LonePlacebo - Majoring in Technology

November 5, 2015 27 Comments

PlaceboCast 19: The Apple TV 4

Joseph and I are back after a long overdue retirement stint to bring you the latest and greatest in media streaming devices. None other than the Apple TV 4. Caught in a crowded onslaught of competing devices out in the market, the Apple TV features a completely redesigned touch-based Siri remote and the new tvOS that introduces Apple’s first major step towards a future in which our televisions are powered by apps. How does this new update stack based on our early preview? Will the remote survive a tragic 2-foot drop? That and more in this episode of the PlaceboCast.

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April 30, 2015 6 Comments

It’s Time: An Apple Watch (Mini) Review

Let me preface this with a question: Can Apple really sell anything as long as it has its logo affixed to it?

More “professional” photographs.

The Apple Watch, in a sense, is the first new product launch since Steve Jobs. There has been a lot of doubt surrounding Tim Cook and whether or not he can lead Apple to a future just as bright (or maybe even brighter) than if Steve was still with on this earth. Though Steve Jobs is depicted as a self-centered, egotistical, control freak, he had a knack for being a brilliant businessman, having a keen sense of good versus bad design, and the ability to stretch the limits of current capabilities. Given all those qualities that made him into a unique human being, the world was given the iMac, the iPod, and the iPhone – three consumer electronic devices that changed the very history of technology for the better (or to some, for the worse).

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February 7, 2015 20 Comments

How I Read The Web With My Kindle

Photo by the magnificent Joseph Chang

I once bought a book called How to Read a Book: The Classic Guide to Intelligent Reading, which I probably found in a recommendations list from HBR or related site which inspired me to pursue literary greatness after reading its seductive title. Alas, I barely made it through the second chapter with my full faculties intact despite the visceral assault of boredom levied upon me. I think it’s time for a chapter to be written for the modern day reader.

The reality is that 90% of my reading is comprised of articles published on the web. Reading a book from beginning to end is a challenging committment. That’s like reading 30 feature-length articles from The New Yorker in succession! I certainly couldn’t pull that Olympian feat off.

If I had to re-write that ill-fated reading excursion to mirror my web reading habits though, this blog post would be it. Enjoy.

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January 9, 2015 2 Comments

A new look for LonePlacebo in 2015

You are now looking at the fourth major iteration of LonePlacebo. For the 0.05% of you RSS readers, I recommend opening this article in a browser window.

Lovingly dubbed “Gravity” for no particular reason other than the fact that I had recently watched the movie while I was contemplating a name for my WordPress theme, this new design is all about a great mobile reading experience. For the very first time, LonePlacebo is fully responsive, or in layman’s terms, it will “look good” on most devices (translation: no more pinching and zooming on mobile touch displays).

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November 23, 2014 14 Comments

PlaceboCast 18: But can it bend?

Undeterred by the Fire phone’s abysmal sales, Amazon has unleashed a flurry of new hardware gadgets including its fascinating new home personal assistant, Echo, and the Fire TV stick (aka Match Stick). How will these products fare and who builds better hardware products: Google or Amazon?

As always, thanks for listening and have a fantastic Thanksgiving holiday.

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July 29, 2014 2 Comments

PlaceboCast 17: Rocky Yosemite

In this edition of the PlaceboCast, we find out firsthand just how much unfinished work Apple has before Mac OS X Yosemite’s official public release. But with Joseph’s magical audio technician-caliber abilities, you won’t notice anything amiss with this episode. Speaking of Joseph, check out his band’s debut album, Your Call EP.

As always, thanks for listening.

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July 25, 2014 5 Comments

Securing your MacBook: Going Beyond Tinfoil

How do you secure the data on your portable computer from thieves, without having to chain your computer to a concrete slab?

I have just the answer.

Disclaimer: The methods I outline here are nowhere near foolproof. Always keep the possibility of theft in the back of your mind when you leave your gadgets unattended.

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July 22, 2014 4 Comments

Adventures of a First-Time TaskRabbit

About a month ago, I received an email from TaskRabbit – a company that lets you outsource small gigs to people in your neighborhood.

Thank you for your interest in joining the TaskRabbit community! We are currently inviting a select group of applicants to complete their applications and become a Tasker. Complete your application today to join our high-quality community of neighbors helping neighbors.

Intrigued I submitted an application, including the personal information required for a background check and detailed explanations about my humble skills such as computer support, online ecommerce (Certified eBay GrandMaster), and usability testing (Is this even on?).

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