Let's Talk Tech
I was planning a video on gimbals, and why they’re such handy tools, but looking at some of my sample shots, it would seem to me that smartphone stabilization is getting good enough that we might not need them anymore.
Share some thoughts on the comparison!
Part 2 will follow soon! Continue reading “Phone vs Gimbal Part 1: Do Gimbals Matter Anymore?”
If tech reviewers can’t handle nuanced differences, then what good are we?
Different solutions will perform differently, and the different “feel” is what reviewers are meant to convey. It’s not a reviewer’s job to take the most popular solution for a need, and treat that as a “standard” by which every competing solution must be judged. That’s the easiest way to rig the game, and ensure that any competition is viewed as inferior.
Rationally, when presented with the paragraph above, most of us probably nod along. We “know” this. Yet when presented with actual reviews of consumer electronics, all too often, the review scene falls in line with whatever is most popular. It’s broadly the most familiar, and we use that popularity as evidence that it must be “better”.
The human brain reacts to loot boxes in pretty much the same way as slot machine gambling. Apple is facing a class action lawsuit over apps targeting kids which feature gacha and random number mechanics. If the ESRB won’t change ratings based on monetization mechanics, how else can we change the game industry?
Apple Insider Article https://appleinsider.com/articles/20/06/13/apple-sued-for-allowing-apps-with-loot-boxes-onto-app-store
Continue reading “Apple Sued for Games with Loot Boxes in the App Store. Google should be next.”
People are hurt. People are scared. People are angry.
When I’m angry and afraid I try to remember Mr. Rogers.
“When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, ‘Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.”
As I grew up, I realized that I could be one of those people helping. We can all make some effort or contribution. If you’ll pardon the diversion from my normal gadget and tech commentary, here are some causes I feel might be worth supporting.
This is a multi-faceted and complicated issue, so I’m trying to address the needs of our friends, family, and neighbors in multiple areas. Hopefully there’s a cause you will find worth supporting on this list, and if there are any you would like to share, please don’t be shy in the comments.
We really are all in this together. Let’s BE the helpers. Continue reading “Ways We can Help. Some Charities and Causes to Consider.”
How loud is too loud?
We can talk numbers, and decibels. We can chat proximity and exposure. Do you really know what “too loud” feels like? Modern life is FULL of noise. Your ears will try to protect you from discomfort, but you should also try to protect them.
Thankfully you probably already have some great tools to get started!
Catch ALL the #2020Hearing Videos!
Continue reading “#2020Hearing: Modern Life is REALLY Loud!”
I had a great time sitting down to chat with Daniel Bader on the AC Podcast. If you’ve ever wanted more behind the scenes info on how we approach gadget reviewing, this was a fun nerdy conversation about the tech scene. Especially as Daniel and I are both “But I Digress” kinds of reviewers.
Took me back to some of the fun conversations I used to have on the Pocketnow team, highlighting the main differences between being a solo reviewer and working on editorial for a larger site.
I hope you enjoy the conversation, and make sure to subscribe to the Android Central Podcast in your favorite podcast app! Continue reading “SomeGadgetGuy on Android Central’s Podcast”
It wasn’t that long ago that I started using the Focals. When crazy situations happen, it’s an incredible opportunity to see what gadgets live up to the marketing, and which gadgets fail.
When I originally reviewed the Focals, they seemed like a pricey luxury. Today, they might be the most rational direction for the future of consumer electronics… Continue reading “Focals Long Term Review: Smart Glasses in the Age of Social Distancing”
It’s worth checking in periodically. As my channel evolves and shifts over time, it seems some folks might miss what the goal is here.
To begin, I believe disclosing explicit bias is critical to fair reviewing. No human reviewer is a truly objective machine. There is no such thing as objectivity. Full stop.
I believe a review needs context. If we’re not sure where a reviewer is coming from, then we lack a critical perspective to understand why a reviewer might grade certain aspects of a phone the way they do.
I laid my cards on the table a couple years back, and I’m happy that basically everything I talked about in my “BIAS” video still pretty much holds true today.
Now you know where I’m coming from, and what I value.
Since then however, this conversation has grown more concerning. The issues I talk about at the tail end of that video seem to be getting worse, not better. Over 2019, a major focus for my channel has been to point out media literacy issues which I believe contribute to some disturbing trends in consumer electronics.
Today we find ourselves in a serious and unique situation. Gadgets and electronics are being stressed like never before. How someone spends their gadget money has never been more important.
I naturally have a bit of a contrarian streak, and I enjoy stirring the pot for fun debates. The goal of my channel has never been, and will never be, to trash popular devices simply because they are popular. I’m not praising “less popular” phones just to throw a thumb in the eye of the “cool kids”.