Disqus - Latest Comments for timstringer

Re: Amazon Canada Gives Free DoorDash Perk to Prime Members

Tim Stringer — Wed, 07 Jun 2023 12:25:55 -0000

Thanks very much for the heads up! I was paying $9.99 a month for DashPass and will now be getting this service free for the next year. Please note that this wasn't a prorated refund (at least not in my case). It just moved my next renewal charge forward a year.

Re: 4TB iCloud Storage Now Possible as Apple One Storage is Added on Top

Tim Stringer — Fri, 30 Oct 2020 14:31:30 -0000

I'm currently paying for 2 TB of iCloud Storage. If I remove this add-on when subscribing to Apple One, any idea if it's possible to add it back on in the future (i.e. to get a total of 4 TB)? While 2 TB is more than enough storage for now, I could see needing more in the future (especially as photo libraries continue to grow). Thanks!

Re: CityMaps2Go App Offers Travellers Offline Maps, Premium is Free Right Now ($28 value)

Tim Stringer — Mon, 13 Jan 2020 17:24:02 -0000

I used it earlier today and it worked fine…but it didn't work for someone I shared it with. It looks like there was either a time or usage limit on this promo code.

Re: How to Quickly Reconnect Your AirPods with One Tap

Tim Stringer — Thu, 28 Nov 2019 18:04:15 -0000

Interesting use of Shortcuts. Thanks for sharing!

I set up an automation that connects my AirPods Pro when I launch the Overcast podcast app. The only caveat is that I now get an error message when I launch Overcast if the AirPods don't connect (e.g. if they're charging in their case). It would be nice if there were a way to turn off error messages. As far as I can tell, this isn't possible.

Re: iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro Reserve and Pick Up Available in Canada

Tim Stringer — Fri, 13 Sep 2019 08:26:21 -0000

I just ordered my iPhone 11 Pro Max. Picking it up at 8am on September 20!

Re: AirPods Fail to Earn Consumer Reports’ Approval, Samsung Galaxy Buds Take Top Spot

Tim Stringer — Wed, 28 Aug 2019 12:45:19 -0000

I'm puzzled that the AirPods only got a score of 56. I think it's a stellar product. I posted the following comment on the CR website pointing out some misleading information in the article and encouraging them to revisit their rating.

The article states that: "Both models have a quick-charge function that takes just 15 minutes to provide more than an hour of listening." This is misleading in the case of the AirPods. A Support Article on Apple's website (https://support.apple.com/e... states:

"If you charge your AirPods for 15 minutes in your case, you get up to 3 hours of listening time or up to 2 hours of talk time."

I'm a BIG fan of the AirPods (I currently have the second generation). In my opinion, it's one of the best products that Apple has ever made - especially from a perspective of convenience and design. For me (and I expect many others) sound quality is not the primary factor when choosing a product like this. It's trumped by stellar integration with Apple products and a compact, intelligent design.

I encourage you to reconsider your decision not to issue a Consumer Reports recommendation.

Re: Rogers, Telus, Bell Suffering Network Outages: Can’t Make or Receive Calls

Tim Stringer — Sun, 07 Jul 2019 19:57:55 -0000

Thanks for the post, Gary. Good to know I wasn't the only one having problems.

I had some issues placing calls on Rogers around 2:30pm Vancouver time. In some cases I wasn't able to even dial a call and in others the call would drop after about 30 seconds after being answered. Service seemed to improve later in the afternoon.

p.s. There's a typo in the post: "DownDector.ca"

Re: Organize Your Life with the Agile Method

Tim Stringer — Mon, 08 Apr 2019 16:03:53 -0000

I enjoyed reading your article. Thanks, Jessica!

It's worth noting that Airtable has a built-in Kanban view. Additionally, Asana is another app worth considering that has support for both boards and lists.

Re: NOMAD Wireless Charging Station for Apple Watch, iPhone, AirPods on Sale for $99 CAD

Tim Stringer — Fri, 05 Apr 2019 19:08:49 -0000

That's an excellent deal. Thanks for the heads up! I ordered one earlier this afternoon.

Re: First Apple AirPods 2 Pre-Orders in Canada Have Shipped

Tim Stringer — Mon, 25 Mar 2019 16:17:32 -0000

I ordered the new AirPods with Wireless Charging as soon as I heard they were available for order. Mine are currently showing a status of "Order Processed: Ready for UPS" with an ETA of April 1. I find these estimates are conservative, and I wouldn't be surprised to have them before the weekend.

Re: Apple Launches AirPods 2 and Wireless Charging Case in Canada

Tim Stringer — Wed, 20 Mar 2019 11:35:01 -0000

Ordered these within about a minute of seeing the announcement. I went with the Wireless Charging option. It remains to be seen if I actually use this capability. Current ETA: March 29.

Re: Rogers, Telus and Bell Explain Why Bills Don’t Drop After Your Phone is Paid Off

Tim Stringer — Tue, 19 Mar 2019 16:49:49 -0000

I'm a Rogers customer and they didn't reach out to me when my fixed-term contract was coming to an end (or after it ended, for that matter). I've since decided to purchase a new iPhone outright so that I have the freedom to switch between carriers.

Re: iPhone Xs Max Shipping Dates Slip in Canada, iPhone Xs Still Widely Available

Tim Stringer — Fri, 14 Sep 2018 13:30:08 -0000

I preordered an iPhone Xs Max (256 GB) just after midnight last night…and should have it in my hands next Friday. I'm upgrading from an iPhone 7 Plus (I probably wouldn't have upgrade if I had an iPhone X…though I do really like large screens). I also preordered an Apple Watch Series 4 (44mm) to replace my Series 3. I'll be picking that up next Friday.

Re: Costco iTunes Cards on Sale Again, New $200 Denomination with E-Delivery

Tim Stringer — Mon, 23 Jul 2018 13:17:42 -0000

Thanks for the heads up, Gary! My iTunes credit is getting low, so this is perfect timing. My Gastown office is a short walk from Costco so I plan to purchase some gift cards in person. Good to know that an online option is also available.

Re: How to Disconnect When Your Devices Are Your Office

Tim Stringer — Fri, 15 Jun 2018 14:16:31 -0000

Thanks, @Hailley ! I'm happy to hear that what I shared has inspired you to revisit your morning routine. I found it challenging at first to start the day without engaging with my tech…but this soon became the new norm and much of the temptation is now history. Among other things, if I start the day with my yoga/mediation practice and journalling I'm far less prone to being driven to distraction as I go through the day.

Re: How to Disconnect When Your Devices Are Your Office

Tim Stringer — Tue, 12 Jun 2018 20:39:57 -0000

Great article! A few other suggestions to add to the mix based on my own experiences:

- I use a Mac app called Focus (https://heyfocus.com) to keep me out of distracting apps and websites (e.g. Facebook and Twitter) when I'm doing focused work or taking a break from social media. It can be triggered manually or can be configured to automatically kick in based on a pre-defined schedule.
- I use RescueTime (https://www.rescuetime.com) to monitor my Mac usage. The weekly reports include a productivity store and a summary of how I spent my time (e.g. how many hours I spent on email).
- I read books on my Kindle. Unlike multi-purpose devices such as iPhones and iPad, the Kindle is only for reading and I'm not got to be distracted by notifications or tempted to wander off into social media apps. I also prefer the overall reading experience.
- I start every day with a yoga/meditation practice followed by journalling…and don't engage with my tech until I'm done (beyond using the Day One app for journalling). This was a little challenging at first, but I now find it surprisingly easy and I've come to really appreciate the many benefits that come from starting the day this way.

I'm also encourage by the work that Apple is doing in iOS 12 to manage interruptions and to monitor screen time.

Re: Luggage Review: The Away Carry-On

Tim Stringer — Fri, 16 Feb 2018 17:12:36 -0000

Thanks for sharing your experiences…and could to hear that you haven't had an issue with either size!

Re: OmniFocus Workflows with Colter Reed

Tim Stringer — Thu, 28 Dec 2017 14:54:51 -0000

I'm very much looking forward to having you on Learn OmniFocus LIVE, Colter!

Tim Stringer / Founder, Learn OmniFocus

Re: Luggage Review: The Away Carry-On

Tim Stringer — Sat, 02 Dec 2017 18:02:47 -0000

Thanks for sharing your experiences! Did you get "The Carry-On" or "The Bigger Carry-On". I'm tempted to go for the latter, but am concerned that some airlines might not consider it to be a carry-on bag. p.s. I'm in Canada and travel quite regularly in Western Europe and the USA.

Re: SquareSpace vs WordPress – Choosing the Right Platform

Tim Stringer — Sat, 11 Nov 2017 12:56:49 -0000

Thanks for a great post! I think you do an oustanding job of outlining the pros and cons of Squarespace and WordPress.

Though, I don't agree that Squarespace is only for "Beginners who want to create a website on their own, but don’t have much technical knowledge on site-building." Case in point, I'm a seasoned WordPress user with a strong technical background…and I chose to use Squarespace for my next website project.

My choice to use Squarespace stems from observing how much time and energy I put into researching themes, plugins, etc. and, generally, the time required to bring a site to fruition and to keep it functioning optimally. I can create an attractive and functional Squarespace site in much less time and having less flexibility curbs my tendency to fiddle too much.

I like not having to worry about plugin and theme updates and like that I can contact Squarespace support if I encounter technical glitches. In the case of my WordPress sites, I'm often stuck sorting out technical issues myself or hiring a developer to diagnose and fix the problem.

I remain a big fan of WordPress and will use it for the foreseeable future for my membership site. In this case I need the flexibility that WordPress provides and am willing to pay for plugins and development services. Squarespace will likely become my go-to solution for sites with less need for aesthetic and functional customization.

Re: The 9 Best Webinar Apps

Tim Stringer — Fri, 10 Nov 2017 00:11:17 -0000

You're welcome @Melanie Pinola. I think Zoom deserves to be in both the video-conferencing and webinar roundups.

On a side note, when I'm doing presentations to a large group I use Zoom Meetings (instead of Zoom Webinars). I like the fact that everyone can see each other (assuming they opt to run on their camera) and Zoom's "Breakout Rooms" feature can be used to have small group discussions/sharing at certain points in the presentation, which makes for a more engaging experience.

I call these "live sessions" to differentiate them from traditional webinars.

Re: The 9 Best Webinar Apps

Tim Stringer — Thu, 09 Nov 2017 11:41:55 -0000

Thanks for the article. I'm surprised that Zoom's Webinar offering wasn't included in your list. I'm curious why it didn't make the cut.

Re: The Best NAS for Most Home Users

Tim Stringer — Thu, 09 Nov 2017 09:25:35 -0000

I'm thinking of using the Hybrid Backup Sync app to backup to Backblaze's B2 Cloud Storage. Another option would be to sync the contents of your NAS to a drive attached to a Mac or PC and then do a cloud backup of that backup drive.

Re: Costco iTunes Card Sale: 20% off $100 Multipacks; $71.49 After Masterpass Discount

Tim Stringer — Tue, 24 Oct 2017 00:01:21 -0000

Thanks for the heads up, Gary. I’ll definitely be taking advantage of this one. An exceptionally good deal!

Re: Amazon Kindle Anniversary Sale: Up to 85% Off Top-Selling Kindle Books

Tim Stringer — Mon, 23 Oct 2017 23:57:27 -0000

Thanks for the heads up on the sale! I just picked up some more books to read on my new a Kindle Oasis.