27round

by Eric Leamen

[27round]

Charlie Cox wants to bring Daredevil to Avengers: Infinity War

I really hope this happens. If Marvel decides they ever want to include Daredevil, Jessica Jones, Luke Cage, or Iron Fist in their Cinematic Universe, they can not recast them. Leave that mistake to DC.

These characters - and their portrayers - could and should appear in Avengers: Infinity War. They don't need to have major roles, or even dialogue. But if they were to cameo, fighting side-by-side with the Avengers to protect their world, that would be a huge moment for fans and for the on-screen universe Marvel has built over the last decade.

The Russo Brothers have already stated that Infinity War will bring the Marvel Universe together. I pray they make that happen in the biggest way possible.

[27round]

Initially promised for January 1st, CraveTV is now available standalone to all Canadians. Crave will cost $7.99 per month ($1 less than Netflix and Shomi) and features a large back catalogue of HBO and Showtime content, as well as select series from CTV and other Bell Media channels and a few Crave original series'.

Between Netflix, Shomi, and Crave, Canadians now have access to a huge library of streaming shows and movies, and an increasing number of original streaming series for about $26 per month. I’m subscribed to all of them.

[27round]

iPad Pro: very quick first impressions

If you follow me on Twitter, you've probably seen me mention my current fascination with the iPad Pro. I've tried the iPad life before and it's never stuck, yet I'm obsessed with the idea of trying to replace my MacBook Pro with an iPad Pro + Apple Pencil combo for day-to-day use.

This past weekend I stopped in at my local Apple Store to finally get my hands on an iPad Pro, and I wanted to share some of my very quick first impressions.

The iPad Pro is about as big as I imagined, huge but manageable. The front is dominated by the gorgeous Retina display; it really feels like you're holding and staring into a digital window. It's cool!

Looks-wise it's just a giant iPad Air, though of course it's heavier. It's definitely too heavy to use one-handed, and I can see how holding it in any way for too long could get tiring. This is definitely a use-in-your-lap or stand-on-a-desk tablet.

Split Screen in iOS 9 works much better than I expected. You start by pulling Slide Over in from the right, then pull further to permanently snap that app to the right side of the screen. The UI for this is super smooth, and it's really fast to drag the splitter and change the size of each app on screen. One thing I noticed is the app on the right can't go further than half-way, ie. you can't have 1/3 on the left and 2/3 on the right.

As a few other bloggers and podcasters have suggested, it would be great to see a way to bookmark specific Split Screen app arrangements on your homescreen to re-launch later. Something similar to folders. So if you use Safari + Tweetbot all the time, you could launch that Split Screen arrangement with one tap.

Speaking of, the iOS homescreen has never felt more ridiculous than it does on the iPad Pro. The app icons are miles apart and comically large. It's time (beyond time) for Apple to re-think what Springboard should and could be on a device this size. There are so many possibilities for the iOS homescreen on the iPad Pro, it would be a shame if Apple didn't take advantage for iOS 10 this year.

Unfortunately I wasn't able to test out the Apple Pencil at all, or get a feel for the iPad Pro's quad-speaker system due to the noise in the Apple Store.

What I left with was more interest in the iPad Pro, and a definite feeling that I need to give the iPad another shot as my full-time computer this year. I'm really looking forward to - hopefully - an iPad Pro 2 this fall.

[27round]

Rumour: Apple's making wireless earbuds for the iPhone 7

With its resources from the 2014 acquisition of headphone maker Beats Electronics, Apple is prototyping a completely new set of Bluetooth earphones with the potential of launching the accessory alo...

Mark Gurman, 9to5Mac:

Apple is prototyping a completely new set of Bluetooth earphones with the potential of launching the accessory alongside the iPhone 7 this fall. The new earphones are said to be completely wireless, which is to say that they do not even have a cable connecting the left and right ear pieces.

A very exciting rumour, and hot on the heels of Bragi showing off Dash at CES. Gurman also confirms that the iPhone 7 won't include a 3.5mm headphone jack, and we all know his track record. Prepare yourselves accordingly.

I love my current Bluetooth earbuds (the Jaybird BlueBuds X) so I'm thrilled at the idea of first-party wireless earbuds from Apple with more technology built-in and tight hardware + software integration. If Apple can deliver good battery life, audio quality, wireless charging, reliable Bluetooth connection, and Siri functionality, these "AirPods" will be killer.

Interestingly, Mark also mentions Apple is currently prototyping three different case designs for the iPhone 7, including a new thinner model and a "backup" design that looks much like an iPhone 6s. I guess we'll know which they choose when case designs start leaking in the next few months. 'Tis the season!

[27round]

Bragi’s Dash wireless earbuds at CES

It took more than a year, but German company Bragi is finally shipping those buzzy wireless earbuds to its Kickstarter backers. Better yet, the company has a handful of those final production...

Sean O'Kane, The Verge:

Bragi wants the Dash to be much more than just a tool you use for listening to music. There's also fitness tracking, motion commands, and a few other software features.

I am obsessed with Bragi's wireless Dash earbuds, and I was so glad to read that the final product delivers on its Kickstarter promises. Two small earpieces with touch and gesture controls, Bluetooth audio playback, fitness tracking, and an ambient noise pass-through mode. So damn cool, even at $300. These will be mine.

Huge props to Bragi, a small German company, for pulling this off.

(Image via. The Verge)

[27round]

Another piece from my Pocket archive, but I wanted to make sure it got a permanent spot on my blog. It’s the story of a man who was contacted on a gay dating app by one of his childhood bullies, and it hit me really close to home when I first read it.

John Paul Brammer, BuzzFeed:

I think it was the casual way he joined in on the harassment that made me hate him. The way after someone called me “faggot” he would parrot them, ally himself with them, use me to form solidarity with others. I came to see him as the embodiment of what had happened to me. He was everyone who didn’t stop it. He was everyone who could have helped me.

I don’t have a lot of experience with gay dating apps yet, but I do have a lot of experience with bullies. I was picked on at school for being fat. I was picked on for being gay before I knew I was gay. And I remember the names and faces of every one of the people who ever bullied me.

This story brought back a lot of memories, and made me reflect on my own experiences. It nearly brought me to tears. I’m so happy our community has people willing to share these kinds of stories and experiences openly.

[27round]

With Taps on the Wrist, Apple Watch Points to the Future

After nearly eight months with an Apple Watch, one user says that despite the device’s current limitations, it feels like the future.

Michael D. Shear, The New York Times:

When colleagues asked, I was honest about the limitations [of the original iPhone] even as I gushed about the technological potential. Most of my friends listened politely, tried to type on the screen with their thumbs, and then stuck with the BlackBerry.

The watch feels as if it is at a similar place.

This is - by far - the best take on the Apple Watch I've read yet, and I'll point out this was not written by a tech blogger but by a New York Times White House Correspondent.

I believe most people, particularly those actively involved in the tech world, hold Apple to an unrealistically high standard. While it's true Cupertino has a habit of delivering world-changing products, even they are limited by the laws of physics and engineering. It was naive to ever assume that the Apple Watch would be perfect in its first-generation, given the restrictions on how much power can be packed into a device that small in 2015. The Mac, iPod, iPhone, and iPad all reached their best selves a few generations in, and all of their original incarnations had compromises and shortcomings.

The potential in wrist-worn technology is evident, and the Apple Watch's best self is yet to come.

[27round]

Found this buried in my Pocket queue. An older article, but a damn good one. I agree with all of Dustin Curtis’s complaints about Twitter and suggestions for fixing it, and I’m hopeful that Jack Dorsey does too.

Second–and this one is obvious to almost everyone–Twitter needs to focus on realtime events. When something major happens in the world/your country/your city, you should be trained to immediately and automatically think, “open Twitter to get updates.” This is so obvious to me that I wonder what Twitter’s product team has been doing...

I’m glad to see Twitter has already tackled Curtis’ second complaint about realtime events with Moments. Though my greatest hope for Twitter is a product-wide rethink. Twitter has tacked on so many new features over the years that their website and apps need another redesign. A full sweep that includes deciding which features stay and go, and how to arrange and present all of those features so everything makes sense and feels cohesive. This includes things like Moments, Polls, Trends, Messages, Photos, Videos, Vines, Periscopes, etc. Make everything feel like one experience rather than a bunch of separate experiences glued together.

[27round]

Guess what we talked about this week?

It's our hour-long, spoiler-filled Star Wars: The Force Awakens extravaganza! Our thoughts on the movie, the new characters, the controversial plot lines, and what's next for the Star Wars universe!

[27round]

Worst Tech Gifts of 2015

If you're about to give one of these to a loved one, think again

I wrote a super-snarky article for The Daily Dot revealing why some of the most popular tech gifts of the year might be some of the worst to give. I'm sorry if you bought any of these.

There are plenty of great gift choices for the tech nerd in your life. There’s also plenty of tech crap to avoid. From the unnecessary, to the duds, to the downright stupid, here are 8 of the most disappointing gifts you can give or receive, so if you just got done wrapping one you might want to make a quick swap.

[27round]

Pivot 1-15: Let A Good Burn Fester

Eric, Micah, and Mike discuss Star Wars mania, their anticipation for The Force Awakens (recorded before the movie was released), Google vs. Uber in self-driving cars, Taylor Swift sells out to Apple,

This week I answered a listener question asking why I care about the screen on my smartwatch but not my TV screen. Our first follow-up - thanks Manideep!

Plus, Google and Uber compete in self-driving cars, Taylor Swift sells out to Apple, and more.

[27round]

Canadian wireless news! Shaw Communications just announced they’ll be acquiring WIND Mobile for $1.6 billion, marking Shaw’s first entry into the wireless business.

Interesting news. I’ve been following WIND since before they launched, and with all their recent financial troubles and changes in ownership it’s not entirely surprising that they’ve ended up being acquired. What’s less apparent is what this means for WIND. They’re still behind the Big 3 in terms of spectrum ownership, and Shaw doesn’t bring any spectrum to the table. As my friend Dan points out, Shaw sold most of their spectrum to Rogers a few years back. Though with Shaw’s financial backing, WIND can hopefully afford to be more competitive in future spectrum auctions, and invest more heavily in improving service across their current network - which includes moving forward with their planned LTE rollout.

Time will tell what fruits this deal may bear. I just hope Shaw doesn’t interfere with WIND’s competitive pricing and attitude. We need our T-Mobile.

[27round]

Ten years ago, over three hundred men, women and children disappeared from a small town in Tennessee, never to be heard from again. In this seven-part podcast, American Public Radio host Lia Haddock asks the question once more, "What happened to the people of Limetown?"

I'm a huge podcast fan, and Limetown is hands down one of my favourite shows of the year. They've just released the Season 1 Finale, and it's well worth listening to the entire 6-episode series.

Limetown is a fictional story, told in the style of Serial, that follows American Public Radio host Lia Haddock as she investigates what happened to 300 men, women, and children that vanished overnight from a mysterious compound called "Limetown".

Fair warning: it gets deliciously creepy really fast.

[27round]

Hello, it’s me.

Here I am again, trying to start blogging for the thousandth time in my life. Why? Because I miss writing a little bit. I want to try it again. I want to work on forming some of my own concrete opinions on what’s happening in the tech world, and not just let myself be influenced by the opinions and think pieces of others. So here we are.

For the most part I’ll be blogging about Apple, obviously. But I’ll also be blogging about gaming (even though I’m still mad at Nintendo), the apps I’m using, and the TV shows I’m obsessed with (have you guys seen The Good Wife?!?). Oh, I also came out since the last time I had a blog, so things may get a little gay up in here from time to time too.

To start I’m committing to one original entry per week, plus a few link posts and a weekly podcast post. Hopefully that won’t overwhelm me.

Let’s get started.

[27round]

The guys discuss rumours that Apple might remove the 3.5mm headphone jack from the next iPhone. Plus: Zuckerbaby, billions and millions, and Star Wars: The Force Awakens.

We record Pivot on Wednesday nights. Hump day. And most Wednesday nights, the last thing I want to do when I leave the office is go home and spend 2 hours podcasting. But I love Micah and Mike, so I'm always there. I just don't always give a shit. This is one of those episodes.

[27round]

Micah and I talk about his new 4K TV, the movies and shows people just can't believe we haven't seen, and the release of WatchKit.

[27round]

App Favourite: Deliveries, a package tracker for iOS

One of my favourite apps finally got a big update for iOS 8 earlier this week. Deliveries, made by the fine folks at Junecloud, is a simple, cross-platform app for tracking packages with a clean UI and reliable sync. The latest update for iOS adds a Notification Centre widget for checking on your deliveries, an "Add to Deliveries" extension in Safari, a refined UI for iPhone 6 and 6 Plus, support for the 1Password extension, and a ton of other little things.

Junecloud also recently released a full-fledged Deliveries app for OS X Yosemite, replacing the previous Dashboard widget. It features a great Yosemite design and syncs with Deliveries on iOS using iCloud or Junecloud's proprietary sync.

There's not much else to say about Deliveries; it's the best package tracking app I've ever used!

Deliveries for iOS (Universal) and Deliveries for Mac are $4.99 each on the iOS and Mac App Stores.