Pop Culture & Current Events

Freedom Phone

Editorials

Freedom Phone Is a Dumb Purchase, but You Do You

Here’s a fun fact for you: Toyota designs their Lexus and Toyota logos to be the same size; it’s so they can easily swap the designs. Yes, a Lexus will be nicer, but why design two different steering wheels if the same dimensions can work for both brands? At the same time, you’d probably feel pretty dumb and angry if you bought a Lexus from a dealer only to discover they had charged you Lexus prices for an old Corolla with a Lexus badge. And if that sounds far-fetched, well, just ask anyone who was suckered into buying a Freedom…

Master & Dynamic on The Equalizer

Gear Bits

You Never Know Where Master & Dynamic’s Amazing MW65 Headphones Will Show Up

Greg reviewed the very first pair of Master & Dynamic headphones. He swore by them and, in the years since, Judie and I have also become fans. The company’s MW65 Over-the-Ear headphones are among the best ANC headphones I’ve tried. It’s why they are one of only a few items we have ever designated as a Gear Diary Editor’s Choice. Apparently, we aren’t the only ones who appreciate them.

Led Zeppelin Pinball Sounds Like a Great Way to Rock Out in 2021

Gear Bits, Events

Led Zeppelin Pinball Sounds Like a Great Way to Rock Out in 2021

Sometimes you don’t think of two things as complementary, then when you see them together, it all clicks. The first person to combine peanut butter and jelly probably got some odd looks, and we all know bacon makes everything better. Another combo you might not consider, but that works surprisingly well? Led Zeppelin + Stern Pinball = Led Zeppelin Pinball!

Buyer Beware: Amazon Reprints Some Books Poorly and Without Disclosure

Editorials

Buyer Beware: Amazon Reprints Some Books Poorly and Without Disclosure

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.

The Most Metal Conspiracy Theory Ever!

Gear Bits, Music Diary

The Most Metal Conspiracy Theory Ever!

It seems like the past few years have spawned more conspiracy theories than at any other time in my life — or at least, there have been more conspiracy theories that were totally ridiculous yet not laughed off universally. But this week, I came across a conspiracy theory I could get behind! A couple of common conspiracy theories from recent years are how 5G circuits are responsible for all manner of things and that some kind of secret tracking chip is being implanted in people as part of the COVID vaccines. These combined in a conspiracy theory out of Italy,…

Spotify's 2020 Wrapped Experience Is an Interesting Look Back on This Very Weird Year

News & Features

Spotify’s 2020 Wrapped Experience Is an Interesting Look Back on This Very Weird Year

Are you a Spotify user? If so, you may have noticed that they’ve recently published their year-end Wrapped results, which revealed the artists, songs, and albums that the world most streamed in 2020. Even better, they’ve released personalized Wrapped results for eligible Free and Premium users. Did you check yours out? I did, and it was enlightening, albeit not surprising. I’ve played these artists and their songs on repeat, and honestly, it’s part of what got me through this insane year.

Are You Ready to Read Ready Player Two? A Book Review

eBooks, Reviews

Are You Ready to Read Ready Player Two? A Book Review

Ready Player One has been the butt of internet jokes for years. I didn’t hate it, though I agree it wasn’t exactly fine literature. Still, I enjoyed it enough that I impulsively bought Ready Player Two over the weekend despite poor reviews. Should you read it? Well, read on for my review. 

Nomad Is Donating One Million Masks to Non-Profits

News & Features

Nomad Is Donating One Million Masks to Non-Profits

Nomad may be known for its amazing products, including wallets, leather cases, charging cables, Apple Watch straps, and their charging stations, but the California brand also supports initiatives that impact our world by assisting in the unprecedented need of face masks.

Ted Lasso Is The Best Show You're Not Watching ... Yet

Gear Bits

Ted Lasso Is The Best Show You’re Not Watching … Yet

Look, this hasn’t been a normal summer. Even the fun times have had a bit of a shadow over them as we stress about the pandemic. It’s not even like there’s good fall television to brighten up the end of summer because most productions have been suspended. But one bright spot that you might not have noticed yet: Ted Lasso on Apple TV.

Watch Beyoncé's 'Black Is King' Starting Today on Disney+

Gear Bits, Music Diary

Watch Beyoncé’s ‘Black Is King’ Starting Today on Disney+

Beyoncé’s Black Is King is debuting on Disney+ today. It’s a visual album in which Beyoncé “reimagines the lessons of “The Lion King for today’s young kings and queen’s in search of their own crown. The voyages of Black families throughout time are honored in a tale about a young king’s transcendent journey through betrayal, love, and self-identity.”

Apple Unveils $100 Million Racial Equity and Justice Initiative

Editorials

Apple Unveils $100 Million Racial Equity and Justice Initiative

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).

UPDATED: Apple Makes the Difference Between Empty Promises and Real Action Very Clear

Editorials

UPDATED: Apple Makes the Difference Between Empty Promises and Real Action Very Clear

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.

This Instagrammer Is Bringing Art to Life in Quarantine

News & Features

This Instagrammer Is Bringing Art to Life in Quarantine

Are you bored in lockdown? Of course you are! We’re all getting sick of staring at our four walls. Some of us are using quarantine a bit more productively than others, though. Just look at the amazing art reproductions being done on Instagram by performer and pinup model, Miss Anne Mary!

Apple, If This Is a Test of Our humanity, You have Failed Miserably

Editorials

Apple, If This Is a Test of Our humanity, You have Failed Miserably

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?

HBO's Deeply Unsettling View of Our Futures

Events

HBO’s Deeply Unsettling View of Our Futures

Most of us don’t think about what our digital footprint means. Think about the dossier Facebook, Instagram or Twitter have on you. Not to mention Amazon’s knowledge of your shopping and Google’s of, well, everything. HBO gave us a glimpse into what that could mean with a Westworld tie-in dinner this week that left us all a little bit unsettled.