Joshua Lowcock sometimes blogs on non-work-related topics, most of which are posted below. For the more technically-skewed posts, you can find a list of those here. Separate from the blog, there is also a list of handy websites, lifehacks, and other useful tips here. For tips specific to macOS, you can find macOS tips here.
Joshua previously published a weekly email, called Last Week in Digital Media. The newsletter summarizes the latest news in digital media, marketing, and technology of the week. The email newsletter was published for several years and was available as both a (limited) free or paid subscription. The archive is still available.
If you’re after thought leadership pieces by Joshua, you can find them here.
Need something less serious? Go here for some fun!
Recent Blog Posts
Lifehack: Free Remarkable Calendar Template (2024)
If you're after a free Remarkable calendar template for 2024, I recommend ReCalendar.me. This creates a PDF calendar with hyperlinks, that you can use on your Remarkable tablet. You just write on the PDF as you would any other document. It's 100% free and has all the features you need: no hacks needed hyperlink dates multi-language support custom left or right-hand configuration custom special dates (mark birthdays, anniversaries, etc) 100% Free Please note calendar template is a free PDF calendar optimized for the Remarkable tablet. It's easy to use, just upload the PDF file to your Remarkable using the Remarkable ...
2023: The Best Replacement USB C Laptop Charger (Dell, Lenovo, HP)
If you're like me, you're probably frustrated with the large power brick that ships with your laptop. It takes up too much room in your bag, it's impossible to keep the cables tidy, etc. If you're after a smaller and easy to keep tidy laptop charging setup, then I can help. This is my personal laptop charging setup. I use a Lenovo Laptop which according to the power brick is a 45W charger. Most laptops require at least 45W. You can check what you need on the brick of your original charger but as a word of advice, you're unlikely ...
Guide: Best MacBook Air MagSafe Continuity Camera Attachment
I have been looking forward to macOS 13.0 or macOS Ventura, as it's also known, mainly to test the continuity camera feature. I own a MacBook Air M2, and the 1080p camera is a step up from the older M1 720p camera, but the thought of being able to use my iPhone camera on my MacBook for proper high-quality videos was something I couldn't wait to use. The best MacBook Air MagSafe Continuity Camera Attachment I have found is this one on Amazon. It's under US$25 and available now. The Belkin continuity camera isn't yet available, and I didn't want ...
Fix: Microsoft Teams macOS Update Audio Driver
If you're running Microsoft Teams on macOS and get an error message that says: Update driver? Looks like your audio driver is a little out of date. Update to the latest version for the best sound-sharing experience. It's easy to fix and not some Windows-induced bug... I mean who has ever had to update a driver on macOS? It has absolutely nothing to do with the version of Microsoft Teams or macOS you're running, it does require installing a Microsoft Teams driver - but it's easy and takes less than 2 minutes. Here's how to fix the Microsoft Teams macOS ...
Fix: Google Home “Something went wrong” Error
Recently my Google Home/Google Nest started giving the "Something went wrong. Try again in a few seconds” error. The issue was intermittent, and restarting the device or rebooting my router sometimes worked and sometimes didn't. What fixed it for me was disabling IPv6 on my router. So the simple answer, how to fix the Google Home "Something went wrong" error is to disable IPv6. Yes, this means all your devices at home lose IPv6. I have searched, but there doesn't seem to be any way to disable IPv6 on Google Home devices. There's an old Google support post that suggests ...
Lifehack: Freeze Your Credit for Free (2023)
If you want to freeze your credit it is a smart move given the frequency of data breaches, hacks, etc. The whole process from beginning to end takes about 5-10 minutes and you will need to do it at each of the three (3) credit reporting bureaus. It's 100% free to freeze your credit. It's also easy to unfreeze your credit and all of the services also offer a "credit thaw". A thaw lets you schedule an unfreeze and then it will freeze again after a specified date. Useful if you're applying for a loan, etc. Remember, you will need ...
Fix: How to delete Microsoft Edge “Other Favorites’ Folder (Works!)
If you use Microsoft Edge (I do) and are annoyed by the "Other Favorites" folder that you can't delete, it's easy to fix. In fact, it's so easy to fix, you will sigh with relief and curse Microsoft at the same time. This fix works and takes under 1 minute. Yes, I know you can't right-click to delete it. But all you need to do is delete any bookmarks in that folder and it will disappear just like magic from your favorites bar. Yes, that's right. It's as easy as deleting anything in the "Other Favorites" folder. No, It won't ...
Guide: Remarkable 2 v Kindle Scribe Feature Comparison Table
In September 2022, Amazon announced the Kindle Scribe – entering the writable eInk space and competing head-on with the Remarkable 2. I own the Remarkable 2 and I pre-ordered the Kindle Scribe. The table below is a quick summary of the differences between the Remarkable 2 v. Kindle Scribe. It's the feature comparison chart you're looking for (waves hands in a mysterious Jedi-like manner). If you're after more details, I have a write-up comparison of the Remarkable v. Kindle and each individual feature and what it means here. The best value on the Kindle Scribe is to buy a bundle, ...
