Choosing to remove the Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn apps is going to be somewhat controversial. I say that with one caveat: I’ll still be on those platforms and engaged, but only through the web browser, and only with certain controls.

One control is the use of the DuckDuckGo browser for iOS/Android. If you don’t know what that is, you do now. Explore it, see if it feels right for you. Read about the ratings feature for each site as it relates to tracking, privacy, and permission.

Another control is the use of the DuckDuckGo plugin/extension for all major browsers. It provides the same features, but for your browser of choice. Mine is now Firefox.

Another goal here to to regain control of my content. Posting on owned media first feels better today than ever before. Long forms, short, photos, all of it will be rooted here – on a site I own and control, where I get to choose privacy and permissions settings.

If this sounds overly complex or “too hard,” here’s something to consider: these changes are all one-time. It’s a matter of changing habits, and that’s a matter of turning priorities into action. To me, especially these days, the reality is that my data is valuable, and I’m nothing more than data points to sell ads against for the platforms I mentioned. Yuck.

If you have thoughts and feedback, let me know. This is going to be a fun experiment. I hope we all learn something from it!

As always, thank you for being here!

I live in 350 sq ft. with my wife, daughter, and two dogs. It’s nice to be able to zone out and be in my own space without having to be tethered to the PC and the Samsung HMD Odyssey. I’ve even used it outside in a camping chair.

My current usage patterns suggest that it’s a replacement for using Facebook, Instagram, Reddit, Flipboard, and so on on my iPhone X. I set up a couple of web based Google Mail accounts too. It’s remarkably usable for these things. I have bookmarks set for all of them, so they’re just a click away.

As far as VR experiences, there are several things I keep going back to. Wonder Glade has several mini games. For some reason, I really enjoy the basketball and mini-golf.

Proton Pulse is a great breakout/bricks type game apparently made for Gear VR as it uses head motions, not the controller. I expect that’ll be updated, but it’s well worth the $2.99.

A couple of other interesting things: Mondly (interactive language practice) and MelodyVR (360° live concerts with multiple camera positions).

I also love that Altspace is here. That brings the promise of social VR to an untethered, inexpensive headset. I haven’t tested all of the games, but being able to play with others, cross platform, is intriguing.

I haven’t test the party feature yet. I have a few friends with Go, but if you’re ever online at the same time I am, I’d be happy to give it a shot.

Of course the consumption experiences are great too. Hulu, Netflix, Amaze, Gala… they all do exactly what you expect.

There are some things that would make the experience better, but they’re certainly not show stoppers. Copy and pasting text, a “right click” somehow in the browser, pairing of other Bluetooth devices (keyboard, mouse, headphones), and a way to view a computer’s screen interactively. Think Bigscreen, but two way.

Imagine setting up a virtual server at Digital Ocean with Ubuntu, and being able to control that machine from your Go, anywhere with WIFI. I’d love to use this for work, but like with VR in general, this is still a wide open area for devs to tackle.

More soon.

You can pick one up at Best Buy, or follow this link to Amazon. It is an affiliate link, so if you make a purchase there, Heather and I will receive a small percentage of the sale.

For as long as we can all remember, web development has been done on a laptop or a desktop computer. It’s an obvious choice given the power and screen sizes available. The late, great Steve Jobs posited that PCs were more like trucks, used for production, and that tablets were more like cars, aimed at consumers.

While that was certainly the case early on, it’s definitely changed. And yes Windows fans, Windows 10 and Surface have made this possible for a long while. You’re right. But, remember, this isn’t about you. The post is entitled “Can the iPad Pro replace a laptop for developers?”

First things first: the 12.9-inch iPad Pro.

While the 9.7-inch iPad Pro will work, this post specifically covers the 12.9-inch version. The difference in screen size is noticeable, and while you can, I think it will be too much of a stretch to use the smaller screen for full-time work. If the apps are written to take advantage of the 12.9-inch screen, it’s a perfectly comfortable experience.

For web development, storage/size shouldn’t be an issue. There is no local server software, well, none that provides enough value to suffer through the hoops and the lock-in (where you have to use their IDE, for example). Most of your files will be stored “in the cloud” on services like Google Drive (now G-Suite), DropBox, and Github, or on remote servers like Digital Ocean.

My setup starts with the 128GB iPad Pro, 12.9-inch with AT&T LTE. Apple has since released a 256GB version that’s also faster. If you’re interested in using the iPad Pro, you’re likely using it for it’s size and portability. LTE is a fantastic feature, and in my opinion should weigh higher than storage in the decision making process. I have the original unlimited LTE plan that was available with the first iPad. It’s quite a dream to have data wherever, and whenever I need it. Sure, a MacBook Pro can tether, but while that seems simple, built-in is much, much better.

The keyboard I chose is the Logitech Create Backlit Keyboard Case with Smart Connector. I chose it because it has a hard black protective shell, a backlit keyboard, and allows me to work with a screen angle similar to that of a laptop. The 9.7-inch version has a special Apple Pencil holder, which would have been nice. This case, however, doesn’t accommodate the Pencil. While outside of the scope of development, the Pencil is an instrumental tool, too.

The feel of the keyboard is very similar to a MacBook Pro. There are some things to get used to… like there’s no ESC or FN key. Beware, the connector sometimes loses contact and causes the onscreen keyboard to appear if you’re on an uneven or unstable surface. Those nits aside, it’s a very pleasant experience and I highly recommend it.

In summary, the iPad Pro is really is a nice, light, compact and fast machine. The brightness is never a problem, and the battery life is a good 8 to 10 hours. The portability itself is freeing.

That’s it for the hardware. We’ll talk about the software in the next post.