Monthly Mini-Bytes - December 2020

 

The AirPods Max Drain Your Wallet If you can't wait for the AirPods Max Pro (it's just an egg chair, really) or you have $549 burning a hole in your pocket and don't mind spending $100 more than comparable (and better) units, then boy does Apple have a deal for you! For the ridiculous previously mentioned price of $549, Apple has the AirPods Max -- an over-the-ear headphone set that boasts a lot of the tech from the smaller AirPods. But that price... WOW! There is not a blogger, vlogger, or pundit that hasn't balked at the price of the AirPods Max. There are better options that are far less expensive. The insult continues when you consider the $549 AirPods Max don't come with a charger, headphone adapter, or practical case. I don't know what Apple was thinking, but if the Corvette C8 can sell for 40% over the sticker price, maybe Apple knows something that we don't. Hmmm.... The Pet Rock is back!!! In all seriousness, the AirPods Max are very good. They have a sumptuous design that more than communicates their premium price. They are super easy to set up and work seamlessly with your Apple products. The question is if they demand the high price. I guess at the end of the day it's up to the buyer. All I know is that it's time for me to walk my Pet Rock. To ogle at the AirPods Max, visit: https://www.apple.com/airpods-max/

The End is Nigh for Adobe Flash Player Finally! It's been years since "Flash was on it's way out." Steve Jobs railed against it way back in 2007. But it just would not go away. HTML5 has for years been better, faster, and all that, but for some reason web animations have continued to be developed with Flash. Well it's done and Adobe is ending Flash support at the end of 2020. This means if you have it on your Mac, you need to uninstall it. Here is a link to where you can download the uninstaller for 10.4 and later: https://fpdownload.macromedia.com/get/flashplayer/current/support/uninstall_flash_player_osx.dmg When complete, your browser will launch and Adobe will try to sell you something, but just ignore it. You will need the money for the AirPods Max.

Where are the Printers?

Ah! Yes... printing. The enablement of deforestation that can be done from the humble abode. They run on ink cartridges that cost as much as a trip to the grocery store. They fall off the wi-fi network. They jam with paper; their jets clog if neglected; and they are guaranteed to break the minute you need to print out a boarding pass. And now! Yes, now during a global pandemic printer prices have gone through the roof, but not really. In reality they are just being sold for full price. Printer prices are usually inflated so the office supply stores can give you 50% off so it looks like a good deal. And usually it is, but the $200 printer that normally sells for $125 is $200... if you can find one. With many students and adults operating from home, the personal deforestation device can be an elusive creature. How can you get your hands on one? If you need a printer check Staples and CostCo. Staples always seems to have the best prices, and these days if you are going to find a deal, Staples will be the place. Unless you go to CostCo, which is of course, the deal capital of the world (#factchecked). CostCo usually has a limited selection, but what they do have is very good.