lorin schultz

payeco said:

Lightning actually supports USB 3.0. 

Yes, but not all Apple devices do. My wife's iPad Pro support USB3 transfers but our iPhone XSs do not.

payeco said:

The most recent camera to lightning adapter supports it.

Only on devices that are USB3 capable. iPhones and most iPads are not.

AppleExposed said:

Bezos is laughing his ass off right now as you chose to give him all your data.

I've been giving this some thought as I toy with the idea of implementing some simple home automation.

Here are the questions I can't answer:

1. We're told Apple's privacy policies limit Siri's capabilities. Huh? How is its ability to understand what I say, interpret the request, and issue a command hindered by privacy policies? That doesn't make any sense to me. Has Apple actually made this claim or is it just an internet meme? If Apple has said that, are they being honest or is it just deflection?

2. If Siri is hampered to the point of not successfully competing with Alexa, why would I bother trying to make it work? What will change in the future to make Siri a viable alternative? If it's really true that Apple's privacy policies are the obstacle, then the only way it's going to get better is to change that policy. If that were to happen it would be no better than Alexa anyway. In the mean time, is there any point investing in a system that protects my privacy by not being very good at what I want it to do?

3. Why should I be concerned about Alexa sharing my queries with Amazon data analysts? Why would I care that Amazon's marketing department knows I like chicken noodle soup and watch The Grand Tour? How does Amazon having that information hurt me?

I'm not considering Google products, despite really liking its search engine, but so far I'm not understanding why I shouldn't use Alexa.

mindwaves said:

I make a lot more money now than what I did a few years ago, but cannot stomach seeing a $129 wireless keyboard when I can buy the same thing for $40 at some other place.

I was really excited that Apple FINALLY offered a full-size wireless keyboard (i.e. with number pad), but like you, did a double-take when I saw the price. Still, that wasn't the part that led me to accuse Apple of a foul. It was Apple charging an extra 20% -- on top of the already very high price -- to get it in Space Grey. That gives the appearance of opportunistic gouging.

zoetmb said:
[...] no app should be permitted to track other apps or look into any cookies except their own.

Apple tends toward that approach, and the result is that I can't access certain streaming services without compromising my security/privacy.

At least two services we considered use third-party authentication systems. That means using the service requires allowing third-party cookies. Fortunately Safari allows me to override the restriction. Unfortunately it makes that an all-or-nothing proposition. If I allow third-party cookies for TSN, I allow them for EVERY web site I visit. I can't choose to allow it for specific web sites but not others.

The point is there may be legitimate uses for functions some developers abuse, so disabling them may not always be desirable.

fastasleep said:

lorin schultz said:

fastasleep said:

wozwoz said:

blurpbleepbloop said:

EsquireCats said:

Would be nice if it had: wireless charging at the base for the phones, trudepth camera for login, and preferably some kind of wired audio out port. (The mac pro's port is too far away.)

I would really like to have a wireless charging mat integrated nicely in the display stand...

Oh good lord - please no wireless crap radiating my head in a monitor. 
I've already ripped the wi-fi crap out of the Mac Pro, and have my desk and home free of any wi-fi emitting radiation. Bliss.

Time to take off the tinfoil hat, inductive charging doesn't involve wifi and wifi isn't cooking your head or whatever.

You taking down the radio towers in your neighborhood as well?

Do you want to tell him about the EM fields radiating around his wiring or should I? Probably better to start him off with a minor shock like that before we get into the myriad radiations bombarding the Earth from space.

I was gonna post instructions on how to turn his house into a Faraday cage.

I found out the hard way that stucco is a good start. It attaches to the wall with steel mesh. Even without careful grounding and continuity it does a remarkably good job of attenuating RF! LTE signal strength drops by half just stepping inside from the back yard.