Some selections are instant decisions. “Monks on Smartphones” makes the Day as much for the self-title as the excellent, suggestive composition. We don’t see the devices but know they are there. The choice of focal […]
A Hundred Smiles and My Frown
How unexpected. For the second time within three days, I spotlight photography that won’t be part of my Flickr a Day series but should be. The project, which reaches No. 136 this fine Saturday, only features […]
Best Frenemies Forever
For Caturday, we reveal what BFF really means—or at least with respect to fluffy felines. Neko, the ginger, is our shelter cat, which we adopted in March 2012 more than two months after magnificent Maine […]
Flickr a Day 136: ‘Ghosts’
Motion describes the street style of Nadine Heidrich. From Mölln, Germany, but living in Hamburg, she is a relative Flickr newcomer, joining in August 2013. What a contribution her black-and-white portfolio brings. Each photo is a […]
What Good is Tidal HiFi if Content won’t Play?
Editor’s Note: Tidal resolved the problems long ago; I continue to subscribe a year later.
On May 1st, Tidal billed my credit card for the first month of music streaming. Yesterday, my subscription to Google Music ended. I should be satisfied with the switch, given how much more I enjoy 1411kbps lossless listening over the more typical 320kbps compressed streaming music. But recent, recurring service problems put my customer continuation into question.
Quality of content, or available selection of it, isn’t the problem. I find plenty of music to enjoy, and the default playlists are smartly curated. The high-fidelity is just that. But slow starts, drop-offs, and song skips disrupt the listening experience—and for a service costing twice as much as major competitors, like Beats, Rdio, or Spotify, I expect more but get less. There is no customer support option that I can find, either.
Flickr a Day 135: ‘Rust…’
Shooting objects takes talent, which Roni Amin demonstrates with self-titled “Rust…”, However, it is not my first choice from his photostream—just the one among those released under Creative Commons license. He shot today’s selection on […]
File This Story Under ‘Less is More’
Molly, my daughter is moving home, at least for the summer, and my wife and I are scrambling preparations. One unexpected: Changing Internet Service Providers. Our Cox connection comes into the bedroom where my daughter will go. Access from the main living area would require new wiring that the landlord won’t allow. I can understand why he wouldn’t want the fancy molding drilled up. We already know that AT&T U-verse Internet is live in the living room.
With Cox coming in to a modem connected to a wireless router, location shouldn’t matter. But peace of mind is an intangible, but real, cost. I’m not confident that my 20 year-old wouldn’t somehow take down the service, or, worse, her cat could chew through wiring when left free. Also: We want to create her space, which wouldn’t be with our stuff in the room. Because I mainly work from home, Internet is crucial. There is no compromise.
Flickr a Day 134: ‘Bison Scratching’
Now there’s something you don’t see everyday, eh? UK-native Adam Singer captured delightful self-titled “Bison Sctatching” on April 26, 2015, while traipsing across the U.S. northwest, using the Nikon D600 and 28-300mm f/3.5-5.6 lens. Vitals: f/5.6, ISO 220, […]
When One Gets Away
If you don’t follow my “Flickr a Day” series, you really miss out. The 133rd, “Jenna Bean“, is the most recently curated photo. There will be 365 pics picked this year, with no photographers repeated (unless by carelessness), Storytelling motivated me to begin the project on January 1.
But there are many images or shooters I want to feature but don’t. Okay, can’t. Two common problems: Resolution of the photos are too low or they are licensed All Rights Reserved. The project only features Creative Commons-available content.
Flickr a Day 133: ‘Jenna Bean’
The best nature photography causes you to say something spontaneous. Maybe it’s just “wow”, but something. “Spectacular” is my reaction to the photostream of Bryce Bradford. There are so many great pics to pick from, any could […]
Flickr a Day 132: ‘Grandchildren’
Truck driver Richard Clark surely gets around. I don’t know how much drama he encounters on the road, but there is plenty in his photography. He is from the Adobe Photoshop school of imagery. Some […]
Harman/Kardon Nova Review
M daughter’s cat Cali loves to chew cords—a habit we will eventually break. Meanwhile, it’s good excuse to invest in new wireless speakers that diminish some of the cord clutter. Our 20 year-old also is moving home for the summer, putting more wires at risk and necessitating some speaker swaps. She takes my Harman/Kardon SoundSticks, which subwoofer meets her requirement for thumping bass; I don’t need it and switched to a space-saving, cord-reducing duo set.
Spectacular sound is my description for Harman/Kardon Nova, which delivers rich treble, magnificent highs, fine detail, and more-than-adequate bass for the kind of kit. Separation and soundstage are bold—dynamic! The speakers are best appreciated when matched to the right source. I stream from lossless leader Tidal on Chromebook Pixel LS, connected via Bluetooth. The combination is immensely enjoyable and makes me happy while working, which boosts the quality and speed of my productivity.