Category: Apple

  • Without Siri, the iPhone reminder app stinks

    One of the cool new features of the iPhone 4S — and the most hyped in Apple’s advertisements — is using the digital assistant Siri to set reminders. When you use Siri, you can usually speak as if  you were talking to another person and Siri will figure out what you mean. Tell Siri “Make…

  • Review: First 24 hours with the Amazon Kindle Fire

    It costs less than half what an iPad costs but it does more than half of what an iPad does. That’s the bottom line. The new Amazon Kindle Fire is no iPad but it is a slick little gadget that is frequently delightful and worth $199. Sure, the Fire has a smaller screen, slower processor…

  • Using an iPhone 4S without iTunes – ever!

    For reasons that shall be dealt with later, I’m the owner of a new iPhone 4S. Having had more than my fill of iTunes annoyances, delays and freezes, I’m trying to go without ever syncing my new iPhone to my Mac. In the first few days, it’s mostly gone smoothly. Email/Contacts/Calendars I’m using both Apple’s…

  • Two small hardware updates are game changers for Macbook Air and Mac mini

    Apple massively upgraded two of its best hardware products today, the Macbook Air and the Mac mini. There are loads of changes and improvements. But only two are real game changers to me: 1. The addition of a Thunderbolt port on MacBook Airs means you finally will be able¹ to connect external hard drives and…

  • Lion upgrade today? No way

    Over on my commentary blog, The Orange View, I’m laying out the case to wait on installing the Mac OS X 10.7 Lion upgrade for a couple of days to let the bugs out: Lions eat guinea pigs for breakfast. Don’t be one. It’s the same solid advice I gave in one of my very first…

  • The iPad as digital library and other lessons of the first year

    Well, we’ve been very satisfied iPad owners for just over a year now so it’s a good time to look back and review. My intention is to dig a lot deeper than the usual gadget reviews and give a sense of what it’s like to have an iPad day in and day out for a…

  • Android reinstall not as easy as can be

    In the midst of a very fun evening in New York City the other day, I dropped my Nexus S in a cab and lost it forever. After a bit of research and due consideration, I decided to replace it with an identical model. The upcoming Android phones don’t have anything on the Nexus S…

  • Amazon’s cloud drive pricier than Google but cheaper than others

    Amazon announced a cool new service, or combination of services, really. The new cloud drive stores your stuff in an easy-to-access online “locker.” A related cloud music player lets you upload and download music to the locker as well as live stream any songs you’ve already uploaded. Streaming is limited to web browsers on computers…

  • Review: Hypercritical is the best new geeky podcast

    With my unavoidable daily commute, I’m desperately in need of some entertainment in the car. Sometimes, Boston sports radio obliges (especially now that we have a couple of talented Gen Xers on the air) but what’s my backup for all the rest of those slow rides down the Mass Pike in rush hour traffic? Podcasts,…

  • Rock, paper scissors: Should I get a Kindle, iPad or MacBook?

    Well, we’ve been Amazon Kindle owners for almost four years now at our house, we’ve had Apple’s iPad for almost a year and we’ve had Mac laptops since too long ago to remember. So we’re getting asked a lot now: Should I buy an iPad or a Kindle? Can I use an iPad instead of…