Another year is (almost) ready for the history books, and as has become my tradition, I’m writing my annual end-of-the-year retrospective. There’s no doubt that this has been a very challenging year. March saw me sent to the home office, and though I returned to the office in May, working from home has become far closer to the norm. This was beneficial when we were ordered back to the home office in mid-November.
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Favorite things in 2020
For the fifth year running, I’m sharing my favorite things of the year. There’s no denying 2020 has been a hard year on so many of us. Here are some things that have made the year a little better for me:
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Use slow periods to your advantage
Many techs will agree with me in preferring higher-intensity periods to lower-intensity ones – as long as the workload doesn’t exceed capacity. There is a simple reason for this; when there is a lot going on, you simply can’t afford to procrastinate, and so you’re forced to do your work as efficiently as possible.
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A tale of two union representatives
(Or: Why I am a union representative)
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Review: Peak Design Everyday Messenger
I’ve been a fan of Peak Design for a long time, and have previously reviewed both their Everyday Backpack, as well as their Travel Line, both of which I picked up through Kickstarter. I have been so impressed with the quality of the products that I also picked up their Everyday Messenger bag back in the late summer of 2019. The one I got was the updated version, and I used it on and off until I hit a few problems with it and contacted customer support.
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Review: Apple Watch Series 6
Back in 2018, I reviewed my Apple Watch Series 3. Three years post-purchase, everything I wrote in that review still holds true; the series 3 has served me well on a daily basis since I bought it, with very little in the way of issues, and a full day of usable battery power between charges – though use of GPS or exercise apps tends to drain the battery more quickly.
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Review: COBI Smartbike adapter
A couple of weeks ago, I reviewed my Yuba Supermarché transport bike. One of the things I noted that I was missing was some solution to offer phone and satnav integration. As it turns out – and as I knew full well when writing my review – there is a solution for this; the COBI Smartbike Adapter. The adapter replaces the Intuvia display. I got the universal version, which holds your phone with a spring-loaded clamp.
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Setting your work hours in Outlook
I recently set my Skype for Business client to ring simultaneously on my computer and my cell phone. I did not, however, want it to do so all the time, and set Skype for Business to only apply the call forwarding settings during my Working hours:
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Setting alternative ringing plans in Skype for Business
In the past few weeks, I’ve been spending a lot of time in meetings, and have missed incoming Skype calls because I didn’t bring my computer (I only bring my computer if it is relevant to do so, opting for pen and paper a fair bit of the time). I decided it was time to delve into the alternative ringing plans in Skype for Business. To get started, click the call forwarding icon in the bottom left of your Skype for Business window, and go to Call Forwarding Settings:
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Creating a safe working environment through information sharing
In my job, I use a number of collaboration tools. From email and instant messaging to browser-based collaboration platforms, they help me get information, generate information, and share information. My ambition is that the vast majority of questions any of my colleagues may have about the peculiarities of our customer-facing systems. Our documentation systems are open – at least to reading – by default. This way, anyone can look up information on any system.
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