Yes, the air-quote is real. GM is planning to replace Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, both smartphone based infotainment systems on cars, with GM’s own flavor of Android Automotive. Tim Babbitt, GM’s head of product for infotainment, says one of the factors behind the decision was safety.
By Rian
Gray, a writer.
eBook Reader App and Streaming Player App Spiel
Back in 2015 or so, I wrote a short op-ed that was ill-received, calling for better ebook management features on Kindle platform. It’s been 8 years, but I see little to no changes in the app, and frankly, with the gorgeous displays and extended battery life used in most smartphones and tablets, I see little to no appeal in buying another ebook reader. After all, Kindle and other ebook readers themselves haven’t changed much in terms of what the software provides, only some niche hardware changes.
USB-C is on iPhone, But Type-C is still a Mess
I have written in several pieces that USB-C is not the silver bullet to the dongle problems. Even as Apple opened up its Lightning walled garden, presenters couldn’t simply say: ‘we have USB-C now’. It needed to be said what kind of spec this port will carry: how fast its USB protocol will be, how fast it will charge, and what other deviations it will support, and so on. One would think now this makes one less proprietary port, but I’m afraid the one bus to rule them all needs several other lesser busses to make it happen.
How to Setup VPN VLAN for Home
Not all countries run DPI, nor do all websites block people based off of region. I, for one, started building my own geoblock-proof setup since I moved to the new neighborhood about a decade ago. HomeDepot had this neighborhood IPs blocked. I don’t know what my ISP was thinking assigning blacklisted commercial IP to residential area, but I doubt this list and myriad others would be willing to update their list anytime soon.
Apple TV, VPN, and Geoblock Spiel
Anyone who is old enough to live through DVD era of human history and before that Paleolithic VHS period would recall something called region locks. It is an ancient ritualistic practice where contents holders would artificially divide the regions and lock the consumers out from playing them outside of said region. Historians believe the practice was to sell the same movie at a different price in a different market. I call it ritualistic, because with enough consumers agonizingly annoyed, most DVD players were willing to appease the buyers by dropping the region lock. Not to mention some consumers went the…
Death Stranding Spiel on FMV Games
Death Stranding is, without a doubt, “interactive entertainment”, to quote Bill Gates. Good Bill didn’t say those exact words, but that’s how he viewed a certain FMV game. And I believe his approach to understanding what a video game is in the 90’s had run its course. Being realistic is not a virtue of any games. I came to that conclusion that bad games are often hidden behind the well known Hollywood faces after playing Callisto Protocol. Popular celebrities and hyperrealistic graphics don’t rectify a disaster. It just makes it more expensive disaster, just like Hollywood.
How to Fix Bose Speakers asking for AirPlay Passwords
Anyone remember the debacle behind Bose NCH 700? I was one of the “proud” owners who had the headset ruined after a botched firmware update, followed by Bose’s inability to narrow down the problem. What I’m trying to say is, Bose doesn’t have particularly good track records with softwares. Unlike its unfortunate counterparts, Bose speakers at least have some redundant systems, however.
My Depressing Journey with Sonos Roam, the Wannabe Big Speaker
Ever heard of a company called Bose? They get all the smacks from enthusiasts, so you must have. I personally prefer Bose for their reliability; you get what you paid for, and their products are well researched by reviewers. Not the most cost-efficient speaker brand as noted thousands of times, but if you are looking for a niche speaker for a shower room, or for outdoors, the usual “good” speakers go out the window and only the mass-manufactured ones remain with some IPX ratings.
How to Fix Greyed Out Files and Folders on macOS Finder
This happens more often with network drives than physically attached ones, and I, for one, had this issues happening with Synology NAS. A file or a folder that is most likely not damaged and most likely was accessible previously, is now inaccessible on macOS Finder. The real odd ball is that other devices and apps have no problem accessing it.
How to Fix Time Machine Volume’s “Low Space” Warning on Synology NAS
Time Machine is a fascinating topic, so I’m back with more. One of the features Time Machine provide is its automated space management, i.e. delete older backups. Having a NAS doesn’t solve the physical limitation of any backup solutions; that is, it will always take up some space somewhere. On NAS side of the business, storage can be expanded relatively easily. However, storage filling up to its full capacity is not a desirable status.
How to fix Time Machine “Disk Not Ejected Properly”: “Backups of [mac]”
Being a Mac user myself, one of the biggest features I recommend is Time Machine. Personally a well-designed backup system alone can make up enough reason to choose an OS for home use. I highly recommend using a Time Machine backup via NAS, for the benefit of traveling light and separating out a backup drives physically.
Amnesia: the Bunker Spiel
Amnesia has finally ran out of excuses it gives the protagonist why you are in the middle of nowhere. With all the reasons the franchise has thrown at us thus far, the Bunker throws us possibly the most realistic, yet the most boring, reason why you are stuck underground: you are there because you were sent there.
Universal Quicksaver for All v.MTP2023-07-02
Yes, I had to return with some updates on the script. Please do check out the previous post, as I will be keeping it up to date. As for why the separate post was made, I thought to share where some of the changes were made and why. If you are looking for the new script, check out the original post.
Universal Quicksaver for All
Few years ago, I had several quicksaver scripts available on the Mad Tea Party, and I, in my hubris, said something along the lines of ‘after this housekeeping update, I doubt I need to maintain the script no more’. Oh, how wrong I was. Ladies and gents of gamers club, I proudly present rogue-like which plagues the gamers no more than RPG already has with broken save systems. I thought I had it tough with lost character arc and roleplaying, and here I was yet again with a lost playthrough of its entirety.
How to Connect MTP Devices on macOS
Media Transfer Protocol, or MTP, is something Microsoft came up with in the days of PMPs and PMCs. If the history teaches us anything, it is that most of the remnants from MP3 eras were fragmented and chaotic patchwork of technologies to make that one proof of concept to just barely work.