Sometimes I come across items that I’d like to have that I don’t really need or cost more than I want to spend. For example, a year or so ago I bought a standing mixer, which I like very much. But every now and then I notice that it strains as it’s working. So the … Continue reading I Wish
Tech
Short Takes for Sep 6, 2026
In the Saturday Q&A (Z) was asked about presidents who might have been “great” but blew it, the example the questioner gave being Junior Bush who was given an opportunity after the 9/11 attacks to truly unite not only the nation but the world, but he squandered it. (Z) answers: I suppose you can argue … Continue reading Short Takes for Sep 6, 2026
Another Reason to Hate Amazon
I noticed several weeks ago that when Amazon sends a shipping notice it doesn’t tell me what items are in the shipment. It’s very annoying. John Gruber has the answer. It’s pure spite on Amazon’s part: That statement from Amazon is almost honest, if you squint at it and ignore the bit about it having … Continue reading Another Reason to Hate Amazon
The Purloined Cable
Following up on the other day’s post— The reason I wanted to connect that mic to my MacBook is that I want to be able to record the electric piano for the videos that I may or may not be making in the near future. The lavalier mic is fine for my voice, but I … Continue reading The Purloined Cable
Lavalier Not Cavalier
I bought a lavalier microphone a few days ago as I want to make some videos where it will come in handy. A lavalier mic is one of those tiny little gizmos that you often see TV announcers or others clip onto their shirts when they are away from their studio and don’t want to … Continue reading Lavalier Not Cavalier
All That Jazz
I can get jazz music on several different radio stations on the Radio App that I mentioned a while back, but they all either have commercial breaks or other interruptions of some sort. I wanted some unbroken jazz. There are a lot to choose from. I selected two. Both of them are on my Apple … Continue reading All That Jazz
Live from Orchestra Hall
A few years ago I subscribed to the Berlin Philharmonic app on my Apple TV. It gave me access to performances of hundreds of pieces of music by that orchestra by a wide range of conductors. The app was reasonably well designed, as I could opt for performances of complete concert programs or select individual … Continue reading Live from Orchestra Hall
Butterfingers
[CRASH!!!] Butterfingers, do that again, that’s the end of your career!Don’t you know we try to preserve a romantic atmosphere? Those are the opening words to the song “A Romantic Atmosphere” from She Loves Me, one of my favorite musicals that wasn’t written by Sondheim or Rodgers & Hammerstein. Here’s a performance from the 2016 Broadway … Continue reading Butterfingers
Newton’s Apple
One of Apple’s most famous bombs was the Newton. Released to much hype, it simply didn’t live up to its expectations. It was able to recognize one’s handwriting, whether one wrote on it with printed block lettering or cursive, but it did this by comparing what you wrote to a list of 10,000 words stored … Continue reading Newton’s Apple
The Woz Plan
I’m enjoying David Pogue’s book Apple: The First 50 Years, as it’s bringing back a lot of memories. Not that I was an Apple fan during its first 25 years or so. When I first discovered computers in the early 1980s, I pretty much avoided Apple and found them annoying. Unlike Microsoft, which I hated … Continue reading The Woz Plan