Tag: Apple

RPM Prep Work — I am Such a Nerd

I started some of my annual RPM Challenge prep work. I created a new soundcloud account to use for listening to works in progress on my various mobile devices. Also, I created a new trello board to keep track of the progress of each new idea. It’s not much, but it’s a start.

I still have to do some test work with my new MacBook Pro. I’ve used GarageBand on it, but I haven’t recorded any live audio. I have to make sure my Lexicon audio interface will play nicely with the USB 3 connections via an adapter. I don’t expect any issues, but who knows. If I can’t get audio into the computer then it will be another iPad based project. Of course, Apple went and updated GarageBand for iOS yesterday. Couldn’t they have waited until March so I wouldn’t have to waste time learning any new features? How inconsiderate of them, eh?

Then I have to set up my amp and my pedal board and my mics so that when the urge hits I can just plug in the lappy, switch on the amp, and play whatever needs to be played.

The January prep work always makes me feel like a super nerd, but I don’t care. It’s fun… in a super nerdy way.

iPhone 6 Plus Video Question

I have a question for Apple fans who are more knowledgable than I am.

My wife has an iPhone 6 Plus. When she records video with the back camera she doesn’t get any audio. When she records video with the front facing camera everything works fine.

What’s the fix? What setting did she bump by accident to mess this up and how does she right the wrong?

Apple Awesome!

Kneel before the awesome power of my brand spanking new MacBook Pro!


I am still waiting for my old MacBook Pro to back up. Not sure why it’s taking Time Machine multiple days to finish, but what can you do. I set the new puppy up, fully intending to wipe it and restore from the back up, but I just couldn’t wait!

The touch screen is intersting. My function key fears were assuaged by the little fn key on the lower left of the keyboard. Right now as I type this, the touch pad is offering suggested text. Ummm… that’s getting turned off right quick!

The keyboard is totally different than my 2013 model. I’m not sure I like it, but I know I’ll get used to it. The fingerprint scanner is awesome. The only downside to all of these features is that more often than not I use my MacBook in clamshell mode with an external monitor. Maybe some day Apple will release a USB keyboard with the touch pad strip. We’ll see.

For now though, what is my first impression? Laptop Love!

HoHoHo

My wife, Santa Jen, brought me a Christmas present today. I’m not going to say what it is, but it was purchased at the Apple store and it has a very small strip of touch screen. I so want to set it up, but it is a replacement for an older version of almost the same thing and I have to create a backup of the older version to restore onto the newer version. Sadly the backup functionality has been erroring out for a couple of weeks so I had to reinitialize the 3TB… thing the backup function uses and start with a clean slate. It’s been running for over three hours and it isn’t even close to 10% finished yet.

Come on, thing! Do that thing faster so I can set up my new Christmas present thing!

Kinda Christmas Shopping

We didn’t go Christmas shopping this morning. More like Christmas reconnaissance.

First, we look for Windows based systems and hardware…


Then when we had our fill of windows we go and look at Apple based systems and hardware…


This is what insufferable computer nerds do. I proudly wave my nerd flag high.

Apple Watch Question

Have any other owners of the first gen Apple Watch noticed that since the OS update the battery life has been drastically reduced? I used to be able to go nearly two days on one charge, but now I’m lucky if I can go 12 hours without going into power save mode.

It’s pissing me off.

Apple Delay

I might have to wait longer than I thought to get my hands on an iPhone 7 Plus.

I always skip an iphone release. I have gone 3G->4->5->6 Plus and now hopefully 7 Plus. (sort of the same thing as how baldness often skips a generation, right?)

I had a two year contract and that two year contract is up. Or so I thought. My wife and I are on the same cell plan, but last year she upgraded her iPhone 6 to an iPhone 6S Plus. In doing so, AT&T monkeyed with our plan in order to allow her to be eligible for an upgrade. In essence, her contract became my contract, and vice versa. That means she’s eligible for an upgrade now but I have to wait until March.

So when I put in my pre-order two nights ago, Apple accepted it but AT&T blocked it. It’s not a big deal, really. I waited until after the new year when I upgraded to the four and the five. Two years ago was the first time I pre-ordered. Life will go on.

Honestly, as much as I am jonzin’ for a new iPhone, I am much more ready to upgrade the ol’ 2013 MacBook Pro. When is Apple going to announce some upgrades in the laptop department? Get with it, Apple!

Apple Music Bug

Has anyone else seen this bug in Apple Music?

I am an album guy.  I generally listen to music in album format.  I don’t just pick a few songs to listen to, I pick full albums and listen to the whole thing.  That’s how I learned to love music, and that’s how I listen to it today.

The last three times I’ve picked an album to listen to via Apple Music it has screwed up the track listing.  It gets the correct songs, but the wrong recordings.  When Trevor Rabin announced he and Jon Anderson and Rick Wakeman might be touring soon I brought up Yes’ 90125 album.  The first song, Owner of a Lonely Heart, was the wrong version.  It was a live version from one of the not-so-great late 90’s live albums.  When I heard Paul Kantner had died I pulled up Jefferson Airplane’s Volunteers album.  The song The Farm, which is a throw away anyway, was not the album version.  It was a live version from a recent live record that had a near bootleg quality to it.  It wasn’t good.  Tonight on the ride home I used Siri to bring up Batten the Hatches by Jenny Owen Youngs.  The version of Fuck was I was actually a b-side instead of the album version.

How about we fix this little issue, oh Apple.  Soon.  Because it’s seriously pissing me off.  Stop screwing with my favorite albums, damn it!  I’m going to have to go back to effin’ spoitfy, and I don’t want to go back to effin’ spotify.