Category Archives: Gadgets & Toys

AirPods Dead :(

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A couple of weeks (not months) shy of 2 years and they are not working any more 😦 This really sucks.

For a while now the left Pod was having issues – it would keep dropping connection wen I was using it only. The right one was fine. Also when I used them both they still worked fairly well.

– manzoor

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Good News / Bad News for my Smart Phone

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I was starting to get worried that I would not be able to use my phone (that I’ve barely had for 3 and a half year) much longer. It has been my goal to use the smart phone for 5 years. So far, I have been able to use them for about 4 and a half in the past.

The good news – the device is just fine and the latest OS, v11.3, is working smoothly (so far).

So, the bad news is not so much about the device (i.e., hardware) but the content I’ve piled on it. More specifically – my 200K+ pix.

– manzoor

My Apple AirPods

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OK, I finally got my Airpods and have been using them for over a week now.

I am still not happy that I had to try so hard to get them. But I am more disappointed that they don’t work nearly as well as Apple had promoted.

  1. They don’t switch between my Mac (Laptop / Mac Mini / iMac) and my iPhone or Apple Watch
  2. They don’t switch from my iPhone to my Apple Watch when I am on WiFi
  3. They do not get picked up by my iPhone everytime

Let me elaborate.

3. They Airpods do not always get paired automatically to my iPhone when I put them “on”. I have to Pair them manually probably 30% of the time. Maybe less, but it definitely feels like I am having to do it way too more frequently than I ought to be.

2. When I have the Airpods paired to my iPhone and am listening to Music from my iPhone or on a Call (yes, I do make / receive phone calls on my iPhone) and am walking around without my iPhone on me but my wearing Apple Watch – I will get disconnected 100% of the time if I walk far enough from my iPhone but am still in WiFi range. It seems to matter not if I initiate the music / phone call from my iPhone or Apple Watch. But I need to try this a bit more. Most of my use has been playing music / initiating the Phone call from my iPhone.

1. This was the primary feature in my mind why I spent so much (time / energy / money) in getting the Airpods in the first place – to be able to seamlessly switch between my Mac(s) (Laptop / Mac Mini / iMac) and my iPhone / Apple Watch. This fails 100% of the time.

OK, time for some positives.

  • The charge stays on for a good amount of time. Also, it seems to do a good job of going into power save mode when not actively being used.
  • Feels the same to me (sound quality and physically in my ears) as the regular Apple Headphones.
  • Pauses Music / Movie if I take off either (or both) of the Airpods. And also resumes soon as I put them back on.

And some neither positive or negative comments.

  • They are super expensive. But to their credit – they said how much they were long before they were even available.
  • Supply is still very lacking.
  • It does seem likely that I will loose them before long 😦

– manzoor

My Equipments:

  • Apple iPhone 6 running iOS 10.3 (beta)
  • Mac
    • MacBook Pro 13″ (Retina, Early 2015) running macOS Sierra
    • Mac Mini (Late 2014) running macOS Sierra
    • iMac running macOS Sierra
  • Apple Watch running watchOS v3.1.3

Apple AirPods

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At $159 these are going to be the most expensive pair or head-phone thing I will have ever bought.

But I am excited about it. I only hope it switches from my various devices as well as they eluded to in the Apple Event.

I am a bit disappointed that these won’t be available till October 13th (and that they are going to be $159 for a pair).

– manzoor

  • What happens if I loose just one?
  • how to keep mine separated from my friends’?

iPhone Mini??

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Just read a rumor of a possible 4″ iPhone. The 2 major features that caught my interest were:

  1. Wireless Headphone
  2. Taking away of the Home Button

The second feature seems inevitable but it’s really the “Wireless Headphone” that had really got me thinking. Personally I have been thinking of getting a wireless headphone ever since I got my Apple Watch. I just have not found a pair that was both “good” and “priced well”.

OTOH, forcing the users to “buy” (invest in) a Wireless Headphone does somehow seem not right 😦1

Also, I think I read that they’re trying to make it “thinner” – how much thinner does it really need to get? Seriously? It’s already too thin if you ask me. So thin that even the “camera” does not quite fit in it. For me the 4s was a really good form factor.

The final feature that comes to mind is the wireless charging. Not really ground breaking here.

A smaller iPhone would definitely be something I look at getting  – eventually. When I got my iPhone 6 (after initially getting the 6 Plus) I was a bit disappointed – at having to have had gone “bigger”. So, being able to get back to my 4″ size would be preferable.2 I am going to be looking at the following more closely when I eventually do look at getting my next phone.3

  • Camera – I take most of my pix with my Phone. Even when I have the SLR around. I end up taking some pix with my Phone. Just because of the convenience.
  • Storage – though I do use iCloud, I still prefer the local storage
  • Overall Build – I felt the 4s was built better than the current 6
  • Performance – Processor / WiFi / Network

– Manzoor

  1. I’m assuming Apple will NOT be including a pair with the Phone
  2. I have fairly small palm / hand and even the 4.7″ is a bit too large 😦
  3. So far I’ve had:
    1. The Original iPhone
    2. iPhone 4S
    3. iPhone 6 (current)

External Links:

iPhone 6

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Even though I had pre-ordered, I had to return the Plus and re-order the regular 6 and wait for it to arrive in the mail. The plus was just too big 😦 I was really, really hoping that the Plus would be the right size and then I would not need1 to get a Tablet / iPad. Now I am kinda stuck a larger Phone (larger than the 4″) but this doesn’t really replace the need1 for a tablet.

Also, this might be the first time I actually got a phone before I had to get it 😦 Feeling a bit guilty about that. Much as I love gadgets, I do take pride in making the most of my purchases / investments in them.

– manzoor

  1. I realize “need” is a subjective. To me, ideally, the tablet totally replace the need for a laptop. Since currently there is no iPad that can really replace my need for carrying my laptop, my next level of definition of need is to be able to