WEBVTT 00:00.111 --> 00:02.881 [SPEAKER_00]: a factual data creation facility production. 00:28.323 --> 00:33.265 [SPEAKER_00]: Recorded Live, which is better than recording while dead, it's the OF&T podcast. 00:34.665 --> 00:38.387 [SPEAKER_00]: Now here's your host, a man who continues begging for someone to listen to him. 00:38.807 --> 00:39.207 [SPEAKER_00]: Anyone? 00:39.507 --> 00:40.147 [SPEAKER_00]: Jim Shafer. 00:40.867 --> 00:41.848 [SPEAKER_02]: Yeah that's about right. 00:42.468 --> 00:47.630 [SPEAKER_02]: Welcome to Episode 285, which I'm calling, annual pre-iphone event show. 00:48.846 --> 00:55.208 [SPEAKER_02]: Yep, another couple of days to go until the, at least for some, most anticipated tech event of the year. 00:55.968 --> 00:57.149 [SPEAKER_02]: The iPhone event. 00:58.969 --> 01:07.472 [SPEAKER_02]: Though this year we'll see the introduction of the iPhone 17, Rovers pertaining to next year's iPhone 18 have already started coming out. 01:08.212 --> 01:08.552 [SPEAKER_00]: What? 01:09.473 --> 01:10.513 [SPEAKER_02]: Yeah, it's ridiculous. 01:11.688 --> 01:14.971 [SPEAKER_02]: I've got some tech news for you, both Apple and non-appal news. 01:15.711 --> 01:19.634 [SPEAKER_02]: I'm kind of light on the news for the other section, so... I will get over it. 01:20.355 --> 01:25.839 [SPEAKER_02]: I'm just happy that the iPhone event will serve to open the tech news of lit gates for the rest of the year. 01:26.359 --> 01:26.680 [SPEAKER_02]: Yes! 01:28.021 --> 01:30.943 [SPEAKER_02]: Today's guest microphone is the HighlPR-40. 01:32.104 --> 01:34.285 [SPEAKER_02]: Alright, let's get started. 01:34.305 --> 01:35.266 [SPEAKER_01]: Oh, damn well. 01:52.852 --> 02:02.421 [SPEAKER_02]: The Giant Fruit Company's yearly iPhone X-Rabiganza is but two days away, so I'll start at with Apple News. 02:02.761 --> 02:04.042 [SPEAKER_02]: Yes, as usual. 02:05.023 --> 02:09.688 [SPEAKER_02]: First up, according to an article from nine to five Mac.com, as is usual. 02:10.088 --> 02:14.209 [SPEAKER_02]: Well, numbers are listed in front of letters on the news feeds that I use. 02:15.330 --> 02:23.032 [SPEAKER_02]: The previous reports indicated that Apple would be raising the prices on all models of iPhones except for the base iPhone by some $50. 02:23.933 --> 02:27.474 [SPEAKER_02]: JP Morgan predicts only slight increases are in store for this year. 02:30.234 --> 02:36.901 [SPEAKER_02]: The new iPhone 17 airs expected to cause the aforementioned $50 more than the iPhone Plus Model it replaces. 02:37.741 --> 02:42.626 [SPEAKER_02]: The normal size iPhone 17 Pro, however, will see a $100 increase. 02:43.227 --> 02:43.467 [SPEAKER_00]: What? 02:47.591 --> 02:49.092 [SPEAKER_02]: But with more storage. 02:50.494 --> 02:54.197 [SPEAKER_02]: And the iPhone 17 Pro Max price will stay the same as last year. 02:56.047 --> 03:01.111 [SPEAKER_02]: My lovely wife and I are opting for the 17 Pro Max this year, so you've told us. 03:01.591 --> 03:03.752 [SPEAKER_02]: So the price increases won't affect us. 03:04.733 --> 03:09.576 [SPEAKER_02]: However, $100 more for the regular size Pro model shouldn't be considered slight. 03:11.038 --> 03:14.240 [SPEAKER_02]: I guess that all depends on the perspective of one to bank account balance. 03:15.514 --> 03:19.217 [SPEAKER_02]: From my perspective, that $100 increases anything but slight. 03:20.378 --> 03:23.560 [SPEAKER_02]: Share it's good that your new 17 Pro will have more storage. 03:24.361 --> 03:31.566 [SPEAKER_02]: But the last time I was even close to filling up my phone storage was when my iPhone at the time had 32 gigs of storage. 03:32.867 --> 03:35.769 [SPEAKER_02]: I guess some users will appreciate that extra space. 03:36.890 --> 03:40.233 [SPEAKER_02]: I assume this storage bump is driven by Apple Intelligence. 03:41.643 --> 03:46.286 [SPEAKER_02]: No matter, this will most likely be the last time I, myself, purchase a pro my life-on. 03:47.227 --> 03:50.289 [SPEAKER_02]: It'll be an air or e-series iPhone from here on out. 03:51.630 --> 03:53.391 [SPEAKER_02]: Are you upgrading your iPhone this year? 03:54.232 --> 03:56.894 [SPEAKER_02]: If so, what model are you considering purchasing? 03:59.476 --> 04:09.243 [SPEAKER_02]: While perusing my news feeds early this morning, I came upon an article from Apple Insider.com, which showed an iPhone 17 and spec sheet from a South Korean mobile carrier. 04:10.675 --> 04:13.376 [SPEAKER_02]: It was a spec sheet that carriers circulate internally. 04:14.596 --> 04:23.338 [SPEAKER_02]: Most of the specs outlined on a sheet had already been leaked to the public previously, but this leak serves to confirm things if it is to be believed. 04:24.619 --> 04:28.840 [SPEAKER_02]: The iPhone 17 Air has been rumored to be powered by a Bend-A19 Pro chip. 04:37.843 --> 04:41.024 [SPEAKER_02]: Usually this means one of the processing cores isn't function properly. 04:41.864 --> 04:49.987 [SPEAKER_02]: Well, according to this leak spec sheet, the 17-year will be powered with a standard non-pro-A19 chip, along with eight gigs of RAM. 04:50.948 --> 04:57.710 [SPEAKER_02]: Compared this to the 17-pro models which are predicted to have a 19-pro-chips married to 12 gigs of RAM. 04:58.650 --> 05:03.692 [SPEAKER_02]: Now, will the average user be able to really experience a difference between the two performance wise? 05:06.288 --> 05:19.154 [SPEAKER_02]: Well, perhaps if using some weird AI stuff or playing graphic intensive video games, what concerns me about the new 17-air, it's anemic battery size, 2800mh. 05:20.215 --> 05:24.877 [SPEAKER_02]: Compare that to the regular iPhone 17, which is predicted to be 3600mh. 05:25.638 --> 05:30.680 [SPEAKER_02]: No matter how much optimization and trickery Apple uses for the air-small battery, 05:34.699 --> 05:42.545 [SPEAKER_02]: In my wife's case, she travels internationally quite often, and she doesn't need to be worried about her phone dying on those long flights she takes. 05:43.746 --> 05:50.131 [SPEAKER_02]: Screen-wise, the Base iPhone 17 will have a 6.3-instice play, as well as the Base 17 Pro. 05:51.452 --> 05:56.496 [SPEAKER_02]: The air will have a 6.6-inch display, and the Pro Max will support a 6.9-inch display. 06:04.382 --> 06:06.723 [SPEAKER_02]: We're getting into tablet size territory here. 06:07.144 --> 06:07.504 [SPEAKER_02]: Yeah. 06:07.924 --> 06:13.547 [SPEAKER_02]: Storage for the base 17 and air will start at 128 gigabytes, as well as the base pro model. 06:14.508 --> 06:22.872 [SPEAKER_02]: It seems to run counter to JPE mortgage prediction that though the 17 pro will be $100 more expensive this year, the base storage would be increased. 06:23.953 --> 06:26.674 [SPEAKER_02]: The pro max will start at 256 gigs. 06:27.295 --> 06:31.437 [SPEAKER_02]: Supposedly both 17 pro models will be capable of recording 8K video. 06:32.685 --> 06:42.610 [SPEAKER_02]: Though my wife and I have settled on upgrading to the 17 Pro Max this year, these phones are basically overkill for our use cases, and why are you guys buying this model? 06:42.990 --> 06:46.492 [SPEAKER_02]: Because Apple refuses to make a phone that would cover all our requirements. 06:47.802 --> 07:03.747 [SPEAKER_02]: But we need a phone that has all day battery life, enough processing power, memory and storage to handle whatever is thrown at it, married to a top notch display, speaking of which no specs were given concerning display refresh rates of the iPhone 17 on this leaked spec sheet. 07:05.107 --> 07:10.769 [SPEAKER_02]: Supposedly, all displays will have a 120Hz screen refresh rate this year, but the Pro models 07:13.508 --> 07:16.569 [SPEAKER_02]: In a couple of days, we'll be finding out what's what for sure. 07:16.589 --> 07:20.330 [SPEAKER_00]: Oh yes! 07:20.350 --> 07:29.833 [SPEAKER_02]: 3 new Apple Watch models are expected to be announced on Tuesday, an Apple Watch SE, a series 11 and a highly anticipated Ultra Series 3. 07:31.294 --> 07:37.136 [SPEAKER_02]: Again, I just upgraded to an Apple Watch series 10 this year, so I'm not considering a new model for another couple of years. 07:38.163 --> 07:41.649 [SPEAKER_02]: And when that time comes, I'll be looking at the Ultra Series of watches. 07:42.631 --> 07:46.759 [SPEAKER_02]: Hopefully by that time, more iPhone's centric features will make it onto that model. 07:47.802 --> 07:52.984 [SPEAKER_02]: Apple Insider.com has a rundown of what we can expect next week in regards to these Apple watches. 07:54.085 --> 08:04.129 [SPEAKER_02]: The Apple Watch SE if, in fact, Apple names it that will be based on the old Series 7 chassis, which brings a bigger brighter screen with thinner bezels. 08:04.969 --> 08:07.931 [SPEAKER_02]: Currently, the SE is based on the Series 5 chassis. 08:09.159 --> 08:12.361 [SPEAKER_02]: Whether the SE gets the OIS on screen remains to be seen. 08:12.381 --> 08:23.087 [SPEAKER_02]: But the discontinuation of the SE series of phones this year, replaced by the new E-series, I predict Apple will rename the SE series of watches. 08:23.428 --> 08:24.748 [SPEAKER_01]: But what do you actually know? 08:25.469 --> 08:28.871 [SPEAKER_01]: You're just an old duffer with a microphone talking into the ether. 08:29.211 --> 08:30.452 [SPEAKER_00]: Words of wisdom, Lloyd. 08:30.732 --> 08:31.492 [SPEAKER_00]: Words of wisdom. 08:31.813 --> 08:34.054 [SPEAKER_01]: I wonder if anyone still gets that reference. 08:34.614 --> 08:35.415 [SPEAKER_02]: Probably not. 08:36.477 --> 08:40.460 [SPEAKER_02]: The every man series 11 is not expected to have many changes this time around. 08:41.421 --> 08:48.746 [SPEAKER_02]: A new S11 ship will power the new watch, which should bump up bad real life a bit and perhaps a slightly brighter display is in store. 08:49.606 --> 08:54.030 [SPEAKER_02]: The wildcard here is whether a blood pressure monitoring will finally make it to the Apple Watch. 08:55.220 --> 08:56.682 [SPEAKER_02]: I don't think it will, but pain. 08:57.063 --> 08:57.804 [SPEAKER_02]: I could be wrong. 08:58.645 --> 09:07.318 [SPEAKER_02]: If you opt for the cellular connection model, which I do, you'll now be connected via 5G versus the 4G of the current series 10 watch. 09:08.480 --> 09:10.222 [SPEAKER_02]: New colors are also expected. 09:12.227 --> 09:16.548 [SPEAKER_02]: The new model Ultra is expected to get the same as the 11 chip that powers the series 11. 09:16.608 --> 09:18.249 [SPEAKER_02]: Well, no surprise there. 09:18.849 --> 09:24.310 [SPEAKER_02]: Which like the regular series 11 will bring 5G connectivity for the cellular model? 09:25.131 --> 09:27.831 [SPEAKER_02]: And the display size will be slightly increased. 09:28.852 --> 09:33.433 [SPEAKER_02]: The biggest thing coming to the Ultra this year is support for Apple's satellite communication system. 09:33.713 --> 09:35.053 [SPEAKER_01]: Let me sum this up for you. 09:35.633 --> 09:38.274 [SPEAKER_01]: Not much is changing with this year's Apple Watch models. 09:44.199 --> 09:48.945 [SPEAKER_02]: MacRomers.com reports that a lighter cheaper Apple Vision model is in the pipeline. 09:48.965 --> 09:51.808 [SPEAKER_01]: A lighter cheaper what? 09:52.329 --> 09:52.870 [SPEAKER_02]: Exactly. 09:53.530 --> 09:57.916 [SPEAKER_02]: This story is based upon report from the former King of Supply Chain Analytics. 09:58.777 --> 10:01.240 [SPEAKER_02]: Mr. Ming Qi Quo ladies and gentlemen. 10:04.975 --> 10:10.920 [SPEAKER_02]: Mr. Quill star Sadis has taken a hit over the years, and he's missed on a few predictions over the last few cycles. 10:11.260 --> 10:11.620 [SPEAKER_02]: Yes. 10:12.361 --> 10:17.625 [SPEAKER_02]: Anyway, these new vision goddles are expected to be dubbed, wait for it, the vision air. 10:18.165 --> 10:28.193 [SPEAKER_02]: It's supposedly be 40% lighter than the current vision pro, probably because plastic will replace some of the middle parts of the pro version, and the screen won't be as good. 10:29.663 --> 10:31.664 [SPEAKER_02]: All the Vision Pro will set you back upwards of $3,499. 10:31.724 --> 10:38.449 [SPEAKER_02]: This air model will start at $1,750. 10:39.709 --> 10:43.972 [SPEAKER_02]: Talk to me when a Vision Popper model is available for under $1,000 bucks. 10:44.893 --> 10:48.875 [SPEAKER_02]: Only then would I even slightly consider purchasing any Apple Vision product. 10:49.936 --> 10:54.799 [SPEAKER_02]: Mr. Quote thinks Apple could sell over 1 million Vision Ares and that's compared to the 11:00.207 --> 11:04.492 [SPEAKER_02]: I think the Apple Vision goggles are a solution to a market that just doesn't exist. 11:05.233 --> 11:07.355 [SPEAKER_02]: That will never exist outside of a niche. 11:09.918 --> 11:19.609 [SPEAKER_02]: Changing gears here, the big G had a stroke of a lock-lass week as a federal judge ruled that the company can keep both its chrome browser and add business. 11:21.355 --> 11:32.601 [SPEAKER_02]: The only penalty that was imposed on Google after losing an anti-trust case brought by the US government against them, with that Google will have to share advertising information with its competitors. 11:33.502 --> 11:39.285 [SPEAKER_02]: I've heard rumors that champagne bottles were being popped open over in Cupertino after this decision was announced. 11:42.407 --> 11:47.370 [SPEAKER_02]: Upon hearing this news, Wall Street responded by sending Apple stock upward in value. 11:49.010 --> 12:00.074 [SPEAKER_02]: And that's because Google can now continue paying Apple billions of dollars per year, while an exchange for making Google the default search engine on the giant fruit company's own Safari browser. 12:02.034 --> 12:04.035 [SPEAKER_02]: Am I detecting a hint of sarcasm here? 12:04.435 --> 12:05.135 [SPEAKER_02]: Yes, you are. 12:05.836 --> 12:06.736 [SPEAKER_02]: The fix was in. 12:09.209 --> 12:18.177 [SPEAKER_02]: In other Google news, Android Police.com reports that the pixel weather app, which I think looks pretty cool, has finally made it onto Wear OS. 12:19.118 --> 12:27.445 [SPEAKER_02]: This means that if you have a pixel watch, and only a pixel watch running Wear OS, that is, you'll now be able to use pixel weather on it. 12:27.966 --> 12:31.829 [SPEAKER_02]: The pixel weather app is exclusive to pixel devices, of course. 12:32.780 --> 12:39.084 [SPEAKER_02]: The Pixel Weather App for Wear OS is expected to roll out in October alongside release of the Pixel Watch 4. 12:41.866 --> 12:47.830 [SPEAKER_02]: Samsung actually did hold in event last week, though it was a virtual one and low-key at that. 12:48.971 --> 12:53.274 [SPEAKER_02]: The occasion saw the announcement of the Galaxy S25 FE smartphone. 12:54.455 --> 12:56.857 [SPEAKER_02]: I've told you the FE stands for fan edition. 12:58.208 --> 13:09.372 [SPEAKER_02]: The base model S25 FE will start at $650 and come with 128 gigs of storage, or a 256GB of storage model for $710. 13:09.612 --> 13:16.635 [SPEAKER_02]: The top tier 512 gig model will be unavailable in these United States. 13:16.955 --> 13:21.677 [SPEAKER_01]: Now why would Samsung decide to withhold this particular model from the United States? 13:22.427 --> 13:24.249 [SPEAKER_02]: Well pricing is the culprit here. 13:25.090 --> 13:31.416 [SPEAKER_02]: But the price Samsung would charge for the 512 KGB model in the US, estimated to be around $1,070, consumers could just pick up a Samsung S25 Plus. 13:38.382 --> 13:41.564 [SPEAKER_02]: An S-25 Ultra, or even a Pixel 10 Pro. 13:42.804 --> 13:52.528 [SPEAKER_02]: If you live outside of the United States, you can buy an S-25 FE for 949 euros, or 799 British pounds. 13:53.549 --> 13:59.732 [SPEAKER_02]: As far as the phone itself won't understand that it's a slightly lower spec Samsung Galaxy S-25. 14:00.512 --> 14:01.272 [SPEAKER_02]: Need I say more? 14:01.292 --> 14:01.332 [SPEAKER_02]: No. 14:04.553 --> 14:09.583 [SPEAKER_02]: Samsung also announced the Galaxy Tab S11 in the S11 Ultra last week. 14:10.571 --> 14:28.838 [SPEAKER_02]: The S11 has an 11-inch OLED display, and will cost $799, while the S11 Ultra features a 14.6-inch OLED display, and that one will cost you $1199, both cheaper than their Apple iPad Pro rivals. 14:29.959 --> 14:37.522 [SPEAKER_02]: I love the 16x10 screen ratio of the Ultra, and of course, Samsung is known for its beautiful and high-performing OLED displays. 14:38.884 --> 14:41.269 [SPEAKER_02]: There are some missing features on the S11 Ultra though. 14:42.279 --> 14:49.261 [SPEAKER_02]: There is no 5G cellular support, just plain old 4G, and no Bluetooth support for the S-PAN. 14:50.442 --> 14:53.503 [SPEAKER_02]: Oh, and also no trackpad equipped keyboard case just yet. 14:54.343 --> 14:58.124 [SPEAKER_02]: Samsung stated that such a keyboard case will be released real soon now. 14:58.884 --> 15:09.468 [SPEAKER_02]: No 5G supportwithstanding, in my opinion, if the user is within the Android ecosystem, especially Samsung's version of the Android ecosystem, these are the best tablets to get. 15:10.815 --> 15:14.038 [SPEAKER_02]: I worked with someone who was deep within the Samsung ecosystem. 15:14.878 --> 15:18.461 [SPEAKER_02]: He had a Samsung phone, watch earbuds, laptop, and tablet. 15:19.322 --> 15:21.063 [SPEAKER_02]: He was quite content and I have to say. 15:21.083 --> 15:26.888 [SPEAKER_01]: I was pretty impressed with his setup, but then again, you're known for being easily impressed. 15:27.529 --> 15:28.750 [SPEAKER_02]: Well, there's that. 15:31.372 --> 15:32.613 [SPEAKER_01]: Now here's something interesting. 15:32.873 --> 15:34.374 [SPEAKER_01]: Well, that's a matter of opinion. 15:34.914 --> 15:36.436 [SPEAKER_02]: Okay, let me rephrase that. 15:37.595 --> 15:39.556 [SPEAKER_02]: Now here's something that I find interesting. 15:40.257 --> 15:40.497 [SPEAKER_02]: Better? 15:40.877 --> 15:41.298 [SPEAKER_02]: It'll do. 15:41.678 --> 15:42.198 [SPEAKER_02]: Great. 15:42.779 --> 15:48.483 [SPEAKER_02]: In a previous episode, I discussed the Whop Fitness Band, which is a screenless fitness tracker. 15:48.763 --> 15:53.407 [SPEAKER_02]: That's become all the rage amongst pro athletes, as well as well-heeled consumers. 15:54.347 --> 16:03.174 [SPEAKER_02]: I say well-heeled because after the initial outlay of cash to purchase a Whop Band, you'll have to pay that seam amount yearly in order to continue using it. 16:04.778 --> 16:23.935 [SPEAKER_02]: Well, Polar, a fitness company that's been around a long time, which is known primarily for its heart rate monitors, has long said what competitor, according to an article on Android Authority.com, Polar has just launched the Polar Loop, described as a minimalist fitness tracker for a one-time cost of $199. 16:25.797 --> 16:26.318 [SPEAKER_02]: That's right. 16:26.618 --> 16:29.641 [SPEAKER_02]: There's no monthly or yearly subscription costs after purchasing one. 16:31.970 --> 16:36.878 [SPEAKER_02]: The polar loop doesn't track as many things as the warp band does, but it covers the basics. 16:37.599 --> 16:45.993 [SPEAKER_02]: Basic's like heart rate, activity, sleep and recovery, and it all sinks to the polar flow app, sort of like a warp band for the rest of us. 16:46.580 --> 16:49.581 [SPEAKER_02]: Yes, or a poor person's version of a WAPEND. 16:50.702 --> 16:55.724 [SPEAKER_02]: Only concerned with the polar loop, is does it also share data with the Apple Health app? 16:56.025 --> 16:59.126 [SPEAKER_01]: After searching the internet, something you should have done. 16:59.786 --> 17:04.589 [SPEAKER_01]: The answer is, yes, the polar flow app does indeed sink with Apple Health. 17:05.529 --> 17:15.751 [SPEAKER_01]: However, judging by the amount of reddit threads in the like, which either ask how to connect polar flow to apple health, or reporting that this sinking isn't reliable. 17:16.251 --> 17:20.132 [SPEAKER_01]: This capability isn't as seamless as polar probably wants it to be. 17:20.152 --> 17:21.012 [SPEAKER_01]: Huh. 17:21.553 --> 17:23.433 [SPEAKER_01]: I couldn't have said that any better myself. 17:23.773 --> 17:28.514 [SPEAKER_01]: Being that I'm just a text to speech AI entity, you actually did say this yourself. 17:29.114 --> 17:32.155 [SPEAKER_02]: Oh yeah, but you know this, no reason to get upset about that. 17:33.203 --> 17:39.667 [SPEAKER_02]: The one negative I can see with the polar loop is that it has to be charged a daily versus the Woop bands 14-day battery life. 17:40.768 --> 17:42.509 [SPEAKER_02]: Anyway, competition's a good thing. 17:43.490 --> 17:49.614 [SPEAKER_02]: Perhaps over time, polar can add features via firmware updates that will fully match those of the Woop band. 17:50.314 --> 17:52.156 [SPEAKER_02]: I'll be keeping my eye on this product. 17:52.616 --> 17:53.617 [SPEAKER_02]: Color Me interested. 17:58.670 --> 17:59.630 [SPEAKER_02]: tech I'm using. 18:00.551 --> 18:02.892 [SPEAKER_02]: Again this week I don't have much to report on. 18:02.912 --> 18:05.393 [SPEAKER_00]: This appears to have become a reoccurring thing. 18:05.893 --> 18:09.695 [SPEAKER_02]: I can't help it, as I've said before, I'm in the middle of a tech law. 18:10.655 --> 18:17.539 [SPEAKER_02]: Anyway, my son's favorite feature of his new iPhone 16E so far is the outstanding battery life he's getting. 18:17.559 --> 18:22.341 [SPEAKER_02]: And speaking of getting, I'm trying to get him to record a review of the 16E. 18:27.668 --> 18:29.509 [SPEAKER_00]: Come on, John, do your old man a favor. 18:29.909 --> 18:35.712 [SPEAKER_02]: My wife and I will be ordering iPhone 17 Pro Max's come Tuesday as we've already been informed of. 18:36.112 --> 18:42.115 [SPEAKER_02]: And I'll most likely be buying myself a pair of the new AirPods Pro next month as a birthday gift for myself. 18:43.276 --> 18:47.718 [SPEAKER_02]: If a new Apple TV streaming box comes out also, I'll be getting one of those too. 18:48.878 --> 18:51.860 [SPEAKER_02]: Those purchases will probably wrap up twenty twenty five for me. 18:57.581 --> 19:02.345 [SPEAKER_02]: Recently, we put up a fence at the back of our minuscule property for privacy reasons. 19:03.166 --> 19:10.852 [SPEAKER_02]: Because of my next door and rear neighbors, love of birds, both households have erected multiple bird feeders to express that love. 19:12.265 --> 19:22.832 [SPEAKER_02]: Cuts accordingly, we began being visited by flocks of avians, mostly sparrows and partages, who just loved to land on our new fence in order to check out these feeders before using them. 19:23.553 --> 19:29.937 [SPEAKER_02]: Besides seeing them on our fence, these birds were leaving behind evidence of their presence, in the form of feces. 19:29.957 --> 19:31.518 [SPEAKER_00]: Now, that's just gross. 19:32.218 --> 19:32.959 [SPEAKER_02]: And a lot of it. 19:33.980 --> 19:40.044 [SPEAKER_02]: So much of it that we had to pressure a wash our fence a couple of times per week to get rid of that evidence. 19:40.902 --> 19:44.724 [SPEAKER_02]: To combat this intrusion, I decided to take a two-pronged approach. 19:45.725 --> 19:50.968 [SPEAKER_02]: The first was to line my fence with a transparent PVC bird spikes, purchased from Amazon. 19:52.128 --> 19:56.151 [SPEAKER_02]: I chose to type with short spikes, they look better and were far less noticeable. 19:56.991 --> 20:02.014 [SPEAKER_02]: To augment these spikes, I purchased two life-like owl decoys, also from Amazon. 20:02.874 --> 20:06.677 [SPEAKER_02]: One mounted on a pole around back, the other placed on our front porch. 20:07.612 --> 20:15.445 [SPEAKER_02]: You see, not only were these birds marking out fence, they were also destroying the plants by wife had so carefully placed in the front of our humble abode. 20:16.366 --> 20:19.752 [SPEAKER_02]: Well, I'm happy to announce that this combination has actually worked. 20:22.010 --> 20:29.515 [SPEAKER_02]: No longer does our fence serve as a waste station in poop depository for wayward flocks of birds, waiting their turn at the neighbor's feeders. 20:30.316 --> 20:35.379 [SPEAKER_02]: And the plants and flowers of our front yard have so far remained untouched since. 20:36.300 --> 20:42.464 [SPEAKER_02]: Guarded by the unwavering in, may I say realistic eyes of the owl decoy place there. 20:43.525 --> 20:46.067 [SPEAKER_02]: Money, and not too much of it, well spent. 20:51.375 --> 20:52.455 [SPEAKER_02]: entertainment news. 20:53.256 --> 21:03.179 [SPEAKER_02]: My lovely wife and I took time out from our busy schedules, in order to plunk down on our couch to watch the movie Highest To Lowest, which was premiering on Apple TV+. 21:04.640 --> 21:10.402 [SPEAKER_02]: I was actually looking forward to this movie because it starred Denzel Washington, with one of my favorite actors. 21:11.917 --> 21:16.262 [SPEAKER_02]: The one red flag I had going into this movie was, that it was directed by Spike Lee. 21:16.983 --> 21:21.109 [SPEAKER_02]: When my opinion well, capable, I tend to find his work overrated. 21:21.129 --> 21:23.131 [SPEAKER_02]: That's just my opinion. 21:23.632 --> 21:25.935 [SPEAKER_00]: You know what they say about opinions don't you? 21:26.495 --> 21:27.637 [SPEAKER_02]: Yes, I am aware. 21:29.095 --> 21:36.803 [SPEAKER_02]: What we got with this movie was fair acting, along with non-believable dialogue, stereotyping of characters in a disjointed plot. 21:37.143 --> 21:41.968 [SPEAKER_01]: So what you're describing here is a standard Hollywood blockbuster these days. 21:42.749 --> 21:43.249 [SPEAKER_02]: Why yes? 21:43.269 --> 21:51.398 [SPEAKER_02]: The movie was set in New York City, which was rendered beautifully due to the outstanding cinematography, which was the best part of this movie. 21:52.530 --> 21:54.651 [SPEAKER_02]: not going to give any spoilers away here. 21:54.671 --> 21:55.252 [SPEAKER_02]: Thank you. 21:55.532 --> 21:58.694 [SPEAKER_02]: So if you're planning on watching this movie, it'll be safe to listen. 21:59.815 --> 22:06.679 [SPEAKER_02]: Dental of Washington's character, a rich, or record-label executive, seems to laugh a bit too much in the matter of the circumstances. 22:08.040 --> 22:15.845 [SPEAKER_02]: One iced tea place hits assistant a street-wise x-con, something he's tailor-made for, but in this film he kind of fails to pull it off. 22:16.999 --> 22:27.087 [SPEAKER_02]: Mr. Washington's wife, played by the lovely, ill-finished hadera of Godfather of Harlem fame, turned into best performance of the movie, but then again that's not saying much. 22:28.348 --> 22:33.773 [SPEAKER_02]: The few white characters in the movie are portrayed as arrogant, but to Mr. Lee's credit not totally hapless. 22:34.874 --> 22:38.196 [SPEAKER_02]: There is one part of a plot that's never explained unless I missed it. 22:38.757 --> 22:42.559 [SPEAKER_02]: That concerns a text message IST sent during a scene in the hospital. 22:43.319 --> 22:47.342 [SPEAKER_02]: The twist in this movie were predictable and the ending was, well, how can I put it? 22:47.882 --> 22:49.423 [SPEAKER_02]: Okay, unsatisfactory. 22:50.424 --> 22:53.226 [SPEAKER_02]: To sum up, is IST to low as a bad movie? 22:53.966 --> 22:57.228 [SPEAKER_02]: No, but it is borderline and could have been done much better. 22:57.248 --> 22:59.810 [SPEAKER_02]: Now would I recommend watching it? 23:00.531 --> 23:03.873 [SPEAKER_02]: Yes, but only if there's absolutely nothing else to watch. 23:06.632 --> 23:12.696 [SPEAKER_02]: The season finale of Dexter Resurrection television series aired Friday evening on Paramount Plus. 23:13.676 --> 23:19.980 [SPEAKER_02]: My wife and I enjoy this television series myself more than her and hopefully more seasons are coming our way. 23:20.000 --> 23:23.582 [SPEAKER_02]: But you never know what streaming services are. 23:24.283 --> 23:30.347 [SPEAKER_02]: The series was set in New York City which gave it that gritty ambience that I prefer for thriller type shows and movies. 23:31.067 --> 23:36.692 [SPEAKER_02]: A puppy of top-notch actors starred this season, with most exiting and various ways. 23:37.913 --> 23:40.656 [SPEAKER_02]: There are further seasons, I guess it'll be more of the like. 23:41.557 --> 23:51.106 [SPEAKER_02]: This series augments the other Dexter series, Dexter, Original Sin, which is a prequel to the original Dexter show, which released back in 2006 and ran it till 2013. 23:53.848 --> 24:08.377 [SPEAKER_02]: Besides a great acting plot and production, what I enjoy about Dexter and its offshoots are the lack of virtue, signaling, agendas and what has been labeled the message by YouTube film critics and favor of just entertaining viewers. 24:09.157 --> 24:17.543 [SPEAKER_02]: Whoever is running the Dexter canon over there at Paramount, you know, they should hire themselves out as advisors to the industry, especially Hollywood. 24:18.283 --> 24:26.528 [SPEAKER_02]: They could teach how to make compelling shows and movies, which would help solve the current audiences worldwide, low interest in most everything produced today. 24:26.548 --> 24:32.691 [SPEAKER_02]: I'd advise hiring some writers with other than college listed on their resumes for life experience. 24:33.452 --> 24:42.637 [SPEAKER_02]: They should pay that extra money for writers with real life experiences that won't let their personal opinions or politics get in the way of a great and engaging story. 24:47.315 --> 24:48.255 [SPEAKER_02]: podcast news. 24:49.056 --> 24:57.980 [SPEAKER_02]: Podcasts incorporated has still been quiet, but the biggest story this week being that podcast hosting service blueberry raised their prices by 20%. 24:58.020 --> 25:02.702 [SPEAKER_02]: This is the first time they have done so in almost 20 years. 25:04.002 --> 25:11.986 [SPEAKER_02]: My fear is that this will open the proverbial floodgates of all other hosting companies following suit that remains to be seen. 25:12.006 --> 25:14.027 [SPEAKER_02]: So far so good. 25:15.107 --> 25:21.934 [SPEAKER_02]: I haven't changed my mind about purchasing a roadcast or dual audio interface, which I'll probably buy sometime this winter. 25:21.954 --> 25:25.358 [SPEAKER_02]: Unless Amazon has some sort of sale on them in the interim. 25:26.179 --> 25:30.523 [SPEAKER_02]: A high LPR30 microphone is also on my list of things to buy eventually. 25:31.477 --> 25:33.238 [SPEAKER_02]: What can I say, honey, gear head? 25:34.138 --> 25:37.579 [SPEAKER_02]: The road unit will be the last audio interface I ever buy, though. 25:38.420 --> 25:42.201 [SPEAKER_02]: However, are a few to make that declaration when it comes to microphones? 25:42.521 --> 25:45.282 [SPEAKER_00]: You can never have too many microphones, is what I always say. 25:47.883 --> 25:51.745 [SPEAKER_02]: I am considering switching the podcast hosting service for this podcast. 25:52.585 --> 25:56.267 [SPEAKER_02]: It's not like I'm not satisfied with my current hosting service Red Circle. 25:57.067 --> 25:58.568 [SPEAKER_02]: I just feel it's time for a change. 25:59.649 --> 26:04.872 [SPEAKER_02]: I am currently researching RSS.com but I haven't gotten into it heavily yet. 26:05.712 --> 26:09.915 [SPEAKER_02]: My one concern is that I can host multiple shows on Red Circle for that one price. 26:09.935 --> 26:15.778 [SPEAKER_02]: I'm not sure if I can do the same with RSS.com without having to pay an additional fee. 26:18.399 --> 26:26.185 [SPEAKER_02]: Years ago now, in the early days of the OF&T podcast, I ran a multi-part series called, so you want to be a podcaster. 26:26.966 --> 26:32.850 [SPEAKER_02]: I went over different tiers of equipment and digital audio workstations, along with different scripting methods. 26:34.031 --> 26:38.315 [SPEAKER_02]: Since then, the world of equipment for podcasting has changed, and for the better. 26:39.388 --> 26:45.032 [SPEAKER_02]: Equipment back in the early days was made for the production of music, which as podcasters had to repurpose. 26:46.133 --> 26:52.057 [SPEAKER_02]: These days audio interfaces and even microphones are made in marketed specifically towards podcasters and streamers. 26:52.977 --> 26:59.222 [SPEAKER_02]: The only thing lagging are digital audio workstations which are still primarily made for the recording of music. 26:59.942 --> 27:03.586 [SPEAKER_02]: Making them over-complicated and bearing a steep learning curve. 27:04.467 --> 27:12.095 [SPEAKER_02]: The only DAW out there makes strictly for spoken word, audio is Hindenburg, which unfortunately went to a subscription model a couple of years ago. 27:12.115 --> 27:19.082 [SPEAKER_02]: If I were just starting out park-casting, I would pick up the Louis Recording Bundle, which goes for around $269 on Amazon. 27:22.255 --> 27:33.162 [SPEAKER_02]: You get a Louis Connect 2 DSB Audio Interface, a Louis LCT 240 Pro Microphone with a shock mount, a Mike stand, XLR cable, and the Q-base DAW. 27:33.182 --> 27:36.264 [SPEAKER_02]: Except for Q-base the rest of the kit is solid. 27:37.345 --> 27:42.408 [SPEAKER_02]: The Connect 2 has a built-in noise gate compressor equalization and automatic audio level setting. 27:43.429 --> 27:48.072 [SPEAKER_02]: These things were what gave me the most problems while starting out, cost me much money 27:50.342 --> 27:52.783 [SPEAKER_02]: I'd get rid of Q-Base and substitute Hindenburg. 27:53.844 --> 27:58.086 [SPEAKER_02]: With this bundle you get everything needed for your podcast to sound professional right from the get-go. 27:59.327 --> 28:01.909 [SPEAKER_02]: Man I wish this was available when I was first starting out. 28:03.069 --> 28:11.854 [SPEAKER_02]: There are rival bundles available from Focus right based on their focus or series of audio interfaces and some Chinese manufacturers are in the fray also. 28:12.835 --> 28:14.536 [SPEAKER_02]: I'd stay away from the Chinese stuff though. 28:15.056 --> 28:16.037 [SPEAKER_02]: They won't last as long. 28:17.358 --> 28:20.919 [SPEAKER_02]: The focus right stuff is good, but the microphones aren't as good as Lewis. 28:22.000 --> 28:25.881 [SPEAKER_02]: The headphones I'd recommend the Sony MDR-7506's. 28:27.022 --> 28:29.523 [SPEAKER_02]: They're reasonable in price, and the pros use them. 28:40.968 --> 28:48.474 [SPEAKER_02]: As usual, the music is playing in this episode, number 285 of the OFNT podcast is now winding down. 28:50.936 --> 28:53.599 [SPEAKER_02]: I hope you enjoyed this episode, I enjoyed making it for you. 28:54.319 --> 28:58.042 [SPEAKER_02]: Just like what you heard, while you can make a donation using the link in the show notes. 28:59.383 --> 29:01.865 [SPEAKER_02]: And in all donations, we'll be greatly appreciated. 29:02.626 --> 29:07.790 [SPEAKER_02]: You know, he's reached me at OFNT podcast at gmail.com, and as if you're so inclined. 29:07.810 --> 29:09.352 [SPEAKER_02]: I'd enjoy hearing from you. 29:13.247 --> 29:17.509 [SPEAKER_02]: Remember, don't listen to what they say, watch what they do. 29:17.529 --> 29:23.632 [SPEAKER_02]: I'll still know gates of my fence, but that shouldn't happen you're from getting off my lawn. 29:25.573 --> 29:26.474 [SPEAKER_02]: Stay skeptical. 29:26.494 --> 29:29.475 [SPEAKER_02]: Ahhhh, I'm out. 29:30.056 --> 29:32.857 [SPEAKER_02]: Shoot. 29:34.658 --> 29:36.479 [SPEAKER_00]: And that folks is the end of the show.