While everyone is talking about next-gen smartphones like the very impressive Galaxy Note 8 and the highly-anticipated iPhone X, I'm more interested in what's being built on top of smartphones that will bridge us to the next big thing — Augmented Reality.
At the time, Apple was on the verge of launching ARKit for iOS developers, which was Apple's first public building block towards the next big (hardware) thing that comes after the smartphone[^1].
Fast forward seven years to today, we finally have Apple Vision Pro (AVP).
The hype cycle has completely come and gone these past few months, but I've been using my AVP every day since launch and I've collected all my thoughts on the hardware, software, and user experience into this post.
What can I say? Kogi BBQ was an important part of my weekly routine that got me through the pandemic. And of course, I've loved it so much I named my dog after it. Kogi BBQ continues to be a highlight of my week that officially kicks off my weekend every Friday night.
And it always helps that the Kogi Verde Truck crew gives me VIP treatment, lol.
I wasn't even trying this year but I ended up having eating Kogi BBQ a record 76 times!
Best Dessert
Gelato @ Venchi
My all-time favorite dessert from Italy has been expanding! I was ecstatic to find multiple locations in London while I was there. They opened a few locations in NYC and they will be opening their first location in California in the coming year.
Best Sandwich
Philly Cheesesteak @ Delassandro’s (Philadelphia)
The flavor and tenderness of the meat. The perfectly melted cheese. The warm spongey bread roll. Every single local I talked to recommended Delassandro's and it was 100% worth the hype.
Most Eaten Burger
Fatburger
This year I kept craving a different flavor than my usual In-N-Out, so I started going back to one of my previous favorite burgers at Fatburger. I just love how they put relish in their burgers to give a little hit of sweetness in every bite.
Best Breakfast
Full English @ E. Pellicci (London)
Here in America, when we have a hearty breakfast, it always consists of a ton of sugar and carbs in the form of pancakes/flapjacks. But in the UK, a hearty breakfast is about several
Best Budget Meal
Hot Dog & Pizza @ Costco
In a time when fast food prices keep skyrocketing to upwards of $13-$18 per meal, Costco has been a god send and held steady with their prices. I stop by
Honorable Mention: Small Pepperoni Deep Dish Lunch Combo with a drink for $5.99 at Little Caesars.
Favorite New Food Hack
Mexican Pizza wrapped inside a Quesadilla @ Taco Bell
The crunchiness of the Mexican Pizza, withmelted cheese, and wrapped grilled tortilla makes this an fun, easy-to-eat medley of Taco Bell classics.
Best Food Discovery
Roast Pork Sandwich @ Tommy DiNic's (Philadelphia)
I've never had anything like this before but the tenderness and juiciness of the roast pork with the broccoli rabe was absolutely delicious.
Best Up & Coming
Zippy’s (Now in Las Vegas)
I didn't get a chance to try the Denny's of Hawaii while I was there but they opened their first mainland location in Vegas and now I understand why the Hawaiian locals love this place. The subtle sweetness of the Korean Fried Chicken and the flavor of the Hawaiian chili is a surprisingly great combo for breakfast. I will definitely be hitting up Zippy's for breakfast in all of my future Vegas trips.
Whenever a new technology or big redesign comes along, reactions tend to split between two types of people:
Those who like things just the way they are.
Those who embrace change.
Those in the first group, Apple introduced the iPhone 8. It's for those who like the familiarity and comfort of the same hardware design since 2014. It's for those who want the same iPhone, but better.
The iPhone X is for iPhone customers in the second group. Those who are happy in the Apple ecosystem but are eager for something new.
After using the iPhone X for two weeks, I'd like to share some of my experiences for those who are considering it and highlight some details you probably missed.
The iPad Pro (with the Smart Keyboard) cannibalizes my MacBook Pro the same way the iPhone 7 Plus cannibalized my old iPad mini.
I'm blown away by how many non-work related tasks I can accomplish on the iPad Pro. And for some tasks, I can even do it faster on the iPad Pro.
My biggest discovery is split-screen mode works brilliantly because many apps are designed to work on iPhone-sized screen. Browsing and clicking on a link in a left-side app can open in Safari on the right. Apps on the desktop were not designed to work on iPhone-sized spaces.
Some of my favorite use-cases for split-screen mode are:
catching up on RSS feeds with Reeder + Safari
researching reviews with YouTube + Safari
catching up on email newsletters with Newton + Safari
catching up on computer tasks with Things + Safari
There's also something special about having a general-purpose computer that can turn on & off instantly compared to a laptop, yet having all the benefits of keyboard shortcuts.
This seriously makes me wish Apple would resurrect the iBook brand in the form of an iOS-driven laptop with built-in LTE.
One-handed zoom, one of my favorite little features on Google Maps, has finally been added to Apple Maps. While viewing a map, double-tap and hold, then you can slide your finger up or down to zoom.
Comes in super handy when navigating while driving.
My iPhone has a ton of games that I don't have the heart to delete because I don't want to lose my progress. iOS 11's new Offload Apps feature lets me keep my game data while indefinitely removing the game so I can save space.
iOS 11's ugly Control Center totally grew on me. I love being able to customize the buttons and no longer having to swipe between Control Center and Now Playing.
I recently got back from a mini-vacation in San Francisco and Houston for business and a wedding. In preparation for my first trip to Hawaii and my bucket list solo adventure to Japan, I've been looking for ways to capture video while still being able to live in the moment. Thankfully, a friend of mine was able to loan me his GoPro Hero 5 Black.
With five-day long weekend under my belt with a GoPro, here are my quick thoughts:
it's kind of awkward to use a GoPro around friends when we're not doing anything particularly adventurous or exciting.
in an effort to record quick video while still living in the moment, the seemingly 4-5 second boot time to start up and record was a big disappointment for me.
when the GoPro was actually recording, it felt great because I didn't have to put any effort into framing the shot; the wide angle is a game-changer for capturing moments.
The short battery life was a big disappointment for me. I just hated how conscious and conservative I had to be of the battery when i was out for a whole day.
Overall, unless I was repeatedly doing adventurous activities or doing solo trips, my lifestyle probably won't justify the $299 price tag.
