Site of Steven Irby

My Favorite Software in 2025

Tue, 02 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +0000

It’s that time of year again. Where I look back at my favorite software I used through the year and give a shoutout. 2025 has been an interesting year for software with the rise of LLMs. I notice a trend of software just being generally BAD now across the board with LLMs and vibe coding being such a thing. (I’m guilty of it too).

Here’s a look at the what I think was good software to use.

My Favorite Software in 2021

Thu, 30 Dec 2021 11:33:26 +0000

I like to look back at the previous year and give a shoutout to the amazing software I used the past year.

This year was actually a bit of a letdown. There wasn’t any new software I started using and was blown away by. If anything, I felt like a lot of software I’ve used the last few years, let me down.

There is one notable mention–one of my favorite tools that I continue to love.

My Favorite Software in 2020

Sun, 03 Jan 2021 00:00:00 +0000

My Favorite Software in 2020

I feel like I found a lot of amazing software in 2020, so much so I decided to write a post about it.

I have a feeling I’ll discover a lot more great software this coming year. With people having so much free time at home, my theory is they will create a ton of cool stuff online.

Here is a list of some of the best tools I discovered and started using a lot.

Working Remotely and Productively

Wed, 03 Jun 2020 11:46:58 +0000

With the COVID-19 pandemic raging worldwide, many suddenly find themselves working from home. this is the first time they’ve worked from home, and it may not be by choice. I imagine many people are having a tough time transitioning to working from home. Those with children stuck at home with them are probably especially struggling.

I’ve been working from home for over half a decade, so for me, this is not new. I’ll be completely blunt. Working from home is a skill that has to be learned and practiced. It took me probably a good six months to one year to fully adjust and be productive. I can understand how many could be struggling with the adjustment right now.

I'm extreme about ads

Wed, 27 May 2020 15:07:02 +0000

I consider myself a pragmatic person who generally isn’t extreme about many things. However, I am extreme about, dare I say militant about – advertising or being subjected to advertisements of any kind. I drastically go out of my way to avoid being advertised to in any possible way.

For me, it is essential to not be psychologically manipulated and coerced into buying things and consuming more. I don’t think consumerism is a healthy and environmentally friendly way to live life on this planet in the long run. Being heavily advertised to, at all times, only fuels this kind of behavior

Future Predictions for the 2020s

Tue, 25 Feb 2020 00:00:00 +0000

Predictions for the 2020s

For a long time now, I’ve considered myself somewhat of an armchair futurist. Since I was a child, I’ve had a fantastic ability to predict the future, at least when it comes to technology. The problem is, I never put any of my predictions down in “writing,” so I can point back and say, “See, I told you so!”

I will put down my predictions in writing now. It’s now the year 2020, and with that, a brand new decade. A year that I feel has always sounded super futurist when said in the past. Now is the perfect time to put my predictions down so I can look back in 5 to 10 years to see how right I was. (Or wrong!)

My Great de-Googling

Sun, 18 Aug 2019 00:00:00 +0000

My Great de-Googleing

Slowly but surely, a few massive tech companies are controlling more and more of our digital lives. Sadly, we’re at a point where the entire Internet is being run entirely by a small handful of large multinational corporations. From Amazon’s AWS practically running the entire web, to Google having a monopoly on what gets index and shown in searches, to running the majority of web browsers in the world. Then you have Facebook being almost the sole social media provider of the world and now owning WhatsApp, one of the most used communication apps in the world. It’s become too much.

My Two Year Reading Challenge

Mon, 05 Sep 2016 22:09:52 +0000

I’m going to be honest, I don’t read. I always liked the idea of being a reader; constantly learning, expanding myself, and curled up with a nice book. Excited to get started on the latest best seller, book I’ve checked out from the library, or downloaded onto my kindle. However, I don’t do it, and never really have. When I was young kid in school, I dreaded reading time. There very few books I occasionally got into. I think this is why I’ve always been terrible at writing and spelling. (I’m sure readers have noticed)

To be fair to myself, I am a voracious reader… of articles. I LOVE pocket and always find interesting articles from all over the web, to stick in there, and read later. I’m constantly on hacker new, reddit, medium, and reading current news. I am a big fan of long form reading, and think it’s more important than ever; in this world of short attention spans and summary news.

I decided to once and for all change this and try to become a book worm.

Reading Challenge

I decided I was going to try to commit to reading at least 20 pages a day, everyday. My goal: one book a month. Yes, there might be a day or so I missed my goal, but I could make it up another day. While some books might be longer or shorter, I figure 20 pages a day will be enough to average a book a month. Plus, there are times where I’ll blow way past 20 pages. I hope it will even out, or I’ll actually read more than one a month.

Nomad Guide to: Roatan, Honduras

Wed, 31 Aug 2016 20:16:45 +0000

Roatán Honduras

After hearing many good things from a few people, I went to checkout Roatán, Honduras. I knew someone who was living there and they had great things to say about the place. Most people have never heard of this little island tucked away next to Honduras, in Central America. Roatán is a well-known location for scuba divers. There’s a massive reef around the island and scuba diving is very big there. Ironically, I didn’t even go scuba diving while I was there. My girl friend wasn’t up for it, so we didn’t go.

How to Use Less Data When Tethering or on Slow Connection

Sat, 02 Jul 2016 02:44:46 +0000

I often find myself needing to tether and use my phone for an internet connection. Like most people, we have limited plans with not much data to spare. Here is how I manage to not use a TON of data or help speed things up.

Mac OS

I use a MacBook so I’ll start here. Sadly, MacOS _still _does not have a metered connection mode like Windows 10.

TripMode – $7.99

TripMode is the go-to app for disabling apps from “calling home” or transmitting any data. Use this to disable data hogs like iTunes or dropbox from syncing. If you are tethering, you only need the basics. Disable everything else.

The nice thing is, the app will automatically detect if the WiFi hotspot you connect to, is a tethered connection.

Todo Lists

Thu, 12 May 2016 01:13:58 +0000

I love todo lists. During very busy or stressful times, I’m lost without one. I would literately forget very important things that need to get done, if I didn’t have it down in a todo list. It’s supposed to be weapon to help that messy brain stay on track, and do the important things. It should not be there to stress you out and make you feel bad.

I have a feeling most people put way too much down in a todo list. I aim to put at most 3 important things that need to get done that day. Not 5, 10, or 20. That’s not a todo list, that’s a wish list.

Use Pandora on the Commandline with Pianobar and ssh Proxy

Tue, 12 Apr 2016 02:46:35 +0000

I use Pandora pretty much all day while I work. I’m currently traveling abroad which means, it’s blocked. Typically what I would do is, log into my VPN. Go to Pandora. Start listening. There are a few problems with this. For starters, I’ve been using a very popular VPN. This mean, some services and sites are blocked. Or I have to constantly fill out a captcha.

I recently started using the amazing command line tool pianobar. Which lets you control and play Pandora in your terminal. Pianobar lets you use a http proxy, but I don’t trust shady public proxies, even for just pandora. Plus, it’s a pain to constantly find a new one, when it stops working. I’m SICK and tired of turning on my VPN on and off all the time. I just want it to alway work.

Sometimes Feeling Very Out of Place When I Travel

Mon, 08 Feb 2016 00:14:28 +0000

Sometimes I travel to places on my journey, where there seems to be a large concentration of what I call hippies. If you can’t imagine what I’m talking about, I’ll paint a picture. Baggy parachute pants. Walking around barefoot. Dreadlocks. You get the idea. I have no problem if someone’s fashion is different than mine, and to be honest I don’t care. However, it feels a bit awkward sometimes when you’re not conforming. Especially when it seems *everyone* is like that, except locals.

The Ultimate Gmail Hack for Productivity

Sat, 30 Jan 2016 19:41:18 +0000

Today I’m going to share my ultimate Gmail hack for maximum productivity. This has seriously transformed my inbox and made email a powerful tool for me again. I can’t even stress how much this has made my inbox sane again.

It’s a very simple hack — Create a filter that looks for the word “Unsubscribe” in the email.

Myfitnesspal Desktop Notifications

Thu, 10 Dec 2015 03:26:26 +0000

I use myfitnesspal to track everything I eat and drink. Sometimes though, with work, and a busy life, I forget to track my food. I really wanted a notification to help remind me, so I created one. Here’s how.

I simply created a script to run with a cronjob. Just download an image and update accordingly.

How to Use All Your Phone Apps From Your Computer

Sat, 05 Sep 2015 22:13:09 +0000

I’m on my computer a lot. I work all day on my computer, and I often spend time after work on my computer. I love my phone, but I’m a lazy bastard and hate constantly reaching for my phone to send messages and check it all day. Plus I type a million times fast on my laptop keyboard, than I do on that damn swypy keyboard on my phone.

Here’s how I avoid using my phone as much as possible.

Whatsapp web app

Since I’m living abroad I use whatsapp a lot. I mean all day everyday a lot. The web app is AWESOME! I use it whenever I’m on my computer. Turn on Chrome notifications to get alerted for all your messages.

How to get the original URL from StumbleUpon

Wed, 01 Jul 2015 09:47:22 +0000

I really love stumble upon, it’s a great way to find new and interesting content that you would normally miss from the big websites: reddit, facebook, twitter, etc. One thing that bugs me though, is how you sometimes want to view the original website you’re stumbling. (I often like to pocket pages, to read later on my phone, and I want pocket to download the content.)

I created this simple little bookmarket to open the page you’re looking at in a new window.

How to Have Prepaid Phone Service in Mexico

Sat, 20 Jun 2015 20:40:54 +0000

Update: 2016

You can skip the cards and just do this online!

Here

Go there on your computer or phone with wifi. Add credit and pay with PayPal. ~~Since the data plan is 400 pesos, they try to be slick and get you to pay for 500. Instead, I just pay 200 pesos twice.~~ Then text ~~alto30~~ Int500 to 5050. Done.

It’s Good if Some People Hate You

Sat, 23 May 2015 20:02:32 +0000

Last week a very crazy thing happened to me. I was walking home from Spanish classes here in Mexico, and I looked up and saw my god damn ex girlfriend standing there. The last girl I dated, who I was with for over six years. There she was standing there with an old friend of mine. My heart literally skipped a beat when I saw her.

I like to embrace confrontation, so I walked right up to speak with them. She was extremely surprised to see me standing there. I tried to be an adult, and make small talk to see how she’s doing. Needless to say, this was a very awkward conversation. I started to ask her if she was on vacation, if she came here a lot, how long was she in town for. The usual small talk kind of conversation. She very hesitantly responded to my questions, and never even asked me anything, let alone why I’m randomly chatting with her in another country.

Why I’m Giving Up On My Goals

Sun, 17 May 2015 23:13:07 +0000

Anyone who knows me well, knows I’m a very goal oriented person. When I set my mind to something I do not give up until I’ve completed that goal. This is why I once went on a road trip across North America for a month straight. This is why I went to Hawaii for two straight weeks. This is why I’m currently living and traveling abroad. I don’t seem to ever stop or give up.

Viva La Mexico – Living in Mexico

Sun, 05 Apr 2015 17:43:20 +0000

Well, I made the move and I am living in Mexico! For now, I am in Puerto Vallarta (PV), a big beach town in the state of Jalisco. It’s a very tourist heavy town, a port town, where a lot of big cruise ships stop at. Lots of gringos, mostly Canadians. Most of the locals speak English because of all the gringo visiting and living here. There is a large expat community living here with most folks living here during the winter time. Scarily, during the summer, people do not come here. When I’ll be here! There is talk of a hot, humid, and rainy weather.

How to Digitally Prepare to Be a Digital Nomad Abroad

Sun, 15 Feb 2015 08:12:53 +0000

I’m just four weeks away from leaving Portland, OR and making my way down South. By south, I mean all the way down to Antarctica. Hopefully! I’m excited, nervous, and a bit sad at times. Today I just sold that fancy new bike I bought last summer along with my lock, helmet, and pump. I cringed when I thought about how much money I just lost. Oh well, the guy seemed really excited to get the bike.

Moving on from Portland

Fri, 06 Feb 2015 04:04:49 +0000

This is the view from my buildings roof! I’ll miss the bbq’s and beers with a view.

I’ve lived in Portland for almost 5 years now. It’s crazy to think that it’s been that long! Damn, where did all the time go? I’m going on 30 years old this year. I’m no longer the fresh faced, mid-twenty year old, I once was when I first arrived here. The first few years here were absolutely amazing and some of the very best years of my life. I loved my old job and made some good friends here.

Blogging Again

Thu, 05 Feb 2015 07:25:04 +0000

I’ve decided I’m going to start blogging again. I made some edits here to my personal website, and looking back, it’s been 2 years to the day, that I last blogged! (minus one day) Wow! I guess, I landed a new job back then and no longer felt the need. Too bad, it would have been good for me to get my thoughts out on the screen.

I’ve had a ton of ups and downs in the last two years. Changed jobs a few times. Took some time off from work for an entire summer. Broke up with my long-term girl friend. It’s been a hell of a last two years.

Myfitnesspal Reports Bookmarklet

Mon, 04 Feb 2013 06:30:59 +0000

I’m proud to announce, the first version of the Myfitnesspal Report Bookmarklet! It’s a bit of code that you run on Myfitnesspal, which pulls in all your data for the last year, and displays pretty interactive graphs for you.

To use it just drag this to your browsers bookmark toolbar: [Myfitnesspal Report Bookmarklet][2]

It turned their boring flash graphs:

[][3]

Resume

Thu, 17 Jan 2013 01:48:42 +0000

Download .docx

How My Girlfriend and I Lost 50 lbs in 6 Months using myfitnesspal

Mon, 07 Jan 2013 23:41:44 +0000

This is the story of how my girlfriend and I lost over 50 pounds in 6 months using myfitnesspal.

I’ve always been an overweight obese “husky” guy, before I was even a teenager. Over the years this only got worse, as more and more weight would slowly be piled on. I grew up with very unhealthy habits. Fast food every single day, very little exercise except occasional walks, being a couch potato, and always drinking soda.

Hacking My Apartment Door with Twilio

Wed, 05 Dec 2012 21:26:30 +0000

When I get visitors at my apartment, they can’t get in at the front door to the building. When I first did this, I didn’t have a local Portland phone number, and for some odd reason, my Google voice number didn’t work. So I turned to twilio, to help with my laziness of not waiting to go down stairs and let people in.

My goal

Have the apartment call box dial a number, press 9, and automagically let them in. 🙂

Getting to know Cygwin and Windows

Mon, 03 Dec 2012 18:11:36 +0000

Since I’m forced against my will to use Windows at my new job, I’ve quickly started using Cygwin. I haven’t used Windows in about 6 years, and I’m very use to using the command line. The folks at work actually use the windows command line, which I of course refuse to do.

I always knew about Cygwin but never actually needed to use it. It’s… well ok. It’s a good emulation of a linux terminal, however there were several things missing:

Send Steven is back up!

Sun, 02 Dec 2012 09:51:37 +0000

After being offline for a while, I brought my personal website back online! As most of you who know me, know, I am very opinionated person. Therefore, I attend on blogging often. 🙂

This will be a mixture of technical and non-technical dribble from me.

What do you all think of the site? Simple, missing something? Let me know.

About Me

Sun, 02 Dec 2012 07:47:51 +0000

My name is Steven Irby and I’m originally from the United States. I use to live in a place called Portland, Oregon, but I am a native Californian. I have live abroad for more than 5 years. I live to travel and explore new cities and countries. I’ve been to all 7 continents of the world and have lived on all of them except Antarctica, which I only managed to visit for a week.

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Content Manager

Now

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

What I am doing right now

I’m settling into life in London. I am trying my best to make friends but it’s tough with as much work as I have these days.

I’m still trying to speed run a career pivot to become a popular online creator. Making weird, thought provoking, and experimental content that wows people. I love world building and making small worlds and experiences people can do with others.