When Apple announced that the latest iPad Pro has the same M1 chip as the Macbook Air and Macbook Pro, I had some thoughts about that, and I figured the rest of the Gear Diary team might too. Is the iPad Pro finally ready to be a stand-alone computer or perhaps function as your only computer?
One of the things we strive for at Gear Diary is to make sure our readers are getting honest, accurate information. We do our best to be unbiased in our reviews, and we do our due diligence as best we can when new ideas get pitched to us. With all that in mind, we’re going to raise a major red flag about a pitch we received recently from a company called Qooore.
One of the most important things kids are taught these days in school is that words and emotions matter. My son was being taught as early as kindergarten about healthy ways to express how he felt and why his choice of words mattered. It appears similar training may be needed for John Matze, the CEO of Parler.
I’ve always liked is Star Trek: The Next Generation. I like the show so much that in 1991 when Pocket Books brought out the Star Trek: The Next Generation Technical Manual, I had to have it. I bought it and thumbed through it so often that I eventually wore it out. I recently ordered a replacement copy from Amazon. However, what I got was different than what I expected; it wasn’t the original book or even a proper reprint. Evidently, Amazon reprints older books themselves, and it’s not the quality you might be led to expect.
I’m going to preface this with the disclaimer that I’m typing it on a MacBook Pro and I own an iPhone, just to head off any accusations of me being an Apple-hater. But I watched Apple’s iPad announcements this week, and then I helped my son with some schoolwork, and I realized Apple is about to lose an entire generation.
Recently we have taken Apple to task for their lackluster take on racial justice and for making a tone-deaf product launch just as the pandemic was spiraling out of control in the US (and honestly since they were already leading with financial commitments, had they just said ‘we’re launching these products and are dedicating X% of every sale to COVID-19 relief efforts’ it would have made a big difference in perception).
I think it’s safe to say that all of us have watched the news over the last eleven days with broken hearts. The deaths of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, Tony McDade, and countless other people of color are a national tragedy. People everywhere are rightfully using their first amendment rights to seek change; corporations are jumping on the bandwagon, sometimes with mixed results.
I generally believe that holding someone responsible for the terrible things a relative has done is wrong. Still, it’s kind of hard not to judge when a family member (or their representative) is capitalizing on the name of an infamous relative to sell a product. Such is the case with the Escobar Gold 11 Pro.
I had figured that IFA 2020 would be yet another cancellation due to the global pandemic, but today we have word that it will still happen, albeit with major changes. For at least this year’s convention, IFA will be an invite-only event, spanning three days, with no more than 1,000 people attending daily; it looks like I’ll be one of them.
Due to the global pandemic, those of us who have been unexpectedly thrust into working from home have had to figure out how to get our work done while sheltering in place. We wanted to share some of the things that have helped us stay productive and more-or-less content since we began physically distancing ourselves from our loved ones and friends who live outside of our homes.
Whenever Apple releases a product, my expectations are that I will love many features but grab a glass of water because I anticipate the pricing will set my eyebrows on fire! So back when the original iPhone SE was introduced, it was a revelation by being the right phone at the right price. Fast forward four years and Apple has announced a NEW iPhone SE.
Last week the final entry in the Skywalker Saga – Star Wars The Rise of Skywalker – arrived on BluRay in stores (it has been out for digital purchase for a few weeks), and I thought it might be worthwhile to look back at the Sequel Trilogy and compare it to the original Star Wars Expanded Universe (EU) that was ‘purged from canon’ when Disney took over the franchise.
We are in a pandemic. I’ve spent the last week moving my synagogue into a virtual space and checking in on my seniors. Judie is working from home while babysitting grandkids so her daughter and son-in-law can continue to do their jobs. Carly is handling her day job remotely while building a home school program for her child. And what has Apple done? They’ve released a new, overpriced iPad. Really Apple? Are you that clueless?
I think one reason some have not yet adopted any smart lighting technology is that people want to be sure that it’s going to last. Most of the technology available today is driven by a cloud service. Today I got the e-mail anyone who uses a cloud service dreads getting about my Lightify light system: August 2021 the system will be shutting down.
Unless you live under a rock, you’re probably drowning in news about coronavirus, or COVID-19. And if for some reason you have no idea what I’m talking about, stay under your rock, you’re less likely to get sick. But for the rest of us, it’s a balancing act between worrying and living life, but how and why balance those?
D&b is known throughout the professional audio community for its groundbreaking Soundscape technology; at NAMM, we had a chance to visit with Asher Dowson, the House of Worship segment manager at d&b audiotechnik. He was the one to fill us in on the concept of d&b’s belief that “everyone should experience the same impeccable quality of sound, regardless of their position in the audience.”
We’re here at CES 2020 doing everything we can to bring Gear Diary readers updates on all the exciting new and improved products we’re seeing. But it takes more than just being armed with a phone and a computer to survive the week. Here’s how we’re staying awake, staying healthy, and staying connected!
Perhaps you have heard about this – the new Google Pixel 4 bends and breaks unlike any midrange or flagship phone since the 2014 iPhone 6 … which aside from causing embarrassment for Apple, also caused a shift in testing, design, and materials of construction across the industry.
Smartphones make life so much better — we’re easily connected to so many important pieces of information, from banking to email to home automation, all at your fingertips. Unfortunately, they provide a pocket-sized obstacle if, say, you want to surprise someone who has an alarm system and an addiction to their email.
Remember the rainy days and long nights spent sitting in front of a small, glowing cube that weighed more than you while clutching a small rectangular controller? I do.
Google recently released the latest and final beta of Android Q (version 10 for those keeping track at home) for Pixel devices to test drive prior to the general production release in the coming weeks. I decided to take the plunge with this final beta (Beta 6), and it’s been marvelous!