macgui

Apple releases HomePod software update 14.2.1

macgui

December 2020

I wish somebody would test the HP and the HPm for use with video. Audio not nearly perfectly synced bugs the hell outta me.

Why Thread is a game-changer for Apple's HomeKit

macgui

November 2020

gatorguy said:

I'm honestly surprised it's taken so long to gain traction.

I'm not, as this is the very first I've heard of it, unless it was … (more)mentioned at the HPmini's event and I missed it. Not being deeply involved in Home automation (limited to light use of Siri, Alexa, and Philips) may be why Thread is news to me.

gatorguy said:

Home automation should be much more straightforward than it has been and Thread will be a major part of making it so.

I really hope so. My X-10 system was very straight forward to understand, integrate, and operate. It was also very limited, and had some flaws. But it was better than nothing and arguably helped pave the way for current products.

SpamSandwich said:

Still unconvinced there is any value whatsoever in home automation.

And it many never any value whatsoever, to you. Your takeaway should be that you are not that important beyond being the center of your own world and what you value and opine is almost universally of no concern to anyone outside your world. It's not up to me or anyone else to convince you of HA's value.

But I will offer that as a result of a military injury reducing some mobility and making the active portion of my day much, much shorter than I'd like, HA has been a near Godsend for me. Prior to my injuries, I would have been very interested in HA purely for the convenience and cool factor, as seen in the old Sci-Fi B movies and later.

Now convenience is something of a necessity and has made my life far easier, has taken the day-to-day from questionably tolerable to actually enjoyable, and has extended the active portion of my day after PT. I'm ambulatory and do not require a wheelchair, though there were times it seemed I would. I'm very lucky but HA has been a big part of that.

There are a lot of people derive far more benefit than I from the "convenience" of HA You obviously take for granted something as simple as flipping a switch to turn off a light bulb, or getting up in the dark to switch on a light. Do you remember the times when turning the TV on or off or changing the channel meant getting up and walking over to it to turn a knob? Did you not ever use a remote? That's HA even if you don't know it, on small scale. Modern TVs practically can't function without one, but that's not the same thing. If you have no use for HA, fine, it's not for you. Spare us your arrogance and lack of imagination. (less)

M1 benchmarks prove Apple Silicon outclasses nearly all current Intel Mac chips

macgui

November 2020

Yes, I'd bet that the 7-core chip is the result of a bad yield, or failed 8-core chips in a yield. It's being repurposed to a lower end unit, and thus some overhead is lowered, instead of … (more)just tossing otherwise functional chips. It also helps establish an entry level Mac and isn't an unknown practice among other manufacturers.

High speed flash storage has removed a lot of dependence on RAM for light and medium lifting. Too many people living in this usage world keep saying that lots of RAM is overrated and unnecessary "with today's SSDs". They're right, but only within they're own little world. Ok, it's a pretty big world but not the whole world, as they might believe.

Even if you don't render a lot of high-end, busy video, there are still RAM sucks. For a light lifter like me, that's browsers and web pages. I frequently have a lot of web pages open with sometimes two browsers. Browsers eat memory and left on their own, suck up a lot of it. I often get that warning something like "this web page is using significant resources...".

I'm hoping somebody's "real world" M1 testing includes loading up the CPU/GPU with a lot of browser pages for a lengthy time. There's been a lot of talk that SSDs have obviated the need for RAM, but that's a short-sighted view.

The M1chip seems to have demonstrated among a number of reviewers it's ability to do much more with less RAM. There's a lot of users who will find 8GB and 16GB enough or more than enough for their use with an M1 computer.

But there are a lot of high-end users who do still and will need more. I believe that will be coming as soon as the next M1 refresh. That goodness may well be reflected in the price, which might be one reason why we didn't see them this time.

All of these M1s are entry level machines in each of their categories that provide more functionality than probably any entry level Mac before. Decrying their suitability for high-end work that they weren't tasked for is silly at best and the stuff haters are made of.

Any objective doubters should scour the web for thorough reviews and if they don't see what ability they cherish tested, should prevail on the tester to consider it. That would be an actual constructive act instead of baseless speculation and petty bitching. (less)

Samsung mocks Apple for removing power adapters from iPhone boxes

macgui

October 2020

The Mac vs PC ads were terrific, poking fun at PC products. Sammi's attempts mostly came off as lame mirthless jabs that made Android users happy, and Apple people were supposed to be … (more)amused. Truth is they were like the loudmouth at a party that insults other guests under the same guise of humor and accuses them of being thin-skinned when they don't laugh or are rightfully offended.

At a party you can take the asshole aside and explain that if he's not civil, you'll punch him in the throat and sent him off. Not as easy to handle ad campaigns in the same manner. I did find one Sammi ad amusing, though it escapes me now, and this Included one is actually clever and amusing.

I didn't believe Apple would drop EarPods and the charger, and when it seemed likely, thought it a bad move without some overt compensation to the customer.

Including a coupon giving discount pricing at an Apple store for an Apple charger and EarPods seemed to me the best way to handle the exclusions. Much less bad press, and we could feel we're getting a fair shake, even though we might not be. Those wanting to save the environment could just dispose of the coupon/voucher in some ecological manner.

Yes, there are a tonne of compatible chargers out there in drawers and still in retail boxes on the closet shelf. Even a 5W charger will charge the latest phones via a Lightning cable. While some of you are so important you've just got to have hi-speed charging for your active life style (snort) I do see some value in fast charging, particularly for first responders, but others as well. Inductive charging isn't as efficient as direct wire, so I'm not running out and buying an Apple type-C charger anytime soon. Also not a fan of possibly introducing more heat to the phone battery. It'll be interesting to see how this affects the lifetime capacity of the battery.

Besides the huge cost savings this give Apple it's a sound ecological move though I still want EarPods and a charger with the phone. Did I mention Apple is saving a tonne of money? Metric tonnes actually, in shipping. I'm interested in a 12 mini, and would have liked to see the MSRP dropped by $100.

I'll wait a bit and see how it shakes out. Maybe there'll be a 12s mini with a couple things this doesn't have that I'd like. Wait'll next year!

(less)

Review: SanDisk Extreme V2 is the SSD we pack in our bags

macgui

October 2020

neuromechanist said:

I think you are talking about Extreme v2 not the Extreme Pro v2. SanDisk Extreme Pro V2 has a 20Gbps bandwidth using USB C gen 2x2. The non-pro version

… (more)

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Apple releases HomePod software update 14.2.1

Why Thread is a game-changer for Apple's HomeKit

M1 benchmarks prove Apple Silicon outclasses nearly all current Intel Mac chips

Samsung mocks Apple for removing power adapters from iPhone boxes

Review: SanDisk Extreme V2 is the SSD we pack in our bags