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  UofMTiger Tech
UOFMTIGER'S DEN

Life at My Desk (Part III) - Speakers

10/30/2016

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​This is my third article in the series called Life at My Desk (Part 1 & Part 2).  The purpose of the series is to explain why I use the stuff I use in my office and maybe providing some inspiration along the way.  I have been blamed for having clutter in my room, but most of it is stuff I use daily or have some meaning to me.  In other words, the things in the space either serve a specific purpose or show some part of my personality.  

Right now, I am concentrating on the stuff that have a real use in the office, but I will explain why I have some of the other stuff in the space in due time.  I should also mention that my office setup is always in the state of flux, so things are always moving in and out, but I am fairly sure I will be using these speakers for a long time to come.  

I should mention, that this article isn't a product recommendation or review like some of my other articles.  It would be hard to find some of the speakers mentioned below unless you got them from eBay. Therefore, this article is about giving people ideas about what they can do with their setups.  I watch some of the setup shows on Youtube and there are super PC gaming computers combined with speakers that are complete junk or they are mounted so high or low that anything representing decent sound is lost.   Sound quality is a huge part of the experience, so my preference is for having better speakers.  I also like headphones and feel like there is a place for both speakers and headphones in most setups, but nothing compares to the realism of decent speakers.

​2 Channel Audio

Music and video are the main reasons I have a setup like this rather than just using a laptop in my living room.  In the last several years, I have mainly used Logitech's excellent Z680 speakers that provided decent surround sound.  I never liked them much for music, so I ended up adding a pair of bookshelf speakers to the setup and eventually ended up where I am now.

A few years back, I had 4 NHT SB2 speakers combined with one NHT SC-1 center channel speaker in my living room.  Here is a decent article  on the setup (though, I combined mine with a sub from Elemental Designs). 

Over the years, I eventually updated my main setup to the excellent Monitor Audio Silver RS6 surround setup and moved the NHTs to my bedroom.  The NHTs were simply overkill for the space, especially using them as surround speakers.  Therefore, I pulled the two back speakers out of the bedroom (replaced them with a pair of Best Buy Insignia Speakers) and put a pair of NHT speakers in my office.  They are excellent for a small space because bass extends to a respectable 51 HZ and they can even be wall mounted if you want.   These speakers made a much better sounding alternative to the Logitech surround speakers.

Note:  I get paid commissions for purchases made through any links to Amazon products in this post.

As a side note, I put them up on Azar display cubes so they would be at ear level.  I am tall, so that is also why my iMac is up on a Grovemade stand.  I used Blutack to temporarily seal them to the cubes.

​Surround Sound  

​This year, I updated my receiver in the room and decided to put together a better system for surround sound.  I actually had a pair of Presidian Speakers in my garage, but decided to exchange them with the Logitechs (which will actually be more useful in my garage/gym).   The Presidians are relatively small speakers that I initially bought to pair with a Super T-amp in my kitchen.  They weren't really a great fit for that room, but they are ideal for my office as surround speakers.  
 
I also needed to add a center channel speaker.  The most important feature I needed was that the speaker needed to fit between the display and monitor arm for my iMac.   Obviously, part of the speaker would still be slightly blocked (like my old Logitech Center Channel), but I came to the conclusion that I could live with that issue for aesthetic reasons.  Well, I ran across the Polk speaker and it was priced less than $100 and was perfectly sized for the spot.  Keep in mind that I wouldn't go this route for my main setup, but we are talking about a very small space and I will be sitting close to the center channel speaker.  If I had to, I could always pull the speaker out and put it in front of the Mac, or simply tilt the iMac display back, when I am watching movies or listening to SACDs.

To round out the setup, I also stole thePolk Sub From the bedroom.  We don't watch very many movies back in that space, so I figured that I would replace it before we knew it was gone.  So far, I haven't replaced it, but I found a more powerful Polk Sub for $88 that I will buy for the bedroom.

Note:  I get paid commissions for purchases made through any links to Amazon products in this post.​

​Room Correction

The Onkyo in the space has the easiest setup imaginable.  You put a provided microphone in the main listening position, hit one button, and wait for the program to run through a series of test sounds for each speaker.  The measurements made sense and fit the crossovers I was expecting.  I popped The Beach Boys Pet Sounds SACD player into my SACD player in surround mode and it sounded fantastic....a lot better than I expected.  This will insure that I get a lot more use out of my surround sound SACDs and DVD-As!
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​The Wrap Up

​As you can see, I take audio seriously.  Now I don't feel like I am making huge sacrifices when listening to music or watching a movie in the room.  Sure, I could have gone with some Bluetooth speakers or some of the other low-end stuff I see in most desk setups, but I want this room to excel in media playback so I don't feel like I am making huge concessions by playing media in this space rather than my living room where I have my main setup.  Also, I was able to put the Presidians in a space that they are much more useful and put the Logitechs in my garage where 5.1 speakers will better serve my home gym machine and the elliptical machine.  All in all, it is a nice upgrade all around.
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New MacBook Pros!  Will I get one?

10/29/2016

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I have been using my 2011 MBP for 5 years now, so I am due for a change.  Over the last year, I have been waiting to see what Apple would release before even considering any other options.  Finally, Apple has released a new MBP and it is time to decide what to do next.

No Touch Screen

One thing I like about the Windows SurfaceBook  and Surface Pro is the ability to use them with a Pen in Photoshop.  This is a killer feature, but it doesn't come without downsides.  The main one, from my perspective is screen size.  I am in love with the 15 inch form factor and the Surface machines are 13.5 inches.  Of course, they have to be smaller if you want to use them in tablet mode and that is why there is a trade off.  However, the problem is that I don't simply use Photoshop.  I run apps like Excel, where a larger screen size makes a huge difference in efficiency.  Also, if we are honest, I like a larger screen for Photoshop, too. 

If I only used Photoshop, I would probably go with the Surface Book or Surface Pro, but I don't, so I have to consider how this one fantastic feature would affect the rest of my use cases.  Unfortunately, Apple thinks that Pen(cil) input is only good on a tablet, but their tablets currently don't run Photoshop, and while Lightroom Mobile is fantastic, it does not currently take advantage of their Pencil.  One of those holes really needs to be filled in by Adobe, otherwise, photographers are forced to use other apps to get some sort of Pencil input.

Touch Bar

The new 15 inch MBP has an OLED across the top that some people are calling a gimmick.  Personally, I won't really know until I get a chance to apply it to real world use, but I have to think that having system controls or Photoshop tools available in the bar will help with efficiency.  

As you can tell, I am always looking to be more efficient with my time on the computer.  Whether it is the efficiency provided by a larger screen or a Touch Bar, I welcome it.  I currently have an app called Alfred that you can run on an iOS device (it works with the Desktop app) that gives you quick access to websites, system preferences, etc. by pushing one button and it is awesome.  The problem is that it is better to use alongside an iMac than something you want to use while sitting on the couch.  Having more controls right on the keyboard has to be more efficient.  Personally, I consider a gimmick a showy feature that doesn't serve a purpose.  As a result, my impression is that the Touch Bar is not a gimmick, but only real world usage will answer that question. 

Ports, Pricing and RAM

Ports, pricing and RAM are the main shortfalls of the new MacBook Pros.  The  base 15 inch MBP starts at a price of $2399, so we are talking about an expensive laptop.  Also, the price doesn't include the adapters that will be necessary to connect legacy devices.  

​These laptops have 4 USB-C/thunderbolt 3 ports that will be awesome when more products come out to take advantage of those ridiculous speeds, but right now it makes it impossible to connect anything I own without an adapter.  The other issue is that you can only get the MBP in a 16GB RAM configuration.  I would love to have the option of 32GBs since I plan to own this laptop for several years.

Final Verdict

I decided to go ahead and order one.  The main reason is that I prefer MacOS to Windows.  I prefer the privacy associated with Macs.  I prefer the fact that I can turn on the computer without always having to update and restart it for security updates.  I have iOS devices and want to take advantage of Continuity features, FaceTime, Messages, ApplePay, etc.  I use Windows at work and actually run Windows with VMWare Fusion on my 2011 MBP and iMac, and have a relatively new Toshiba Laptop, so it isn't like I am just shy to even try it.  Heck, I got the nifty Toshiba back in February and I still use the 2011 MBP most of the time.  I am very aware of the differences and for my hobby time (which is how the MBP is used 95 percent of the time), I simply prefer MacOS.  (Note:  I will let others decide if the differences in the OS are worth it to them.  However, I spend 8 hours a day with Windows, 5 days a week (at least), and it is refreshing to use something different at home.)

The price is still very hard to swallow and I am not sure I would have gotten one if it wasn't so easy to spread the payments out for 18 months via their free financing deal with Barclays.  For me, it makes it less of an upfront commitment of money (right before the Holidays) and I can take a few months to pay it off.

Another consideration is that I have an iPad Pro 9.7 and I can at least access Photoshop with the Asrtropad app while I wait for Adobe to update Lightroom Mobile so it works with Pencil input.

The other thing I looked at was Final Cut Pro vs Adobe Premiere Pro.  I simply don't want to pay $20 a month for the rest of my life to use the software.  With Final Cut, you pay $299 and it is yours.  I haven't used either program, but from what I have read, Final Cut is more efficient (theres that word again).  Also, I currently use iMovie and I think the transition to Final Cut will be more seamless.  I have been testing Pinnacle Studio 20 on the Toshiba Laptop and it is buggy and crashes too often for my taste.  I have a feeling Final Cut will run much better on the MBPs.  

All that being said, this was a much more difficult decision than I thought it would be.  The Surface Book looks pretty awesome, but for a similar configuration it costs about the same as the MBP and the main shortfall is that it runs Windows and the screen is smaller than I like.  I would still love to try one out to see if the Pen input would change my mind, but if I am honest, I spend about 10 percent (if that) of my time in Photoshop and it isn't worth the sacrifice.  However, I can understand why some people are sitting this one out and deciding to stick with their older Macs or are considering switching to Windows.  My newest Mac is from 2011, so I have been sitting it out a while.

I will write an article after I get the MBP and use it for a while to describe how, or if, I am using the Touch Bar for more than TouchID.  
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Siri Rants - Much ado about nothing

10/22/2016

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A follow up to my long article from earlier in the week.

MKBHD (one of my favorite "Youtubers") just posted a video actually comparing Siri to Google Assistant.  It almost seems like a bit of a myth buster since there weren't huge differences in the  two services.  In fact, Apple often shows more complete information and shows it faster.  For example, it could give a  current pre-season NBA score, where Google showed a regular season score from last year.  Google was better at saying exactly who the POTUS was, but couldn't pull up pics of "German Shepherds," while Siri could.
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As a side note, he discusses how one advantage of Google is that it talks more, which is nice for driving.  However, he didn't realize that Siri will talk more if you use "Hey Siri" to wake her up rather than touching the home button.  For example, he asks for a definition of a word and she simply shows the Wiki page on the screen.  However, if he had used "Hey Siri" to wake her, it would have asked him if he wanted her to read it.  For my personal needs, I don't want Siri rambling on and on if I am able to get the information from the screen.  I think Apple went with the more tasteful decision to give a different response depending on your interaction.  Using the home button implies that the phone is in your hands, while "Hey Siri" implies that it might not be.

Also, he asks to see pictures of cats.  Apple went to the web to get pictures, while Google pulled up a couple cat pics in his Google Photos library.  If he had cat photos in the iOS Photo app, it would have launched his cat pictures rather than photos from the web.  I tried this with my iPhone and it showed every cat pic in my library rather than the two pictures that Google Assistant pulled up in his demonstration (although, he may only have two pictures).  If you want to see web pics, in my use, I found that saying "show pics of cats off the internet" is what works.   This brings up the fact that you have to be specific about what you want or these assistants will make the choice for you.

In other words, some of the differences, that he used in making his final decision about which service was better, were related to how he was using the device.  What I found interesting is that Siri often gave a better, more complete response and it typically looked better on the screen.  It was also faster at gathering the response most of the time.  Here is the video link, so you can see for yourself.

The Wrap Up

So what the heck is all of the "sky is falling" rhetoric coming out of our tech writers and why has this been an ongoing story for at least the last 4 months?   I think it is something I have referred to as journalist "group think" in the past.  This is where one guy writes an article and everyone that follows simply parrots it.  It is the idea of going into a story wanting to prove a predetermined point (typically agenda* driven) and tossing out anything that doesn't support it.  Watch or read your national news with this in mind, as well.  

* In the case of Mossberg, I believe his agenda is to put pressure on Apple to make Siri better.  So I can't really complain.  However, they are constantly making changes, so I am not sure that his pressure will really make much difference in the overall Siri service.  It already works pretty well, but it could be better with understanding less specific language.  Though, all of the services are at the point where you have to be specific, so it is par for the course.


Finally, and this is the point of all my Siri specific articles, I can't think of anyone I know that would switch from iOS to Android or from Android to iOS based solely on how these two services compare.   Well, I could see someone moving to iOS because this shows that the services are very similar, but Siri does it without invading your privacy.   Right now, Google Assistant isn't so good that it makes the sacrifice worthwhile....well, unless you are the kind of person that takes pleasure in clicking on spam emails and typing in your credit card number or social security number.
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Another Siri bashing article and another response

10/20/2016

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 The Pile On


The tech industry  must be having a hard time finding content these days.  Walt Mossberg, one of the most well known tech writers in the business, is now on the "Siri is dumb" bandwagon.  I wrote an article addressing the exact same issue when it was in the news a few months ago.  In this respect, Mossberg is far behind the other tech writers out there.  To paraphrase Mossberg, he didn't become great (or at least somewhat popular) by just following discussions that were popular four months ago.

That being said, I don't disagree with the shortfalls that were found in Siri when comparing it to Google Voice.  There are differences and Apple needs to work on this area of its ecosystem.  However, I think the tech writers in the world think this area is more important right now than it really is.

Here is the article in question: 

​http://www.theverge.com/2016/10/12/13251068/walt-mossberg-apple-siri-is-dumb 

The Spear?

"Siri is also the point of the spear for Apple in the coming tech war, just getting started, to make artificial intelligence a natural, conversational part of your world — at home, on your phone, in your car, everywhere. And Apple had a big head start with Siri."

I don't agree that this the "point of the spear" in the "coming tech war".   I do agree that it is an important feature for any ecosystem, but it is simply "a feature" in a huge list of other features.  For example, Apple makes the Mac and it has recently added Siri to the new OS.  However,  Macs have numerous other features like running Final Cut Pro, being able to Bootcamp other operating systems, running Mac specific apps, etc..  Having Siri is a nice new feature, but it isn't going to be the point of any spear in the current environment.  I guess we can look at Apple's quarterly results after they introduce their next batch of Macs later this month, but my guess is that people will not only buy them in spite of Siri, but also use Siri as one of the many reasons to buy them.

The iPhone also has this "dumb" version of Siri.  Somehow, they are still selling more iPhones than they can make.  While I do realize that he said "upcoming" tech war, but we don't know what the future holds with Siri.  Apple keeps a lot of what they are doing out of sight, so what is happening today may have little relevance in the future.

The Echo

"The only new domain listed on Apple’s Siri webpage is for controlling home devices compatible with Apple’s HomeKit platform, a use case that’s quite small. You can now use Siri to "turn the lights blue" or "turn on the bathroom heater" — integrations Amazon’s Echo and Alexa assistant have led the way on. And the always-listening Echo is faster than pressing the iPhone’s home button to call up Siri and more reliable than the "Hey Siri" command that can be hit or miss."

I have an Echo, and a second one out for delivery right now, so I definitely like the "always-listening" aspects of the device.  However,  since 2014, the Echo has reportedly sold a total of 3 million units according to an article from April.  They will probably sell more with the new $50 price tag, but I don't see it setting the world on fire.   

The Apple Watch has advantages over the Echo in many ways because it is always on you.  Also, while Amazon has sold 3 million Echos in two years, Apple averages around 3 million Apple Watches sold each quarter at much higher price points and margins.  In fact, WSJ says it is a 6 billion dollar business in its first year.

So why does Apple sell so many more Apple Watches when tech writers have been praising the Echo for two years?  The answer is obvious.  Apple has products people want to buy and voice assistants are nice to have for things like turning on lights and sending messages, but people want something that is always on them.  The iPhone and the Apple Watch fit that need and the Echo does not.  Amazon tried to get into the smartphone market and it failed to get any traction.  That will continue to be thing thing that continues to hamper them in the so-called "coming tech war".   

As a side note, I love my Echo, but I don't even see it as competition to Siri right now. The way I use it, it is more of a compliment to Siri at this point.

Personally, I am not even sure what "coming tech war" means.  The current comparison of Siri against other assistants really has no relevance to what Apple has planned for next year and beyond.  Mark Gurman has already reported that Apple is working on a stand-alone device similar to the Echo, so it isn't like Apple has thrown in the towel.  Also, while Mossberg claims that Siri is stagnant, many are reporting that Siri has gotten a lot better with IOS 10:

"Siri is a lot more useful in iOS 10, MacOS Sierra and the Apple TV's latest update."
https://www.cnet.com/how-to/11-new-ways-you-will-be-able-to-use-siri-this-fall/

"After getting an early look at a more capable Siri, it’s clear that this long-overdue feature is important to making Siri more useful in everyday life"
http://www.wsj.com/articles/siri-takes-charge-of-your-apps-in-ios-10-1472590842

​Lessons learned from the HD DVD vs Blu-ray War

Near the inception of the HD movie market, we had two main options, HD DVD and BD (Blu-Ray Disc).  HD DVD came out earlier than BD, with the least expensive devices, and got a huge head start.  I remember reading that in 2006 HD DVD had outsold BD every week of the year. Also, once BD came to market, the players were more expensive, there were faulty BD machines, many BDs had poor transfer quality, etc.  Many analysts claimed HD DVD had already won he war.

That being said, I bought a PS3 the minute I could find one in December 2006.  Why?  It provided the most comprehensive package ( including backward compatibility) and BD came along for the ride.  Also, I was arguing on forums at the time that the PS3 would eventually bury HD DVD.  When Microsoft didn't include an HD DVD player in their Xbox system, rather than a clunky add-on, the war was all but over.  

What does this have to do with Siri?  Apple is about making great devices, in a strong ecosystem, and Siri is just another feature along for the ride.  It isn't about one stand out feature, it is about providing a full package of features and catering to what clients want.  Also, we are at the very beginning of this voice assistant technology and counting out Apple at this point is like counting out BD in May 2006.   

The funny thing is that some analysts were speculating that Apple should get in the format war even then.  However, Apple was looking at the long game.  They thought digital files were the future and released the Apple TV in September 2006.  Rather than an optical disc, it contained a hard drive for syncing digital content.  Instead of relying on physical discs, Apple was already looking toward the future.  

Search Engine

"In recent weeks, on multiple Apple devices, Siri has been unable to tell me the names of the major party candidates for president and vice president of the United States. Or when they were debating. Or when the Emmy awards show was due to be on. Or the date of the World Series. "

Look, if you want to use Siri as a search engine, it will most likely continue to fall a bit short compared to Google, which has the best search engine on earth.   Personally, I think these kind of searches are nice to have, but are they really something that will contribute to future buying decisions?   

In other words, if you had the option to continue buying iPhones that have all your current apps, a growing ecosystem among devices (Macs, iPhones, iPads) that work together, and some useful Siri capabilities versus changing systems, giving up all your iOS/Mac-only apps or re-buying new apps on another platform that has better voice search capabilities, which one will most people choose?  I am not talking about tech nerds, what will your average Joe/Jill do?  I think we know the answer because Google Voice is already better at a lot of things, if Mossberg is to be believed, and Apple is still selling lots and lots of stuff.   

Ummmm...Siri can do a lot already

"Yes, Siri can usually place a call or send a text. It can tell you sports standings, Yelp restaurant reviews, and movie times — features Apple added years ago. And it must be said that all of its competitors have their own limitations and also make mistakes."
Yep, Siri already covers a lot of stuff people use daily.  There is a point of being useful and a point of being annoying and/or creepy.   Many people do not want a company looking over their shoulder 24 hours a day watching, recording, and storing their every move.   There are a lot of people that don't want their phone to butt into every conversation they are having. 

In other words, I think there will be a point where this tech can be too intrusive for a lot of people and I believe that Apple has the taste to find that sweet spot.  I think other companies will go far beyond that comfortable spot for a lot of people, but the tech community will still talk about how wonderful it is that "their phone" knows their bathroom habits.  

While we are on the subject of Siri's capabilities, it is fantastic for music when combined with Apple Music.  Because Apple is selling a watch that is on you all the time, you can easily control music from your wrist while your phone is docked and sending an Airplay signal to your Apple TV (or other device).  The fact that Mossberg left this out of his article should tell you that he mainly concentrated on what Siri could not do, rather than what it does very well.

AI Wars?

"But, in its current incarnation, Siri is too limited and unreliable to be an effective weapon for Apple in the coming AI wars. It seems stagnant. Apple didn’t become great by just following the data on what customers are doing today. It became great by delighting customers with feats they didn’t expect. The AI revolution will demand even more of that."
​This goes beyond any "AI Wars".  (Note:  I think the whole coming "AI Wars" is an overstatement by tech geeks.).  The question of whether Apple is still able to delight "customers with feats they didn't expect" is another subject all together.  There is definitely an argument to be made that they are less exciting now than they were when Steve Jobs was at the helm.  

However, I think some of this is simply the "reality distortion field" that Steve Jobs created.  Just go back to the iPod and you could have written an article that it was just another mp3 player, but this one only worked with firewire.  You could go back the original iPhone and ask "where are the apps".  In other words, it is all about perspective.  I should mention that I own a second gen iPod, but I did not get on the iPhone train until the 3gs because it was missing too many features that I had on my Treo at launch.  In other words, if I was writing blogs back then, I could have talked about how far behind Apple was in these specific areas.  Heck, the 2nd Gen iPod required me to add a new firewire card to my PC and I had to find a third party program to interact with it because iTunes was not even available on the PC at that time.  The Rio Karma would have been plug N play.  However, the iPod was simply a better product to handle and use, so the numerous upsides outweighed some of the shortfalls (which is my main point of this article).

The reason tech writers/bloggers see this area as the all-important area of the business is that the mobile device market is mature.  At this point, we are getting better devices, but nothing awe inspiring like the design of the original iPhone.  The fact is that AI is in its neonate stage of development.   However, that is why I think it is impossible to look at what we have available now and try to determine how things will eventually play out. 

The Elephant in the Room - Privacy

Walt and other tech writers rarely mention privacy in these type of articles, yet it is the main distinguishing factor between a company like Apple and most other tech companies.  Apple has said that it doesn't want your information, unlike its competition.

That being said, they haven't simply given up on providing information based on data.  Apple is using something called "differential privacy" in some areas.  It allows them to use your data in an anonymous form.  From a separate Recode article:

"As for what data is being collected, Apple says that differential privacy will initially be limited to four specific use cases: New words that users add to their local dictionaries, emojis typed by the user (so that Apple can suggest emoji replacements), deep links used inside apps (provided they are marked for public indexing) and lookup hints within notes."

Outside of differential privacy,  Apple also "relies on indexing data locally on the device without ever being shared across the internet."

https://9to5mac.com/2016/06/24/apple-differential-privacy-opt-in/

Does that mean there will be some AI trade offs for keeping your information private and will that trade off be worth it?  Look, I don't want to reference the book 1984, but if your information is being scanned and duplicated in the cloud, it could be accessed by criminals, hackers, and the government via subpoena.  

I know that in the current environment, people are sharing a lot of their personal details with Facebook and Twitter anyway. However, I think Apple is thinking about the long game and have reason to believe that a lot of people want privacy now or may want it at some point in the future.  If that happens, then they will be the only company in the game because they are developing their models now and will continue to make them better in the future.  For many, that small sacrifice in the short run may be worth it to have more of their lives kept private for now and in the future.  

The Wrap Up

To wrap up one of my longer articles, I think there are shortfalls in Siri.   I have an Echo and there are shortfalls there, as well.   We are at the beginning of this technology's life, so they all have shortfalls and they all have to figure out some things.  I do wish Siri could access Airplay (which honestly is the only thing I care about them adding at this point), but that is part of the growing pains.  

Personally, I am not so interested in this technology that I want to hand over the keys of my life to the big computer in the sky.  I respect Apple's stand on privacy and I am happy that at least one company has prioritized it.  I also don't think I will ever leave Apple products because of how it handles AI.  I am not that complicated that I need it monitoring my every move and making suggestions on a minute-to-minute basis.  

Does that mean I will never leave Apple devices?  No, it is a simple Cost/Benefit analysis that I do before I buy anything.  I list the pros and cons and decide whether the headache of moving to another ecosystem is worth the headache for the pros on the other side of the street.  Right now, Apple is still ahead of everyone in areas that mean something in my daily life and some of that is simply based on the ecosystem which I am heavily invested.  That makes the upcoming "tech war" already slanted toward Apple in my world, but who knows what will be compelling for future generations?  No idea, but maybe they will care about privacy by then, and if that happens, Apple will be the only player in the game.  If it doesn't happen, Apple should still have very compelling devices just based on the amount of money they have to throw at any problem.
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Why I won't switch to Amazon Music Unlimited

10/16/2016

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On these Surface, I am the ideal candidate for Amazon's new music device.  First and foremost, I am a huge fan of Amazon.  I use them for most of my product links, pay for Prime, and pretty much buy most everything  I own from them.

Amazon Unlimited vs Apple Music

Right now, I use Apple Music for most of my listening needs.  However, it is 9.99 a month (for a single account) vs 7.99 for Amazon with Prime.   That is a pretty decent deal, but I have used Apple Music for a year so that it knows exactly what I like.  This is important because it uses that information to recommend playlists and albums and it is spot on with the eclectic mix of music I listen to.

Siri is the real distinguishing factor, though.  I unashamedly use Apple devices most of the time.  I am writing this article on an iPad in bed while listening to Apple Music streaming from an iPhone to an Airport Express that feeds my bedside headphone setup.  I have an Apple Watch that I use to skip songs or tell it what to play next.  I will then add any links to this article and post it from an iMac or MBP.  All of these Apple devices now work with Siri.  The problem with Amazon Music is that it does not work with Siri.
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​Family Plan

Literally, two days before Amazon launched this service, I convinced my girlfriend to try Apple Music.  She has bought three or four CDs in the last week, so it was time to introduce her to streaming.  Heck, I am even picking up the extra cost by increasing my membership to the Family Plan.   Apple Music charges 14.99 for this service and Amazon will eventually charge the same thing (though, their Family Plan hasn't been launched yet).

​Echo

This is the only enticing thing about the service for my needs.  It is a $3.99 a month charge that gives you unlimited music on an Echo.  Since I have the fantastically awesome Echo Dot and another one on pre-order, I could see this as a convenient addition.  However, I paid $25 in May to load my music onto the regular Prime Music and I still haven't gotten my money's worth.  When it is time to renew, I may consider this option again since it would only cost and extra $23 for the year over the matching service.

Location, location, location

​My Dot sits in my kitchen between two rooms and it sends audio out via a Phillips Soundring speaker.  For that use, the million song "free" service (not really free, but comes with a Prime membership), combined with thousands of songs from my library, is plenty.   As a side note, one of the great things about streaming music is getting unlimited variety.  However, sometimes I want to go to my well curated music library (~25,000) and listen to music I know I like.  

​(Note:  I should mention that I still haven't gotten all of my files loaded up to Amazon because their app is awful and crashes every time I use it.)
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Bluetooth

My iPhone or Apple Watch is on me most of the time.  While it is slightly more inconvenient, I can start playing music on my phone and just tell the Echo to connect to it and Apple Music will play through the Dot.  It is actually one of my favorite features because I use it for podcasts, rather than music, on most mornings.  But the point here is that the Dot isn't really limited for music/audio options right now because it brilliantly has a Bluetooth receiver built in.

AirPlay

For my needs, AirPlay is simply a better way to listen to music for long sessions than the Dot.  This is mainly because I have so many AirPlay devices, but it is also related to how this technology works versus how the Echo works. 

The first shortfall to the Echo Dot is that it doesn't have a digital output.  This means you are using the onboard DACs vs higher end DACs that you can use with the Airport Express which has an optical digital output.  

Also, I now have 3 receivers with AirPlay built in.  This means that I can hit one button on my iPhone and my receiver will come on, switch to the correct input, and start playing.  It will even show album art, album info, and song information on my TV if I have it on.  To listen to the Dot on that setup, I would need to turn on the receiver and switch to the correct input.  Sure, with the Dot, I could do that with a command, but it is still more steps to start playing music.  In other words, some of the convenience of the Dot would be outweighed by some of the inconveniences.

AppleTV 4

Amazon and Apple are at odds, so I don't think Amazon Unlimited will be coming to the AppleTV anytime soon.  I do have a Roku, but the Amazon music app is sparse compared to the AppleTV app.  The implementation of Apple Music on the AppleTV is the best implementation of any music streaming service on any other streaming device.  Once again, you get Siri control, which is great.  I have used Spotify, Rdio, SiriusXM on Roku and none of them come close to the AppleTV implementation of Apple Music.

Proximity

​The other issue with using the Dot in my main system is that it would need to be near my receiver to use the aux output.  With music blaring, I think I would need to yell to have it pause music and issue it a command to play something else.  While Siri is on my wrist, so I could whisper the name of the album I want to hear and it would start playing.

I should mention that my receiver also has Bluetooth built in, so I could place the Dot near my seating location and send music to my receiver wirelessly.  However, AirPlay is lossless and Bluetooth currently uses compression which means the music might sound worse.

The Wrap Up

​Right now, I am sitting this one out.  I may eventually get the Echo Dot service, but right now there isn't a compelling reason for me to switch to Amazon Music Unlimited.  The main reason is that Siri only works with Apple Music right now and Siri is with be everywhere.  The second reason is that I use my Echo as a secondary music player and AirPlay works better and provides better sound quality for my main systems.
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Life at my desk (part II) - Blue Yeti Mic

10/15/2016

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This is my second article related to Life at my desk (see article 1, here).  As you can see in the picture below, I have a lot of stuff on my desk.  Some of the items are just to bring some of my personality to the room, but a lot if the things are there for good reason.
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​Blue Yeti 

​Today I wanted to discuss the Blue Yeti mic and why it is taking up coveted space on my desk.  

I actually bought the microphone because Amazon had it on sale and a podcaster ( I think it was Andy Ihnatko) posted a link on Twitter.  To be honest, when I bought it, I didn't really know what I would use it for, but it has proven to be very useful.

Note:  I get paid commissions for purchases made through any links to Amazon products in this post.
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​Features

​Themicrophone has multiple uses.  It has a knob that can be turned that affects the way it records audio.  The multiple pattern selection includes cardioid, bidirectional, omnidirectional & stereo.   The mic also has gain controls so you can manually change the recording volume from the mic.  It is also equipped with a headphone input and a separate volume control for monitoring your audio.  I also like the mute button, so you don't have to worry about your computer recording your voice when you don't want it to.
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​Stand 

​The Yeti comes with a heavy stand that helps it avoid moving around when you use it on a desk or table.  The mic can be rotated in the stand, so you can point it straight up, toward you, or away.  For most people, this will be plenty.
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​RODE PSA1 Swivel Mount Studio Microphone Boom Arm

​I used the stand for a while and it is fine, but I recently decided to put it on the RODE PSA1 Swivel Mount Studio Microphone Boom Arm.  The main reason is that it is easier to move the mic around. It can be put above head, below my mouth, and it can be put closer to my face without it getting in the way.  It simply adds a lot more flexibility that you can't get with the included stand.

The PSA1 is a high quality mount, so it feels sturdy, even with the weight of the Yeti.  The arm can be mounted to the edge of a desk or, if your can put a hole in the desk, it can be mounted anywhere.  I chose to put to mine on the front right side of my desk to give me more options for where I can place the mic.  A lot of people put it behind the monitor and have the arm extend over top, but I often like to lean back in my chair with the keyboard in my lap, so I wanted to be able to extend the mic to that area and mounting it to the back of the desk would have limited the way I could use it. 
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​How I use it

I have mainly used thYeti for voiceovers on the few videos I have up on YouTube, but Sierra (the Mac's new operating system) on the iMac has given it a more useful, daily application.  With Siri, I can have the mic nearby if I want to do one of the following suggested tasks that I pulled from Apple's website:

“Show the PDFs in my Downloads folder”
“How much free space do I have on my Mac?”
“Play the top 40 jazz songs”
“What’s the weather in Lake Tahoe?”
“Show me all of the files I shared with Cecilia last week”
“Search the web for images of the Eiffel Tower”
“Find tweets from José Bautista”
“FaceTime Victoria”
"Add Laura to my 10 AM meeting”
“How do you spell broccoli?”
“Show my photos from yesterday”
“What time is it in Monterrey, Mexico?”

I find that having theYeti mic near my mouth, rather than using the mic built into the iMac,  makes it easier for Siri to understand what I am saying.  Using it with Apple Music is something I do every time I am at my desk.  However, using to find things like "Photos of Schnauzers" in my collection, launching apps, telling it to search wiki for Schnauzers, or sending a message to a loved one about my schnauzer (noticing a theme?)  all work to perfection.  I am just starting to use Siri on the Mac, but the Yeti has made the experience a thing of beauty.     
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The Wrap Up

TheYeti can be used for many more things than I mentioned here, but it has proven to be worthy of the space it occupies in my office setup.
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New Office Setup Video!

10/12/2016

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Just wanted to mentioned that I had a chance to review Pinnacle Ultimate 20 video editing software, so I decided to make another room setup video since I had a few updates.  Check out my Mac Attack page if you are interested in reading about the setup or want to see some recent pics.
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Jet Black iPhone 7 Plus - Initial Thoughts

10/7/2016

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My iPhone 7 Plus (Jet Back – I like to call it the Darth Vader edition) has finally landed.  Thankfully, they sent it out by their initial Reservation Date ( read more about that here).  
 
My initial thoughts on the device:
 
1.   Still don’t care about the lack of headphone jack.  I have mentioned it before, but I am an audio geek.  I prefer using AirPlay at home.  This means I can listen to music on decent speakers (not the un-spec’d junk that Apple is selling in their stores).  I also have AirPort Express units feeding DACs and amps around the house for headphone use.  My DACs will all except a USB input, so I can feed a signal to them directly with the camera adapters that Apple sells. 

One of the adapters has a USB and Lightning input, so I can even charge while listening to music.  When I am out and about, my preference is Bluetooth, whether that is my Parrot Zik 2.0s or cheap Bluetooth Airbuds.  In my car, I use Bluetooth and at work, I use Bluetooth.  Nothing has changed related to my normal use.  I know some people care, but it had zero impact on my normal use. 

2.  Camera – so much better in low light (f2.2 vs f1.8).  I also wanted the “telephoto” lens (f2.8) for    shooting in decent light (the telephoto does not have optical stabilization like the wider lens).  The front facing camera is also quite a bit better.  I am also looking forward to their “portrait mode” that uses both lenses to create a shallow DOF. 

3.  Faster / Smoother – Every new generation of iPhone feels smoother and faster, this one is no different.  More RAM, better processor, etc. 

4.  Better looking screen – wide color gamut (DCI-P3) like the iPad Pro. 

5.  Louder speakers – I do use the speakers quite a bit (YouTube or quick trips in and out of the backyard)  and these are much louder than the 6s Plus. 

6.  256gb option – I love having more space for video and music. 

7.  Water resistance – while I haven't ever dropped my phone in the toilet, I do keep it on the bathroom vanity in the morning, and use it around the pool and hot tub.  I have been using Lifeproof cases in many of these situations in the past, but it is nice to be able to use the iPhone in those situations with my regular case. 
 
For me, the main reason for updating is still the camera.  Quite often, the only camera I have on me is the phone.  It is just the reality of life, and the better the camera I have on me is, the better the pictures will be, and the more likely I will have something I can cherish forever.  I still don’t think that the iPhone or any mobile camera can compete with cameras (DSLR/Mirrorless) that have removable lenses, but they aren’t really in competition.  When a DSLR and its lenses fit in my jeans, then we can start comparing them. 

I am still trying to figure out which case I want to use.  I have a few review cases I am trying out now.  I  will write about the case I end up using, but right now I have a clear case and a red case from Amazon.  I have a black case coming, as well.  I will probably order a RhinoShield Bumper because it looks intriguing and it has an optional front and back cover that I can use at the beach (I still think sand might scratch it).

I also want to mention that the jet black is very reflective.  Here is a shot after that I took with the focus on Pokey's reflection in the iPhone, as opposed to the iPhone lettering on the bottom of the phone, like the shot above.
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    About me:

    Dog loving, Big Green Egg worshiping, Tech enthusiast, residing in Memphis, TN.  Home of the Tigers, Grizzlies, Elvis, Al Green, Stax, Hi Records, Ardent Studios, Beale Street, Peabody Ducks, etc..  I have also added the Jeep Wrangler to the list of things I am enthusiastic about.

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