Links
The Apple Watch Needs Cellular
Bradley Chambers:
After thinking through the watch's role in our lives, I've finally settled on the fact that the Apple Watch needs cellular. iPhones are fantastic. They are great cameras, and they allow us to carry extremely powerful computer in your pocket. I do see a day coming when I would
Android
Nexus Owners are Getting the Shaft
Good piece on 9to5Google on Google’s unfortunate move to make Nexus phones second rate Android devices:
Google’s new Pixel smartphone doesn’t really have much to justify its premium price on the hardware side. It has the “best smartphone camera ever” perhaps (that’s still yet to be officially determined, other than by
The Last Mac I Will Ever Own
A few weeks ago I was making due with my Mac mini, a computer I have been using for about 4 years. 4 years old isn’t ancient in Mac terms, but it was absolutely getting long in the tooth. Apple’s lowest end computer in 2012 still works in 2016, but it’s not
watch
My Apple Watch Setup
The internet is rife with people talking about the smartphone, tablet, and laptop setups, but you don’t really see into what people are doing on their smart watches. This isn’t surprising as there are many fewer of us smart watch owners out there, and there are fewer things we can do to customize
Don't Buy the Google Pixel from Anyone But Google
My thoughts on the Google Pixel are...complicated. I like what Google is doing with Android, and the Pixel is the ultimate expression of their software that you can buy in 2016. On the other hand, I don't like the look of the hardware, which at best is uninspiring.
But I'd
Game
The Cost of VR or: Why Sony has a Huge Edge
The HTC Vive is a high powered VR headset, and retails for $799. It's most similar competitor is the Oculus Rift, which has an entry level price of $599, but you really need to spend $199 more for the controllers that go with it. So no matter which version you go with, it&
Android
Who Gets Android Updates?
There are two main reasons people will buy a Nexus (now Pixel) phone:
1. They want stick Android, not a heavy third party skin
2. They want to get software updates
These are things that are not givens in the world of Android, as the vast majority of people are running a version of Android
The Google Pixel Phones
Google announced their new Pixel phones yesterday, and they're a big mixed bag for me. On a superficial level, I really don't like how the phones look. I think the dual-material backs look really janky, so much so that I expect next year's Pixel phone will be lauded
Game
What Is a "Video Game" Again?
This is a fascinating read by Jesse Singal on some people's aversion to the "walking simulator" genre of games. The entire piece is quite lengthy, but it's worth your time.
The video-game culture wars seem to be flaring up a bit. Wednesday, Heat Street ran not one but
Politics
Why it's Hard to Have Sympathy for Republicans Who Don't Like Trump
NOTE: Please pardon this deviation from tech for one day. I don't like to get too political on this site, but I had to write something about the election. If you were curious, this clip of Chris Cristie spewing trash on a morning show today pushed me over the edge.
There are plenty
iphone
Criticizing the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus Screens is a Fools Errand
I was reading The Verge's review of the Moto Z Play, Lenovo's latest phone in the Moto line, and got this this bit about how the phone was able to achieve such impressive battery life:
Lenovo found an approach that allowed the company to make a phone you can charge up
goodie
Wallpaper Weekend: SpaceX Dragon
With all the SpaceX and Elon Musk news this week, I decided it might be nice to have a simple iPhone wallpaper based on their Dragon rocket.
In 4K as always, and I hope you like it!
Links
What Happens When You Accidentally Create a "-gate"
Stephen Hackett on his recent run in with a viral video:
By Saturday night and into Sunday, I felt completely overwhelmed. A 13-second video that I recorded and uploaded in just a few minutes was suddenly bigger than any other single piece of content I’d ever created.
As a writer, I totally appreciate
Links
Criticizing the Things You Love
Timothy Huneycutt on what it means to love something:
Contrary to popular belief, you can enjoy something and be critical of it – whether it’s a movie or a TV show or a video game or a piece of literature. As fans, we don’t have to divorce enjoyment and critical thinking.
I really enjoy
How Does the W1 Chip Work with Sharing Wireless Speakers and Headphones?
One of Apple's smaller announcements from this month's Apple event was the W1 chip inside the new AirPods and select Beats headphones. This new addition to Apple's increasingly long line of Letter-Number chipsets aims at making wireless devices easier to deal with. Bluetooth is notoriously annoying to pair
Links
On Charging Your iPhone and Listening to Music Simultaneously
The Verge is really not happy about this whole headphone jack removal from the latest iPhones. I know they have smart people working there, and I honestly think they do a lot of good work, but their near-daily pieces on how this decision by Apple is an affront to simple human decency is getting
iphone
The iPhone 7 Plus Gets Shots I've Never Seen from a Smartphone
Yesterday I wrote about breaking the iPhone 7's portrait mode, but I actually really love the camera and felt it only fair to share a few of the nicer photos I've gotten from this incredible lens. I'm only scratching the surface of what is possible, but I'm