galfridus

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galfridus
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  • Hands on with Apple News+ -- Is it worth the monthly fee?

    galfridusgalfridus
    I refuse to pay for anything is advertising is involved. Free with ads or ads removed for a price. No double dipping. It's ruined TV and will online media as well. If your product is so great it should speak for itself, why should I believe and ad when the advertiser is the only one who has anything to gain?
    I don't think I've seen any ads in any of the News+ sources. I might be wrong—I was subscribed to some of them prior to News+ yesterday and I may just be ignoring the ads.

    Regardless, I feel the need to point out that ads in print publications are acceptable and you (in general, perhaps not you, yourself) would still pay for those, so why would an ad in the digital version of a print publication be an issue? If we look at ads on, say, Hulu or Philo, I agree they're annoying, but the price you're paying for them is markedly less than you would pay a traditional cable subscription for (assuming, of course, they have the content you want). Let's say you love Wired—if paying for News+ and seeing an ad in an article (when you would have paid for the print issue and seen ads in it) means Wired survives as an entity, is that a bad thing?
    fastasleep

  • Microsoft brings formerly Windows-centric Defender antivirus to macOS

    galfridusgalfridus
    Oh, the comments... look, the reason it's being offered is easy: If a business is deploying Macs alongside their Windows boxes, then using Defender across both platforms makes it easier for everyone. And it's not necessarily being rolled-out to protect the Macs, but rather to help make sure the Macs aren't used as an attack vector against the Windows boxes. It only makes sense.
    n2itivguybeowulfschmidtwatto_cobra

  • Lutron ships Smart Fan Speed Control with Apple HomeKit

    galfridusgalfridus
    I'm looking forward to this, but need to run new line to two of my three fans (they are literally using one wire... it's an old house).
    flydog said:
    Lutron HomeKit accessories are by far the buggiest and most unreliable out of any HomeKit accessory.  I wouldn’t install this even if it was free. 
    Another dissenting voice—Lutron has been excellent in my 92-year-old house. Hue will flake out here and there, iDevices has been an absolute joke, and Eve gives me issues if it's too far from the home hub (a HomePod in the center of the house). Lutron has given me proper coverage across the entire house and has not failed for me.
    MacPro said:
    mmm... I am interested in this. I'd like to see this all done automatically and talking to the ecobee to give maximum efficiency between the AC system and the fans such as when to suck and when to blow (the fan direction).
    That would be ideal, but most of what I've read says it's best to run fans when people are present—no need for them running when they aren't. So you're likely better having the ecobee turn it on when it senses motion in the room (which an automation can already do). As for changing direction: Isn't that a hard switch on most fans? I don't think I've ever seen that remotely controlled (plus, most only change directions twice a year).
    watto_cobra

  • Publishers complaining about 'atrocious' revenues from Apple News

    galfridusgalfridus
    Kentfromohio said:
    Why would anyone want news selected by Apple? There is no demand for this. Particularly when Apple is not objective and completely open with respect to news. Apple has a political agenda and its pre-selected sources reflect that bias. Most people have the wherewithal to get the news from the sources they deem reliable without the screening of a Big Brother tech company.
    This is FUD. Where is your news selected by Apple in the app? There's the spotlight that their editors choose—you can easily ignore that if you're uninterested—and if you don't like the defaults, you simply choose channels you want, bar channels you don't, add any subscriptions that you might have, and (if you opt to) Siri will make suggestions for other channels from your browsing history. There's no screening by Apple involved.
    lolliver

  • The 10 best HomeKit lights, locks, thermostats, and more

    galfridusgalfridus
    Personally, the iDevices stuff doesn’t work well. I bought a starter set and the only thing in it I’ve been happy with is the outdoor outlet. The switch and the in-wall dimmer cut-out on a regular basis, regardless of the position in relation to my WiFi. I do live in a 91 year-old house with horsehair plaster walls, so that might be pat of it. Regardless, if you find the iDevices stuff not work8ng for you, I really suggest Lutron’s Caseta for in-wall and the Eve Energy for plug-in switches.
    watto_cobra