LJPUK

I really love mechanical watches, restoring an Omega Speedmaster

2026-11-10T17:30:32Z

I’ve been wearing my mechanical watch a lot more than anything lately. No matter what watch I wear I always come back to the Speedmaster. Aside from comfort, the history and the large dial I can easily make out I really like the fact that no matter what happens I’ll always be able to get it repaired.

This video is a great watch of what is possible; from my favourite watch YouTube channel.

iOS 27.3 beta helps the heat with the iPhone Air

2026-11-07T16:09:11Z

In a bid to resolve the almost daily overheating I’m getting with my iPhone Air I decided to use the Beta version of iOS again. Well after the week of testing I am noticing my phone is cooler to the touch and I’m not seeing issues when charging. 🤞

Sunset wallpaper

2026-11-07T07:16:52Z

I’m still debating a Pro phone or small camera because of shots like this but to be fair the iPhone Air hasn’t done a bad job here.

Wallpaper.

My phone buying decisions are about ergonomics over specs

2026-11-01T05:53:46Z

As a hobbyist photographer I’ve traditionally used the Pro phone, I wanted the best camera I could get regardless of the other specifications. There was a period where I went with the iPhone 13 Mini but other that that it’s been Pro or before the Pro moniker the main line phone. As much as I’ve talked about the 17 Pro here and the 18 Pro is tempting I keep coming back to my iPhone Air. Why, when it isn’t a “Pro” camera? Well, ergonomics. The weight of the device matters more to me now than the specs. I have to admit that the Air is still a little wide for my liking but at over 210g the 18 Pro isn’t going to work for me despite me seeing it on discount in stores yesterday I didn’t cave in and get one. I played with the iPhone Duo and 18 Pro in store but it was a relief to pick up my Air again. It still feels futuristic compared to the other models (Duo aside).

When I used a 17 Pro for three months and had to sell due to RSI issues I was pleased to be back on the Air when I bought one again, it just works better for me and my use case. We’re all different and have our own opinions on what works for us.

Don’t fall for the hype around Chromagraph camera just yet

2026-10-31T08:22:55Z

At No 2 in the Uk store I was curious about Chronograph Camera but in here to tell you to hold off for now. The interface is ok but not that intuitive, it’s buggy and the app crashes when you try to load an image from a large photo library. I’ll keep an eye on updates.

Getting better at using my camera rather than buying a new phone

2026-10-31T07:58:03Z

I’ve been reviewing my use cases for a lot of my gear lately and since my house move with more appealing views I’ve been taking a lot more photos with my Sony a6700. As you might know I’m using an iPhone Air as I appreciate the screen size vs weight of the device, it’s unmatched. But with nice night sky views and plenty of layered woods I’ve been wondering what an iPhone 18 Pro might look like but I keep coming back to this image detail.

A massively bigger sensor on the Sony is the obvious answer as to why the Sony image has a lot more detail zoomed in and the Air and any iPhone at this range starts to look like a watercolour painting. This got me thinking it’s an opportunity to get better at photography with my Sony. I shoot in Auto quite a lot but through this experiment I’m aiming to get better at astrophotography in manual mode and manual mode in general to be honest.

I like the convenience of a phone but it’ll never get me to where I want to be I don’t think with actually improving my skills. I want to take my Sony with me more places as a start.

Woods wallpaper for your smartphone

2026-10-31T06:16:51Z

I live opposite a load of woods and with the leaves turning it just looks great. I’m hoping the neighbours don’t spot me with my 350mm lens at the window… it’s one of the reasons I’m looking at a more compact camera or a Pro phone lol.

Hands on with the iPhone Duo

2026-10-31T05:37:27Z

I needed to get out of the house to pick up some stuff and wandered past an Apple Store so I took the opportunity to take a look at the iPhone Duo in person. I probably only had 30 minutes with one but here are my initial takeaways

It’s a heavy and dense form factor when closed
For RSI with the shorter footprint it could work as I found I wasn’t resting it in one hand or on my pinky, time would need to tell if it set my hand issues off as not really enough time to evaluate. It might actually be better as it’ll force me to use two hands
I prefer the midnight colour
I can’t one hand the closed keyboard easily
The front screen felt a little narrow, apps weren’t optimised with that right justified menu bar
It feels lighter (?) when open and comfortable when using both hands
Apps I use like Calendar, Mail etc all seemed optimised and I can see how nice it is having apps side by side
It would be a help with my neurodivergence to keep organised I feel
Typing with two thumbs on the open, larger screen felt awkward
It doesn’t feel like using an iPad
The Apple Pencil would be cumbersome to use I feel, the screen is small and it wobbles on a desk
Tent mode with standby clock is nice
The inner screen looks great and I’d love to test editing photos on one
I didn’t see any cracked screens 😎

Overall I’d love to review one (Apple wouldn’t sent me one obviously) and I can’t afford to get one at the moment on a whim to test out before returning as I feel I might like to keep it. It doesn’t feel like using an iPad, I’m not sure how long I’d enjoy carrying around the extra weight compared to my iPhone Air when I have an iPad Pro I use at home though. I’m now of the mind even if the Duo ran iPadOS I don’t think I’d want to do much iPad stuff on it as the screen isn’t big enough to use with an Apple Pencil. Basically don’t think of it as an iPad.

It’s cool to play with a new form factor with an operating system that I’m used to.

Does the iPad Mini still have a place in my setup?

2026-10-30T07:35:49Z

I’ve been thinking about the iPad Mini and what it was like to use in my setup when I owned one. I’ve since switched to

iPad Pro 11”
iPhone Air

When I look at how I’m using these devices I don’t see where it would fit (for me) anymore. When I had one last time I also had a MacBook Pro, which I no longer have and my iPad Pro has become my go to device. I found that the previous iPad Mini screen was a little small to be that go everywhere note taking device I wanted. I could never seem to get the font to the right size and when I wrote on it I felt it was cramped. The 11” iPad is better in every way (for me). I also now have a 6.5” iPhone, this is the biggest iPhone I’ve owned and gives me a larger display I use when I want to edit photos on the go. I look over at the iPhone Duo and think it would be great as a photographer but it’s not currently in my budget without selling stuff, I also think it’s too expensive in general compared to the competition. I’ll most likely look at the second hand market if I want to go down that route.

So in 2026 I’ve completed replaced my need for an iPad Mini with an 11” iPad Pro, M5. They are super thin and light enough to still go everywhere and have a larger display that works better for me and my Apple Pencil.

How much will the iPhone Air 2 cost?

2026-10-29T06:44:47Z

With this years line up out of the way I’m starting to think about the next revision of my iPhone of choice, the iPhone Air. I picked mine up for £799, a lot better than the price from Apple. A lot of retailers have just kept this pricing and you can get an even better deal used. But with Apple wanting to increase all of their prices I’m wondering how much the Air 2 is going to cost.

Current iPhone Air is £1099, wow. Anyway so that is where it’ll at least start. I’m thinking £1199 at this point base with 256GB without knowing the lack of ram will have on the market, which I don’t see slowing down unfortunately as the snake oil salesmen of AI still seem to be getting away with whatever they want.

At £1199 it’s a hard sell but we are yet to see the rest of the lineup. iPhone 18 Pro will get an £100 increase along with everything else in April 2027 when the iPhone Air 2 and iPhone 18 are announced.

John Ternus’s Apple is heading back to being mostly out of reach

2026-10-29T06:05:15Z

My entry into the Apple ecosystem was the good old white plastic MacBook back in 2009 (I think!). I couldn’t afford a MacBook Pro but wanted a creative environment that encouraged me to forget the fuss and lack of apps of my previous PC and just let me do my music and videos. The MacBook was great, macOS clicked for me and the iLife studio let me create. I probably wouldn’t be writing this without that MacBook.

But with this weeks announcements and the increased prices vs perceived value I’m left where I was back then, Apple is a premium brand where the majority of products are out of my reach or not justifiable compared to what I think they could be. The entry level products are good on paper but vs competition they aren’t great value for money in 2026. Yes, they get software updates for years but when compared to the competition I would argue that basic items like less basic cameras options or a fast refresh rate screen are table stakes. The base Apple products are all compromised in some form or other. 90% of people I know on iPhone are on 15 Pro or older and hanging on because Apple prices are too expensive. Now it’s great their iPhones are still going but they are just one break away from a switch to Android or similar.

Some of my thoughts on current Apple products are

I bought my M5 iPad Pro on discount and before price increases. No one should be paying £1199+ for an iPad Pro
The new iPad Mini is £800 for 256GB and no promotion display, too expensive vs what you get. Just get the previous model used
The iPhone Duo isn’t market ready and £2000 (Samsung Fold 8, which is lighter and looks less vulnerable from a durability perspective is £700 less). I’m very tempted BTW to see what one is about but that price of entry is out of my price range and I feel is about £250 too much when you look at competition
The touch MacBook Pro is almost £3000 and runs an older processor
All phones have been increased in price (it’s not just memory shortages, Apple likes their profit margins)

Something has definitely changed too outside of my tech bubble. I’ve heard from several people when I’ve mentioned looking at an iPhone Duo not to do it because they break and don’t run apps. When looking at new MacBooks or phones I also hear that Apple just care about money now and they are too expensive. I’ve also had family members talking to me about getting Nothing products out of the blue. I can’t put my finger on it yet but something is changing. It feels like when I had that MacBook and 90% of their products seemed like they weren’t made for me. The combination of base price increases, a £2000+ iPhone and them being more in the limelight due to product issues and new releases these last few weeks but I’m feeling a change.

Apple has a mixed line up

2026-10-29T05:37:19Z

It’s been a busy week over at Apple but is it just me or is it very much like they have just thrown a lot at the wall? As a previous iPad Mini fan, foldable curious and a fan of a touch environment it’s been a little hectic but now I find it a little confusing.

iPad Mini with OLED but no promotion display
New MacBook Pro with M6 processor but then an even more expensive one with touch and an older M5 processor
Hinge issues with their most expensive iPhone

And of course these are all super expensive and increased over the previous models. It’s going to take me a while to work out what they are doing.

Siri AI is a problem on the iPhone Air

2026-10-27T05:48:33Z

I’ve been super busy with life but I’ve also been testing out why my iPhone Air battery and heat had been awful since iOS 27 was introduced. It’s worse than it was all summer on the beta. Before doing a restore I completely turned off Siri.

Turning off Siri completely sorted the heat and battery almost immediately
I then needed to use CarPlay and you can’t use it without enabling Siri. So, I enabled the basic Siri. No heat or battery issues
I’m moving house at the moment so wanted to get at my contacts and documents easier and when measuring up or needing to quickly create new notes hands free. In a nutshell I wanted to talk to an assistant whilst my hands were full. I enabled Siri AI and my headband battery issues came back almost immediately

I’m going to leave Siri AI enabled and update to iOS 27.2 once I get internet installed. My mobile connection is still 40GB but I don’t want to burn through my data, how is 27.2 18GB!

Is the iPhone Duo outer display too small?

2026-10-25T05:29:50Z

I’m yet to play with an iPhone Duo but reviews I’m watching or articles like this one seem to point to the outer screen being a little on the small or awkward side. It’s not an iPhone Mini there but shorter and wider. As someone that struggles with height of a phone it kind of sounds attractive to me.

Is the eBay app causing my battery drain?

2026-10-25T05:07:27Z

My iPhone Air has been acting strange lately, no it’s not tied to Halloween- overheating and overnight battery drain. I’m booking a genius appointment for the overheating (I can’t even charge without a warning these days) but the battery drain I might have solved.

The way iOS shows battery is still a mystery to me but I was interested in this screenshot because

why 17% when it’s not even active and I’m asleep
I don’t even use the ebay widget

I’m thinking the app is doing something strange here so all I can do is delete it and I urge you to check your phone too.

It’s time to stop using my favourite widget

2026-10-24T06:01:49Z

I’ve been using the app Eventail for years, you can see it as the top widget in the above screenshot. The issue, it’s not been updated for 5 years. Something looked a bit off and then I checked again, can you see it? Yup, two Sundays 😎. As much as I’d like another day off work unfortunately it means the app is finally breaking with iOS 27.

The reason I like it? - shows me up to 7 days in an easy glanceable way.

If you know of another app that does this please send it my way.

Does the iPhone Duo have me rethinking my iPhone Air?

2026-10-24T05:38:33Z

I’ve been using an Air for a year now (aside from a couple of months with a Pro) and with the release of the iPhone Duo I have to admit I’ve been looking on and wondering about it. I’ve got two things going on stopping me in my tracks on buying one

Impending house items I need to purchase
Carpal tunnel syndrome and nerve compression

I kind of need a fridge freezer and some furniture before an iPhone 😊 but even looking at £600 if I sell my Air I’m still left with how heavy it is. I think the footprint looks good for my particular issue but at almost 100g heavier I’ll be using my brace and seeking more physical therapy I can see it.

I’ve become sensitive to dimensions and weight and I’m only really now considering an iPhone 17, iPhone Air 2 and iPhone 18. I’m completely happy with my current iPad and mostly ok with my iPhone setup but I’m still curious. I am having some thumb issues related to carpal tunnel due to the larger screen size of the Air. I want a new gadget and experience to distract me from other things. It’s not going to happen at the moment but I am planning to get to the store to see how heavy it actually feels in hand.

I’ll at least report back with my own hands on but it’ll need to wait as I’m super busy with other things.

Austin Mann on the iPhone Duo

2026-10-23T05:37:55Z

I always read Austin Mann’s take on the new iPhone models. He has just published the one on the iPhone Duo and it’s a great read. I sometimes think hey you can get great photos with any phone if you’re travelling to these parts of the world, which is true but I also like his take on all things related to the camera.

Getting out of ADHD overwhelm

2026-10-23T05:00:38Z

When I’m overwhelmed I usually realise a lot of it is due to tasks and stuff going on in life. So, the first thing I do is I take a single sheet of A4 paper and a pen and dump everything onto it. I create a single task list and work through it. Having it on my phone is my default but even then it can become overwhelming as I can’t get it all in one place so seeing it laid out on a single sheet in no particular order lets me start to digest what I have on my plate. I’ll either update my phone or most of the time I just work on the paper sheet. I then just look at the urgent items and strike them through as I complete.

Self help books for anxiety (ADHD /AUDHD friendly)

2026-10-23T04:26:45Z

Generalised Anxiety Disorder (GAD) and panic are conditions that seem to go hand in hand with neurodivergence for me (combined ADHD with a touch of Autism or AUDHD). I’ve been managing anxiety for as long as I can remember but being late diagnosed with ADHD I can now see that I am neurodivergent at the core and anxiety comes along for the ride. Over the years and especially in these last few with officially finding a diagnosis in my 40’s and also managing life situations I’ve come to find some books that have helped me learn how to get past being constantly on high alert and in fear of it. They draw on Dr Claire Weekes work and largely work around the fact to remind us that all the uncomfortable symptoms are anxiety and by doing nothing we can get out of that almost constant fight or fight mode and into accepting how we feel but getting on with things best we can and not be at the mercy of it. By doing this we send signals to our bodies that we aren’t actually in danger and over time we reduce our reaction to these uncomfortable symptoms. It’s hard work and takes time but I’ve found it to be best technique for me.

These are Apple Books links and I’d go in the order of 1, 4, 3 above then try 3 if you want more. I chose to listen rather than get the physical books because it’s rare I can sit down and read.

If you’re struggling remember to check out Mind and if you want any guidance feel free to contact me. You’re not alone, believe me.

The only iPhone Duo video review worth watching

2026-10-22T10:25:13Z

I don’t remember tech YouTube being this bad but I’ve watched a lot of videos on the iPhone Duo and WSJ has by far done the best job with theirs. Well presented, the facts based on actual usage and well balanced.

What if the iPhone Duo ran iPadOS?

2026-10-22T05:59:26Z

I’m intrigued by the iPhone Duo but not enough to go out of my way to get one, especially this first generation.

What I keep coming back to is (1) I like my slab iPhone Air that I can use in one hand (2) I like having an iPad Pro as my main computing device to use when I want something bigger. I at no time want an iPad when I am out and about other than when I’m purposely going somewhere to do work, this means my iPad comes with me. I don’t see a use case for the iPhone Duo.

Current RSI issues aside I got thinking about what my decision might be if the iPhone Duo ran iPadOS. For me this would mean that the iPhone Duo could potentially become my only computing device. Being able to carry it around day to day and then plug into a desktop setup to use in full desktop mode as needed it could be great and I could actually see the use case. I mainly use my iPad to edit photos, be my daily computer, colour, sketch and consume media. The iPhone Duo could do most of this if it ran iPadOS. Now I understand it would be more like a small notebook than my 11” iPad screen but I still think I’d make it work.

I haven’t tried the iPhone Duo yet so iOS running on it might be good but it’ll still not fulfil the role of being in a desktop environment. I’m curious to see how it evolves over time.

PopSockets Low-Pro

2026-10-22T05:25:00Z

I’ve been struggling with using phones for a while and recently had physiotherapy. I’ve got carpal tunnel syndrome and ulnar nerve compression. It’s not comfortable and I’m wearing a brace a lot of the time at the moment. This meant I needed to change my habits and adjust to a setup that helped me. I had to switch away from my iPhone 17 Pro due to it’s weight (I still miss the camera) to the lightest setup I could. In modern terms this is the iPhone Air at 165g. I still find the frame a little large but it’s the weight I had to focus on. The first thing I added was a Pop Socket and I’m kind of glad I did.

The low-pro I picked up is thinner than the camera bump when flat and the built in ring to support means I can use it on a stand. Being MagSafe it’s also easy to take on and off but it’s so thin and light I just leave it on. I took it off for a day and dropped my phone I’ve gotten so used to it. It also helps with supporting the phone in my hand when I want to take some photos.

I used to wonder why people used them but I totally get it now, especially when you can simply get one with MagSafe. The magnet is strong too and it’s not fallen off once, I have complete confidence in it.

I paid £35 at the Apple Store, which is expensive but I don’t use a case so I only paid for this accessory. The case you see in the image is the bumper from Apple and it got quickly returned as it was slippery.

It takes a few days to adjust but once you do it feels pretty natural. Not having to grip the phone is helping my recovery and it’s also let me switch to my other hand.

I like being able to prop the phone up and see the time and control my music.

I’d definitely recommend using one if like me you get strain or have an injury.

iPhone Duo initial reviews

2026-10-21T17:27:41Z

I’m obviously not an influencer or in Apple’s circle but I did watch a load of “reviews” today. They seem to summarise it as

Touch ID is a step backwards
FaceTime camera is terrible
Battery is great
Rear camera is passable for most
Some say that it’s like having an iPad and an iPhone, (this isn’t true if you actually use and enjoy the iPad like me)
Software is buggy and apps need updating
Not good if you’re left handed

It’s a first gen product so some downsides are expected, Duo 2 could be great though. I’m watching with a little envy but as an iPhone Air and iPad user I don’t see a place for it in my setup even if I could afford it right now. It’s also almost 100g heavier than the Air and has worse cameras. It’s also not an iPad and can’t be plugged into a dock to get a desktop experience. If the Duo ran iPadOS and I could dock to get a full screen experience I’d be selling my Air and iPad for it through.

Very Good Camera app

2026-10-21T05:20:00Z

Dave Herring is one of my favourite photographers and I’ve been part of his community for a little while now. Over the summer I helped to test out a new camera app he developed and today it’s been officially launched in the App Store.

I’ve tested on both the iPhone Air and 17 Pro and I’ve been really happy with the results. Results aside the UI is very intuitive and I love the amount of options I have. Out of all of the third party camera apps it just works with how my brain works and it’s not overly complicated. Being an iPhone Air user it also allows me to shoot in RAW.

It also lets me buy once at £9.99 and that’s it, I much prefer this model rather than a monthly charge.

I’ll write up a more thorough review once I have tested the official version but for now I wanted to share a new camera app that works well for me.