Micropost on Blog :: Jason Shew

Sun, 01 Mar 2026 00:51:06 -0500

I was surprised to find that I still have 9 devices using Micro-B connectors in 2026. They are:

Amazon Kindle 8 (2016)
Philips ActivEyes Eye Brightener For Men (2017)
Muzen Portable FM Retro Radio & Bluetooth Speaker, MW-2A (2017)
Bose QuietComfort 35 Series II (2018)
Shure Large Diaphragm Condenser Microphone, MV51 (2017)
Wacom Intuos Pen Tablet, CTL-4100WL (2019)
Western Digital MyPassport Ultra (2016) × 2
Bang & Olufsen H7 (2017)

Tue, 03 Feb 2026 03:00:07 -0500

Communication with OpenClaw in Discord is way faster and smoother than in WhatsApp. If it takes you a long time to receive a WhatsApp message, you should definitely try Discord!

Mon, 26 Jan 2026 22:48:49 -0500

I feel like Apple cares more than ever about their hardware and service sales now. I went to my local Apple Store today and ended up being helped by three different people. Even though I was there for my iPad, every single one of them asked what phone I was using and whether I’d started Apple TV, Music, or Fitness+ trials. Thank God I already had all of them, so they could save the pitch for the next customer.

Mon, 29 Dec 2025 06:23:00 -0500

We all need a change at some point in our lives… for the better for sure!

Fri, 26 Dec 2025 03:47:40 -0500

Sharing some info about Apple Watch Ultra 3’s battery life: it dropped by 50% over 34 hours (from Wed 5:36 pm to Fri 3:36 am), by 40% in 24 hours with AOD on (from Tue 4:03 am to Wed 4:27 am) and by 30% in 24 hours with AOD off (from Wed 5:36 pm to Thu 5:55 pm). It’s quite the powerhouse!

By the way, it took about an hour and 14 minutes to charge from 50% to full on a 5-watt charger, and 50% to 80% was significantly faster.

Thu, 25 Dec 2025 06:47:36 -0500

You can definitely browse the Internet on your Apple Watch!

Fri, 12 Dec 2025 00:32:40 -0500

My first-ever Temu product — a gift from a friend. Let’s find out which will last longer, the pitcher or Donald Trump’s presidency.

Mon, 08 Dec 2025 04:06:24 -0500

René made deluxe gingerbread cookies for us today. It’s not that hard to figure out which one is me, but I guess she just ran out of black icing to give me a beard. :-) Thanks for giving me a whiff of Christmas weeks early before you head off to Asia for the holidays. Bon voyage!

Thu, 04 Dec 2025 05:09:52 -0500

Apple Music Replay ‘25 is out. Men I Trust remains my favourite artist/band this year. I’m the Problem kind of took me by surprise because I’ve hardly been pegged as a country music fan since I was born. This album is just right. 53,794 minutes is approximately 900 hours, which appears to be a lot.

Mon, 01 Dec 2025 18:22:20 -0500

I opened Apple Music and typed into the search bar “McDonalds” instead of “Madonna.” That’s when you know you’re really hungry.

🎧 Survival (Quiet Storm Demo Remix)
🧑🏻‍🎤 Madonna
💿 Bedtime Stories – The Untold Chapter (1994)

Mon, 10 Nov 2025 17:19:11 -0500

✅ Witnessing the first snowfall of the year
✅ Feeling winter closing in
✅ Sipping green tea
✅ Looking forward to camping next July

Sun, 09 Nov 2025 05:25:46 -0500

Vancouver Sleep Clinic hails from Brisbane, Australia.

of Montreal is from Georgia, USA.

Secretly Canadian is based in Indiana, USA.

CANADA is headquartered in Barcelona, Spain.

Yukon Gold is indeed Canadian, but it’s not from Yukon but Guelph, Ontario.

Bottom line: Canada needs rules of nomenclature.

Thu, 23 Oct 2025 21:33:40 -0500

Six years in, and I still get her pricey accessories from time to time, so I have no problem sleeping with her every single night.

Mon, 22 Sep 2025 02:08:08 -0500

From the moment we are born, our names become the sounds that connect us to the world. They shape first impressions, carry family history, and potentially reflect cultural ties. They are hardly just words.

Fri, 05 Sep 2025 16:37:00 -0500

As my iPhone was being serviced at the Genius Bar, I got to spend some quality time with my iPod classic again. There’s a thrill in spinning 2025 tracks on a gadget from 2007. At this point, it’s actually old enough to vote.

Tue, 26 Aug 2025 17:51:32 -0500

For my new program at Western University, I’ll be working with this gigantic textbook, elegantly arranged into 13 sections. Special thanks to my friend WS!

Sat, 23 Aug 2025 10:51:51 -0500

I’ve got a weird soft spot for high-quality lime-green / yellow-green silicone products. That might explain my fascination with Joseph Joseph.

Thu, 21 Aug 2025 17:31:49 -0500

Turns out I’ve kept every macOS installer ever since Apple made the first one downloadable in the App Store.

Sat, 16 Aug 2025 07:12:28 -0500

I trust a raccoon with my lunch more than I trust a suction cup on a wall.

Sat, 09 Aug 2025 18:51:26 -0500

AI might design a dog with five legs. Life’s challenges left Milo with three. Yet he brightens our day every time he visits.

Fri, 08 Aug 2025 18:15:33 -0500

So all the other models have given way to GPT-5? I haven’t even tried o3.

Fri, 08 Aug 2025 18:01:08 -0500

I was trying to use Apple Music Sing on my Apple TV, only to find my model doesn’t actually support it. It requires a third-generation Apple TV 4K, while mine is second generation. 🤷🏻‍♂️

Fri, 08 Aug 2025 07:24:47 -0500

I’ve been a proud Endel Premium user since the fall of 2020. As of now, I have spent 1709 days with the app and averaged about 4 hours of use every night.

I honestly can’t sleep properly without my CPAP or Endel’s Sleep soundscape. This wonderful app has been part of my sleep routine for a few weeks shy of five years.

Thu, 07 Aug 2025 00:42:43 -0500

It looked like the links and icons on my site were shifting upward in dark mode on hover, but nothing changed in the CSS. Light mode had no issues. After some digging, I realized it was an optical illusion caused by the colour contrast. Changing the hover colour fixed it.

Tue, 05 Aug 2025 00:52:44 -0500

It would have made sense for Kesha to split this song into two seamless tracks, the first functioning as an intro to the entire album.

🎧 FREEDOM.
🧑🏻‍🎤 Kesha
💿 . (...) (2025)

Thu, 31 Jul 2025 00:09:53 -0500

Is Weather API down?

{
    "location": {
        "name": "London",
        "region": "Ontario",
        "country": "Canada",
        "lat": 42.9833,
        "lon": -81.25,
        "tz_id": "America/Toronto",
        "localtime_epoch": 1753938200,
        "localtime": "2025-07-31 01:03"
    },
    "current": {
        
    }
}

Sun, 27 Jul 2025 17:29:51 -0500

I’ve switched back to the 24-hour notation on my main site, blog, and every other site I control. I’ve always been a fan of the 24-hour system, and the Canadian government encourages its use too. So… I figure doing a bit of mental math (like remembering that 00 is 12 a.m., 12 is 12 p.m., and subtracting 12 if the hour’s over 12) isn’t that hard, eh?

Wed, 09 Jul 2025 04:56:52 -0500

I’ve moved my Contacts and Calendar from iCloud to Google. I still keep iCloud Mail for non-personal emails. iCloud Reminders has never really grown on me; I only use it once in a while. iCloud Notes is the only one I still find unbeatable.

Sat, 05 Jul 2025 22:16:02 -0500

Finally revamped my website. It was a bit of work, but I’m happy to have moved everything back to my main domain but my blog.

Wed, 28 May 2025 01:34:57 -0500

This is so far my favourite album of 2025:

💿 Equus Caballus (2025)
🧑🏻‍🎤 Men I Trust

Mon, 19 May 2025 15:48:58 -0500

It’s a shame that an anniversary edition isn’t fully in Spatial Audio.

💿 Oops!... I Did It Again (25th Anniversary Edition) (2025)
🧑🏻‍🎤 Britney Spears

Sun, 04 May 2025 17:11:07 -0500

This is how a footlong sub boosts its price by 79.8% when it gets delivered to you in Ontario, Canada.

Fri, 02 May 2025 18:18:30 -0500

my best score so far Play Wordaholic now!

Mon, 31 Mar 2025 17:54:12 -0500

Trapped in the claws of the bear
And I wonder
Will all things be empty again?

Bare hands with my winter fears
Cold till it burns
You’ll be blowing away the frostbites
When we’ll return

🎧 Frost Bite
🧑🏻‍🎤 Men I Trust
💿 Equus Asinus (2025)

Sat, 29 Mar 2025 13:51:39 -0500

Ever wonder why ChatGPT 4o sometimes produces only an image without any follow-up text? This is the prompt behind the scenes.

Sat, 22 Mar 2025 20:45:14 -0500

I’m not impressed by how PDF Expert provides their lifetime subscription. For a one-time payment of CA$199.99 (or US$97.99 on StackSocial), customers have no access to their future big updates and new features, including the AI assistant. Also, it’s macOS only; the mobile apps are not included.

Sat, 22 Mar 2025 14:15:00 -0500

Oops… Just found out that Silicon Valley’s trendy social media app Airchat is already toast. Its official website has shut down. That was fast!

While Elie Steinbock believed that Airchat would change social media forever, Elaine Moore was right on the money — Airchat’s viral success will not last.

Thu, 20 Mar 2025 23:40:37 -0500

This playlist is just lit!

🎧 This playlist is available on Music.

Wed, 19 Mar 2025 02:23:51 -0500

Finally replaced every JSON file with a table in an SQL database tailored to my needs. Whipped up some APIs to connect the front end with the database. Created several iOS Shortcuts to push data to the server. Everything seems to be working perfectly after extensive testing. Now I’m feeling secure.

Thu, 13 Mar 2025 17:32:22 -0500

When will all the manufacturers phase out USB Type-A to USB Type-C solutions?

Wed, 12 Mar 2025 04:38:29 -0500

Since I turned off “optimized battery charging” on my iPhone, the battery’s maximum capacity has been dropping way more slowly – only 4% over the past year.

Wed, 12 Mar 2025 03:31:39 -0500

Asking for a friend… Tons of items on Amazon are eligible for return within 90 days of receipt. How about the president of the United States?

Wed, 12 Mar 2025 01:38:48 -0500

I’m happy to see Threads has taken a step towards integrating into the Fediverse. Read more here.

Mon, 10 Mar 2025 05:50:17 -0500

If you can’t stand being alone, you’re as lonely as a desperate stray. If you thrive in solitude, you’re as free as a sovereign eagle.

Sat, 08 Mar 2025 14:23:53 -0500

Finally got Mastodon up and running on my own VPS… after four failed attempts.

Sat, 08 Mar 2025 13:56:44 -0500

It dawned on me that if my iPod classic were my child, she’d be almost of age today.

Wed, 05 Mar 2025 03:39:03 -0500

I had no idea Timbaland teamed up with Malte Marten on a meditation music project last year. This is incredibly soothing. They created a unique and immersive listening experience.

💿 Yellow (2024)
🧑🏻‍🎤 Timbaland & Malte Marten

Fri, 28 Feb 2025 21:35:00 -0500

Today I earned an Honours Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science with distinction from Western University. It might not feel like a huge employability boost these days, especially with AI and layoffs shaking up the industry. But still, it’s a great feeling to see years of hard work finally pay off.

Sun, 23 Feb 2025 16:22:34 -0500

when a Canadian band sings they want to be unAmerican

🎧 UnAmerican
🧑🏻‍🎤 Said The Whale
💿 Cascadia (Deluxe) (2018)

Sun, 23 Feb 2025 14:36:10 -0500

It’s such a shame that tracks purchased from the iTunes Store today are still in AAC format at 256 kbps. Apple Lossless (ALAC) and Dolby Atmos (spatial audio) are not available for purchase. They’re only for streaming or offline downloads within an Apple Music subscription.

Sat, 22 Feb 2025 14:56:42 -0500

When did Instagram start to include a downvote button ( ↓ ) in every comment? Honestly I’m not a fan of it.

Thu, 20 Feb 2025 04:37:37 -0500

Back in 1980, KFC had around 6,000 locations across 48 countries, pulling in $2 billion a year ($2 billion in 1980 is roughly $7.66 billion in today’s dollars).

Fast forward to 2023, and the brand had grown to nearly 30,000 outlets in 145 countries, with annual sales reaching $2.83 billion.

Tue, 18 Feb 2025 02:02:48 -0500

JavaScript short date-time format:

United States: Tue, 02/18/2025, 1:58 AM EST
Canada: Tue, 2025-02-18, 1:58 a.m. EST

Without a doubt, the Canadian short date looks cleaner and more visually appealing, and the “a.m.” (or “p.m.”) style has a classic touch. However, it’s four characters long. Also, in the long date-time format, the word “at” appears between the date and time, whereas in the short version, it’s simply replaced by a comma. I dislike seeing more than one comma in a timestamp, so on this site, what you actually see is a hybrid version: Tue, 2025-02-18 @ 1:58 AM EST.

Sun, 16 Feb 2025 10:14:55 -0500

Hey Wikipedia, looks like we need some references here. At least my mom doesn’t call her that — she doesn’t even know her.

Sat, 15 Feb 2025 13:12:33 -0500

Puts me in mind of Slint

🎧 But Not Kiss
🧑🏻‍🎤 Faye Webster
💿 Underdressed at the Symphony (2024)

Sat, 15 Feb 2025 12:45:29 -0500

People: Life couldn’t be more unfair.
Alfonso Shimbel: Hold my beer.

Fri, 14 Feb 2025 07:33:54 -0500

Each of us dies twice — once when life leaves us, and once when we fade from the memories of others

📸 shot on iPhone XS Max

Thu, 06 Feb 2025 20:45:00 -0500

*Driving with Google Maps on Apple CarPlay*

Me: Hey Siri, cancel this trip.
 Siri: There’s nothing called “Trip” on your calendar. 
Me: Cancel this current trip on Google Maps. 
Siri: You’re not navigating in Apple Maps at the moment. 
Me: Exit this trip.
Siri: Sorry, I don’t understand.

Thu, 06 Feb 2025 17:38:00 -0500

What defines beauty? Transience and serendipity.
Ephemeral enough to cherish, unexpected enough to amaze.

📸 shot on Nikon D90

Wed, 05 Feb 2025 20:31:00 -0500

A generous heart must set its bounds,
For those who take know none.
Like rivers drained by endless thirst,
They leave the well undone.

📸 shot on iPhone XS Max

Mon, 06 Jan 2025 18:32:00 -0500

Places like Value Village always leave me with mixed emotions. As soon as I walk in, I feel a rush of excitement. There’s an eclectic assortment of items, many of them surprisingly decent and offered at affordable prices. But in the end, I always feel a bit sentimental. These items were likely cherished by their original owners at one time, only to end up being sold for next to nothing. It’s bittersweet — and in a way, it feels like a reflection of human relationships.

Sun, 24 Nov 2024 04:43:00 -0500

The Audio-Technica M50xBT2 now supports Dolby Atmos. And more importantly, it doesn’t sound bad at all.

I’m wondering when they rolled out this feature as their official website doesn’t have any information about this update. I’m pretty sure Dolby Atmos was not available on these headphones last year.

Wed, 18 Sep 2024 17:33:00 -0500

It cracks me up when Google Maps pronounces “Family Dr” as “family doctor.”

Fri, 23 Aug 2024 21:18:00 -0500

I wonder if there is a way for these music streaming platforms to prevent what I call “namespace pollution.” This term refers to different artists sharing the same name and being grouped together on a single artist page, especially when they are mononymous or have very common names. It’s really frustrating because, despite having the same name, these artists often create music in completely different genres and languages!

Sun, 11 Aug 2024 12:49:00 -0500

Anders Celsius, the proposer of the degree Celsius, died at the age of 42.

Daniel Gabriel Fahrenheit would have believed his opponent had died at 107.

Sun, 11 Aug 2024 11:49:00 -0500

Anders Celsius, the proposer of the degree Celsius, died at the age of 42.

Daniel Gabriel Fahrenheit would have believed his opponent had died at 107.

Sun, 04 Aug 2024 13:06:00 -0500

Once I bought a frosted glass for $12 at IKEA. It was beautiful but a bit too big and didn’t have a handle. If I drank water from it before a meal I’d feel too full to eat. Just way too big. Weeks later I got an IKEA flyer and saw it’d been reduced to $7 and advertised as a vase.

Sat, 11 May 2024 04:03:00 -0500

If a developer has to respond to customer reviews like this, you may want to use your discretion in purchasing / downloading / using any of their apps.

Sun, 23 Apr 2023 03:06:00 -0500

As of today, two orcas have been linked to the deaths of four individuals: a Canadian woman, an American woman, an American man, and a Spanish man.

Orca attacks are a First World problem.

Mon, 22 Oct 2018 20:38:00 -0500

A youth squandered on empty praise, borrowed warmth, and momentary highs is like a dress hanging high on the boutique wall — worn by dozens, touched by hundreds, yet never truly claimed or wanted, left to fade beneath the passing years

📸 shot on iPhone XS Max

Sat, 06 Oct 2018 16:24:00 -0500

Silence is a glass of still water on an empty table, catching the slanting light of a fading afternoon

📸 shot on iPhone XR

Fri, 21 Sep 2018 20:47:00 -0500

Waiting is standing by the door at midnight, the porch light trembling in the hush of the night, knowing that if footsteps ever break the silence, they may not belong to the one you long for

📸 shot on iPhone XS Max

Sat, 25 Aug 2018 17:37:00 -0500

Loneliness is the quiet truth that the city’s endless clamour unfolds without you

📸 shot on iPhone XS Max

Fri, 24 Aug 2018 20:10:00 -0500

People come in different flavours — some smooth, some strong, some best in small doses — but in the end, it’s the one that warms your soul that matters most

📸 shot on iPhone X

Sun, 05 Aug 2018 20:32:00 -0500

When the door isn’t readily open for you, pulling it only nurtures the expectation that you must plead to enter

📸 shot on iPhone XS Max