The Brooks Review

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Leica Sofort 2June 13, 2024
Grand Seiko SBGX261February 23, 2023
Casio Duro MDV-106 Re-ReviewDecember 15, 2022

Recent Articles

  • Uber Self-Driving Vehicle Involved in Arizona Crash

    Mark Bergen and Eric Newcomer: The photo, showing the Uber SUV on its side, suggests a relatively high-impact crash. That would be a contrast to the incidents involving self-driving cars tested by Waymo. In more than two million miles of testing on public roads, Waymo’s vehicles were mostly minor incidents, often when other cars drove…

    Mark Bergen and Eric Newcomer:

    The photo, showing the Uber SUV on its side, suggests a relatively high-impact crash. That would be a contrast to the incidents involving self-driving cars tested by Waymo. In more than two million miles of testing on public roads, Waymo’s vehicles were mostly minor incidents, often when other cars drove into the back of their vehicles in busy areas. 

    The future is self driving cars, and it’s hard to deny it. However, it is funny that a company whose sole purpose is driving other people around, is actually the worst at making self driving cars.

  • Samsung’s New iPad Pro Is Just Fantastic

    Alex Cranz: Technically, if you want to be “accurate” this is not an iPad Pro, but Samsung’s first premium Android tablet in over a year. In 2015 Android sort of lost the tablet war it had waged against iOS. Oh fuck off. It’s not a technicality when it is reality. And Android didn’t “sort of”…

    Alex Cranz:

    Technically, if you want to be “accurate” this is not an iPad Pro, but Samsung’s first premium Android tablet in over a year. In 2015 Android sort of lost the tablet war it had waged against iOS.

    Oh fuck off. It’s not a technicality when it is reality. And Android didn’t “sort of” lose the tablet war, it gave up in spectacular fashion.

  • How to hide annoying page elements

    Awesome new update to 1Blocker (both iOS and Mac) which allows you to select page elements to block per domain. I was able to test it ahead of the launch and it’s pretty sweet. I love seeing this stuff — and yes you do this from the extension, no need to enter the app proper. Stellar…

    Awesome new update to 1Blocker (both iOS and Mac) which allows you to select page elements to block per domain. I was able to test it ahead of the launch and it’s pretty sweet. I love seeing this stuff — and yes you do this from the extension, no need to enter the app proper.

    Stellar work.

  • Apple’s New Workflow

    I see nothing but upside.

    Matthew Panzarino:

    Workflow the app is being acquired, along with the team of Weinstein, Conrad Kramer, Ayaka Nonaka and Nick Frey. In a somewhat uncommon move for Apple, the app will continue to be made available on the App Store and will be made free later today.

    This was amazing, because it set off a lot of people last night. Workflow was also quickly updated by Apple to kill off a lot of Google based integrations. Most notably for Chrome and switching mapping to Apple Maps.

    This was likely a legal move, as Marco Arment noted this morning on Twitter. Even so, the future is completely unknown to those outside of Apple right now. The app will either slowly die, be fully integrated into iOS, or live somewhere in the middle — gaining native integration, but with a more limited scope than before.

    And either outcome is just fine.

    (more…)

  • Social Networks are a Feature

    Excellent post from Daniel Jalkut.

    Excellent post from Daniel Jalkut.

  • The “new” iPad (5th Generation)

    I’ve been thinking a lot about this new release from Apple. What it means and what it could mean. So here’s a few slightly coherent thoughts on it: I think the iPad being just ‘iPad’ and priced at $329 is fucking fantastic. It’s the model people should get, and it helps that it is now…

    I’ve been thinking a lot about this new release from Apple. What it means and what it could mean. So here’s a few slightly coherent thoughts on it:

    1. I think the iPad being just ‘iPad’ and priced at $329 is fucking fantastic. It’s the model people should get, and it helps that it is now the lowest priced model. I am tempted to pick one up for our household.
    2. The new red iPhone is hideous, should have had a black front.
    3. The iPad mini seems dead. I am guessing it is only sticking around because Apple is testing a theory: people bought iPad mini’s because it was the cheapest. So set the larger iPad at a lower price and bring up the iPad mini — see which one sells better. Come this time next year my money would be on the iPad mini being no more.

    These announcements also seem to gel nicely with the 10.5″ iPad Pro rumors. I would guess that come October-ish we get new iPad Pros in both 9.7 and 12.9″ variants — both with bezel reductions (lord knows the 12.9 could use that).

    As for those wondering what I might want the new iPad model for: myself. I would give my wife my 9.7″ Pro and keep the new model for me. Unless you need the keyboard or pencil, it really is the best model to buy. Keep in mind that new iPads are never limited by hardware speed, only by the software itself — a nice position to be in.

  • Should Have Posted this Yesterday

    Joe Cieplinski: Specs are not the problem with the current iPad. Yep.

    Joe Cieplinski:

    Specs are not the problem with the current iPad.

    Yep.

  • iPad Productivity Report — 3/20/17

    Diving more into DEVONThink’s failures, and some Pinboard/Pinner issues.

    ## Together with DEVONThink

    When I started using DEVONThink I was very skeptical, and not all that enamored with the app out of the gate. I started using it to both track lists of things I would like to buy, as well as various research information which I might never use, but would like to have around.

    The deal breaker with DEVONThink for me is the archaic syncing systems. I wanted a tool which would sync in the background, seamlessly, without me having to watch sync indicators before I could even use the app.

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  • GORUCK 10L Bullet Ruck (version 2) Review

    Testing the latest version of one of the best small backpacks out there.

    I’ve long been a huge 10L Bullet Ruck fan, as it is a fantastic backpack for the size. Well made, and sized to both be small, but not look stupidly small on a person’s back. This is such a hard balancing act that the Bullet Ruck is the only backpack I have found under 20L which can pull this off for me. That includes GORUCK’s own Echo too.

    So, naturally I sold my version 1 Bullet Ruck.

    (more…)

  • Getting Great iPhone7+ Portrait Mode Shots

    My wife: > With a little understanding and patience, using your “little” phone camera, you can create some strong, print-worthy images. I’d say so.

    My wife:

    > With a little understanding and patience, using your “little” phone camera, you can create some strong, print-worthy images.

    I’d say so.

  • New Stuff Day Two (video)

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    You must be a member to view this content.

  • Adventure Core Nano Wallet

    Tough love, I used to do it more.

    I’ve been searching for a small tote to help me carrying some of the flashlights I’ve been testing as well as a pen, knife, and lockpicks (seemingly more and more handy for helping friends). I stumbled upon the Microkit from TripleSeven and wanted to get one, but they remain sold out.

    So I snagged a Core Nano Adventure Wallet, which started as a Kickstarter project. The idea is a wallet for wallet things, but which can also carry EDC things like those listed above.

    (more…)

  • iPad Productivity Report — 3/13/17

    I really can’t let this topic of laptop style iPads go, also I am going to talk about that rumored iPad Pro.

    It’s hard to escape the upcoming rumors about the possible new iPad Pros coming — but even harder to escape the nonsensical wishes of people better suited to using Macs instead.

    ## Clamshell iPad Pros, Kickstands, Surface Pros, and Shit Like That

    When I decided to go [iPad Pro only](https://brooksreview.net/2015/11/the-full-ipad/) back in November of 2015, I took a few beats to [try the biggest iPad Pro competitor](https://brooksreview.net/2015/12/surface-pro-4/): Microsoft’s Surface Pro 4. If the iPad is a “big iPhone” then the Surface is a laptop with tablet-like features. Both are compromised products, but in massively different ways. One struggling to find its place on desktops, and the other struggling to find its place on couches.

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  • EDC Pouch (video)

    A quick video of a new EDC pouch I am trying. You must be a member to view this content.

    A quick video of a new EDC pouch I am trying.

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  • Some comments on the Wikileaks CIA/#vault7 leak

    The only item I care about: > The CIA didn’t defeat Signal/WhatsApp encryption. The CIA has some exploits for Android/iPhone. If they can get on your phone, then of course they can record audio and screenshots. Also, Apple seems to believe they have patched the exploits mentioned in this leak already. To me this is…

    The only item I care about:

    > The CIA didn’t defeat Signal/WhatsApp encryption. The CIA has some exploits for Android/iPhone. If they can get on your phone, then of course they can record audio and screenshots.

    Also, Apple seems to believe they have patched the exploits mentioned in this leak already. To me this is the most interesting fact: that you *can* exploit something like an iPhone if you have possession of it. It will be really curious to me to see if Apple takes more hardware measures to protect the next generation of iPhones from this.

  • GORUCK GR1: Revisiting the Ultimate Backpack

    After roughly 5 years, the GR1 still stands as the best backpack you can buy.

    I’ve been saying for years now that the GORUCK GR1 is the best backpack you can buy. But is it still? After testing a lot of backpacks over the years, and continually buying new ones — both inexpensive and bank breaking — I have yet to find a better backpack than the GR1. This post isn’t another review, but rather a reflection of why the GR1 still holds its ground to this day.

    It has admittedly been a while since the GR1 was an everyday bag for me, but it is still my go to bag when I travel — be it weekend or longer. I emptied my closet the other day and pulled out a dozen or so backpacks, and started giving them away to friends. The GR1 is honestly just too perfect and thus I don’t need these other packs.

    (more…)

  • Finding a Flashlight Part Two: Everyday Carry

    Is that a flashlight in your pocket?

    Finding a flashlight which my life can depend on is a lot easier than this part: finding something to carry everyday everywhere. A robust, solid flashlight, is easier because size doesn’t matter — all that matters is that it always works and works well.

    With an EDC light, there are a lot more factors:

    1. Size: it needs to fit on your person in a manner you are comfortable with.
    2. Longevity: assuming you use it a lot, you’ll want to be able to use it a lot.
    3. Features: you likely will want to vary the light output, among other things.

    You also have to value appearance here, because it’s something you are going to be using a lot and you want it to not look dorky (for lack of a better word). I mean, it will, because you are the person with a flashlight, but still.

    (more…)

  • Secure computing for journalists

    Matthew Green: Since I couldn’t find a perfect layperson’s reference anywhere else, I’m going to devote this post to providing the world’s simplest explanation of why, in the threat model of your typical journalist, your desktop machine isn’t very safe. And specifically, why you’re safer using a modern mobile device — and particularly, an iOS…

    Matthew Green:

    Since I couldn’t find a perfect layperson’s reference anywhere else, I’m going to devote this post to providing the world’s simplest explanation of why, in the threat model of your typical journalist, your desktop machine isn’t very safe. And specifically, why you’re safer using a modern mobile device — and particularly, an iOS device — than just about any other platform.

  • iPad Productivity Report — 3/6/17

    We tackle how you really don’t need complicated setups, and reaffirm my love for Ulysses.

    Let’s get back to talking about iPad productivity for a change.

    ## Applicable Producitivty

    [Denny Henke writing](http://beardyguycreative.com/blog/2017/03/02/ipad-journal-a-mess-of-stuff-getting-in-my-way/) about his explorations into some of the more robust productivity options for iPad users:

    > But I spent the better part of two hours with Copied and just came away frustrated. It may be that it’s just not suited to the way I work or maybe I need to spend more time learning it. Or, just as likely, it may be that I don’t write the kind of content or perform the kinds of tasks that benefit from that kind of app.

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  • How Uber Deceives the Authorities Worldwide

    Greyball was approved by Uber’s legal team. The company is shady to the core. This isn’t some bad actors, this is systemic and cultural.

    Greyball was approved by Uber’s legal team.

    The company is shady to the core. This isn’t some bad actors, this is systemic and cultural.