To help you guys learn more about me, I compiled a list of ten facts about the technology side of my life. Some of the entries are minor tech facts about me, while others are short anecdotes about my tech history and past mishaps. Enjoy!
1. I frequently change my wallpapers.
Every so often, I turn on one of my devices, look at its wallpaper, and think, “Well, I’m over this.” At that point, I go hunting for a new look. Once upon a time, the images reflected whatever I was into at the moment, like TV shows, movies, or anime. These days, it’s more likely to be one of my K-Pop groups or biases.
Where I get the wallpapers depends on the device. For my phone, whose wallpaper I change the most, I primarily get pics from social networks (Twitter/X and Threads). I take a screenshot of the image so it will fit properly and take up slightly less storage space than a download. For my computer and iPad, I try to find higher quality images to download from the web. You do not want to know how big my wallpaper folder is.
2. I like fancy discs.
I don’t burn CDs much these days, but there was a time when I burned them quite often. I was always backing up my latest iTunes purchases or creating MP3 CDs so I wouldn’t have to carry as many discs with me on the bus (this was before I owned an iPod). Although I had my share of the regular silver CD-Rs, I preferred to get discs with pizzazz when I could find them. Decorated discs felt less like cheap CD-Rs and more like official CDs.
Looking back, I had a nice collection. I bought a pack of TDK discs that were solid red or purple. Another pack from Maxell had a variety of designs and colors. The Verbatim pack, which looked like vinyl records, were my absolute favorite discs, though. They were so cool.
3. I accidentally stole Wi-Fi one time.
Before I owned a computer of my own, I often used my friends’ computers when I visited their houses. On one visit, one of my friends told me to sit by the window to use her laptop, not at her desk like usual. When I complained about the weak Wi-Fi signal there, she told me to slide the laptop across the window sill until I found a stronger one. It was a bizarre situation.
Many years later, I realized, “Oh my God, we were stealing Wi-Fi from her neighbors!” I was so ignorant about computers (and naïve in general) that the whole thing went right over my head. I still feel horrible about that.
4. I sleep with my gadgets in my bed.
Before I go to sleep at night, I always line up my iPad and phone beside my pillows. If I can’t have them in the bed, I put them on the next closest surface. I would probably put my laptops in the bed too if I could get away with it.
I’m not sure why I do this. Maybe I need to be surrounded by my beloved belongings even in sleep. Maybe I don’t want my expensive and hard-to-replace gadgets out of my sight. Maybe I’m a tad OCD. According to my parents, I did the same thing with my favorite toys when I was a kid.
5. I name my iOS devices after songs.
Although my computers’ names tend reflect the device’s brand (ex. “Presario” for my Compaq Presario laptop), I like to have special names for my iOS devices. For some reason, song titles became naming scheme.
J-Pop was my favorite genre when I bought my first iPods—as I explained in my post about my iTunes Play Counts—so I usually use anime song titles for names. For example, my first iPod touch was named “Lonely in Gorgeous” after Tommy February6’s Paradise Kiss opening theme. To me, the iPod touch was literally alone in its beauty. My second iPod touch bucked the J-Pop trend, though. I named it “Total Eclipse” after Bonnie Tyler’s “Total Eclipse of the Heart.”
I’ll probably use some K-Pop song titles eventually. I almost named my current iPad “Fantastic Baby” (Big Bang).
6. My first dual boot cost me $200.
My earliest attempts at setting up dual boots between Windows and Linux were disasters. My very first attempt, wherein I tried to install Mint Linux alongside Windows XP on my netbook, was the worst of all.
It started when I messed up the partitioning. My netbook’s 160GB hard drive came partitioned into two equal sections (plus a small recovery partition). But I didn’t install Mint on the second, non-Windows partition. I accidentally chose the “install side-by-side” option, which put Mint on its own paltry 2.35 GB partition. I deleted the partition so I could reinstall Mint properly.
It was a rookie mistake. I couldn’t boot into Windows anymore. I didn’t have Windows recovery discs to restore the Windows bootloader. I didn’t know how to use a bootloader repair program or the live Linux disc for recovery. I panicked and installed Mint over Windows XP, which was an even bigger mistake because I still needed Windows for class.
I now refer to this incident as “The $200 Mistake.” That’s how much I had to pay for a boxed copy of Windows 7 to fix my mess.
7. My favorite mobile game is Angry Birds.
I’ve bought and played almost every game in the franchise. My all-time favorites are Angry Birds Go and Angry Birds Epic, while my least favorite is Bad Piggies, which was too hard. I play Angry Birds Dream Blast! every single day.
I love all things Angry Birds. The birds and pigs are interesting characters. Bomb, the exploding black bird, and Terrence, the large red bird, are awesome. The hatchlings are adorable. Even the pigs, who are technically the enemy, are fun to interact with. I enjoy seeing what scenario Rovio will put them in next. I’m not immune to the merchandise either. My current work notebook has The Blues on it. I even owned two T-shirts. I’ll love the birds forever!
8. My favorite font is Segoe UI.
I always type things using Microsoft’s Segoe UI font. It’s simple yet attractive. It’s easy to read because it looks relatively big even at small sizes. I set it as the default font for every writing-related program I use on my Windows computers. Even if I’m shipping the document in a different font, I still type it in Segoe UI.
9. I owned a pseudo-computer as a kid.
When I was a kid, I fell in love with my friend’s VTech PreComputer 1000, one of those “computers” that you give little kids. It had a narrow LCD strip for a screen and a full (nonstandard) keyboard. It had trivia games for different school subjects, word games like Hangman, and typing practice games. It even had a handle. I was so happy when I got one of my own. I took that thing everywhere.
I eventually outgrew the PreComputer 1000, having matured enough to want a real computer. But I’ve kept the device all these years. It’s still fun to play with.
10. My stereo is haunted.
My RCA stereo is awesome but super spooky. In the middle of the night, it reboots itself, making the CD tray rotate loudly and a welcome message blink in my face. At the crack of dawn, it turns itself on and blasts the radio, scaring the crap out of everyone. It shuts itself off while I’m using it. Worst of all, it resists all attempts to set the correct time.
There are several reasons why my stereo might act so crazy: age, dust, faulty outlets. Until I determine the real reason, I’m sticking with haunted.