Pixel Xa and Nothing phones: my go to smartphones.

It has been nearly two years since I got the Pixel 7a, and it is one of the best two Android devices I've used. The other one would be the Nothing Phone (1), both really good mid range options.

Both devices are really solid mid range smartphones, and in some ways punch a bit above their class in some ways. Mainly in how smooth they operate, and for me both cameras were quite good if you are just looking to share photos and video on social media, or with friends. Not the best ones out there, but more than good enough to share a moment with friends and family.

The main reason I didn't go with the Nothing Phone (2), and instead went with the Pixel 7a, was that it wasn't available in Mexico when I made the switch. I don't regret it, but in a way I would get a Nothing phone if the timing is right when the time to upgrade comes in a year or two. If not, I'd go with the Pixel Xa phone is available at the time.

The main reason I'd continue using Pixel or Nothing devices, is that they give me the best value for my money at the mid rage. Though at times I'd like to go premium, I can't really justify the price when the Pixel Xa, and Nothing phones, give all what I need and want on a smartphone. They might not come with the latest and greatest SoC, cameras, or other hardware, but what they come with is mature enough the they work great for years.

Not to mention that Nothing offers at least three years of OS updates, with at least one more of security updates, with the new Pixels come with 7 years od OS updates. Both are more than good enough for the amount of time I expect to use my smartphone before upgrading it.

So, unless clamshell foldables come down to mid range levels in a couple of years, Pixel a series and Nothing phones will continue to be my go to smartphones.

Public transport systems: a win for everyone.

One of my biggest gripes with mobility in big cities, is that we have the public transport systems to help alleviate the traffic, thus improving the quality of life of the people, and they aren't given enough priority and planning.

Systems of light rail, and bus rapid transit, when correctly planned and implemented, can help to move people faster and conveniently. When implemented well, people can move fast and easily within the city. This in turn benefits their employers and other business owners by making it easier to their employees and clients to get to where they are located.

Not only that, by taking people of cars, the congestion will be a lot less. This means that those who need or prefer using cars, can move faster since there are less traffic jams.

Good public transport systems are a win for everyone, even those who don't use them.

Most importantly, it doesn't take away from personal freedom. A good public transport system actually increase the mobility of people within the city, by granting access to more areas of the city in a more convenient and practical way.

A sign that a public transport system is good, and has quality, is that a big portion of the people who live in the city from different social classes, sees it as a good option to get to where they need to get. And that is something every city should have. 

Linux Mint: from freedom came elegance.

While I love using Linux Mint, one of the things I would love to see more is more people who use Linux Mint sharing the apps and the desk set ups they use.

To be honest, one of the reasons I love Linux Mint is that is one of the distros that is easiest to set on your personal aesthetics. A solid Linux disto that is easy to use, and that is easy to set to be aesthetical pleasing. A distro that has the looks and the technical foundations, so to say.

In a way, Linux Mint is elegant. The closest one that come close in my view was Ubuntu when it used Unity. Other than that, I haven't found that gives me the aesthetics that Linux Mint gives me. And since it changed the release schedule to use LTS versions of Ubuntu as its base, it has been even better.

Printing remotely.

Something that feels like a downgrade when the local server was changed to a server provided by our enterprise resource planning provider, was that we stopped being able print remotely.

The reason that we could print from outside the office, was that the printer at the office was on the server itself. As such, the laptop or computer we used to connect to the remote desktop we used for work, didn't need to be at the same network where the printer was connected to be able to print. When the change was made to the server provided by provider the computer, or laptop, we used needed to be at the same network the printer, because to printer needed to be added to the computer itself.

Which is something that has come to bite me in multiple ways. Mainly when we had a couple of energy outages, and couldn't connect to the network the printer is at. Also when I was out of the office, and needed to help making invoices. I just couldn't print the invoices, since I was out the office. That slowed things down, since someone else had to find the invoice and print it.

Not being able to print some documents from where ever we are located, is something sales reps, my boss, and I, makes our jobs a lot easier and processes a lot faster. And even, has proven valuable several times  since the change was made.

Sadly, that is something that the business lost to do internally. And it seems like is something that our provider is willing to give us. Hope that changes soon, since is something really useful for the business.

Pop!_OS: solid Linux distro.

I decided to give Pop!_OS a try on my home laptop, and after a week of use I came back to Linux Mint. Not that Pop!_OS is bad, is that Linux Mint is a better fit for me.

The main reason that I decided to test Pop!_OS on my home laptop, is that if anything went wrong I wouldn't be as pressured to reinstall Linux Mint and all the apps I really as I would be on my main laptop. And even though the experience was good on Pop!_OS, Linux Mint is just better for me.

The worst bug I faced on Pop!_OS, was that the time went several minutes ahead on almost daily basis. Not that big of an issue, but it could be if I had to do time sensitive things. Other than that, there were just workflow things, like I don't like to use docks all that much, and that I find the software update process more intuitive.

Honestly, now that I've used Pop!_OS, I find it to be a solid Linux distro. I can recommend people to give it a try, and I can see it be a good fit for many users, even those without much experience using Linux.

Android 16.

After reading some good reviews, I decided to jump to what is expected the last beta of Android 16. I wanted to see for myself if Android 16 is really shaping to be a good update and mainly jump to it a bit ahead of time.

So far, it has been quite a nice user experience. As a whole, I don't feel that Android 16 is that much different from Android 15. Seems like most of the changes that affect my user experience are under the hood, which is not a bad thing in itself. And to be honest, since a major release is expected on yearly basis, I don't expect major changes in the user interface each year. I rather have a couple of years that focus on security and performance upgrades, with major user interfase upgrades only when needed.

One thing I've noticed, is that since I started testing beta releases since Android 13 with the Nothing Phone (1), Google has made a great job of making the last two betas quite close to what we get when the final Android version is released. So much so, that the final release is almost the same to the last beta I used.

My main gripe about Android smartphone used to be that I only got OS updates  when I got a new device. Yet, since 2021 with a Motorola smartphone I got at least one Android update. Meaning that since Android 12 I've gotten the latest Android the year it was released without the need of buying a new smartphone.

Which for me is great, since I really believe that OS upgraded should come for several years to reduce e waste.

Not everything deserves a phone call.

That people have their smartphones with them almos the time, doesn't mean that you are available to take a call all the time. This is something that some people, specially of older generations, don't seem to understand, or struggle with.

This is why many of the younger generations prefer communicating via instant messaging, it is less intrusive and allows the other to respond when they can without interrupting what they are doing at the moment. It is also become a reason why some send a message before making a call, to make sure the other person can answer.

It is not, as some say, that we are afraid of phone calls. Is just that they have their place and reasons to be made. The same goes for instant messages, some subjects are better served by making a call.

It could be said, that sometimes an instant message is better that 20 minute call.

Which mode of communication, and when to use it, is better depends on context and who do you ask. Both have their place, and as valuable. Yet as it stands, there are not the same and have their best uses. So, when it doubt as the person you want to communicate with that their prefer.

Pixel and Nothing: my favorite Android smartphones.

I've been using the Pixel 7a for over a year now, and it has been one of the best user experiences I've had so had with a smartphone so far. The only smartphone that come close, is the Nothing Phone 1 , so much so that when the time comes to replace my Pixel 7a, it will come to what Pixel and Nothing have on offering on the mid-range at the time.

While I'd like to have to latest, and greatest, flagship smartphone out there, with the experience I had with both the Pixel 7a, and the Nothing Phone 1, I've come to reilase that a good mid-range smartphone gives mee all what I need. Not only that, the user experience is just as good.

Besides, with Nothing offering at least 3 Android upgrades, and Google offering 7 on Pixels, the devices become all that better for me. Knowing that my smartphone will receive at least 3 years of OS upgrades is something that gives a lot more value for me. Specially since I know now that 3 years is the minimum amount of time I want to be able to use my smartphone before considering upgrading the hardware.

I've been using Android since 4.4 Kit Kat, and since then Android has become my go to mobile OS. And since Android 12 I've been able to use each yearly realize. The biggest user facing change has been with Android 15, and I really like it.

The way Android work, keeps me for even considering to making the jump to the iPhone. Not that the iPhone is bad, but Android gives me both the hardware, and software, that makes my user experience the one I want. Not to mention that Android devices are the ones that fit better to my lifestyle.

Linux has become much more user friendly.

One of myths that persist about Linux that bugs me the most, is that Linux is not user friendly. It once was true, but it hasn't been true since at least 2010.

While Linux distributions like Arch Linux and Debian require some expertise to use, there are other distros like Ubuntu and Linux Mint that are as easy to use as Windows or macOS. While coming from Windows, or macOS, might mean needing to some time to get used to Ubuntu, or Linux Mint, the jump is not all that big.

To be honest, the question you need to make before making the jump to a Linux distro is if the apps you need run in Linux, or if it has an alternative. For most user, the answer is in the positive. It is becoming the case, that only niche user cases can't make the jump because of an app doesn't work, or it doesn't have an alternative, on Linux.

Even working on remote desktops running Windows, or macOS, is easy on Linux. I've been using Remmina for years now, and it works like a breeze. Not only that, it works better that doing so from a Windows machine; mainly when printing.

Currently I use Linux Mint on a laptop, and it just works. I've been able to pair Bluetooth keyboards, mice, and headphones without problems. The same goes connecting a keyboard or a mouse using a 2.4G. Want to connect a HDMI or VGA monitor? No problem at all, you just need to plug them in.

The battery life on laptops have been getting better over the years, not Apple levels good. And modern distros are implementing power setting that extend battery life when you need to. Personally, I've been getting around 4 hours while on performance setting, and about 8 when I use the lowest one.

Linux is a solid option, and not only for users with high computer skills.

Change in work paradigm.

Turns out that companies need workers to return to the office, not because the work needs to be done at the office. It turns out, that they need the tax cuts they get for people going to the office.

State, and county, governments, give companies tax incentives if a certain number of employees work at an office they open. The more employees, the bigger the tax incentive they get, as such they need people to come in to the office in order to receive that incentive. So, it doesn't matter if the work can be done as well, or better, remotely. It doesn't matter how long the commute is either, they just want the worker to show up so the company reaches the head count needed.

There are some companies that refuse to adapt, they fail to see that some of the jobs they have can be done as effectively, or better, remotely. It even motivates their employees to work harder to be able to keep the job, or not having to go the office. It also increases moral, since remote workers feel better overall since they feel their work-life balance is better off.

At the end, the return to office policies are not for the benefit of employees, but for the benefit of the companies.

Other reason given, is that more jobs  would be created for the services needed for the workers that return to the office. Yet, those same jobs could be created at the place where those employees work from. So, the argument that employees have to return the office to create service jobs is dead on arrival, since those same jobs could be created where those employees work from.

The pandemic showed that remote work is more than feasible, there are jobs that can be done remotely. What is need is to change the paradigm of the relationship of the companies with their workers. If how work is done can be adapted to remote work, even tax incentives and breaks can me adapted to make remote work feasible for governments and companies. Modern technologies can make it work, what needs to be adapted are tax codes.

State, and local, governments that facilitate remote workers to live there could see a lot of benefits to their economy if they do it right. So do the companies that do the same, since a growing number of employees see remote work as non negociable. If companies what top talent, and local governments the tax revenue that come with them, remote work might be the only way they can get that talent and tax revenue.

Employees are aware that remote work is viable, and there is no way to put the genie back in the box.

Thunderbird: my preferred email client.

I never really used email clients before I started made the jump to Ubuntu over a decade ago. When I first installed Ubuntu, I saw that Thunderbird was one of the included apps, and since I already used Firefox, which is also made by Mozilla, I decided to give a try.

Since, I haven't looked back. Thunderbird made managing my email a lot easier, specially since I got more than one email address. Not having to enter the webpage of each of them is quite convenient, specially time saving for important mails. Another thing I like, is the fact that I can set up Thunderbird the way I like, and have all my emails in one place. Which means that I don't have to jump around several webpages to see to which email address a particular email arrived.

Over the years I've tried a couple of other email clientes, mainly GNOME Evolution and Nylas N1, I even used Microsoft Outlook at work for a while, but I always come back to Thunderbird. I've found out that Thunderbird gives me the right balance between a simple user interface, and the ability to configure it the way I want it. 

The user interface improvements that Thunderbird has had over time, it was cemented it as my go-to email cliente for personal and work use. And with the roadmap set by the developers on their blogs, it seems like Thunderbird is set to continue to be so on the long run.