From Op-ed

Apple Intelligence, AI Subscriptions, and AI Store

After the whole debacle I had with Zadok the Priest on the previous post, I received some spams suggesting I should subscribe to their pro or plus models. I take it my search had used up most of free queries I had for the day. As far as I know, neither Google nor OpenAI openly…

Finding “Zadok” of Handel

Handel’s Zadok the Priest (HWV 258) is such a popular classical piece, I suspect most people would not even notice it is entirely written in English. At the very least, I was bamboozled to learn all the English lessons I’ve had growing up failed to mention it. If it doesn’t ring a bell, here is…

M5, Mac Mini, and MacBook Air

It has been 5 years since the release of first M1 Macs. M5 MacBook Pro just hit the shelves, and likely MacBook Air and Mac Mini, two popular and highly praised models from M4 will be renewed with m5 in the following year. The benchmark for M5 indicates M5 is roughly twice as fast compared…

Apple Intelligence, Google Gemini, and AI Models

Bloomberg reported Apple is in talk with Google to use custom version of Gemini in the Apple’s servers, named “Private Cloud Compute”. If the deal goes through, Apple would have a default AI model for Apple Intelligence as a service. In all likelihood, it also means Apple would keep many of the AI related features…

Logitech Harmony and HDMI-CEC

Logitech discontinued production for Harmony in 2021. There were some signs Logitech needed to put in heavy investment towards the Harmony platform, otherwise it will be unsustainable: losing Mac support was one; introduction of HDMI-CEC in 2005 was the other; and most importantly, Smart TV and cord cutting made a universal remote such a niche…

Apple TV, iPad, and Apple Vision Pro

Let’s begin with Apple TV, a streaming box that is largely unnoticeable when discussing Apple’s sales figures. Of the three devices in the title, Apple TV is oddly the most independent. It is, for the lack of better word, an iPhone of a streaming box. It supports majority of the streaming services via third party…

Is Microsoft Axing Xbox Console?

There are already leaked insider talks and rumors of how Microsoft higher-ups see of its gaming division. And it isn’t completely alienated from the yes mens I’ve seen on the internet; the idea was that with seemingly infinite budget Microsoft could muster, the entire console market is within reach. Suffice it to say, throwing money…

Magnetic Tip Cables, MagSafe, and USB-PD

I’ve been using ‘magnetic tip cables’, including Apple’s laptop MagSafe and old USB-A magnetic tip cables from generic brands, not knowing the full risks of what they entail. Before I get into the story, I do want to make one thing clear: Apple’s MagSafe is safe. It’s not the reason why I am writing this…

iPhone, iOS Upgradability, and App Supports

Computerworld has been keeping scores on Android smartphones since Android 9 on how major manufacturer is pushing out Android updates to their yesteryear’s products. Latest one came out on March 2025, and the score board is a blood bath. But this post is not about Android — how manufacturers are only interested in selling latest…

iPhone Air, Foldable iPhone, and iPad

There are rumors iPhone Air is a stepping stone toward a possible foldable iPhone set for 2026, 27, or even 28. Some are already speculating Apple will adopt foldable form factor starting with iPhone 18; hence, they added, iPhone 17 is less likely to succeed from the usual upgrade cycle. We won’t know the sales…

Upcoming iPhone, Apple Watch, and AirPods

Apple is set to release new iPhones, Apple Watches, and possibly some minor gadgets such as AirPods this coming Tuesday. The rumors surrounding each and every one of them were too comprehensive to the point the actual Keynote is likely going to be a repeat of the rumor mixed with Federighi’s “crack product marketing team”…

Why Regional Support Matters: The Case of Corsair RM1000e

I don’t closely follow news on PC component manufacturer, especially not on PSU. I do recall, back when I could confidentially call myself an enthusiast, there were several brands called out for being unreliable. Now, this is where the stories often get even more juicer — when a manufacturer is not directly selling its products…

The Sale of Intel Mac Pro Pt. 2: Regional Support

I thought to expand on the whole regional support issue I had mentioned in the prior post. If you are here for the “regional support” only, the only relevant info from the previous op-ed is that it was one of the reasons why I ended up selling my machine. Warranty and importation in South Korea…

The Sale of Intel Mac Pro

This is merely a beginning of my long journey into transition out of Intel Macs. I first started looking into how other Intel Mac owners are faring in South Korea, as the region is quite unusual when it comes to trade-ins, and I wanted to see what my options were with my old Mac Pro.…

AI Translation Poisoning Search Results

If you have been plagued by the recent YouTube’s AI dubbing, video title and description, that’s the kind of problems that is happening across all Google platform. I am talking about the Google Search results. And believe me when I say it, when I google something in Korean, I expect it to pick up Korean…