zoetmb

zimmie said:

techrider said:

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

The overwhelming majority of movies don't use audio recorded at the same time as the video. Instead, they typically have the actors dub their own lines in a studio. This gets cleaner audio with no chance of unexpected sounds from the set. That then gives the Foley artists greater control over the sound. Most staged TV, and even some "live" events like the Olympics, is done like this, too. There was a stink a few years ago when people realized the water sounds during Olympic rowing videos aren't actually from the event.

That really varies by movie and they usually only "loop" dialog that has problems, either technically or because of performance issues.   In a film like the original Star Wars, almost every line was looped.  But in many modern films, with improved miniature wireless microphones and the use of silent digital cameras, much original dialog is kept.   

gmgravytrain said:

I had no idea they were building an Apple "gathering place" in downtown Brooklyn. For a company some think is going out of business, they sure are opening a lot of new Apple places. However, two stores in Crooklyn and not even one in Queens seems a bit unfair. Not that it matters because I always purchase products directly from Apple's online site.

There's an Apple store in the Queens Center Mall on Queens Blvd and Woodhaven Blvd.   And it has nothing to do with fairness or unfairness.  It has to do with who lives in each place and the incremental revenue Apple can gather from another store.   Indian (and maybe Chinese) food aside, Queens also has really lousy restaurants compared to Brooklyn, but that's the way it is.  Queens is not a very hip place (I live there).   

Some years ago, the Brooklyn Borough President, Marty Markowitz tried to get Apple to move into a location in downtown Brooklyn closer to Brooklyn Heights, I believe on the southeast corner of Court Street and Joralemon, but Apple didn't want to be there, although much of downtown Brooklyn has been completely transformed.   Large parts of it are unrecognizable from 20 years ago.  

No one thinks Apple is going out of business unless they're a blithering idiot.  Net sales were $215 billion in calendar 2016.   Net income was $48.7 billion.   Net sales were $131 billion the first half of this year.  The stock is just 0.57% of its 52-week (and all-time) high and 67% above it's 52-week low.   Apple and Exxon-Mobil constantly switch places as to which has the highest market capitalization.    Apple Services is almost at the level where if spun-off, it could be a Fortune 500 company all by itself and most people never even think much about it.   

maestro64 said:

That is why they still make battery operated radios and it is called the Emergency Broadcast Network.

Even if the chip was activated, it assumes someone had an app loaded on the phone which could access radio stations. Why not just use the amber alert system. Oh is that because the cell tower were not working, if they were not working how does someone down load the app then.

This is typical government solutions to a problems which is you can not fix stupid. Not to say everyone is stupid in this case, even my kids have no idea what the Emergency Broadcast Network is and know to tune into the radio.  The one and only time we heard the test on the radio my kids had no idea what it was about and why it was even needed. I hardly hear radio stations even testing it anymore.

If people have no ideal they are suppose to listen to the radio during an emergency, what make the FCC think people would listen on their cell phones.

During an emergence you want to keep it simple, a radio will work in most all weather conditions and a battery operated radio will work for days non-stop.

Your logic is completely flawed.   People would download the app BEFORE an emergency or the app would be built into the phone, so the cell tower being down would be a moot point. 

You don't have to learn how to "tune in" the EBS as it is broadcast on all radio stations automatically.   

It's not about "listening", it's about the cell phone automatically being able to broadcast an emergency.   If there's a technical solution to this that will work even when a cell tower is down that doesn't involve FM radio, then fine - Apple doesn't need to turn on FM.   It's the objective that counts.  

And the problem with battery operated radios is that people don't generally have them with them and these days, many don't have them at all.   Certainly, people should have a battery-operated radio and if the NAB had its act together, they would do a national campaign to encourage people to buy such radios, which would help both the radio manufacturers and radio stations, since if more people had radios, more people would probably listen even when there weren't emergencies.  

But unless it's legally mandated, Apple will not do this - they won't want to do what it would take to modify the antenna.  

But there is also a flaw in the mandate:  in such severe storms, chances are either that the radio station towers are down, the facilities are flooded or there's no one at the station to report and/or collect information.    And if the phone lines and cell towers are down, they won't be able to report what's going on anyway.

DanielEran said:

It was not yet open to the public, although it sits on a public street and nobody stopped me from taking photos. 

No one can stop you from taking any photos when standing on a public street.   That's the law.   Plenty of places try:  I saw the security guard at a building on Fifth Avenue in NYC near the main branch of the NY Public Library try to stop someone from taking photos, but I interceded.   Not only did they legally have the right to take those photos, but it was a stupid policy as someone could have taken photos from across the street with a telephoto lens and the security guard wouldn't have even been aware.   They can stop you from taking photos if you're standing on their private property.    In the U.S., the courts have also ruled that there's also no expectation of privacy in a public place. 

In NYC, when I'm shooting, I walk around with a copy of the NYC Police Department's policy on photography, which is basically that it's acceptable in all public places as long as you're not blocking pedestrians or traffic or setting up lights, etc, in which case you need a permit.  I do that because a lot of cops don't know the law.   

Soli said:

GeorgeBMac said:

Actually, I think Apple SHOULD have released this document.
I paid for my warrenty when I bought the phone and I should be informed and understand what it is that I bought.  

Keeping it grey and secret tends to increase doubt and insecurity in its customers as well as increase disappointment when a warranty claim is denied.  Without documented guidelines it becomes my word against the tech's word -- and I've been around tech long enough to know that not all techs are equal and some are downright mean and others stupid.

I wholeheartedly agree. One of Apple's greatest assets if the trust they've nurtured with their customers.

ANECDOTE WARNING: This summer a family member had an issue with the earpiece speaker not working well. It was very tinny and quiet at maximum volume. I had this issue with my iPhone 7 and Apple replaced the device, so even thought they were out of warranty with their iPhone 6s (they didn't have AC+) I said take it in to have them check it.

I made them an appointment online since it's now a bit daunting for someone not familiar with their new layout for technical issues to make a Genius Bar appt without a lot of "wrong turns" and they were able to get in that day. The Genius did an initial inspection and test and said that the speaker had to be replaced, which meant the entire screen component which they can do in an hour for $129 (as I recall). They left the store and got a call from Apple 5 or 10 minutes later saying that there phone is ready. Turns out it was just lint stuck in the earpiece. No charge.

I can't imagine getting that kind of service from many OEMs and there's no real incentive for 3rd-party repair shops whose entire business is service fees and replacement parts. Apple isn't altruistic, but their business model certain gives me more peace of mind than other companies.

ANECDOTES WARNING:
My MPB (late 2016) started displaying the desktop a few pixels high.   Two weeks later, the screen started displaying all kinds of lines.   Then the video died completely.   I made an appointment (you have to in NYC), brought it in, scared to death that Apple was going to claim it was mishandled (it wasn't).   But no problem.  They fixed it under warranty but said it could take 2-3 days.   I brought it in at 10:30 at night.  When I woke up the next morning, I already had an email that it was fixed.

Similarly, my previous late 2008 MBP had a bad optical drive.  It would play CDs, but not DVDs.  I brought it in, also very late at night, the "expert" saw immediately that I knew what I was doing and had run appropriate tests and he took it in and said 2-3 days but that they'd try to fix it faster.   When I woke up the next morning, it was already fixed.

In both of these cases, it indicated that Apple had techs doing repairs in the store (which was open 24 hours) all night long.   I find that very impressive.  Who else does that?

Back in the day, my son-in-law had a G4 tower in which the power supply kept failing.  After he brought it in the third time, he told Apple that if it failed again, he wanted a new machine.   It did fail again and by then, the G5's were out and they gave him a brand new G5.

My daughter had one of the low end Mac Books (around 2004).   Her infant daughter pulled the machine and broke the hinge on the screen.  The video still worked, but the screen no longer supported itself.   She brought it in and Apple said it wasn't worth fixing because it would cost something like $1500.   So she used the machine anyway, putting a brick behind it to hold the screen up.   But then the video died.   So she brought it in and asked them to fix just the video, but not the hinge.   Apple fixed the whole thing and she called me up in a panic because she was afraid Apple was going to charge her a lot of money, but they never charged her a penny.

So yes, there is an Apple tax, but IMO, it's worth it if they continue to provide this kind of service.   

Having said that, I've had several iPhones in which the jack went bad.   Seems to me this was solely due to the number of insertions.   IMO, this should be completely covered under warranty (and maybe even after warranty considering how expensive these phones now are).     And Apple's claim of long battery life on the new MBP's seems like total b.s.  The machine does fine if one is not actually doing anything on it, but one 80 minute episode of Game of Thrones, knocks the battery down to 33%.   I also think Apple should replace any swollen battery, even if out of warranty as well as any resulting damage from Apple's battery.   I consider any swollen battery to be defective.