russw

About

Username
russw
Joined
Visits
42
Last Active
Roles
member
Points
27
Badges
0
Posts
21
  • Apple discontinues full-size HomePod, to focus on HomePod mini

    I use my HomePods in stereo for a home theater, paired with an Apple TV. Really love the experience. An excellent product and I’m so pleased to have ditched my old jumbo sized 3.1 sounds system, never wanting to go back. But in 5 years when the HomePods are vintage, I wonder what’s next? Sonos... eh, maybe. 
    Yes, this is a cool functionality that would go away. You can’t even use a single mini as he default output for an AppleTV so maybe Apple will add this ability. Sure won’t match your stereo HomePod setup quality but I use one Apple TV in my garage for exercise (Zwift in my case but could be fitness+ for others. Don’t need the best quality sound for that.  
    JWSCwatto_cobradoozydozen
  • New AirPods firmware enables Spatial Audio, automatic switching

    Using on 11” iPad. At first I thought both iPad speakers and AirPods were both on. It sounded like sound was coming from iPad as I moved my head around but much better sound. Such an amazing improvement in experience. 

    Quick switching - about time but most welcome. 
    watto_cobra
  • APHL partners with Apple, Google and Microsoft on national COVID-19 Exposure Notification ...

    JWSC said:
    I suppose everyone who takes part in these COVID-19 tracking solutions feels good about this work. And I’m sure it’s good work. But getting it deployed to the masses, many of whom will not voluntarily submit to tracking, is just too little and too late.

    It may be a prepackaged solution for the next pandemic though.
    I hope you’re wrong but fear you’re right about the US. So funny when you realize your cell company is tracking you already, not to mention Google and Facebook. 

    Agree at least this will be a trial run for the next pandemic and let’s hope there is more reason to trust government at that point. 
    Rayz2016JWSCjony0
  • Hands on: macOS 10.15.5 Battery Health Management

    neilm said:
    Every Apple device, excluding AirPods can have its battery replaced for a reasonable service fee.
    Really?

    Because we recently paid $520 to have the dangerously swollen battery in my 3-year-old MBP replaced. You must have an unusual definition of 'reasonable.'

    On the plus side, Apple turned the job around in less than 3 days door-to-door — FedExed out on Monday afternoon; received by Apple, repaired and shipped back on Tuesday; delivered to my office Wednesday morning! — which was outstanding.

    Back to Apple's new battery management software, this is a good development. Lithium batteries don't really like living in either the uppermost or lowermost reaches of their charge range, but that's impractical to manage manually.
    Sounds like yours was a battery failure that damaged other components so the repair was more extensive. You could argue Apple should have treated it as a standard battery replacement but that is a different story. A normal battery replacement that most people would have to get is < $200 (per the link @chabig posted above).
    watto_cobra
  • How to use external storage on iPad and iPhone with iOS 13

    Good stuff, this could be a game changer.

    I'm interested in two use cases for photographers who travel and want to minimize size/weight but still want to backup and edit their images.

    1) Can I copy the contents of a SD card to a SSD drive using the iPad. This would be using Files, I assume, but maybe someone will come up with an app to make this better/smart so incremental copies will work as well. I'm using a RaspberryPi to do this right now- just uses rsync to sync files. 

    2) Did you test to see if Lightroom can work directly off attached storage (SSD drive, in my case)? Not just to edit a single image, more to do a quick select of images then edit.

    Russ
    watto_cobra