After a 12 months of freelancing, I began full-time with Android Central in December 2020, making this the tip of my third 12 months with the positioning. However in some ways, it was a model new starting.
I switched from a jack-of-all-trades function to at least one targeted on wearables and health. I dove into the Put on OS ecosystem, reviewed many of the finest health watches of the 12 months, used the Quest 2 and three for exercise assessments, and customarily had a implausible time doing it.
Wanting again on 2023, I had loads of excessive factors to be pleased with, together with tech developments I am enthusiastic about and a few enjoyable hobbies that stored me sane through the countless occasions and deal-writing.
These are my high ten issues that I liked doing or seeing throughout 2023! (And hold an eye fixed out for my colleagues’ personal high 10s all through the upcoming week.)
I wore six smartwatches and confused my neighbors
My most-read article of 2023 was my 6,000-step strolling check carrying an Amazfit, Apple Watch, COROS, Fitbit, Garmin Forerunner, and Galaxy Watch directly whereas strolling across the neighborhood. Garmin got here closest to the true quantity, with manufacturers like Apple, Samsung, and Fitbit falling behind in accuracy.
Other than weirding out a number of neighbors, the expertise confirmed me that persons are actually within the fundamentals of how their watches work — particularly after seeing different tech websites copy the format advert nauseam for their very own articles — and that I actually take pleasure in testing these mechanics for myself.
I walked 10,000 steps a day for a month
Writing is a really sedentary and time-consuming job. That, mixed with the pandemic, stored me indoors, gaining weight and shedding motivation. Attempting to maintain up my mileage solely led to a critical foot concern in early 2023 that made it go utterly numb if I ran longer than a mile — and it took months to heal.
My pivot to turning into Wearables Editor motivated higher habits and gave me the excuse to depart my desk for “analysis.” I walked 10,000 steps a day for a month, with the necessity for that picture above getting me out the door once I’d sometimes have stayed inside and performed Pink Lifeless Redemption 2.
As of December, I’ve run 650 miles this 12 months, about 250 greater than in 2022, and my cellphone estimates that I’ve walked one other 1,000 miles on high of that. Up to now, it is helped me lose about 20 kilos from the beginning of 2023 — seven throughout my month of strolling.
My Forerunner 965 made me higher at respiration
I gave the Garmin Forerunner 965 a glowing assessment this 12 months after which stored on carrying it, even whereas reviewing different watches. The primary purpose is due to its “coaching load ratio” stat: it tells you ways a lot of your coaching load ought to go into low cardio (gradual and simple), excessive cardio (quick and lengthy tempo), or anaerobic (max HR intervals and sprints) exercises to get quicker.
Following Garmin’s TLR algorithm works, and that is not simply shopping for into the advertising and marketing. I boosted my VO2 Max rating from 46 (“Good” for my age) to 50 immediately (“Wonderful”) over the span of some months with no different teaching.
I can run a number of extra miles earlier than feeling drained, and I can run 400m about 25 seconds quicker than in the beginning of my coaching. Primarily, I can convert oxygen into power higher than I’ve in years.
My hope is that my increased VO2 Max and elevated mileage can be a robust basis to make 2024 even higher and to get again to marathon runs once more!
Operating watches are getting REALLY good
I solely began as Android Central’s major health reviewer in 2022, and I’ve to say that I am fairly spoiled. I missed out on many years of watches that slowly packed in all the options that I take without any consideration.
I liked the Forerunner 255, however I by no means actually understood what number of of its perks, like restoration time estimates, coaching load ratio, and dual-frequency GPS, weren’t issues that previous Garmin watches had. Now, I totally rely on these for my coaching, and new Forerunner 965 perks just like the Hill Rating are serving to me enhance in new methods.
I am additionally thrilled to see manufacturers like Garmin, Polar, and Suunto transfer on from boring MIP shows. New operating watches use AMOLED as a substitute whereas nonetheless providing two weeks or dozens of GPS hours of battery life. Loads of long-time runners took offense to my stance, however I’ve no nostalgic attachment to MIP: I need the identical visible high quality you get in a real smartwatch, and now I’ve it.
My cat stopped making an attempt to kill me
Early final 12 months, I wrote about how my newly adopted cat, Blue, ruined the Quest 2 for me. His one little mind cell could not comprehend that I could not see him, so I might both kick him or journey over him each time he went in to herd me round or demand pets. Neither of us was protected!
Virtually two years later, I am joyful to report that he is begun to know that he ought to watch me from afar once I placed on the bizarre plastic factor and begin waving my arms.
Plus, my two new VR headsets of 2023 make passthrough an even bigger precedence. My PSVR 2 has a devoted button to test my environment, and my Quest 3 has higher decision with full shade and extra mixed-reality video games that go away your quick environment seen. It actually helps!
I went to my first Google I/O
Regardless of dwelling so near Mountain View, I solely ever visited the Shoreline Ampitheatre for live shows rising up. This 12 months, I had the prospect to go to Google I/O 2023 and meet with AC’s former EIC Jeramy Johnson for the primary time in particular person! This is hoping I can do the identical with my different colleagues sooner or later (all of us work remotely in several states).
The occasion was just about all about Google’s pivot to AI to compete with Microsoft and OpenAI, which I objectively know is essential however subjectively have bother getting previous the copyright theft and job alternative it represents.
I had extra enjoyable taking part in with the Pixel Fold and Pixel Pill for the primary time, units that really feel older than they’re by advantage of Google seemingly by no means speaking about them.
I satisfied my companion to attempt an Android cellphone
I am spoiling an article popping out later this month, however oh properly. My companion has used an iPhone for the reason that lineup’s early days, however her first cellphone was an previous Razr flip cellphone. Listening to her reminisce about how a lot she preferred it and the way boring iPhones have gotten, I requested my colleague Nick Sutrich to mail the Motorola Razr Plus for her to attempt.
I am unsure that she’s totally shaken off Apple’s maintain on her, as she nonetheless loves her new Apple Watch Collection 9 and AirPods. However she’s advised me how a lot she loves the quilt display screen, the higher Google integration, and the distinctive foldable expertise that makes her excited to truly use her smartphone once more.
The largest downsides are the dearth of iMessage — although the new Apple RCS coverage may change that — and the beautiful horrible battery life. Nevertheless it’s good to be a dangerous good affect and provides her a brand new smartphone perspective.
I began rereading Star Wars Legends
With all of the work and operating, my studying type of fell off a cliff this 12 months, so I turned to the consolation reads of my highschool days. I actually like a few of the Disney canon books like Grasp and Apprentice and Thrawn, however now I am going again to the unique Star Wars canon books that sparked my love of sci-fi.
Up to now, I am just a few books deep into Michael A. Stackpole’s X-Wing collection, which nonetheless holds up very well with the motion, characters, and coronary heart (even when Corran Horn is extra of a Mary Sue character than Rey ever was). Then it is on to Inheritor to the Empire by means of Survivor’s Quest, the true classics, earlier than I’ve to determine if I need to wade again into the Yuuzhan Vong books once more…
I additionally reread Dune, which I like now much more than I did when my mother made me learn it as a teen. And I am re-listening to the Rob Inglis Lord of the Rings audiobooks.
I began a Baldur’s Gate 3 marketing campaign
My previous faculty pals and I’ve performed just a few Dungeons & Dragons campaigns over time. We defeated an evil magic college floating within the sky, deserted the DM’s quest to begin a rock band and battle David Bowie, and began our personal pirate crew. We even did a homebrew D&D/ Star Wars hybrid marketing campaign.
We had fallen off of our campaigns just lately, however Larian Studios’ Baldur’s Gate 3, with its multiplayer mode, has introduced us again collectively for a chaos gremlin marketing campaign. It stars my good friend’s Darkish Urge character with a nudist streak, my different good friend’s overpowered gnome wizard that collects familiars like Pokemon, and my no-inhibition barbarian who likes to begin fights with the worst doable odds.
It is introduced us numerous pleasure to have a sport that feels prefer it has only a few limits on what you are able to do and does the laborious work of making a marketing campaign and visualizing the world so our drained brains do not should.
I received by means of a tough 12 months
We have seen greater than our justifiable share of worldwide turmoil and political battle this 12 months. With out diving into specifics that do not belong on this website, it appears possible that 2024 will inundate us with extra brutal information of battle and dying, together with a nerve-racking election 12 months (no matter your views).
Realizing that, I can solely attempt to treasure and nurture the positives of my life, whilst I acknowledge how fortunate I’m to have such a rewarding job and protected place to stay — and keep conscious of what is taking place exterior of my peaceable bubble.
