I’m trying a little experiment, I’m not totally addicted to my device and been using my phone less and less so I thought switching to greyscale might be an interesting experiment.

It’ll save me battery, still gives me the information I need on my lock screen and just generally makes it less shiny. I’m only a day in but quite liking it so far.

I only really see use in the sort of personal productivity tasks like remind me to take the bins out or being reminded of appointments. I’m not sold on completely trusting any sort of AI to get it right in the current landscape. Funnily enough Apple may have an advantage by keeping it a bit simpler and just leaning into the personal productivity area, we’ll see in a few weeks.

I’m starting again, making the switch to non US tech is an end goal of mine but I’ve struggled in the past. Here’s my starting point, all on iPad and iPhone.

• Things 3
• Proton Calendar
• Proton Mail
• Proton Drive
• Vivaldi browser

I’m less worried about non native apps given my MacBook Pro isn’t being used much since getting the iPad Pro.

Technology now seems to be less about the device we use and more about another way to monetise services. I can’t seem to do anything without paying someone for a service and the current AI trend is just dull, something that is either making a task that requires some thinking less interesting or a way to just replace Google along with a subscription. I’ve lost count at the number of podcasts and sites I used to enjoy reading that just cover AI these days. When I look at the content on this blog or my podcast app I see less and less tech focused shows. I don’t think it’s an age thing but the hype around AI has overshadowed the whole industry, it’ll burst then we’ll be left wondering why we wasted the time and energy and more importantly money and finite resources we have.

Gear isn’t much different. Phones are largely just an iteration of the previous year and consoles are just another slightly faster box.

The only exception I see when I look at my gear are Nintendo, who have always taken chances and made a meaningful update to the Switch.

I might be getting older, jaded having worked in the industry but I’m finding the current state of tech to be very boring and predictable. Maybe I need to get a dumb phone and an iPod and reignite my interest in this one amazing industry.

I’m not sure where this leaves me. I am going to pull everything I have up there and now look at selling locally in stores or giving away to charity shops.

If I do need something then it’ll replace the existing one for one. So I’m looking at maybe downsizing my phone as my RSI is getting unbearable, so it’ll be buy used and trade or sell what I have, one in and one out. I don’t need two phones, I just need something to text and call with.

Watches are more difficult as I’m uncertain if analog or digital works best for me but I’ve reduced to a few watches including sentimental ones.

Tech is easy, one laptop, one iPad and one phone.

Consoles… well I have one of each so errrr that’s a work in progress.

I don’t buy clothes but have lost some weight and my waist has gone down a couple of inches, this’ll be a must buy at some point…

Some of this is spurned by a massive decrease in my monthly budget and I’m spending less generally but again, as I’ve gotten older I’m more faced with leaving things behind for others and it usually stops me in my tracks when I’m about to buy that new Lego set I probably don’t need or Star Wars collectible.

This post from Joshua over at The Minimalists really struck me and was perfectly timed. I’m trying to get down to one of everything I need (ok, not for consoles!) but almost everything else. Trying to identify what these are is hard, we cling to things that we think we may need or attach meaning to inanimate objects – our things end up owning us in a way.

“A thing becomes clutter
the moment it stops supporting your real life
(not your fantasy life).”

I like this, if it’s not serving you or causes stress in any way then it’s clutter. So compare my Omega Speedmaster vs G-Shock 5610. The G-Shock causes me zero stress, I don’t even think about it or where I go with it. It doesn’t need servicing or any special treatment. It has a backlight, timer, date, solar and you couldn’t need much more from a tool watch. The Omega needs a service every 5 years, is not as tough, makes me self conscious of my surroundings, I pay extra to insure it and doesn’t have a date. It’s a cool watch with real space history but having it because of the story I tell myself about it makes no sense at this point. Thinking of it this way, stepping back from the story helped me decide put it on eBay and I’m planning on using the money to visit Japan at some point if I get the chance. The G-Shock also went to space and was a large part of my space era, the shuttle one and I really like Japanese culture. See, here’s another story I’m telling myself! But I think you get the point, the story we tell ourselves about the object can hold us back.

“What’s one thing that used to feel important, but now mostly interferes with your physical, mental, or emotional well-being?”

This is what I’m constantly scanning for, this is my first step to decluttering and moving on from my things.