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VOCOlinc L3 Is No Weak Link

VOCOlinc L3 Is No Weak Link

Because of my chronic illness, once I’m in bed I am in bed to stay. So a smart home makes perfect sense, pretty much a necessity.

I have a medium-sized studio apartment, so my requirements are simple. I control my lights, my door’s deadbolt, and other trivial things. I’d love to add smart blinds but there’s the cost, the power controls aren’t wheelchair accessible, and I’m in a rental unit…

[fpetrie]

VOCOlinc L3 Is No Weak Link

VOCOlinc L3 Is No Weak Link

Because of my chronic illness, once I’m in bed I am in bed to stay. So a smart home makes perfect sense, pretty much a necessity.

I have a medium-sized studio apartment with simple requirements. I control my lights, my door’s deadbolt, and other trivial things. I’d love to have smart blinds but do the cost, their power controls not being wheelchair accessible, and the fact it’s a rental unit,…

[fpetrie]

VOCOlinc L3 Is No Weak Link

VOCOlinc L3 Is No Weak Link

Because of my chronic illness, once I’m in bed I am in bed to stay. So a smart home makes perfect sense, pretty much a necessity.

I have a medium-sized studio, so my requirements are minimal. I control my lights, I control the door’s deadbolt, and other trivial things. I’d love to have smart blinds but due to the cost, their power controls not being accessible from a wheelchair, and the fact I…

[fpetrie]

VOCOlinc L3 Is No Weak Link SEPT OCT2020

VOCOlinc L3 Is No Weak Link SEPT OCT2020

Because of my chronic illness, once I’m in bed I am in bed to stay. So a smart home makes perfect sense, pretty much a necessity.

I have a medium-sized studio apartment, so my needs are trivial. I control my lights, I control the door’s deadbolt, and other little tasks. I’d love to have smart blinds but due to the cost, their power controls not being wheelchair accessible, and the fact that…

[fpetrie]

Freshly Squeezed Reviews: Free OS Guides

Freshly Squeezed Reviews: Free OS Guides

Need help with some software, hardware, or a new device? Most likely Apple has a guide for that.

They’re located in the book store and are absolutely free. They’re not ‘deep dives’ but they do make you aware of all the features and capabilities available to you.

I find that the software guides come in particularly handy if I haven’t tried a feature. For example, I’ve never delved into…

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Apple is this goodbye?

Apple is this goodbye?

I’ve been using Apple for all of my computing life. In the beginning, if anyone ever asked me what computer I’d recommend, I never even paused for a second. You had to get an Apple.

I remember a former neighbor who was a teacher. One day somehow the topic of computers came up. She asked me what computer I had. I told her Apple. She responded ‘Oh, the kid’s computer.’ I went on to explain how…

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Freshly Squeezed OpEd: First World Problem

Freshly Squeezed OpEd: First World Problem

I had it all sussed. I was going to lead a completely iPadPro lifestyle. I researched the apps I absolutely needed. They were either already ported to the iPadPro, the developers were planning to, or I found a suitable substitute.

Then reality barged in.

First, there’s the hardware. I was torn between either the 11” or 12.9”. Either way, I have always bought refurbished as I trust them…

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Freshly Squeezed Reviews: Sandmarc Hits The Mark

Freshly Squeezed Reviews: Sandmarc Hits The Mark

I have the itch to create but my finances are strapped. But I’m still going to try and produce a quality project on a shoestring project.

I’m fascinated with the idea of iPhone filmmaking. As I have a degree in film/video/audio (which has come in handy during the great toilet paper shortage of 2020), I was keen to give it a go.

Every smartphone production I have seen was created on a…

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Freshly Squeezed News: Virtual Macstock 2020

Freshly Squeezed News: Virtual Macstock 2020

You thought Mike Potter was asleep at the wheel? NAHHHHH… He’s been working nights! You think he would let something as piffling as a pandemic stop Macstock from taking place?

Macstock 2020 will still take place, albeit in a virtual form. You’ll still have guest lecturers and be able to mill about, speak to familiar friends, and make new ones!

Virtual Macstock will take place Saturday, July…

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Freshly Squeezed OpEd: Apple TV+ Opportunity

Freshly Squeezed OpEd: Apple TV+ Opportunity

I got around to watching “Greyhound” with Tom Hanks the other day. It’s a fantastic movie. I can understand why he was upset about it not playing on the big screen.

As I understand it, he started this project ten years ago. Having a background in film/video plus composing music, I get why he’s upset. When someone plays with your creation it’s personal. It’s like they’re hitting your kid.

I…

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Old dog, old tricks

Old dog, old tricks

For those of you who have had far too much time on your hands and have followed my writings for however long, you’ll notice I’m refreshing the site. The theme I used to have they stopped supporting about five years ago but I kept using it all the same.

Then, I unwittingly hit a button on my keyboard with my pinky one afternoon and lost the theme. So now, I find myself scrambling to construct a…

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I’ll Have The Short Menu

I’ll Have The Short Menu

Time once again to visit my favorite neighborhood on my screen real estate. Another MenuBar app that fits nicely into your workflow and saves you time. Plus, it’s downright customizable.

I know there are a plethora of free websites that can accomplish the same aim but requiring multiple steps to accomplish. But with this one click app: Game-Set-Match.

 Short Menuis a missing utility…

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Freshly Squeezed OpEd: Sometimes The Best Tech Support Is Yourself

Freshly Squeezed OpEd: Sometimes The Best Tech Support Is Yourself

This weekend I finally got around to beginning to piece together my minimalist SmartHome set up. I live in a studio apartment, so I’m not looking to accomplish much. As I’m wheelchair bound with several health issues, once I transfer to bed, whatever I forgot to do stays that way until morning unless the situation absolutely must be remedied. A modest SmartHome set-up makes perfect sense.

I…

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Freshly Squeezed Reviews: …And Then He Perfected the Light Bulb

Freshly Squeezed Reviews: …And Then He Perfected the Light Bulb

I skim a plethora of tech sites and watch plenty of You Tube channels daily to stay abreast of what’s happening RE: Apple software and hardware. One particular reviewer has been complaining about Apple Mail behaving erratically, which caught my attention as I’ve had issues myself.

I went to Apple’s support page and found many users experiencing similar issues such as it being occasionally…

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Freshly Squeezed OpEd: Anyway, That’s The Plan

Freshly Squeezed OpEd: Anyway, That’s The Plan

Perhaps it’s a result of being in lockdown but I had a thought (yes, that’s what you smelt burning). I try to do things that people tell me you can’t do. So the gauntlet’s been tossed. Let’s start with a little backstory.

I have a degree in film/video/audio. I‘ve shot using an Arri 16mm film camera. I was working at a rural TV station when digital cameras first came into existence (I remember all…

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Freshly Squeezed Reviews: Let Your Fingers Do The Working

Freshly Squeezed Reviews: Let Your Fingers Do The Working

There are those who treat using keyboard shortcuts like a religion. Wanna join the flock?

There are several ways to navigate your macOS. Most use the eternal Menu Bar plus now you can use Voice Control. But the quickest way to do things is by using keyboard shortcuts.

Unfortunately, most people have memories like mine. If you use several specific apps predominantly, you learn your frequently used…

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Freshly Squeezed Reviews: Clean My Mac X Is Now Everywhere

Freshly Squeezed Reviews: Clean My Mac X Is Now Everywhere

Living what has currently become our new norm, many have taken to performing chores around the house that have been put off since the Eisenhower Administration (Google it, kids). Spanning the gamut from cleaning the garage, scrubbing the fridge (expiration dates from the last century I’ve been told are not a good thing), and even more. I know of one prominent podcaster and friend who spent this…