Technology

Geo Location

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I’ve enjoyed using the DayOne journal app on my Apple devices since 2016 because it includes the current date/time, weather and location of the post in every entry. But I am not a fan of paying for an annual subscription so I am looking at building my own alternatives here and in my pensieve software, Obsidian.

I want to add these features to every blog post here as a way to document, in context. Example: writing a post in December about a topic and the post shows I am holed up at home while a map on the post displays it is snowing outside. The post will ideally show a map, current weather and temps.

The solution must support adding geo coordinates, a location taxonomy, and a textual location description to a post, comment, user, or attachment. Supports adding weather data to a post or to a widget based on location. It must offer a choice of map displays. It supports retrieving location using the HTML5 geolocation API by default. Clicking the location icon or ‘Lookup Location’ will retrieve the location.

A work in progress that will enhance my online journaling experience.

Back To Flickr

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I was a charter member of the photo hosting site, Flickr since it’s inception back in 2005. Since then it has been a shit-show roller coaster and grew stagnant. It’s been sold more than a few times and then again to a more stable photo host called SmugMug. That seems to have been the life-saver for Flickr. However, I canceled my account back in 2019 for various reasons. A quote from the article on my website:

I am on a roll when it comes to de-bullshitting my life lately. I have been a Flickr photo account user since 2005 and have been through the ups, downs, acquisitions and no more. I simply do not see the value in another photo host with little to no social engagement with other photographers.

ChrisDenbow.com

Now that Flickr has been stable these past few years, I am back. With unlimited photo and video hosting on a paid Pro plan, I am in the slow process of uploading images. Migrating years and gigabytes worth of data will be worth it. Flickr organizes galleries and albums anyway I see fit and includes camera/image EXIF data. It will be good to see it all in another back-up location to my Archive Vault on the external hard drive.

I am hoping to reconnect with the amazing talent of other photographers there and rebuild the photo community. I use to draw a lot of inspiration from them as well as contribute my two cents as well.

Distraction Blockers

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Advertisement blockers. Pop-up blockers. Social media blockers. Tracking blockers. Apple’s Hide My E-Mail. Apple’s Password Generator. Virtual Private Networks (VPN).

These are the best additional software apps to have and use.

On Contentment

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Lately I’ve been playing ping-pong in my brain about changing platforms. I set myself up on a 14-day trial to host this site on another server and within 14 minutes decided it was too much of a struggle.

I’ve spent hours, months and years to get this site where I want it.

As a geek, however, I have the prerogative to change my mind at any time and without notice!

Public Phone

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As opposed to griping about people on their phones, it may be best to make use of my own iPhone and discover some of those benefits. Some use cases that works for me:

Blog and write with the phone

I use iA Writer on all my devices to write these articles, then press send. From there it is automagically published to my websites.

Process Images

Reviewing my images on Apple devices with Apple Photos is so pleasurable that it reminds me of the analog photo contact sheets. For quick edits of images taken from the phone, to again, publishing them to my website(s.)

Voice Dictation

Forget Siri. I’ll occasionally use this tool for quick Notes or in the Reminders app. Bonus usage in iA Writer too. Writing and blogging by voice is almost 90% accurate so I need to talk slower and enunciate.

Successful test

Reading

Apple Books or Libby

Reading digital books with these apps is a joy. What better way to spend your time when you are waiting in line in public?

GC9Y41Q

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A new Geocache hide has been placed that overlooks the city of Tulsa from the Midland Valley Trail. This will be my third stash and is currently submitted, waiting on final approval. It will be loaded with a log, pencil, trinkets and a travel bug.

“Skyline View”

**UPDATE**

This has been ”muggled” by someone and is no longer there. I’ll have to buy a nano container to replace it and try again.

Photo Workflow

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My current creative workflow is simple, on purpose. I’d rather be out there shooting than processing or organizing.

I don’t have the time or desire to go out for that one shot that will make me famous. I want to create a body of work. I’m not interested in social media “likes” or new followers scrolling through their feeds quickly and not caring.

Innovate your new workflow by keeping it simple, self-host your own website, create digital, or e-zines in .pdf. Offer prints and downloads of your work instead. This will generate a more positive, direct response from potential followers. 

Unsubscribed

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In an effort to minimize and get down to the essentials, I have decided not to renew some software applications. I’ve always disagreed with the subscription-based model of supporting developers. I prefer to use stock apps or some pay-once-and-done software.

Bear notes < Apple Notes

Day One journal < my website

Drafts < ia Writer

Fantastical < Apple Calendar

Mind Node < pen & paper

Tweetbot < no more Twitter

Ulysses < ia Writer

VSCO < OK, I’ll probably renew this for some reason.

Map Quest Pt 3

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Over 260 images cataloged on a map with GPS coordinates and waypoints. According to my Lightroom software, I only have a little more than 200 to add.

Then I’ll start a new map for geocaches I’ve logged followed by another map highlighting all of the street art I’ve documented. Whew.

The Infinite Web

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From the short story of Jorge Luis Borges’ “Book of Sand,” there is an ancient book with no beginning and has no end. The narrator discovers this simple-looking book contains endless volumes of information that was good and evil.

“I realized that the book was monstrous. It was cold consolation to think that I, who looked upon it with my ten flesh-and-bone fingers, was no less monstrous than the book. I felt it was a nightmare thing, an obscene thing, and that it defiled and corrupted reality. I considered fire, but I feared that the burning of an infinite book might be similarly infinite, and suffocate the planet in smoke.”

He quickly deposits the terrifying, infinite book to the National Library and vows never to go to a library or bookstore again.

It’s strange to me to think that we open our very own Books of Sand every day without thinking of the consequences. The sheer infinite volume of the WWW is too difficult to imagine. It is our nightmare and distorts our reality. Like all tools, it can be used for good, but we humans do a frightening job of perverting even the best intentions.

Map Quest Revisited

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After amassing about a thousand images of neon, murals and geocaches it is past time that I curate them into a searchable database. This is one of those “shoulda done it sooner” moments but who knew my latest photographic passion would have carried on this long?

I’ve looked around for some inexpensive, do-it-yourself software but I’m coming up with a lot of fluff. For now, I’ve settled on Google My Maps and Google Earth. I hate this.

Every photo taken with a GPS-enabled camera is geo-tagged in their EXIF file. This helps tremendously when my memory fails. GPS coordinates are great when importing/exporting data to the map layer overlays.

My current issue is documenting these locations whilst at the same time snapping more images almost daily to the database. It is a self-inflicted labor of love that only I can appreciate but to me it is worth it.

Each My Map will have a separate genre for neon, one for murals and the other for geocaches.

After those are complete, I will export the .kmz files into Google Earth as a master database wherein all waypoints will be tagged, mapped and displayed.

Google Earth alternative suggestions are welcome. Please!

Incomplete map of neon cities so far
My Maps screenshot
Google Earth screenshot