Stop Frame

The sixth generation Apple iPad Mini is such an amazing device, I don’t understand why Apple insists on crippling it. Then again, why be surprised? Apple does this to their entire iPad line. Anyone who knows me, or even peruses some of my previous posts on tablets, knows that I have a contentious relationship with Apple and, especially, iPads. Hardware-wise, they are above reproach. There are so many little details to their design that I beg others to copy. For example, I’m a huge fan of the folio cover. At first glance, though, it has a fatal flaw that when opened, and held open by magnets, it blocks the camera. Only you can fold down that top most flap and it will be held open, again by little magnets. The entire affair is solid, easy to hold, and just plain works. No other tablet I’ve seen comes close to how well Apple does the hardware and all their accessories. For the larger iPads, the Magic Keyboard is a thing of pure joy. The tactile feel is magnificent, the way it holds the ta

Question: When does a film feel both slow and frantic? Answer: When it’s Dune as made by Denis Villeneuve. Summary: Really? Do you need this? It’s a film based on a book first published in 1965 and in continual release ever since. There have been two previous attempts to film it, first as a feature film in 1984 and then as miniseries in 2000. Fine, a summary: In the far-flung future, the House Atreides is given control of the planet Arrakis, also known as Dune, the only planet in the known universe where mélange, spice, is found. Spice is needed for, among other things, interstellar travel. Thus, he who controls the spice controls the universe. Plans within plans, betrayal within betrayal, ensues. Well, sort of, since Villeneuve’s film only covers around the first 40% of the book. It doesn’t so much end on a cliffhanger as just…end. Part 2 has (finally) been greenlit and is scheduled for October 2023. Meanwhile, Villeneuve has openly campaigned to made the book into three films, so we

No sooner do I brag about my little stack of Schiit then it breaks. One night, for reasons unknown, the wall wart power supply for the Magni amp/pre-amp died. I speculate that as it shuffled off to the electrical afterlife, it sent a spike through the system. This didn't damage the Magni and it may be a coincidence, but I had left my Zeus headphones plugged in and they were dead, probably murdered in their sleep. The result was me exploring warranties and how well each manufacturer responded. First, the great one, Schiit. Sent them proof of purchase (via Amazon, silly me) and voila, within days I had a replacement wall wart. The Magni still works like a charm, and my stack of Schiit is back in businss. Second, the nightmare. I purchased my Zeus headphones via Amazon, but it wasn't Amazon making the sale or even a sale that was "fulfilled by Amazon." Instead, it was the HiFiGo store. Out of China. Lesson learned, pay attention to what "store" you're buyin

There has been a recent uptick in stories about a phone that went on sale in September 2020, which seems a little strange until you realize the phone in question is more than a little strange. The phone is the Microsoft Surface Duo and I was one of those silly people who purchased it on day one. The Duo was first shown at an MS Surface Event in October 2019, almost a full year before it went on sale. I was immediately enamored by the products Panos Panay, the MS executive overseeing the Surface Product line, was showing. This included the Surface Pro X (which I bought and still use), the Surface Neo (a product that now will never see the light of day, demonstrating an the Windows 10X operating system which also will never see the light of day), and the Surface Duo, our subject for today. The Duo is built around the concept that two screens are better than one, no matter how large that one screen may be. If your computer setup utilizes more than one screen, you already have a clear idea

I am, by no stretch of the imagination, an audiophile. I do, however, appreciate good music well played. When I’m listening, I want to enjoy it. I’ve owned semi-audiophile gear in the past, a lovely NAD amplifier and I can’t recall the brand of bookshelf speakers. The result sounded beautiful and it only set me back around $1,500 in the mid-1980s. "Only..." That system is long-gone, and in retirement I wanted to improve my listening enjoyment. I’ve tried various speakers, such as Sonos, Bose, and even the Harmon Kardon Invoke. All nice, but I came to recognize I was missing true stereo. As good as any of those speakers are, they only truly come alive when you can assemble a stereo pair. I do most of my listening at my computer and things being as they are, a stereo pair would have been difficult to arrange. Headphones seemed the obvious answer and my old Sony PS3 headphones were a nice start. They were joined by a set of Microsoft Surface Headphones and while they were nice,