Apple: Premium e-Waste and Normalizing Disposability

Let’s be frank. If I hadn’t put “Apple” in the post title, would you have clicked on it?

The reason this article is going to focus on Apple, they are the highest profile company pushing these kinds of manufacturing decisions. If you’re a fan of Apple hardware, I’m sure there will be an inclination towards defending your brand.

“Other companies are doing things like this too.”

Other companies should be criticized too.

Though, we should acknowledge that many of these companies wouldn’t be following this path without Apple. AirPods show how profitable it is to make expensive headphones as disposable as possible. Apple stands to take the lion share of the profits with this tactic. It’s my belief we should start with the largest companies, and THEN work down to smaller players copying Apple.

We should “punch up” with our criticisms. Apple is currently the king of this e-waste hill. We’ll start with them. Continue reading “Apple: Premium e-Waste and Normalizing Disposability”

Audio-Technica ATH-G1WL Wireless Gaming Headset Giveaway! Tech I’m thankful for!

I’m partnering with Audio-Technica to give away an amazing gaming headset for Thanksgiving!

The ATH-G1WL is one of the best performing wireless headsets I’ve ever used. Fantastic audio fidelity, an excellent microphone, built by one of the most respected brands in recording. AND YOU COULD WIN ONE! Continue reading “Audio-Technica ATH-G1WL Wireless Gaming Headset Giveaway! Tech I’m thankful for!”

Meze 99 Classics Review: Walnut and Silver – Premium Audio – So Pretty

They’re SO PRETTY!

But do they sound as good as they look?

Premium headphones should be graded against sound quality, but we can’t dismiss the “fashion” side of the equation with any kind of wearable technology. With that in mind, let’s chat about the Meze 99 Classics! Continue reading “Meze 99 Classics Review: Walnut and Silver – Premium Audio – So Pretty”

#SGGQA 122: YouTube Emotes, AT&T Jacks Your Bill, XPERIA 5 Impressions, LG G8X Reviewing, ASUS ROG II Benchmarking!

At what point do you pull the plug? Youtube drama is in high gear. A popular streamer’s audience was targeted and their GOOGLE accounts were getting disabled. YouTube will also be changing their terms of service to focus on “profitable” viewers. AT&T is finally settling an FTC fine from 2014, and they’re celebrating by raising subscriber rates! China is imposing a gaming curfew on kids. Can the state “parent” more effectively?

And let’s spend a LITTLE time chatting about the LG G8X and the Xperia 5!

Let’s get our tech week started off right!

Continue reading “#SGGQA 122: YouTube Emotes, AT&T Jacks Your Bill, XPERIA 5 Impressions, LG G8X Reviewing, ASUS ROG II Benchmarking!”

Neckbands are BETTER than True Wireless Earbuds: It’s not even close…

Consumers are being pushed to Bluetooth audio, as phones ditch the headphone jack. The popular trend is true wireless. It’s kind of futuristic to cut the cord, but is it really better?

It is not.

There’s not a single comparison point where true wireless earbuds are better than a neckband solution, other than “they look nifty”.

Allow me to rant into your ear holes for a minute… Continue reading “Neckbands are BETTER than True Wireless Earbuds: It’s not even close…”

OnePlus 7T Review: You KNEW I was going to like it!

It’s one of the best phones of the year at any price. I’m not going to shock anyone by sharing my mostly positive experiences.

Still, we should chat about this phone, a CONFUSING year of product releases, and what people MIGHT want if they decide to shop upscale.

Does the 7T still hang against MUCH more expensive handsets?

Continue reading “OnePlus 7T Review: You KNEW I was going to like it!”

We CAN test SOME Network Performance: Where I respectfully disagree with GaryExplains!

I love GaryExplains. Easily one of my favorite tech channels on YouTube. He’s one of the only TechTubers I feel actually explains things worth explaining.

Gary recently put out a video (embedded at the top of this article) where he explains why he doesn’t test network performance in his smartphone commentary. His reasoning is absolutely sound.

If you use a network speedtest app, there are way too many variables to consider for that test to have a scientific consistency.

But, just because network speedtest apps can’t be counted on for consistency, doesn’t mean we can’t control for SOME variables on our own. Continue reading “We CAN test SOME Network Performance: Where I respectfully disagree with GaryExplains!”

Pixel 4XL vs LG G8 vs Galaxy S5: Air Gestures Are HARD

Motion control showdown! We’ve been dancing around Jedi controls for years. Alternative actions are NOT easier. Google is taking a simpler approach to air gestures. Here’s how it stacks up against the other methods used by LG and Samsung!

I think simpler is better… Continue reading “Pixel 4XL vs LG G8 vs Galaxy S5: Air Gestures Are HARD”