Category: Tech

Apple Vision Pro: Thoughts After the Demo

They say you can’t teach an old dog new tricks. That may be so. But this old dog is certainly willing to try out a few new things, tricks or not. And the Apple Vision Pro certainly qualifies as a new thing. It is certainly not a trick. Understand I don’t own one. I’m not currently contemplating owning one. But I did schedule a demo at a local Apple Store and I’m very glad I did. These are my thoughts about the demo and after.

First, let’s talk about the demo. If you’re remotely interested and live close enough to make a trip to an Apple Store I’d highly recommend you do so. Certainly to check out the device and the limited look at the technology Apple lets you experience for 30 minutes, but also because in the end it’s as much fun as any entertainment experience you might put on your calendar. It’s also free. It’s well done and it’s a no pressure to buy interaction.

I equate it to the first time I attended an IMAX screening back in the day when that was a brand new thing (old dog here, remember.) The number of IMAX screens was small and the brand actually meant something beyond a higher ticket price. I remember marveling at the pre-show demo revealing all of those speakers and the technology more than I remember whatever movie I watched. The Apple Vision Pro demo is that sort of experience. At least it was for me.

As I mentioned, the demo is indeed limited. You don’t get to watch the entire movie. You learn the basics of using the device and what it feels like to strap this thing on your face. After your face is scanned with an iPhone to get the right fit, the device is shortly served up to you on a wooden platter with a panache that feels like you’re being served in a fine dining establishment.

It might feel like the main course, but think of it instead as being served up a large Charcuterie or a Mezza. You get to sample bits of the magic: 3D/Spatial video and photo experiences, the pass through mode, and moving windows up down and around. You don’t get a full course meal. For example, you don’t get to experience using it with a Mac which is understandable, but also a disappointment.

On the day I had my demo there were two folks completing demos in front of me and two waiting when I finished up. I was in a smaller Apple Store, so your experiences may vary depending on where you go. It will be interesting to see how this goes in the days and weeks ahead once the novelty has worn off.

So, those are my  thoughts on the demo. Again, my recommendation is to do it if you’re even mildly interested. It’s worth the 30 minutes and whatever travel time it takes to get to an Apple Store. And it’s the only way you’re really going to discover whether or not this device and what it may or may not offer might be right for you. It’s also a lot of fun.

Now that I’ve experienced this small taste here are some of my thoughts about this new thing.  Again, these are based only on the demo and along with what I’ve read, viewed and listened to online. I mention that because by and large I think most of the reviewers and early adopters are being quite fair in their praise and criticism of the Apple Vision Pro. Sure, there’s some over the top excitement, but that is well tempered with some realistic descriptions of issues and pitfalls that some are experiencing.

I included some links to early reviews in a prevous post after the review embargo dropped and I’ll include a few more below that have come out since. I don’t think you’ll go wrong checking these out because folks are putting this device and its operating system in what I view as the proper context: something brand new that’s attainable now, but is largely undefined as to its future.

And undefined it remains for me. If I lived alone I could see the Apple Vision Pro as how I possibly would choose to watch entertainment. In this first version it offers a very cool way to do so whether you’re in the immersive experiences or not. Even with the demo’s soupçon of this viewing magic it’s easy to see the appeal and be drawn to it. But that’s not enough alone for me to make the investment in this first generation.

I think the isolation factor many have mentioned shouldn’t be overlooked. I can see it being very easy to get lost in the world of spatial computing. That may be just fine for some, but this old dog wants to spend some time with friends and grandkids, sharing experiences and not keeping them to myself. How that part of Apple’s “vision” plays out is yet to be seen or really discussed in these early days, but it will need to be sooner rather than later in my opinion.

That said, the opposite could also be very true when it comes to providing shared experiences for folks already living in an isolated situation. For example, I was out of town on a gig for portions of December and most of January, with travel plans to be back home for a break during the holidays. COVID intervened and I spent the holidays on the road in isolation until the illness resolved. I can imagine folks in similar isolated situations, being able to share spatial videos or photos in the future. And yes, those are amazing, and indeed somewhat emotional experiences. But we’re far from that being even close to our current reality of quickly firing up a Zoom or FaceTime session and sitting in as a talking head during a holiday dinner.

As for the interface and working with the device, Apple has made it pretty easy to get acquainted with controling what you see with your eyes and gestures. The eye tracking worked as advertised with a few quirks. I expect it is only going to continue to improve. So that’s a win.

The biggest adjustment (and a number of reviewers have mentioned this as well) is that you have to keep your eyes focused on what you want to manipulate in order to excercise control with gestures. Certainly that probably becomes second nature with longer use, but it is certainly different than the way I use a trackpad, keyboard, or touch in relating to what’s on a screen. In the limited demo I found that I had to slow myself down in order to make selections, zoom, or move windows about and was encouraged to do so by the Apple rep guiding me. I do often use a multiple screen setup and this is a different way of working from how I may take a glance at one thing on one window, while scrolling through another almost without thinking about it.

As I mentioned earlier the demo understandably doesn’t offer a chance for you to see how the Apple Vision Pro will work with a Mac. There are plenty of videos and reviews online that discuss this in good detail. Many describe how effortlessly this works with Universal Control, using a keyboard and trackpad to go back and forth between a Mac and the Vision Pro. That’s encouraging, although I hope that doesn’t fall prey to some of the iCloud related issues with Universal Control that I’ve been experiencing for quite some time now that Apple doesn’t seem to have an answer for.

Honestly, this would be a headline feature for me and from what I’ve read it is designed and works well enough to warrant that sort of headline. Couple that with entertainment viewing and the Apple Vision Pro might be a bigger temptation for me a generation or two down the road, and again, I see this feature only getting better in versions ahead.

Apple Stores are very well lit. Much better than the environments where I work and how I actually prefer to work. In those bright light conditions everything I saw was crisp and easily readable. However, there was a noticeable difference between the brightness of the real world before and after putting the headset on. It does feel as if you’re entering into a darker place. I’ve read that in low light conditions the visuals aren’t quite as crisp or stunning, but there’s no way to verify that from the my participation in the demo.

As to the comfort of the device there’s no doubt it is something heavy on your face. We checked the fit several times in my demo, but the device kept wanting to slide down my face slightly. I was wearing the Solo Band. When that occured I had to constantly adjust my neck and viewing angle in much the same way I used to do with my eyeglasses back when I wore progressive lenses prior to catarct surgery several years ago. That adjustment felt minor with eyeglasses. It felt a bit more burdensome with the Apple Vision Pro. I’ve read and heard that the Dual Loop band included in the package that fits over the head might prevent that sort of slippage. I had no opportunity to try that out in my demo.

I hesitate to share this next bit of info because it’s very personal and it’s not necessarily something that can be attributed directly to the Apple Vision Pro. Later in the day of my demo I experienced some dizziness and disorientation that turned into what my doctors described as a Vertigo episode. I have never had or been diagnosed with anything resembling Vertigo previously. Because my blood pressure also rose significantly I ended up in the ER that evening. I was quite disorientated and out of whack.

Again, I am not saying there is a direct correlation here with the Apple Vision Pro. I have other health issues that could be the cause and it could very well be coincidental. I am in the process of doing quite a few tests to try and figure out the cause as some of the issues still persist. That said, Apple does have a support document about motion sickness, dizziness and nausea and I did take note that it mentions it can take up to 30 minutes for symptoms to start. My symptoms began well after that time frame, but when something scary like that happens you consider all external and unique possibilities and circumstances leading up to the event.

The point of including this info here is that it is just possible I fit one of the pre-existing medical conditions that might make me more susceptible to motion sickness symptoms as Apple mentions in the support document. So, while I encourage follks to take advantage of the free demo Apple is providing, I’d also urge them to follow Apple’s guidance and check with your medical provider if you have any of the conditions mentioned in this other document. The larger point here is that as much potential as the Apple Vision Pro offers, it may not, at least in its current form, be a device for everybody. Especially if you’re an older dog with some existing medical issues.

Is there a future here in Apple’s Vision Pro? I think so. I don’t know what it is or will be. I don’t know who it’s for or not for. I doubt Apple actually does either and is anxious to find out in the months ahead. What is certain is the elements of something exciting is here and we’re living in a time when we can experience that as its story reveals itself in the years to come. Note I said “years to come.” I think it will take awhile. But this is now. Take advantage of the demo if you can or are able. It’s a chance to see and try something brand new for yourself. Trust this old dog, that doesn’t happen every day.

Here’s some additional review links that are worth your time::

Jason Snell in Six Colors: Eyes On The Future

Brian Heater in TechCrunch: Apple Vision Pro review: The Infinite Desktop

Matt Birchler: Like Buying an iPhone in 2007

MKHBD: Apple Vision Pro Review: Tomorrow’s Ideas…Today’s Tech!

Upgrade #498 (podcast): Leap the Uncanny Valley

Stephen Robles: Should Anyone Buy Apple Vision Pro?

Christopher Mims in the Wall St. Journal: Apple’s New Face Computer Is for Work.

You can find more of my writings on a variety of topics on Medium at this link, including in the publications Ellemeno and Rome and check out The Lehman Trilogy Diaries here. 

Apple Vision Pro Thoughts After Release to Reviewers

Well now. I wish I could say I’m surprised. But I can’t. After reading and watching reviews of Apple Vison Pro there weren’t many suprises in the many lists of pros anc cons. Well, maybe one. I’ll still be looking forward to real users trying it out and posting their reactions, along with the tech press that didn’t get in on the review cycle.  But by and large everything I’ve seen confirms what I’d already imagined..

It’s a terrific piece of tech by all accounts, albeit a bit heavy. Yes, there’s some intriguing tech and quite a few innovations. Yet it is still a very version 1.0 device that I’m perfectly happy to let others discover the ins and outs of as Apple continues to advance this new platform. $3500-$4000 is a steep price for beta hardware and a software eco-system, no matter how much of a new paradigm it seeks to introduce. The interesting thing to watch will be how many developers work to create for the device.

The other interesting theme that runs through these early reviews is that while Apple Vision Pro might open up new worlds it only does so for the wearer. It’s a solitary device. There’s no escaping that this is a device for isolating yourself in those worlds separate from the one around you.

The one surprise I mentioned is that Apple marketing apparently goofed big time when they rolled out the device regarding the EyeSight feature. You know the one when someone can see your eyes, or rather a digital representation of your eyes. Those pictures were everywhere, and apparently the reality is most of the reviews indicate that the feature doesn’t match the hype. No wonder there have been rumors that the EyeSight feature might not survive into future versions.

As for me, I’ll journey to an Apple Store and try it out at some point. Meanwhile I’m stting this one out for who knows how long. I still find the spatial computing concept intriguing and promising. I imagine that might be the way long after I’m gone. In the meantgime I hope it actually turns into something useful beyond just watching entertainment. But maybe that will be enough.

That said, here are some links to some of the reviews and articles, (one featuring Tim Cook wearing the thing), that I found worthwhile. There are plenty more out there. There’s a combination of writing and video, so pick your poison. The first two links really offer comprehensive coverage. Or as comprehensive as you can get this early in the game. The real story will be told down the line.

Apple Vision Pro Review: Magic, Until It’s Not from The Verge

MKBHD’s video look at the device.

The Vision Pro from John Gruber

Apple Vision Pro Review: A Revolution in Progress from Tom’s Guide

Why Tim Cook Is Going All In On The Apple Vision Pro from Vanity Fair

Apple Vision Pro Review: The Best Headset Yet Is Just A Glimpse of The Future by Joanna Stern

You can find more of my writings on a variety of topics on Medium at this link, including in the publications Ellemeno and Rome and check out The Lehman Trilogy Diaries here. 

Sunday Morning Reading

From deep in the heart of the frozen South here’s some Sunday Morning Reading to share. A slimmer list of links this weekend as we head into the final week of rehearsals for The Lehman Trilogy fighting the cold, burst water pipes and other winter wonders. Looking forward to putting the tech touches to this show and heading home to Chicago. Oh, wait. It’s winter there too. Meanwhile stay warm and enjoy this week’s Sunday Morning Reading.

As someone who wakes early, even in the crazy late night weeks of directing a play, Scott-Ryan Abt’s What Do You Do at 3am? feels very familiar.

Richard Zoglin takes on all the pre-movie promotional stuff tossed at movie goers in When Is This Movie Really Going To Start? I’ve Been Here Half an Hour. My going to the movies habit began changing long before the pandemic because of this.

NatashaMH takes us on a tour of life through a visit to a bookstore in Small Wonders In A Big World.Wonderful.

David Todd McCarty takes us the long way around in telling this story about story telling in ‘Round The Outside. He’s also wondering Where Have All The Hitmen Gone?

Steven Levy takes us through the evolution of the Mac in Apple Shares The Secret Of Why The 40-Year-Old Mac Still Rules.

Lulu Garcia-Navarro interviews Kevin D. Roberts the head of the Hertiage Foundation in Inside The Heritage Foundation’s Plans for ‘Institutionalizing Trumpism.’ If you want to know where the crazy comes from on the right, talk to Kevin.

If you’re interested in just what the heck Sunday Morning Reading is all about you can read more about the origins of Sunday Morning Reading here.  You can also find more of my writings on Medium at this link, including in the publications Ellemeno and Rome.

Apple Vision Pro Excitement Running Hot

Apple started taking pre-orders for the Apple Vision Pro this morning and the excitement from those jumping into the pond for this first generation new device is running hot. It’s fun to see. I’m glad to see it. I’m not jumping in. I’ll be anxious to see how real users report their experiences as opposed to all the very clever and promotional marketing Apple has released. 

Apple released a couple of videos about the experience that I’ll share below. Slick stuff. But I’m more interested in the real world impressions and wondering just how those are going to be conveyed on the web. Since those who pre-ordered will start seeing deliveries in February it’s going to make that an interesting month to follow the news on this device.

This next one is a “Making Of.”

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not doubting that this is a cool new thing, but just like with the first gen iPhone I’m not gonna early adopt (especially at these prices) until we’ve got some real world feedback. Or is that virtual world?

Sunday Morning Reading

Winter is bearing down on big portions of the U.S. Some places are already digging out. I’m in one of the former portions (Memphis) that doesn’t handle it well. So today, Sunday Morning Reading will contain less links than usual. We’re rushing to get things accomplished before folks anticipate a rough time (or a snow day) in this old southern town. But don’t rush through these links.

As for winter, Zoë Schalnger has a good piece up about The Threshold at Which Snow Starts Irreversibly Disappearing.  Given deadlines and what’s impending here I sort of wish it never would appear, but that’s not the point of this article.

U.S. Politics may be a hot topic, but not enough to defeat Old Man Winter in Iowa where the first caucus will be held tomorrow for apparently no reason. The debate also rages on about the 14th Amendment. This piece from Jason Linkins, The Fourteenth Amendment Scolds Abetting Trump’s Return, turns up the heat on that issue and the media that keeps screwing up the coverage.

Natasha MH, talks about school reunions in The United States of Reunion. Great piece about the inner conflicts they can dredge up.

Smart is Not Always Wise. I concur. So does David Todd McCarty who penned this piece.

And for those who come here for a little tech, check out John Siracusa’s take on Artificial Intelligence entitled I Made This. Well worth your time.

If you’re interested in just what the heck Sunday Morning Reading is all about you can read more about the origins of Sunday Morning Reading here.  You can also find more of my writings on Medium at this link, including in the publications Ellemeno and Rome.

Charged Up Cubism: The Anker 3-in-1 Cube with Magsafe

Cubism is an art form popularized by Pablo Picasso, George Braque, Jen Metzinger and a bevy of other artists. Cubism can be fun and funky. It can also be confusing. Either way it can generate some highly charged opinions. The Anker 3-1-Cube with Magsafe is certainly not what I’d call a work of art, but it is a nifty piece of Magsafe charging tech packaged in a funky little cube.

I received an Anker 3-in-1 Magsafe charging cube as a Christmas gift and am using it on my current month-and-a-half long gig away from home to charge an iPhone, Apple Watch and AirPods. Straight up I like the device quite a bit and am very grateful it was gifted to me.

Right out the box you get a small gray cube. It’s heavier than its roughly 2.5 inch footprint suggests, weighing in at 14.46 ounces. It deceptively makes you think the cube contains a battery, but it does not. It’s solidly built for the most part. Flip open the top and you can attach an iPhone via MagSafe for charging or to use in StandBy mode. You can also just plop your iPhone on top of the cube without flipping up the top. Press in on the small side shelf and out pops a small charging adapter for the Apple Watch. That watch charging shelf does feel a little finicky at times and I’m not sure if pressing it in and out constantly won’t eventually yield to failure. The lid angle is adjustable so using it for viewing something on your iPhone works well. With the lid flipped all the way to its maximum angle you can place your AirPods under that angled lid to charge them up.

Yes, you can charge all three devices at one time. With all three devices charging it takes Cubism into an sort of modern realm. The device comes with a 30-watt charging plug and a decently long cable (5 feet). No this isn’t a mobile charger, it’s meant to be used plugged in, which may mitigate the hefty weight. Anker’s cube supports 15-watt charging for compatible iPhone models and suppots fast charging for Apple Watches as far back as version 7.

The cube is a bit pricey currently running in the $150 range on Amazon, Apple and other outlets. I had looked at this when it first came out and ruled it out for my gadget collection due to the price compared with other options available. One of the things I like about it is the small compact size compared to many other charging stands and mobile charging options currently on the market that tend to look like jewelry stands. Given that some of my gigs require weeks long stays, I’m glad the Anker 3-in-1 Cube with MagSafe was gifted to me. I won’t mind its surprising weight when packing a suitcase, and I do indeed like this quirky, little, somewhat heavy cube quite a bit.

You can find more of my writings on a variety of topics on Medium at this link, including in the publications Ellemeno and Rome.

Some Things We Just Know On The Merry-Go-Round We Call Life Today

On the merry-go-round of life some things we just know. Some things we just know but find that others want to pretend something different. Here are some things we just know.

Donald Trump is a criminal, a rapist, an insurrectionist, a scumbag, a loser, a lousy liar, and more beyond redemption than most of the evil people in recorded history. He’d love to top even that list. He wants to dismantle the US Constitution and any other aspect of governance as long as he can stay out of a prison jump suit that might clash with the color of his makeup while grifting his way to the grave.

The Republican Party is the largest collecton of cowards and liars ever gathered under the guise of a political party, afraid of any shadow with a hint of orange in it, and terrified of the ignorant constiutents they represent and claim to love. They deserve whatever comes from their cowardice and lying. The rest of us don’t.

Elon Musk is a drug-addled fool who just happens to control a few companies, somehow has a national security clearance, a hoard of wealth, and could care less about anything other than for whatever is in his brain at the moment. Or the next.

Too many American voters don’t know which way to turn because either fork in the road seems like a tortured path. Too many American voters need to pay better attention, because if they are not careful they’ll lose the ability to make choose how severe the torture is going forward.

Big Tech isn’t Big Tech anymore. Big tech, like most other human endeavors, is in the Big “Let’s Make All The Money We Can before the merry-go-round stops” game. The merry-go-round always stops.

Artificial Intelligence can be both a boon and a bust. It will be both. You don’t have to be intelligent or real  to see that coming. 

Social Media can be fun. Social Media can be harmful. In either case, only if you let it. 

Wars are destructive, foolish expressions of ego and and desire. Rules and Laws of War are silly made up sing-songs  to allow men to destroy each other and anyone in their way in service to those egos.

The Media is a mess of its own making in covering any of the above, and seems to enjoy swimming in its own slop with its mouth agape. Anyone in their right minds would have stopped the bleeding by now. Unless they just enjoy self-harm. But if it bleeds it leads. Even it’s draining the lifeblood out of you.

You can find more of my writings on a variety of topics on Medium at this link, including in the publications Ellemeno and Rome.

The iPad Is My Perfect Theatre Rehearsal Tool

For some the iPad can be a strange beast. For some the iPad is just what they need. Of course that depends on which iPad you might have or use. That’s where the “strange” comes in. Most of the follow the leader tech press thinks the iPad lineup is confusing. Following along, I happen to agree to an extent. If you know what you’re looking for it’s not that difficult a choice. But if you are in the market for the first time it can be confusing. There’s size differences. There’s iPad Pros, iPad Airs, just plain iPads, and then there’s the iPad mini.

Apple hasn’t helped with the confusion because it’s sent mixed signals along the way. I’m not one to be that concerned because my needs are clearly defined. I’m not looking to use an iPad as full computer replacement, though there have been times I’ve used it as such and reliably well. I’m in the game for mobility for both work and play. Frankly, while the lineup may seem confusing to the easily distracted,  the variety in the lineup does offer an array of choices.

My family is one example. For my wife an iPad is primarily a content consumption device. For me it serves that purpose, and is also an indispensible work platform. I keep up to date with current hardware. That’s my gadget geek side. My wife is still quite happy with a much older version. (It still has a Home button!) My wife defines the case for many that frustrates the “must have new hardware” and “growth at all costs” crowds. For lack of a better analogy, she sits in the larger main section of the theatre often referred to as the orchestra. I sit in the “always ready for the new thing” smaller mezzaine or balcony. That analogy flips the pricing equation on its head, given that the main floor tickets are usually higher priced, but I think it holds in terms of numbers.

I own the latest models of an 11-inch iPad Pro and also an iPad mini. Love them both. I use them in similar but different ways, fitting the tool to the job of the moment. I may be a gadget geek, but I’m primarily a theatre professional. Most of my work is directing plays. Both serve me well in my job. Currently, I’m working out of town on staging The Lehman Trilogy. Both the iPad Pro and the iPad mini suitably fill my down hours with entertainment and are reliable work horses for the gig. To be honest, their roles as tools are so familiar that to call my usage “rote” would be accurate.

Background

Back in the day I was a Tablet PC fan boy. I used them primarily as a work device in the theatre. I was at one time a Microsoft MVP for Tablet PC. Those devices allowed me to quit using paper scripts in rehearsal and write my notes directly into a digital script. I could set aside my beloved yellow legal pads and not so beloved folders of research and have everything handy in digital format on a Tablet PC. The debates then were over slates versus convertible Tablet PCs.

Microsoft screwed the pooch with Tablet PCs leaving the door open for Apple. And along came the iPad. It certainly wasn’t perfect for my work initially, but it offered promise. I can’t remember  how many different stylus solutions I went through (from Adonit to Zagg) until the Apple Pencil came along. Along the way I’ve tried most of the other tablet solutions but as far as my work needs are concerned the iPad is hands down the only viable choice. I include Microsoft’s Surface tablets in the reject pile.

My Work

When I’m doing a show, work includes reading and working from scripts; research gathering and consumption; using, taking and making notes in rehearsal as well as on the research. Working with scripts, once a page gets too filled with my indescipherable scribbles, I simply open another copy and start afresh. GoodNotes is my app of choice for this. (I’ve tried them all.) It’s an easy solution for scribbling notes in the margins of a script in prep or in actual rehearsal. It also provides a way for me to archive scripts once I’m done with a show.

As a director I often walk into rehearsal with a clean copy of the script so that I’m more focused on the actors and the text and less on my notes. It’s a snap (swipe?) to switch back and forth when I need to reference my notes or research. Time is money and a limited commodity in rehearsal and I have to maximize what time I’m given.

In the early days of staging I’m primarily using the iPad Pro. It’s a Goldilocks device as far as size goes. The text and my notes are large enough to read at a glance and the size of the device is easy to tote when I move around the theatre or rehearsal room. In the stages of rehearsal when I’m mostly taking notes as the actors rehearse what we’ve done, I switch to the iPad mini for even more mobility and a bit of discretion.

My research is ongoing, but primarily done prior to rehearsals beginning. I do some of that on the iPads, but use a Mac for quite a bit of it. Apple Notes is my app of choice for all of that research gathering, though I’ve tried many others and still do. Prepping for a day’s rehearsal when I may need specific research I’ll create a note with links to those notes, the research directly, or a work list and have them handy via Slide Over. I’m still not a fan of Stage Manager although I’ve given it several attempts to win me over.

Marshall McLuhan coined the phrase “the medium is the message” in the 1960’s about human communication. For me, the same is true with my work tools. When I’m staging and working scenes the larger iPad Pro is the medium of choice and feels natural as I’m moving actors and scenery from moment to moment. When I’m watching and note-taking as the actors move through scenes on their own, the smaller iPad mini serves to remind me that I’m an observer, not a participant in the moment. If I move about the theatre while the actors are working it can be distracting if they see me a take a note. They can fall out of the moment and into a “what did I do wrong” mode of self-monitoring. So I try to be as discreet as possible.

Once we’re down to the final days of rehearsals and I have limited hours for giving notes I’ll actually return back to my Mac for preparation and organizing my notes for efficiently relaying them via email or in note sessions with the cast. Often I’ll use the Notes app on my iPhone when giving those notes in person. Once we invite the audience in for previews, I’ll stick with the smaller iPad mini for taking those notes, again for discretion purposes. When you tell an audience to put away their smartphones it’s not a good look to see a larger iPad light up while the director is taking notes. There was a time that I used a Samsung Galaxy Note in this scenario using OneNote or Evernote as the note-taking app. But those days are gone as my routine has become more focused.

For this current gig, we conducted some early table work and read-throughs of the script using Zoom. I’d be on my Mac, but have my script on the iPad Pro. My actors were using iPads for their scripts as well.

My work also consists of a lot of meetings and since I’m a now happily a freelance director I often travel for work. That means I’m often doing pre-production virtually using whatever video conferencing app the theatre uses. I’m also auditioning actors in virtual auditions. Video submissions also play a significant role. Both devices serve well in those aspects of the job, though I typically prefer the iPad Pro in those cases.

Play

Throughout this article I’ve also mentioned that I use both iPads for play as well as work. That is indeed the case. There’s downtime, and like many I use an iPad for consuming media and reading. I read a lot of scripts. The iPad mini is perfect for this whether I read the scripts as PDFs imported into Apple’s Books app, (my preference), in the Kindle app or in a PDF reader. As I’m working on this article on my Mac, I’m watching two football games in the background, one on the iPad Pro and one on the iPad mini.

Stall Surfing

Back in the day I often spoke and wrote about Tablet PCs as great Stall Surfing devices. Yeah, Stall Surfing. That thing you do when sitting on the toilet. You know you do it, whether it’s on a smartphone or a tablet. I’m here to tell you, that if nothing else, the iPad mini is the perfect Stall Surfing device. It’s sure beats reading scripts in paper or bound versions. I doubt we’ll ever see a marketing campaign featuring Stall Surfing, though.

Future Wishes

If I had a wish list for future iPads (both Pro and mini) it would be simple. I’ve heard talk that Apple might be moving away from the 11-inch size of the Pro models, thinking the Air liineup might be sufficient for most who need that size. I hope that’s not the case. It’s the perfect size and power house for my line of work. Sure, improve the larger Pros or make even larger ones, but don’t forget those of us who move around while we work and want a document sized device to work from that offers us power when we need it.

As for the iPad mini, I’d love to see that power up a bit in the next generation with an M-series processor. As to the design of both, I know new iPads without significant design changes can be boring to many. I’m not in that camp. I’d be content with these hardware designs for quite awhile to come. Both work exceptionally well for me as is. But I’m sure I’ll jump at the next models that come out regardless.

After all, I’m both a gadget and theatre geek.

Sunday Morning Reading

The last Sunday Morning Reading column for 2023. Yet another year gone that I think collectively we’re all glad to see pass as we keep hoping for something better around the corner of the next one. There’s always hope. There’s always promise. There’s always the other side of both of those coins. So as we mark the passage of time from one year to another, here’s a short list of some good reading to share on the last day of 2023.

There wouldn’t be much to read if someone didn’t write it first. David Todd McCarty Writes Like You’re Running out of Time. Check it out and other excellent writers on Ellemeno.

I don’t know about you, but I do most of reading on the Internet these days. Anil Dash tells us That the Internet is About To Get Weird Again. Who’d a thunk it?

Time passes. Rivers run. Everything ages. Sit still and things can stagnate. Maria Popova tells us about John O’Donohue’s great book To Bless The Space Between Us: A Book of Blessings. Check out here article A Spell Against Stagnation: John O’Donohue On Beginnings.

And since we’re celebrating the passage of time, check out A Brief History of Time as told by a watchmaker by Jaq Prendergast

Here’s another piece worth your time from David Todd McCarty called Boys Don’t Cry, Men Don’t Bond. I’m in with part two. Not so much with the first. Must be an age thing.

And to close out the year and this edition of Sunday Morning Reading check out NatashaMH’s piece Writing Out of the Shadows.

Happy New Year!

If you’re interested in just what the heck Sunday Morning Reading is all about you can read more about the origins of Sunday Morning Reading here.  You can also find more of my writings on Medium at this link, including in the publications Ellemeno and Rome.

Good Things Come In Small Packages: The GL.iNet Beryl AX (GL-MT3000) Travel Router

This is quick review of my favorite gadget purchase of 2023. The GL.iNet Beryl AX (GL-MT3000) Travel Router proves that big and amazing things can come in small packages.  They need to work on that name though. It certainly doesn’t just roll off the tongue. This small router that fits in the palm of your hand allows you to do any number of router like things in order to get connected, stay connected, and stay safe while connected.

I started looking into travel routers early this past fall as my November/December schedule started firming up. Our family was expecting a new granddaughter. (Yay! She arrived and is gorgeous.) I had a work gig that was going to take me out of town the week before Christmas and for five weeks after that to direct The Lehman Trilogy at Playhouse on the Square in Memphis. That gig meant we had to do some of our many family holiday trips earlier in the month of December.

All of that combined meant some hotel stays and visits to relatives with large houses that don’t exactly have great WiFi coverage. Essentially I was looking for a way to piggyback on and extend WiFi reception in those destinations. Some of the travel would mean both my wife and I would be working at times from those various locations in addition to enjoying family time.

The GL.iNet Beryl AX (GL-MT3000) Travel Router filled that bill and more. Not only am I able to piggyback and extend WiFi when needed, but it provides built in VPN services that can help when you don’t exactly want to use hotel WiFi without some form of VPN protection.

In addition, it can combine an existing WiFi signal with a tethered connection to a smartphone to boost the signal even more. I’m not quite sure how they make that magic work, but they do. You can grab existing WiFi by plugging into a router or over the air. The connection can handle up to 70 devices. I don’t have that many, but when we’re traveling we have more than a few.

And as far as small packages go, the device is small enough to toss into your bag when you need to travel light. Once the show I’m working on moves into the theatre i’m looking forward to extending and boosting the signal of the public WiFi channel there where I work so I don’t have to log in to the networks we used for technical theatre operations.

I won’t get into all the technical ins and outs but I will say this is a bit fiddly to set up. But once you’re up and running it’s certainly a keeper for my kit. Here’s a link to a review from the Gadgeteer that goes into more detail if you’re interested.

All in all for a $100 purchase it’s already proven it’s value.