Peloton Bike+ →

Finally, after all these years of riding my friend’s and using hotel gyms’ Peloton bikes, I’m pulling the trigger first thing tomorrow morning. So if you didn’t know, this is the new Peloton Bike+. Also, if you wanted a cheaper, less expensive Tread, they also released that.

What’s really cool is that they have a $700 trade-in program and are automatically refunding those who bought the now “regular” Peloton $350 price differnce plus tax. So awesome! And yes, I have have a small investment in stocks and options which are what I’m going to be using to buy this new bike.

DJI Mavic Air 2 →

I finally got my DJI Mavic Mini a few months ago and have been in love. Now, DJI has released a much more capable and HUGE upgrade to the DJI Mavic Air aptly called the Mavic Air 2.

DJI, the global leader in civilian drones and aerial imaging technology, today ushers in a new era of aerial creativity with the Mavic Air 2 drone, combining high-grade imaging, intuitive yet advanced flight performance and revolutionary smart and safe technology in the best all-around drone we’ve ever made.

Created to make capturing unique, high-quality content from the air simple, fun, and safe, Mavic Air 2 offers flagship capabilities in a compact and easy to use folding drone that features 8K functionality. A larger 1/2” camera sensor offers high-resolution photos and videos to make content stand out, while advanced programmed flight modes, intelligent features and imaging technology make capturing professional-looking content effortless. Pilots can now stay in the sky longer with an enhanced maximum flight time, capture vivid imagery with completely revamped autonomous capabilities, and wholly transform their content with in-app editing features.

Watch one of my favorite Drone reviewers on Youtube and friend Aldryn Estacio from FlytPath go over the new Mavic Air 2 down below! One of the best videos on the new drone. If this doesn’t convince you to pick it up, I don’t know what will.

Can the iPhone SE (2) Make You Reconsider $1000 Phones? →

Is all of that worth the cost? Sure, for a lot of people. Is any of it necessary? Other than low-light photography, there’s virtually nothing that I do on those $1,000 phones that I can’t do equally well on the iPhone SE. It is fast, capable, reliable, and familiar. I’d miss those advanced features and more expansive displays, but not as much as you might think.

If I were buying the iPhone SE, I’d seriously consider spending the extra $50 to upgrade the storage to 128GB, just in case I’d want it three or five years down the road. That timespan is the reason the iPhone SE is a big deal. No other phone that costs less than $500 can claim to be this good, nor last that long.

The iPhone SE is not just a good deal. It’s also a really good smartphone.

I'm really liking the videos that The Verges' Dieter Bohn has been putting out and the fact that I concur 100% with this write-up gives me even more confidence that I'll be "fine" for the next 6-8 months. Heck, it'll most likely make me even reconsider purchasing the iPhone 12 for $1149, maybe.¹ I mean seriously, I spoke about this upgrade cycle at length a while back (6 years ago) but I'll break it down again.

The iPhone X 256GB Silver cost me $1149 + tax = $1250 - $320 for trade-in = $930 divided by 30 months = 913 days of constant and daily use is about $1 a day for a TOOL that we are accessing day in and day out. Whether that's a good thing or bad, at least we get to track it now and step back. But hell, I just even bought a new 16" MacBook Pro and am producing again! Priceless.

The fact that a $1000 straight out of pocket for a device is definitely absurd hence the reasoning why I was trying to make my iPhone X 256GB Silver last for 36 months!↩

Pixar’s Toystory 4 Camera Style →

This is simply amazing. The fact the Director of Photography would go through the lengths to make sure that the animation and view angles mimic real camera lenses and then later use a dioptic lens filter… this is definitely setting the bar high! On top of that, Disney+ launches today!!!

Mac Powers Higher Employee Satisfaction and Productivity →

As I’ve been trying to tell people, my job in helping you manage your systems or in other words, get paid for IT troubleshooting goes down when you convert. Also, 16% higher sales should bode well for those in the industry. Time to migrate!

This year, Previn announced first-of-its-kind research that shows how Mac enables IBM employees to be more productive, along with improving employee satisfaction and retention.

• Improved employee performance – There are 22% more macOS users who exceeded expectations in performance reviews, compared to Windows users. Also, high value sales deals tend to be 16% larger for macOS users, compared to Windows users.

• Greater employee satisfaction and retention – IBM’s research shows that employees using Mac have a higher net promoter score than Windows users, 47.5 compared to 15 respectively, and are also 17% less likely to leave IBM compared to those who use Windows. Mac users are happier with the third-party software availability within IBM. Only 5% of macOS users ask for additional software, compared to 11% of Windows users.

Previn also announced research on how macOS users and devices require less support, as seven engineers support 200,000 macOS devices versus 20 engineers required to support 200,000 Windows devices. That is a 186% increase in support engineering needed for Windows devices.

Tesla Model X Auto Open Frunk Hack →

What you need for this badassery is:

Qty (2) StrongArm 4882 Lift Supports Struts Shocks https://amzn.to/31GAcx3 (<-- this link helps out i1Tesla's Youtube Channel and not my site) He gets all the credit.

Soft close springs at Lowes 3/8 x 2 inch X .35 inch are the ones I bought.

After two weeks or so, I finally got my shocks and I'll probably install them sometime over the weekend after I grab those springs. Hopefully Home Depot has them as I've never actually been into a Lowes that I can remember.

The New Nomatic Zipper!!! →

So I guess it's maybe time to change out my Brenthaven bag which may or not be able to be repaired due to failrure of the front pocket zipper. After months of agonizing between Nomatic, Peak Design, Brown Buffalo, 5.11+ and watching all of the Chase Reeves I can get, which, according to my kids apparently is not enough, with Nomatic releasing the updated materials, give me a few weeks... I'll let you know what I do.

• straight-stitch canvas to give the bags the more minimalist design
• more scratch resistant via tougher carbonite-coated 6PM tarpaulin
• YKK Zippers
• removed the two bottom zippers for more security
• new interior material is higher quality
• added hypalon belt loops
• new stronger chest strap

Of course, you can get the previous version for $30 less but I always recommend the latest and greatest.

In 2019 the Honda Civic Still Reigns →

We still wish Apple CarPlay were offered on the base Civic and better headlights were available on more trims. Take a big-picture look at this classic matchup, though, and it's a knockout. The Civic provides a more rewarding driving experience, important even if you don't care about driving. It's also more spacious, has a bigger trunk, looks better, feels more upscale inside, and is a car we'd consider buying for ourselves. Although it's not without faults, the Honda Civic remains the compact car to beat.

I mean seriously Toyota, you’ve had over 3-4 years to fully digest and breakdown the Civic Sedan and Hatchback, and still no answer. I still can’t believe that these two beast spec’d out are just right around $30,000! As Cleantechnica has clearly put it, you can own a Tesla Model 3, which is a far superior automotive, vehicle for less! Don’t forget to use my referral code “elijah2489” for 1000 free supercharging miles!

Journaling in 2019

It's the new year so let's all start journaling or planning! If you care to use some of the best in writing utensils, there is none other better that the Uni-Ball Signo DX 0.38. I like blue because of the pop but what do you prefer?

Talking about planners and journals, have you heard of Karst Stone Paper? Do you prefer the Full Focus Planner (which is on sale right now for $29.99 -- down from $39.99) or Bullet Journels, Panda Planners or the traditional Moleskin? There are so many choices and yes, there are blogs that are dedicated to helping you decide which one best suits you. For now, I'm torn between the Full Focus Planner and trying out the Karst Stone just because IT'S MADE OF STONE!!!

We never leave home without this stone paper notebook. Its waterproof cover and pages keep it pristine through rushed early-morning coffee runs. The smooth texture of the pages and flat-lay binding provide ample comfort and writing space for your notes and ideas. This is the perfect low-tech companion to your high-tech devices.

Full Focus Planner

Karst Stone Paper Planner

Did I mention that the pages are made out of stone?!?!?! AND they even plant a tree for every notebook you buy? Tell me what you think.

iPad Pro 2018 Benchmarks

We all know now that the benchmarks are more than impressive in respects to Apple’s A12X but we also know that the new 2018 iPad Pro in the 1TB configuration has an extra 2GB of RAM. For multitasking purposes, this is going to be the jam but the price sets it around the realm of MacBook Pro pricing. So, if you’re comfortable with iOS as the sole computer, this maybe just be the thing.

If you’re asking me, I’ve been contemplating it for over two years but still find myself on the MacBook Air from time to time. I’m also waiting to see what the pricing structure will be for the new MacBook Pro’s with the Radeon Vega GPU Chipset set to debut sometime this week. 60% faster than the Radeon 560 which is currently in the latest highest spec’d MacBook Pro is a tremendous update.

Geekbench scores for iPad Pro (top), MacBook Pro (bottom)

The biggest takeaways are:

That means the highest-spec iPad Pro's single-core performance is 92.8 percent that of the top end MacBook Pro.

Geekbench's scores for multi-core operations are not quite as close, though. For multi-core performance, the benchmark rates the iPad Pro as 17995 and the MacBook Pro as 21251. That puts the iOS device at 85.68 percent of the laptop.

Of course, John Gruber also summarizes it quickly in reference to the 13” MacBook Pro:

It’s not clear at all who the MacBook Pro without Touch Bar is for today, though. In principle, it’s for people who want higher performance than the MacBook Air provides. In practice, it’s not much faster — about the same in single-core, and about 15 percent faster in multi-core. It weighs more, costs more, and yet doesn’t have Touch ID.

Ideally, maybe a the new 2018 MacBook Air with the BlackMagic eGPU Vega 56 would be the key especially if the performance of that box for $1,199 is much better than the built in Vega in the upcoming MacBook Pro. I just want to start editing the videos of my kids faster and while on the road and carry the least possible.

Vega 16 or Vega 20 built in 

Apple’s New MacBook Pro i9 is Cleared to Go FAST! →

After the initial hoopla concerning thermal related throttling in Apple’s new MacBook Pro, after working with popular laptop YouTube review Dave Lee, Apple has issued a statement and software update that addresses this issue. Looks like I’m getting a new computer and finally putting down this 2010 MacBook Air Core2Duo!

Following extensive performance testing under numerous workloads, we've identified that there is a missing digital key in the firmware that impacts the thermal management system and could drive clock speeds down under heavy thermal loads on the new MacBook Pro. A bug fix is included in today's macOS High Sierra 10.13.6 Supplemental Update and is recommended. We apologize to any customer who has experienced less than optimal performance on their new systems. Customers can expect the new 15-inch MacBook Pro to be up to 70% faster, and the 13-inch MacBook Pro with Touch Bar to be up to 2X faster, as shown in the performance results on our website.

Tesla’s Model 3 Rattles European Fast Car Hierarchy →

Let me explain something you're not going to believe, but trust me on this. After having driven and tested perhaps 7,000 vehicles, sometimes I don't need to drive very far to get the idea.

Remember that freeway onramp we "missed" before Nelson took the wheel? It's a sweet 700-foot short-chute that whips into a right-hander I know very well, and I wasn't going to simply wait for the next freeway entry. "Hang on," I'd told everybody, whipping a U-turn and stamping the accelerator. Even with four aboard, the Model 3 DMP surged ahead so startlingly that it stopped conversation. Except maybe for an uttered "Oh my god." I braked pretty hard and arched up the on-ramp toward the freeway. It was a flourish more akin to swiping a navigation route on your phone than driving a car on the actual road. Carol might have been upside down by the time I backed off.

In maybe 120 wheel revolutions, a high-performance hierarchy has been rattled. The European marques perennially atop the sport sedan podium are about to have trapdoors release beneath them. Although nothing has fundamentally changed with the car's steering or suspension (besides an imperceptible but CG-lowering 5-10mm drop in ride height), the dual motor and all-wheel drive give the compact Tesla a tensed, hair-trigger potency for leaping ahead or around whatever's in the way. It's pure jungle cat. Our testing to come will explore whether its lighter Brembo brakes stop better and how much the now in-house vehicle control software lets Tesla directly tune the car's handling poise (without a supplier interpreting it). A track mode, which is still in development, dials up regenerative braking to lessen heat load on the friction brakes.

Yea... only P for me; that is after I put all three kids through private school and college. But seriously, Elon has put the gas motor heads to sleep with this 0-60 in 3.5 beast! I’m betting he gets it easily in under 2.9 if he really wanted to.

Tesla’s Rainbow Farting Space Ship — Model 3P →

I’m no financial analyst, but I do know cars. If you were hoping Tesla would fail on account of the Model 3 I’ve got bad news: This thing is magnificent, a little rainbow-farting space ship, so obviously representative of the next step in the history of autos.

So many great anecdotes in WSJ’s review but this one was the best.