Doug Mejia

NASA Found Signs of Ancient Alien Life on Mars. Here’s How Excited You Should Be

“The current surface environment of Mars is not hospitable for life as we know it. However, if we do determine that Mars indeed hosted life in the deep past, it would increase the possibility that some form of life has survived to the present day in subsurface habitats.”

While we haven’t discovered life as we know it anywhere else in the universe, recent findings suggest promising signs that life may have existed on Mars. If life emerged once, I believe it can happen again. We surely can’t be the only ones who succeeded in this vast cosmos. I find this absolutely fascinating and eager to read more about it.

You’re Going to Drop Your New iPhone 17. Don’t Skimp on the Case

Remember to grab something to protect your new device. Many of your favorite brands, like Casetify, have already released new cases for the upcoming iPhone 17 models. Even Apple has dropped its new line of cases, with some fun new accessories, too.

Man, I felt like this article was written just for me. When the new phones were announced and they mentioned the Unibody of the Pro phones, I immediately thought of going caseless for the first time ever. I figured that since Apple keeps touting how durable everything is, I could just run around with a “naked” phone. I mean, I do have Apple Care, right? That’s better than a case, isn’t it? These are all the things that ran through my head, but then I chickened out after a bit. Reading this article just confirmed my bias, and I ordered a case for it.

Actually, I ordered two cases. Originally, I ordered the silicone case in orange to complement my phone. However, when I received it yesterday, I remembered why I don’t like silicone cases. They feel fragile. They feel great when they’re new, but then they get all stretchy and loose. At least that has been my experience in the past. Then, I took a second look at my wife’s Tech Woven case, and it felt good in the hand. I even tried to scratch it with my nail, and it didn’t even leave a mark. So, I ordered one for myself and I’m going to return the silicone one.

I’m continuing to use my iPad more as a creation device than a consumption device. So I’ve made a couple of changes to better fit this new purpose.

First, I got a “paper”-like magnetically attached screen protector. This allows me to easily remove it when I’m not in the mood to write notes with my Apple Pencil. It’s been working out pretty well so far. It does make the screen look a little darker, but the magnetic attachment is perfect because I can just remove it at will. It also gets a bit irritating to use the iPad as a touch device because the texture is rough, and after a while it becomes uncomfortable on the fingers. When I’m writing in GoodNotes, however, I really like the experience. It doesn’t feel exactly like paper, of course, but it does provide more friction and makes my writing experience much nicer.

I also wanted to be able to type out ideas, blog posts and my daily notes in Obsidian using the iPad. When I’m on my computers, I use those, but when I’m out and about or in the car stuck in traffic—I can easily take out my iPad and type something out. I’ve never been a fan of the onscreen keyboard, so I decided to buy both the Apple Magic Keyboard and the ESR Bluetooth iPad Keyboard. In other words, I bought the cheapest popular option as well as the most expensive popular option so I could try both extremes and see which one I like best. Well… there are definitely pros and cons to both and it is not as clear cut a decision, as you may think.

Apple Magic Keyboard

Pros

• Premium build quality with solid construction
• Keys have excellent tactile feel (not squishy)
• Sleek, lightweight design
• Automatic disconnect when detached from iPad
• Optimal viewing angle for both lap and desk use
• No accidental trackpad activation issues

Cons

• Expensive at $300 (3x the cost of ESR)
• Provides no protection for the iPad
• No storage or attachment point for Apple Pencil
• Leaves iPad vulnerable to damage when not in use

ESR Keyboard

Pros

• Budget-friendly at only $100
• Full protection for the iPad with case design
• Magnetic Apple Pencil attachment and storage flap
• Very responsive key input
• Built-in battery for extended use

Cons

• Much thicker and heavier (feels like 2x the weight)
• Squishy key feel with loose rubber covering
• Frequent accidental trackpad activation
• Too steep viewing angle on flat surfaces
• Manual power-off required (doesn’t auto-disconnect)
• Flimsy construction around charging port/speaker area
• Difficult iPad insertion that almost damaged my “paper” screen protector
• Lower overall build quality

Bottom Line

The Apple Magic Keyboard offers premium quality and user experience at a premium price, while the ESR keyboard provides good value and protection features but with notable usability compromises. Your choice depends on whether you prioritize build quality and user experience (Apple) or budget-friendliness and device protection (ESR). For me, it came down to choosing the Apple Magic Keyboard, even though I do not consider it a perfect solution for the price. I am still testing and exploring my options out there.

Finished Re-Listening to…: The Great Mental Models, Volume 1: General Thinking Concepts by Shane Parrish, Rhiannon Beaubien 📚

What a wonderful book to revisit, from time to time. It continually provides me with fresh perspectives that transform how I experience the world.

Signal adds secure cloud backups to save and restore chats

Signal has introduced a new opt-in feature that helps users create end-to-end encrypted backups of their chats, allowing them to restore messages even if their phones are damaged or lost.

I have been a Signal user and supporter for years now, but restoring it to a new iPhone has always been a pain. I hope that this new cloud backup makes it easier while keeping it secure. However, the most important thing here is that you can’t restore your Signal data if your phone is damaged or lost. This hopes to midigate that.

Tiny Vinyl is a new pocketable record format for the Spotify age

“I’ve already pre-ordered two Tiny Vinyl records,” Fred Whitacre Jr, a teacher, drummer, and record collector from Warren, Ohio, said. “But, I don’t think it’s something I’m going to delve very heavily into. I always like when vinyl pressings try something new, but for me, I’m probably going to stick with LPs and 45s.”

Tiny vinyl? That’s the coolest thing I’ve heard of in a while! I didn’t grow up with vinyl myself, but I inherited my first few records from my dad. Now we have a collection of about 100 or so. The funny thing is that my teenagers love vinyl too. I didn’t encourage them to listen to records or anything—they just picked up the love themselves. It’s amusing watching them flip through albums like in the old days, selecting their favorites to take to their rooms from time to time. I hope tiny vinyl records are compelling enough to gain traction and stick around for a while. I, for one, am rooting for them.

National Preparedness Month: 12 Ways to Prepare

Amateur radio serves as a powerful tool and national resource before and When All Else Fails®, but being prepared goes beyond radio.

Great reminder to take time and make sure you and your family are prepared for any kind of emergency, especially this month. A dozen things they mention in the article are

• Sign up for alerts and warnings • Make a plan • Save for a rainy day • Practice emergency drills • Test family communication plan • Safeguard documents • Plan with neighbors • Make your home safer • Know evacuation routes • Assemble or update supplies • Get involved in your community • Document and insure property