December 2011
14 posts
4 tags
Marco writes about headphones, I link to it →
Marco mostly talkes about advantages/disadvantages of closed versus open headphones, which is an important distinction to consider when buying full-size headphones, and a distinction that Marco feels this New York Times piece on headphones doesn’t draw starkly enough.
Marco also points out that the article doesn’t actually recommend specific models, which is an excellent point. Marco...
2 tags
The theater of air travel security →
Nice piece in vanity fair on air security from the perspective of a computer security expert (Bruce Schneier).
I’d be happy if I could pack my carry-on full of beer (for transportation, not for drinking on the flight, although…) and listen to music during takeoff and landing…
Haters →
You wouldn’t believe how hard it is being right all the time.
3 tags
TABC's bogus beer/ale distinction invalidated →
Thank God. That was embarrassing.
Sadly, though, Jester King did not succeed in convincing the judge that TABC’s laws prohibiting breweries from making retail beer sales were likewise bogus. Sounds like TABC barely won that one, though.
5 tags
Susan Kare's icons →
Nice piece on a hugely influential artist (I think her role and work surpass being a “designer”.
Ms. Kare designed the icons for the original Mac, among other systems, sites, and applications. I find the economy, expressiveness, and effectiveness of her work particularly impressive.
Ms. Kare sells prints of her work on her web site. I can personally attest that they’re...
3 tags
Slate on the Old Fashioned →
Fast becoming my favorite cocktail (well, the Sazerac is putting up a good fight, but really, there’s only one proper way to make a Sazerac, and whereas the old-fashioned is flexible). It’s a great way to get the character if a liquor (whisky, in particular), in an easier-to-drink package.
I think the best I’ve had so far was from Anvil a few weeks ago. I watched the bartender...
4 tags
Inner Fidelity's top ten headphone gifts →
The list is a bit unfocused, but it’s not really a buying guide for picking out the best possible headphones for your needs, it’s more a list of products in the headphone realm that would make good gifts. Everything on the first two pages is a great product that’s inexpensive enough to be worthy of your consideration.
The third page has good stuff too, but it’s out of the...
4 tags
InnerFidelity's in-ear headphone roundup →
This one isn’t from Tyll, it’s from a big-time Head-Fi forum member.
A little esoteric for my tastes, but I think it’s far better than the crappy guides some sites are putting out. I’d much rather see a guide like this that’s really trying to find the best value for the dollar than one that just throws some crap on the page.
Of course, if you want some picks I...
2 tags
Another Engadget holiday guide, this one for “docks“—I think they mean speaker docks. Docks do exist without speakers, and these products aren’t for people looking for docks, they’re for people looking for speakers.
As to the actual choices… meh. I have no idea how they sound. Why buy overpriced items like this when there are so many great speakers out there looking...
7 tags
Engadget's holiday headphone guide →
Like their back to school guide, it’s kind of a shit show here.
Headphones with a built-in music player don’t sound like a bright idea to me.
The Klipsch S4i still isn’t that great.
I’ve seen nothing to indicate that AiAiAi’s headphones are worth considering.
They’re pushing the mediocre B&W C5.
The entire guide is a jumbled mess. The way to buy...
1 tag
Cindy had a couple weeks off and we did a lot of travelling. I fell behind in my RSS feeds. As I was going back through them, I started to slog through 300 unread Gizmodo stories, got pissed off by their blatant Apple bias (stories about Apple’s upcoming Grand Central Station store, the Business Software Alliance, and Carrier IQ), and had enough. I deleted Gizmodo from Google Reader and, in...
4 tags
Inner Fidelity reviews the Koss Tony Bennett... →
Tony Bennett? Add that to the list of other unlikely “signature” endorsements including Quincy Jones, Miles Davis, and Lou Reed. This celebrity headphone thing has probably gone too far.
4 tags
Engadget "reviews" Orb Audio's modular speaker... →
The actual review is bullshit—no comparison to competing products, very little said about sound quality, nothing to indicate that any critical listening took place.
But I linked because these guys have been making a big marketing push lately and I’m genuinely curious about the products. They certainly have great aethetics and the modular idea is cool, but how is the execution? And, beyond...