Nate Bird

I opened Preview.app to find my name in a PDF document of the Firefox 1.0 ad that ran in the NYTimes a long time ago. I tried to highlight my name and I could barely tell that the menu bar opened because it is so illegible. What’s the point? So I can see the blurry names that are also illegible? Please give us back opaque menu bars.

Background. I’ve had Tahoe installed as a beta on my Mac Mini since June 2025. I’ve used it a lot over the last 7-8 months. So any normalization of the UI should be in full swing by now. This is the first post in what I think will be many as I document my usage of Tahoe and some of the thoughts I’ve been ignoring or passing over in my past usage.

Se the attached image for visual description of the bad parts of the UI of the Books app.

Top left I keep finding myself questioning whether the Window buttons (Close, Maximize, Minimize) apply to just the sidebar or to the whole window. I know the answer but there is definitely still a cognitive load based on where the buttons are placed in the left sidebar and not in a window menu bar.

Bottom right The content of the window is allowed to scroll under the sidebar. But the contents of the sidebar are also allowed to scroll under other elements in the sidebar. Really? Do you see that list scrolling under my account link? At first I thought it was something behind the sidebar but it took a second to realize it was just the sidebar list going under another item in the sidebar. What if there were books under the sidebar too? Would those also stack under the translucent sidebar?

Top Right We have all this room at the top of the window and there are only three (3!) possible buttons to make accessible for the user directly but instead they are stuck in a generic {…} button with a down chevron. It has a view (grid vs list), sort by (recent, title, author, manual), and what I think is an App setting, Remove downloads (automatically or manually).

This is a disappointing UI for the books app. Options are less accessible as they require a click on a button that has no context. The top right could easily just be two buttons, one for the view toggle and one for the sort toggle with actual icons that represent what they do.

The translucent sidebar is just a mess. I think the translucent sidebars and top bars should be scratched. They are bad in so many ways. I don’t know how you salvage it without just making them opaque. I think they actually have negative utility because they cause cognitive load to the user trying to discern what is the blurred content under the bar.

I’ve been using Claude Code for a side project recently, and it has significantly improved my productivity as a developer.

Instead of diving straight into code, I now spend more time crafting detailed prompts that describe new features or changes. This approach forces me to articulate in plain language exactly how the application should behave and why. It reminds me of test-driven development, but with prompts guiding the process instead of tests. I’ve started saving these prompts as documentation, creating a clear record of the intended functionality.

While some visual adjustments and refactoring are still necessary, this method of programming has been refreshing. As someone who enjoys building things, I find myself spending less time stuck on technical problems and more time conceptualizing new features. I no longer need deep expertise in languages like Ruby or Swift, nor comprehensive knowledge of libraries and SDKs. I can create simply by knowing what I want to build.

Looking ahead, I can envision Claude Code evolving into an advanced pair programming tool where Claude sits on one side of the screen while my application runs on the other. We could discuss changes conversationally, implement them immediately, and see the results without touching a keyboard. While some developers might resist this approach, I find it exciting and look forward to building new applications in significantly less time.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

I enjoyed John Gruber’s post on daringfireball about the advanced features of Apple Intelligence not being demo-able even 9 months after being announced.

I think Apple has been headed on this path for a while due to their change in their OS release cycle. We used to get iOS version X in September and although maybe with a few bugs it was pretty much feature complete. Then we started getting new features in the x.1 or x.2 version. Portrait mode comes to mind but I’m not sure if that was the first.

Then a few years ago a lot of features started shipping in x.4 versions in February/March. I think some sort of hubris has taken hold and Apple has bitten off more than they can chew. While it is nice to get features throughout the year, that also means that those features are 8-9 months away from being ready to ship when they are shown off at WWDC. The farther away the ship date from when it is announced the greater risk of it not shipping at all.

I think Apple has been on this path for a while and it was only a matter of time for when announced features just wouldn’t make a 9-10 months away deadline. Whether they can actually pull of some version of what they showed is yet to be seen but I’m not surprised they missed their publicly announced deadline.

I am thankful for family and friends who love and support me.

I am thankful for a community that supports my kids and provides them opportunities to learn and grow into responsible adults.

I am thankful for free and fair elections where I can vote to continue the messy experiment of democracy.

I am thankful for a career which allows me to create, build, scale, mentor, and learn.

I am thankful for a healthy body to walk, run, hike, play tennis, take care of myself and serve others.

I am thankful for service opportunities to mentor students, give to local non-profit organizations , and teach the benefits of giving.

Nilay, at The Verge, nails why Trump is too inept to be President in his endorsement for Kamala Harris.

Trump simply cannot use the tools of democracy to run the country on our behalf. His brain does not work that way, even when it appears to be working. He is too selfish, too stupid, too cognitively impaired, too fucked in the head by social media — too whatever. He just can’t do it. He will make our collective action problems worse because he doesn’t even know what kind of problems they are. There is a reason he loves dictators and that all his biggest ideas involve forcing people to do things at the barrel of a gun: mass deportations, arresting his critics, sending the military into American cities to quell protests. He is unable to imagine a world where people cooperate for any reason other than the threat of violence, and so violence has become an inextricable part of his movement.

I received my Nomad Tracking Card today. It was easy to setup. Pull it out of the box, open the Find My app, hold the button on the card, then walk through the pairing process on the phone.

This is a Nomad product so the build quality is exceptional. The card feels really solid and is only as thick as two credit cards. I find it amazing that a battery can fit into a card this thin. Aesthetically, the electronics inscription on the front is subtle but looks great.

The specs say the battery life is 5 months and it is rechargeable using MagSafe or Qi wireless chargers. I’m looking forward to trying it out. For me this tracker is much more useful than AirTags. I have an AirTag for my luggage and one for my car keys but this Nomad tracker is much more useful day to day in my wallet.

At $50 it isn’t cheap but because it is easily rechargeable I think it will be worth it.

I’ve been thinking about remote work due to some top-down policy changes made by my employer. These changes along with other headlines have reminded me how much I value working remotely. I have discussed the benefits and challenges of remote work with my wife and colleagues over the past few months. Through these chats I’ve realized that I need to write my thoughts to clarify and detail my opinions about why remote work is important in today’s world.

My thoughts come from 8 years of full-time remote working and reading many books and blog posts on the subject. I feel that I have learned a lot over the years about what works and what doesn’t. The structure of this post lists of the benefits and challenges of remote work and is intended to be a summary. As I publish my thoughts on each item I’ll update this post with links to individual posts.

Individual Benefits

1. Flexibility - When and where to work is the biggest benefit of remote work.
2. Improved Productivity - Fewer distractions allow me to focus and get more done.
3. Work-Life Balance - Seeing my kids off to school in the morning and driving them to activities keeps me involved in their lives.
4. Cost Savings - I’ve saved tens of thousands of dollars over the years by not commuting daily and not eating out regularly.
5. Health and Well-being: Trading time commuting for time exercising is a win both mentally and physically.
6. Personalized Work Space: I’m lucky to have a dedicated room with a large window with natural sunlight in my house. I also have some great posters and decorations to motivate me.

Company Benefits

1. Access to Global Talent: By accessing a broader talent pool, companies can find highly skilled individuals not limited by geographical location.
2. Cost Savings: Reduced need for physical office space, utilities, and related expenses results in significant cost savings.
3. Increased Productivity: Remote workers are more productive due to fewer distractions and personalized work schedules and environments.
4. Employee Satisfaction: Remote work options boost employee satisfaction and retention, as it provides flexibility and a better work-life balance.
5. Diversity and Inclusion: Hiring individuals from different backgrounds and locations promotes diversity and fosters a more inclusive work environment.
6. Business Continuity: Distributed workers help the company be more resilient to disruptions like weather events, health crises, or internet outages.
7. Environmental Impact: Reduced commuting results in fewer carbon emissions and higher employee morale.

Challenges

1. Communication and Collaboration: Traditional office communication and collaboration methods are less effective in remote work environments and may lead to misunderstandings and delays.
2. Isolation and Loneliness: Some remote workers struggle with feelings of isolation and loneliness due to not being physically close to other co-workers.
3. Working Across Time Zones: Finding shared times between various time zones can be challenging and can cause delays in information sharing.
4. Establishing Work-Life Boundaries: Many new remote workers have difficulty establishing clear boundaries between work and personal life, leading to overworking or decreased productivity.
5. Staying Motivated: Without clear guidance remote workers may lack focus and lose motivation to accomplish goals.
6. Not leaving the house: Many workers find they have less reason to leave the house when working remotely.
7. Technology and Infrastructure: Technical issues and cybersecurity threats are more challenging to manage and monitor with workers distributed geographically.
8. Management and Oversight: Many managers struggle to ensure tasks are completed, productivity is maintained, and employees feel supported.
9. Company Cultural: Creating a cohesive company culture and fostering a sense of belonging is difficult when employees are scattered.

This isn’t a comprehensive list but there are some interesting items to delve into deeper and hopefully explain how remote work fits into the modern workplace.