Tsikbal: from my perspective

The more I use Android smartphones , the harder I find it to move the iPhone . The question is more about which Android smartphone OEM I'll choose at the time come for me to replace my current device. Although I consider the iPhone to be great, it simply doesn't give me what I want the user experience I want on my smartphone. Meanwhile, I can get Android devices to fit my needs like a glove. Not only that, smartwatches using Wear OS also are a better fit for me. Android devices give me what I want on my smartphones, while Wear OS smartwatches make for quite a great side kick. I'm planning on changing my current smartphone, which is a Nothing Phone (1) , by the end of 2024. So far, the main contender is the Nothing Phone or the Google Pixel released in 2024. And the best thing about Android, is that there will be more options to consider by the time I come to a final decision. For example, I might end up choosing the Samsung Galaxy S that comes out for 2024. At the end...

Hard to to believe that Firefox became my go to web browser all they way back in 2008, with Firefox 3.0 . Before that, I sued NeoPlanet , and Opera . I stopped using NeoPlanet when it was discontinued, and Opera never really felt all that good as my daily driver. Though I've tries Google's Chrome over the the years, it just doesn't work as well for me as as Firefox does. Chrome is my second place web browser, but it is far behind Firefox. Microsoft Edge is the only other web browser I use regularly, solely for work. Basically because I wanted to try a web browser than Chrome, and the other options available just aren't available on Linux Mint, or just didn't worked for me. So far, Edge is working well enough that it can over take Chrome but not well enough to displace Firefox as my favorite web browser. I might give Opera a chance in the near future, since some of the people I trust have recommended it saying that the new released have improved a lot. So, it mig...

Since I got an Nothing Phone (1) , a year ago now, the more I've become convinced that Android is quite the best mobile OS for me. NothingOS has only improved with each upgrade, that I've seen 3 in a space of a year. Currently I'm on NothingOS 2.0.4, which is based on Android 13 , and as whole the user experience I've had so far has been quite a good one for middle range Android smartphone. So much so, that feels a bit better than I expected it to be. It not perfect, but it's more than good enough. So much so, that so far I'd only outside the latest Nothing Phone, I'd only consider replacing it with the Google Pixel Phone ,  Samsung Galaxy S , or a Motorola razr device. While I consider the iPhone to be a great option, Android smartphones just work better for me. With each new version of Android, the more I like it. Specially with smartphones that have the specs that best suit my needs. And what I like the most about the Android ecosystem, is that it gi...

I've been using Linux Mint continuously since 2017 not, and it has proven itself to be the best operating system for my needs. To be honest, I've being jumping between Linux Mint and Ubuntu since 2012, but since Ubuntu replaced Unity with the GNOME Shell with Ubuntu 17.10 (Artful Aardvark) update Linux Mint became my go to Linux distro . The Cinnamon , Linux Mint's desktop environment , had all the bugs that irked me ironed out at the time. As such, making the jump was only natural since I don't really like the GNOME Shell. And since the version that came with Linux Mint 18.3 Sylvia, it only has gotten better. And with each update, Linux Mint has proven to be the best choice for me. Besides, that Linux Mint is based on the LTS version of Ubuntu is something I've come to appreciate. It has made Linux Mint just an stable operating system, that just works for me. It might not ship with the bleeding edge of most software, but it supports the latest versions of the...

Spotify just added the capability of being able to run on the background on Linux Mint at the last update, and with that it got the 100 score for me as a music streaming service. To be honest, I might be nip picking about it, but being able to close my music player, and it being able to stay open on the background while playing music, is something I expect. I use Rhythmbox to play my music local music library, and it has continually supported playing music on the background when I closed the window, so Spotify not supporting the same behavior kind of baffle me for a while. But, now that the capability has being added to Linux Mint, it has improved my perception of it. While not being able to do so wasn't a deal killer for me, since it is something nice to have but not vital for the user experience, being able to do so now is one of those thing that it's really nice to have. To be honest, I was weary of media streaming services when they first came out. But, Spotify won me o...

A few years ago, when Bluetooth headphones where starting to be pushed to consumers on smartphones was starting to be pushed on consumers by omitting the 3.5mm jack connector on some models, my problem was pricing. At time, finding a decent pair of Bluetooth headphone under $25 USD was almost impossible. Now, you can find some well under that price point easily, since the tech has become common place not only in smartphones, but also in other consumer electronic devices like smart TVs , most smartphones, and laptops . That has helped to bring down prices of devices with Bluetooth connection, and the price point of a decent pair of Bluetooth headphones will only come down with time. While the audio quality of most Bluetooth headphones will not be what an audiophile wants, it will be more than good enough for casual use. I use wireless headphones on the go with my smartphone, and at work with my laptop when I need to focus, and they work quite nicely. So much so, that I won't go...

After a few months of coming back to the office, after more than a year of working remotely, I've come to affirm how important is for me to be able to work remotely. Working remotely make work a lot less stressful, cut down on transit time, and makes me a lot more effective. It also helps me to focus more on being more productive, since I don't face most of the interruptions I face on the office, like coworkers coming to ask about unrelated stuff of having to fix printer jams when they occur. Not only that, not having to face the transit times, means that I can use more of my time to actually focus on my job and not worrying if I'd be able to make on time to the office, or if I'd be able to do personal stuff when I go out. Working remotely also saves me money, since I don't have to pay for transportation or meals if I can't prepare food at home. Most importantly, since I can better manage my work and personal time, I stress less about it making me more productiv...