Category Archives: Tech

Genius Bar

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You never know what you can do without your Mac until it craps the bed on you. It started a month or so ago with a “hash volume mismatch” error, which I ignored of course. Then, a few days before I started my paid time off/Edinboro time, the thing just would not boot. It kept restarting and would not go to the desktop. The problem being. that vacation/Edinboro is when I like to do some computing. Journaling. Organizing. Goofing off on social media.

So that was annoying. And Saturday I took the thing to the Genius Bar, and they wiped the thing clean and said that would fix it. It did not. Still restarting, still throwing weird errors. I will be back at that location again Saturday. Fortunately, there is a nice Mexican restaurant nearby. So lunch will be nice.

I went to Best Buy yesterday hoping to find a Bluetooth keyboard to go with my five-year-old iPad so at least I could get some of this pent-up writing out of my system somehow. It was kind of hilarious. I was waiting in line so this fella could help me and this other guy came out looking for Charles. Then another guy came out asking about Charles. I sure hope Charles got helped. I sure didn’t. Dude nerd-snorted and directed me to Amazon. And we wonder why Main Street can’t compete.

So I went to Amazon and found a terrific little keyboard I’m typing on right now. It was delivered overnight to the little locker in Staples I use now because my neighbors steal things. It isn’t perfect, but it works and looks pretty cool.

God Schmod, I Want My Alexa Watch

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I am rocking an iPhone 5. 

Not an iPhone 5S. An iPhone 5. All good Apple dorks know what that means. 

It means I am one consonant away from eligibility for updates. It means my iPhone will be on OS 10.3.3 FOREVER. It means my iPhone is no longer supported by Apple. And while Apple was nice enough to include support for its Airpods with my ancient phone, an iPhone 5 will not support an Apple Watch. (That support also requires support for at least iOS 11, only available on 5S or higher). 

So I was excited last year with the introduction of the iPhone X, but I was nonplussed by the price point. And so I instead had the battery replaced, which fixed the real issue I was facing with the phone, that the battery was draining every 15 minutes. After that, the phone was fine. 

So I watched the rollout in September with interest and was glad to see the iPhone XR address the price point. But I still don’t think I’m budging, not  until this phone tells me it just plain won’t let me look at Facebook any longer. 

Why am I hesitant? Because. Much of my motivation of wanting the upgrade is the Apple Watch. Except this one thing: I don’t like Siri. 

Or, perhaps, it’s that I’m just used to another digital assistant, known as Alexa. These gizmos I have all over the place. I am used to that voice, the smooth delivery, the natural-seeming personality. Compared to it, Siri’s is just plain jarring. 

Maybe it’s just the form factor I’m used to. But I think the assistant I prefer is and probably always will be Alexa. I am already signed up for the in-auto version of the gizmo (you have to sign up to be invited just to buy the friggin’ thing). 

So. If they can put Alexa in my car soon, when are they going to put her on my wrist? 

This is vital. Because, I assume, if you’re using a watch, you will be using the personal assistant much more often. 

God schmod, I want my Alexa Watch. 

Apple Keynote

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I think of all the points made in today’s Apple keynote, the most overlooked will be the message from Apple executive Lisa Jackson. She was on the dais today to address Apple’s commitment to the environment.

She touted, for example, that 93 percent of Apple’s operations worldwide currently run on renewable energy, with 100 percent compliance to this goal in the United States, China, and Singapore.

She also announced that the newest iPhones are using recycled tin in their logic boards and cover glass that’s 32 percent bio-based plastic.

Jackson said, and I think this is the vital part to me, that helpful in working toward this goal is that Apple needs to make devices last as long as possible.

I think this is where the company delivers. I mean you can still upgrade a supportable OS all the way back to iPhone 5S, a device that was introduced in 2013.

From my own perspective, I own an iPhone 5, which is no longer supported. That is concern number one; I hate to carry around a device that can no longer update OS. And, second, this phone will not pair with an Apple Watch (good news on that front, the Series 3 will have a nice price drop since they released Series 4 today).

Oh, and the volume rockers are stuck.

So I might upgrade shortly. I won’t be buying an iPhone X(whatever) nor a Series 4 watch. But I may not upgrade. Aside from the concern of a current OS, the phone works fine and was vastly improved once I treated myself to a set of Airpods.

Ya know, Android bois like to piss all over Apple products, especially when they’re releasing thousand-dollar phones and such. But yinz are largely missing the point.

iPhones last.

Enjoy your Android Pie.

So I Bought an iphone

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The old Treo is finally unusable enough to warrant a new gizmo. It was dropping calls, the apps were sluggish, I think the Windows Mobile OS was finally just giving up the ghost.

I have been vacillating between a Droid and an iPhone for quite some time now. I have at last settled on the iPhone, mAainly due to the fact that in every Droid user review I have seen, the reviewer ultimately gets down to “well…it’s not an iPhone, but…” If you have to compare it to the iPhone to review it, why not just buy the friggin’ iPhone?

Besides. I know how it works since I own an iPod Touch. And I figure it’s at its third iteration at this point, so the bugs are out of it. And, it’s more accessorizable than the Droid, which has exactly one accessory you can buy. So, at last, we have joined the ranks.

Happy new year.