Matisyahu's Blog

The week felt a lot longer than normal but it went off without a hitch. Over the last few weeks I’ve been getting things organised for a big OE (overseas experience) to Europe and the UK. I’ve been fluffing around for years and I think this is the time I really should make use of the leave I will have by next year because otherwise I’ll get to a point where I’ll look back in regret for not taking that opportunity when I had it. I’m going to time it before the Paris olympics as I want to avoid the chaos of trying to visit landmarks then finding I cannot get in.

I’m using my work provided laptop at home when I do work from home (WFH) however what I’m looking at is getting a new desk then move my old desk into the extra bedroom which I’ll turn into my ‘work office’. I’d prefer to use my own computer however work has required us to use the work provided laptop – for security and privacy reasons given that if people are using their own devices then the company cannot be assured that there isn’t a virus, malware etc. not to mention that the device is secured and meeting the corporate IT security standards.

At the moment the company I work for uses Chromebook/Chromebox however they’re eventually going to move to Windows and Office 365 which will mean that my laptop will be replaced but that being said, an ideal situation is getting the office setup preferably before Christmas or maybe sometime after Christmas. Long story short I prefer to keep a separation between work and my private life in much the same way that people who work from home (either running their own company or employed by someone) may setup a ‘granny flat’ to run their office out of and when they finish work they have the psychological feeling of having ‘left’ work much like the television show ‘Severance’ where one disconnects from work when one leaves the office.

I had a look online and I realise I can buy my favourite flavoured coffee direct from the company, $33 for 10 sachets of Irish Cream flavoured coffee. What I’ll do is order it next week when I get paid because they’re a nice treat when working either at home or in the office. There are quite a few things that I’m going to buy direct because although Pak ‘n Save is saving me money there are thngs that they don’t have such as the Swisse iron supplement and if I’m going to buy it from Chemist Warehouse I might as well buy the flaxseed oil as well.

It is interesting to see how technology companies are adapting to the new environment of higher interest rates when comes to slimming down and prioritising the development of products and the reduction in the number of ‘moon shot projects’ that don’t lead anywhere. One thing I have noticed, at least from the outside, is how Google appears to be a lot more focused – developing their current product line ups (see recent work around Google Messages), working on Android in terms of quality of life improvements, consolidating products under core brands such as establishing YouTube as entertainment brand for music, videos, podcasts, television etc. So maybe the moderating influence of higher interest rates has forced businesses to get