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SWISS ARMY GEEK

Rants, Raves, and Reviews of the various things that a variety of geeks could be
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IT IS TIME TO MOVE AWAY FROM GMAIL (AND OTHER GOOGLE SERVICES)


 * Post author By admin
 * Post date February 3, 2023



I work for a small, independent ISP. While I have a Gmail account, and use it
for most of my business, I am getting more and more distressed with their other
business practices. I’m starting to think that “free email” (the service is
technically free, but your data is used to market to you), isn’t worth it.

There are a lot of things you lose with free email (Gmail, Hotmail/Outlook.com,
Yahoo!, etc). Be that technical support, proper troubleshooting, private, etc. I
have said, time and again, that with a very small initial investment, a company
could sell $1/mo email addresses, and entirely upend the email business that
Google has. Imaging that, actually having an email provider that will not only
provide an email address, and a decent web interface, but also be able to
provide you with live tech support, talking to a person, someone in your
language even, that can help you troubleshoot your problems and get it fixed in
a timely fashion.

You likely pay upwards of $30/mo for your phone (landline or cell), and many
much, much more. Yet, the thought of paying for your email service, simply
because it used to be bundled with your paid Internet connection, is unheard of.
Why?

Google/Alphabet got rid of their “Don’t be evil” motto, and we are seeing more
and more that they are interfering with industries, then when it gets strange or
needs change, rather than investing more into the business, they just shut it
down, or do like TV networks used to do, and degrade the service until enough
people leave that they can justify shutting it down. Then, they just cut the
people that worked so hard on the project, often with no warning, and many times
in violation of local labor laws. It is obvious that nothing is safe from the
chopping block at Alphabet, including Google Fiber.

Consider what I said. If you really want to have a high quality email service,
think about a local, independent ISP, or pay for a domain/hosting/email package
with one of the many hosts out there. You will be much better off, and in the
case of the ISPs, get much better support than you can get from Google.



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REBOOTS AND CONTINUATIONS


 * Post author By admin
 * Post date January 26, 2023



This week marked the launch of “That 90’s Show”, last week, “Night Court”. Both
of these shows are continuations of shows that ended in the 2000s and the 1990s.
Both of these series seem to have gotten right, what so many reboots and
continuations of previous series get wrong. Of course these are my opinions, and
I do get very detail oriented, so characters and story only go so far, if the
setting is unrealistic, or fanciful, you really have to have some good stories
to overcome my eye.

“That 90s Show” brought a similar formula from its parent show “That 70s Show”.
The sets were similar enough to not be noticeable, and they were updated to
reflect a realistic progression of Red and Kitty Foreman’s lives. New fridge,
new wall paper, new couch, new tile in the kitchen, and even a new vinyl sliding
glass door. Kitty and Red still have a wall-mount kitchen phone, a cordless
phone from the 80s, with telescoping antenna, and when they get a computer, it
is a period appropriate Performa or PowerMac, complete with plastic “Apple”
mouse pad. They don’t have the latest and greatest things (aside, maybe for the
computer), they are living a quiet, suburban, middle-class American life. I was
actually quite surprised and pleased with how much attention was given to the
sets, that with a few exceptions, it was like looking at 1995.

What they also got right was the characters. Red is still as much of a hard-ass,
but with some flexibly that comes with age and experience. Kitty is just a Kitty
as ever, with some added empty-nest syndrome and grandmotherlyness. Leia is
perfectly cast. She seems very much like Eric socially, with some of Donna’s
outgoingness. The rest of the characters fit traditional teen-comedy
stereotypes, which isn’t a bad thing. Honestly, it felt a lot like the kids I
went to school with. Also, the storyline about Leia only being in Point Place
for the summer (post 4th of July, and mid-west schools typically starting in
August), makes the 10 episode season fit well into 5-6 weeks of the life of a
teenager, who turns 15 during the series.

That being said, it isn’t perfect. The neighbor mom, who is hooking up with Fez,
and parent to two characters, seems a little overdone. As is the showdown
between Fez and her landlord (who is quite overdone as a stereotypical gay man
from that era, almost like Jack from “Will and Grace”). The only person whose
age is explicitly mentioned is Leia, who turns 15. Yet, the guy she has a
massive crush on, takes her for a drive; one of the characters is studying for
the SATs, and another has a long-distance boyfriend in Québec (and is real),
which seems a little advanced. I can see some of it, but with my eye, could look
a little suspect.

I also decided to try out Peacock (since I don’t pay for Cable, and no antennas
work where I live), to watch the premier of “Night Court”. I was utterly shocked
at how realistic this seemed. Little had changed, the sets looked identical,
right down to the faux gold-leaf in the mail chutes. The casting seemed to be
done well, and I can’t wait to see Dan Fielding as a defense attorney, going
against an assistant DA that seems like it female doppelgänger.

Like any Pilot, there were some missteps. The new bailiff, which seems like a
cross between Ross and Bull from the original series, was a little grating, but
that may just be due to the Pilot, and it will get better. Dan’s, Central Park
apartment wasn’t realist, given the dire straits he is in, unless he made a lot
of money as a private attorney, before becoming a process server. Too big for
New York, and too fancy if rent controlled. Hopefully I can find a way to watch
it, since only the Pilot is available for free on Peacock, and I have enough
streaming services right now.

Now, since I had Peacock, I figured I’d indulge in another series continuation
that I’d seen advertised since the service launched, “Saved by the Bell”. While
I felt the story was strong, and had some good lessons and messages, I couldn’t
get past the poor acting, nor the unrealistic sets. They went out of their way
to create the classic staircase and the Max from the original series, then pair
it with an entirely different style of photography that isn’t in keeping with a
sitcom, and additional school sets that are totally out of proportion. Not to
mention that Mark-Paul Gosselaar knows how to act, and I loved him on “NYPD
Blue”, but his performance in “SbtB” makes it seem like he had a lobotomy, and
forgot how to act like a human being. Mario Lopez and Elizabeth Berkley were
bright spots from the returning cast, acting exactly how one would expect Slater
and Jesse to still behave after all these years.

The most realistic portrayals come from the school that was shut down, forcing
disadvantaged students to be bussed to Bayside. That school looked like most
schools I’ve seen in my life, right down to the pressboard cupboards in the
classrooms. Bayside from the outside looked like many of the private schools
I’ve seen, were getting parents’ money was more important than education.
However, if it was realistic, there would be zero legacy for Bayside, as the
entire site would have been demolished to upgrade the school, leaving no trace
of the old Bayside, and likely the Max, to remain.

Haskiri Velazquez was the best thing about what I was able to watch. Her
struggles were real, once I have experienced, and I know other experience far
more often. The rest of the new characters seemed more like caricature of
privileged people, rather than real characters with needs and wants, even if
those come from a privileged place in society. I really wanted to enjoy the
series, but don’t think I can.

There are other reboots and continuations that I could mention, both good and
bad. Bottom line for me, unless you have great compelling writing, that is well
acted, you better keep your world believable, otherwise the entertainment value
will wane, quickly.



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New


YOU CALL THIS A KIDS SHOW?


 * Post author By admin
 * Post date January 16, 2023



How Star Trek: Prodigy broke the modern trope and actually made a show kids and
adults can enjoy.

I’m a Trekkie. My father introduced me to The Original Series when I was quite
young, as it was about the only thing his family always agreed on when he was
growing up. We watched the premiere of The Next Generation together, and even
used the Saturdays when it was on Q13 in Seattle to have a homemade pizza, and
enjoy being together, him, my mother, and myself.

When Deep Space Nine premiered, he watched it on occasion, but the show wasn’t
really for him. I don’t believe he ever watched many, if any, episodes of
Voyager or Enterprise. We did watch the TNG movies, and the Kelvinverse films,
and he enjoyed them. When Star Trek Discovery premiered, we watched it again, as
a family. He wasn’t blown away by it, and didn’t continue. I never tried to get
him to watch Short Treks, Picard, or Lower Decks. I knew that these shows,
especially with their pacing and semi-serialized nature (or fully, stubbornly
serialized nature of Discovery), would not be to his liking. I’m still hoping
he’ll like Strange New Worlds.

Unfortunately, the other drawback to the modern series was that because they
weren’t being broadcast in the US, but were streaming, they didn’t have to
adhere to the FCC’s arbitrary rules for decency and language. As a result, aside
from maybe, Strange New Worlds, none of them were suited for children. So I was
quite please when Prodigy was announced. I was expecting some sort of rubberized
Star Trek. Something that was lighthearted and cheerful, similar to many modern
cartoons aimed at kids. What we got blew me away. This was classic animation,
aimed at children, but containing those difficult subjects that I recall being
exposed to by the cartoons, and other children’s entertainment of my youth. It
doesn’t pull punches, but it does present things is way that are acceptable and
accessible.

While I don’t have kids of my own, I do have 3 children that are often in my
care, courtesy of my cousin. These kids have grown up being constantly inundated
with Star Wars series and iconography, and completely uninterested in Star Trek,
or most things that aren’t “pew-pew” or related to Video Games. So I decided to
show them the first few episodes of the series.

I was pleasantly surprised that they were as enthusiastic about it as I was.
They were enthralled by the story, they were asking questions about the show,
characters, Star Trek in general. Things I never thought I’d hear them ask.

For a show “aimed” at kids, it is incredibly well written. The animation is
stylistic, but perfect for the medium. It uses DS9 style serialization, be it
that each episode is self contained, but connected to an ongoing thread. The
story is smart, logical, and well presented. I cannot wait for season 2, and
hope the quality continues into the future.



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Categories
Tech Guesses


WHERE IS THE APPLE SILICON MAC PRO?


 * Post author By admin
 * Post date December 30, 2022



We are now several months beyond the 2 years that Apple Claimed would be needed
to transition the entire Mac line from Intel CPUs to Apple CPUs. What they have
done is nothing short of a miracle. Through a global pandemic, multiple
lockdowns and limited production environments in various countries, and matching
or exceeding performance per watt of their previous systems and the consumer
available hardware, Apple has almost completed their lineup transition. However,
aside from a larger iMac and a more powerful MacMini (with more ports), the most
obvious machine that has not come to fruition is the Apple Silicon Mac Pro.

Pundits like to speculate as to why, and we are no different. There are several
possibilities as to why we haven’t seen an M2 Extreme chip or the associated
computer(s) announced or released.

 1. The Mac Pro is a niche product, and not likely the money maker that people
    think.
 2. The Mac Studio (with M1 Ultra), greatly reduced the perceived demand for the
    Mac Pro.
 3. Apple is having difficulties merging the SoC philosophy of Apple Silicon
    with the modularity demanded by the Mac Pro customers. They don’t want
    another MacPro 2013.
 4. Chip yields for the new SoC, with all components working at 100% is too low.
 5. The Post-COVID chip shortage is preventing them from having the discrete
    components to make it work (see the SSD on the M2 MacBook Air/13″ Pro), and
    have to re-engineer the SoC to absorb some of those components, and it is a
    bit more difficult than expected.

Of these possibilities 3 and 4 are the most likely.

From what we have seen so far, Apple has been directly connecting SoC and RAM,
which makes the RAM a static item and unable to be upgraded. However, Pro users,
will likely be investing thousands of dollars into this machine, and want the
ability to upgrade it over time, to extend its lifespan. As a result, they will
demand additional RAM, expandable storage, expandable/upgradable GPUs, hell,
they want the ability to expand and customize their hardware to meet their
demands.

RAM – It is possible and likely that RAM won’t be a huge issue, the would just
need a memory controller that isn’t baked with the maximum RAM set, and the
appropriate data lines to RAM sockets. However, in Pro environments, there will
be demand for ECC Memory, which may be a hurdle that Apple is trying to
overcome, not with the commercially available DDR5 that the would likely be
using, but with their own system RAM. I do see RAM in this configuration being
like cache was during the 486-Pentium era. There is the built in memory, then
optional external memory. Allowing customers to buy their Mac Pro with 128GB of
RAM on the SoC, and the ability to upgrade it to whatever level is deemed
appropriate and possible with DDR5, at the time of release.

Storage – Apple can be stubborn, as seen in their integration of a storage
controller into there SoC, making the removable storage cards in the Mac Studio
non-upgradable at present. I expect a similar configuration for the Mac Pro.
However, I’m hoping that Apple would also provide NVMe sockets, PCIe Gen 5, with
the caveat provided to customers that it may not function as fast as the stock
drives. And while it appears to be going away slowly, SATA/U.2/SAS ports
available would be a nice addition.

Expansion – The Macintosh line, over its lifespan has had a dubious relationship
with expansion. Sometimes, you get no options for expansions. Other times, you
do, but they use proprietary connections, or similar connectors with different
pin layouts that will fry the card and/or the computer if used incorrectly, or
you have super powerful upgrade connectors that can not only replace your CPU,
but totally change the configuration and operation of your machine. Thankfully,
modern Pro Machines (aside from the previously mentioned 2013), have used
industrial standards, PCI, AGP, PCI-X, and PCIe for expansion. And while we can
assume that all of the internal communication of the SoC and the related
connections to storage, video, and Thunderbolt are all using PCIe signaling,
opening that up to unknown uses may be proving a little more difficult that
originally envisioned, or they can’t provide enough dedicated lanes without a
chipset, which Apple is likely trying to avoid.

GPU Support – GPUs aren’t just for rendering graphics these days. They also
including neural engines, and other distinct functions that most CPUs are unable
to handle efficiently on their own. Currently, Apple doesn’t support additional
GPUs on Apple Silicon, which may be a software or hardware limitation. If the
former, hopefully as time moves forward, that can be fixed for everyone. If the
latter, that will have to be fixed eventually, as while Apple’s GPU numbers are
impressive, especially for the power draw, they won’t always be king of the
mountain, and Pro users, will want the ability to upgrade, either with Apple
discrete GPU upgrades, or with hardware from Nvidia, AMD, Intel, or an unknown
future supplier. That will be a dealbreaker to many Pros, especially those in
scientific and production environments.

Yields – Integrated circuits are amazingly complex. The more processes,
transistors, diodes, and other components you add, the more complex it gets.
Start adding more than basic logic to it, it gets exponentially more complex and
difficult to produce. Make those components progressively smaller, and it gets
orders of magnitude harder. One of the reasons that companies like Intel and AMD
produce a series of chips in each generation with different capabilities and
prices comes down to binning. Binning in the process in which a produced chip
has its capabilities tested, verified, and assessed. Some chips will have flaws,
and components like integrated graphics don’t work, so they are either
physically disabled or microcode is loaded into a small storage components in
the die to disable that option. Perhaps one of the cores doesn’t work right,
gets too hot, isn’t fast enough; Turn it off. This helps companies maximize
their abilities to pay for production by reducing the number of chips that are
total rejected. We saw this with M1 and M2, some chips had fewer GPU cores than
advertised, because they were binned. There was difficulties getting some models
of Mac Studios because the production of the SoC went so well, there weren’t
enough binned SoCs to keep up with demand, and eventually Apple had to just
start binning near perfect SoCs to keep up with demand. However, it is possible,
that the rumored M2 Extreme, which 4 M2 Max cores, is proving to be a much
harder chip to produce. And, they don’t want to run two M2 Ultra cores with
physical separation after their presentation touted the advantages that M1 Ultra
had with its interposer. If this is true, expect to see M2 Max and Ultra long
before M2 Extreme, but if it isn’t true, all 3 should come out at roughly the
same time (within the same quarter).

Ultimately, we won’t know for sure until we actually see an announcement, but
hopefully this helps you understand some of the complexities that Apple is
facing. And while they missed their 2 year goal, it is entirely understandable,
and they are continuing to push forward.



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Categories
Tech Rants


FUTURE VEHICLES WILL BE ELECTRIC


 * Post author By admin
 * Post date December 16, 2022




TO ONE DEGREE, OR ANOTHER

Regardless of your opinion on fully electric vehicles, it won’t be too much
longer before it will be impossible to purchase a vehicle that isn’t capable of
charging. General Motors is in the process of converting their entire lineup to
Electric Drive only. Other companies are phasing in EV and PHEV vehicles into
their lineup. This is a good thing.

My last fully ICE vehicle died in 2019. I went a whole year without a car of my
own, relying on borrowing vehicles from friends and family, and using the local
transit when I could. I bought a PHEV (Chevrolet Volt) in 2020 (about 4 weeks
before lockdown), and haven’t looked back.

Are 100% EVs a perfect fit for everyone… No. But having that electric range,
even if it only charges at 4 miles per hour off of your home outlets, is a great
option. And 14kwh (the capacity of my vehicle), isn’t going to break the bank,
adding a few dollars to your home electricity bill each time you have to fully
charge, depending on your electricity cost.

The problem at this point is charging when out and about. Public chargers are
slowly appearing, but too many people have the wrong idea on where to and how to
set them up. We need Level 2 Chargers (those compatible with 99% of vehicles),
everywhere. Restaurants, grocery stores, theaters, hardware stores, etc; cities
really need to invest in the infrastructure to help draw people downtown, and
help revitalize those communities. That way everyone can “top off”, when they
are out and about. Charge or don’t, it doesn’t matter. People will make the
decision best for them. We need DC chargers, as well. Both in a setup are ideal.
More DC chargers are needed closer to highways and freeways, with the ability
for many newer vehicles to fully charge in 15-45 minutes, places like McDonalds,
Burger King, Subway, IHOP, Denny’s, Red Robin, and Olive Garden, should be
investing in chargers at all of their facilities. Rarely is any stop at their
facility, less than 15 minutes, but it could be a value add to the facility, and
make them more attractive to the traveler. These DC chargers should also exist
at Walmart, Fred Meyer, Meijer, Target, and other big-box stores, but in lesser
quantities, than their food-based cousins.

What we don’t want is to replace gas stations with massive EV chargers, except
for truck stops. EV charging should be convenient, and omnipresent, so that
everyone has options.

However, that will all be a moot point if we don’t educate people on the
benefits of adding EV range to normal vehicles. Imagine being able to run to the
store for groceries, and never needing to buy gas. Or having your commute
completely EV. Instead of buying gas weekly or biweekly, you buy it quarterly.
That is what my experience has been. In the first year I owned my Volt, I bought
gas the day I purchased the vehicle, and again after taking my parents to the
airport a few weeks later. I didn’t buy gas again until 6 months later, and even
then, it was only a half a tank. My vehicle log calculated at 515MPG fuel
economy. In that time, I didn’t really do anything different than I normally
would, even with lockdown, I was still driving daily to work, still had to do
grocery shopping, etc. Since then, I’ve been a bit more adventurous, driving
from Seattle to Portland and back, in a single day, getting 60MPG combined in
the process, but fuel wise it was only about $40 (at $5/gal), for the whole
trip, much better than any other ICE vehicle I have ever used for the same trip.

So imagine, if you will; your new car will still be able to use gasoline, but
you have that battery you can just use when you aren’t going too far
(30-60miles), and you can plug in nearly anywhere you go. It would be like
phone. Simple, easy, affordable, and omnipresent. You won’t HAVE to be fully
electric, but once you get used to it, you may be tempted to go that way. I know
I have certainly been tempted, and may make the leap in the near future.



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Categories
New


NO, YOU AREN’T THE SMARTEST PERSON


 * Post author By admin
 * Post date December 5, 2022



Or: How how not telling people they are wrong, screws everyone

I can imagine many of you have see the shit-show that in Elon Musk’s purchase
and takeover of Twitter. The stories coming out about him, make him seem like
some 2nd World Dictator. Cleansing people he doesn’t agree with, turning off
essential services, and allowing some of the worst people in the world to have a
platform to spread their ignorance and hate.

While this story seems to be common with him, a man from a rich family who use
the law of apartheid to exploit people for profit, he isn’t the only one. It
isn’t too much different from the behavior of Donald Trump, both as business
man, and president. Or many of the worst people from history.

What we need to learn from this public spectacle is:
• Just because someone has money does not mean they are smart
• Just because someone can run a business does not mean they are smart
• Just because you disagree with someone does not make them dumb
• You not understanding something does not demean your intelligence. It is what
you do because you don’t under stand that determines our intelligence.
• Often similar jobs or industries may seem like they require the same skills
and education, but usually don’t.
• Just because they are wrong, doesn’t make you right. This isn’t English
Grammar.
• Learn from your mistakes. But make sure you learn the right lesson.
• When people tell you that you are wrong, try to understand why they believe
that and reassess.
• Don’t only befriend people who share all of your beliefs and skills, as your
thoughts are amplified in an echo chamber, and you undervalue your skills in the
same echo chamber.
• Don’t be afraid to ask for help

Obviously, these are all lessons that many of the loudest people in public never
learned. But you can do better, and you should do better, for yourself, and
others.



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Categories
Media


MEDIA IS KILLING ITSELF


 * Post author By admin
 * Post date November 4, 2022



I cannot have escaped your attention, over the last 20 years, Radio, TV, and
even Newspapers have continually been getting worse. From the 1980s through
present day, the US Government has relaxed ownership rules around media.

This first resulted in Duopolies (one company owning two stations in the same
city/market). If I’m honest, this seems like a good thing. One station is an
expensive proposition, but two, that actually is much cheaper, and allows for
one on AM and one on FM, or to operate a news station and a talk station, or two
music formats; all well and good. For TV is allows a station to move network
programming to a sister station when it needs to be pre-empted for events that
you want to cover for the local community.

Over the years however, the number of outlets that could be owned in a market,
and the percentage of coverage of the US consumer has grown exponentially. At
this point, we are down to only two or three real players in Radio… none of whom
actually have radio on their mind, just money. Corporatism is sucking the money,
and life energy out of Radio. TV is still limited to two broadcast stations
(which could have upwards of 10 sub-channels), and newspapers are just all over
the place, in large part to the Internet, drinking its milkshake. But radio,
that transitory medium that we all have in our cars, and has gotten so bad that
en-masse we have moved to Podcast, Spotify, and other platforms that actually
make us feel something or make us think.

We need to being to petition the US Government, FCC, FTC, and local and state
governments, to put caps on radio ownership. We need to cut it back to no more
than 4 stations per market, and no more than 20% coverage of the US population.
We need locally owned stations, stations that follow their FCC mandate that they
serve the local interest. No more sucking the capital out of these stalwarts of
free speech and turning them into “liberal”, “conservative”, or “other” mouth
pieces, but instead be the voice of the community.



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Categories
New


APPLE 2022… SO FAR


 * Post author By admin
 * Post date October 2, 2022



Apple surprised us in 2022 with the Mac Studio, M1 Ultra, Studio Display and
even some of the performance gains of M2. What wasn’t surprising was that the
iPhone 14 and 14 Pro would have different processors, with the newest being
reserved for the Pro systems.

Regardless of how you slice it, you cannot be mad about anything Apple has done
in 2022 with their new products. The performance they are getting out of
sub-3Ghz chips puts AMD and Intel to shame in the CPU space, and AMD and Nvidia
to shame in the GPU Space. Most tech journalists and influencers try to compare
the performance of the new Apple Silicon Macs to top of the line CPUs and GPUs,
forgetting that Apple, much like its video game soulmate, Nintendo, doesn’t
always focus on the best hardware, but getting the most performance out of their
hardware. Apple isn’t throwing 800 Watts of power at a CPU and GPU to get 80% of
the performance of an i9-12900K and RTX 3080, they are getting that performance
with 50 to 100 watts. I have no doubt that if Apple wanted to compete at the
bleeding edge of performance, they could, but that currently has so many
downsides it isn’t worth it.

That isn’t to say that Apple doesn’t have impressive numbers, it does. But it
also shows how much headroom it has to grow, if it wants to. Remember, we still
haven’t seen a replacement for the Mac Pro. Sure, the Ultra Studio beats the
current Mac Pro, for half the price, but a full tower, with some sort of
upgradability and/or longevity isn’t here yet. And if the gains from M1 to M2
translate to M2 Pro, Max, Ultra, and whatever descriptor they give to the Mac
Pro chip (Extreme?), we are in for a treat. Something that legitimately competes
with Intel’s 13th Generation Core™ chips, and Ryzen™ 7000 series, along with
40-Series and RDNA3, not to mention ARC. The computing space hasn’t been this
rich for a long time, at least not since we were largely cut down to two major
CPU and GPU vendors.

That being said, I’m still disappointed that we don’t have an M2 Mini or even a
Mini Pro. In fact, with what the M1 Pro can do, I’m disappointed that it is only
in one machine. However, I’m convinced that Apple created these different chip
identifiers for their binning process, then found out that the prices for
creating Max and Ultra was so good, they didn’t really have bad chips to convert
to M1 Pro. This also explains some of the extreme lead times when purchasing a
MacBook Pro with M1 Pro (some times several months), versus the M1 Max. That
might explain, however, why we don’t have a Mini Pro, is down to binning. Not
enough failures to make Pro chips without cannibalizing the higher margin Max
and Ultra Chips.

The other disappointment was in the speed of the SSDs for the M2 machines.
However, this comes down largely to NAND volumes. When the M1 was launched,
there was plenty of suitable NAND in various sizes, so Apple used two 128GB
chips for their 256GB storage platform. However, post-COVID, NAND is the smaller
sizes is harder to come by, and Apple is using that storage in their iPhones and
iPads (along with M1 machines), so it was logical that they would transition to
256GB packages, which provided the same storage, but not the same speed. That
being said, those who care about the speed of their SSD won’t be getting the
base storage anyway, so I doubt it will be an issue.

What is a bit of an issue is the SSDs in the Mac Studio. Apple chose to
integrate the SSD controller directly into their Apple Silicon chips (a function
that was previously done by the T2 chip). That wasn’t an issue for the longest
time, since the NAND packages were soldered directly to the
motherboard/logicboard. However, with the Mac Studio, in order to allow for more
flexibility in their SKUs, they use a removable NAND package, similar to what
they used to use on the MacBook Pro and MacBook Air, just much shorter. Most
tech journalists when they discovered this, tried various methods to try to
upgrade their storage, only to find that they were locked out. They were
understandably upset at this. However, they failed to recognize several things;
Apple tells you flat-out that the storage isn’t upgradable; these were new
machines, and the software and processes for replacing or upgrading may not have
been developed; and many didn’t realize that the NAND didn’t also contain a
controller, as they were used to M.2/NVMe SSDs that were all inclusive. I
suspect that much like the MacPro, we will see storage upgrades as an option for
the Mac Studio, and the future MacPro, but it hasn’t been a priority while
launching not only new hardware, but an entire new line of systems.

As for the iPhones, the satellite SOS system looks promising, as does the better
cameras. However, for most people that is all that matters. On the Pro, the
dynamic island gives us new ways to interact with content, something that should
be possible with the notch/ears as well. Let’s hope this lasts longer than 3D
Touch.

Having a rugged watch seems like a logical brand extension, and we’ll see how
well it works. The rest of the Watch lineup got a decent upgrade, but I’m still
looking for Blood Glucose monitoring, before I take the plunge.

Overall, it has been a great year, and while we won’t likely get an October
event, we are likely then to get a November event, as the Mac Pro is due then,
and we are champing at the bit for M2 Pro, Max, Ultra, and Extreme machines,
along with some iPad announcements. I’m estimating 11/15 or 11/16 for that
event.



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Categories
New


WHAT IS COMING FROM APPLE IN 2022?


 * Post author By admin
 * Post date December 8, 2021



The M1 Pro and M1 Max came out of left field for some, the names did for sure,
and I was wrong about the ports, and actually a little disappointed initially,
as there are now purpose-use ports on a machine that used to be 100% flexible.

That being said, there are plenty of rumors about Apple in 2022, and I will
breakdown my take on what to expect.


MACMINI

2022 will see an updated MacMini, possibly with a “Pro” moniker attached. This
machine will have at the very least, the M1 Pro and M1 Max as options. However,
rumors are flying of a dual CPU version, likely of the M1 Max, dubbed M1 Max
Duo. This would likely be the SoC for the high-end machines. They are likely to
adopt the power supply from the iMac, and perhaps the 10Gb Ethernet in the power
brick if possible. I suspect Apple may, with the power of the Pro and Max chips,
start to include 2.5 Gb Ethernet as standard starting at this point. I do see
the possibility of HDMI 2.1 with the Duo models, as they will actually have the
available bandwidth to drive such a device. The Machine will likely only be
about 1″ thick, and use a similar cooling system as the MacBook Pros.


IMAC

The more professionally directed iMac will also be coming, likely with the same
options as the Mini. I do not see Apple adding ports, save for perhaps a USB-A
port to this model. HDMI has never been an option on the iMac, as a second
screen would likely want to be more capable. 27″ is likely, but so is a larger
model, perhaps shedding the M1 Pro chip from the larger size, and adopting the
iMac Pro moniker. Given the heat generated by the M1 Pro and M1 Max, I do
suspect at slightly thicker design than the M1 iMac, and possibly the color
options, with an additional “Space Grey” version.


MACBOOK (M2)

Rumors are floating around about a new MacBook Air, without the wedge shape, and
a design style similar to the MacBook Pros. Additionally, there are rumors about
a new base-model MacBook Pro., to replace the 13″ M1. I believe that these
rumors actually point to a new machine, the MacBook. Reclaiming its place in the
middle of the Apple notebook lineup, like the old polycarbonate models, and the
2008 aluminum model, but not the horrible 2015 model. This will likely have the
new screen tech from the MacBook Pros, but limited additional ports, perhaps
just HDMI and SD, along with MagSafe 3. It will have a notch too, for the 1080p
Camera.


MACBOOK AIR (M2)

I don’t see Apple making many changes to the MacBook Air, except for an
additional USB4/TB4 port on the right side, MagSafe 3, and an SD Card Slot. The
screen will likely retain the same specs it has now, and may or may not include
a notch for a better camera, or they may keep it as is, as the entry level
MacBook.


IPAD PRO (M2)

There are a ton of rumors about the news iPad Pro having MagSafe. However, they
are all thinking, glass backs and the iPhone style MagSafe, when in fact, it
will be MagSafe 3 on the bottom with the upgraded USB4/TB4 connector, with
support for multiple screens. It will support ProRes recording and decoding,
just like the iPhone 13.


MACPRO

Expect a MacPro in 2022. It will likely have a smaller case, something similar
in size to the Corsair One. It will likely have the option of the M1 Max, M1 Max
Duo, and the M1 Max Quad. It will have several USB4/TB4 connectors on the front
and back. 2 HDMI 2.1 Ports, SD Card, CF Express, and possibly 1 16x PCIe slot
for future upgrades/expansion. RAM will still be included on package, but there
is a possibility that given the use of DDR5 in the Unified Memory, that DDR5
expansion, may be possible, but being used as a secondary memory system, much
like L1, L2, and L3 Cache are used in CPUs. However, if an M1 Max, supports
64GB, the Max Duo 128, the Mac Quad could support 256, at a theoretical,
1600GB/s, so there may not be a need for more RAM. I would expect internally
expandable storage though, hopefully with M.2 NVMe, and maybe 1 or 2 SATA ports,
as Pro users would want to keep as much of their active storage inside the
machine to prevent data loss while working.

Conclusion

This is a summary of all of the rumors currently circulating. We will see in the
spring if any of this is correct. But Apple does have only 11 months to complete
their transition, and are actually behind from the last transition, which was
claimed to be 24 months, but was in fact 18.

 * Tags Apple, Apple Silicon, iMac, ipad, iphone, M1, M2, MacBook, MacBook Air,
   MacBook Pro, MacPro



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Categories
New


APPLE UNLEASHED: PREVIEW


 * Post author By admin
 * Post date October 16, 2021


Apple has invited everyone to another Apple Event, for October 18. This looks to
be an event to announce the release of the next-generation Mac Products, with
the next-generation Apple Silicon processors.


APPLE SILICON

The prevailing belief is that Apple will only be announcing their new high-end
chips at this event. However, given Apple is notorious for yearly updates in
hardware and software, I cannot believe that they would not be updating their
entire product line. Instead of just getting an M1X chip, as some people have
named the higher-powered Apple Silicon processor, I suspect we will instead be
getting the M2 and M2X, simultaneously, based on the A15, that we just got in
the new iPhones. This would include 2 efficiency cores for all models (possibly
4 on the M2X if it utilizes a chiplet design), and 4 performance cores on the
M2, with 8 on the M2X. Graphics would be improved as well, with 7 or 8 cores on
the M2, with 16 cores on the M2X. The M2 would still max out at 8GB of RAM, but
the M2X might go as high as 32GB. I would not expect 64GB at this time, as I
feel Apple doesn’t think it is warranted on these devices, and will focus on
providing more RAM to the Pro in the future. Expect M2 devices to support 3
total displays, and the M2X to support 5.


THE HARDWARE

I would expect to see an updates for everything except the Mac Pro, with a
teaser perhaps of the form factor they are working on for it.


MACBOOK AIR

Expect an M2 MacBook Air to be released. The rumors are for a more squared, iPad
Air/iPhone like design, but it takes away the thin-ness of the design. I would
expect that the design would stay the way it is currently. It is possible that
Apple would release the updated design, but as a MacBook, also with the M2,
replacing the low-end MacBook Pro.


MACBOOK PRO

The new MacBook Pros will exclusively come with the M2X processor. The rumors of
ports coming back, or the death of the touch bar are wishful thinking. However,
the new 14″ and the 16″ will both have 4 USB C ports, all configured for
USB/TB4. Apple will introduce an updated USB C charging cable with a magnetic
release, to bring back Magsafe like charging to the laptops. There will also be
an optional upgraded power brick, which will include Ethernet capabilities, just
like the new iMac brick. Given what Apple did with the iMac, I cannot see them
adding any new or additional I/O to any of their machines. The form factor of
the screens will likely change, giving them a taller appearance, which can only
be good in this day and age.


MAC MINI… PRO

The Mac Mini, which has been unofficially split into two models, will have that
happen officially. Both will get the same new design, with the M2 model staying
silver, and the M2X model becoming a darker “space grey” like color. They will
be smaller, use external bricks (with Ethernet, 10Gbps optional), but will
include USB A, USBC/TB, and HDMI. SDXC ports are up in the air, as one
justification for removing it from other devices has been the major variety of
work flows that have developed over the last 10 years, and how many systems, the
slot goes unused. The new M2X models will officially be called the Mac Mini Pro.


IMAC

This is less certain, but there are strong rumors that the 24″ iMac will be
getting the M2. There will also be a larger iMac presented, perhaps 30″ or 32″,
with a higher resolution screen, likely 6K, and will be available with either an
M2 or an M2X. Design will be similar to the 24″ iMac, but with the Ethernet
brick standard, and 6 total USBC/TB ports.


OTHER HARDWARE

AirPods 3 are highly rumored. It is likely that this will be a minor tweak in a
perfect product, not the needless redesign that people think is coming. I see
new FindMy compatible cases being available for the AirPods 1 and 2, with and
without Qi charging capabilities.

Everything else looks good at this point from an Apple Hardware standpoint. It
will be interesting to see how Apple tackles the Mac Pro in the coming year.
Rumors are circulating that they are looking at using a RISC-V based system, and
others are saying they will simply use multiple ARM based chips working in
tandem. It is unknown if support for additional cards, memory, or storage is
forthcoming, but given the abilities already shown off, it may not be necessary,
or if it does come, things like extra RAM (DDR5), would be used much like Level
2 and Level 3 Caches have been for processors, as an “over and above”. We’ll
see.

 * Tags Apple, Apple Silicon, iMac, M1, m1x, M2, m2x, MacBook, MacBook Pro



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