All Apple All Day

Hey - 7 positive votes for the BEVY already! We're "trending" on Quirky . I don't know how many votes it takes to get an expert panel review, but it's fun to see this process in action. If you haven't already, head over there and vote . I don't think this is going to make AAAD any money, but I certainly would like this thing to exist. I'd buy one.

I have been pretty enamored with Quirky's WINK platform. While I was poking around their site, I saw a wifi-enabled egg holder - the Egg Minder. This hit right in the center of the Venn Diagram for me - a ridiculous gadget that provides incredibly specific data, solving a very small problem. But... what if it wasn't tracking eggs? What if it was tracking beer ? And like that, the BEVY was born . Now I need you to vote for it.

As promised, we finally had a chance to put the elgato Video Capture through its paces last night.  I found a VHS tape in our basement storage - the SNL 25th anniversary special , which means it was recorded in 1999.  I hooked up the JVC SVHS VCR - and it worked perfectly.  And the elgato Video Capture was the best analog video capture device I've ever tried. 

I've been using the same old Fusion ProGlide razor for too long. I mean, I've been using the same BLADE for way too long.  And also using the same handle for too long.  It's time for a change. And there seem to be two very good options!  Both will save me money, and I'll be using sharp blades and a new handle.  But which one should I go with - Dollar Shave Club , or Harry's ?

AAAD readers probably know I'm working on a couple of iMovie home video projects.  Since most of the source material is on VHS, we needed a high-end VCR. I bought a JVC HR-S9600, which is one of the best ever made.  We also needed a way to connect that VCR to the iMac, and capture the video at the best possible quality.  We chose the elgato Video Capture .  It arrived last night, and I'll put it through its paces tonight.     

We've solved the immediate problem for now - our sump pump is working properly, and the roots are cleared from our drain pipes. (The problem tree is still standing, but will be removed this week.) But what if something goes wrong with our solution? If our basement floods, we need to know immediately. Especially if we're away from home.  We need water sensors!

An update from yesterday's post - we were able to get the roots out of our underground pipes! Here's how. 

Winter has finally given up! It's a big weekend at the AAAD house. Some are fun projects. Some "keep the house from falling apart" maintenance projects.

I got a little aggressive in cleaning up my email on the iMac Mail program yesterday, and accidentally deleted every single piece of email in my Gmail account. Yikes. But hey, Time Machine worked as advertised.

The Apple Watch won't be released for a month and a half.  And for the first time, I'm unsure about whether I need - or even want - Apple's newest gadget.   But the Apple Watch 2? That's going to be awesome. 

I get it - a lot of people have been VERY excited about the Apple Watch for a VERY long time. I'm a bit ambivalent - I'm pretty unlikely to buy one at the outset... I wish it had mechanical hands so I could tell time without turning it on. What else might we hear about today?

A few years ago, I created a 30 minute iMovie for my parents' birthdays. It was a huge hit. But the video quality was terrible.  It's 2015. I'm sure I can do better. Here are some of the unique tools and challenges that come with video capture today.

If you're like me, your family has a TON of home movies from the Eighties and Nineties. And they're priceless. Those movies can transport you back across the years, back to your youth.  They're also long and unwatchable.  Cut it down to just the good stuff! That's why we have iMovie!