll find Tixato in the App Store . The price will increase come August but I'd love to get people playing and any feedback would be appreciated. It's a game designed to be played in person, just place your device between two people and you can begin playing. It starts as a simply game of tic-tac-toe, but after the
  12. Custom workouts in Apple Fitness
    Jul 4, 2026 · original
    It took me a while to figure out that you could actually do it on your phone, because it wasn't obvious I managed to create one on my watch. Creating custom workouts might actually be a super power. I'll share more soon, but having graduated the Couch to 5K program, I've found that the graduation programs crash half way through leaving me coachless. The Apple Fitness workouts aren't perfect, but because I'm using set distance goals, it's easy enough to see how much effort or time I have left. Having disabled split notifications in the fitness app on the Apple Watch... I now need to figure out how to get them back which will stop me checking my watch constantly mid-run. It's a great way to check in and make sure it's all going smoothly.
  13. From overpowered to appropriately resources
    Jun 26, 2026 · original
    It doesn't feel like it's been two years, but that's almost how long ago it was when I bought my MacBook Pro . I ... went up a level with RAM. With Apple Intelligence, which may tax the RAM day-to-day, I thought it was best to get the most I could now as it can't be upgraded. I made the right decision and with macOS Golden Gate around the corner, Siri AI is going to be RAM hungry I'm sure. Even Xcode on it's own demands a lot of resources and with more agentic features it's only going to want more. Looking back, I'm sure I was trying to hit 36GB of RAM in my configuration but if I remember rightly, the step up from 24GB was 48GB which is where I settled. A great choice in hindsight. RAM itself has become an expensive commodity and forced Apple to increases prices outside of an upgrade cycle. Looking at a SSD for myself, one I bought for less than £100 two years ago now costs twice as muc
  14. Top kits at the 2026 FIFA World Cup
    Jun 20, 2026 · original
    Now that every team has played their first game at the World Cup, time to announce my favourites. You can also look back at the 2022 and 2018 editions. Overall, I'd say Adidas win with their kits and all my favourites are by the German supplier. Curaçao They may have been hammered by Germany in their first ever World Cup game, but their away kit is a thing of beauty. Adidas claim it's yellow but I'd say it's a deep beige. Germany It was Germany who inflicted that defeat on Curaçao, while wearing their home kit inspired by previous designs. But it's their away kit which looks way better to me. Spain Completing the hat-trick for away kits, it's Spain's! Similar to Curaçao in main colour, but it features a single star for their 2010 World Cup win. Japan You won't believe it, but it's another away kit. This time for Japan, it's pretty beige again but having seen this one in the flesh, it's a
  15. WWDC 26
    Jun 10, 2026 · original
    Platform improvements look like they will give older devices in particular, a new lease of life. Improving speed launch times by 30% is no small feat for a device as old as the iPhone 11 (almost 7 years old). In fact there were over 200 improvements announced. App Icons / Liquid Glass Jump to 09:21 in the keynote. In general, Liquid Glass looks more refined. Just trying the iOS 27 build in Xcode offers a clear improvement to the way it all looks on device. Clearer definition of elements and it does feel more polished in appearance. App Icons specifically look crisper. That has been my biggest issue when creating Liquid Glass icons, they have soft edges that look too big. This evolution brings tighter edges and refractions with higher contrast. Both very welcome. The move back to a consistent corner radii and fixing the sidebar and toolbars will go a long way to making Liquid Glass feel l
  16. FIFA World Cup 2026
    Jun 7, 2026 · original
    The World Cup is now days away, I had been collating images of the various kits to be worn at the World Cup to continue my tradition of posting my favourites. (See the 2018 and 2022 editions.) After the tournament kicks off, I will post my favourite kits of 2026, but until then I wanted to pick out some teams I'll be rooting for. There are 48 to pick from and it would be rude to follow just one team so here's who I'll be following most closely. Europe I should support England but find it hard to given the poor team selections they make constantly. Could they win this time? I doubt it. I will be watching though. Netherlands, and Italy (who did not qualify), are my favourite European team to follow. I would love to see Virgil van Dijk lift the trophy. I have soft spot for Czechia too and continues to be a place I'd love to visit. I'd also like to see Germany's Wirtz have a great tournament
  17. Reading progress (May 2026)
    May 26, 2026 · original
    After failing miserably at reading more, I've made a pretty good start to the year as I start reading my 7th book. I plan to write about the books I've read but I just wanted to mark my progress at this point. 6 books, both digital and physical, is no mean feat given one of my goals in 2024 was to read more. The reality was that I read just 3 books and then 3 more in 2025. I've already beaten the previous two years combined and hope to push on to double digits. The mix of physical and digital has been good, but I have found bookmarking digital books to be hit and miss. Sometimes I return to a book and it's on the wrong page and I'm either re-reading entire pages or missing a chunk of content before realising. I don't understand how the experience in both Apple Books and the Kindle apps are both so terrible.
  18. C25K Week 4
    May 24, 2026 · original
    I've been sticking to a pretty good schedule but finished week 4 on a low. This post is here to check in and say that it's possible to complete the challenges laid out to remind myself that I need to warm up before running. 3 minute runs are not much of a problem anymore, but the 5 minute intervals are tough. Run 3 in week 4, I failed to warm up and suffered. Week 4 felt really intimidating but the first run was OK. The second run was not as good as my warm up was short but my third run I just forgot completely and then failed to complete the running intervals correctly. I'll take a look at week 5 when I next think about heading out for a run but I might re-do one of the week 4 runs to give myself an achievable challenge before pushing on to the next round. Update I did warm up properly and re-did the 3rd run of week 4 and it became achievable despite warmer temperatures. Warming up for
  19. What I'm using Waylist for
    May 14, 2026 · original
    Waylist has now been out for a few weeks now and I wanted to share 3 ways in which I'm using it. Favourite restaurants where I log restaurants we've been too and restaurants we'd love to visit. So they're not all our favourites (yet) but it's a good way of keeping them in one place Holiday ideas to keep a list of locations that could make a great future holiday location Things to do with the kids In the next version, there's the option to share links and keep a scrapbook of related content against a a guide and against a location. I'm really excited to get that out as it was a lot of effort and I've been using it to help collate information I've stumbled across for future holidays.
  20. Couch to 5K
    May 8, 2026 · original
    The NHS have a Couch to 5K app that I had downloaded previously, opened once and then never looked at again. I actually deleted it as I wasn't sure how I'd fit it all in. Then at the end of April, I began thinking about it again. This time, I not only opened the app but put it into motion and did my first run and I'm now about to finish week 2. It has been tough, I've never been the best of runners, but already feel that I can run more comfortably for short periods of time thanks to the program. Getting to week 9 is not going to be easy but I'm pleased that I've made a start and I intend to keep going through the whole program.

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