techrider

RIP AirPort Time Capsule.  While time machine backups were slow as hell, I was really happy with the APTC because 'it just worked', as in reliable Wi-Fi and time machine backups.  I got friends/family to adopt APx/APTC in their homes as it made my life easier.

That all changed in mid-2016 when Apple released a firmware that caused my APTC to become unresponsive to the AirPort Utility on iOS and Mac and time machine backups.  It still served up Wi-Fi but time machine stopped completing most backups - I had to power cycle it to get it to resolve these issues, and even then only for 12-24 hours.  I opened a case and invested hours with support to capture and send logs, rebuild my Mac from scratch, and test APTC configuration changes (including disabling Back to my Mac, relocate the APTC to be directly Ethernet-connected to the Mac I wanted to backup, stop using bridge mode, and even disable Wi-Fi).  Apple Support was always ever hopeful, and I was only too accommodating since I wanted to make it work. 

In spring of 2017, Apple finally gave me a 3TB external thunderbolt drive for my troubles and closed the case unresolved.  I knew then that such a concession meant there was no future for this product.  All it does for me now is act as a layer-2 switch and I'm using another brand for Wi-Fi.  All is back to normal except I have to reboot this AP whenever some of my HomeKit devices become responsive.  Can't help but wonder if an APx or APTC would result in the same HomeKit hiccups.

Apple and Cisco have partnered to delver better business-grade Wi-Fi.  Hopefully a consumer-level partnership emerges, if not a stand-alone product, that is aligned with Apple's development and brings back the 'it just works' days.

I needed the thinnest option, preferably with a fixed and short cable, for general travel and especially for attaching to my motorbike for road trips, and bought this fantastic one... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00HRFQWVM?ref=yo_pop_ma_swf

I also bought and really like this slightly bigger one with its longer fixed cable... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01M6YBZLZ?ref=yo_pop_ma_swf

When asked by friends, family, or colleagues "should I buy the latest iPhone/iPad or last year's?", based on my experience I generally advise to buy the current one if you expect no less than 3 years of 'delightful' experience from it, last year's if you expect no less than 2 years, and not to buy anything older unless it's practically a steal or there's a singular use that the old hardware can likely still meet.

In other words I approach the question from how long the 'delightful experience' from the software can last, not how long the physical hardware can last.

Now sometimes a person can only afford what they can afford, so price is still a consideration.  That said, I show them a comparison between... cost of newest device divided by 36mo...vs. cost of last year's device divided by 24mo to drive the point home on the value.

I think all companies including Apple would gain a lot credibility by including an estimated longevity for their products, both from the hardware and 'delightful, software-based experience' perspective.

I wonder how audio is captured?  I can’t imagine they just use the built in microphone...

sergioz said:

It's FAKE come on guys!!! 
Face ID isn't activated... can't see the lock symbol animation working properly.
100% publicity stunt buy Bkav Corp to garner some attention.
Looks like app overlay or most likely video overlay.
Not sure what he is doing with his left hand and why screen lights up before he even touches it?

Good observation about the lock symbol - agreed.  This article is a waste of AI readers' time