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Issue 3: I found the login creds

Don't call it a comeback.

Author

Oliver Haslam
August 01, 2025

May 5th. That’s when Pixel Fun #3 went out. Today? I’m starting to draft this on August 1st. My fingers and toes say that’s (carry the two, move the decimal) too long between issues.

Admittedly, it’s been quite a few months for me and my family — check issue #2 for an idea of why. But that doesn’t matter, I wanted to build Pixel Fun out and I distinctly remember telling someone (you know who you are) that I wouldn’t write two issues and no more.

So I’ve been thinking about how I can fix this and get you people more issues in your Inbox. I know it’s the first thing that some of you look for each day, and that you’ve been heartbroken at its no-show. No need for a show of hands.

So the plan? Read on, and you might just find out.

📰 So, what’s the plan?

I’ve spent the last few weeks thinking about how I can streamline the Pixel Fun creation process and make myself more likely to actually do it. And I think I know what’s happening.

By publishing these issues on Sundays (there or thereabouts), I’m finding that, by the end of a week writing thousands of words, I sometimes just can’t do it. I spend a lot of time in front of this monitor, and the thought of doing it on a Sunday isn’t something that I relish. It also isn’t fair to my family, either. And they’ve had to put up with me firing on less-than-all cylinders the last few months as it is.

Another consideration is getting things together for the issue, let alone actually writing the words. Some thought needs to go into the content, and sitting down to do that before even writing anything adds to the time it takes and the mental bandwidth it requires. I need to find a hook for the main story, plus interesting (I hope) things that I’ve been doing or tried in the days prior. Sometimes, candidly, I just can’t face it.

So, what’s the fix? Well, it’s fixes, really. And this is still fluid. I remember saying early on that the Pixel Fun format would change as I figure out what works and what doesn’t. So here’s what I’m going to do:

  • I’m going to use some new tools to collect things I do, read, and play during the week that might be useful for Pixel Fun content. I’ll do this as they come up, so I have a bucket of ideas to dip into when I need it.

  • I’m going to go for speed and consistency over quantity. That is to say, I’m going to stop treating Pixel Fun as a multi-thousand-word editorial. Instead, it’s going to be more like a tweet thread. [Aside, did you know there’s an app for reading Twitter threads? I didn’t, but now I do. And you do, too.]

    • The idea is that I make it quicker and easier to actually write these things, so that I do it. I’ll then expand and grow sections and whatnot once things settle down here (waves arms at everything that’s eating mental bandwidth) and I find a format that works.

  • I’m going to toy with publishing these issues on different days in an attempt to avoid the weekend. It might work, it might not. We’ll find out together.

    • This means you’re getting this on a Friday or Saturday (depending on when I get it finished!), but next week’s might come on a Wednesday. But there will be at least one a week.

I’d also like feedback — reach me anywhere you like and tell me what you want, what you don’t want, and when you want it. I can see stats on open rates and whatnot, so I’ll hopefully figure out if sending the newsletter on specific days works better than others from here, too.

So there we have it. It’s a Pixel Fun relaunch of sorts, but definitely not a comeback.

I’ll save that for next time.

🎮️ What I’ve been playing

  • Disco Elysium (Steam, via GeForce Now) — Far from a new game, I’m not even sure what made me take a look after all these years. It reminds me of old-school point-and-click games and touches on a range of grown-up topics that are pretty fascinating. [Steam]

  • The Drifter(Steam, macOS) — A new game that I’m only about an hour into, but it’s another point-and-click affair. It has a cool 8-bit pixel look to it, and I have a feeling it’s going to have a great story once it opens up. It’s also incredibly cheap. [Steam]

  • The Callisto Protocol (Xbox Series X|S) — Another game that’s been around for years that I always fancied trying. I finally did - a couple of days before Microsoft removed it from Game Pass. I enjoyed it so much I resorted to buying a disc-based version for £4 because it’s £55 in the Xbox Store! It’s a game similar to Dead Space and has you trying to escape a jail on a distant planet that you shouldn’t have been in in the first place. Oh, and they’ve been running experiments on inmates that went very wrong. Good, mindless gaming at its best.

🗞️ What I’ve been reading

✍️ What I’ve been writing

  • I’ve been testing the Edifier M60 desktop speakers for a few weeks, and I’m a big fan. I hadn’t used speakers for years, choosing to use headphones or earbuds instead. These speakers changed that — read my review on AppleInsider.

  • I also finally got around to finishing up my thoughts on the Oppo Find N5. It’s the best foldable (OK, the only foldable) that I’ve ever used. It’s also the foldable that Apple should have made. Read my review and thoughts about Apple’s lack of a bendy iPhone on AppleInsider.

  • Along with its speakers, Edifier also sent me its NeoBuds Planar earbuds for review. They use magnets to make their magic happen, unlike normal earbuds, and they do sound great. But there’s a problem. Read my AppleInsider review to find out what that is.

🖥️ What I’ve been using

I’ve been playing with some new AI tools that might make their way into a future Pixel Fun issue, including a cool journaling app called Rosebud.

I’ve also been trying to use Due, an app that’s been around forever, and I’ve used it sporadically. It’s sort of like a task manager, but nags you until you dismiss it. I’m using it right now to remind me about things that normally slip my mind — are the kids drinking water, have I actually moved recently? That sort of thing. Not so much tasks rather than nudges, if that makes sense.

Expect to read more about both of those in the coming weeks.

💸 Deals you shouldn’t miss

  • If you don’t have a pair of AirPods 4, check out the list of deals on CNET. There have been some incredible discounts of late. I’m a huge fan of the AirPods 4 (ANC), but Apple is going to want those back in a couple of months. 😧 

  • What’ better than a cheap USB-C charger? Well, two of them, of course. How about two USB-C chargers with cables for just $12?

Until next week(ish)!

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