I’m about to turn off the last hard drive I’ll ever use in my life and replace it with a Solid State Drive (SSD).
I’ve been using Hard Drives for 27 years! My first computer, the Apple II+ didn’t have a Hard Drive. The first computer I had with a Hard Drive was my first Macintosh, the IICX. It was 40MB.
Read MoreThere are few things more annoying than arriving at a travel destination without the right charger for your device(s). I am in charge of managing the device situation of 3 humans, and like anything I have devised a system of “core” travel go bags for each human. Each bag is packed, ready to go at any moment, and flexible enough for individual or family travel. Cables are color coded, chargers are spec’ed per # of devices per person. My setup is the most complex, and this post only covers "core" devices.
This technique has saved for countless bouts of frustration, angry looks at “daddy” or worse, having to share chargers overnight.
Below is a recipe for simple, reliable, repeatable packing.
Read More01 Knives: I want this knife. But since it’s sold out I settled for a replacement to my 10+ year now broken Swiss Army Knife, the Swiss Army EvoWood S557
02 Apple: Small is back. I personally love love love my big, giant, all day battery lasting with every feature turned on and GPS draining the battery iPhone 6s Plus. Many people still love them small phones and Apple now has you covered.
03 Apple: The big news in my opinion is the new USB-C to Lightning Connector cable. Why? Now you can charge your iPad Pro 2x faster. You see today, you are limited to what USB 2.0 can support which is 2.4A @ 5V of power or 12W. USB-C can deliver up to 100W of power, making it a universal replacement for all laptop power adapters, but also a universal docking cable allowing USB or Thunderbolt to travel to a dock or dongle supporting HDMI, USB, Power, SD cards and so on. Anyway, I ordered one so that my Macbook 12 and iPad Pro can share the same charger. The MacBook charger supplies 2A @ 14.5V or 29W
04 Cables: If you want to geek out on USB-C charging, you can read up here. I find this stuff fascinating. Here is the thing. I cannot wait till USB-C replaces all those pesky Micro USB cables. CAN’T HAPPEN SOON ENOUGH.
05 Writing: Ulysses, an incredible app for writing is now available for the Mac.
05 Technology: The Hootoo HT-UC001 is an incredible USB-C Hub. Perfect for travel. Has everything you need to import photos from SD, project and keep power connected.
06 Technology: My new travel charger. 4 USB ports and a single USB-C port. From Anker of course.
07 Apple: Apple announced the iPad Pro version of the medium sized iPad (9.7 inches). Predictible. In case you ddi not get the memo, the iPad Pro is the replacement for PCs and Laptops.
08 Google: Google is making a keyboard for the iPhone
09 Tesla: The last piece in the Tesla chess game was unveiled today. The Model 3 is a $35,000 car with a 215 mi range, auto pilot, seating for 5, super charging and it's beautiful. 115K people pre-ordered. That must be a record for any car company. Simply amazing. I put down a deposit just to keep my options open. When my Model S lease is up in 2018 I might decide the smaller / sportier Model 3 is a good replacement.
Read More10 years ago my wife and I went to Restoration Hardware and purchased a set of towels. We picked the 802-Gram Turkish Bath Towel. We picked up 2 sets each, and we got them in white. These towels have lasted us 8 years before they started to fall apart. So when that happened we went back and purchased another set.
Read MoreAs I watch my children grow, and start to develop their own music taste, I've been thinking a lot about how I experienced music as a kid.
My music interests developed in the tape cassette world, and quickly shifted to the compact disk. I even toyed around with mini-discs for a number of years in order to make near CD quality mix tapes. I never had a turntable growing up, but at least I grokked the concept of an album and all that went into making it (album art, pamphlet, lyrics etc).
My kids, they just know Spotify and Pandora. I've been reading with interest about how Vinyl is making a huge comeback thanks to Millennials!
"It's definitely a bright spot for the business," said Josh Friedlander, RIAA's senior vice president of strategic data analysis. "In an increasingly digital age, vinyl records can provide a deeper, tactile connection to music that resonates with some of the biggest fans."
I agree wholeheartedly. Seattle has some incredible Vinyl stores, and so we decided to pull the trigger and drag our children back into the past, so that they could develop an appreciation for music that was more connected to the Artist and the Album.
And hey, another excuse to research the crap out of at least 5 different things to power a turntable :-).
Read MoreI was talking to a co-worker on Friday where I had the opportunity to mention the Mr. Clean Magic Eraser. He looked at me funny and asked what it was. It reminded me that there are things I use, and I don't even think to write about them.
Read More01 Smart Home: I've been keeping an eye on eero for a wile, mainly to solve the wifi probems of my sister and Dad. I plan to order one and review it. Walt likes it.
02 Cars: I'm excited for the Model 3. Once again my car was updated with features last week that I didn't even know I wanted or needed. I think the Model 3 will sell very well. Apparently you will need to visit a Tesla showroom on the first day to reserve yours.
03 Apple: Apple could release a 'cutting-edge' wireless-charging iPhone next year. One can only hope.
04 Apps: Day One, my favorite iOS/Mac note taking app got a huge overhaul.
05 Technology: My co-worker Tyler showed this to me the other day. You can draw your own circuits. Amazing. Electroninks.
06 Smart Home: This DIY Mirror looks amazing. It strikes me that the mirror could be used for a lot of amazing ambient data. Like the news in the morning. - My Bathroom Mirror Is Smarter Than Yours — Medium
07 Amazon: Yes Please - Amazon’s Retail Store Plans Go Beyond Books
08 Amazon: The Amazon Echo gets better and better every week. Spotify was a huge addition and the integration is better than Sonos as you can control playback from the Spotify app - Stream Spotify via your Amazon Echo
09 Toys: Swoop Bags, made in Seattle, are a great way to store Legos or have a travel set.
10 Travel: What a neat idea. I may do this on my next trip through Iceland - Icelandair Introduces Stopover Buddies
11 Apps: This new Quartz iOS app has to be one of the best new Apps I've used in a long time. It's pretty addictive.
12 Photography: The Leica Q is one of the most amazing cameras every made. It is my first Leica and this review is one of the best camera reviews I've ever read. Warning, this is one hell of an expensive camera, but consider that Leica lenses are often more expensive than this camera.
13 Software: I'm a huge fan of 1Password which I have written about before. 1Password’s new family plan lets multiple users easily share passwords
14 Home: Elgato expands its HomeKit lineup with new Eve Energy sensor for U.S. customers. I ordered one yesterday from Amazon. I am really loving HomeKit.
15 Government: The FCC just took the first big step toward changing the cable box business | The Verge
16 Apps: Deliveries for iOS updated. This is one of my favorite apps on my Phone.
Read MoreGoing to keep this post short since today is prepare for Taxes day.
About a year ago when I was collecting the perfect set of knives, I was looking for a set of kitchen sheers. My requirements were that I could easily take them apart to clean them, and sharpen them.
I had read about these German kitchen sheers made by Messermeister in Cook's Illustrated. They rated these knives highest about 10 yeas ago.. They are really great.
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