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So long, 2023. Here's to new adventures in 2024!

Plus: Cip's Clips has a new home! What that means for you.

So long, 2023. Here's to new adventures in 2024!
Photo by Florian Schmetz / Unsplash

The week between Christmas and New Year's is always so weird. Hardly anybody is working, and those people who are working, aren't really working. I spent most of this last week doing a little of both. I wrote a review for a new publication (writing for new editors is always so scary), spent some time testing some gaming devices (Read: Playing a lot of Fortnite), and then I spent the entire day Thursday researching alternative websites and services to Substack, the platform I had been using to deliver this newsletter and host my website.

The recent post from leadership at Substack defending their decision to allow Nazis to use Substack was the driving force behind my decision.

I ultimately decided to move Cip's Clips to a self-hosted Ghost install, which took me the better part of a day to set up. I learned a lot while doing it, which is always a good feeling once things actually work. Now I have full control over the platform and the end experience for my subscribers and readers.

Ghost is by far the most powerful blogging platform I've ever used for my blog, and so far, it puts pretty much every "professional" CMS I've ever used to shame.

What does all of this mean for you and is there anything you need to do? Well, if you're reading this in your inbox right now, then... no, you're all set!

If you found this newsletter in your junk folder, then please mark it as safe/not spam and report it as mislabeled to whichever email provider you use.

I encourage you to read this post on the website to get the full experience. If you find anything wrong as you tap or click around the site, please let me know (just reply to this email) so I can fix it.

I've added a new My Gear page with links to all of the tech gear I use regularly, for those who are always curious. I've also added a link to the RSS feed for the site so you can add it to your favorite RSS app.

Oh! I also added a link to the Buy Me A Coffee website where willing readers can send me a couple of bucks - just enough to buy a cup of coffee or beer - to help me cover the cost of the new site. No pressure to do so, of course.

I have a ton of ideas for things I want to do with the site over the coming weeks and months, but this is a good start.

white and orange magnifying glass on brown wooden table
Photo by Jonas Elia / Unsplash

What I had published this week

Some of the stories I worked on over the last two weeks have slowly started to be published over the holiday break, with a few more stories to go live in the coming days.

  • Apple's AirTags are a must-have for anyone who frequently travels or someone who misplaces their keys daily. I rounded up a bunch of tips and tricks to help you get the most out of Apple's little trackers.
  • Use your iPhone as your morning alarm? Or to remind you of various tasks throughout the day? Did you know you're not stuck with the default sound? In fact, you can even set a song as your alarm. Here's how to customize your iPhone's alarm sound.
  • The Apple Watch Ultra is the best smartwatch I've ever used, without question. But, that doesn't mean there's not a steep learning curve to get the most out of Apple's high-end smartwatch. Here are the best Apple Watch tips and tricks I know. I even share my favorite shortcut for the Action Button to help automate and streamline your life.
Image courtesy of Apple

What's up next and other tidbits

  • Apple indeed pulled the Apple Watch Series 9 and Ultra 2 from its site as required, but a few days later, its appeal was approved, allowing Apple to resume selling its smartwatches. Almost immediately, Apple made the watch available in retail stores and on its website. There's supposedly a software update that will be ready in a couple of weeks that will appease the ITC and rid Apple of this patent dispute. All of this is just still so crazy.
  • CES 2024 kicks off the second week of January in Las Vegas. I'm not attending the show this year, and I'm not planning on covering the show from afar for any outlets. I will, however, likely round up some of the coolest/weirdest tech announced. I'll miss seeing all of my colleagues and friends, but I'm bummed I won't get to visit The Sphere.
  • Rumor has it that Apple will launch its Vision Pro headset at the end of January or early in February. At $3,500 before prescription lens inserts, it's far too expensive for me, but I can't wait to see what others think about it, how it's actually used, which apps (if any) are a clear success and if Apple is, once again, going to push an entire product segment forward.

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