My 9 year old iPad Mini 2 surprises me

I've used an iPad Mini 2 for about 9 years with almost daily use. Certainly, since it is no longer supported for new updates, there are hiccups, but it is still quite functional in many ways. Certain apps like Disney Plus no longer work, but other apps like HBO Max work perfectly fine. It may be slow at times, but for the most part, it's reasonably smooth, with an occasional crash of the app here or there.

The version I have only has 16 GB of storage, so it lives on the edge of being full. This also means most apps are offloaded if not used recently and need reinstalling to use them. This is a minor issue if you mainly use it for watching HBO Max like I do. 

Overall I am pretty impressed by the fact that it still works, but I wouldn't recommend buying it. Disney recently considered the iPad Mini 2 obsolete, and who knows how long it will be until HBO does as well. This does means that if you get any current iPad model, it will likely be functional for many years.

4 things I want to see in the iPhone 13

 

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Next week Apple is expected to announce the iPhone 13. Rumors are everywhere right now and I thought I would share a few things I would like to see.

Face ID that works with a mask on. 

I know that you can unlock your phone using Face ID if you have an Apple Watch, but this is really just a workaround by letting you relock the phone using the Apple Watch if someone happens to unlock it. I would love it if Apple manages a secure system to recognize me using Face ID. I think this would be huge and eliminate the need for an under-screen Touch ID.

Always on Display.

While this is not a deal-breaker it would be nice to see an always-on display. Many phones these days have them and being able to always see details like the date and time would be very useful to me. 

120Hz ProMotion Display

A smooth ProMotion display was anticipated at last year's events. This highly requested feature would be nice to see finally come through. This should be good for gaming and give a smoother feel when moving around the user interface.

Smaller Notch

It would be nice to see a smaller notch or a notch-less iPhone 13. While I don't mind the notch that much and am very used to it. It seems logical to regain some of that screen real estate for information and maybe even not have to pull down the control center to see the battery percentage.

Why you should buy a premium vacuum?

The difference between a budget vacuum and a quality vacuum is massive. The biggest difference for me is they are completely sealed so there is no cloud of dust after vacuuming, which is not only a health hazard but also defeats some of the purpose of vacuuming. I'm not saying that you should go out and spend $700 or even $1000 on the latest vacuum either. 

I'm somewhat partial to Dyson stick vacuums. They are lightweight, cordless, and clean well. Being completely sealed you have no cloud of dust and can even use them to clean dust from hard surfaces. They are also great for cleaning furniture and being cordless you can easily vacuum out your car too. 

What is the sweet spot? Right now the latest Dyson stick vacuum is the V15 or the Outsize which cost at least $700. For around half that price or less, you can get a Dyson V8. It might not have quite as long of a battery or as big of a cleaning head as the V15 but is still an incredible machine. If you do have a particularly large home you might think about upgrading. For most people though the V8 is fine. 

What you really want is a vacuum you will use and since the V8 is super convenient it makes it easy to grab and use. You can even spot clean little sections or go through your whole house at once since it's easier to grab and emptying it is a breeze. 

Why I stopped using robotic vacuums

 

While I love home automation and robotic vacuums are key to that, I have completely stopped using mine. Part of the shift has come because I have moved, and my current robot can't navigate my home as well as it should and gets stuck too frequently. My current generation robot is the type that changes direction by bumping into things. This means that if you have different height floors, the robot will drop down to the lower floor and get stuck in that region. While I have attempted to block it off using the beacons and placing things in the way, it still manages to drop into that space and get stuck. The other problem is that it is somewhat annoying if you want to be in the same room and it takes a long time to clean the home. 

There are options. I could get a newer vacuum that maps the home, and rather than only bumping into things, once it has a map, tell it not to go to that area. I could also buy additional beacons to keep the current vacuum from getting stuck, but at this point, it doesn't seem worth it. While robotic vacuums are continuing to improve, it's still difficult to justify. Especially since it's around $600 to get a new vacuum that could block zones. 

Currently, I manually vacuum with a Dyson V7 stick vacuum. It cleans very well while being lightweight and easy to use. It does a good job of cleaning and makes quick work of it. It's also quieter than the robotic vacuum, so it's less disturbing to others. Ironically, having a better manual vacuum does make it feel like less work to vacuum. Someday I may return to robotic vacuums, but for now, it's manual vacuuming for me. 

New Apple Watch Series 5

The Apple Watch Series 5 is here with a couple of great new features. Most notably the always-on display. This allows you to avoid those awkward moments of raising your arm to check the time while talking to your boss or during meetings.  I can see why Apple kept the updates minimal here because the always-on display is a real game-changer.

Other notable additions are the ability to call emergency help around the world (for the cellular version) and a built-in compass so you can see which direction you're facing. Great additions for travelers and adventure seekers.