Steve Huff is "Wowed" by Leica's New Q! →

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While only having this camera for a whopping three days, I managed to take it with me EVERYWHERE I went over those three days as I wanted to get as much use with it as possible so I could write this review after having 72 hours with the Q, and wow, for the 1st time in years I am truly “wowed” by a Leica camera that is not an M version! This is good, for all of us and for Leica.

Steve Huff does another great mini review on Leica's latest all-in-one offering. Priced at $4,250, it's around $1,000 than Sony's full frame fixed lens mini, but it's German and yes, I want it!

A MacBook Letdown →

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The MacBook just looks and feels like the obvious, no-brainer choice for a small Mac. That’s why people buy it. That’s why I bought it. I loved it before I bought it. I love looking at it and picking it up.

I just hate using it.

I hate typing on it, I hate the trackpad, it’s slower than I expected, the screen is noticeably blurry from non-native scaling to get reasonable screen space, and I don’t even find it very comfortable to use in my lap because it’s too small.

I hate returning things, but I’m returning this.

Some really strong words by Marco Arment about Apple's latest Macbook. I'll agree whole heartedly with all his conclusions and unfortunately, after waiting years for an upgrade to the latest MacBook Pro Retina Display, might take his suggestion in buying yesterday’s model on the cheap and saving some money.

I sold my late 2008 MacBook Pro two years ago and have since been using a late 2010 MacBook Air, but it’s time that I give this laptop back to the wife and grab my own. I’m just sad that the latest MacBook Pro’s released just yesterday are still running Haswell instead of Broadwell and with Intel’s Skylake around the corner, who knows what Apple might do. Not to mention Marco’s disdain for Apple’s new Force Touch Trackpad.

The one thing that I do like with the latest $2,499 MacBook Pro is the new AMD Radeon R9 M370X video card. Clocking in at 70% faster1 than the NVIDIA GeForce GT 750M, it’s quite remarkable but the price is a little much. You’re essentially paying $700 for the Force Touch Trackpad and discrete graphics which end up making it TOO HARD to justify. Going with the pre Force Touch Trackpad MacBook Pro and without discrete graphics at $1799 is too hard to pass up.

  • Footnote #4 under the the MacBook Pro Performance Retina Page: Testing conducted by Apple in April 2015 using preproduction 2.5GHz quad-core Intel Core i7-based 15-inch MacBook Pro systems with AMD Radeon R9 M370X and 2GB graphics memory, and shipping 2.5GHz quad-core Intel Core i7-based 15-inch MacBook Pro systems with NVIDIA GeForce GT 750M and 2GB graphics memory, all configured with 16GB RAM. Resolution used: 1440x900. Tomb Raider tested using the built-in benchmark, with anti-aliasing turned off and low graphics quality. Formula 1 2013 tested using the built-in benchmark, with 2x anti-aliasing and default graphics settings. Batman: Arkham City GOTY tested using the built-in benchmark, with 4x anti-aliasing and high quality setting. MacBook Pro continuously monitors system thermal and power conditions, and may adjust processor speed as needed to maintain optimal system operation↩

    • Did you know your Ziploc Bag was this Complicated!

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    Concepts are tested with CAD models, which are used to make zipper molds on steel plates. The zipper features microscopic J-shaped grooves (“hooks”) and arrowhead-like stems that interlock. Look closely at a double zipper bag and you’ll see this line of tiny teeth on the upper row, toward the lips of the bag. Running your thumb and forefinger along the track clasps the hooks around the stems. The zipper clicks at about 50 decibels to let you know you’re doing it right. But misalignment due to your clumsiness can create gaps.

    Research and Development at it's best! Who would have thunk it. (Bold is my emphasis)

    via Wired

    My Solution to "UnPlugging"

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    I have compiled a small list of "what to get" for those wanting to "unPlug." It can seem daunting at first, but in order to stay connected to television and disconnected from the absorbently high cable bill, it's going to take a tad.

    When I say tad, I mean just around $50 - $75 (more for aesthetics) for the antenna. It's going to cost a bit more if you actually want to record shows OTA (over the air) and then a little bit more in order to download them and watch them on your iPhone (which is actually pretty awesome.)

    Here is the list and as always, you could help out elijahnicolas.com but using the links provided below or in my amazon store. Thanks! If anything, go with the either antenna and the Tivo Roamio first. You can get the Tivo Stream later or even if that's important at all to you.

    The Tivo Roamio, Moku HD Antenna, Amazon Basic HD Antenna, & Tivo Stream are also in my Amazon Store. This makes it easier to check out all the individual links in one space. Enjoy!

    Changing Your Teacher's Computer Wallpaper is Now Hacking

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    Sheriff Chris Nocco said Thursday that Green logged onto the school's network on March 31 using an administrative-level password without permission. He then changed the background image on a teacher's computer to one showing two men kissing.

    I probably would have put something else more light hearted. But being arrested? A little overboard. What do you think? And shockingly enough, the administrative password that were used at the school were teacher's last names?! That's just being smart in my book on the kid and very unsecure on their part.

    via Tampa Bay Times

    My Choice For Portable Battery Chargers

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    When you find yourself in and out of subway stations and out and about in the city of New York, I bet that your smart phone quickly runs out of battery. Mine sure does and for that, I highly recommend carrying a lipstick size battery pack. The exact one is from Anker called the Astro Mini 3200mAh. It packs a powerful punch and is almost unnoticeable in your jacket pocket. It's also the #1 rater on Amazon for Camera Flash Battery Packs.

    Pair that with a NomadKey Lightning to USB and you have yourself a perfect little pocket charging device. Take my word, you'll thank me later. For the Android or Windows Mobile folds, there's also a USB Mini variant of the NomadKey. I have both! =)

     

    Losing Bookmark Icons and Getting Them Back on iOS

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    For those using iOS devices and find that their icons / bookmarks disappear or end up looking like targets on your home screen, the solution below works.

    A more simple method is to swich to bold text and then back to normal text in - general - accessibility section of settings. Your phone will do a partial restart but only takes a few seconds. This causes the system to do a screen refresh similar to the language change method but a lot quicker.

    by ctethompson via Apple Discussions

    Another technique is to change out your language setting. I went from English to English (UK) and I got them back! Some other have used Japanese or Deutsch but getting back to English (US) could be difficult if you don't remember where the setting was or read that language. Good luck and happy swiping.

    Internet Explorer for / on Mac: Test Bed Edition

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    Sometimes you have companies that use and rely on dinosaur software archetypes. When you end up working for one, using a MacBook Air, iPhone or iPad just makes life that much more difficult. In this example, Microsoft's ASP and Sabre Corp's reliance on IE.

    Good thing there's Google. Looking up testing platforms and easy to use one click solutions that enable you to run Internet Explorer resulted in OS X Daily's post. From the looks of it, it's been properly maintained a dis current. Along with the amazing people contributing on GitHub, we have the answer you've been waiting for.

    I chose NOT to install every iteration of IE but instead went with IE 9. One of my classmates with a PC was still running into a compatibility problem with IE 11 but I guess that's not surprising. The over reliance on "Compatibility Mode" is out of proportion these days. What's the point? It just doesn't work.

    If your interested in the full details, head over to OS X Daily or just follow these shortcut instructions.

    1. Download & Install VirtualBox. http://www.virtualbox.org/wiki/Downloads
    2. Launch the Terminal (located in /Applications/Utilities/)

    3. Since I decided that IE 9 works well, copy and past this into the Terminal Window and the download will begin.:

      curl -s https://raw.githubusercontent.com/xdissent/ievms/master/ievms.sh | IEVMS_VERSIONS="9" bash


    4. Launch VirtualBox and boot the Windows & Internet Explorer partition.

    There are lot of little details that are left out e.g. Admin Password = "Password1" [without the quotes] and the fact that the installation takes 11GB for a single instance / version of Internet Explorer. Have fun but I guess I wouldn't associate this process with "fun."

    I wanted to call this article "ASP is the new Flash", but being that ASP will continue to be used in the foreseeable future, we'll have to endure. 1

  • The use of ASP pages with Internet Information Services (IIS) is currently supported on all supported versions of IIS. The use of ASP pages will be supported on Windows 8 for a minimum of 10 years from the Windows 8 release date.↩

    • Love Instagram? Frame it with Layout

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    Finally a true app from Instagram themselves to out do any other grid / layout app on the iOS App Store. And don't worry Android, you'll get yours too sometime soon.

    When you open Layout, we automatically show you previews of custom layouts as you choose photos from your camera roll. To make it easier to find the photos you want, we’ve also added a Faces option that shows you all the photos in your camera roll that feature people.

    New grid / layout features.  Layout

    New grid / layout features.  Layout

    Brenthaven Collins Tech Pack 60% off!

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    For a cool $19.95 (down from $49.95) go grab a stylistic pack / satchel / murse or man bag to hold all your goods whilst traveling to the local coffee shop for a flat white. Brenthaven just slashed the price of their Collins Tech Pack by 60% and that makes it a wonderful steal!

    The construction is beautiful and is sure to hold your Moleskine, pens and protect your iPad using their "High Density Foam Protection System"! Oh yeah, did I forget about Brenthaven's lifetime guarantee too! If this sale doesn't suit you, there are a few iPad cases and iPhone cases as well marked down by over 75%!

    Are you getting an Apple Watch?

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    After Apple's ridiculous earnings call today, ahem $74.6 billion, Tim Cook released a small tidbit about their latest project: Apple Watch. He advised that it's on time for an April debut so get your wallets ready.

    [Tim] Cook, however, did make it clear that he loves the thing. “I can’t live without it,” he said. via Yahoo

    I don't know why that gets me excited but it does! Are you going to get one? And if you cared to know, I'm really drawn to the Milanese Loop. It's just so freaking beautiful! (that's the 3rd one pictured below)

    The "Without" [You] App

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    Being without my family or my wife stinks. Plain and simple. I love the job, but it's really bad when you have a crew of slam clickers (those who go to the hotel and don't do dinner or sightsee) and you find yourself at the hotel playing Clash of Clans for hours.

    Here comes a beautiful app appropriately named "Without" by Mr. Jeremy that brought the amount of buttons pushed from 17 down to two! Awesome idea, amazing app. Check it out and share it with your loved one.

    Apples A8X Revealed

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    Since publishing our initial iPad Air 2 review last week, a few new pieces of information have come in that have changed our perspective on Apple’s latest SoC. As it turns out I was wrong. Powered by what we’re going to call the GXA6850, the A8X’s GPU is even better than I thought.

    To get right down to business then, the die shot confirms what we had begun suspecting: that A8X has an 8 cluster Series6XT configuration. All 8 GPU clusters are clearly visible, and perhaps unsurprisingly it looks a lot like the GPU layout of the GX6450. To put it in words, imagine A8’s GX6450 with another GX6450 placed right above it, and that would be the A8X’s 8 cluster GPU.

    Wow! This is the tablet to beat and Apple, by designing their own SoCs, is far ahead in this race. In other words, there's nothing in the competition's timelime that will out gun or out maneuver the A8X.

    via Anandtech

    A8X iPad Air 2