Query your life's timeline using Claude and MCP and Ploze

Use Ploze to import your data from a vast array of different services into a searchable timeline, running on your Mac. Now you can query it using Claude:

How does it work?

It uses the new Model Context Protocol to allow Claude to query your Ploze timeline.

Please note that since Claude runs in the cloud, the data that Claude fetches from Ploze will be sent for analysis to their servers.

Configuring Ploze with Claude Desktop

In Claude Desktop on your Mac, go to Settings->Developer and tap Edit Config.

This will open Finder, and highlight claude_desktop_config.json. Right click it and edit it using your preferred editor … Open With->TextEdit is good.

Assuming you have no other MCP Servers installed, update it to look like this:

Save the file, and restart Claude.

Next you can ask questions, based on the information you’ve loaded into Ploze. You’ll be asked by Claude to give it permission to access Ploze.

With your permission, Claude can search your timeline with a specific data range, get details on an entry, and also search by location.

Here are a some examples from my own timeline:

• What US national parks have I visited?
• Tell me more about the hot springs visit
• What does John Siracusa post about on Mastondon, based on posts I’ve favorited?
• What hotels did I stay at in London?
• What linked-in contacts did I make when in London?
• What subscription services am I paying for?
• What books did I read during the pandemic?
• What did I do when I’ve visited Mountain View, California?
• What music did I listen to in 2020?

What US national parks have I visited?

Based on your timeline data, here are the US National Parks you have visited:

Confirmed National Park Visits:

1. North Cascades National Park (Washington) - July 12, 2014
   • You visited the Wilderness Visitor & Information Center in Marblemount
2. Acadia National Park (Maine) - July 19, 2015
   • This coincides with a KOA reservation in Bar Harbor from your emails
3. Petrified Forest National Park (Arizona) - July 16, 2016
   • You also uploaded photos from this visit

4. Mammoth Cave National Park (Kentucky) - August 23, 2017

5. Hot Springs National Park (Arkansas) - August 19, 2018
   • You visited the Hot Springs Visitor Center
6. Theodore Roosevelt National Park (North Dakota) - August 18, 2019
   • Specifically the South Unit near Medora

Total Count: 6 US National Parks

Your visits span from 2014 to 2019, and they’re quite geographically diverse - from the Pacific Northwest (North Cascades) to the East Coast (Acadia), the Southwest (Petrified Forest), the South (Hot Springs), the Midwest (Mammoth Cave), and the Great Plains (Theodore Roosevelt). It looks like you’ve been on some great road trips exploring different regions of the US!

Tell me more about the hot springs visit

Based on your timeline data, here’s what I can tell you about your Hot Springs National Park visit in August 2018:

Your Hot Springs Trip - August 2018

The Journey: This was part of a multi-state road trip that took you through Missouri, Arkansas, Oklahoma, and Kansas. You were clearly on an extended American road trip adventure!

Timeline:

• August 15-16: Started in St. Louis, Missouri (Hampton Inn St. Louis Southwest)
• August 16-17: Branson, Missouri (Hampton Inn Branson on the Strip) - you visited Dolly Parton’s Stampede!
• August 17-19: Lake Ouachita State Park, Arkansas - you stayed in Cabin 02 for 2 nights ($528 total)
• August 19: Hot Springs National Park visit (7:27 PM)
• August 19-21: Continued to Tulsa, Oklahoma area (stayed at Meadowlake Ranch)

What You Did:

• You stayed in a cabin at Lake Ouachita State Park (5451 Mountain Pine Road, Mountain Pine, AR) from August 17-19
• You went for walks/hikes at Lake Ouachita - there’s a recorded Runkeeper walk on August 19th
• You visited the Hot Springs Visitor Center at 629 Central Avenue in the evening of August 19th
• You took photos during this trip (78 photos on August 19th, including some from the Hot Springs area)

Reading Material: Interestingly, you were really into the “Slow Burn” zombie apocalypse book series during this trip - you read through multiple books in the series while on the road!

The Setting: Lake Ouachita is Arkansas’s largest lake and the state park is known for its clear water and outdoor activities. Hot Springs National Park is unique as it’s one of the smallest national parks and focuses on the historic thermal springs that the city was built around.

This looks like it was a lovely outdoor getaway combining lake activities with a visit to the historic thermal springs! The timing suggests you visited Hot Springs on your way out of the area, probably as a nice way to cap off your Arkansas lake adventure.

What does John Siracusa post about on Mastondon, based on posts I’ve favorited?

Based on your Mastodon favorites, here’s what John Siracusa posts about:

John Siracusa’s Mastodon Content (Based on Your Favorites)

• macOS and Apple critiques - Dreams about “completely reimagined” macOS interfaces
• Software development - Posts about accessibility APIs, Swift programming (“Swift Marcos”), and app development
• Tech industry observations - Comments on Apple approvals, App Store processes, and developer experiences
• Hardware commentary - Discussions about Mac Pro design, iPods, and Apple hardware

ATP Podcast Content

• Accidental Tech Podcast - Many posts are related to or from the ATP show he co-hosts with Marco Arment and Casey Liss
• Live show announcements - ATP live recordings and special episodes
• Podcast anniversaries - Celebrating milestones with co-hosts
• Behind-the-scenes content - ATP-related discussions and show preparations

• Food posts - “Mmmmm…series naan” (with naan bread emoji), food-related humor
• Movies & Entertainment - Comments about films, TV shows like “The Last of Us” (“Joel didn’t open a single drawer”)
• Nostalgic content - References to childhood atlases, school memories
• Geography humor - Posts about Long Island, Fire Island geographic distinctions

Tech Industry People & Personalities

• Developer community - Interactions with Marco Arment, Casey Liss, Jason Snell, and other tech personalities
• Programming culture - References to Joel Spolsky, Jeff Atwood, and other industry figures
• Social media verification - Comments about Mastodon verification and social media platforms

Programming & Development

• Code naming humor - Jokes about “UnsafeRawMarketplaceKit” and “DangerKit”
• Bug reports - References to Apple Feedback numbers and development issues
• App development - Discussions about TestFlight, app approvals, and development processes

Personal Interactions

• Direct conversations with you about your apps and Apple data exporåts
• Community engagement - Responding to followers about technical questions
• Collaborative content - Working with podcast co-hosts and tech community members

Siracusa’s Style Patterns

Humor: Uses food-related humor (“Mmmmm…”), tech industry inside jokes, and wordplay Expertise: Deep technical knowledge about Apple, macOS, and software development Community: Active engagement with the tech podcast and developer community Nostalgia: References to computing history, childhood memories, and tech evolution

Your favorites show Siracusa as someone who combines deep technical expertise with humor, particularly around Apple/Mac topics, while being deeply embedded in the tech podcast community through ATP. His posts range from serious developer commentary to playful cultural observations.

What hotels did I stay at in London?

Based on your timeline data, here are the hotels you’ve stayed at in London:

Your London Hotel History

1. Holiday Inn Express London - City (Old Street)

• Location: 275 Old Street, London EC1V 9LN
• Dates: June 5-6, 2014
• Context: You were visiting the Old Street area, which is London’s tech hub
• Activities: You collected business cards nearby, suggesting business meetings

2. Holiday Inn London - Kensington High Street

• Location: Wrights Lane, London W8 5SP
• Date: April 9, 2015
• Context: You visited Skills Matter (a tech conference venue) and went to The Slaughtered Lamb pub
• Area: Kensington - upscale area of London

3. Premier Inn London Putney Bridge

• Location: 3 Putney Bridge Approach, London SW6 3JD
• Dates: December 30-31, 2015
• Context: You visited the UAE Embassy on December 30th, then stayed overnight
• Area: Putney Bridge - southwest London, near the Thames

4. Radisson Blu Edwardian, Kenilworth

• Location: 97 Great Russell Street, London WC1B 3LB
• Date: September 16, 2018
• Context: You arrived via Heathrow, took the Queensway Station, then checked in
• Area: Bloomsbury - near the British Museum and Russell Square

London Visit Patterns

Business Focus: Most of your London stays appear to be business-related, based on:

• Tech-focused areas (Old Street)
• Business card collections
• Conference venue visits (Skills Matter)

Hotel Choices: You’ve used a mix of hotel chains:

• Holiday Inn (both Express and full-service)
• Premier Inn (budget-friendly UK chain)
• Radisson Blu Edwardian (upscale option)

Typical Stay Duration: Mostly short stays (1-2 nights), suggesting business trips rather than leisure visits.

Areas Covered: You’ve stayed in diverse London areas:

• City/Old Street (tech/finance district)
• Kensington (upscale central)
• Putney (residential southwest)
• Bloomsbury (cultural/academic area)

Your London hotel choices show a practical approach to business travel, selecting locations convenient to your business activities in different parts of the city.

Based on your timeline data, here are the LinkedIn contacts you made during your London visits:

LinkedIn Connections from London Business Trips

June 2014 London Visit (Holiday Inn Express - Old Street)

During your June 5-6, 2014 stay in London’s tech district, you collected several business cards and likely made LinkedIn connections with:

1. Alexander …

• Role: Sales Director EMEA at …
• Contact: …
• LinkedIn: Had “View Profile” link on business card
• Twitter: @…

2. Shelley …

• Role: Sales Director at Dot Media Ltd
• Contact: …
• Company: Mobile Marketing Magazine
• Location: …
• LinkedIn: Had “View Profile” link on business card

3. Mark …

• Role: …
• Contact: m…
• LinkedIn: Had “View Profile” link on business card

4. Sanford ..

• Role: Board Member at … International
• Contact: …
• Phones: …
• LinkedIn: Had “View Profile” link on business card

Timeline Context

Active LinkedIn Period: Your timeline shows you were very active on LinkedIn during 2014, with:

• Regular profile view notifications
• Job recommendation emails
• Group participation (Evernote, Xamarin, JUGL groups)
• Frequent connection invitations

Business Context: Your June 2014 London visit was clearly business-focused:

• You stayed in Old Street (London’s “Silicon Roundabout” tech hub)
• Collected business cards from senior sales/tech executives
• All contacts had LinkedIn profiles ready to connect
• You were working at Evernote at the time, making these valuable industry connections

Connection Pattern

While I can see the business cards you collected (which all had LinkedIn profile links), your actual LinkedIn connection activity during the London visits isn’t fully captured in the timeline data. However, the fact that you:

1. Systematically collected business cards with LinkedIn details
2. Were highly active on LinkedIn during this period
3. Visited tech hubs where networking would be expected
4. All contacts were senior tech/sales professionals

…strongly suggests you connected with these contacts on LinkedIn following your meetings.

The most likely connections from your London visits were Alexander …, Shelley … (Mobile Marketing), Mark … (Fjord), and Sanford … (… International) from your June 2014 trip to London’s tech district.

What subscription services am I paying for?

Let me also search for other major subscription services:Based on your timeline data, here are the subscription services you’re paying for:

Current Subscription Services

Core Productivity & Cloud Services

• Google Workspace - Monthly invoices for both:
  • mehers.com domain (personal/family)
  • brightgreenlearning.com domain (business)
  • Regular monthly billing throughout 2023-2024

Entertainment & Media

• Netflix - Active subscription with regular payments via PayPal
  • Recent receipts: March 2024, April 2024
  • Multiple device login notifications suggest family sharing
• Spotify - Active subscription
  • Payment receipt from April 2024 via PayPal
  • Regular login notifications and promotional emails

Professional Software

• Setapp (Mac app subscription service)
  • Membership renewals in June 2023
  • Payment confirmations show active subscription

Reading & Learning

• Audible - Very active subscription
  • Monthly credit summaries showing 15-23 credits accumulated
  • Regular monthly billing
• The Economist - Digital subscription
  • Regular newsletters and podcast access

Development & Professional

• Apple Developer Program - Annual subscription
  • Regular invoices and receipts from Apple
• Microsoft Learn/Azure - Some level of subscription
  • Regular promotional credits and newsletters

News & Information

• The Washington Post - Digital subscription
  • Daily headline emails indicate active subscription

Podcast Platforms

• Relay FM - Membership subscription
  • Renewal notifications in 2023

Notable Patterns:

• You’re a heavy Audible user (accumulating many credits)
• Multiple Google Workspace domains suggest both personal and business use
• Regular PayPal receipts for Netflix and Spotify
• You seem to prefer premium/paid versions of services rather than free tiers

The total suggests you’re paying for roughly 10-12 different subscription services across productivity, entertainment, learning, and professional tools.

Based on your timeline data during the pandemic (2020-2021), here’s what you read:

Books You Read During the Pandemic

Major Science Fiction Series: The Expanse

You went deep into James S.A. Corey’s The Expanse series in early 2020, buying the entire series on Audible in February:

• Leviathan Wakes (Book 1) - listened to 741+ minutes
• Caliban’s War (Book 2) - listened to 743+ minutes
• Abaddon’s Gate (Book 3)
• Cibola Burn (Book 4) - finished in December 2020
• Nemesis Games (Book 5)
• Babylon’s Ashes (Book 6) - purchased December 2020
• Tiamat’s Wrath (Book 8) - purchased December 2020

William Gibson

The Peripheral - You both listened to the audiobook AND read the ebook version simultaneously in late February/early March 2020. You spent significant time with this (235+ minutes of audio, plus separate reading sessions).

Classic Literature

Little Women - You listened to an Audible Original Drama version in January 2020 (over 500 minutes total).

Other Reading Activity

• You had a book club starting in January 2021 (there are emails about “Book Club for January”)
• You continued to get regular Audible credits and were actively purchasing books throughout the period
• In December 2020, you had accumulated 22 Audible credits, showing you were a very active audiobook consumer

Reading Pattern: You clearly embraced audiobooks during the pandemic, with most of your consumption being through Audible. The Expanse series was a major focus - perfect escapist sci-fi during lockdown! The fact that you read both audio and text versions of The Peripheral shows you were really engaged with that book.

Your pandemic reading was heavy on science fiction, which makes sense - both The Expanse and The Peripheral offered immersive future worlds that were probably a welcome escape during 2020!

What did I do when I’ve visited Mountain View, California?

Based on your timeline data, here’s what you did during your visits to Mountain View, California:

Your Mountain View Visit History

August 2011 - First Evernote Visit

• Purpose: Visited Evernote headquarters (“Visiting the mothership”)
• Activities: You took photos and posted about visiting Evernote
• Location: Near Evernote’s offices at coordinates 37.392, -122.073

December 2011 - Business Trip

• Travel: LHR to SFO flight on December 11, 2011
• Stay: Extended visit with photo documentation
• Activities: Multiple photos taken around the Evernote area

February-March 2012 - Extended Visit

• Duration: Multi-week stay (February 29 - March 9)
• Documentation: 62+ photos taken across multiple days
• Activities: Extensive photo documentation suggesting significant business activities

August 2013 - Major Business Trip

This was your most documented Mountain View visit:

Accommodation: Hampton Inn & Suites Mountain View (multiple nights: Aug 19-24)

Daily Activities:

• Daily commute: Took Caltrain to Redwood City daily ($5-10 per trip)
• Dining:
  • Bushido restaurant ($35.36)
  • Shana Thai ($31.64)
  • Vaso Azzurro ($77.68)
  • Blue Line Pizza ($66.76)
• Shopping: Best Buy purchase ($143.33)
• Business: Visited Google Building 46 on multiple days
• Local exploration: East West Bookshop, Doppio Zero cafe

Side trip: SFO-LAX-SFO flight on August 17 (day trip to Los Angeles)

May 2014 - Google Visit

• Accommodation: Hampton Inn & Suites Mountain View
• Business activities: Visited Google Building 46 multiple times
• Transport: Expensive taxi from SFO ($125)
• Purchases: Apple cable and other items
• Documentation: Received Google visitors card

September-October 2014 - Final Documented Visit

• Travel: LHR-SFO flight September 27
• Stay: Hampton Inn & Suites Mountain View
• Transport: Used Caltrain (Mountain View Station)

Summary of Activities

Primary Purpose: Your Mountain View visits were clearly business-focused, primarily involving:

1. Evernote headquarters visits (2011-2012) - You even called it “visiting the mothership”
2. Google meetings (2013-2014) - Multiple visits to Google Building 46

Secondary Activities:

• Extensive dining at local restaurants
• Shopping (electronics, books)
• Local exploration of Mountain View
• Regular use of public transportation (Caltrain to Redwood City)

The pattern suggests you were involved in business relationships or consulting work with both Evernote and Google during these periods, with Mountain View serving as your base for Silicon Valley business activities.

What music did I listen to in 2020?

Based on your music listening data from 2020, here’s a comprehensive overview of what you listened to that year:

Your 2020 Music Profile:

You had an incredibly diverse taste that year, with some clear favorites and themes:

Top Artists/Genres You Enjoyed:

• Classic Rock/70s-80s Hits: You listened heavily to artists like Queen (“Don’t Stop Me Now,” “Bohemian Rhapsody”), David Bowie (“Life on Mars,” “Let’s Dance,” “Modern Love”), The Rolling Stones, Pink Floyd, and The Beatles
• Musical Theater: You were really into Broadway soundtracks, particularly Hamilton (listening to multiple tracks like “Alexander Hamilton,” “Aaron Burr Sir,” “My Shot”) and Hair (the entire soundtrack by Galt MacDermot)
• Folk/Singer-Songwriter: Lots of Joni Mitchell (“Both Sides Now,” “California,” “A Case of You”), Simon & Garfunkel, and James Taylor
• 80s Pop/New Wave: Culture Club, The Cure, Talking Heads, Eurythmics, and Duran Duran featured prominently
• Classic Pop: The Carpenters had a strong showing in your listening

Notable Patterns:

• You clearly went through phases - there were days where you’d binge entire albums (like the Hair soundtrack in January)
• You seemed to enjoy movie soundtrack compilations, particularly Guardians of the Galaxy tracks
• There was a good mix of both well-known hits and deeper album cuts
• You listened to music consistently throughout the year, from January through November

Some Standout Discoveries/Repeats:

• “Lake Shore Drive” by Aliotta Haynes Jeremiah appeared multiple times
• You revisited certain comfort songs like “Sorry Seems To Be The Hardest Word” by Elton John
• Tim Minchin’s “Rock ‘n’ roll Nerd” kicked off your year

Your 2020 listening shows someone with sophisticated musical taste who appreciates both timeless classics and theatrical storytelling through music!