Author: Joe Wilcox

New Media by Joe WilcoxApr 3, 20167:19 pm

Introducing the Frak That! Podcast

Yesterday, I posted the sixth episode, “Ode to Obesity“, in a burgeoning effort at podcasting, with journalist colleague Randall Kennedy. We quietly started releasing one-hour segments over Easter weekend at SounCcloud. We’re perfecting the model, and I gladly welcome feedback on making it better. For now, we prattle about anything and everything, and I concede that between us he is the talent.

I introduced you to Frak That! three months ago. The website largely collects our tweets, and you can find us on Twitter @frak_that. From the start, we planned the podcast to be the centerpiece of our endeavor, with the social network and branded site as supports. Everything is simply done, purposely so. Production is minimal, to diminish distractions to the content.

Music by Joe WilcoxApr 1, 201610:02 pm

I’m No Fool About Tidal

Today is my first-year anniversary subscribing to Tidal, which relaunched April 1, 2015, under new ownership of Jay Z. I love and loathe the music streaming service, which I cancelled at least five times and always renewed—typically before the billing cycle ticked over. But checking archived emails, I see that my sub completely expired thrice but not since July.

Gotta ask: What fool starts a business on April Fools, and what does the day foreshadow; if anything? Apple did it, 40 years ago today. Many commentators have called Jay Z the fool for buying Tidal, which competes against established players like Spotify and newcomer Apple Music. The service claimed to have 540,000 subscribers when acquired last year. This week, Tidal revealed globally there are now 3 million subscribers. Someone correct my math—456 percent increase, right? If Jay Z’s the fool, gimme some of that foolishness.

Apple by Joe WilcoxApr 1, 201612:01 am

Apple Turns 40

Summer 1984, Chapel Hill, N.C., I learned something about prejudice and discrimination in America and saw my first Macintosh. Strangely, looking back at Apple, which celebrates its 40th birthday today, the two things connect.

As I reflected in Jan. 18, 2004, post: “Racism and Naiveté“, I never thought much about skin color growing up in a region of America where most everyone is Caucasian. Northern Maine is a white wonderland for more than abundant snowfall. Strangely, though, my best friends had last names like Chung and Zivic. The local Air Force base, Loring, added color to the populace, and when it came to people I was decidedly colorblind.

Gear by Joe WilcoxMar 31, 20169:13 pm

Look What Happened to My Grados

My beloved wired headphones quite literally fell apart the other day. I’m aghast, because these cans are treated lovingly; never rough-housed. I don’t exaggerate explaining that the left earcup fell off the the headband’s metal strip. I couldn’t understand what happened, initially. I can slip the thing back together, but the fit’s imperfect.

I used my birthday money and sales of some other gear to buy the Grado Labs RS1e in July 2014. The open-air design and 50mm driver deliver fantastic soundstage that is best of class at almost any price. They look good, too, or mine did until the earcup separation maneuver. I still use them but will contact Grado about a fix. Replacement? Absolutely not! They’re broken in, and I am accustomed to their sound. Repair is good.

Gear by Joe WilcoxMar 29, 20161:55 pm

Master & Dynamic MH40 are Great Cans

Newcomer is the only way to describe Master & Dynamic, which on Dec. 31, 2015 completed its first full year of revenue. Young or not, its audio gear is vintage and refined. Wanna see? You can find the MH40 headphones, which look like something World War II bomber pilots would wear, inside any Apple Store. Distribution partnership of that caliber from a near start-up says much about M&D earphones and headphones—design, price, and sound.

The signature sound is full, which is atypical in a market where booming bass ranks among headphone buyers’ top priorities. But for those listeners who delight in the faintest tap of the symbol, warmest treble, and deep lows that reveal details rather than thump, thump, Master & Dynamic delivers. For Christmas I bought the company’s MW60 wireless headphones, which I will review soon. Today’s topic is the MH40, which are wired.

Photo by Joe WilcoxMar 27, 20161:52 pm

Backyard Bunny, Too

This past week I made a discovery while checking decade-old back-up DVDs: Not all the 2005-06 wild bunny photos shot in my Kensington, Md. backyard are lost. It’s an incomplete set, and the best images are still missing; presumed gone forever.

On the afternoon of June 10, 2005, I stepped out onto the deck overlooking the backyard and spotted a young rabbit in the grass. I fetched the Nikon D70 mounted with Nikkor 70mm-300mm lens and started shooting. I worked my way down the stairs onto the grass and slowly approached the rabbit, closing quite the distance before it cautiously moved away.

Society by Joe WilcoxMar 25, 20162:50 pm

Jesus Christ Superstar

Soundtrack for my life this Good Friday is the rock opera written by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice. Track “Superstar” released as a single in October 1969 and the entire album on Oct. 27, 1970. The first stage musical production followed the next year and a film in 1973. Jesus Christ Superstar was a phenom, benefitting from timing.

JCS arrived at the peak of the Jesus Movement spreading across North America to Europe. Jesus People riding in brightly, multi-colored painted buses remains a stereotypical icon of the era. June 21, 2971 Time magazine celebrated the “Jesus Generation”. Like other Baby Boomers, these young people sought love and change but by getting high from shared spirituality rather than sex and drugs.

Photo by Joe WilcoxMar 24, 20164:38 pm

Thank-you, Google Photos!

Last night, while looking for one thing I found another: Four snapshots of Cali taken when she approached me on the street, June 4, 2014. This one is best of them. Strange, I hunted for […]

Apple by Joe WilcoxMar 23, 20168:38 pm

Too Many iPads is Good for Apple, Bad for Competitors

Something surely seems missing from this week’s Apple Event. A year ago this month, Apple introduced the svelte, 12-inch MacBook. That makes the little laptop ripe for refresh, but it is MIA. During a media hoopla where the figurative fireworks failed to light, everyone should ask: What is Apple doing? The new 4-inch iPhone is little more than the 5 model introduced in 2012 with fresh internals. The 9.7-inch iPad Pro fits into a crowded category where Apple is mob in the room. Where’s the innovation?

After watching the live stream, carefully reviewing what Apple executives said, and looking over device sales trends, I must say this: Either Tim Cook is stupidest tech CEO on the planet, or one of the smartest. The event’s big takeaway is this: Apple is trying to corner a faltering computing category on the presumption it’s the next big thing. Cook takes great risk in search of greater rewards. If he’s right, Apple may come to dominate the next personal computing platform—even as Android armies spread across the planet. Everything hinges on these: Will tablets replace PCs and can Apple become the overwhelming market share leader, regaining dominance held six years ago?

Photo by Joe WilcoxMar 22, 20168:49 pm

Here Kitty, Kitty

I spotted three cats on North Ave. here in University Heights on the same block in two different yards. None was friendly, and one hissed when I approached but held its ground. The featured image is the twain that I disturbed. As I walked down the sidewalk, the one in the foreground caught my eye. I captured a couple shots and moved in closer for better composition. That startled the other out of the bushes to the left; I hadn’t seen it.

Last night, I snapped some street shots at dusk, and used the Fuji X-T1’s dedicated light Sensitivity dial to switch down from auto-ISO 6400 to 200. It’s a dual dial: Sensitivity top and Drive below. In near darkness, while moving one I nudged the other—from single-frame (S) to low-speed burst (CL). That setting error let me capture a sequence as the other cat exited. Lucky.

Apple by Joe WilcoxMar 21, 20163:20 pm

The Apple Event to Sleep For

Editor’s Note: I wrote this for Frak That!, where nothing should be taken seriously.

“The snoring was so loud, I couldn’t get any work done”, Maybell Lindsey says about the March 21st Apple Event that introduced nothing. She is among a handful of litigants planning to sue the company for failing to fulfill its longstanding obligation to wow watchers with exciting new products—or, in the parlance of deceased cofounder Steve Jobs, present “one more thing”. “One less thing, actually and a lot of `em”, Lindsey heckles.

Litigants largely fall into two categories: 1) Those suffering emotional trauma for being denied the “got to have it now” exhilaration that makes the product launches must-see events. 2) Those tormented by snoring coworkers lulled to lala land by the oppressive focus on energy efficiency and recycled product packaging rather than earth-shaking new tech.

Photo by Joe WilcoxMar 20, 201610:42 pm

Bubba’s Gallery

Ten weeks ago I revisted the sad story of Bubba—baby bunny who died less than 24 hours in our care. He came to us on June 3, 2006, quite unexpectedly. A cat brought the furball home to his owners, who sought someone to take over responsibility. My daughter, wife, and I did but too briefly. Infection from bite or scratch doomed the little duffer. For years, I had but the two photos of Bubba that accompanied the original post. Today I discovered the others.

Earlier this month, I bought a LaCie Rugged Mini 4TB external drive. While I often store valuables in the cloud, I have nearly 20 years of photos and other files spread out on smaller discs and dozens of DVDs going back to 2000; all will consolidate on the large-capacity drive. I spent today searching the old discs, where I found some gems, including the Bubba NEF RAW originals shot with the Nikon D200.