I'm a software engineer living in Austin, Texas. This is my small home on the internet, where I write for myself. Say hi on Bluesky!
February 24, 2026
In a few weeks, we’ll supposedly emerge from the dark ages of gray and silver MacBooks (sans midnight blue). I'm wild for colorful Macs – my prized possession is an orange iMac – so this launch is particularly exciting.
For the sake of fun, I'd like to make a few predictions about the machine which I will call the MacBook Colorful.
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December 23, 2025
If you've spoken with me for more than eight seconds, you may know I'm unable to shut up about Waymo and self-driving cars. Earlier this year, Waymo ran its service in Austin as an invite-only program before opening to the public. During this time, I logged 62 rides, 355 miles, and 1,363 minutes of Waymo-ing around town!
Autonomous vehicles (AVs) are exciting to me – I see the remarkable potential they have. While I have no actual industry experience with the technology (my knowledge is that of a fanboy), I thought it would be fun to lob a thoughts about the future into the abyss of the internet.
Specifically, I'd like to predict what the state of autonomy will look like by the end of 2030. If I'm right, you’ll see me gloat on Bluesky or something. If I'm horribly wrong, this webpage will 404.
I'd like to start with one of the more contentious issues: cameras versus lidar.
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lux.camera • June 4, 2025
Sebastian's concepts for Apple's rumored OS redesign feel spot on. I'm curious how this will play out on macOS, where most modern software is merely a web wrapper. As a fan of 'Mac-assed Mac apps', I hope this redesign elevates apps that adopt the platform's UI, making web wrappers feel clunky and dated.
Edit: Looks like Gruber has a similar take.
April 29, 2025
The day after my birthday, ‘A’ and I were sitting on the floor of the nursery late. (It was 8pm, which is considered late now.) I was using my leg in a V-shape to hold him upright, his head near my knee.
His eyes fixated on me, in a strange and unusual way. I tried what I had been for weeks at this point: making faces, sounds, and clowning around in attempt to get even the smallest reaction out of him.
The first few weeks of this felt like a comedy routine performed to an audience of bricks. (Screaming bricks, specifically.) While ‘A’ has become more expressive capable of eye contact over time, there still hasn’t been a clear “call and response” between him and I.
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March 17, 2025
Preface: Last week, my wife (Cassidy) and I became parents! While I plan on writing more extensively about our time at the hospital, this series is intended to process stray thoughts and memories as they happen.
Here are a few notes from our first few days home with our son, who I refer to as ‘A’. (Perhaps we'll call the second and third ‘B’ and ‘C’?)
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ericmigi.com • January 28, 2025
The Pebble was my first smart watch. I purchased a the original model in jet black not long after release. I was in high school at the time, and I recall it drawing a bit of attention at the summer camp I worked at. Maybe it was my age, but I certainly felt dorky wearing it!
Now, in 2025, you wouldn’t glance twice.
I had really, really, really hoped that someone else would come along and build a Pebble replacement. But no one has. So… a small team and I are diving back into the world of hardware to bring Pebble back!
I’m thrilled it’s making a comeback. A hackable, affordable e-ink watch? I don’t care how dorky it looks.
The emphasis is on sustainability. I want to keep making cool gadgets and keep Pebble going long into the future.
This is the right idea.
writing.nikunjk.com • January 23, 2025
You think you understand love before kids. You don't. Every other relationship comes with implicit conditions. Partners choose each other daily. Parents love you deeply, but there's history. With your child? It's different. It's a love so fundamental it becomes part of your operating system.
washingtonpost.com • October 29, 2024
Most people believe the media is biased. Anyone who doesn’t see this is paying scant attention to reality, and those who fight reality lose. Reality is an undefeated champion.
Newspaper endorsements never made sense to me – especially in a low-trust environment. Shouldn't a publication's aim be to build credibility with readers? I agree with Bezos: a failure to build trust will drive people further into social media and podcasts, where standards for news and journalism can be near-zero.
October 23, 2024
Sunday was Formula One day in Austin, Texas. The infrastructure to move 400k people to-and-from a suburban race track is enormous! Pictured is one of the (hundreds) of buses leaving, after dropping us off back at our parking lot on the north side of the city.
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youtu.be • October 14, 2024
I've always been a huge fan of the folks at Panic. Talks like this demonstrate why.
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.
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September 21, 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).
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.
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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.
April 7, 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.
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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.
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January 9, 2024
Where Cassidy and I spent Christmas. Also, where Cassidy grew up. Taken with my Nikon Z f, on December 28th, 2023.
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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.
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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.
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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.)
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September 23, 2023
Taken on September 14th, 2023.
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