Software engineer working in Austin (but Wisconsin is home 🐄). Send me a message at [email protected].

Cabel Sasser’s Talk at XOXO Festival

youtu.be • October 14, 2024

I've always been a huge fan of the folks at Panic. Talks like this demonstrate why.

Camera Roll: Supercharger

October 13, 2024

Straight out-of-camera from the Fuji X100VI (because editing photos takes too long). Years into the advent of EVs, and the supercharging experience is still unparalleled.

Announcing Deno 2

deno.com • October 9, 2024

Deno, in my opinion is the inevitable successor to Node.js. I've been watching the project from afar, and this new release looks very exciting!

Issues With Apple Photos and Fuji X100VI HEIF Images

September 20, 2024

After placing an order in February, and waiting many agonizing months, I got my hands on the Fujifilm X100VI – perhaps the most coveted modern camera (and my first non-Nikon purchase).

A Fuji X100VI camera close-up — This camera is essentially my child

One of the enticements of this camera (albeit minor), is its ability to shoot HEIF images out-of-camera, as opposed to standard JPEGs. HEIF is a modern image format (created in 2015), that provides better image compression. JPEG was created before I was born.

I’m a modern man, and a modern man demands modern image formats.

Iterative Building and Decision Making

blog.jim-nielsen.com • August 31, 2024

If everyone can see the whole, they won’t ask why it was built a certain way. They’ll see all the ways you built then backtracked, all the ways that didn’t work. And the same obviousness in your decision making that’s clear to you, will be clear and obvious to everyone else.

Self Driving Is All or Nothing

April 6, 2024

The graveyard of self-driving car projects is full, and for good reason. I think the technology must reach near-100% perfection before it can become a part of our day-to-day reality.

Spatial Memories

February 11, 2024

Friday (the 2nd) was launch day for Apple Vision Pro. Two days later, I found myself on a newly-installed L-shaped bench in the Apple Store, sitting next to Nick.

While Nick explained how the demo would work, a different employee silently placed a Vision Pro on wooden platter between us.

An Apple Vision Pro, sitting on a small wooden platter with a cover on the front — I love the cute little cover they put on the front

Camera Roll: Christmas

January 8, 2024

Where Cassidy and I spent Christmas. Also, where Cassidy grew up. Taken with my Nikon Z f, on December 28th, 2023.

A house in the evening, lit up by Christmas lights on the porch, as well as lights from the inside

Canyon Lake, Texas

November 28, 2023

After a few rolls processed with this new film camera – I’m learning things!

1. People love the look of film!

For me, this photo (of my wife) from our recent trip to Canyon Lake evokes a strong emotional response. I immediately feels like I’m looking at a fond yet distant past, in spite of this occurring just days ago.

Lyft Conversations: Drunk Whisperer

November 3, 2023

A conversation with my Lyft driver, around 3:45am this morning, paraphrased:

Me: “You out early or late?”

Driver: “Oh I’m out late. I get all the partygoers. Some people don’t like driving the partygoers, but I’m fine with it. I’m the drunk whisperer. 11,000 rides and only two times they’ve puked in my car.

Derping Around With a Toy Camera

October 31, 2023

My recent YouTube bender, Nick Carver, has sent me on a minor film-photography bout. Watching him scout, compose, and execute a single frame with surgical precision was kindling for me to start derping around with film. (Seriously – this guy will take days, if not weeks going after a single photo!)

As with any addiction, I need to start small. So I bought a Kodak Ektar H35N. This is the first roll of film (Kodak Ultramax 400) I've ever developed on my own! (Excluding a few disposable cameras I had as a child – but I didn't even know they used film.)

Meh

robinrendle.com • September 23, 2023

These portfolio reviews are tragic to me because they feel like doing standup at an empty bar on a sad, desolate cruise ship. There’s no applause, no playfulness, no back-and-forth. No-one is really there. You’re all alone.

Camera Roll: Balcony

September 22, 2023

Taken on September 14th, 2023.

A woman sitting on a balcony, facing away, with a small dog

The Mystery of the Bloomfield Bridge

tylervigen.com • September 12, 2023

Almost everything around us is overflowing with history and story, including something as pedestrian as... a pedestrian bridge. I absolutely found myself enthralled in this piece by Tyler Vigen investigating how this oddly-placed piece of infrastructure came into existence!

Here's a PDF of the article for archival purposes.

New Little Guy

September 10, 2023

About one month ago, on August 7th, we appended a new little guy to our life: a dachshund named Picasso! (His larger-than-life name makes us laugh.) This is the first time we (Cassidy and I) have been responsible for any living being on our own.

It's been fun to see our dynamic change as we gradually move from “couple” to “family”. He’s not a child, of course – but when a couple adds a dog to their life, is it appropriate to begin calling them a family? I don't know.

like a fool i have always forgiven the dc metro system

visenyaism.tumblr.com • August 19, 2023

I loved riding the DC metro when I lived there – especially its spurious waterfalls.

Ben Thompson's Take on Apple Vision

June 6, 2023

Ben Thompson – a fellow Wisconsinite and among my favorite tech writers – has what I think is a bullish, yet balanced view on Apple Vision.

I agree with Thompson that productivity could be the most compelling use case for the device. A keyboard, mouse, and Apple Vision Pro could make a killer (and much more portable) workstation.

As Apple hones in on the device’s purpose, I wouldn't be surprised to see a “workstation” version of Apple Vision in the future – with external compute for more power (similar to how the battery pack is external on the Vision Pro).

Camera Roll: Sunlight

March 21, 2023

Just a few photos from the last week – filtered to look more dramatic, of course. While filters may not do a good job of representing reality, they can do a good job representing how the moment felt.

The red glow of a sunrise cast into an apartment — Sunrise in the apartment, featuring a chair we overpaid for and drove 1.5 hours to pick-up. Don't get ripped off on Facebook Marketplace, folks.

Gasoline Car Review

geoff.greer.fm • March 18, 2023

The Courtyard

cabel.com • March 5, 2023

20 Things I’ve Learned in my 20 Years as a Software Engineer

simplethread.com • January 21, 2023

A fantastic list that I keep returning to, over and over.

Austin FC Mural

November 7, 2022

A new mural appeared on the east side of the city – celebrating Austin FC's kickass 2022 season. (I did a double-take when I saw giant Driussi while driving on I-35!)

I captured a few (decent) photos. This is the best I could do without literally removing street signs. Full-res download links are under each image. Feel free to share/post them anywhere!

If anyone is aware of the original artist(s), or the story of how this came to be, I would love to know.

A panoramic view of a mural celebrating the Austin FC soccer team

Lyft Conversations: Chewable Aspirin

November 5, 2022

My Lyft driver, this morning, paraphrased:

“One time I was suspended from Lyft for taking drugs while driving. Can you believe that? It was aspirin! I was taking chewable aspirin gummies. I had the bottle right here in my cupholder.

Austin in One Day

September 30, 2022

Recently, a dear friend came to visit me in Austin, TX. I had exactly one day to convince him to move to the city.

I wanted to hit as many tourist-y Austin-y spots as possible, so this is exactly what we did, in this order (starting around 6am on a Friday).

Camera Roll: Distant Utopia

September 26, 2022

A hazy, distant view of downtown Austin from the Pennybacker Bridge overlook. It almost looks like a little utopia from here – but drive once on I-35 and you quickly realize it isn’t.

This was taken late morning, on September 23rd, 2022.

A winding river with trees and greenery on each side, leading to a city in the distance — Not featured in this photo: the bridge.

Camera Roll: Downtown at Dusk

September 22, 2022

The Google building is a fine addition to Austin’s skyline, in my tiny opinion. This was snapped at dusk, on September 21st, 2022.

A tall, sail-like building in downtown Austin reflecting an orange glow — Do people work here now? Is it done inside? It’s hard to know.

Inside the Last Men's Hotel in Chicago

newrepublic.com • September 18, 2022

Industrial literacy

rootsofprogress.org • July 19, 2022

A deep dive into an NSO zero-click iMessage exploit: Remote Code Execution

googleprojectzero.blogspot.com • December 24, 2021

Apple + NeXT, 25 years ago today

blog.hayman.net • December 24, 2021

Inside Apple Park

wallpaper.com • December 10, 2021

New Masking Tools in Adobe Lightroom

November 14, 2021

Maybe I’ve been living in the stone ages, but up until yesterday I’ve used the brush tool in Adobe Lightroom to make selective edits to photos. Take this photo for example:

Two people on a pedestrian bridge — These are some really cool people, by the way

It was taken during golden hour – lovely! But the sky feels a little gray. Normally I would whip out my brush tool and, like a caveman, begin a vain effort to select the sky by hand.

Jony Ive on What He Misses Most About Steve Jobs

wsj.com • October 6, 2021

Ive, writing on the 10th anniversary of Steve Jobs’ death:

As thoughts grew into ideas, however tentative, however fragile, he recognized that this was hallowed ground. He had such a deep understanding and reverence for the creative process. He understood creating should be afforded rare respect—not only when the ideas were good or the circumstances convenient.

And:

Ideas are fragile. If they were resolved, they would not be ideas, they would be products. It takes determined effort not to be consumed by the problems of a new idea. Problems are easy to articulate and understand, and they take the oxygen. Steve focused on the actual ideas, however partial and unlikely.

The whole letter is wonderful, and reminds me of the seismic impact these two have had in the world. For the remainder of my life, not a day will go by where I’m not inspired by their work.

A few notes from others:

And of course, Tim Cook’s internal memo, as well as the commemorative video shared by Apple.

Steve Jobs in Kyoto

www3.nhk.or.jp • July 11, 2021

So Much for Thinking Different

tabletmag.com • June 25, 2021

The Talk Show Remote From WWDC 2021

youtu.be • June 14, 2021

The Tale of the (Almost Failed) Uber App Rewrite

mobile.twitter.com • June 5, 2021

Busy Being Born

folklore.org • May 27, 2021

How M1 Macs feel faster than Intel models: it’s about QoS

eclecticlight.co • May 20, 2021

The 24-Inch M1 iMac

daringfireball.net • May 19, 2021

Hiking Hidden Lake Trail, Glacier National Park

May 16, 2021

I wanted to share photos from one more hike at Glacier National Park (taken during a trip last September). Like the Highline Trail hike, we got an early start from Logan Pass (about an hour’s drive from the park entrance).

Hiking Highline Trail, Glacier National Park

May 12, 2021

Last September, some friends and I made the long-haul drive from Wisconsin to the far side of Glacier National Park. (The East side was closed due to COVID restrictions.) While there’s an album full of images, I wanted to share a few of my favorites from our hike on Highline Trail.

Highline Trail spans 15.2 miles round-trip, with a steep side trail that cost us an additional 2.4 miles (more on that later).

We started the journey around 6am at Logan Pass, where we were greeted with violent winds that nearly knocked us over.

Side note: The pit toilets at Logan Pass had a shared reservoir. Pressure changes in the reservoir (due to the wind) caused strong gusts of air to blast upwards from the toilet. It was a rather unpleasant experience for the user.

We started early on the trail, as common wisdom had it that the Logan Pass parking lot fills by 7am. (If you plan on hiking the full 17.6, you’ll need to start this early anyway.)

The trail greets you with a ledge, as well as a thick cord to hang on (to make sure you’re awake, of course). Luckily, after this, the majority of the trail is smooth-sailing.