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Slight panic tonight, finding my Apple charger - many many years old - had stopped charging my iPad part way through the night, and wasn't charging my iPod touch tonight (it took me until 8pm to realise any of this - I was asleep until 7pm). Martin gave the charger plug a good check, and it's definitely faulty and unsafe. Replacement now ordered - getting a more powerful USB-C charger plus USB-C to lightning cable for my still old devices. Meanwhile Martin found me a spare USB-A charger plug, so I'm good till the new one arrives! iPod touch now charging. iPad rather inadequately charged for tonight's use, but will do! And the new charger will work with any future USB-C based iPad and also iPhone when my last iPod touch has to be replaced.
Last iPod Touch
Dec. 15th, 2025 10:10 amSetting up my last spare brand new iPod Touch - bought new from Apple in 2022, on the day they discontinued the iPod Touch. An iPod Touch is like an iPhone without phoning, and has been perfect for me for many years, given how bed bound and mostly asleep I am now. But the device can't run newer than iOS 15, and its total battery capacity is poor. My previous model now needs recharging 2 or 3 times a day. So it's time to pull out the last spare. In future I'll have to switch to an iPhone, but that's for a few years down the line. Meanwhile iOS 15 does what I need. And a new model should run for some years yet.
2.5 weeks ago I learned that Pocket was going to shut down imminently. I used it regularly, for many years, and still had 1461 unread saved articles waiting to be read. I’m pleased to say that I have now read them all - rather miraculous, given that I am asleep literally most of each 24 hours. I am now fully switched back to Instapaper, which I used long before. It also has the advantage of working better with my iPod touch - my main device when resting in bed for so much time - which can’t go newer than iOS 15.
Erasing old devices for recycling
Dec. 26th, 2024 10:08 pmErasing a few old devices (some very old) to take to recycling. Got some really weird error messages on my old iPod touch, when I tried to erase it just now. Turned out I needed to resync the built in clock before it would do that ok! Now wiping. Martin is going to take it with my old Kindle to the recycling centre at Baldovie (we are in Angus, but as Monifieth folk are allowed to use this recycling centre on the eastern edge of Dundee, cos ours was closed by Angus Council). I may have another old iPod touch somewhere ... Plus one more currently in use. And a spare, that I bought on the day Apple cancelled them.
I try to run my devices for an extremely long time. I extended the life of my previous Kindle by buying a replacement battery kit, and fitting it myself, with spudger tool and all. But there comes a time when I need to replace these devices. And at least if they can go to recycling some of the vital parts can be recovered and reused.
I try to run my devices for an extremely long time. I extended the life of my previous Kindle by buying a replacement battery kit, and fitting it myself, with spudger tool and all. But there comes a time when I need to replace these devices. And at least if they can go to recycling some of the vital parts can be recovered and reused.
New Kindle Paperwhite thoughts
Dec. 21st, 2024 05:27 pmVery recently I replaced my rapidly dying old Kindle Paperwhite 4 with the latest model. And a few days on I thought I'd post some quick thoughts.
On plus the new one (Kindle Paperwhite 6) is much much more responsive for page turns. This makes a huge difference to me since I read with a gigantic font for disability/neurological illness reasons. So have to turn pages much more than most folk for the same amount of text. In the old model there was a noticeable delay each time. Now it feels almost instant. Which I'm very happy with.
It was also remarkably easy to set up, using my iPod touch (like an iPhone, but without any phoning) to send by Bluetooth my Kindle login details and wifi network. Which sounds a bit risky as I write this, but worked ... And then I just had to tweak the font size, screen layout and brightness to my preferences, and I was done.
On the downside the new Kindle Paperwhite uses a different transfer protocol (MTP) which is not Mac friendly. So if connecting it up via USB there are extra hurdles to get eg a screenshot off. Which I do rarely. But still. It also affects side loading ebooks onto it by cable, though you can also upload them via web and email.
Also the Kindle Paperwhite 6 is a little bit bigger than my previous Kindle Paperwhite 4. It's not too big for me to handle, but felt a little unfamiliar at first.
I really like the plant-based cover I got, the official Amazon version. It's not fully plant-based, but much more so than the standard cover. I picked it partly for that reason, but also because it got better reviews for softness and no sharp edges than the main alternatives.
Big relief I don't have a yellow band at the bottom of my screen. This has been a problem for many latest Paperwhite owners as well as the new Kindle Colorsoft model. I am mightily relieved.
On plus the new one (Kindle Paperwhite 6) is much much more responsive for page turns. This makes a huge difference to me since I read with a gigantic font for disability/neurological illness reasons. So have to turn pages much more than most folk for the same amount of text. In the old model there was a noticeable delay each time. Now it feels almost instant. Which I'm very happy with.
It was also remarkably easy to set up, using my iPod touch (like an iPhone, but without any phoning) to send by Bluetooth my Kindle login details and wifi network. Which sounds a bit risky as I write this, but worked ... And then I just had to tweak the font size, screen layout and brightness to my preferences, and I was done.
On the downside the new Kindle Paperwhite uses a different transfer protocol (MTP) which is not Mac friendly. So if connecting it up via USB there are extra hurdles to get eg a screenshot off. Which I do rarely. But still. It also affects side loading ebooks onto it by cable, though you can also upload them via web and email.
Also the Kindle Paperwhite 6 is a little bit bigger than my previous Kindle Paperwhite 4. It's not too big for me to handle, but felt a little unfamiliar at first.
I really like the plant-based cover I got, the official Amazon version. It's not fully plant-based, but much more so than the standard cover. I picked it partly for that reason, but also because it got better reviews for softness and no sharp edges than the main alternatives.
Big relief I don't have a yellow band at the bottom of my screen. This has been a problem for many latest Paperwhite owners as well as the new Kindle Colorsoft model. I am mightily relieved.
DSLR photocopying
Nov. 22nd, 2023 03:39 pmThis afternoon I was photocopying a small number of pages from a borrowed library book using a rather old DSLR camera. That Panasonic LUMIX camera still has double the number of megapixels of my final generation iPod touch, and more than most mobile phones today. And given that this was a pretty dense text book it was easier to just use this camera. Which was already charged and available and ready to hand. I can copy over the pictures quickly using my laptop which has a SD card slot, and have tweaked them and turned them into a PDF to add to my research folder for the relevant academic journal paper I'm working on. If I was photographing in an archive extremely dense old handwriting I would also use my old DSLR.
