Collection View 01: January
I’m a consumer, just like everyone. So I thought I’d start up a conversation with some things I’m digging at the moment in the hope that you, my fellow Steemians, share your recommendations back.
So, without further ado, here are some recommendations.
Elon Musk by Ashlee Vance
I often like to listen to audiobooks and podcasts when I’m running of an evening, and my latest choice is the Ashlee Vance’s biography of Elon Musk.
Honestly, I cannot recommend it enough. Elon Musk is one of the bravest, boldest, and most important human beings on the planet right now. The way he enters into established industries, like the automotive market, with the view of pure disruption and innovation is amazing to witness, and also not without its problems.
It may seem like you have to have an interest in tech to enjoy this biography but tech is only enabling bigger change. Environment, transport, energy, and even the relocation of the entire human species are all challenges that form part of Musk’s daily routine and I would urge you to add this to your reading list.
Habitify on iOS
January brings with it a swathe of people seeking new beginnings and intentions of forming habits for self improvement, and never let it be said there's not an app for that™.
Habitify is an app by developers Unstatic Ltd Co and allows you to create and track various Habits through a Journal interface. You can set reminders for all sorts of permutations through the week with daily notifications, multiple per day if needed.
It then plays back your success story through an easily digestible widget style view, allowing you to see the amount of fully successful days, the top days of the week, and days where you're almost finished and more.
I've used a few of these types of apps in the past and with reasonable success, (Way Of Life being one) but I find Habitify to be one of the best designed and approachable of the bunch.
Peak Design 10L Sling Bag
If you’ve spent any length of time on my profile you will see that my main interest lies in photography. Well, a lesser known fact is I’m also obsessed with finding the perfect camera bag. In the past I’ve used rucksacks with special inserts, small messenger bags for convenience and even premium messenger bags from ONA. None really did the job for me until now.
I believe Peak Design started out as a Kickstarter campaign for their Everyday Messenger, and while on paper it looked perfect, actually my experience with the ONA led me to dislike messenger bags that were too big. So when the 10L sling came along, it looked to be the perfect size for me.
It has to be said, the design is fantastic. There are pockets for everything you can imagine and I actually can’t believe how much you can fit inside. The velcro compartments are a nice touch but even better, they fold over to make use of vertical space. Everything has been considered and the construction is great. I’m definitely going to look into getting the backpack at some point for times when I need to take more equipment with me.
If you’re interested in seeing more, check it out here.
Star Trek: Discovery
I want to start off by saying I’m not a Trekkie. I’ve dabbled with a few episodes of Voyager, Next Generation, and Deep Space Nine over the years, but I’ve never really gone all in on the TV series. I am, however, a fan of the modern films with Chris Pine at the helm. It’s with that in mind that I thought I’d give Star Trek: Discovery a go.
I have to say I’m really enjoying it. I think they have done a great job with the cast; Jason Isaacs is good in everything he does, but the real pleasant surprise is Sonequa Martin. After seeing her act rough and ready in The Walking Dead as Sasha, it’s great to see her play the smart and competent Michael Burnham in Star Trek. It’s a great change of pace and shows her range as an actress.
I’ve heard it’s been taking some heat with hardcore fans and you can’t please everyone, but as an easily approachable piece of popcorn sci-fi, it’s fun to watch. I definitely recommend it but especially watch out for the episode Magic to Make the Sanest Man Go Mad. It’s a different take on the Groundhog Day setup and one of the standout episodes of the series.
Interested in comics and graphic novels? Take a look at my latest recommendation, The Wicked + The Divine: The Faust Act
Do you use an app for Steemit? Well, I’m designing a new one and have started with wireframes and would love to hear your thoughts. Steemit App Design Wireframes — Steemit
Need some listening material? Check out some of my latest favourite tracks here. Current Jams: January 18.