The Brooks Review

Month: December 2016

  • The Internet of Very Small Computers Masquerading as Things

    Sam Gerstenzang:

    Apple is quietly getting very good at shipping very small computers that charge very rapidly, and thus can be unanchored ––unlike Google Home or Amazon Echo. Over time, as power and size requirements decrease, a direct internet connection might add value. But for now, Bluetooth allows a connection to your phone (which is still quite obviously and self-consciously a computer) and that’s enough.”

    The rapid charging is, to me, the most amazing parts about both the Pencil and the AirPods. How can they last that long, but charge that fast?

  • Evolving iPad Desktop Usage

    As I write this, it is a frigid Saturday morning, the type of morning where you just don’t want to think about going outside but you also kind of do want to go outside just to feel the piercing cold on your lungs. It has been over a year of full time iPad usage for me, and in that year I have had my iPad in a plethora of configurations. From the simple Smart Keyboard Cover to nearly duct taping it to the wall. What I have come to realize over this past year, is how portable and manageable the iPad as a desktop machine is.

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  • How Signal Is Evading Censorship

    A bit of cleverness, not new technology:

    “Now when people in Egypt or the United Arab Emirates send a Signal message, it’ll look identical to something like a Google search,” Marlinspike says. “The idea is that using Signal will look like using Google; if you want to block Signal you’ll have to block Google.”

    This is so fucking clever. Love it.

  • iPad Productivity Report – 12/26/2016

    ## App News Reading

    A couple of months ago we moved into a new house, different location, different style, but more importantly for the purposes of this post: bigger, and two stories. Our old house was all one story and thus we couldn’t ever spread out very far from each other. In the new house, we can, and we do.

    Practically speaking I knew this would be different, but I didn’t realize the impact it would have on my morning routine. That took over a month to settle in to something new, and now that I have — more than ever — it has become apparent to me how little I use my iPads in the morning.

    You must be a member to read the rest of this post.

  • Yohann Stand

    (Note: I received these items in exchange for a review. And all photography is courteous of Erin Brooks.)

    I’ve been on quite a kick looking for the perfect iPad stand. I’ve had my woes with a great many stands so far, so when Yohann reached out to me asking to send over stands for my iPad Pro. I gladly accepted and they quickly sent me a 12.9″ stand and 9.7″ stand.

    This is a rather unique stand in that it is one piece of wood which offers three positions for the iPad. A near vertical position, and desk angle, and a looking down at the iPad angle. It also weighs only what the wood itself weighs. From looking at the stand it is hard to believe the claims listed on the site, but I can tell you it lives up to all of its promises.

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  • Canopy Keyboard Cover and iPad Stand Review

    John Voorhees:

    After a week of heavy use, the Canopy has found a permanent place in my writing kit. I won’t use it every day – many days, the Smart Keyboard will be enough – but when I’m doing a lot of writing, I’m going to carry the Canopy.

    This really is a lovely product. I prodded the Studio Neat guys on Twitter to make a version to house the Pok3r keyboard. because if they did that I would be in heaven.

    Even without that, I still am really considering buying this because I think it would make a killer travel setup if I can’t figure out a good way to travel with a mechanical keyboard.

  • What I Learned about My iPhone After Switching to the Google Pixel

    Khoi Vinh:

    I also discovered something interesting about Google’s much vaunted strength in services: sometimes it’s no better than Apple’s.

    I love this comment so much because I think it so succinctly shines a light on something that drives me nuts: often the people complaining about Apple stuff has no real basis for comparison. Sure they read reviews and hear anecdotes, but very rarely do these people try to live on the other non-Apple things.

    Like the group bullshitting that they are going to switch to the Surface Studio — without even realizing that that means Windows 10, and that means moving to a mobile processor. No, they just saw something shiny and were pissed Apple didn’t do that.

    So Vinh’s post serves as a nice reminder to maybe check out the competition before you threaten to move to the competition.

  • iPad Productivity Report – 12/19/16

    ### Using the iPad Pro in Portrait

    If you take a moment to think back to the first iPad, you might remember Apple shipping a keyboard stand accessory for it. *Macworld* has an [entire article](http://www.macworld.com/article/2984018/input-keyboards/apples-first-ipad-keyboard-and-the-power-of-the-portrait-display.html) about it, but the important part was that the stand *only* held the iPad in portrait orientation. I think that broke a lot of people’s minds at the time, mine included.

    Many people speculated of iPads with dock connectors on both portrait and landscape — seems like such stupid speculation now, but at the time a lot of people would have put money on that happening. With the iPad Pro and the Smart Keyboard Cover, Apple changed things: making an iPad keyboard which *only* works in landscape.

    *You must be a member to view the rest of this content.*

  • The Curious Case of iPad Headphone Jacks

    The iPhone 7 dropped the headphone jack completely, moving on to being a Lightning port based device for headphones and all other things (except Bluetooth, which is still a thing). The new MacBook Pros with Touchbars came out, and even as they dropped every other port for USB-C, Apple kept around the headphone jack, as it is something they felt which could not be handled by the other new ports.

    All of this makes me wonder what will happen in the next iteration of iPad models. Will the headphone jack stay, or will it go?

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  • Our Favorite Mechanical Keyboards

    This is an overall solid guide from The Wirecutter crew. I too think the CODE is one of the best mechanical keyboards you can get, especially for Mac users. I personally hate the Mathis keyboards.

    In a rare miss, I think they do a disservice to the Pok3r keyboard, as I find everything they say about it to be incorrect. The build quality is excellent, and I suspect they are seeing a difference in the WASD model it sounds like they tested. Further the high pitch whine is insane, but a firmware update fixes it right away.

  • Giving up on PGP

    When the Snowden leaks started, I spent countless hours setting up PGP (GPG on Mac) email systems so that I could email with privacy. Since then services like Protonmail have sought to make it trivial. But nothing is easier than Signal or iMessage for that matter.

    In fact I spend a lot of time lecturing family on sending me private things (like passwords, for some reason they send me passwords a lot) not in email, but in iMessage. I think to many that email feels far more private, but in reality it is the messaging platforms which are actually more private.

  • Oliver’s Porter Hoodie

    (Note: this item was provided to me at no cost for the purpose of this review.)

    A few weeks ago Oliver’s contacted me to ask if I would be interested in testing their Merino Porter Hoodie — I was actually quite delighted by this as the weather is now getting much cooler here in Washington State. Since getting this hoodie, it’s quickly become one of my most worn pieces of clothing — it looks quite nice, and is supremely comfortable.

    Even so, it still is a hoodie, so don’t come to reading this expecting me to say it’s anything more than that. But, like all hoodies, it’s a different beast.

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  • A Computer for Everything: One Year of iPad Pro

    A great (and very long) wrap up from Viticci on his use of the iPad Pro over the last year. I don’t think there is a single part of this I disagree with. (Well I guess you could criticize his thinking that Scrivener is needed over Ulysses, but that seems obvious to readers of this site.) I posted my year long wrap up for members, here.

  • Clothing Arts Cubed Travel Jacket

    (Note: This item was provided to me at no cost for the purpose of this review.)

    A lot of companies produce jackets which are geared towards travel, but most seasoned travelers will trend towards light weight hiking jackets instead, as they pack down much more than most travel jackets. Partly because of this, I’ve always been skeptical of any travel jackets, so it is with that bias that Clothing Arts sent me their new Cubed Travel Jacket.

    This jacket uses eVent material (like GoreTex) to keep you dry, and well vented. It features a zip off hood, and a ton of secure interior pockets. But more than that, this is supposed to be the only jacket you need to take when you travel, so is it?

    I tested it in the famous Seattle rain to see how it performed.

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  • As Trumplethinskin lets down hair for tech, shame on Silicon Valley for climbing the Tower in silence

    Kara Swisher:

    When I could get no really substantive on-the-record statements from the tech leaders, I pinged investor Chris Sacca, because I know he would not let me down.

    It’s funny, in every tech deal I’ve ever done, the photo op comes after you’ve signed the papers,” he said. “If Trump publicly commits to embrace science, stops threatening censorship of the Internet, rejects fake news and denounces hate against our diverse employees, only then it would make sense for tech leaders to visit Trump Tower.”

    He added: “Short of that, they are being used to legitimize a fascist.”

    I think a lot of people became Kara Swisher fans after she published this. Well done.

  • What’s in Bri’s Bag? Lightweight Longterm Women’s Backpacking List

    Good packing list for women looking to travel in one bag.

  • iPad Productivity Report – 12/12/16

    ### Some Updates

    This past week was a massively busy one for me, so today a little bit different of a format is needed. I want to update you on two of my latest adventures.

    #### iPad Keyboard

    I published my review of the Pok3r [here](https://brooksreview.net/2016/12/the-pok3r/), and in short it’s fantastic. If I am at home, and writing, you can be certain I am writing using the Pok3r. I could not be happier with this keyboard and even though I take a hit on battery life — it is all worth it.

    You must be a member to view the rest of this content.

  • US-CERT: Stop using your remotely exploitable Netgear routers

    Which models? Right now it looks like Netgear R7000, R6400 and R8000 routers, but there may be more models that are vulnerable. Should you really take this seriously and unplug your router? You betcha, since US-CERT said it is “trivial” to exploit this vulnerability. Visit a booby-trapped page and whammo! An attacker would be saying hello to root privileges on your router.

    My router was among these and I’ll be replacing it right away. Check yours. The R7000 is a model I’ve be recommending to a lot of people.

  • Thoughts on Ulysses and Scrivener

    Matt Gemmell comparing Ulysses and Scrivener:

    I like them both, and they both piss me off. Scriv is somebody’s little brother, complete with second-child syndrome. Ulysses wants to go and visit the library, but won’t let itself skip the t’ai chi class.

    Really good comparison, and great criticisms.

  • Best Buy vs. The Apple Store

    Jason Fried:

    It’s just a simple share of a shopping experience I had recently that surprised me. Best Buy feels simple, Apple Stores feels over engineered, too sophisticated. I get why, but why doesn’t matter to the customer experience. It’s either great or it’s not — the why behind the scenes doesn’t matter. Who’s been teaching me that for decades? Apple.

    I agree with his thoughts on the Apple Store, but he’s not even close on Best Buy. I don’t doubt he had a good experience now, but I’ve been to Best Buy far more often than I care to admit, and I’d rather stand in line for pictures with Santa Claus than go to Best Buy.