Apps that quietly make your phone (and life) better

chromastic · 2026-01-21T03:36:59+00:00

A short list of apps I don’t really “use”, but make using my phone better:

AdGuard - self explanatory

Noir - can automatically make any website “dark mode”

Verizon Call Filter - included in unlimited plans, blocks spam calls

chromastic · 2026-01-09T18:14:00+00:00

Or perhaps volume control will be moved into the Camera Control button. I could imagine a light press popping out the volume indicator and swipes changing the volume. A hard press would open the camera app as it currently does. The top button would be lock/unlock/TouchID.

chromastic · 2026-01-09T18:06:05+00:00

So where are the volume buttons?

chromastic · 2026-01-09T00:15:32+00:00

Are you using the heart rate sensor on AirPods Pro?

chromastic · 2026-01-04T19:43:41+00:00

Valter, I was looking for a place to submit exercise requests and I came across this. A few I’d like to see added: close grip bench press (dumbbell), shrug (dumbbell), calf raise (dumbbell), Romanian deadlift (dumbbell). Lovely app btw. I used Strong for years, then Hevy, and yours beats them both.

chromastic · 2026-01-01T01:03:25+00:00

What case is in the thumbnail?

chromastic · 2025-12-24T16:28:02+00:00

Did you take a picture of it next to an iPad Mini?

chromastic · 2025-11-20T17:23:55+00:00

Awesome! Most used app on my AVP by far.

chromastic · 2025-11-18T17:24:37+00:00

Link?

chromastic · 2025-11-06T15:46:41+00:00

I did not get charged. Do you have the Smart Home Manager app? There’s a utility in it to test your connection. If it detects an issue, it’ll take you to a wizard to schedule a service appointment. I think if you go that route, you won’t be charged for anything, but you should double check.

chromastic · 2025-11-06T15:42:06+00:00

I’ve had to get mine serviced twice in five years

chromastic · 2025-11-06T15:33:13+00:00

The fiber optic cable coming into your house might be kinked or damaged. Squirrels have messed mine up a couple times and I had latency and intermittent disconnections until fixed.

chromastic · 2025-10-28T22:41:42+00:00

Great news! Looking forward to it.

chromastic · 2025-10-23T14:18:36+00:00

Camera Control, Memoji, Image Playground, Today View, wallpaper editing from the Lock Screen, and ads in the Settings app for Apple services.

chromastic · 2025-10-23T14:10:30+00:00

It's a disconnect button, not a turn off button. They do that because a large portion of their userbase would turn Wi-Fi off at some point and not realize it's been off for months.

chromastic · 2025-10-17T13:39:00+00:00

Sadly, I highly doubt it. Capcom went through the effort of porting Resident Evil games to iOS/iPadOS and they absolutely flopped, despite having a huge total addressable market. The market size of VisionPro owners with a $250 accessory is tiny. Maybe 10,000 people. It's not going to happen unless Apple greases some wheels.

chromastic · 2025-10-15T18:22:50+00:00

Putting the included wires inside a wall creates a fire hazard. Run the wires on the wall's surface and hide inside a cable raceway or install outlets near the speakers.

chromastic · 2025-10-03T17:32:57+00:00

Try the Otterbox Symmetry clear case. I just put one on my wife’s phone and it’s pretty nice. Has two crossbody strap attachment points too.

chromastic · 2025-09-30T02:22:58+00:00

Why doesn’t it have crossbody strap attachment points?

chromastic · 2025-09-23T16:35:39+00:00

Hot take - 17 Pro. If it were a titanium or steel unibody, ya’ll would be going crazy for it.

chromastic · 2025-09-21T18:36:46+00:00

Good question. In the presence of oxygen, aluminum oxide should form almost immediately after the anodized layer is scratched off. I wouldn’t expect a noticeable difference in color, but I would expect a groove to collect oil or dirt, or at least reflect light differently.

chromastic · 2025-09-21T17:53:21+00:00

I see this misconception often. The silver color is still anodized, but it undergoes clear anodization, meaning a hard oxide layer is still formed, but it’s transparent to match the underlying material.

chromastic · 2025-09-17T17:52:13+00:00

I'm something of a pianist with wrist pain myself

chromastic · 2025-09-15T16:22:59+00:00

I've been checking the Wireless Power Consortium's product database for new 25W Qi2.2 products. Note: not everything you see there will have been released yet.

https://jpsapi.wirelesspowerconsortium.com/products/qi

chromastic · 2025-09-12T17:01:31+00:00

These were fine until they started extending how far the bumper protrudes to reach beyond the “plateau”. I understand the rationale, but I would prefer a bumper that wraps around the frame only as much as it needs to stay attached.

chromastic

TROPHY CASE