Tag: Pixel 10 Pro XL

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 WilcoxApr 17, 202610:04 pm

Whew, Does Infection Stink

We had to take Neko to the veterinarian, today, for his first visit since 2013. He is a generally, and surprisingly, healthy cat. We adopted him from the San Diego shelter in March 2012. The professionals there estimated his age at two years. But days later, based on Neko’s teeth, the vet believed four years, which makes him likely somewhere between 16 and 18 years old.

Because of his advanced age, we were reluctant to take him for treatment. We correctly worried that all the change and stress would take a lot out of him, and it has; that could end an old cat. He was his normal old self beforehand: Alert, active, and demonstrating normal appetite. Tonight, he is listless and sullen.

Photo by Joe WilcoxApr 15, 202610:13 pm

What is That Yellow Thingy?

I finally left behind Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra and carried Google Pixel 10 Pro XL on a walk with my wife, yesterday. How can the photo capabilities be tested, if I rarely use them? Problems, all design-related: heftiness; physical balance; overall feel of the device; disabling glare/reflection from the display. I easily prefer the S26, which is better balanced in the hand and as measured by meaningful benefits.

That brings us to the Featured Image, which presents the view into downtown Hillcrest from the Georgia Street bridge. Vitals: f/2.8, ISO 51, 1/1099 sec, (synthetic) 230mm (digital and optical zoom); 11:38 a.m. PDT.

Photo by Joe WilcoxMar 9, 202610:17 pm

I skewer Samsung’s Smartphone Flagship

The Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra arrived this morning, about two days ahead of official availability. Already, a few design decisions rile me, and they could possibly be dealbreakers. Hopefully, they won’t be.

In my September 2014 analysis “In Good Design, Balance of Benefits is Everything“, I explain the importance of features, and the benefits they deliver, working well together without detracting from one another nor diminishing a device’s most fundamentally essential functions. If, for example, the new thingy takes away battery longevity—and that’s a customer priority—the digital device is unbalanced.

Photo by Joe WilcoxMar 5, 20268:43 pm

Night Sight Street Test

I don’t showcase Google Pixel 10 Pro XL often enough. That demands remedy. So, tonight, I took the smartphone out onto one of the streets here in my San Diego neighborhood of University Heights for a quick go: Four shots of various compositions, and the first is the Featured Image. One capture could have been enough.

Vitals: f/1.7, ISO 34, 1/13 sec, 24mm (film equivalent); 8:01 p.m. PST. I had to hold the phone high over my head (look at the shadow), which risked camera shake blur. But the photo—automatically captured in Night Sight mode—is sharp enough.

Photo by Joe WilcoxFeb 11, 20269:34 pm

Better Beans, British Baked

I love baked beans, but not the amount of added sugar that is typical for the recipes, particularly from canned brands like B&M and Bush’s. My culinary adoration is cultural: Home-cooked baked beans are a Saturday night tradition throughout parts of Maine. The practice goes back to the Puritans, who cooked beans ahead for the Sabbath. That method remains in the Modern era as “bean-hole beans“, which inside a cast-iron pot are buried in burning embers of a campfire to cook overnight.

One canned option does appeal to me. While not the liveliest recipe, being somewhat bland, Heinz baked beans imported from United Kingdom are tasty enough and they have the lowest amount of added sugar—4 grams, for a total of seven—of any variety from any manufacturer. Serving size: Half cup. I last bought them from World Market in summer 2021—two 12-can cases. But the cost currently is too high: $3.99 for a 13.7-ounce can, or $47.88 per case.

Photo by Joe WilcoxFeb 9, 20269:36 pm

The Cats of University Heights: Berry

This is one of two kitties seen sunning behind vented screens along Meade (cross-street withheld). You’ll have to wait for a better portrait before the other joins the series. Nickname, for no particular reason: Berry.

I don’t recall the number of furballs featured from the street, but it’s only a handful. To name a few: Amanda; Chipper; Dragon; Honey Bunny; Mittens; Ninja; Pee-Pee; Siamese; Tink; and Vivienne.

Photo by Joe WilcoxFeb 1, 20269:53 pm

The Cats of University Heights: Chestnut

The owner of Bruce either spotted him or his doppelgänger the other night. He vanished over Memorial Day weekend 2023, and she and others have sought him since. He was an extremely popular cat, who was best known for his quirky personality, bowties, and walks with his caretaker and her dog.

Could Bruce really be alive and living a few blocks from his home territory? The supposed sighting occurred on historically-designated Shirley Ann Place—a street I loathe and generally avoid. There is a perpetual cultural/political war over there that manifests in the signage and other yard accouterments. As such, the street has a negative vibe. I see it, feel it, and am repulsed by it.

Photo by Joe WilcoxJan 20, 20269:07 pm

Consultant @Work

After a nearly two-year delay, I present the last unopened Android Collectible in the @Work series: Teacher / Counselor / Consultant. Why not sooner? I looked for something in the news that seemed appropriate for presenting the droid. But nothing piqued my sense of story. So, we advance without one.

Closest thing would be a conversation yesterday, with someone I can’t reveal from a non-profit I can’t identify because the conversation wasn’t meant for public disclosure. However, I can say this: A consultant brought on to take the role of a fired employee wants to make big changes, including outsourcing significant customer service operations overseas. For this organization, that’s an abominably stupid suggestion, or even official recommendation, to make. Fire the bum.

Photo by Joe WilcoxJan 11, 20269:14 pm

The Cats of University Heights: Brier

My wife spotted this shorthair crossing Georgia street, as we walked on Dec. 14, 2025. Normally, I would have nabbed a full body shot. But instead of Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra, I carried Pixel 10 Pro XL, for which I am less familiar. Yeah, I bungled getting the camera ready fast enough, and the cat settled behind shrubs.

Something else: I couldn’t see the screen so well in the blinding sunlight while wearing sunglasses. That’s strange, since the Google screen has greater peak brightness but lacks reflective coating that makes the Samsung smartphone shine outside.

Photo by Joe WilcoxJan 10, 202610:12 pm

December Dusk

My wife entered full flu today, while mine continues marginally diminished. Friends popped up everywhere wanting to help. One special friend sent lemon soup via Uber Eats; we wouldn’t let her come by to prevent viral exposure. At a distance another friend dropped by a walnut cake with cute cats card inside. Bianca and Jennifer, we are humbled and grateful.

That brief introduction brings us to another quick and easy Featured Image—once again from Pixel 10 Pro XL. Annie pointed out the incredible setting-sun sky on Dec. 29, 2025. I chose the Google smartphone over Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra because it more accurately renders colors—and without oversaturating them. Vitals: f1.7, ISO 32, 1/120 sec, 24mm (film equivalent), 5:09 p.m. PST.

Photo by Joe WilcoxJan 8, 20268:42 pm

Shadow Selfie and Friend

Last night’s post is a testament to perseverance. Some variety of virus overwhelmed my immune system. Sick is an understatement—and for the first time since Christmas 2017. Today, I slept in three hours until 7:30 a.m. PST and conked out for several hours this afternoon.

Sleep sure is therapeutic. I feel better this evening, although far from normal state. I don’t take cold medicine or pain killers, choosing to let the body’s defensive mechanisms work without interference. Besides, if over-the-counter anything makes you feel better when not, the tendency is to do too much when the body needs you to slow down and rest.