The smart lock standard that could replace your keys is finally here

Now we just need the locks

The VergeJennifer Pattison Tuohy

I get so excited by this stuff. Mostly because I hate keys. They're old and clunky and heavy and annoying. We don't need them anymore.

I installed a Nest Yale smart lock at home years ago. I can open it with a code, with my smart watch, or with my phone. No keys needed. I also drive an EV that requires no key. I had finally eliminated all keys from my life when I decided to rent an office space. Despite entrances to all the buildings accepting keycards, the actual office door required a key. Drove me nuts.

This is irrational, to an extent. I accept that. But if I can turn my smartphone into my house keys, my car keys, my wallet, my passport, my computer, my camera, AND my phone, thereby keeping my pants pockets relatively clutter free, I will. I mostly have.

That being said, I don't want to be locked into a single ecosystem. I've recently been moving toward open source and self hosted smart home devices. Anything that prevents lock in or sharing too much private home data with tech companies that have become increasingly less trustworthy. (I've long been a fan of Big Tech, but they're losing me, and if you can lose me, I'm not sure how you keep most people who are inherently less trusting of technology).

Open standards are critical to making this happen. Matter over Thread is a big one. Aliro could be next. I hope we get some cool new devices soon that support all these standards. I will absolutely upgrade.

Now if I can only get someone to install them at my office so I don't need this one damn key...

The common problem many of us face involves keeping track of these notes, linking them, and surfacing them when most beneficial. That's why so many note taking and productivity apps exist, right?

I used Evernote back when it launched. I loved it. But it enshittified quickly. I switched to Google Keep, but it wasn't ideal for notes of any length. I tried Notion, but it felt like I was building a wiki.

Then I discovered Roam Research. That was the day I witnessed a new future. A world in which the books I read, the thoughts I'd written down, the quotes I'd recorded could all inform my thinking and future creative endeavors. Links and Backlinks altered by entire concept of note taking, which is unsurprising, given they're the cornerstone of how we navigate networks that are not our brains. I spent years using Roam, but its development began to stall, and other apps introduced new ideas.

I first tried Obsidian around this time, but it was early, and I was underwhelmed by its features.

So I switched to Tana, which was like Roam Research on steroids. It didn't do everything as well, but it introduced enough new features that made up for any shortcomings.

Tana is complex. This is a benefit and a curse. It is capable of almost anything, but that introduces decision fatigue and insecurity. I never feel I'm using it the "right" way. I'm smart enough to know the "right" way is whatever way works for me, but I can never quite find the way that works for me. I loved its flexibility, its lists and kanban boards, its object-oriented nature where supertags could extend other supertags, and its minute detail. Every node is independent. Every node can be drilled into. Every node can be linked to any other node. This all corresponds well with how my brain works. But the interface is not super customizable, and so I'm never totally comfortable using it. Plus, I could never figure out when to reference a node, or copy a node, or tag a node. I could never decide if everything should be on my daily node or if knowledge should move to idea nodes.

For three years I've tried. My notes are as messy and disconnected as ever.

Partly this is my fault, because I fail to do basic daily or weekly maintenance. Linked notes are only useful if you take the time to link and review them. But it's hard to spend a lot of time in an app that you're not totally comfortable in.

I'm writing this post in Tana as we speak, and I want more line spacing.

Along the way, I tried Capacities, because it was a more opinionated Tana with built in supertags. But I honestly felt it was putting obstacles in my way more than it was lending structure. So back to Tana.

As I'm typing this, I received an email about Tana's new AI voice chat, which could be a game changer. I anticipate LLM access to notes being one of the most revolutionary note taking features in the long history of accumulating knowledge.

But it may be a little too late.

Re-enter Obsidian.

It's MD files can be used with Claude, with Notebook LM, with a local LLM installed on my home server. I'm not forever dependent on the quality of Tana's implementation.

Obsidian is private and eternal.

I love a good cloud service. I've been a proponent of cloud storage and services for over a decade. They keep your device lean, your drives clean, and allow quick switching between devices. As someone in technology who has long bounced between new laptops and desktops and tablets and phones, I've always tried to reduce the friction of setting up a new device. Cloud services make the switching cost minimal (even if the financial cost keeps increasing!).

Of course, the cloud providers are becoming less and less trustworthy. They've taken to using our personal files and data in nefarious ways. I'm not necessarily worried about people reading my thoughts or ideas, but I don't like it happening without my direct permission. And I understand, in most cases, there are no humans in the loop. But that's not always true. Even so, I don't need your machines scanning my thoughts to show me better ads. And I don't need you training an AI on my documents because reluctantly agreed to new terms I never read just to use the service I already pay for.

Obsidian strikes all the right boxes. Local first. End-to-end encryption for syncing across devices. A huge community of developers building tools to make it work better. And almost no lock in. All your notes exist in markdown on your local drive, to be used however you desire and with whatever tools you desire. Tana's notes are locked in, and their export tools are not idea. (It's not really their fault, I don't think. A node based system instead of a note based system is inherently harder to export into a coherent file system).

So today I begin the migration. I plan to start small. To learn the tool and build the workflows that work best for me. Over time, I plan to bring in my previous notes where applicable. Fingers crossed.

I'm excited to try herding thoughts again. I hope this is the final migration, and that Obsidian, with all its flexibility, proves the ideal solution.

Stay tuned.

In 2024, I was learning to fly airplanes, as one does.

Jokes aside, it was amazing. And terrifying. Occasionally, while a thousand feet in the air lining up with the runway, I'd have to remind my brain it was real. This wasn't flight simulator. I... me... shy little Kevin Koperski from Illinois... had the controls of an actual airplane, and the ground beneath me was solid and unforgiving. In my late 40s, I still wondered which adult allowed me to do such a thing.

Before I could solo, I needed a medical certificate. A routine blood test resulted in another surreal and equally unforgiving adventure: cancer. Prostate cancer, to be exact. A genetic legacy from my dad and grandpa. Thanks, gents!

In this video, I wanted to chronicle a little bit of how that diagnosis felt, how it impacted my life, and what it means for my piloting aspirations and future. Spoiler alert: My surgery was a success and I'm currently doing great.

Cancer proved just as scary as flying airplanes, but in a different way. It can be lonely, even with the support of everyone around you. During and after the process, I found solace in the stories of other men with the same diagnosis. I found reassurance and hope. So many men get prostate cancer, but it's not as public as other cancers. I'm not good at public advocacy and stuff like that, but I can at least share my story. Maybe it will bring peace of mind to someone else on the same journey.

So that's all this is. My experience with prostate cancer. I'm particularly lucky to have caught it so early, and I'm thankful for all the help and support. Just wanted to make that clear in a video. Also, I wanted one last chance to use some of my many many hours of flight footage.

Thanks for being here. And thanks for watching. I appreciate all of you.

It's ten am on a Friday. I'm sitting outside in the sun. Leaves fall from the trees and blow across the sidewalks. Autumn is here, but summer hasn't yet conceded its rule. The temps promise to drop fifteen degrees overnight. And while I love the brisk rainy colorful Autumn weather, I'll happily sip my coffee and enjoy this sunshiny warmth one more day.

This week, I've accomplished a lot. I narrowed down the initial architecture for a social app I want to build. I dabbled a bit in HomeAssistant and set up my first local server and docker instance for a computer Home lab. I designed an easily assembled streetlamp that I 3D Printed. It includes a slot for a tiny LED bulb, so it lights up. I may next learn sodering skills so I can add a switch for the bulb, but that's further in the distance. I'm also anxiously awaiting some black metal filament, because the current orange streetlamp (I always have extra orange filament) is a bit too Halloweeny to survive past October.

This week, I also had my initial blood draw for Whoops' Advanced Labs program. I've been excited for this feature since they announced it. Basically, you get a normal blood test that scans for a few extra biomarkers not normally covered by your primary care physician, then all that data populates your app with your other fitness data. Last year, my partner went through a similar program with Functional Health, and she loved it. But given my preference for technology and centralized data, I was extra excited to get my blood work taken on a more frequent schedule and to see the results alongside my other behavioral data.

The process has been great. I chose the number of blood draws I wanted over the next twelve months. I opted for quarterly. Drove to a Quest Diagnostics location five minutes from home. Whoop provided clear instructions. Test went smoothly. Results started to populate my biomarker dashboard the same day.

Most importantly, Whoop offers plenty of insight about every biomarker. What the test measures, why it matters, how it relates to other biomarkers, how it relates to Whoop behaviors (sleeping, fitness, journal data, etc.), and how to improve it. In the past, if a lab test was abnormal, I'd google for an hour and read all sorts of contradictory info about whether or not I'm dying. Whoop puts all that medical info in one place, right alongside your results, and I love it. My traditional trouble spots (i.e. cholesterol) show up. I also see some indicators of inflammation, which feel accurate. Still waiting on a handful of results to arrive, but so far I'm thrilled.

Most importantly, I can modify my behavior, knowing I get tested again in 3 months, which is better than the 12 months I usually wait with a primary care physician. For my brain, this really makes experimentation plausible. I'm not the most disciplined person in the world, but I can certainly manage to (mostly) control my behavior for three months to see if the modifications bear results. I'm super excited about that.

The only feature I'm still waiting on is an analysis of the biomarkers alongside my journal behaviors and exercise habits. I want a plan specific to my data. There's a clinical review of my labs coming once all the results arrive. Once I find out, I'll report back with an update below. Now that Whoop has that data (including some past tests I uploaded to see trends), I hope they can create a more comprehensive analysis and plan.

Fingers crossed. It's the closest thing I've seen to a "full" picture of my health. Optimistic that it can grow into something awesome. Devestated that modern American healthcare hasn't already provided it.

In any case, that's what's happening in my world. Blood, software, and 3D printed streetlamps. What a time to be alive.

I haven't traditionally blogged about my day to day coding adventures, but I dream of blogging much more frequently, so these little mini tasks must become a larger part of my blogging life. They are, after all, a significant part of my life life. Which is probably why I rarely have interesting things to blog about. But I digress.

Today, I challenged myself to set up a Tana MCP server. I use Tana for daily notes, linking notes, tracking projects and tasks. My grand plan was to use Gemini to interact with my Tana workspace, analyizing, prioritizing, and creating tasks while on walks and in the car or even on the web like a glorified personal assistant. Sounded simple enough, right?

First, I dove into Docker, setting it up and creating a container for the MCP server. This was my first experience with Docker, which has long been on my list of "things to learn." (I'm developing my first Home lab, so containers are an important education task to check off, but that's an upcoming post). Turns out Docker is pretty straightforward, even on Windows in WSL. Feeling ambitious, I deployed my newly built container to Google Cloud Run. And guess what? It worked! Everything worked. I couldn't believe it. Felt pretty proud of myself.

Until I realized Gemini couldn't access it. Spent the next two hours troublehsooting. Turns out, the Gemini web and mobile apps can't directly interact with MCP servers. I had never thought to check. So, after a full day of tinkering, my dream of Gemini-powered Tana management was dashed. And yes, Tana has some inbuilt AI functionality, but the two times I tried to use it, I didn't get the results I wanted. Plus, it's not as easily accessible on my phone as Gemini.

In any case, at least I learned a lot about Docker and Google Cloud Run. And who knows, maybe someday I'll revisit this project with a better understanding of the limitations. Or maybe those limitations will vanish soon. The AI world is moving so quickly. For now, I'll keep prioritizing the old way. Or maybe I'll manage all my projects and tasks in markdown. Hard to say.

Anyone else have similar experiences with overly ambitious tech projects?

(Oh, and I'm about to redesign this website again. Why? Why not?)

I live in a townhouse. Or, more technically, a rowhouse. My garage opens to a short driveway connected to the garages of four other families, and our little shared driveway connects to several other collections of rowhouses. In other words, my balcony overlooks a parking lot surrounded by 20 garage doors, which means cars coming and going at all hours. Despite that, the setting is surprisingly calm and residential. Kids play ball, ride bikes, or draw with chalk. Families barbeque. Typical suburbia.

By far the most annoying disturbance to this tranquility is one that doesn't need to exist. Not obnoxious kids or barking pets. Not neighbors blasting music or throwing parties. Not even the constant raising and lowering of 20 garage doors.

Instead, it's the sound of a dozen electric or hybrid vehicles moving in reverse. Regulations are in place to force electric vehicles to make noise when they're backing up. But something has gone terribly wrong.

The high pitched hum or buzz or whine or whatever you call it is nearly constant. I can hear it with my windows closed. I can hear it at night in bed. I can hear it on the third floor, where I'm rarely in danger of getting run over.

The sound is meant to warn pedestrians that a nearby vehicle i backing up. Fair enough. But in reverse, most cars don't travel very fast. So the amount of warning needed is minimal. Maybe 20 feet? Maybe 50? Surely not hundreds. Surely not through walls.

Amusingly, I can't hear a single ICE vehicle backing up. If I hear any noise at all from the Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) vehicles, it's the sound of their rubber tires on pavement, which, incidentally, I also hear from the EVs. I couldn't tell you when the family driving the F150 is backing out of their garage, but I can hear the otherwise silent Rivian.

Lest you think this is simply a hate rant against EVs, know that I drive a Tesla. I love electric cars. Thanks to Mr. Musk's support for bigotry and fascism, later this year I'll be switching to a different EV, but the point remains that I am guilty of inflicting this same noise on unsuspecting pedestrians.

Now, I understand the purpose of this regulated sound. I understand the desire for safety. I do not, however, know the data. Is this a real problem? Are people getting mowed down by backward-moving EVs? Is the regulation to blame for the excessive volume or is it the shoddy execution by EV manufacturers.

What I do know is the noise appears to exceed the volume or range necessary for its intended purpose, and it has made silent vehicles louder than their near-silent ICE counterparts.

That seems like an overcorrection.

If, it goes without saying, this solution has reduced the number of injuries or deaths caused by EVs traveling in reverse, I am happy to live with it. But I'd still argue there must be a better way.

Anyway, back to work.

The Problem: Bookmark Purgatory

I've got years of bookmarks trapped in Audible and Google Play Books. I bookmark sections of text the way I highlight excerpts in ebooks. Hundreds of little moments where I thought, "That's important!" But unlike ebook highlights that sync nicely to note apps using tools like Readwise, these audio bookmarks are basically useless without a ton of extra work. Let's look at the options.

Option 1: The Manual Headache

Download the book if it's not already on your device, open it, find each bookmark (which is never exactly where I wanted it because, hello, I was driving), and then either:

• Transcribe it manually (kill me now)
• Use a screen recorder or second device to grab the audio for AI transcription.

It's doable, but it's a pain. It gets worse if you don't transcribe immediately after finishing the book, because you forget the context of a bookmark and must relisten to a longer excerpt to understand why you bookmarked it in the first place.

Option 2: Buy the Same Book Again

Find the corresponding page in an ebook version and highlight it there instead. This actually works... if you're cool with buying everything twice.

I do this more than I'd like to admit. My digital library mirrors my audio collection for books I really care about. I'm a big fan of supporting authors, but I have the privilege of being able to afford multiple copies of the same book. For those who don't, this is like a tax on using audiobooks effectively.

Option 3: A Real World Physical Book Thing

Buy the physical book, find the page, and use Google Lens to capture the text. My bookshelf is basically a monument to this workaround. At least I'm supporting authors, and I try to buy different places to support indie bookstores as well.

But even if I love buying multiple copies of the same book, and even if I'd do it anyway, this is a silly workaround to grab some text.

And the real killer: we have the technology to fix it!

The Solution: Another Gemini Button!

My phone transcribes voicemails. My meetings get auto-captioned. But somehow audiobook apps missed the memo.

The solution is not complicated. Imagine you're using Google Play Books. You hear something brilliant. Next to the bookmark button is a little Gemini icon (they've slapped AI everywhere else, why not here?). Tap it and choose "Transcribe 30/60/90 seconds" forward and backward from your current position. That quote is now in your notes alongside your text highlights. Or better yet, "Hey Google, Transcribe 30." And if not Google, whatever integrated AI the provider prefers.

Is this rocket science? Nope. It's connecting dots that already exist.

So why isn't this a thing? Maybe it's copyright paranoia. Maybe it's tech integration challenges. Maybe it's specific licensing arrangements with audio book publishers. Or maybe the platforms think it's too much of an edge case to bother with. (I'd guess it's a combination of 3 and 4).

Whatever the reason, it's a massive oversight. People who listen to audiobooks still want to reference what they're consuming. I know I'm not the only one. I've seen AI tools on GitHub trying to solve this problem, but those are complicated workarounds that shouldn't be necessary.

A Friendly Ask. And a Serious Offer.

To Audible, Google, Apple, Publishers, and everyone else in the audiobook game: Please fix this! You have the technology. The need is real. I'm not looking to transcribe entire chapters. A few paragraphs at most. And only to reference them in my notes, not to republish. Add whatever safeguards you need to add to prevent copyright theft. I fully support that. Of course, those rules have already been established in ebooks, so you don't need to reinvent the wheel.

Fellow audiobook listeners: How do you handle this problem? Found any better solutions?

And hey, Google, if you're reading: Call me! I'm a good product manager. I'll join the team. I've basically written half the spec already.

My initial reaction was to deride Intel for overworking people, which is almost certainly what they're doing. After layoffs, employees don't become magically more productive. They're probably working more hours with more stress because they have less help and are afraid of losing their jobs. But what if there was something more?

One of the reasons I prefer working at startups is because you get to dabble in everything. You're doing full stack development. You're designing product. You're writing marketing copy. You're strategizing. It's never boring.

When I've been at big companies, I've always felt a little siloed. You have your area of expertise and your team. Beyond that, your input is not always needed or welcome. At one of my jobs, a product manager and two software developers were responsible for a 300-pixel high section of a website. That was it. That was their entire job. How BORING that must be for everyone involved. (Maybe they liked it. I'm criticizing the system, not them. I simultaneously recoiled at the thought AND pondered the simplicity of life with such a narrow focus, but I digress.)

Perhaps, if it's done correctly, reducing headcount could create opportunities for engineers to broaden their daily experiences and expertise. New opportunities might create curiosity and fulfillment that was previously lacking. Reduced headcount might open the door for advancement. In turn, those engineers, newly energized, might become more productive.

So yes, I think it's possible reducing headcount could make engineers more productive in the best sense of the word. But it's still bullshit. Management wants more work for lower cost.

Maybe some engineer's life will be more fulfilled as a result. But it probably won't make up for the stress and overwork everyone will face. Not to mention the poor people who lost their jobs.

Anyway, that was today's exercise in being less cynical.

My day revolves around my primary desktop computer. It's a hybrid-self-built machine. I ordered the basics (case, motherboard, chip, etc.) in 2021, because it was the only way to get the latest NVidia graphics card. It's an AMD system with 128GB of RAM. I upgraded to the RTX 4090. I function best at a desktop computer with a mouse, keyboard, and many monitors. But you can't easily take a desktop computer with you, which is why everything else comes into play.

The Brains of the Operation: Pixel 9 Pro & Surface Laptop 7

The core of my digital nomadic life revolves around two powerhouses: my Google Pixel 9 Pro and a Microsoft Surface Laptop 7.

The Pixel 9 Pro is, without a doubt, the best phone I've ever used. Google's design language has matured beautifully, and the camera system is simply unmatched. It's my go-to for capturing life's moments, big and small, and staying up to date on news and conversations.

On the productivity side, my 15" Surface Laptop 7 has been a revelation. I've been a Surface fan for years – the Surface Book 2 remains a beloved favorite – and this latest iteration strikes the perfect balance of power and portability. The 3:2 aspect ratio is hard to give up once you try it. I've had a few compatibility issues with the ARM architecture (namely Google Drive), but nothing I couldn't work through. Davinci Resolve works great for my remote video editing. The only missing piece (for my needs) is Unreal Engine power, but few easily portable laptops are truly built for that.

Wearables: Tracking Steps, Sleep, Sound, and the World

My wrists, ears, and face are home to all sorts of technology:

• Pixel Watch 3: Google finally delivered the larger size I'd been craving, and the slimmer bezels are a welcome improvement. The Pixel Watch 3 is my daily driver for notifications, quick interactions, and general activity tracking.
• Whoop Band 4: For sleep tracking, I turn to the Whoop Band 4. I can't sleep wearing a watch, but the Whoop's slim profile doesn't bother me at all. I was a big fan of the Oura Ring, but Whoop's data analysis – particularly its focus on "Heart Strain" instead of just movement – resonates with me. It feels like a more accurate way to measure my overall physical exertion.
• Pixel Buds Pro 2: We all have our preferred earbuds. I'm in the Google ecosystem, and I love the Pixel Buds for music, podcasts, audiobooks, phone calls, and AI chats. Plus they get extra points for coming with one of the most satisfying cases I've ever owned.
• META RayBan Smart Glasses: I picked up my first pair of smart glasses just before the holidays. The progressive prescription lenses required by my old man eyes balloon the cost, but I had to give them a try. For the most part, I love them. It's wild having a quality video camera available at the push of a button, and I'm growing increasingly fond of the open ear audio. The Meta AI has been hit or miss, often failing to answer a question accurately or successfully performing the requested action. I'm eager for Google's entry into the market, but for now these are a fun start to what is inevitably the future.
• NOTE: I also wear traditional watches for fancy occasions, and those mechanical movements are a technological feat of their own, but we'll save that discussion for another time.

Reading & Note-Taking: A Tale of Two (or Three) E-Ink Devices

My reading and note-taking habits are a bit more complicated. I've recently made the switch from a Kindle Oasis to a Kobo Libra Colour 2. Amazon's decision to abandon page-turn buttons was a dealbreaker for me, and I'll explore my thoughts on the Kobo in another post. For now, I'm enjoying the change.

When it comes to digital note-taking, I'm in the midst of a head-to-head battle between the Supernote Nomad and the Remarkable Paper Pro. I was an early adopter of the Remarkable 2 and loved it. I initially picked up the Supernote because of its Kindle app support, hoping to consolidate reading and notes on one device. However, the lack of a frontlight on the Supernote proved to be a fatal flaw – my aging eyes need that extra bit of contrast.

So, I bought the Remarkable Paper Pro, which does have a frontlight but lacks Kindle/Kobo support. I'm torn. The Supernote has a superior writing experience and some unique features for creating headers, links, and outlines that I find very useful. But the Nomad's smaller size doesn't work for my messy handwriting, and it lacks that frontlight. If the Remarkable (or the Kindle Scribe) could adopt Supernote's note-taking innovations, we'd have a clear winner. The larger size of the Remarkable is working much better for me though, and it has that light, even though the Kindle's light is better.

Capturing the World: Pocket-Sized Power, Small Cinema Magic, and a Leica

Finally, my EDC wouldn't be complete without a few cameras:

• DJI Osmo Pocket 3: This little marvel continues to impress me. I've been a fan of the Osmo line since the beginning, and the Pocket 3 is a fantastic tool for capturing high-quality video on the go. Its wide angle isn't always ideal, but it remains a go to device for capturing moments where I need smooth movement. If I ever get around to vlogging more, it'll be invaluable.
• Leica Q3: I've recently started carrying a Leica Q3, and it's been a fascinating learning experience. The image quality is phenomenal, but I'm finding myself wishing for a longer lens option. I'm not a fan of swapping lenses in the field – that bit of friction often deters me from taking photos. The Q3 eliminates that problem, but its fixed focal length also limits its versatility, especially since I'm not comfortable getting too close to subjects in public. Hopefully, I'll improve over time and find more creative uses for it. Sizewise, it's a perfect solution.
• Sony FX30: While I have an assortment of cinema cameras, the one I carry with me most often is the Sony FX30 with zoom lens. It's small and nimble and creates gorgeous video. I took it to Europe last year and it served double duty as a device for video and still photography. It's not perfect for still photography, and most still photography cameras are not perfect for video. Haven't yet found the singular device that makes everything better, but I haven't stopped looking.

BONUS ITEMS:

DJI Mic 2 - I always carry these lav mics in my backpack. If you need to record good audio on the fly with no setup, they're hard to beat. And their case ensures they're always charged.

DJI Mini Pro 3 - When I can, I take a drone with me, and the Mini Pro 3 is my goto. I love my Avata 2 for FPV droning, but it's bulkier and harder to use legally. I've started taking a course for my Part 107 drone piloting license in the hopes I can shoot higher quality footage with bigger and badder drones in the future. Stay tuned.

Oculus Quest 3 - VR is increasingly important in my world. I'm learning to build stuff in VR. I'm experimenting with workspaces in VR. It's wild to sit on my couch with a laptop and have three or four monitors floating in front of me, with passthrough turned on so I can still see my partner in the room. Passthrough changes the game from that perspective, because it eliminates (or at least greatly reduces) the sense of isolation. I've recently embarked on an ambitious (for me) VR project, and you'll hear more about that in the futrue.

Final Thoughts

My 2025 EDC tech stack is a reflection of my evolving needs and preferences. It's a blend of cutting-edge technology and personal quirks, all aimed at helping me stay productive, creative, and connected.

What are your must-have tech items for the new year? Let me know in the comments!

As mentioned in the video, I've long been a fan of Adam's and of Mythbusters, and this seemed like a fun collectible. One of the heads, after all, is also a Star Wars tribute.

Unboxing them left me rather speechless and amused, as you'll see, but I'm glad to own them.

Once upon a time in the 90s, I found a newly released book on the shelf at Waldenbooks. The cover was beautiful. The idea was unexpected and unique. I bought it right away. Read it. Then told everyone I knew they had to read it.

Eventually it became a musical on Broadway. Produced sequels. Now its a major motion picture.

As you can see from the image, I'm talking about Wicked by Gregory Maguire. This well-read first edition has been on my shelf since that day decades ago, and I thought I'd show it off.

In the video, I talk (for too long, no doubt) about my earliest experience buying Tad's books, about various editions I've collected over the years, about a painting, and a special one of a kind printing of To Green Angel Tower.

In the video, I mention returning that copy of To Green Angel Tower to Tad so he can use it to raise more money for charity. Shortly after making the video, I had cancer surgery, and everything was put on hold, but that plan will start again soon.

For now, let this video stand as an ode to one of my favorite authors of all time, a magical storyteller, a spectacular wordsmith, a prolific purveyor of portly tomes (that phrase just popped into my head, and I like it; Tad's books are LONG), and a phenomenal human. More to come.

The promo is part of our plan to find funding. We have a pilot draft written, most of season one summarized, and we're currently working on budgets and a pitch deck. The purpose of the promo was to demonstrate the production quality we hope to achieve.

I wrote the promo script, but everything else is the magic of Brian Dean. I'm thoroughly impressed by how much he can acheive in Unreal Engine.

There's a way to make this happen. There's a way to build these projects cheaper than a traditional studio. We just have to figure out how to finance it.

Step one for anyone reading this: Subscribe to our YouTube channel and watch our videos. Thanks!

I recently tested out Move.AI, a machine learning motion capture technology, for my work with Amulet Studios. I made a video about it.

Basically, without capture suits, a multi camera setup can record your motion, clean it up, and apply it to animation engines like Unreal Engine 5. The process is super impressive. The price? Not as impressive.

Ultimately, we couldn't use the tool due to price and capture volume limitations. But there's no doubt in my mind this is the direction the technology will move.

October 2025 Update: I'm no longer part of Amulet Studios, but I'm still proud of the video. It was the first time I've experimented with more of a narrative introduction. Turned out great. And by watching it you help out my friend Brian Dean.

In the video, I walk through the different sets. I show the art. The cards are high quality, the art is beautiful, and the collectible components are perfect for any Lord of the Rings fan.

Since I made the video, there have been Kickstarters for The Two Towers and Return of the King. All were successfully funded. I don't think the third Kickstarter has delivered yet, and I haven't made a video for The Two Towers cards, but they're equally stunning.

They're made by a company called Kings Wild Project. You can buy the non-Kickstarter-exclusive cards on the Kings Wild Project website.

In this video, I unbox them and share the tale of my Mythbusters love.

It's a reminder that sometimes the most meaningful things in life are the ones that bring us together and spark our curiosity.

Have you ever had a show that created special memories for you and your family? Share your stories in the comments below! Or on YouTube!

Five years ago, I sold a business, made a little money, and have since spent lifetimes in my head searching for the next project, the true purpose, the most meaningful way to spend the next phase of life.

I haven't found it.

I've dabbled in the insurance world, cofounding a business meant to help those who've lost a job and can't afford health care. The business is beginning to soar, but I left it after two years, unhappy with the execution and direction, having lost my passion for it. That being said, I'm thrilled for my former business partners and the team they've built, and I wish them enormous and continued success.

I'm dabbling in the animation world. I enjoy it, but I have yet to discover how best to apply my skills. For the first time in life, I feel I'm too old to master something new, and I'm not the right person to perform the other needed tasks. The result is frustration and confusion, but I'm trying to learn and make it work.

I've produced podcasts, invested in web3.0 companies, helped friends improve the designs of their own apps.

I continue to believe digital currencies, ownership, and governance will be fundamental to the future world, even if hype (and venture capital) have moved to more buzzy ideas like AI. They'll return, because the rise of AI has only exacerbated the need for digital ownership and creator protections. This is something I'm passionate about, but I haven't yet found the right outlet to express those passions.

I've invested in community solar projects, shifted to EVs, and looked for ways to use more sustainable products like toothpaste and bamboo toilet paper. I'm intrigued by renewable home energy solutions. Sadly, my knowledge of physics is too dated and rudimentary to let me pursue this passion in anything other than a consumer and investor role.

I continue to read and learn about America's systemic issues, the need for representation, the realities of privilege. I'm disgusted by the blatant racism of the right wing political party, their lack of awareness, their self-centered nature, their ignorance, and the violence they advocate. Unfortunately, I feel that, even if I knew how, I am powerless to affect change.

I'm fascinated by metaverses, VR/AR, and autonomous vehicles.

I'm writing this on one of the many e-ink tablets I'm experimenting with, because years of taking notes by typing have not made me a better thinker. I will share more about this soon.

My penmanship sucks.

I'm on another diet.

I'm enrolled in flight school. Flying a Cessna 172 out of Chicago Executive Airport (KPWK). I will save my thoughts on this for another post.

I continue to make videos for my YouTube channel, purely for fun. One of my flying videos has racked up over nine MILLION views, which is insane. If I was determined to turn my channel into an aviation channel, I might be able to benefit, but as a student pilot I don't think I'm qualified to say anything meaningful about aviation, and so the views are more a curiosity than anything.

I have basic outlines (and even drafts) of several novels. The only way they'll ever be finished is if I devote myself to full-time writing. With so much money flowing outwards (to out-of-state colleges), my brain argues this isn't a financially worthwhile pursuit. Of course, now I sound like my own parents when I told them I wanted to major in creative writing. The circles of life...

I'm dealing with a medical issue I don't want to talk about yet. It's my first brush with mortality. I have feelings about it. Some days those feelings weigh heavier than others, but I believe they're all normal and expected.

My partner and I plan to move to Seattle early next year. That's exciting.

I still want to explore. I want to climb mountains. I want to create something meaningful. I'm inching closer to the later half of life. Perhaps I'm well into it. I still dream of changing the world. Age and experience have demonstrated the near impossibility of such a feat. They've also proven I'm ill suited to accomplish it. But they haven't dulled the desire.

Intellectually, I still feel 25. Emotionally, I feel about 40. Physically... Let's continue.

The state of Kevin is uncertain, confused, determined. There is so much still to do.

I remain ever hopeful.

So I've long been fascinated by watching how other people put together LEGO. Not sure why. Maybe I'm looking for some secret productivity tips or ways to make my fingertips less sore.

Regardless, I decided it was my turn to make a LEGO video. One Saturday night, I turned on all the cameras and started building. If you watch enough of it, you'll find out if I finished in one night or not.

I certainly had fun doing it.

I don't think there's anything of montary value in here, but there's a lot of nostalgic value. While you'll never hear me wax eloquently or otherwise about the quality of Star Wars episode 1 as a movie, it's still part of a universe I love, and the hype leading up to its release was visceral. I'm STILL excited about it, even after seeing the film three times in the theaters and being less impressed with each showing.

Nevertheless, we had waited since childhood to see more Star Wars by the time Phantom Menace arrived, and I had a job, which meant I could almost afford to buy too much mass produced merchandise. So I did.

Let's unbox it and see why this thing costs so much money. I love toys and tech.