If you think the Galaxy S10e is a better buy than the LG G8 ThinQ, you’re probably not very good at tech…

We tech fans can be insufferable sometimes.

Everyone’s favorite whipping boy, LG has released a new phone, so all the armchair tech “experts” are skulking out of the woodwork to proclaim it a failure. Dazzling us with witless observations about how it’s just not “worth it” enough, and how the only way to combat Samsung is price.

Comic-Book Guy Voice: “If the LG G8 were exactly the same as my S10 Plus and were half the price, and came with a lifetime of free sandwiches, THEN I would buy it.”

It’s a useless observation. The person who makes that kind of statement is usually the same person who’s tied to a brand. They say things like this to seem like they’re open minded. THEY make LEARNED rational purchasing decisions, based on merit. Their decision COULD be swayed IF ONLY the other gadget we’re just WORTH IT!

It’s a dead giveaway that they’re defending a gadget they like, instead of really weighing the pros and cons of various devices. LG could offer that, but then they’d just be accused of “copying Samsung”, and the person who offered that astute observation would still buy the Samsung.

Comic-Book Guy Voice: “Why buy the copycat? Even with all the free sandwiches. I make the WORTH IT gadget purchases!”

The LG G8 commentary has gotten even more ridiculous in light of the three four Galaxy S phones Samsung birthed this year. The brand fandom for Samsung is now pushing a new narrative. LG’s new flagship CAN’T EVEN COMPETE AGAINST THE CHEAP S10e!

It makes for great clickbait videos. Get those YouTube metrics cooking. Make Samsung owners feel good about their purchase! There are way more Samsung owners than LG, so it’s an easily tapped tech echo chamber.

Punching down on LG has always been a “fun” spectator sport. We’re at a point now though, where if you’re earnestly parroting that “witty” observation about phones and value, then you’re probably not very good at rationally assessing technology products. Let’s break this down real quick…

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What do we really get from “more powerful” smartphone processors?

When a new phone is announced, manufacturers often point to improvements like new processors and GPUs as things consumers desire. We want more powerful gadgets, but what does that really mean? What do we actually get with these generational improvements?

More gratifying benchmark scores don’t correlate with performance improvements for your favorite services.

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Revenge of the Mid-Range Smartphones: Best lineup since 2016!

Revenge of the mid-range phones! In 2019 we’ll see premium flagships with 5G launch at $1500. We’ll see folding phones OVER $2000! What you can get for roughly HALF the price of an iPhone XS is pretty remarkable. This is the best year for mid-range competition since 2016, so let’s take a look at what you can get now for a LOT less! Incredible how much phone you can buy for LESS than the launch price of a Galaxy S4…

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AirPods 2: Better tech, but still going to wreck your hearing…

Better Siri support! Better audio quality! An optional wireless charging case for $40!

But, I’m sad to see the same “open ear” design, which does nothing to block or reduce surrounding noise.

As rates of hearing loss continue to rise in all age demographics (but fastest in kids in young adults), it’s always worth pushing back against a fashion trend, and sharing good data with people you care about.

Even though they look ridiculous, and will make you go deaf sooner, it’s pretty likely that the AirPods2 will be one of the most popular wireless headphone solutions of the year. If that’s the case, we can at least share tips and tricks on how to use these earbuds (and Apple’s wired EarPods, and Google’s lame PixelBuds) as safely as possible. I made a video on setting volume limits in iOS, to show where those volume and normalizing settings live on your iPhone.

And for more information on hearing loss, please check out my interview with Dr. Alison Grimes, head of Audiology at UCLA.

Remember, once you damage your ears, they never really fully heal or recover. Even if your hearing is already damaged, it can always get worse. And, while BT headsets are relatively cheap and convenient, hearing aids often cost around $5000 a pair, and usually aren’t covered by insurance.

Listen healthier. Listen happier.

Try the Nokia 9 PureView Depth Mapping on YOUR phone!

While joining Damir Franc’s podcast, we got to talking about the Nokia 9 PureView. I’ve been showing off some samples on social media, but it’s tough to fully express why this camera feels different, when we only get to look at compressed samples on Instagram. Why does IG compression have to suck so hard still?

I digress…

The good news is, we can get around that, and YOU can check this out on your own Android phone!

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Terrible Mobile Games? App Stores Are to Blame!

We saw several manufacturers push gaming phones last year, but the industry as a whole is still struggling to reach mainstream mindshare. A common (accurate) criticism, mobile games still kinda suck.

But why?

The hardware we carry in our pockets is more than capable. I think we need to follow the money…

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Should California Tax Businesses for Employee Commutes to Pay for Infrastructure?

We have a lot of roads in California, and we have a LOT of people driving on those roads. We still need to pay for repairing and improving roads, but we’d certainly benefit from fewer drivers during rush hour. Gas and mileage taxes are incredibly unpopular, so how might we raise funds for infrastructure AND change corporate behavior around ideas like telecommuting? Well, we liberals sure do love our taxes…

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Sundar Pichai Testifies Before Congress: A Media Embarrassment

Lively debate is critical. Google CEO Sundar Pichai sat before Congress, answering questions for over three hours, yet a majority of the media coverage focused on a handful of embarrassing gaffes from tech illiterate representatives. There were some tough topics addressed, and Google’s position on data collection, privacy, search, and business is now on record. It’s just a shame that more of that hasn’t been detailed by news outlets.

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