For a while, we upgraded iPhones every two years. Then it slipped to three. Going forward, who knows? Will I upgrade to Apple’s new iPhone 8 or X? Nope, and I’ll tell you why: We have so many gadgets now that upgrading has become an annoying, time consuming, expensive pain[…] Read On
Blog Archives
The Time the Web Saved My Bacon
Watching a ballgame after a brief power outage, my 60-inch Pioneer plasma decided to crap out. The only sign it was still alive was a tiny blue LED in the lower left corner blinking on and off 12 times and repeating the pattern over and over. I tried turning it[…] Read On
Surviving the 24/7 News Cycle Without Going Bonkers
Nobody actually came up with the idea of a 24/7 news cycle. It just sort of happened. But if it were possible to identify who did this to us, waterboarding would be too light a punishment. Maybe a week locked up with Rosie O’Donnell and Bill Maher. That works. And[…] Read On
When Everything Is Done for Us By Smart Machines
Weber now has a smart grill including an app that allows lazy control freaks to remotely monitor how things are going without having to lift the hood. The aptly named iGrill, which Weber acquired from iDevices last year, tells you when your meat is done and takes the guesswork out[…] Read On
Handyman Steve Strikes Again
Some take vacations. Others spend weekends at the beach or lounging by the pool. For me, summer is the time for DIY repairs and maintenance projects of the outdoor variety. I actually love to fix things. Unfortunately, I’m much better at breaking things. Turns out, the amount of havoc I[…] Read On
Totally Cool Summer Wines
Soon after we moved to the Bay Area in the mid-90s, my wife Kim attended the California Culinary Academy in San Francisco. She’d bring home these enormous textbooks about wine. I was instantly fascinated, and our first trip to Sonoma wine country sealed the deal. We both fell in love[…] Read On
Good Fences (and Border Walls) Make Good Neighbors
If I hear one more overwrought argument against Trump’s proposed border wall with Mexico, I’m going to lose it. Seriously. Never mind that our entire immigration system is broken. We can update the tech, improve public policy and even enforce it, but unless we secure the border, it won’t make[…] Read On