Wonders Untold

A blog about life, arts and culture

Of life, arts and culture.

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Mac – multiple desktops

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I’ve been using MacBook Pros for well over a decade. However, it was only this week that I discovered the multiple desktops feature.

A bit late to the party, but I’m definitely making up for lost time. This feature was definitely designed for me. I didn’t know it existed until Tuesday this week. But now that I’ve found it, I’m mighty glad to have it.

New MacBook Pros and a Mac mini

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Yesterday, Apple announced the release of two new MacBook Pros and a Mac mini, all with faster processing speeds.

We’re now at the point where these increased speeds would be of benefit only to the most niche of users. The average user of a Mac is already very well served by her machine, and has no need for faster speeds. The current generation of MacBook Pros (before this latest announcement) are already super fast, thanks to Apple silicon. As such, I’m not quite sure what extra benefit these new products will bring.

YouTubers will love them, though. As always, guaranteed acres of new content for those tech channels. Watch out for a slew of videos over the coming weeks.

Foldable phones

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For many years, I have carried two phones – an iPhone and a Samsung Galaxy phone.

At the moment, my main phone is an iPhone 13 Pro Max, and my second phone is a Samsung Galaxy Note 10+.

Samsung has discontinued the Note series. However, its legacy lives on in the Samsung Galaxy Ultra lineup, for example, in the form of the S-Pen, which also works with that device.

I have never been a big user of the S-Pen, but I like the quality of the Note series. And, given that these phones have now been discontinued, I am glad that the Ultra series exists.

I am thinking of upgrading my Samsung phone sometime before the end of the year. Also, having ignored them for years, I am now interested in foldable phones.

The Samsung Galaxy Fold 4 is an impressive phone. I have seen one close up, and spent some time testing it. It is high on my list.

I also like the Samsung Galaxy Ultra 22. It is a great phone, as is the Fold 4. Ultimately, it comes down to personal preference. The Ultra has the better camera quality (although the Fold’s cameras are also very good), while the Fold is, well, foldable – if you like that sort of thing. Which I now do.

Actually, by the time I’m ready to get a new phone, both the Ultra 22 and the Fold 4 will likely have been superseded by subsequent models. The Samsung Galaxy Ultra 23 will be released in February, and we may likely see a Samsung Galaxy Fold 5 sometime in the autumn.

Fold 5 aside, there are some other foldable phones knocking about. The Oppo Find N2 looks amazing, but it is not (yet) available for sale in Europe. (It is currently on sale only in China. ) Also, there are rumours about a foldable Pixel phone. I have seen mock-ups, and those look good.

So it might be a good idea to wait a few more months. Perhaps the Oppo foldable will find its way to Europe. (This is doubtful; I don’t think its predecessor ever made it here.) Perhaps the foldable Pixel will blow every other foldable phone out of the water. Perhaps an as yet unheard-of phone will appear, and completely change the game.

I’ll wait and see. Fun times ahead.

A change of scenery

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I spent today working from my new ‘office’.

I’ve signed up for a subscription that entitles me to several days a month working from my choice of beautiful office buildings in Amsterdam.

It’s a nice way to experience different work environments. This is one of the benefits of the hybrid work culture ushered in by the covid pandemic.

Some days I work from home. Other days I go to my company’s offices. And now, I have a third option – I take my pick from any number of well designed, unique, Amsterdam buildings.

Today, I worked in a building on one of Amsterdam’s most beautiful canals. I was shown to a nice, private office where I worked undisturbed for the whole day. The wifi was excellent, and so my video meetings went smoothly. There was a coffee machine close by, also stocked with decaf capsules. (A plus point in my book, as that is the only ‘coffee’ I drink.)

All told, a lovely day at work. Looking forward to many more.