All Apple All Day

We just got a visit from a really nice door-to-door Comcast sales guy. And he got me to try a 50 Mbps internet service at $39.99/mo. The catch? Comcast is literally incapable of installing internet service. AGAIN.

We all know that iCloud isn't perfect. In fact, it can be a confusing mess at times. For our family, iCloud Family Sharing has delivered on iCloud's promise.  Even though it was difficult to set up. 

WWDC had all kinds of new Apple stuff. iOS 9, OSX El Capitan, Apple Music to compete with Spotify. But HomeKit barely got a mention. Oh well. Here's the quick takeaway (leaving HomeKit for last):

It looks like Apple's HomeKit is finally going to become a real, tangible thing.  Just in time for WWDC! But do we still care?

We installed Ooma as our landline this week - and there's almost nothing to report.  Which is good!  Your landline should be boring.

It's seemed obvious for some time now. Apple is moving on from the current-gen Apple TV.

As expected, even though we acquired the precise modem that we're currently renting, we were unable to use our own modem for WOW!'s voice services.  So, we're going to stop using WOW's voice services. Instead, we're going with a much higher tier of internet service, and moving our landline to Ooma.  And saving money in the process. 

I knew that cable modem fees were a ripoff. I didn't know how bad it was until I bought a replacement. They're charging me $7 each month, for an outdated modem that sells for $15 new. Over the course of 1 year, that's a 560% markup!

We get our internet and phone service as a bundle from WOW! But they make you rent a cable modem. And that's something I'd like to change.

It's no secret that I love Apple gear. It's the entire premise of this website. But it's also no secret that Apple gear is expensive. Fortunately, you can save quite a bit of money by picking your Apple stuff up second-hand. When buying used gear, you need to take a few things into consideration: How much life is left in this prior-generation product?  Will it still work for its intended purpose? For how much longer? Will I mind if it comes with the prior owners' wear and tear? These products check each of those boxes. Even when they've been replaced by better products, they still do what they do VERY well - and will continue to do so indefinitely. In each case, wear and tear is either unlikely, and/or will not affect the product's functionality. 4. iMac (2009-present) The iMac has gone through quite a few design changes over the years. What started out as a blobby multi-colored TV set evolved rather quickly into the aluminum and glass workhor

In a recent post, I mentioned that our viewing of "Birdman" on the AppleTV was so juddery that it was essentially unwatchable.  Last night, my son and I rented "Raiders of the Lost Ark" in HD on the AppleTV.  And good news - the video problem has been resolved. 

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 ?