November's Digital Life from Lökwest - 25K to 57 billion! Plus the metaverse, holographic TV, tips, and fun.
Here we are, another month into the year. We're wishing you a great start to the holiday season. Keep in mind, holiday shopping deals are happening early this year due to supply chain issues. Watch out for great sales even before Black Friday on our social media and in the news!
This issue, we're starting out the news with another look at Facebook's rebranding into "Meta", celebrating the "metaverse". If you don't know what it means, read on. We've also got a look at the newest macOS and an amazing new holographic TV technology.
In tips, we've got a breakdown of the difference between the current AirPod models, an emergency preparedness to-do, and a list that will keep you busy for hours.
Finally, have some fun and generate some fake words or tech lingo, and check out our tech history. It's been 20 years since the iPod came out!
And what went from 25K to 57 BILLION in 25 short years? Our closing thought gives you the answer.
Have a wonderful month!
November news
Facebook is Meta: Look Over Here, Kids, It’s the Metaverse — www.wired.com
The big news last week, Facebook is now part of a parent company called "Meta". (Similar to what Google did with Alphabet a couple of years back) Here's another look at Facebook's future vision - just what the "metaverse" is, and how it could affect (or not) your tech future.
The Top New Features in Apple’s macOS Monterey — www.wired.com
If you have a Mac, the little gear is probably telling you you need a system update. Here's all you need to know about Monterrey - the new version of macOS. Wired breaks down how to install the latest version of Apple’s desktop operating system, including some perks that will only work on M1-powered Macs.
Holograms get real: Startup creates objects out of light and thin air — www.cnet.com
Is the Star Trek "holodeck" finally coming to a living room near you? No longer relegated to science fiction, holodeck-style creations from Silicon Valley company Light Field Lab are here today. It won't be in your house tomorrow, but new technology is bringing true 3-D viewing closer than you think!
Great tips as usual
Apple AirPods 3 vs AirPods Pro: what’s the difference? | TechRadar — www.techradar.com
The new AirPods 3 and AirPods Pro may look similar but they have several different features that warrant the discrepancy in their price tags. Here's a straightforward breakdown from TechRadar on the differences in the current models.
From IDs to COVID-19 vaccination card, 9 photos to keep on your phone. — www.usatoday.com
I always mention this as part of my "being prepared" tech talk. It's a good idea to keep a few photos on your phone in case of an emergency. Pictures of your dog won't help! To keep tabs on all forms of ID and insurance cards, it's a good idea to keep copies of them stored on your phone. (But make sure your passwords are up to snuff first.)
List of lists of lists - Wikipedia — en.wikipedia.org
Want to go down the rabbit hole today? If you've ever looked for a list of something, here's the place. Meet Wikipedia's "List of Lists", and that's exactly what it is. For example, how about the list of transcontinental canals? 😁 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_transcontinental_canals
Time for some fun
This Word Does Not Exist — www.thisworddoesnotexist.com
This Word Does Not Exist uses an artificial intelligence model that uses your input to invent new English words. Go ahead, make up some words today! For example:
bikinaw
bik·i·naw
a small grayish sea urchin with long purplish scales, found only in Florida and southern Asia - "the bikinaw has a red skull that draws attention to itself as its coloration increases"
Makebullshit - Tech Bullshit Generator — www.makebullshit.com
And speaking of vocabulary - Pardon my language, but did you ever hear one of us in the tech industry talking and think what a bunch of bull 💩? Now, you can generate your very own "tech speak" - LOVE IT! 😎
In tech history...the first iPod
20 years of the iPod: how it shuffled music and tech into a new era | Music | The Guardian
In October 2001, the music industry was riven by piracy and had no idea how to solve it. Enter Steve Jobs, whose new device created a digital music market – and made Apple into a titan. Yes, folks, it's really been 20 years since the iPod first came out. What did we ever do before? 🙂
The original iPod ‘prototype’ was an Apple design to prevent leaks - The Verge — www.theverge.com
Here's another interesting part of the iPod story. Take a look at the utterly ridiculous-looking iPod "prototype" that was demonstrated before launch. The iPod was so top secret, they couldn't display anything close to the final product for fear of leaks.
In Closing - 25K to 57 Billion - 25 years
This month, I ran across this little mind-blowing comparison of where we've come in computer chips. Thanks to Ken Shirriff (@kenshirriff) on Twitter for this!