Very personal: how Xiaomi changes my everyday life

For more than 16 years, every one of my days has started the same way, and today I’m taking you along through my everyday life, very personally. Technology isn’t just my job, it’s still my biggest hobby. What’s especially interesting is how devices from one ecosystem make my day easier.

The morning: dog walk, coffee, organization

The day starts with a walk with my dog Merlin. I listen to the Pioneer Morning Briefing with Gabor Steingart, a recommendation from me for staying informed about everything every day. Then comes coffee. In the morning, when it’s still too dark to shoot, I do the admin stuff: answering emails and planning the day. I still keep my to-do list on paper, because there is nothing better than ticking off what’s done. Notes, on the other hand, I make digitally, because I can keep working with them, send them by email or create documents from them.

While I’m in meetings, the robot vacuum drives through the apartment and vacuums, in this case even with light mopping. I find it wild how precisely it drives around the chair legs with its little tentacles and gets every corner. If it gets too loud for me, I pause it in the app and resume it later.

An ecosystem that thinks along

Having all devices from one ecosystem is practical, especially when they are wirelessly and constantly connected:

• Clipboard: It is synced between the devices. I copy something on the smartphone and paste it straight into the tablet, as if it were one device. That’s how I copied the access link from a chat to my Redmi Pad Pro, for example.
• Mirroring the smartphone on the tablet: I use all the smartphone apps on the tablet alongside, without picking up the smartphone and falling for its pull. That keeps my day more productive.
• Front camera: For Instagram stories I can’t compromise on the front camera. Otherwise I’d get along fine with a cheap smartphone, which is why I end up with flagships. In bad light I like to reach for foldable smartphones, where I can use the main camera and use the outer display as a preview.

The cordless vacuum

For places the robot vacuum can’t reach, I use a cordless vacuum that is so light and agile you can operate it with one hand. My favorite among the attachments is the pet hair brush, because I have a dog. There’s also a hose for hard-to-reach places, a mini brush for small corners and a crevice attachment for gaps. I hate vacuuming, but with this it’s quick and easy, and no cable is in the way.

Dinner with the Xiaomi Smart Air Fryer 6.5 L

In the evening I unbox the new Xiaomi Smart Air Fryer 6.5 L. I’m not the greatest cook, so I think a smart air fryer is pretty cool. What I notice:

• The basket is large at 6.5 liters, and the device fits well into my black-anthracite kitchen.
• The manual is in German, and so is the small display. The temperature can be set up to 220 degrees.
• As is usual with such devices, I first heat it up empty for 15 minutes and then rinse it out so that production residues come off.

The Xiaomi Home app is faster than I am: it shows the device immediately, the Wi-Fi is already saved, and I only have to choose the room. In the app I can see that the device is running, with cooking temperature and cooking time. I can pause or end it and have it keep warm automatically, in case I still have a call. There are recipes and programs for fries, chicken, steak, lamb chops, fish, vegetables, dried fruit, defrosting and even yogurt. After cooking, the device automatically keeps food warm for 30 minutes.

I’m not a super cook and rely a lot on healthy ready meals and frozen vegetables. That’s exactly what a device like this is great for: everything is quick, kept warm and controllable via app, even when I’m out and about. That’s exactly the path I want with new devices. They should be smart, cool and easy to use, simply work and make everyday life easier.

Sports, evening routine and Merlin

Sports has become one of my priorities, not for a six-pack but for a bit of movement during the day. In the evening there’s food for Merlin, who came to me from an animal shelter. Finally I read a little, I’m now a big fan of e-books, and then it’s bedtime, which I now prioritize a lot.