AI, Mobile, and Eveything Around the Cloud

I Want to Run OpenClaw But I Am Waiting For Apple To Show Us How Do Run It Safely

2026-03-31T22:53:00.000-07:00

Want an AI agent to run as much if your life as you are willing to give it? Apple's been working on it for years with Siri and its version of machine learning and then AI like ChatGPT came onto the scene. It was all large language models for a few years while Apple's effort being largely absent from the scene even as it marketed and misfired with Apple Intelligence. However, as an iPhone, iPad, and Mac user, we all know that there are elements of Apple Intelligence working in ways that are front and center like a chatbot.

Now, we have OpenClaw. If you don't know act it is, I think it is what Apple has planned for Siri but has never found a way to make it work. OpenClaw is an AI agent that runs natively on your Mac or PC that capable of executing tasks on your behalf. The issue with OpenClaw is privacy as it requires access to user credentials to complete most of the tasks. And it was susceptible to prompt injections and lack protection against attacks. While this is a perfect reason for me to go out to an Apple Store to pick up a new Mac mini, I am simply not tech savvy enough in terms of cybersecurity to know how to securely run OpenClaw.

This is why I am waiting for Apple to introduce an Apple Intelligence agent that runs natively on MacOS and even one that runs natively on the iPhone and iPad. And it cannot come too soon. We should hear more about it at this year's annual World Wide Developer Conference to be held. Meanwhile, here is what we know that AI features will be built natively in MacOS.

"Campo" is Apple's effort build system level AI into MacOS. It'll be a more powerful Siri (my guess is that it'll run on Apple's own AI and farmed off to Apple's Gemini version as needed).
Siri will be able to perform more complex multi-step tasks. This is something OpenClaw can do but we will likely see Apple's own take on this
There is chatter that Apple could create an AI store. Instead of an App Store, an Agent Store?
Privacy is going to be a big deal for Apple as always. Whether is it OpenClaw, Claude, or even Nvidia's open source agent running on your computer, Apple is going to win the privacy argument without breaking a sweat.

What I am curious about is just how Apple will make this happen with just 8GB. Why just 8GB? This is because the MacBook Neo has only 8GB. It is enough to run a lot of computing tasks, including some high-end video editing and some basic 3D modeling but I did not see any serious reviewer even try to run an LLM on it. I have 16GB on MacBook Air with M2 and I am able to run some LLM but I am coming up against the limits of what I can run. I would like my next Mac to have 36-48GB just to be safe.

One other issue I am concerned about is how slow Apple can take to bring an app to maturity. I am afraid Apple will limit what its own OpenClaw-like implementation can do in the beginning. And over each OS update, slowly add new features. Apple is also known to limit how users can experiment and lock things down. My fear is that Apple will do the same with their system level AI and seriously hamper what users can play with.

Only time will tell. Apple is very thoughtful and deliberate when it comes to new frontiers like AI. I am looking for Apple's Apple Intelligence to finally start providing users with AI experiences that we have come to know by using other AI models and apps. I am sure Apple will also put its own spin. I just hope that Apple will give users room to experiment and allow Siri and Apple hardware to shine. Forget about AI enthusiasts buying Mac mini by the boatloads to run OpenClaw. Apple should give users reason to buy new hardware beause of Apple Intelligence and Siri.

With AI, Always "Do Not Trust And Always Verify"

2026-03-24T22:53:00.000-07:00

I did a quick survey of people who uses AI consistently to see what they are using it for. A vast majority of people I know are using it instead of regular Google search. Judging by Google’s earnings, I do not think the company is too concerned by AI taking shares away from them just yet. Having said that, what is concerning is that a lot of the people who do use search via ChatGPT, Gemini, or another LLM take what they are presented as fact. I have a different view of search via AI: never trust and always verify.

For me, posing questions questions to the AI bots is a starting point that allows me to thinking deeper and eventually search the traditional way through DuckDuckGo (and then Google if I cannot find what I want right away). The people who uses AI as a search engine falls into two camps - those who just trust what the AI presents and those have a search flow similar to mine. A few months ago, I had an interesting use during a drive with ChatGPT’s voice function. We chatted with the bot about different types of trusts and how to set them up. It was a good 30 minute conversation that sort of set us on the path towards understanding how different types of trusts work. It was too much information at first so we told ChatGPT what we want and it provided information about it. I switched to Gemini to confirm what I learned and received similar information. This helped us gain a basic understanding so when the time comes to speak with a lawyer, we would have some sort of idea of where to start and not have to spend the time and money having the lawyer explain everything from the beginning.

Using AI chatbots is a good starting place. It saves a lot of time and possibly money as in the example above. What’s important to keep in mind is that your leg work has not started. I would not consider a chat with the AI with something as important as the financial future of your family even the first step. Treat it as a start point. You still need more research to confirm what you learned and to talk to the right expert about the matter or subject. It is the same if you wanted to talk to a CPA, teacher or professor, or even a physician.

Then there are casual AI chatbot interactions. I've asked about the Punch, the Japanese baby monkey, and how he is doing on a daily basis. I've asked about the current events in Ukraine, Iran, and East Asia. There are a lot of how-to's that I found very help, more than what I can find from the search engines. We recently installed a solar system with a battery and both Gemini and ChatGPT were helpful about scheduling appliance uses including the AC and when to charge our EV. All these do not need any verification. If one of the AI chatbots suggests that I can use solar power to power my house at night, I think I can catch on quickly that some wires got crossed in the LLM's reasoning.

As always, use your best judgment. And think carefully about how to use AI and what the information the AI provides you.

AI Uses This Week:

2026-03-22T22:55:45.660-07:00

I like to bring back posts about my recent AI uses. I am sure many other folks are using LLM more and more but I still say to myself why am I doing this task when the AI can do it while I move onto something else.

First, let me start with my 80-year old uncle who is now using ChatGPT on a daily basis. He chats with it via the text prompt. And when he goes on his walks, he is chatting via the voice feature. Here are some things I found that what he has being using ChatGPT for.

He is a meticulous writer. Prose and poetry. He writes them and post them to ChatGPT so it can provide critiques and suggestions on how he can improves his essays.
I recently told him that I was using AI to learn Japanese. He has since started doing that while he goes on his morning walks. He already knows some basic Japanese whereas I am starting from scratch. I think he'l make better and faster progress than I will.
He has posted results from his medical tests to ChatGPT. He would over his personal information, take a photo of the results and ask what each result means. Privacy aside, he found it a good starting point to understand his health and know what questions to ask his doctor when they go over his medical results.
And of course, ChatGPT has now become his default search engine. I ams that is your primary AI use as it is mine.

As for myself, while my AI use has evolved beyond using it for quick tips, how-to when I cannot find what I need on Youtube or Google, or the easiest way to make chili, I have noticed that I prompt with more details, but not always right away. A lot of time, I begin with a simple prompt that waste compute, read over what the LLM gives me, and then refine it. I imagine most people do that unless the user has something very specific he is looking for. However, it does not always work. I find that for my work which deals a lot with Excel and large sets of data, I need to be very specific from the very beginning because each time the LLM "analyze and think", it can take a while and compute credits that if used up, I would have to come back tomorrow to continue.

Here are my uses this week:

Perhaps it is a waste of compute to have the LLM convert a PDF with a lot of data into excel. While many might consider it to be a lowly task for an AI, what saved me a lot of was to have the LLM change information on a PDF that was just a photo or scan that could not easily be imported into an office app. So I told the LLM what I wanted change on the PDF and it did it. Well, it took two tries to make it perfect but it worked.
I am not unsure about training my on LLM but provided the AI model samples of some diagrams with specs. I then provided 50 more specs and had it create similar diagrams. It worked. I still need to review it but I think I saved my company hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Health is a pretty big issue. My friends are observing Lent by giving up sugar treats. Though not religious, I joined them. Not a bit deal so I decided for myself, I would give up any treats and coffee. During the past four weeks, I've used AI to help me craft meals and healthy snack options.
I want to get into wood work. In a post-AI world, I think it is important we all learn a couple of old world skills. I am considering build a bed frame to start. But I do not have a lot of the tools and I do not want to invest in expensive tools. So I asked how people used to make furnitures and other woodwork before modern tools.
I am vibe coding like crazy. I am loving it. It's like a game for me. I spend the day thinking of ideas and then at night, that's when I get to work. I keep running out of credits but that's fine. At some point, perhaps I can upgrade to a higher level account with more compute credits.

It's Sunday night now. I look forward to another week given the new powers that AI has given me. I've mentioned this before but maybe you're new to my blog - my goal is to have AI replace me at work. It is not so that I will not have a job on New Year's Eve but rather I want to be the one in control of all to shape the role AI plays in my work life and guide the direction of where my job evolves. And who knows, maybe I'll enter a new chapter in my life with all the new skills that I am picking up.

MacBook Neo Would Be A Threat Only If Microsoft Comes Up With A Steve Balmer Response

2026-03-20T00:02:51.867-07:00

The MacBook Neo is a laptop is hitting above its weight. From all indications, it can handle just about any daily computing tasks you throw at it and then some. Photo and video editing, even some light Blender work, gaming, and school/office work including coding. And it is doing all that for $600 or $500 for education. What's the response from outside of Apple's wall garden? So far, it's mostly muted and not the derision that we had come to expect from Microsoft executives. Nothing like when Steve Balmer, former CEO of Microsoft, said about the iPhone when Steve Jobs released it.

So far, the most direct statement about the Neo came from Asus CFO Nick Wu who said the newest MacBook is "a shock to the entire market" (Fortune). And that's it! It has been relatively quiet from Michael Dell, Microsoft's current Surface's lead, or other PC makers on the Neo. Qualcomm who is making ARM chips for the laptops to complete against Apple and Intel.

While Qualcomm did say that they have been putting phone chips in laptops and tablets for years and that they are in a better position to compete (Tom's Hardware), the response from Alex Katouzian, EVP and Group General Manager of the Mobile, Compute and XR (MCX) Business Unit (an impressively long title if nothing else), suggested that their chips is superior (Qualcomm's chips have an eight-channel memory interface while the Macbook Neo's A18 Pro only have a four-channel interface. At the same time, Qualcomm said Apple's using an chip developed for the iPhone validates their chip strategy and suggests that there is no difference between a chip developed for the smartphone and one developed for a PC (you can build a chip for a smartphone and scale it up for a PC). However, without getting into more about the difference in chip design and philosophy between Apple and Qualcomm, suffice to say, this is something that consumers who would buy the MacBook Neo would not care too much about.

It is important to note that Qualcomm's response is similar to what the way Steve Balmer was dismissive about the iPhone (consumers would not pay for a premium phone that has no physical keyboard and would amount to 2-3% of the market). Qualcomm also suggests that it is well positioned to compete in the $500-$600 segment of the laptop market with a better chip. However, does that translate into a better experience? Granted that I have zero experience with a Windows laptop running on a Qualcomm chip, I do use a Windows laptop running on an Intel chip at work I know that laptops with Qualcomm's chips do have excellent battery life. However, I cannot imagine the experience being any different. On the MacBook Neo, Apple has meticulously designed it to work run MacOS giving users the computing experience we have come to expect from Apple.

What is surprising is we have heard very little from Microsoft. Perhaps this is because today's Microsoft is very different from days of Bill Gates and Steve Balmer. While Apple and Microsoft do compete in many levels, they also work together at times. We'll see what happens when Microsoft refreshes the Surface lineup and whether they have a true answer to complete with MacBook Neo. I believe many other PC makers will be looking carefully. If they cannot complete with Apple in the $500-600 range, look for PC makers try to go even lower. But what will a $400 Windows laptop look like?

I only know that it will not be pretty. Nor will be provide a great computing experience. I hope Microsoft and its partners forget about competing on specs and who has the better chip strategy and focus concerted roadmap that makes mobile computing better for the users. But if Microsoft does go Steve Balmer on the Apple's newest laptop, then we know they are in trouble because it means they have not found a way to really compete with the MacBook Neo.

Get the MacBook Neo Over the iPad But If You Already Have An iPad, Should You Get the Neo?

2026-03-18T23:29:09.748-07:00

I write a lot so it's great that I have the option of doing it on my MacBook Air, iPad, and the iPhone. Well, what if you already have an iPad. Should you get the MacBook Neo? The iPad is a vastly different tablet after the release of iPadOS 26 with more features like a window system and multitasking features that are traditionally available only on the MacBooks. This was only the reasons why I decided to get a new iPad Air last year. But suppose I do not have a MacBook. Should I get the Neo even though I already have an iPad?

This is an issue that I have not seen a lot of reviewers, Apple blogs, or anyone really address. I want to focus exclusively on use cases and not the cost though that is something that each of us will have to consider on an individual basis. I opened this article about writing. Before the Magic Keyboard and the support of bluetooth keyboards, I was writing on the screen of the iPad using the virtual keyboard. I did a lot of that and I still do it from time to time. The iPad, however you type on it, is a very capable device for writing. I writing for this blog, my own stories, and journals. The iPad is great and I am sure the MacBook Neo would get just as terrific as any other MacBooks.

What about uses like photo and video editing? Let's take photo editing. I find myself going to the iPad for photo editing and management as well as doing any other kind of manipulation on the iPad much more than the MacBook. Perhaps it is because of my amateur level of photo editing skills and needs and the iPad's big library of available apps in the App Store makes it all that much easier for someone like me. However, that is the same for video editing. I mainly use iMovie and it works great for me on the Mac. I have tried it on the iPad and I found the experience a lot easier and intuitive on the Mac than on the iPad.

One thing that does work on the iPad's favor is the Apple Pencil. For drawing and editing, using the pencil does provide better precision than using the trackpad. For a lot of tasks, having a pencil feel more natural. Taking manipulating a 3D object. With Blender in its way to the iPad, I just see myself enjoying creating 3D artwork on the iPad more than on the Mac. I know people who have used a mouse to create create artwork and hats off to those folks. However, for someone who can not draw well, using a mouse simply makes it worse. So, for use cases where Apple Pencil works better than the trackpad or mouse, a Macbook Neo is not going to help you or me.

For gaming, it depends in the type of game. There are just some games now that works better on the MacBook Neo because of the physical keyboard and some that are better because of the touchscreen on the iPad and the games designed to take advantage of using your fingers to manipulate and control elements in the game. It also comes down to the available of the library of games you are most likely to play. Apple has been doing a better than its traditional half-hearted attempts in gaming on the Mac, I do wonder if some of the AAA games that Apple has been pushing will work on the MacBook Neo since Apple makes a big deal about them working on the Mac and iPads with M series chips. And as you know by now, the MacBook Neo runs on an iPhone chip. It would be a blunder if these games work on the iPad but not on the Neo.

Finally, we come to another use. Coding. The MacBook Neo can run Xcode. Both the Neo and iPad can run Playgrounds. However, Playgrounds does not do much other than teach those who are interested in coding some rudimentary lessons on how coding works. This does not come close. You will absolutely need to get the MacBook Neo.

So, if you already have an iPad, you already have a very capable computer, not to mention a tablet. The iPadOS has all the tools you need if you need some basic functions of a laptop. Then it comes down to your needs. Personal preferences like your workflow, whether you care about having a keyboard or not, you like to use a mouse/trackpad or Apple Pencil are important but it comes down to what your iPad can do but you can do better on the MacBook Neo. And in the use cases like coding where you have to go with a Neo or where the iPad fall short, your decision becomes clearer.

As I said in the title, if you are deciding whether you should get a MacBook Noe or iPad, I would get the MacBook Neo. But if you already have an iPad, it comes down to what you want to do with the Neo that your iPad cannot do or because there are MacOS advantages over the iPadOS that you need.

My AI Chatbots Are the Best Language Tutors That Live On Your Phones

2026-03-15T23:44:00.000-07:00

You are thinking of learning anew language. Start now with one of the chatbots. You can’t go wrong with this and if you’re not doing it, well, shame on you. With ChatGPT, I am learning French. With Gemini, I hope to be fluent enough so that when I visit Japan later this year, I am get away without using my translation app. And of course, when I get a chance to visit France (I’ve been told that the French look down on visitors who do not speak French. Especially Americans).

I started a month ago but I only got into the routine of doing it daily in just the last week. I do it whenever I get a chance to put on my AirPods and speak to one of the two chatbots. And after a couple of days of have the AI as my tutors, I actually look forward to it whenever I get a moment free. I find having these conversations on my morning walks with dog the best time. I wake up, have some water and cup of coffee for the walk, and off we go. These are best for new lessons.

For times when I have a moment here and there through the day, I find them a good time to review what I have learned. These are all conversational. I have not gotten into the written part yet. I’ll get into that once I have a routine down for that part of learning these two languages.

As with everything, getting started is hardest part. If you want to give this a try, I recommend starting the foreign language you want to learn on a particular subject of interest to you. I find the standard “Hello, my name is John” all sort of boring and does not really get me wanting to come back for me. I double I’ll be telling everything I meet in Japan or France my name. I’m interested in outdoor activities like walks, makding coffee and breakfast. So, I have had both AI teach me how to say those activities in those languages. And along the way, I would mix things up. Add this and that to see how the sentence structures change. One thing that I make sure the AI knows is that I want to know how a native speaker would says the things I want to learn. Does that work? Yes, quite well.

If AI is replacing anyone, it is a native tutor or someone who I would need to book time with to speak with me. Another thing I learned is that the AI can help with your accent. I only looked into today so I would have to try it and get back to everyone how well it works. Basically, I do not want to just have passable Japanese or French accents. And AI bots can help.

Here is how. When we speak to the AI, the AI does not necessarily hear us. In ChatGPT’s case (according to its response to my question about it hleping me with my accent), the speech is translated to text and it does not hear my accent at all. However, with Gemini, it it multimodal so it can actually heard me rather than just know what I said. I find this distinction between the two models very interesting. However, like anything with AI, we will want to verify. And so I shall and get back to everyone about it. Better yet, you should try it yourself.

One of the cool thing about using AI as your speaking partner is that over time, you can ask it to add nuances, increase difficulties, and help you track how you are progressing. I am not there yet but I cannot wait to be able to converse with the AI bots and, eventually, with friends who are native speakers.

AI tools have their uses - the most important function an AI serves is its ability as a tutor. I am using it as a language tutor. I am sure it quite capable in almost any other subjects or interests.

MacBooks Are Now AI Powerhouses. Time To Upgrade to Upcoming Agents?

2026-03-14T17:19:00.000-07:00

I think it is time for me to upgrade from my MacBook Air to the latest one. My sole reason is simple. I am all in on AI such as running local LLM, experimenting with 3D and focusing on AI generated contents. My current MacBook Air can do quite a bit but if I want to run bigger models and render faster, the MacBook Air with M5 with 32 GB would go a long way. However, should you even if you are still rocking the MacBook Air with the M1?

It really comes down to what you are doing now with your MacBook. What has me thinking about it more this week is not because of the MacBook Neo and the new MacBook Pro that Apple released this week. Rather, it is all the new AI development in the last few weeks.

AI development continues at a pace layman like us cannot keep up. Read up on something and something new from another AI company is out by afternoon. Only a few weeks ago, Clawbot burst into mainstream media and after a couple of name changes, the developer settled on OpenClaw. It continues to make waves. Especially in China but that's another story entirely. This type of agent that can live on your computer is here to stay. OpenAI bought them. That's how big it is. Then both Anthropic, OpenAI's nemesis, and Perplexity both released their own agents though they are two cloud based. And then this week, Nvidia made its intention known that it was getting into the personal AI assistant game with its own open source agent, NemoClaw. (There is no direct link to Nemoclaw at this time.)

Are there going to be others working on it? Certainly. We have not heard to Google, Meta, Microsoft, and Amazon yet. So, it will not be long before you computer will be running an AI agent. The issue or choice is whether you truly run it locally or in the cloud. Right now, only OpenClaw truly runs locally with the LLM on your computer. Given the privacy nightmare were reported regarding OpenClaw, I will shy away from it until smarter and more knowledgeable folks tell me it is okay for me to run it. Personally, I cannot wait to see Apple's own take on it. But whether you and I end up running OpenClaw or Apple's own solution, on device AI assistant may provide the best privacy and control.

Perhaps you’re asking why are you just talking about the MacBook Air and not the MacBook Pro if you re doing a lot of AI and 3D work. The main reason is this - cost versus performance. Go back a year, I would have suggested that if you are going to do AI on a Mac, you probably would want to go with a MacBook Pro because of the faster chips in the form of M4 Pro and M4 Max. The 14" MacBook Pro with M4 Pro would have been my choice - upgrade the hard drive to 1 TB and RAM to 48GB. But the M5 chips are different. Not only are they faster as you would expect from Apple, AMD, and Intel with each upgrade, but the M5 has something that Apple has not done before: neural accelerators built directly into the GPU cores that dramatically speed up the time to first token in LLM.

In general, the M5 is 4X faster with AI performance. Sure, what's the big deal, right? The M5 being four times faster than the M1. Nah, man! It's 4 times faster than the M4! That's the game changer for me as far as the M5 goes. And it is a game changer for you as well.

When most people think AI, they are thinking ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude. AI apps on the iPhone or iPad that generate pictures. AI, specifically Apple Intelligence, is very different. Apple Intelligence features are built into apps and OS. We are using a lot of Apple Intelligence features without even realizing it. Live translation, creating Genmoji, and background features like adaptive power mode to name a few. All these AI features are just features. They do not stand out and say "you're using AI to take photos".

Apple Intelligence will become smarter year after year. New features will be added. One I look forward to an a Siri agent that will manage your Mac much like OpenClaw with a strong emphasis on privacy. No matter what these other guys say, I trust Apple's stance on privacy more than any other company.

With that said, when you upgrade, take Apple Intelligence into account. I know that Apple will support the Mac for years with MacOS updates. Future proofing your Mac investment so that future Apple Intelligence upgrade and features can run smoothly should be taken into consider.

Why Not Mac Neo?

2026-03-10T23:06:00.000-07:00

Right now, the small Mac is the powerful Mac mini that a lot of people are buying to run OpenClaw. It’s small. We’ve all likely seen it in person. Well, what if there was a Mac even smaller. Say the size of a soda can or, smaller, the size of a Rubik’s cube. Well, given the success of the MacBook Neo, estimated to ship 4-5 million units this year, it makes sense for Apple to release a Mac desktop base on future iPhone chips that can run MacOS. Given the jump in computing power of each generation of Apple Silicon, these would be perfect computers would be great to as a home computer for the family, especially the kids, or used as local AI servers.

Of course, Apple can simply call it the Mac nano but Apple is mostly about looking forwards and the era of iPods like the iPod nano is now history. So, I am sure Apple will stick with the Neo in the future. So, Mac Neo it is.

Would you be interested in it? You bet you would! And so would I!

Let’s look at the possible uses.

It can easily be the first computer for the kids. Imagine it coming in at $400 with educational pricing. If the MacBook Neo is the Mac for the classroom, the Mac Neo would be the Mac for the family.
Sitting quickly on a shelf somewhere, you can use it as a desktop computer using Airplay to connect to a TV or monitor for doing work, watching video, and serve as the brain of your home. Because it runs MacOS, it is more versatile than any device or hub you can buy to run run your home.
AI server anyone? Running AI agent like OpenClaw powered by an improved Apple Intellgence could be just the thing that Apple needs to really catapult itself to the front of the AI race. Because Apple just changed the rules of the game, Apple defines what AI is and how it is used.
Imagine if you can network a few of these together into an even more powerful AI server, a cost effective cluster of Mac Neo units based on A19 Pro for AI enthusiasts to run their own LLM or a MacOS feature that lets users run their own Apple Intelligence from their home. The users can keep adding more Mac Neo over time. Nothing goes to waste. Different colors, of course. Apple would basically Legoize AI and computing. Maybe one Mac Neo is not powerful enough to edit an 8K video but put two or three together and now you’re editing and running 8K video like butter.

Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, $399 Mac Neo is a no-brainer. Apple would be build a new market for the home and business. It will look great on desktop, shelf, or next to the TV. There would be nothing like it on the market. Competitors suggest how woefully underpowered the Mac Neo is but will try to copy and rush similar devices six months later. Of course, their Neo-copies will be half baked and only the almost never-Apple crowd will buy them. Apple will be introducing the Mac and Apple’s way of computing to entirely new users who are curious, enticed by the $399 price tag, and end up loving it. For the rest of us in the Apple ecosystem already, we will immediately recognize it for what it is and the potential. Even if you buy the Mac Neo as a desktop Mac instead of the Mac mini, you will love it just the same.

Macbook Neo Is the Best Smart Network Computer

2026-03-10T19:41:00.000-07:00

The release of the Macbook Neo could usher in a new era of computing (not just mobile computing and I'll get to that later) with daily routine computing tasks happen on the Apple silicon while heavier tasks like AI is passed through to Apple's servers. The Neo is not only about hitting a price point with a Macbook that is not garbage. I think current Mac users will be very interested in the Neo as well. It may well be the smartest network computer ever.

In the 1990s, Larry Ellison of Oracle was pushing a computing device called the "network computer" as a way for computing in the future. He was right, you know. Valued at $500, it was a way to shift the enterprise culture away from Windows and Intel towards and deploy millions of cheaper NC that can network to a cluster of servers over LAN (local area network). Sound familiar?

Yeah, we got the Internet instead and here we are. If you use a computer at work, chances are that a lot of your data are on the cloud. Your email, files that are not only on your hard drive but also synced to OneDrive or Google Drive. On the Macbook, I write a lot on Pages and I can continue to work on my documents when I am on a Windows laptop through a browser using the online version of Pages. And data on your iPhone and iPad are on the iCloud. It's all about the cloud now.

Macbook Neo will only supercharge more data going into the cloud while still able to do a lot of computing tasks locally as needed. And with each Neo update, it will become more and more powerful. But the data will need to go somewhere, right?

This is happen through a combination of market segment and pricing press. When the next Neo is updated a year from now, we will be using the A19 chip with 8GB (I am not sure we'll see the next Neo use the A19 Pro with 12GB). Remember, Apple will want to improve margin on the hardware. So this also means we'll continue to see the 256GB hard drive until they stop making them.

That means it opens up a subscription stream for online services and storage. I would expect Apple see another jump in their service activities as new users jump ship from Windows and possibly ChromeOS pick up the Neo. They will love their Neo but will the storage underwhelming. There are two options - get a hard drive and have to carry it with you at the risk of it getting lost/stolen/damaged. Or you can just pay Apple a few dollars a month for more storage. For the price of a cup of coffee or big slupee, you can get an additional 200 GB of storage.

What about more compute? I do not think Apple will ever charge users for using standard Siri features. However, expect Apple Intelligence+ subscription service such as coding or creating images and videos are AI services that Apple can offer all iPhone, iPad, and Mac users. If you're like me trying to do as much AI work locally, perhaps we are fine but I imagine Apple's services will be enticing to the Neo users who needs more compute than their iPhone chips can provide or handle with limited RAM.

What makes the Macbook Neo such a great device that Larry Ellison could not hope to bring to fruition is the power and speed. Plus, the ability of the Apple chip to make the switch from local to the compute seemless is going to be a great selling point. The Macbook Neo knows what it can handle easily but can call for help from the iCloud whenever more compute is needed.

Educational users will be able to offload a lot of the heavy lifting to Apple's AI servers. And even enterprise uses will do the same as will home and hobbyists. This all makes the Macbook Neo the perfect network computer.

Make no mistake. The Macbook Neo will be wildly popular. Imagine in a year after Apple updates the Neo, could be drop the price of the 2026 Neo by $50-$100? Sure if they follow the iPhone model. I'll go even future. Apple may well release a line of Neo Macs for users who do not need the power of the M chips. Mac Neo or iMac Neo, anyone?

All of the Neo computers perform daily tasks but going onto the cloud for more compute, online services, and storage when needed. I think this was what Oracle had envisioned but it is Apple who is making this a reality.

Slow but Local LLM Are Good For A Lot of Things

2026-03-08T22:34:00.000-07:00

I vibe coded a local LLM running on my M3 iPad Air using Apple's models and it works. Sort of. I had known that Apple has its own models that run devices to power Apple Intelligence. How well does it work? Definitely. Am I replacing the app I created instead of ChatGPT or Gemini? No way. Not even close. Not because I created some great AI chat app. In fact, it is missing a few important features that users have come to expect from an AI app. I am still fine-tuning it and I do not know if I will be sharing it with the world because I do not know how Apple feels about building an app around their models for people to use. What I do want to discuss here that it is surprisingly useful.

Let me first say that the LLM is very limited. I do not know whether it is because of the guardrails that Apple put into place on the models or it has something to do with how the app is built. I am still working on that part. What I do know is that I can have a regular conversation with it and get rudimentary information that the LLM feels comfortable providing. Recipes? Sure. Asking the Apple LLM what the difference is between an astronomer and astrophysicist and I can become an amateur of either or both. I think I'll just listen to Neil Degrasse Tyson on Startalk and try to learn something instead.

Here are some key experiences:

As far how fast it is, it's slow. I mean it is usable but on a M3 iPad Air, it is going to take some time for the technology to get to the point where users can comfortably use an local LLM on their devices and not feel like they are using an AI that provides a subpar experience. Local AI performance never match those we use on the cloud with powerful Nvidia or Google chips. Or even Apple's upcoming AI chips based on the M5. Never the less, a portable AI agent that can a user can rely on is coming eventually that can handle day-to-day tasks and requests.
There are a lot more than just an AI-based chat. Right now, it does not seem like each conversation can go very long before the LLM tells me to start a new conversation. I don't know enough about AI and Apple's AI models (or most things about AI for that matter) but there is a limit to the tokens the AI can generate. Also, Apple AI researchers also found their models can collapse if the task of thinking (Apple called it "illusion of thinking") becomes too complex.
There are clear limits to how a local LLM from Apple right now. I am sure they have bigger better models but nothing that can fit on our iPhones and iPads yet. I am still playing with the app and I am trying to find out of there are ways to get more out of it. I don't know what Apple has planned for the on-device AI but given what is being reported about Apple Intelligence, the delays, and now using Gemini instead of its own models, it is clear that Apple models do not meet Apple's own standards. It means that we might be features that Apple initially wanted to be on device will be farmed out to the cloud.

I will try to see if I can get better results using open source LLM models instead of Apple's own to get better results. Even if I never share my app with you all, I do want to keep pushing the bounds and to use this opportunity to learn about artificial intelligence and coding.

I am certain over the years, your iPhone or Android device will be a whole lot smarter than what we currently use. Duh, right? But it is more than that. I have read about second brains. I think our mobile devices will act as exactly that but in such a way that augments our natural abilities rather than displace them. I really do. At least that is what Apple Intelligence is meant to do. And I hope that is I use agents as tools so that I can move onto other matters. I hope you do that as well and not allow AI to simply displace you.

And it is happen rather quickly whether we like it or not. AI companies are doing it. They're building tools and agents that are smarter so they can do not inly repetitive work but also analytical skills as well. However, rather than simply rely on our agents do think for us, we need to the final decision maker. Not blindly accept any report or analysis the AI creates for us but we need to use our humanity, our experience, and who we individually are to make the final call.

I think by continue to play with the LLM myself, I hope that I can learn more about how AI thinks, what I can trust them to do, and eventually gain even more experience on how to use them.

MacBook Neo Likely To Cannibalize The MacBook Air Than The iPad

2026-03-06T18:18:00.000-08:00

The Macbook Neo is a great laptop for a vast majority of users. Including myself. I spend nearly all of my time writing. I would say it is about 99% writing. However, I have been dabbling with AI, I think 10% of my time on my Macbook Air M2 are spend on experimenting with local LLM and vibe coding with Xcode and Python. Than running local LLM, My Air is not really doing any heavy lifting. If anything, its power and talents are wasted on me. So for emailing, browsing the web, writing, or watching videos, the Macbook Neo is great. But it is also a good alternative to the iPad as well. So, naturally, I am curious which Apple product the Neo will cannibalize and the more I think of it, I think the Neo is more likely to cannibalize the Air than the iPad. Let's look at this together.

I can writing on my 2016 12" Macbook as long as the keyboard does not give out. I can write on any old laptop or an old iPad I have around somewhere in my desk drawer if I wanted to. Emailing. If your old tech still run current browsers or apps, you're really good to go. I am sure you are feeling some of the slowdown though. That is why you may be thinking upgrading.

Macbook Neo? Macbook Air? and iPad Air with M4? Even the regular iPad?

If you do any coding you will want the Neo or Air. If you're a dabbler like myself, even the Neo might be good enough though you are limited by what local AI models you can run with mere 8 GB of RAM as I understand it. The Air would be great but you are talking about saving a few hundred bucks that could go towards the next Neo upgrade if you don't need all that power the Air provides you today.

As for replacing the iPad, sure. However, the iPad, despite the new window-based multitasking that became a favorite among YouTubers who want to use their iPads as their daily driver, is a totally different computer altogether. It’s a tablet that can be paired with a keyboard to turn it into a laptop. I use my iPad for reading, watching a vast majority of my videos (Apple TV, Netflix, YouTube), and play games. I imagine I can do that on the Neo but reading books makes it a bit awkward. And there are just tons of apps I use that are not available on the Mac.

Perhaps you might get the Neo over a new iPad and if you already have an iPad, you will continue to use the iPad. If not, there is a good chance that you will get an iPad in the future because it is just a different type of device. It’s a lot more portable and easier to carry around. If you’re going to the doctor’s office, which would you take? The Neo or iPad?

Back to the Air. It packs a punch. And the reason I may consider getting the MacBook Air with M5 is because it is so much powerful than my M2 Air. With 32 GB of RAM, I can run a bigger LLM model and do more in terms of AI. But again, all that power is not going to let me writing any faster or better. That’s all on me. It is not going to check the mail any faster. The Neo is good enough for that.

Apple is presenting the MacBook Neo as a laptop without compromises. For a daily computing needs, it can do pretty much anything you throw at it with feeling like you bought into something that is in any way inferior. In fact, Apple offers four excellent colors to choose from that fit your personality and environment. You cannot say that about the Air, can you? At least the Air cannot match the bright colors of the Neo options.

And if you’ve been here before, you will know that I constantly complain about battery life. I have not done that in a while because Apple devices just offer great battery life these days. And even in that department, the Neo is not compromised. Sure, the MacBook Neo’s smaller battery means it offers sixteen hours of battery life compared to the eighteen hours for the Air. For daily tasks, I would not be surprised if you only charge the Neo once every other day.

While I am not in the market for MacBook Neo, I cannot go to the Apple Store to test drive it. If money is no object, yeah, I think I might pick up a Citrus Neo with 256 GB (don’t need the 512 GB option because I would just use it for writing, messaging, and emailing anyway). But I do need more power than what the Neo offers. So it’ll be the MacBook Air or MacBook Pro for when I upgrade at the end of the year. For everyone else who does not need the computing power offered by Apple’s M series chips, I sure hope you pick the MacBook Neo because you will not be disappointed. And if you are thinking about getting the Neo instead of an iPad, I do not recommend it. The iPad is just a very different device that offers a very different experience.

I Spend An Hour A Day With AI Moving Being Just Dabbling But Not Quite A Power User Yet

2026-03-03T22:20:00.000-08:00

I am spending a lot of time with AI these days. About 60 minutes with AI each day. That comes out to 12.5% of my work day assuming it is a 8-hr work week. It’s a lot for me but I would like to know what others think. However, I anticipate that the type of AI activities that I will spend my time on will change over time.

I would like to go through my AI routine these past two weeks and I would appreciate some feedback.

I run a couple of reports. Those are quick. A couple of prompts, upload some files, press enter, and go make coffee or tea. That is probably a minute.
I think out of the rest of the total hour in a day that I send with AI, I spend about 10 minutes just asking questions that come to mind, not necessarily work related. For example, I am so invested in Punch the monkey from Japan. Love the little guy and I request updates a couple of times every day.
I send about 30-40 minutes working with AI on new report formats and, more importantly, I discuss with it my workflow and how I can become more efficient including changing how I work or handing off more load to the AI.
I spend another 15 minutes vibe coding. This is like a game to me. I enjoy it a lot. And I am doing it in such a way that I am also picking up on coding as well.
I also write and I ask the AI for clarifications on writing styles, how to word passages that could be more interesting to the read. I never take what it gives me and just copy and paste into my writing. That’s a huge no for me. It has to be my own voice. I also ask it to proofread my writing as a high English teacher would.

That’s pretty much it. I think that time will go up once a project my wife and I want to get started on begins.

Is this a lot of time that I am spending with AI? I don’t think so. There are folks like me who are even more engaged with their AI and are probably squeezing out more efficiency and productivity than I am managing. Then there are those who dabble in AI to write their emails or use it as a substitute for search. At most, these users use their choice of AI mere minutes each day.

One that that I have not seen happening in my workflow is greater quality of my output. I”m saving time and getting things done faster. But I have yet to figure out what comes next. Perhaps it is a failure of imagination. However, I think it is something else entirely. Once I have my AI optimize my workflow to the point it’s just a few prompts or clicks each day, My AI and I are going to have a chat about what is next.

iOS Needs A Desktop Environment When Plugged Into A Monitor

2025-10-22T05:41:00.000-07:00

It is time for Apple to give us a much needed features that I think many users are not aware they need: for them to plug their iPhone into an monitor and instantly use it as a desktop computer. I feel this is a feature is that is long overdue and will greatly enhance user experience and provide iPhone users greater productivity and enables Apple to truly innovate beyond the segmented OS that they created for the different categories of products.

This is a feature that already exists on Android for some time. While I do not know if Android users take advantage of the ability to use their phones as a computer when plugged into a monitor, I feel this is something iPhone users will greatly appreciate more given that Apple will implement it better given their experience with the MacOS and now iPadOS.

I will likely get a new HDTV in the next few months. The current one I have works well for Youtube videos and some movies but it's showing it age after 15 years. I put Youtube videos on my iPhone and play them on the TV via Airplay but I want to get a good one so that I can use it as a monitor as well. At work, I already use a TV as a secondary monitor in my Windows laptop. Being able to plug in the iPhone with the TV and use a keyboard and mouse and instantly get to work on my writing or Youtube video of my dog would be great. No need to have to go transfer the video from my iPhone to the Mac in order to start editing.

Here is a video of what the experience is right now when the iPhone is plugged into a TV or monitor. It is very much like the one you see when you use the mirroring function through Airplay.

Apple can vastly improve this experience. I hate to say this next part but we are not likely to see this in the near future. Perhaps we will never see this at all. From Apple's perspective, If users want a desktop experience when they hook up an Apple device to a monitor, they already have options - Mac and iPad. There is a rumor that Apple will release a consumer grade MacBook powered by the chips used in iPhones. As far as Apple is concerned, the desktop computing through an iPhone is unnecessary and takes away from the iPad and Mac experiences. Plus, I can see things get messy and confusing and require Apple do a complete rethinking of how apps before.

This is not to say that we will never see such a feature. We still could if computing landscape changes. This is especially true if the competitors like Google and Samsung starts to offer seamless and enjoyable desktop experiences through their phones. Google is merging Android and ChromeOS. I think it is a great first step for mobile computing to come to the phones when plugged into monitors.

It may never be the one device to do it all but it could work for a vast majority of users.

AI Use - Looking For Deals

2025-10-06T06:20:00.000-07:00

I’m on the prowl for a new pair of AirPods Pro and I figure AI might be able to help me find the best time to get one. As I dug deeper, I realized I should be asking AI when the best to is to buy anything at all:

Best day of the week to get grocery? Wednesday. Apparently, that is when sales start. Also, that Tuesday evenings or Wednesday mornings is when they stock up and produce the most fresh. Also, that is also when there are markdowns on perishables. Brilliant! I did not know that. Both Gemini and Perplexity agree on this point. Perplexity went further and suggested the best time to go when it is not busy. Also, it suggests making a list to avoid impulse buying. My problem is that I do make a list and get what I need. Then I go beyond that but that’s something an AI can help me with. (PROMPT: Which day of the week is the best time to get grocery)

Copilot suggested to me to wait a few more weeks and see if Apple’s retailers will discount the AirPods Pro 3 further. The best discount was last year when the AirPods Pro 2 went on sale for as low as $159. That is not like to happen since the AirPods Pro 2 had been out for two years. Given the AirPods Pro 3, which including many new features, still feature the same chip as the previous model, I’m hopeful. And AI gave me hope by suggesting that I could see $199 or lower in Prime Day or Black Friday. However, I am unlike to see to $159 this year. (PROMPT: The airpods Pro 3 just came out - please give me your prediction of when I can get the best deal. FOLLOW-UP PROMPT: WILL I see the $159 price that was available for the AirPods Pro 2 for the AirPods Pro 3?)

A friend is looking to get a condo or house near me in Pasadena, California. Gemini offered me a generic response on when the best time to buy a house it (late summer, early fall). Then it provided me with some statistics - medium prices, prices compared to a year ago, and days on the market. (PROMPT: For areas around Cal Tech, when is the best time to buy a house or condo)

I am looking for a a project/hobby. I went onto YouTube to look into making my own notebooks. Especially the pocket field guides. So, naturally, I asked AI to help me. I’ve made a few to use personally. Nothing fancy. Downright crude but I love it. Now, I just need to get the materials for better prices so I can make more for friends and family (and maybe even readers). (PROMPT: I am looking to make my own field notes and field note books. I want to use similar paper and cover. Where can I get the materials for a good price)

What’s your hobby or interest? Pick one. Need something but don’t want to search all the websites for a deal and when? Just ask your favorite AI. Going on a trip? I think Gemini and ChatGPT are great at helping you start looking in the right places. I’ll be planning a trip for around November/December. I also have an idea of how much I want to spend. Now, I want to see if AI can help me save with points, deals, and, of course, timing.

I’m Am Stil Going Pro But The Strange Obsession With The iPhone Air Persists

2025-10-05T06:49:00.000-07:00

I paid another pilgrimage to the Apple Stores this weekend - this time to the stores at the Americana and Glendale Galleria. I really only need to go to one but I just happened to pass by the second one and decided to make a short stop. And I’ve pretty much decided that I am going with the Pro. However, I get the obsession with the iPhone Air and I have high hopes that I think iPhone is in my future, perhaps in a year or two. And it might not be the one we think if the rumors are true.

First, why the iPhone Air? It is a no brainer. It is so thin and light. I am not in the camp that the iPhone Air is having an iPhone X moment. It is inevitable that Apple and other phone makers to will make a stab at thinness as technology allows - speed, battery, and integrity of a thin smartphone. I will even wager that a small form factor iPhone will return in some form and based on some rumors, it is of sort (I’m looking at you, iPhone 13 mini, my current iPhone).

When you hold the iPhone Air on your hand, it feels so natural. Perhaps it has to do with the curve corners of the design because it has also made the iPhone Pro and the Pro Max feel more natural and really made me believe those phones are lighter than they really are. But the iPhone Air is something else. I was tempted to try to put it in my pocket and see how it feels. I didn’t try it but I can see it disappear into my jean pockets just the way my mini is right now now. The plateau on the iPhone Air is not as big an issue as people think. Although, you can you imagine a flushed camera lens on the iPhone Air someday and just a flat back?

But the single camera. Ugh, man. Since I went to the Apple Store the previous time, I spent a bit of time telling myself that I really don’t use the wide-angle lens as much as I do. And within a few days, I found myself taking photos using the wide-angle lens as much as I was using the main camera. For folks who do not mind walking backward a few meters to get a similar shot, the single camera lens will be fine for you. A few of the photos I took did not allowed me to do that. You simply will be making compromises. Since my mini does not have the telephoto lens, I am sure I’ll be using it often. I certainly did when I had the iPhone 12 and 13 Pro Max.

The iPhone Air battery life does not concern me and should be a concern for users who are leaning towards the iPhone Air. Air owners will like be casual users - light to medium usage. They are unlike to be taking a lot of videos and photos. Some decent amount of doomscrolling. And perhaps some gaming that will not tax the processor and battery too heavily. These users will take out their Air, use it, maybe give it a loving gaze and put it away.

The other thing with the iPhone Air that many users obsess over is the age old human condition - wanting it to be more than what it was meant to be. Everyone knows that Apple will have improvements for the iPhone Air 2. And they want them now on this year’s new Air. Well, folks, you just have to wait and hope that Apple will upgrade the Air on an annual basis which I think is the case rather than what some others believes which is that this will be updated every other year.

Putting all this together - wanting more camera features and not wanting to have Pro features come to the iPhone Air in the future when I can have them now, I am going to get the Pro once Black Friday rolls around. I have decided on the color as well. And it will go ceaseless on most days.

We having a puppy that is very much part of our family as any creature or human can be. And she’s so adorable. I want the best camera that I can get to take photos of her. Time is preciously. It’s short and fleeting. And they will never come again. And the iPhone Pro simply is the best way for me to document our times tougher as a family. You can do that on the Air tool. Don’t get me wrong. But being able to use the telephoto lens to capture her zooming around and captures candid moments of her exploring the world is just priceless.

iPhone Air Versus the iPhone 17 Variants: It Is Quite Easy To Pick

2025-09-23T05:07:00.000-07:00

I have read about how hard Apple made it more difficult for users to pick between the new iPhones released a couple of weeks ago. And while millions of of the new iPhone Air and iPhone 17 variants hare already been shipped and delivered, it was likely a difficult choice to make for many users. Apple relished in the fact that users agonized over which iPhones to get. After reading reviews and watch YouTube videos, I realized it is quite easy.

I am still waiting to see if I can get a better deal with my carrier, I have decided on which model I will get if I decide to upgrade this year: the iPhone 17 Pro. The choice fo my is quite simple. Coming from the iPhone 13 mini, it is not the weight that drew me to it after downgrading from the iPhone 13 Pro Max. It was the size. However, the size between the iPhone Air and iPhone 17 Pro are close enough that it is negligible.

Before this past weekend, I was learning towards the iPhone Air. But now, I have changed my mind. Here is why: I want the additional cameras, longer battery life, and smaller form factor so that it is easier to carry in my hand when I go on runs (I use the flashlight on the iPhone when I run at night. I used to run in the dark before phones and I cannot imagine how I did and why anyone runs in the dark).

So, if you lean one way or another on these factors, you want the Air or the 17. I'll use "iPhone 17" to encompass all three models. Whether you for go for the iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro, or the iPhone 17 Pro Max is entirely another matter.

If you want something that is completely new, you want the iPhone Air. The iPhone 17 feels good in my hand. I do like the slight changes made to the iPhone 17. You have to see the iPhone Air
If you want a light iPhone, You want the iPhone Air weighing in at 5.82 oz. I will be coming from the 4.97 oz. iPhone 13 mini. One ounce is not going to matter to me. The lightest iPhone 17 is 6.24 oz.
If you need an iPhone that provides more battery life, you want the iPhone 17. Much like range anxiety for EV owners, I have a feeling that the iPhone Air will bring back some of the anxiety mobile users used to have about running out of juice towards the end of the day. You have the option to use a MagSafe Battery that would alleviate those fears.
Cameras for photography and recording. This one is easy. You are probably coming from an iPhone that has the Ultra Wide and/or the telephoto lens. If you use one or both of those lens often, you want the iPhone 17. It is disappointing the iPhone Air only has the regular camera. It is an excellent camera that is also on the iPhone 17. The following features are on the iPhone 17 that are missing on the iPhone Air: some models can record at higher rates, higher zoom, macro photography, ProRAW, spatial photography, better stabilization, cinematic mode, better microphones. and telephoto/Ultra Wide modes.

There are other feature differences that might make or break it for some users. Mostly powerful users who will likely pick the iPhone 17 over the iPhone Air, like faster transfer rate and faster charging. I think deep down, you know exactly what you need. I know, you still agonize over which model to get but it goes away once you are honestly about your needs. It comes down to your needs. If you need those features that are only available for the iPhone 17, one of those variants is what you want. If you want a showcase of Apple's newest innovation and do not care about the missing iPhone 17 features, you want the iPhone Air.

I hope this clears thing up for you. At first, I was learning towards the iPhone Air because of the new form factor and its light weight. However, I know I will miss all the other features on the iPhone 17. I record a lot of video of my puppy and compromises Apple made on the iPhone Air is too far of a bridge for me. Anyway, hope this helps.

iPhone Air - Theories About Its Future

2025-09-22T22:09:00.000-07:00

There is rampant speculation about the iPhone Air even as it has been released a little more than a week ago. Even though I do not have the device and currently has no plan on getting it, I feel a connection to it as I believe it holds the future to lighter iPhones and the iPhone Fold (which I’ll call the iBook - here is why I think Apple should call it the iBook).

As I listened to podcasts and watched YouTube videos of those who were lucky enough to have had hands-on with the iPhone Air, I noticed many of them made the mistake of call it the iPHone 17 Air or iPhone Air 17. It is a natural mistake after all - this year is iPhone 17’s moment. But why just iPhone Air?

Honestly, who cares. I have always felt that Apple should get away from the numbering scheme and stick with the iPhone and the year it is released. So, this year’s iPhone could be just iPhone, iPhone Pro, and iPhone Pro Max released in 2026. Or iPhone 2026 for anyone keeping score.

Apple already does something like this.

iPad is just iPad. iPad Air and iPad Pro do not have a numbering sequence. If you are looking for a specific model, Apple’s own website refers to previous models by generation or the year it was released.
MacBook Air, MacBook Pro. iMac, Mac mini. Mac Studio. There is no Mac Studio 2. There is no MacBook Pro 7. Just MacBook Pro.
We have iOS, IPadOS, WatchOS, and MacOS all followed by “26” for 2026.

Here is my prediction: There will be no iPhone 18. Just the iPhone, iPhone Pro, and iPhone Pro Max.

Working With AI to Maximize My Time and I Learned A Valuable Lesson (Yes, You Can Doomscroll and Still Get Things Done!)

2025-09-11T18:17:00.000-07:00

There have been quite a few AI uses this weeks and it is by far the most productive week that I have at work and with my personal life. And while I do not doomscroll and only look at a couple of funny or cute videos my partner share with me (she’s into corgi and spouses who scares their significant other), I realized that you can do all the things you want to do while remaining productive.

I started a process I called 10-minutes. Essentially, it is a review of what I did for the day and noting what I need to do the next time. It happens once in the morning, evening, and a miniaturized version of the process for work. I have incorporated AI into it and we work on it together. As I am writing this post, I have done my day’s work just before noon. And given how much I got done this week, I realized that I have a lot more time to do things that are fun - reading, playing with the dog, walking down to the busy street and just window shop, and have coffee and just watch the world. All of this without feeling pressured or guilty that I should be doing something else.

Here are other AI uses this week:

As I mentioned here, I use AI to help me manage and manage tasks. Because I am human and I want to have fun and relax as much as I can, I quickly go into the groove of this new process. I can do whatever I want so long as I finished what I need to do. And in fact, I even pivot just a bit - I wanted to check out when a maker faire is happening in town and get more information about it, I wanted to see if there was some task I can do around the house first. I cleared the dining table.
I used AI to find out how I can create a process for a database we are using at work. Apparently, our process is quite complicated and the AI from the company as well as others suggest that I do it on a spreadsheet first and then uploaded via a csv file. Oh well…
My partner is looking at creating online content and sell products based on it. We have been using AI to look at opportunities and create a streamline process to do it.
I liked Clash of Clans but I stepped away from it for a few months. When I came back, a lot has changed. I used AI to help me watch up and see what kind of strategies I should be using in my attacks. Right now, I have zero strategies.
I used AI to help me consider a financial decision. I have already made a decision but for fun, I wanted to see what these LLM models think or would do. While it is for fun, it did give me some insight on relying too much on AI to make decisions or soliciting advice. In the last week, I have come across articles about users using AI as a therapist or consulting AI on life decisions particularly among the youth.
Used AI to understand how wills and trusts work. Do not, and I repeat, do not, do not consult an AI for legal matters. Laws are complicated. All types of laws. I participated in a trade seminar and they constantly have clients tell them “ChatGPT told me I can do that…”

Over all, my AI insight really has not been updated from previous weeks. If there is anything new about what I learned this week, it is that it is important to take a few steps back from what your interaction with an AI chatbot especially when it is about your personal life, advices they offer, and and the decisions you might have made as a result of it.

Collaborating with AI - Brainstorming and Feedbacks

2025-08-18T22:31:00.000-07:00

The other day, I wrote an article and posted it to Gemini for critiques, have it asked me questions regarding my arguments, and point out weaknesses. I got shredded by Google's AI. It basically said my arguments were not only weak but they run counter to each other and while it understand what I was trying to convey, it made no sense to it.

As the writer, I persisted but I did make some changes to my article and published it. I did not go in for a second round of potential pounding. But then I thought perhaps I should. Many times, I have good ideas for a story or article with strong starts but weak finishes or have no idea where I should go after the first couple of paragraphs.

Perhaps, that is where AI comes in. I use AI to brainstorm but in situations where I am stuck, I feel compelled to get myself out of the situation. Right now, I do not have that issue as I am merely sharing my experience in this regard and want to determine whether using AI at this point is in any way a betrayal of my humanity at all.

Perhaps, I should simply adapt. When I find myself in a situation where I need help to go further in my writing, there is no shame is using ChatGPT, Claude, or Gemini to have a look at my story. Tell me where I went wrong, pivot, or offer suggestions on how to continue.

As with brainstorming sessions, asking AI for help crafting learning plans, or using it to help me make my article better, I am still going to write all of my articles and stories. I can choose to accept the feedback from the AI or not. At the end of the day, if such a use of AI makes my writing better, I can accept that because it is still my writing.

Critisizing My Writing With AI, Comic Creating And AI's Role as Someone To Keep Me On Track

2025-08-16T07:11:00.000-07:00

I want to fulfill a childhood dream of writing and drawing some of my stories from when I was just starting middle school. Adventures with my friends in fantastic worlds all created in my mind. I have been writing for years and I finally decided it was time to share it with the world. At the very least, anyone who care to read it. And I used both ChatGPT and Gemini as sounding boards for this purpose. It was a very interesting feel with both offering great advices. I ignored most of them because I wanted my stories to be mine. With the exception of grammar or writing in the present or past tense, I felt I used AI to help me explore my fictional characters and worlds more enjoyable.

Here are also other AI uses:

Looking to go to Japan with at least some basics of understanding Japanese, I asked Gemini to me with using the 80/20 rule or something as close to it as possible - not simply the words and phrases of a tourist but someone who lives in Japan.
I've watched videos of coding on YouTube and it does not do it for me. So I decided to focus on why I want to do. Vibe coding is great but I do want to have a basic understanding of coding. I want to create a choose your own adventure app in Python but I want Gemini to teach me only the portion to creating such an app. I am further along in two days when I have been since I started watching YouTube videos on coding.
We created an online store just after the pandemic. We put in some effort on drop shipping. It was fun. We also wanted to migrate to having a more full fledge store with our own inventory supporting the work from home workforce. However, with the Trump tariffs and the uncertainty that it brought, we decided to pivot and move onto to more of content creation. We used Gemini as a sounding board on our core idea to pivot. We do hope to return to selling physical products in the future.
I used ChatGPT to plan my evenings. This was interesting because I only gave it my current routine. A simplified but accurate version of what we do each evening. I also asked for 90 minutes where I can work on my projects. It rearranged my evening. I'll give it a go and let you know how it goes.

The most important thing I learned about AI this week is that while privacy may be a concern, the more I was willing to share to provide context, the better the AI was at helping me along with my projects. For our online digital content project, I asked for how we can get something up and running within a month. I felt we can do better - within two weeks. It did not work out as planned. So what happened. I asked Gemini why and it was able to help me come up with a realistic timeline and workflow to get it done. We tried that the last two days and we achieved quite a bit.

I would suggest giving the AI of your choice the role of a monitor. Someone who is able to keep you on tract. It and help with issues like not knowing what to do to get started to you just procrastinating.

iBook: Why This Classic Name is Perfect for Apple's New Foldable iPhone

2025-08-15T22:34:00.000-07:00

I am looking forward to the iPhone Fold. However, the name just does not do it for me. Perhaps the perfect name for the new Apple Fold is the iBook. When released in the second half of next year, it will resemble a book because of its form factor. Other than features that Apple will likely differentiate from fold competitors, in calling its own offering the iBook will bring allow Apple to circle back to a time when computing was fun and the continuing Apple comeback in the consumer computer market.

The original iBook, launched in 1999, was more than just a computer—it was a statement. With its colorful, translucent design clamshell iBook looked like nothing else on the market. It was fun, approachable, and ready to use out of the box. This playful spirit and focus on making technology personal and enjoyable for students and consumers is the exact legacy a new "iBook" could bring back to the Apple brand and the book form iPhone due to be released in late 2026.

By calling the iPhone Fold the "iBook", Apple can achieve a number of marketing goals and messages to the market:

Reintroducing fun to mobile computing. The book form is entirely new to Apple users. the iBook will introduce completely new computing and mobile uses. Chose between one or two screens or a bigger one. For example, multi-tasking has been a difficult issue for Apple to tackle. Now, with two panels becoming one big one, something like Stage Manager or the new windowing mechanism in iOS 26 may allow users to do more.
The return of candy-colored nostalgia. Imagine the marketing campaign from Apple. On top of that, with iOS 26 and a revamped and more powerful Siri, Apple can make the iBook the everyday device that users will want for work, home, and fun in the commercials. The colorful schemes will make the iBook stand out from the gray, black, and cold metallic colors competitors offer.
Many longtime fans feel Apple has lost the scrappy, pirate spirit of its past—the era of the 'Think Different' campaign and underdog spirit. Today, some view Apple as a corporate behemoth focusing only on shareholder value and is always cold and calcuating. By resurrecting the iBook name, Apple wouldn't just be launching a new product; it would be sending a powerful message to its fans that it hasn't forgotten its innovative, rebellious roots.

What does Apple's competitors have? No legacy items or names like the iBook exist for them. Not Samsung or its Chinese competitors. This "iBook" and its features that Apple has planned for it will indicate to the market that Apple has not forgotten its roots, history, and will continue to innovate and give users the tools they need for decades to come.

More on Apple Fold (iBook) - iPhone Fold Could Be the iPad mini Pro If It Runs Supports iPadOS Features and Apple Pencil

iPhone Fold May Be the Professional Version of the iPad mini

2025-08-05T10:08:00.000-07:00

A segment of iPad users have been asking for the iPad mini Pro for years because they want something more powerful. Apple may finally grant these users their collect wish.

For simplicity, let's call the iPhone Fold the iFold. It will like include some of the latest tech that Apple has to offer.

Latest Apple Silicon
Smaller high-density battery to provide battery life that will provide battery life similar to the iPad. However, it is doubtful the battery life match those of the iPhone
New in-house modem and Wi-Fi chips
Crease-free display
New camera system
IPadOS-like multitasking and windows

Perhaps there could be other features and surprises from Apple for the iFold. One of the often missing features that I want on the iPhone that Apple has yet to provide is Apple Pencil support. Will the iFold support Apple Pencil?

In addition to the features mentioned above, simply being a folded form factor will not be enough for the iFold to be considered a Pro version of the iPad mini. The iFold needs the following support:

Apple Pencil - a customized version of the Apple Pencil. I do not know if it will support all the features the current Apple Pencil Pro has but it does not have to. At minimum, I can live with being able to draw and write on the iFold
Mouse and keyboard - All iPhones and iPads support Bluetooth keyboards. The iPads native has Bluetooth mouse support but support on the iPhone is in a bit of a gray area. The iFold has to support the mouse in the same way the iPad does.
External monitor support.

The question, and what’s really exciting, is whether we will get any of these features. I am going to go out on a limb and say yes and no. The things about today’s Apple is that you have to be careful what you wish for. At best, they provide us with a feature that we did not know we wanted. At worst, they give us a feature that is so uniquely Apple that users either feel it falls short or just outright hate it.

Which will it be? Apple still has another year to work out any features they want the idols to have. The iOS team will have a year to learn from user experiences with multitasking and windows and may make some improvements for iOS 27

Whether the iFold is considered to be the pro version of the iPad mini or just a regular old iPhone Fold, there is definitely a lot to be excited about. Smartphones with the fold form factors have been around for at least seven years. Being late to the party has given Apple a lot to see and gauge. There will no doubt be a lot of people including myself who are excited and will be ordering it on day one.

If the 2025 iPhones Get 12 GB of RAM, Why Not the iPads?

2025-05-05T14:33:00.000-07:00

I'm going to go ahead and make a prediction: the upcoming iPad Pro with the M5 chip will be upgraded to 12 to 16 GB of RAM. This is based on nothing but a rumor — the same one suggesting the iPhone 17 and 17 Pro will jump from 8 GB to 12 GB of RAM — but it makes sense. If the upgrade doesn't happen this year, it'll almost certainly happen next year.

Let’s be real: 8 GB just isn’t cutting it anymore — not in the age of AI.

Apple was late to the AI game. Way late. While companies like OpenAI, Google, and Microsoft were rapidly pushing forward with LLM-powered features, Apple’s AI presence was mostly background stuff — Photos, auto-categorization, etc. Meanwhile, Siri was stuck spinning its wheels while ChatGPT and others raced ahead.

Apple had to scramble to catch up. And when it did, it likely ran into a hard limitation: RAM.

From my experience running a few LLMs on a MacBook Air with 16 GB of RAM, I can tell you — even that can feel tight. Apple’s own models might be more efficient, sure, but even 8 GB probably isn’t enough for what they want to do going forward.

Need more evidence? Apple no longer sells Macs with 8 GB of RAM. For years, they insisted 8 GB was “enough” thanks to tight integration between hardware and software. That was probably true — before the AI boom. But now, with LLMs and AI features becoming core to the experience, 8 GB just doesn't cut it.

And let’s not forget the delay of Apple Intelligence features — especially Siri. It’s a sign that Apple might have underestimated just how much performance and memory these new features require.

Which brings me to this: after years of wondering what the purpose of a 16 GB iPad Pro was, we may finally have an answer — Apple Intelligence.

Now the question becomes whether the upcoming base iPad Pro will get 12 GB or 16 GB of RAM. The tech enthusiast in me hopes for 16 GB, but knowing Apple — and considering its hardware-software optimization — it might try to get by with 12 GB. Still, I'm betting on 16 GB. Why? Because it also gives Apple a convenient excuse to raise prices, especially with rising costs and renewed pressure from Trump-era tariffs.

So what does that mean for the iPad? Simple: a RAM upgrade is coming. If Apple wants Apple Intelligence to run smoothly across its product lineup — iPads included — it needs more RAM. The iPhone 17 Pro is rumored to get 12 GB. That likely reflects the minimum Apple has determined is needed to run its next-gen features efficiently.

Bottom line: the future of Apple hardware is AI-first, and that means more memory across the board — starting with the iPad Pro.

AI and Education and Other AI Uses This Week

2025-05-05T12:54:00.000-07:00

AI chats and I are inseparable now. I use it quite often on a daily basis for work. I seek quick answers when there is no need for me to fact check (sports data, basic history, summarizing important ports of an article or video, etc).

What I need to get before the store shelves start to empty - I don’t know if this is going to happen but I do not need to get caught without essentials.
Help me craft a 30-day to learn the basics of Japanese. I really want to see how much I can do done under intense schedule.
I played with my dog and read to her at night. I know she doesn’t know what’s going on or understand what I am doing but it makes her less anxious and really puts her to bed quickly. I started recording it and posting on YouTube. I asked ChatGPT for a business plan. I made my own stories. I am interested in turning these adventures into a line of stories for children.
Reading a couple of books. I used Gemini to help me explain concepts I did not fully grasp. I did have to fact-check a few times to make sure it was not hallucinating. I asked follow-up questions which I also had to fact-check.
I am in the market for a new iPad. Given the news lately about iOS 19 with better MacOS-like features, I wonder if a refurbished iPad Air with M1 would be able to take advantage of it. I decided to go with the recently released iPad Air with M3. With Apple’s World Wide Developer Conference just a little over a month away, I decided to wait and see. Anything with the Apple Silicon including the M1 and 8 GB of RAM should be able to to run most of the UI changes and upgrades without any issue. However, I have a feeling that the next iPad Pro will get a RAM upgrade to 12 GB just like the rumored iPhone 17 line. I figure the upgraded RAM will be for more advanced Apple Intelligence features but it would not hurt to future proof for things like multi-tasking and other possible MacOS related features.
Explored with ChatGPT on the news about possible 9th planet, or Planet X, tat might be lurking on the outer edge of the solar system. And explored possibilities that there might be even more large bodies and life fueled by extra-solar radiation and materials. Most of that life will not be like those found on our planet. It was a fun discussion to pass some time while having coffee and a cheesecake.
Asked for recipes for chicken soup and banana chocolate bread puddings. For the chicken soup, I wanted a recipe similar to the one from the old Souplantation. And for the bread puddings, I asked about substituting ingredients beucase I did not want to buy cream for just this one use.
I asked for a recipe on Japanese egg sandwich. I really wanted to follow this recipe closely as it will be the first time I will be making this. I had to drive a hour to a Japanese market but they had all the ingredients I needed.
I researched robotic kits with regular search via DuckDuckGo and Google along with AI chats with the total of making an AI robot. I am deeply fascinated with how Anakin created his own droids with spare parts. Why can’t I do the same?

Almost all of this week’s interaction with AI chats were mostly asking the AI of questions. I would say this was a lazy use. I find it interesting how AI is my goo-to app for quickly finding information. It is quicker than search. I have the habit of verifying the AI provided answers but do you? How about others? This is both lazy and quickly possible a bad habit to develop.

having said that, Gemini helped me get closer to solving an issue with one of my blog sites. I would not have been able to get that far with just regular searches. AI remains a great sounding board - just like what I use it for in discussing the implications of a Planet X discovery.

I also played with a little vibe coding - I wanted to create a web app that allows me to add a choose your own adventure story and maybe turned that into an app. I did not get that far - I will need to put in more time and learn the correct prompts.

All in all, AI is already providing some benefits that I did not imagine I would be using - like coding. And yes, you still need to learning coding even if the AI is capable of generating a vast percentage of the codes now. Don’t be lazy.

Signing Into iCloud On iPhone Helps Get Around One iCloud Account Per Device Limitation

2025-04-21T11:44:00.000-07:00

I have more than one iCloud accounts where I keep personal data separate from other more public facing data (blogs and other writings, coding, and business endevours). To my knowledge, there is no way to have more than one iCloud Drive.

As many of you know, you can add accounts from Google, Outlook, and even other iCloud accounts onto your iPHone or iPad but you are really limited to just one main iCloud account. You should be able to access mail and calendar. Well, what about notes and iCloud Drive? Then you are out of luck. I have come across users, though not many, would want to be able to address more iCloud features from multiple accounts to an iPhone or iPad. Even more have asked for the iPad to support mutliple users. Me? I just want to be able to access different iCloud drives on the iPhone or iPad.

So, I decided to see if I can log into iCloud through the browser. And guess what? It works. I can access emails and notes. Pretty much all the iCloud features though there are limitations. For example, I can look through the drive for files but I cannot edit them directly through the browser on the iPhone. I believe you can do it on the IPad. It is not as efficient as being able to do the edit on the native apps. On the iPhone, you end up with an Open or Download option.

Once you download it, the file gets saved into the iCloud Drive assigned with the account you signed into. I suppose that is fine. After you edit the file, you can link it back to the account you signed into on the browser by sharing the file. As with most things, if you try hard enough, you can find a way forward or a workaround but it is almost never ideal.

But I’m very glad that this option si available. It is interesting to me why Apple even allow such much access through the browser given how much they rather have users go to the App Store to download and use the apps they need instead of web apps. This brought a bit of nostalgia to before the App Store annd when many web apps ere not yet available in the App Store.

Note: I am writing this on the Notes app through the mobile browser.