I'm proud of you

Hi friends!

It's hard to believe another month has gone by. Last month, I asked you what you or someone you know did in the last week that you're proud of. I received the most responses yet, and I loved every single one of them.

Replies ranged from success with expanding a MeshCore network in Colorado to someone who helped get an environmental study approved for a smelter site (also in Colorado) which will hopefully lead to a cleanup.

I also read about the pride of a father watching his daughter become a mother, and someone who made it to yoga more days in the last week than not.

I love when readers open up and share something personal with me, and for that I'm proud of you. Even if you didn't click reply. I'm proud of you for being here.

To get more personal on my side of this, there are too many people/things I'm proud of over the last week/month/year. So here are some I'd be remiss if I didn't mention:

• My daughter graduated high school and is about to move out of state for college.
• My oldest son auditioned for and earned one of the lead roles in his high school play.
• My youngest tried out for the high school summer baseball team and not only made it but is thriving.
• And my wife — well, she never ceases to amaze me. I won't bore you all with a love letter to her, but a day doesn't go by where I'm not proud of her.

Alright, time for this month's question:

What's your biggest fear?

Deep, I know. But let's talk about it. Hit reply and let me know.

Pixels

Freelancing this last month has been busy, but at the same time slowing down. Budget cuts have hit some of my clients, and in turn the amount of work I had lined up has also been cut. It's part of the gig, and now I'm just thankful I no longer rely on it as my sole income. The extra money is nice, but I don't need it to pay the bills.

I'm working on a few stories, with the biggest (literally) being a Best 3D Printers roundup for The Strategist.

I also recently installed a Comma 4 in my Ford Lightning and I'm writing up my thoughts after using it for a month for TechRadar.

I also fell victim to the Prime Day sale of the Oura 4 fitness tracking ring (it was 50% off!), and I think this is exactly what I've been looking for? So much data, so much insight, and it'll only get better over time. Now the question is, do I keep the 4 or return it and get the 5? Decisions, decisions. I'll let you guys know what I end up doing.

News and hot takes

• Google's Health Coach is too needy: I wore the Fitbit Air for over a month, chatting with the Gemini-powered Coach multiple times a day. Eventually, it started to feel like too much work.
• A gaming laptop isn't as portable as I thought: I had this crazy idea that a gaming laptop was a better investment than a portable gaming handset like a Steam Deck. I was wrong.
• Google Photos knows your wardrobe: Google wants to take the photos you snap of yourself, analyze them, and help you figure out the perfect outfit for a night out. It's a crazy idea I kinda like.
• Don't install the iOS 27 beta: There are plenty of reasons to stay away from shiny new software like Apple's iOS 27. I recap all of them for you.
• If you insist…: Here's how to install any of the developer betas Apple released in early June.

Reviews and features

• Best tablets: My love for tablets is no secret, so I jumped at the chance to test and rank the best tablets for The Strategist.
• Best tablets for kids: As a follow-up to best tablets, I went through the same process to find the best tablets for kids.
• The new Screen Time looks great, but…: Apple revealed a totally revamped Screen Time as part of this fall's software updates. I wrote about it for TechRadar and the fact that if kids can still outsmart the system, it's (almost) all for nothing.
• Blink Video Doorbell 2K+: Everyone has a video doorbell, but not everyone wants to spend hundreds of dollars on one. I don't blame you. I reviewed Blink's latest for Tom's Guide.
• Motorola Razr+ (2026): It'd been far too long since I reviewed a phone for a major publication, so when TechRadar asked me to review the new Razr+, I jumped at the chance. Next up is a review of Samsung's Galaxy S26.

Pizza

Sips & Pies got invited to take part in the inaugural Colorado Pizza Festival taking place in September, which is a true honor. Even though we aren't open this year, I came up with a crazy and creative way for us to attend and pitched it to the organizer — I'm just waiting to hear back. Fingers crossed.

Other than that, there's not a lot to report about Sips & Pies or pizza in general in my life right now. Shoulder rehab is ongoing and slowly getting better. I think? Hopefully I'll be fully released in the next month or two.

Looking ahead to next year, my wife and I are still torn on what to do with our current trailer and if we should make the transition to a new one that fits our original vision while doubling as our commissary kitchen.

In Colorado, we can't use our home kitchen as a commissary like you can in other states. Instead, we have to rent kitchen space, and while we made our commissary work for our needs last year, it wasn't ideal. It was crowded, messy, and just not the ideal setup for us to work in.

However, I'm waiting for some guidance on what exactly the recent signing of The Tamale Act means for us. If I can make and sell pizza out of my home, maybe I'll do that.

More to come on that front. Hopefully.

Don't forget to hit reply and tell me your biggest fear.

I appreciate you,

Jason