Category: Tech

Living by Joe WilcoxMay 8, 20269:25 pm

For Love of Country

I shot the Featured Image at 200 megapixels on Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra, yesterday. I usually just stick with the default 12MP. But, considering celebration of the United States of America’s 250th anniversary is imminent, I chose to step it up. Vitals: f/1.4, ISO 10, 1/435 sec, 23mm (film equivalent); 3:28 p.m. PDT.

The neighbor who placed the lawn decoration is patriotic, and he and his wife are involved in the local Republican party. Other signs on his street are angry, and many take positions that would appear to be deliberately hostile to his own. Unusual and revealing: The—how shall I put it—large number of opposition signs per capita. Pick any house, and someone has a liberal position or cause you are supposed to know about—and accept.

Photo by Joe WilcoxMay 7, 202610:19 pm

Google Store, San Diego

I remember when Fashion Valley Mall had three tech branded boutique stores—Apple, Microsoft, and Sony. In my analysis, these digital lifestyle shops were the future of tech retail. But I was wrong. Microsoft Store opened in late June 2010 on the same day as Apple’s massive iPhone 4 launch. Microsoft shuttered all 83 stores 10 years later. Sony exited branded retail earlier, in 2014.

Fast-forward to the renewed future of digital lifestyle branded boutique stores. Tomorrow, Google joins thriving Apple Store as a Fashion Valley tech retailer. San Diego marks the 10th location, and it is well-placed, too—upper level across from the food court and in the same quadrant as Anthropologie, Banana Republic, and Oliver Peoples. That’s a high-traffic corridor.

Photo by Joe WilcoxMay 6, 20268:56 pm

Why Wait for Mother’s Day?

Our daughter brought home Baby’s Breath as an early Mother’s Day gift. I write on Wednesday, the holiday is Sunday. I take full blame for the haphazard way the flowers are crammed into the IKEA TILLBRINGARE pitcher. Annie, the artist, can make any changes tomorrow.

The Featured Image, cropped square from a 4:3 original, comes from Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra. Vitals: f/1.4. ISO 160, 1/120 sec, 23mm (film equivalent); 8:11 p.m.

Photo by Joe WilcoxMay 5, 20269:57 pm

How We Named Her

Two days ago, I asked on Facebook: Why Did You Choose Your Child’s Name? An aunt, niece, and two sisters responded. For example, Nanette answered about another niece: “Lynnae’s name was chosen as part of my middle name and adding the ‘ae’ to make it unique”.

My wife and I considered several names before settling on Molly for no reason that I can recall. Coincidentally, my then 94-year-old great-grandmother started a health decline during the late stage of Annie’s pregnancy—and she was way overdue! I told Annie that the baby wasn’t coming out until Gram passed. She died on August 1st, Molly was born the next morning, 18 days late. I would later learn that Molly is a nickname for Mary—Gram’s name. Serendipity?

Photo by Joe WilcoxMay 4, 20269:44 pm

What’s in a Grocer’s Name?

I made an organic milk run this evening and decided to take a stock shot. One of the many improvements that Samsung makes with the Galaxy S26 Ultra: Wider-aperture telephoto lenses that let in more light, which improves night shooting. The Featured Image, unedited and composed as captured, is good example. Vitals: f/2.9, ISO 640, 1/120 sec, 115mm (film equivalent); 8:51 p.m. PDT.

The choice of Sprouts is deliberate, and not just because I shopped there. The grocery store prohibits taking photos onsite; any attempt indoors will summon an employee lickety-split. In fact, if you need assistance and can’t find anyone around, pull out your phone and pretend to photograph something. It’s like rubbing the genie jar and poof.

Photo by Joe WilcoxMay 3, 20269:23 pm

Pumps for Trump

Something’s not right when your local, normally reasonably-priced filling station sells gasoline above the statewide average. According to AAA, as of today, the national average gas price per gallon is $4.446. We pay more than any other state, $6.101, which as you can see from the Featured Image is about 10 cents higher. The station is located at El Cajon and Texas on the North Park side of the street. The Arco on the University Heights side of Texas is a dime less per gallon.

As the conflict, let’s call it war, with Iran continues, the long-term consequences are all guesswork, and plenty of pundits try to do just that. I suspect the immediate impact will be diminished in the United States because of domestic energy production and what the Trump administration can siphon off from Venezuela.

Photo by Joe WilcoxMay 2, 20269:37 pm

The Cats of University Heights: Oren

We reach a little ways into the backlog to Aug. 11, 2025 for an unusual putty-tat. Look at those ears, which inspired the nickname, Oren, translated from the Dutch. Oren is the eighty-third cat found behind door or window, since the series‘ start 10 years ago.

I used Nikon Zf and NIKKOR Z 28-400mm f/4-8 VR lens to capture the Featured Image, which is close-cropped. f/8, ISO 560, 1/400 sec, 400mm; 3:01 p.m. PDT.

Photo by Joe WilcoxMay 1, 20269:16 pm

Once More, We Say Good-bye to San Diego Zoo

Our zoo membership expired yesterday; we chose not to renew. My wife and I hadn’t gone in months, with paid-parking changes one of the major factors keeping us away. Technically, members don’t pay to park, but confusion and congestion diminished the attendance experience.

I wonder how many members the zoo has lost because of the end to free parking for all. Matters are worse at Balboa Park, where many museums report attendance declines of 20 percent or more. Technically, both places are walkable destinations from our apartment: 3 km (1.9 miles) to the zoo, 3.3 km (2 miles) to the park. But the aforementioned confusion and congestion remain deterrents. Sigh.

Photo by Joe WilcoxApr 30, 20269:18 pm

When AI Makes You Somebody Else

Earlier today, as a memory, Microsoft OneDrive presented photos taken on this date in 2022—when the village of University Heights celebrated 25 years of its iconic sign. I had captured the majority of pics using Leica Q2 Monochrom, which was beyond my meager amateur skills. I sold the camera to a doctor in December 2024.

Looking over the selection, I chose one random street shot for artificial intelligence embellishment. I clicked the “Restyle with AI” button and typed “colorize”, which took surprising amount of time to do. The app, running on Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra, presented three options. I saved them all for your review, because the AI did more than add color; it made some surprising changes to the content that you must see.

Photo by Joe WilcoxApr 29, 202610:33 pm

Stone Cold Truth

I remember a time, before the stones, when this space between sidewalk and street was filled with green grass. Trees and grass are my definition of green. For some other folks, green is about climate change and being green by, for example, reducing water consumption; yeah, a lawn consumes plenty.

But gravel and concrete also absorb heat and hold it at ground level, which sure seems contradictory to the objective of reducing global warming. By contrast, planting things that grow, like grass and trees, cool at ground level and pull carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere and release oxygen.

Photo by Joe WilcoxApr 28, 202610:16 pm

A Century Later

Sometime last year, this historical sign appeared in Old Trolley Barn Park, here in University Heights. When I scan the area with my eyes, my mind can’t imagine what the place looked like a century ago, when Trolley cars traversed Florida to the structure at Adams that would hold 100 of them.

In the 2020’s, the area is a calm green space beneath towering, majestic trees. A swing set and kids play area also add to the park’s charm and usefulness.

Photo by Joe WilcoxApr 27, 20268:05 pm

The Cactus and Its Creator

I am fond of University Heights neighbors who are San Diego natives and/or raised families here. This gentleman, who for privacy purposes isn’t named, often sits with his wife on the swing. He rocked back and forth as Annie and I visited him today.

The 89-year-old bought the house 56 years ago. Many of the generational homeowners inherited properties from parents or grandparents. In this case, he is the original owner, parent, and grandparent. He has living children who own homes elsewhere in the city.