Results tagged “gadgets”

Seems airlines might suck a little less soon.

Nick Bilton, writing for the NYTimes, says the F.A.A. is going to review their policies on gadgets:

When I called the F.A.A. last week to pester them about this regulation -- citing experts and research that says these devices could not harm a plane -- the F.A.A. responded differently than it usually does. Laura J. Brown, deputy assistant administrator for public affairs for the F.A.A., said that the agency has decided to take a "fresh look" at the use of personal electronics on planes.

About fucking time.

And for the record, I rarely put my iPhone into Airplane Mode when flying. So far I haven't caused any flight *disruptions*.

If gadgets were truly interfering with flight equipment, airplanes would be outfitted with preventative measures to ensure objectors like me didn't cause problems. Otherwise, how could they confidently take off without knowing the status of every single passenger's gadgets?

I imagine if cellphones and other gadgets were truly interfering with airline equipment they would have developed something comparable to how speaker docks for iPhones are magnetically shielded to prevent mobile radio wave interference from being heard through the speakers.

iFixit.org sounds very interesting. Probably because I grew up spending a lot of time in junkyards and my dad's basement fixing shit too:

We have been traveling to developing countries in Asia and Africa, visiting e-waste scrapyards and small repair shops, meeting "fixers" who breathe new life into gadgets that the western world has tossed away, and photographing the journey. Part travelogue, part investigative reporting, part soapbox, iFixit.org promises only one thing: a clear-eyed, thoughtful look at global repair culture.

via Minimal Mac

This is why I always wait to buy my latest gadgets, even from Apple:

Today, my iPhone died after about 8 hours--not even enough to get me through a full day without recharging (and this is typical). This was not 8 hours of constant use (unless you count the constant pinging of notifications, which may be the culprit). It was 8 hours total from the time I unplugged it in the morning and took it with me until the screen went black at around 4 PM. According to the specs, the iPhone 4S is supposed to get 200 hours of standby time, 8 hours of talk time, and "up to 6 hours" of Internet use on 3g. During the day, I made half a dozen calls less than 5 minutes each, used the Internet for an hour on the train (email, Twitter, light Web browsing), and then maybe another 90 minutes throughout the day.

My rule of thumb when upgrading operating systems for my desktop Mac and my iPhone and when buying new hardware is to just wait. There's no correct number, but most of the time this means waiting 3-6 months.

Usually in that timeframe bugs have been fixed software patches have been released.

Most of my non-techie friends automatically assume I'm first to get any new Apple product. While I'm aware of the latest developments in the tech industry on a daily basis, I wouldn't call myself bleeding edge when it comes to purchasing gadgets.

From First Today, Then Tomorrow:

How will this come about? Hardware, for what it is, will sometime soon become irrelevant. Your will have secure access to your personal data and your media from anywhere you are. You may buy a device, like a phone or a tablet, but they will be very inexpensive, almost disposable (and certainly recyclable). There will be no benefit from buying newer hardware. It will not be faster or have more storage. It will not offer new features. All that will matter is the software and the net and the net will be everywhere. For that matter, the word "software" will fall out of fashion. You will have apps, you will use features and tools. You will also stop using the word "computer."

Sounds pretty possible to me.