There’s a new Supernote in town 👏. I will be sharing my thoughts about the new A5X2 Manta soon, as there is one coming my way as I post this. For now, check the link below for more information about it.
I love having a blog, but building a useful structure of information is very difficult. I’m constantly fighting with it because it is a terrible tool for publishing knowledge in a way that can actually help someone learn from what I’m sharing. Obsidian Publish is a great for that, but it’s a terrible option for hosting a blog.
The solution might be to have both, which would cost twice as much and make me spend a lot of time creating a learning system that nobody will use.
Spending money on a fun distraction that doesn’t pay off is the story of my life.
After installing Obsidian on my Supernote I can clearly see that the battery it is draining faster. It’s not substantial, like going down in a few hours or days, but it’s definitely draining a little faster. It could also be because I’ve been trying and testing so many new things lately.
There are some settings that I can change on Syncthing to improve the situation, but before I go that route, I’ll give it a few weeks under normal use conditions to see how it performs.
Stay tuned. I will keep you updated.
I love it when things are as simple as possible, but it took me a while to realize that simplicity only flourishes when I work in a messy and cluttered environment. It’s like if I have to try out every single option just to know what is technically possible and, only then, I can start to simplify.
How to install a Micro SD Card on the Supernote Nomad
Follow along with me and learn how to open the Supernote Nomad and install a Micro SD Card.
My YouTube channel currently has 7373 followers, which is cool because I love round numbers, sequences, and repetition. And 73 has a special meaning for me, but don’t let that stop you. If you haven’t subscribed yet, and you like what I do, please subscribe.
I ended yesterday’s video telling you I had an idea that got me really excited. Actually, it’s a plan that combines two visions into one. First of all, I realized that instead of doing all the complicated maneuvers to synchronize only my Action Containers, I could create and synchronize a new vault just for my Action Containers and keep everything else, including the Timeline, in the current vault.
When it comes time to move a file to the Timeline, I can do so using the computer file system. This will have no impact on the way the Timeline System works, and I may be able to come up with an automation in the future to move completed actions to the Timeline on the other vault.
The second part of the plan is to put this new vault in the Supernote SD card. This not only keeps me from using all the Supernote internal storage space with my vault, but also opens up countless possibilities. I’ll show some of them in more detail in an upcoming video, but here’s an example.
Imagine that I sketched a project on Supernote and wanted to add that to a note on Obsidian. In the past, I would have to synchronize the image using Google Drive, for example, then, on my computer, drag it to Obsidian. I can now do it right there on the Supernote.
It’s just a matter of exporting it as a PNG and saving it to the folder where my Obsidian vault is. This will make it instantly available to use on Obsidian, which, in turn, will also synchronize with my computer and phone. Mind-blowing!
How to install Android apps on a Supernote using a Mac
The first step is to prepare the Supernote to receive Android apps. Go to Settings, then Security & Privacy, and then turn on Sidloading. This means that you are allowing the Supernote to accept the installation of Android apps.
Next, we have to make sure the Supernote can connect to the Mac. Under the hood, the Supernote is an Android device, so we will need to install an app on the Mac to allow both of them to talk to each other. This step was a bit of a pain for me. After trying different options, MacDroid was the one that worked. If that does not work for you, please search for other options on Google and try them.
I suggest using the Supernote USB cable, as not all USB cables are the same, technically speaking.
Now we need to get the Android apps ready. Obsidian offers the APK on its website, which, I think, is an excellent practice, as they are the company behind the app.
I am also using Syncthing-Fork, which I downloaded from the developer’s GitHub page. However, if you are using Obsidian Sync, you don’t need Syncthing. Please download either one or both and place them aside for now.
Next, download and install Homebrew. You’ll find the instructions on their website. Just follow the steps. This app is needed to install the next app on your Mac.
Now download the Android SDK Platform-Tools, which is what will actually talk to the Supernote. To install it, you’ll have to use a command on the Terminal.
To open the Mac Terminal, hold the Command key and press the Space Bar. Type Terminal in the search box and click to open the Terminal. In the Terminal window, write the following code:
brew install android-platform-tools
When you hit Enter, Homebrew will install the Android SDK Platform-Tools on your computer. You’ll see some code scrolling on the screen and then a message that says it was installed successfully.
Now it’s time to connect your Supernote to the computer, and make sure MacDroid can see it as a device.
If you get a screen like the one above, go back to the Mac Terminal and type the code below to make sure the system is seeing it:
adb devices
You should get a message similar to the one below.
Finally, it’s time to install the Obsidian APK (Android file). Go back to the Mac Terminal and type adb install, followed by the path to the APK file on your computer. In my case, it looks like this:
adb install /Users/office/Downloads/Obsidian-1.7.7.apk
Alternatively, you can type adb install, hit space, and using the mouse, click and drag the APK file to the front of the command. That will create the path for you. Hit Enter and wait until you see the success message.
That’s it. To install other apps, repeat adb install command, adding the path to the app on your computer.
Installing Android apps on a Supernote using a Mac
If you are a Mac user, it is not exactly a simple process to install Android apps on your Supernote, but it is totally feasible.
Before we start, I have some disclaimers.
I am not a developer, and I have only a rough understanding of what is actually happening when following the steps below. I’m simply sharing what I learned researching online. It worked for me, but you should always do your research.
As for the Android apps, please be careful with what you are installing. Apps downloaded from the Internet, known as APKs, are not being checked by the Google Play Store.
So, if you decide to follow the steps below, know that you are doing it at your own risk. And make sure you have a backup of your Supernote before starting.
If you are curious to see how Obsidian performs on the Supernote, I invite you to watch the video below. And if at some point you decide to purchase a Supernote, please consider using my affiliate link (clicking here). Thank you!
Sometimes doing things on a Mac is much harder than it is on a PC/Win. Today, I was finally able to sideload Obsidian onto my Supernote. Meaning that we’ll soon have some fun installing and testing the Minimal theme on it as well.
When I start working with a new client, I already know their main objective, but I always like to know what their specific concerns are. Most of them mention they want to create automations.
It is interesting to me that some people view automations as a way to solve problems, instead of simply using them as another tool. I am not opposed to its use, but a well-thought-out Kanban board with a thoughtful approach is all that is needed most of the time.
And it just happened again. When I asked today’s client if he was still interested in creating automations, he said no.
The Obsidian Minimal theme looks great on the Penstar. But that’s not all I’m showing in today’s video. Did you know that each device you sync with the same vault can have different settings?
It’s November 4th, and I published four videos. Based on the numbers, it appears that my December challenge is doing well. The problem is the current production pace. Each video is taking me a long time to finish. But I’m not giving up so easily.
The Penstar eNote is extremely thin, the screen resolution is impressive, and it feels as if I’m writing on paper. I’d say it might even be too realistic. But there’s more. It blew my mind when I could install Android apps by just clicking on the APK.
I installed both Syncthing and Obsidian on the Penstar eNote and my notes are now synchronizing 🤯 (for now, only on my tests account). You’ll see it in the second part of today’s video. The first part is a quick demonstration of some of the device’s features.
I added the Gemini Flash API, but keep getting the “Missing Authentication header or invalid API key” message when I try to use the new Obsidian Interpreter. As a non-developer, I have no idea what an “Authentication header” is, so I’m switching to another project to refresh my mind.
Tomorrow is December 1st, and I haven’t turned on the heater or lit the fireplace yet. Additionally, I have the living room windows fully open right now (8pm). Portugal has better weather than most of Europe, but this is not normal for this time of the year. And no, I am not complaining 😊
People will naturally gravitate towards something that makes them feel good. There is no need to lock me in with an algorithm or by throttling posts with links. Bluesky, thank you for constantly reinforcing my feeling of wanting to return by not controlling what I see.
I 💙 Chronology