The blog

Posts

81 entries available, including notes on places, technology, food, and everyday life

  1. My Apple Watch is frozen in time

    My Apple Watch is frozen in time

    life

    About how I got my Apple Watch and the end of Apple’s software update support for it

  2. Like button

    Like button

    code

    This is a post where I explain how I animated my blog's like button

  3. Blog Under Construction

    Blog Under Construction

    tech

    This is the first time I'm talking about the redesign of the website where I host my blog.

  4. August 12 Eclipse

    August 12 Eclipse

    places

    The day I saw a solar eclipse for the first time.

  5. Millosaurus asphalticus

    Millosaurus asphalticus

    life

    I've loved dinosaurs ever since I was a kid. I find it fascinating that millions of years ago, these gigantic, colossal creatures actually walked this planet. Just thinking about…

  6. My Treat

    My Treat

    tech

    Sometimes we want something that is hard to justify: a luxury, an indulgence, something completely unnecessary that we obviously do not need but would still love to have. For some…

  7. Be kind

    Be kind

    life

    When I went to Montblanc last weekend, I joined a excursion, very similar to the ones we used to take at school. You meet at a specific time and place, and they take you somewhere…

  8. Medieval Week in Montblanc

    Medieval Week in Montblanc

    places

    A few days ago, Sant Jordi was celebrated in Catalonia. It comes from a legend about a knight who killed a dragon that was terrorizing a town, and from the dragon's blood a red…

  9. I don't want miles anymore

    I don't want miles anymore

    life

    One of my most popular posts is about the value of Revolut points and how I make the most of them by buying Amazon gift cards. It got me thinking that its popularity comes from the…

  10. Barcelona Hat Walk

    Barcelona Hat Walk

    places

    I've always wanted to wear a hat. I've seen enough movies and TV shows to associate hats with elegance, but I still haven't found one that really fits my style or that I feel…

  11. Three Toed Sloth

    Three Toed Sloth

    life

    I find it really interesting to write about this animal because it's very common in my country, but whenever I talk about it, people usually have more questions than I can answer.…

  12. How I: manage my media server

    How I: manage my media server

    tech

    Previously, I mentioned that I had set up a Plex server at home. It is all very small scale and homemade, everything runs in Docker containers, isolated from each other but able to…

  13. MacBook Air Is Such a Good Deal

    MacBook Air Is Such a Good Deal

    tech

    In 2022, I had to buy a new computer. I was working for a company that didn't provide a work laptop, and I literally had to run to the nearest Apple Store to buy the best machine I…

  14. Expiring soon

    Expiring soon

    tech

    When I started working as a programmer back in 2010, I had the brilliant idea of buying a domain.

  15. Geodesic

    Geodesic

    places

    the shortest route between two points on the Earth

  16. Between Fuji and the Ofuro

    Between Fuji and the Ofuro

    places

    I've just come back from my vacation in Japan, and even though I truly want to write about the many things that happened, I feel like I'd leave out thousands of details. Fifteen…

  17. how I: reduced ads on my devices

    how I: reduced ads on my devices

    tech

    Last October I took part in the Bearblog carnival with What's In My Inventory?. I enjoyed sharing and comparing my experiences with others. This month I also wanted to participate,…

  18. Smartphones lifespan

    Smartphones lifespan

    tech

    In January 2011 I bought my first smartphone. At that time, it was still uncommon to see people walking down the street with a phone like we do today. There were already some…

  19. 4 years abroad

    4 years abroad

    places

    Today marks four years since I packed a couple of suitcases with everything I owned, went to the airport, and boarded the flight that completely changed my life. It has not been…

  20. Homemade apple cake

    Homemade apple cake

    recipes

    It was Sunday afternoon and my partner felt like making a homemade apple cake for coffee time. It was my first time baking, but I remembered how my mother used to do it, so we got…

  21. nativity scene exhibition

    nativity scene exhibition

    places

    Apparently, this December has been the rainiest in the last 30 years in here, so I haven't gone out much. I've mostly stayed at home studying, watching the TV Shows, and drinking…

  22. nativity scenes

    nativity scenes

    places

    Given that in my culture the Christmas season is closely associated with the birth of Jesus, I grew up setting up nativity scenes during my childhood, so for me, seeing them…

  23. white christmas

    white christmas

    life

    When I was little, I had an internal conflict about what Christmas is and what it isn't, because in my country December is summer and Christmas is always associated with Santa…

  24. Choosing an eSIM

    Choosing an eSIM

    tech

    The holidays are getting closer, and with them the countdown to my trip to Japan something I check daily. It's a long awaited trip that will last just over two weeks, so I need to…

  25. How i: Add 'Reply via Email' links

    How i: Add 'Reply via Email' links

    tech

    Lately I've been spending more time on my programming side projects, where I learn something new every day. I've also been trying to make my code open-source to give back to the…

  26. Real information without noise or clickbait

    Real information without noise or clickbait

    tech

    Kagi is a search engine that, at first glance, looks a lot like Google or DuckDuckGo. Its homepage features a clean, simple design with a few links at the bottom. One of them leads…

  27. Información real sin ruido ni clickbait

    Información real sin ruido ni clickbait

    tech

    Kagi es un buscador web que, a primera vista, se parece mucho a Google o DuckDuckGo. En su página principal encontrarás un diseño simple y limpio, con algunos enlaces al pie. Uno…

  28. I still pay for a password manager

    I still pay for a password manager

    tech

    I have to admit something: I pay for a password manager. And I know that with so many options out there (many of them free) I should probably try to justify why I pay for one,…

  29. Multi-language blog

    Multi-language blog

    tech

    I was thinking about how to make my blog multilingual, because even though I really like having content in English, sometimes I'd like to write things in Spanish... or maybe in the…

  30. Flightly's update

    Flightly's update

    places

    When we take a flight, it always involves two airports (the departure and the destination). The destination one is the quickest: you get off the plane, go through immigration, grab…

  31. What's In My Inventory?

    What's In My Inventory?

    life

    I love the idea of imagining what items someone would drop if they were a video game character who just died, as proposed in the Bear Blog Carnival November prompt: What's In My…

  32. Disabling Bear's upvote-button

    tech

    3 ways to disable the Bearblog vote button: --- TLDR: makediscoverable > false --- 1. CSS This is the most hackable option, since anyone who changes the CSS from the browse's…

  33. He montado un servidor Plex en casa

    He montado un servidor Plex en casa

    tech

    No estoy en contra de pagar por servicios de streaming, normalmente lo hago, tengo una o dos suscribciones activas por mes, pero a veces quiero ver algo un sábado por la tarde y no…

  34. I've set up a Plex server at home

    I've set up a Plex server at home

    tech

    I'm not against paying for streaming services, I usually do, I keep one or two active subscriptions each month, but sometimes on a Saturday afternoon I want to watch something…

  35. TikTok algorithm

    tech

    I'll talk about TikTok as if I were talking about any short-video platform (it could just as well be Instagram Reels or YouTube Shorts) but it's more fun to just say TikTok and be…

  36. more creators, less autogenerated trash

    more creators, less autogenerated trash

    tech

    I've gone back to my old ways, I downloaded my favorite podcast app again because I like listening to the voice of a real person who recorded some audio and uploaded it to the…

  37. ultra-processed information

    ultra-processed information

    tech

    After returning from vacation, I fell ill with tonsillitis, which took me over a week to recover from. During that time, I was like a zombie at home; I didn't think, didn't…

  38. summer vacation summary

    summer vacation summary

    places

    Vacations are meant to be enjoyed, a time to disconnect and reset from the daily routine. This year I took 9 days off, and I can sum them up one by one with a photo. It was an…

  39. cultural shock: vacations

    cultural shock: vacations

    places

    A year ago, I moved to Spain, and it's been quite an adventure. Some things align well with my lifestyle, while others are completely different from what I expected or imagined.…

  40. Rest is progress too • weeknote vol.1

    Rest is progress too • weeknote vol.1

    life

    This week was truly a period of rest (just work and a few chores) no major events. It's during times like these that I realize how important it is to give the mind a break. Routine…

  41. Balcony People

    Balcony People

    places

    A year ago, I made the decision to move to Spain. It was a quick, almost impulsive choice, made without really thinking much about what I'd find here. And what I've found is a…

  42. Ethnic Origins

    Ethnic Origins

    life

    Seven years ago, there was a big trend around those DNA test kits that use saliva. I bought one to analyze my ancestry and got my results. A few weeks ago, I noticed they had…

  43. Netflix with ads

    Netflix with ads

    tech

    I've been running away from internet ads for a while now. They're everywhere - every corner is packed with ads, and it's almost impossible to escape them. That just makes you more…

  44. Not drowning, just learning

    Not drowning, just learning

    life

    I love the ocean and rivers - the rhythm of the waves, the refreshing sweetness of river water. But growing up, I almost drowned maybe three or four times. Those experiences…

  45. Free Museums

    Free Museums

    places

    In Barcelona, museums aren't usually free, but since 2009 the city council has promoted a proposal to open museums for free on the first Sunday of each month, and that has sparked…

  46. Lilo & Stitch

    Lilo & Stitch

    life

    I consider Lilo & Stitch a good movie for kids. It's not my favorite, but there are a couple of things you can learn from that unique duo, a person rejected by her peers and an…

  47. Homemade Carbonara

    Homemade Carbonara

    recipes

    You may not know this, but I once lived in Malta for a while, close to Italy, which allowed me to enjoy authentic Italian food every week at very low prices. That made me fall in…

  48. My custom theme

    tech

    Although at times I've wanted to host my blog on my own server, the truth is that each platform has its own community. One of the reasons I chose bearblog is because it lets you…

  49. The path since my first job

    The path since my first job

    life

    I've realized that it's been almost 15 years since I had my first job, and that makes me reflect on everything that has happened during this time, as I've learned things along the…

  50. Sant Ponç

    Sant Ponç

    places
  51. Revolut Points Comparison

    Revolut Points Comparison

    life

    I've been analyzing Revolut's points system, comparing debit and credit cards, and I found some interesting insights worth sharing. To make it easier to understand, I created a…

  52. Sant Jordi en Mataró

    places

    Sant Jordi) es el mejor día del año para muchos catalanes, y cada vez enamora a más personas, incluso de fuera. Libros, rosas, primavera, buen tiempo... La gente en la calle se…

  53. how i: cook lentil stew

    how i: cook lentil stew

    recipes

    On Saturday, I suddenly craved a good lentil stew and realized that I had never made one in my life. This filled me with incredible embarrassment because I didn't know whether it…

  54. Somebody... wants to sell me something!

    Somebody... wants to sell me something!

    life

    When I was a child, I remember some advertising jingles that stuck in my memory. They were original, catchy, but most importantly, they were fun. I might sound like a grumpy old…

  55. The Hidden Beauty Above

    The Hidden Beauty Above

    places

    Walking through the streets of European cities without looking up is a missed opportunity, as the architecture and decorations of many buildings that are part of daily life can…

  56. Road Signs in the Countryside

    Road Signs in the Countryside

    places

    I recently moved to a new apartment, leaving behind the bustling metropolitan area of Barcelona and settling in a more rural part of Spain, where the noise is minimal during the…

  57. Humanity's Stubbornness

    Humanity's Stubbornness

    places

    Barcelona is a place full of history. It´s wild to visit spots that have been worshipped for centuries. One of those places I recently visited is the Montserrat Abbey. I was…

  58. You Don't Need an App

    You Don't Need an App

    tech

    I've been in the app development game for a while now, working on all kinds of projects. And after giving it a lot of thought, I've landed on my default answer whenever someone…

  59. Concert Vibes

    Concert Vibes

    life

    Since I can remember, I've been to festivals where artists throw down their bangers to hype up the crowd. I even hit up a couple of concerts back in my youth, but honestly, I just…

  60. Similar but not the same

    Similar but not the same

    tech

    I keep hearing people say all phones are the same, and honestly, I'm always tempted to explain why I kinda agree but also don't at the same time. Like, look at phones nowadays —…

  61. The Beauty of New Beginnings

    The Beauty of New Beginnings

    life

    Sunsets are those moments of the day that a lot of people look forward to, with their epic colors and that dazzling start to the night. But we often forget about their counterpart,…

  62. Metro Vibes

    Metro Vibes

    places

    Public transport is like the backbone of a community, but honestly, it's one of the most overlooked things in so many countries I've been to. It's super essential for breaking down…

  63. It feels like

    It feels like

    life

    Weather apps hit us with the temp in Celsius (or Fahrenheit), giving us a solid read on the actual heat, right? But like, even though that's super precise, we humans vibe with way…

  64. Embrace the 'So What?'

    life

    In today's world, haters and negativity are just part of the game, but Susie Moore's "So what?" mindset is like our secret weapon. When you come across nasty comments or life's…

  65. The Rise of 'Smart' and 'AI': Not-So-Impressed Perspective

    The Rise of 'Smart' and 'AI': Not-So-Impressed Perspective

    tech

    Let's talk about it – everything's gone smart, everything's gone AI, and it's low-key annoying, right? 🙄 With the advent of the smartphone, I couldn't help but wonder, is this…

  66. Is Apple's ecosystem a trap?

    tech

    Today, Apple dropped the bombshell that it's planning to hike up the prices of its services. This news got me thinking: Is this Apple ecosystem the real deal, or is it more like a…

  67. The Power of 'Setlist' and Music Prepping

    The Power of 'Setlist' and Music Prepping

    life

    So, a while back, I hit up a couple of lit concerts, ones I was vibing with, but it was kinda 'meh', not the vibe I was chasing. That's when my homie put me onto this thing called…

  68. My Maltese Sojourn

    My Maltese Sojourn

    places

    So, it's been 8 months since I packed my bags and moved to Malta, and honestly, I don't have a whole lot to spill. At first, I thought it might've been a major oopsie, but as time…

  69. The Techno-Optimist Manifesto

    The Techno-Optimist Manifesto

    tech

    We believe in the power of tech to make our world awesome. Check out how we roll: Tech is Our Jam: We're all about tech, from gadgets to apps. It's our thing, and we embrace it…

  70. Dark Harvest, a Halloween Flick

    Dark Harvest, a Halloween Flick

    life

    I'm super skeptical about Halloween movies, you know? It tend to be so cliché, but this one was surprisingly lit. Dark Harvest tells the story of this farming town that's like…

  71. The Wild Story of Doritos and Disneyland

    life

    Yo, ever thought of Disneyland and, like, crisps at the same time? Bet not. But, fun fact, one of the most 🔥 snacks out there, Doritos, got its start there! Back in the 60s,…

  72. Naples: Overnight at the Airport

    Naples: Overnight at the Airport

    places

    So, like, last week I dipped to Ireland, you know, just a quick escape from the sizzling heat of Malta for a hot sec. And guess what? I finally got to live out a dream I've had…

  73. El efecto Diderot

    life

    Crear un pequeño ecosistema de productos Apple me ha llevado a replantearme si realmente es lo quiero o necesito, pero esta espiral en la que he caído me ha traído tantos…

  74. The Diderot effect

    life

    Creating a small ecosystem of Apple products has led me to reconsider whether it's really what I want or need, but this spiral I've fallen into has brought me as many benefits as…

  75. Change of Electoral Address

    life

    The presidential elections in Costa Rica are approaching, so I will conduct an experiment: voting abroad. Here I share the first part of the process. Costa Rica is a small country,…

  76. The Transformation of Companies: Is It Still the Same?

    tech

    Buying, acquiring, and merging software companies is a common occurrence nowadays. But at what point does a company cease to be the same as it was originally? For example, if…

  77. Inbox Zero

    Inbox Zero

    tech

    Inbox Zero is something personal, something that starts from privacy and isn't really meant to be broadcasted or shouted from the rooftops. It's not because we should feel…

  78. Pay to Win

    tech

    The issue with free apps is that we developers need to eat, just like every other human being on this planet. Such free applications are known as "freemium." While they are indeed…

  79. Notion

    tech

    Notion is like a collaborative workspace that aims to be a versatile multipurpose tool for content organization. Whether you need an app for tasks, a notepad, a calendar, or a…

  80. Apple Watch

    tech

    Before discussing the origin of the Apple Watch, we must first consider Apple's entire product line-up and analyze them closely. Their main products are the Mac, iPad, iPhone,…

  81. Password Managers

    tech

    A few years ago, the term "password manager" was a rarely used term and even unknown to most people. Whenever someone needed to use a password, they would memorize it, because they…