Lounge Ruminator

A non-essential person considers what it means to be essential and discusses the televisual triumph that is Dave Holstein’s Kidding (no spoilers!).

Background After an interesting episode of the podcast Mac Power Users (‘#528: The Merlin Awakens’) with David Sparks, Stephen Hackett and special guest Merlin Mann, I was inspired to write my own piece about the experience of using Apple’s tvOS.

No day is free of silence or sound but how do we feel when confronted by each of them?

As use of powerful and accessible digital technology proliferates worldwide, how can we reconsider our approach to work and also reassess how we interact with news and information on the Web?

On Saturday night, I had the pleasure of attending an event for the 100th anniversary of the famous German expressionist film, The Cabinet of Dr.

Algorithms surround us in the technology that we use, the systems in which we work and even in the way that we approach everyday tasks.

The most enjoyable aspect of my PhD research so far has been the discovery of myriad different perspectives on the history of technology, written by a range of media ecologists.

In our non-stop, interconnected world of social media and instant messaging, we’re used to being bombarded with images and advertising.

Music videos are something that we take for granted; if a new single is released, then it comes with a video clip too.

Every once in a while, a revolutionary app comes along that changes everything.

Collecting things is a very human thing to do… but why do we do it?

Making friends with others as an adult is quite different from making friends as a kid.

I had a great time chatting with Greg Morris on his podcast And You Are?

Over the years, something that has stood out to me in advertising and business is the excessive use of tautology.

Sport, film, television, music, food, technology, clothes, countries and even individuals have brands today and of course, their own fans… but is it enough to refer to them simply as fans?

The year 2020 is the tenth anniversary of iPad and there have been many articles, podcasts and videos that all offer their own take on the success and influence of the device.

A term that I’ve read repeatedly online over the years is ‘adulting’.

Australia doesn’t always make international headlines but this month, it has been hard to miss on the news.

In the first episode for 2020, Martin reflects on his trip to the United States with Natasha, particularly how he attempted to make the most of it through journaling, communication with locals and a more thoughtful approach to photography.

As a lifelong Mac user and general Apple fan, I believe strongly in caring for what are quite expensive, well-designed devices.

Today, Natasha and I are leaving Australia for a holiday to the United States for just under a month.

The years fly by… but rarely do we stop to appreciate how things have changed, along with how our use of technology has been reshaped by new tools.

This week, Martin discusses the value of being truly present and attentive at live performances, along with how different kinds of product (smart or otherwise) can either inhibit or encourage this positive behaviour.

No one likes spoilers.

Something that we hear about frequently these days is how we need to prepare for the future of work.

These days, we’re all drowning in technological devices and social media… but does it have to be this way?

After work today, I had my final video call for the year with my primary supervisor, Kate.

It’s hard to find someone who doesn’t enjoy movies but some people don’t always think about the crucial role of the soundtrack.

The latest episode of Recode Decode includes a fantastic interview with Deborah Rutter, the president of the Kennedy Center in Washington D.C. in the United States.

Perhaps the simplest of all grammatical concepts is the noun.

For years, I’ve joked that one of the most frustrating things about visiting one of our local shopping centres, Figtree Grove, has been getting caught behind various elderly customers and their trolleys.

In the last month, I was fortunate enough to confirm new flexible hours with my workplace, whereby I compress the same amount of working time in a fortnight from 10 working days down to nine—this has resulted in having each second Friday out of the office.

Design is all around us, whether in the physical products that we handle or the digital interfaces that we scroll, swipe and press.

In my previous job, I made the two-hour trip to Sydney CBD each morning—half in the car, half on the train.

More and more these days, you hear—particularly from educators—about how the earliest years of childhood are formative years.

As an avid Apple Watch user since its release in 2015, Martin discusses how the device has changed both his behaviour and the way that he thinks about time.

In what seems to be a bit of a habit for me, I’ve changed the title format for entries in this PhD study journal; I did the same thing for my ‘ruminations’ on Lounge Ruminator.

Image source: Serious Eats (2011) After quite a bumpy beta period, macOS Catalina was finally released on 7 October.

Yesterday I had my first joint meeting with both of my supervisors, Dr.

On the weekend, I attended a first communion at a Catholic church in Wollongong.

Today’s post is less of an academic update and more of a technical one: iPadOS has already made a significant difference to the efficiency and comfort of my PhD research.

In this first episode of the Lounge Ruminator podcast, Martin is inspired by a recent blog post by John Siracusa to discuss the lost art of super-short, printed film reviews and how they can help us to improve our digital communication today.

Back in March, I wrote a Rumination called Compound Modifiers, in which I complained about people’s general lack of appreciation (or rather, complete ignorance) of hyphens.

I’m currently reading a fascinating book by renowned media ecologist Neil Postman, which is called Technopoly: The Surrender of Culture to Technology (1993).

Image credit: Apple In case you missed Apple’s latest keynote this week (not sure how), the company announced the new seventh-generation iPad, Apple Watch Series 5 and iPhones 11, 11 Pro and 11 Pro Max and gave updates on retail, Apple TV+ and Apple Arcad…

Wooo!

Just over a month ago on Micro.blog, I posted a photo of an amusing shop sign, which you can see along with my caption below.

I work in communications and believe very strongly in the value and power of narrative.

Back in March, I wrote a piece called Je suis KmÀrt in which I discussed some of the annoying, meaningless drivel that is printed on cheap clothing for marketing purposes.

I recently finished reading Beyond Good and Evil by Friederich Nietzsche, translated by R.