Techie Chores to Help Pass the Time Until There Is a Vaccine for COVID-19 [Updated]
✅ Desktop folder cleanup
I themed my Windows 10 laptop over the weekend with wallpaper by Elora Pautrat. I love her Japanese-inspired photographs and illustrations, not to mention her work is done in a color palette that resonates with me currently. I found an old Sailor Moon theme from ThemeWorld way back in the day in ye olde internet archives and extracted the cursors and icons to match along with the wallpaper.
✅ Smartphone folder cleanup
My current smartphone, the OnePlus 8, is a mess. I have more than five years worth of chat logs, app caches, outdated memes, and accidental downloads clogging up my phone’s storage space. Can you believe I walk around with this much shit on me? This is the kind of collateral that cults use to blackmail people into doing what they want. Anyway, I will probably never get to this because it’s too much emotional labor.
Update: I did this on the OnePlus 8 before switching to the Pixel 5! Though I downgraded a bit, from 256GB to 128GB. But that’s fine. Most of my space is taken up by ROMs and TV clips.
⬛ Smart lights
I need to get each smart bulb properly labeled and assigned to the room it’s in. Some of the office lights are now in the bedroom because I switched bulbs between light fixtures without changing their name and placement within their respective apps. Some lights remain permanently off because no one knows their names.
⬛ The other smart stuff
There’s too much to divulge. Trust me on this one. I will never fix this. I will never fix this.
⬛ Plex server
There are lots of duplicates on there, along with garbage that no longer deserves a home. I also want to move my “physical” media (DRM-free purchased MP3s and CD and DVD rips) so that it’s immediately accessible on the network. I want to add podcast feeds, too, and peruse what they’re offering to stream for free. I gave up on this because now I subscribe to nearly every damn streaming service. They got me.
⬛ Robot vacuum
It sits in the broom closet, whimpering for a purpose. Mona kept stepping on it. It went back in the closet. I gave up on this because Mona kept stepping on the vacuum. It’s back in the closet.
✅ Routines
This involves more smart gadget stuff. I’m tired of talking to Google, and it never understands what I’m trying to say. I’m tired of naming things certain names and still not having Google understand what I’m referring to, no matter how much I try to simplify it. It’s starting to impact our lives because it’s impacting bedtime.
I need to set up Google’s new Action blocks to get my daughter’s room ready for bedtime. This task also involves getting rid of existing smart home routines that I have set up through IFTTT since they’re going pro, and I absolutely need to cut down on the number of services I’m paying for. And anyway, I hear things about Tasker/Tasky. Look it up!
Update: I set up a few Action Blocks for my home office. I’m waiting to see what happens to Assistant’s Routines later this year.
⬛ Start a Depop store
This one probably has you like, “Really, Flo?” But I am still stuck at home, unable to see my friends, and so I’m biding my time with projects like this. Anyway, I will probably make a spreadsheet or a page on my website to advertise what I’ve got. Or I’ll donate all my clothes again. I don’t know. But how I dressed a few years ago when I was still going into an office is very different from how I dress now.
✅ Clean up Discord
I think I started the Flo Feed Discord server last year? It’s been a wonderful ride, and the community is growing slowly but surely. Join us. And maybe soon, you’ll see that I have taken advantage of all the chat service has to offer.
Update: We have badges! And a code of conduct! And an announcements channel! And I managed to do three audio sessions. I’m hoping to do more over the summer. Come and join us!
⬛ Bookmarks, biatch
They’re all over the place, with folders interspersed between important and not-so-important links.
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Love those photos colour palettes for your desktop, will match your keyboard