I've been busy...

Hello, again. Sorry for taking a few weeks off. I'm still adjusting to my new role at Pocket-lint and as a result, haven't had as much time to write as I would like.

Editing is a lot of work. Content planning is a lot of work. I said this a few weeks ago, but I'll say it again, this time with even more conviction – I have a newfound respect for all of the editors I've worked with and for over the years. It's very time-consuming.

Another reason I haven't sent out a newsletter the last few weeks is that I don't really know what this all looks like now that I'm not writing stories across a bunch of different publications, and there's no longer a need to round up links, making it easier for you to find all of my work.

At any point in time, you can visit my profile page on Pocket-lint and you'll see all of my recent stories.

That said, almost all of my outstanding stories for other publications have gone live, so let's recap what I had published recently.

Stories I had published recently

On Friday, I had two stories go live on Wirecutter, which is owned by The New York Times and it still doesn't feel real. Some days, like yesterday when the stories went live, I still don't understand how I ended up in this situation.

I didn't go to journalism school. I hated English class throughout high school and college. So much so, that I had to take an English class in summer school because I failed a semester in my sophomore year of high school.

But I've always enjoyed writing, even if I don't really care about the formalities of writing. When I started writing about BlackBerry 16 years ago, I had a single goal: Get a free case from Otterbox. That was it. I got that free case a few months later, and it's been a wild ride since then.

I signed my freelancing contract with The New York Times in June of last year, and nearly eight months later, I have two stories live on Wirecutter, a site I've used countless times to make buying decisions, and my own NYT writer profile page(!).

The stories? Ah, yes. The stories.

• I looked at and tested dozens of USB-C hubs and docks and found three that rose above the rest. Spoiler: It was a clean sweep for Anker.
• For those who need a faster, more capable hub or dock for their computer, I gave Thunderbolt docks the same treatment.

Along with those stories:

• I recently had a review of the MSI Prestige 16 AI Evo published at Forbes Vetted.
• Tom's Guide also posted my Ring Stick Up Cam Pro review.

What I've been up to at Pocket-lint

Where do I start? In less than a month I've edited and published close to 70 stories. I can't highlight them all, nor would I even know where to begin. The easiest way to see what stories fall under my purview is to visit Pocket-lint and click on the Devices category just above the stream of recent stories.

As for stories I've written over the last few weeks, here are a few:

• Samsung's Galaxy S24 Ultra is a fantastic phone, and could very well be the Android phone to beat this year -- but my lord is it boring.
• Google released an update for the Pixel 8 Pro enabling the ability to use its temperature sensor to take body temperature readings. It feels a lot like you're living in the future.
• Alongside the software update, Google also released a new Mint color of the Pixel 8 and 8 Pro.

Apple Vision Pro coverage

In my last newsletter I wrote about how I couldn't order an Apple Vision Pro even if I wanted to due to my eyeglass prescription. Well, plans changed.

I've been using an Apple Vision Pro for the last week and writing about my experience as someone who has had to go to great lengths to use Apple's newest device. I'm currently waiting for special order soft contacts to arrive before I can fully immerse myself in Apple's Spatial Computing future, but here's what I've been able to cover so far:

• If you want to read about my initial experience – and delight – with the Apple Vision Pro, then make sure to read my first impressions: My terrible eyes saw the future and it's the Apple Vision Pro
• For more details about what you'll need to do to use Vision Pro if you wear prescription glasses or contacts, make sure to read my explainer: Does Apple Vision Pro work with glasses or contacts? It's not that simple, apparently
• If you already have an Apple Vision Pro and need some app recommendations, here are 6 incredible Apple Vision Pro apps to try first on your new headset.

Get in touch

• Mastodon: https://mrcippy.xyz/@mrcippy
• Threads: https://www.threads.net/@mrcippy
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mrcippy
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mrcippy