First, the thing I need to say: this studio is the result of years of stubborn, unglamorous work, thousands, if not millions, of cuts. and close to 500,000 of you who keep showing up and keep leaving something nice in the comments. Those comments meant more than you know. Buying this place was a decision I was secretly terrified to make 😂

But, let me back up just a little bit. You see, I always pictured this - when I went full-time into YouTube, there was an image in the back of my head of my own place to work - not borrowed nor rented. But you start where you start and for me that was a bedroom. Then the kids started arriving, so I built a little studio in the yard, and honestly, that little box still shows up in a lot of my videos.

But the thing is - I’m not on this YouTube journey alone. There’s my editor and my camera guy, so we rented in the city. First a room inside my old agency, then a spot right by the sea - I’ve always wanted to work near water. That’s the studio you’ve actually been watching for the past three years and guess what - it was a dungeon.

Underground, one tiny window and barely some light from the entrance - everything else artificial. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not complaining! That darkness gave us total control over the light, which is exactly why those shots came out so beautiful. But it was, quite literally, a basement by the sea.

I didn’t plan to leave it either. If you follow what’s happening in Europe, you know real estate here went insane because of certain political situtations. I’d made peace with the fact that owning something sensible just wasn’t on the table. BUT then - almost by accident - this place popped up. First line across the water, over 1600 sq ft, a proper ground floor, a backyard, plenty of storage and room to build actual sets. Of course it’s not done. I still have to decorate it, dial in the lighting, and make it feel unmistakably ours. This is the messy, exciting, half-finished part.

Every so often someone asks, “How hard can YouTube be? You just post clips, right?” Far from the truth. It’s three of us, five or six days a week, (for me seven days a week far too often) crazy hours, a 10-minute lunch tops - all so something worthy of your Saturday goes live every week. That’s the machine behind two seconds of “oh, I bought a studio.”
A new chapter. One I always wanted and never really believed I’d reach.

But here we are.

Honestly, thank you! I don’t mean that as a line you write at the end of a post. Three of us make these videos because we love it, but you’re the reason it can be a real job, in a real place, with actual walls. You built some of this too!

If you haven’t seen it yet, the desk setup episode is where this new place makes its very first official appearance. Go watch it, and you’ll be one of the first to step inside 👇🏻

I didn’t upgrade for space.

Everyone assumes a bigger NAS means “I ran out of room.” But I didn’t. The thing that actually pushed me was memory. My first 2-bay UGREEN was wonderful, but it capped out on RAM and wasn’t upgradeable. And the moment you start running things like backups, photo libraries, and virtual machines, memory is the wall you hit first, not storage. So the new DXP4800 GT was really about headroom: room to run more, and two 10GbE ports so I can edit video straight off the box like it’s a local drive.

The upgrade itself was almost anticlimactic, in the best way. I moved my existing drives straight over from the old unit and it just… worked. No rebuild, no panic, no nail-biting six-hour migration. Then I added the fun stuff: 64GB of Kingston RAM (2×32GB) and a 2TB Samsung 990 Pro as a cache drive to keep everything snappy. The remaining bays are empty for now.

What matters most for my workflow is Tailscale.

If you take one thing from this email, take this. Tailscale lets me reach my NAS from anywhere as if it’s sitting natively on my Mac. The drive just shows up in Finder or in Files on mu iPhone whether I’m at a café or on the other side of the world. And I have to admit, the specs on the GT are noticeable: where before I’d wait half a second for some folders to load, now everything is almost instant.

I set up Plex in Docker, like a responsible nerd, ready to stream my library to the TV, but then I opened UGREEN’s own app on the Apple TV and Google TV and realized… I didn’t need any of it. Their app is absolutely superb. What you see below is exactly what you get on the big screen. The Docker container I lovingly configured is sitting there doing absolutely nothing. Learn from my wasted evening: try the built-in app first.

If you haven’t seen the full lineup yet, the NAS is just one of the things that earned a permanent spot this year:

Watch the Mid-2026 Favorites 👇🏻

Reply and tell me: are you self-hosting yet, or still renting? And if you happen to have a line on cheap, reliable drives, I’m genuinely asking 😂

E

P.S. The whole “renting my digital life” rabbit hole started in an earlier episode, if you want the origin story. Watching it back now, I clearly had no idea how far I was about to take this. 👇🏻

That’s what finally pushed me toward 3D printing.

I’ve wanted a 3D printer for years, partly because of my graphic design background and partly because I’ve always been curious about how objects are designed and made and how much better they could be if the process didn’t start with volume and compromise in mind. For a long time, though, 3D printing felt intimidating in the wrong ways, demanding too much in terms of setup and maintenance, so it stayed on my list until the technology reached a point where it felt right.

Well, that moment came and I went for it.

The printer I purchased is the Bambu Lab P2S, and while I’m not turning this into a review, seeing it in person immediately changed my expectations because it feels solid yet shocking approachable, especially for someone who’s still learning rather than designing everything from scratch. What stood out most wasn’t speed or quality, but how quickly an idea could turn into something real, something I can actually hold and use.

That shift is bigger than it sounds.

You see, a regular printer turns digital things into paper, while a 3D printer turns ideas into objects, which means small daily problems don’t immediately turn into purchases or compromises, because there’s now the option to try and make a better solution instead of settling for what exists.

What I didn’t expect was how quickly this stopped being just about me.

The first thing I did when it arrived was tell my kids, because to them this isn’t a machine, it’s magic, watching a toy appear layer by layer and then painting it together afterward. That alone turned the printer into something more than a tool, making it a shared experience rather than another piece of tech in the room.

From there, the possibilities started adding up naturally.

This is a tool for content, a tool for the home, a tool for the car, and a tool for future ideas and products, but more than that, it’s an open door to an endless world of community - created solutions that already exist.

And then there’s the part no one really mentions.

Owning a 3D printer isn’t something to casually talk about, because the moment people find out, the messages start coming in. Can this be printed, would that be possible, could this small thing be fixed or improved, and suddenly the printer isn’t just yours anymore, it’s a quiet superpower that other people immediately want access to.

I genuinely didn’t see that coming.

Latest video

NEW TO MAC? Learn macOS from Scratch

A new beginning - or at the very least, a perfectly good excuse for one.

I’ve learned not to overthink that feeling. Instead of setting rules or chasing systems that promise a “better year,” I reset how I work and live, starting with fewer moving parts.

This year, the reset began away from apps.

I moved off complicated calendars and task managers and went back to writing - analog, but on a digital device. The reMarkable Paper Pro has quietly taken over that role. The moment I stopped trying to optimize it and just started writing, things slowed down in a good way.

That choice connects directly to something I shared in the last newsletter: the idea of building a to-do app not for companies, dashboards, or productivity metrics - but for people. For real life. Before improving where tasks go, I wanted to improve how they show up in the first place.

The second part of the reset is more visible.

A new desk setup!

You see, desk setups are often seen as showcases - and in a way, they are. For me, new setups let me experience new tech over time, test what actually holds up, and recommend things with confidence later in the year. But there’s another reason I keep doing them.

I personally think this is the cheapest way to move into a new place without moving.

Same room. Same walls. A different beginning.

Even when I reuse older pieces that have already proven themselves, the act of rebuilding changes how the space feels. It brings a new rhythm, new motivation, and a fresh sense of purpose. By the time the year ends, I’m usually tired of looking at the same setup every single day. Starting over doesn’t require buying everything again - it just requires intention.

That’s what this week’s episode is about. You can watch it here:

A desk setup built as a reset. Not a flex. Not an endpoint.

To go with it, I’m also releasing a new wallpaper pack called Spectra. It’s an 8K pack created together with a very talented designer, and every image is made by hand #humanmadeart

Spectra 8K Wallpaper Pack

If giving your devices a fresh coat of paint sounds appealing, this is the simplest way to support the channel. And out of all the wallpaper packs we’ve done so far, this one might be my favorite.

That feeling takes me back to when task apps were minimal yet clearly speaking through their design and interface - built for individuals. They were fast, focused, and stayed out of the way. Somewhere along the line, most of them drifted toward teams, workflows, and platforms, and in the process, they stopped fitting real life quite as well.

I didn’t stop using to-do apps because I stopped needing them. I stopped because they stopped feeling personal.

Recently, almost by accident, this long-standing thought turned into a real conversation. In my last Mac episode, I featured an app called Paraspeech, and that’s how I met Alex, the brilliant developer behind it. From our very first conversation, things clicked. We share a similar sensitivity toward software that’s meant to disappear into everyday life. If I’m driving the creative direction and acting as the bridge between the product and the people using it, Alex is the engineer who makes sure it’s built properly, reliably, and with care.

Together, we started exploring an idea that’s been following me for years: building a to-do/task app as if the bloat of the last decade never happened, while still using modern tech where it actually matters.

At its core, the idea is not to be an app about work, but about life. And life is usually shared with one other person. Not a team, not a workspace, but a significant other. There are already a few other pillars that feel non-negotiable. Sync has to be lightning fast and reliable. Capturing tasks needs to be instant, ideally to the point where opening the app already means writing it down. Time-sensitive tasks deserve proper alarms and intelligent snoozing, and the interface itself should stay calm yet have character.

This isn’t a launch or an announcement. It’s the start of a process, and I want to shape it together with all of you. Over the coming weeks, I’ll be sharing our progress and asking for your input based on real experiences. When the time comes, there will be room to test, break, and refine this together. In the meantime:

I’d love to hear your input: What to-do or task management app do you currently use? Please tell me what features you find most helpful and what frustrations you’ve experienced. Your insights will help us shape something better, together.

E

Let’s get into some of the best ones:

Don’t see the Fold as a phone with a party trick—it’s a shift in how you work. For some, that shift is worth every cent. For others, not so much. The S25 Ultra is a powerhouse, no doubt, but the Fold feels more like a shape-shifting tool that adapts to what you need, when you need it. Personally, I get a ton of real-world value from foldables—some of my workflow just doesn’t fit on a standard slab. Is it worth double the price? Not if your day is mostly scrolling. That said, I’ve got friends still rocking their Fold 4s and 5s, and they don’t baby them. None of mine have failed me either. Add JerryRigEverything’s Fold 7 torture test to the mix, and yeah—I feel confident.

By now, plenty of Android apps are smart enough to morph into desktop-style layouts when they hit a larger screen—something Google started pushing hard a couple of years ago. Having proper file management that taps into all my cloud services? Priceless. So is being able to run apps side by side when moving stuff around on my NAS. Even something as simple as showing photos to friends or family on the big inner display still feels special. And watching Zack Snyder’s Justice League on this thing? Whole different vibe. As for the iPad mini comparison—nah. Doesn’t even come close. The Fold makes it look like a toy.

The only real friction I’ve seen people run into is forgetting they have a bigger screen once it’s unfolded - true story 🙂 The Z Fold 7 is peak foldable when it comes to shape, design, and weight—and it doesn’t feel like foldables used to. It’s actually lighter and easier to handle than some of the latest slab phones. No bulk, no weird heft. Just… better.

The Z Fold 7 is hands-down better when it comes to software—no question. It also disappears in the pocket more easily and feels way more consistent with things like brightness control. Even cleaning the screens is less of a chore thanks to Samsung’s oleophobic coating. What’s not better? The cameras. I definitely miss what the Oppo could do there. Same with battery life—the Fold is a one-day phone for me, no matter how I slice it. Is it better overall? Still processing that one.

Honestly? Not really. I thought I’d miss it—but I’ve stopped pretending I’m going to sketch a storyboard on the go. And truth is, I’ve never been fully comfortable writing on that softer inner display anyway. Do I miss the occasional signature? Sure. But I love how thin the Z Fold 7 is, and strapping on a bulky case just to hold an equally thick pen feels like a crime.

This newsletter was powered by your questions. If you left one and didn’t see it here—don’t worry, I’m keeping tabs.

P.S. In case you missed it, here’s the full video:

To quickly recap: WhyNote is a minimal text editor I started building out of pure curiosity. The idea was simple—create something lightweight, clean, something I was missing myself.

WhyNote is a simple, no-frills text editor designed with a few particular things in mind:

• Automatically strips formatting when you paste text. No more random fonts or colors sneaking in.

• Includes a clean and reliable find & replace system—with options to go word-by-word or just replace everything in one go.

• Offers a live word counter that quietly sits there doing its job.

• And most importantly, it looks good. Minimal, distraction-free, and native-feeling.

The thing is, I am a total rookie when it comes to app development. So naturally, what started with a spark of inspiration quickly ran into all the predictable walls. Saving files didn’t work correctly, basic features were buggy, and progress stalled more than once because I always prioritize my YouTube content.

But then something unexpected happened. In the same video where I introduced WhyNote, I also mentioned a few other apps I’ve enjoyed using on the Mac. One of the developers of those apps, Ivan, the creator behind Launchy, saw the video, got in touch to say thanks… and then offered to help me finish WhyNote.

Just like that, this little passion project is now in much better hands and is slowly shaping up into something awesome! That means I’ll be releasing it on the App Store very soon 🎉

Now here’s where you come in:

Should WhyNote be a free download? Or should it have a small price tag that can allow it to grow over time?

Let me know what you think 👇🏻

And while you’re at it, if you haven’t watched the latest video, it’s right here waiting. A view, a like, a share—any of it goes a long way.

“You forgot to mention the battery life.”

It’s wild how often people miss context, ignore nuance, and proudly declare their opinions—before the part where you actually address their questions or concerns. Maybe it’s the algorithm. Maybe it’s the dopamine loop. Maybe it’s just… Kevin.

Short attention spans aren’t new, but in a world where playback speed 1.5x is the default, depth is becoming rare. People want answers fast, and if they don’t get them, they manufacture their own. In the comments. With confidence. Lots of confidence.

But here’s the thing - many videos are built with structure. There’s a reason something is near the end. Maybe it’s the twist. Maybe it’s the punchline. Maybe it’s the part that wraps it all up and makes the opening make sense. Skipping it is like leaving a movie 20 minutes early and yelling “plot hole!” in the lobby.

If you’re still reading this: Congrats, you’re not Kevin 😂

In my latest video, I actually addressed the question everyone keeps asking in the comments. It’s in the second half. Go figure.

The iPad Now Is ALMOST a Computer

Turns out, most of it falls into three simple buckets, each with its own flavor.

📦 Bucket One: The Big Investments

Think phones, tablets, computers - the heavyweight stuff. I buy over 95% of these myself. No early press units. No special access. Most of the time, I get my hands on things right alongside everyone else.

And I like it that way. It gives me room to breathe. No pressure to be first, no race to shout into the algorithm void. Just enough space to actually use the product, live with it, and tell, hopefully, a good story that feels real.

Yes, sometimes a brand sends over a device, and maybe once or twice a year, there’s a paid segment. But those are always clearly marked. No cloak-and-dagger nonsense. My goals have always been to have the complete freedom of speech, so if I love something, you’ll know. If I don’t, you’ll definitely know.

🎒 Bucket Two: Accessories

This category is where things get a bit more… eclectic. I buy a fair share of them, especially the ones I care deeply about, like smartwatches, earbuds, or an absurdly specific type of desk accessory. That being said, many others do show up at the studio uninvited - cases, grips, chargers, docks, stands, pucks, and everything in between.

Here’s the catch, though: just because something lands on my door doesn’t mean it lands in a video. I only feature items that stand out. Things that impress. The ones that make me go, ‘Wait—this is actually good.’
If it doesn’t earn that moment? It never makes the final cut.

🕹️ Bucket Three: The Passion Purchases

This is the fun pile, the spontaneous buys. The I-don’t-need-this-but-I-want-it category. Think Nintendo Switch 2, a pair of cool speakers, or that one keyboard I totally didn’t need but absolutely love.

These aren’t planned. Sometimes they don’t even have a video in mind. But when they turn out to be special, I can’t help but find a way to talk about them—whether it’s a surprise appearance in a short, a cameo in a desk setup, or a full-on episode I didn’t see coming.

It’s a mix of intention and instinct. I don’t follow trends—I follow curiosity. And if something makes it to the channel, it’s because it earned its spot.

The last two episodes are great examples of how these three worlds collide—definitely worth checking out if you missed them:

Favorite Tech & Accessories:

Favorite iPhone 16 Pro Accessories:

And yet, some of the best features we’ve had are quietly disappearing. They are replaced not because something better came along, but because of trends, design cycles, and market alignment. Whatever that means. 

Here are five things I genuinely miss - and a few that still make me shake my head every time I pick up a new phone.

1. The Death of the Alert Slider

It was brilliant - a three-stage switch that allowed you to switch between ring, vibrate, and silent modes, even while blindfolded. It resembled the iPhone’s classic mute toggle, but better. And now? It’s being replaced by the so-called Action Button and its expanding list of bland equivalents. Sure, it’s customizable, but is it memorable? Not really. I’d be curious to know how many people actually use them for anything other than replicating what the alert slider already did, only slower and less satisfyingly.

2. Everything Must Be Flat

Curved screens once felt special - graceful, immersive, and undeniably premium. They offered more than aesthetics; they provided phones with a distinct presence. But now? Even the most high-end flagship models have adopted flat designs for the sake of “symmetry” and simpler production. True, they are easier to case and likely less expensive to manufacture. However, this shift makes everything seem... safe. Uninspired. As if every phone were created from the same corporate blueprint, approved by a group of individuals who dislike taking risks.

3. Camera Bumps Bigger Than the Phone

One-inch sensors. Periscope zoom. All impressive - on paper. But somewhere along the way, the back of our phones turned into architectural experiments. Some camera bumps are so massive, the phone can’t sit flat without rocking like a wonky table at a café. We went from functional design to full-blown furniture. It’s tech that demands attention but forgets about comfort. Maybe it’s time we find a middle ground—where performance doesn’t mean turning your phone into a tripod.

4. No Charger in the Box

I understand - sustainability, less packaging, saving the planet. All noble goals. But when a phone offers 80W fast charging and arrives with… nothing, that’s not eco-friendly; that’s profit-friendly. Especially when we’re talking about expensive phones. Not everyone has a drawer full of GaN bricks and proprietary cables. Some of us just want to charge at full speed - straight out of the box, without needing a scavenger hunt or a separate receipt.

5. AI Features That Solve Nothing

AI should not take center stage; it ought to be the secret ingredient. The most effective intelligence is the type that operates seamlessly, only noticed when absent. It enhances the operating system, provides more insightful suggestions, and yields better results. Recently, however, AI has become the primary focus. Entire product launches are centered on it. Even worse, it’s beginning to influence hardware design, adding extra buttons, renaming chips, and introducing dedicated keys that primarily activate a model most users will forget. This approach is overwhelming. AI should remain in the background, subtly improving the user experience rather than aiming to redefine the phone itself. When everything shouts “smart,” it often feels the opposite.

And yet… despite all that, some phones still get it right. The Oppo Find N5 is one of them. Apart from its excellent and inevitably protruding camera system, it manages to dodge nearly every trend I just ranted about. If you want to know what else makes it special, check out my latest episode:

P.S. I’ve been reading all your comments about the WhyNote app, and I’d like to say thank you 🙏🏻 Your feedback has been incredibly helpful, and I’m planning to improve it based on everything you’ve shared. I just need a bit more time.

P.P.S. I also released a brand-new 8K wallpaper pack called Fragments of Form. I’m really proud of how it turned out. If you’d like to support the channel, you can check it out below 👇🏻

Fragments of Form

That’s the classic entrepreneurial mindset, isn’t it?
Always build. Always expand. Always find the next big thing.
And don’t get me wrong - I admire that energy. I’ve been there myself.
But for a brief moment, his question made me pause.

Because here’s the truth: I am happy where I am.
Not because it’s easy. Not because I’ve figured it all out.
Quite the opposite.

The team and I are in a constant state of movement. There’s always something we’re learning, tweaking, trying. To me being a content creator isn’t a destination - it’s a craft. A sea of evolving ideas and skills. There’s never a day where I feel like I’ve “learned enough.” And that’s exactly what keeps it exciting.

Take our recent docu-style episode on the iPad. That was a genre I’d been wanting to try for years. When we finally did it, it felt like switching into a completely different mode - researching, storytelling, visualizing.

Shooting was different. Editing was different. Even the energy on set was different. And I loved it. I want to do more of that.

So when people ask, “What’s next?”
This is.

I think some people find their thing - and this might be mine.
Not a stepping stone, not a phase. A thing I could spend decades refining.
I don’t feel like an entrepreneur chasing the next product, the next vertical, the next pitch.

I feel more like an artist.
Not in the romantic, tortured-genius kind of way, but in the quiet, deliberate practice of it all.
Building something piece by piece.
Trying to make something that holds your attention for longer than a scroll.
Something worth appreciating - and sometimes, worth criticizing too.

Because when people care, they look closely.
They point things out. They disagree. They suggest.
And that’s how I know this isn’t just a job—it’s a conversation.

And for now, that’s more than enough.
Because if the work keeps evolving, if the craft keeps surprising me, then I’m exactly where I’m supposed to be.

P.S. If you haven’t seen the episode I mentioned, it’s live now. Probably the most challenging and rewarding thing we’ve done so far.

Here’s the full story: I did talk about Essential Space because it’s actually pretty awesome. It acts like a central brain for organizing your thoughts, screenshots, audio memos, tasks, and ideas into a single searchable hub.

In fact, it was thoroughly edited, uploaded, and live on YouTube. The segment was in there. But after publishing the video and watching the performance drop like a stone, I made a decision I’ve never made before - I cut it out post-publish.

Why? Because it was tanking the episode. The pacing was off, the momentum dropped too early, and that deep dive, while interesting to me, was a turnoff for the majority. These are the strange decisions I sometimes face as a creator: the constant battle of keeping the audience engaged vs. keeping the story intact. In this case, I chose flow over completeness.

And guess what? It worked. The episode picked up traction right after. I guess sometimes you have to kill your darlings to let the rest shine.

But that shouldn’t be your loss.

If you’re curious to see what Essential Space actually does - and the full section I cut - you can check it out right here:

As always, thank you for the support, the comments, and the good vibes 🙏🏻

Until next time.

I’m incredibly excited (and a little nervous) to share something I’ve been working on in my spare time: my very first macOS app.

It’s called WhyNote (you know why 🙂)

WhyNote is a simple, no-frills text editor designed with a few very specific things in mind:

• It automatically strips formatting from any pasted text. No more weird fonts or colors sneaking in.

• It has a clean find & replace feature with the option to go word-by-word or replace all at once.

• It includes a live word counter.

• And it just… looks clean. Minimal. Like something you’d actually want open on your desktop.

This is my first time ever building an app like this. I have no team. No developer buddy. Just me clicking around, learning as I go. So if you give it a try, please be kind — and more importantly, let me know what could be better.

The app isn’t on the App Store just yet — I want to take some time to polish and improve it based on your feedback. So please, drop a comment with anything you’d like to see added or fixed.

And if you have no idea what I’m talking about, I made a whole episode about it here:

Thanks for being here — seriously 🙏🏻
This community is the reason I try things like this.

Download WhyNote

⚠️ Important note:
Because WhyNote hasn’t gone through Apple’s notarization process (I’m still tweaking things!), macOS will likely block it when you try to open it the first time. Don’t worry — the app is safe, and here’s how you can open it anyway:

1. Download the app and move it to your Applications folder.

This is optional but recommended, so it stays where macOS expects apps to live.

2. Try to open it.

You’ll likely get a message saying:

“WhyNote can’t be opened because Apple cannot check it for malicious software.”

3. Click “Cancel.”

Don’t worry — this is just the first step.

4. Open your Mac’s System Settings.

Go to the Apple menu  → System Settings (or System Preferences if you’re on an older macOS).

5. Navigate to Privacy & Security.

6. Scroll down to the section labeled Security (on some systems, you’ll see “Allow apps downloaded from”).

7. You’ll see a message that says:

“WhyNote was blocked from use because it is not from an identified developer.”

Next to it, click “Open Anyway.”

8. You’ll be prompted one more time. Confirm again by clicking “Open.”

And that’s it — the app should launch normally from now on. You’ll only need to do this once.

The idea behind the wallpaper is simple but intentional - a soft gradient that fades from deep black at the top to a very specific shade of gray at the bottom. The black helps conceal the notch or Dynamic Island, depending on your device, while the gray perfectly matches the iPhone’s dock, making it blend into the background and almost disappear.

I created two versions of the wallpaper—one featuring just the WHY NOT text, carefully positioned between the last row of icons and the dock, and another with two subtle accent circles in orange and green, aligned exactly where the lock screen shortcuts appear. Now, the circles can be a bit tricky. Depending on your iPhone model and screen resolution, you might need to adjust their placement manually to get a perfect match. And to make things even more fun, iOS tends to be quite particular about wallpaper alignment - especially when the image dimensions are a pixel-perfect match. So don’t be surprised if you need to nudge it into place when setting it up.

You can download the wallpapers using the link below - I’ve also included desktop versions in case you want to use them beyond your phone. And for anyone who wants to tweak things further, I’ve added a PSD version of the lock screen wallpaper so you can adjust the shortcut circles to perfectly fit your device.

For anyone updating or crafting their own take on the Entertainment Mini Drawer, I’ve included the dark streaming icons I designed from scratch—they’re part of the download package.

Thanks so much for the continued support. If you put together your own take on the ultimate home screen, don’t forget to tag me on X or Instagram @thisisetv - I’d love to check it out.

Ultimate Home Screen Package

The internet, predictably, lost its mind 😂

Apparently, this move officially qualifies me for a flock membership card. No MagSafe. 60Hz display. No ultra-wide camera. Who would do this on purpose?

Well… me 🙋🏼‍♂️

You see, I really wanted to hate this phone. Truly. I had the script ready. The talking points loaded. But then I did something dangerous — I used it. Like, actually used it. SIM card in. Daily driver. No fallback.

And two weeks later, here we are.

Turns out, the 16e might just be the most interesting iPhone this year. Not because it’s better than the Pro — it’s absolutely not. But because it quietly nails two things that Apple barely mentioned:

📡 C1 chip = best signal I’ve ever had on an iPhone

We’re talking no dropped calls in dead zones, I’ve memorized.
Faster data. Smoother handoffs. It’s like the phone actually knows what matters — and acts accordingly.

🔋 Battery life that doesn’t make sense

Used to end my day in the red. Now? I sometimes go to bed with 70% left.
No cheating. No airplane mode. Just real-life usage — CarPlay, Waze, calls, photos.

It’s kinda bonkers.

Of course, it’s still an entry-level iPhone. No ProMotion. Dimmer display. Camera’s just okay. But here’s the thing — I don’t regret the switch.

And if you want to know why… you’ll want to watch this one 👇🏻

What’s new

Dropped something clean in the store this week.

VisionDeck — a slick little widget that packs your schedule, weather, and battery info into a single, swipeable panel.

Three views. One elegant design.

If you like your home screen spicy (and want to support the channel), it’s live now:

Get Vision Deck for iOS

So naturally, the PS5 followed suit. It ended up in the studio, occasionally updated, and mostly ignored until something unexpected happened.

My son discovered Super Mario.

And suddenly, we were glued to the switch, tag-teaming our way through classic titles like New Super Mario Bros U Deluxe, Wonder, and Oddesey. It reignited something. But more importantly, it made me realize that handheld is where it’s at. You see, I don’t have time for full-on gaming sessions, but I can steal a few minutes here and there, depending on where I am. Enter my love for the ASUS Ally X (which, if you’ve been around, you’ve definitely seen in a few videos).

Fast-forward to the release of Warhammer 40,000. I was hyped, but this game needs proper horsepower—either a PC or… that “old” PS5. So, I decided to do something bold.

I got the PlayStation Portal.

It’s basically a PS5 controller that had a baby with an 8” LCD screen. Full 1080p at 60Hz. It's not a standalone console but a remote player. I plugged my PS5 directly into the router, gave it bandwidth priority, and guess what? It works. Like… really well. Sure, if you’re into competitive shooters, you might notice some lag. But for Warhammer? Smooth as butter.

Still early days, and I haven’t fully left the honeymoon phase yet, but I’m impressed. Might do a coverage on it soon.

Tried anything similar? Drop a comment, I would love to hear.

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That’s why, for me, reviewing tech isn’t about rushing to post a video. It’s about spending enough time with a device to notice what really matters. Some things stand out immediately, especially when a product is an iterative update. But when something is new - or even deceptively familiar - you have to use it as your only device to really understand it.

That’s exactly what happened with the iPhone 16e. Switching to it from the 16 Pro gave me a much clearer picture of what’s different, what’s better, and what’s surprising. One of those things? Apple’s first C1 modem chip. On paper, it’s just another modem, but in reality, after weeks of use, I’ve noticed that it changes more than Apple lets on. Stay tuned for my upcoming review.

This approach has shaped how I test everything. When I first got the OnePlus 13, my initial impression was that it felt like just another flagship. But after customizing it and using it as my primary phone, I started noticing the little things - the smoothness of animations, the responsiveness in ways that don’t show up in spec sheets, and how it adapts to my daily use.

Some of these details only stand out with time. The Alert Slider, for example - is such a simple feature, but after weeks of use, it’s become one of my favorite conveniences for quickly silencing my phone without even looking at the screen. On the other hand, I spent days annoyed by how home screen icons seemed to stick together, only to find (thanks to some smart viewers in the comments) that there’s actually a setting called Icon Autofill that fixes it completely. That’s the kind of thing no spec sheet or quick review will tell you.

This is all to say that a great review is about giving a device the space to prove itself. Some things are only noticeable after weeks, not days, and that’s why I take my time.

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The Solution
Here’s how to install Good Lock on a regionally restricted device and unlock its full potential.

Step 1: Disable or Remove Your SIM Card

Samsung determines your region based on your SIM card. To trick it into thinking you’re in the U.S., remove or disable it:

1. Go to Settings > Connections > SIM Manager.

2. Toggle OFF your SIM card, or remove it entirely from the device.

3. Restart your phone to ensure the change takes effect.

Step 2: Set Up a VPN

Samsung also checks your IP location. A VPN helps you appear as if you're in the U.S.:

1. Install a VPN app (such as NordVPN, ExpressVPN, or ProtonVPN).

2. Open the VPN and connect to a server in the United States.

Step 3: Reset the Galaxy Store Cache

To refresh the Galaxy Store so it picks up your new (fake) location:

1. Go to Settings > Apps.

2. Find Galaxy Store.

3. Tap Storage, then Clear Cache and Clear Data.

4. Close all running apps, ensuring nothing remains open in the background.

5. Restart your phone (keep the VPN running and SIM disabled!).

Step 4: Install Good Lock

1. Open the Galaxy Store.

2. Search for Good Lock.

3. If it doesn’t appear, open Samsung Internet (the default browser) and search for "Good Lock APK Samsung Store" using Bing or Google.

4. Tap the official Samsung Galaxy Store link from the search results.

5. Install Good Lock and open it.

Step 5: Install Good Lock Modules

Once you have Good Lock installed, you can now download and activate the various modules for deeper customization.

Important Note

• Once installed, Good Lock and its modules will continue working, even if you re-enable your SIM card or disconnect the VPN.

• However, Good Lock will disappear from the Galaxy Store once you turn off the VPN and enable your SIM. This is normal—it’s just hidden but still fully functional.

• If you ever need to update Good Lock, repeat the process!

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OneUI 7 Guide, Ecosystem Integrations & Accessories 👇🏻

A clean download, a familiar interface, and just like that, the Apple TV+ library was right there. It felt solid and responsive like it belonged. This is a rare case where Apple didn’t cut corners when stepping outside its walled garden.

But then, reality hit.

Where’s my purchased library? The years of movies I’ve bought are nowhere to be found. No store, in fact - just a clean slate as if my history with Apple never existed.

And that’s the part that stings. Apple TV+ is great, but Apple’s ecosystem has always been more than just subscriptions. It’s about ownership. I’ve spent years building a collection, and now, because I’m also on an Android phone, it’s like it never happened.

Unlike the iOS app, which integrates deeply with Apple’s ecosystem (e.g., Siri, Family Sharing), the Android version was “built from the ground up” using native Android frameworks, ensuring compliance with Google’s design guidelines, including Material You theming and seamless Google Play Store billing integration. However, the absence of platform-specific features like Google Cast highlights ecosystem fragmentation. As you might’ve guessed, Android users must rely on AirPlay-compatible devices or direct streaming.

Technically, the app does what it’s supposed to. It plays Apple TV+ content smoothly—well, mostly. However, I noticed some choppy playback that had nothing to do with my internet connection. It was just the app struggling for some reason. It may be a first-release bug, an optimization issue, or a deliberate lesser experience - only time will tell.

With over 50 million downloads and a 4.5-star rating, people seem to love it. Sure, it’s great that Apple is embracing other platforms. But I can’t shake the thought—it feels calculated. If you want full access, there’s an easy solution: just buy an iPhone.

Clever move, Apple. Frustrating move, yet brilliant.

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